I'm doing another YAHF and for those of you who are new, that acronym means Yet Another Halloween Fic. I'm combining it with the Ship of the Line challenge on Twisting the Hellmouth, which is a challenge where one or more of the Scoobies, usually Xander, gets their hands on a starship of some sort and uses it to help fight demons and or aliens. And since I like to add twists and try to come up with something hopefully new, a surprise. Enjoy!

Xander Harris, denizen of the very strange city known as Sunnydale, home of the Hellmouth and vampires, of which he hoped never to be one, entered the costume shop of Ethan Rayne, looking for a Halloween costume. His original idea, to go as a soldier, having fallen through when he discovered the washing machine had eaten the pants. And no, Giles didn't think it was a demon, just an old and unreliable washing machine. He was surprised to see Cordelia Chase, his snarky, school hallway bantering partner in the store. It wasn't her type of place.

"Oh Queen C, what brings you to the low rent side of town?"

"Party town, the only other costume shop in town, sold the costume I had reserved to someone else! Of all the nerve. Well, their loss, I'm never shopping there again. But I'm going to a party and still need a costume, so I'm here, hoping they have something at least half way decent. You, dweeb, what are you doing here?"

"I have kiddie escort duty tonight and costumes are mandatory per Herr Snyder. And the washing machine ate the costume I was going to wear. I was just going to get an accessory to go with it, but now I need to dig into my savings and get something else."

"What were you originally going to go as, young man?" A voice said from behind them, causing them both to jump.

"Great googly moogly! Don't do that! In this town, it could get you killed!" Xander exclaimed.

"I do apologize, young man. But you haven't answered my question, what were you planning to go as? I might have something similar."

"A soldier. I had a set of real fatigues, but now I don't."

"Yes, so I heard. Actually, I do have a type of soldier's costume. It's from that television show, Wormhole Extreme. Are you familiar with it?"

"He's a sci-fi geek, of course he's familiar with it."

"Yeah, actually I am. Which kind of soldier? Human or alien."

"I believe technically, it would be considered both, since it's one of the aliens that built that gate thing they use. Humans that evolved on a another world, I believe."

"Yeah, I know which ones you're referring to. Can I see it?"

"Certainly, young man, this way."

There in front of him where two costumes, one for a man, one for a woman. Both where in shades of soft green and form fitting. They came complete with accessories as well. Cordelia was eyeing the female soldier's and liking what she was seeing.

"They each come with a prop from the show itself. A scanning device." He showed them what he thought was a replica life signs detector.

"How much?" Xander asked, afraid he didn't have enough.

"Fifty dollars for each."

Xander felt his heart sink, he only had thirty dollars with him.

"I don't have enough."

"Don't worry about it, dweeb, I'll cover it. I want the female soldier's costume. I think I'll look great in it."

"True. You sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry about. I'll consider it my good deed for the year."

"You probably will. I have thirty dollars."

The two of them paid and then went their separate ways to get ready for Halloween. Neither of them knew that the props were items that Martin, the producer, had 'borrowed' from Stargate Command without asking. Or that they had been found at an off world dig site by Daniel Jackson and were of Alteran origin. But they would.

Xander knocked on Buffy's front door. He, Buffy and Willow were planning to walk to the High School for kiddie escort duty together. The door was opened by Buffy's mother, Joyce. Xander blinked when he saw what she was wearing. A catsuit, but the kind a cat burglar on tv would wear. Wow. Who knew Buffy's mom was hot. Pretty, that he'd already noticed.

"Wow. I'm not drooling am I? Because that would be really embarrassing, but that outfit is drool inspiring."

"Thank you and no you're not. The girls will be down in a minute."

Sure enough, Buffy did come down the stairs a few minutes later, dressed sort of like a Cinderella. Probably trying to impress the walking corpse. 'Sigh, let it go, man. That ship has sailed and do you really want to be with someone who would humiliate you so casually and never apologize for it? Stupid inner voice making me face and except reality. Oh well.'

"Buffy, Duchess of Buffonia, a mighty fine noblewoman you appear to be."

"Thanks, Xander and what are you dressed as?"

"A soldier from a tv show."

"Nice, wait'll you see Willow. She... Willow." Buffy said in a disappointed tone of voice as Willow came down not in the sexy costume she'd been wearing, but as a ghost instead.

"Hey, Will, nice boo. Everyone ready? We should get going. Kiddie escort duty starts in less then half an hour. See you later, Mrs. Summers."

"Have fun kids."

About an hour into kiddie escort duty, a wave of energy washed through the town. Xander Harris of Sunnydale, California was suddenly Alexander, Captain of the Alteran warship, Congeria. He looked around himself.

'Where am I? I was just on the Congeria, about to go into stasis.'