Chapter 14 -- Betrayal and Return

Tok'ra Base, undisclosed planet

"Per'sus, you approved this?"

The leader of the Tok'ra High Council spoke."Selmac, calm your host."

Jacob's eyes flashed as Selmac took over his body. "Considering Anise sent his, no our, daughter into a war zone with inadequate information he and I are quite calm. The mission that the SGC agreed to was to determine the level of threat Nimue posed."

"And her ability to determine when an attack was imminent is part of that threat," Per'sus stated.

"They had a right to know."

"And if they had been captured, their foreknowledge of the attack might have fallen into Nimue's hands. The Tok'ra need to know how she learns of an attack."

"SG-1 had a right to know. They are our allies, not cannon fodder."

"They are soldiers."

"But not disposable ones."


Calendon

"Nimue," Merdden said quietly as he entered their bedchamber.

His beloved continued to look of the room's main window with unfocused eyes, her left hand slowly rubbing the ribbon device on her right.

"Nimue," he said again as he reached her side.

"Time is running out." She turned towards her husband. "The Hunters have failed to find the Tau'ri's ship. I can not wait any longer. I need to know if they are connected to the upcoming invasion. Corryn's report was less than helpful."

"As you knew it would be," Merdden countered.

"They needed to believe that the other prisoners are dead. They also expected to be interrogated. I did, however, expect to get some information," Nimue stated. "I was hoping to eventually get more reliable information from the Hunters but SG-1 has hidden their ship well."

"If there is a ship, perhaps they were only dropped off by one."

"Perhaps. But either way, it has not been found." Nimue flexed her right hand. "I need to know if they are involved with the attack."

"And if they are? Wouldn't you have foreseen it?"

"I don't know but we can't take the risk. If they are part of the attacking force, they die," she said. "If they are innocent, I'll send Johnson and Thomas through the Chaapa'aii before the battle."

"And O'Neill and Harris?"

"Harris will remain where he is. O'Neill," she paused, "O'Neill will be sent to one of the shelters, under guard."

------------

Thomas and Johnson were slowly going crazy. It had been over a week since Corryn's visit. Nimue had not returned and no one, other than the same two servants with their Jaffa guards, had entered their room since.

The only thing that was keeping them slightly sane was watching the goings on in the courtyard. Activity had been steadily building, with troop levels rising and the civilian population slowly diminishing. The previous day they had watched as  Nimue and Merdden escorted a young girl, presumably Aurora, to the courtyard below where she joined a small troop of Jaffa and humans. As the group left, the watching men had realized that they were going to have a ringside seat of yet another attempted Goa'uld invasion of Calendon. Their jailers refused to confirm or deny it but the evidence was steadily mounting.

Thomas was dozing off on the room's only bed when Johnson finally made the connection.

"They knew didn't they?" Johnson asked.

"They who?"

"The Tok'ra."

"Jacob wouldn't have sent the colonel in blind. Anise, probably. The rest of them, who knows."

"Remind me again why we call them allies."

Before Thomas could reply, they heard the bolt drawn back on the cell door.

This time, no human servants entered. Only four Jaffa.

"Come, Nimue will see you now."


SGC, Earth

A furious Brigadier General Ferretti leaned back in his chair. Across the conference table sat a subdued Jacob Carter.

"Jacob," he asked, "is there any chance that you might be mistaken?"

"No. Per'sus eventually admitted the truth. Nimue is not considered a threat by the Tok'ra at this time.  The true goal of the mission was to determine where Nimue's intelligence was coming from."

"And damn the consequences."

The base alarm sounded off closely followed by the announcement of an unscheduled off-world activation.

The pair headed to the control room.

The sergeant on duty confirmed that the wormhole originated from the Alpha site and that they had incoming travelers.

Ferretti and Jacob watched as only two members of SG-1 arrived.


