Willow's lab, SGC, 0930 hours.
Willow walked into her lab with Faith, the dark haired slayer closing the door behind her, with a tall cup of coffee in their hands. They headed for the redhead's workstation as Willow fired up her laptop, while Faith stood behind the redhead while reaching under Willow's new wavy red hair that reached down to her shoulders, and massaged the back of her neck gently. It was only the previous day, three days before the function at the BPRI when Willow and Faith were due to accompany the President, when Willow, Faith, Colonel Carter, and Vala decided to get new looks. Willow made her hair wavier, while Faith cut and straighten her hair, as did the Colonel and Vala.
It was after their second, proper, honeymoon that Willow had started a project to design a new MALP. The ones the SGC had currently were cumbersome, and not agile enough. Willow believed with the new technologies that were already in their hands, she could design a brand new MALP that was agile enough to go nearly anywhere they needed it to go.
And she finally completed a design last night. A design that she was excited to show Faith since this was something that Willow hadn't even told her wife about, except for last night when she was finally done with it.
Faith watched as Willow logged in to the SGC secure servers, and pulled up a technical schematic of a spherical, ball-like, device. The Slayer leaned in to look at one side of the screen with contained a wireframe outline of the device, complete with links to words such as sensor arrays, camera's, and gyroscope; and the other half of the screen contained a full coloured representation of what the device would look like. Faith nodded her head impressed at the basketball sized device that was brown in colour with both a horizontal, and vertical stripe that went around the device. She saw the camera in each stripe, and then looked at Willow who was grinning back at her.
"Looks like a very expensive basketball," chuckled Faith as Willow nudged the Slayer before nodding at the screen.
"It can go anywhere," said Willow proudly, "the cameras would always remain level, even when the ball, I mean the MALP itself, moves… and it will move anywhere we want it to go. And it's gonna be fast, Faith. It'll have all the seconds you can think of; atmospheric, audio, visual, name it…. It'll have it. Scanners, microphones, a subspace receiver and transmitter."
Willow pressed a button as another design popped up on her screen. The object looked like a large game controller which had a four-inch screen in the middle. She told Faith that the screen would show High Definition quality videos pf where the MALP was heading. She pressed another button while telling the Slayer that the two cameras, both horizontal and vertical, had a one hundred and eighty-degree line of sight. She showed Faith a sketch of the screen on the MALP controller being split into two, one half showing the vertical videos, and the other half showing the horizontal video's.
"I wanted to put in a cloaking device, but we haven't even cracked that tech from the puddle jumper yet," pouted Willow who looked up at Faith, and then back at the screen again. Faith chuckled at Willow before laying her chin on the young woman's shoulder while she continued to speak, "and the best thing? It's portable. The ball itself will be able to roll on most terrain and weather; hot, wet, freezing, ice… it'll even float on water. And it'll have about, I estimated, two days of power before the battery pack needs to be recharged"
"Sweet," said Faith while she put her hand on Willow's shoulder while taking a sip of her coffee, "you sent this to Sam?"
"Just, did," chuckled Willow as she sipped her coffee after she pressed a button, and then looked up at Faith, "come on, we've got that training session with Teal'c."
"You've got that training," clarified Faith with a smile on her face, "I've got my dissertation to finish, doctor."
"Of course," grinned Willow as she got up to her feet, "you'll be the future Dr. Faith Lehane."
Faith laughed out loud as Willow smirked at her wife before the both of them walked to the door, which Willow then opened. The both of them walked into the hallway where Willow headed for the locker room and Faith headed for her quarters where she was going to continue typing her Anthropology dissertation. While they were walking away from Willow's lab, the Slaver asked her wife if she heard that the BPRI was getting Kathy out of the Stasis pod later that day.
Willow nodded her head, telling Faith that it was Xander who called and gave her the heads up.
"Well, good luck to Kathy then," said Faith.
"Yep," replied Willow before the two of them went their separate ways, "of course, there is the added thing with Kathy being sent to low Earth orbit if she does anything stupid."
"What do you think the odds are of that happening?"
