101Disclaimer: I do not own BtVS, Angel, or Star Wars.
Dark Heart IV
"Talking"
"Thinking"
The galaxy was buckling.
Something from outside was trying to break in.
It was centered on Tython. There the pressure boiled, straining the boundaries. More than one Jedi had nightmares about its forests burning, the mountains turning to ash as creatures no good person alive could think of swarm the planet, the system, and then the galaxy.
One thing always stood out in the nightmares. One person stood before the monsters, cloaked in darkness and holding a lightsaber high. No one could decide whether the lightsaber was meant as a rallying point or the moment before they struck. But they could guess at who the cloak belonged to.
Their suspicion only grew when grave news reached the Order.
Darth Cordis had left Korriban and was heading for Tython.
By the time Buffy and the rest of the Council mobilized the Order, a week had already passed. Which meant he had that much of a lead on them. If he was allowed to achieve what the nightmares foretold, he would be unstoppable. He had to be stopped and whatever was coming had to be beaten back.
Yet while most of the Order believed that, Buffy and the rest of Scoobies had their doubts. It had been a year since Rey returned from Korriban. The information she had brought with her made them consider many things they had taken as truth over the decades. Once, they had known Darth Cordis used to be their friend, Xander Harris. Now, they wondered if Xander was still there, using Darth Cordis as a front.
The Order believed he was going to Tython to claim the monsters coming. The Scoobies thought he was going to stop them.
They didn't dare voice these thoughts to the Order. The Jedi had changed for the better when Buffy, Willow, and Faith became their leaders, being more open to the public and willing to let families to keep in contact with their children. Instead of waiting for evil to arise, they went out into the galaxy to see what they could do to help.
But the one thing they held true to, all these years, was that their mortal enemy were the Sith. And Darth Cordis was the last Sith alive. If they had the chance, it would be their duty to kill him.
That was the attitude Rey had dealt with ever since she came back. As much as she wanted to defend her grandfather and his actions, only her friends would listen and consider her words. The rest thought she had been lucky to escape Korriban with her life.
She wanted to believe that her grandfather was keeping whatever on Tython at bay but there were doubts in her mind. Even when she tried to center herself in the Force, to calm her emotions, that doubt rang clear in her thoughts.
Even now, aboard the Millennium Falcon with her own squad of Jedi, she couldn't center herself. Meditating wasn't going to do anything, so she pulled herself off the floor. A little smile crossed her lips as she looked around the main hold. It hadn't changed since she had been here last. The game table was still placed against the corner, opposite a data console, and various crates and barrels were scattered throughout the place. Rey never knew what was in those things. She knew she would never get a straight answer if she asked.
There was a row of pictures wedged behind the table, about four in total. Rey had seen those pictures before. They had been there since the first time she came aboard the Falcon. Ben had put them there. Said they were reminders. But this time, the fourth picture drew her attention.
It was a photo of the Falconn docked in a spaceport. Two men and a Wookie were sitting amongst cargo, enjoying the moment. The man on the left was Ben's father, Han Solo, and the Wookie was his partner, Chewbacca. But the second man, smiling without showing teeth with eyes hidden by sunglasses, it was her grandfather.
Rey traced his smile with her finger. She had seen that smile before. Even in the photo, she could see its warmth. "Rey?" Ben called out from the corridor.
She didn't jump, no matter what anyone might say. "Yeah?" she asked as she put the photo back.
Ben came into view. His dark hair was pulled back in a tail. He always did that when things were serious. "Are you done with your meditations?" he asked.
"For the time, yes." He was always a welcome sight to her. Leaning against the corridor's wall, black jacket open at the front so he could easily reach his blaster, he projected confidence. She would've called it cockiness if she hadn't seen him fly the Falcon. His eyes were always warm when they looked at her. It gave her a nice feeling.
But those eyes were serious now. "Good, because we're coming up on Tython."
She nodded and followed him to the cockpit. Her mind lingered on that photo. "Ben, did your father ever talk about his life? Who he worked with?"
"Sometimes," Ben answered. "Used to gripe about how a job would go a lot easier if they had their temp worker again. Chewie always reminded him that Alex was a temp worker for a reason."
Rey wanted to keep the conversation going but they had already reached the cockpit. Liam glanced her way as they entered. "You okay?" he asked in that quiet voice of his.