Unknown planet

Menhit watched from the balcony of his pyramid ship as the preparations continued for the assault on Calendon. If the reports of this new Goa'uld were true, there was a queen for the taking. Her current consort would be disposed of but by holding one or both of her children hostage, he was sure that she would be compliant. A fertile queen would ensure the increase of Jaffa to the point where, in time, he could take his rightful place as the leader of the System Lords.


SGC, Earth

The debriefing of the surviving members of SG-1 began in the base infirmary, starting with why only Thomas and Johnson returned.
 
"According to Nimue, one of her Jaffa killed them."

"Any proof?" Ferretti barked.

"No sir, but there was no sign of either the Colonel or Harris after we were captured," Thomas reported. "Other than a brief interrogation on the first day, we were just kept locked up in what was known as the gray tower.  The only people we saw were the Jaffa guards, a couple of servants, and a clerk. It wasn't until today that she became serious about finding out who we were."

"So, what changed?" Ferretti asked.

"We did notice a build up troop levels in the city over the last few days as well as an exodus of civilians including Nimue's oldest daughter."

"So do you think that between the time that you were captured and today, she learned about Menhit's plans?"

"Yes sir. But her information didn't include whether or not SG-1 was part of the Goa'uld's attack. She used a ribbon device on us to find out what we knew before sending us through the gate."

"She just tortured you and then let you go?" Jacob was surprised.

"Not exactly," Thomas said. "I've been ribboned before. She just wanted information. She could have made it hurt a lot worse than she did."

Johnson nodded in agreement.

"What information was she looking for? Or should I ask, what information did she extract?"

"She found out that we didn't know about the attack," Johnson said. "Since we weren't involved, she let us go."

"After she finished with us, she had us escorted to the Stargate. We dialed to Cimmeria  and from there we 'gated to the Alpha Site," Thomas added. "But she did warn us that if we came back, she would not be so generous."

"And you saw no sign of Sam or Captain Harris?"

"No, not after they were captured. I'm sorry Jacob."


Calendon

He was given bread and water twice a day which allowed him to keep track of time. It had been at least two weeks since he had seen anyone besides the Jaffa that brought him his rations. As the bread was exceptionally coarse and dry, he found himself longing for the joys of an MRE. At least Buffy, no Nimue, wasn't intending to starve him to death although the joys of malnutrition were definitely a possibility if his diet didn't improve.

Xander stared at the bars of his cell. For the thousandth time he replayed his earlier encounter with Aurora. If the child had been telling the truth, his team was not going to be riding to the rescue. Given the unpleasant reality that he was still locked up after nearly a week, he doubted that she had lied. There were no signs of even a thwarted rescue. Odds were that Thomas and Johnson had been captured. With colonel badly injured (he wasn't even going to contemplate that she might be dead) SG-1 was royally screwed unless the SGC sent in a retrieval team.

He had just rearranged his long body in an attempt to find a more comfortable position when he heard the first explosions.


Chapter 15 -- Fears and Smiles

Colorado Springs

Jack watched from his front doorway as Lou Ferretti's car headed back to the mountain. As the taillights faded from view, he retreated inside, quietly closing the door.

MIA, presumed KIA. Not officially of course, not yet. Sam hadn't been missing long enough for a cover story to go into effect. Besides, she was a part of SG-1, the team that always came back. The SGC had lost entire teams over the years, but SG-1 was the magic team. Oh, a team member might get misplaced from time to time and, on occasion, the entire team would go missing, but SG-1 always came back. Except the one time. SG-1 had lost Daniel Jackson, first to ascension, and then in the battle for Abydos. Anubis had been stopped but Daniel had never been seen again.

Lou and Jacob had delivered the news about Sam personally. Only two members of SG-1 had returned, released by the latest snakehead in Goa'uldville. And since when did a Goa'uld just let a member of the SGC go free? Jack ran his hand through his silver hair. Something was going on, he just knew it. Leaning heavily on his cane, he went to check on the children.

Calendon

After a brief lull following the first explosions, Xander realized that the sound was not that of the cavalry coming to his rescue. A Jaffa brought several days worth of rations to his cell as the bombardment resumed. He had seen no one since.

