The beast reclined on a pile of dead bodies watching as the ship floated over an uninhabited moon. It had not taken him long to do this work, maybe five minutes after he had landed. He grinned as he reminisced about those memories.
***
Five Minutes Earlier
***
“What the hell is this?” A deck foreman roared as a shuttle approached the hanger, passing through the shields and slowly descending towards the deck.
“I don’t know sir.” Another worker called. “Nothing’s listed as landing here until tomorrow.”
“Nobody tells me anything.” The foreman growled, walking forward as the ship touched down, banging on its hull to get the pilots attention. “OI! Open and up and tell me what the hell you’re doing clogging up my deck!”
There was no reply, instead the rear door hissing as it slowly lowered itself down from the back of the ship, revealing a lone figure inside. The figure wore nothing but a belt, two odd tubes strapped to it, while it brandished its twin claws. The foreman shivered as he laid his eyes on the creature, remembering some of the rumours that had been coming up from the planet. The beast had moved to orbit, and he was next on it’s list.
“Kill…” The foreman began, but before he could finish his sentence, his head was separated from his shoulders, rolling across the floor as the beast dived forward, filling the ship with screams, as he worked his way towards the bridge.
The beast had the pair of Lightsabers at his waist of course, and for utility purposes, they were incredibly useful, but when it came to killing his foes, there was nothing quite as gratifying as ripping them limb from limb with his own claws, and feeling the warm spray of blood as his claws dug into flesh. There weren’t that many crew members on board this small ship, and that what had damned it. If it had been bigger, the beast would never have risked it. Reaching the Bridge, the beast drew the Lightsabers, the unfamiliar weapons feeling strange in its hands, before he plunged them into the lock, ripping the door open and diving into the room. It didn’t take long for the once pristine cockpit to resemble a channel house as the beast set to work.
***
Smiling, the beast grabbed hold of the corpse of what had at one point been the Captain of this ship, and now resembled more of a chunk of meat. Grunting, he ripped off a chunk of the bloody flesh. He knew Spike would never have tried to eat meat, especially not meat from a sentient creature, but he had no such qualms, and due to the fact they shared a stomach, it would help him to get over it.
Just before the Captain had managed to get out a signal to the rest of the fleet, Spike had reached the bridge, throwing the man at the controls and causing the ship to jump to Hyperspace. It was something he would not have ever expected to happen, but he was glad it did, he may have had some of Spikes knowledge, but not all of it.
Thinking of Spike, the Beast chewed the meat thoughtfully, wandering how long it would take for either Spike or Moonstone to turn up. It did not take him long, as he saw the mare appear in front of him. The beast didn’t know why Spike liked her so much. She was tiny, if she was real she would hardly be a morning snack, and on top of that, she was incredibly boring and 'proper’.
“Are you happy now?” She snapped, looking at the macabre spectacle in front of her.
“Happy? What would I have to be happy about?” He asked with a slight scoff, sitting up. His voice was much lower than Spikes, rumbling around the confined space like thunder. “Would it be because I managed to keep us alive after the crash? Maybe it was how I got us off world? Perhaps it was the fact that I cleared out this ship for us and managed to get us to safety. No, I can’t imagine what I would have to be happy about.” He finished sarcastically.
“Let me speak to him.” Moonstone demanded. “You’ve had six months in charge.”
“And he had over thirty years in charge.” The beast spat back. “How many times has he ever let me free on purpose? Fully.”
“I…” Moonstone began.
“Once.” The beast growled. “That’s all, once, and that was by accident. He never even acknowledged me, he just wanted me gone. He hasn’t even given me a name, and yet he speaks with you for hours every day.”
“Is that any wonder?” She asked. “You’re evil.”
“A necessary one, but yes.” The beast nodded. “I do what must be done, I don’t deny it, and no matter how much he doesn’t want to admit it, he knows that’s what I do, and he can’t deny it either. You know that, he let me free, I didn’t have to break out this time.”
***
Six Months Earlier
***
“Moonstone!” Spike roared, staring up at the sky as he watched ships descend towards the planet, blasting away at the villages and towns across the world, as yet more ships descended towards the crash site over a kilometre away. He was glad he had moved away from it before doing what had to be done. Dirt fell from his hands in droves as clenched his fists.