"I'm fine," she answered.
Ben sat in his chair and immediately started working the controls. Poe, his co-pilot, guided the ship through the last moment. "Coming out of lightspeed, now," he declared, easing the throttle back.
The blue tunnel slowed back down into stars and Tython suddenly loomed before them, along with the rest of the Order's fleet. A cold wave pressed against Rey, along with a hot stab through the heart. She wasn't the only one. All the Jedi in the cockpit struggled to breathe. "What, what is it?" Ben asked, looking back at them.
"The Force," Finn gasped out, sweat beading on his brow. "It's in turmoil, pain."
Tara had to grip the back of Poe's seat just to keep a steady grip. "It's weakening," she said. Her voice strained as she fought to focus. "We need to get down there, now."
Ben and Poe shared one look and wasted no more time. They had been working with these Jedi long enough to know if they needed to get somewhere fast, they needed to get somewhere fast. The rest of the fleet was already heading into orbit.
The Falcon was small and light enough to enter atmosphere ahead of the shuttlecrafts, landing in a grassy plain. Storm clouds crackled with power overhead, waiting to discharge. Rey was the first to set foot on the world. She searched for her grandfather through the Force.
She didn't sense the black beast, only a vague guidance. She opened her eyes and looked to the east, away from the mountains. Other shuttles had already started to land. Jedi came out, looking ill but determined to continue on. Buffy was already there, with Willow and Faith. "Mom," said Liam and Tara, going to their respective parent.
Buffy gave her son a onceover, an old habit she wasn't going to let die any time soon. Once she knew he was fine, she looked at the others. "Finn, you good?" she asked her former Padawan.
He nodded, even as he took a shaky breath. "Yeah, I'm good."
Rey didn't wait for the question. "We need to go that way," she told the Grandmaster of the Order, pointing east. "Whatever's happening, it's that way." Master Summers nodded and quickly relayed orders. The grassland quickly transformed into a base camp. The Falcon stayed on the planet while shuttles kept landing and deploying Jedi.
The more Jedi landed on Tython, the more they felt the Force changed. It didn't seem so much in pain now. It was still strained but the pressure was easing off. It quickly became obvious that the Jedi were causing that effect just by being on Tython. Any doubts still held by some were erased by that fact.
Rey didn't know where she was going, not exactly. She could sense her grandfather through the Force, but only just. The black beast she had long associated with him was gone, leaving only the shadow of a figure. It beckoned her to keep going.
Her path took her and the Jedi away from the forests and the temples. The land gradually turned barren. Then it became scarred. When she stopped, Rey gazed on what used to be a valley. Now it was only a wasteland caused by battle.
And her grandfather stood amongst it all, watching a dark haze in the distance.
All the Jedi reached for their lightsabers. He was right there, their enemy. The last Sith. It was only because their leaders were that they stayed in place. Buffy eyed the back of her old friend. He must've known that they were here. So why didn't he turn around?
The question pushed her forward, walking through that wasteland, until she stood beside him. Willow and Faith followed suit. For a long moment, nothing was said. "Hey, Buffy." The voice was older, tired, but it was definitely Xander's. "What took you?"
She couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips. "Oh, you know, getting all the kids loaded up, actually getting here. Traffic was a nightmare."
"I told her that we should've taken a shortcut," Faith remarked.
"After you argued about who actually drove," Willow replied, giving the former wild child a look. "Still think I should've done it." The rest of the Jedi started to join them. They were cautious, some a little baffled that their leaders could chat so easily with the Sith, but they still came to their side.
"C'mon, Will. If you hadn't been reading the map, we never would've gotten here," Buffy told her old friend. She looked around the area again. "So, what exactly have you done with the place, Xander?"
Xander knew it wasn't the innocent question it sounded like. "I haven't done anything. That was all them." He gestured out to the haze. "I've been dealing with the stragglers, but more are coming." Rey came to his side. Grandfather and granddaughter shared a quick look and a brief smile.
The air overhead crackled as thunder boomed in the distance. Suddenly a man stood before them. He didn't loom over them all, being at a similar height to Xander. He was old, with a long white beard, and seemed frailer than he should've been. Yet none of them could deny the fact the Force resounded with him.
