Title: Episode X-IV: A New Force
Author: DhampyrX2
Genre: Halloween remix, the sequel to Halloween, Episode X(ander)
Series: Xander: Twilight Lord of the Sith
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe
Summary: Here's the beginning of my 'Xander: Twilight Lord of the Sith' sequels.
Timeframe: Surprise/Innocence
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Don't sue me, I'm poor.
Author's Note/Question: This will all but tie up the Judge stuff, minus an epilogue coming today or tomorrow. So, I ask you, my readers, if I should end this story with that epilogue and make the next Season 2 arc a separate story with a separate title, or should I just place all my season 2 stuff (except maybe the stuff around becoming), into one longer story?
"Let me see, if I have you plan straight, Xander." Giles said tightly, as if trying to reign in his temper.
The future Twilight Lord of the Sith just sat there smugly, with an innocent smile gracing his features as he replied, "Feel free, Giles."
"First off, we've already established that you've been making weapons you've learned the mechanics of due to your possession on Halloween at the hands of the bloody pillock Ethan Rayne." the Watcher stated earnestly, although his anger peaked noticeably at the mention of his old running buddy's name.
"Yes, I have. But I'm not only working on weapons. I've been drawing up designs for everything from speeded bikes and cars, to shield generators, to even a few droids. A little known, well unknown to anyone here on Earth but me so far, fact was that Anakin Skywalker built C-3PO for his mother out of junk when he was eight to nine years old. I just need to find advanced enough parts to scavenge and I can make a few simple droids, no problem." Xander retorted with a grin.
Giles rolled his eyes at the techno-babble, even as Willow's lit up with excitement, and Oz quirked a brow, showing just how impressed he was. "Cool." the future werewolf said in his usual minimalist way. (OOC: I know he wasn't there originally for the research, and only showed up when Willow called him to use his van because she was all jealous over the kiss. I'm using a bit of artistic license here.)
"Yes quite." Giles interjected, trying desperately to hold his sarcasm in check. "Anyway, the point here is that you have successfully made several prototype blasters at that level of technology..."
"Not several. I have two working wrist blasters, the one I have on me, and the original prototype, three pistol sized hand blasters, and one military grade rifle. I have two working power cells for the rifle, five for the three hand units, and a half dozen for the wrist ones." Xander interjected calmly.
Giles looked at the boy in front of him strangely as he took off and cleaned his glasses compulsively, before replacing them again. "Yes, well, that's well and good, I suppose. Now, as to your plan, you suggest we use your rifle to destroy the judge?" he asked, finally getting to the crux of the discussion.
"Yep." Xander replied with a proud grin. "The way I've read this, that no weapon forged stuff had guys with iron and steel weapons, at best, in mind. The writings wouldn't even take into account things like automatic rifles or rocket launchers we have today. Something like a blaster rifle set to 'disintegrate' should dust the freak like a vampire without too much trouble."
"Assuming you're right, Xander, just how much damage are we considering here?" Jenny asked from her position at the table. In spite of the issues about Angel coming forth, she found the talk about all this advanced technology fascinating.
The padawan learner shrugged as he replied, "As long as I hit what I aim at? The judge will be the only thing to go poof. If I miss? It would blow holes big enough for a man to walk through without too much problems. But, I going to have to make sure I don't miss anyway, so that's not much of an issue."
"Why do you have to make sure you hit him on the first try, Xander?" Willow asked, beating Giles and Jenny to it by half a breath.
"Besides the risk of collateral damage, you mean? I put together a functioning blaster, Willow, but I don't have the time, money, or equipment to build the support tech I need. At least not yet. So far, without things like working fusion generators, and Imperial grade energy cells, the best battery I can make for a blaster that big will only fire five, maybe six shots, at full power. If I left it at stun or kill, which is the max the smaller ones go to at this point, then I'd get more out of them, but at full power this is all we're getting. And I'm not taking the chance one shot will do the Judge in. I want to hit him with the full clip, and make certain he's taken down."
"A very sensible precaution." Giles commented, glad the boy was thinking of as many outcomes as possible instead of wanting to charge in head first.
The next day saw many of same the things another, better known, variation on the universe of Buffy the vampire Slayer's life dealt with. She had a prophetic dream that ferreted out Ms. Calendar's identity, Enyos Kalderash was slain by Angelus, and the assembled group rode out to the factory, only to discover the Judge plus entourage had left.
"They're already gone." Buffy said, clearly upset. "So where would they go?"
"The Judge needs people to slaughter, right, preferably in a group? Maybe the old stand-by for slaughter with the Bronze?" Xander suggested, his blaster rifle slung over his shoulder. He also had his wrist unit on. He had been certain that the others that would accept them were armed as well. Willow had the original wrist blaster, which only fired stun bolts, on her right wrist. Oz and Cordelia were each equipped with hand blasters set to stun at Giles' insistence, although Xander showed them how to set them to kill when the Watcher's back was turned as he showed them how to set the safeties. Only Buffy and her Watcher were armed with medieval weapons alone.
"The Bronze is closed for repairs." Cordy said, nixing Xander's suggestion.
The group milled over where the undead party could have gone, before Oz finally cleared his throat. "Uh, guys? If I wanted to find people, and the Bronze was closed, I know where I'd go..." he said.
In the background, hidden behind some equipment, Spike watched the proceedings from his wheelchair. He didn't like the look of that fancy rifle, or the guns on the cheerleader and spiky-haired kids hands one little bit. Especially after Angelus' account of how Harris had scared him off. The cockney vampire had too many bad memories of Vander attacking him to like the sight of working Star Wars weapons. If that wanker is making stuff like that, it might be time to blow out of this burg as soon as possible, he thought to himself as the Scoobies left, apparently unaware of him.
