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 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: The first of a set of Halloween fics. All the others will be one-shots; this will be a continuing fic (mainly because the opportunity to rewrite Buffy if Thrawn was there is too good to miss) So... this is the third chapter (don't expect me to stick word for word to the script, that's boring. In fact, don't expect me to stick to anything other than the basic gist of the episodes...)
Responses to the various reviewers questions etc:
poet freak: No, you're not the only ones. :D And I know Dawn isn't meant to be there, but she adds an interesting angle, I think.
rickW22: Right now. LOL.
ms8309: Yep, more is coming. :) And more Elysium will be up 'soon'. I put soon in inverted commas, because while most of it is written, one scene is bugging me. I can't get it right. And it's important. ;)
To everyone, thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you like it. :)
This ones a bit shorter, I'm afraid. I got sidetracked with another idea. ;)
*
Xander stood in front of the group he had been assigned to, by simple lack of anyone else to take them. It figured that he'd be dumped with the most evil group of kids, _ever_. They couldn't stand still and listen.
Once they'd got over their fright of him – which seemed to stem mostly from the fact that his skin was blue, and that the kids weren't quite as immune to strange happenings as their parents were – they refused to calm down. It was like having twenty copies of Willow on a sugar high, except for one minor detail: these sugar high kids didn't care about getting into trouble.
Finally, Xander had had enough. He drew in a deep breath, and bellowed, "Atten – shun!"
They paused, one boy stopped in mid yank of a smaller girl's hair, and then something amazing happened. They all stopped, and looked around guiltily. Xander nodded to himself, before continuing at a more normal volume, "OK. Thank you. Now: do you all want to know how to sleaze extra candy?"
The quiet kids nodded in rapt fascination.
"Right. Now, here are the basics: _tears_. These are your key to success. Guys don't be afraid to howl like a hungry prairie dog if you want more. Girls, just do the usual, and you should be fine. Any of you know the puppy-dog trick? No? Right. Wide, pleading eyes. Don't blink. Get's 'em every time. And for those feeling brave, we have the old 'you missed me' routine. But it's dodgy: especially with old people. They're sharper than they look. Only... I repeat, _only_ go there if it's chocolate on offer, and your feeling deprived."
He surveyed the troops. "Everyone got that? Yes? Good. Let's go."
The column of small Trick or Treater's marched out in Xander's wake.
Buffy turned to Willow, and whispered, "Well, there goes one General that leads from the front."
Willow smiled. "Grand Admiral, Buffy. But I know what you mean."
*
Spike watched with interest from the shadows at the groups moving past in a relatively orderly fashion, moving from house to house. While Halloween was traditionally a time when Vampires and demons laid low and didn't cause trouble, Spike watched for any fun to be had.
One year he'd managed to persuade one of the kids' teenaged guides to come back to the house he had moved into for a 'nightcap'. God only knew why the teen went as a witch: she was quite the stunner under all the fake warts and false nose. But irrespective of that, her looks wasn't what Spike was after. Her blood was all that mattered. Dru had done some lovely things before finally tearing the girl's throat out. He would always look back at that Halloween, and smile.
*
Buffy squatted down as best she could in the large gown, and quirked an eyebrow questioningly at her group of Trick or Treaters. "Well, what did Mrs. Davis give you?"
Her group pulled out toothbrushes, each with funny designs on, and looked dejected.
Buffy frowned. "Typical." She muttered. She stood up, "she must be stopped! Mrs. Davis will hand out no more toothbrushes to kids seeking candy!" She calmed. "But we can worry about that later." She glanced at her watch, and winced. "We've got time to hit one more house, and then I'd better get you back. 'Kay?"
The whole group nodded as one.
*
Ethan knelt again in front of the statue, which had small rivulets of his – now dried – blood running down from above the two faces.
He chanted in Latin, his voice rising and falling with the rhythm of what he was murmuring. "Janus, evoco vestram anima. Exaudi meam causam. Carpe noctem pro consilio vestro. Veni, appare et mobis monstra quod infinitum potestas."
*
The door in front of Willow's group opened, and the house occupant squealed in mock fear before smiling and saying, "Goodness, what superb costumes! Aren't you all adorable?"
*
Ethan bowed down, his forhead almost touching the floor, his arms wide at his sides, eyes painfully wide in their sockets as he continued to chant. "Persona se corpum et sanguium commutandum est. Vestra sancta praesentia concrescet viscera. Janus! Sume noctem! Janus!"
*
Buffy shivered as her groups are being given their last bit of candy for the night, and looks around her. "Something isn't right..."
*
"Oh dear, am I all out?"
*
Ethan grinned. "It's time to show this town just what they've been missing. JANUS!"
The lightbulb above his head exploded in a shower of sparks, bathing the room in darkness.
*
"I could have sworn I had more candy... I..."
The lady's voice died in her throat the instant the small Trick or Treater standing in front of her growled far more deeply that it should be able to.
"Maybe I..."
Her question is cut off abruptly when the small monster grabs for her throat, and squeezes hard. Struggling for breath, the lady beats the demon off her with the empty bucket, before retreating into the house screaming in terror.
Willow squealed and fell over backwards as the demon launched itself at her, and rolled to her feet suddenly, all hint of terror gone. Now, she was all business. A business that didn't allow for mistakes.
The blaster was in her hand automatically, and Mara Jade, the Emperor's Hand, turned to survey the scene in front of her...
