Chapter 5:
Reunions (Part II)
Disclaimer: Hey, yo! Survey says; these characters ain't mine! All characters belong to either George Lucas or Joss Wheedon, to modern geniuses of our time.
Special thanks to my Beta, Megan 'Katilwen' Gravel whom I don't thank nearly enough. Or at all so far, to my everlasting shame. And don't worry about lateness- I know full well how much work can sap out of you.
Previously in 'The Phantom's Menace'
Obi-Wan examined Buffy's neck, looking over the damage. "It looks like there have been some very serious burns, and a decent amount of scarring. I should go get some antiseptic…" The Jedi's voice trailed off as Buffy stiffened once more. Looking at her face, she saw the girls eyes were wide once more, but this time with shock.
"Willow…" she whispered. Obi-Wan spun around to see Rose standing in the doorway, tears streaming down her anguished face.
"Oh god, Buffy…"
Buffy stared on in shock as Willow, her best friend, her confidante, her last surviving link to her home world, and one she had thought dead, came staggering towards her. The red headed witch had tears streaming down her face, her mouth was moving silently, as if she was trying to say something, and yet couldn't find the words.
Buffy silently walked past a confused Obi-Wan. As the two came within a few inches of each other, Buffy gently, hesitantly, raised her hand to her friends face. She touched her cheek, as if to insure Willow was really standing right in front of her. Finding she was real, Buffy gave a small smile, while tears ran down her own cheeks.
"Hey, Will…" she choked out before the two girls collapsed into one another's arms. The two girls held each other, crying for the lives they had lost, the time that had been stolen away from them. However long they held each other they didn't know, but neither noticed Padmè and Qui-Gon entering the Situation Room, nor did they notice Anakin once again waking up to the commotion.
"What did I miss?" the young boy asked, looking at the crying girls in confusion. Obi-Wan could only shrug.
"Apparently, the same thing I missed. And I was standing right here."
Gradually, the two girls pulled apart, each still holding each other, so as to make sure the other didn't disappear. Each blinked and looked around at the audience they had, and then both girls blushed. The Buffy, ever the mistress of the understatement, summed up the situation in two words.
"Well, shit."
When it became apparent that everyone wanted answers, and nobody was leaving until they got them, Padmè took charge of the room. Clearing off the table in the middle of the room (and asking Jar Jar politely to leave), the young girl sat Buffy and Anakin down together on one side, herself and Willow across from them, and had the two Jedi sitting between each pair, one on either side of the table. As they all settled down, Buffy eyed the Jedi warily.
"Don't suppose you'd just like to drop all of this and let us catch up in peace, would you?"
Qui-Gon shook his head. "I'm afraid not. There are too many mysteries here for us to just ignore. Chief among them- what do you know of the prophecy of 'The Chose One', and why Rose curries such favor with the Queen."
Buffy's eyes narrowed at the mention of the word 'Prophecy', but Willow couldn't help but let out a snort of amusement.
"What, do you think I'm trying to take over or something?" she asked incredulously. Padmè placed a calming hand on her arm, and then turned to Qui-Gon. "I assure you, Master Jedi, that Rose has the Queen's utmost confidence."
"Perhaps Rose does, but how about Willow?" Obi-Wan shot back.
"Even more so." Padmè answered.
"Why?"
Willow took a breath, and then looked at Anakin, then Buffy. "How much does he know?" she asked.
"Everything." Buffy replied instantly. Then the Slayer looked to Padmè. "How much does she know?"
"Everything."
Buffy eyed the girl with narrowed eyes, and then squared her shoulders. "If Willow told you everything, than she trusts you. Therefore, I trust you. So answer me this- should I trust these two yahoos?" she asked, pointing her thumbs at each of the Jedi. Padmè hesitated only a moment before answering.
"I've never met any Jedi before, Buffy. But what I know of them tells me that you can trust them with your life."
"I give both of you my word," Qui-Gon stated plainly, "That any secret you have will be safe with me."
"I give you my word, as well." Obi-Wan supplied.
Buffy and Willow looked at each other, and then sighed. "This is going to take a while." Buffy said, and then gestured to Willow to kick things off.
"All right, I'm going to start at the beginning. And I MEAN the beginning, so bear with me for a few minutes. As you have probably already guessed, Buffy and I are not your normal people. The reason for that is that we're not from around here- at all. I'm not from Naboo. Buffy's not from Tatooine. Heck, we're not even from this galaxy. Were from a planet called Earth, in a dimension that's probably far, far away."
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both rocked back in their chairs, stunned beyond belief. It had never been heard of- extra-dimensional beings! Their amazement increased when, with a wave of her hand, an image formed into view over the table. Almost like a hologram, yet more life-life, the picture was three-dimensional and showed a small blue and white planet hovering in space. The Jedi and Anakin watched wide-eyed as the picture zoomed into the planet, showing a hellish landscape with fire, brimstone, and large monsters walking about.
"Our planet, millions of yeas ago, was ruled by demons. Evil, soulless creatures that lived for nothing more than personal gratification and total domination of the world. Kind of like politicians. For centuries they ruled, unopposed, until finally they were forced out o our dimension. But they didn't leave entirely- the last demon mixed with a human and created a race called vampires. Them, and an assortment of other demons, remained on Earth to prey on the human population.
"Around this time, and we weren't entirely sure how, the Slayer was created."
"Giles always loved to say this part." Buffy said, smirking. Willow chuckled and continued her story.
"'Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One.
One born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness.' The current 'Chosen One' is Buffy."
The scene showed Buffy slaying various demons back in Sunnydale. The Jedi were amazed by the seeming ease of how she defeated foes that were, sometimes, nearly three times larger than her.
