Disclaimer: All Buffy characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy Productions. The Star Wars characters belong to George Lucas, Lucasfilm and whatever else Lucas owns. Imoen is an original character, she belongs to me. I'm not making any money off this, nor am I trying to infringe on anyone's copyright. So don't sue me.
Authors' Notes: This story is set in late May (before graduation) in Buffy, TVS. I removed the Mayor plotline because I just wanted to have some fun with this story and didn't feel like going into tons of backstory that wasn't really important to this one. In the SW verse, it's probably a few weeks after the end of Menace. I've never written any SW before, so don't send me too much hate mail if I suck at it. Thankee kindly.
Send any and all commentary to: All flames are read, laughed at then deleted with extreme prejudice.
"Death of the Chosen One" By Net Girl
"Willow, look out!" Buffy Summers yelled.
Willow Rosenberg ducked down. Buffy expertly threw a stake that sailed over Willow's head and found its mark in the chest of a vampire. Willow sighed in relief as ash showered upon her. It wasn't the first time Buffy had saved her life. Nor would it be the last.
Willow's relief didn't last long. She pointed to Buffy as another vampire came up behind the Slayer. "Buffy, heads up!" she called.
"I got it!" came Xander Harris' voice. The vampire roared as it exploded into dust and a grinning Xander stood behind Buffy. "I got your back, Buff," he added.
Buffy pivoted around, her eyes scanning the park for any more vampires. Those guys had come out of nowhere. "I think that's everybody," she said, letting her defense down. She smiled at Xander. "Thanks. You probably saved me from a nasty death."
Xander shrugged. "A Jedi's work is never done," he said to her.
Willow rolled her eyes as she dusted herself off. "You're not gonna start that silly Jedi thing again..." She looked at Xander. "Are you?"
Xander held up a hand to her. "I am not fazed by your mockery, young one," he told her. He held his head up proudly. "You have much to learn about the ways of the Force."
Buffy looked to Willow. "He's doing it again."
Xander had been on a Star Wars kick for the last week. It started when he came back from seeing the new movie. He'd been into it before, but lately, he was annoying Buffy, Willow, Giles and just about everyone else with his Jedi Master act.
Willow finished brushing off her clothes. "Pretty bold attack," she said, letting the 'Jedi Xander' issue drop. She motioned to the piles of dust. "This was sort of strange. I don't see many in groups like that... unless they're on some mission from a greater evil."
"Not strange," Buffy flatly said, surveying the dust piles left behind by the four vamps that jumped them. "I see this sort of junk on my patrols all the time. They get together in a group and think it makes a whole brain." She looked to her friends. "Teamwork."
"Oh, kind of like the football team," Xander said, nodding. "I get it!" He scoffed as he waved a hand at the dust piles. "These jokers were no match for Xander, the Jedi Master." He puffed out his chest.
"I believe it was the 'Jedi Master' who shrieked like a little girl when those guys attacked us," Buffy pointedly said. She grinned over at Willow as she sat down on a park bench. She let out a sigh. "Great! A scuff mark on my brand new canvas shoes." She growled. "I can never keep anything nice for long with this stupid job."
Willow sat down next to Buffy and took a look at the damaged shoe. "It's not too bad," she optimistically replied. "It could've been worse. Remember when the fire demon scorched your new jeans? That was bad."
Buffy frowned. "Yeah, unfortunately, I do remember," she muttered.
"Maybe you should wear robes, like me and my fellow Jedi," Xander told her.
"Xander, you are not a Jedi," Buffy snapped as she looked up at him. "And it's not really about the massive damage to my wardrobe. Clothes can be replaced." She frowned as she lowered her gaze to the ground. "But not a life."
Willow put a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Aw, Buffy," she said in a low voice. "I know it's tough for you, this whole Slayer thing. I thought you were dealing?"
Buffy let out a sighed. "Yeah, Will. I'm in full-on Deal Mode," she quietly replied. She looked at each of her friends. Both were concerned about her, she could tell. "But I still can't help but think... what kind of future do I really have to look forward to here?"
Willow looked to Xander who just shrugged. He had no idea what to say either.
Buffy sighed again. "Oh well," she said as she got to her feet. "Guess its gonna be the same old grind forever." She glanced up at Willow and Xander. "Let's go before anyone else shows up. I'm just so not in the mood."
In the darkness, well out of the sight of the three young teens, Saar chuckled to himself. The Chosen One, he thought as he watched the young blonde and her two friends walk away. A Slayer discontented with her life, how utterly charming. No better candidate for a Game had presented himself in this lowly village.
His mouth curled up into a wicked grin as he rubbed his hands together. The idea for his new Game slowly began to take form. It was quiet clever, one in all his thousands of years of toying with humans he'd never tried.
"Yes, Slayer," he growled in a deep voice then laughed. "I have the answer to your prayers. You want a different life? Heh. I can give you all that and more." Laughing, Saar vanished from the park.
Buffy slammed the front door to her house shut. She almost called out to her mother, Joyce, to let her know she'd come home. Then she remembered her mother had gone to San Francisco to purchase some new paintings for the local museum.
She walked into the kitchen and saw the day's mail on the counter. Next to it was a note from Joyce telling her daughter there was plenty of food in the fridge for the weekend. Also on the note, a phone number where she could be reached. Buffy set the note aside and glanced at the mail - some letters and a package.
She stretched her arms above her head as she strolled over to the refrigerator. "Let's see..." she mumbled when she opened up the door. Her brow furrowed. Nothing inside looked good so she just plucked out a cold bottle of Evian water. Buffy unscrewed the cap and took a swig from the bottle as she walked back over to the counter.
Buffy placed the bottle on the counter and picked up the mail. "Bill...bill...Mom's," she muttered as she tossed each envelope aside that didn't apply to her. Her eyes widened a little when she found a letter from UCLA for her. "Probably a rejection letter," she said then looked to the last thing.
The package was nothing fancy - a flat rectangular thing wrapped in plain brown paper. It was addressed to Buffy, but held no return address. Shrugging, Buffy tucked the package and UCLA letter under her right arm, picked up her water then headed upstairs.
As she entered her room, Buffy flipped on the light. She placed her mail at the foot of her bed then took another swig of her water. She let out a groan as she dropped onto the bed. Carefully, she put her water on the floor then she yanked her shoes off.
"Ugh," she grumbled taking another look at the scuff mark on the otherwise pristine white shoe then she tossed it away. "Stupid vamps."
Once her shoes were off, Buffy turned her attention to her mail. She stared at them, wondering which to open first. She picked up the package, deciding it was her best bet. At least she'd gotten something from someone. Quickly, she ripped the paper away to reveal a hardcover book. She wrinkled her nose when she read the title: Star Wars: Death of the Chosen One.
"What's this?" she asked as she tossed the paper onto her floor. "Who would send me a Star Wars book?" She rolled her eyes - Xander. He wanted to convert everyone to his new found religion. He was weird before, but George Lucas had officially pushed Xander over the edge. "Dear God," she grumbled as she turned the book over to check out the summary on the back.
Her expression morphed from disgust to confusion upon reading the simple, one line summary: "Buffy Summers, the Chosen One, is magically transported to another time, a galaxy far, far away to meet her fate - Death."
"Xander, you are such a dork sometimes," she said as she shook her head. She opened up the book to see what sort of silliness was inside. Her changed again when she found out the book only contained one sentence:
"Buffy Summers, curious as to what stupid stunt Xander Harris was pulling now, opened up her book then found herself whisked away by an intense flash of light..."
"What the -?"
That was as far as Buffy got before a bright flash of light filled the room. When the light subsided, Buffy was gone. The book thumped to the floor beside her bed.
The Chosen One had vanished.
"Are you all right?"
The voice sounded a million miles away to Buffy at first, but as she stirred out of the darkness, it sounded closer. She felt a hand on her shoulder as the male voice asked once more if she was all right.
"Mmmm," Buffy groaned. Definitely an English lilt on the voice. "Giles?" she whispered as she opened her eyes. Squinting because of the brightness of day, Buffy tried to sit up. Every single spot on her body ached. Finally, with the aid of the person talking to her, she sat up. "Oh, my..." she gasped when her eyes fully focused.
She was surrounded by luscious green trees and grass and bright blooming flowers - most of which of a type she'd never seen before. Ornate pillars of white marble glimmered all around with an occasional statue here and there. It appeared to be some sort of courtyard. She gazed up at a sky so clear and blue, she knew it couldn't be southern California.
"Who are you?" asked the person who had helped her.
Buffy looked to her right and her face went slightly pale as she met the gaze of... of Obi-Wan Kenobi? She gave him a once over, noting his brown hooded cloak, off white tunic and pants. A slender device hung from his belt. A lightsaber?
Oh no, Buffy thought. I'm dreaming. I must've fallen asleep reading that book Xander sent me. Now I'm dreaming I'm in a courtyard with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Are you sure you are all right, Sorceress?" Obi-Wan Kenobi asked of her.
Buffy blinked as she looked back to him. "What? Sorceress?" She raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get the idea I'm a sorceress?"
Obi-Wan motioned upwards. "You fell out of the sky," he replied. "Yet you are unharmed." He nodded to her. "And your clothing... it's not of any sort I've seen before."
Buffy looked down at herself. She was still in her jeans and light blue T-shirt, but she didn't have any shoes on.
Obi-Wan felt a disturbance in the Force. Most definitely, this strangely dressed girl was the source of it. He'd encountered disturbances many times over the years but nothing quite like this.
Buffy shook her head. "I'm no sorceress. I'm Buffy Summers," she said. She rolled her eyes. I'm arguing with a dream, she thought. "This is nuts. Time to wake up," she mumbled. She pinched her forearm.
Nothing changed.
"Oh, no," she whispered, a panic washing over her. I'm stuck in a dream. That had happened once before - everyone's nightmares became reality. "Not again." Overwhelmed by it all, Buffy felt herself losing hold on consciousness. The last thing she was before passing out was that clear, blue sky.
Buffy's eyes drifted open once more. She lay on her back, staring up at a high ceiling. Blinking a few times, Buffy figured she'd finally woken up from her strange dream. She yawned as she sat up, but her mouth snapped shut when she saw the grand room around her. This definitely was not her room. It was almost as big as her entire house!
She looked down. The bed she lay in was probably king size and covered in a fine white silk comforter. She could feel the smoothness of silk on her feet underneath the comforter as well. She turned about in the bed, the panic spreading over her once more.
"Oh boy," she whispered. Her breath caught in her chest. The view from the large bay window to her right was nothing short of spectacular. The hills of the gleaming landscape, dotted with trees, appeared to roll like an ocean's waves. Puffy white clouds spotted that clear blue sky she'd seen earlier. No way this was California.
Buffy's head whipped around, her muscles tensing, when she heard a loud hissing sound. The door across the wide span of the room flew up at lightning speed. She relaxed a little as a girl, probably her age, entered the room. Buffy couldn't see much of the girl except for her round face and soft brown eyes. The rest of the girl's slender body was covered by a fiery red dress and hooded cloak.
