//------------------------------// // Sleeper // Story: The Dragon and the Force // by FenrisianBrony //------------------------------// Desolation stood on the observation of the station as a Hammerhead Cruiser passed by the viewport on its way to Taris. The security had increased dramatically since the last time Desolation, or more accurately Spike, had been here, with ships darting across the space in front of them as they sought to carry out his orders. Most of them were Hammerhead Cruisers of the newer Foray-class blockade runners that reminded the beast of his own ship. He still needed to come up with a name for it when he retrieved it from the docks. Desolation was actually surprised at how long Spike had been quiet in his mind, usually his alter ego forced him to recess back into the back of their mind. This time however, he was being allowed free reign, and he was not eager to give it up. Reaching down to his belt, Desolation removed the spinal column of the Mandallian Giant he had slain on Duxn, looking over its massive bone structure. This represented his largest kill to date, and he was eager to kill larger enemies still, Rancor’s, Ackley’s, anything that breathed. They would all fall before him, and when this war was over, he hoped that Spike would allow him out properly to hunt. Sniffing suddenly, Desolation smelt the tell-tale signs of someone approaching, a male Zabrak to be precise. He could easily tell species like Zabrak’s apart from humans, but near human species like Arcadians were harder, gender was easy as well, and the ability to tell a force user from a non-force user was as easy and simple as breathing. As the door slid open, a Zabrak male was indeed standing behind the door. By Zabrak standards, he almost looked identical to a human, the only way to know the difference between him and a human other than the smell being the small horns on his bald head. “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t know the deck was occupied.” The Zabrak said looking at Desolation. “I’ll leave now, master Jedi.” “You don’t have to. Don’t expect conversation.” Desolation replied, his deep voice rumbling around the room. The Zabrak walked up beside Desolation, sighing as he looked out at Taris. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” The Zabrak said suddenly. “Are you going to keep talking?” Desolation groaned. “If you’d like me to leave…” “One second.” Desolation growled, before closing his eyes. “Spike. You can have the time.” He growled in his mind, feeling the presence of Spike surfacing again. By the time his eyes were opened again, they had regressed back to their natural green state. Shaking his head, Spike looked down at the Zabrak, as well as the spine in his hands. Grimacing, Spike replaced it on his belt. He would have to find somewhere to put that as a more long term solution. Maybe when he got back to Coruscant and got his ship he could set Desolation up with his own quarters. “Sorry. You were saying?” Spike asked. “Your eyes have changed.” The Zabrak noted, before continuing. “I was saying its beautiful isn’t it, like the Iridonian colonies before the Mandalorians came.” “Your home?” Spike asked. “No, I was born on Iridonia itself.” The Zabrak shook his head, before pointing at the spine. “That’s an interesting trophy you have.” “It’s not mine.” Spike replied, drawing a confused look from the Zabrak, before extending a claw. “Jedi Knight Spike. Dragon of Equestria.” “Bao-Dur. Zabrak or Iridonia. 12th Engineering Division.” Bao-Dur replied, grasping Spikes proffered claw lightly. “I heard that the Jedi who were looking into the war had been captured, and the others were still on Coruscant.” “The Revanchists were captured, but Revan and I were not amongst them. We managed to rescue them and bring them back here. I wanted some peace, and this seemed like the best place to come for that.” “War is a terrible thing.” Bao-Dur agreed. “But necessary.” Spike nodded. “The Mandalorians have to be stopped.” “Preaching to the converted.” Bao-Dur smiled slightly. “Yeah, any…” Spike began, but was cut off by his communicator beeping. “One second please. Go for Spike.” “Spike? Is that you or Desolation?” Revan asked. “It’s me don’t worry.” Spike replied. “I need to speak to you, face to face, hanger bay nine.” “Be there in five.” Spike sighed, before looking at Bao-Dur. “Sorry, I’ll have to cut this short, good luck, fight well.” With that, Spike turned and made his way out of the room, quickly heading through the station towards hanger bay nine. The station was large, but it didn’t take Spike that long to traverse it, and he soon emerged into the bustling hanger, catching sight of Revan, Alek and Surik on the other side and walking towards them. “Spike, nice to see you again.” Surik smiled. “I hear we have you to thank for getting the soldiers to get us out.” “Yeah, Cortez and I go way back.” Spike smiled. “I hear he may even be up for a promotion after the attack.” “He is.” Revan nodded. “But that’s not why I called you here.” “I realised.” Spike grinned. “So what is it?” “The rest of you listen in as well. The Jedi council is not happy with our little movement, not in the least.” Revan sighed. “I had hoped that we would be able to slip by unnoticed until we were officially endorsed by the army, but the events of Flashpoint drew their attention and they want answers. We are being told to return to Coruscant.” “We can’t do that!” Alek shouted. “What about all the Jedi that died on Suurja?!” Surik asked indignantly. “We’d be abandoning the Outer Rim!” Spike roared. “Whoa, I’m on your side here.” Revan held his hands up defensively. “I don’t want to do this