The Slayer and the Goauld

Prologue

Having 3 Slayers in the world didn't make the world any saver then before Buffy died. But it made it easier on the Slayers. They took turn watching the Hellmouth and having the weight of the world on their shoulders. If it became too much for one of them, they could take a break with out having to worry that the world would go to Hell, literally.

While one was on 'active' duty on the Hellmouth. The other two didn't sit on their arse doing nothing. They were on call night and day and Brendan, the new head of the Watcher's council. After Travers timely demise, came up with the idea for one of the Slayers to help with the training of the Potentials. Which left the last one to do what she wishes.

That didn't mean that the last slayer would be doing nothing. No, the Slayer instincts and metabolism told her to kick demon ass and stay active, but it was in a more relaxed environments without the pressure of being forced. The system work very well, for the next few years.

It was Buffy's turn to lay back. At the moment she was with Harry, who became a Quidditch player for England and part-time Aurora. Their relation was in a slum so Buffy thought that a nice Bad Guys trashing would help with their tighten their relationship. Today's assignment was tracking down a few former Death Eaters, who still believed that Voldemort would rise from the death again. They had tracked them down at a clearing in the Black Forest in Germany.

Buffy and Harry observed them from a small distance behind some trees.

"Only five?" Buffy sounded very disappointed.

"I think five is enough." Harry never got the taste of hunting down Black Wizards. He rather would play Quidditch. The only reason he took the part-time job as a Auror, was mostly because of Buffy and to be prepared if in the future a new Dark Lord would rise again.

Buffy heard the displeasure and discomfort in Harry's voice of being in this situation. She was reconsidering, that this might not have been a good idea as she originally thought. When he had fought Voldemort all these years it was just for survival and destiny, this was something different. This wasn't in Harry's personality. He wasn't a warrior, a soldier or a hero. Just because he had the power, didn't make him any of these things. It wasn't that he lacked in the bravery department. He simply didn't have the stomach for it or enjoyed it.

But this wasn't the time to discuss or think about it, they had a job to do and afterwards she would have time to deal with it.

"You go left and I go right. And wait for my signal." Buffy gave directions.

Harry just nodded, without saying anything and left to his position. This worried Buffy, but she shrugged it off for later. When they were in position, Buffy could see that they were brewing a potion in a big cauldron. Buffy stood up and showed herself.

"Hey guys, what's cooking?"

Their reaction was immediately and five wands were pointed at her.

Buffy gave them a fake pout. "Hey, if you don't like unexpected visitors dropping by at dinnertime. You guys should have told me and I would have dropped earlier and we all could have our supper by now. Me at home and you guys at Azkaban." Buffy gave them a wolfish smile.

One of them recognized her. "Slayer." He spitted the word out with a mixture of fear and despise.

"Yep, I'm even the one who kicked Voldy-guy's butt. Don't confuse me with one of the other two."

It doesn't mater how much they hated her for defeating their Master, they still stepped back in fear with the exception of one, who stood his ground. Buffy knew that this was the leader. She put her attention on him by staring him right into his eyes.

"Soo, might telling me, what kind of potion you are brewing? So that I know what to add to your charges." Buffy shook her head in annoyance. "I really hate to go after you Wizard guys. Give me a Demon any day. At least then I don't have to do all that paperwork."

The Leader just smirked. "You'll see." He turned to his friends and ordered them. "Attack her."

But they were hesitant, they heard the stories about her. "But she is immune to our magic."

"Don't attack her directly. We just need more time."

That was Harry's cue to attack. He sent a binding spell to one of the Dark Wizards before they know he was there. This distracted them enough for Buffy to take one down, which left 3 Dark Wizards to deal with. The Leader saw Harry.

"Potter!" The hate that was use to utter his name was overshadowing the despise the Death Eater used when he said slayer toward Buffy. "Deal with the Slayer. Potter is mine."

He put all of his attention on Harry. "You're going to pay for what you have done."

Harry smirked. "You really think that you can defeat me, when you precious Dark Lord couldn't?"

In anger the Leader threw a spell at Harry, but Harry was faster and blocked it and threw one rihgt back at him and he was thrown on the ground. In the meanwhile Buffy had only little trouble dispensing the other two Dark Wizards. They were throwing stuff at her and in front of her. She had no trouble blocking, avoiding or going through any obstacles they threw at her. She knocked them both unconscious in know time.

Harry was dealing with his opponent more carefully. He could have immobilized him, but he wanted to know what they were brewing in the cauldron. Harry tried to bait him to reveal it. He sniffed in the air.

"If you are cooking soup, it smells bad. Better throw it away and start over."

"Don't worry Potter. I'm sure it didn't go bad." He was smirking at Harry.

"What are you brewing? A potion for your bad attitude." Some of Buffy's banter in battle had rubbed off on him.

"Don't worry you'll soon find out?" The Dark Wizard threw a spell at Harry who deflected it. Harry had no control about the direction the spell would go after he had reflected it. It hit the cauldron. The Dark Wizard wasn't pleased and looked horrified at the cauldron. "No, What did you do? You ruined our chance to bring Voldemort back."

The Dark Wizard ran toward the cauldron, but it exploded and he was thrown away by the concussion of the blow. After the smoke lifted, Harry approached the cauldron to inspect it to make sure it was safe.

"Harry! Are you Okay?" Buffy sounded worried and Harry turned toward her and didn't notice the vortex that was opening behind him. The vortex was growing fast and Harry felt the pull of it. Buffy saw the vortex behind Harry.

"Harry watch out." Buffy ran toward him and Harry was being pulled head first into the vortex. Buffy grabbed his feet and had enough strength and foothold to sling Harry away, but by doing that she lost her own foothold and was pulled into the vortex. The vortex closed right behind her.

Harry stood up dazed and looked around. "Buffy?"

Chapter 1

After the shock had worn off, Harry looked angry at the unconscious or incapacitated Dark wizards. He picked up his wand, that he had dropped and approached the Leader. Being in Buffy's company, he had developed a few more muscles. Harry picked him up and first tried to shake him awake. When that didn't work, he used a Wake-Up Charm to bring him out of his unconsciousness.

"What kind of potion did you make?" Harry's whole attitude was radiating menace from his eyes to his voice.

The man spitted in Harry's Face. Harry threw him on the ground and pointed the wand at the man. "Levitate!"

The man was rising of the ground to 100 feet above the ground. Harry let him hang there for a few seconds before dropping him again. The man screamed like a girl. Harry stopped his descent just a foot above the ground. He levitated him so they were both at eye level.

"I can do this a hundred times before I get tired and how many times do you think I'll catch you, before I miss?"

The Death Eater was scared now and it was shown in his face. "It was a resurrection spell."

Harry didn't need to ask, who they were planning to resurrect. "What were the ingredients and the specifications?"

"The instructions are on the scroll." He pointed at a scroll that was lying about 10 feet away from them. Harry stupefied him and went to look at the scroll. He cursed, when he tried to read it. It was in an ancient language, he couldn't read. His first thought was to get it to Hermione, but then he thought about Willow and Giles. They had more experience with ancient languages and Harry could remember hearing a few stories involving portals, other dimensions and Alternated Universes. Harry had a bad feeling that Buffy didn't get sucked into the vortex and landed in any place on this Earth. He needed to get a hold of one of them quickly before it was to late.

Harry bound the rest of the Dark Wizard before he disapparated.

Buffy came out of the vortex like a speeding bullet. She hit a wall with a smack that would have crushed any normal human. She was lucky that she didn't broke any ribs, but only cracked them. There was a big crack where she hit the wall. Her landing on the floor after bouncing of the wall wasn't much better, but at least she didn't crack anymore ribs. She would have cried out if it wasn't for the fact of the lack of air from the impact.

Buffy had trouble keeping conscious, but after a few second she had her breath back and it hurt when she breathed. She shook off the pain to concentrate on her surrounding. She held her cracked ribs to breathe better. She really hoped, that her ribs weren't broken. After the dizziness and her fogged vision disappeared, she observed that she had landed in an alley.

Of course she had to land in an alley, where else? A cemetery wouldn't have surprised her at all.

What was strange about it, was the pavement. It was a stone-pavement not the asphalt or cement-pavements she was used to. She looked around and noticed that more things where out of place, than the pavement itself. Her first thought was that the portal had brought her to a different time. The alley looked like something out of the past.

"Oh Great. Let's hope I didn't end up in a time, where the women wear corsets. It was fun for Halloween, but not wearing everyday." Buffy complained to thin air.

Before Buffy could complain any further or start a proper rant, she heard a commotion around the corner out of her sight. Buffy ignored the pain and walked to the corner and cautious looked around it. She saw about a dozen people being herded by five armoured men with weird looking staffs. They were big all above six feet and wearing big snake helmets.

Buffy ducked back in the alley, before they could spot her. They had to pass her alley, she pushed herself against the wall and hoped, they were too busy to notice her. But luck wasn't on her side as usual. The last Snake Guy saw her and alerted the others. Buffy sighed. She just landed in a new place and of course within an hour she would get herself in trouble. She was wondering sometimes if she had done something evil in her past life to deserve all of this.

She put her hands up and smiled. "Hi, Big Guys. I'm a little lost. Do you guys know where I can get the next portal home?"

Two of the five Snake Guys approached her with the staffs pointing at her. Buffy didn't know what they were but they didn't look at all harmless. Buffy thought the best way to handle this situation was by going into the offensive. Buffy grabbed one Snake Guy's staff and hurled him into the other Snake Guy. The sudden impact with his friend made him lose his staff.

Buffy whirled her captured staff to get a quick feel of the weapon. Buffy couldn't believe how well balanced it was, it was looking very bulk. She tested it by slamming it over the heads of both of the Snake Guys, she had knocked down and now knocked out. She only used one strike. She didn't hold back much because the armours, they wore looked like they could take some punishment. Afterwards she thought she had put a dent in them.

She turned around with a wicked smile. "Next."

The three other Snake Guys approached her, but were hindered by the fleeing crowd. They aimed their staffs at her. The staffs snapped open and were sizzling with energy. They didn't fire because the crowd was still in the way.

"Oh, boy." Buffy swallowed hard and knew that this couldn't be of the good.

When they had a clear shot, Buffy jumped into the alley and rolled away at the same moment as they fired at her. Buffy just barely avoided being hit by the blasts. They followed her in the alley and stopped in their tracks, when they found the alley empty. It was a dead end, but no Buffy. They looked around, but couldn't find no hide nor trace of her. They moved carefully around to try to find any trace of her.

When they were half way into the alley, Buffy jumped from above on the Snake Guy, who was in the middle. She landed right on his back and decked him with the middle of her staff in the back of his head. The other two she smacked them with each end of her captured staff. She precautional hit the first one over the head to make sure he stayed down. Buffy had a smirk on her face about a job well done.

"You know you guys are very boring, you didn't even growled or grunted. And I bet my puns and wits are wasted on you guys."

She took a closer look at the staff she relieved from the Snake Guy and shook it.

"Now, how does this blasting stick work." Buffy looked for a mechanism on how to operate the staff. While concentrating on the staff, she heard a zapping sound behind her. She started to turn, but she was hit by some kind of electric blast. It felt like electricity going through her and Buffy went down on her knees. She had turned far enough, for when she looked up, to see her assailant. It was another one of those Snake Guys. He had a snakelike gun aiming at her.

"Oh, that hurts." Buffy was seeing spots, but still conscious.

She tried to get up leaning on the staff, but another blast of the snake gun and everything went dark.

Willow was worried about Buffy. For almost half a day had passed, since Buffy had disappeared. Harry bought her to the same spot where Buffy disappeared into the vortex, but couldn't sense any magical disturbance, that might indicate a portal. Willow was reading the instruction scroll and couldn't find any answers in them either. The ingredients on itself couldn't have opened any portal for so far as she knew. But looking at the planetary alinement and a stray spell might have done the trick. But where did the portal lead.

Willow looked at Harry. "We can go now. There is nothing we can do here. There is no trace left of the portal."

"What are we going to do now?" Harry sounded worried.

"We're going to do what we always do in these circumstance. We research first and then we solve the problem. Nothing new. Nothing we can't handle." Willow had grown in confidence since the shy girl she was when she had met Buffy for the first time.

Harry calmed down. "We need help." He stated.

"Yep, we have to call the troops. I think the best place to gather is at Hogwarts. It has the books and I can soak up the energy to open the portal to wherever Buffy is now."

"Good, we should start with Giles." Harry stated the obvious. If the Slayer was in trouble, the Watcher would do everything in his power to help.

"Good, Tara and Hermione next and Xander." Willow made a short list to begin with.

Harry didn't understand, why she wanted Xander too, he was just a Muggle. He had shown his worth over and over again. But to bring him in first, he didn't understand that. But he had to rely on Willow's judgement, so he didn't argue about it. He held her close and apparate with her to the edge of Hogwarts grounds.

"Giles first and then Tara. I'll try to contact Hermione through floo powder and Sirius, he might fetch Xander for us."

Harry nodded and disapparated. Willow quickly walked to the big gates and entered Hogwarts. She passed a few students and asked them to get a few Professors to meet her in the library. Willow entered the library very loudly. Madame Pince looked very stern at her.

"Sorry, Madame Pince. But I'm confiscating the library for the moment."

"You what? You can't do that." Madame looked outraged at Willow.

Willow ignored her and took a piece of parchment and was writing on it. She gave it to Madame Pince. "I need all the books on these topics even in the restricted area."

Madame Pince was about to protest, when a friendly voice came from behind Willow. "Please do what she asked, Madame Pince." Willow turned and smile at Dumbledore. "I'm sure Willow wouldn't disturb the quiet of your library without good reason."

"Buffy got sucked into a portal, when Death Eaters tried to resurrect Voldemort with a potion and failed. I got the ingredient here." Willow was short and to the point and didn't even came close to babbling. She showed him the scroll. Madame Pince still winched at the name Voldemort.

Dumbledore looked the scroll over, there was some worry in his eyes. After reading it, he gave it back to Willow. "That is a very good reason. I'll send a few professors to help you research."

"I send a few students to fetch Snape and McGonagall. Harry is fetching Giles and then Tara. Could you contact Hermione and ask her to help. And Sirius to fetch Xander for me."

Dumbledore smiled at her when she mentioned Xander. Dumbledore always saw the potential of the Muggle, where others didn't. "Yes I'll make sure they get your messages."

Dumbledore left and Snape arrived a minute later with a smirk on his face followed by McGonagall. They both didn't like that their classes were interrupted. But after Willow explained the situation, they softened up. They both liked Buffy and owned much to her for helping Harry defeat Voldemort. She gave them a translated instruction of the potion. Snape looked at the ingredients.

"You sure you translated it correctly. These ingredient shouldn't have opened any portal whatsoever." The look he gave her was reserved for his students, that didn't know which point of the wand was up.

Willow ignored it, Snape didn't have the power anymore to intimidate her anymore. "I'm sure, but when Giles comes, he'll check it over to make sure."

"And when will he arrive?" McGonagall asked.

"Harry is fetching him right now." Willow answered.

McGonagall nodded and they went into research mode. Willow told them what to look for. They were Professors, but they were better at solving academic problems then solving problems in the field. A half an hour later Hermione entered the library. Again Willow explained and put Hermione at work. 17 minutes later Xander arrived with Sirius following him.

When Willow saw Xander, she ran into him and hugged him. Xander returned the hug. Willow cried into his shoulder and let the pain and fear lose in his embrace.

"So, she got lost again, she really should stop doing that." Xander started to lighten the mood a little.

"Yeah." Willow sniffed the tears away.

"But she always came back." Xander reassured her and himself.

"Yeah." Willow composed herself and saw Sirius. "It seems that Harry is been delayed by Giles. Why don't you get Tara? And ask a student to stand at the edge of Hogwarts grounds to wait for Harry and Giles to arrive. So that he doesn't go for nothing to collect Tara."

"No trouble. I bet I have Tara here before Harry delivers Giles." Sirius gave a greeting nod to everybody and left the library.

The next person that entered the library was Giles with Harry right behind him carrying some books. Willow also hugged him. Willow told him, what they had done so far and handed him the scroll and her translation. He corrected a few mistakes she had made, but at least she got all the ingredients right.

"Our first priority is to make a list to were she might have ended up."

"A different Dimention, probably a Hell dimension, Altered Universe, maybe even another time-frame or line." Willow gave him a list.

"Don't you think she might just be somewhere on this Earth?" Snape asked.

"No." Came out of four mouths; Giles', Willow's, Harry's and Xander's.

"It would be to easy." Xander explained.

Giles ignored Xander and continued. "It would seem that the normal Shrining Spells and Charms wouldn't work on the Slayer." Giles looked at Willow.

"I have one but I need Tara." Willow explained. Expecting Giles next question she continued. "And she is on her way here, Sirius is getting her."

"Yes, I know. A Gryffindor boy told us when we arrived. Lets concentrate on the kind of portal."

Harry interrupted Giles. "It was a blue liquid like Vortex and it grew in seconds with a diameter of about 4 to 5 feet, before it closed right behind Buffy. It would have pulled me in, if Buffy didn't throw me out of its way and sacrificed herself for me."

Willow felt the guilt coming from Harry and she put an arm around him for comfort. "Don't blame yourself, Harry. There was nothing you could have done."

Harry smiled at her, but not with a reassuring smile or without guilt. "Thank you Willow."

"Don't worry Harry. We have her back before you know and you can give her some of those famous Harry Potter snuggled." Willow tried to reassure him.

Harry was getting red. Xander came to his rescue.

"So we are looking for a Blue liquid vortex. Come on with the books. The sooner we start with the research the sooner we get Buffy back."

They took Xander's advise and put their noses in the books. Willow went over some theories with Giles. That's how Tara found them when she and Sirius entered the library. Willow hugged and kissed her lover before she let her go.

"Tara, I'm so glad you are here."

"Me too. I missed you." Willow had done consulting work for the Watcher's Council in Spain and hadn't see Tara for awhile.

"Hello, lovebirds." Xander interrupted them with a grin. "First work and later you guys can smooch."

Tara got all blushy and Willow gave her another kiss on the lips and turned to glare at Xander.

"Unfortunal Xander is right." She took Tara's hand and lead her to the table, where everybody had gathered around. She made room on the table by shoving a few books out of the way. "We need some personal items of Buffy. So everybody who has something of Buffy, please drop it on the table."

Harry put a golden cross on the table, Buffy let him borrow it, whenever they do Aurora business. Xander put an axe on table, he brought with him and a stake. He got strange looks from the Wizard side of the gathering. Willow put a brush on the table and Tara some lipstick. And Giles put as last a locket on the table.

Willow out of curiosity opened the locket and saw a lock of hair in it. She turned to Giles and smiled.

"We need a map of the world. We start to shrine in this world first before we go dimension and time hopping."

"I thought you said, she wasn't in our dimension." Snape said sharply for remembering them something they didn't even say a half an hour ago.

"No, we said it was highly unlikeable. It would be very ironical if we searched all the dimension and she was just dropped somewhere next door. We have to eliminate this dimension before going to search the others." Willow explained and the rest nodded in agreement.

While they were talking Madame Pince retrieved a map of the world for them. She put it down on an empty table that was next to theirs, for their table was full of books.

"Thank you Madame Pince." Willow gathered Buffy's stuff and walked to the other table, the rest of them followed. Willow looked at the map. "Oh, it is a Wizard map."

"Yes, it can zoom in and out. Would that be a problem? I think I have a Muggle map somewhere, if you want one?" Madame looked around to remember where she might have put that Muggle map.

Willow put a reassuring hand on Madame Pince's arm. "No, it is good, maybe even better." Willow put the items around the map. She indicated to Tara to stand at the other side of the table. Before they were holding hands, Willow put a crystal on the map. Willow looked Tara in the eyes.

"Ready?"

Tara nodded and squeezed Willow's hand lightly to indicate that she was ready. They started to chant and the crystal move upward and was hovering about 6 inches above the map. They were chanting for at least 5 minutes and the crystal didn't move, when they stopped chanting and the crystal dropped on the map. They looked exhausted. Xander put an arm around Willow to steady her. Sirius, who was the closest to Tara, did the same to her. The girls thanked them.

Harry couldn't wait for them to collect themself. "And?"

"Mr. Potter give them time to compose themself." Giles also wanted to know what they had found out. He desperate wanted to know what happened to his slayer. But he also knew, that Willow and Tara needed some time to recover.

Willow looked grateful at Giles and smiled. "It's okay, Giles." Willow turned to the rest. "The good news is, that she is alive."

"And the bad news." Xander knew that there was alway bad news, when somebody start with 'the good news is'.

"I have a very distinctive feeling that she is very far away and not in this world." She looked at Tara for conformation, who nodded in agreement.

"Are you sure? She may be masked by magic?" Sirius suggested.

"I didn't get the feeling that something was concealing her just that she was far away." Willow sighed. "We'll try again after we have rested and eaten something."

"There is a couch in my office you two can rest on." Madame Pince offered them.

"Yes, I think, that would be a good idea." Willow turned to Giles. "If we fall asleep, wake us up in an hour."

Giles nodded. Willow and Tara were escorted by Madame Pince to her office. The others went back to research. Dumbledore gave a house elf instructions to bring some food for the girls. When he entered the office with the tray of food, he found them deep asleep. He smiled and left the tray on the desk for them to find.

Chapter 2

Buffy was waking up and her whole body was aching. She tried to move and noticed that she was restrained on a some kind of table. The memories returned quickly. Before Buffy opened her eyes, she tested her restrains. Buffy somehow doubted that she could break them even if she used her full strength.

"The prisoner is awake, Lord Ker."

Buffy must have been more out of it, then she thought at first. For she hadn't noticed, that she had company. She carefully opened her eyes and squinted at the light, before opening them full. She was in a room that reminded her of a cross between Ancient Egypt and an old Science Fiction movie. The room was filled with high-tech, futuristic equipment. It was either an examining/operation room in a hospital or a torture room. At the moment Buffy didn't know which was worse.

There were 4 people in the room. Two Snake Guys were standing at the door on guard. The two others were standing at her feet. One was definitely a mad scientist kinda type and the other was pharaoh wannabe, who seemed to be in charge. He looked at some device that the Mad Scientist gave him.

"How is this possible? The readings say she is human, but she survived a second shot of the Zat'n'ktel and the force she puts on the restrains is far above any Jaffa or Goa'uld."

"I don't know Lord Ker. But I found a strange energy signature, that might explain it." The Mad Scientist pressed a few buttons on the device that King Tut was holding.

King Tut turned to Buffy and he wasn't looking very pleased. "I'm the System Lord Ker, the God of Strife. How did a woman of the Tau'ri came to this planet without the use of the Star Gate? And what is the source of your power?"

Buffy needed a minute to digest what she just heard. God of Strife? Tau'ri? Planet? Star Gate? Buffy looked at the would-be god with confusion and the first impression she received from him wasn't that of a god. A Demon yes, but not at god.

"I'm here because, I fell through a hole in sky. And if you really are a god, you would understand where my powers came from."

"Insolent Child!" His eyes were glowing yellow and his voice went a few octaves lower.

This impressed Buffy. He would have looked scary if she was anybody else. "Nice trick, very impressive. Might scare a few vamps. But I would catalogue you under Demon instead under God."