The girl smiled as the door hissed shut behind her. "I am happy you are awake, Sorceress," she pleasantly greeted Buffy as she crossed the room. She stopped at the foot of the bed. "I do hope you are feeling well."
Buffy's face scrunched up in confusion. "Who are you?"
The girl blushed slightly. "Oh, I do apologize, Sorceress," she softly replied. "My name is Imoen. I am a handmaiden of Queen Amidala."
Buffy blinked as she tilted her head to the left. "Queen who now?" she asked. She shook her head, holding up a hand before Imoen could say anything. "This is probably gonna sound really stupid to you... but where am I?"
"You are in the Royal Palace, in the city of Theed, Sorceress," Imoen answered. She walked across the room and disappeared through a different doorway.
Buffy's confusion had not been cleared up at all by that. What the heck was going on around here? As Imoen re-entered the room, a pretty white robe draped over her left arm, Buffy asked, "Okay, now where exactly is Theed?"
Imoen placed the robe on the bed then looked up to Buffy. "On the planet of Naboo, of course," she replied. She tried not to smiled as she added, "A sorceress of your power should know where she is going, if you do not mind my saying."
Buffy flicked her gaze to Imoen. "What's with this 'Sorceress' kick?" She noted Imoen had addressed as such before. "I'm not a sorceress. Who told you that garbage?"
Imoen was very intrigued, yet puzzled, by the way Buffy spoke. She supposed that was how all masters of sorcery spoke where Buffy came from. "Obi-Wan Kenobi," she answered. "He says you fell from the sky and landed in the courtyard." She smiled a little. "Almost fell on him, you did, Sorceress."
Buffy did recall the incident. But there was no way in hell it could've really happened. "Okay, let me get this straight," she said. "Obi-Wan Kenobi says I fell out of the sky and landed in the courtyard of Queen Amidala's Palace. Queen Amidala being the ruler of Naboo?"
Imoen nodded. "Yes, that is correct, Sorceress."
Buffy groaned. "Okay, Xander, when I wake up from this nightmare, I'm gonna..." She let the sentence trail off. "I can't think of anything right now, but it'll be so not good."
Sighing, she tossed back the blankets and threw her legs over the side of the bed. That's when Buffy realized she was no longer in her own clothes. Her jeans and T-shirt were replaced with a fine white pajama-like outfit. She looked to Imoen.
"Okay," she said. "I'd like to get my own clothes back, please." She motioned to herself.
"I'm sorry, Sorceress," Imoen apologetically replied, lowering her head. "It would be impossible to get your original clothing back."
Buffy let out a small groan. "Would you please knock off the 'Sorceress' junk?" she asked. "My name is Buffy Summers, and I'm not a sorceress? Got it?"
Imoen kept her head bowed as she whispered, "Of course. I am very sorry."
Buffy felt bad immediately after snapping at Imoen. It wasn't this poor girl's fault she was in this weird sitch.She got to her feet then placed a hand on Imoen's shoulder.
"Hey, Imoen, look... I'm sorry." She paused when Imoen looked up at her. "I'm just scared. I seem to be in a bad dream that I can't get out of."
Imoen's face brightened a little as her hear raised up. "Though I do not have your other garments, Queen Amidala has given you a gift."
Buffy put her hand back on Imoen's shoulder, stopping the girl from leaving. "Is it anything like what you're wearing?" she asked, nodding to Imoen. "'Cause that's just a bit too coifed for my tastes. I like to be able to move." The hesitation and the look on Imoen's face answered Buffy's question for her.
Imoen frowned. She felt terrible that she wasn't being very helpful. The Queen had put her in charge of making the guest feel at home and she was failing miserably.
Buffy let out a long, tired sigh. Great, she thought. I'm stuck in Wonderland with no clothes and no clue as to how to get out of this place. Death of the Chosen One, she remembered the title of the book reading.
The book... then the flash of light, the falling... "in a galaxy far, far away..." The back of the book said she was transported to another universe. She was trapped in a Star Wars book! She felt faint again.
As Buffy dropped down on the bed, a slight knock came at the door. Imoen looked from the door to Buffy. The girl seemed relatively fine, definitely shaken. She hurried across the room to see who was at the door.
"This is not happening," Buffy whispered as she shook her head. She stared at the shiny marble floor. "This is so not happening!" Who had done this?
For a moment she considered Ethan Rayne to be the culprit. This sort of thing seemed right up his alley. No... Ethan wouldn't dare cross Giles with such a prank. She frowned. And she had no way to ask Giles what he thought could've done it. Then it hit her: did Giles even know she was missing?
Imoen turned away from the door as it hissed shut. She came half way across the room. She opened her mouth to say something, but caught herself before she called Buffy 'Sorceress'.
"Mistress Buffy Summers," she said as she came over to the young Slayer. "Obi-Wan Kenobi is concerned about you. He would like to know if you are well?"
Buffy head jerked up. "He's out there right now?" she asked then pointed to the closed door.
"Yes, Mistress."
"Good." Buffy got up. She picked up the robe from the bed and pulling it on. "He could be a way out of this screwy mess," she muttered. She hoped against hope he was. Someone had to have an idea as to how she got there, and how she could get back.
"Mistress!" Imoen frantically called as Buffy charged across the room. "Mistress, wait!"
Buffy ignored Imoen's pleas. Instead, she stopped at the door and looked at the panel of buttons beside her. One of them had to open this stupid thing. She hit a button and the door hissed open. She folded her arms across her chest.
Obi-Wan was quite surprised when the door hissed open and Buffy stood there. She didn't appear happy but at least she was walking. "I would assume you are well," he said then shifted his gaze away from her. Something about her standing there in night clothes didn't feel right.
"I'm as well as I can be," Buffy replied. She noticed he'd looked away from her. What was his problem? "I don't know fact from fiction so I'm just taking it as it comes." Her manner softened. "I don't believe we've been formally introduced."
Imoen came up behind Buffy but remained quiet as she watched.
"I'm Buffy Summers," Buffy said motioning to herself. "And from what I gather you're Obi-Wan Kenobi." How dumb do I feel?
Obi-Wan gave a slight nod, confirming her statement. The disturbance in the Force this... Buffy caused had calmed as she did. He could sense anger and fear in her. Also, a sadness.
Buffy sighed. "What is your problem?" she finally asked. "Why won't you look at me? I'm no sorceress, I won't give you the evil eye or whatever."
Imoen tapped Buffy on the shoulder. "Your clothes, Mistress," she whispered.
Buffy let out a sigh. Was that it? The stuff she had on now covered more than the clothes she'd arrived in. Clothing was the least of her worries.
"Do you know of anyone who could possibly help me?" she asked as she focused her attention back to Obi-Wan. "I so don't belong here, and I'd like to get out of this place as soon as possible."
Obi-Wan sensed the fear in Buffy intensify. She was strong in the Force. He couldn't just leave her on Naboo. He was on his way to Coruscant with Anakin Skywalker, anyway. Perhaps the Jedi Council would know what to do with her.
"The Jedi Council might be able to help you," he finally replied.
Council, Buffy thought with a certain amount of disgust. Well, she didn't have many other choices. None, in fact. She would just have to go to this Council and see what they knew. "I suppose that'll have to do," she said.
"Mistress, may I take this moment to tell you Queen Amidala wishes to meet you?" Imoen said.
Buffy glanced back to Imoen. Well, the polite thing to do would be to meet the Queen and thank her for all her kindness. She gave Imoen a once over. "All right. But I am not wearing anything like that."
Imoen shook her head. "Mistress Buffy," she protested.
Buffy let out a frustrated sigh. "Don't call me that, it's just plain 'Buffy'," she interrupted. "People are way too formal around here."
Imoen also sighed in frustration. She was trying her best but Buffy was a very difficult individual to please. "What will you wear, then?"
Buffy shrugged. Her gaze settled on Obi-Wan then she looked down at her own clothes. A smile crept to her face as she looked back to Imoen. "I've got an idea," she said.
Saar had been watching the young Slayer's adventures since she'd landed in the courtyard of the Naboo Palace. He chuckled. So, the Slayer did not like her new surroundings? All she wanted to do was go home? He laughed. With what it took for his enchantment spell to be broken, Saar had complete confidence Buffy's silly quest to see the Jedi Council was in vain.
"Don't know what you've got until you lose it," he said in a low voice. He grinned. The new Sith lord in town, Darth Saar, needed to make his appearance soon. He had to make the Game a little more interesting for the Slayer. Chuckling, Saar vanished.
Later that afternoon, Imoen led Buffy down the grand halls of the Queen's Palace. The two girls spent the morning putting together an outfit Buffy felt comfortable wearing. Imoen glanced back at Buffy who gazed up in wonder at the grand pillars and statues that lined the hall. She was concerned about how Amidala would react to Buffy refusing the Queen's gift.
"This place is like so huge," Buffy said. Her voice echoed, startling her a little. "Now I know how Jack felt when he went up the beanstalk."
Imoencame to a halt in front of the door that led to the Queen's throne room. Buffy stopped by her. Imoen bit her lip as Buffy tightened the belt around her own waist.
Buffy had used the pajamas as the base for her outfit. They'd shortened the matching robe to tunic length, using a belt to hold it in place. Imoen dug out a pair of black boots for Buffy to wear. The outfit was topped off with a brown hooded cloak, similar to the sort Jedi wore. In fact, if Imoen didn't know better, she'd have thought Buffy was a Jedi.
"Just a sec," Buffy said, holding up a hand to Imoen. She reached inside her cloak then pulled out a strip of cloth left over from the robe. She pulled her hair back and tied it into a ponytail. When she was done, Buffy tossed out her arms and asked, "So... how do I look?"
Imoen looked Buffy over. She frowned as the sleeves of the cloak slipped down over Buffy's hands. "My honest opinion, Mistress?"
"Yes, your honest opinion," Buffy replied. She sighed then added, "And please stop calling me 'Mistress'? Makes me feel sort of... dirty."
Imoen let out a slow breath as she slowly shook her head. "In all honesty... You resemble a ruffian from an Outer Rim spaceport."
Buffy's smile melted away. "No, tell me what you really think, Imoen," she sarcastically said.
A puzzled expression spread over Imoen's face. "But I just did."
"Never mind," Buffy said, waving a hand at her. She glanced at the doors leading to the throne room. A wave of nervousness swept over her. She didn't know what to say to Queen Amidala. What would Amidala say? Was it good, bad, or what? She looked to Imoen. "So, what do I call the Queen? Your Highness? Your Majesty? Your...Nabooness?"
Imoen cracked a smile at Buffy's last comment. Quickly, she put a hand to her mouth to cover it up. "'Your Majesty' will do just fine," she told Buffy as she lowered her hand.
