//------------------------------// // Escape // Story: The Dragon and the Force // by FenrisianBrony //------------------------------// Spike roared as a Mandalorian jumped at him, slashing upwards with both of his stolen swords, separating limbs from body in a visceral spray of blood. Backing towards the door, Spike made sure the remaining crew had all got through, throwing back a Mandalorian with a blast of the force, before smashing his fist into the control panel, slamming the door closed behind him, before turning back to face the survivors. Other than the one the Mandalore had killed, they were all still alive, most of them holding a weapon they had managed to scavenge before fleeing the Bridge. “Back to the ship now!” Spike roared, pushing his way past the soldiers and setting off at a run, trying to remember the way back to the umbilical that connected this ship to his own. Spike just hoped he would get there before the Mandalore cut it loose and trapped them here. Any commander in his right mind would do that, but Spike was praying that the Mandalore honoured the hunt, and would want to face him axe to blade. Slamming into a door, Spike dented it just enough to force a gap in the centre, before dropping the swords and sticking his hands into the gap. With a roar, Spike slowly prised the doors open, before breathing fire into the space beyond, being greeted by screams and howls as men scurried for cover before his wrath. As the door finally slid open, the Republic crew spilled into the room, hacking and shooting the survivors until they were survivors no more, and freeing up weapons for the remainder to be armed fully. Properly armed, Spike now turned towards Parn. “Get back to the ship and prepare to raise the shields and power the Hyperdrive.” He snapped, picking up the swords again. “And if there are Mandalorians on board?” She asked. “You have weapons, bloody well use them. When you get back on board, find my Lightsabers and bring them to me!” He roared back, before turning as he heard footsteps, catching sight of a pair of sword wielding Mandalorians running towards him. “Go now! I’ll wait in the umbilical!” As Parn ran behind him, Spike leaped forward, swords held tightly as he collided with the first Mandalorian, catching his strike and lashing out with a foot. The warrior was sent reeling away in pain, but it wasn’t fatal, not yet anyway. With a grunt, Spike threw one of his swords, the blade slicing through the fallen warrior’s helmet and sliding through into his chest, killing him instantly and freeing up a hand. The next warrior wasn’t a human, that much was certain, maybe a Gamorrean, Spike couldn’t tell beneath the all-encompassing armour that he wore. What Spike did know however was the strength of the warrior, and while he was not as strong as Spike, he was strong enough to give him a run for his money. Spike slashed his sword down at the Mandalorian, only to find his arm caught by the warrior’s hand, before a sword was swung at his side, and Spike was forced to copy the movement. Both warriors strained as they sought to overpower each other, before Spike hauled back, lifting the Mandalorian off the ground and above his head, before slamming him into the deck, the metal buckling as his head went through it. Whether he was dead or not was of no concern of Spikes, and he lashed out with his foot, severing the man’s head with sheer blunt force trauma. Now he was dead. Turning to run, Spike grabbed a heavy duty looking pistol with his left hand, checking it as he moved through the ship, following the trail of dead bodies to find the way his crew had gone. Not all of them were Mandalorian, and he saw at least five Republic crewmen dead along the way. This only served to heighten Spikes anger, and it took everything he had to deny the beast, the animal howling as it pushed against Spikes mind, and right now, he was seriously debating letting it loose. All that stopped him was the fact that if he did, he had no guarantee he could rein it in again to give orders, and that was something he couldn’t risk. Sprinting forward, Spike heard orders being shouted ahead of him. “They went through, but the Jedi’s still on board!” One voice shouted. “Close the door, there’s ten of us and only one of him.” Another voice said cockily. Only ten? They would need more, a lot more. Crashing into the room, Spike dropped to the floor, using his forward momentum and a healthy application of the force to send himself skidding across the floor and underneath a Mandalorian. Using his pistol hand, Spike punched out at one of the Mandalorians legs, widening the gap between them so he could slide under properly and bring his sword between the Mandalorians legs. In a lot of