"Since Xander said the tracker will be injected into her spine?" replied Willow shrugging her shoulders, "unless she wants to become a paralysed vegetable, I think it's very unlikely that she'll even try getting the tracker out. I mean, I don't think even she's that crazy to want to rip apart her own spine to dig it out."
"Part of me hopes she does," shrugged Faith.
"I know," Willow said gently as she remembered how many deaths that Kathy caused, "but the NID said they're ready to go ahead with implanting the chip in her brain, and the tracker in her spine. Plus they'll be using Spike to test her telekinesis…"
"I wish I could see that," chuckled Faith as she imagined Spike being mentally thrown from floor to the ceiling, and from one wall to another, "but alas… I can't…"
"Darn." Willow smirked as she swung her arm, "that's one more thing, he also told me that they'll be selecting the Slayers today. Before the President's visit in two days."
"That's something I don't mind missing," said Faith, "I already wished Rona, Vi, and Molly good luck. And they did ask me about the test, you know.. what they have to go through."
"You tell them anything?" asked Willow.
"Hell no," said Faith while Willow chuckled, "they have to find out on their own. But I did tell them to remember everything that Buffy and the others taught them, and they'll be doing just fine."
"That's got to be cool," said Willow, "five active Slayers… at once."
Faith just smiled at Willow as a few Airmen walked past. She grabbed the redhead's hand, and gently squeezed, before they went their separate ways. And not before making a date for lunch at the Mess Hall.
As Willow and Faith went their separate ways, the redhead walked down a hallway when she met Dawn going the opposite way in the Kull armour. The brunette told Willow that she was heading for a briefing on their trip to Kobol the next day. Nodding her head, Willow kissed Dawn on the cheek before reminding her that they were supposed to be having dinner later that night. Dawn nodded her head before she turned and rushed into another hallway, and Willow sighed before continuing her journey.
BPRI, Basement Holding Room, 1000 hours.
Buffy, Tara, Cordelia, and Kennedy were standing in a basement room with a large rectangular stone in the middle.
The blonde Slayer remembered the day she, Kennedy, Cordelia, and two NID agents arrived at the mission in Gilroy. The NID agents were speaking to the monks, while Buffy and Kennedy were walking down a hallway towards a wall at the far end. Cordelia, who was talking to the monks as well, noticed that Buffy and Kennedy were walking away. Cordelia asked them if they were alright, with Buffy looking back at her old friend and telling her that she felt drawn to the far wall.
"Didn't you feel this before? I mean, Kennedy… you came here before, right?" asked Cordelia as Buffy looked at Kennedy, and then at Cordelia again. Kennedy told her that she did, but she never had this odd feeling of being drawn towards the far side of the hallway. Buffy and Kennedy then walked, followed by a few monks who were telling Buffy and Kennedy that there was nothing there.
"There is," said Buffy softly as she moved a table, and together with Kennedy, she pushed the wall. The monks, and then Cordelia and the NID agents rushed to where the two Slayers had pushed the wall open to reveal a hidden room… much to the monks surprise.
They mumbled to each other, while another monk told Cordelia that they never realized that there was a hidden room in their mission. The NID asked the monks to stay back while Buffy, Kennedy, and Cordelia walked into the room, and looked amazed at the large stone block that was being kept in there.
"We need a huge moving van," mumbled Buffy as she looked at the stone.
"I can ask the SGC," whispered Cordelia, "maybe they can get the Prometheus to beam the stone to the BPRI."
"I guess it's time, huh," Whispered Buffy.
"Yeah," said Kennedy as she looked at the senior Slayer, "hopefully Rona and the others pass the psych evaluations."
"Me too," said Buffy softly as she stared at the stone, "here we go,"
Back in the room, in the present dat, Kennedy and Buffy looked at Tara, and nodded their heads. The witch took a few steps towards the stone, and then placed both of her hands on it. She lowered her head while whispering a spell, and soon the top half of the stone started to crack. Buffy, Kennedy, and Cordelia continued to watched in awe as more cracks appeared on the top half of the stone, the crack extending to a line all around the length of the stone. Tara then stepped back as the top half crumbled into dust, and fell onto the floor, covering the elegantly curved blade of the Scythe with dust.
