One Shall Fall
When the scream finally faded, nothing was left standing within a five meter radius, the deck scorched, the control screens that had been nearby destroyed, and the unfortunates who had been too close to the duel had been utterly vaporised, not even a red mist remaining to mark their existence. Even the viewports of the bridge had been cracked, the emergency shutters sliding into place with a loud crunch of broken armour-glass.
Though the scream may have faded, Spike was far from quiet, his howls and sobs echoing around the bridge as Seugtai approached, resting a hand upon Spike’s back. No words were said, but the meaning was clear. They couldn’t stay here, the whole ship would know about this duel, and even now who knows how many soldiers would be converging here, or from the rest of the fleet. They had to leave, Spike wordlessly standing, still carrying the cold and lifeless body of Tarhal as the pair set off at a run, Moonstone grabbing up both Spike’s and Tarhal’s lightsabers with a flick of her mind, the weapons floating along beside her as she galloped to keep up.
“This way” Seugtai ordered, Spike following wordlessly as the Mandalorian punched in an access code, a turbolift appearing shortly afterwards, the trio stepping inside, allowing the lift to shoot downwards.
“They’ll be waiting for us, you know that right?” Moonstone asked, looking at Seugtai.
“They will be,” the Mandalorian nodded. “But word will have started to spread of…that,” he looked at Tarhal’s corpse before continuing, “and the Sith are nothing if not ambitious. The power struggle will have already begun, apprentices and masters, lords and acolytes, all will be vying for control now, no one will care too much about the three of us, not when Tarhal’s position as master of this fleet is up for grabs.”
“So we’re relying on the Sith’s power struggle to let us out of here? Joy,” Moonstone’s voice was a deadpan monotone, Seugtai unable to keep himself from smirking as he checked the power pack on his Ripper.
“Come now, little pony,” he smirked. “Don’t be scared, there’ll still be plenty here for us to fight through. Unless you’re scared of course?”
“Scared?” Moonstone looked taken aback by the insinuation, before looking at Spike. “Mind if I use Elusive?”
Spike didn’t speak, nodding once as he grabbed Tarhal’s Lightsaber, Moonstone allowing it to slip from her grasp.
“A hundred credits says I reach the ship before you,” she smirked.
“No teleporting, and you’re on,” Seugtai smirked back, twirling his axe as the lift slid to a halt.
Elusive burst into life at a command from Moonstone, the Lightsaber hovering just beside the pony. This was the first time she had ever wielded a weapon, and though she disliked the feeling it gave her, she also knew it would be something Spike could focus on, keeping his mind at least partially from his recent actions, and to do that, she would pay any price.
The doors opened and both pony and Mandalorian shot forward, a trio of Sith squads spread throughout the hanger turning to face them, blasters coming up in well drilled precision. Moonstone surrounded herself with magic as she charged forward, not needing the protecting but succeeding in drawing some of the fire, while Seugtai forced to duck into cover, blaster bolts hammering the side of the transport ship he now sheltered behind, making occasional pot-shots at the Sith to force them into cover as well.
The intensity of the fire was immense on both of them, but then suddenly, it shifted, Seugtai looking around to see Spike exiting the lift, his eyes aflame, Tarhal’s corpse still cradled in one arm, while the red blade of the Sith Lords Lightsaber bathed the dragon in crimson light. If rage had a personification, Seugtai witnessed it now as Spike sprang forward, cutting down three Sith troopers in the blink of an eye, before the Lightsaber went dark, Spike dropping it to the floor as he raised his hand.
Moonstone flared brightly, her fur glowing before she disappeared, the glow transitioning to Spike’s eyes as around him, every Sith in the hanger bay was lifted from the floor, struggling as their weapons were torn from their grasp, fingers snapping as they failed to pull them free of the trigger guards.
Spike’s eyes were still glowing as he clenched his fist, an air of finality preceding the floating Sith being dragged into a single point, a dozen armoured warriors letting out screams as they were forced into the same space as their fellows, their armour buckling as blood erupted around the now perfectly spherical ball of silver that floated above Spike.
“Magnetize,” Spike growled, the talons on his feet digging into the metal as he spoke. Seugtai has the barest of instants to mah-lock himself to the deck, before Spike swung his arm around, hurling the sphere through the air towards the outer hull.
Normally, the hull would have held against such an object, but Spike would not be denied, punching a hole through the ship, the hanger instantly becoming a wind tunnel as the atmosphere began to explosively vent.
Warning sirens went haywire as the entrance doors to the hanger slammed shut, stopping the approaching Sith from entering, leaving Spike and Seugtai alone.
Spike’s eyes stopped glowing as the wind began to die down, Moonstone appearing once more, panting as if she had been as taken aback by the dragon’s actions as Seugtai had been. Wordlessly, Spike turned and walked towards the waiting form of Harmony, Moonstone following him, with Seugtai pausing only to close the hatch behind them.
