Chapter Twenty Two: Attack
Willow had called a meeting of the 'Tau'ri' witches back at the hotel in order to discuss how to approach the attack on Marduk's spaceship. However most of the witches were otherwise occupied and it ended up as a meeting between Willow, Tara and Phoebe.
"Don't worry sweetie," said Tara to her partner. "I really don't mind. You're a witch, not a Whitelighter. You don't have to follow the same rules I do. One of the reasons for the restrictions I have to follow is so that humans do things for themselves rather than have everything determined by higher powers. It's part of the idea of free will."
"So that would be why the elders and Whitelighters didn't get rid of the Goa'uld when they were on Earth centuries ago," said Phoebe. "It was something that people had to do for themselves."
"Exactly," said Tara. "And anyway if the elders and Whitelighters took too high a profile then the major demonic powers would be able to get more involved as well. It doesn't always work well but there is something of a balance to all this."
"But you are coming?" replied Willow. "Coming through the portal to the spaceship? You're not going back to Earth like Jenny."
"You don't think I'd let you go without me do you?" said Tara. "Protecting you is one of my most important duties, especially when you decide to do something dangerous. Jenny had to go back because all her charges are back on Earth and she needs to check up on them. Some of my charges are still on Kallistien and Jenny will check on the others for me."
"Like Amy and Anya you mean," said Willow.
"Yes," said Tara. "And I've asked her to tell Dawn and everybody else back home we're alright."
"But you're not going to do any orbing to help with the attack," said Phoebe.
"That's right," replied Tara.
"I can make a portal to open aboard the ship," said Willow. "We'll all be going in that way. Once we get control of the Stargate on the ship we can bring some more troops through from the SGC."
"I won't be moving any troops around unless something demonic or supernatural turns up," said Tara. "I'll just be there to save lives, rescue people and so on. I'll do as much healing as I can, no matter what side the wounded person is on."
"OK, we know where you stand then," said Willow. "Now has anybody got any thoughts on how we deal with Marduk?"
"Shouldn't Cordy be here?" queried Phoebe. "Since this is a meeting of the so called Tau'ri witches."
"Wesley needs her help," said Tara. "He seems to have lost Eve."
"You mean the Wolfram and Hart woman?" asked Phoebe.
"Yes, he doesn't know if she's been snatched by Goa'uld agents or if she's up to something for herself," said Tara.
"She might still be working for Wolfram and Hart," suggested Willow.
"OK then, getting back to the agenda, we need to talk about the traps the Goa'uld have prepared for us," said Phoebe.
"There's an agenda?" said Tara.
"What traps?" asked Willow looking at Tara who shook her head.
"That's what we've got to figure out," said Phoebe. "I bet the Goa'uld have a few surprises waiting for us. They've got goodness knows what technology, they've got witches working for them and centuries of experience in fighting dirty. I bet they've figured out we're going to attack their space ship. We have to be ready to deal with whatever it is they've got waiting for us."
"Yes, we have to assume they know we're coming," agreed Tara. "Apart from anything else some of the witches working for the Goa'uld might be able to predict the future as well, just like Phoebe and Cordy."
"So we need some way of setting off the traps before we walk into them," said Willow thoughtfully. "Something to distract the defence. Maybe something we can use over and over again as we go through the ship. Like those special tanks they use to cross mine fields and set off the mines."
"Perhaps when Cordy gets back you two can put your heads together again and try to see what you can find out about what might happen in the future," suggested Tara. "Perhaps you guys can try for another of those combined prophecy visions like you did before."
"Yeah," said Willow. "If the Goa'uld have got all these traps prepared why haven't you guys had any warnings yet?"
"Most warnings come only a little ahead of time," said Phoebe. "The way I figure it, there are so many possible futures it's probably not possible to warn too far ahead of time. The Powers that Be might only be able to send a message when the particular event becomes pretty well certain, unless we do something to stop it."
"So we make our plans first," said Tara. "Then you try to get a reading to see if we should make any changes."
"If Cordy's back in time," said Phoebe. "Otherwise I'll see what I can do on my own."
"Well I've got one idea," said Willow. "A way we can set off at least some of the likely traps and at the same time provide a big distraction. It's to do with what happened to you guys before you came to Kallistien," she added to Phoebe.
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A dark alley, late at night. A slight, black clad figure appears briefly out of the darkness and jumps onto a pipe running up from ground level to the roof of a nearby building. Quickly ascending the pipe the figure arrives on a window ledge high above. After a few moments working on the window lock the figure opens the window and enters the building.
As the first figure goes inside a second slight figure ascends the pipe, even more rapidly than the first. The second figure reaches the window ledge and waits by the open window. A third, larger figure now follows the other two but rather more slowly and laboriously. As this third intruder reaches the area immediately below the window ledge the waiting second figure lends a hand to pull the third climber up and into the room in one jerk.
"I thought I was in condition," gasped Wesley quietly as he stood up inside the room.
