A/N Nidhogg3, your theory is interesting and if it wasn't for the fact that I have decided I really like the idea of Lothos and Peewee Herman going after Wolfram and Hart I'd probably accept it.
And Giles was lazy in canon too. He never even wondered where exactly the Hellmouth was, Ms. Calendar found out it existed and asked where it was that same day. And his training methods, not to mention not bothering to investigate any of Buffy's friends, any of which could have been a potential problem, left a lot to be desired. And there's never researching the curse or trying to verify any of Angel's claims or information. Angel was, at best, a highly questionable source for any information and Giles questioned none of it. Even as a Research Watcher, his own training from the Watchers Council, let alone his background as Ripper, should have made him very suspicious of everything Angel said and did and he should never have let him be around Buffy, the Slayer. Yes, it makes for great drama and the audience loved it, but it wasn't logical and created foreseeable problems.
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"What has your testing found in regards to any knowledge or abilities Xander has?" Diana asked Mason after filling him and the teenagers in on her conversations with Mr. Giles and Ms. Calendar.
"That while he doesn't consciously remember things like fighting techniques, he reacts instinctively in ways that suggest he did learn somethings." Mason answered. "How to fight stronger opponents by knowing where their weak spots are and not hesitating to attack hard. I'm not finding anything that suggests martial arts, at least not more than a few basic moves, at best or not having the chance to learn more than the basics before he died maybe. But military ordnance, that he knows and he knows well. And crossbows and axes. A little sloppy with the ax, but it's not a weapon taught in the military, he may well have taught himself to use it for fighting vampires. Which suggests he might not have been trained by a hunter team either in that timeline, we don't use axes except maybe to take down a door."
"What do you suggest?"
"I want to try questioning him on just what he does know using your Magic hypnosis."
"Xander, are you willing to try again?" Diana asked.
"Yeah, sure. I'm curious too." Xander nodded, he'd been enjoying the testing with Mason, it had been fun trying to figure out what might have carried over. Diana cast the spell again and asked Xander to elaborate on his military knowledge, not knowing any other way to refer to it. The answer was rather surprising.
"I know procedure, ordnance, access codes, everything. I know the whole layout for this base, and I'm pretty sure I can put together an M-16 in 57 seconds."
"Access codes? An enlisted Private had access codes?" Mason questioned. "To what?"
"Xander, what did you have access codes to?"
"The armory Cordy and I broke into."
"He shouldn't have had that information, not as a Private. Xander, were you a Private when you were given those access codes?"
"I was never given them, I remembered them."
"Xander come out now." Diana instructed as she noted the flabbergasted look on Mason's. "Mason, what's wrong?"
"He was never given those codes, but he remembers them? Remembers them from where? Diana, those codes are changed on a regular basis, depending on what's stored in the armory, maybe even daily. How could he remember codes he should never have known and would not have been issued given his rank? An Amourer begins with an equivalent rank to Private of Craftsman but follows a different career path than a Private would. He has knowledge that involves different Army paths, he identified himself as a Private, which suggests it was his current rank. If he'd started the Armourer path first, any codes he might have been given would have been changed anyway. Regardless, he should not have known what the codes were when they broke in."
"Perhaps the psychic ability I believe he has accounts for it?" Diana suggested.
"Possibly. I suppose it might account for it. Psychic ability can be very individual from what I understand and vary in strength. He got that information somewhere and prior to when they broke into the base, but even than, the information shouldn't have been the same, given that it's changed regularly. If it was still the same as when he first learned those codes a lot of people might be subject to court martial, it's careless."
"Was he working at the base they broke into?" Faith asked. "He said he knew the layout of the base."
"That's a very good question." Mason nodded. "He'd be risking court martial himself, regardless of which base he stole the RPG from. Put him back under, Diana and ask him the questions I give you."
"Xander?"
"Do it." Diana cast the spell again and Mason gave her the first question.
"What base did you get the RPG from?"
"The National Guard Base outside Sunnydale."
"Were you stationed there?"
"No, I wasn't stationed anywhere."
"But you knew the layout, had you ever been to that base?"
"No."
"Did you ever see plans for the base?"
"No."
"How do you know the layout for the base?"
"I remember it."
"Another instance where he remembers something that he never actually learned or was told." Mason mused. "Ask him if he knows anyone who works there."
"Do you know anyone who works at that base?"
"Colonel Newsome of the 33rd."
"How long did you know Colonel Newsome?"
"I never met him."
"But you knew he worked there?"
"Yes."
"How did you know he worked there?"
"I remembered."
"Xander, this is important. How do you remember something you were never told or never learned?"
"Private Harris knew it."
"Aren't you Private Harris?"
"I was."
"When were you Private Harris?"
"On Halloween."
"You dressed as a Private for Halloween?"
"Yes."
"Did you become Private Harris?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Janus was invoked by Ethan Rayne. We became our costumes."
"Janus?! The god, Janus?!"
"Yes."
"Did anyone else remember what they knew that night?"
"No. Giles said we wouldn't."
"Giles said that? Why was Rupert Giles involved? Was he researching what happened?"
"He was Buffy's Watcher."
"What?!"
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A/N Information regarding Armourer taken from Wikipedia, any errors are the author's. I am not an expert in the military or military structure, everything comes from research. Xander is quoting what he told Cordelia he remembered from Halloween.