(updated 10-09-2020)

The conclusion to the Shadows of the Apocalypse story begins…

The arrival of the REF cruiser Arcadia heralded a new age for humanity with the knowledge and technological wonders of Robotechnology they brought.

When the Arcadia left to explore the galaxy, there were great hopes and expectations for the future...

When she never returned, those hopes and expectations turned to ashes as the forces of darkness made their moves, using their human minions to seize power. Faith, Buffy along with a handful of remaining allies find themselves engaged in a desperate fight for survival...

What neither side knows or realizes is that a bigger galactic struggle, nearing its climax, is about to arrive on Earth's doorstep.

oOoOo

Author's Notes:

This is my 8th fanfiction story. This is a ROBOTECH and Buffy the Vampire Slayer crossover story and is the sequel to "Shadows of the Apocalypse". This story will feature original characters and will be kept as close to canon using my OCs, but my main goal is to provide an entertaining story to the reader. This story will feature original characters and some of the ship names and squadron designations will not be canon as there is not a lot info on REF unit structure beyond canon (e.g. Skull Squadron, 21st Mars Division) and I won't get into the debate about Harmony Gold changing the continuity and disregarding a lot of the material written over the years especially the REF RPG guides. I will try and keep ROBOTECH as close to canon using my OCs, but my main goal is to provide an entertaining story to the reader.

I just want to say thanks to the creators and writers of both the ROBOTECH and Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchises. They have provided me with hours of enjoyment and entertainment. A special thanks to all those that created many of the ROBOTECH technical reference sites, they were excellent sources of information on the types of mecha and ships.

A special thanks goes out to the creators of the "War & Peace Shadow Chronicles RPG Campaign" and "The Unofficial Robotech Reference Guide". Their websites were a treasure-trove of information that proved invaluable in helping to bring this story to life. Thank you for your hard work and creativity.

All characters are the intellectual property of their respective creators and publishers; this story may not be sold or distributed on a profit-making basis.

Thanks to all that read this story.

oOoOo

STORM OF SHADOWS

CHAPTER ONE
Every day is a struggle

"One area where Wolfram & Hart's importance played a crucial role was their experience and contacts in media, especially shaping and molding public opinion. Their skills and talents were on display in the days after the attack on the White House. They helped craft a slick media campaign (refer to chapter on Anti-Slayer Media Campaign) to push the message they wanted the public to see and hear. Images of a blood-covered Vice-President Kinsey being sworn in on the steps of the still smoldering White House galvanized public support, setting the next stage in their program. After the 'Boston Disaster', the Kinsey Administration was able to rally massive support for the raft of new laws they wanted to enact with little opposition…"

— Excerpt from "The Devil's Counsel—The Story of Wolfram & Hart"

oOoOo

The setting sun filled the desert's horizon with growing shadows, creeping across the desert landscape, announcing evening's encroachment.

The sun fought against the inevitability with one last burst of sunshine, forcing the shadows to retreat, giving this lonely stretch of desert a temporary reprieve from the approaching night.

Heat from this last burst of energy radiated off the trail of asphalt that cut through this part of the desert. The asphalt with only the occasional weathered road-side sign, providing information to travelers, was any evidence that humans had ever been here.

Most travelers now ignored this secondary highway, seeking instead the ease and convenience of the interstate. The only ones now using this road were locals, those that had taken a wrong turn, those looking for adventure, and those wanting to remain unnoticed.

Not being noticed was the goal of the occupants in the old beat-up cargo van driving on this stretch of deserted highway, heading away from the setting sun. If anyone could have seen the four occupants through the van's heavily tinted windshield, they would have thought they were human, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

"I'm hungry," whined the vampire riding shotgun in the passenger seat.

The vampire driving rolled his eyes while shaking his head, not bothering to conceal his anger or frustration over his passenger, "Damn it! I told you not to finish that hitchhiker so fast. We still got a long drive to Wichita!"