The old man stared at Xander. "You," he said in a voice that used to be powerful. "You have ruined everything."
The last Sith gazed upon him without regret. "Yeah, I've got a bad habit of doing that."
"The Chosen One. The prophecy…it is broken." His eyes hardened and many a Jedi felt a shiver run down their spines. "Everything will be destroyed, because of you."
Buffy bristled at the threat. She didn't like it when people threatened her friends. But Xander didn't move. His shaded eyes stared right at the old man. "I just did what I do best. If you want to blame someone, blame your children. They're the reason we're here."
Rey had so many questions and she knew she wasn't the only one. But something else was happening. "The haze is growing."
"Ah, they're finally coming," her grandfather remarked. Then he glanced back at the old man. "If you're not gonna help, leave. We've got enough problems here." The old man stared at him for a moment longer before his shoulders sagged. He stepped to the side and vanished, as if he had never been there in the first place.
The Sith walked towards the haze and the Jedi followed. "Who was that?" Buffy asked Xander.
"Later."
A figure started to emerge from the haze while shadows loomed behind. Rey quickly realized the figure was a woman, roughly the same age as her. She was dressed as if she was simply taking a stroll, even letting her hair flow down her back. The one thing that stood out about her was the sneer she gave them all. "Buffy, Willow," she said, not bothering to hide her hatred.
"Amy," they said back. Unlike her, they were resigned and somber.
She looked down the line until she found Xander. It took her a moment to realize who he was. "Xander Harris?" Her laugh was delightful, and so wrong. "Look at you. Blind and old? Never could amount to anything, huh? How pathetic can you get?"
Rey bristled at the insults, but her grandfather didn't. "Amy. You still hanging around with Warren? Or have you finally realized what a waste of skin he is?" Master Faith snickered while Master Buffy was clearly fighting the urge to smirk. The other woman glared at him as her fingers twitched. He smirked. "That's not it, is it? They offered you power and your youth, and in return, you became theirs. You didn't even think about leaving Warren behind, did you?"
"Shut up," she snapped. "Warren couldn't cut it. I got tired of listening to him moan about how unfair it was."
"Yes, I bet you did." His mockery only made her angrier. "I'd ask how dumb can you get but that's pretty much established. After all, you threw your lot in with them." He glanced up at the looming shadows.
Rey followed his glance. The shadows were large and vague, but there was an aura of menace to them. They weren't here on Tython, not fully. But that was changing by the minute. "Who are they?" Liam asked, voicing the question they all had.
"The mascots of Evil Lawyers Incorporated, Liam," Xander answered. "Your namesake made himself a nuisance to them a while back."
"And look where Angel is now," Amy said with a smirk. "Gone. Yet we're still here." Her smirk widened, just enough to show she knew victory was at hand. "This galaxy, it has such fertile potential. We will do great things with it. Once we take out the trash." Her sneer announced who the trash was.
The Jedi didn't take well to it. "We're not going to let you invade the galaxy," Finn declared. He brought his lightsaber up, ready to draw it.
Amy laughed. Their spines crawled at the sound. It just sounded wrong. "It's adorable how you think you have a chance. You're going to die here. Just look at Xander." All eyes fell on the blind man, trying to understand what she meant. Her smirk turned smugger. "Oh, can't you see? He's been trying to keep us from getting in ever since he landed, and he kept failing. More than that, he's dying."
Rey wanted to call her a liar. But when she looked at her grandfather, really looked at him, she saw how pale and gaunt he looked, how he was all but holding himself up. When she reached for him through the Force, she felt how tired he was, doing all he could to hold on. Once he stopped, he would be gone.
He looked her way, having felt her touch, and smiled reassuringly. "Not dead yet, Rey," he told her. The smile vanished when he looked at Amy. "And I wasn't trying to keep your side out, Amy. I was keeping you in place."
"A delaying tactic? Really?" Amy asked, rolling her eyes. "For them?" She sneered at the Jedi before stepping aside. "Look at what the Senior Partners brought into this galaxy."
The haze broke, revealing…most would've called it a horde, but even that word didn't seem to justify the sight.
The numbers just stretched to the borders of their sight and then beyond. There was no use trying to count their numbers because there were too many to count. The ones the Jedi could see might've been different creatures or monsters, but they had two common points: they were armed to the teeth and baying for blood.