Buffy drew in a few calming breaths. She didn't want to do anything stupid in there. After a moment of preparation, she nodded to Imoen. "I'm ready," she announced.
Imoen pushed a button on the panel beside the door. The door hissed as it opened. Inside was a bright room full of tall windows on all sides.
"This is very posh," Buffy remarked as she followed Imoen into the room. The floor beneath Buffy's feet was polished to a mirror finish. "Cool," she said upon seeing her reflection in the floor.
The door hissed shut behind them and Buffy looked up. Across the room, Amidala sat on her throne. She looked awfully young and appeared way too serious. Of course, if Buffy was dressed the way Amidala was, she wouldn't be smiling either.
Amidala's thin frame was draped in a red dress accented with black and gold. Placed upon her head was a gold and red headpiece. A fan of dark brown hair jutted up from the top. The girl's face was very lightly powered with white make up. Her top lip was painted red and only a small line of red colored her lower one.
Buffy noticed two handmaidens wearing outfits identical to Imoen's were seated to the Queen's left while one girl sat to her right. The empty chair, Buffy assumed, was Imoen's. One last person in the room, the last Buffy saw, was Obi-Wan Kenobi. She didn't pay him much mind, but one would've been blind not to see his surprise at her clothing.
Imoen stopped a few feet from Amidala on her throne. She neatly curtsied to her Queen then said, "Your Majesty, may I present to you Mistress Buffy Summers?" She made a motion to Buffy as she side stepped.
Amidala's soft brown eyes switched over to her guest. "Greetings, Sorceress," she said in a slightly monotone voice. "I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo. On behalf of all of my people, I welcome you to our land."
Buffy glanced at Imoen. Did she have to curtsy too? She never was any good at it. She recalled the way Imoen did it. It wasn't a full on curtsy, more like a quarter one with respect and dignity.
Here goes, she thought.
Buffy attempted the curtsy, but she put her right foot back too far and lost her balance. She "oofed" as she landed hard on her backside. Queen Amidala stifled a laugh but did allow a smile to brighten her face. Buffy's face though flushed with embarrassment as she got up from the floor.
"Oh, I'm, like, so sorry!" she quickly apologized as she straightened her clothes out. "This is stuff I'm not exactly used to doing." She looked up to Amidala. She was relieved to see the Queen smiling.
Imoen glanced nervously from Buffy to the Queen. Amidala relaxed a little bit, Imoen could tell. She looked to her fellow handmaidens - each wore a small smile of her own.
Amidala raised up a hand when Buffy began to apologize again. "It is all right," she assured Buffy. She lowered her hand as she looked to Imoen. "I trust Imoen has been helpful in adjusting you to our humble palace?"
Buffy nodded as she, too, looked at Imoen. "Oh yeah, she's been totally cool," she answered. She saw the Queen's puzzled look then added, "I mean, yes, she's been extremely helpful." She glanced down at herself then up to Amidala. "She helped me make this outfit."
Amidala nodded. "I see," she replied, directing her gaze to her handmaiden. Imoen lowered her head, her eyes finding the floor.
"No offense, or anything, Your Majesty," Buffy said, gaining Amidala's attention. "But that kind of stuff is not my thing." She motioned to Imoen. After a pause, she thoughtfully tacked on, "Though it would be a killer outfit for a dance."
Amidala's eyebrows raised. She found the stranger's use of words very odd, yet intriguing. Buffy was quite a breath of fresh air in the court, Amidala had to admit.
"If that is what you wish to wear, Sorceress," the Queen began.
"Oh, no, I'm not a sorceress, Your Majesty," Buffy interrupted. She cringed and gritted her teeth. Ooo, she thought. Way bad move cutting off the Queen. She glanced at Obi-Wan to find he had quite the smirk on his face. What was up with that?
Amidala smiled once more. The girl was definitely doing her best. She motioned to Obi-Wan. "Master Obi-Wan informs me you will accompany him to Coruscant," she said then looked to Buffy. "You hope to find help among the Jedi Council?"
Buffy glanced at Obi-Wan who kept staring at her. What was his problem? She slid her gaze back to Amidala. "Yes, Your Majesty. I don't belong in this place. Plus, my mom's gonna totally freak out if she comes home and I'm not there."
Amidala could understand Buffy's desire to get back to her own world. Yet certain fears remained with the young Queen. "I wish you well on your journey to Coruscant," Amidala told Buffy. "You will be well protected."
Buffy saw Amidala glance at Obi-Wan. She snorted lightly, amused by the meaning behind the Queen's words. "Pardon me for saying, Your Majesty. Your Jedi...ness," she added with a side glance to Obi-Wan. "I'm a big girl and can take care of myself."
Amidala paused before saying, "An ancient evil has arisen in the galaxy once again. No one is safe."
Buffy considered the Queen's statement for a moment. "Well," she slowly started. "If no one's safe, how is one Jedi supposed to be any protection, Your Majesty?"
Amidala held back a smile. Buffy was quite a sharp mind - something she admired very much in a person. What a wonderful addition she would have made to the court. It was a loss to Naboo that Buffy was leaving.
Buffy's head raised up and her muscles tensed as she sensed a presence - something very evil. She turned around, her eyes scanning the throne room. She saw Obi-Wan doing the same thing, he sensed it, too.
Towards the back of the throne room, near the door, a strange mist appeared that slowly began to take human form. In a matter of seconds, a figure dressed in black clothes similar to Buffy's, and sporting a long black hooded cloak, stood there. The face was pale, yet human. The dark eyes, almost black, stared at the Slayer, the evil behind them very apparent.
"What in the hell is that?" Buffy whispered as the figure took a few steps towards them.
The figured chuckled as he reached into his cloak. He brought out his hand then flung a shiny silver object at Amidala. Without even flinching, Buffy reached up her right hand and easily snatched the object from the air. She held it in the palm of her hand - it was a medium sized Chinese throwing star. An odd weapon for someone to be carrying around this place.
Imoen gasped as she looked from Buffy to the other handmaidens. Slowly she took a few steps to her left, hiding herself behind Buffy. She glanced over to Obi-Wan. The Jedi, eyes locked on the mysterious man in black, had his lightsaber out, ready to protect the Queen.
Buffy clicked her tongue as she shook her head. She held up the star as she looked at the intruder. "You could put an eye out with this," she said. "Didn't your mother tell you not to play with sharp objects?"
Saar laughed. Oh, the Slayer was very good. He'd never expected such fast reflexes from her. His attempt on Amidala was only half-hearted, though. He came a few steps closer, his eyes never leaving Buffy's.
"I am Saar, and I only came to wish you luck on your voyage, Slayer!" he snarled. "Maybe you'll make it to Coruscant." He laughed lightly, then shrugged. "Maybe you won't. But I know you and I will have a lot of fun either way, Slayer. I have my eye on you."
It's him! Buffy thought. That's who brought me to this world. But who is 'him'? This guy was certainly no one she'd ever seen before.
Buffy opened her mouth to say something but Saar vanished. His deep, evil chuckling echoed throughout the throne room. "Hey!" she yelled. "I hate it when they pull that David Copperfield crap," she muttered.
Obi-Wan turned off his saber. He couldn't believe what Buffy had done. The girl who couldn't even curtsy effortlessly snatched whatever that device was out of the air. Definitely a Jedi trait, and powerful she was. And she had what was most likely a Sith lord chasing her. Taking her to the Council was crucial now.
Buffy stuffed the star into an inner pocket of her hooded cloak. Who was that guy? she wondered. She turned back to Amidala. It was a good thing she was leaving Naboo. Everyone was in danger if Buffy remained.
"I thank you for your swiftness and skill. You have saved my life," Amidala said to Buffy. She slightly bowed her head. "You have my sincerest and deepest gratitude." Inside, though, Amidala was trembling. She'd come so close to being killed. If not for Buffy being there...
Buffy shrugged, waving a hand in a dismissive manner. "Nah, that's fine, Your Majesty," she replied. "It's all in the reflexes. In my line of work, something's trying to kill me every other day."
Obi-Wan looked from the Queen to Buffy. He was suspicious of the girl. Her arrival on Naboo brought along a Sith lord - a Sith lord who had tried to assassinate the Queen, his attempt foiled by Buffy. Perhaps a clever bit of trickery on the part of the Dark Jedi?
"And what exactly is your 'line of work'?" he asked.
Buffy flicked her gaze to him, her eyes narrowing slightly. She did not like the implication behind those words. "Pest control," she replied through gritted teeth.
Imoen glanced from Obi-Wan to Buffy. She didn't like the look these two exchanged. She turned her attention to Amidala when the Queen spoke.
"I shall send a few guards along with you," Amidala said. She focused on Buffy. "I do hope you find the transport ship to Coruscant comfortable."
Buffy finally broke off her glare with Obi-Wan and raised up her eyes to Amidala. "I'm sure I will, Your Majesty," she replied. "Considering I've never ridden in a space ship before, I won't be hard to impress."
Amidala raised up her hand, motioning to Imoen. "To make certain your voyage is most comfortable, I shall also send Imoen along as your servant."
Buffy looked over to Imoen. The other girl met her gaze. Imoen seemed excited about the idea of going along with them to Coruscant. "Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. "You don't have to do that, Your Majesty. Guards and a Jedi are one thing, but Imoen doesn't need to be put in this kind of danger. Not for me."
Amidala raised her eyebrows, impressed with Buffy's response to the suggestion. After a moment, she said, "Since the life is Imoen's, it is only fair that she decide."
Buffy's eyes flicked back to Imoen. She shot the young handmaiden a look that clearly said, "NO!" She stiffly shook her head to make sure the point got across.
Imoen bit her lip as she glanced from Buffy to Amidala who patiently awaited her answer. She really liked Buffy. The stranger was interesting in her manner and speech. And no one ever asked Imoen for her opinion on anything before.
"I would like to accompany her to Coruscant, Your Majesty," Imoen replied as she looked to her Queen.
Buffy frowned at Imoen's reply. Great. Why did she have to say yes? Didn't she get a look at the creep after me?
Amidala nodded. "The transport will leave when you are ready," she said to Buffy.
Buffy shrugged. "I was born ready," she replied. "Let's go." Giles, Xander, Willow, where are you guys? she desperately thought.
Buffy's Home Next Day Mid-afternoon
Willow rang the doorbell for the third time then she sighed. "Where is she, Xander?" Buffy was supposed to go to the mall with them but it appeared she wasn't home.
Xander shrugged. "I'm sure she's home," he told Willow. "Maybe she's sleeping in? It is Saturday, after all."
"Xander, I've rung this doorbell three times," Willow replied. "If she was here, she would've heard it by now."
"Good point," he said. He put his hand on the doorknob. "Did you try the door?"
"Xander, we can't just go inside someone else's house!" Willow exclaimed. She watched him turn the knob. Surprising to them both, it opened.
"Whoops," Xander whispered as she pushed the door open. He nodded inside the house. "Let's take a look around."