"Well, technically it's Faith." Buffy clarified. Willow nodded her head in agreement, and the scene showed Buffy and a dark haired girl about the same age as Buffy slaying in tandem.
"Okay, well then Buffy was one of the two current Slayers."
"I thought there could be only one?" Obi-Wan interrupted, causing Buffy to sigh.
"There was this whole deal where I died for a minute. But let's just move on for now, 'kay?"
"Anyways, about two years ago, a Hell god came to Sunnydale- the town we lived in, which was also on top of a Hellmouth, which is another lecture altogether, and not at all important…"
"Willow!" Buffy shouted, laughing. "You're babbling!"
"She seems to do that a lot, I've found." Padmè supplied. Buffy nodded in agreement. Willow gave both girls a scowl, and then continued.
"Anyways, Glory came to Sunnydale looking for something called 'The Key', a mystical artifact that could open a portal between all dimensions which would allow her to return to her own home hell dimension. What she didn't realize, at first, was that an order of monks had transformed the Key into a human being- Buffy's sister, Dawn."
The images now showed a young, thin girl with long, dark hair. Anakin took a special interest; this was the first time he had seen Dawn, a girl he had once thought of as a rival for his sisters' affections. He had later realized, after a verbal beat-down of sorts by Buffy, that his sister loved them both equally. Now, if Buffy could ever get home, Annie found that he really wanted to get to know this other sister.
"After a lot of intrigue, and a rather unusual Winnebago chase, Glory managed to get her hand on Dawn. Her plan was to bleed her in a ritual to open the portal- and if she did that, the fabric between realities would collapse, all realities would bleed into ours, and Earth would be destroyed. Things were looking grim in Mudsville.
"Buffy managed to beat Glory, but not before one of her minions cut Dawn and opened the portal. The only way to close it was if the blood stopped- if Dawn died. But Buffy realized that the monks had made Dawn from her blood, so Buffy's blood could close it. So she did what she thought was the best thing to do- she jumped.
"At this point, the portal was throwing off wild tendrils of energy, transporting everything it touched into other dimensions. The moment Buffy jumped, a stray tentacle of energy lashed out, nearly striking my Tara. I pushed her out of the way, and got hit by it instead."
The image changed, from the makeshift tower where Buffy had fought Glory to a hellish-looking landscape. The ground was covered in ash and igneous rock, and rivers of lava flowed freely in their beds. In the sky there was a bright flash of light, and then two figures fell nearly 15 feet to the ground, where they hit hard.
"And then Buffy and I were transported to a true hell world. I'm talking fire, and ash, and rivers of lava flowing freely like water. The fall nearly killed us; and the portal itself sapped us of all of our energy. That proved to be the bigger bummer, as not long after we arrived a group of slavers found us. They had set up camp on the planet to avoid the authorities, and were busy peddling there slaves. Buffy and I became their latest catch. They put the chips in us and chained us up at the camp. They beat us, barely fed us, did everything they could to keep us alive, but compliant.
"After a few weeks, Buffy started getting stronger, so she did what any Slayer would do- she led a revolt. But she was still weak, they captured her easily. They slapped the collar on her, turned it on full, and threw her into a metal coffin near the river. She was in there until I was sold a few days later. After that, I thought…" Willow trailed off, tears in her eyes. After a moment, she finally looked up at Buffy. "I thought you were dead."
Buffy looked past her friend with haunted eyes. "I was as good as dead. I still don't like enclosed spaces. And the collar…" Buffy stared past her friend, a haunted look in her eyes. She let out a shuddering breath, and then looked to her friend. "What happened to you?"
Willow smiled sadly. "Don't worry, Buffy. It's worse than you think."
"It usually is." The Slayer replied deadpan.
"I was sold to a guy named Xiazan. He used me on one of his pleasure boats."
The scene showed a large Corellian ship, then a young, green-skinned Falleen with dark, penetrating eyes.
"I know of Xiazan." Qui-Gon said. "He's a Falleen, and a member of their royal family. He has his hand in gambling, prostitution, illicit drugs, smuggling and piracy in over two dozen sectors in the Outer Rim. His reach is far; some say it even extends into the Core worlds. It's also rumored that he is a part of the Black Sun group"
"Yeah, he's a bad man." Willow said sarcastically. "He's not someone you mess with; let's just put it like that. Anyways, I was put on one of his pleasure ships, as one of his 'working girls.'"
"He tried to make you-"
"Tried- and failed." Willow said with a satisfied smile. "Every time a guy picked me, as soon as we got in the room, I put the whammy on him. Thirty minutes of doing nothing, and he thinks he just had the best time of his life."
"Way to go, Will." Buffy said, and then noticed her friend's look. "What?"
"It worked- until the guards saw me do it. When they realized what I could do, I got promoted. I'd go with Xiazan himself on certain negotiations to get him more favorable deals. I'd work the patrols so they'd forget we were there. I became his cash cow."
"Why?" Buffy asked. "Why bother? Why not just put the whammy on him and get him to let you go?"
"Because of the other girls he owned, Buffy." Willow replied in a pained voice. "Not just on my ship, but on all of his ships. Every time I defied him, they got punished. I couldn't just disappear- too many people knew who I was in his organization. But every time I did what I was told, the girls were treated fairly, decently. I did what I did so they wouldn't have to suffer."
"If you were so valuable to him, how were you able to escape?" Obi-Wan asked. "Especially in light of the facts you just brought to bear."
"I got lucky." She said simply. "I was on my ship, the Silver Bullit, when it was attacked by pirates. I managed to get to an escape pod and eject, but before I could cloak it with my magic, it was hit by a glancing blow. Pretty much everything went off-line then, and life support was at a bare minimum. My pod managed to make it to the closest planet to the Bullit's position- Naboo."
