Disclaimer: Joss, WB, UPN et al. own Buffy. George Lucas, LucasFilm, LucasArts et al. own Star Wars. Timothy Zahn owns Grand Admiral Thrawn. Squaresoft own Final Fantasy. No, this isn't a FF fic.
Title: For the Good of the Empire.
Author: Paradigm Shifter
Feedback: Yes! YES! Please?! Love to know what you think.
Rating: I'll go with PG-13 for now. Be prepared for it to go up, though.
Grateful Thanks: go to Trevelyan (Matt) and Bobby Cox. Your input and suggestions were both invaluable for this.
Notes: Thanks to Harry2 and Invincible Sword Goddess for reviewing, at least you were the only two when I posted this next chapter. And ISG, since you're obviously interested in learning some more about Mara, she was a character in the 'Empire' trilogy by Timothy Zahn. Good books. A pretty detailed Bio can be found here: http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/marajadeskywalker/eu.html Be warned, however, if you don't like Spoilers, then avoid this Bio. ;-)
*
Xander was the first to recover the power of speech. "Wills! Well... great! I mean... wow!"
He was speechless for a moment longer, before adding half-uncertainly; "Mara Jade, yes?"
Willow seemed to gain confidence suddenly, as she drew her plastic blaster, and pointed it hat him, before tilting her hips to the side and drawling, "I prefer the 'Emperors Hand'."
Buffy stood open mouthed in shock at the transformation in Willow, while Xander was quietly cheering his friend. "Go, Willow! I much prefer this to the ghost. Although... I have to say, if I'd known you had those curves last year, I'd have forced you out of that sheet even if it made you go naked." He blushed. "uh... I... uh... I mean..."
Buffy noticed Xander's costume for the first time, and drew the conversation away from the sudden uncomfortable turn it had taken. "And who are you, Xand?"
Xander paused for a second, before reaching into a pocket. "I... have to visit the little boys' room." He grinned. "I'll show ya when I gat back. Promise."
Willow frowned to herself, before turning to Buffy and asking nervously, "maybe I overdid it?"
Buffy grinned. "In no way did you 'overdo it' Wills. That was _great_! I have to admit, I had a moment of doubt before I pulled that sheet. You never told me you were going to try that! I wish you had. Told me that is. The look on Xander's face was priceless!" The two giggled.
Dawn angrily pushed between the two giggling teens. She fixed Willow with a stare. "Just remember, no stealing him from me!"
This only caused Buffy and Willow to laugh harder.
*
Xander hurriedly pulled out the pot of greasepaint, and smothered some on his hands. He'd spent all of last night practicing putting the stuff on, and had got good at getting it up to his hairline, with out actually getting it _in_ his hair.
Face down for a few seconds, he closed his eyes and ran the grease over his eyelids, before wiping it up over his forehead and down over his cheeks and finally his jaw line. Rubbing some onto his upper lip, he nearly sneezed, as he had all of last night. Xander wasn't allergic to the grease, he just felt like he had to sneeze whenever something touched his top lip. It was disquieting.
Looking up into the mirror, he stared at his reflection. His slicked back hair was as black as night, and his eyes, while he had forgotten to get contacts the right red colour, were narrowed as if taking in everything, and not liking it one bit. Wiping the remains of the greasepaint on his hands over the backs, and making sure his palms weren't covered and maybe therefore smudge on his immaculate uniform, he smirked at his reflection before pulling open the door and exiting, stage right.
*
Willow shrieked and tried to hide as Xander descended the stairs. Buffy, whose back was turned, looked round to see a blue skinned demon approaching in what had been Xander's costume. Despite her mother and sister being there, she jumped on the offensive.
Willow's quick thinking and fortuitous grabbing of Buffy's dress saved them all from a lot of embarrassment. She stood, gaping at Xander's costume, and in shock that he had managed to upstage her, even without realising it.
Xander looked nervously around. "Well?" he asked cautiously, "what do you think?"
Buffy was the first to speak. "Uh... sorry. That Admiral guy, right?"
Xander grinned. Buffy obviously _had_ read those books after all. "Right, Buff." He agreed. "Grand Admiral Thrawn."
