Spike stood silently in front of the council, every member of the room looking at him with varying degrees of hostility. Some were holograms, sitting in on the meeting from half the galaxy away, but most of the council was actually here, in the flesh.
“Tell us again what happened?” Kavar asked softly.
“We picked up two fleets approaching Telos, one large, one small,” Spike began. “Instead of waiting for them to link up, I decided to engage the larger fleet outside of the Telos system to try and even the odds between our two fleets. When we arrived and forced what we thought was the larger Sith fleet out of Hyperspace we realised our mistake. Using our own codes provided to them by the traitor Saul Karath they had tricked our sensors, the Sith fleet was only a few ships. We engaged them to destroy the interdictor generators that were preventing us where I engaged Revan and Malak along with my Padawan.”
“You saw the traitors Revan and Malak?” Kavar asked in surprise.
“Saw, but didn’t kill,” Atris cut in.
“Remind me how many times you’ve fought in a duel in the last year,” Spike snapped, before looking back at Kavar. “We managed to destroy the generators and return to Telos, but we were too late. The planet is gone, we rescued who we could and returned to Coruscant.”
“So let me get this straight,” Atris spoke up again. “You were sent to protect a planet, that planet is now in flames. You engaged the two dark lords of the Sith, and yet both escaped unharmed. You also said that if you were allowed to leave your cell, you would help in this war. So far it seems you have not succeeded in anything you set out to do.”
“Atris, you will be silent,” Kavar stood up. “Spike has done his best, as well as any of us could have done in his circumstances. Saul Karath providing the means to fool our scanners and bypass our sensors could not have been predicted. After Spike found out his mistake he did as best he could and saved as many lives as he could. So please, stop berating him for something you have no evidence could have been achieved better by anyone else in his position, because I for one am getting tired of you constantly being on his case.”
Atris glared at Kavar, but remained silent as Kavar approached Spike.
“I know this can’t have been easy for you, Spike,” he spoke softly. “If you would like to be taken off of combat rotation for a few weeks then I am sure it could be arranged.”
“I’m fine,” Spike shook his head. “There’s a war on, I’m not going to sit on my thumb and wait for it to get worse. Harmony needs to have at least a week in dry dock though, so I guess I’m out of combat before my ships repaired.”
“Very well then,” Kavar nodded, before sighing. “As you clearly don’t want time away from the front, I won’t speak to Republic military command. You are dismissed though, and at the moment considering the status of your ship, you can be considered grounded. Perhaps some of the masters around the temple would be grateful for your help in combat training.”
“I’ll do what I can, Kavar,” Spike nodded, turning and walking towards Katara. “Are you fit?”
“I am, master, let’s go,” Katara turned with Spike, entering the lift and heading down into the temple.
***
Spike let out a low growl as he reviewed the latest readouts from Harmony for the hundredth time in the past few minutes. It was a mess, far worse than Spike had initially feared.
The shield generator had completely burnt out when they had taken off from Telos, and needed completely pulling out and replacing, as did a lot of the hull armour on the left side of the ship, having been completely stripped away in a broadside by one of the Sith cruisers. On top of that two of the turbolasers needed new focusing arrays, and Spike had personally ensured that the sensor array would be replaced with something non-standard to the Republic, something that had been a sizeable cost to Spike’s personal bank account, just to ensure that a fuck up like Telos would never happen again.
All in all, the repairs to Harmony would take far more than a week, stretching far closer to a month than he had thought. Spike was nowhere near ready to be bound to Coruscant for that long, which was why he was currently standing in front of Supreme Commander Tao-ni, reviewing the damage to his ship as Tao-ni contemplated his request.
“I need a new ship, sir, at least until my own is ready for combat once more,” he repeated again. “I know that Telos was not…”
“Not what?” Tao-ni snapped. “Not what we planned? My god, Spike, if you were a normal soldier I would already have demoted you and thrown you to the wolves for such a failure. Why should I grant you a new ship? I have half a mind to take away your command of the Special Forces altogether, Colonel Cortez would do a fine job in running that outfit.”
“Because I am still one of your best commanders,” Spike folded his arms. “Who ended the siege of Taris? I did. Who held Eres III before the Mandalorian burnt it? I did that too. Who broke through the line on Duxn? I did that. Who killed Cassus Fett? The most wanted man in the Republic? I did that. There are two other people who have my combat record, Meetra Surik, who was forced into exile, and Revan himself, who is now trying to destroy us all. If we go back further, I have a record of defending this very planet from the Mandalorians and Krath, I fought wars before you were even an Admiral, Supreme Commander.”
“I have scores of officers, many of whom served beneath you in the Mandalorian Wars and learnt from your mistakes,” Tao-ni continued. “Why should I not promote one of them instead?”
