Alright, a new chapter done and we are slowly working towards the action. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I would also like to address a question that some reviewers brought up. Why didn't Willow retain her implants? There is indeed a very good answer to this question, but the reasons for it will not be answered until I reveal WHY they retained their changes in the first place. With that, all that is left is to say read and enjoy.
Chapter 13
Life calmed down a bit after the latest bout of excitement, and Buffy felt that it was time to focus more on the Mayor's plot. Despite the fact that they were aware that the man intended to do something big, he had proven himself very capable of keeping his movements hidden with careful use of misdirection. It appeared he had been gathering books and artifacts, and even though they had intercepted several teams, they could not be certain that they had disrupted the man's plans.
Furthermore, she could not simply invade his mind and learn the Mayor's plan that way as the man had apparently considered the possibility and had some sort of spell protecting his mind.
"How are things going?" Faith walked in. Despite the fact that Faith was originally a bit intimidated by Buffy, once they got to know each other better, the two girls had grown to be friends.
"This whole business with the Mayor is driving me crazy. While there are many possible options on what he's planning, it all boils down to one question. Is he working for himself, or for a higher power?" Buffy sighed.
"What's the difference?" Faith frowned. Magic was not something she was comfortable with.
"If he's working for himself, then we need to kill him straight away, before he can complete whatever it is he's planning. However, if he's an agent of some demon from another dimension, then it is most likely that his life is the final component of the spell, and incomplete or not, killing him could still activate it, and a spell that powerful, even if it's incomplete is bad news for us. Both our mages as well as the Watcher's council has given me a number of spells and rituals supporting both sides considering our limited information on the subject." Buffy sighed.
"I guess we're stuck waiting then. Well, I know what will cheer you up. How about we go to the Bronze tonight? Scare the novices a bit?" Faith grinned. A much coveted reward among the Battle Sister novices were the five passes into town given twice a week to those who had shown exceptional dedication to their training as well as proper piety.
"It might be fun. I'm surprised at how quickly they managed to get through the basic training." Buffy commented.
"They may not be Slayers, but they still got a bit of an edge." Faith shrugged.
"Once they complete the training and we equip them, things will finally change around here. For the first time, we may even go on the offensive. Then we'll see how the demons like it when we show up in THEIR worlds and start killing indiscriminately." Buffy smirked, and even Faith found the mental image pleasing.
"Pardon the interruption, milady, but there's something you need to see." One of the novices rushed in.
"What is it, Stacy?" Buffy stood up.
"Well ma'am, a few minutes ago, Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson arrived here. I was surprised since I was not told to expect them, but they had the proper codes so I let them inside and had Jenny escort them to the briefing room. She told me they had met Dr. Lee there and had struck a conversation. Ten minutes later, Major Carter showed up, and she was very surprised to learn her teammates were here. Then, she insisted that she speak with you, so I had her escorted to a different part of the building." The girl began.
"I don't like the sound of that." Buffy frowned.
"There's one more thing, ma'am. I also told Jenny to pick up an auspex scanner and discreetly check them all. The Major was clean, but the other two..." The girl raised the device, and Buffy saw what the girl meant. The scanner could sense a very wide sensing spectrum, and there was something about the two men that raised alarm bells.
"Buffy, we need to talk." Giles rushed in.
"Can it wait, we have a bit of an emergency here." Buffy sighed.
"This is very important. We have determined that the Sisterhood of Jhe intends to open the Hellmouth. Word on the street is that they've begun to arrive by the dozen." Giles exclaimed.
"When it rains it pours." Faith commented as Buffy groaned in dismay.
"Alright. Faith, gather the novices, have them armed and organize patrols. Make sure that all entrances into the high school are guarded. I don't want this Sisterhood within a hundred feet of the library." Buffy snapped.
"Mistress, may I ask what this Sisterhood of Jhe is?" Stacy asked as she and Faith walked away.
"You'll be briefed along with the others, Stacy. Go and tell everyone to gather in the monastery briefing room." Faith ordered her subordinate and went to find one of the mages so she would be able to explain what the situation was without looking incompetent in front of her subordinates.
"I take it this comes at a bad time." Giles noticed that Buffy seemed far less energetic than usual.
"After the blow we dealt to the System Lords, I was hoping for a little good luck for us as well. I guess it was too much to ask."
"Well, on the bright side, you'll get to kill a whole bunch of evil demons." Giles tried to cheer her up.
"What would I do without you, Giles?" Buffy smiled at her Watcher. "Well, I better see what trouble SG-1 got themselves into this time. We'll talk about our demonic troubles later."
