6.

Unknown Vampire Amalgam ship

Buffy beamed into what looked to be a small cargo bay. Since her ship only had two transporter pads they had to come two at a time. Her squad consisted of her, two other slayers, a half Denobulan witch, and a Barzan demolitions expert who was the only male on the team. "Area secure," said Lieutenant Commander Brittany Evans as she addressed her captain and head slayer. Brittany stood more than a head taller than Buffy with short brown hair. She had crafted her identity around being no nonsense. Buffy was sure she would be a first officer somewhere soon and a captain not long after that.

"Looks Federation," Buffy said as she looked at the walls before turning back to her squad. "Our goal is to disable and capture the ship if we can, but destroy it of we can't. Too many deaths cause by this ship."

"Aye sir," the others replied.

The group stepped out of the cargo bay into a dilapidated older federation corridor. Buffy lead the group away. Ensign Bahl looked down at his tricorder, "This ship is a maze. It's literally built using scrap and debris from other ships." Buffy peaked around another corridor only to find it as empty as the one they were in with nothing but a large set of angry green doors at the end, "Find the bridge. Vamps tend to not get along in large groups so the crew will most likely be sparse."

The group made their way down the corridor to the large doors. Buffy hit the control and nothing happened. Without a word Buffy nodded towards the Denobulan/Human witch. Lieutenant Anari Watson bowed her head for a moment and thrust her hands out. The doors opened with a grinding noise as the locks and mechanisms protested the force. Once the Slayer squad entered the room they were horrified. Various vampires and demons were chained to dirty bunks and they looked half starved.

"Slayers," one said as he wobbled on its feet too weak to do anymore. Buffy recognized some of the demon species and several were peaceful and posed no danger. "Please help us," another who reminded her of Clem from another life begged, "Please." Buffy was the slayer, but she wasn't a murderer. She saw a control console jerry rigged to the chains and magnetic collars they wore. "Does this ship have escape pods?" she asked. The saggy skinned demon nodded. She hit the control and released them all, "Get to them and go. If you don't cause trouble; you'll never see me again." They stared at her reveling in her mercy and they moved as fast as they could to follow her direction.

"Was that wise?" Lt. Sarah Quinn the junior slayer and medic asked, "To release them?"

Buffy shrugged, "We eliminate threats; we don't summarily execute."

She grabbed a vampire by the arm as she walked by. Her black hair matted and dirty and her green skin slick with grime, "Bridge?" she asked. The Orion vamp pointed at the other doors, "Through there, lift on the right." Buffy nodded and let her go, "Stick to animal blood," she said, "Be good." The green vamp nodded and continued shuffling out of the door. Once that was done the group moved across the now empty barracks and to the other door, "Watson," Buffy said as her witch nodded and repeated her earlier procedure."

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701

The bridge shook as the ship took another volley. Thrusters were helping, but they were still taking hits. They had managed to get some power to the shields and weapons, but not enough to be all that effective, "Ortegas!" Pike shouted, "Keep us moving, Number One fire everything you can."

"Aye Captain," they said in unison.

"Uhura, patch me through to the Sunnydale!"

"Channel open."

"Sunnydale this is Pike. How are you holding together?"

There was static, but a response came, "Not well Enterprise. Do you have transporters?"

Pike looked over at the engineering station on the bridge and received a thumbs up, "Affirmative Sunnydale."

"Ours just went down; we have a team on that ship including Captain Summers. Get a lock on them. When we signal beam them out."

"We're on it," Pike said as his ship shook from another hit, "Enterprise out."

Unknown Vampire Amalgam ship

The doors to the barracks opened and Buffy's team entered into a wide corridor with about twenty vamps in it. They all had their game face on and Buffy pulled her scythe from the holster on her back, "Twenty on five," she said with a smirk, "I'll take those odds." The rest of her squad pulled out machetes and the two groups ran towards each other.

Buffy went into a spin with her scythe and removed the head from the first vamp. Brittany snatched a stake from the small of her back and stabbed another in the heart. Bahl came through with his machete and separated another vamps head from his neck. Anari's hands erupted into flames and she promptly removed the rest of the vamp security.

Buffy took a moment to catch her breath, "I'm out of shape," she said, "Too much time on the bridge." She slid the scythe back into the holster on her back as they all squeezed into the lift.

When the doors opened they found themselves on a rundown federation bridge. It looked to Buffy that it was held together with chewing gum and duct tape. "Slayer!" shouted the Andorian vamp, "You just lost me my paying passengers."

"Passengers?" Buffy asked with incredulity, "They looked more like slaves." The Andorian chuckled, "Seven years of service. That's the fee for our rescue services."

Buffy looked at the vamp, "Well we're here to put you out of business."

"I think not," came the reply as another door on the bridge opened. Three large brown skinned demons stepped onto the bridge, "Kill them," she ordered."