"She crashed just about a mile from my family's home." Padmè continued as the scene shifted to three concerned faces looking down. One was immediately recognized as Padmè's, the other two, a woman and man both older in appearance, were apparently her parents. "She was badly dehydrated and was suffering from hypothermia. Our home is remote- set fairly far out of the main city, and we couldn't risk moving her to far. So we brought her back to the house and tended to her.
"For the first few days, she didn't speak much. She wouldn't tell us her name or anything about where she was from. When I went back to the pod to see if there were any personal effects, I discovered what ship it came from. After some research, I found out that the Silver Bullit was raided and destroyed by pirates about a week and a half earlier, and that there were no survivors. When I told her about that, she broke down."
"I was devastated that all of my friends were dead- but at the same time I was elated that I was finally free. Padmè knew my real name, because she had seen my picture in the crew manifest of the Bullit. I told her that I was a slave on the ship, and if they knew I was alive, they'd come for me. So she helped me. I picked a new name, and she and her parents took me in, going so far as to adopt me."
"The mystical images died away, and Padmè leaned forward over the table, her fingers steeped. "A few months after that, Queen Amidala was elected, and I was chosen as one of her handmaidens. At my insistence, she took Willow, as well. A few months later, disgruntled spice miners on one of Naboo's moons tried to assassinate the Queen- an attack that Willow almost single-handedly thwarted. After that, all of the Handmaidens, and some of the Queen's most trusted advisors, have known about what Rose is capable of. But there are only three people in our government who know the whole truth-myself, Willow, and the Queen herself."
"This is why she trusts you so much." Obi-Wan supplied with a dawning realization. Willow smiled.
"Yup." Looking over at her friend, Willow's smile fell away. "What about you?"
"Got locked in a box for about 10 months, was beaten, starved and shocked. Then I got sold to the Hutts, got won by Watto, and got adopted by the Skywalkers." Buffy stated simply. Willow raised an eyebrow.
"Did you take lessons from Oz, or something?" she asked. There was a moment of silence, and then both girls busted out into a fit of giggles. Anakin stared at the two, and then rolled his eyes.
"Girls." He sighed.
Several hours later, Qui-Gon headed up to the cockpit. He wasn't surprised to find Buffy there, sitting in the co-pilots seat- indeed; it seemed that with each passing hour, he felt her grow stronger in the Force. It was a phenomenon that he had never encountered before; and even after the revelations earlier, he was still confounded by the girl.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked gently as he took a seat besides her at the communications station. The Slayer shook her head.
"No, not really. And for once, it wasn't claustrophobia, either."
"Then why?"
"I'm excited." Buffy replied earnestly. At his slightly confused expression, she smiled. "Ever since I got here, I've been in one hell or another. Now I get to see some of that wondrous universe Annie is always going on about." She chuckled, the let out a small sigh. "Plus, aside from the time alone I spent with Annie and Shmi, I've never really had a chance to be…well, me. Now, I don't have to hide anymore. At least among friends."
"Buffy," Qui-Gon started in a tone that put the Slayer on edge, "I want you to know that I plan on doing everything in my power to get Anakin accepted into the Jedi Academy. However, I don't know how they are going to react to you, or if they would even allow you to remain in contact-"
Buffy gave him a wicked smile. "I'd like to see them try and stop me."
"Buffy, a Jedi's life is a solitary one…"
"And so was the life of a Slayer." Buffy shot back. "And you know what? They all died young. The only reason, and I mean only, was that I had friends and family to support me.
"For normal Jedi; sure, I can see a lonely life. From what Annie's told me, you all get 'em when their still very young, so the Jedi themselves become their family. But Annie's got a mother he knows and loves, and he's got me. If you want him to succeed, and I think you do, you're going to have to bend the rules. Even more than you already are."
While the Jedi pondered that thought, Ric made the ship-wide announcement, stating that they were coming up on Coruscant. Soon Willow, Padmè, and Anakin crowded into the cockpit top catch a glimpse of the planet. What they saw didn't fail to impress them.
The entire planet was covered in skyscrapers that would put New York to shame. Even from a high orbit, Buffy could see where the incoming lanes of space traffic merged into aerial traffic lane that criss-crossed over the planet.
"I never thought I'd see a highway in space." Buffy remarked, her eyes wide. Willow nodded.
"I've seen the traffic get as bad as anything we saw in California." Willow remarked. At Buffy's confused look, Willow explained. "I've been here a couple of times, with Xiazan. There's a restaurant on the last mountain range, up near the northern hemisphere. Very exclusive, very expensive. Sometimes, he liked to bring 'clients' there to wow them."
Buffy nodded at his explanation then turned her attention back to the view port and watched as the Nubian slipped seamlessly into a lane of traffic headed down to the surface. Or so she thought. Ric glanced over to Anakin and noticed his expression, and smiled.
"Coruscant, capital of the Republic, an entire planet evolved into one city." He winked at the boy. "A nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there."
"Jut like L.A." Buffy said wistfully. Willow raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, Buffy? You DID live in L.A."
"Yeah. And then I moved to the mouth of hell. Doesn't that tell you something?"
The Nubian slipped out of the traffic lane and started to slow. Buffy saw they were heading for a floating platform that seemed to hang in mid air- a couple of hundred feet from the ground. Buffy got a sinking feeling.
"Please tell me that thing lands, too." She said in a slightly desperate voice. Ric shook his head.
"There's no room to land on the surface. They have landing platforms like these all over the planet."
Anakin, realizing what was wrong, grabbed his sister's hand. "It's okay, Buffy. I'll be right next to you the whole time. I won't even let go of your hand!"