Willow followed Xander into the house. She didn't know why she felt so frightened in her best friend's home. Something was not right here, and she sensed it right away.
"Maybe she's in the shower?" Xander said, almost hopefully as he and Willow checked out the kitchen.
Willow gave him a look. "Xander, do you hear any water running?"
He listened then shook his head. "No, I don't," he sadly answered. He began to sift through the mail on the counter. "Maybe we should check upstairs?" he suggested as he tossed the mail down.
"I suppose we should," Willow agreed.
Upstairs, Willow slowly pushed open Buffy's bedroom door. "Buffy, you in here?" she asked. She peeked inside. No Buffy. "She's not here, Xander."
Xander looked into Buffy's room as Willow walked in. He surveyed the place closely before stepping inside. "Wow, it's... pink," he commented. He walked over to Buffy's vanity mirror and checked out the items there.
Willow checked on the other side of the room. No signs of any trouble there. It was still very odd. She noticed Buffy's shoes lying on the floor at the foot of the bed. "Well, she was here," she said as she held up the shoes.
Xander joined her. He picked up the half-drank bottle of Evian water. "Weirdness," he said. "It's... it's like she dropped off the face of the earth." He peered into the bottle. "Maybe it's something in the water?"
Willow's eyebrows furrowed when she spied brown paper lying on the floor. She kneeled down and picked up the paper. It had Buffy's name on it, yet no return address. She put the paper aside when she spotted a book.
"What's this?" she mumbled, picking up the hardcover book. Definitely not something she'd find Buffy reading. Star Wars: Death of the Chosen One.
"She could be at the library with Giles," Xander said as he looked around Buffy's room.
Willow opened up the book and turned the pages. "Oh, no," she gasped. Her eyes widened with the turn of each page. She shook her head as she rose to her feet. "Oh, my God." She turned to Xander. "Xander, we've got to get Giles." She held up the book so he could see it. "Buffy's in serious trouble!"
Buffy stood in the hanger of the Naboo Palace gazing up at the sleek silver craft before her. She shook her head, barely even listening to Imoen standing beside her. The handmaiden was explaining the ship, called a Nubian, to her.
I can't believe I'm seeing this, Buffy thought. She looked around the hanger at the various other craft and the pilots that flew them. This is all fantasy. Then she remembered the power that got her to this place was very real and very dangerous.
She lowered her gaze to Imoen who continued to talk. The girl had changed out of her dress and into something more reasonable for traveling. A gray colored tunic over black pants. Her deep red hair was in a long French braid that stopped in the middle of her back.
Why didn't Imoen just give me one of those outfits? Buffy wondered.
"It's really a beautiful ship," Imoen was saying. She stepped out of the way as one of the crewmen came down the plank. She smiled at Buffy. "I know you will be fine, Buffy." She felt strange addressing the other girl only as 'Buffy'.
"With a guide as knowledgeable as you along for the ride, I'm sure I will," Buffy replied, returning Imoen's smile. Her smile faded a little when she got the feeling someone was watching her. She turned around to find Obi-Wan staring at her. She didn't need the Force or any other sixth sense to see he was suspicious of her. "Not exactly winning any popularity contests around here," she said under her breath.
Imoen, puzzled, followed Buffy's gaze over to Obi-Wan. She'd noticed the Jedi Knight hadn't taken his eye off Buffy since the incident in the throne room.
"Everything is in order, sir," one of the crewmen said to Obi-Wan. "We are prepared to leave when you are."
"We have one more passenger," Obi-Wan replied to the crewman.
Hmm, Buffy thought upon hearing that. She was curious as to whom the mystery passenger was. She soon got her answer.
A little boy, probably around 9 or 10, bounded into the hanger. His hair was cropped short and a thin braid fell over his right shoulder. He, too, wore clothes like a Jedi. A bright smile on his face, the young boy declared he was ready to go. The boy then noticed Buffy standing not too far away. A mystified expression on his face, he approached her and Imoen.
"Are you the sorceress lady that fell out of the sky?" the boy asked in a hushed voice. He looked her over. She certainly didn't look like a sorceress. Then again, he'd never seen one before.
"I'm not a sorceress," Buffy replied. Sheesh, she was beginning to sound like broken record. "But, yes, I did fall from the sky." She extended a hand to the boy. "My name is Buffy Summers."
The boy eyed Buffy's outstretched hand then finally he accepted it. "I'm Anakin Skywalker," he said, shaking her hand.
Buffy let go of Anakin's hand as she nodded. Ah, little boy Vader, she thought, gazing upon the innocent young face. He had to show up at some point.
"I'm going to train to be a Jedi," Anakin proudly informed her.
"Oh, is that a fact?" Buffy asked, nodding a little.
"Mm-hmm!" Anakin confirmed. "I sure am. Master Obi-Wan is my teacher." He waved a hand in Obi-Wan's general direction. "He is a great Jedi."
Buffy looked past Anakin to see Obi-Wan watching them closely. "Oh... is that a fact?" she replied in a low, even tone.
Anakin's smile widened a little. "I'm gonna be a great warrior one day! And I'm gonna be a huge hero because I am gonna free all the slaves... like my mother."
Buffy noticed the smile disappear from Anakin's face upon the mention of his mother. Even though he would grow up to be the nastiest villain ever, Buffy felt for the small boy in front of her. Gently, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You miss your mother and your friends, don't you?" she said.
Anakin raised up his head, a frown clouded his face. "Yes, I do," he softly said.
"Me, too," she told him. She watched Anakin slowly walk over to Obi-Wan. "Poor kid," she remarked as Imoen joined her.
"He used to be a slave until Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn found him," Imoen told Buffy. She sighed. "His life is not going to be an easy one."
"I can relate to that," Buffy said. Oh, how she could relate to that.
Obi-Wan nodded towards Buffy. "What do you think of the girl?" he asked of Anakin.
Anakin tilted his head as he considered the girl standing across the hanger. "She's very pretty," he said then looked up to Obi-Wan.
"I didn't mean it in that way," he told Anakin. He directed the boy's attention back to Buffy. "What do you sense from her?"
Anakin concentrated on Buffy once more. "She's afraid," he said after a moment. "And... she has a sadness deep inside." An empathetic expression crossed his face then drifted away. "She makes me feel strange, like I am off-balance. She holds more power than you'd think she would."
Obi-Wan nodded. "That is why she is going before the Council."
Anakin's face scrunched up. "Will she be trained as a Jedi too?"
"No. Whatever her path may be, it is already set."
"I felt that, too," Anakin said. He looked back to Buffy. "That is where the sadness comes from," he added.
"Do you sense anything else?"
Anakin's empathetic look returned. "She feels alone," he quietly answered. "So very alone."
"Giles!" Willow frantically called out as she and Xander burst into the Sunnydale High School library. Even though it was Saturday, Giles could usually be found there.
"Giles, are you here?" Xander asked. He leaned over the check out counter to see if the Watcher was there. He shook his head.
Rupert Giles came out of his office. He held his briefcase in his left hand. He had been preparing to go home for the rest of the weekend when he heard the desperate cries of Willow and Xander.
"Oh, Giles, thank God you're here!" Willow gasped in relief. "Buffy's in big trouble!"
"Trouble?" Giles repeated as he put his briefcase down. "What sort of trouble?"
"The serious kind," Xander said.
Willow opened up the book as she came over to Giles. "Xander and I went to Buffy's house this morning, but she wasn't there," she explained. "We searched the house and I found this in her room.
Giles accepted the book from Willow. He glanced at the title then looked at the page where Willow opened it up to. His eyes grew wide as words magically appeared on the blank pages. "Good... God," he whispered.
"That's what kind of trouble Buffy is in," Xander said, tapping the page with his index finger. "The serious kind."
"Giles, do you have any idea how this could've happened?" Willow asked as the Watcher walked over to the table. She followed. "Who could've done this?"
Giles carefully flipped the pages to the beginning of the story. He shook his head a little. "I'm...not quite sure," he answered. "A number of things could have caused this..." He paused in his page turning. "Saar?" He stared at the book then looked to the children. "Saar... the name is familiar. I ... seem to recall..."
"What?" Xander asked as Giles went up the steps to search the stacks of books. "You seem to recall what?"
Giles scanned the books on one of the shelves. "The name Saar," he said, glancing back at them. "It's - oh, here it is." He plucked out a book from the top shelf. He descended the stairs.
"Jinn and Their Magick?" Xander read the title from over Giles' shoulder. "What the heck is that about?"
"Jinn, beings composed of air or fire, which are very powerful," Giles said as he opened the book. "They can take on a human form." He flipped the pages. "The legends of them originated in pre-Islamic Arabia. Tribes sometimes would worship them, or other times defend humanity against them. Jinn can be... moody."
"Are these Jinn good or bad?" Willow inquired.
"Both, actually," Giles replied. "Jinn are more human-like than anything. They can have children, for example. Also, they are mortal beings."
"So they can die?" Xander said.
"Yes, they can," Giles confirmed. "Jinn, like humans, have a choice... uh, between good and evil. That makes them... um... exceptionally dangerous."
"If they're so dangerous, how come we've never heard of them before?" Xander asked.
"Oh, uh, you've heard of them," Giles said as he glanced at Xander. "You know them by another name - genie. But, the, uh, the stories about lamps and wished granted are mere fairy tales. Oh, here he is." He placed the book on the table and tapped the sketch. "Saar."
Xander and Willow both leaned forward to study it.
"Doesn't look any different than us," Xander commented. Saar resembled a very nice looking young human man. He had short hair in the sketch, but an evil look was apparent in his eyes.
"This is Saar in his human form," Giles said. "Saar is infamous among the Jinn because of his constant interaction with human beings. A great majority of Jinn mind their own affairs. But... um... if a human wrongs one then he or she will act. Saar, he is different. He spends his time terrorizing humans, it's his life's work."
"What does this have to do with Buffy?" asked Willow looking to Giles.
Giles tapped the book. "Saar likes to play Games with his humans. I believe this... this storybook idea is one of his Games."
"Why'd he pick Buffy?" Xander asked.
"I honestly don't know," Giles answered with a shrug. "But I must say... this Game is a bit ingenious." He touched the Star Wars book.
"Great. We know who is responsible," Willow said, slapping Saar's picture with her hand. "Now, how do we get Buffy out of this book and back into the real world?"
Giles' brow furrowed. "I'm not sure," he replied. "We'll have to do a little more research into Saar. This particular book doesn't tell much in the way Saar plays his Games."
"I knew you were gonna say that," Xander exclaimed. He looked to Willow and jerked a thumb at Giles. "I knew he was gonna say that."
"Willow, you and I will begin with a few books I have on the Jinn, in general," Giles said as he handed The Jinn and Their Magick to her. He gave the Star Wars book to Xander. "Xander, you're to observe Buffy in... in this alternate universe. You report any information that might be useful."