*
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 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: The first of a set of Halloween fics. All the others will be one-shots; this will be a continuing fic (mainly because the opportunity to rewrite Buffy if Thrawn was there is too good to miss) So... this is the third chapter (don't expect me to stick word for word to the script, that's boring. In fact, don't expect me to stick to anything other than the basic gist of the episodes...)
Responses to the various reviewers questions etc:
poet freak: No, you're not the only ones. :D And I know Dawn isn't meant to be there, but she adds an interesting angle, I think.
rickW22: Right now. LOL.
ms8309: Yep, more is coming. :) And more Elysium will be up 'soon'. I put soon in inverted commas, because while most of it is written, one scene is bugging me. I can't get it right. And it's important. ;)
To everyone, thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you like it. :)
This ones a bit shorter, I'm afraid. I got sidetracked with another idea. ;)
*
Xander stood in front of the group he had been assigned to, by simple lack of anyone else to take them. It figured that he'd be dumped with the most evil group of kids, _ever_. They couldn't stand still and listen.
Once they'd got over their fright of him – which seemed to stem mostly from the fact that his skin was blue, and that the kids weren't quite as immune to strange happenings as their parents were – they refused to calm down. It was like having twenty copies of Willow on a sugar high, except for one minor detail: these sugar high kids didn't care about getting into trouble.
Finally, Xander had had enough. He drew in a deep breath, and bellowed, "Atten – shun!"
They paused, one boy stopped in mid yank of a smaller girl's hair, and then something amazing happened. They all stopped, and looked around guiltily. Xander nodded to himself, before continuing at a more normal volume, "OK. Thank you. Now: do you all want to know how to sleaze extra candy?"
The quiet kids nodded in rapt fascination.
"Right. Now, here are the basics: _tears_. These are your key to success. Guys don't be afraid to howl like a hungry prairie dog if you want more. Girls, just do the usual, and you should be fine. Any of you know the puppy-dog trick? No? Right. Wide, pleading eyes. Don't blink. Get's 'em every time. And for those feeling brave, we have the old 'you missed me' routine. But it's dodgy: especially with old people. They're sharper than they look. Only... I repeat, _only_ go there if it's chocolate on offer, and your feeling deprived."
He surveyed the troops. "Everyone got that? Yes? Good. Let's go."
The column of small Trick or Treater's marched out in Xander's wake.
Buffy turned to Willow, and whispered, "Well, there goes one General that leads from the front."
Willow smiled. "Grand Admiral, Buffy. But I know what you mean."
*
Spike watched with interest from the shadows at the groups moving past in a relatively orderly fashion, moving from house to house. While Halloween was traditionally a time when Vampires and demons laid low and didn't cause trouble, Spike watched for any fun to be had.
One year he'd managed to persuade one of the kids' teenaged guides to come back to the house he had moved into for a 'nightcap'. God only knew why the teen went as a witch: she was quite the stunner under all the fake warts and false nose. But irrespective of that, her looks wasn't what Spike was after. Her blood was all that mattered. Dru had done some lovely things before finally tearing the girl's throat out. He would always look back at that Halloween, and smile.
*
Buffy squatted down as best she could in the large gown, and quirked an eyebrow questioningly at her group of Trick or Treaters. "Well, what did Mrs. Davis give you?"
Her group pulled out toothbrushes, each with funny designs on, and looked dejected.
Buffy frowned. "Typical." She muttered. She stood up, "she must be stopped! Mrs. Davis will hand out no more toothbrushes to kids seeking candy!" She calmed. "But we can worry about that later." She glanced at her watch, and winced. "We've got time to hit one more house, and then I'd better get you back. 'Kay?"
The whole group nodded as one.
*
Ethan knelt again in front of the statue, which had small rivulets of his – now dried – blood running down from above the two faces.
He chanted in Latin, his voice rising and falling with the rhythm of what he was murmuring. "Janus, evoco vestram anima. Exaudi meam causam. Carpe noctem pro consilio vestro. Veni, appare et mobis monstra quod infinitum potestas."
*
The door in front of Willow's group opened, and the house occupant squealed in mock fear before smiling and saying, "Goodness, what superb costumes! Aren't you all adorable?"
*
Ethan bowed down, his forhead almost touching the floor, his arms wide at his sides, eyes painfully wide in their sockets as he continued to chant. "Persona se corpum et sanguium commutandum est. Vestra sancta praesentia concrescet viscera. Janus! Sume noctem! Janus!"
*
Buffy shivered as her groups are being given their last bit of candy for the night, and looks around her. "Something isn't right..."
*
"Oh dear, am I all out?"
*
Ethan grinned. "It's time to show this town just what they've been missing. JANUS!"
The lightbulb above his head exploded in a shower of sparks, bathing the room in darkness.
*
"I could have sworn I had more candy... I..."
The lady's voice died in her throat the instant the small Trick or Treater standing in front of her growled far more deeply that it should be able to.
"Maybe I..."
Her question is cut off abruptly when the small monster grabs for her throat, and squeezes hard. Struggling for breath, the lady beats the demon off her with the empty bucket, before retreating into the house screaming in terror.
Willow squealed and fell over backwards as the demon launched itself at her, and rolled to her feet suddenly, all hint of terror gone. Now, she was all business. A business that didn't allow for mistakes.
The blaster was in her hand automatically, and Mara Jade, the Emperor's Hand, turned to survey the scene in front of her...
*