Buffy was shaking her head, moving back towards the cockpit's exit. "There is NO WAY I'm going out of that thing!"
By now Qui-Gon and Padmè realized what was wrong. Willow, however, was still clueless. "What is it, Buffy?" she asked, truly puzzled by her friends reaction. Padmè turned to her.
"Buffy is afraid of heights." She stated quietly. Willow's eyebrows shot up, and then she turned to face her friend, and incredulous expression on her face.
"Since when?"
Buffy looked at Willow in exasperation. "Since I took a flying leap off of a tower and landed in hell." She replied sarcastically. "I'm NOT going out there. No way. Uh-uh."
"Well, we have to go out there." Qui-Gon said. "The Supreme Chancellor of the Republic is waiting for us, as is Senator Palpatine."
"Good for them. Hope they have fun."
"Buffy, you and Anakin will be going with the Queen, until it is time for the two of you to go before the Council. You have to go with them."
"Can't they beam me over there or something?" At his blank expression, Buffy sighed. "Great! Uber-advanced civilization and no transporters. Xander would be so upset…"
"Come on, Buffy!" Annie whined. "You won't be up here for long! Besides," he added, putting on his best wounded puppy face, "I thought you said you'd stay with me?"
Buffy let out a groan. Annie's puppy-face was as effective as Willow's resolve face, and it didn't help that he was throwing her own words back in her face. Suddenly, Willow snapped her fingers, an idea forming in her head. She deftly reached down and took a long strip of cloth off of the edge of her gown. Moving quickly behind Buffy, she pulled the piece of cloth over her friends' eyes and tied it behind her head, effectively blindfolding her.
"There. If you can't see it, it won't bother you!"
Buffy's lips were pressed into a thin line. "Yes. Brilliant. And as long as nobody hands me an anvil when I walk off of the edge…"
Willow grabbed her left hand, and Annie grabbed her right. "Annie and I will be with you the entire way. It's only short cab flight to the Senator's office at 500 Republica."
Buffy looked like she was about to argue, but then she let out an aggravated sigh. "Fine. Have it your way. But if I fall and die, I'm SO coming back to kick your ass."
And so a few minutes later the Queen and her entourage, consisting of her handmaidens, two Jedi, a droid, a Gungan, and a blindfolded girl being led by her best friend and brother, exited the ship and headed towards the group of politicians assembled on the landing platform. After a few steps, both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stopped, watching he group walk on. Anakin looked back, but Qui-Gon motioned for him to continue with the group.
The Queen came to a stop before the assembled group, and the Queen's emissary to the Republic, Senator Palpatine, greeted her with a warm smile and a polite bow.
"It's a great relief to see you alive and well, Your Majesty." He offered, the gestured to the stately gentleman standing beside him. "May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum."
Valorum was a tall, silver-haired man of indeterminate age, neither young nor old in appearance, but something of each, his bearing and voice strong, but his face and startling blue eyes tired and worried.
"Welcome, Your Highness," he said, smiling faintly. "It is an honor to finally meet you in person… why is that girl blindfolded?"
"I've been asking myself the same question for the past few minutes." Buffy murmured, before being silenced by an elbow to her ribs from Willow.
"My companion has a small fear of heights." The Queen said simply, and the Chancellor nodded in understanding.
"I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the current situation on Naboo. I have called for a special session of the Senate so that you may present your request for relief."
"I am grateful for your concern, Chancellor." The Queen replied quietly.
Buffy tuned out the pleasantries, instead concentrating on keeping her breathing even and fighting the growing panic within her. I refuse to be hampered by this. She thought to herself. I was never afraid of heights before, and I'll be damned if keep letting this get to me! Practicing one of the meditation techniques that Giles had taught her, she strove to calm the growing fear inside her- and was startled when she realized not all of it was fear.
There was something on that platform with them. Something that didn't feel right. Something that felt almost…
Evil?
A short while later, the group was at the Senators office at 500 Republica, the massive building just a short trip from the mushroom-shaped Senate building that housed all of the Senators who lived on-planet. While the Queen discussed Naboo with Palpatine, Anakin crouched by the doorway, listening in to the conversation. Willow stood by the window, staring out at the city, seemingly lost in thought, while Buffy hunkered down in the far corner of the room, well away from the windows.
"So, what are they talking about, Annie?" Buffy asked. Annie sat back away from the door before answering.
"Naboo was invaded by the Trade Federation. Palpatine says they need to make an appeal to the Senate. I don't think the Queen wants to wait that long."
"That guy gives me the wiggins." Buffy said, shuddering. Willow turned to look at her with a small frown.
"Who, Senator Palpatine?" at Buffy's nod, Willow shook her head. "He's human. He was born on Naboo. He's been a Senator for many years, now. Nothing to outstanding on his record, though he's always been fair and just. Maybe you don't like him because he's a politician?"
"No. It's something else. Something about him that just… I don't know." The Slayer sighed. "I just need some rest, before we go to the Jedi guys."
"You'll do fine, Buffy. And so will you, Annie."
"I hope so." Anakin replied, a wistful look on his face. "I wonder when they'll come for us?"
Near the Senate build, the Jedi temple stood. A massive pyramid, with four tall spires rising from its flat top, the Temple was unique among the massive skyscrapers that surrounded it. At the top, the Jedi Council chambers stood, a massive circular room opened to outside. Inside the chamber were twelve seats; one for each of the Council members. And in the center of the rooms stood Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, who were giving their report to the Council.
"My conclusion is that the one who attacked us on Tatooine is a Sith Lord." The Jedi Master finished quietly, watching as the assorted Masters pondered over his story.