Ker raised his hand which had a gauntlet with a jewel in the palm that was glowing. He put it a few inches about Buffy's head and activated it. Buffy screamed.

"Now answer me child, what is the source of your power?"

He stopped and Buffy grinned warily at him. "Torturing me will not prove that you are a god. It will do just the opposite, it proves you're a demon and I've enjoyed better torment by a mere, but evil human." She taunted Ker and she knew it was a bad idea.

Ker was about to repeat his assault on Buffy, but changed his mind. He turned to the Mad Scientist. "Run the test on her without any sedatives."

Buffy was panicking from within. She didn't know if she could withstand another torture session, it had been years and she finally was getting over what Mr. Lyle had done to her. She didn't think they could do anything worse, but maybe close. To her credit she didn't let the panic show.

"You know, that is more like it. We expect some initiative of our local Big Bad."

Ker looked confused at Buffy. "She must me mad. Test her sanity." Ker left the room without wasting anymore words.

"Bye Kerry Boy." Buffy yelled after him. Buffy turned to the Mad Scientist. "Does he really think he is a god?"

"He is our god." There was no emotion in his voice.

Buffy looked worried at the Mad Scientist, who was working on the machines. "This is going to hurt?"

"Yes."

Buffy used all her Slayer strength to break her restrains, but it didn't work. "You like torturing defenceless women?"

"No. I just do what I am told to do."

"So nothing personal." Buffy turned her head toward him.

"Yes." His tone was still emotionless and blank.

"Good." Buffy turned her head to the ceiling. "I hope you don't take it personal, when I rip off your head of your shoulders, when I get out of here."

"I won't." He continued with his work by pressing some buttons.

Buffy almost thought she heard some amusement in his last statement. But she quickly dismissed it, because her mind was preoccupied by pain. The testing continued for an hour before he stopped to give Buffy a rest.

After their little nap Willow and Tara were entering the Nexus to search for Buffy. Tara was anchoring Willow, while she was in the Nexus. Their first search was in AUs and the second was in different Dimensions and at last they searched the time line. With each search they took a half hour break. Snape and McGonagall had classes to attend and their were enough hands to help. Hermione was in the restricted area to find a book that might be useful.

Willow and Tara came out of the last search. Giles and Xander were watching over them.

"And?" Xander didn't sound very hopeful.

Willow shook her head before she leant into him. She couldn't understand why she couldn't find Buffy.

"We should had find her by now. I don't understand it. When we shrined this world I could barely sense her, but I could sense her. But in the Nexus, nothing, nope, nada."

Xander lightened the mood by making a joke. "Maybe you should have shrined the moon to be sure."

Willow stiffened in Xander embrace. Xander felt it and was concerned that he said something stupid, which wasn't a rarity as he would like it to be.

"Willow?"

Willow looked up with a brilliant smile on her face and she kissed Xander. "You are a genius, Alexander Lavell Harris."

Xander touched his cheek in confusion, while Willow turned around and was looking for someone. When she found Madame Pince, she asked her to fetch something for her. The next thing Willow did was going to Tara and whispered something in her ear. Tara leant back with disbelieve showing in her face. But a second later it showed hope.

Before Xander asked what genius idea he came up with, Madame Pince came back with a two feet long scroll. She folded it out over the table with Buffy's stuff on them. Xander looked at it and saw that it was a star chart.

"You're going to use Astrometry to locate Buffy?" Xander was confused by it.

Giles was curious and joined them. "You find a new way to locate Buffy?"

"No an old way. Now be quiet and let us concentrated." Willow put the crystal and was holding Tara's hands as they did the first time, when they shrined for Buffy. Like the first time it was levitating about 6 inches above the table. But this time it was zigging over the chart, it was zigging for at least five minutes before it made a whirling motion and stopped above a point and dropped down.

Willow looked tired, but with a big smile on her face. Xander was holding her. "We found her."

"Where is she?" Harry stood behind her and Xander. Hermione stood next to him with a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Willow pointed at a star on the chart. "Here."

Harry looked confuse at the chart. He wasn't the only one. Xander looked down on the chart and started laughing.

"Buffy pulled a Star Trek on us." Even Giles understood this pop cultural reference. Xander continued. "She is on a different planet? In a different solar system?"

Willow nodded. Xander was laughing and spinning her around. Tara was happily hugging Giles. Xander stopped suddenly.

"How are we going to get her back?"

"We found her. Getting her back would be a walk in the park." Willow showed no worries in her face.

"Yeah, but our walks in the park normally involves vampires and demons."

"Since when do we have troubles with vampires and demons. So far we have beaten them all." Willow laughed.

Giles hated to interrupt. "I think we could use Professor Sinister help after all he is the Astronomic Professor."

"I'll get him." Harry volunteered and her ran out of the library.

"And I think we need the Charm Professor for a portkey." Giles added.

"It is the midget, right? I'll get him." Xander volunteered next.

Willow stumped him in the shoulder. "Be nice. The political correct term is small people. Now go and be nice."

Xander grinned her and kissed her on the stern before walking, running out of the library following Harry's example.

"Let see if we can do some preliminary work and look over those planetary alignment." Giles suggested.

The Wiccas agreed and went to work with Giles. Within five minutes Harry came back with an out of breathe Professor behind him. After catching up his breath, he looked over the diagrams and charts. He let Willow calculate the real position of the star, she shrined in the hemisphere. For the light that came from the star took years to reach Earth. Even the sun was 8 minutes behind. They calculate that the planet and the sun were just in the right position to give the vortex the right boost to reach the star.

Professor Flitwick and Xander entered just a few minutes after Professor Sinister. Professor Flitwick went to work, but he didn't look very enthusiastic. Xander saw it, but didn't confront him. When they were finished with Professor Sinister. They turned to Professor Flitwick.

"You think you can make a portkey to the planet Buffy is on." Willow asked him.

Flitwick was twitching nervously in his chair. "I'm not sure if it is possible."

Giles had a bad feeling why, but asked anyway. "Why not?"

"In my youth I once calculated how much magic would be needed to get to Mars and those calculations where made, for when Mars was in its closest position toward Earth."

"How much?" Giles asked. He had a feeling that it was a lot.

"The magic of Hogwart wasn't enough."

"How about if the alignment were right?" Willow asked hopeful.

This time Sinister gave the answer. "I have to do some research, but I think it would be once in a lifetime alignment. Maybe even one in an eon for we don't know what planetary alignment was on the other side of the portal."

"Even if all the alignment would be in place. We could never pinpoint it wherever Buffy would be on the planet." Professor Flitwick added.

Willow looked horrified at Giles first, she saw hopelessness in his eyes, then at Xander, who tried his best to look hopeful. Xander embrace Willow to give her his support.

"We'll get her back. Even if we have to steal a spaceship from E.T."

Again Willow stiffened and looked up into Xander's eyes and kissed his cheek. "Xander you are a true genius. Two great ideas in one day." She was grinning at him.

"I do my best. What was my idea?" Xander looked goofy down at Willow.

"If we can't do it with magic, we'll do it with science. A spaceship, a wormhole or whatever." Willow gave Xander her resolve face.

Xander smiled. "I don't want to rain on your parade, but where are we going to get a spaceship or a wormhole? They are not just lying around." Xander stated.

"A Secret Government agency or I'll try to contact an alien specie telepathic and they might be nice enough to lend us a spaceship. We are not out of the race yet. It might be a longshot, but we have performed miracle with longshots before." She turned around out of Xander's embrace and then quickly turned on her heels back to face him again. "Jarod. He would know or could find out about these things."

Giles wasn't all that enthusiastic about Willow's idea, when she mentioned it at the beginning. His expertises were in the line of magic and the arcane not science. But when Willow mentioned Jarod, he was filled with hope again. His emotional state was going through a roller coaster.

"So we are going to visit Jarod and Miss. Parker." Xander was simplifying it.

"Yes." Willow was very excited.

"Harun, how are the tests going?" Ker asked the Mad Scientist.

"Very good. We have a very extraordinary subject. Her healing factor is as good as maybe even better than any Goa'uld or Jaffa. And the strength she possesses equals that of seven Jaffas. I have no doubt her speed and endurance would be off the charts too." Harun was very excited looking at his data on Buffy.

"What about her mental state?"

"Her mental state is stable. She is a stubborn woman and has a strong personality. And her tolerance for pain is great. She has a lot of scare tissue. If you count the fact that she heals fast, the injuries must have been severe. I have no doubt that she was in many battles and was at least once being tortured."

Ker looked at the unconscious Buffy. He couldn't believe the power this small frame held. He wanted it for himself. He turned back to Harun. "I want you to prepare her to be my new Host within a week."

Harun bowed. "I'll make the preparation, Lord Ker. But is it wise. She has a strong will and her healing factor might reject your symbiont." He tried to sound humble as possible. You don't want to anger the God of Strife.

The Goa'uld straighten his back and his eyes started to glow. "I am the System Lord Ker and the God of Strive. No one defies me. Put her through a harsh physical tests to exhaust her and break her spirit. And I also want to see her fight. Arrange a few fights in the Arena."

Harun bowed again. "Yes, Lord Ker."

Ker left without saying another word. His Jaffas followed him like trained dogs. Harun's facial expression was still blank. He turned to Buffy and gently remove a lock out of her face.

"It seems I'm going to put you through, how do you Tau'ri put it, oh yes, through the ringer. I have faith in you, Child, that you'll survive this. Please don't disappoint me."

He pressed something at her throat. Buffy jerked and snapped her eyes open.

"I seem to have some bad news for you, Child."

"Oh goodie, what is new about that. I'll always get bad news." Buffy sounded headstrong and sarcastic.

His voiced didn't waver. "It seems that we are going to put you through a battery of physical tests."

Buffy looked suspicious at him. "That doesn't sound that bad. What no torturous interrogation?"

"It is not needed now. Lord Ker will have his answers at the end of the week."

Buffy didn't like that at all, but was afraid to ask.

Chapter 3

After the decision was made that they would go to the Centre for help, they stayed a day more at Hogwarts to get organized and for some sleep. They sent messages to all the people that would be concerned about Buffy well being; The Watcher's council, the other Slayers and their Watchers, Anya and even Angel and his Gang. The people in the Wizard world didn't need to be informed because it was on the front page of the Daily Prophet.

They said their goodbyes to everyone at Hogwarts. The Scoobies used a portkey to get to Blue Cove, Delaware. They didn't want to go through custom and explain how half of them where in the UK without a passport or other valid documents. Plus it was faster. Those who went to Blue Cove existed out of the core Scoobies; Giles, Xander and Willow, with Tara and Harry.

Willow used her cell phone to call Jarod and asked him if he could pick them up or send someone to do it for him. She told him they were five them. Jarod's reply was, that he would send somebody to pick them up. He didn't ask, why they were in Delaware. He knew they would tell him in person.

They were greeted by Miss. Parker, the new head of the Centre and Sydney in the lobby of the Centre. They kept the pleasantries short and Miss. Parker told them that Jarod was busy in the lab for the moment and that he'll meet them the conference room. She escorted the Scoobies to one of the sub levels. Miss. Parker and Sydney noticed that Buffy wasn't present, but thought it for the best to keep the questions for later.

Jarod was waiting in a conference room like Miss. Parker told them. He stood up when they entered the room. He hugged the girls and shook the hands of the men. He told them to take a seat. Buffy's absent didn't go by unnoticed by Jarod.

"Where is Buffy?"

"That's why we are here. We need a spaceship or something as good as spaceship." Willow answered.

"Why?" He had a farfetched idea why.

"Because the Buff-meister got herself stranded on a planet a few lightyear away." Xander said it as if Buffy did it everyday.

"43 lightyear to be more exact." Willow added some more exact data.

There were three equally shocked expression on the Centre people. It still shocked Jarod to hear his farfetched idea out loud.

"How did she get herself on another planet?" Miss. Parker came first out of the shock.

"Magical portal." Giles explained the short version.

"Did you guys try to reopen the portal to get her back." Sydney asked.

"They couldn't, otherwise they wouldn't be here and ask me to find out if a secret Government Agency or maybe one of military branches have access to the stars." Jarod concluded.

"Yes, do you know of any?" Willow was clearly looking for him to know something and hoped it wasn't grasping for straws.

"While I infiltrated the government and military, while on the run for the Centre."Jarod gave Miss. Parker a knowing smile. "I've heard rumours, but only rumours."

Willow's hope shrunk. Jarod saw it and thought to give her some of her hope back.

"Give me a day and I and Broots will find out if those rumours are true of false." Jarod gave her a reassuring smile.

Miss. Parker gave her input still not believing, what happened to Buffy, but nevertheless ready to help Buffy. "I can call a few contacts and call on a few favours and see what floats up."

Willow's smile grew and she thanked Miss. Parker, who nodded back. She turned her attention back to Jarod. "I can help? I bet if you, Broots and I pull our talents together no firewall can stop us."

Willow had a big grin on her face. It is a good thing she kept her computer skills up. After everything was decided, Willow followed Jarod to the computer room. Miss. Parker went to her office to make a few phone calls, while Sydney took care of the rest of the Scoobies. They felt useless at the moment. But Tara told them that there time would come to help. It made them feel a little better, but not much.

Buffy was awake and lying on the ground in some kind of arena. She looked around and saw two exit doors and when she looked up she saw a balcony. King Tut stood their guarded by two Snake Guys and her personal tormentor, Harun. She flexed her muscles and without a word she pushed herself up and ran toward the balcony. She jumped up ready to pound Ker to a pulp. When he only raised his hand with that funny gauntlet, Buffy was hit by a force field.

She hit the ground hard. She shook it off quickly and stood up glaring at Ker. "You think those parlour tricks can stop me. Buffy was ready to jump again, when the two Jaffas pointed their Staff-weapons at her. Buffy stopped in her tracks.

"Okay, those blasting sticks could stop me." Buffy very reluctantly backed off.

Ker just grinned at her ghoulish, but he didn't say a word and only gave a sign to somebody unseen by Buffy. One of the doors opened to let five Jaffas in the arena. They were armed with quarter-staffs and swords. Buffy saw it and shrugged.

"What, am I reduced to gladiator fighting? You're going to regret this later King Tut."

Without any hesitation Buffy attacked the Jaffas. It didn't take her long to bring them down. She didn't kill them, but they didn't left the arena standing up or without any broken bones. Buffy didn't think they were humans, but neither did she think they were demonic evil, who deserved to be killed without hesitation. The fallen Jaffas were carefully carried out of the arena, while Buffy was held at bay with the Staff-weapons.

They send the next group of Jaffas to fight her, this time it were ten and this time Buffy couldn't hold back anymore like she did with the other group. After the fight, Buffy was sweating and slightly out of breath. Ten bodies were lying around on the ground and two of them were death with broken necks. A few more would probable die from internal bleeding or brain damage.

Buffy looked angry up at Ker. "Are you so willing to sacrifice your men, just to test me?"

"I have a whole army and if I have to a whole planet to sacrifice if I want to." He told her as if he had done it once or twice before. In the back of her head Buffy had no doubt he had done it.

"Yep, I was right. Definitely a Demon or at least a insane Wanna-Be."

Ker got angry at her defiance. "Let the Kre'an Beast lose."

The door opened again and an animal was herded into the arena, they didn't even take the time to remove the fallen Jaffas from the arena. The beast was as tall as a grizzly bear, with reptilian features. Its chest was covered in black scales and its back in sandy fur. The claws curved from the fingers, were long and sharp. There was a hint of feline features in its face. Long canines were sticking from out of his mouth like a sabertooth tiger.

It would have done any demon proud. But it was not a demon, it was an innocent animal out of it environment. Just like the bear and the tiger she had fought and killed in the Centre.

Buffy stiffened at the sight, not because she feared it, but because she couldn't bring herself to kill an innocent creature again. Even if it was a dangerous predator. It ignored her and it looked at the fallen Jaffas for easy prey. Buffy knew that their spilled blood was attracting the beast. Without thinking Buffy placed herself between the Jaffas and the beast.

The beast saw her now as a threat or as a rival. It attacked her and Buffy only went in defence mode, it slashed her arms open and she couldn't hold him much longer at bay. She was bleeding heavily and then it got her in the abdomen. Buffy fell on her knees and was awaiting the final blow, but it never came. Three blasts hit the creature and it fell down dead. Luckily for Buffy not on her or otherwise it would have crushed her. Blackness was about to embrace her and Buffy welcomed it.

On the balcony Ker looked angry at Harun. Harun stepped back at the System Lord's anger. "You told me that she could defeat the beast. Why did she failed?"

"Physically she could have shred it to pieces, Lord Ker. But she is a very interesting and complex creature. She had fight creatures with claws before. I have seen the scares, that were made by claws. She enjoys the fight. You see how enthusiastic she was, when she defeated the first five Jaffas. But it wavered, when she had killed a few of the Jaffas the second time. I think she didn't wanted or couldn't kill the creature."

"For what reason?" Ker was intrigued by Buffy. He hadn't seen anything like her, she could take down Jafas like not even the wildest beasts.

"I don't know, Lord Ker. She is very contradicting. You could see. She put herself in between the fallen Jaffas, she just defeated or killed, and the Kre'an beast. I would guess her honour must probably forbid her to kill it. I have little knowledge of her past to make an accurate prognoses. But mentally she couldn't kill the beast even if it would cost her her own live."

Ker thought about it and came to a decision. He didn't want to lose this host. He only wanted to break it. "From now on she only fights Jaffas and double her test and torture sessions. She is only allowed to drink water and no other nourishment. I want her weak, when I take her as my host."

"Yes, Lord Ker." Harun bowed.

Ker ignored him further and left the balcony with his guards. Harun looked down at the arena, where a Jaffa was dressing and cleaning Buffy's wounds.

"Jaffa, how severe are her wounds?"

"She is already healing, Master Harun, but the loss of blood will keep her weak." The Jaffa answered back.

"Bring her back to my laboratory and put the restrains on her."

The Jaffa nodded and picked Buffy up and left the arena. Harun looked how she was carried away, before he also left the balcony.

They worked for half a day and still didn't find any useful information. Miss. Parker even ran out of people to call. There luck changed when Angelo, who was also helping, found a Maj. Samantha Carter. It seemed that she skipped her chance to go into space with the space shuttle. Her background told them, that she would never in a million years would pass such a chance like that if it wasn't for something better.

It wasn't hard to find out where she was stationed. She was stationed in Cheyenne Mountain. Something called the SGC. Her commander was Gen. George S. Hammond. When they looked, who were also assigned to the SGC, they found a Dr. Daniel Jackson. He was an archaeologist and Giles thought, that he knew him from somewhere or at least his work.

Willow gave Giles a hard copy of everything they had on Daniel by printing it out for him. Giles was glad to do some research instead of sitting around doing nothing.

Not long after they were on SGC trail, they found out that a flow of artifacts were flowing toward a military compound from Cheyenne Mountain. A lot of scientific and military research was done at that compound. They also found two words connected with SGC, Stargate and Goa'uld. The Goa'uld seemed to be an alien race masquerading as Egyptian Gods. They didn't find much more.

It seemed that almost everybody had gone to sleep. Jarod made the suggestion to show their findings tomorrow, when everybody would be rested and awake. Jarod showed Willow a bed she could sleep in. It was right next to Tara's.

The next morning everybody converged in the conference room. Jarod started of first.

"We found something called the Stargate. We think it is just what is says a gateway to the stars."

"Good, do we know where it is?" Xander asked.

"Under Cheyenne Mountain." Jarod answered.

"Cheyenne? That place is one of the most heavily guarded military bases in the world." Xander shook his head. "We never do it the easy way."

"Yes." Jarod grinned at Xander banter and continued. "We also think there is connected between the Egyptian Gods and an aliens race called Goa'ulds."

"Goa'ulds. Did you say Goa'ulds?" Giles was surprised to hear that name.

"Yes, do you know about them Giles?" Willow asked curious.

"Ah yes. You say that they are aliens?" Both Willow and Jarod nodded. "Of course, this makes sense on so many level now."

Giles saw the confusing faces and started to explain before somebody like Xander could interrupt him. He removed his glasses and gleaned them.

"In ancient Egypt Egypt was ruled by false gods, these were people that were possessed by demons, who had powerful magic. But if I have to believe you, they were aliens with advance technology." Giles looked at Jarod.

"Yes. That's what we've found out." Jarod confirmed it.

"The Slayers and the watchers in that time thought that they were demons. I can understand their mistake. They ignited a revolt under the slaves and drove them off of our world through a portal. It is some kind of holly grail for the Watcher's Council to find the artifact that could open the portal and make sure, that it wouldn't bring the demons back." Giles looked through his papers. "Dr. Jackson has written a paper, that said that the pyramids of Gaza was build by extraterrestrials. I have read the paper years before and I thought it was well researched. Of course I didn't believe it then for I believed them to be demons not extraterrestrials."

Giles took a small break to gather his thoughts, before he continued. "He also mentioned about a dig on the Gaze plane in the 1930s. Which isn't well documented. I think that's when they discovered the Stargate."

"Well, the Goa'uld are back. It seems that SGC, that is the division of the Air Force, that's in controlling the Stargate, has successful repelled a few invasion attempts." Jarod added as a casually afterthought. "It seems that our little planet doesn't only has threats from Demons, Dark Wizards, but also Aliens."

"What is so damn attractive about our little blue planet that everyone wants to conquer or destroy it?" Xander said sarcastic.

"Because it is a magical place." Harry answered with equally sarcasm.

Chapter 4

"No Faith I don't think you can help." "Why not? Because it will be hard enough to get the people we have already here in the secret military base." "And no, you can't trade places with someone here." "Because of your criminal record for one. You have a too high profile with the law to give you any credentials, that is believable." "I know it wasn't your fault that the governor of Washington was a demon worshipper and that you had to take him down publicly." "Don't pout Faith." "Yes, we will call you when we get Buffy back." "Bye and you take care of yourself too."

Willow put the horn down and sighed tiredly.

"That was faith." Jarod stated standing in the doorway to the office Willow was using.

"Yep, she finds it unfair that we'll get all the fun and she has to stay home babysitting the Potentials." Willow gave him a wary smile.

Jarod grinned. "It's hard for me to 'pretend' to be a slayer. I don't really see the fun in the slaying."

Willow smiled. "If you don't make it fun, the responsibility will break you. Plus the adrenalin rush must be great."

"Yes, I can see that." Jarod changed the topic. "You ready for the Scooby meeting."

"Yep." Willow stood up and followed Jarod to the conference room. There the others were waiting for her. Greetings were exchanged before Giles took charge of the meeting. Miss. Parker didn't like it, but let it pass as it was that Giles was more experience with the weird than she was. Even if it supernatural instead of extraterrestrial. But weird was weird.

"We are lucky, the Council had send us all the copies of the books they have on Goa'uld. I've compared them with what SGC knowledge about the Goa'uld and Sidney and I came with a profile about the Psyche of Goa'uld. Sydney you have the floor." Giles pointed to Sydney and sat down.

"Thanks, Giles." Sydney stood up and addressed the gathering crowd.

"When a Goa'uld takes over a body. He only takes over the memories of the host and suppressed host conscious. The Goa'uld still keeps his owns personality. It is not like Vampires, who take over the host personality. A Goa'uld doesn't take over the host's creativity or talent like vampires do. For example if the host was a brilliant poet. The Goa'uld could recite any poem the host made before, but the Goa'uld itself couldn't write a poem if his live depended on it. They are not very creative creatures. The design of there weapons and clothes haven't changed much since they fled from earth millennia ago."