Willow shook herself, and recovered the power of speech. "Wow."
Xander grinned. "I'm 'wow' worthy, Wills? Thanks! I always wanted to do this costume! Never had the time or money, though." He seemed to retreat into himself again.
Buffy and Willow were both a little uncertain of what to say, but Dawn coughed and said innocently, "if you don't go soon, you'll be late..."
Buffy's eyes flicked up, and she rushed for the door.
Willow and Xander followed more sedately, and helped Buffy, who was struggling to get the gown through the door, to exit the house.
Xander grinned. "So... Wills... where's the light-saber?"
Willow shrugged. "Hey, I chose to go when Mara was the 'Emperors Hand', Xand. She didn't use a saber then."
Xander nodded, and looked at Buffy, who was awkwardly silent as they walked.
"Everything OK, Buffster?"
Buffy grinned over at the pair of Star Wars fans, but still seemed... distant. "Yeah, Xander. Looking at you and Willow... well, I can't help but think that this gown was a bad idea. We could have all gone as a set, sort of thing!"
Xander nodded. "We could have, you're right. But where's the fun in that?" He lost some of his smile. "Besides, didn't you get that for De... I mean, Angel?"
Buffy sighed. "Yeah. I did. But is he going to be here?"
Seeing a friend down, Xander instantly went into 'comfort' mode. "He'll be there, Buff. I'm sure he will."
Willow chipped in, supportive too. "Angel would be mad to miss this, Buffy! He'll have a heart attack when he sees that dress! Well, I mean that in a good way... and seeing as how he doesn't actually have a heartbeat, he wont so much have a heart attack, but I'm sure it'll..."
Seeing the twin looks that Buffy and Xander were giving her, Willow cut her rambling short, and blushed scarlet. "Shutting up now."
Xander grinned, while Buffy offered a sickly smile. Having a 'star-crossed love' was great, and all, but sometimes she just couldn't see past the fact that while he was animated, Angel was still just a _corpse_. Of course, when things started to get hot and heavy, she never remembered. And she kind of liked Angel's cool fingers tracing over her skin, if she was honest with herself. It gave her the shivers. In a good way, of course.
She was brought up short in her mental discourse by Snyder's voice cutting into her ears. "_So_ nice of you three to show up, now. And who'd have thought you could arrive on time for _anything_?"
Xander and Willow remained silent, while Buffy mumbled something about 'trolls and caves'.
Snyder whipped round and fixed Buffy with a glare. "What was that, Summers?"
he asked with venom.
Buffy shook her head. "Er... we're honoured to be taking these little um..." she looked over at the groups that had been assembled, and the only words that sprung to mind to describe them were 'snotty terrors', "angels out Trick or Treating, sir."
Behind her, Buffy could feel the questioning glances of Xander and Willow as they looked first at Buffy, and then at the kids.
"Angels?" Xander mouthed at Willow.
Willow just shrugged. Hers was not to reason why.
Xander snickered, and Buffy felt the back of her neck get warm from a blush she knew she couldn't avoid.
As it turned out, Snyder saved her from any further embarrassment. "Well, you're here now, and that's all I care about. You each have a group, so choose whichever one you wish, and take them away." He stalked off.
Buffy hung her head. "Well, that went well."
Xander patted her on the shoulder. "Hey, cheer up, Buff. It could have been worse..."
"And _how_ could that have gone worse, Xan?"
Xander blinked innocently at her. "He could have given us all detention?"
Willow's quiet 'eep' of terror made Buffy smile slightly. Willow had never received detention, ever. And she intended, through all appearances, as if she was going to keep it that way. No detention for Will Rosenberg, no sir!
Larry swaggered up to the three. "What are you dressed as, Harris? Do fags have ranks, now?"
Xander turned slowly, and gave Larry an almost evil grin. His blue face seemed to accent his dark eyes, and the shadows made his face appear almost demonic. The natural response of any Sunnydalian to something appearing demonic was to run, since something which appeared demonic often _was_, but Larry was denser than most. Either that or he was made of sterner stuff than the rest of the town. "You know, Lar... that pirate's wooden leg is very Freudian. I wouldn't walk around taking about fags in a costume like that. You might find one." His grin increased, and Xander stepped forward.
