Last warning: Despite all my warnings about there being Anakin bashing in the story, I got a review that said he or she didn't like the Anakin bashing. I don't mind bad review, well actually I don't really like them, but it's your freedom to give them, but I said there would be Anakin bashing, so no bad review about that, if I get anymore, I will delete them. Anyways I do like review, so keep them coming.

Also, I decided to split this part of the story into two parts

(Hayden Panettiere as…well Hayden)

Dark Lords

Chapter 13: Long Way Back

Spike waits in line to board a commercial transport. He was wearing his regular cloths, in which he hadn't worn sense joining the commando squad. His armor was in his duffel bag he was carrying.

It had been a day and half since his last mission and it was another success. They found and destroyed the enemy cell. Plus, not only did he not get separated this time, he also earned an accommodation for his heroics. On their way out, the squad got pinned down, and probably wouldn't have made it out alive if it wasn't for Spike.

It was Spike turn to go to the ticket corner, which was being run by a droid. Spike walks up and gives his ticket and also shows his Republic I.D. The transport doesn't allow anyone to carry weapons onboard except for Republic officials. Spike was part of the Republic army, so he was allowed; he just had to show his I.D.

The droid takes the I.D. and ticket and puts them both threw the scanner. Scanning the ticket confirmed his seat and destination. Scanning the I.D. confirmed he was with the Republic military.

"Will you be carrying any weapons with you?" The droid asked as it hands back the I.D. and ticket. Spike was allowed to carry, but they still needed to know what he was carrying.

Spike opens his duster and reveals a blaster rifle and after says "I also have a vibro blade and wrist blades in my bag…oh yeah, and a pair of light saber blades" Spike then puts his bag on the baggage scanner, as the bag runs threw, it confirms what Spike said

The droid then asked Spike to step threw the weapons scan. Spike does and it confirms only one weapon on Spike.

"You may board now" The droid tells him

Spike grabs his bag and heads towards the passenger ship.

As he boards, Spike thinks back to what happen after the mission. Spike expressed concerns about this force stealing powers to his commander. The commander told him that he needs to seek out the advice of the Jedi and learn if this ability will be an asset or a danger. Spike knew right away who to get advice from and he booked the first ship back to Datoonie.

Once on the ship, he looks around at all the passengers already on, not just from this planet, but from others planets as well, the ship was making multiple stops. Datoonie wasn't it last, but luckily for Spike it was its next.

This ship wasn't anything like the transport he, Xander, Padme, and Anakin took months ago, it was a lot nicer. This one was more like a commercial airliner back home, it even had window seats, however, Spike had an aisle seat.

Spike puts his bag in the over head compartment and sits down. He then looks at all the different aliens that are here. It didn't feel weird or odd to him. Back on earth, he usually goes to hangouts where there would be all different types of demons. This wasn't all that different.

"Come on, keep going, I wanna get to the dining room before all the good food is taken" said an old male voice from behind Spike

Spike looks behind him to see an old balding man leading a young girl, who was probably fourteen or thirteen years old down the aisle. The young girl reminds Spike of Buffy, that she probably looked the same at that age.

As the young girl passes by Spike, she and Spike's eyes connect and for a moment, Spike could see into her soul and what he saw was someone who had the potential to shine but was being smothered by depression and despair. Probably being caused by the old man pushing her. As best he could guess, he was her dad.

After they left, Spike leans back in his seat and then remembers what the old guy said, there apparently is a dinning room on this ship, and even though he didn't eat, maybe they would have some sort of beer or other alcoholic beverage, he could really go for something in that area.

Later, after the ship took off and when into hyper space, Spike was sitting in the dinning room, enjoying his drink. This transport was definitely a lot better then the other one; this dinning room had better food along with nicer tables and more comfortable seats. Spike was currently drinking an ale that was more delicious then any other alcoholic beverage he had before.

Spike finishes his ale and decides to go buy another. As he stands up and turns around, he runs into the blonde girl he saw earlier. She was carrying a tray with food, but as the two collided, the tray gets knock over and the food spills. Some of it on the girl's shirt, some of it on Spike's shoes, and the rest on the floor

"Sorry" Spike said

The girl didn't respond back, she looked at the spill on her shirt and floor, and gave a frustrated "Oh" she then kneels down, and start picking up the stuff off the floor and putting it on the tray.

