Spike stormed out of the lift as soon as the doors slid open, cutting a path through the corridors as Jedi scurried to get out of his way. It was almost exactly the same as had happened last time he had seen the council, except this time he was just storming around in a rage, as opposed to storming around in a rage covered in blood.

Bow, as then, Spike had a goal in mind, and it was one that he would see fulfilled if it killed him in the bloody attempt. Atris wanted him to talk in front of the Republic, but he had final say on what he told them. The council was made up of fools if they honestly believed that he would disavow his friends just because he was ordered to, and he would make them see that. Then again, he couldn’t openly defy the council in public, or they would surely follow through on their threat to exile him, and while he wasn’t particularly endeared to some parts of the order at the moment, he didn’t want his time in it to be over just yet.

Sighing to himself, Spike found himself outside a familiar room in the temple, and quickly moved inside the meditation chambers, sitting down on the heavy duty stool that was placed within. Closing his eyes, Spike reached inside of his mind, wracking his brain for an answer, as well as drawing Moonstone out. The mare had been quiet as of late, but she still appeared before Spike as the Dragon once more opened his eyes.

“No Desolation?” She remarked scathingly.

“You don’t like him do you?” Spike replied, following the apparition of the mare as she walked around his cross-legged form.

“No.” She agreed simply. “I don’t like that beast, he’s nothing more than a wild animal you use to perform vile actions.”

“He is more than an animal.” Spike snapped. “And I don’t use him, I let him help because that’s what he does best, but he’s not an animal. He’s as much a part of me as you are a part of me.”

“He is not you!” Moonstone roared. “He’s violent, crude and cruel.”

“And I could easily be as cruel, crude and violent as him.” Spike snapped back. “He’s me with my inhibitions taken away just as you are me with the violence taken away, leaving only knowledge, logic and the will to set things right. We are all one, and I won’t have to parts of my mind arguing against each other. Hell, my mind is already split into three parts, I won’t have another one forming that is selfish and loves to argue.”

“If I knew who you were talking to, I would say that that was very enlightened of you Spike.” A familiar voice sounded, and instantly Moonstone disappeared as Solaris stepped into the room.

“Master!” Spike cried happily, jumping up and grabbing hold of the female human, whisking her off her feet and holding her tightly.

“Ha, it’s good to see you too Spike.” Solaris managed with a chuckle, gasping for breath as Spike squeezed her. “Can you put me down though? I don’t think my back will take much more of this.”

“Sorry about that.” Spike said sheepishly, placing Solaris back on the floor and getting a better look at his old master.

She was getting on in age now, and her hair was beginning to go grey, not so much that it wasn’t still easy to see what colour it had been before, but enough so that it was clearly visible.

“You’re still talking to yourself then?” Solaris noted with a grin, sitting down on the second chair.

“You don’t know the half of it.” Spike chuckled. “It’s a regular petting zoo up here.”

“I’m sure.” Solaris nodded, before leaning forward. “Now, what’s all this I hear about you, the council and these, what do you call them, Revanchists?”

“Oh, you know. Same old same old.” Spike said dismissively.

“I’m going to get the answer at some point.” Solaris pointed out. “I also hear that you’re going to be talking to Republic high command and the senate at some point.”

“Yep, but I doubt that I’ll be trying to do that today. Maybe tomorrow.” Spike sighed.

“Right then, looks like we have some time then.” Solaris grinned, jumping back to her feet with a spryness that belied her age.

“Time for what?” Spike asked, getting to his feet.

“Your tongue needs loosening if you’re going to tell me what’s going on with you and the council, and I know how to loosen your tongue.” She grinned.

***

Spike and Solaris approached the Ultra Ray, their Lightsabers left in Solaris’s speeder and Solaris wearing plain street clothes. Solaris was right, this would loosen his tongue. He just had to be sure that it didn’t become too lose. She was still a master in the order after all, and had the ear of the council, so he couldn’t afford to give away Revan’s plan just yet.

Pushing through the door, Spike smiled as he breathed in deeply. Although it had been over three decades since he had last been in here, the bar had changed very little. Even the man behind the bar was the same, and instantly caught sight of Spike and Solaris as they walked in.

“Artemis!” He called out happily. “And you brought Spine back!”