For the Scoobies, they saw old enemies from Earth. Slod, Ragna, Hellions, any and all kinds of demons they had fought were there, eager to fight again. Even vampires were amongst their ranks, teeth bared for blood. And those were only the creatures they recognized. The rest? They didn't know. And above them all, the shadows loomed supreme.
"Oh boy," Faith remarked. "Now I know what Angel was feeling when L.A. went to Hell."
"That?" Amy laughed. "That was a taste, a warmup. This is so much more than that. This is the full might summoned by the Senior Partners. You can't do anything to stop us."
She was right. The situation did look hopeless. But that didn't mean they weren't going to lay down without a fight. Each Jedi took a breath and resolved to hold the line for as long as they could. They defended the galaxy from evil and they wouldn't stop here. Rey prepared herself for the fight, just like her friends and her masters.
The only one who hadn't changed his stance was her grandfather. "It's a little impressive, Amy," he admitted. Then he smiled. "But it's just going to make our victory all the sweeter."
She wasn't the only one who stared at him and wondered if he had lost his mind. She was just the only one who spoke. "Victory? You think you can win this?"
"Yes." The short answer was matched by an infuriating smirk. "See, you lot have been doing a lot to break through the Force, causing tears and wounds in it. Well, the Force is rather pissed at the abuse. So, I decided to ask it for some help." The smirk widened by a few degrees. "And it did."
Small gasps arose from the Jedi's ranks. People started appearing amongst, not quite alive but not dead. Rey glanced to the side and saw two men, one blond one brunette, both taller than her, stood by Buffy's side. Her eyes widened in surprise, then hope. "Angel? Spike?" she whispered. They smiled and nodded. Both glanced at Liam with an odd look in their eyes. It didn't take long for Liam to realize what it was.
She wasn't the only one to have reacted so. Other Jedi long dead appeared and took their places amongst the living, legendary figures they had only heard from stories. Yoda stood at the forefront alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn. Dooku was at Faith's side with Aayla Secura and Kit Fisto nearby. And those were the few Rey saw.
It wasn't just Jedi who joined them. She saw Dawn Summers, who had died five years ago, standing alongside Mace Windu. Two women stood beside Willow and Tara, one kind and one brash, both clearly holding nothing but love for the elder redhead. Three men and a woman joined Buffy. One clearly belonged in a library but was willing to fight while the second came from the streets, holding a unique axe at the ready. The third had the first's posture but looked as if he belonged with the second. The names came to Rey without thought: Rupert Giles, Charles Gunn, and Wesley Wyndam-Price.
But it was the woman who held her attention. Dressed in clothes that suited her but meant for battle, brown hair cut short with a wavy pattern, dark eyes raking the coming mass with a dismissive look with a sword waiting in her hands. This was Cordelia Chase.
Rey's grandmother.
As if attuned to her thoughts, Cordelia looked her way. Nothing was said, only with her eyes. They softened for a moment, showing the love and pride of a grandparent watching over her grandchild.
With their ranks bolstered by spirits of fellow Jedi and allies, they stood resolved against the threat. "That's it?" Amy asked. "You're getting back up from the dead?" She laughed. "So what? What you can do, we can do too."
"Then why haven't you?" Xander's question cut her short. He looked past at the masses again. They were getting closer, revealing more of their details. "I don't see any Sith spirits amongst yours. Your bosses certainly had the time to do it." He rubbed his chin, looking quite thoughtful. "Hmm, it's like someone took the time to go through the galaxy and destroy all the relics the Sith left behind."
A memory flashed through Rey's mind, her grandfather destroying the legacy of the Sith, leaving him as the only one embodiment of their desire. It was a memory he had given her, to show what he done as penance. But what if wasn't just penance? What if it was something else? Something more? The rest of the Scoobies looked at their old friend, wondering the same thing.
Amy, on the other hand, was flabbergasted and angry. "You—!"
A lightsaber's hum filled the air, and an arm swung. Amy's head fell to the ground and the body fell. "Takes care of that," Xander remarked, lowering his blade. Its color surprised many of the Jedi, reminding them of a fact they had forgotten about their dreams.
It wasn't the red of a Sith's lightsaber but a pure white.