"A Sith Lord?" Mace Windu repeated, leaning forward in his chair, doubt evident in his voice.
"Impossible!" Ki-Adi-Mundi exclaimed irritably. "The Sith have been gone for a millennium."
"Threatened, the Republic is, if the Sith are involved." Yoda observed.
The masters murmured to themselves for a moment, mulling over Yoda's words. Finally, Mace spoke.
"This is difficult to accept, Qui-Gon. I do not understand how the Sith could have returned without us knowing."
"Hard to see, the dark side is." Yoda said. "Discover who this assassin is, we must."
"Perhaps he will reveal himself again." Ki-Adi-Mundi suggested, nodding to Qui-Gon.
"Yes," Mace agreed. "This attack was with purpose that much is clear. The Queen is his target. Since he failed once, he may try again."
"With this Naboo Queen, you must stay, Qui-Gon." Yoda said, pointing one diminutive finger at the Master. "Protect her, you must."
"We shall use all of our resources to unravel this mystery and discover the identity of your attacker." He raised one hand in dismissal. "May the Force be with you, Qui-Gon Jinn."
The rest of the masters repeated the salutation, and Obi-Wan turned to leave. He stopped in his tracks, however, when he saw that Qui-Gon was still standing in front of the Council. Obi-Wan held his breath, knowing what was coming.
Yoda looked at the Jedi master, curiosity ion his eyes. "More to say, have you, Qui-Gon Jinn?"
"With your permission, my Master, I have encountered a vergence in the Force."
Yoda's eyes widened. "A vergence, you say?"
"Located around a person?" Mace asked.
Qui-Gon nodded. "A boy. His cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have ever seen in a life form." He paused. "It is possible he was conceived by mind-chlorians."
"You refer to the prophecy, of the one who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it is this boy." Mace stated. Qui-Gon held his hands up in a placating gesture.
"I don't presume-"
"But you do!" Yoda snapped. "Revealed, your opinion is!"
"With you permission, there is more. An even bigger mystery. There is a girl, who claims to be 'The Chosen One.' And what's more, her midi-chlorian count is still rising."
Mace rocked back in his chair at that. "Impossible."
"There is much more to her story, more than I could relate adequately. She fought the Sith warrior, unarmed, and came away with only a scratch." There were shocked murmurs all over the Council at that, and Qui-Gon pressed on. "I request the boy and his sister be tested."
"To be trained as a Jedi, you request for them?" Yoda asked softly. Qui-Gon nodded.
"Finding them was the will of the Force. I have no doubt of it. There is too much happening here for it to be anything else."
Mace Windu held up a hand to stave off further debate. "Bring them before us, then. The Council will test the boy. I will see to the girl personally."
Yoda nodded in agreement. "Tested, they will be." Yoda suddenly looked up at the door. "Enter, Jedi Halcyon."
Nejaa Halcyon entered the Council chambers and stood before them in deference. Only a few years older than Obi-Wan, Halcyon had recently been appointed as a Jedi Knight by the Council. Barely into his twenties, with a kind, squared face and long, brown hair, he had already proved himself to be one of the most promising Jedi to come out of the temple in some time. Already in his young career he had helped settle several minor disputes in the Outer Rim, as well as bring several pirates to justice. Balancing a sense of fairness with prowess with his lightsaber, Halcyon was well liked by many of the masters, from Cin Drallig to Mace Windu himself. Qui-Gon also liked and respected the young man- while he held true to the Jedi teachings, he also knew the values of occasionally bending the rules; something that appealed to the free-spirited Jedi Master. Though he also realized that one day, that attitude may get him in trouble, as it had gotten him in trouble on more than one occasion.
"Masters, I bring new from the Senate." He started without preamble. "The Naboo Queen made her case before the Supreme Chancellor. However, when the Chancellor bowed to the bureaucrats, The Queen called for a vote of no confidence. It is being put through even as we speak."
There were excited murmurs all around at the news, as the Masters discussed what this would mean for the Republic. Yoda's voice brought them all back to attention.
"Escalating, this crisis is." The diminutive Jedi turned his hard gaze onto Qui-Gon. "Before us, the Skywalkers you must bring at once."
"As you wish, Master." Qui-Gon said reverently, bowing in respect, than turning to stride out of the door, Obi-Wan following closely behind.
Soon, a Jedi Knight, whom Buffy learned was named Halcyon, came to collect her and her brother and take them to the Council. Before they could leave, however, Anakin insisted on saying good-bye to a certain handmaiden.
So it was just a few minutes later when Anakin burst into the Queens room- to find not Padmè, but Queen Amidala looking out the window. Chagrined, Anakin bowed his head awkwardly in respect.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty." He said. The Queen nodded silently, and Anakin took that as his cue to continue. "I was looking for Padmè. Buffy and I are being taken in front of the Jedi Council. I wanted her to know."
The Queen smiled at the boy in front of her. "Padmè isn't here, Anakin. I sent her on an errand."
"Oh." Anakin replied, dejected.
"But I will give her your message."
"Maybe I'll be a Jedi Knight!" Anakin exclaimed, unable to contain his enthusiasm.
Amidala nodded. "Perhaps you will."
"I think Padmè would like that."
"I think she would, too."
Anakin, realizing what he was saying, and who he was saying it to, blushed furiously. Amidala let out a small chuckle. "Anakin, know this: I hope that you do become a Jedi Knight, and do big things. But if, for some reason, the Council decides not to train you, than you and your sister, will always have a home for you on Naboo."
"Thank you for that, your highness." Buffy said, coming in to fetch her brother.
Amidala nodded at the Slayer. "The Council has also requested that Rose come with you, to show them what she showed Master Jinn and his Padawan. Please watch out for her- there are many on this world who would gladly risk angering the Jedi by trying to capture her."