“You remember me?” Spike asked, walking up to the bar.

“You came in here a few days after the invasion of Coruscant and started the biggest bar fight while I’ve owned the place. Course I remember you.”

“Well then, let’s start with an ale.” Solaris smiled, before wondering over to a table and sitting down.

Following after Solaris, Spike grabbed hold of a second chair, sitting down on both so that they supported his weight. Even so, they creaked and groaned as he sat down, and Spike wondered if they were still going to collapse.

“So, let’s get down to it.” Solaris said, looking at Spike inquisitively. “What’s going on with you and the war?”

“Nothing.” Spike said dismissively, grabbing hold of the bottle of ale from the nearby serving droid and sipping from it. “I turned from war.”

“I know you Spike, and I know when you’re lying to me.” Solaris replied, sipping from her own bottle.

“How do I know that anything I say here won’t be simply reported to the council?” Spike asked.

“Whoa. Spike, I’m hurt.” Solaris said, her voice dropping as she looked at her old pupil. “That you’d think that…”

“I’m sorry.” Spike admitted, putting the bottle down. “It’s just…you’ve been speaking to the council, you’ve got their ear.” He looked around, before dropping his voice to close to a whisper. “I have a mission from Revan, one that needs security and secrecy to succeed, so I can’t just tell you all about it.”

“What if I could help you?” Solaris asked.

“How?”

“You need to speak to the Republic military command, and I’m guessing by the fact you are on a mission for Revan means you still plan on fighting this war. That means that your plan is likely to involve getting the military believing in Revan, not what the council’s saying. I can put you in contact with generals who will be sympathetic to your cause, and to give you support when you speak in the senate.”

“You’d do that?” Spike asked happily. “If you can promise me that, then I’ll be more than happy to trust you.”

“Spike, on the trust formed between a Master and an Apprentice, I promise you I can do this for you.” Solaris said, holding her hand over her heart, before downing her drink and burping loudly.

“Same old Solaris.” Spike chuckled, before following her lead and finishing his own drink. “Fine. Revan wants me to recruit more Jedi for his cause. We can turn this war around, make the Mandalorians pay, but only if the council is off our backs and we have enough Jedi to do what must be done. I can’t do anything about the council, god knows I tried, but they won’t listen.”

“So you’re back to recruit Jedi.” Solaris nodded. “How many Jedi are part of the movement anyway?”

“We have one hundred Jedi, Knights and Padawans only, I’m the oldest and the only one with any real combat experience.”

“So you want to recruit more Jedi, those who have combat experience?”

“Ideally, but really any Jedi will work.” Spike nodded. “I would be honoured if you would come with me.”

“I can’t do that.” Solaris shook her head sadly. “If you got me a couple of years ago, I would have jumped right in beside you, but not anymore. I’m too old for this shit.”

“That’s fair enough I guess.” Spike nodded thoughtfully. “I do need to find some Jedi who have combat experience though.”

“I can help you with that last one.” Solaris grinned, clicking her fingers in the direction of the bar and getting the barkeepers attention. “Some friends who I think you’ll be able to convince. But first, a toast.” She grabbed hold of a bottle that had been brought to the table, pouring out a couple of glasses. “To my good friend. May his mission be ever successful.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Spike grinned, before necking the glass.

***

Spike lay in bed, feeling like his brain had been squeezed into a jar two sizes too small. His vision, whether his eyes were open or closed, was filled with the visage of Moonstone and the blood-stained face of Desolation. The beast was grinning, and Spike thought he could make out compliments coming from his lips, while Moonstone was simply shaking her head in disapproval. His legs twitched as he sprawled on his side, his wings flapping weakly as he tried to move properly. All he had to do was crawl out of the bed… but his legs just twitched and jerked again as he went nowhere.

He could just lie here… yes… lie here in this nice soft bed and wait for the Mandalorians to invade and for the sweetness of oblivion to claim…

“Hey, Spike!” Solaris yelled in the perfect pitch to make it feel like an ice-pick had been shoved in Spike’s ear canal. He tried to say something about loudness, volume, or killing noisy and annoying Jedi, but was fairly that certain all of that went right over her head, though, as she screeched, “I thought I’d come back in here and ask you about your hangover! You drank way more than me, so you probably have one hell of one, so I thought I should talk really loudly! Makes perfect sense to me!”