Larry retreated, casting nervous glances back at Xander as he hurried away to the furthest group.
Willow moved up next to Xander. "That was... um... brave. In a stupid kind of way. What would you have done if he'd called your bluff?"
Xander chuckled. "Fainted."
Willow seemed to consider this. "That works." She frowned. "What's with 'Freudian'?"
Xander shrugged. "It sounded good. And I don't _always_ go to sleep in class, Wills. Sometimes I listen."
Willow gave him a look that as much said, 'since when?'
Xander shrugged again. "OK, so I don't do that much listening. But it was in a magazine I read at the hospital, once."
"All the mags at the hospital are out of date rubbish that people have thrown away."
Xander fixed Willow with an amused look. "I was bored. Sue me."
"How much?" Willow shot back.
"All I've got is a Twinkie and my dashing good looks. And you can't have the looks. I need them."
"I'll take the Twinkie." Willow grinned.
"No!" Xander cried in mock-alarm. "Not my last Twinkie!"
Buffy dug the two of them in the ribs. "Have you two quite finished being strange?"
Xander and Willow looked at each other, then back at Buffy, before looking back at themselves again. As one, they said, "Nah!" and turned away. With her Slayer hearing, Buffy detected the quiet humming of 'We're off to see the Wizard..." on Xander's part. Willow was giggling quietly to herself at their antics.
*
Ethan entered the back room of his shop, and looked at the statue taking centre stage. "Janus..." he whispered reverently.
He kneeled before the statue, placing his palms together and wincing in pain as the small blade he held clasped cut both palms deeply.
"Janus... the World that denies thee, thou inhabit..."
He ran his hand across the cut on his left palm, and ran it across his right eye.
"The Peace that ignores thee..."
He did the same with the other hand and eye, mirroring his previous action.
"...thou corrupt..."
He drew a cross on his forehead, and bowed at the statue, closing his eyes.
"Chaos... I remain... as ever, thy faithful degenerate son." He poured the blood cupped in his palm onto the statue.
The preparation was over. Now... for the main event.
*
Read 'n' Review?
Title: For the Good of the Empire.
Author: Paradigm Shifter
Feedback: Yes! YES! Please?! Love to know what you think.
Rating: I'll go with PG-13 for now. Be prepared for it to go up, though.
Grateful Thanks: go to Trevelyan (Matt) and Bobby Cox. Your input and suggestions were both invaluable for this.
Notes: Thanks to Harry2 and Invincible Sword Goddess for reviewing, at least you were the only two when I posted this next chapter. And ISG, since you're obviously interested in learning some more about Mara, she was a character in the 'Empire' trilogy by Timothy Zahn. Good books. A pretty detailed Bio can be found here: http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/marajadeskywalker/eu.html Be warned, however, if you don't like Spoilers, then avoid this Bio. ;-)
*
Xander was the first to recover the power of speech. "Wills! Well... great! I mean... wow!"
He was speechless for a moment longer, before adding half-uncertainly; "Mara Jade, yes?"
Willow seemed to gain confidence suddenly, as she drew her plastic blaster, and pointed it hat him, before tilting her hips to the side and drawling, "I prefer the 'Emperors Hand'."
Buffy stood open mouthed in shock at the transformation in Willow, while Xander was quietly cheering his friend. "Go, Willow! I much prefer this to the ghost. Although... I have to say, if I'd known you had those curves last year, I'd have forced you out of that sheet even if it made you go naked." He blushed. "uh... I... uh... I mean..."
Buffy noticed Xander's costume for the first time, and drew the conversation away from the sudden uncomfortable turn it had taken. "And who are you, Xand?"
Xander paused for a second, before reaching into a pocket. "I... have to visit the little boys' room." He grinned. "I'll show ya when I gat back. Promise."
Willow frowned to herself, before turning to Buffy and asking nervously, "maybe I overdid it?"
Buffy grinned. "In no way did you 'overdo it' Wills. That was _great_! I have to admit, I had a moment of doubt before I pulled that sheet. You never told me you were going to try that! I wish you had. Told me that is. The look on Xander's face was priceless!" The two giggled.