Xander (no longer Darth Cordis) gazed upon the looming shadows. "Considering how unimpressed you guys are, she didn't mean much in the grand scheme, huh?" The shadows didn't reply. Their armies marched, eager for the fight. "Y'know, since you brought so many things from outside, it's only fair that we bring in something ourselves, right?" No one was sure what he meant, on either side. That gave him all the time to keep talking. "That's what I thought. Oh, by the way, this is the moment you fucked up."
His hand reached out and touched Rey on the shoulder. Something flowed into her. That shadowy figure suddenly became clear.
A dark-skinned woman in rags, her face painted in bone-white, her hair a tangled mass. She watched everything, watched her. For a moment, nothing was said.
Then she held out her hand and asked a simple question. "Are you ready to be strong?"
Rey took the hand and answered, "Yes."
In that moment, everything clicked. The world, the galaxy, it all made sense. She wasn't a Jedi, not anymore. She was no being of pure light nor was she evil. She was the focal point, the balance. She was the creature who hunted in the darkness so others could sleep without fear.
She opened her eyes and saw the world anew. All the Jedi looked at her differently, Buffy and Faith most of all. Their eyes knew what had happened but screamed it was impossible. Yet it was still the truth.
The armies came to a stop. They were close enough for Rey to see their hesitation, their fear. They saw her and knew what she was. A word hung on their lips, wanting to be spoke but held in silence because of their fear.
But the word would not be denied. Eventually, someone said it.
"Slayer."
Xander shuddered, as if a great weight had been taken off his shoulders but weakened him all the same. But he still smiled. "Yep. You guys still wanna fight? Wait, why am I even asking that question? Of course you do. We just have to set the mood." His free hand reached up and flicked the air.
A clanging sound filled the air, followed by clapping bordering on ritualistic, with people cheering and calling for something. Rey didn't know how but she knew what this was, felt it was right in her bones. An itch began to crawl up her skin, urging her on. But she couldn't, not yet.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," a voice boomed in the sky. "Welcome to the main event."
Her body shifted as the music swelled and struck a definitive, drawn-out note. It was so close, but she couldn't. It wasn't the right moment.
"…LLLLLet's get ready to RRRRRRRRRUUMBLEEEEEEEEE!"
Rey couldn't explain why she charged as the music played, only that her blood was pumping, and her fellow Jedi were right behind her. The music pushed her on, urging to run faster. The armies waiting for them quailed and tried to back away. But it was too late.
She didn't know why she took a flying leap with her lightsaber at the ready. But in that moment, the music vanished, and a new voice asked, "Y'all ready for this?" It had felt right, perfect.
Then she slammed into her first enemy and the music really kicked off.
The Battle of Tython was something for the legends. It certainly had all the right pieces. Defending the galaxy from an outside force, the ghosts of their past coming to their aide without question, the evil hordes beaten and driven back where they came? The story practically wrote itself.
That didn't mean there weren't darker points. More than a few Jedi fell in the battle. Their spirits might've risen to continue the fight, but they were still gone. The only difference was in the aftermath, they took the chance to say goodbye to their friends.
And during the battle, some of the demons, including a few vampires, decided to run off instead of fleeing. No one was sure if they were still on Tython. Some demons could travel via dimensional magic and could take others with them. With that head start, they could've vanished into the galaxy by now.
Yet that fact, and the fact the Jedi would go looking for them, was for a later time. Tonight, they celebrated their victory. The base was awash with lights, both from the shuttles and the campfires. There was plenty of food, drinks, and music to fill the good cheer. The Jedi had plenty to cheer about. They had defeated an evil that had threatened the very fabric of the Force. Life was good for the moment.
But not all of them were celebrating. The Force guided Buffy and Willow away from the party to a quiet beach. The storm had broken after the battle, leaving a clear sky with the sun setting into the horizon. There Xander was, sitting on a log looking out to sea. "Faith not with you guys?" he asked once they were close enough. He sounded tired but willing to keep going.
"She's helping Rey get a handle on things," Buffy explained as she sat down beside him. Willow took the opposite space. "Things will be different for her." It might not have been obvious, but she saw the signs. Already the Jedi were looking at Rey differently. She had changed in the Force.