Xander accepted the book from Giles. "Roger, roger," he replied.
Imoen watched Buffy pace around the small room. Buffy appeared rather pale. She'd been that way since the jump into hyperspace. She thought Buffy was just sick because she'd mentioned she'd never done any space travel before. Luckily, they would arrive at Coruscant shortly.
"Are you sure you are fine?" she asked of Buffy. "You don't look well."
Buffy stopped her pacing. "I've never been though anything like that before in my whole life!" she told Imoen. "That... that hyperspace thing was definitely trippy. But... I must admit, quite cool."
Imoen watched Buffy sit down at the table with her. "They do not have hyperspace capabilities on your planet, I assume?"
"No, we don't," Buffy replied. "In fact, we don't go into space much at all." She looked around the ship. "We're not quite this advanced with our technology."
"But how do you trade goods with those on other worlds?" Imoen inquired. She leaned forward. "How does your planet function among the other populated planets of your system?"
"My planet, Earth, isn't really hard pressed to do business with people from other planets," Buffy explained. "On Earth, a lot of people are convinced we're the only intelligent lifeforms...period."
Imoen's eyes grew wide with interest and surprise. "Really? Your people do not believe there are others elsewhere in the universe?"
"Yeah. Doesn't make much sense, does it?" Buffy asked. She frowned a little. "But, of course, I can understand why those people would feel that way. Nobody else seems to have lived on any of the other planets in our system." Buffy motioned to the ship. "And stuff like this... this is what we call 'science fiction'."
Imoen's expression grew sympathetic for Buffy. "Earth people must be awfully lonely," she remarked.
"Some more than others," Buffy softly replied. She leaned back in her chair. She missed her mom, Giles, Willow, Xander... she even missed school.
"I do not understand, Buffy," Imoen said after a short silence. "If you aren't a sorceress, and your people have no hyperspace capabilities, how did you get here?"
Buffy scowled as she remembered Saar. "I think that Saar guy is the cause of this," she said. "He's playing some sort of game with me. And I'm definitely not having any fun."
"What do you think the Jedi Council can do?"
She shrugged. "Most likely nothing," she said. "Councils don't have a clue about anything beyond two feet in front of their faces."
"You sound as if you speak from personal experience with them," Imoen said.
"There's a council I deal with in my line of work back on Earth." And I don't mind being a trillion billion miles away from them at all, she added in her head.
"I wonder," Obi-Wan's voice startled both girls. "What sort of beings are members of a council for a girl who is called 'Slayer'?"
Buffy turned in her chair, narrowing her gaze on Obi-Wan. He'd been eavesdropping on her conversation with Imoen. How rude.
"It's a job title," Buffy told him. "You're a Jedi, I'm a Slayer. We both kill bad stuff to keep order in a world full of evil things that want to kill us." She paused as she sat up in the chair. "How about some professional courtesy?"
"Your title implies you kill. Mine does not," Obi-Wan replied.
"Well, yeah, DUH!" Buffy snorted then she rolled her eyes. "A Slayer slays. And I only kill the bad guys," she added. "Creeps like that joker back at the Palace."
"Oh, so you do know him?"
Buffy knew what he was getting at with that remark. "No, not personally," she said. "But I'm betting he's why I'm here. Obviously I've pissed him off. Maybe I killed his best friend, or his hellhound, I don't know. All I do know is that he's after me."
"That was a Sith lord," Obi-Wan said as he took a few steps closer to Buffy. "A member of a sect believed to be long dead by the Jedi Council. The Sith are the 'ancient evil' the Queen mentioned. They -"
Buffy sighed as she held up her palm to him. "Please, enough," she interrupted. "I've seen the movie, okay? So I don't need the novelization. Thanks much." She lowered her hand then grumbled, "He's not what you think he is, anyway."
"Well, then, what is he?" Obi-Wan asked. He locked his hands together behind his back and awaited her response.
Damn, Buffy thought when she saw that smirk on his face. She'd left herself wide open for that one.
"I don't know," she replied. "Yet!" she quickly added, pointing a finger at him. "Giles would definitely know."
"Who is... Giles?" Imoen asked.
"He's my -" Buffy stopped herself before she said 'Watcher'. If she told them that, then she'd have to go into a long, boring narrative about everything. That was information neither of them needed to know. "He's my friend. He's almost like a father to me, really. If only I could talk to him."
The fear returned to her. What if Giles never found out what happened to her? What if she couldn't get back home to her mother and all her friends and her life?
"I could be stuck here forever," she whispered, her voice quivering.
"There is always the possibility your new friend will kill you," Obi-Wan said. When Buffy and Imoen looked at him, he said to Buffy, "That would solve your problem then, wouldn't it?"
Buffy slapped her palm on the table. "Well! Don't you certainly know how to brighten up a room with the silver lining?" she sarcastically snorted. As Obi-Wan left, she called out after him, "Thank you so much for your little visit! Let's do it again sometime. Jerk," she muttered as she slumped down in her chair.
Imoen shook her head, confused by the way Obi-Wan treated Buffy. "I am so sorry," she said to Buffy. "I do not know why he is acting in this manner. Usually, he is very kind."
Buffy shrugged it off. "I don't really blame him," she said. "A strange person falls out of the sky and brings a nasty evil guy to town with her... I'd be suspicious of me, too."
"I do not believe you are evil, or are in league with that Sith lord," Imoen assured her. "You saved Queen Amidala from him. You are a hero to the people of Naboo."
"Yeah, lovely," Buffy flatly said as she slumped down further in her chair. It just figured that the only place she'd get recognition for her work would be some made-up fantasy land.
Xander checked his watch - 6:30 PM. All afternoon, Willow and Giles searched the books, the Web, everywhere for information about Saar and his Games. He hoped they could find something. The world needed its Slayer back. And he just needed his friend back.
"Have you guys found anything?" he asked as looked to Giles and Willow at the checkout counter. "Because there's a really nasty distrust growing between Buffy and Obi-Wan. That is not good, people. Tell me you have something."
Giles picked up a book he'd been reading. "Well, I've found many accounts of the Games Saar has played with other humans throughout history," he said.
"Oooo," Xander said with mock giddiness. "What kind of fun stuff has he been up to?"
"Saar's Games are sort of an embodiment of 'be careful what you wish for'," Giles explained. "He finds a player for Game then he exploits something about the person. The Game starts out well enough for the, uh, the player, but after awhile Saar alters it. He'll take part in the Game. When he bores of his victim, he simply disposes of him."
"Lovely," Xander muttered. "Has anyone ever beaten this guy at one of his Games?"
Giles solemnly shook his head. "No. Never. Saar has complete control over every element surrounding his Games. He is assured... victory."
"In short, he's a big ol' cheater," Willow said.
Giles nodded. "That, uh... that sums it up. Thank you, Willow."
"Lovely," Xander grumbled again. "That's some really great news, Giles." Suddenly, an idea came to him. "You said these Jinn things are mortal, right? From what I've been reading, Saar wants to fight Buffy." He tapped the book. "He's placed himself in the story as a Sith Lord. Not a nice gang of people. There's a chance that Buffy can defeat him. He's never gone up against a Slayer before, has he?"
Giles shook his head. "Not that I've read." His expression turned thoughtful as he considered Xander's idea. "We need to find a way to break his enchantment spell. But your idea has merit, Xander," he added.
"I'm sensing... more research?" Xander said.
"Oh, yes," Giles replied.
"Well, Buffy's going to see their Jedi Council. They're pretty powerful guys," Xander said. "She should be safe with them."
"But for how long, Xander?" Willow asked. "And we don't even know if we can get her out, let alone how."
"Well... There is one possibility," Giles said. He cleared his throat. "Perhaps if Saar is killed, like Xander, uh... pointed out, the spell will be lifted. Things in both worlds would return to normal."
"A big 'if' there, Giles," Willow told him. She sighed. "I hate feeling so powerless!"
A silence fell over them.
Xander turned his attention back to the book. "Oh!" he exclaimed. He waved for Willow and Giles to come over to the table. "Buffy's at the Jedi Temple. She's waiting to see the Council!"
Buffy, hands locked together behind her back, paced back and forth across the room. She continuously glanced at the door leading to the Jedi Council room. Obi-Wan had been in there for quite awhile. She wondered what that little ratboy was telling them.
Imoen sat on one of the benches watching Buffy prowl the floor. She wished there was something she could do to ease Buffy's mind. She looked out the glass door that lead to an outdoor balcony. Night had fallen on Coruscant.
"This guy could show up at any moment," Buffy muttered. She looked to the door again. "And these guys want to yap like a bunch of women at a Junior League meeting. We should be making up some sort of strategy to get rid of this Saar character."
"The Council has many wise members, Buffy," Imoen said. "I am sure they will figure out something."
Buffy snorted as she paused in her pacing. She saw the look on Imoen's face. The handmaiden truly believed what she'd just said. She continued pacing. "What's taking so long?" Buffy exclaimed after she cross the floor a few more times. she tossed up her hands. "This place is so screwed up. I've had parent/teacher conferences shorter than this." She held out a hand to the door. "What can they possibly be talking about in there?"
The door to the Council room hissed as it opened. Obi-Wan stepped out. He looked from Imoen to Buffy. "The Council wishes to speak with you," he said.
"Finally," Buffy sighed. "I was starting to wear a hole in the carpet."
"Good luck, Buffy," Imoen called as the Slayer crossed the room.
Buffy paused and turned to Imoen. "Thanks," she said then smiled. She only wished Imoen could go into the Council room with her.
"The Council is waiting," Obi-Wan reminded Buffy.
"Keep your pants on," Buffy snapped as she continued on her way into the room. She exchanged a rather nasty look with Obi-Wan as she walked by him.
She entered the Council room and came to a halt in the middle of a circle of assorted people in chairs. The room was sort of dark since nothing but windows made up the walls. She felt nervous but kept her composure. The door hissed shut as Obi-Wan rejoined them in the room.
"Why are you dressed this way?"
A rather commanding male voice caught Buffy's attention. She spun on her heel and came face to face with a bald black man dressed in Jedi robes. Mace Windu. Sitting right beside this man was another familiar figure, Yoda.
"What?" Buffy said. She looked down at herself then back to Windu. "What's wrong with my clothes?"
"One could mistake you for a Jedi," Windu informed her. His intense gaze didn't leave her.
"Yeah, and your point being?" Buffy snapped back.
"It is inappropriate," Windu replied. He sat back in his chair as his gaze shifted to Obi-Wan. He didn't hide his displeasure. "Why is this girl brought before us dressed in this manner?"
Buffy looked to her right. She could tell by that look on Obi-Wan's face he was in some sort of trouble. Her attention shifted back to Windu.
"What are you yelling at him for?" she asked jerking a thumb at Obi-Wan. "I was the one who made this outfit." She nodded. "Yeah, I can get dressed all by myself. And you know what? I can even tie my own shoelaces."