The judge looked on, pleased at all the people milling about in front of the movie theater in the Sunnydale Mall. "Yes. This will be perfect. Let the plague of humanity be wiped from the Earth, starting here." the blue demon said, as he help his hands out and fired what looked like orange-yellow lightning.
The energy spread throughout the crowd in a spider-web like patter, passing though each man, woman, and child's chest, as the Judge prepared to destroy the whole assembly at once. He was stopped from completing his task, however, when a crossbow bolt in the chest broke his concentration.
"I think that got his attention." a coldly furious Buffy Summers said from where she stood atop of the concession stand.
"You are a fool." the Judge said, seemingly amused. "No weapon forged can harm me." the demon added, as he removed the bolt, and snapped it negligently in his hand.
The attention in the room, minus the people now screaming and running from the newest bit of Sunnydale weirdness so they could safely repress it at home, turned to Xander as he stood next to Buffy, his rifle unslung, and flipped a switch on it. As he hit the switch, a sound not unlike while the flash of a camera makes as it charges filled the room. The apprentice to the universe's strongest force user smirked at the Judge with his best Han Solo grin. "That was then, smurf-boy. Welcome to the future." he said as he raised the now primed rifle.
Angelus began backing off and heading for the exit, even as Drusilla sang, "Kitten brung his shiny new claws out to plaaaayyyyy."
"What is that?" the Judge asked in confusion, before the room erupted with the sound of six shots of heavy blaster fire.
The vampires still near the Judge, including Dru, had the good sense to run away as three bolts his the blue demon in the gut, two hit him in the chest, and one hit him right between the eyes.
"Wha..." was the last thing one of the most feared demons in history said, before he was introduced to his end at the hands of a similar sensation to the one he had inflicted for the duration of his existence. He felt a burning from the inside out, as massive amounts of energy destabilized his molecular structure, dissolved his cell walls, and literally vaporized his in a matter a few agonizing seconds, while he appeared to burn away in a spreading glow of red light.
"See how you like it." Xander said with a smile, as he blew the vaporous smoke from the barrel of the now dead rifle.
"Well done, Xander." Giles commented. "Now, let's make certain he's gone, and look for any pieces that may remain." the Watcher said to the group as a whole.
Buffy ignored him as she growled "I'm going after Angel." followed by Xander's enthusiastic, "I'll follow Dru."
Both took off in opposite directions before the others could hope to delay them. The sentiments of the group were best summarized by Cordelia as she said, "Look for /pieces/? Man, our job sucks!"
Xander took off into a security tunnel, hot on Drusilla's heels, his hand blaster set to kill, and held low as he scanned for the vampiress. Now that he was alone he could pause to concentrate on the force, and feel for where his target was. He was rather shocked that she seemed to be only a few feet ahead, around the corner.
Before he could call her out, the lovely brunette vampiress stepped out of her own free accord, looking intently at Xander as she said, "You found mummy right well, Kitten. I knew you would."
"It's over Dru." Xander said, as he raised his blaster to end her unlife. He paused, however, when she next spoke, totally unnerved by her words.
"It's such a joy to be bear you now, Kitten. I've felt you ever since the Child of Light that chose the shadows was stuck in your head. He helped you grow up right proper, 'e did. And now you're all hurtful light, and yummy darkness all rolled up into one." she said.
"What the hell are you babbling about, lady?" Xander asked, a bit panicked at how much she seemed to know. He had known she was a natural precog when alive, but to have this much detail?
"Oh I know better than to hear your little lies, Kitten. The stars whisper all your wonderful secrets to me, they do. Sometimes, I can't hear anythin' else, they shout so loud. They tell me you're light and shadow together, tryin' to right yourself. That you're the day and night together, where the stars themselves are born in beautiful twilight." Dru said, as she danced in place in a seeming euphoria.
Her face grew grim as she added, "They tell me Daddy and my little boy will make you very cross soon, and I have to be careful you don't destroy us."
"Dru, your Daddy already pissed me off royal. Trust me when I say, he better hope Buffy already caught up to him and dusted his ass." Xander snapped coldly.
"Oh no, Kitten. The Fluffy little gold Slayer feels too tarnished by Daddy attentions to get all hurtful with him. She'll never be the one to finish him off. Miss Edith tells me so. Oh no. You're the real power here, now, my little Twilight Kitten. Mummy can see it so clearly." Dru replied with a wide eyes look of wonder as she walked right past Xander's still raised blaster, and caressed his cheek gently.
"Tell me, Kitten, do you ever desire eternal life?" she asked with a saucy and seductive grin as she stepped back so that he could better view her whole body, replete in its red satin dressed splendor.
"There is no Death, there is the Immortality. There is no Death, there is the Force." Xander replied, using the mantras of the Sith and Jedi creeds. "From where I stand, that sounds like one can gain immortality by embracing both sides of the Force. And like you said, I'm Dark and Light together." he added his voice eerily calm.
Dru nodded in understanding; perhaps more understanding than anyone would have thought her capable of. "I know, Kitten. Oh but you will be ever so much fun to dance, and sing, and talk with. You can hear so much more than the rest. I look ever so forward to it." she said wistfully, as she danced in and planted a feather light kiss on his lips, before taking off down the hall again with a giggle.
Xander just stood there, poleaxed for several minutes, before he brought his hand up to his lips. "What in the Hell was all that?" he asked himself aloud, as he stood there in confusion.
END PART 3