Dawn angrily pushed between the two giggling teens. She fixed Willow with a stare. "Just remember, no stealing him from me!"
This only caused Buffy and Willow to laugh harder.
*
Xander hurriedly pulled out the pot of greasepaint, and smothered some on his hands. He'd spent all of last night practicing putting the stuff on, and had got good at getting it up to his hairline, with out actually getting it _in_ his hair.
Face down for a few seconds, he closed his eyes and ran the grease over his eyelids, before wiping it up over his forehead and down over his cheeks and finally his jaw line. Rubbing some onto his upper lip, he nearly sneezed, as he had all of last night. Xander wasn't allergic to the grease, he just felt like he had to sneeze whenever something touched his top lip. It was disquieting.
Looking up into the mirror, he stared at his reflection. His slicked back hair was as black as night, and his eyes, while he had forgotten to get contacts the right red colour, were narrowed as if taking in everything, and not liking it one bit. Wiping the remains of the greasepaint on his hands over the backs, and making sure his palms weren't covered and maybe therefore smudge on his immaculate uniform, he smirked at his reflection before pulling open the door and exiting, stage right.
*
Willow shrieked and tried to hide as Xander descended the stairs. Buffy, whose back was turned, looked round to see a blue skinned demon approaching in what had been Xander's costume. Despite her mother and sister being there, she jumped on the offensive.
Willow's quick thinking and fortuitous grabbing of Buffy's dress saved them all from a lot of embarrassment. She stood, gaping at Xander's costume, and in shock that he had managed to upstage her, even without realising it.
Xander looked nervously around. "Well?" he asked cautiously, "what do you think?"
Buffy was the first to speak. "Uh... sorry. That Admiral guy, right?"
Xander grinned. Buffy obviously _had_ read those books after all. "Right, Buff." He agreed. "Grand Admiral Thrawn."
Willow shook herself, and recovered the power of speech. "Wow."
Xander grinned. "I'm 'wow' worthy, Wills? Thanks! I always wanted to do this costume! Never had the time or money, though." He seemed to retreat into himself again.
Buffy and Willow were both a little uncertain of what to say, but Dawn coughed and said innocently, "if you don't go soon, you'll be late..."
Buffy's eyes flicked up, and she rushed for the door.
Willow and Xander followed more sedately, and helped Buffy, who was struggling to get the gown through the door, to exit the house.
Xander grinned. "So... Wills... where's the light-saber?"
Willow shrugged. "Hey, I chose to go when Mara was the 'Emperors Hand', Xand. She didn't use a saber then."
Xander nodded, and looked at Buffy, who was awkwardly silent as they walked.
"Everything OK, Buffster?"
Buffy grinned over at the pair of Star Wars fans, but still seemed... distant. "Yeah, Xander. Looking at you and Willow... well, I can't help but think that this gown was a bad idea. We could have all gone as a set, sort of thing!"
Xander nodded. "We could have, you're right. But where's the fun in that?" He lost some of his smile. "Besides, didn't you get that for De... I mean, Angel?"
Buffy sighed. "Yeah. I did. But is he going to be here?"
Seeing a friend down, Xander instantly went into 'comfort' mode. "He'll be there, Buff. I'm sure he will."
Willow chipped in, supportive too. "Angel would be mad to miss this, Buffy! He'll have a heart attack when he sees that dress! Well, I mean that in a good way... and seeing as how he doesn't actually have a heartbeat, he wont so much have a heart attack, but I'm sure it'll..."
Seeing the twin looks that Buffy and Xander were giving her, Willow cut her rambling short, and blushed scarlet. "Shutting up now."
Xander grinned, while Buffy offered a sickly smile. Having a 'star-crossed love' was great, and all, but sometimes she just couldn't see past the fact that while he was animated, Angel was still just a _corpse_. Of course, when things started to get hot and heavy, she never remembered. And she kind of liked Angel's cool fingers tracing over her skin, if she was honest with herself. It gave her the shivers. In a good way, of course.