“I’m here.” The mare said, appearing in front of Spike, a solemn look on her face. “I’m sorry for what you had to do.”
“I need help, now!” Spike roared, panting heavily, his right eye getting lighter as it began to turn yellow.
“You need to calm down!” She roared back, trying to get Spike to concentrate. “Remember Maryx!”
“Maryx?” Spike growled, shaking slightly. “I need that now.”
“You don’t know what he’ll do!” Moonstone roared back, but it was too late, as Spike consciously closed his eyes, dropping the mental barriers he had built up since the first incident.
Spike roared, his voice deepening as his voice rolled around the dark forest he was in. His eyes flashed yellow, changing in an instant, and suddenly, Spike was no more. Moonstone disappeared, a look of disgust ad shock on her face, leaving only him behind.
When he had been unleashed on Maryx Minor, it had been an accident, something no one could have predicted in the Jedi’s blind rage. Now though, as Spike made the conscious decision to unleash him, there was something different, this was controlled and calculating, and that was just what the beast needed. No longer was he a mindless brute like the last time, now he had some of Spikes intellect. More than that though, he had the strength of a Dragon, and the will and intellect to use it, unfettered by the petty morality and conscious that governed Spike.
“I am Fire! I. Am. Death!” The beast roared, a jet of flames shooting into the sky, before sliding into the shadows, a plan formulating in his mind. It was brutal, and would take a long time to work, but work it would, and it would show the Mandalorians why Dragons were the most feared creatures in Equestria.
***
“He let you in,” Moonstone said dismissively, “but it wasn’t on purpose.”
“Oh really, what was it?” The beast asked. “He dropped the barriers around his mind that stopped me from coming out more often. What’s that if it’s not compliance?”
“Duress.” Moonstone spat. “Now let me speak to him!”
“Fine.” The beast growled, before scrunching up his face, his eyes closing in concentration.
“Spike?” Moonstone asked softly, the mare getting closer to the pile of bodies against her better judgement.
“Moonstone?” Spike muttered, his eyes opening.
They weren’t green anymore, well, one was, but the other was still the bright yellow it had been before.
“Your eyes.” Moonstone said, her expression of hope fading.
“I’m still here.” The beast pointed out.
“You had your time!” Spike roared. “Get out of my head!”
“It’s my head as well!” The beast roared back, Moonstone watching the odd spectacle of Spike having an argument with what was fundamentally himself. “It’s not just you here!”
“It is, my, head!” Spike screamed. “It’s my body! Now get out!”
“You needed me, and this is the thanks I get?!” The beast roared. “I saved us!”
“You were a monster!”
“You couldn’t have got us off world! You’re trying to be good, in a bad universe! It won’t work, ever!”
“The Jedi are good! They need to be that way to help the Republic!”
“The Jedi? Would they be the ones that haven’t done anything to stop the Mandalorians?”
“That’s not fair, they don’t know about them.” Spike growled softly, but controlling his rage.
“Really? You think anything happens in this universe without the Jedi knowing?” The beast asked.
“Spike’s a Jedi.” Moonstone pointed out.
“I didn’t see this coming either.” Spike said softly, slumping down onto the pile of bodies, not even caring as the blood seeped over him.
“Parn?”
***
Six Months Earlier
***
“Impact detected. Life support non-operational. Engines inoperable, attempting to fix, error, engines not found. Shields inoperable, attempting to fix, error, shields not found. Hull breech on deck one. Hull breech on deck two. Hull breech on deck three….” Came the mechanical voice of the ships computer, bringing Spike out of the stupor he had been in after the impact. “Attempting to shut down reactor, error, reactor not found.”
Spike bellowed in pain as he dragged himself forward, a large piece of metal sticking out of the small of his back. He had escaped well compared to the rest of the crew, and he had already seen the dead members of the crew, the hole in his heart threatening to swallow him whole. Suddenly, a gasp caught his attention, and Spike looked over to see something else living on board the ship.
***
Spike screamed as he fell from the airlock, turning over in mid-air to make sure he landed on his back, but driving the metal pole further through his chest until it broke the surface with a wet ripping sound. The pain was worth it though, as he looked down at what he was cradling in his arms, thankfully away from where the metal had burst forth.