Buffy made a quick stop at Xander's quarters, where her friend was busy writing down a prayer and hymnal book as well as writing down the Codex Astartes which his Halloween guest had committed to memory.
"Buffy, what brings you here?" Xander did not even look up from the massive book he was writing in as the door opened. Despite the fact that he seemed absent, Buffy noticed with approval that both his Crozius and a loaded bolter were in easy reach.
"It seems SG-1 and possibly the SGC got into some sort of trouble. I could use some backup when I talk to them." Buffy said with a shrug.
"It's not like you need it. But why not. Perhaps I'll even get the chance to kill some xeno." Xander stood up. He did not wear his armor, but even without it, he was an intimidating sight.
"Colonel O'Neill, I apologize for keeping you waiting so long. May I ask what brings you to Sunnydale?" Buffy greeted the two men, while inwardly, the sense that something was wrong with the two only increased. She didn't dare extend more than the faintest psychic probe, but even that gave her a feeling that the two persons before her were not who they appeared to be.
"It's Carter, actually. There was a tetrachloroethylene spill at the SGC, and she along with ourselves were accidentally exposed. I'm afraid it has caused her to hallucinate. Before she could be treated, she ran out of the hospital, injuring several people in the process. The Pentagon has helped us organize a discreet search, and we found out she boarded a plane for Sunnydale. We hoped that we would be able to retrieve her before she harms herself or others." O'Neill replied.
"I see. Major Carter had in fact arrived just after you did, but I haven't had the chance to speak with her yet. If she indeed a danger to herself and others, it is best that she remains locked while I talk with general Hammond." Buffy went to the secure phone which was one of several in their complex and called the SGC.
The general was quick to assure her that the dangerous chemical spill was taken care of and that Major Carter was the only one that had not been treated yet.
"Yes general, I understand perfectly. This incident would certainly tarnish the Major's good name, and we can't allow that. While I'm afraid I can't spare any personnel to aid the Colonel in escorting her back, I am certain that Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson can take care of any trouble that may arise. Have a nice day as well." Buffy hung up.
"Gentlemen, this way." Buffy opened the door and escorted them out, while Xander walked just behind the pair.
"Miss Summers, I need to talk..." Major Carter froze when she saw her other two teammates behind Buffy.
"I know. Xander." Before the two men could react, a pair of Space Marine fists slammed into the back of their heads and knocked them out.
"You knew they were aliens?" Carter exclaimed.
"We knew they weren't who they said they were. That's enough for me. Help me examine them." A quick search revealed two small discs on their chests, which when removed caused the bodies of the two unconscious men to two alien figures. Their body was formed of a reddish exo-skeleton with a helmet-like head.
"Xeno filth. They dare set foot on Holly Terra?" Xander was livid at such a transgression.
"Get these things to Willow. I want them analyzed within the hour. Then bring our two guests to the barracks and have the Sisters use them for shooting practice. Major, please follow me. I take it that these creatures have taken over the SGC?" Buffy turned to the major, who nodded in confirmation.
"For some reason, they were unable to duplicate me or Teal'c, most likely due to our altered physiology. Teal'c managed to overpower them and he helped me escape, but he was captured in the process." Carted explained.
"We cannot allow such a vital installation to remain under alien control." Buffy began as they entered the briefing room. She tapped a few controls on one end of the desk and a holographic representation of the entire Cheyenne mountain complex appeared floating above the large table.
"How did you get those plans?" Carter frowned, as the plans before here were deemed highly classified.
"Willow had access to your systems. She copied a lot more than personnel files. Unfortunately, I can't give you a lot of troops, as they are needed here to deal with an impending demonic threat." Buffy sighed.
"I'll go with her, and we do have two sets of armor. We can iron out the kinks on the way back and it will be good practice for the novices." Xander had walked in at that moment and added his opinion.
"It would be good practice, but let's not forget they have a full arsenal of Imperial weaponry." Buffy growled. The thought of aliens wielding their holy weapons against them was something she could not accept.
"Actually, the Imperial tech is reserved for off-world missions, so if we move quickly, we can cut them off before they use it to arm themselves." Carter added.
"Alright. This is the plan, then. Major, you will take one Sister with you and enter through this access point and move in to level 23 to secure the SGC personnel held prisoner in the area." Since Carter had told them that this part of the base was an area the aliens had quarantined, it was deemed the most likely spot to look for the duplicated people.
"The second Sister will enter through this access point and move to secure the armory containing the Imperial weapons." Buffy continued.
"And Xander?" Carter felt infinitely better about their odds every time she looked at the heavily armored super human.
