Author's Note: Sorry I haven't been more up on reviews from this site; has stopped sending me emails! I don't know why. But when I notice I have a new review, I do try to respond.

One of my reviewers asked about just how much Raykins recalls about all of this in "Something", which begins after Raykins has been butchered by Adam. The answer is... hard to say. Obviously not everything (well, give Adam some slack, he has been buried in the ground for a loooong time, and it's his first butcher/conversion since his revival), but she does clearly know more than the others. After all, Adam makes her his second-in-command, and I think he did it for a reason.

When I wrote this, I really felt like, more than anything, the negative emotions would wind up being the number one thing that followed through, past Raykins' conversion. As was evident at the very beginning of the story, and will be evident by the end, Raykins is filled with a myriad of emotions, including guilt and horror and grief. As was shown in Buffy, Adam's conversion process cuts all those out and just brings out a desire to follow the need for revenge and destruction.

Anyways.

Enjoy this next section!

Dawn had watched as the official-looking people had assembled and gathered in a conference-hall looking part of the space ship. Raykins was with them, too.

But Dawn had no idea what they were saying.

"No!" Laura insisted, yanking Dawn away from the closed door with superhuman strength. "You can't listen in! Especially if you're not IPSA. It's a treasonable offense!"

"But… they're talking about my niece in there!" Dawn said. "I can't just sit back and wait while they…!"

"If Deb's promised you something, she'll come through," Laura assured her. "She always does."

That was the best that Dawn could get.

And she knew it.

Laura saw the dejected look on Dawn's face, and sat her down. "I… I'm sorry," she offered, a little nervously. "You… couldn't have listened in, anyways. Freddy's been trying to do it for nearly a half hour, now, and he's gotten nowhere."

Dawn looked up. Confused.

"Deb… is talking about going to the Main Experiment Ship," Laura admitted. She twisted around the sleeve of her uniform, shifting from foot to foot. "No one ever comes back from there. We're all… worried. Really worried."

Dawn could see it, too.

Radiating through all of them.

"You really meant it when you said I could trust her, huh?" Dawn asked.

Laura shrugged. "You're a clone, right? Well, anyone but Deb would have shot you on the spot — just in case you were a Dalek Replicant. But… not Deb." Shot Dawn a worried smile. "She's smart. Stubborn. And she always does what's right."

Dawn nodded.

Adding, to herself, that she was super-lucky Raykins had run into her. Because no one else would have ever believed her story.

"I need to go with her," Dawn muttered. "Whatever it takes! My niece… has never faced down Daleks before! Not like this. She's going to get herself killed."

Laura was silent for a long time.

"I... I'm really sorry," Laura whispered, at last. "But… chances are… they've already killed her. And if they haven't… it's only because they're doing something worse."

Dawn felt a chill run down her spine.

Wondered how many people she'd have to hear say that before it actually sunk in.

Or if the only thing that would convince her… was seeing Seo dead, herself, and knowing that there was nothing Dawn could have done to stop it.

"I still wanna go," Dawn said. "I don't care what it takes. I need to go after her."

Laura shot her a warning glare. "If Deb says you're staying here, you're staying here. I made Deb a promise. And I don't break those."

Inside the room, surrounded by six top secret agents reserved for the tightest security raids, which had been sent out there specifically at Raykins' request, Raykins stood.

The Korjensky Officials had been connected in by hyper-sonic transmission. Now, both they and the soldiers listened as Raykins finished her presentation. Absorbing what she'd just told them.

"You didn't tell us this much detail before," one of the Officials told Raykins.

Raykins tried to cover up her hesitation.

She hadn't been sure how much she should tell them. She'd been at a point of moral crisis, after her conversation with Dawn. Had thought that maybe…

But, no.

Didn't matter what Bunfy Sompters — or whatever her name really was — would have wanted, way back when. IPSA High Command was right, and everyone had a duty to follow their orders.

Raykins still hadn't told them anything about the Doctor, though. Or about who Dawn and Seo actually were, with regard to the ancient legends.

Just… felt uneasy, every time she was about to.

"This communications network is more secure," Raykins replied. "The details of… what I suspect about the full scope of Seo's capabilities… should remain as top secret as possible. I don't want to chance any Dalek finding out about them."

"Raykins is right," said one of the recovery-team in the room. "If the Daleks found out they had this kind of deadly biological weapon under their plunger-tips… it could change the outcome of the war. Could change everything."

The Slayer President looked grim. "Then we have to recover this Weapon," he said. "At all costs. We can't let someone that powerful remain in enemy hands."

"Agreed," said one of the Officials. "Raykins. Secure the Weapon and bring it—"

"Her," Raykins corrected.

"…back to the Korjensky System," the Official continued. "We need that kind of advantage on our side."

Raykins stared.

One of the six recovery agents stepped forwards. "I think we can do it," she offered. "My team's been working on a strategy to get inside that ship for a while, now. We've got some ideas on how to—"

"Need that kind of advantage on our side?!" Raykins interrupted. She felt herself shaking, as she realized… this was exactly what Dawn had warned her would happen. "But… she's a civilian!"

"She's a weapon, Raykins," one of the Officials corrected. "You can't call a weapon a noncombatant."

"You wouldn't call the nanocloud Dalek-humans 'civilians'," one of the recovery team in the room pointed out to Raykins. "They were constructed to be killing machines. So was that girl."

"But she's…!" Raykins stopped herself. Didn't want to say anything stupid. She'd promised Dawn, hadn't she? And Dawn had been right, before. "I understand your decision, but… in accordance with the Slayer Constitution, I have the right to speak out against something I think is morally wrong. Seo isn't just… a thing. I saw her on Jarodin — she's a person. Someone who was willing to risk her life for a friend. Forcing someone like that to do something against her will…"

"Raykins, you know as well as I do," the President interrupted, "that if she's on that ship, the Daleks will almost certainly have destroyed any semblance of human feeling inside of her. That's what they do."