In his arms was the only crew member who had survived, and even then, Parn was in a bad way. A large sheet of the viewport had been forced from the front of the Bridge, bisecting the woman. How she had survived the initial shock was beyond Spike, and how she had survived the measures Spike took to stem the blood flow, was complete mystery.
The woman moaned softly, the burnt stump that covered her waist still smoking slightly from where he had forcibly cauterised it, the one amazing thing about being a Dragon allowing him to save her life, but even now it was touch and go.
Glancing back at the ship, Spike took in the wreck that had come close to being his tomb. From the looks of things, the ship had come apart during the fall, leaving hardly anything at the main crash site. The rear sections were nowhere to be seen, they’d probably fallen off somewhere kilometres away, destroying yet more of this once peaceful world. Spike was just glad the rest of the Recovery Force hadn’t been on board, and he could only hope that the Mandalorians wouldn’t search Thresh for them.
He had made it over a kilometre from the ruined ship before he had finally collapsed, the metal still deep within his chest, sapping his strength, and the added weight of Parn being the final straw.
“Stop…stop.” Parn pleaded, looking over at Spike.
“We can’t stay here.” Spike said weakly. “We’ve got to keep moving.”
“Moving…where?” She wheezed. “This is…Ranox?”
“Looks like it.” Spike smiled, holding back tears.
“Back…where we…began?” She laughed, blood spattering across Spikes chest.
“Yeah.” Spike nodded. “Just, hold on, I’ll get you to the Silent Council, and they’ll heal you. We just can’t stay here.”
Getting to his feet, Spike slipped his hand underneath Parn, only for the woman to cry out in pain, grabbing his arm with a weak grip.
“Stop.” She grunted. “I’ll just rest a while.”
“We can’t stay here.” He explained softly, tears now falling from his eyes.
“No. You can’t.” She agreed. “But I can’t follow you…this time.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Spike insisted.
“I am…honoured…to have fought with you.” She coughed. “And for what…its worth. You did the…right thing. Never be a prisoner…always fight…them…” She trailed off, her eyes closing, and her hand slipping off Spikes arm.
“Parn.” Spike sobbed softly, knowing that he wouldn’t receive an answer, he would never receive an answer.
Slowly, the Dragon dug his hands into the soft dirt ripping out the first handful of dirt for Parn’s grave.
***
“You tried Spike.” The beast said, showing a surprising amount of care. “She forgave you, and what you did what right.”
“You said it yourself,” Moonstone added, “Better to die on your feet than live on your knees.”
“I know.” Spike nodded. “It just feels like a failure.”
“You’re handling it better than I expected.” Moonstone noted.
“I’ve become accustomed to failure.” Spike said mournfully.
“We are a Dragon Spike. All three of us, together we are one Dragon, and that makes us able to endure.” The beast said. “We can survive in environments that others couldn’t even get close to. Fire, space, lava, you name it. You can’t always expect people to make it through what we did.”
“How can you make me feel better?” Spike muttered.
“I’m your anger, that doesn’t mean I have no stake in your welfare. If you die, I die, as does Moonstone. No one wants that.”
“I’m sorry.” Spike said softly.
“What for?” Moonstone asked. “You can’t be saying sorry to this, thing?”
“Why not?” the beast growled.
“You killed hundreds of people just to get off world.” Moonstone spat.
“I am saying sorry to him.” Spike nodded. “He saved us Moonstone, I couldn’t have done what he did, and if I had tried to attack the port, I would have died.”
“Gratitude?” The beast scoffed. “Not something I had anticipated from you.”
“I’m sorry ok!” Spike roared, but it was not angry, it was regretful. “I shouldn’t have tried to hide you away, but I couldn’t face you. I don’t want to be a normal Dragon, that’s not me.”
“That is you Spike.” The beast said softly. “No matter how much you try to hide from this, you are a Dragon.”
“I wasn’t raised as one.” Spike mumbled. “I was raised to know the difference between right and wrong, to be kind and to help people.”
“And what makes you think I don’t want to do that?” The beast asked indignantly.