"What about skills?" Tara asked.

"I think they can copy the skills of their hosts but not the talent." Giles looked at Sydney for confirmation.

Sydney nodded and continued. "They are without conscience and cruel. They are also prone to egomaniac."

"That's where that god complex comes from." Xander interrupted this time.

"Yes, they probably believe themself that they are gods. They are driven by hunger of power."

"So we dealing with demonlike creatures that hunger for power but are not creative enough to fingerpaint." Xander was simplifying it to the basics.

"Yes." Sydney replied.

"It seems you like to talk so much, why don't you start your lecture on the Goa'uld weapons." Giles glared at Xander.

Xander stood up and saluted Giles. He went military guy on them. It was all due the military training Jarod put him through to jog the memory, when he was a soldier guy during Halloween years ago. He explained about the three main hand weapons of the Goa'uld. The Staff-weapon, the Zat'n'ktel aka zat gun and the Ribbon Device. He explained their capacities and weakness. The second shot of a zat gun is deadly and the third one disintegrates the body. The Ribbon Device can generate a force field and can be used to repel somebody with great force. The flaw in the Ribbon Device is that it can't stop slow moving targets, like a thrown knife. Xander theorised that a crossbow arrow shot from a small crossbow might get through, because it didn't have the power of big crossbow. That's why Jarod designed a projectile throwers, that can be strapped around the forearm. Xander and Giles are both planning to wear one.

After Xander it was Willow's turn, she spoke of the technology and the mechanics of the Stargate. She kept the physics theories that are behind the workings of the Stargate to a minimum to everybody's relieve. She also explained the reason behind the need of 6 symbols that were needed to open the Stargate. Each symbol represents a star constellation in space. Because if you want to pinpoint something accurate in 3 dimensional space you need 6 fixed points.

Willow and Tara discussed on how to know which symbols they needed to take them to Buffy. Willow was planning to try to calculate where the planet was and which symbols to use. Jarod came with a more practical idea for the Wiccas to use and that was tarot cards with faces of the symbols on them. Willow thought it was a good idea. She and Tara combined tarot reading and shrining. After they tried it a few times, they succeeded in getting alway the same symbols.

The significant of this was also, that it meant that the planet with all probability had a Stargate for them to go through.

Giles' turn was going through some of the Egyptian Gods and hieroglyphs to get them familiar with ancient Egypt.

At last came Miss. Parker, who took care of their credentials and reference to get them in SGC. The papers were good enough for at least a week or two to not blow in their face. She first discussed Giles. She stayed as close as possible to his true life story. She changed it for when he came to Sunnydale. From there on he was an undercover agent as a librarian at a local Highschool for an obscure Government Agency. It made more sense than the truth.

Xander's profile made him a few years older and his real life was his cover story for a secret Military agency like the Initiative. She gave him the rank of Lieutenant in the Air Force. Which made Xander smile. He liked the thought of being an officer and a gentleman.

Willow was recruited straight out of college by the Initiative and worked now as a consultant for them.

Jarod was in Black Ops and a trouble shooter, rank Colonel and no real last name. Xander didn't like that Jarod had a higher rank, but could live with it. Harry was waiting for his profile, but they never came. Miss. Parker saw his confusion.

"Sorry kid. But you are out or the game same as Tara."

"What? Why?" Harry sounded upset and angry.

"You have no idea how to handle a gun or a riffle and you have no idea how to behave like a soldier. You could easily blow their cover." Miss. Parker told him.

"Neither does Willow and Giles." Harry retorted.

"Hey, I know how to use a riffle." Willow mentioned.

"They go in as civilian consultants." Miss. Parker ignoring what Willow said and she saw Harry about to protest. "You can't have a military operation with more civilians then military personal."

"I can't stay here and do nothing, while my girlfriend is on another planet in danger of ... ." Harry looked defeated down at his folded hands on the table. Tara put an arm around him.

"You are not going to be alone. I'm staying behind too."

"Or you could go home. I have a feeling, it is going to take awhile for us to find Buffy and you need to go home being surrounded by friends. And I think you should do the same, Tara." Willow was holding Tara's hand and gave her a reassuring smile. Tara squeezed her hand and leant forward touching their foreheads.

Miss. Parker took charge of the situation again. "I have the Centre's plane ready to fly you to Colorado Springs and from there I've arranged transportation to Cheyenne Mountain." She turned to Giles. "Is there something else you wanted to discuss or add."

"No, I think we have discussed everything that needed to be discussed."

"Good, then this meeting is wrapped up. You all can go start packing and have a good night rest before leaving tomorrow." Miss. Parker stacked files in a neat stack and picked them up.

Everybody agreed and they left the conference room alone or together. Harry went to be on his own.

Buffy was feeling very weak. She hadn't eat nothing at all since the Kre'an beast almost ripped her apart. The blood she had lost had been replaced otherwise she would have felt even weaker. She only received water not even bread, she complained to her warden. That it was against the Geneva Convention. He didn't get the pun. It was getting frustrated for Buffy to spit out puns that nobody understood.

In the previous week she had more gladiator fights. She only had to fight Jaffas now every time she fought them it was harder on her. at the end of the week she only could survive by killing them. She was getting thinner and thinner, because the lack of food and her Slayer metabolic.

When she didn't had to fight, she either slept or tests were done on her by Harun. Buffy received a strange vibe from him, the same she got from Ker, but with a different from Ker, whose vibe was pure evil, she didn't get the same evil vibe from him. Buffy didn't understand it and, Oh yes, she was angry at him, but didn't hate him right out. Maybe it was that Helsinki Syndrom where the Hostages befriend their kidnappers.

She knew that something was going to happen today. It was unnerving her. The experience she had the last week on this planet was nothing compare to what Mr. Lyle had done to her. It was like a day on the beach compare to that.

But every instinct told her that the worst had still to come. When four Jaffa came to get her, she struggled. But it was useless for she was to weak from being undernourished and the fights and the tests she underwent.

They brought her to a room and strapped her on at table face down. There was a hole for her head. She looked down at the floor. People enter the room and she recognized Ker's and Harun's legs.

"Welcome to the party King Tut. I would stand up and show you a good time, but I seem to be tied up." Buffy sounded braver than she felt. If it was up to her, he would never hear fear coming from her.

"It seems that time didn't tempered you insolent tongue, Child." Ker replied to her.

"Maybe in a hundred year, but I doubt even then." Buffy applied an extra layer of sarcasm.

"Did Harun tell you about the Goa'ulds?" Ker asked as if he was interested in her answer.

"The only thing I know about Goa'ulds is that you are one and need to be slayed." Buffy glared at him but it was useless for she only could see his feet.

Ker laughed. "What you see is not the Goa'uld. It is just the host." Ker bent down and showed her his neck, there was a small appendix. "And I decided to get me a new host."

It slowly dawned on Buffy, what he was planning to do to her. "No." In that little word was enough fear and despair to fill a swimming pool. Ker laughed at her despair. He had observed her the whole week and never did he hear despair coming from her. Fear he could hear now and then, but never despair. He was drowning in her despair. He wanted more. His eyes glowed yellow.

"Yes, my child soon you will be mine and the carnage I will havoc in your body. I can't wait."

His words brought her out of her despair and back to reality. She turned her head as far as possible toward Ker. "Many have tried to control me and all have failed at the end. Most paid the price with their death. You won't do better."

Ker was now whispering in her ear. "We will see, Child. But I'm a god and you have never come up against a god before."

"You're a demon." Buffy spitted it out in anger. "And I have fought demons before. None survived me."

Ker laughed and put his neck close to Buffy's. Buffy started to struggle, but couldn't break her restrains. The symbiont left Ker's body and wrinkled toward Buffy's neck. Buffy felt something crawling around her neck. She tried to shake it off, but it was hopeless. She saw Ker's host drop on the ground, his eyes were sad and dying. But Buffy didn't notice it for being preoccupied with her struggle with Ker.

She felt a sting of pain on the back of her neck, but she wasn't planning to scream in pain. She felt its present in her mind. She fought to get it out of her mind. She kept a mentally wall up for as long as she could, but at the end it bursted. And she or it started to scream. The memories were going two ways. The screams ended and Buffy's eyes began to glow yellow. She started to laugh evilly. Her voice was a few octaves lower.

"Release me!"

If her friends could have heard her now. They would know that it wasn't her. For maybe anger and hate could come out of Buffy's throat, but never pure evil. That was what came out of her mouth now. The Jaffas followed her order without hesitant.

Ker/Buffy sat upright and starting to laugh again. She just looked straight forward into Buffy's memories.

"Slayer, Ker the Slayer." She laughed out loud. "I like that."

She looked down at her previous body. "Remove the body."

A Jaffa walked up and picked the body up and walked away with it. Ker/Buffy looked a Jaffa straight into the eyes and smirked. The Jaffa unwillingly stepped back. "Come here." The Jaffa obeyed and approached her. He was almost 2 feet bigger then Ker/Buffy. "Bow forward." He did and their heads where on eye level. Ker/Buffy put her hands on his head as if to kiss him. She smiled a cold smile and then she snapped and broke his neck. He dropped like a straw doll.

She turned to the rest. "I love this body."

"Du'kack! Prepare my third army and second fleet. We're going to conquer Gunar."

Du'kack had a golden emblem branded on his stern, which indicate him to be Ker's First Prime. He bowed and left the room. Ker/Buffy looked at Harun.

"Oh, the sweet memories this girl has. The blood and all the creatures she had killed and the torture she underwent. Oh, the tragedies. She even send her lover to the underworld. And she only has lived such a short life. These memories I'm going to treasure for at least a millennium." A very sadistic smile was showing on his face.

"Yes, Lord Ker."

"No, it is Slayer Ker now and bring me some food. This body is starving."

"Yes, Slayer Ker." Harun bowed and left the room. He still could hear Ker insanely laughter and hoped that Buffy would be alright.

Chapter 5

Harry was at the Burrow on Hermione's and Ron's persistence. Hermione and Ron were official engaged, even though they both decided to wait with the wedding's plan until Hermione had a well established career as a Potion Maker and after she finished her scholarship at Oxford. Hermione didn't want a career primely in the Wizard World. She loved the Wizard World, but she didn't think it was prudent of her just to live and work in the Wizard World. Especially since her parents were Muggles themself.

Mrs. Weasley didn't agree with the long engagement, but didn't interfere. She thought that it might even be good for them. She thought that Ron could use some more maturity. But compare to her Twins Ron was very mature. She still disapproved of the Twins' Joke Shop, but she had to admit, if it wasn't for the Twins' Jokes to lighten the atmosphere at the right moment. Mrs. Weasley didn't know if they would have survived with a strong heart for the last battle.

Half the Weasley's were gathered in the livingroom to brighten Harry up about Buffy's disappearance. Mrs. Weasley loved Buffy as if she was one of her own, but she sometimes thought that she wasn't good for her Harry. The Slayer in Buffy sometimes put Harry in difficult and dangerous spots. She prayed that the Girl would return safely, not only for her own safety, but also for Harry and her friends.

Mrs. Weasley was in the kitchen preparing dinner, Ginny helped her. Which left Harry with Hermione, Ron and the Twins in the livingroom.

"We didn't really had an argument before we engaged the Death Eathers. But there were unspoken words left in the air."

"You know she loves you, Harry." Hermione put a reassuring hand on his leg.

Harry nodded in reflex. "Our relationship wasn't at their best lately to be honest it was longer then lately. There was no real fight, but she was confiding less and lesser in me. I didn't know what was going through her head anymore."

The other didn't know what to say, they saw the trend in which their relationship was going. Hermione tried anyway. "Any relationship has its ups and downs."

Harry responded with the same nod as earlier. The Twins tried a different approach. "You know what they say, absent makes the heart grow founder." "And being on a different planet is a big absent." The Twins tried to cheer him up. Which helped, Harry was smiling.

The Twins changed subject and went to talk about their new Joke Shop in Sunnydale. Because Sunnydale's oblivious about all that is weird and magic. The American Ministry gave permission for the Weasley's to sell some of their articles to Muggles and Wiccas as long as the magic wouldn't change anything permanent and that the joke wont last long after it would be used.

The rest of the time they spoke about the Twins's jokes and on who to use them, Percy's name came up often. Mr. Weasley came home and dinner was ready. They all gathered around the dinner table and start eating.

Faith was pacing around and pouting in the livingroom of her Watcher.

"Faith please stop pacing. you are wearing the rug out and don't forget my patient."

Faith reluctant stopped her pacing and dropped herself in one of the one seaters. She crossed her arms and was looking very unhappy.

Her Watcher knew what was bothering her. "You know if they could they would have taken you with them. Who wouldn't take a slayer with them if they would travel to another world?"

"Yeah, I know. It is just I'm going to miss al the fun and that on another planet."

"What if I have something to cheer you up?" The Watcher had a small smirk on her face.

Faith looked suspicious at her Watcher. "Spill it Watcher-O-Mine."

"Rupert sent it to me before he went to the Centre." The Watcher was stalling for time. She knew it would get her charge under the skin. But Faith didn't take the bait this time. So the Watcher continued. "A prophecy for an apocalypse in about one or two months."

Faith was perking up and was thinking about the possibilities. "Who knows how long Buffy might be in space? And she might need a break, when she gets back. We're going to grab another little Apocalypse away from her." Faith was grinning now.

Faith's Watcher found it strange, that both Slayers hated to face Apocalypses, but when mentioned about the possibility that the other Slayer might deal with it. Both Slayers would fight to the bitter end to be in charge. Every slayer for her own reason. Buffy for she couldn't let go of the responsibility of somebody else to save the world and Faith to prove that there was nothing she couldn't handle.

"Do you two always have to compete? I hope you didn't forget what put you on the dark side the last time."

"How many times do I have to tell you I screwed up, because I was screwed up and it keeps us sharp and on our toes." Faith changed the subject. "I'm worried about Helena. She doesn't enjoy these family gatherings as much she should."

"You aren't suppose to enjoy Apocalypses." Her Watcher reprimanded her for criticise the youngest Slayer.

"Of course you do. You can ask Buffy, when she returns." There was disbelieve in the Watcher's face. Buffy and Faith had the habit to disagree for just to disagree. Faith smiled at her expression. "You shouldn't hope for it, but when one comes you have to enjoy it like it as if it might be your last hour for it could be. And fight with whole your heart."

An idea sprung up in Faith's head. "What if we let Helena deal with this Apocalypse?"

"You? Relinquish an Apocalypse?" Her Watcher had a mock shock expression.

"As long as B doesn't get it I'm happy. And the Kid needs to learn to stand on her own feets sometime."

"What if Buffy Doesn't see it that way?"

"B is smart. She might rant about that the Kid isn't ready but she will let the Kid have her shot at Fame and Glory."

"There is no Fame or Glory to be won in an Apocalypse."

"Don't tell it to the kid. I'm trying to sell that to her." Faith smirked.

Faith expression changed. Her thoughts went to a different subject. "I have a question."

"Yes." Her watcher gave Faith her full attention.

"How come Buffy gets all the 'fun' thrown down her throat and not me? Not that I'm complaining 'much'. Do the upstairs think I can't handle it? Or do they think as long as Buffy lives she is always going to be 'THE' Slayer, the Chosen One?"

The watcher was thinking about it. It was true that Buffy had a lot of bad been thrown at her. Faith had her share of bad things happening toward her, but they somehow alway were overshadows by Buffy's one. "I don't know."

Cordelia just put the phone down. Tara called her that the Scoobies plus Jarod were on their way to rescue their beloved Buffy. Of course Buffy had to do it different. She couldn't just go to another dimension, no she had to go to the other side of the Galaxy.

Though it bugged her why they couldn't just use magic instead of the Stargate wormhole, they're going to use. She was thinking this out loud and Fred heard her.

"Other Dimensions are co-existing with the same space as this dimension. And because there are places where the barrier is weak or has natural doorways that are normally closed and it just need a little notch to open." Fred straightened her glassed. "Now if you want to travel from one place to the other in the same dimension in an instance you have to folded space. The farther you are the more energy you need."

"Okay and now to those that are not geniuses." Gun was sitting next to Fred.

Wesley who was also in the room, took two sheets of paper. "Imagine these are two dimension." He put one sheet over the other. "Fred would you be so kind and take the scissor and make a whole." Wesley hold the papers in front of him so that Fred could make a whole in the paper. "Now people can travel from one dimension to the other. It is easy to travel from one dimension to another if there is already a whole."

"Clear like crystal." Gunn put an arm around Fred.

"I understood that part, when Fred explained it. Now explain the last part about travelling to the other side of the Galaxy." Cordelia was almost tapping with her foot.

Wesley took one sheet and wrote A at the top, a B in the middle and a C on the bottom. "Imagine this is our dimension. And you want to travel from point A to point B." Wesley folded the sheet so that point A touched point B. and he made a whole in it. "As you can see you have also to make a whole to go from A to B, but you have to fold the space between them. And that cost energy and power. And if you want to go from A to C you have to fold double the space. And you need at least double the energy, it might even be exponential."

Gunn didn't know what the word exponential meant, but he got the idea. "So let me guess, they don't have the juice to make there own portal."

"Exactly." Wesley was happy he could explain it to them and that they understood him.

"And how come this Stargate has the juice to do it." Cordelia asked.

"Alien technology. That is way above me." Wesley explained.

Chapter 6

The SG-Scoobies landed in Colorado Springs just after 10:00 hours in the morning. They left Delaware at the break of dawn. A minivan was reserved for them in the parking area of the airport. They threw their stuff in the van and drove off. Giles was behind the wheel driving and Jarod was sitting shotgun. He beat Xander by calling shotgun first. He was giving Giles direction.

He turned back. "So everyone got his story straight."

Xander nodded.

Willow smiled. "Yep. And I'm planning to say to every question. 'It is Classified'. Can't go wrong with that. Plus I remembered the profile and most of it is classified anyway so it is easy to remember."

"Don't you love it, when this classified stuff works for you instead against you." Xander had a big grin on his face.

"Lt. Harris. Wipe that grin from your face." Jarod's voice was worthy of any drill sergeant.

Xander straightened his back and looked straight forward. "Yes, Sir."

He and Jarod were acting like this all week to make his military demeanor more natural. In the beginning it was hard for Xander to stand straight without trying to laugh. It was not that Jarod wasn't convincing, but seeing Jarod acting like a 'bully' was funny.

"At ease, Lieutenant." Xander smiled at Jarod. "Just remember. Salute Higher ranked and stand up when they enter a room. And while we SGC don't goof around with any higher superior unless they give you an order to act goof." Jarod grinned mischievous.

Xander saluted. "Yes, Sir. That is an order I can follow anytime anywhere." Xander had a blank expression. He was still in character.

Jarod smiled. "We can explain your goofiness and any lack of discipline on the fact that we are a little slack with hierarchy in our close unite that has to work with civilians."

"Yes, Sir." Xander was smiling. Willow couldn't hold it anymore and was laughing out loud.

"I'm beginning to like this Xander who listens to orders." Giles put his opinion in the mix.

"Hey." Xander protested with fake hurt.

They laughed at Xander indignity and they talked the whole way to Cheyenne Mountain about the mission on how to get Buffy back. They were stopped at the gate, but after they showed there IDs and clearance they were let through. They had to go through two more checkpoints before they entered the elevator with two escorts. Their baggage were throughly searched and a few eyebrows were raised by the soldiers about what they found in the baggage. Any weapons were confiscated by the escort.

They were escorted to a conference room with steal blinders that covered a window to another room. They were left behind alone. Willow was drawn toward the covered window and touched the blinders. She turned with a smile toward Giles.

"The Stargate is in the next room, Giles."

"Yes it is. Now please tell me how you know that Miss. ...?" Gen. Hammond entered the room followed by SG-1.

"Rosenberg, Willow Rosenberg. Eh, and I, eh." Willow didn't know how to explain how she had sensed where the Stargate was without seeing it. Jarod came to her rescue.

"That is classified information, Sir." Jarod stood straight and saluted.

"Man, I really beginning to hate when they give me that crap." It was Col. O'Neill who uttered his displeasure.

"Yeah, but it is great if it works for you." It flipped out of Xander's mouth, before he could stop it.

"Lieutenant!" Jarod was reprimanding Xander. Who remembered that he was in the present of three superiors. He straightened his back and saluted.

"I apologize for my Lieutenant, for his lack of protocols. We normally operate under more slack conditions. Sirs."

Col. O'Neill smiled at Xander. "I like the kids attitude, at ease Lieutenant."

Xander smiled and relaxed, Jarod followed suit.

"I think, the first thing we should do is introductions." Gen. Hammond regained his control of the situation and introductions were quickly made on both side. After that O'Neill displayed their confiscated weapons on the table.

"Before we start I was curious about these weapons."

"Yes I agree." Gen. Hammond. The weapons looked very primitive.

Xander looked at Jarod, who nodded to give him permission to explain. He first pointed to the axes and swords. "In our experience if you hack and dice something it normally stays down." He didn't explain or waited for the questions about what this something might be. He pointed to the forearm-'crossbows'. "Those prop shooters are to penetrate a Ribon Device force field at least in theory."

Maj. Samantha Carter picked one of the forearm-'crossbows' up and thought about its application. "They might work."

Teal'c picked the other one up and looked at it with curiosity. "If the projectile goes slow enough. If I may acquire, are you planning to use any other weapons on your mission."

Jarod answered Teal'c question. "We wanted to travel light. We were hoping to acquire a few weapons from this base and maybe even a few alien weapons like the Zat'n'ktel and the Staff-weapon."

Before the Colonel or the General could tell that they don't hand over alien weapons to just anybody. Teal'c interrupted them. "The mastering of the Staff-weapon takes years, but the Zat'n'ktel are easily handleable."

"I have mastered the quarter-staff and I'm confident that I can handle a Staff-weapon with additional training." Giles was looking confident, but not arrogant.

"We can arrange for some more conventional weapons, but the alien ones ... we can discuss it later. You are here to use the Stargate for what purpose?" The General intervened any further discussion between Teal'c and Giles.

The Scoobies looked at Jarod, expecting him to answer. "We need the Stargate for a retrieval mission, Sir."

"What are you planning to retrieve?" The General asked. He was very suspicious for he still remembered Col. Maybourne, who was stealing technology from alien races and few of them were their allies.

"That is classified information, Sir. I only can give you the codename: the Golden Child." Jarod looked apologetic toward the General, who didn't look pleased at all.

"I can't sent you through the Stargate without insurance, that you don't bring something dangerous back or steal something from our Alien Allies."

"We just want to retrieve the Golden Child and bring it home. We want to get back what we lost." Willow looked stern and insulted at the General for thinking that they were thieves or worse. The General was taken back by the forceful behaviour of the shy looking woman.

"How the heck can you lose something on another planet?" Col. O'Neill asked in disbelieve.

"In an accident." Willow looked a little intimidate for she probably said something that she shouldn't have.

"What kind of accident?" Maj. Carter asked. She really wanted to know how something from Earth could end up on another planet.

Jarod smirked. "That is classified information."

O'Neill put his hand up in frustration. "Here we go again."