"Great, as if this wasn't a big enough cluster fuck already," he grumbled as the bombardment picked up in intensity on what he thought was day two. He checked to make sure that rest of his rations were protected as his cell shook. Nearly half of his water had spilled during an earlier volley and he wasn't going to take any chances on losing the remainder. Unfortunately, the vibrations, while knocking loose part of the ceiling, had no noticeable effect on the cell bars.

If he ever got out of his cell, and off this planet, he was going to personally track down Anise and wring her neck. He'd only kick Jacob's ass as he didn't think that the retired general would sent his daughter in blind on purpose. Then again, maybe Selmak would have. He'd have to think about that some more.

He closed his eyes and attempted to get some rest, if not sleep. Eventually, he succeeded. He awoke to silence.

The battle above ground appeared to be over.

The only question now was which side had won. Somehow, he had a feeling that Nimue had. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

London

Quentin Travers reviewed the paperwork that his assistant, Jeffrey Slocum, had just delivered. Everything looked to be in order.

"Excellent work, Slocum," the head of the Watchers' Council smiled. It was a cold smile.

"Thank you, sir. Mr. Townsend has sent word that he is ready to begin as soon as you give the word."

"Tell be to start as soon as transport begins. Everything must be in place by the time the cargo arrives."

Calendon

Nimue surveyed the devastation that was her capitol city. Several sections of the outer wall would need to be replaced. A perfect job for her newest Jaffa, especially as they were responsible for the damage. Luckily, much of the housing was still habitable, if somewhat scorched. Her living quarters, however, had taken a direct hit.

Merdden and Aurora were returning with the Chosen and their Jaffa guards. The latter would also pressed into service repairing the damage, as would the returning civilians. Every able bodied individual, human and Jaffa, would be needed in the coming weeks.

On a more positive note, she now had a second ship. And this time, those who knew how to fly it had decided following their god to the underworld was not in their best interest.

A cold smile graced her face. "Soon, my sisters will be avenged," she whispered.

Colorado Springs

It was a beautiful Monday morning in Bott Park. The O'Neill terrors, Janet and Danny, were having a blast while their father sat in the nearby shade with his female companion.

"Jack?" Her voice was deliberately quiet as she tried to get his attention. Even his sunglasses hadn't been able to disguise the fact that he was staring off into the distance.

"It's Sam." He turned to Cassie. "Lou called this morning. It's official. Missing, presumed killed."

When Jack had asked her to meet him in the park, she had known something was wrong. She just didn't realize just how bad the news was going to be. After Daniel died, she lived in dread that she would lose what little family she had left. The loss of Janet Fraiser, her adopted mother, had only compounded the dread. It was something that she never spoke of though, as if by ignoring it she could prevent it from happening again.

"Are they sure," she asked.

"Close enough. Half of her team made it back." Jack looked over to the sandbox where his children were playing, unaware of how their world was about to change. "How do I tell them Cassie?"

"Maybe you don't, at least not yet. It's only been a couple of weeks," she said softly. "Sam's pulled off miracles before."

SGC

In the weeks since their return to the SGC, Thomas and Johnson had undergone every physical and psychological test known to Tau'ri and Tok'ra. They had been poked, prodded, and head shrunk. Finally, positive that neither man had been compromised, the powers that be declared both men fit for duty. That was when General Ferretti dropped his little bombshell. With Colonel Carter now officially classified as MIA, Colonel Evan Lorne had been appointed to lead SG-1.

"Lorne," Johnson questioned his teammate as they headed to locker room carrying a couple of boxes, "what's he like?"

"Good man. He's been with the program for over a decade but for the last couple of years he's been stationed at the Gamma site."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, I wouldn't wish that posting on anyone."

Major Thomas stopped at the Colonel's locker. He started to open it, then stopped.

"Dave, do you want me to do it," Johnson asked his friend.

Thomas shook his head. "No, I'll do it. You empty Harris' locker."