"I'll look out for her. I promise."
And with that, the two Skywalkers left the Queens chambers and headed to the landing platform, where a certain red-headed handmaiden awaited Buffy with a blindfold in her hands. Buffy sighed and put it on, then let herself be led to the waiting air taxi.
A short while later the small group arrived at the Jedi temple. Upon seeing it for the first time, Buffy summed up her feelings for the impressive palace in one word.
"Sweet."
As Halcyon led them to the doors to the temple, he nodded as a Youngling came out to meet them.
"This is Zett Jukassa. He will take Anakin and Willow to the Council chambers."
Buffy eyed the Jedi suspiciously. "And what about me?"
Halcyon gave the girl a warm smile, trying to defuse her growing suspicions. "I've been asked to show you directly to our training room. Master Windu will be testing you personally.
"Sounds like fun."
"Buffy?" Anakin asked, looking worriedly up at his sister. Buffy saw the look and frowned.
"What?"
"Please don't hurt him too badly." Anakin pleaded.
"And what makes you think I would do something like that?"
"He's known you for more than five minutes?" Willow jokingly answered, which earned her a playful swat on the arm from Buffy. Halcyon chuckled at the interaction, then gestured with his had.
"Shall we go?"
The five parted ways, with Anakin and Willow following the 7-year-old Jedi up to the Council's chamber. Meanwhile, Halcyon led Buffy down a different corridor to where the training room was located. During the journey, he couldn't help but continue to cast sideways looks at the girl, mentally sizing her up. The looks were not lost on Buffy.
"See anything you like?" she asked, deadpanned. She was shocked when she heard his answer.
"A couple of things actually." Halcyon laughed outright at the shocked expression on her face. "No offense meant, Miss Skywalker."
"None taken. I was just surprised to find a Jedi with a sense of humor."
"Well, we are rare." Halcyon replied in mock seriousness. Buffy couldn't help but laugh at the Jedi's antics. "The Council is seldom pleased with me, or my attitude. But I am a good Jedi, and they know it. Plus, I'm good with the Younglings. I think that is one of the very few reasons they haven't kicked me out."
"You seem like you would be good with kids." Buffy remarked. Halcyon sighed wistfully.
"I always wanted kids…" he shook his head to clear out the forbidden thoughts. "But the life of a Jedi is meant to be a lonely life."
"Ah. The old 'one warrior, alone against the odds' deal?" Buffy remarked. They stopped in front of a closed door, and Buffy turned to face the Jedi. "If there is one thing I learned, it's that a lonely life gets you killed quicker than if you have someone you're fighting for. Something to keep in mind."
Halcyon nodded at the Slayer. "I will. Keep it in mind, that is." With that, the Jedi gestured at the door, and it hissed open. "Here we are."
"So this is a Jedi training room?" Buffy said, talking as she walked through the door. As son as she saw the room, she froze, staring around her in disbelief. "Of course, this would be the training room, what with the high ceiling and walls of columns that give a great view of the city, several hundred feet below!" Buffy let out an aggravated yell. "What is it with you people and high places? Can't you keep your gorram feet on the ground?"
"There is much fear in you, I sense."
Buffy whirled around to fix her glare on the Jedi Master who had spoken to her. She looked him over- tall, well built, his dark brown head cleanly shaven, causing the sun to glint off of its smooth surface. He spoke with intelligence and inner strength that Buffy automatically respected- she knew this guy was a warrior.
Still, he had mouthed off to her. Couldn't let that slide…
"Can you sense what I'm thinking now, Mr. Clean?" she growled, filling her mind with particularly nasty images. The black man quirked an eyebrow.
"And much anger, as well." He responded drolly. Buffy rolled her eyes.
"No shit."
"I am Master Windu. I was told that you had great potential to become a Jedi."
"That's what they're telling me." Buffy replied.
"Normally, I'd dismiss you outright as being too old."
"HEY!" Buffy screamed, outraged. "Doesn't a smooth operator like you know it's never wise to bring up a girl's age?"
"However," he said, interrupting her tirade, "Master Qui-Gon tells me you held your own against creature trained in the Jedi arts. I'm curious to see how good you are." With that, Mace produced a small spherical object from his robes. He pressed a button on the side, and it came to life, shooting up into the air and hovering just about a foot above and away from Buffy, who eyed the device warily. "This is a Jedi training sphere. We use it to perfect our concentration and focus."
"What does it do?" Buffy asked, warily eyeing the ball.
"It moves around the person, emitting a low-level electric blast that stings its target. The object of the exercise is to deflect the bolts with this," Mace explained as he produced a small, tubular device that Buffy instantly recognized as a lightsaber. "This is a training model. The blade is only strong enough to deflect the blasts, and though it will burn you if you touch it, it won't cut through you." He handed the device over to Buffy, who took it with glee.
"Finally, I get my own fancy glow-stick thingee!" she exclaimed, thumbing the power switch to 'on', causing the pale blue beam to emit from the hilt. She gave it a few practice swings, trying to get a feel for it. "Now wha-" she started to say, but stopped mid-sentence as her world went dark. "What in the frilly heck is this!" she demanded.
"I couldn't help notice how fond you were of blindfolds." Mace replied deadpan. Buffy growled at the Master. "The purpose of the exercise is to use the Force to deflect the bolts. To do that, you must let go of your conscience self, and learn to trust your feelings. You may begin when ready."
Buffy growled once more in agitation, and then reluctantly brought her blade up to a ready position. She was almost immediately greeted by a sharp stinging pain in her thigh as the device landed a hit.
"OW!" she screamed, more in surprise than in pain.