"We promise we only want to retrieve what is ours. We know you don't trust us. Maybe this will gain some of your trust. Xander, help me with the trunk." Giles and Xander put the trunk on the table. "Dr. Jackson, I think you would appreciate these." Giles opened the trunk and it was full of books, parchments, scrolls and other papers. They looked very old.

Daniel's eyes widened. He picked one book after another out of the trunk. Some of them he recognized as lost works or incomplete works. He stopped at one and opened it. "This is impossible."

Carter and O'Neill looked over his shoulder, but it was written in an ancient language. So it didn't help much. O'Neill nudged him. "What does it say?"

"It's some kind of almanac of the Goa'ulds."

"Yeah, but we already know their family tree through the Egyptian gods. What is so special about this one?" O'Neill shrugged his shoulders.

"You don't understand it says Goa'ulds the false gods, not Egyptian gods. Whoever wrote this knew they were false gods." Daniel explained. The implication began to dawn on O'Neill.

"They thought they were demons." Giles explained seeing the look on SG-1. "When I read about your paper years ago, I thought you were wrong too. Because I thought the Goa'ulds were demons, but I still thought it was a well research paper and it seemed you were right."

"Thank you." It was not often that Daniel was praised by one of his academic colleges.

"Ho, stop." O'Neill was getting confused. "Back to the Goa'ulds being demons. What does that mean?"

"It means that the information in these books are priceless. They are closer to the facts about the Goa'uld's history on Earth then anything we had on them because they are written with the understanding that the Goa'ulds were false gods. It is understandable, why they would have thought they were demons. These books are great." Daniel was excited flipping through the books.

Willow smiled and approached him and handed him a few CDs. "These are copies with what's in their, plus some translation. The hard copy is just on lone. Because we have them on lone too. You can keep the CDs and make as many copies as you like." Willow gave him a bright smile.

Daniel acted as if he was in a candy store. O'Neill was more suspicious. "You give us these books in trade for a trip through the Stargate?"

"No, this is a sign of good fate." Jarod said.

Gen. Hammond looked the Scoobies suspicious over and came to the conclusion that he needed a private conversation with his people before he could make a decision. "Col. O'Neill, Dr. Jackson. Please come with me. Maj. Carter, Teal'c keep our visitors entertained."

Gen. Hammond left the room expecting O'Neill and Daniel to follow him. O'Neill obeyed immediately, but Daniel was hesitant to leave the books behind. But nevertheless he followed them to the General's office. The General turned to Daniel.

"Are those books as valuable as you said they are?"

"If they are real, Yes. And I have no doubt they are real, but I will perform tests to authenticate them." The excitement about the books was still showing in Daniel's face.

"That is good news and will keep you busy for awhile." O'Neill turned from Daniel to the General. "How about their clearance, General?"

"I checked them and they are Okay. They have tights to a Air Force Project called the Initiative." The General replied.

O'Neill was going through his memory on top-secrets projects he was part of or heard from. "Never heard of it. What did they do?"

"My clearance wasn't high enough to find out." The General had one of the highest clearance. It must have been something pretty high for him not to have access to it.

"Damn, that can't be good." O'Neill shook his head. "I'm wondering what is so important that they want to retrieve it from another planet?" O'Neill thought out loud.

"I've decide to let them through the Stargate." O'Neill was a little surprise about the quick decision of the General. He normally was more cautious than that. "And I'm going to let your curiosity be satisfied by letting SG-1 accompany them."

O'Neill smiled. "I think that is a good idea and I think a week preparation would be enough to prepare them and maybe find out what they are after."

"And maybe find out where they got those books from. You can't lend them from the public library even if they are copies they are museum worth pieces." Daniel put his input in.

"Good, it is your job to try to pry it out of Mr. Giles." The General stood up. "Let's go back and tell them the good news."

When they came back in the conference room, they saw that Willow and Xander were badgering Teal'c. Willow wanted to know about the symbiont baby and Xander asked him if they got any light-sabers like in Star Wars. Teal'c answered everything with a stoic, patient and polite demeanor. O'Neill smirk when Xander tried to explain what a light-saber was. When Xander noticed his 'superiors'. He stood straight and saluted. Jarod copied them.

"At ease."

Everybody was sitting back in their places and the General took charge of the meeting.

"I have decided to let you pass."

"But." Xander couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Sorry, Sir. But I heard a 'but'."

"The kid's smart. Yes there is a but. SG-1 is going to accompanying you to make sure, whatever you guys retrieve is on the up and up."

Xander was about to protest, but a hand from Willow shut him up. She didn't want him to ruin their tickets through the Stargate. "Xander, the Golden Child is too important, to squabble about unimportant details." Willow thought it was weird to call Buffy the Golden Child and treat her as if she was an object. But they had to do it if they wanted to keep Buffy a secret for the time being. "Plus their experience might come in handy."

Xander relented, but thought to get something out of it. "Does this mean we can get our hands on some alien weapons?" Xander was grinning wide.

O'Neill looked at the General, who nodded. "Yes, I think that could be arranged."

Xander was rubbing his hand in excitement. "Then welcome to the party, but if you die, don't come to me and complain. You have invited yourself to the party."

"That doesn't sound very good. When will I learn never to volunteer." O'Neill rolled his eyes.

Jarod ignored them and turned to the General. "I'm not willing to relent my command over my unit or the mission."

"You will command the mission, but I authorise Col. O'Neill to countermand you if you endanger his or your people. Or do something illegal." The General looked at Jarod with a look that told him, that this wasn't under any discussion.

Jarod thought about it. "I can live it. When can we depart?"

"You first have to go through a few tests. A week."

"A week!" Willow stood up and face the General angry. "We can't wait a week. There are to many things that can happen to the Golden Gild. We have to go as soon as possible." Willow wanted to rant more, but Giles' hand on her forearm stopped her and calmed her down.

Giles turned to the General and used his British politeness. "We understand that test are important, but is it possible to speed up the tests. So that we can go earlier."

The general didn't want to speed the tests up. He wanted to prolong them. "I'll see what I can do."

Jarod knew that the General was trying to delay them to get more information out of them. But it might also work in their favour, to gather their own information. He just hoped Buffy could afford a weeks delay.

"It might not be that bad to delay a week. We can gather intel on the planet, where the Golden Child is on."

"About the planet. Do you know the coordination of the planet or the star it is revolving around?" Carter turned to Jarod with the question.

Jarod looked at Willow and gave her permission to answer the question with a nod.

"The star is in the Capricorn constellation about 43 lightyear away." Willow removed the 'tarot' deck from her pocket and shuffled it. She waved the deck on the table with the faces down. She closed her eyes. "These are the dialling co-ordinations." She let her hand flow over the cards and picked a card out of the deck and showed the face. She repeated it five more times.

"Where the hell did you get those cards?" O'Neill recognized the faces on the cards as the symbols on the Stargate.

Willow didn't let him distract her and continued. "Jarod made them."

"How do you know which co-ordination to use?" Carter asked before O'Neill could ask any other question.

Willow smiled. "Classified."

O'Neill sighed in frustration, but Carter smiled back. She went behind the laptop that was in the conference and typed the symbols in. "It is PJ-786. Hy'a'tsi. The planet is a base of the System Lord Ker."

There was a similar expression on all of the Scoobies, that of horror.

"Oh Great. Giles? Wasn't Kerry boy on our top ten list of Goa'ulds to avoid?" Xander couldn't believe their luck.

"Yes." Giles was gleaning his glasses.

"Okay, I'll bite. Who is this Ker guy?" O'Neill was getting annoyed that others knew more than he did.

"Ker was the Egyptian God of Strive and Bloody Death. That is all I know." Daniel looked apologetic toward the Colonel.

"He was a loyal general of the System Lord Ra. He is not one of the most powerful System Lords." Teal'c gave some more input.

"Then why are they looking as if they are facing the devil himself?" O'Neill pointed at the Scoobies.

"The Devil doesn't scare me." Xander joked around. "Kerry boy does."

Giles ignored Xander and started to explain. "He might not be a powerful System Lord, but he is more dangerous than the others at least to us, because of his personality. If you take half of the armies and worlds of a System Lord away. His power and level of danger would be halved. If you do the same with Ker. He would still be as powerful and dangerous as ever." Giles was cleaning his glasses. "He would sacrifice half his army to take a hill, he didn't want in the first place. If he gets bored he divides his army in two and lets them fight to the death. Do you understand now why he is so dangerous?"

"He is insane." Willow continued when nobody reacted. "He knows that power doesn't come from how many armies you have, but how you control them. He knows that control is power."

"Yep and don't forget sadistic and cruel." Xander added his opinion.

"Giles, we have to go now. The Golden Child he'll use ..." Willow could just barely hold on their secret about Buffy.

Giles didn't know what to say, but didn't have to for Jarod did. "I think it is even necessary, that we take the week delay. We need the information and don't worry we'll get the Golden Child back, unharmed."

Jarod turned toward the General. "Can we go to our assigned quarters and refresh our self. We can discuss our schedule for the week and our mission in say about an hour? With your permission, Sir."

"Very good. I'll assign somebody to show you to your quarters and bring you back in an hour."

"Yes, Sir." Jarod saluted and Xander followed his example.

"Dismissed."

The Scoobies left and before Jarod left the room he turned to the General. "Our codename for our unit is SG-S."

"What stands the S for?" O'Neill asked.

"Scoobies." Jarod smiled and left the room.

"Scoobies. O'Neill, isn't that a cartoon dog." Teal'c asked.

"Yes." O'Neill smiled.

Chapter 7

There schedule was a complete physical and psychological test by Dr. Janet Fraiser, a basic training with basic military equipment and a training with the alien weapons, which all could have been done within two or three days.

Giles was most of the time working with Daniel, getting as much information about Ker out of the books. Daniel had verified authenticity of the books. Willow divided her attention between helping them or giving Maj. Carter a hand. Willow even solved a technical problem Carter had tried to solve for weeks.

Jarod and Xander were with Col. O'Neill and Teal'c discussing tactics on how to infiltrate a Goa'uld base. Jarod and Xander weren't forthcoming with much information about the object of their desire, Buffy. Which made it harder for O'Neill and Teal'c to come up with accurate scenarios to liberate whatever it was that needed to be liberated.

In the meantime Gen. Hammond made contacted with the To'kra about Ker without informing the SG-Scoobies. They send word back promising to contact SGC, when they received any useful information for them.

Teal'c tested Giles skill with a practice Staff-weapon. Even through Teal'c could beat Giles, he was impressed by his skill of the Staff-weapon. If Giles was younger he might have beat Teal'c. Giles even showed him a few moves he taught his Slayer. Teal'c told in his report to Gen. Hammond, that Giles was adequate in the use of the Staff-weapon. Which was a high praise coming from Teal'c. By Teal'c's recommendation Giles received his own Staff-weapon. He only needed a training in how to fire it.

On the third day Willow was shrining for Buffy again. She put the cards in front of her. When she opened her eyes again. She picked out different cards. She looked worried and tried again. She picked the same cards again. The implications were clear to Willow. Buffy was on a different planet.

Willow went on her laptop and typed the symbols in and received the name of the planet: PJ-876 or Gunar. Buffy was on Gunar. Willow pocket her 'tarot' cards and left her room running toward Daniel's office, where she knew, that Giles would be with him working on the books.

Willow barged in Daniel's office, scaring Daniel and Giles to death.

"Sorry, but Bu... the Golden Child has move to another planet called Gunar or PJ-876."

"Are you sure?" Giles asked. Willow nodded.

"How can you know that?" Daniel asked.

"Classified." Giles and Willow said at the same time.

O'Neill wasn't the only one who was getting fed up with the word 'classified'. The SG-S was very open and helpful, but not when it came to the topic of the Golden Child or how they tracked it over 40 lightyear.

"We better inform the General and Jack." Daniel sighed a suggestion.

"Yes." Giles was cleaning his glasses. "And I think we should also notify the rest of SG-1 and SG-S."

"The General can do that over the PA system." Daniel stood up and left his office first. He waited outside for them and together they walk to the General's office. The secretary told them, he was in the control room. They left and went straight to the Gate Control Room.

They just arrived, when the Stargate opened. It was alway a marvellous sight no matter how many time they saw it. The titanium Iris closed. This meant that it was an unscheduled arrival.

"Receiving incoming IDC ... It's from the To'kra."

Giles was shocked for he thought he misunderstood the technician, who said To'kra.

"Open the Iris." The General gave the technician an order.

"Iris opening."

Willow looked through the window and saw the Iris opening. A few moments later a beautiful woman came through Stargate. She had an air of superiority and her eyes were glowing yellow.

"Welcome to SGC, To'kra Anise."

"Greetings General Hammond from Texas. I come with grave news about the System Lord Ker."

The General didn't like the sound of that. He looked at a soldier. "Escort her to the conference room 1."

The soldier approached Anise and escorted her out of the Gate Room. The General turned and was facing Giles. No, the Ripper was in his face.

"Why didn't you tell us you allied you self with the To'kra?"

The General didn't scare easily, but he had to use all his self-control not to step back.

"Because it was classified information." Giles was backing down by the word 'classified'. He and his friends had used that word in the past 3 day to a point, that it even annoyed themself. Hammond grinned inwardly. It would be indignant of him to gloat. "And why didn't you tell me you knew about the To'kra?"

"They are in the books we brought and I never thought we could reach them in time to ask for help. They were not relevant for the retrieval of the Golden Child." Giles answered.

"Speaking of the Golden Child." Willow interrupted before they could go to full blows. "The Golden Child is on another planet."

"Oh, my." Giles removed his glasses and started to clean them.

"How do you know?" The General asked Willow, who shrugged. "Never mind. Because this concerns Ker. You and your team should be present, when I talk with the To'kra."

Hammond went to the PA. "SG-1 and SG-S to the conference room 1."

He turned back to the group and saw Giles leaving from the room almost running. "Willow I'll meet you there right after I get a book."

"Where is he going?" Hammond looked irritated at Willow.

"Getting a book." Willow looked innocent back. "Probably about the To'kra. Now that they are here, Giles want to be prepared, when he meets her. "

The General wanted to ask some more question, but thought better of it. He left the Gate Control Room with Daniel and Willow behind him. They entered the conference room and Anise was waiting there with an escort. The General dismissed him. Introductions were made and they waited patiently for the rest of SG-1 and SG-S to arrive. Xander was the last one to arrive with the exception of Giles.

He got one look of Anise and started to drool. Willow saw it and giggled under her hand.

"Xander, she is a Goa'uld with a soul."

Anise eyes turned yellow and glowed angry at Willow. To Willow's credit she only backdown out of shock not fear. "I'm To'kra not Goa'uld."

"Sorry." Willow said timid

Anise turned back to Freya. "I apologise for Anise behaviour, but the To'kra are very sensitive when it comes to being call Goa'uld."

"Oh, I understand and it won't happen again." Freya gave Willow a friendly smile.

"What is it with me and abnormal women? And why do they alway have to be so damn gorgeous?"

Anise came back in control. "Thank you."

Before Xander could respond Giles entered the room at that moment with a book open and started to chant. "Atah e'ra di co ..."

Anise yellow eyes disappeared and she was getting unsteady on her feet. She leant against the table. O'Neill didn't like the To'kra much, especially this one irritated him, but they had proved themself to be good allies. "Hey, what are you doing?"

He was about to stop Giles, when somebody stopped him. To his surprise it was Teal'c, who stood in his way. He saw, that the other SG-1 members had been prevented by SG-S to reach or interrupt Giles. He looked at Anise/Freya and saw horror and panic in her eyes.

"What is going on, Teal'c? What is Giles doing, that you are helping him?"

"Mr. Giles is performing a binding ritual to bind the symbiont, so that he can speak freely with the host." Teal'c expression didn't change much.

Those who were not the Scoobies or Teal'c were shocked, about what Giles was doing. They also wanted to know how he does it, because it seemed to work. The General didn't even give Giles an order to desist for attacking an ally.

Freya looked up at Giles. "What did you do? Where is Anise? I can't feel here anymore? What did you do?" Her voice was full of panic.

"I have bounded her and I have no attention to harm you or the Spirit you carry. But I need some answers, before I can release her again."

"You didn't harm her?" Freya asked hopefully.

"No." Giles gave her a reassuring smile.

"Then ask your questions and release her." Freya was trying not to sound anymore panicky, than she felt.

Giles smiled. "It seems like I already have my answer on my first question. Did you accepted the Spirt out of your free will."

"Yes." Freya answered urgently.

"Does the Spirit mean any harm to this world?"

"No."

Giles heard enough. "Aki ura tami lo."

Her eyes flashed yellow again. "Everything is alright Freya. I'm here now." Anise voice was very reassuring. She turned her angry yellow eyes at Giles, who to his credit didn't move an inch. "Don't do that again. I don't want to see her upset again."

Giles bowed and his voice was very revered. "Please forgive me Enlightened Spirit. I had to be sure I was dealing with an Enlightened Spirit and not a False God."

Anise calmed down and remained her posture. She bowed back. "It pleases the To'kra that the House of the Watchers is still protecting the world of the Tau'ri."

"Okay, what the heck just happened and what is the House of Watchers." O'Neill was pissed. He hated it when something was thrown his way and he didn't understand it. "And how the heck did you control the symbiont."

"The House of the Watchers were responsible for the slave revolt, that had driven off Ra. They didn't lead it, but ignited the revolt." Anise explained deadpan. "Their existence is a secret among the System Lords. Even the To'kra don't know, what they are watching."

"Oh yeah, Watchers they love to watch."

"Xander." Jarod was reprimanding Xander on automatic, he still was in his soldier simulation.

Before one of SG-1 could ask a question. Willow stood up and took the word. "It is the Golden Child. Can we go back to business and stop asking questions we aren't planning to answer. Anise/Freya here has information on Ker and I have information about the Golden Child new location we need to discuss." Willow was looking with a resolved face.

"Ms. Rosenberg is right." Hammond took back charge of the meeting. "I'm not liking that there are still secrets and unanswered question in the air, but we better go back to why we have this meeting. Why don't you start Ms. Rosenberg to tell us where the Golden Child is at this moment."

Xander and Jarod gave her similar looks, that asked if she was sure, that Buffy had been moved to another planet, Willow nodded in affirmation. She turned to the rest. "The Golden Child is on the planet PJ-876 also known as Gunar."

"Ker has conquered Gunar yesterday." Anise said for she thought that it was relevant information.

"That can't be good." Xander mumbled.

"Do you think Ker has the Golden Child?" Carter asked to one of SG-S.

"Let's hope not." Giles said with a weak voice. Giles turned to Anise. "Please continue."

Anise nodded to Giles. "Ker has changed. He has a new host, female, a new name and new tactics. He was fighting at the frontline as if possessed and he conquered the planet within an hour."

"An hour!" O'Neill stood up. "That's impossible."

While SG-1 and the General looked surprised, the SG-S had a terrifying feeling of horror. Giles was the one who ask. "What did he called himself?"

"Ker Ato'kra."

"No, please Giles tell me I mistranslated it." Willow's eyes were watering.

"Ker the Slayer." Giles said in a calm voice.

"No." Xander hit the table angrily with his fist. Jarod's face was one of horror.

Anise saw it, but misinterpreted it. "There is hope that Ker will be defeated. We have an infiltrator in his ranks, that send us word, that there was a person who could defeat Ker. He didn't say much about her identity, just her name. Buffy."

"What kind ..." O'Neill stopped when he heard Willow cry in Jarod's shoulder.

"Not again, Buffy won't survive this. This is worse than, when she was under Lyle's mind control."

"Buffy will beat this." Jarod reassured her.

"It will break her mentally. You weren't around when she came back to Sunnydale. She was a total mess, she had to go away to get better." Tears ran from Willow's cheeks. "She'll take every crime Ker does with her body as one of her own."

"Are you telling me that the Ker's Host is this Buffy." Anise asked. Willow simply nodded. "Then we need a new plan to defeat Ker."

"Buffy will defeat Ker." Xander said cold. There was no doubt in Xander's voice. "It is just the when, that worries us."

"No human could ever resist a Goa'uld." Anise said with strong conviction.

"Buffy is the Slayer, not a mere human. She has extraordinary gifts." Giles explain in the same fashion, but the sadness and the concern, and failure could be heard nevertheless.

"Hoh, stop. Are you telling me the Golden Child is a person, a woman, who is now the host for Ker?" O'Neill asked. Giles nodded. "Why didn't you guys tell us it was a person and what is this about Slayers?"

Giles looked caught like a dear in the headlights, how was he going to explain about Slayers and Vampires without being thrown into a stray jacket. Luckily for him Jarod had an answer ready.

"Buffy is a result of centuries breeding program to breed the perfect Warrior." It wasn't the truth, but it came close to it as possible. "She could beat Teal'c blindfolded with one arm on her back."

Teal'c raised his eyebrows. He knew that the Tau'ri have the habit to exaggerate, but he somehow doubt it, that Jarod was doing it now.

"With both arms." Xander needed to lighten his and their spirits. They needed it, if they wanted to rescue Buffy.

"Sleepwalking." Willow mumbled joining in. Willow straightened herself up and dried her tears. "We have to go to Gunar now."

"That would be impossible, Willow Rosenberg. The Stargate will be heavily guarded especially now after a battle." Teal'c explained.

"We need intel and a strategy." O'Neill interrupted and added his own concern.

Xander stood determined up. "We have a strategy. We do it the Scooby way."

"And what is the Scooby way." O'Neill asked.

"We make it up as we go." Xander shrugged.

O'Neill couldn't believe it. "That's not the right military way. We need plan ..."

Willow interrupted him and stood in front of the General with her resolve face on. "We go through the Stargate within an hour with or without your permission."

Willow didn't wait for the general to respond. She just left the room with Giles right behind her. Jarod and Xander saluted him before going after Willow. They saluted out of habit.

Daniel was the first one to speak. "I don't think we can stop them. So now is the question, are we going too or let them handle it themself?"

"Of course we can stop them. We just throw them in the brick." O'Neill said.

"Did you forget, what Giles did to Anise? It wouldn't surprise me at all, if they had some more tricks up their sleeves." Carter remembered O'Neill about the incident with Giles and the To'kra just a few minutes before.

"Their were always invisible forces, that protected the Tau'ri. We always thought it was one of the Four Races and that the House of the Watchers somehow was given powers to protect the Tau'ri." Anise added.

"Remember O'Neill, when you asked, if it was safe for Willow Rosenberg to go on the mission for being so small and fragile. Xander laughed and answered, that she was one of the 'big guns' of their unite." Teal'c remembered O'Neill.

O'Neill thought about it and he turned to the General. "So, we're going let them go through the Stargate?" It wasn't much of a question than statement. That's why the General didn't answered back.

O'Neill continued. "Now we have to decide, if we let them go alone or send SG-1 as a support team on this suicide mission."

"We have decided to go with them. The To'kra still has a dept to the House of the Watchers." Anise/Freya stood up, nodded and left the conference room. Outside the room she found a soldier to escort her to SG-S.

After an hour SG-S with Anise/Freya were in the Gate Room waiting to be dialled out. It was funny how Anise got great along with Giles and Freya got great along with Xander. It cracked Willow up how 'she' split herself up to give them both the same amount of attention.

Willow looked up and saw the General in the Gate Control Room. She gave him a polite nod, which he returned. The door to the Gate Room opened and SG-1 entered. Willow smiled at them. Xander saw them too.