Both men worked in silence as they cleared out their old teammates' belongings. It was only when Johnson reached the last of the items that a couple of photographs fell to the floor. As he stooped to pick them, he realized that there might be more to the loss of the Colonel and Harris than they originally thought.

"Holy shit," he swore. "Dave, you are not going to believed this."

Thomas looked the top picture of three pretty teenagers. A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead. It could have been the beginning a dirty joke if the blonde hadn't been Nimue's twin.



Chapter 16 -- New Fears and Old Memories

Calendon

"Is Lady Samantha awake yet?" Nimue stood at the entrance of what would be the colonel's quarters for the foreseeable future.

"No M'lady. She was given a sleeping draft before we returned," the healer said.

"Is she still unwell?"

"In body no, but she is still greatly disturbed by the presence of the Jaffa. To travel back this far in their presence..."

"I see." And indeed, Nimue did see. In some ways it was too bad that she didn't have a working sarcophagus on hand earlier. She rather thought that the traitorous Jaffa's death was too quick. She could only hope that it would remind every male on the planet that some things were never to happen again. Still, the eldest among the Chosen would have to become accustomed to Jaffa, and men in general, unless she wished to spend the rest of her life as a hermit.

"Send me word as soon as she is awake. Merdden and I will speak with her."


New Hampshire

Willow was working in the small garden in front of her townhouse when a dark sedan turned on to the street. It approached her yard and slowed down, coming to a stop just beyond her driveway. As the engine turned off, she looked up from to see two men exiting the vehicle. She wiped her hands off on her jeans and stood. One man was in uniform.

"No, no," she whispered. "Please, not Xander."

"Dr. Rosenburg?" the uniformed man asked.

"Yes. Can I help you?" Please, please let Xander be okay.

"I'm Major Dave Thomas. Captain Harris listed you as his next kin."

Willow sank back to her knees, tears slipping down her face.

"He's dead."

"Way to go Major," his companion said under his breath. "I can see why the Air Force usually farms this duty out to trained personnel."

The civilian stooped down to her level. "I'm Dr. Howland Johnson. The major and I work with Captain Harris. I'm sorry to inform you that he is currently listed as MIA."

"Missing in action? He was stationed in Colorado. How could he be MIA? Was he transferred to the Middle East?"

"I'm sorry that's classified," the major answered. "All I can say is that he is a member of my team."

"And you came all this way just to tell me he was missing?"

"Well, actually no." The major looked decidedly uncomfortable. "When we were emptying his locker we found some pictures that we were hoping you could identify."

For the first time, Willow noticed the briefcase the major was holding. She stood up and started walking towards her home's back door.

Johnson also stood and both men followed the red head into the house.

"Thomas, you know you can be a real ass at times."

"What?

"Showing a little sensitivity would not be a bad thing," Johnson said quietly.

"Huh?"

"Emptying his locker?" The civilian shook his head. "You pretty much said that Harris is missing and presumed dead."

- - -

"Let me see them," Willow requested as they sat around her kitchen table.

The major unlocked the briefcase and withdrew a manila folder. He opened it and pushed it towards the red head.

She looked at each photograph, tears pooling in her eyes. Her hands caressed the picture of the boy with green hair before picking up another photograph.

"Ma'am, can you identify the individuals in these pictures?"

She nodded. "Me and Oz, uh, Daniel Osbourne. Jesse McNally. Cordelia Chase. Buffy Summers and Xander. Faith. What does this have to do with Xander being missing?"

"We're not sure. A woman matching the description of Miss Summers was seen in the vicinity when Captain Harris disappeared."

"Well it wasn't Buffy."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Buffy's dead."

"Are you certain?"

"She disappeared at the end of our junior year in high school. Her body was found about two years later."

"Are you certain it was her body?"

"The police said it was. Giles agreed."

"Giles?"

"He was our high school librarian. He was pretty much the only adult that gave a damn about her in the end. Buffy disappeared after Mrs. Summers threw her out of the house. Giles spent the summer looking for her. Her mother joined a book club. When the police finally stumbled across her..body...her parents didn't even bother to claim her. Giles had to make the arrangements."