The third vampire, riding in the back of the van, voiced his thoughts, "I hope they have better security there than they had in Phoenix. What a waste! It was like a frigging all-inclusive resort there."

The vampire riding shotgun shook his head, temporarily putting a check on his growing hunger, "How many processing facilities does that make?" he said.

"They're getting ballsier these days… I heard that they've taken out five processing facilities in the last six months," the driver growled, not hiding his frustration.

The fourth vampire of this little traveling murderous group, also riding in back, moaned his displeasure over their situation, "All that blood gone, what a waste!"

The third vampire chimed in with his opinion, "They're getting desperate… they know they can't win."

"When are the damn feds going to get their shit together and take out those bastards? I mean, we got the freakin' FBI on our side. How incompetent do you have to be to not stop a bunch of girls and their useless conspirators!" the vampire riding shotgun complained, his voice becoming even whinier.

The vampire driving was tiring of his passenger and his incessant whining. Thoughts danced through his head whether to kill him quick or have some fun, throwing him outside to see if the waning sunlight would do the job more slowly.

Despite the whining, the driver grudgingly admitted his passenger had a point. Plans were being made to finally deal with the whole human problem. He wasn't privy to all the details, but the general idea was to harvest humans, ensuring a more reliable supply of food for vampires.

These new processing facilities were in the early testing stages, being used only on those humans on the fringes of society that nobody cared about or would miss. Rumors going around said that the processing would soon ramp up. The facility in Phoenix—until it blew up—was the glimpse of a glorious future for his kind. If things went as planned, soon he and the rest of his kind wouldn't have to hide in the shadows anymore.

A mocking grin filled the driver's face, knowing the fate awaiting the humans. By the time they realized what was happening to them and they overcame their ignorance, stupidity and fear, it would be too late.

Yet, the plan and that glorious future were at risk from those damned Slayers and the rest of their so-called resistance movement. The attack on the Phoenix facility was a recent example of their tiresome meddling and interference. Thoughts of the Slayers filled his head with murderous intent and resolve. If it wasn't for them and their allies, he wouldn't have to drive around in a van, filled with idiots, scrounging for his next meal.

The only consolation was that the Slayers and their supporters were living on borrowed time. It gave him a happy feeling to know the government was hunting them down after having labeled all Slayers and anyone involved with them as "terrorists".

A small road-side sign caught his attention in the waning sunlight. An evil grin flashed on his face as his train of thought took a new direction. The never-ending hunger now gripped him, "Hey boys! I got good news!" he said,

He laughed at seeing the confusion on the other vampires' faces, "We're getting takeout…"

oOoOo

The run-down bar looked like something plucked from a movie and dropped here in the middle of the desert by the road-side.

Sounds of country music drifted across the dirt parking lot as the vampires, watching from their van parked at the far end, fixated on the building with hungry, death-filled eyes.

They tried to get an estimate of how many people were inside, noting the number of old and slightly newer pickup trucks and cars parked around the building. As the indifferent sun continued its daily retreat, their blood-lust hunger continued to grow as more vehicles arrived with more people entering the bar.

The sun finally disappeared, and darkness took over. The driver growled, "Okay, let's go taste the local cuisine."

As they exited the van, the driver added some last instructions, "Don't get carried away. We need to keep a couple of them alive. It's still a long drive to Wichita, and we might not get an opportunity like this again."

The ground crunched underneath their feet, echoing in the night, drowning out the sounds of music and people emanating from the bar. With each footstep closer to the bar, their anticipation and hunger grew exponentially. They paused at the door while the driver glanced around the parking lot one last time before opening the door.

Time to feed, he thought, changing his face to reveal his true form, and stepped inside.

The smell of fresh, pumping blood hit the vampires like an intoxicating aroma. They took up a blocking position at the bar's entrance. At first nobody noticed them as the patrons were busy drinking, talking and listening to the music. It all changed in a split second when a waitress saw them, and their faces. Her screams alerted everyone else in the bar.