"Use your feelings, Skywalker." Mace advised. "Let go of the now."
"Let go of this." Buffy muttered under her breath as she raised the blade once more. She strained with her senses, trying to pinpoint the tiny sphere by the sound its repulsors were emitting.
She screeched again as it landed yet another hit, this time to her left shoulder. She heard Mace sigh in disappointment, and that fueled her desire to prove she was as good as he heard even more. Buffy closed her eyes, and reached out with her feelings, using every meditation technique that Giles had taught her over the years. Gradually, she began to feel the remote's presence, and she started darting out of the way of the bolts, looking for an opening. She heard Mace tsking in disapproval.
"Your reflexes are good, but the point of the exercise was to-" he stopped suddenly as Buffy twirled out of the way of yet another bolt, but then brought the blade up, then down again in a beautiful arc that sliced clean through the remote.
Which it shouldn't have been able to do, seeing as it was just a training saber.
The Master and Knight stared down at the two halves of the remote that lay on the ground, still sparking. Buffy pulled off her helmet and smirked.
"You see, where I'm from, if there's a threat, I don't just block it. I take it out."
Mace shook his head. "That wasn't the point of the test."
"Yeah, well I never was really good at tests." Buffy replied. "Look, lets cut the crap. You want to see how a little girl like me could hold her own against some kind of evil Jedi? Then stop all of this dancing around and just bring it."
"What?"
"You heard me. Whip out your glow stick and…" Buffy stopped, realizing what she had just said in mounting horror. "Oh, god, that SO sounded wrong…"
"I believe she wants to spar with you." Qui-Gon observed as he led Anakin, Obi-Wan and Willow into the chamber. The council was done with them, for now; now they needed to talk amongst themselves and figure out what to do next. Qui-Gon felt that it would be a good idea to see how the elder Skywalker was doing, and had led them all down here to watch her testing.
Halcyon stepped forward, towards the Slayer. "Miss Skywalker, I don't believe that would be such a good idea." He started, a worried look on his face. "Master Windu was one of the Masters who taught me how to wield a lightsaber; his skills are legend in the temple. Taking him on…"
"Will show him exactly what I can do." She finished, her eyes never leaving Maces'. "So what do you say? You want a shot at the title?"
"You're trying to appeal to my pride." Mace reasoned. "What you don't realize is that a true Jedi would never succumb to such an obvious ploy. I will, however, take you up on your offer, to see how skilled you truly are." With that, he discarded his heavy brown robes, and unclipped his lightsaber from his belt. He activated it with his thumb, and the long purple blade flared to life. Buffy took one look at the blade's color, and had to work hard to stop a laugh.
"Purple?" she snorted. "Oh, god…I think I'm going to call you Barney from now on…"
Mace ignored her comments and adjusted a dial on the side of the hilt, powering down the blade considerably.
"I've now set my blade to a training-level power setting. The blades will be evenly matched, even if we are not." Mace then brought the lightsaber up to a ready position over his right shoulder, the blade pointing out towards Buffy. "Prepare yourself."
Buffy just smirked and re-activated her own blue blade, and held it casually by her side, pointed down. They stood, eyes locked on each other for several minutes, before Mace spoke.
"I believe I told you to get ready."
Buffy snorted. "I am ready, Windex. I'm just waiting for you."
Maces' eyes narrowed, and then he attacked. A quick thrust, slash, upwards slash, downwards thrust… Buffy managed to block all of his early moves literally single-handedly, with seeming little effort. Mace's respect for the girl went up- she obviously had some experience with swords and knew how to use them. Realizing that, Mace stepped up the attack, raining blow after blow, not letting up at all.
Buffy, for her part, was shocked at how well she seemed to be doing. She knew how to handle swords- part of the Slayer package, she had been told, was the ability to learn to use almost any type of weapon at an accelerated rate. Plus, there had been the whole deal with Angel and Acathla, and the deal on the Winnebago with the Knights Who Said Knee, but that was neither here nor there. Still, she seemed to almost instinctively know who to wield the lightsaber, as if it was an extension of her won body. Soon she had grasped the hilt with both hands and was busy parrying Windu's shots.
They got into a rhythm, back and forth, back and forth. There were no fancy aerial moves, no flips, just plain old blocking and swinging. It got to a point where it was almost repetitive- back and forth, back and forth. The assembled group watched in awe as Mace, one of the top Lightsaber specialists in the Temple, was put on guard by a mere slip of a girl. Then suddenly, Mace swung around, and using one hand to hold his lightsaber to block Buffy downward slash, he thrust out his other hand and send a Force-wave at the girl, knocking her back onto the floor. Mace immediately came to attention, his lightsaber on medium guard. Buffy glared at the Master.
"What the hell was that?" she demanded.
"That was using the Force." Mace replied. "Something that only Jedi can do."
Buffy got back up and renewed her attack, slashing and thrusting at Windu with all she had. Once again, he blocked with one hand, and used the other to send her sprawling.
"You have skill, Skywalker. But without the Force on your side, you have no business at this temple."
Glaring at the Jedi, Buffy sprang to her feet once more, determined to win this fight. The rained blows on one another once more, until at the same time they both broke away and spun around. Mace swung his lightsaber for Buffy's midsection with one hand, hoping to land a blow. His other hand he thrust out, sending forth yet another Force-wave.
Buffy, meanwhile spun around in time to swing her blade so that it was pointing down, effectively blocking mace's swing. Her other hand she thrust out instinctively in front of her, under her lightsaber arm, right in front of Mace's hand. Suddenly, she felt a tremendous pressure on her hand, as if it was being pushed back by a mighty wind. Determine not to get thrown on her back again; she concentrated with all of her might, willing the wind to flow the opposite direction, back at Mace.