"Is it possible that he made a mistake?" Johnson really wanted to know how the body was identified but he couldn't quite say it to the frail woman in front of him.

The body had to be Buffy's. Dear goddess it had to be.

"No, some of her belongings were found near the body," she stated firmly. "It was Buffy."


Calendon

Sitting under the shade of some scaffolding, Xander readjusted the rag around his left wrist, carefully tucking the rough ends under the gold gauntlet. Shortly after the end of the battle the damned thing had been put on him. It had taken three Jaffa to do it however. After its purpose had been explained to him, he had been taken topside and placed on a work detail repairing the city's outer wall. He tried escaping the first day only to fall unconscious before reaching the tree line. K'tar, the Jaffa wearing the matching bracelet, had not been amused as he had been walking on the scaffolding at the time. Falling twenty feet to the ground when he lost consciousness had not endeared Xander to the Jaffa. K'tar's head wound had healed quickly thanks to his symbiote. Xander's head wound, courtesy of K'tar, was still scabbed over. K'tar was also apparently immune to the chafing that Xander was trying to prevent with the rag.

With escape no longer an option, Xander had been concentrating on gathering intel. The attack on Calendon had been launched by Menhit, a Goa'uld that he had not heard of before. Menhit had failed, leaving Nimue with a new crop of Jaffa and a second pyramid ship. Nimue's Jaffa had also discovered SG-1's transport ship at some point. He had less luck finding out about the colonel. One worker, a human female, had claimed that O'Neill had been moved to a more secure location before the attack but was unaware of her current location.

"Break's over," a voice called as a stone-filled wagon rolled into view.

Xander stood back up and headed towards the wagon.

Devon

"Willow, the dental records matched. It was Buffy," the elderly man spoke into the telephone handset. "It must be a coincidence... No, if Angelus had turned her, they would have come back and killed us all... Alright, I will see what I can find out. Yes, of course without letting the Council know."

Several minutes later, Giles hung up.

It was a coincidence of course. His first slayer, like his second, was dead. Like he would soon be. Willow would truly be alone then if Xander was lost. Still, for Willow's sake he would speak with the coven as they could be trusted not to report back to Quentin and his cronies.



Chapter 17 -- Plans of Mice and Slayers

Calendon

"Are you certain Kem'tac?" Nimue inquired.

One of the most technologically adept of her Jaffa, Kem'tac served as her lead scientist. Maimed years ago when his god failed to wrest control of Calendon from Nimue, he had considered himself kek as he lay on the battlefield awaiting a death blow from the victorious defenders. That his new goddess would spare his worthless life was unthinkable at the time. His injuries, even with a new symbiote, were such that he would never see the front lines again. He now spent his time studying and repairing the technology captured by Nimue's forces. His latest success was making some minor repairs to Menhit's sarcophagus. The current failure, although not strictly his, was his report to Nimue.

"The coordinates to the Tau'ri homeworld are not in the database of their vessel, " the Jaffa replied.

"Damn."

Devon

Abigail Ramsey, former head of the Devon coven, sat across from her old friend in a small tea shop. The pair had just ordered and the server had headed out of earshot.

"I'm terribly sorry Rupert but I think that your first slayer is dead," Abigail said. "If there had been any sightings, Quentin would surely have gone after her. If it is any consolation, Angelus was a confirmed kill by Faith's successor. If he had turned Miss Summers, I am quite positive that you would have known about it by now."

"True. Still, someone fitting her description was seen when Xander went missing," Giles fiddled with the head of his cane as he spoke. "Of course, Willow couldn't find out from the Air Force the location that he disappeared from."

"Where was the boy stationed?"

"In Colorado, but I am under the impression that he traveled frequently."

"In other words, he could have been anywhere in the world," Abigail frowned. "I wonder why the Americans think it's your girl."

"According to Willow, his teammates found an old picture of Buffy in his locker," Giles replied. "The resemblance was quite remarkable."