“Ngggghhh!” was all he could reply as he flopped around and finally managed to bury his head under the pillows.

“So, Spike, are you hungover? Do you need me to talk louder? Hey, Spike! Can you hear me now?! Spike! Spike!” She shrieked as she shook the prone form of Spike, making his stomach lurch and his bladder clench. “Can you hear me, Spike?!”

‘He could kill her. He could kill her right here and now. No court in the Republic would convict her’, he thought, rolling over and landing on the floor with a heavy thud.

“I can hear you.” Spike groaned, looking up at Solaris. “Just…stop. Please.”

“Fine. I spoke to the Republic high command, they’re willing to meet with you today, as are the generals I spoke of. We meet with them in an hour, I didn’t think you would want much in the way of food.”

“Sounds good.” Spike muttered, resting his head on the cold surface. He could go back to sleep here…

“Spike!” She shouted in a singsong voice, the pitching tone cutting into Spike’s brain.

“Argggh, god damn it I’m awake!” Spike roared back, pushing himself up to his fullest height and staring down at Solaris.

“Just checking.” She said sweetly, before turning and leaving the room. “Hanger bay, ten minutes.”

Groaning to himself, Spike grabbed hold of his belt, strapping it around his waist, before going into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face, and hopefully wake him up a bit more.

Ten minutes later, Spike was standing in the hanger bay of the temple, watching as Solaris picked out her speeder from the series of vehicles. His head was throbbing lightly, but it was fading. One thing he had found out about Dragon physiology was that they had an extremely fast metabolism, and his body was apt at purging poisons or other harmful substances from his internals. Spike liked to think that it was something to do with the Dragonfire that burnt within him that burnt the harmful substances away, but like so many things about himself, Spike could only guess at, and would require a full dissection on multiple corpses to find out if he was correct. Since Spike was still alive, and wished to stay that way, that was out of the question.

Finally, Solaris gestured for him to come over to her as she clambered into her speeder, starting the engine with a great roar. Spike dubiously looked at the tiny craft, taking in its many curves and sleek, aerodynamic shape. It was truly a beautiful machine, built for speed, not hauling, and therein lay the problem.

“What’s the matter Spike?” Solaris asked, looking at him expectantly.

“How strong is this thing?” He asked, prodding the craft gingerly.

“Ah.” Solaris nodded, looking Spike up and down. “Yes, I didn’t really think just how big you’d gotten since I last saw you. What is it, nine foot?”

“Ten.” Spike said, before flexing his wings. “I can follow behind you, but please, slow down.”

“Slow down?” Solaris muttered. “God, next thing you know you’ll be telling me to get rid of my fighter.”

Still muttering to herself, Solaris took the speeder out of the hanger, but she had heeded Spike’s wishes, and kept the speed low. Chuckling at his old Masters antics, Spike flared his wings, before flapping them hard, buffeting the hanger attendants with a powerful wind before soaring out of the hanger.

It was not hard to keep up with Solaris at first, but soon the woman realised Spike wasn’t pushing himself to his limits and sped up. Faster and faster she went, until Spike was using everything he had to keep up with her. She did seem to sense that he was at his limit however, and made sure not to get any quicker, but it was still a gruelling pace. Always with the tests when he was with Solaris. Even now, as a Knight rather than her Padawan, she still kept him on his toes.

Eventually, Solaris brought her speeder into land on a platform high above the rest of the city, followed closely by Spike, who landed heavily on the platform, panting hard.

“Ooh, is little Spikey Wikey tired?” Solaris cooed.

“Only Rarity…can call me that.” Spike panted.

“Fine. Come on, the High Command should be ready for you in about five minutes.”

Following Solaris through the building, Spike remembered the last time he had been in a Republic military installation on Coruscant, and prayed that this experience would be less violent.

“Halt, state your business.” A soldier said, tightening his grip on his rifle.

“Jedi Master Solaris and Jedi Knight Spike, here to see the Republic high command.” Solaris replied.

“Ah yes, right this way please.” The soldier said, but Spike stopped him.