"Yeah, Faith was always good at handling baby Slayers. Rey also got her friends by her side and that Ben boy too."
Willow knew what he had done. "You threatened him, didn't you?" she asked for formality's sake.
Her best friend in the galaxy pretended to be offended. "I did no such thing. I simply told him to watch over her." The boy was already going to do it but a little nudge always helped. Besides, he already liked her more than a friend.
The laugh they shared was brief. But as Buffy looked at the setting sun, watching the horizon turn orange, her mood changed. "Xander, how were you able to make Rey a Slayer?" she asked. It shouldn't have been possible. After the Slayers had been massacred, Buffy, Faith, and Kennady had waited to see if any girl in the galaxy would activate as the Slayer. But none did. The reasoning they came up with was since the Slayer came from outside the galaxy, it wouldn't have any claim in it.
Yet that had just been proven wrong.
Xander's shaded eyes never left the sun. "Buffy, haven't you realized it yet?" he asked her. "You know the answer."
She did. It had always been there, since they arrived in this galaxy. Just a tiny idea in the back of her mind. She never gave it any consideration, didn't try to think about it. Because if she did, it would grow until she couldn't ignore what it meant. Even now, with Xander prodding her to speak, she couldn't say it. Didn't want to say it.
So, he did for her. "You guys haven't been Slayers since you came here."
And there it was, the truth. Willow denied it even as Buffy stayed silent. "That can't be true. They still had their strength, their speed, everything the Slayer was supposed to have."
"All of which can be supplied by the Force, Will," he countered. "They were so used to it that they didn't see the difference when being trained."
That much was true, now that Buffy thought about it. And she didn't have the dreams anymore, only premonitions through the Force. If she still had the dreams, would she have been able to prevent her sisters from being killed? From Coruscant burning? But these questions didn't matter as much as one. "How?" she asked. "How did it happen?"
Xander settled against the log, easing his breath. "Sineya saw what was going to happen, when we got transported here. The Light Side of the Force would cleanse the Slayers of their demonic origin, wiping her from the galaxy's existence. So, she fled to the one person she knew would keep her safe."
"You." It was no surprise to Buffy or Willow.
He nodded. "She was always there, a little voice that kept me sane and from falling further into the Dark Side. But she wasn't mine to keep. She would always go to a girl she thought could handle it. She just needed the right conditions, which the Senior Idiots provided when they started breaking through."
And that was another question the women had. It seemed their old friend knew more, much more than he was supposed to. "Xander, what was all this about?" Willow asked.
"It's a bit of a story, Willow. To start off, the Senior Idiots have always wanted to get into this galaxy. Fresh ground, you know. But thanks to the Force, they couldn't enter while it was in conflict or balance." He gave them a moment before smirking. "Don't you think it odd that in all the years they were active, neither the Sith nor the Jedi were totally wiped out? There was always that one survivor that would bring their order back from the brink, stronger than before."
Willow saw what he meant first. As it stood, the conflict between the Jedi and the Sith was the balance that kept the Senior Partners out. If one side had completely won, then they would be able to enter the galaxy. "What changed?" she asked.
"That old man we saw before the fight. He was an ancient Force-wielder. I wouldn't be surprised if he helped keep the Evil Lawyers out in the first place. He had two children, a son and a daughter, who embodied the Dark and Light respectively. When the daughter learned about the outside threat, she looked into the future and saw they had taken over. I guess she must've thought to fight this threat, the galaxy would need people who knew how to fight it."
What he would've said next, Buffy said it for him. "So, she reached out and plucked us off of Earth." That freak storm that tore through Council HQ, that had been her.
"Yep," he answered. "But because she acted, her brother was able to act in return. And he decided that the most delicious irony would be for the most loyal friend, the one who never gave up or lost faith, became their most hated enemy." There was an old bitterness in his voice, showing what he thought about it. "That was how Sidious got me, not that he knew anything about it."
"How do you learn about this?" Willow asked.
"Wound up visiting them during the war. Intercepted a call meant for Anakin." He smirked again. "All part of me playing havoc with the Chosen One prophecy." He could feel their curiosity wanting answers. "If we hadn't arrived, Sidious would've taken Anakin as his apprentice and all but wiped out the Jedi. But eventually, Anakin would've been redeemed by his son and kill Sidious. The Sith would be destroyed, while the Jedi would recover on very shaky legs."