"Hmm, a ten year old photograph at best. Not much for them to to rely on I'm afraid," Abigail said softly. "Still, I will have a word with my daughter. She still has a friend or two she can trust in the Council."

Giles shook his head. "Please don't. If there is any chance Buffy might still be alive, Quentin must never find out."

Just then, the server returned with their tea and the pair changed the subject.

"So, any change in your prognosis Rupert?"

"Barring spontaneous remission, no," he replied with wry grin. "I'm too old to qualify for treatment and too poor to pay for it myself."

Abigail looked closely at her old friend. "You aren't going to do anything foolish are you?"

"Perish the thought."

Sunnydale

David Townsend reread the Council's latest email before erasing it from his computer. This afternoon he would begin to prepare his slayer for the Cruciamentum although he was not quite sure whether he should even bother to do so. Bethany was a competent enough slayer but the vampire she would face was thought to have killed at least one slayer in the previous century and was suspected having killed the notorious Buffy Summers. That was, of course, in addition to the two slayers that failed the Cruciamentum at its hands.

It had been sheer luck on the part of the Council that they had been able to capture the vampire after Faith had killed the vampire Zachary Kralik. For over two decades, the Council had used the insane vampire as their tool in the ritual. His loss had left the Council with a dilemma, one that been neatly resolved with the acquisition of a member of the Order of Aurelius. As vicious as Kralik had ever been, the Council's latest pet was by all accounts, even more terrifying.

Turning off his computer, he paused to contemplate the second portion of the Council's email. Upon the completion of the Cruciamentum, and the death of his current charge, he would be assigned a new potential. He would also be returning to England which meant that he really needed to begin packing.

Calendon

Nimue awoke with a start. She could feel it beginning again, the diminishing of a sister slayer. A sister about to be sacrificed by Ra's thrice-damned followers, the Council of Watchers. Nimue threw off the bed covers.

"Nimue," her husband asked groggily.

"It's started again" she spat out. "But this time it's going to end differently."

"What?" Merdenn sat up and ran his fingers over his beard.

"The Cruciamentum. The Council's going to murder another slayer," Nimue said as she began to dress.

"I thought that Kem'tac hadn't found the coordinates."

"The location of the Tau'ri homeworld may not have been in the ship's database but I am willing to bet either Xander or Samantha knows the coordinates. I think that it's time I had a talk with my old friend."

"But the slayer could be anywhere the planet. How will you find her?"

"I am already beginning to see what she sees. She's in Sunnydale."

"And the plan to destroy the Council," he questioned. "We are not ready yet."

"The Tau'ri vessel has a cloaking device. Between that and my new sarcophagus, I think I know how to save the slayer without the Council being any the wiser."

Heathrow

Amy watched the elderly man with some concern. The man had stubbornly refused assistance when boarding insisting that he was not that feeble yet. Amy silently disagreed as she stowed his walking stick in the overhead compartment. His pallor was unhealthy to say the least and she made a mental note to ask her fellow flight attendants to keep an eye on him.

"Is someone meeting you in New York," she asked.

"No, I'm taking a connecting flight to Denver."

"Visiting family?" she pressed.

"No. Just looking up some old friends."

Calendon

Xander had been reluctant to share the necessary coordinates but after a rather intense session with the ribbon device, Nimue had the information she needed. She was impressed by how long he held out. While he had never lacked courage, he had matured into a formidable warrior. Perhaps, in another decade or so, she might even approve of Aurora's interest in him.

Nimue watched as Kem'tac loaded the last of the cargo. Her personal guard of four Jaffa were already aboard. With the addition of Kem'tac and herself, quarters would be a bit tight but the journey would only last two days if they traveled at top speed. Unlike SG-1, who had taken a circuitous route to Calendon, she had little time to spare if she was going to reach Sunnydale in time.



Chapter 18 -- Hide and Seek

Denver

The back to back flights the previous day had taken their toll on his ailing body. He was much too old to be doing this, Giles thought, even if was only in his mid-fifties. The rigors of being a hands on watcher for two slayers had left him with bones that ached when the weather changed. His hand, courtesy of Angelus, hurt even when the weather didn't change. In recent months though, it had been the cancer that had been cause of most of his pain.