Windu and Yoda exchanged a meaningful look. The quiet whisperings among the other Council members made Buffy smile inside. So these old stuffed shirts didn't like her clothes? Fine. They wouldn't be the first, or the last.
"What is your major malfunction?" Buffy went on. "They're just clothes. God, and people think teenage girls obsess over their wardrobe."
"Much impatience I sense from her, yes," Yoda said to Windu.
"You're damn right I'm impatient," Buffy snapped as she came closer to Windu and Yoda. "We're all sitting around here discussing my clothes like we're on House Of Style when more important stuff is going on." She looked from Yoda to Windu. "Where's your sense of priority?"
Yoda calmly stroked his chin with his fingers as he studied Buffy. "Much fear in her, too," he added. "Much fear, indeed."
"Well, yeah!" Buffy said then she rolled her eyes. "Humans get scared when someone wants to kill them!" She looked back to Windu. "Are we even on the same page here? Something bad is gonna happen soon. Don't any of you care?"
"How do you know this?" Windu asked.
Buffy pretended to think it over. "Oh, now, let's see... Oh yeah! The really unfriendly guy who showed up at the Palace, tried to assassinate Queen Amidala then basically threatened my life." She nodded. "Yeah. That was the big tip off."
Windu rest his chin on the tips of the fingers of his right hand. "Why did you seek out the Council?"
"I had a moment of stupidity and thought you could do something about this mess," Buffy stiffly replied.
Windu casually motioned to his fellow Council members. "You are safe under our supervision," he assured her. "One Sith Lord is no match for the power we hold."
Buffy's eyebrows arched as she folded her arms across her chest. "And that's supposed to make me feel better?" she asked. "Ok, news flash, folks: I don't belong here or anywhere else in this universe. I want... to go home."
Yoda and Windu looked to each other. "Flows strong in her, the Force does," Yoda said, and Windu nodded his agreement. "Powerful, is she."
"Power uncontrolled is dangerous," another Council member, Ki-Adi Mundi said.
Windu nodded to that remark as well. "She is very powerful, but is too old and too defiant to train."
Buffy waved her hand then snapped her fingers to get the attention of Windu. "Hello?" she said. "Can we include me here? I'm still in the room, you know." Windu looked at her. "What are you talking about, 'too old to train'?"
"You are too old to begin Jedi training," Windu simply replied.
"Excuse me? Was I applying for a job here?" Buffy looked from Windu to Yoda. "I don't think so. I already have one, thank you. And I'd like to get back to it as soon as possible. So... if you can't help me... then, boys, I'll find help elsewhere."
Chew on that a while, Buffy smugly thought as she started for the door.
Windu looked to Obi-Wan and gave him a slight nod. Understanding, Obi-Wan blocked Buffy's path to the door.
Buffy laughed loudly as she stopped in front of Obi-Wan. "Oh, I've had quite a day," she told him. "You really don't want to pick a fight with me." She side-stepped and continued on her way out.
Obi-Wan grabbed Buffy by her right arm. Buffy pivoted and landed her left fist square in his face. Her Slayer strength propelled the young Jedi half-way across the Council room. The members of the Council did not hide their surprise at what the girl had done.
Obi-Wan landed face down on the floor. He was stunned by the power behind Buffy's punch. But the pain soon faded as his anger took over. Forgetting where he was, Obi-Wan brought out his lightsaber as he got to his feet.
Buffy let out a short laugh when she saw that. "Oh, bring it on!" she declared, getting into a fighting stance. She motioned for him to come over. "I've been dying to kick your ass all day!"
"Enough!" Windu's voice made Buffy and Obi-Wan wince.
Immediately, Obi-Wan turned off his lightsaber when he remembered where he was. He became humble and ashamed as he dropped to his knees. "I apologize for my behavior, Master," he said in a low voice. "It will never happen again."
Windu, along with the other Council members, looked to Buffy, expectantly.
Buffy smirked as she looked at Obi-Wan on his knees. Just like a dog, she thought. The day the Watchers Council sees Buffy Summers do that... She noticed the Jedi Council staring at her.
"What?" she asked. Then she realized they expected her to do the same thing. "Hey, I'm not sorry, and I won't pretend to be. Hitting him was the first fun thing I've done since I got here." Her expression hardened. "And this Council is the biggest bunch of crap I've ever encountered. I'll take my chances on my own!"
With that, Buffy left the room and the Jedi Council behind.
Yoda closed his eyes as he shook his head. "Control her fire, we cannot."
"We cannot allow this girl to leave," Mundi said to the Council. He looked to Windu. "Her fear and anger could culminate into something even more dangerous."
The door hissed shut behind Buffy. She stopped cold in her tracks, placing her hands over her face. "Oh, God, what did I do? What did I just do?" she mumbled into her palms.
Imoen got up from the bench. "What happened?" she dared to ask.
Buffy groaned as her hands slipped down to her sides. "I totally insulted everyone in that room, told them where to stick it, and I laid Obi-Wan out flat with a pretty decent left hook." She felt a little better recalling that last one. Heh, heh.
Imoen blinked. "Oh... my," was all she could muster.
"I know, I know!" Buffy said as she paced back and forth. She fanned herself with her hand. "It's... I... well, I need some air or I'm gonna pass out."
Imoen pointed to the door that led to the outside balcony. "That way."
When Buffy started for the door, Imoen followed. "Please," she said in the kindest tone she could. "I need to be by myself for a little while." She continued on her way out.
Dark had fallen on Coruscant some time before. The lights of the city-planet below reminded Buffy of Los Angeles, where she lived before moving to Sunnydale. She leaned on the balcony railing and buried her face in her arms. Hot tears welled up in her eyes.
"Willow," she whispered. "I wish you were here!"
Willow picked up the book from the table. "Buffy, I'm right here!" she desperately told the book. "I'm with you, Buffy!"
Buffy stopped her sobbing. She thought she'd heard Willow's voice in her head. She sniffled and dried her eyes as she looked around.
"Willow?" she asked.
"She heard you!" Xander exclaiming, shaking Willow's shoulder. He wore a broad grin. "She heard you!"
Willow blinked as she looked from Xander to Giles then down to the book. "But... I... how did she -?" She couldn't fathom how Buffy was able to hear her.
"Say something else!" Xander said, tapping the book. "Go on!"
Willow sat back down in her chair. She took a few deep breaths then glanced up to Giles again. He nodded for her to try once more. Her eyes fell on the book. "Buffy, it's Willow. Can you really hear me?"
Buffy laughed and relief flooded over her after she heard Willow's voice once again. "Yes!" she happily exclaimed. "Yes, I hear you, Willow!"
Willow grinned. "She still hears me!" she told Giles and Xander. She read the words appearing on the page before her. "Ok, Giles, she's asking if you know what's going on? And wants to know where we are."
"She hears us!" Xander said. His smile grew even wider.
"Giles, Xander and I are at the library," Willow said. "We've been working for hours trying to find out what's going on."
Buffy remained quiet as she listened to Willow explain all they had learned about Saar and his evil Jinn Games. It didn't sound very good for her, though.
"He's never been beaten, Buffy," Willow's voice echoed in Buffy's mind.
"Great," Buffy said. "So, I'm stuck here in Bizzaro World. As much fun as it would be for Xander, the idea of being here forever is a less than stellar one."
There was a pause before Willow said, "Xander says he can't believe you punched Obi-Wan Kenobi in front of the entire Jedi Council."
"Well, he deserved it!" Buffy defensively snapped. She grumbled. "Does Giles have any theories on how I can get out of here? Give me something, anything!"
A few moments passed then Willow replied, "Giles thinks the spell could be broken if you kill Saar."
"Oh, greater!" Buffy muttered then sighed. "And where do I find a stake around here?" She waved a hand to the bright city below her. "I don't see a lot of trees round these here parts."
"Giles doesn't think that would work, anyway," Willow told her. "And that you probably have to defeat Saar using the means available to you in that realm." A pause then, "It's Saar's Game. He wants you to play it."
"So he's waiting for me to challenge him to a fight?" Buffy asked. She shook her head. "Why didn't he do that in the real world?"
"Giles says that was Saar's whole point - it's a Game for him."
Buffy leaned against the railing of the balcony. "Ok," she finally replied. "I need to defeat him with the means available to me in this realm. Now... in English please?" She waited for the reply.
"All right," said Willow's voice after a few minutes. "Xander says you need to get a lightsabre."
Buffy laughed. "Yeah! I'll just run down to the local K-Mart and pick one up!" She paced around the balcony. "Where am I supposed to get one? And even if I do get one, I don't know how to use it!"
"Xander says you've seen Star Wars, Buffy," Willow answered. "You can do it."
Buffy looked up to the sky, she didn't know why, perhaps she just felt better looking at something when talking. "Yeah, well, I've seen Apollo 13, too, Xander, but it doesn't make me qualified to fly a mission to the moon, does it?"
Obi-Wan came out of the Jedi Council room. The door hissed shut behind him. Until the Council could decide what to do with Buffy, they had put her under his supervision temporarily. He wanted to argue against it, but it was the Council's decision, he had to obey. As if he didn't have enough to deal with at this point.
He looked around, but didn't see Buffy anywhere. He spotted Imoen sitting on one of the benches, a distant look on her face.
"Where did she go?" he asked.
Imoen slowly drifted out of her daydream. She'd imagined traveling all over the galaxy, helping Buffy to fight all the evil it held. But that was only in her mind, and it would never become reality. She slid her gaze over to Obi-Wan, then pointed to the glass door.
Obi-Wan followed Imoen's finger. He could see Buffy pacing around on the balcony. Occasionally she would look up and say something.
Imoen sighed heavily as Obi-Wan headed for the door. She found herself wishing she were in Buffy's place. Buffy would be able to stay on Coruscant, perhaps even continue her fight against evil with the Jedi. Much more adventure than she'd see as a handmaiden.
"Oh, now, that's just stupid, Xander!" Buffy exclaimed as the glass door hissed open slowly. She turned around and gasped shortly, surprised Obi-Wan was in her face. She balled up a fist, but stopped herself from popping him one again. "Geez! Don't do that! It's not polite to sneak up on people!" She took a step back from him.
"I'm amazed you even know that such a concept as 'polite' exists," Obi-Wan replied as he took a step to match the one she'd taken backwards.
Buffy glared at him, then a wicked smirk crossed her face. "How's your fat lip?" she asked. "And there's also a concept called personal space." She gave him a light shove back. "Look into it," she snapped.
"Buffy, stop goading him," Willow's voice chastised. "You need his help. Remember?"
Buffy glanced up at the sky then over to Obi-Wan. Apparently, he could not hear Willow speaking. She gritted her teeth and balled her hands into fists at her sides. "I'm trying, here," she growled.
"Trying to what?" Obi-Wan inquired. He took his own look to the sky after Buffy glanced up again. Why did she keep doing that?