She was brought up short in her mental discourse by Snyder's voice cutting into her ears. "_So_ nice of you three to show up, now. And who'd have thought you could arrive on time for _anything_?"
Xander and Willow remained silent, while Buffy mumbled something about 'trolls and caves'.
Snyder whipped round and fixed Buffy with a glare. "What was that, Summers?"
he asked with venom.
Buffy shook her head. "Er... we're honoured to be taking these little um..." she looked over at the groups that had been assembled, and the only words that sprung to mind to describe them were 'snotty terrors', "angels out Trick or Treating, sir."
Behind her, Buffy could feel the questioning glances of Xander and Willow as they looked first at Buffy, and then at the kids.
"Angels?" Xander mouthed at Willow.
Willow just shrugged. Hers was not to reason why.
Xander snickered, and Buffy felt the back of her neck get warm from a blush she knew she couldn't avoid.
As it turned out, Snyder saved her from any further embarrassment. "Well, you're here now, and that's all I care about. You each have a group, so choose whichever one you wish, and take them away." He stalked off.
Buffy hung her head. "Well, that went well."
Xander patted her on the shoulder. "Hey, cheer up, Buff. It could have been worse..."
"And _how_ could that have gone worse, Xan?"
Xander blinked innocently at her. "He could have given us all detention?"
Willow's quiet 'eep' of terror made Buffy smile slightly. Willow had never received detention, ever. And she intended, through all appearances, as if she was going to keep it that way. No detention for Will Rosenberg, no sir!
Larry swaggered up to the three. "What are you dressed as, Harris? Do fags have ranks, now?"
Xander turned slowly, and gave Larry an almost evil grin. His blue face seemed to accent his dark eyes, and the shadows made his face appear almost demonic. The natural response of any Sunnydalian to something appearing demonic was to run, since something which appeared demonic often _was_, but Larry was denser than most. Either that or he was made of sterner stuff than the rest of the town. "You know, Lar... that pirate's wooden leg is very Freudian. I wouldn't walk around taking about fags in a costume like that. You might find one." His grin increased, and Xander stepped forward.
Larry retreated, casting nervous glances back at Xander as he hurried away to the furthest group.
Willow moved up next to Xander. "That was... um... brave. In a stupid kind of way. What would you have done if he'd called your bluff?"
Xander chuckled. "Fainted."
Willow seemed to consider this. "That works." She frowned. "What's with 'Freudian'?"
Xander shrugged. "It sounded good. And I don't _always_ go to sleep in class, Wills. Sometimes I listen."
Willow gave him a look that as much said, 'since when?'
Xander shrugged again. "OK, so I don't do that much listening. But it was in a magazine I read at the hospital, once."
"All the mags at the hospital are out of date rubbish that people have thrown away."
Xander fixed Willow with an amused look. "I was bored. Sue me."
"How much?" Willow shot back.
"All I've got is a Twinkie and my dashing good looks. And you can't have the looks. I need them."
"I'll take the Twinkie." Willow grinned.
"No!" Xander cried in mock-alarm. "Not my last Twinkie!"
Buffy dug the two of them in the ribs. "Have you two quite finished being strange?"
Xander and Willow looked at each other, then back at Buffy, before looking back at themselves again. As one, they said, "Nah!" and turned away. With her Slayer hearing, Buffy detected the quiet humming of 'We're off to see the Wizard..." on Xander's part. Willow was giggling quietly to herself at their antics.
*
Ethan entered the back room of his shop, and looked at the statue taking centre stage. "Janus..." he whispered reverently.
He kneeled before the statue, placing his palms together and wincing in pain as the small blade he held clasped cut both palms deeply.
"Janus... the World that denies thee, thou inhabit..."
He ran his hand across the cut on his left palm, and ran it across his right eye.
"The Peace that ignores thee..."
He did the same with the other hand and eye, mirroring his previous action.
"...thou corrupt..."
He drew a cross on his forehead, and bowed at the statue, closing his eyes.
"Chaos... I remain... as ever, thy faithful degenerate son." He poured the blood cupped in his palm onto the statue.
The preparation was over. Now... for the main event.
*
Read 'n' Review?