ways, Spike hoped that it was a girl he had just lashed out at. Not even a Mandalorian deserved to be gelded in that manner. From the short scream, he feared that he was wrong. Still sliding, Spike dug the claws of his feet into the deck, managing to get back to his feet in one smooth movement and raising the pistol. Spike was not a marksman, not even close, but even he would struggle to miss from this distance as he brought the barrel right into the mans face and pulled the trigger. Spike panted as the Mandalorian dropped, twirling his sword as the remaining thirteen looked at him in shock. Clearly they hadn’t expected him for quite a while, or making that much of an entrance. He would show them why the Jedi were feared by their enemies. “Get him!” One of the Mandalorians shouted before opening up on Spike with a light repeater blaster. Spike took the laser bolts with a slight grunt, before bringing his own pistol to bear and unleashing a flurry of shots. Most of them missed, and most of the ones that hit him were absorbed by his armour, but he managed to at least stagger the Mandalorian, allowing a final shot to hit him underneath his helmet, draining the pistol in the attempt. A Mandalorian wielding a large hammer charged him and Spike ducked under the man’s swing before stabbing the rapidly dulling point of his sword into the Mandalorians chest and executing him with a quick downward slash. His sword didn’t hold up to that however, the thin blade snapping as it cut through armour that should have normally resisted it, but thanks to Spikes strength managed to serve its purpose. Spike already had eyes on another weapon however, and snatched the hammer from the falling Mandalorian. He pulled away from the Mandalorian in time to meet the next Mandalorians axe blade. Kicking the man in the kneecap, Spike forced him to the floor as he bellowed in pain. Spike brought the hammer down with a wet thud, before finding himself being propelled across the room, a Mandalorian wrapping his hands around Spikes chest, before shoving a knife towards the Dragons throat. Spike roared as he grabbed hold of the Mandalorian, throwing him at one of his fellows before diving to the floor, avoiding a shot aimed at him by a Mandalorian across the hall from him, before extending his hand, clenching it and wrapping the Mandalorian in a cocoon of the force, dragging him into range of a decapitating strike with the hammer in a two handed strike, and causing a sword wielding Mandalorian to run forward, bellowing as he went. Spike had no intentions of letting another feud brew between him and a Mandalorian in this coming war. Letting the hammer fall, Spike grabbed a sword from the floor, and thumbed a small button on it handle, the blade humming as the vibro-core burst into life. Spike stood stock still, he needed to time this perfectly. Just as the Mandalorian reached him, Spike sidestepped to the right and brought his blade down on the Mandalorians sword right where the blade met the shaft. With a high pitched whine the vibrating sword cut through the weak metal and the blade of the Mandalorians sword fell to the ground with a clang. Without hesitating a second Spike stepped forward and plunged his own sword into the man’s chest. Taking in a ragged breathe, the Mandalorian plunged the sword deeper into Spikes chest, the unexpected movement ripping the weapon from the Dragons hands. Instead, Spike darted forward, grabbing the mans own blaster, before calmly pointing it at the dying mans head and pulling the trigger, obliterating it in a shower of red mist. Ripping the sword free, Spike hurled it at an incoming Mandalorian, using the force to propel it through the air at near on impossible speeds, the weapon driving through the face plate of the Mandalorian with barely any resistance and continuing on its journey, ripping the Mandalorians head with it and impaling it on a bulkhead. There were still around two Mandalorians left, but Spike he knew he would win this single handily. Moving forward, Spike grabbed a blaster rifle, before diving at a Mandalorian, shoving the weapon against the man’s armour and holding the trigger, reducing the man’s chest to a bloody mush. Before the first body had hit the ground, Spike had already grabbed a sword, spinning and stabbing it through the chest of another Mandalorian, before ripping it upwards, breaking the blade off under the man’s chin. Spike panted as he surveyed the damage he had done, before running over to the door, slamming his fists into it in rage as he found it locked. This would be just like his luck, to reach the door only to find himself trapped on the wrong side. No. He was a Jedi, he had survived the war against Exar Kun and he was responsible