The humans in the bar froze in terror, staring at the vampires standing at the door. A vampire sauntered casually over to the still playing jukebox, and smashed his fist through the jukebox's front panel, bringing a deathly silence to the bar.

The driver inhaled deeply, basking in the ever growing fear filling the bar. He was about to speak when a woman's voice broke the silence.

"Why don't you boys just turn around and leave… I'm not in the mood for this tonight."

Surprise and confusion took hold of both the vampires and humans, "Who the hell said that?" one vampire shouted.

A woman with long brunette hair stood up from her barstool at the far end of the bar, catching everyone in the room by surprise. Everyone watched as she threw back her drink, emptying the glass.

Rather than fear, the woman smirked as she turned to face the vampires, "I'm going to give you boys until the count of three to leave and drive off."

Silence and dread gripped the bar as the other humans waited for what would happen next. Again, the woman showed no fear, appearing relaxed, almost indifferent to this standoff. Yet, while her body may have been sending one message, her eyes were alert, studying the vampires, noting their positions and their body language. Her smirk now became a predatory smile, already knowing the answer to her ultimatum.

"Three…" she said.

oOoOo

Faith ignored the looks and stares, grabbing her helmet after dusting the last vampire. An eerie silence still gripped the bar, and no one made a move as she began to leave.

The bartender, standing with his mouth agape in shock, finally broke the silence, "Y-You're one of those there S-Slayers!"

Faith paused, giving the bartender a look, and then glanced around the room. She saw the fear, anger and confusion on their faces as his words reverberated through the bar. Her eyes met the bartender's stunned eyes, and she gave him a small smirk, causing his eyes to widen even more.

"T-The President… H-He says that you're all t-terrorists!" the bartender nervously sputtered.

Faith snorted, but said nothing. Everyone watched in continued stunned silence as she reached into her pants pocket and tossed something to the bartender.

The bartender's nervousness almost caused him to drop what she tossed to him. He stood there in utter confusion, staring at the quarter in his hand.

"Call someone who cares," Faith snorted in disgust, exiting the bar into the night.

oOoOo

Faith, sitting on her Cyclone, took some deep breaths, sucking in the crisp night air to calm down. She hadn't planned on this confrontation, only stopping here for a break on her way back from Phoenix.

She contemplated her luck and the irony at having stopped at the same road-side dive bar that a bunch of vampires would pick to stop at to feed on.

I guess still being alive is good luck, she sighed, shaking her head.

Out of habit, she gazed up, taking in the stars brightly filling the night sky. Once, she'd looked upon them with wonderment, and hope for the future. Now, it seemed as if they existed only to mock her.

She took another deep breath as unwanted old memories came back, reopening all the old wounds. Even after all this time, thinking of Paul Coleiro still brought on waves of anger, pain, and sadness. He'd literally dropped into her life, coming from an alternate universe with his spaceship. She hadn't planned on falling in love with him, but like a fool she had.

Being with him fooled her into making plans for the future, wanting to be with someone. She'd foolishly believed his promises when he told her he would come back from his mission to the far side of the galaxy. He promised the mission would be six months… that was nearly five years ago.

She could still recall how each day of those six months painfully dragged by, waiting anxiously for his return. When the expedition never returned, she still didn't give up hope even as the days, then the weeks passed with no news. That hope lasted right until the US government declared the Arcadia Expedition missing… presumed lost.

She wasn't the only one affected by this news. Everyone around her had lost someone that was a part of the expedition. Buffy took the news just as hard, losing her sister, best friend and her lover. What was the hardest part to deal with during that time was the lack of information… the not knowing what happened to them.

To make matters worse, The First Evil chose this time to make another move using the Cleveland Hellmouth. It had been a desperate time, and they'd only stopped The First when Buffy located the Slayer Scythe in Sunnydale. Willow used her magic to release the power of the Scythe, using its essence to activate all the Potential Slayers around the world. They stopped the Turok-Hans and collapsed the Hellmouth… but at a cost.