either, but I can’t deny that the council still has sway over us. We’ve got to think about what will happen after the war, and what graves we will be digging for ourselves. I don’t want to be exiled from the order.” “Me neither.” Surik agreed. “But we can’t just give up. What do you think that would do to the army’s morale?” “I know, but we have to have a show of faith for the council, something to let them know we are listening to them.” “What do you suggest?” Spike asked. “Some of the movement goes back, we make our apologies and we see if we can make the council see reason from within, or failing that see if we can garner more support for the movement from within the order.” “Fine, we send some of the younger Padawans back and…” Alek began, only to be cut off by Revan. “It can’t just be padawans or the council would see what we are doing. The four of us are in charge of this movement, one or more of us will have to go back to the Temple and plead our case, as well as spear-heading the attempt to convert more of the order.” “So you basically want a sleeper agent?” Spike summarised. “Someone who can run a separate branch without guidance directly from the others?” “Basically.” Revan nodded. “You seem to have a firm grasp on the situation Spike.” Surik noted. “I’m the oldest one here.” Spike pointed out. “Precisely.” Revan agreed. “That is why I would like you to return.” “Me?” Spike shook his head. “Oh no, the council and I don’t see eye to eye, the last time I spoke to them I was covered in blood and stormed out after a philosophical difference.” “Yes, but you are also the oldest as you said, and have the most experience in dealing with the council.” Revan replied. “Your mind’s already set on this isn’t it?” Spike asked wearily. “No, but I would like it to be. I won’t force you to go back, but I would appreciate it as a personal favour if you would.” “Fine.” Spike sighed. “I’ll go back, but I will return.” “Of that I have no doubt.” Revan smiled. “I am needed elsewhere, but I have secured you passage on this ship here.” He pointed to a passenger ship behind him. “It is bound for Coruscant, leaving in half an hour.” “Thank you.” Spike nodded, watching as Revan turned and left the hanger. “So what happened on Suurja?” Spike asked, turning to face Alek and Meetra. “When Revan and I left the situation seemed to be under control.” “We got jumped, there was nothing we could do.” Alek said sullenly. “I’m sorry it took us a few days to get to you.” Spike apologised. “Getting together the strike force was harder than I anticipated.” “You came, that’s all that matters.” Surik reassured him. “I’m more interested in what happened on Duxn, and what that, thing, is on your back.” “We found the Mandalore’s training camp. There must have been hundreds of thousands of Mandalorians there, all waiting to launch their attack.” “Gods, the Republic won’t stand up to that, not out here anyway.” Alek breathed. “And not without Jedi support, which is why this movement is so important.” Spike replied. “As for what’s on my back, it’s a spine. It’s not mine.” “Then why do you have it?” Surik asked. “Holding it for a friend?” Spike offered. “Would this be the friend that was on Flashpoint?” Alek asked. “Desolation.” Spike nodded. “He’s me, the animal in me anyway. He comes out sometimes, sometimes I let him, sometimes he forces his way out in times of weakness, but he’s always there.” “I’m guessing the council doesn’t know about him?” Surik asked. “If I told them about him, and some of the things he has done, they’d call me a Sith and strip me of the force like Ulic. They can never know about him.” “I guess that is a fair point.” Alek nodded. “The council doesn’t seem all that accepting at the moment, best to hide it.” “Looks like your ship is boarding.” Surik pointed out. “You should get going.” “Right then, I guess this is goodbye for a while then.” Spike said, extending his hand to Surik. “Only for a while though.” Surik smiled, grasping Spikes forearm. “And you, don’t kill all the Mandalorians before I get back.” Spike laughed, offering his hand to Alek. “Just don’t go soft on us and stay at the temple.” Alek grinned back, grasping Spike hand. With that, Spike turned and walked towards the ship, quickly being shown to his cabin and lying down for what was a long overdue rest. *** Spike sat quietly as the speeder flew towards the temple. The journey to the capital had been uneventful and brief, and Spike had been glad for it. Nothing felt quiet as odd as going from fighting in two battles in quick succession, surrounded by soldiers, Jedi and other killers, to getting on board a civilian ship full of people who would struggle to last a few seconds in the maelstrom of war. He knew that as a Jedi, he wasn’t supposed to prize martial skill, to place a person’s stock in how well they could fight, but lately he had been finding it harder and harder to not quantify things by their usefulness in war. Revan and Alek could fight, Surik was still a Padawan, and yet she was still trusted enough by Revan to be one of her Lieutenants. Spike was still slightly bitter that he was the one who had to return to Coruscant while the others stayed and fought, and couldn’t work out if this was because Revan didn’t trust him at all, or trusted him more than any of the others. Stepping off the speeder, Spike quickly made his way through the hanger, catching sight of another cluster of Jedi, all wearing some sort of armour or carrying weapons besides their Lightsabers. “Returning from the front?” A man asked, looking over at Spike as he approached. “I am, Jedi knight Spike.” Spike nodded. “You’re the one who’s in charge of the movement on