Kennedy and Buffy looked at each other again, before they walked past Tara who was using her hands to remove the dust from the black stone that held the base of the Scythe. Cordelia then walked forward and stood next to Tara, the both of them looking at each other in amazement before turning towards the weapon once again.
"Buffy," said Kennedy as she motioned towards the Scythe, "you should take it out of the stone; you've been a Slayer the longest, so… it should be you who takes it out."
Buffy looked back at Tara and Cordelia, unsure about what she was going to do, as the two of them nodded their heads. She turned to Kennedy once again who put her hand on Buffy's back, and gently pushed her the two steps to the edge of the stone. Buffy's shoes were stepping into the dust as she leaned forward slightly, and the placed her hand on the shaft. Taking a deep breath, Buffy raised the blade out of the black stone as the others looked on; Buffy was now holding the weapon vertically in bot of her hands as she turned around, facing Kennedy and the others with a smile on her face.
"I can feel it," whispered Buffy looking up at Kennedy, and then at Tara, and Cordelia, before turning to the Scythe that lay in her hands, "it's calling to me… it.. it feels like it belongs to me."
"Can I?" asked Kennedy as she reached out her hand, and Buffy nodded her head before handing the second Slayer the weapons Kennedy too gasped when she held it, telling Buffy and the other that he weapon felt as if it was hers. Kennedy then handed it to Tara, who while holding on tightly and concentration wither eyes closed, wasn't able to sense anything from the weapon.
"Only Slayers can feel it," said Buffy as she looked at the weapon as it was passed to Kennedy, who was examining the weapon. She then looked at Cordelia and told the woman that the Scythe could be used to confirm if the girls were really activated, "plus we'd need a few more tests done to confirm that they were activated."
"You mean in case they lie?" asked Tara.
"Yea," replied Cordelia, "Angel's already come up with some tests. And Major Davis will be joining us for those too. I know what we're all afraid of; that since the Potentials have been fighting alongside each other for a long time, if feel that they haven't become a Slayer, they'll still lie about it. And these tests will make sure that there's no lie."
Kennedy nodded her head before turning the weapon over to Buffy, who held it in her hands before giving a small smile. She then looked up and asked if they were ready for the next step.
"Oh yea," replied Cordelia nodding towards the exit, "let's get this started. We've got Major Davis in our office, he's here to observe the activation and then the tests. Spike's coming by in three days, the day after the President's coming by to check out our operations."
"What about Kathy?" asked Kennedy, "we still going through with that?"
"Angel and I know that no-one's happy about it," explained Cordelia, "which is why, for the sake of safety, Kathy's operation will be carried out in the Antarctic. Fred's already developed her silencer, and she'll be flown there after the visit by the President. Buffy and Kennedy? The both of you are going with her too. Fred has specially designed ear buds that'll cancel out her voice.. so she can't take control since she needs eye contact, and for you to hear her.. and only then will her fancy telepathy work. Angel's taking every precaution… even Spike's coming here to be her.. therapist."
"That's something I'd pay to see," said Buffy as Kennedy and Tara chuckled, "Spike the Therapist."
"Anyone would pay to see that," said Cordelia as the four of them walked into an elevator.
Angel's Office, BPRI, a few minutes later.
Wesley, Xander, Angel and Major Davis were talking while Rona, Molly, and Vi, who were among the first few Potential Slayers to arrive at the Summers house after the Watchers Council was destroyed on the orders of the demon lord Balthazar years ago. They were among the Potentials with the most experience in the field, and selecting them from a group of six Potentials was hard for Angel, Cordelia, Major Davis, and the two Slayers. All six had been injected with the so called 'Slayer-Gene', the same one that was found in Buffy, Kennedy, and Faith, confirmed a few days later to have taken hold in their bodies. They had also done well in the psychological evaluations; thus making all six qualified for activation.
And that's what Angel and Cordelia told the six of them a few days ago; that they needed to select three out of the six selected Potentials. Cordelia said that the other three who were not selected would be first in line to be activated in three years… and that was only if all three were activated.