“Because the Special Forces were shaped and trained by me in war,” Spike pointed out. “I know them better than anyone else alive, save maybe Cortez. Put them under another commander and they will do well. Leave them under my command, and they will do far better. Telos not withstanding, how much time did I buy you and the Republic fleets?”
“A lot,” Tao-ni admitted. “Listen, Spike, I understand your position, but you must understand mine. Telos was a disaster, someone has to take the fall for this, and I am afraid that as the commanding officer that will be you. I will not demote you, but I am taking command of the Special Forces away from you. They will be placed under the command of Colonel Cortez until a suitable General can be selected.”
“Tao-ni, you can’t…” Spike began.
“Supreme Commander, I am not your friend in this, I am your commanding officer,” Tao-ni cut him off. “The decision is final, General. I am sorry, truly. I can’t lose your experience either, I am reassigning you.”
“To where?” Spike folded his arms.
“Fireshot Fleet, the Sith threat is great enough that we need to mobilise every ship, even the outdated ones.”
“I thought the fleet there had been decommissioned after the Mandalorian Wars?” Spike asked in surprise.
“It was going to be, it was being kept for two years until the other fleets could be increased in size, this war put that plan on hold,” Tao-ni shook his head. “The fleet needs a commander, you know the ships and their base, and I can play it off as a lesser position in the eyes of the public. There are also ships there for you to take command of as your own until Harmony is repaired.”
“Fireshot Fleet then, great,” Spike rolled his eye. “I commanded the fleet before, I guess I can do so again. Shall I organise Harmony’s transfer to Fireshot?”
“I’ve already taken care of it,” Tao-ni shook his head, passing Spike a datapad. “These are the new security codes for the station and the fleet, everything is being recoded after Saul. Memorise them and delete them, I would not have any unverified eyes looking over them.”
Spike nodded, scanning the codes once before handing the datapad back to Tao-ni.
“That was quick,” the man noted. “You have three days shore leave, then you are to report to Fireshot and await further instructions, am I understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Spike nodded.
“I am not going to have any trouble with you in your new position?”
“None, sir.”
“You are dismissed then, general,” Tao-ni sighed, placing a hand on Spikes arm. “And again, I am sorry about this, old friend.”
“I understand your reasons, Tao-ni,” Spike nodded. “I’ll lead the Fireshot Fleet, and Cortez, he’ll do fine by the Special Forces.”
With that, Spike turned and walked out of the room, his shoulders slumped slightly. He had expected some repercussions for Telos, but to have the Special Forces taken away from him, it was something he had never considered. He quickly caught sight of Katara, straightening up as his padawan approached him.
“We’re being reassigned, Fireshot Fleet again. Cortez is taking command of the Special Forces, we move for Fireshot in three days.”
“Yes, master,” Katara nodded. “What shall we do for the rest of the day?”
“Take the day off,” Spike smiled. “I’ve got time at the temple for once, there’s someone I need to see.”
***
Spike sighed as he approached Solaris’s chambers. He could already sense that something dark was sitting on the room, the magic within was sluggish, not as vibrant as it should have been, or as vibrant as it had been the last time Spike had seen his old master. Spike had always feared that a day like this would come, and he steeled himself for the worst as he knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Solaris called from the other side of the door, her voice sounding weak.
Pushing the door open, Spike quickly saw Solaris in her bed, a medical droid beside her. Her hair was now completely grey, wrinkles covering most of her face. If she had been old the last time Spike had seen her, she was approaching ancient now.
“Spike, it’s good to see you,” Solaris beamed, moving to sit up, before a coughing fit forced her to lie still. “Sorry, I’m not as young as I used to be.”
“It’s fine, Solaris, just lie still,” Spike smiled sadly, sitting down beside Solaris as her situation became known to him. “How bad is it?”
“Fatal,” Solaris didn’t sound phased by the word. “Old age catches up to us all, Spike. I could get cybernetics and stay in the fight, but truth be told the fight left me behind long ago. I’m a relic now, a tired one at that. It’s been nice having some bed rest over the past few months.”
“Solaris, I’m…sorry,” Spike sighed.
“About what?” Solaris laughed weakly. “That you couldn’t stop death itself? I don’t think there’s any shame in that. But enough of this morbidness, I want to hear about you. I am sorry I couldn’t visit you in prison, but I heard you got out and took the fight to that bastard Revan.”
“You always knew how to turn a phrase, Solaris,” Spike laughed in spite of himself.
“A trait I know you’ve picked up. Between me and the army, I reckon you swear like a proper soldier now.”
“I do my best.”
“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?” Solaris asked suddenly. “You seem dejected. What happened?”
“Just a…err, bad campaign, a bad battle,” Spike shrugged. “We lost an awful lot, mostly civilians. The council didn’t directly blame me, but I got reassigned away from the Special Forces. From the cutting edge to the blunt end.”