“One moment.” He turned to face Solaris. “I’m grateful for what you’ve done Solaris, and I trust you completely, you were my Master, and I’ll never forget that.”

“But…” She said, urging him to continue.

“Do I have to say it?” Spike whined.

“Yes.” Solaris nodded firmly. “If you want it to happen, then tell me exactly what you want, else I’m coming with you.”

“Fine, I’m sorry for this but you can’t come with me. Revan asked me to do this, and if I’m going to get into trouble with the council I don’t want you to be dragged down with me. Just promise me that if this thing escalates, you’ll convince the council to step in. I don’t want them setting foot on this world again.”

“If that’s really what you want Spike, I’ll see you at the temple.” Solaris replied, slightly dejectedly. “As for convincing the council, I’ll try if they get to the mid-rim.”

With that, Solaris turned and walked back out towards the landing pad, the door sliding shut with a slight hiss, cutting her off from Spikes view. Turning, Spike gestured for the soldier to lead on.

“So what was all that about?” The soldier asked as they walked.

“One wrong move at the moment and I could be exiled.” Spike chuckled. “I don’t want her doing that.”

“Fair enough. Here we are then. I’ll take my leave now sir.” The soldier saluted, before walking off back the way they had come, leaving Spike to walk into the room alone.

“Generals.” Spike said, walking into the room and saluting the five men who stood around the room.

“Jedi Knight Spike.” A man who Spike assumed to be the highest rank said, stepping forward and saluting, before extending his hand, shaking Spikes claw. “To what do we owe the pleasure of a Jedi visit?”

“The war.” Spike said simply. “As you are no doubt aware, the Jedi council doesn’t want to get involved, but there are Jedi that are trying to help. They are led by a man named Revan, and while he’s not being endorsed by the council, he’s trying to help. Let him.”

“I thought that you were coming here to tell us that the Jedi weren’t helping.” Another man said in confusion.

“The council wants me to tell you that the Jedi are staying out of the war and that’s the end of it. Any Jedi that do help, namely Revan and the rest of his followers, are to return from the front or face exile. I’m here to tell you fuck that.”

The last comment got a series of chuckles from the assembled soldiers.

“Revan’s tasked me and some others to come back here and stir up support for the war effort, while I’ve been ordered to talk to you. I am assuring you that the Jedi won’t abandon the Republic, even if the council is willing to. Revan, Alek, Meetra and I will continue to help, we will lead the Jedi forces against the Mandalorians and support the armies of the Republic, regardless of the consequences.”

“That’s all well and good, but I’m guessing you didn’t come all the way here, and Solaris didn’t get into contact with me, just to tell us that you will support us.”

“You’re right.” Spike nodded. “Revan wants to help, but you’ve got to help him to help you. Coordinate with him, even if you can’t officially include him in your plans. Keep him informed of them, and he will slot himself into them as best he can. I know that without the support of the council, we can’t help, else the senate itself could come down hard on us, but there’s nothing to say we can’t ‘accidently’ find our way to the same battles as you. Keep it off the books and we can do this right. The Mandalorians are going to be sorry they kicked this hornet nest.”

“Thank you Jedi.” One of the Generals smiled. “Where do you go now?”

“The senate hall.” Spike smiled. “I need to tell the Republic that ‘Revan and his followers are under scrutiny for possible treason’.” Spike took on a mimicking tone of Atris.

“Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

“Buddy, you don’t know the half of it.” Spike chuckled, before making his way back towards the landing pad. Quickly reaching it, Spike spread his arms wide, stretching as he looked at the temple far off in the distance.

“Fuck you Atris.” He muttered, before falling forward, spreading his wings after a few seconds of free fall and banking towards the newly built senate building.

The senate tower had been built over the top of the old senate building after the end of the Great Sith war, the building capable of holding far more people than the old senate hall ever could, which helped as more and more systems joined the Republic, each one sending delegates to represent their world on the capital. Spike still couldn’t decide whether or not he liked the new building or not, it’s mushroom like structure breaking up the stark, blocky outlines of the other buildings of Coruscant.

Pushing his feelings for the building aesthetics aside, Spike flapped his wings harder, quickly reaching the steps of the building and softly touching down. His arrival was met by murmurs from passers-by, as well as more than one scream, but he didn’t really care, and quickly made his way inside, nodding to a pair of blue robed senate guards as he walked through the massive archways that led into the senate tower itself.