"You are, for a watcher," whispered Kennedy in an amused tone as she followed him into the room. "I don't think my original watcher would ever have been able to make a climb like that." As she said this Kennedy turned to watch Cordelia float through the open window, glowing wand in hand. "Show off," she said to the witch.
"Shhhh!" hissed Gwen from her position with her ear to the door of the room which the four of them had entered. "And shut the window!" she ordered quietly.
Wesley closed the window slowly, trying to avoid making any noise and then joined Gwen at the door. He made to open the door and take the lead but was stopped by Kennedy's hand on his shoulder. "Let the expert go first," she said looking towards Cordelia.
Cordelia opened the door and, closely followed by Wesley, led the way out of the office. They had entered via an upper storey window because Gwen had identified it as a weak spot in the security of the building, but they now found themselves heading downstairs to the lower levels. They finally reached the level of the entrance hall and continued down into the basement.
The building was like an old fashioned office building on Earth, with many small offices on each floor. The Kallistians hadn't yet taken to 'open plan'. From what they could see, the premises were deserted with no sound except the loud ticking of a large clock in the front foyer and the occasional creak of the stairs as they cautiously descended.
The four intruders had entered the offices of a local Kallistien legal firm: Lupus, Werther and Tier, or in other words the local HQ of Wolfram and Hart. The reason for the late night breaking and entering was the disappearance of Eve.
Wesley couldn't be sure of how long it had been since Eve disappeared but nobody had seen her since the morning of the previous day. Had he been back on Earth when Eve disappeared Wesley would immediately have suspected Wolfram and Hart. As he thought about it however he had realised that this firm was not restricted to Earth. There had been a reference to them in Pylea so they might also be active on Kallistien.
Surprisingly none of the local witches were aware of anything like Wolfram and Hart operating on their planet. This either meant they did not have branches on Kallistien or they operated with a much lower profile. The latter option turned out to be the truth. Wesley surmised that Wolfram and Hart had to operate under different rules in a society dominated by witches and magic. They probably operated under different rules everywhere they had a presence.
The local branch of Wolfram and Hart had been discovered by Cordelia. She did not have her wand with her when she had been brought to Kallistien but she now had a replacement. Like the original this was an ordinary piece of wood, cut and polished by Xander, which Cordelia used to focus her powers.
"Hey, maybe I should advertise as the 'Magic Wand Maker Extraordinary, by Appointment of the Witch of LA'," Xander had suggested on presenting the finished wand to Cordelia. Cordelia had bitten back the almost automatic cutting remark that came into her head, since she was now on good terms with Xander. She had thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. Sometimes it's a strain being on good terms with everybody, she thought. Being a bitch is so much more fun.
After reciting a short charm Cordelia had used her wand like a dowsing rod to follow the path taken by Eve. It had led her and Wesley from the hotel through the streets to the premises of the apparently innocent local law firm. They had returned with Kennedy and Gwen several hours after nightfall to make their entry.
Wesley had not asked Angel to become involved since it seemed obvious to everybody that he would shortly be joining Buffy and the others in the attack on the spaceship. Gwen had been a natural choice to ask to help with the break in. Kennedy had volunteered without being asked.
Wesley knew enough about slayers to know why Kennedy was glad to get away from Buffy. Kennedy had gone from being the Chosen One to being third string in the band. All things considered she had taken it well but she was much happier when she was engaged in separate projects apart from the other slayers, when she could once more be The Slayer rather than the junior slayer.
The attack when it came was nearly a surprise. Nearly because none of them felt safe on the premises of Wolfram and Hart, but they had started to relax in the belief that their entrance had not been detected. Cordelia's wand had led them down to the basement. They were crossing a large open area leading to a pair of high double doors when they were attacked from both sides at once.
Kennedy reacted first, her fast reflexes sending her low and rolling to the left into the legs of two large misshapen figures approaching from that direction. Both figures were knocked down and hit the ground heavily just as Kennedy bounced to her feet.
The attackers from the right were armed with local firearms but they were given no chance to use them by Cordelia. The gunmen looked as if they were preparing to fire but Cordelia gave them no chance to do so. She raised her wand and the gunmen found themselves holding sticks of celery instead of guns.
Meanwhile Kennedy was happy to find herself fighting two demons, the first she had met since coming to Kallistien. Now at last she could do some real slaying. Now she could really fight and not pull her punches.
One of the demons was of the classic red-skinned, horned, fanged variety. Kennedy had fought this sort a number of times before but she could never remember the outlandish names which watchers delighted in giving to all the various types of demon. It was a demon, it was evil and she took great pleasure in grabbing both horns and flipping it hard up against the wall behind her.
The second demon was slower in getting to his feet but he was also more massive, looking something like a pumped up version of a gorilla, but much uglier. Kennedy, making an instant decision about tactics went for the immediate kill on the basis that if she allowed something like that to get hold of her she would soon be in pieces. A flying kick to the throat crushed the windpipe of the creature and it collapsed, unable to breathe.