Only his friend Abigail had any idea as to how close the end was. He knew he had to tell Willow soon but now, with Xander missing, he wasn't sure if could. The hacker and budding witch of Sunnydale was a mere shadow of the girl he remembered. He mourned the lost potential she had shown in high school. Oh, she had continued to excel academically but following the destruction of the high school and the loss of most of her classmates, she had withdrawn emotionally. He feared that she would withdraw even further once she was told she was about to lose her old librarian.

Giles began packing his bag after making a final sweep of the hotel room. He removed his identification and credit cards from his wallet and placed it in the lining of his suitcase. Rupert Giles had been forbidden years earlier from returning to Sunnydale by the council. He pulled out his replacements and added them to his wallet.

It was time for Hank Summers to head to Sunnydale to visit his daughter's grave.

Colorado Springs

Cassie really hated playing hide and seek with her godchildren but lately it had become their favorite game. The little monsters were very good at hiding, something they had no doubt gotten from their father. The only bright spot was that they were good about staying in the house during the game.

Ten minutes into the game she caught sight of a sock sticking out from under the couch. She dropped to the floor and looked under the couch to find Danny.

"Gotcha," she said. "How on earth did you manage to get under there?"

She watched in fascination as the toddler shimmied and squirmed his way out from under the furniture.

"Not telling. You find Janet?"

"Not yet sweetie. Do you want to help?"

Half an hour later and panic was setting in. She had checked the house from top to bottom and there was no sign of Janet. She called out that Janet had won and to please come out to no avail.

She called 911, then Jack.

*Space, en route to Earth*

"No, like this," Nimue demonstrated the technique again, sliding the stake into the "heart" of the practice dummy. "If you miss the heart, it won't die. Try it again."

Nimue stepped back and watched with Kem'tac as her guardsmen resumed training.

"I do not understand, my lady. You said decapitation would kill vampires. Would not a sword be a more effective weapon?"

"Decapitation works. So does sufficient sunlight," she nodded. "The problem is that swords are too conspicuous on Earth and are not the best weapons in close quarters. Stakes are easier to hide and work well in tight spaces like sewers and crypts."

"So your training area," he motioned to the small area in the cargo hold where the Jaffa were practicing.

"Is small and cramped for a reason," she finished.

Devon

"I see, hmm. This does move up the schedule a bit but I agree with the retrieval team. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up," Quentin Travers said. "Have the package sent on to Sunnydale. Townsend will take delivery as soon as the Cruciamentum is finished."

Travers closed his mobile phone with a snap.

"To each generation," he chuckled.

Colorado Springs

George Hammond kept an eye on his old friend as the police searched the O'Neill residence for clues to Janet's disappearance. Jack alternated between burning anger and despair.

"Jack I've been in contact with Agent Barrett," he said softly. "He's positive that the NID is not involved."

"Oh?"

"The rogue elements are currently behind bars or dead."

"Just the ones that got caught. You know as well as I do how deep the rot went."

George nodded. "But if they were involved, why take just Janet? Danny and Cassie would have been of equal interest."

Sunnydale

"Don't forget where we parked," Nimue quipped as the ship's cloaking device activated.

Kem'tac had landed the ship outside the town limits at dusk. The area would hopefully be remote enough that no one, and nothing, would bump into it. Just in case something did happen, she had left Kem'tac behind with instructions to launch if the ship was detected.

As she and her remaining companions headed into town, she hoped that the modified fatigues they were wearing would not garner too much attention. The inhabitants of Sunnydale had been pretty clueless a decade earlier but she was not about to take any unnecessary chances. Fortunately, SG-1 had left their fatigues behind in the ship. The colonel's outfit had been much too large for Nimue but J'kan was rather small for a Jaffa. Their tattoos were partially hidden by baseball caps. The Nimue had settled on her favorite leather pants and halter top.

The group neared a cemetery when Nimue came to a halt.