Already, Spike could hear that a session was in order in the centre of the building, and made his way towards one of the many terminals on the wall. Quickly entering his Jedi authorisation code, Spike began to scan through the list of Repulsorpods until he found one that was empty. Calling a lift platform to the floor he was on, Spike made his way up to the free pod, before sitting down and looking up at the Supreme Chancellor, and the two pods that were orbiting around the main tower. Typing in a simple message, Spike sent across an acknowledgement of his presence to the Supreme Chancellors aide, before sitting back and awaiting his turn to speak.

***

Two Hours Later

***

Spike groaned as he listened to yet another dispute between various systems as they presented their case to the Republic. Hardly any of the cases put forward were actually resolved by the Supreme Chancellor or the rest of the senators present, instead receiving a ‘we’ll look into it’ style result.

He was roused from his semi-slumber when a light flashed green on the panel in front of him as the Supreme Chancellor once again addressed the delegates.

“We shall now here from Jedi Knight Spike of the Jedi order. He will today testify against the group of Jedi known as Revanchists, and to state the Jedi Orders position in the war against the Mandalorians.”

Taking a deep breathe in, Spike braced himself as he felt the pod move out into middle of the chamber, floating over towards the Supreme Chancellors tower in the centre of the room. Spike knew that this was something the Jedi council wanted seen, and that meant it would be broadcasted live over the holo-net around the Republic. He had to make this right first time, he wouldn’t get a second.

“Members of the Republic, I come before you on behalf of the Jedi Council. The war with the Mandalorians is devastating to those unaligned worlds outside of our territory, and may soon spill into the Republic itself, but the council believes we cannot act hastily in this case, especially in my order. They believe the true threat has not yet emerged, and are reluctant to commit ourselves to what may be a baiting move.” Spike said, looking around as his voice was amplified a hundred fold around the senate hall.

“This being said, there are Jedi who are participating in the war, they are led by a man named Revan, and have taken to calling themselves Revanchists to preserve his deeds as a hero. Until a few days ago, I was affiliated with this movement and with Revan, but have since been recalled to the temple. The Revanchists are not supported by the council, rather they are acting against its wishes. They have also been ordered to return, but many are refusing, even in the face of charges of treason against the order. These brave Jedi will continue to fight against the Mandalorian threat, and will stand by the Republic. In this instance, the council wishes for you to know that they are not officially Jedi, but rouges and may have to be dealt with as such. I implore you, member worlds of the Republic, to offer them all the aid you can in helping the Revanchists to make the correct decision for the good of the Republic. The Mandalorians are known as crusaders and neo-crusaders by their own naming, but the republic has our own. Revan is the Republic’s crusader, for better or for worse. Thank you for your time.”

“Jedi Knight Spike of the Jedi Order.” The Supreme Chancellor nodded as the senate hall erupted into applause.

It was not a response Spike had been expecting, and he was dumbfounded by it slightly as his pod began to float back over to the docking port it had come from, allowing Spike to exit back into the hallways beyond. Clearly his speech was the final motion of the day, as the place that had been empty when he had come in was now swarming with senators, a few of whom nodded his way, or offered him words of support as he walked back towards the banks of lifts.

“My people will offer support to any Revanchists that need it.” One senator said softly as Spike brushed past him.

“The army of my world stands ready to support Revan and his Jedi.”

“The Jedi’s Crusader will find support amongst the three systems.”

As Spike stood in the lift, surrounded by gossiping senators, he allowed himself to grin slightly, thinking on what he had just done. He had gotten the message out about the Revanchists, he had spread the word of their movement, and he had on the surface disavowed them as he had been asked. However, at least a few of the senators had picked up on the deeper meaning behind the speech, and if they were picking up on it, that meat that others around the Republic would as well. Even if the council was enraged at him, and demanded he be expelled from the order, he had done what was right, and he had helped the Revanchists.

Now, time to move onto recruiting new members for the movement, Jedi who had knowledge of warfare, and experience in the fighting of it, and if he was lucky, he knew exactly where to start his recruitment drive.