"Xander will move to the top of the silo containing the Stargate, and when the signal is given, he will use melta charges to blow a hole through, then use jump jets to land into the gate room and cut off the enemy's retreat route." Buffy grinned evilly. They would give the aliens no quarter, for they deserved none.
"We have jump jets for my armor?" Xander frowned.
"No. Willow is going to use the one for our half-complete set of Seraphim armor. It won't let you lift off, but it will slow your descent. I'll also contact any demon hunter groups within reach of the SGC and ask them to offer you aid." Buffy replied.
It took nearly an hour to get ready, as the two Sisters selected had to be rushed through the training for using power armor, and for Willow to figure out a way to disrupt the aliens' mimic devices.
"Certain sonic frequencies disrupt the devices. I have added a speaker to their armor that will play various hymns along with an incorporated supersonic sound that will disrupt the devices." Willow informed Major Carter as they were overseeing the final preparations for the battle.
The two Sisters were putting on the final pieces of the armor as Xander put on his helmet. A servitor walked up to each of them, carrying a purity seal in their hand.
Xander began a prayer, with him reciting one line, and the Sisters continuing the chant. To the side, Major Carter, clad in carapace armor and armed with two bolt pistols also muttered a few of the lines.
"Look to your battle gear and it will protect you."
"We guard it with our lives."
"Your armor is your soul and your soul's dedication its armor."
"The soul of a warrior is the shield of humanity."
"Honor the craft of death."
"Only the Emperor is higher in our devotion."
"Honor the battle gear of the dead."
"We ask only to serve."
With the prayer done and the purity seals affixed, it was time to depart. A truck would take them to the airport, where a freight airplane was standing by to get them to Colorado as soon as possible.
Buffy had already sent word to the two hunter groups nearest to the SGC and they had replied that they would be ready to assist her forces when the time came. Buffy had also sent them the prearranged radio frequencies so they would be able to communicate with Xander's group.
"All teams, report." Xander activated his vox unit as he observed the silo cover a few hundred feet from him. It was in a relatively open area, and several guards patrolled the area. His scanners and senses also told him that these guards were not aliens, so killing them was not an option.
"Mary here. I am in position." The first Sister responded.
"Andrea reporting. We are in position as well." The other team replied as well.
"Tom, Mathew, come in." Xander called the two hunter groups near the mountain. Between them, they had around forty armed men. Normally, that would be far too few to take on a heavily defended installation like the SGC, but with Xander's group, along with the remaining humans in the SGC causing havoc, it was possible.
"We're here." The hunter leaders responded as well.
"Hold your positions until I give you the signal. We want to minimize casualties so avoid detection until then." Xander informed them. A lot relied on Mary's ability to storm through the base and secure the Imperial arsenal. If the aliens managed to arm themselves with the heavy stuff like the two meltas, it would be a hard battle for them.
"Alright. Mary, Andrea, move in." Xander ordered and began to move towards the silo cover. He opened his mind to the Warp and used his ability to knock out the few guards in the vicinity and he began to place the melta charges on top of the large concrete slab.
"Mary here. I was detected as I moved through and the alarm has been raised, but I managed to reach and seal the armory." The girl called in a few minutes later.
"Good job. Activate your hailers and proceed to sweep the base. I am ready to enter as well." Xander grinned and stepped back to a safe distance. The melta bombs released a blinding flash, and when Xander turned his head back to the silo cover, a hole big enough for him was now present, the edges still glowing from the heat.
Without ceremony, he jumped in, relying on the jury-rigged jumpjet to slow his descent and activated his hailer.
The sudden ray of sunshine that descended on the gate room was darkened quickly and as loud music filled the room, a large black figure suddenly slammed into the floor amongst the half dozen stunned aliens.
Xander gave them no time to react as he brought his weapons to bear and smashed his Crozius onto the head of the nearest xeno and tore it in two. At the same time, his other hand leveled the mini incinerator on his other side and began spewing a stream of super hot prometheum.
"Enemies of humanity, the Emperor's judgment is upon you. Your sentence is death." Xander's voice boomed over the music blaring from the speaker on his shoulder as he continued to tear through the aliens in the gate room.
Meanwhile, Carter and Andrea managed to reach the room with the prisoners, which was a large store room where the captured humans hung unconscious from the ceiling.
"We need to get them down. Help me out." Carter rushed forward and tried to get General Hammond from his harness. As the two women worked on freeing him, they heard two thuds behind them. They turned immediately, leveling their weapons at Colonel O'Neill and Daniel.
"Sir, you're awake?" Carter frowned.