"And we have a winner," she said under her breath before continuing in a slightly louder voice. "I think that you will have your first encounter with a vampire. Stakes ready, kill anything with yellow eyes, bumpy foreheads, and extra pointy teeth."

The group entered the cemetery. About ten yards in, they could see somebody on the ground, propped up against a tombstone. Five figures stood around it while a sixth kicked out at the one on the ground.

Nimue grinned as she felt the cramping sensation in her middle. Yep, she still had the slayer warning system. "Jaffa, kree!"

Her guardsmen followed her as she ran towards the group. She grabbed the nearest vampire and swung it around. After taking a split second to confirm that it was indeed a vampire, she slammed her stake into its heart. As it exploded into dust, her Jaffa took out four more, albeit with less finesse and a bit more effort. She moved on to the final vampire and dusted it as well. The exhilaration of the moment gave her a brief high. She hadn't realized how much she missed slaying.

"So, what have you learned," she asked as a wide grin split her face.

"Faster than humans," J'kan said. "Stronger too."

"But not, I think, as intelligent," N'tan added. "They relied on the strength rather than skill."

"Very good. Those were fledglings, new vampires. Young and stupid. Older vampires are much harder to kill. Now let's see if there's any life left in their victim. Hmm, old, not the usual prey," Nimue said as she stooped down. "Vamps prefer young blood."

The clouds overhead moved, allowing the moon to shine down on the victim's face.

"Giles?"



Chapter 19 -- Dreams and Cold Reality

Calendon

Merdenn didn't know where he was. The large room was a combination of old and new. Some of the contents reminded him of the goa'uld in their decoration. A man and a woman wearing strange clothing stood under a large stone that was being hoisted into place. The stone fell, and the scene shifted.

He was in a room with walls covered with cartouches. A beautiful woman with dusky skin stood next to him. "This was the last secret my mother showed me my Dan'yel," she said softly before her eyes flashed gold.

He was in what appeared to be a dungeon. He was surrounded by people in many different costumes resembling those of cultures that he could not name and facing a squad of Jaffa. The people were terrified and somehow, he knew they were all about to die. A man wearing a military uniform shouted that he could save those people. The first prime of Apophis brought his staff weapon up.

He stood just inside a tent. A woman with angry eyes wearing a blue dress snarled, "find me an anthropologist who dresses like this and I will eat this head-dress."

He knelt in another tent. The dark haired woman stretched out her hand. The ribbon device she was wearing began to glow. He could hear the crackling of a staff weapon being armed followed by a small blast. The woman fell to ground. He crawled towards her only to find her dead, her face framed by blond hair.

He woke with a start, his heart racing. He began to remember.

Sunnydale

Nimue, once known as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, knelt next to her former watcher. The years had not treated him kindly she thought. The light brown hair from her memories was now wispy and white. His skin resembled parchment. His breathing was shallow with a hint of a rattle. No, time had taken an unforgiving toll on him.

"J'kan, the ribbon device," she said as she held out her hand.

The guardsman removed the item from a pocket in his borrowed uniform and handed it to his mistress. Nimue slid it on to her hand. As she focused her attention on Giles, J'kan and the others surrounded her, facing outward forming a barrier against unseen threats. The glow of the ribbon device slowly swept over the watcher. Nimue healed what she could, the concussion and broken ribs, but the rest was beyond the scope of the device. It would take either one of her children or a sarcophagus to fully heal him but for now, this would have to do. When she was finished, she slipped the device off of her hand and gave it back to J'kan. She sat back on to her heels to wait.

Minutes later, he stirred and his eyes fluttered open. As his eyes focused, he saw the impossible.

"B.., Buffy?" he stuttered.

"Hello watcher mine," Nimue said. "You shouldn't be out at night. It isn't safe."

"How? You died. I buried you."

"You buried me?"

Giles slowly sat up and turned towards the nearest tombstone. Nimue followed his gaze as it came to rest on the marker.

BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS
1981-1998?
NOT FORGOTTEN