"Going to join the party."

"Yeah, can't resist taking another System Lord down. Need another notch on my belt." O'Neill was pointing to his belt. "We only hope you have a plan that doesn't get us killed in the first second we get through the Stargate."

"Oh, no. We got plans. One of them is sending Willow first and the other one is, where we hold hands." Xander gave O'Neill a big goofy grin.

"Let me guess. 'Classified'." O'Neille shook his head.

"Colonel. How many times did you safe the world?" Xander asked him.

"Three to four time." O'Neill answered it casual and with proud.

"I think we beat you by six." Xander said cocky. The face on O'Neill was priceless.

"Very admirable." Teal'c said.

"Don't tell me you believe them, Teal'c." O'Neill thought, that by now Teal'c should know that Xander was a joker. Teal'c on the other hand looked at O'Neill with a face that didn't understand, why he shouldn't believe Xander.

"Prepare for outgoing traffic. Chevron 1 ... Chevron 2 ... ... Chevron 6." The Stargate opened with a big woos. Willow walked to the Stargate and touched the watery surface. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

"What is she doing?" Carter asked.

"She is going to figure out, if we going to need plan A or plan B." Jarod answered her back.

"How nice, a whole squadron and an energy shield. We go for plan B. Everybody 'hold' tight." Willow grinned and stretched her arm out for Jarod to hold, Jarod was holding Giles, then came Anise/Freya, Xander closed the line for the scoobies.

Xander stretched his arm out to the SG-1. "Are you guys coming or staying?"

Teal'c didn't hesitate. Daniel shrugged his shoulder and followed his example. Samantha was a little reluctant, but nevertheless grabbed Daniels hand.

"I must have left my brains somewhere." But O'Neill held Samantha's hand all the same.

Jarod gave Willow the signal to enter the Stargate. Willow entered the Stargate and dragged the others with her. It only took them a few seconds to exit on the other side. SG-1 spread expecting the squadron Jaffas Willow spoke off. But they didn't see nobody but themself and SG-S. But that wasn't the only thing they didn't see.

"Where is the DHD? How are we going to dial home?" O'Neill noticed. He looked around. "And where the freaking hell is the Stargate?"

Chapter 8

"And where the freaking hell is the Stargate?" O'Neill was still looking around.

"Oh, I think about 2 a 3 miles in that direction." Willow pointed casually at some trees.

"You bent the wormhole stream to open at a place without a Stargate?" Carter asked in shock disbelieve.

"Carter! What did she do?" O'Neill started to sound a little panic.

"You know how we ended up in Antarctica, Sir." O'Neill nodded. "The same principle, with the difference, no Stargate." Carter waved around with her hand.

"Enough is enough. I'm not moving until somebody explains to me, how she had done it and if I hear the word classified. I shoot." O'Neill was pissed off and ready to hit somebody.

Giles sighed. He turned to Jarod and Xander. "Look around for any hostile ... beings." He turned to Anise/Freya. "Try to contact the To'kra infiltrator." He close the circle by turning back to SG-1. "Why don't we go over by those rocks and sit down and I'll start with the explanations."

They did what Giles suggested and he started to tell them about the world of the Slayer and demons. He explained how Buffy got sucked in a vortex and their search for her. He kept Hogwart and the Centre out of the loop, for it wasn't his secret to tell or didn't want to get them in trouble. O'Neill disrupted him with disbelieve, Daniel with curious questions. Samantha wanted to know, how the rules of magic worked on a more scientific level, Giles planned to 'sick' her on Willow latter to explain it to her. Teal'c just sat quiet and listening to Giles' story with due respect.

While Giles explained everything, Willow concentrated on her connection with this planet. She discussed with Giles, before leaving Earth, about how her powers might work or not on a different planet. To be on the safe side, she had soaked up energy before they left Earth. She done a few spell to test her magic. Her magic worked and she even could soak up some of the power here, but it was a little off.

She had to make corrections. It was like she worked on a different frequence. She asked Anise, if she let her test the spell Giles used on her. Anise agreed, but Freya was reluctant about it. It took her awhile to ready herself, but she consented. The spell failed even with some modification on the spell. It seemed, that the Earth Gods didn't have power on a different world or at least the God Willow was calling on. Willow deep down already guessed, that it wouldn't work. That would be way to easy.

Jarod and Xander came back before Giles finished his story. They told Willow and Anise/Freya, that the area was clear of any Jaffa or Goa'uld. When Giles finished, they gathered around him and SG-1. O'Neill started to speak first.

"Do you know how many laws you have broken?"

"At least 10, if you don't count the little ones, then it probably goes in the hundreds." Xander tried to lighten the mood. Willow giggled.

O'Neill gave her a reprimanded look. "It is not funny."

Willow gave him a stern look back. "Don't give me that look. We couldn't get her through magic. We had to do something to get her back."

O'Neill was about to spit something back, when Maj. Carter put a restraining hand on his arm. "Sir, I think it is pointless to discuss it now. We have bigger problems like Ker and rescuing Buffy."

"How can we trust them, they lied to us?" He retorted back to Carter.

"Hey, we kept the lies to a minimum by throwing the word 'classified' in every second sentence."

O'Neill looked angry at the goofy looking grin on Xander's face.

"Indeed." Teal'c had only said one word, but it was enough.

"Teal'c, they lied to us. They falsified documents to infiltrate in a high secret military installation."

"They never lied, about their intent and that was to rescue and bring home their comrade."

O'Neill wasn't at all convinced. Giles and Jarod kept quiet for they knew, they couldn't convince him. For whatever they would say, would only backfire. They hoped that the other members of SG-1 could convince him to at least co-operate long enough and trust them enough to help get Buffy safe home.

It was Daniel who spoke. "I think, they paid there tickets by giving us the book. There is a huge well of information, which could be useful and might even save our lives in the future. And if they bring a System Lord down."

"When." Xander interrupted.

Daniel looked with disbelieve at Xander, who just shrugged his shoulder. "And 'when' they bring a System Lord down. I think we can forgive their indiscretions."

O'Neill was wavering. Xander saw it and thought of something, how to cross him on their side.

"How about if I put my embarrassing women relationships in the mix, that would make me dating a To'kra," He pointed to Anise/Freya, "look like a normal relationship? I'm only going to say 'Inca Mummy'."

Freya was blushing. O'Neill saw it and laughed. He never would think he would see a To'kra blush. "Okay, I'll trust you for now. But expect to be arrested on our return."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that, we have shut down one military complex." Xander grinned. "I bet we can talk our way out of jail."

"What?"

"Xander, not now. You can tell him that story later." Willow interrupted. O'Neill was about to explode. Willow knew he needed an explanation even a quick on. "They did evil experiments with demons that backfired and we had to bail them out. Now either you trust us or not."

Willow gave him her resolve face and O'Neill buckled and mumbled an agreement. That was enough for Willow, she turned to Anise/Freya. "Why don't you tell the rest, what you told me about the To'kra infiltrator?"

"He would meet us in an abandon house on the edge of town, before sunset. If we leave now, we have plenty of time to reach it."

"What did he tell you about Buffy?" Giles asked with fatherly worry.

"He told me, Buffy is gaining control. Because of the rush of victory and his own invincibility Ker doesn't see the signs of his own demise. He also told me Buffy survived a second blast of the Zat'n'ktel." Anise said the second part as if it was a daily occurrence.

"That is impossible. A second blast always kills." Carter stated.

Xander grinned. "Not our Buffy. Slayers aren't that easily killed. Man, I wish I could rip out that worm out of Buffy and drop a house on it."

Willow put an arm on Xander shoulder. "I think this is Buffy's fight, but we'll be there to support and cheer her on. She needs something to fight for. She needs to know, that she isn't alone."

"You are right, Will, as always." Xander raised his weapon. "Let's move people." He turned to Anise/Freya. "Show us the way, Gorgeous. We are burning sunlight."

"Nice, John Wayne would have been proud." O'Neil stated sarcastic.

"O'Neill. Who is John Wayne."

Xander laughed and started to explain to Teal'c about the toughest man on the screen on their way to their rendezvous with the To'kra.

"Slayer Ker." A Jaffa entered the room.

Buffy winched from within ever time somebody called her that and Ker loved it even more. He was tarnishing the title of Slayer. Again Buffy, even through not of her own fault, blemished the Slayer title. First it was Lyle and now Ker.

"Speak, Jaffa."

"The Stargate opened, but nobody came through."

Buffy felt hope, when she heard about something unusual.

"Leave." Ker commanded.

After the Jaffa left. He spoke up again.

"You really think, that somebody is going to come to your rescue. I have read your memories. Even with the magic your friends wield, they would never think about searching for you in the stars."

'As long as I breath and know my friends are alive I have hope.'

"Maybe I should go to your pathetic world and destroy your hope."

'We kicked Ra of our planet, when we just had sticks and stones. What makes you think, that we wouldn't kick you ass now. And from your memories the Tau'ri have already fought off a few invasions and that without the help of my friends, and don't forget that pesky little pact you System Lords made with the Asgardians. Earth is of limit.' The memory sharing was a two-way street.

"Don't worry Child. I'll find a way around that 'pesky little pact'. And your friend are now alone." Ker was enjoying his little 'talk' with Buffy. He found them amusing and Buffy knew it.

She also knew, that Ker though he had full control over her. But Buffy could hide a few thought from him. She somehow could hide the real danger of the Hellmouth from him. Oh, he knew that the Hellmouth attracted all kind of demon and that it was sensitive to inter-dimensional portals. But he didn't know the real extent of the Hellmouth, that it could destroy the planet.

Harun entered the room. There was another secret Buffy was keeping from Ker. Buffy had a vague idea why Harun was different on her 'radar', than the other Goa'ulds she met. When Buffy had searched Ker's memory, she stumbled on the To'kra. The To'kra were renegades, outlaws, freedom fighters. Buffy thought that this might be the reason, why she felt something different from him. There wasn't a strain on the host.

"Slayer Ker, the slaves are ready."

'NOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo. Don't do it Ker. They are just children.' Buffy sounded despaired. Ker relished in her despair.

"But my Child, they are all children in my eyes." Ker laughed maniacal. A tear appeared on Buffy/Ker's face. Ker didn't notice it, but Harun did and inwardly he smiled.

"Permission to leave, Slayer Ker. I have some unfinished work to do." Harun bowed.

"Leave." Ker was way too preoccupied on the next events and Buffy to even notice or acknowledge him anymore.

Harun left the room and walked first to his laboratory to make a few preparation for later, when he planned to meet with his fellow To'kra and the Tau'ri. He also finished one of his experiments. He left the Palace without any guards noticing him. He walked through the city with a hood over his head, half his face was in the shadow. So that nobody could recognize him. It still amazed Harun, how fast Ker had conquered this planet. What amazed him even more was how calm the city was. After the defeat of the local System Lord, who fled the planet, after the attack. There was no resistance or any burst of fights, that normally erupted after a world was conquered. Harun suspected that it had something to do with, that Harun fought personally. It was unheard, that any System Lord would participate in the fighting themself, that was why the Jaffa's where created for.

It took him awhile to reach the rendezvous. He took a few detours to make sure that nobody would follow him. He approached the building, where they would meet. He saw no sign of life. He thought, that he was the first one to arrive and he had to wait for them. He was about to get annoyed at them for not being on time. But when he entered the building, he heard a Zat'n'ktel zap open.

"Question, if I barbequed a Goa'uld on an open fire? A: would you dance of joy or B: shed a tear?"

Harun couldn't understand, why somebody would ask him such a odd question. But no Goa'uld or Jaffa would ask such a idiotic question. So he concluded, they must be from the Tau'ri. "Neither, I don't dance or shed tears."

He looked at the man, who was holding the Zat'n'ktel in his face. He was a young looking man, but his eyes were old for his age. But then they brightened up and he had a goofy grin on his face.

"O'Neill, did this To'kra just make a joke?"

"I'm not sure. The To'kra have a very weird sense of humour." O'Neill answered back.

"Compared to the Tau'ri." Anise/Freya raised her eyebrows.

"Hey, Tau'ri humour is straight forward, with a hint of sarcasm and dash of irony." Xander lowered his Zat'n'tkel down.

"Greeting Anise. It is good to see you again." Harun gave Anise a formal To'kra greeting

"And you too Harun." It wasn't a very heart warmth greeting, no hugs or kisses.

Anise/Freya introduced everyone to Harun. Harun looked around and saw a few Jaffa's lying around. Xander saw him looking at the Jaffas.

"Party crashers. They thought Willow was an easy target. Oh boy, they got a surprise."

Harun looked at Willow and she blushed.

"I wouldn't make her angry, if I was you." O'Neill added, which made Willow even more blush.

Giles interrupted them, before they could continue. They had more important things to discuss. "How is Buffy holding?"

"Buffy is resisting Ker. Ker talks with her out loud. Ker finds it amusing. But he doesn't understand, that Buffy is gaining control. I saw Ker's host cry, it must have been Buffy, who cried. Symbionts don't cry, especially Goa'ulds."

"Why did Buffy cry?" Willow asked weakly.

"Ker's favoured sport is to watch Youths fight to the death. It is his way to cull the weak."

"No." Willow put her hand over her mouth and was on the verge of crying.

Harun continue his tale. "After the tests and experiments I had run on Buffy, I have no doubt, that Buffy will regain full control of her body by killing the Goa'uld symbiont."

It took Giles a second to realise, what Harun meant by tests and experiments. He grabbed the To'kra by the collar and pushed him in the wall. Xander's reaction was angrily pointing his Zat'n'ktel at Harun and Willow hands where sparkling with small electricity bolts.

O'Neill was surprised. He knew, that the To'kra like the Goa'uld are stronger then the normal human. He never seen one being thrown into the wall and be held against it. He was about to interfere, when Giles spoke.

"What kind of experiments?" This was O'Neill first time seeing Giles go all Ripper on somebody. He never thought, that the civilised stuffy Brit could do it. He could understand Giles' feeling toward Harun, but they needed him in one piece. Fortunately Jarod came to the rescue.

"Giles! I understand, what your feeling, because I'm feeling the same. But we need him to get Buffy."

Giles let go. He knew that revenge wasn't an option. Their first priority was getting Buffy back. But Xander didn't let it go that easy. He pointed the Zat'n'ktel again down.

"We'll talk about this later and you better hope it doesn't involve any knives or an axe."

Harun nodded in understanding. "I understand. If I could have, I would have avoided putting her through all those tests. She has a very bright Spirit and a brave heart."

"Let's hope Ker doesn't break her." Willow said sad and released her energy bolt.

Harun looked curious at Willow's hand. "Her Psyche profile told me, she is strong enough to withstand Ker."

"Yeah, she is strong, but even the strongest steel cracks, when it is hit often enough. Buffy went through a lot."

O'Neill saw, that this was going in the wrong depressing direction. "Well, then we better get her out." He turned to Harun. "The plan is simple. We divide in two groups. One Group exist out Giles, Xander and Willow, who will confront Ker in an isolated place and try to strengthen Buffy to resistant Ker. The rest of us would stand guard to make sure nobody is interfering with them. Let's hope we can do it without the use of force. I don't think we could hold a whole planet at bay for long."

"I understand. Buffy seeing her friends would restrengthen her will to fight Ker, but I'm not sure, if that would be enough for her to defeat Ker, before he kills her friends."

"You remember me telling you not to anger Little Red here. She is confident, that she could rip any Ribbon Device to shred."

Harun looked at her and she smiled back. She was small, but Buffy was smaller and he knew her strength. Harun looked at Anise/Freya, who nodded an assurance.

"I know the perfect place to confront Ker. He'll be there at least for a few more hours. But you need to change clothes, if you want to pass the guards."

"And aren't we in luck. Look what we got here." Xander pointed to the unconscious Jaffa's.

Ker/Buffy sat in a big throne like seat, they were in some kind of Welcoming Hall. It was a round room it had only one big doorway in the front, but there was a secret emergency exit behind the throne.

Ker turned it in an arena. Two Jaffas were standing on opposite of the throne and four more were evenly spread along the walls. In the centre of the arena two teenagers just finished fighting a fight to the death. One was lying death and bleeding at the feet of the other. Buffy was yelling helplessly and cried about her helplessness. But nothing of that was shown on her face. Ker laughed out loud.

"You have fought well Slave. You are allowed to live another month." 'You're going to pay for this.' Ker Laughed even harder.

The boy bowed. "Thank you, Slayer Ker."

The boy walked backwards, while two Jaffa's carried the corpse away through the big doors. Two Jaffa's and a veiled woman entered the Hall. Buffy was expecting another round. Ker thought the same.

"What is the meaning of this? Who dares to disrupt my pleasure?" Ker's voice was filled with anger.

The woman shivered, but recovered quickly and straightened her back. "The Scoobies do."

Willow let an energy ball fly to the Jaffa next to Ker/Buffy. While Xander dropped his Staff-weapon and went for his Zat gun and shot the two on his left. Giles used his Staff-weapon and took care of the two on the right. No Jaffa had time to return fire, with the exception of the still remaining Jaffa, that stood next to Ker/Buffy. He shot at Willow, but she simple caught the bolt and threw it back.

While the Scoobies were taking care of the Jaffa's, Buffy almost let her body jump from excitement for seeing her friends again.

'It is payback time bastard. They will defeat you.'

"Defeat me. You really think a old man, an insecure 'pup' and a not proper little witch can defeat me, while I'm in your body?"

Willow removed her veil, while Giles and Xander removed their helmets. They had equally hurt expression.

'No, no. Don't listen to him. You guys know, that I love you.' Buffy wanted to utter it out loud, but only an evil laughter came out of her mouth.

"No, we aren't here to defeat you Ker. That is Buffy's job. Repel!" Willow expression changed in that one of determination.

Ker could just barely raise his force field with the Ribbon Device, but he still was slammed into the wall.

'Auw, did that hurt.' Buffy taunted.

"Yeah, we are here to give Buffy some more incentive to kick your ass, and buy her some time." Xander aimed his zat gun at Ker/Buffy and shot him/her. The shot repelled of the shield without any trouble.

Ker was so distracted, that he didn't even retort back at Buffy. He aimed the Ribbon Device for a shock blast at Xander and didn't notice how Giles raised an empty hand toward Ker/Buffy.

Before Ker could release the shockwave, something rushed at him. He caught it at the last moment and saw that it was a metal projectile. He laughed and bended it.

"Did you guys forgot about the Slayer reflexes?"

"They are not yours!" Giles stood straight with the staff-weapon aimed at Ker/Buffy. "Remember how bad it went for Faith, when she abused it for evil."

"But I'm not a mere human, I'm a god."

"And here I thought you were just a worm with a big ego and a god complex."

'Yep, that is our Xander always witty in the face of danger. Hope you enjoying it while you can.'

"I'll enjoy it, when I wear his entrails around my neck."

"Hey, Buffy. Nice to know you joined the battle, but could you hurry up. We are expecting the next Apocalypse next month and we know how much you hate to miss one." Xander retorted to give her some more motivation to beat Ker.

Ker raised his arm to the Scoobies and send a shockwave toward them. Willow blocked it.

"Thicken." After she blocked it, she used the repel spell again. But this time Ker stood his ground. Xander helped Willow by shooting one of his projectiles into Ker/Buffy's leg. But it didn't help much for Ker might have gone down on one knee, but the force field held. Ker removed the projectile from his leg and the wound was closing slowly, but at a faster rate then the normal Slayer healing.

"Buffy, how about distracting him enough, so that he can't use the Ribbon Device." Xander turned to Willow. "And Willow I thought you said you could rip that Ribbon to shred?"

"I didn't thought, that the Slayer power would give the Ribbon Device a boast." Willow looked with a shocked expression from Buffy to Xander. "Xander."

Xander turned his head to Ker/Buffy and saw him about to throw the projectile he removed from his leg. Giles ran into him, when Ker threw the projectile. It stuck deeply in Giles' shoulder. He cried out in pain.

"Giles!" Both Willow and Xander yelled out. Buffy even yelled loud enough to distract Ker. Xander was holding Giles and Willow kept her pressure on Ker. But she was getting tired.

"He lives, Willow. But he needs help and quick."

Ker/Buffy walked toward Willow with the Ribbon Device aimed at full force at Willow. Willow was doing her best to resist, but Ker was too strong for her. Before she would collapse, she had time enough to say four little words. "I love you, Buffy."

Xander and Giles were hit by the backlash and they blacked out. Ker/Buffy approached the unconscious Willow, who lay on the ground. Ker bent down to placed the Ribbon Device a few inches about Willow's stern. But before he can give the mental command to scramble Willow's brains.

'No.' Ker/Buffy's Ribbon hand moves away from Willow toward her/his own stern.

"Stop it." Ker's voice sounded panicky with disbelieve.

'You like to deal out pain, see how you like to receive pain.' Buffy activated the Ribbon Device and the screaming began.

The screams stopped and Ker and Buffy were finding themself from one moment to another in a different place. Buffy was back alone in her own body and Ker was in the body of Mr. Lyle.

"Where are we?" Ker looked around and found himself at night in a graveyard.

"If I would guess a dream scape or astral plane, my brain? But it doesn't matter which. You only have to know, that this is my world. This is the place where you die." Buffy kicked him over a headstone.

Ker stood a little shaken and angry up. "I'm the God of Strive. Do you really think you can defeat me."

"I don't think. I Do. And how many times do I have to tell you? You are not a God,( a punch into his abdomen) but a demon (a kick to his head) and I (a right punch in the face) am ( a left punch in the face) the (a left kick to the head) Slayer (a right kick into the chest)."

Ker crashed into a mausoleum and went right through the back wall out of the mausoleum. He stood dazed up and Buffy was right behind him.

"You have abused the Slayer name for long enough."

She hit him like a sledgehammer with both fists in his back. He went two feet into the ground. He was sparling with his legs for a few second, before Buffy pulled him out of the ground.

"I have warned you not to mess with my head. But no, Mr. Worm with god complex can't think, that somebody might defeat him. Well look at me." Buffy swung him against a tree and the tree cracked in two. The tree came down on her, but she caught it and made the tree hover over him.

"You are in my mind and here I am God and the Law." Buffy punctuated it by crashing the tree on him.

Buffy dragged him from under the tree and was holding him up with one arm. He had a disbelieving expression on his face. He couldn't believe what just happened. He couldn't believe his defeat.

"I'm Ker. The God of Strive. I never lose." His face showed the horror of defeat.

"You are nothing." A knife, the same she used on Faith, materialized in Buffy's other hand. "But a demon." Buffy drove the knife in his chest. His face showed the same disbelieve as the vampires at the moment she staked them. "And I slay demons."

She dropped the knife and Ker disintegrated into ashes. Her surrounding started to shimmer and to disappear. Buffy closed her eyes and the moment she opened her eyes again she looked into the deactivated Ribbon Device. She looked down and saw, that Willow was still unconscious.

"Willow." She took her in the arms and shook her gently. "Will, wake up. Please wake up." The relieve that went through Buffy, when Willow steered was unmeasurable. She gave Willow a big slayer hug.

"Buffy, air." Willow whispered, because Buffy was squeezing the air out of Willow's lungs.

Buffy backed away. "Sorry."

"Your back." There was relieve showing in Willow's expression. "Is he death?"

"Yep, dead like a doorknob." Buffy grinned happily at Willow.