"All of you have been trained," said Angel as the six Potential looked at him. After the Kathy fiasco, he knew he had to earn the trust of at least the senior Potentials, so he went on missions with them and even helped save a few of the Potential's lives. He had been on one mission after another for weeks on end to show the Potentials that he was still looking after their backs, that they were still important to him and Cordelia. He knew he was slowly rebuilding trust among the senior Potentials as he looked at the young women seated in front of him and Cordelia, "you've been trained for years, you know how to operate in the field, you know what you need to do to fight. That's why we hate making the decision to select only three of you.. because all six of you are well trained."
"We get it," said Rona as she looked at the other potentials, and then at Cordelia and Angel again while nodding her head, "we're ready."
Back in Angel's office, everyone turned to the doors as they opened and the two Slayers, Cordelia, and Tara walked in. They saw the Scythe that Buffy was carrying as she stopped, and then brought up the weapon to her chest while the three potentials in the room mumbled to themselves.
"I know activating a Slayer… and in this case, potentially activating three Slayers should be a big event," said Buffy as she looked at the three Potential's who were standing next to Major Davis, with Vi making occasional glances at the Major without him noticing. Buffy smirked before she continued, "but for this one time, we're making this a private deal. We need to see what happens when we activate a Slayer this way, and then… depending on how many of you guys are activated, we'll come up with a proper tradition."
"For now though," said Kennedy, "remember your training. We can't tell you what's going to happen; believe me, we'd like to. Just know that you've been taught everything there is to know about what makes a Slayer. Just follow that, and you'll be alright."
"Let's get this show on the road, then," said Buffy with a smile before handing the Scythe over to Tara.
"I… I think it would be better if the potentials sat down facing me," said Tara as she pointed at an empty area of the office. She knew, as did the others, that this was all completely new for them. There was no idea on what would happen in a controlled setting; Tara didn't know if the Potentials would faint after touching the blade, which was why she wanted them to be seated. She didn't know if she would be pulled into wherever the Potentials would be battling Sineya to prove that they were worthy. She didn't even know if the Watchers should be present, which was why Wesley and Xander were in the room as well… just in case they were needed.
Tara sat down on the carpeted floor while the three Potentials; Rona, Vi, and Molly sat in front of her while she placed the Scythe on the carpet between them. Taking a deep breath, Tara placed her fingers on the Scythe and closed her eyes while, to the surprise of the others, white energy crackled from her fingertips to the blade, and then the entire weapon. All of a sudden, Tara opened her eyes, which were now fully white, and then spoke with a different voice.
"Potential Slayers, the ones who could be the one, place your hands on the blade." Buffy and Kennedy were looking at each other before they looked at Tara. They recognized the inflections in the voice, and the tone of the voice as one they have heard before; it was the First Slayer speaking through Tara.
"Sineya?" asked Buffy as she looked at Tara, "is that you?"
"I am,' said Sineya in Tara's voice as she continued to look at the Potentials in front of her, "the three of you must be willing to face my tests, if you are not… then leave now. However, if you are willing, place your fingers on the blade."
Rona, Vi, and Molly looked at each other, and then at Buffy and Kennedy. The three Potentials looked unsure about what to do, here was Sineya giving them an out, and they were unsure if they were really ready for this responsibility. Buffy stepped forward and told the three Potentials that this was their choice, that if they passed.. then they would be becoming full-fledged Slayers, but they had to make the choice on their own.
"We're not forcing any of you go through this," said Cordelia gently, "none of us will look at you guys differently if you decide to change your minds."
The three Potentials looked at each other before whispering. They then looked at Buffy and the others, and nodded their heads before turning to look at Tara once again. They then leaned forward and placed their hands on the blade.
Tara then smiled and said, "Rona Mitchell, Violet Daniels, Molly Pierce; show me your worth."
The others saw the three Potentials gasp as their bodies straightened while they pulled their heads back and looked up at the ceiling while their eyes became white. They then sat on the carpet for ten minutes while Buffy and the others just either paced, or looked on in worry at the four people. It was at the end of ten minutes that the three Potentials gasped, an act that made everyone else stop and look at them in concern. Rona, Vi, and Molly looked back down at the possessed Tara while their eyes glowed orange for a few seconds before returning to their normal colours.