With a hiss, the airlock cycled, equalising the non-pressure with the pressurised ship’s interior. As soon as the red light switched green, Seugtai sprang forward, Moonstone close behind him, the pair heading for the bridge, Spike walking the other way, heading towards the crew quarters.
In a few moments, Seugtai had punched in the command codes of the ship, the engines firing as the ship ploughed forward, shooting through the gap where integrity fields had once been, sending the ship into a steep dive as soon as they were free.
As few cursory shots followed them, but they were clearly not the priority as all across the fleet, hundreds of shots were traded between the largest ships, all the captains now vying for supremacy in the way of the Sith. Whoever held their nerve the longest would regain control of this armada, and Seugtai did not want to be around when that happened and they turned their attention on Harmony once more.
“The interdiction fields of those capital ships is still blocking us,” Moonstone called, darting between consoles.
“They have short range,” Seugtai called back. “As long as they’re occupied with each other, we should be able to get out of range in fifty-six minutes.”
“And if they come after us before then?” Moonstone asked.
“Pray to whatever it is you hold dear, else this is going to be the worlds shortest escape attempt.”
Just as he finished speaking, an alarm sounded, Seugtai scowling as the ships computer began to speak.
Warning. Warning. Warning. Cargo bay doors opening. Cargo bay depressurisation imminent. All non-eva suited crew vacate the cargo bay immediately. Repeat. Cargo bay doors opening. Cargo bay depressurisation imminent. All non-eva suited crew vacate the cargo bay immediately.
“What’s that bastard doing now,” Seugtai snarled, before Moonstone once more disappeared, Spike’s voice cutting over the intercom, drowning out the repeating message.”
“Keep heading out of range. I’ll take the generators offline.”
“Spike, that’s suicide!” Seugtai roared, but to no avail, the ship letting out a soft ‘thump’ as the cargo bay doors slid open, the air inside rushing out in an instant. Scanners immediately went wild as the air pressure in the void suddenly changed dramatically before fading once more, leaving only a single blip left on the scanner.
“You’re insane,” Seugtai muttered, keeping the ships heading steady, maintaining a sensor lock on Spike as he drew further and further away.
***
Spike hung soundlessly in the void, the cold of absolute nothingness permeating his scales, the moisture on them instantly turning into flecks of ice. He could stay like this for hours, floating all but undetected in deep space, only those who knew exactly what to look for having any hope of finding him. He could stay here and no one would know, no one would miss…
Not that I like being dragged back Moonstone’s voice cut into Spike’s thoughts, but if we have a plan, can we get on with it please? I would rather we were both back on the ship and far away from here.
“As you wish,” Spike’s mouth moved wordlessly as he spoke, no sound escaping from it, but Moonstone heard it nonetheless.
In an instant, the full extent of the plan passed between the pair, Moonstone agreeing without hesitation as she opened up Spike’s fullest reserves of magic, focusing them as with another soundless roar, Spike’s body exploded outwards, growing to his full size in an instant. With a magically assisted beat of his wings, Spike shot forward, powering back towards the fleet they barely just escaped from.
In any normal situation, Spike would have been committing suicide and had he been thinking clearly, Spike never would have attempted such a reckless act, even with Harmony in direct support, let alone with his ship powering away, the distance growing with every passing moment.
There was nothing normal about this situation, nothing sane about the galaxy at war. Nexu were down another member, the Republic burnt, Spike was an outlaw from the Jedi and his beloved Republic.
With a magic roar that cut through the impossibility of sound in space, Spike latched onto a passing Sith fighter, grabbing both the pursued and the pursuer in his rear talons, the sharp claws effortlessly crushing the engine housings, both detonating in miniature stars, Moonstone erecting a shield to protect him from the blast, drawing deep from the wells of his own emotion.
With another flick of his mind, a bomber wing was swatted from the void, their wings locking into terminal spins that saw them careen directly into their intended target, the small corvette exploding as the bomber’s payloads detonated spectacularly.
With the death of the larger vessel, some of the Sith ships seemed to take notice, turbolaser rounds sparking off in his direction, but with his reactions heightened, his magic strengthen by the raw power of the emotions that flowed through him, they may as well have been firing spikes through treacle.
Landing on the larger of the two interdictor ships, Spike raised a fist, magic surrounding his claws, elongating into a long, sharp spike, before he punched it downwards, ripping through the sensitive generator in an instant, those crew men inside screaming as they were claimed by the void.
Spike had never felt this close to Desolation before, not without succumbing to the power his darker side offered him. The memories brought back a spike of pain, Spike growling as he launched himself forward, spiking forward and…
SPIKE! Moonstone roared, her voice physically assaulting Spike as it lanced deep into his mind. Snap out of it, now!
“Moonstone? I…” Spike began.
I was calling you, you will answer me next time Moonstone snapped, Spike only just hearing the utter concentration in her voice…and the pain.