Coruscant?” The man asked, raising an eyebrow. “Revan did say that yes. So, you all survived Flashpoint then?” “Barely, but we got through.” A Selkath shuddered. Spike shook his head, repressing the urge to point out how bad it could have been, instead opting to choose their next course of actions. “Right, so there’s what, eight, nine, ten…sixteen of us total. I say we go to the council chambers now and present our case.” “We should wait until we were called.” The Selkath objected. “No. We have a nice chance to crash their little meeting that they’re obviously having. The council wanted us back, so we will come back under our own terms. Remember, Revan wants us to act as sleepers in the temple, so don’t piss them off to much. That’s my job.” With that, Spike strode forward, the other Revanchists scurrying along beside him like pilot fish. It didn’t take them long to reach the lifts that lead to the council tower. Obviously they could not all fit in one lift, but there were luckily more than one on this floor, and they could all travel up together. This would be a much more power gesture if they all arrived at the same time in the chamber. *** “As you can see, the so called Revanchists and their leader are refusing the listen to our demands to return from the front.” Atris proclaimed, looking around at the other council members. “They will not turn from war, and have started down a path to the Dark Side.” “And what would you have us do Atris?” Kavar asked. “Hunt them down and bring them back? Make them stand trial before this council.” “Exar Kun and Ulic were two Jedi and they wrought destruction across this galaxy.” Atris continued. “Can you imagine what hundreds would do? Perhaps they will decide that the Mandalorians are no longer their enemies and instead lead the armies they once pledged to defeat.” “That will never happen.” Spike proclaimed, striding into the room as he looked around the shocked Jedi council. “What is the meaning of this?” Atris snapped, raising from her chair. “You wanted the Revanchists to return to the temple, here we are.” Spike shot back. “Where is Revan?” Kavar asked. “At the front still.” Spike replied bluntly. “We told you all to come back.” Atris pointed out. “Revan can’t just abandon the front, just like most of the Revanchists can’t, because unlike you, they seem to have a sense of what’s going on. The Jedi are needed, both for their skill and the effect they have on morale. If they abandon the war, the army falls with them and the Mandalorians win. They come to this planet, sack it, and put your pinch little heads on a spike somewhere. It might actually be amusing, except my head would be up there to.” “Don’t try and threaten us into action.” Atris warned. “This isn’t a threat, it’s a fact.” Spike snapped. “We are needed, and yet some of us still came back.” “Am I to take it that Revan trusted you before you returned?” Master Lamar asked. “I am, Revan asked me to come back and explain his situation, and why the rest of the Revanchists couldn’t return with us.” “The rest of you are dismissed. You are to remain on Coruscant unless commanded to leave by this council.” Lamar ordered. “Spike, stay. We would speak to you.” The other Jedi filed out of the room, casting glances of disgust back at the council and looks of worry back at Spike. Soon, Spike was once again standing before the council alone. “You know, it does feel good not to be covered in blood this time.” Spike quipped. “You look no less savage.” Atris observed. “You know ‘master’, you can keep calling me a savage all you want, but don’t try and make me feel bad about it. You’re a human, you have it easy. Me, I’m a dragon, the only dragon in the Republic, and a dragon is usually a wild beast.” “Peace, the pair of you.” Kavar said softly, before talking directly to Spike. “You disobeyed us, after we explicitly told you not to peruse this. Why?” “Because we need to act. We are not priests, we are peacekeepers, you told me that. Sometimes the only way to preserve the peace is to destroy opponents of it.” “The Jedi cannot risk entering another war without knowing what the consequences will be.” Kavar insisted. “You must accept our position in this argument Spike.” “No I don’t.” Spike snapped. “That’s what always gets us into trouble, just accepting something with no forethought. I have to acknowledge your opinion, which I do, but I also have to reserve the rights to go ‘this is fucking stupid, are you kidding me?!’” “You will control yourself in the presence of this council.” Atris said indignantly. “Tell me why I’m still here, and then let me get on with it.” Spike said, annunciating each word slowly. “You are to publically testify against the Revanchist movement before the whole Republic, as well as the high command of the Republic military. You will disown them, and state that they are under scrutiny by the council for possible treason against this order.” Atris said simply. “Fuck, that.” Spike spat. “Furthermore, if you refuse your rank will be stripped from you and you shall be cast from this order.” Atris finished. Spike opened his mouth to curse her again, but thought better of it, scowling as he realised the position he was in. If he wanted to fulfil Revan’s orders, he had to stay in the order, and if he wanted to stay in the order, he would have to play along with this plan. “Fine.” Spike said with a growl. “You are dismissed Spike.” Atris said, a smile cresting her lips. With a soft snarl, Spike turned and left the room. He would play along for now, but not for long. He would turn members of the order to Revan, and then he would return himself, and he would drive the Mandalorians back into dark space.