"Crap, Suvolte demons, fall back."

Buffy flipped open her communicator, "Omega, now!"

U.S.S. Sunnydale NCC-626

Hernandez was the last man on the bridge as he was preparing Code Omega when the call came.

"Omega,now!"

With a final tap on the console he sent the signal and dove into the small escape pod that was left attached to the bridge.

The ship lurched as the emergency thrusters kicked on sending the now empty ship on its preprogrammed course. The front bulkhead of the saucer ejected from the ship exposing a large warhead to space. The ship flew through the failing shields of the enemy vessel and exploded in a brilliant flash taking the vampire ship with it.

U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 Sickbay

Buffy opened her eyes to see the ceiling of a sickbay, "Calm down Captain," came Doctor M'benga's calming voice, "You've been through a lot. We almost didn't get you all out." Memory flashed in Buffy's head. The three demons charging as things started exploding around her, "My team?" she asked. "They're all fine," Dawn said as she finished scanning Ensign Bahl. "You on the other hand took a sharp blow to the head and had severe burns on your arms."

"I feel ok now," Buffy said as she sat up, "I ordered Omega. Did we get the rest of the crew?"

Dawn nodded, "All ten accounted for. Captain pike has invited you to his quarters for an after action report" Buffy nodded, "Can I get a new uniform and a shower first?"

M'benga nodded as he handed her a bundle of clothes, "Your sister synthesized these for you. There's a sonic shower in the back."

"Thanks," Buffy said as she took the uniform and headed towards the shower.

Twenty minutes later Buffy found herself sitting in a chair in Captain Pike's quarters as he poured her a glass of whiskey, "Well you had an exciting day," he said to her with a smirk. Buffy nodded and she sipped from the glass, "It happens from time to time."

Pike took a sip from his glass, "So, what are you going to do now." Buffy shrugged, "Beg Willow for a new ship. We could use a ride home if you don't mind."

"You bet," Pike said, "As long as you answer one question that's been eating at me." Buffy downed the rest of her whiskey, "Shoot."

"Now," Pike started, "I know it's rude, but I have to ask. Just how old are you?"

Buffy couldn't help herself. She laughed, "After all that's happened, that's what you want to know?"

Pike nodded. "Fine," she answered. "I'm almost two hundred seventy-nine."

Pike's jaw hit the floor.

Citadel – Location classified (Three months later)

Buffy sighed in boredom as she bounced a tennis ball off the window in her office. As Willow had predicted there was a big to do over the events involving the flagship. She was hoping that Willow would smooth things over and get her another ship. Her three month long desk job was starting to get to her and her crew. Except Hernandez; he was off on leave after receiving a well-deserved promotion to captain. Buffy already knew who her new XO would be, but she needed a ship first. A beeping on her terminal caught her attention to an incoming communication. When she hit the command to open the channel Willow's face appeared on screen.

"Hey Will," Buffy said, "Fire put out?"

Willow nodded, "The only reason being that ship you found. It also led then to a new directive regarding our organization. Look out the window."

Buffy turned around to see a ship incoming. It looked like a Constitution class but was slightly smaller and had blue hull pennants, "Will," Buffy asked as she looked at the incoming Sombra class ship, "What is that?"

"Well," Willow said, "It was decided that we need to expand further out so the U.S.S. Serenity is our new mobile command ship. It's been assigned three ships as escorts that will dock with the ship when not in use and those crews will live and serve aboard her until they're needed. It's designed to undertake missions up to a year at a time. She's yours Fleet Captain Summers."

U.S.S. Serenity NCC-1687

The blue turbolift doors opened and Fleet Captain Buffy Summers stepped out. She heard a familiar voice call out, "Captain on the bridge!" and everyone snapped to attention. Buffy saw Willow, Dawn, and her new XO Commander Brittany Evans all smiling at her. "Happy birthday dearie," said the same voice that announced her presence. Buffy turned around and saw her grandmother smiling at her, "I heard ye were in need of a new ship, and this one had just finished a full refit supervised by myself."

Buffy reached down and hugged her grandmother as Willow and Dawn came up to join. "You should see the sickbay," Dawn said, "So much better than the Sunnydale's." With that Buffy dropped her head. That had been her ship for close to thirty years, but then she picked it up. This was a time for new memories.

She straightened her back and marched to her new captain's chair. "Shakedown cruise?" she asked Willow who nodded in response. "Well then," Buffy said as she took her seat, "Let's have a go."

Everyone jumped to their stations and once everything was ready Buffy sat up a little straighter, "Helm set course 628 mark 870; maximum warp."

"Aye Captain," came the chorused reply.

Buffy smiled, "Put the petal to the metal."

A/N: And thus ends the first story in my Lanthanite Buffy Universe.