"But they would've won regardless," Buffy realized, seeing the picture unfold before her. The Senior Partners would break through the Force and sweep through the galaxy. The Jedi wouldn't be able to stop them before it was too late.
Yet it hadn't happened like that. The Jedi Order had been strong and alert. The Sith had been reduced to one man living in exile, determined to be the last. They had all but won. The Senior Partners must've thought it was enough and started breaking through. The Jedi felt their effort and came running, ready for the fight.
And it was…because of the enemy they knew. "Xander, just how long have you known this was going to happen?"
"Since I came back from Mortis."
So, he knew back during the war. And he had been preparing since then. "Rey never told us about that when she saw your memories."
"That part, I didn't show her. I needed to keep that card close to the vest." And he wanted his granddaughter to know that his original intentions had been well-meant.
A part of Buffy, the part that was still wanted to be a normal girl without any kind of destiny, was amazed that her friend could be so devious. The rest of her wanted a question answered. "Why didn't you tell us? You could've reached out, let us know where you were." They would've rescued him in a heartbeat and made sure he didn't become a Sith.
"It wouldn't have changed anything, Buff. Mortis changed my view on what came next but not what needed to happen. The galaxy, the Republic, and the Jedi were in need of a hard reset. I couldn't stop what I had to do. Sometimes, the forest has to burn down so new growth can take hold."
As much as Buffy and Willow wanted to chew him out for his lack of remorse, call him an idiot for not even trying, they also understood why he was like that. After the Republic had collapsed and the galaxy fell into chaos, things gradually became better. With the Jedi helping where they could and ensuring people had peace, civilization began to regrow. Several sectors had allied together as a means of protection and commerce. It was not at the Republic's level, not when there was still tension between different alliances with someone always eager for a fight, but it was the start of a new Republic. Time and effort would be needed to make sure it didn't fall to corruption like the old Republic, which they now had in spades.
If the Slayers had rescued Xander, brought him into the ranks of the Jedi, nothing would've changed in the long run. The old Republic would still be standing, possibly corrupt and certainly ineffectual, and the Jedi Order would still be blind in what they were certain was peace. Everything would've been as it should've been.
The Senior Partners would've run rampant over them all.
And Xander wouldn't let that happened. Above all else, he tried to protect the people he loved.
"…Rey said that you regretted what happened on Korriban," Willow said. She looked at her childhood friend, right where his eyes were supposed to be. "Do you? Regret it?"
"Every damn day since it happened." His voice was thick with regret. "If there was one thing I wanted to change, it would've been that the Jedi Council arrived, not the Slayers."
Buffy's smile was bittersweet. "Yeah, you forgot to think about how they wanted their Xander-shape friend back."
They shared in the laughter, being high school friends once more. Then Xander's smile turned tired. "They'll get him back soon enough," he remarked. "Probably whack him upside the head more than once. Hell, Cordy and Anya are gonna verbally emasculate him the second they meet." Yet he was looking forward to it. He knew it was their way of showing they were upset and cared.
Willow winced at those words and shared a look with Buffy. Amy's words before the fight were true and what happened next prove them all the more. After he made his granddaughter a Slayer, Xander's presence in the Force weakened greatly. He didn't fight on the front lines during the battle, but to the side, helping where he could. Even now, they could feel him fading away into nothingness.
"Xander…"
"It's alright, Will," he told her. "I knew this was going happen when I started delaying the Senior Partners. It's my choice. Besides, I got the best out of it: a chance to see my friends again, watch my granddaughter grow, and send the bad guys running with their tails between their legs."
Buffy smiled even though she didn't want to. How could Xander still do that after all these years? "Did you say goodbye to Rey?" she asked.
"She knows." His granddaughter had caught him as he started sneaking away. She didn't say anything, just gave him one last hug. It was the best thing she could've done. "Hey, Buff?"
"Yeah?"
"Is the sunset gorgeous? I always missed the sunset at Sunnydale Beach."
She looked out at the horizon, same as Willow. The sun was almost gone, leaving an orange sky paling into pink. "Yeah, it's beautiful."
There was a soft thump as cloth hit wood. The only evidence Xander had been there was his cloak resting between them. And his sunglasses.