"What just happened?" asked Rona as Via and Molly looked at their hands, and then made them into fists before looking at each other, "I… I just heard a voice that…"
"Said 'you are worthy'?" asked Molly in her English accent while Rona and Vi nodded their heads.
"You three are worthy," replied Tara in Sineya's voice, "you will not remember why you are worthy, just know that you have learned enough to be so in my eyes. The line of Slayers now ends with Molly Pierce. Once Molly Pierce passes on.. the next Potential will be activated as before. Just know that I cannot be called again until the requisite number of years have passed to attempt activating of more than one Potential Slayers."
"We remember," whispered Buffy as the realization just hit her that there were now five Slayers in Sunnydale. She knew that one of the new Slayers would be offered a chance to be stationed in Atlantis, which meant that there would be four left in the city.
Buffy knew that it was finally time to take an even lesser overall role in the BPRI.
As she looked at Kennedy rushing over to Tara who gasped before her eyes turned to their normal colour, Buffy knew that Kennedy had just as much experience and herself or Faith. Buffy walked over to Xander and put her hand in his as she watched Kennedy hugging Tara while Rona, Vi, and Molly got up excitedly before turning to each other. They were excitedly talking about feeling the power that was coursing through their bodies.
All Buffy could do was smile as she leaned into Xander's shoulder while eying the three excited, newly activated Slayers.
"Kennedy," said Buffy as the second senior Slayer helped her girlfriend to her feet, "maybe you should take our three new Slayers, and introduce them to the rest of the BPRI."
"Go," smiled Tara at Kennedy who nodded her head after being asked if she was going to be alright. Kennedy then kissed her cheek, before nodding at Buffy. Kennedy was about to hand Buffy the Scythe, when she shook her head.. leading to a look of surprise on Kennedy's face when Buffy said that the Scythe was hers now.
"Buffy?" asked Vi.
"Kennedy," said Buffy, "introduce our new Slayers, I… I need to talk to Cordy and Angel."
"But…"
"Go," said Buffy as Kennedy nodded her head before leading the confused new Slayers out of the office. It was Major Davis, sensing that this was about to be a private conversation, who first said that he needed to call General O'Neill before hurrying out of the room, soon followed by Tara saying that she was going to check up on Camille who had just come home from school with Jay and Rose, and was now at the Summers home; and then Wesley came up with an excuse before leaving the office, but not before patting Buffy on her shoulder.
Buffy nodded her head and watched the man walk out the doors before she and Xander, who was holding her hand gently, squeezing occasionally to indicate that he was supporting her. No matter what she decided. It was something that the two of them had been talking about ever since coming back from Nairobi, and now… with the three new Slayers, Buffy was about to pull the trigger on the next stage of her life. However, Xander also told his wife that he knew what being a Slayer… fighting the fight in the field… meant to her, and that he would support any decision she made.
"I… I'm retiring from the field," said Buffy as she looked at both Angel and Cordelia. They nodded their heads in understanding. The both of them knew things had changed while Buffy was telling them that this didn't mean she was leaving the organization, just that she was going to take a smaller role by training the new Slayers, and the Potentials.
It was a few minutes later that Buffy let go of Xander's hand and hugged Angel. She then stepped back and hugged Cordelia who whispered that the blonde deserved a break after everything she had done since High School to protect them.
"Thanks," said Buffy as she stepped back, "I'll tell Giles when he comes back to visit; and I'll call up Willow, Dawn, and Faith to tell them the news."
"Then we'll go home and tell Mrs. S. and the kids," said Xander before kissing the side of Buffy's head.
"They'll be happy for you," said Angel as Buffy stood next to Xander, and held his hand. Angel and Cordelia looked on as Buffy nodded her head, before she and Xander walked out of the office; leaving the two of them alone. Angel and Cordelia looked at each other, and then sighed; they knew it was the end of an era. For years it was Buffy who protected the world with the aid of her friends, and now she was retiring from going out there and fighting in the field. But, even though the both of them never said it out loud in case it jinxed Buffy's well deserved rest, Angel and Cordelia knew that the blonde Slayer would be needed on the field once again sometime in the future.