"I... uh... I," Buffy stumbled over the words as her body relaxed. "You... well, I was trying to... think of a nice way to... ask you for... help?" It truly caused her pain to say that last word, especially to him.
Obi-Wan strolled behind Buffy then stopped. "Hmmm. Help with what?" he asked.
"Against Saar. Hello?" she replied then rolled her eyes. She half-turned to look at him. "Big ugly guy dressed in black who is gunning for me? 'Member him?"
Obi-Wan nodded as he came around from behind Buffy then he stopped in front of her. "How exactly may I help you?" His gaze locked with hers.
Buffy could tell he was enjoying every moment of this. Was this sort of behavior allowed by the Jedi code thingy? "I'd like to be able to defend myself," she answered. She sighed in frustration. "Is this that hard to understand? Do I need to run down to Kinko's and get some graphs and charts for you? I need a weapon!"
Obi-Wan reached inside his cloak then brought out his lightsabre. He held it up so she could see it. "Something like this?"
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about," Buffy said reaching for it.
"This is not a toy," he told Buffy as he pulled it from her reach.
"Well, that's good!" she replied. She snatched it from his hand before he could utter another protest. "How hard could it be to use this?" she mumbled looking it over. "It's like a regular sword, right?"
She pressed a button on the hilt. Obi-Wan jumped back as the blade of pure energy jutted out from the device. Buffy gazed at the humming green blade in awe. She twirled it a few times, her face lighting up with a smile.
"Oh, I take that back! This is way better than a sword!" she declared. She held up the lightsabre between her and Obi-Wan. "As long as you don't touch this glowy part, you're fine, right?" she asked, motioning to the blade.
"Yes, but -"
Buffy flicked it off. "Thanks," she replied. She walked by him, headed back into the building. "That's all I need to know."
Obi-Wan was right on her heels. He wasn't about to let this girl take Qui-Gon's lightsabre from him. Besides being the only sabre he had until he could build himself a new one, it was all he had left of his master. He almost said something to Buffy when she came to an abrupt halt inside the building.
Buffy felt Obi-Wan bump into her from behind. She didn't say anything because more pressing matters had arisen. Her hand tightened around the hilt of the sabre when she met Saar's gaze.
Saar chuckled. He pulled Imoen closer, keeping his left arm firmly around her neck. His own lightsabre was drawn, its red blade humming inches away from Imoen's lower body. "It's time, Slayer," he hissed at Buffy.
Buffy gave Obi-Wan a push back when he tried to get around her. "Stay out of this," she snapped at him then looked to Saar. "I'm amazed you got up the guts to come after me, Saar."
Saar's grin faded. "I planned on letting you stumble around awhile longer," he snarled. "I had so many wonderful plans for you. You were a perfect candidate to corrupt to the Dark Side." His eyes flashed as he narrowed his gaze at Buffy. "But you broke the rules by talking to your friends out there. Your connection to them was much stronger than I imagined."
"I broke the rules?" Buffy snorted, pointing to herself. "And kidnapping me to wacky world is queensbury? If you're such a bad ass, Saar, why didn't you take me on in my own world?"
"Shut up!" Saar yelled. He tightened his grip on Imoen. The girl whimpered in terror and tears fell from her eyes.
Buffy mentally kicked herself for not insisting that Imoen stay on Naboo. "Look," she said. "This is between us. Why don't you let Imoen go?"
Saar laughed, and shoved his lightsabre blade closer to Imoen. "What do you care about this girl? She's not real!"
"She's real enough to me," Buffy evenly replied. "So let her go. Come on! Are you so scared of me you have to hide behind a girl?"
Saar growled then he shoved Imoen away. Imoen fell to the floor with a thump. He flicked his sabre off, but an evil grin made its way to his face. "Killing you won't be a problem, Slayer." He glanced at Obi-Wan who helped Imoen up from the floor. "And I will enjoy it," he added.
"Well, then let's have a go at it!" Buffy replied.
"You have no experience with that weapon!" Saar declared, motioning to her. "I am assured victory! I control every aspect of this Game!"
"You throw whatever you've got at me, Saar," Buffy said as she went into a defensive stance. "We'll let fate decide who wins."
Saar looked around the room then he shook his head. "No, no. This will not do for the exciting climax," he said. "Something with a little more ... drama is in order."
He made a motion with his hand. A swirling light encompassed everyone in the room. When it faded away, Buffy, Imoen and Obi-Wan found themselves back on Naboo.
"What the hell -?" Buffy said as she looked around. Catwalks crisscrossed above and below them. Some sort of mechanic hum droned throughout the expansive complex that seemed to go up forever, and down into a bottomless pit. "Where are we?" she asked looking to Imoen and Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan recognized this place all too well. He could almost see Qui-Gon and himself battling it out on the catwalks above with the Sith Lord, Darth Maul.
"We're back on Naboo, in the heart of the city - the power station," Imoen said, her voice barely above a whisper. She shook her head, fear filled her entire body. "How... how could we be back here?"
The sound of Saar's wicked cackling echoed above the machinery noise. "Ahh! This is much better!" his voice declared.
Buffy raised up her head to see Saar standing on a catwalk high above them. His hooded cloak was gone but his lightsabre hilt was in his right hand. "Get Imoen out of here," Buffy said as she glanced over her shoulder to Obi-Wan.
"I'm not leaving you alone with him," Obi-Wan told Buffy. He knew what these Sith Lords were capable of, and Buffy didn't have a chance of surviving this fight. Obviously, this Sith was incredibly more powerful than the last.
"This is my fight!" Buffy snapped at him. She motioned to Imoen. "Now get her out of here, and mind your own business!"
Against his better judgement, Obi-Wan did as Buffy requested. She did have a good point about getting Imoen some place safe. He admired her bravery in standing up to this Sith, but the fight would be a short one.
Buffy was too busy watching Obi-Wan and Imoen leave that she didn't see Saar jump down from the upper catwalk to the platform she was on. She heard the sound of Saar's lightsabre turning on. Immediately, she ducked, side-stepping as she did, and barely escaped his attack.
Quickly, she maneuvered behind Saar while he attempted to regain his balance. When she was in position, she flicked on her own lightsabre just in time to block an attack from Saar when he whirled around. The buzz from the two beams of energy connecting made Buffy's arms tingle. When she backed away and the sabres separated the sensation stopped.
Saar laughed as he advanced on her. And he did not let up on his attack, delivering a fierce series of moves. Buffy backed away from him, her full concentration on deflecting Saar's sabre before it could hit her.
"Buffy, behind you!" Willow's voice exclaimed.
Buffy glanced behind her. Saar was driving her back against a wall. She ducked down as Saar swung his blade at her head. The blade sparked as it dragged against the wall and left a black char mark behind.
Buffy let out a sigh of relief. I gotta ditch this cloak, she thought. She pulled her cloak off. When Saar turned around, he found himself blanked by Buffy's cloak when she tossed on over his head. While Saar struggled to free himself, Buffy used the opportunity to land a side kick to his gut. Her kick threw him against the wall.
"Die time!" she yelled as she brought her saber down on Saar.
Saar tossed off the cloak and made a frantic swipe for Buffy's legs with his blade. He growled when she jumped up and his saber whizzed harmlessly under her feet.
"Not nice," she told him then brought her sabre down on him once more. Her sabre connected hard with Saar's as he blocked her. Buffy kept the pressure on, refusing to let up on him.
Saar gritted his teeth together as he held off the girl's sabre. When he got a chance, he kicked her in the mid-section, sending her stumbling backwards. Buffy came to a stop right before her feet stepped off the side of the catwalk. She regained her balance. Seeing the never-ending drop-off, Buffy whispered, "Hoo boy, that was close."
"Buffy, he's coming right for you!" Willow warned.
Buffy saw Saar charging her. She executed an amazing forward somersault over Saar's head. He skidded to a halt and spun around to block an attack from Buffy. He backhanded the Slayer as hard as he could.
Buffy whirled around a few times from the force of Saar's hit. She fell to the floor, losing her grip on the lightsabre. The blade of the sabre retracted as soon as Buffy's hand let go of the hilt.
Saar cackled as he watched Buffy try to shake off his last hit. "There's nobody here to help you, Slayer!" he snarled.
Buffy grabbed her sabre, flicked it on then flipped up to her feet. She glared at Saar as she gripped the sabre tightly. "There's nobody to help you either!" she yelled. She advanced on Saar, putting him on the defensive for once in this fight. Her upper hand didn't last long, though.
Saar flipped over Buffy's head. When he landed on the floor behind her, Saar hit Buffy in the middle of the back with the hilt of his sabre. Buffy yelped in pain as she lurched forward. She was back on balance faster than Saar expected. She put her sabre up over her head, blocking Saar's blade when he brought it down on her.
"Rrrraah!" he yelled out in rage.
Buffy turned to face Saar. As she did, she gave her sabre a sharp twist. The movement wriggled Saar's sabre from his hand. It clattered to the floor a few yards away. He looked to Buffy, stunned that she'd been able to disarm him.
Buffy used that moment to bring herblade down on Saar. She whacked off his right arm neatly at the elbow. She clobbered him in the head with a spinning hook kick that sent him whirling through the air.
Saar landed on the floor with a loud grunt. He placed his left hand down so he could push himself up to his knees. After shaking his head, Saar looked at the stump where his right arm once was. She was much better than he'd hoped.
Not taking anymore chances, Buffy twirled the sabre around, gripped the hilt in both hands then drove the green energy beam through Saar's back. Huffing a little, Buffy yanked the sabre from Saar's body as it fell the floor. She sniffled and brushed her sweat soaked hair from her forehead.
It was over.
Her relief did not last long. Right before Buffy's eyes, Saar's wound on his back healed. A new arm regrew in place of the one Buffy's chopped off.
Willow looked up to Giles who read the book from over her shoulder. "Giles, what's happening?" she asked. She didn't try to hide her confusion and fear. "I thought you said Jinn were mortal!"
Xander shook his head as he looked over to Giles and Willow. "I have a bad feeling about this," he said.
"Uh, guys?" Buffy said as she backed away from Saar as he stirred. "Something is not right here!"
Saar pushed himself up to his knees. He flexed the fingers of his new right hand then held it out. His lightsabre sailed across the room and into it. "I told you I was assured victory, Slayer," he growled then chuckled.
"Giles says to go for his head!" Willow, almost frantic, replied.
"Giles had better be right this time or I'm totally screwed!" Buffy said.
Saar raised up his left hand at Buffy. An invisible wave of energy hit Buffy, the force of it slammed her back against the wall. He laughed maniacally.
"Oof!" Buffy's hand popped open upon impact with the wall. The lightsabre skittered across the floor, landing far from her reach. Her body slid down the wall and thumped into a heap on the floor.
Saar chuckled deeply as he made his way over to the stunned Slayer.
"Buffy!" Willow yelled. She slammed her hands on the pages, like it could stop Saar. "What was that? What did he do to her?"