There the two stood, as the onlookers looked on in shock, as Mace tired to once again use the Force against Buffy, and Buffy tried to use the Force against Mace.
And suddenly the power became too great, and it exploded, sending both fighters sprawling backwards.
Mace landed in a heap on the floor, but quickly got back to his feet. Not quite quickly enough, however, for Buffy had managed to turn her backwards momentum into a reverse somersault and had landed on her feet. She instantly sprang back towards Mace, who was just getting up. Her lightsaber raised high over her head; she brought it down at the rising Master with all of her considerable strength. Mace just barely got his blade up in time to block it.
An interesting fact about lightsabers: for all of their wondrous technology, they still run on the Galactic Republic version of a couple of 'AA'-Batteries. Every time the blade is used, say to deflect a blaster bolt, or to block another lightsaber, a little bit of energy is sapped out of the batteries. Of course, these batteries can last for decades before even showing the first signs of wear and the Jedi always took great pains in maintain the lightsabers so that the batteries never failed.
So it was quite a shock to all that, when Buffy brought her blade down onto Maces', the blades flared for a moment, then suddenly winked out, the tell-tale sign that the batteries energy had been spent.
And while that amazed the spectators, what really got them was when Buffy's lightsaber hilt, whose momentum had barely been slowed by the blades' final collision, connected with the left side of Mace's jaw, nearly breaking the delicate jaw bone and sending blood spraying onto the floor.
There was a moment of shocked silence as they all registered what happened- the stunned looks on the Jedi's faces, the horrified look on Buffy's face, the dismayed look on Willow's face, and Anakin's simple pronouncement.
"Aw, Buffy! I asked you not to hurt him too badly!"
TBC…
A/N: Before anybody says anything, let me reiterate that there are NO Original Characters in this story. Nejaa Halcyon is an actual Star Wars character- he appears in the EU novel Jedi Trials as a somewhat disgraced Jedi Master who leads Anakin to a planet to free the Republics communication center. He also shares a very close bond with Anakin, as he is secretly married, with two children, I believe.
Zett Jukassa appeared briefly in Episode 3 as the young Jedi who kicked some Clone Trooper ass before being killed on the Temple landing platform, in front of Senator Organa. For the purpose of this story, I'm slightly changing his character- he was 10 in Ep. 3, but I am making him 7 now, so he will be 20 at the end of the clone wars. And finally, Xiazan is a member of the same Royal family as Price Xizor, one of the main villains of the classic Star Wars novel 'Shadows of the Empire.'
Well, enough of the character bios. On to:
Review Responses
spikes-storm: Hope you liked the Buffy/Willow interaction in this chapter! And out of curiosity, what was the other Buffy/SW story you read?
Saint Maverick: I see Buffy and Obi-Wan having a similar relationship to that of Anakin and Obi-Wan. As for pairings, I AM toying with a few ideas now, though the impact of them wouldn't be seen until I hit the OT.
Korrd: Funny you should ask that. Whistler will NOT show up, as, quite rankly, I hate him. Not the character, just the fact that every time a writer needs to have the Powers explain something, Whistler shows up. And while I won't tell you who will come to Buffy fro the Powers, I will say that it is an old friend, long gone. Look for it in about 3 to 4 chapters.
General Mac: Hope you liked this one! And rest assured that I am already hard at work on chapter 6.
Allen Pitt: You know people, this is why I like reviews! Thanks to you, Allen, I had a real reason as to why Willow changed her name, and a reason that will truly impact her character throughout all of the stories! As for contacting Earth, Buffy will get one last chance to talk to Dawn in about 3-4 chapters. As for what's happening in Sunnydale, you won't find out until at LEAST Episode 3. cackles evilly Oh, and if you liked the fight with Maul, how did you like the sparring between Buffy and Mace? You know he is one bad mutha- SHUT YOUR MOUTH! And finally, NO VAMPIRES!
MaxCobra: This soon enough for ya?
Just Me: Thank you very much for the praise on the fight. I find that I can visualize the fight in my mind, but it gets hard to put it down on paper sometimes, so I'm glad you liked it. And I have noticed the other stories, especially 'The Slayer and The Jedi'. I actually read that before Phantoms and Slayers, and thought it to be a good story, albeit one that moves to fast. I like how in the latest chapter she's slowed down somewhat and allowed the story to flow at a more lenient pace. Definitely a story I'd recommend.
Midnight Emerald: I thank you for your praise. It's reviewers like you who get me cranking out chapters to this story like crazy, while letting my older story fall by the wayside. Thanks again!
Cycloneozgirl: Willow didn't do anything. It was Glory, Doc, and Dawn's Key power that ended them up there. As for Qui-Gon, all I got to say is enjoy him- while he lasts. HA-HA-HA! MINE IS AN EVIL LAUGH!
Jedi-Princess/Nascar Girl: I've always liked Jericho, and I like what he's doing right now with Cena. What? Oh, right! The story! Yeah, hope I got some more happy tears for Buffy and willow out of this chapter. As for A New Hope… my lips remain sealed. But I promise you that it will be good. Oh, and btw: waves hand in front of his face YOU CAN'T SEE ME!
Yes people, fear the wrestling marks.
RaeAngel: glad you like the relationship between Buffy and Anakin, because it plays a big part in all of the stories. These stories are about family, more than anything else. Hope you liked this chapter, and thanks for the review!
Marz1: Does this make you happy? Willow showing off, and Buffy kicking Mace's ass? Don't worry, we got more action coming than you can shake a stick at. Just wait until the Clone Wars!
Next chapter: The Council debates, Buffy speaks her mind, and we return to Naboo.