Willow grinned back, but then a frown showed on her face. "Giles?"

Buffy looked despair around for Giles and Xander. She remembered, she threw a projectile toward Xander only it hit Giles. The last time she saw Giles, he was still alive but badly wounded. She found both of them lying still against the wall. She gently put Willow down, before running toward them. She saw Xander's chest rise and knew he was alive. But Giles didn't show any surface signs of being alive.

Buffy searched for a pulse and found a weak one. Absentminded she heard noises like a fight behind the doors, but ignored it. She put her fingers around the projectile and was holding it tight.

"This is going to hurt Giles." Buffy didn't know if he could hear her, but it made her more comfortable saying something. She jerked it out of him. He shrugged and gave a little grunt. "I'm so sorry Giles."

She put the Ribbon Device over the wound and concentrated. The Ribbon Device was glowing and slowly repairing the damage. Xander slowly woke up and saw Buffy over Giles using the Ribbon Device. If he had the strength, he would have attacked Buffy for thinking she was still Ker, who was attacking Giles. But after a closer look, he saw she was using the Ribbon Device to heal Giles.

"Buffy?" His voice was weak, but hopeful.

"Shhh, be quiet I need to concentrate." He heard Buffy in that voice not the evil from Ker. If she wasn't busy saving Giles life, he would have hugged her now and cry his eyes out. He saw something move behind Buffy and saw that Willow was trying to stand up. He mustered all his strength to stand up. When he was sure he wasn't going to fall flat on his face, he walked toward Willow. With each step his strength grew. When he reached Willow he was strong enough to keep them both up.

Willow was goofily grinning at him and happy tears were in her eyes. "She is back. We got her back. " She looked worried to where Buffy was helping Giles. "What is she doing with Giles?"

"Healing him."

"Healing?" Willow was surprised about that. "I didn't know, she could do that?"

"The Ribbon." Xander simple explained.

"Ahh. Is he going to make it?" Willow was worried not only for Giles, but also for Buffy for she knew, it would break her heart, if he died by her hand. It would have been disastrous enough, if he would die at all. But being the cause of it would just make it worse for Buffy.

Xander thought about it for a second and then smiled. "Yes. We didn't came here to die. Like I told Buffy, we have an apocalypse for next month. And I don't want to face one without the G-man."

Willow smiled and hugged Xander. She felt a moment of peace in his arms, which was interrupted by the noise of fighting outside. "I think we first have to help SG-1 fight our way of the planet, before we can deal with that little pesky apocalypse home."

"Then we better start helping them, before they get overrun by Jaffas." While they were looking toward the door, Buffy approached them. She threw them both a zat gun and was holding a Staff-weapon herself.

"Buffy." They rushed her and gave her a group hug.

"It is not that I don't appreciated and love this hug, but I think we have to help your friends, SG-1?"

"Yes." "Sorry." Willow and Xander talked at the same time and broke the group hug.

Buffy laughed. It was so good to be among friends again. "One of you has to stay with Giles, while the other goes with me."

"I stay with Giles the fight took a lot out of me. He is alright?" Buffy smiled and nodded a yes. Willow smiled back, before walking over to Giles and standing guard over him.

Buffy turned over to Xander. "So who are SG-1 and how do I recognize them."

"SG-1 is a military unite, that is exploring the universe with the Stargate. First we have Col. O'Neill. Greying, military man. Then we get Maj. Samantha Carter. Blond short hair. Daniel is Giles Jr." Buffy smiled at that compares. "Teal'c is a Jaffa with an Golden emblem on his forehead."

"You have Apophis' renegade First Prime on your side." Buffy was surprised, when she heard about Teal'c's desertion. A First Prime to go against his Master is almost unheard. They were at the door.

"Yep, big black fellow. He isn't the only alien, we got two more. Two To'kra. They ..."

"Don't worry I'll recognized them. Is that all?"

"No, Jarod came too. Faith and Harry wanted to come too, but we didn't think we could get them through custom at the other side of the Stargate."

Buffy put her thought about Harry aside for the moment. "I knew Jarod couldn't resist to help a damsel in distress. He has the same White Knight complex like you do."

"We Knights have to stick together." Xander gave her one of his goofy grins. "On three I open the door. 3."

Xander opened the door and let Buffy go first. He was right after her with the Zat'n'ktel ready to use. On the other side of the door SG-1 had the enemy in a crossfire. But they were about to be overran. Buffy used her Ribbon Devise to push the Jaffas away and distract them enough to use the Staff-weapon to make a carnage among the Jaffas. The Ribbon Device didn't only caus the distraction, her presence surprise them also, because they thought she was Ker, their god. You hesitate at shooting at your god.

Buffy closed the gap between her and the Jaffas quickly. Xander was covering her back with the Zat gun. Buffy was now using the Staff-weapon, how Giles had taught her, the old fashion way. A big black Jaffa was fighting on her side and soon they cleared the corridor. Buffy didn't think, that any Jaffa got away. But she didn't doubt, that reinforcement would attack the Palace soon.

She turned and saw Jarod approaching her and then hugging her. "Good to have you back Kiddo. I was worried for awhile."

Buffy felt safe in Jarod arms. If it was up to her, she would stay there all day, but they had things to do. "Me too." She broke the hug. "We'll have time for pleasantries later. Take the To'kra woman and guard this corridor at the end and warn us for any more party crashers."

Buffy turned to the rest of them especially the Jaffa. "You guys are on clean up duty. Any Jaffa that is still alive lock them up in the room around the corner. Watch out for anyone who plays posse or is about to wake up."

She looked a Harun. "Harun, follow me."

Buffy was about to return to the arena room, when O'Neill stopped her. "Ho, who died and made you king?"

Buffy sighed and she saw that people were following her orders. "I'm in charge over my friends. The To'kras and Mohamed Ali are listening to me." O'Neill saw that Teal'c was helping Xander to remove bodies to another room. "So it is only you, your girlfriend and Giles Jr. I'm not forcing you to listen. You can do whatever you want, just don't get in my way."

Buffy wanted to go, but O'Neill stopped her again. "We have to leave now, while we still can."

"We can't fight or sneak our way out of the city. There are just to many Jaffas. We have to distract them. I have a plan."

"What is the plan?"

"I'm about to scare and bluff my way out." She waved the To'kra to follow her. "Harun come with me. I have a small announcement to make."

Xander put a hand on O'Neill's shoulder. "O'Neill, if she has a plan, she has a plan. I bet she even has a plan B."

"Yep, there is an emergency tunnel behind the throne. Now let me through." Buffy didn't wait for O'Neill to move, she simple pushed O'Neill aside and walked passed him. He stumbled aside not very happily.

O'Neill turned to Samantha and Daniel. "Help Teal'c and Xander." He didn't wait for their response and follow Buffy.

"Harun, do you remember, when I told you I would rip off your head, when we first met?" There was no threat in Buffy's voice.

"Yes."

"You aren't out off the park yet, you might still lose your head. Do you understand?"

"Yes." His voice was still calm.

"I knew, you were To'kra after Ker crawled into my head."

This stopped him in his tracks. "Why didn't Ker kill or imprison me?"

"Because I hid it for him."

Harun bowed toward Buffy. "Thank you."

"I want to say your welcome, but after you put me through." Buffy didn't need to finish that sentence. She walked over to Giles, who recovered enough to stand.

"I understand."

Buffy ignored Harun and gave Giles a big hug. "I'm so sorry and glad your okay."

"It wasn't your fault and Willow here told me you saved my life." Giles reassured her.

Buffy smiled at Giles and was about to say something when O'Neill interrupted. "I hate to interrupt this touchy reunion. But weren't you planning to scare or/and bluff our way out of this mess."

Buffy looked annoyed at O'Neill. "Harun prepare the throne, so that I can speak to my loyal 'subjects'." Buffy turned to Giles. "Did you have to bring Soldier boy with you?" Buffy was giving Giles a fake pout. Giles smiled at his Slayer and knew that at the moment Buffy was dealing with, whatever happened to her the last few weeks and especially the last days, when she was possessed by the Goa'uld.

"Hey." O'Neill replied indignant back. "Be glad we helped after all does lies."

"I think that you as 'Secret' Soldier Boy should know the importance of secrets." She turned her back to O'Neill, after she said the last word.

O'Neill was huffing, puffing and mumbling something uncomprehensible under his breath. Buffy laughed under the disguise of a cough. She almost expected him to stamp his foot. She walked to throne, where Harun stood aside of the throne seemingly finished with his task.

"Finished, Lady Buffy." Harun bowed toward Buffy.

"Trying to get in my good grace, I'm not stopping you."

Without another word Buffy sat down on the throne. She was fumbling something on the armchair and then she looked straight ahead. Buffy's gaze and voice were cold.

"Good evening, Followers of Ker. I have bad and good news. The bad news is, I killed the False God Ker. The good news is I killed the False God Ker." Buffy held a dramatic pause.

"You can hear that I'm not Ker. I am Buffy, Buffy the Slayer. I slay demons and that was what Ker was. A simple slimy worm of a demon. If he hadn't possessed me, I would have killed him weeks ago." Buffy took a shallow breath.

"I don't see the Jaffas as Demons, only as misguided Children. Leave back to your homes and live an honourable life. Confront me and die a disgraceful death for I'm the Chose One, Chosen by the Gods to stop the spread of evil. I protect the Tau'ri like the Asgardians do. But I'm deadlier for I'm the Slayer."

Buffy fumbled on the armchair again before turning to Harun. "Harun check the communication lines and the other surveyor devices." Harun bowed and was working on the machines. Buffy turned to the others. "So, how was I."

"Very convincing." Giles said with proud for his Slayer's speech.

"You should have taken drama in college." Willow applauded.

"Was it wise to mention Earth? If somebody wants payback for Ker's Death. They now know where to find you." Col. O'Neill criticised.

"They already know, that I'm from Earth. Plus I don't think that anyone is going to shed a tear for Ker. Even his followers wouldn't feel sadness, but only an emptiness. I'm sure they would find something else to replace him with. Let's hope, it is something better. Now finished criticising me?" Buffy asked with the most sweetest and fake voice she could use.

O'Neill mumble under his breath. "No." And left the room to check on his people.

Willow giggled and Giles smirked. Giles had no problem with Buffy's treatment of Col. O'Neill. He reminded Giles to much of an older Xander. He saw this as some kind of payback to what Xander put him through the years. Maybe Buffy could do it to Xander too. Giles happy thoughts were interrupted by Harun voice.

"Lady Buffy."

"Yes?"

"Ker's troops are leaving the city and the Stargate is active. And one of the three pyramids is taking off."

"How about the Jaffas, that are from this planet? What are they doing?"

"I can't find no noticeable activity from them. At the moment they seem to be inactive and indecisive."

"You guess it is time to leave?" Buffy asked him for his opinion.

"Yes, now that everybody is either leaving or in disorder."

"Good open the secret emergency door." Harun bowed and walked to the Wall at the back of the throne. Buffy turned to the door. "Xander!"

"You bellowed, Milady." Xander poked his head through the doorway.

"Yes, call Jarod. We're going through the backdoor."

Xander turned his head and whistled three times. Somebody whistled in response. Xander walked through the doorway followed by Maj. Carter and Daniel. "Jarod is on his way."

A moment later Jarod entered the hall with Anise/Freya and the rest of SG-1. O'Neill still didn't look very happy. He didn't like it when he wasn't in charge or out of the loop. Buffy took the word.

"Introduction are for later. Ker's troops are leaving the planet and the natives are indecisive. I'm planning to leave, before they get restless. Some of Ker's troops are leaving through the Stargate. We going to follow their example."

"Doesn't that mean, that we have to fight them for the Stargate?" Carter expressed her concern.

"I'm letting them go first or ask them nicely, if we can use it. I was thinking about taking a spaceship, but their would be certainly a fight, if we hijack one. And I don't want to fly into space with three pyramids in the area."

"Yeah, plus we need a pilot to fly the ship." Xander joked.

Buffy turned to him and gave him a big grin. "I can fly a spaceship."

Xander was shock. "Oh, not fair. If somebody of us should know how to fly a spaceship it should have been me. I'm the Scifi nut in this group."

Willow giggled and Buffy's grin broadened.

"So can I, Xander Harris." Teal'c stated. And the two To'kra also gave their confirmation about their ability to fly.

"Enough of the chitchat, you guys can talk on the way to the Stargate. Let's move guys." Buffy was ushering them toward the secret exit.

But O'Neill stopped in his tracks. "We have to go to an abandon building to pick up our stuff, if we want to go back without getting squashed."

Buffy wanted to know what he meant, but Harun interrupted her. "The building isn't much out of rout to the Stargate."

"Good. Harun, Jarod take point. Xander and the Jaffa cover our back." Buffy turned to O'Neill. "You can command the rest, if you want to."

O'Neill wanted to burst into a rage of insults, but suppressed it. "Carter, Giles, Left flank. Anise and I, right flank. Willow over all cover if your up to it." Willow still looked a little weak. But she gave him a reassuring nod. He turned back to Buffy. "And you ..."

"I'll keep an eye on everybody." She gave O'Neill a wink.

Buffy was getting under O'Neill's skin. He tried to ignore her, but it didn't work much. Willow giggled. Willow introduced everybody to Buffy on their way to the abandon building. The trip was uneventful. They were lucky and avoided any contact with any people. It seemed that most stayed home or were busy leaving the city to notice a group that did the same. Carter talked to Buffy about her own experience with the symbiont Jolinar. She was surprised about Buffy access to Ker's memory.

"While Ker possessed me, I could do little to resist him. So I went in research mode and searched his memory for anything I could use against him."

"Am so proud of you. You learned something. What did you learn?" Willow was almost in babble mode. It was a good thing that Buffy stopped her before she could fly off.

"I somehow stumbled on all those Quantum Physics equations. I can quote then in alphabetical order. But they don't make much sense. Especially one."

"Which one, Heisenberg's equation on N-dimension or Einstein relativity Laws."

"Oh, I think there is a flaw in Einstein's relatively Laws. If you try it to explain the Stargate ..." Willow and Carter were in a full academical discussion. Buffy was enjoying her friend's enthusiasm, about something that would be so boring to almost everybody else. While Buffy listened to both geniuses, she seemed to start to understand them. She had the equation in her head, she just had to order them. It was like a puzzle. She surprised Willow by giving an suggestion. Willow was so happy, that she hugged her friend. Even if she thought that the suggestion wouldn't work. It was the thought that counted. Willow was already planning a study session for when they returned. Buffy didn't had the heart to break it to Willow to say no.

When they reached the abandon building, Teal'c and O'Neill went first to see, if the Jaffas they left behind had woken up. Some of them were awake and trying to remove their bounds, until they saw Buffy and bow their heads toward her.

"Slayer Ker."

Buffy picked one up at the throat. He would had been dangling, if he wasn't that damn big. "Ker is dead. I killed him." A shocked expression went through the Jaffas. They knew that she spoke the truth. For she stood there and not Ker. "I'm Buffy the Slayer." She took a knife from O'Neill's belt. The Jaffa was ready to die, but the final blow never came. Buffy cut his bounds and she handed him the knife. The shocked expression on his face was evident.

O'Neill had a whole different reaction. "Hey, you can't ..."

Buffy stopped him by showing him her hand. She put her whole attention on the Jaffa. "I have no trouble with you or your people. Free your men and go home." Buffy turned her back to the Jaffa, who still was holding the knife. The Jaffa looked indecisive to the knife and then he bent down to cut the restrains at his feet.

Buffy ignored him further and turned to her friends. "Move it guys we have miles to go before we can lay our heads down."

"Oh, I didn't know you knew Robert Frost." Willow was always happy, when she found out that Buffy was doing something for her education.

"Willow that was 'Telefon' with Charles Bronson?" Buffy explained.

"Oh." Willow sounded a little disappointed.

Buffy laughed and put an arm around her friend and together they left the room. Jarod and Teal'c covered their exit. To make sure the freed Jaffa didn't do anything stupid. But he only looked confused and went to his friends and freed them.

Buffy and Co. were travelling at high speed toward the Stargate. Buffy, Teal'c and the To'kras were the only ones, that didn't almost collapse because they were out of breath. There was a group of Jaffa gathering around the Stargate. They decided to stay out of sight and let them use the Stargate before they could have their turn.

Willow told her how they searched for her. She was cryptic about Hogwart and the Centre. So not to rat them out. She showed Buffy the 'tarot' cards. Buffy took them and then an idea popped up in her mind.

"Who is going to dial the DHD?"

Daniel hesitantly put his hand up. Buffy took six cards from her deck and gave it to him. "Here are your new co-ordinations."

Daniel looked up from the cards. "New co-ordinations?"

"What do you mean by new co-ordinations? We are going to Earth." O'Neill couldn't believe his ears, what was that girl up to now.

Buffy stood up in front of him. "I went though a lot these past couple of weeks and I'm not going through a military interrogation until I'm ready to think up, what I'm going to tell them."

"Oh, I can change the wormhole's end at the other side, so that we can land wherever you want. That's how we got unnoticed on this planet."

"No, but thank you Willow." Buffy turned to Willow and put a hand on her arm. "You used a lot of magic today. I don't want to exhaust you anymore, when we don't have to." She saw Willow about to protest. "And I don't want to have the Military on my back. It might interfere with me saving the world."

"Yep, don't forget the apocalypse, we have next month on our schedule." Xander pointed out.

"Okay, now I'm curious. Is this a sure thing apocalypse or is it the-time-of-the-year apocalypse?"

"I was researching a prophesy about an apocalypse a few weeks before you disappeared. If my calculation were right, it would be happening in about a month. I gave the prophesy to Faith's watcher, in case we wouldn't be back in time or I miscalculated." Giles stated.

"Hey, Faith can't take away one of my apocalypses. I'm still mad at her for the last time." Buffy was pouting.

Xander smiled, but O'Neill couldn't believe it. "What do you guys mean by apocalypse? Don't tell me, it is a real one."

Xander patted him on the back. "Don't you wish we stayed with the classified routine?"

O'Neill was glaring daggers at Xander. Who quickly removed his arm. Daniel, who still held the cards with the co-ordinations, was curious about the place, it would lead them to. He asked Buffy about it.

"Oh, you will love it. It's one of Ker's hideout slash summerhouse slash planet retreat. It's on the beach side. The colour are all wrong. The beach is light blue and sea is red, but not blood red. It is almost orange. The trees have red leafs and the sun has a blue glow."

"Wow." Willow went from amazed to exciting. She turned to Giles. "Can we go?"

"That is two." Buffy put two finger up.

Xander approached the girl from behind and put his hands on their shoulders. "I go where my girls go."

"That's three."

"I go where my Slayer goes." Giles stated with a smile.

"That's four."

"Blue Beach? Count me in." Jarod wouldn't mind seeing a blue beach. Plus this would probable be his last change to visit another planet.

"That's five. One more and I don't have to twist your arm." Buffy grinned wolfishly at O'Neill. He was about to say something.

"I know the planet. It's very nice planet. The To'kra hid there once. I'll be Lady Buffy's sixth."

"Don't you love guilt." Buffy gave Harun a smile.

"Hey, this isn't a democracy. This is a military operation."

"Good, then we are going?"

This woman was making O'Neill crazy. "What?"

"There is a rule or even a law. In any military operation, that involves a Slayer, the Slayer is in charge."

"You're making this up." O'Neill was about to explode.

"No, asks Giles. I think, it is in the Slayer handbook." Buffy had to keep her face straight to not show the grin, she was grinning inside.

O'Neill and everybody else turned toward Giles, who looked somewhere between shocked and embarrassed. He took off his classes and cleaned them. "Ehmm, yes, Buffy is right. It's in the handbook."

Xander leant into Buffy. "I thought you never read the Slayer Handbook."

Buffy first shushed him and then elbowed him. O'Neill didn't look happy. Daniel smiled at the situation.

"Jack, why don't you give in. I don't think you can force her to do anything and I think she needs a little time off, for what she went through."

O'Neill was glaring daggers at Daniel telling him with his eyes that he wasn't helping.

"I agree with Daniel. Having a Goa'uld in you is very psychological damaging to a person." Samantha was remembering her own experience with a symbiont, a much nicer symbiont.

"Et tu, Burtus." O'Neill turned to Teal'c and Anise/Freya. "What about you two? There is place for two more daggers in my back."

"I have no opinion whatsoever as long as we get off the planet." Anise said and then her eyes turned back to normal. "I say that we go to the planet. It is very beautiful in Anise memories."

Teal'c was the last one to put his opinion in the mix. "If Buffy the Slayer doesn't want to go home yet. We shouldn't force her." O'Neill dramatically put his hands in the air. Teal'c was still watching the Stargate. "The last Jaffa went through the Stargate. We can go now."

Teal'c moved in the direction of the Stargate. Buffy stood up and followed him and the rest followed Buffy. O'Neill stayed a second behind, before he moved in step with the other and mumbling something that only Buffy picked up.

At the DHD Daniel looked at O'Neill for permission and O'Neill first sighed and then nodded his approval. Daniel smiled and dialled the co-ordinations to Buffy new vacation resort. The Stargate opened with its usual a woos.

"Oh, Yeah. One thing more. Stay in the Gate Room. It is booby-trapped. I'll know how to deactivate." She turned to Xander. "So don't play with anything."

"Hey, I'm not that stupid."

Buffy crossed her arms. "Shall I remember you about that Hi'urk Demon."

Xander put his arms up in defeat. "Okay, I touch nothing."

"Go, I'll cover you guys." Buffy could almost hear the guys protests. "No arguing, I go last."

Anise/Freya didn't see what the problem was and went first. Teal'c and Willow went next. Then Jarod and Daniel. Giles went into the Stargate next with Maj. Carter. Xander was about to protest but O'Neill took him by the arm and dragged him into the Stargate. Which left Harun and Buffy as last to go.

"We're the last, let's go." Buffy turned her back to her surroundings, when she was about to enter the Stargate. Two things happened simultaneous, one was she heard a sound of a Staff-weapon discharging and the second was, that she was pushed aside by Harun. He dropped down on her. Buffy couldn't move and the only thing, she could do was to raise the force field of her Ribbon Device. Another blast of a Staff-weapon was fired on them. The force field only reflected half of the blast, the other half hit Harun.

Buffy looked in the direction from where the blast came and saw a lonely Jaffa, to be accurate it was Ker's First Prime. He was too far for the Ribbon Device and she dropped her Staff-weapon. She moved Harun closer to her and tried to put her body between her and the shooter. She was ready for another blast, but it never came. The First Prime was attacked from behind and knocked unconscious. When he turned his face toward Buffy, she saw that it was the Jaffa, she cut loose in the abandon building.

Buffy had no time for him. Harun was dying in her arms. She used the Ribbon Device to heal him, but it was to server or to complicated for Buffy to heal.

"I'm dying."

"Yes." Buffy's voice was controlled.

"It has been an honour even in a brief time, knowing you and I'm sorry for all the wrongs I've done to you, Lady Buffy."

While Buffy was contemplating on what she was going to do, the Jaffa that saved her approached them. Buffy took a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm doing this. You better stay in the backseat, Harun."

Buffy was kissing Harun for a few moments. She looked up and her eyes started to glow and a second later it turned back to normal. "I'll told you to stay in the backseat Harun." A tear was falling down Buffy's cheek.