for the men and women still alive on board the ship, and he would not die before they were safe. With a roar, Spike unleashed a wave of flame at the door, bringing his fists into it again and again, and working through the rapidly softening door. Molten metal splashed onto Spikes body, rapidly cooling and sticking to him, but he ignored it, finally making a hole and ripping his way through the door. Sprinting between the ships, Spike could see a pair of crew members struggling to carry his heavy Lightsabers, and ripped them from their hands, making sure not to hurt them, before turning and facing the door he just destroyed. He had gotten through it, but now he had no way of sealing it from any aggressors, and he couldn’t risk damage to the Hammerhead Cruisers hull by allowing the Mandalorians to bang on it. “GO!” Spike bellowed, igniting his Lightsabers. “I’ll hold them off until we can launch!” “Two minutes!” One of the soldiers roared back, before darting back into the ship, leaving Spike alone. Two minutes? It was such a short time, but from Spikes point of view, it looked as if it was going to stretch on for an eternity. He hoped Parn was being her usual conservative self, but he couldn’t rely on that, and instead readied himself to defend the ships entrance. He did not have to wait long. The Mandalore stepped through the hole in the door, his massive axe scraping along the floor, throwing sparks up as he went. Behind him came Seugtai, the Mandalorians almost organic looking armour contrasting starkly with that of the Mandalore’s and the other Mandalorian who climbed through the hole, the one Seugtai had called Canderous. All three of them advanced towards Spike, weapons drawn yet held in a relaxed position. Spike hoped that they were just being cocky. “A Jedi? How clever of you to bring one of their kind on board Seugtai.” Canderous quipped. “Scared Canderous?” Seugtai shot back. “You act like you didn’t kill any in the Great Sith war. Oh wait, you weren’t there.” “Silence.” The Mandalore snapped, before turning to Spike. “My armies are poised to sack Taris and invade the Republic. Your ship is surrounded by my fleet. There is no point in running, give in now.” “You killed a member of my crew in cold blood.” Spike growled softly, lowering his stance. “Yes, I did.” He nodded. “Surrender, and on my honour none of you shall be harmed.” “I’d rather die on my feet, than live on my knees!” Spike roared back. “Then die.” The Mandalore spat. “Face me blade to blade. It has been far to long since I killed a Jedi.” Snarling, Spike raised Dusk above him, the lethal blade angled slightly towards the ground, while Elusive was held along his arm in front of his body, protecting him from the Mandalore’s axe. The Mandalore let out a battlecry, before running forward, his axe held slightly behind him, before he brought it round, whipping at Spikes neck. Blocking with Elusive, Spike stabbed forward with Dusk, attempting to drive the Lightsaber through the Mandalore’s mask, only to miss as his opponent dodged out of the way. Jumping back, Spike unleashed a gout of fire, only to find the Mandalore jump away from it, quickly discarding his now burning cape and allowing it to fall to the floor. Not letting the Mandalore have more time to recover, Spike sprang forward, passing through the flames as if they simply weren’t there, both his weapons impacting with the Mandalore’s axe haft, the weapon holding up to the power of Spikes weapons. Purple and white sparks exploded from the clashing weapons, one Mandalorian iron, the others pure plasma. The Mandalore pulled back a fist, revealing a knife, and trying to strike Spike, but was forced onto the defensive by Spike as he rained more attacks down on the Mandalore, the few hits that got through his defence sliding off his armour as its thick surface held up to the blows of the Lightsabers. Pain erupted in Spikes chest as the Mandalore kicked out at Spike, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling, the Dragon only just managing to block a strike, before stumbling back through the flames that were threatening to melt through the umbilical. Spike turned, only to see the flat side of the axe speeding towards his face, sending him crashing back and denting the floor. Getting to his feet, Spike spat a glob of blood onto the floor and faced the advancing Mandalore. “What’s the matter Jedi? Getting tiered?” He asked in mock concern. “Who knows, maybe this next blow will be the final one.” “I’m just getting warmed up.” Spike grinned back, one eye yellowing as the beast fought for control, while the other remained its normal green colour. “I’m must say I expected more.” The Mandalore laughed. “Spike! We’re ready!” Came the voice of