Looking down at himself, Spike could see his body was pockmarked with scorch marks from where a turbo laser cannon had breached Moonstone’s shields, robbed of much of its strength but powerful, nonetheless. His body ached, his mind suddenly ice cold as the full weight of how much Moonstone had been supporting his mad, thoughtless assault crashed into him.
“Moonstone, I…” Spike tried again.
Shut up she hissed, mentally wincing in a move that Spike felt punch straight through his soul. Shut up shut up shut up and just fly! We need to get out of here
Nodding, Spike pushed himself forward once more, watching as the two remaining interdictor vessels traded blows. One would survive, one would not, that much was obvious from the duel, and with that in mind, Spike angled towards the winning vessel. Few attempts to stop him impacted, Moonstone screaming in pain with each attempt, but she persevered, Spike remembering just how strong his magical companion was.
With a roar, Spike landed on the winning capital ship, his cry turning to fire as he belched forth flames hot enough to melt Neuranium, turning the hull around the generator to slag. The generator itself on such a vessel was heavily shielded, provided with more shielding than any other part of the ship, save the bridge, but the hull around it was not so lucky. With a grinding screech only audible as atmosphere seeped out of the ship, the generator detached, losing power almost the same instant the third and final interdictor ship, Tarhal’s old flagship, died.
“Harmony…Seugtai, jump now.”
Spike said the words even as he mentally transmitted them, twisting in the void and powering after his ship. With the last capital ship dead, the fight was fast ending, all other ships falling in line underneath the behemoth, presumably under threat of destruction. In a few moments, they would be able to coordinate a strike against him. Spike did not want to give them that chance.
In the far distance, a small speck of white light hyper-accelerated and disappeared, Harmony slipping from the battle sphere.
A moment later, Spike felt Moonstone merging with his consciousness fully, the two becoming one as he too felt the ripples of hyperspace streaking over his body, leaving the Sith far behind them.
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Good to see you back
Hey, you're back!
I sense something...I presence I haven't felt since...
Alright, I just read this chapter and realised it's been so long that I have no clue what's going on anymore. All I remember is Moonstone, Elusive, and vague bits of chapters. Well, gives me an excuse to re-read the story
Yesssss we’re back in action
Such an interesting story. I want Spike to get his happy ending, but at the same time I don't want this story to end. It has so much passion and tension. Every chapter feels important and is exciting to read. Keep up the fantastic work.
What does BBY stand for? How many chapters long will this story be?
10171371
BBY is a Star Wars term for "Before Battle of Yavin", which is when the first Death Star was destroyed in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. I have no clue why that's used for time measurement in the Star Wars universe, but it is.
Love it keep up the great work
Awesomeness! It's back! I've missed this so much! :D
10171278
You're lucky. The only thing I remember is Spike is a disgraced Jedi that can changed size and wants to get back to Equestria.
I was just sitting here thinking "when the hell did a gender bent Rarity get here? Who the hell is Moonstone? Did a pony get teleported from Equestria as well? Wait, what did Spike just do? Didn't he lose all he limbs as well?"
Well, excuse me while I join you at the start of the fic.
it's alive!!!
10172064
I'm with you as well. All I remember is thinking Spike REALLY needs to find someplace to re-center himself instead of reacting to everything going on around him. Preferably that someplace is Equestria because he could use some friends and peace.
Knowing his luck, though, he will return right in the middle of Tirek's attack at the end of season 4 or the end of season 9
10171278
10172064
10172127
I am very sorry about the long hiatus on this one, if it would help I could put together a summary of events up to this point, names and places etc?
What is this sensation.... this sensation of emotion... this overwhelming sadness that reverberates throught the Force...
10172146
I'm halfway through rereading it and it honestly is nice to reread this again, but maybe brief section for context wouldn't go amiss. I'd avoid spoilers because I'm honestly reveling in a small amount of nostalgia, but even if it would just sum up what we need to know in a blog post or something would be cool. The basics at least.
10172663
Will work on something like that then for sure
Man I'm gonna have to reread stuff I cant remember what happened
I was beginning to think you ran out of steam.
10183054
You are certainly not entierly wrong XD
How do you pronounce Seugtai?
10215462
Ss-U-ga-tie
There's a welcome presence in the Force
Love it as always keen for more!
I'm happy to see this being updated again
10218071
Hi, I'm new to this story and I'm at "The apprentice tournament"
Good story so far
I'm curious though what is the nearest chapter that talks about Equestria? Twilights POV
Have you read the book Star Wars The Old Republic: Revan? and are you going to touch up on the story it reveals or mix it into the current timeline?
If you haven't read it, I would recommend it post haste.
10171434
Most Galactic Calendars usually conform to a particular significant or historic event that happens. The Battle of Yavin was only one such event, and before that there was markers for The Ruusan Reformation, The Star Forge Incident, The Hundred-Year Darkness, and very-likely the Tho-Yor Arrival around 36,000 years before the events of A New Hope.