Raykins couldn't deny it.

"If there's any chance she's still herself—" Raykins said.

"Then of course, we'll take it," one of the Officials said. "That's why we authorized this mission in the first place. To recover this Weapon… I mean, this person… and bring her back to Korjensky."

"Where we'll put her under a full medical examination," said another Official. "Just to make sure the Daleks haven't altered her mind in any way. And reverse the damage, if they have."

Raykins thought about all the brain surgeons they had back in the Korjensky System. Thought about all the different techniques they had at their disposal. All the different surgical ways they could use to make someone change their mind.

Before Jarodin, Raykins would have been certain that the Officials would make the right decision.

But now… remembering how panicked Dawn had been at the thought that the Officials might find out about the Doctor… remembering how nervous Dawn had been about IPSA High Command finding out anything about her or Seo at all…

Raykins stepped forwards. "In that case… let me be the judge of whether or not the Daleks have altered her mind."

The Officials all looked at one another.

"We need an impartial assessment," one of the Officials said. "You are clearly not impartial."

"Her brain and physiology won't be picked up — at all — by our scanners," Raykins insisted. "You won't know if the Daleks altered her brain. I've spoken to her aunt. I've spoken to her! If there's anyone who'll be able to tell whether or not she's been—"

"Agent Raykins," said one of the recovery team, softly. "With all due respect… it won't be that difficult to know if her mind's been altered. We just need to ask… whose side she's on."

Raykins stared.

But everyone in the room — and all the Officials on the screen — seemed to be in perfect agreement about this.

"The Daleks pose a serious threat to everyone in this galactic sector," said the President. "Her help could save the lives of countless numbers of worlds. There's only one reason someone like that would refuse to help us."

The logic was sound.

But… Raykins had the feeling that things weren't quite as simple as that.

"We will fix her, if she's had her mind altered by Dalek control," one of the Officials assured Raykins. "In any way we can."

By altering her mind to make sure she did anything they said.

Bunfy Sompters' daughter.

Raykins felt sick.

"You've voiced your objections, Agent Raykins," said the President. "In accordance with the Slayer Constitution, you have the right to remove yourself from this mission on the grounds of your moral objection. Do you choose to take this right?"

The Ultimate Slayer Safeguard.

Raykins had seen it work in the past, when Officials had done the wrong thing. Had seen entire groups of Slayers refuse to take part, until there weren't enough numbers to justify the decision.

But in this case…

Raykins looked around herself. At the others nearby. None of them saw anything wrong with this. If Raykins stepped down, someone else would just take her place.

Raykins mustered up her courage. "No, sir."

"In that case, you are bound by the Slayer Constitution to carry out our orders exactly," said the President. "In the event that you do not, and insist on having perpetual contact with this biological weapon once she's been brought to Korjensky, you will be tried for treason and crimes against humanity. You are within your rights to walk away at any time between now and the start of the mission, but once the mission starts, you will be unable to do so. Do you understand?"

Boilerplate line.

Raykins had given it often enough, herself, to subordinates who objected.

"Yes, sir," Raykins said. "Understood, sir."

"Good." The President turned to one of the recovery team in the room. "Agent Yelanka. You said your team had a strategy for how to enter the Dalek Experiment Ship."

Agent Yelanka nodded.

And began to explain, rapidly.

Raykins just sank back into a chair. She wouldn't be a traitor. Wouldn't go against orders. But… what had Dawn said? Something about… 'Order-Smart'?

Raykins felt a small smile touch her lips.

As she realized… she'd just found the one loophole she could use to make sure everything turned out perfectly.

The moment the super-top-secret meeting ended, Raykins reappeared in front of Dawn. Waved Laura off. Then grabbed Dawn by the upper-arm, and dragged her off.

"Don't say a word," Raykins warned, so quietly that Dawn could barely hear, "and promise me that when you both leave this place, you will never — ever — return."

Dawn blinked.

Then blinked again.

"You're… you're letting me come…!" Dawn started.

"Absolutely not!" said Raykins. "In accordance with IPSA protocols, you are a civilian. You're not going into the combat zone."

"But—"

"Under the Slayer Constitution, I'm allowed to voice my objections to any order," said Raykins. "But I cannot countermand the order. By going on this mission, I am agreeing to follow my orders to the letter. Those orders are to rescue your niece and, if she is still alive, bring her back to IPSA High Command."

"Bring her to…?" Dawn breathed.

"You are not allowed on the mission to rescue her," Raykins reiterated. "But anything that might help aid our rescue operation is. And I believe the glass pillar I found on Jarodin has shielding and advanced capabilities that would justify it coming with us on this mission." She looked Dawn right in the eyes. "You agree with that?"

Dawn's eyes widened.

Oliver! Seo's ship! But that was the only thing keeping Dawn stable, unless…

Oh.

"Since you know the secrets of that pillar, I am now commanded to take you to it, so you can open it up and explain its shielding functions," Raykins continued. "In one hour's time, we will be loading it onto a stealth ship and heading for the Dalek's Main Experiment Ship. Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Dawn. "I… completely understand."

The perfect chance for her to hide inside Oliver and wait until exactly the right moment, so she could slip out and rescue Seo. Then she just had to get the two of them back inside of Oliver so they could disappear before Raykins ever got Seo to High Command.

Dawn smiled at Raykins.

Knew that Raykins was taking a huge risk for her and Seo. But she appreciated it. More than anything.

"Thanks," said Dawn. "For… rescuing her, I mean. Even if I can't come."

Raykins didn't answer. Her face completely stony, as she turned around. "Let's go figure out that shielding."