They were glad she was still around with the BPRI.
Kobol, the next day, 1600 hours.
The day long trek from the cave containing the Stargate for Team Four, consisting of Starbuck, Major Neely, Captain Weiss, and a mixture of Colonials, Cylons, and Earth officers neared the ruins of the City of the Gods. Starbucks looked around amazed at the vast ruins before she looked at her fellow Colonials who were just as amazed, and looking at what remained of the City of the Gods in wonder. She then glanced at the Cylons who were speaking among themselves while they stopped to look at a few ruins… specifically, what remained of several archways.
The Major looked at the Cylons, and then at the other Colonials, who were beginning to slowly break apart into smaller groups before turning to the Captain. Major Weis asked the man to translate for him, the Captain nodding his head before beginning to speak.
"Attention," said the Captain as he translated what Major Neely was saying, "I know all of you are excited to explore these ruins. We have time for that, but for now.. our main goal is to build a campsite, and get ready our sleeping areas."
While the Major and Captain were talking to the Colonials and Cylons, Starbuck was looking around and noticed a brownish object in the distance. She then tapped the Major's shoulder, who turned around, while Captain Weiss was continuing to talk to the group. The Major looked out at where the Colonial officer was pointing her finger, and then took out a pair of binoculars. He looked through them, and nodded his head before handing the pair to Starbuck. He then turned to the Captain, and pointed at the object in the distance while Starbuck handed the translator the binoculars. Once the Captain, Major Neely, and Starbuck had a quick discussion; Captain Weiss turned around and told the others that they'll be making camp at the site of the crashed Raptor.
That was going to be the landmark they would use for their home base while examining the ruins, and the surrounding areas. It was nearly an hour of leisurely walking later that they reached the broken down Raptor. Colonel Neely whistled at the ship before commenting that the ship partly looked like a Apache helicopter from Earth.
Starbuck arched her eyebrows at the Major before saying that she'd like to know more about them. The major nodded his head, telling the Colonial officer that they needed to make camp first before talking about Earth vehicles and weapons of war. Starbuck smirked before pointing at two of the Colonials and telling them to put up camp. She saw that the Cylons were doing he same thing as well as they put down the bags they were carrying, and then they took out the tents.
"Ummm… Major Neely?" asked Captain Roberts, who had entered the Raptor while the other Earth officer was helping set up the camp. The Major, Captain Weiss, and then Starbuck turned around to see the Captain inside the Raptor looking at the rear of the ship, and then out the hatch, "there's something you need to see, sir."
Major Neely, Captain Weiss, and then Starbuck walked up the short stubby wings, and then into the ship through the hatch. They looked at where the Captain was nodding, and then looked at each other in silent surprise.
They saw the remains of eaten fish in one corner of the ship. It was something that indicated that they were not alone in the area, leading to Major Neely ordering Captain Weiss, Captain Roberts, and Sergeant Wilkins to grab a partner from the Colonials and the Cylons before establishing a perimeter.
"We'll get the camp up and ready," said the Major as Captain Weiss translated for Starbuck, and then later for the other Colonials and the Cylons. He told them that they needed to be close together, that there was the possibility that they were not alone.
"We don't know if whoever this is would be coming back or not," said Captain Weiss translating for Major Neely as he spoke outside the Raptor to the large group of people. They heard the Colonials and Cylons whispering among themselves, which was when Starbuck told everyone to 'shut the frack up'.
"We don t know who or what this is," said the blonde Colonial officer as she jumped down onto the grass, "but either way, we need to be careful."
"We will establish a perimeter once the camp has been set up," said Major Neely while Captain Weiss translated, "remember to pair up."
The Major had a few more things to say before everyone started to put up camp. However, the man couldn't help but have the hairs on the back of his neck stand when he thought about the remains of the cooked and eaten fishes in the ship. He looked out at the ruins in the distance, and then at the trees before shaking his head, sighing, and then heading off to make a call to the other teams about his discovery.
All while trying to shake this sudden feeling of being watched.
TBC.