Parn over the radio in his ear. “Get back here and we’ll separate!” “No time! The Mandalore’s here!” Spike roared back, blocking a strike, and lashing out with one of his own, only to find it blocked in return. “Shit! We’ll send someone to help!” “NO! Move the ship now!” “But with you still in the umbilical…” Parn began. “Just do it!” Spike bellowed, before deactivating his Lightsabers and thrusting forward with both of his hands, throwing the Mandalore back, who was not expecting his opponent to attempt such a move. Turning, Spike ran towards the ship, his arms pumping furiously as he sought to cross the gap. The umbilical creaked and groaned ominously as the Hammerhead pulled away, completely dethatching itself from the umbilical. Spike suddenly found himself being sucked forward as the air was rapidly sucked from the interior as it was opened to the vacuum of space, flapping his wings to control his flight. The door was already closing, sensing that there was a breech beyond. He was five meters away. Four Three Two Spike crashed through the door, impacting with the wall with a massive clang, and almost losing consciousness, but managing to get back to his feet, setting off at a sprint towards the Bridge as he felt the ship shake, shots impacting on the raised shields. “Get us out of here!” Spike bellowed as he reached the Bridge. “We’re trying sir! We’re too close to the planet!” Parn replied. “All power diverted away from the weapons! Redistributing across the engines and external shields! Shutting down non-essential life-support and redistributing power to Hyperdrive!” A crewman shouted. Spike watched as a display came up on the viewport ahead of him, showing just how far they had to go until they could jump. There was no time to program the navicomputer for this, and they would be blind when they jumped from the system, not to mention only being able to go a short distance. More shots rocked the ship, the lights flickering for a moment before re-strengthening. “Shields at forty one percent!” Another crewman shouted. “Ten seconds!” Another heavy shot rocked the Bridge, and this time, Spike heard something crash behind him, the ship shuddering as it was breeched near the rear. “We’re hit! Shields offline! Engines at sixty three percent capacity!” “Give it everything!” Spike bellowed. “We’ve got incoming!” A man shouted, and time slowed to a standstill. Spike was suddenly back on board the Valiant, the shields of the proud warship offline and a hail of shots heading straight for them, bringing with them death and destruction. Spike clenched his eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable. Maybe they would miss and they could still jump out of here. “Not this time.” Spike growled, his eyes suddenly snapping open, revealing both yellow orbs, and Spike thrust his hands out to either side, reaching out with his mind. Spike could feel the ship, its hull burning as if it was his own skin. His head screamed in protest, and felt like a nail was being slowly hammered into it, but Spike held on, the beast inside of him fuelling his actions, and keeping him awake. A second before the shots impacted with the hull, the ship was surrounded in a bright green light, the semi-transparent surface blocking the ship from view as they shots slammed into it. If Spike thought he had been in pain before, he hadn’t known what was coming next, the fire slamming into the shield matching the pain he felt on Maryx. This time, not even the beast could keep him awake, and he collapsed to the floor of the Bridge. *** “All hands brace for impact!” Parn roared, looking back at the collapsed form of Spike. “P…Parn?” The Dragon asked, his eyes cracking open. “Not now!” She roared. “Helmsman, try and keep us level!” “Left stabilisers gone!” The Helmsman replied. “Parn!” Spike shouted, struggling to his knees and looking forward. His head felt like it had been split open, and he was bleeding from every orifice on his face, the blood even seeping from under his eyes and pooling on the floor. “Left engines gone!” Another voice called out. “We’re through the stratosphere! One kilometre!” “What is going on?!” Spike bellowed, his voice being heard clearly even through the noise on the Bridge. “Crashing!” Parn screamed. Spike forced himself to look up, his eyes fixing on the viewport in front of him. The ship was wreathed in fire, and now that he concentrated properly, was shaking violently, massive crashes sounding, as far behind the Bridge pieces flaked from the ship as it neared the ground. The ship looked like a comet, falling towards the floor at phenomenal speeds, and it showed no signs of stopping as it drew closer and closer. “HOLD ON!” Parn screamed. The ship ploughed into the ground.