Buffy picked Harun's body up without effort. She looked the Jaffa straight into his eyes. "Thank you." She turned to go through the Stargate.

"Ma'tac."

"Eh."

"My name is Ma'tac."

"Ma'tac? Nice name. Sorry, but I have to go. My friends are waiting for me. Hope you won't get in any trouble for killing the First Prime." With those last word Buffy walked into the Stargate.

The Stargate closed after Buffy and Ma'tac watched a few moments more before he dialled the co-ordinations for his home world and went through it.

Chapter 9

Buffy exited the Stargate with Harun's host in her arms and entered the Gate Chamber, where her friends were waiting for her. Willow and Anise/Freya approached her. Buffy lay Harun's Host body down on the floor. Buffy's body was crying. Willow put an arm around her.

"Buffy? Why are you crying? I didn't think you liked him that much."

"I'm not crying Willow." Buffy said very calm. She tried to block any memory, that came from Harun and she did a good job of it. She only received some flashes. But Harun wasn't that lucky and received the whole package at once.

Willow wiped a tear off Buffy's cheek. "And what is this."

"It is Harun, who is crying."

Anise looked at Buffy with her golden eyes. "Why is Harun crying? I know his host is dead, but ..."

"He isn't crying because of Gru'ina. He is crying because of me."

Anise looked confused, but the Scoobies and Jarod understood. They understood too well. SG-1 wanted to know, what was so terrible in Buffy's memories to make a To'kra cry. Buffy ignored their stares and went to operate a device in the middle of the room. There were two doors leading out of the Chamber. She first opened the doors and then the Stargate was falling apart. SG-1 looked worried at the dissembled Stargate. But SG-S didn't look worried for they knew that Buffy wouldn't do it, if she couldn't put it back together.

"The left door leads to some personal quarters and a kitchen and stuff. I'm sure Anise will show you guys how things work. The right leads outside toward the beach."

"I'll offer to go to the beach first." Xander goofed around.

"Good. I want you and Teal'c to make a pyre for Gru'ina. I want to do it myself, but I have to meditate and start to calm Harun down." Buffy walked toward the right door. Giles approached her.

"Are you alright with the To'kra in you? You just freed yourself from Ker." Giles looked concern down at her.

"Don't worry. He is To'kra. They are less intrusive, plus after Ker, I could even handle a Goa'uld in a matter of seconds. I'm immune to their mind control." She gave Giles a peck on the cheek and left the room.

O'Neill stood next to Giles. "I can't believe she just took the To'kra in her. She couldn't have hesitate long. And that after she was just taken over by a Goa'uld."

"Buffy hates to lose an innocent to the bad guys. She has lost already to many to them." Willow explained.

"She is a very admirable woman." Teal'c stated.

"She is the best." Xander patted Teal'c on the shoulder. "Come up, big fellow. Let's find something to cut trees. I have a feeling, we are going to need it for the pyre."

Teal'c and Xander walked through the left exit to find some tools for the work ahead.

Buffy was looking for a nice quiet place to meditate. She found a place on a cliff viewing the ocean. She sat crossed legged down and closed her eyes. She used one of meditation technic Giles thought her. She slowed her breathing and focussed on her inner self. It took her almost half an hour to be in a state of calmness, because Harun was distracting her with raw emotions. He cried and felt sorry for her.

Buffy pulled Harun in the same dream scape as she did with Ker. But with a more friendly environment. It was the library of the old Sunnydale Highschool. She was a little surprise, why her subconscious brought her. She looked around for Harun and found him in the metal cage. She opened the door and walked in. She squatted down next to him and gently touched his shoulder.

He twitched away. "I'm so sorry."

Buffy shushed him and put an arm around him. "There isn't anything you have to be sorry for. Well, with the exception of that little torture, but not for my memories." Buffy smiled at him.

"If I had know, that you have been through so much, I would never had Ker near you and would have help you escape, but I knew you could defeat him."

"You did the right thing Harun." Harun looked up in disbelieve. "If you had helped me escape, Ker would had killed you." Harun looked confused now. "He let your laboratory guard by at least 10 Jaffas at all time. To make sure I wouldn't escape you."

Harun didn't know, that Ker had done that. He couldn't understand how he didn't notice 10 Jaffas. Buffy saw his expression.

"He had them spread thin around your laboratory. They were there to slow me down to give Ker time enough to call in reinforcement to find and capture me again." Buffy stood up and gave Harun her hand to stand up. Buffy was bigger, than Harun in the dream scape compared to reality. Buffy thought, that it was funny. "Now stand up and let's get out of this cage."

"No. Kendra, the opening of the Hellmouth." Harun was looking passed Buffy and when she turned she saw flashes of what Harun was speaking off.

A sad expression was showing on Buffy's face. She shook those bad memories off and turned back to Harun with a smile. "Yes, a lot of bad memories, but a lot of good also. You shouldn't concentrate on only the bad."

Buffy pointed at the table. "Look, me and my friends making fun of Giles." Harun saw how Buffy and her friends were sitting around the table talking and having fun. Harun took Buffy's hand and they left the cage. Buffy turned around to look at the cage and Oz was sitting in his wolf form in it, while Willow was reading to him.

"Willow loved to read to the wolf. You see even in bad there is some good." Buffy held Harun's hand. "Ready for the next memory."

Harun hesitantly nodded. Buffy flashed them to her Mother's burned-out house in Sunnydale. Harun wanted to flee, but Buffy held him tight on the spot. "This is the place of one of my worst memories. It took me a long time to overcome them and accept them. But their were also good memories here."

Buffy waved with her hand and the House rebuilt itself. They entered the house and Buffy showed him her happy memories. Her mother alive, the movie-fest with the Scoobies, Angel kissing on the ledge of her window and many more small happiness to savour.

Her next stop was the Centre. There were no good memories there and Harun didn't understand, why they were here. They were in an dark empty cell. Buffy waved again with her hand and Buffy was lying on the floor in Jarod's arm.

"With all the badness the Centre threw at me, I still felt safe in his arms. You see there is a good memory again, hidden in the bad. I think it is time I'll show you Hogwarts."

Buffy didn't flash them outside of Hogwart for she didn't think a castle would impress Harun much. She flashed them in front of the door, that leaded to the Great Hall. Buffy opened the door and Harun looked at the ceiling and was breath taken by the sight. Harun wasn't impressed by the magic. The To'kra has technology, that could duplicate it, but it was the beauty and creativity that was put in making the ceiling to reflect the open sky, that touched the To'kra. After that Buffy showed him the small wonders of Hogwart, the painting, the stairs, the ghosts and the other little thingies. She showed him how she made new friends in Hogwarts and the smooches with Harry.

After that they went to Hagrid's Cabin. Buffy showed Harun the magical creatures and the bear. Buffy was showing a sad expression. A flash of her being attacked by the bear and her not really fighting back, because it was under a Spell.

"Now I understand, why you didn't kill the Kre'an beast."

"It was an innocent creature, like the tiger, the bear and the other animals I killed in the Centre." Buffy sighed. "They didn't deserve to die."

Harun put an comforting arm around Buffy. "Neither did you."

Buffy looked up and smiled at him. Harun has grown a few inches. "Ready for the next barrage of memory and raw emotions?"

Buffy didn't wait for him to answer and dragged him into the Forbidden Forrest and showed him more magical creatures. From there on she went to memories of Faith, the good and the bad memories. Most of the memories she showed where of her friends, Giles and a few of Harry.

There last stop was Angel's mansion. Buffy showed Harun her sword fight with Angelus and how she shoved the sword into Angel to save the world. The next flashes were about Angel's return and how Buffy helped him back to health. Their Tai Chi session. Which gave Buffy an idea.

"How about some Tai Chi? It would do you a great of good."

Harun agreed. Buffy showed the moves and he mimicked her movements. They were training for a while and Harun grown to his full length again.

"You still love him." It was more of a statement, than a question.

"Yes."

There was a long moment of silence, before Harun spoke again. "You don't love Harry anymore."

Buffy was about to protest or find something to defend her relationship with Harry. But it was hard to debate against somebody, who knew her thoughts and emotions. Buffy knew there would be a downside of having Harun in her head.

"No."

They continued their exercise in silent.

Teal'c put the last piece of wood on the pyre and turned to Xander, who also put his last one down.

"We are ready with the pyre. Should we call Lady Buffy and tell her we are ready?"

Xander looked over to Buffy, who moved from a sitting position toward doing some Tai Chi. He thought, that whatever Buffy was doing with Harun, it was in its last stadium.

"We are ready, but is Buffy? You are the silent patient guy. Why don't you stand close to her? So that she can sense you presence, but far enough for her if you startled, that she won't kick you ass. First rule in slaying, never startle a Slayer. It only gets you hurt." Xander made some fake pain movements. Teal'c raised his eyebrows and looked at Buffy.

"I'll remember that Xander Harris." Teal'c turned and move toward Buffy.

"Good luck, Big Fellow." Xander shouted after him.

Teal'c stood at a respectable distant from Buffy. He observed her movements and saw that they were meant for the Spirit instead for the Body. After observing her for a few minutes he joined her in her Tai Chi exercise. They were doing it for half an hour.

"Are you enjoying yourself Tank?"

"It is Teal'c, Lady Buffy. And yes, this is a very relaxing exercise. What is it called?"

Buffy smiled at Teal'c. "Tai Chi. It is a rage in China/Asia." She moved her upper body in a different position. "I can presume, that you are here, that the pyre is finished?"

"Yes, Lady Buffy."

Buffy stopped. "Why are you calling me Lady Buffy?"

"Because To'kra Harun did."

"That was part of his punishment. You can call me simple Buffy." Buffy gave him a warm smile.

Teal'c's mouth edges almost twitched. Buff broadened her own smile as a reaction of this. Buffy took his arm. "I think it is time for the funeral to start. Gru'ina was a very good host and friend to Harun. He deserves a decent sendoff."

Everybody had already gathered and the sun was descending fast. Night would soon fall. Buffy thought that it was the perfect time for it. Gru'ina was already placed on the pyre. Xander handed Buffy/Harun a Staff-weapon.

Buffy's eyes turned yellow and glowed. "Gru'ina was my host and friend for 150 years. He was a good man before we joined. A simple man with simple needs. He always was kind and just to those around him. Not only to those he called friends and family. When my previous host was dying Gru'ina was attacked by a wild animal. I could barely scare the beast away in my weak state. I offered him to live by sharing his body. After we became one, he insisted to stay and help his friends and family with the knowledge he received from me. He stayed twenty years before he, we decided to leave and fight the Goa'ulds."

"He never wavered from the path of helping others. Even when we were undercover for the To'kra, he always found a way to help those, who needed help." Harun took a pause.

"You only knew him for a short while and a few of you even wanted to strangle him."A small smile crept on Buffy's face. There was no doubt in the Scoobies mind, that this was a part was from Buffy. "If you had known him longer, you would have liked him. Like I did."

It was sunset. Buffy/Harun raised the Staff-weapon and fired at the pyre. It immediately caught fire and the pyre turned into blaze of flames.

"May your soul turn back to the stars and join your family." These were Harun's last words. Buffy's eyes turn back to normal.

After awhile they left one by one until only Buffy/Harun was standing next to the pyre. When there was nothing visual left of Gru'ina's body, Buffy/Harun turned their back and walked toward Buffy's friends.

The Scoobies had made a campfire on the beach. Xander found something, that could resemble marshmallows and they were roasting it on the fire. They were chitchatting about the most mundane stuff. A lot had to be explained to Anise/Freya and Teal'c and sometimes even Jarod. To everyone's surprise, especially the Scoobies, Giles had no trouble following the conversation. Must had been all those bad influence from the other Scoobies.

After awhile O'Neill asked Buffy, if he could speak with her for a moment 'alone'. Buffy smiled inwardly because of the alone part, but nevertheless she shrugged her shoulders and they made a stroll along the beach. There was a clear night and the two moons were giving amplify light.

"You know, that there is going to be a lot of explanation to be done, when we go home especially with you having a To'kra in your head."

"He isn't in my head he is more in the neck/spine area." Buffy was trying to joke to lighten the mood.

O'Neill wasn't amused. "You know how much paperwork it is going to take me only to explain you?"

"Don't worry, I bet Giles and Jarod would love to help you to write your reports." Buffy smiled at him.

"I'm not going to falsify my reports." O'Neill said indignantly.

Buffy laughed and apologized. "You're going to hand two reports. One to the SGC with all the Alien stuff and classified any Demon or magic intel. The other report goes to the Initiative with all the Demon and magic stuff and classified any Alien intel."

O'Neill thought about it. It would solve most of his problem. Buffy saw it.

"You can let the Initiative deal with us. They are used to me and my Gang." Technically she hadn't dealt with the Initiative much. The Initiative was more Faith's deal.

"That would solve your problems, but your friends won't get easy of with how they got in the SGC. When general Hammond finds out, that they aren't really with the Initiative, he is going to throw them in the birk without a second thought."

"I have thought about that. First impulse was to break them out, but that would only be a temporally solution. My second thought was bribing the general." Buffy threw a shell in the ocean, she just picked up.

"You can't bribe the General Hammond. He is one of the most integer person I know." O'Neill didn't know if he should laugh or be insulted by Buffy's suggestion of that she could bribe the General.

"Not even with the knowledge of a System Lord. Even of a death one." Buffy pointed to her head.

A grin appeared on O'Neill's face. "That might work."

"Good, I thought about a 20 page long essay on the System Lords and there tactics, plus a 5 hour questioning, no interrogation, with sufficient breaks."

"He wants more then that."

"That was just my starting bargaining position. I have no interested being stuck under a mountain any longer then necessary. I'm already claustrophobic enough." She had learn a few things from Anya about bargaining. Maybe Buffy should stick her on the General.

"I can understand that." They walked in silence back to other.

After the campfire everyone went to sleep. With the help of Harun, Buffy had a dreamless and restful sleep. The next morning Anise/Freya managed to find some swimwear. Everybody went swimming with the exception of Giles, O'Neill, Jarod, Daniel and Teal'c. Teal'c simply didn't do the swimming for fun part and was watching the others enjoy themself.

The other four were busy planning, what to put in which report. To O'Neill's relieve the three eggheads were agreeing with each other on almost everything. Giles and Daniel brought pen and paper with them, so a rough sketch was made up of the reports. O'Neill looked over both reports and thought that he would have no problem handing them in.

They finished with the reports before noon and thought to bring their friends some lunch on the beach. After lunch they decided with some protest, that they would leave in about three hours. They cleaned their mess up and made sure they didn't leave anything important behind, while Buffy was in the Gate Room assembling the Stargate.

"If you can put that in the package for the General, he would give your friends a sendoff present." O'Neill state, while watching Buffy putting the Stargate back together.

"Sorry, Ker found it like this and he hasn't figured out how to duplicate it." Buffy shrugged apologetic with her shoulders.

"I knew it was to good to be true." He left the Gate Room shaking his head, Buffy smiled at his retreating back. When Buffy was finished with the Stargate, she picked a hand laser and started drawing letters and symbols on the wall.

That's how Giles found her. He recognized a few symbols and what he recognized where signs of warning. A few where in an ancient language he thought lost forever. He startled Buffy.

"Do you know this language well?" He pointed at a few symbols.

"Giles, you should know by now not to startle a slayer." Buffy held her heart and looked at the symbols. "Sure, fluent. A little present from Ker and Harun. I even know a little nursery rhyme, why?"

"I have a book at home I bought years ago and it has these markings. I never could translate it correctly. I look at it now and then in my free time." Giles was still staring at the symbols.

"Geesh, I think you have way too much free time. You need a hobby, Giles?"

Giles turned toward her and glared at her and ignored her last comment. "I was thinking you could help me with the translation. It might be important."

Buffy's eyes turned golden. "I would honoured to oblige. The Mataka had a very rich culture and ..." Buffy's eyes turn normal. "Hey, what did I say about the backseat? ... You're forgiven and I know we have to adjust, but this is my body and you are a guest. Stop pouting." Buffy turned toward Giles. "We are happy to oblige, when we get home. The memories I have about the Mataka seem very interesting. I'm curious about what's written in that book of yours. It might turn out to be a simple cookbook."

Giles smiled and removed his glasses to clean them. "Well, I have my doubts, that it is a simple cookbook. It held my interest for way to long to be a simple cookbook."

"Oh, we're thinking about apocalypse here and let me guess, now that I have the memories to read it. It probable has to do with the next apocalypse, we have to deal with." Buffy deduced.

"That would be my guess."

"That means I have to keep my business with SGC as short as possible." Buffy frowned still working on wall.

"That would be advisable. Did you make any contingent plan?"

"Willow has a portkey. We can use in an emergency."

Buffy made one last mark on the wall. "Finished." Buffy took a few step back to admire her work. "If anybody is stupid enough to not heed my warning. It is there one fault."

Giles stood next to her. "The skull and the crossbones are a nice touch."

Buffy grinned up to Giles. "I though so myself. Call the others, we are ready to departure."

Giles left and within minutes he came back with the others. Buffy asked if Anise/Freya wanted to go first for they wouldn't go back to Earth, but straight to a To'kra world. She nodded and dialled her co-ordinations. Buffy gave the To'kra before she left her phone number in the case she needed to contact Harun or her.

After the To'kra left, Buffy sealed the Gate Chamber and reactivated the booby-traps. She gave the honour to Daniel to dial home. When the Stargate opened, GS-1 went first followed by SG-S and Buffy went last through the Stargate.

Chapter 10

Buffy went through the Stargate and she entered in the Gate Room of SGC with soldiers aiming weapons at her. She was still wearing the Ribbon Device. In a reflex she raised the shield and her arm. She let a small concussion force on them and knocking them on the floor.

Before anything could get out of hand. O'Neill stepped in front of Buffy. "Stand down!" He turned back to Buffy. "You! Turn that thing off!"

Buffy sheepishly deactivated the Ribbon Device. A voice came over the PA system.

"Col. O'Neill, what is going down in the Gate Room? Is that the Golden Child?"

Buffy looked to Willow for confirmation on the Golden Child comment and she pointed back at Buffy. Buffy said a small 'ahh' and turned her attention back to O'Neill.

"Yes, Sir. She got startled by the welcoming committee."

"Tell her to remove the Ribbon Device and confiscate it."

Before O'Neill could respond.

"No." Buffy crossed her arms and looked deviant at the General behind the re-enforce glass window.

"Miss. I can't let you ..."

Buffy didn't let him finish. "I'm not going to hand you this cool gadget. When I do that, I'll never see it back."

"Protocol says ..."

Again Buffy didn't let him finish.

"I don't care about military protocols. I ain't giving it."

"Very mature, Buffy." Xander was grinning at her. Buffy glared at him.

"Sir, can I make a compromise. How about she removes it from her hand, but carries it on her belt." O'Neill looked from Buffy to the General and back to Buffy again hoping to resolve this with a compromise. Buffy nodded and removed the Ribbon Device from here hand. The General didn't look at all happy with the compromise. "Sir, she has very valuable information to trade."

"Yep, I swallowed a Goa'uld and I'm willing to share the leftovers."

A confused look appeared on the General's face. Buffy explained it in more understandable terms. "I've rejected the Goa'uld of a System Lord and now I'm willing to share the information he had in his little snake head. Comprendo."

Xander stood next to Buffy. "I bet he is thinking now, how to be nice to you and how to squeeze all that juicy intel out of your pretty little head."

"Do you really think, he thinks I'm pretty?"

Xander put an arm around Buffy. "Everybody thinks you are pretty."

Buffy leant into Xander. "Ah, that is so nice."

"Col. O'Neill bring them all to the conference room 1 without their weapons." The General still didn't sound very happy about the whole situation.

They were escorted to the armoury room to return SG-S's borrowed weapons and the ones they collected on their journey. Buffy went last. She put a Staff-weapon and a zat'n'ktel gun on the counter. She grabbed the arm of the soldier, who was about to put her weapons away.

"Keep them aside. I want them back later and not any others." Buffy's eyes started to glow and her voice went deeper. "Do we understand each other?"

The soldier leant back scared and Buffy let him go. Her eyes turned back to normal. Giles wasn't happy about that.

"Buffy?"

"What?" Buffy looked innocently back.

"Don't scare the soldier."

"I didn't do that. It was Harun." Buffy looked innocently at Giles, who didn't believe it for a second and neither did the rest of the Scoobies. "Plus you know how attached I get to my weapons."

While the Scoobies was quickly escorted to Conference Room 1, the soldier put a call through to the General. They found the General in the Conference Room covered by two soldiers. Buffy laughed, when she saw them.

"Buffy?" Giles warned her.

"Sorry, Giles. But look two little soldiers to protect him form little old me."

"Buffy are you alright." Giles was starting to be concerned for Buffy now.

Buffy's eyes turned golden. "I think the stress is finally getting too much for her. She needs more rest than one stress free morning."

Buffy's eyes turn back to normal. "Backseat."

Before she could continue further, Giles was holding her arms with both hands. "Harun, please stay in background and don't talk until Buffy gives you permission or asks you. Buffy is a very stubborn person and it will only add to her stress. Now please keep quiet."

"Me? Stubborn?" Buffy puffed and pouting. "He'll stay in his corner and watching 'Casablanca'."

"Hey, I didn't know you could pick up a tv-channel. Especially down here." Xander knew that, that wasn't in any debriefing, they had about the symbionts.

"It is a memory, when I watched it with Mom." Buffy looked at the same time sad and happy.

It was getting to much for the General. He needed answers and he needed them now. "O'Neill explain, what's going on and how come she got a G.." He stopped, when he saw Buffy's face twitch about the name he was planning to us. "Symbiont in her."

"Another To'kra helped us defeat Ker, but he was dying, when we were leaving the planet. And Buffy took the symbiont to save his live."

The General couldn't believe his ears. Somebody who was just possessed with a Goa'uld took another symbiont in her body. He knew that there was a different between the To'kra and the Goa'uld. But still if he was freed of a Goa'uld, he would never think about putting a To'kra in his body to replace it.

O'Neill started to explain. "Okay, here are the highlights. We arrived on the planet, but not at the other side of the Stargate, but a few miles away through classified means. Then Giles explained all the classified stuff. Plus that they don't really have any affiliation with the Initiative, but put their arse out of the fire."

"What?" The General couldn't believe it the breach of security.

"Please, Sir, let me finish."

"Continue." The General calmed down and decided to let O'Neill finish his briefing.

"After they explained everything. They convinced us, that mission was more important, than a few lies told in necessary to get there friend back. Anise contacted the To'kra infiltrator and we rendezvous with him and then we went into the palace. While Giles, Xander and Willow confronted Ker, the rest stood guard. They successfully distracted Ker for Buffy to defeat him herself. While they were fighting Ker, we were exposed. A full squadron, if not more, was up on us. They were about to break through, if not for Buffy's timely rescue. She stormed into the Jaffas like a Bowling ball. They dropped like pins."

Buffy gave the General an innocent smile. It was a disturbing thought that this small woman could bowl through a squadron Jaffas.

"Are we sure she isn't Ker?" The General was voicing his suspicion.

Buffy puffed, but kept quiet, it was O'Neill's show. He gave her a glare before continuing.

"Yes, sir. After we defeated Ker's Jaffas, she made a planetary announcement, that she killed Ker and everybody should go home and behave or she would spank them."