The two Jedi Masters stayed there for a few more minutes. Neither of them spoke, nor wiped the tears from their eyes. When they finally stood, they carried the cloak and glasses with a gentle hand and went back to the party. It hurt that their friend has passed on, would hurt for some time. But they took solace in the fact they said goodbye and were comforted by a truth:
Darth Cordis was never a mockery of Xander, merely a reflection. Even when he was considered their enemy, he was still the Scoobies' heart.
End
Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.
And so ends this little tale. I rather liked how it ended. The bad guy coming to good's side and giving it all before he passed on. If it's done right, people wind up rooting for the guy and hope he lives.
While I know he didn't have much to offer the story, I couldn't just leave Poe out. He was one-third of the Sequel Trio. Since he was a flyer, I figured he'd best be suited to working with Ben.
If you look through the history of Star Wars, either from canon or Legends, the Jedi and the Sith are always in conflict. Even when it appears that one side had won, there was always that one survivor. As far as I can tell, the movies are the closest to what we had for a definitive victory. By the end of the ninth (or the sixth, depending on how you feel), the Jedi had won and the Sith were gone completely.
That's when the Senior Partners would've struck. Even though they would've won, the Jedi Order was just one person by the end of it. Once said person was taken out, they could've swept in with no one to stop them. But since Xander did what he did best, they decided to push through, and the Force didn't like that.
It might sound strange, but another view of balance could be conflict. With the Jedi and Sith fighting each other, using both sides of the Force against each other, they evened each other out. It was essentially two people playing a game while telling the third (the Senior Partners) to wait their turn. So long as the conflict continued, the Force was in balance and thus the Senior Partners couldn't get in.
Sineya had always been in Xander's head since they arrived. Like he said, he kept her safe from unintentional harm and she kept him sane. With her demonic origins she would've been safer in the Dark Side of things but not fallen to how a Sith thinks. After all, being Dark doesn't mean Evil.
And yes, Liam is Angel's and Spike's son. I'm also fairly certain that Tara is Kennedy's daughter. I mentioned before that Buffy had a locket that contained a hair from Angel and Spike. That's what she used when she got pregnant. It's pretty much the same thing with Willow, although I figured it was a little more complicated. Probably even involved a trip to Kamino.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a fan of Xander Harris. For me, he was the character who changed the most in the series, from an immature doofus in high school to a man who stood by his friends, tried to make the mood a little lighter, and did the best he could.
So, I don't understand why there's a lot of hate for him recently. Every time I find an analysis video, it's like they only focus on him and his mistakes, and I can't get through them. It's been a while since I've seen the show, but I do remember that he wasn't the only one who made mistakes. Buffy keeping Angel a secret when he returned in Season 3 and Willow's addiction in Season 6 come to mind. And that's not mentioning how everyone made mistakes at the end of Season 7.
As for him being a Nice Guy who wouldn't stop chasing after Buffy or Cordelia, I'd like to point out no one seemed to have a problem with that when the show aired and said chasing pretty much stopped after Cordelia moved away and Xander realized he cared for Buffy more like a brother than romance. Regarding how he was never told off about how he acted towards the girls, maybe they had that talk off-screen, like maybe during the summer. It's probably a bit of a stretch, but I'd like to think that's how it went. Also, I'd like to point out that in the Season 8 comics, Buffy made a pass at Xander, and he turned her down. As far as I know, no Nice Guy would do that.
All this hate just feels like how people thought Sakura Haruno was nothing but a screeching harpy who was a Fangirl for Sasuke. Or, if you want a more recent one, a Miraculous Ladybug salt story where the class all starts believing Lila and bullies Marinette. Every time I come across a story like that, I stop reading. They are more than that, and so is Xander.
If you want to read a good defense of Xander, look up Xander Harris Deserves To Be Loved on reddit. It highlights what made him tick and acknowledges where he went wrong while also explaining how his actions could be viewed.
Okay, rant over.
I hope I did the end scene right. I like to think of it as Xander finally getting his reward: a chance to reunite and fight alongside his friends (who he hadn't seen since they came to the galaxy) as well as a chance to say goodbye.
Well, this batch is done. It'll be a few months before the next few are published. Until then, read and leave a review. I want to know what you guys think.
I'll see you all next chapter!