“Well looking back at Ranox, I wouldn’t say you have the best track record of helping, more like killing.” Moonstone said scathingly.
“Different way of helping, different moral plane.” The beast snapped. “Let’s just say that the Jedi don’t know about the Mandalorians, that the republic isn’t preparing for the full force of the Mandalore. How much do you think the knowledge we have will help? How many lives will we be able to save by giving the Republic first-hand information about the enemy that they’ll be fighting soon?”
“I…didn’t think of that.” Moonstone said slowly, looking down in shame.
“No, you didn’t. It comes to something when the beast in you is making more sense than your own mind.” The beast chuckled. “I am not evil Spike, I’m just not morally good either. What I did was wrong, I know that, but it will be able to help more people than I killed.”
“Chaotic good.” Spike muttered.
“What’s that?” Moonstone asked.
“You’re in my mind, you should know.” Spike said.
“Not everything. It’s buried deep.” Moonstone replied.
“The alignment system is a way of determining how an individual acts. Lawful good would be you, always doing the right thing no matter the cost. Chaotic evil would be someone like Exar Kun, someone who acts only for themselves. In between you’ve got neutral.” Spike explained quickly.
“Which one are you then Spike?” The beast asked.
“Lawful good.” Moonstone said firmly.
“No. I let the beast free, I’m not lawful like you Moonstone, but I’m not chaotic like the beast either. I’m a middle man, in every sense of the word.”
“How come she gets a name and I don’t?” The beast said suddenly, catching everyone by surprise.
“A name?” Spike asked.
“What about cannibal?” Moonstone offered scathingly.
“Alright that’s enough.” Spike snapped. “The pair of you are part of me, and I will not have my mind fighting against itself.”
“But…” Moonstone began.
“No but’s. You two are going to get along. Moonstone, I don’t like him, but he’s me, just like you are. I don’t hate you for being you, and I won’t hate him for being him.”
“Hello, right here.” The beast said almost instantly after Spike finished talking, the odd spectacle creeping Moonstone out. “I want a name.”
“What would you suggest then?” Moonstone asked.
“Spike chose yours, he can choose mine as well.” The beast said, before allowing Spike to take command of the body again.
“You’re no gem.” Spike muttered. “What was it that you said on Ranox?”
“I am fire. I am death.” Moonstone said quickly.
“Desolation.” Spike said simply.
“I like it. I am the beast inside of you, I will always be with you. I am Desolation.” Desolation laughed, before Spike suddenly dropped to the floor, sending bodies skidding away from him.
“Spike?” Moonstone asked, running over to him, not that it really did much good as she still couldn’t touch him.
“He’s gone.” Spike muttered. “It’s like before he came, he’s just in the back of my mind. He seems…”
“Seems what?”
“Happy.” Spike smiled. “I just pleased the beast in me.”
“So what now?” Moonstone asked.
“Now, we go home.” Spike sighed. “I’ll set a course for the temple, but first I think we should clear these up.” He looked around at the bodies. “If the council saw this, well…I don’t think they’d be much chance left for me.”
“What are you going to tell them?”
“I’m going to tell them about the Mandalorians.” Spike said firmly. “I am going to tell them about the threat they pose and I’m not going to leave until I find some way of getting back out here with an army to fight them. The set foot on Coruscant thirty years ago, they are not going to do it again.”
“And if they don’t listen?”
“Then I’ll find someone who will." Spike said darkly, before grabbing a pair of the bodies and throwing them over his shoulders. He was already covered in blood, and unless this ship had a shower he could wash off in he was going to have to walk into the temple like this, so what was a little bit more?
Reaching the airlock, Spike dumped the bodies down, before returning for more, quickly moving the pile from the Bridge to here. Closing the door, Spike looked through the view port. He felt like now would be a time to say something, to bid their mortal remains goodbye and to say he was sorry for what the beast did, but he knew that he couldn’t.
No matter how hard he tried to tell himself that what Desolation did was wrong, he couldn’t help but feel a perverse sense of pride in the actions of his inner beast.
Pressing a button on the control panel, Spike ejected the corpses into the cold vacuum of space, before making his way back towards the bridge to prepare for a jump to Coruscant. After almost ten years, Spike was returning home.
It was long overdue.