Among all casualties and destruction suffered from the battle, the blow that hurt the most was losing Spike. He died, sealing the Hellmouth, consumed using a magic amulet provided by Angel for the last battle.

After Cleveland, there was hope that things would settle down and get back to something normal… that peace only lasted a few months.

oOoOo

Faith was in Las Vegas when the news reports came in. Like the rest of the world, she watched in stunned shock while live footage showed the White House being attacked.

While the White House burned in the background, she watched with growing unease the teenage girl running across the White House lawn. The girl used her seemingly inhuman speed and strength to take down scores of security guards and Secret Service personnel before finally cut down in a hail of desperate gunfire.

Events took a downward spiral for Faith and the others. With the public screaming for blood, the newly sworn in President called for calm, while pledging a full investigation into the "Slayer Terrorist Threat".

For a brief time, it looked like things would calm down and saner heads would prevail. Then Boston happened…

oOoOo

Faith still doesn't know how her dad tracked her down to get word to her about her mom. Even though they hadn't talked or seen each other in years, the news her mother was dead still hit hard. Her mom was among the 150,000 dead, killed when one of the new fusion reactors, being tested, exploded, devastating a good portion of Boston.

What sent events spiraling off the cliff was the security footage "miraculously recovered" from the ruins, showing a teenage girl breaking into reactor operations area just before the explosion.

With the media continually playing this footage along with video of the White House attack, it wasn't long before they identified the girl as a Slayer. Then, things got even worse…

President Kinsey, with unanimous support from the Congress and Senate, declared the Slayers and anyone assisting them as terrorists. Hidden in the ensuing new "Anti-Slayer" laws was language providing for the suspension of Habeas Corpus and the "indefinite detention without trial" at special designated centers.

Overnight, Slayers became the hunted. The roundups in those first days caught up a number of girls. Those arrested disappeared and never heard from again. Faith still got nightmares from what Riley later uncovered about what happened to those arrested.

It wasn't only in the United States where things were deteriorating. The entire world seemed to have it out for Slayers. If it hadn't been for Riley and Willow, everyone would have been dead years ago or worse.

Riley had access to some considerable resources and contacts, given to him by his former commanding officer… General Coulson. He provided everyone with money and fake identification, along with access to safe houses and weapons. In one of his last acts before going underground, he scrubbed everyone from the federal databases, making it harder for the authorities to track them down.

Willow's important contribution was her magic, performing a spell to create a charm to hide everyone from locator spells and The First Evil. Combined with Riley's actions, this gave everyone a modicum of anonymity, allowing them to move around in public.

Then there were the normal everyday people out there, who didn't believe the President's propaganda, and understood who the real threat was. Those people risked everything to help Faith, Buffy and the others in their ongoing struggle.

oOoOo

Throughout those first hellish days and weeks after Boston, a part of Faith still clung to the hope that Paul and the others would return. She can't recall exactly when she gave up… it seemed to be gradual until one day she woke up and realized he wasn't coming back.

Gazing at the night sky, she refused to dwell on the "what ifs" and "might-have-been". That thinking would only drive her crazy. There was too much at stake for her to be carrying a torch for a dead man. She buried all her pain and grief, focusing on the war they were waging.

Still gazing up at those twinkling lights, her hand moved out of reflex, touching the pendant tucked underneath her shirt, pressing it against her chest.

The pendant—along with her Cyclone—was the only thing she had left of Paul. If Willow hadn't charmed the pendant to keep her hidden from The First Evil and other demons, she would have stopped wearing it a long time ago.

She shook off her growing melancholy, starting her Cyclone, and taking some comfort from its power as she revved the engine. She flipped her helmet visor down, engaging the heads-up display, and activating the helmet's night amplification system, turning darkness into day.

With no further hesitation, she peeled out of the parking lot, leaving a cloud of dust, speeding down the highway into the night.