Spike kneels down and starts helping her pick up the mess. That is when the girl notices the blaster inside Spike's coat when it temporally swings open.

"I'm Hayden" The girl said

"Spike" Spike responded

They both pick up as much as they could before standing back up, Hayden had the tray.

"Was that your meal?" Spike asked

"Yeah" Hayden answered

"Sorry, let me buy you another" Spike said

Hayden didn't object and follows him to the food service droid. Once there, Spike told the droid about the mess on the floor, so someone could clean it up and then orders Hayden another meal and another ale for him.

As the two were walking back, or more like she was following Spike, Hayden asks "So, you're with the Republic?"

"What?...makes you think that?" Spike was a little shocked at the question. He wasn't exactly wearing anything that indicated he was

"Oh, well the blaster you're carrying" Hayden said "The only way you could bring one on board is…if you're with the Republic"

As they get to Spike's table, Spike says "How do you know I didn't sneak on board with it"

"Not likely, security is pretty good"

"No security is fool proof" Spike said as he sits back down

Hayden stood there and mutters "No, you're definitely with the Republic" She then takes the seat across from Spike

At first she was quite as if she was waiting for Spike to tell her to move, however Spike doesn't, he just looks at her funny.

Finally, Hayden speaks "So is Spike your code name or real name?"

"It's my real name" Spike simply answered

Hayden says with a nervous laugh "Oh, sorry, it just sounds like a code name, I mean no offence by that"

Spike realizes that he was still giving her the same funny express and it was making her nervous. He figures it wouldn't hurt to have someone to speak to. His express softens as he says "Spike wasn't the name I was born with, I just change it to Spike later on"

Hayden felt as if she got the okay to sit with him and wasn't nervous anymore "What was your name before?"

"I don't think so, that's a part of my life I would like to forget, so I don't wanna go spreading it around"

"I could understand wanting to forget" Hayden starts poking at her food "Perhaps I should change my name" Suddenly her face becomes red with embarrassment as she realizes she said the last part out loud.

Spike feels sorry for the young girl. For her to say that, she must have a pretty bad life. Spike takes a big gulp of his ale. As he does, he notices Hayden get an uneasy feeling at the sight of him drinking his ale. Spike puts his drink back down and catches sight of her father. He was at a table at the far end of the room. His head was on the table with several bottles in front of him. He probably drank so much he passed out. This explained a lot and Spike decides not to drink in front of her.

Hayden notices Spike looking pass her and she knew who he was looking at "Yeah, that's my father"

Spike doesn't respond, he just stops looking at him and looks at her.

Hayden continues "We're on our way to Onderon…my father got a job as a mechanic there…in Iziz, which is the capital of Onderon, so it should be…interesting, I guess"

"You don't seem too happy about it"

"Well, I kind of don't wanna live on Onderon"

"May I ask about your mother, is she with you?"

Hayden starts poking at her food again and doesn't look at Spike "No, my mom isn't…she doesn't want…uh, she didn't come because…" She couldn't quite get the words all the way out

Spike could see this was a subject that made her uncomfortable "You don't have to talk about her"

Hayden returns a small smile and a nod. She eats a bit of her food and after asks "So, are you fighting in the war?"

"Yep" Spike answered

"So what do you do?"

"I'm not allowed to talk about it"

"Oh, that line of work…well, I would like to be a pilot and I'm hoping to get into the Republic Flight Academy"

"A pilot you say, are you any good?"

Hayden's face brightens "Am I any good, let's just say if you saw me fly, you would say 'that's the best piloting I've ever seen!' In fact I'm thinking of early admission. I have high marks in school, and I don't think I would have any problems with the entrance test. However, being that I'm younger then most applicants, I could use some help getting my application threw"

Spike knew where this was going "Sorry, I don't know anyone in that area, and I couldn't help you either"

"Oh" The Brightness on her face disappeared with disappointment

Spike felt bad for her; then he did think of someone who could help her "Well, maybe there is someone who could help"

Hayden's face brightens up again "Really?"