"Hey, I never said anything about spanking." Buffy indignant.

O'Neill smiled at her protest. "After that we left the city and went to the Stargate. We waited first for Ker's Jaffas to retreat through the Stargate, before we would go through it. Buffy decided, that she didn't want to go home to face this." O'Neill put up his hand to indicate the situation, they were right now in. "Without a good rest. So she gave Daniel a dialling co-ordinations for Ker's Summer retreat. Buffy and the To'kra Harun went as last, but then they were attacked. The host died and Buffy took the symbiont. Buffy carried the host body through the Stargate and we burned the body on a pyre."

O'Neill sighed. "I knew at that moment, that I was screwed with the paperwork, because of the classified information, that I'm not allowed to know. So Buffy suggested I make two reports, one to the SGC and the other to the Initiative."

The general thought about it for a moment. "Did 'Buffy' make anymore 'suggestions'?"

"For the information she had gathered from Ker, she wants her friends to be cleared of any charges for the crimes they had committed toward this facility and that the Initiative should deal with them, if they see it fit to do."

The General turned to Buffy. "How do I know, that you have any useful information?"

Buffy leant forward with a wolfish grin. "So far my 'Gang' gave you already valuable books, helped Sam here with an experiment, she was working weeks on, and helped me kill a System Lord. I think we already paid our due. But if you think, that the memories of a dead System Lord is nothing worth. How do you think Ker could have conquered a planet within an hour? Do you really think, 'you' can hold me here, if I don't want to? I added my personal protection to that off the Asgardians to this planet. If I want to I could crush you like ..." Buffy stopped speaking and saw the metal coffee can. She leant on it and crushed it.

The General was looking frightened and the soldiers were going for the sidearms, but they didn't draw them. O'Neill put himself between the General and Buffy. He made no threatening move. He really didn't want to provoke Buffy and hoped that a known person would calm her down or at least think twice before doing something stupid like attacking the General.

Willow was working from the other side by putting a reassuring hand on Buffy shoulder. Buffy calmed down under her touch, but not enough for her to continue with the negotiation with the General. Buffy stood up and turned to Giles.

"Giles, would you please continue the negotiation in my place. I need to find some clean air." She turned and walked without waiting for any response or permission. Willow followed right after her. Xander wanted to follow also but Giles stopped him and shook his head. Giles gave O'Neill a look.

"Daniel, Carter. Escort Buffy to the outside, before she makes her own exit." Daniel and Maj. Carter obeyed without question and they stood up running after the two young women.

"Col. O'Neill, is this wise? Protocol tells, that she can't leave SGC without her being proper checked out." The General questioned the wisdom of O'Neill's decision.

"I've only known the girl for a day and a half and what I have find out is, that you don't put yourself in her way, if you don't have to. Plus she would leave her friends behind."

"Plus Buffy never follows protocol or plays by the rules. She would be death if she did." Xander grinned. "Sir." He added sir just out of formality.

"It think, we were negotiating about Buffy's memory for our freedom." Giles stated in his British fashion. "Shall we continue."

While they were talking in the conference room, Samantha and Daniel lead Willow and Buffy through the checkpoints. They had some delay getting the Scoobies through, but after they had clearance from the General they were let through, but they were not allowed to leave the military terrain. Some soldiers were guarding them from a distance.

Buffy took a big breath, she smelt mountain air mixed with a diesel fumes from the Military trucks, that were parked in the parking area. The open sky cleared her mind and calmed her down. Absentminded she said to nobody else. "You guys couldn't put the Stargate above ground or in a nice sunny place?"

"That would make it very hard to keep it a secret." Daniel stated.

"The Stars should never be kept a secret or kept out of our reach." Buffy closed her eyes and let the sun warm her skin. She was back under her own sun. She was home.

"Telling them could create a world wide panic and religion chaos and those are just the two thinks, that could go wrong. What if they find out about the Goa'uld threat? It would be the same thing, if they would find out about the Slayer." Carter asserted.

"The Slayer works in the Dark. She exist to keep the Darkness at bay, because people don't want to see, what's in the Dark. The stars aren't dark, they shine brightly ... Sure be my guest." Buffy voice changed an octave lower. "I agree with Buffy. That the Stars belong to everybody, not to just an elite. And your arguments have flaws in them. Yes, there would be public disturbance, but the people will adjust and accept their wrong believes, if the truth is shown to them. And about the threat about the Goa'uld. The Tau'ri have lived under the threat of a nuclear war for decades and survived. And now, that they have the protection of the Asgardians, it would make them feel more safe."

"Or it makes them feel like pets or inferior." Daniel put his opinion into the mix.

"But how can you reach for something higher, if your standards are low. Do you think the Tau'ri could have invented the aeroplane, if they hadn't had birds as their example or that they even had the desire or dream to learn to fly, if there weren't any birds flying in the sky?" Harun was still speaking through Buffy. "The reason why there are Stars in the night sky is for us to reach out to them."

"That is nicely said, Harun." Willow mentioned.

"Thank you, Willow." Buffy/Harun still had her eyes closed and soaking up the warmth of her sun.

"I still can't believe that vampires are real." Daniel said out of the blue. This comment of Daniel made Buffy go double from laughter. Laughter was always a good stress reliever for Buffy or beating the crap out of a vampire and sometimes a good cry.

"Thanks Daniel, I'm feeling a lot better now. We can go back now."

They returned back into the mountain. And went through the same checkpoints, when they left. They entered the conference room and Buffy saw that the two bodyguards weren't present anymore. Xander was sitting at the table almost falling asleep from boredom. He had let go of his soldier persona and was back to the goofy Xander, they all knew and loved.

Buffy happily sat down between Giles and jarod and gave the General a big smile. He backed away for he found it way startling unreal, how the girl's demeanor changed. A hour earlier she was about to rip his head off and now she was happily smiling at him.

"I'm sorry about my behaviour earlier, but I'm a little stressed at the moment. So whatever deal you made with my Watcher, I want it done in a stress free environment. Plus I keep the weapons and this cool outfit." Buffy pointed at her clothes. She was still wearing the 'Egyptian' outfit, that Ker had worn on her body. "Maybe you should leak it out to one of those fashion designers like Prada or Armani. I bet it is going to be a hit in the next Spring or Summer collection."

"First, we don't leak anything to the public alien related. And second we don't want our Alien Allies to get mad at us for copying there fashion sense and then making it an atrocity or mockery by the Hou de Contour." O'Neill replied.

Harun popped up. "I agree with Col. O'Neill. What Versace did in his Summer '98 collection is an atrocity. It is a wonder he found some models, who wanted to wear them instead off puking on them."

"It was much better, than what you wore on Julion." "That was a tradition and ceremonial dress, it had a purpose." Before Buffy could retort something back to Harun, she was interrupted.

"Ahum, Buffy could we go back to the point." Giles knew that his Slayer had the habit of being distracted easily, but with the To'kra in her head, she was even more distracted by their sharing memories.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. So, how far are we with the negotiations?"

"He wants to keep you here for a month to debrief you." Giles looked apologetic at Buffy.

"I can't stay a month here. I'll crawl up the walls. Plus my agenda is full for the next month. I have this little pesky Apocalypse to deal with and don't tell me Faith or Helena can handle it, Giles. We found this one first, so it is ours."

"Apocalypse? What do you mean by Apocalypse? Nobody told me anything about an Apocalypse." The General stood up angry.

Buffy gave the General a big grin. It was O'Neill, who answered the question. "That is classified information, Sir. But she is serious about the Apocalypse and you really don't want to know about it."

The General saw O'Neill's expression and backed off with any further questions in that direction. He turned to Buffy. "You'll be staying a week."

"No, after today two more days." She saw the General about to protest. But she cut him off. "After that I'm happy to oblige to write an essay on any subject you want each week and if I'm in a good mood, I'll even do two essays. And in an emergency you can always call me. My service will be for 6 months, anything after that we'll renegotiate. I even put my Watcher's experience available for any text, that Daniel has problem translating." She turned to Giles, who nodded a confirmation. "Of course for a consultant fee. We can't expect him to do things for free, like I do." Buffy was pouting.

"It is a very admirable trademark of you, Buffy." Harun interrupted with some humour.

"Thank you." Buffy turned to the General. "I think it is a fair deal. How about the weapons?"

"No alien technology leave this Complex without proper clearance and in safe hands."

"So there is no problem. You can give the clearance and they are safe in my hands. I can stip them and put them back together in 60 seconds." Buffy said proud.

"Even the Ribbon Device." Maj. Carter interrupted. She was thinking about the possibilities.

"Sure, but putting it together will take a little longer."

"Could you show me? It would really help understanding it." The Major was almost beaming from excitement.

Buffy thought it over for a second. "Sorry, can't do."

"Why not?" Maj. Carter looked disappointed.

"The To'kra don't think you should play with stuff that's above your head or not ready for. And I agree with them."

O'Neill put his arms in the air and grinded his teeth. "I really hate it, when those Alien go High and Mighty on us about their technology."

Buffy grinned at O'Neill. "I bet you hate it even more, if they are also right."

O'Neill was sulking. "Yes."

"How about a compromise? I'll take a Staff-weapon safely apart. I don't think it is wise for the technology of the Zat'n'ktel to be loose on our world. I don't want killers to get away with killing people by evaporating the evidence."

"That's one of the reasons, why we can't have you running around with them. They might fall in the wrong hands."

"I can make modification, so that I'm the only one who could use them. And the Ribbon Device can't be use by any one other than me. With the exception of Sam here, I'm the only one, who can use it."

"We can't let you leave with a Dangerous Weapon especially the Ribbon Device."

"The Ribbon Device isn't a weapon." Buffy argued against the General.

"I've been too many time on the opposite side of the Ribbon Device to know it is a weapon." O'Neill counter argued.

"A butterknife isn't a weapon, but in skilled hands, it can make a lot of damage." Buffy agued her case.

"Buffy is right, the Ribbon Device is a medical tool. It is the Goa'uld, that made it in a weapon." Sam came to Buffy's side of thinking, which didn't received her browning points with the General or O'Neill.

They continued arguing until they came to the decision, that Buffy can keep the Ribbon Device, but not the Zat'n'ktel or the Staff-weapon. Teal'c promised he would take care of her weapons, if in the future she would be needing them. Which received him a big smile from Buffy.

They also agreed with the rest of what Buffy demands. Buffy send everybody back home, the moment they could go home. Xander and Willow complained, but Buffy convinced them to leave. Jarod didn't argue for he knew, that Buffy was safe now and because he wanted to go back home to his family and friends. Giles simple stated he was staying for he was her Watcher, who belonged at her side and he didn't want to leave her alone. Plus Daniel had some cool artifacts, he would love to study.

After the negotiation Buffy said goodbye to her friends. She made sure that Willow would tell everybody, that she was back in one piece. She used Daniel's office to make her report/essay about the System Lords and their offensive and defensive weapons. She was doing it in Daniel's office because it reminded her so much of Giles place and the High School Library, even if it was in a more disorder state. The smell of old books alone relaxed her.

While she was doing her report, Harun was arguing with her, about what she was putting in it. Any To'kra information she let him decide to put in or not. But any information she received from Ker, it was her decision. When they were finished and ready to go to bed. They've written fifty pages. She dropped it in post-in basket of General's Desk before being escorted to her quarters, where she took a shower and dropped dead tired on her bed.

Chapter 11

She got a full 8 hours sleep, before somebody knocked on her door and woke her up. She mumbled a 'come in', before burying her head back beneath the pillow. Sam peaked through the door opening.

"Buffy? The general wants to speak with you."

Buffy sat straight up and yawned. "Is he in a good mood or should I run for cover?" Buffy eyes flashed yellow. "Or should he run for cover?" The eyes turned back to normal and Buffy smiled.

"He is very happy, with what you have written yesterday."

"Good. Happy enough to let me of for today." Buffy looked hopeful at Samantha.

"Nope." The corners of Sam's mouth raised a little.

"Didn't thought so. But hey, can't blame a girl for trying."

"No. You can't."

Buffy got out of bed and saw, that she was still wearing her 'Egyptian' clothes. She had no other clothes with her and she didn't want to sleep in the buff.

"I think, I'm even desperate enough to wear army fatigues at this point, if they are just clean."

Sam grinned and entered the room with a suitcase. "A suitcase, with I presume your clothes, was just delivered this morning." Sam showed her the suitcase and dropped it on the bed. A label with her name and exact address to the level and cell number was attached at it.

Buffy opened it and saw her clothes and stuff for at least 3 days. Buffy was beaming from happiness. "Harry, you're the best."

"The weirdest thing wasn't that, it was addressed to this room exactly, but how it was delivered." Sam had an expression of unbelievable plastered on her face.

Buffy gave Sam a big grin and looked innocent. "Let me guess. An owl. I hope the guards didn't hurt her." There was a warning look in Buffy's eyes.

"No, they were too much in shock seeing it carry a suitcase. And we put the bomb squat on your suitcase to make sure it was harmless and no explosive."

Buffy giggled at the thought of them searching her suitcase for bombs, then she blushed from embarrassment that they have seen her undies.

"Good. Wait for me to take a quick shower and we can start my two-day interrogation-fest."

"It is a debriefing not an interrogation." Sam corrected her.

"What is the difference?" Buffy yelled through the bathroom door.

"Well." Sam tried to come up with a good difference, but couldn't come up with a value difference. "In a debriefing there is no torture allowed."

Buffy laughed and went under the shower. 5 minutes later she was all dressed up and brushing her hair. Buffy put her hair in a ponytail and put some makeup on.

"Ready."

Sam nodded and they left Buffy's quarters and were on there way to the General's office.

"I can't believe it. 10 minutes and you look like you ready to go clubbing. How you do that?"

"I'll could say it is Slayer talent, but Faith or Helena can't do it. It is an all Buffy talent. You know, how hard it is to pick a good outfit and it still allows you to slay?"

"You slay in this." Sam looked in disbelieve at Buffy's outfit.

"Yep, down fall is, that I ruin a lot of my clothes this way."

Sam laughed. They soon arrived at the General's office. He told her, how he was satisfied with the fifty long paper she handed in, especially about the System Lords's battle tactics. It was a plus that Ker was a general. Ker differed from the other System Lord was, that he sometime just changed a body to gather information. He once changed host into a farmer of M'hyteria. Just to find out how he grew a specific kind of grain. The nutrition value of that grain was at least 5 times more then any Earth grain. Buffy thought, about using that information as a bonus or maybe even sell it to live off the profit. But Harun broke her daydreaming by telling her she wasn't scruple enough to do that. Sometimes Buffy hated herself.

After meeting with the General Buffy was being debriefed by several people. But they were smart enough to listen to Col. O'Neill, when he gave a few suggestion about how to handle Buffy with the least amount of trouble. They weren't talking with her about the same subject for hours and changed the topic by giving her a few choices in topics to continue in.

Before she knew it was lunch time. She carried lunch for four and went to Daniel's office and had lunch with him and Giles. While they were having lunch, Buffy saw a mistake in Daniel's translation on the blackboard. She corrected him and that was the topic of lunch. Even Harun put his opinion on the table. It was two against two.

After lunch Buffy continued with the debriefing and funny thing was, that she was enjoying the debriefing. They were finished with her at dinner time. She stopped at the canteen for dinner and Teal'c was there eating his own dinner. She sat opposite of him.

"How is the food? Eatable?"

"If it wasn't, they wouldn't serve it." Teal'c stated point blank.

"I wouldn't count on that. Plus I meant, if the food has some decent taste?"

Teal'c took another bite of his food and he tested the food to make an opinion.

"Maybe asking a Jaffa how food tastes, wasn't the brightest idea. I remember, that the System Lords don't serve the tastiest food for their Jaffas. But I have to say, that they are very nutritious. I haven't seen any Jaffas under 5'10"."

"No the Jaffas' Cuisine isn't very variate like Tau'ri, but my mother made a great Frou'la."

"I love Frou'la." Buffy's eyes changed. "Several Hosts before, I had a host and she made the best Frou'la ever. I still can taste it, hmmm."

Buffy's eyes changed back to normal. "Hey, control yourself. I'm starting to drool."

Buffy put her attention back to Teal'c.

"The food is adequate, Lady Buffy."

Buffy frowned. "You are not going to stop calling me Lady Buffy, are you?"

"No."

Buffy started to eat and find out that adequate barely described the food, but she was hungry. They ate in silence for awhile.

"Teal'c? Can I ask you for a favour?"

"Yes."

"I need to get rid of some excess energy and I asked if you would spar with me. But I warn you, I'm ging to kick the crap out of you. But I thought, that with Junior you can take a little abuse." Her expression was a mixture between apologetic and gleeful excitement toward a good workout.

"It would be an honour, Lady Buffy."

Buffy frowned, but continued with the dinner and afterwards she went to her quarters to change into a sweat pants and a tank top. She picked her Ribbon Device just in case she would hurt Teal'c a little bit to much. It took her a few minutes to get to the training room.

Teal'c already was there waiting for her with two Staff-Weapons. Buffy saw that there were some practice staffs hanging at the floor.

"We're going to spar with the baby sticks or the real ones." Buffy looked hopeful at the Staff-Weapons in Teal'c hands.

"The real ones, for the practice staffs would dishonour a warrior like you."

"Yep, very dishonourily." And innocently smile appeared on Buffy's face. "And boring. Shall we start with some Tai Chi for warming up."

Teal'c nodded and but the Staff-Weapons aside, while Buffy put her Ribbon Device between her stuff. They stepped on the mat starting with the exercise. After the Tai Chi exercise, they went to hand-to-hand combat. Teal'c showed her some Jaffa-judo. But it didn't work very good on Buffy for her being so much smaller than Teal'c. But it worked great on Teal'c, when Buffy used it back on him.

Now the real work started; the Staff-weapons. Teal'c didn't hold back. He was good. If it wasn't for Buffy's Slayer strength and speed, she would have been pulp by now. Buffy retaliated, but not with full strength. She drove him back, she stopped when he stepped of the mat.

While they were fighting, they were gathering an audience, that was growing with every minute. Most have seen Teal'c fight and train with the staff, but they never saw him go all out. He moved with a deadly precision, that would have killed any other man by now. They couldn't believe Buffy's strength and speed.

"You are still telegraphing your movements, Buffy." Giles had joined the party.

"You know, why I hate fighting Jaffas." Buffy ignored Giles' comment and kicked Teal'c hard in the chest. He was flying through the air into the wall with a very audio smack. "They are very hard to tick off and my puns are useless against them."

Buffy turned to Giles and left her back wide open. While Buffy was talking with Giles, Teal'c stood up and approached her silently from the back. Giles didn't warn Buffy of Teal'c approach intentionally, but he moved his eyes for a second in his direction. That would have been enough for Buffy. If it wasn't, she could have read it on almost every face in the audience.

Teal'c attacked her from behind, but Buffy ducked and retaliated with a kick and slammed her staff into his upper arm, which broke and was dangling. Buffy stepped back. There was no expression of sorrow in Buffy's face.

"Do you yield, Jaffa?"

"No." Teal'c stood ready to fight with one hand.

Buffy was about to attack. When O'Neill stepped on the mat.

"You can't fight further, he is hurt."

Buffy attacked O'Neill and kicked him off the map. He landed in the audience. Teal'c took O'Neill's distraction to his advance, but it wasn't enough. She swept him off his feet with her Staff-weapon and then she disarmed him. She activated the Staff-Weapon and aimed it at his chest.

"Do you yield, Jaffa?" Her voice was calm.

"I yield and feel proud being defeated by a better warrior." Teal'c closed his eyes and bent his head forward.

Buffy deactivated the Staff-Weapon and stepped back putting the staff next to her. She bowed her head. "You have fought well and brought honour to your house and family."

Buffy stepped forward and clasped arm with Teal'c unharmed arm and helped him up. Buffy looked at Teal'c's broken arm and winced a little a the sight. Teal'c was tolerating and ignoring the pain. There was no expression of pain in his face. Buffy was impressed.

"Giles bring me the Ribbon Device. I put it with my belongings." Buffy pointed absentminded to her stuff. Giles understood, what she planned to do, so did Teal'c.

"It is not necessary. My symbiont will heal it in time. Lady Buffy."

"I insist." Buffy's tone told him, that protesting would be useless, so he nodded in acceptance.

"Did you have to kick me?" O'Neill was protesting holding his chest. "I think you cracked a rib."

"Don't get on my mat, if you aren't prepared to fight. Didn't you see how Giles respected the mat and stayed of it?"

Giles came back and handed her the Ribbon Device. He smiled at O'Neill's discomfort, but only for a moment.

"Thank you, Giles. Could you make a temporally splint? I want to heal the bones in a straight line." Giles nodded and found something to make a temporally splint. While Giles was busy with Teal'c, Buffy put the Ribbon Device on and turned to O'Neill.

"Teal'c understands, that you were concern about his welfare and that honours you. But you dishonoured him by interfering."

"Hey, I couldn't standby and let you squash him like a bug."

"I only broke his arm." Buffy looked indignant before turning back to Giles. "Finished?"

"Yes." Giles move from Teal'c to show his splinted arm. Buffy approached Teal'c and hovered the Ribbon Device a few inches about his arm. Buffy concentrated and activated her Ribbon Device. After a minute Buffy stopped and smiled at Teal'c.

"Move your arm." Teal'c did, what Buffy ordered him to do. "Any pain or discomfort."

"No."

"Do you now understand, why I want the Ribbon Device?" Buffy looked at Giles.

"Yes." Giles had an idea for the reason, why Buffy wanted the Ribbon Device and he thought to use it as a weapon, would have probably be on the last place on the list.

A that moment Dr. Janet Fraiser entered the room and after she heard the whole story. She scolded Buffy for being so careless and reckless with somebody's else bones. Buffy let the tirade wave over her and tried not to twitch, which she failed.

A moment later General Hammond entered the room and had the same tirade for Buffy, but his had almost no effect on her. After her training she went with Giles to Daniel's office and kept Daniel company. After that Buffy went to sleep.

The next morning was about the same as the first. She got up had a small breakfast and they debriefed her until lunch. This time she kept Teal'c company. After lunch she went for some more debriefing until dinner. She had Dinner with Giles and the whole SG-1 team. She went another round with Teal'c, but this time it was a more friendly match with no broken bones.

The next morning she would have packed and left the mountain, but she had enjoyed the debriefing and the attention she received from it. So the morning she made arrangements for any further corresponding with SG-1 and any quick questions.

Teal'c and Daniel waved them off and Giles was driving them toward Colorado Spring's airport. A plane was waiting for them to take them away. It was a Centre plane. Buffy was fiddling with something in her hand. Giles noticed it and it irritated him.

"Stop that. You are going home. Why are you so nervous? Shouldn't you be happy?"

"Yes, I should."

There was an eery silence between them. Something was bothering his Slayer and he had no idea what. So far as he knew, she had survived her ordeal with the Goa'uld with just minor psychological damage. It seemed, that a lot of the credit went to the To'kra. It gave Buffy a chance to talk to somebody, who she couldn't avoid or lie to. Harun and Buffy quibble a lot, but Giles had no doubt that, Harun was faithful to her.

"What's wrong?"

Buffy pulled her suitcase on her lap and held it tight.

"I'm breaking up with Harry. I don't love him anymore." Buffy touched the portkey and disappeared.

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