"Yeah, we woke up hours ago, we just sat around waiting for a chance. Who's your friend?" O'Neill was surprised and quite impressed at the heavily armored woman behind Carter. The large bolter in her hands was also a most welcome sight.
"This is Andrea, a member of the Order of Our Valiant Sister. Our friends in Sunnydale have no concept of overkill apparently." Carter grinned.
"Well, I for one am glad for it. Alright Carter, you and your friend move out. We'll keep an eye on the folks here." O'Neill ordered. Carter nodded and tossed him one of her bolt pistols.
It turned out that the decision to seal the Imperial arsenal quickly was a most wise one, as the aliens had only a handful of lasguns outside of it, and against power armor, those weapons were far too weak. Mary powered through the weapons fire without slowing her stride, acompanied by the sound of holy hymns and the bark of her bolter.
As she passed an intersection, two aliens tried to rush her from one of the side corridors. Despite the weight of the armor, Mary managed to maneuver quickly and fired a burst from her bolter that brought the first alien down, but the other managed to slam into her and push her back. As she pushed it back with her right arm, she reached to her belt with her left and drew her combat knife and rammed it into its chest.
At the same time, Xander had moved out of the gate room but not before he used his incinerator to fuse the two gates of the room to the frames, ensuring that the gate room was out of reach. With that done, he moved towards the control room.
He was greeted by a group of aliens just standing there, while the small device on the chest of one of them was flashing in regular intervals.
"Your death will not come on your terms, xeno." Xander laughed and with a single wave of his hand the device was torn away from the alien leader. "Only when you have realized the true folly of invading Holy Terra will you meet death."
Once their leader was captured, the rest were quickly rounded up, and one by one executed.
The hunter teams proved themselves useful as well as they and the human guards hunted down the few aliens outside the base.
"It seems we are in your debt. I want to thank you for saving my men as well as myself." General Hammond had personally thanked Xander's team for their aid, and had even provided the hunters with a number of weapons as thanks for their aid.
The threat in Sunnydale had also been taken care of quickly. With Sisters patrolling the streets as well as guarding all entrances in the high school, the Sisterhood of Jhe never even reached the library, and the Sisters got some very valuable combat experience.
An interesting sub note in the whole event was one squad's encounter with reanimated humans that tried to force their way in the school while carrying components for a bomb. Once the squad realized what they were, they were promptly shot down and burned.
With that done, Buffy had decided to advance certain agendas and had made several calls to Washington to ensure that she would be given the necessary clearance.
"Are you sure you want to talk with him alone? Kemp is a monster." The prison guard was surprised that the tiny blond wanted to speak with Martin Kemp in private. The serial killer was a solid mountain of muscle and he was certain he could snap the girl in half without effort.
"I can take care of myself. Now, open the door." Buffy said impatiently. She knew how dangerous the man was. That was why she wanted him in the first place.
"So, what are you? Another psychologist trying to understand the 'monster'?" Martin Kemp was a massive Caucasian with a a buzz cut and several scars adorning his face, with his mouth locked in a perpetual smirk. Several tattoos adorned his body, showing various blasphemous images.
"Nothing of the sort. I am here to offer you a job." Buffy grinned as she sat down across the physically imposing man.
"In case you've forgotten little girl, I'm on death row." Kemp pointed out.
"I am not without influence. Your sentence can be altered. In fact, I have a transport ready to take you away. You just have to accept my offer."
"And what exactly is this job you're offering?" Kemp's face slid into a slightly confused frown. After killing fourteen people in a rather brutal fashion, he was certain that he would receive the needle any day now.
"I won't go into details here, but it is something only a man of your particular talents can do." Buffy grinned.
"Talents? I thought I was nothing more than a mindless killer." Kemp laughed coldly.
"Precisely, Mr. Kemp. That is exactly what I want you for. To kill for me in a most brutal and unsubtle way. To make my enemies shudder at the thought of crossing me if it means I would send you against them." Buffy's face and tone was deathly serious as she said that.
"I get to kill a lot of people then?" Kemp asked after a few minutes.
"Quite a lot." Buffy nodded.
"Where do I sign then?" Kemp grinned evilly.
"Your verbal acceptance is enough for me. Like I said, I have men ready to transport you to my facility. I will ask you not to try to escape, as they will not be gentle with you." Buffy stood up and walked out the door.
The ride to Sunnydale passed without incident, and a few hours later, Kemp walked out of the van to see he was now in some sort of industrial complex.
"Mr. Kemp, let me be the first to welcome you to the Eversor temple." Buffy gestured to a door.