"He must've Force pushed her," Xander replied. He saw the looks he got from Giles and Willow. "Force pushed. You know, used the Force to push her?" He sighed then added, "I'm so alone."
"She has to snap out of it, or he'll kill her!" Willow whirled around and grabbed the book. "Buffy! Buffy, you've got to get up!"
Buffy stirred on the floor when she heard Willow's voice yelling at her to get up. She groaned as she pushed herself off of the floor. A wave of dizziness washed over her, keeping her from getting up. "Whoa... what... what was that?" she said as she put a hand to the back of her head.
"Buffy, watch out!" Willow exclaimed. "He's headed for you! You have to get up!"
"I feel like I'm gonna puke!" Buffy moaned in reply.
Saar stopped a few feet from Buffy. He looked down upon her with a certain amount of admiration. "You're full of spunk, Slayer," he told her. "And you lasted much longer in combat than I thought you would." He flicked his sabre on. "You've been a most excellent player."
"BUFFY!" Willow's voice screamed.
Saar brought down his lightsabre on the girl. "Huh?" His face twisted up in confusion as a green blade appeared out of nowhere, blocking his own. "What?" He slid his gaze to his right to see Obi-Wan standing there. He pulled his saber back as he narrowed his eyes at the young Jedi. "This quarrel isn't with you, boy," he snapped, pointing at Obi-Wan with his saber.
"Youattempted tomurder my friend," Obi-Wan evenly replied. He gave the Sith Lord a slight smile. "That makes it our quarrel."
"Ooooohhhh," Buffy groaned. She felt her equilibrium return to her. She blinked a few times. Her eyes focused on Saar engaged in a rather heated battle with Obi-Wan. "What?" she whispered as she watched them. Obi-Wan was definitely too much for Saar to handle. The Jedi had the evil Jinn on the constant defensive.
"Are you all right, Buffy?" Imoen asked as she kneeled down behind her.
Buffy looked over to Imoen. The girl held Buffy's cloak in her hands and wore a concerned expression on her face. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "I thought I told Obi-Wan to take you someplace safe?"
"He did," she answered. She looked down. "He told me to stay put. But after he left to come back here, I disobeyed him and followed. I couldn't stay away." She looked up to Buffy. "Not when my friend was in danger."
Buffy struggled to get to her feet. "You can't stay here, Imoen," she said. When she finally got up, she looked back to Saar and Obi-Wan. "Now exactly what is he trying to prove?" she asked, waving a hand at them.
Imoen clutched Buffy's cloak close as she rose up to her feet. "He is only trying to help you, Buffy," she replied.
"Yeah, well, I want to be to the one to kill this jerkwad," Buffy snapped. She caught sight of her cloak in Imoen's hands. She looked back to Saar, he was busy trying not to get cut to pieces. "Let me see this," she said, taking the cloak from Imoen.
"Why?" Imoen asked as she watched Buffy search the cloak. When Buffy pulled out the Chinese star, she said, "What are you going to do with that?"
"Watch and learn," she replied. She took aim on Saar. It was difficult since Obi-Wan had his back to her, blocking Saar from her line of sight. But she knew she could hit the right person. "Hey, Kenobi!" she yelled. "Get out of the way!" She hurled the deadly weapon.
Obi-Wan glanced back to see Buffy throw something in his direction. He did as he was told. He spun neatly on one foot, getting out of the path of the object. And he was just in time, too. Saar, however, wasn't as lucky.
The Chinese star ripped its way through the front of Saar's neck and exited out the back. The Jinn's head bobbled for a moment before completely falling off. Saar's body and head collapsed onto the catwalk at the same time. His saber clattered harmlessly at his side.
"YES!" Buffy triumphantly exclaimed as she jumped up. "And the crowd goes wild!" She pumped her fist in the air. "Slayer-1, Evil Jinn Jerk-0!"
Obi-Wan didn't take his eyes off the Sith's body as Buffy and Imoen joined him out on the catwalk. He looked over to Buffy. It was an amazing shot on Buffy's part. Using such a small weapon and receiving such precise results.
Imoen stared upon Saar's remains. "Are you sure he's dead?"
Buffy poked at Saar's body with her foot. "Usually, if they don't move by now, they're dead," she replied. She kicked Saar's head, sending it sailing off the catwalk. "Poor guy. He lost his head." Her gaze shifted to Obi-Wan. "And didn't I tell you to mind your own business?"
"You're welcome," he replied.
Buffy frowned. He had saved her life, she was forced to admit. And he didn't have to do anything for her. "Thank you," she said but added, "Don't think I'm not still mad at you, though. Next time I tell you to mind your own business, you do it."
"I didn't interfere until you were in dire need of help," Obi-Wan said. Now it was his turn to concede something. "You really are quite skilled. I didn't believe you would last long against him."
Buffy's face lit up in a smile. "Jedi Council doesn't know what they passed up, do they?"
"No, they do not."
Buffy's smile faded as she sighed. "And I may be stuck here to tell them that." She looked around. "What's the deal, Willow? I killed this guy. How come stuff isn't back to normal?"
"Giles doesn't know why things haven't changed," Willow answered. "It was only a theory, Buffy," she solemnly added.
Buffy nodded. "Yes, you're right. It was only a theory." She sighed.
"What is wrong?" Imoen asked, seeing the look on Buffy's face.
"I'd hoped by killing Saar, I'd get back to my own world. It didn't work," Buffy replied. "I'm probably gonna be stuck here forever!"
Imoen frowned slightly. "I'm sorry it didn't work out the way you'd hoped," she said. She tried to be optimistic. "You can learn to fit in here. Perhaps you could be a bodyguard for the Queen?"
"The Jedi Council will not allow that," Obi-Wan said.
Buffy turned to him. "Excuse me?"
"I never had the chance to tell you," he went on. "The Council placed you in my charge until they can decide how to handle you."
Buffy groaned loudly. "This totally sucks!" she yelled, her voice echoed. She began to kick Saar's headless body. "This is all your fault!" she snarled each work in between kicks. "Thanks to you and your stupid Game, I'm stuck here!"
Saar's body finally rolled over the edge of the catwalk and plummeted down into the endless void until it disappeared from sight. A low rumble began then slowly built.
Buffy looked up then asked, "What is that?"
Back in the library, Willow leaped out of her chair as the book wildly rattled on the table. "Giles, what is going on?" she asked, looking to the Watcher. He was just as confused as she.
"Guys, it just got seriously Poltergeist here!" Xander remarked. He slowly backed away from the table.
Buffy looked over to Imoen as the rumbling grew louder. "The spell, the one that brought me here, it must be broken!" she called out. "The two worlds are returning to normal!"
Imoen stumbled forward, a hand stretched out to Buffy. "I wish I could go with you!" she said. Her hand grasped onto Buffy's shoulder tightly.
Buffy looked into the eyes of the other girl, realizing Imoen would cease to exist. She held onto Imoen's arm, she saw the tears in her new friend's eyes. "I wish you could come with me, too," she replied.
Before Buffy could say another word, a brilliant flash of white light blinded her. And darkness followed.
"Buffy! Buffy, wake up!"
Willow's voice sounded distant.
"Is she alive?" Buffy heard Xander's voice ask.
Buffy's eyes slowly opened and focused onto the ceiling of the high school library. "Willow? Xander?" she hoarsely asked.
Willow's smiling face appeared above Buffy. "You're ok!" she joyously cried. She helped Buffy to sit up on the table then hugged her. "Oh my God. We were so freaking out when we thought Saar was gonna kill you!"
Xander gave Buffy a big hug as well. "You did well, young Padawan," he told her with a smile. He gave her the once over. "The Jedi look really becomes you. I don't care what that Council says."
Buffy looked down at herself. She still wore her clothes from the Star Wars universe. She tossed her feet over the side of the table. She grinned when Giles wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "You saved me again, Giles," she said when he let go. She looked at her friends. "All of you did. I... I don't even know where to start in thanking you!" She sighed. "I was convinced I was stuck there. Hey... that's something else. How'd I get back here?"
Giles ran a hand through his hair then shrugged. "I have no explanation as to why the spell took so long to break."
"I have a theory," Xander spoke up. "Stuff didn't go back to normal until you kicked Saar's body off that catwalk, Buffy. It's like a thing with the Star Wars villains. They're not really considered dead until they fall down into some big pit."
"Well, whatever happened, it got me back here where I belong. With all my friends." Buffy smile faded as she remembered Imoen. Well, almost all her friends.
Groaning caught the attention of everyone in the room.
"What's that?" Willow asked, her eyes wide.
Imoen, a hand planted on her forehead, rose up from the floor on the opposite side of the table. "Ooooh...my," she groaned as she lowered her hand. "What was that?"
"Looks like you brought back more than a new set of clothes," Xander said, raising an eyebrow.
Buffy's jaw dropped open at Imoen standing there. She tried to speak but the words got caught in her throat.
Imoen's eyes were just as wide as she took in the library. "This is... " She let her gaze settle on the Slayer. "Buffy?" Her friend stood with three oddly dressed starngers on the opposite side of the table.
"Imoen? The girl from the book?" Willow whispered, not taking her eyes off the other girl. "How did she get here?"
Buffy picked up the book and flipped to the last page with words. It didn't say anything beyond the point where Buffy kicked Saar's body over the edge of the catwalk. "I-I don't know!" she replied then looked over to Giles. "Giles?"
Giles stared at Imoen, equally stunned, for another moment. "I'm at a loss for an explanation myself," he responded.
Buffy snapped her fingers. "We grabbed onto each other right before that flash of light!" she exclaimed then looked Imoen over. "I... I must've brought you back because of it." She shook her head. "You... you're really...real! Giles," she said to her Watcher. "Can you get her back?"
Giles took the book from Buffy's hands. He sighed then shook his head. "With Saar dead, the.. the, uh, portal of sorts he created to this world-" He tapped the book. "Is closed. This is nothing more than it appears to be." He dropped it on the table. "A mere book."
"If she can't go back then..." Willow's words trailed off.
"Then I'd say we have a new member of the Scooby Gang," Xander finished.
Imoen gave the room another look. "This is your world?" she asked of Buffy. "I am in your world?" When Buffy nodded, Imoen's face broke into a bright smile. "My dream... it is made reality! I am free to do what I want. I can help you help others, Buffy." She laughed. "You don't know what this means to me! I thank you!"
Buffy exchanged looks with Giles, Willow then Xander. She shrugged. Imoen obviously didn't have any problem with being in the real world. She sighed. "I guess that leaves only one thing to say," she said.
"That this is, by far, the weirdest thing to ever happen on the Hellmouth?" Xander replied.
Buffy shook her head. "I agree, but not quite what I meant," she told Xander. "Imoen." She looked over to the beaming young girl. She tossed up her hands, motioning to the library. "Welcome to Sunnydale!"
Da End.