“And I know you’ll make that blunt end mean something,” Solaris assured him, before breaking into a coughing fit. When she finally stopped she lay her head back on the bed, looking even weaker than before.
“I’m glad came to see me, Spike,” she smiled weakly. “I’m not long for this world, and there’s something that always bothered me. Who were you speaking to all those times you were alone?”
“Oh her?” Spike laughed. “I would dearly love to show you, but I can’t. I’ll tell you about her. Her name is Moonstone, she…”
“Excuse me, Spike,” Moonstone interrupted, standing beside Solaris and smiling. “I’d like to introduce myself, even if you’ll be doing the speaking. Just say what I say please?”
“Spike? What’s wrong?” Solaris asked, looking around slowly, passing right by Moonstone.
“Moonstone would like to introduce herself, she’s asked to speak through me,” Spike rolled his eye.
“Well, let’s hear from this Moonstone then,” Solaris smiled.
Spike listened as Moonstone talked, keeping a few words behind her as he relayed her message to Solaris.
“My name is Moonstone, Solaris, and I must say it is a pleasure to finally have a chance to speak to you, even if it is only in this manner. I am part of Spike, a part of his magic if you will, I help him when he’s at his lowest, and keep him at his highest where I can. I have been with him for longer than anyone, but you are the first person not of Spikes own mind that I have spoken to.”
“I am honoured then,” Solaris smiled, before frowning. “Spike, don’t answer, this is Moonstone, if she can hear me.”
“She can,” Spike nodded. “She hears what I hear, but she can’t talk to anyone but me.”
“I won’t pretend to understand it, but I want to know; what did you mean that I was the first person not of Spikes mind you’ve spoken to?”
For a long time Moonstone remained silent, contemplating her answer before finally opening her mouth, Spike once again relaying the message.
“There was another, Desolation. He was part of Spike’s mind, his anger, rage, blind power. During the final attack on Duxn he made a bid to take over Spike’s mind, he only failed because Spike clawed out his own brain.”
“So that why you did that,” Solaris murmured. “Spike, if this Desolation could take over your mind, could this Moonstone do the same?”
“She would never do that,” Spike shook his head.
“I would never do that,” Moonstone affirmed at the same time.
“But are you sure?” Solaris insisted, coughing softly. “I don’t want to see you taken advantage of, Spike.”
“She’s been with me since my trials on Illum decades ago, Desolation was with me for a fraction of that time. If she was going to make an attempt, she would have done so already,” Spike assured Solaris.
“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence,” Moonstone muttered dryly.
“Your welcome,” Spike smirked at her, before Solaris let out a wheezing laugh.
“I always said that I’d never get used to you doing that, now…now I have proof.”
“Lie still, master,” Spike put his hand gently on her shoulder. “Save your strength.”
“Bah, to hell with saving my strength,” Solaris shook her head. “I got to see you again, I spoke to your broken up mind, I’d say today’s been a good day. And knock that ‘master’ shit. You’re a master now, got your own padawan. You’re better than I ever was, Spike.”
“No I’m not,” Spike shook his head with a smile.
“You’re right, no one’s as good as me,” Solaris laughed, before sighing contentedly. “I’ve lived a good life, Spike. A long one too. I’ve helped a lot of people out of tough scraps, and there’s not one second I regret, because all of my choices got me here, and to me that’s worth it. It’s my final lesson, Spike. One I know you’ll struggle with, but I want you to try, for me. When your time comes, remember that even the darkest days break, even the blackest night ends, and gives way to the dawn, brighter than any before it.”
“I’ll do my best,” Spike bowed his head reverently, before feeling Solaris grasping his hand.
“This is it, Spike, the moment I’ve been holding on for. I’ve got to leave you now, but know that I am proud to have known you, and to have called you my padawan, and my friend.”
“And I you, Solaris,” Spike smiled, forcing himself to put on a brave face. “I want you to know I’m grateful for everything you’ve taught me. You made me the dragon I am today.”
“Thank you,” Solaris whispered, before her eyes slowly closed, and her hand went limp.
Spike held the appendage for a few moments, before slowly standing up and placing it on her chest, making sure her eye lids were completely shut, making his old master look at peace. It was the work of moments for him to sense her departure from the mortal plane, both her feeling in the force and her magical ties were gone now.
Straightening up, Spike raised his head to the ceiling and roared. It was not full of rage or anger, or even dominated by sorrow, it was a mark of passing for a warrior and a friend. The sound lasted for almost a minute, Spike allowing his emotions to fuel his cry, before finally he stopped, crouching down next to Solaris smiling.
“You’ve earned this rest, master. Enjoy it, for both of us.”