By now Wesley, Gwen and Cordelia had got to grips with the four gunmen, a fight that was surprisingly one-sided as none of the gunmen seemed to have any skills or training in hand to hand combat. Gwen found no need to use any of her electricity and Cordelia didn't use her wand again. Wesley took out the first gunman with a sucker punch whilst the man was still staring at the piece of celery in his hand. Assorted kicks and punches soon accounted for the other three.
Wesley, Cordelia and Gwen turned to see that Kennedy was still engaged with the red-horned demon. They had been exchanging blows for some time but Kennedy seemed to be in no hurry to finish off her opponent. After knocking him down for the third time she even waited for the demon to get to his feet before resuming her attack.
"Come on Ken, we don't have all day," said Gwen.
At this Kennedy smiled, decided she had had enough of a workout and drove a series of heavy blows into the torso of the demon. As the demon doubled over she knocked back its head with a head butt and finished it off by grabbing and twisting the head and breaking its neck.
As Kennedy stepped back from a job well done the body at her feet faded away. She turned quickly enough to see the same thing happen to the body of the other demon. As the group looked around them the bodies of the gunmen also disappeared.
"Don't say I never do anything for you," said Eve stepping out of the darkness ahead of them. "You look like you enjoyed that a great deal."
"Those people, those monsters, they were working for you?" asked Wesley. So she is back working for Wolfram and Hart he thought.
"There weren't any monsters, or any people," said Eve. "Don't you get it? It was all an illusion. It's part of the automatic defences of this place. You're meant to run away screaming. You did pretty well getting as far as the basement before setting it off."
"That wasn't an illusion," said Kennedy. "Those demons were too solid for that. Something stopped me when I kicked out or I'd have ended up against the wall."
"Well illusion is not exactly the right term," said Eve. "They're real enough I suppose while they're here but they're just temporary. They don't follow you if you run away."
"But they try to kill you if you don't," asked Wesley.
Eve shrugged. "This is Wolfram and Hart after all. Anyway I've deactivated it now. I could have done it sooner but I thought it was more fun to let you guys have a workout," she said. "Wes gets a bit grumpy unless he gets to punch somebody out every few days," she added to Cordelia.
"So you're back working for Wolfram and Hart then?" asked Cordelia.
"Officially yes," said Eve. "Officially I never left, remember?" she added pointedly to Wesley. "Don't forget, as far as Lilah's concerned I'm her inside man with Angel's people."
"You're walking a fine line," said Wesley, all his suspicions about Eve back at full alert.
"Perhaps," said Eve. "Anyway this isn't the right place to talk about all that. I need to show you something, something about how to defeat the Goa'uld."
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An empty room, an unoccupied storeroom on Marduk's spaceship HQ. A large vertical yellow circle winks into existence and a man jumps through. He quickly prowls around the room as if searching it and then goes back to the circle and looks through. A second man now comes through the circle into the room to join the first.
The two men say not a word to each other but now go over to the door. The first man tries to open the door but it is locked. Neither man makes any effort to force open the door. The first man places his hand flat on the door for a brief instant and then smoothly flows through the door to the corridor outside. Once there he is joined by the second man who passes through the door in the same way.
Three decks away an alarm goes off. A witch sitting cross-legged on the floor of a large room looks across to a Jaffa officer nearby and nods. The officer presses the button on the top right of the console in front of him and alarm signals are quietly transmitted to the whole ship. Jaffa, technicians and witches hurry to their pre-arranged action stations.
Meanwhile the two men in the corridor outside the storeroom head off down the corridor but in opposite directions. They still say nothing to each other and exchange no signals as if they already know exactly what to do. A few minutes later the first man turns the corner at the end of a corridor and comes face to face with a reception party waiting in ambush. A group of armed Jaffa fill the corridor.
As soon as the man appears the Jaffa open fire. They give no warning and make no effort to take the man prisoner. The man staggers back and falls down heavily onto his back. As he hits the deck his body shatters and breaks apart into hundreds of smaller components. Replicators!
The Replicators now scatter in all directions. Some head along the corridor towards the Jaffa. Others go back the way the original figure has come. Yet more enter nearby vents, climb the walls and squeeze under the doors leading into the corridor. The Jaffa now find themselves faced with Replicators all around them on the floor, the walls and the ceiling.
The Jaffa are now thoroughly alarmed and most of them open fire at the Replicators while the officer in charge reports back to the Control Centre. Zat fire and blasts from staff weapons only have a temporary affect on the Replicators. Those hit by minor energy blasts are knocked down but almost immediately get to their feet again and continue on their way. Some Replicators are shattered but quickly reform and are soon running about again. The Jaffa chase after the Replicators in all directions, firing their weapons.
The second man does not get much further in the opposite direction before meeting another Jaffa reception committee. The earlier scene is repeated and he too shatters into a horde of Replicators. Now here are many more Replicators swarming in all directions. Soon there are reports coming in to the ship's Control Center from many decks about Replicator infestations.
Meanwhile in a quite different room on a different deck another yellow portal comes into existence and figures start to come through in a steady stream. With so many alarms and messages coming into the Control Center via technology or the senses of the guarding witches one more alarm goes unnoticed.