"Yeah, she's a senator"

Spike was interrupted someone yelling "Hayden!!"

Spike looks up to see her father storming over to the table "Hayden! What are you doing?"

Hayden doesn't look at him; she cringes and says "I'm just talking with…"

"With a stranger! What have I told you about that!"

Hayden was red with embarrassment and still didn't look at him as she says "Father, he's with the Republic"

"I don't care if he's the chancellor himself!" her father yelled "I want to know what he's doing with my daughter!"

"We're just talking, father"

"That's what he wants you to think! But he's has other things on his mind!"

Spike didn't like what this guy was implying. He would threaten to kick his ass if he didn't shut up, but he didn't want to threaten violence in front of Hayden. Instead, he calmly says "Sir, I assure you, we were just talking and nothing else"

"Wait a minute, you're not a jedi, are you?"

"No"

"Good" the father said "because I hate jedi's, their the ones who started the war"

"I believe it was a sith" Spike corrected him

"Sith, jedi, their all the same"

On the bridge, the captain orders the ship to come out of hyperspace. They had to stop at a Republic check point before heading on.

After they came out of hyperspace, the passenger ship sent a communication that they were ready to be scanned as to show they weren't carrying anything illegal.

"Sir, we haven't gotten a response" the Com. Officer said

"Captain, two fighters have launched from the station" the helmsman said

"Don't worry, those fighters are just going to make a pass by and scan us" The captain said

"Captain, I'm picking up something strange" The lieutenant said as he was checking a scan of the area "I think its debris"

"What?" the captain said in disbelief

"Sir, those aren't Republic fighters" the helmsman said with fear

"Oh, no" The captain and the rest of the crew saw that those were CIS fighters "Quickly, get us back into hyperspace!"

"Sir, the hyperspace engines aren't working!" The helmsmen said

"Why aren't they?"

"They just aren't!"

"Send out a distress signal!" The captain ordered to the Com. Officer

"No, good, their jamming us!" The Com. Officer replied

Back in the dinning room, Spike was now standing in front of the Hayden's father as the father continues to rant and embarrass himself "And they run around like they own the galaxy, taking what they want, doing what they want! The jedi are a problem in this galaxy, a problem in which we're all suffering from!"

Spike couldn't take it anymore, he finally erupts and yells at the father louder then he was getting "YEAH! Well, you know what else is a problem, parents like YOU!!"

"Like me?!" the father was completely taken back

"That right, like YOU!" Spike was stand in front of him, yelling directly in his face "You're completely oblivious to how your alcoholic problem, as well as I'm betting drugs and other things, are destroying your daughter! In fact, I'm amazed how she's been able to keep herself together as well as she has, but you know what that shows, that shows a strong will, something she obviously didn't get from you, a weak and pathetic man, who doesn't realize what a special daughter he has!! Everyone, including me, would by luckily to have a daughter like her and here you are destroying her soul slowly!!"

Hayden was now standing and looking at Spike with shock and amazement. She never had anyone stick up for her and she was slowly forming a smile on her face.

Suddenly the father felt ten feet smaller and Spike looked ten feet larger. He was shaking and was barely able to say "Oh…oh yeah"

It looks as if Spike was looming over him and says back, his voice filled with venom "Yeah!"

Just then the whole ship rocks from several impacts hitting the outer hall, Spike knew right away it was blaster fire.

The father, however, didn't know what it was "What the hell was that?! What the hell is going on?!"

Hayden answers "We're under attack!"

"By who, pirates?!" The father said

As if to answer his question, the Captain speaks over the inner com. system "This is the captain speaking, I would like to inform all of you that we are about to be boarded by Separatist droids, please do not get in their way, and let them take whatever they want and hopefully no one will get hurt and they will let us go on our way…that is all"

"He sounded so calm about it" Spike said sarcastically

"Separatist!! What could they want with us?!" the father screamed

At the same time, it clicks both in Hayden's and Spike's head. Hayden looks in Spike direction and sees an empty space; Spike is nowhere to be seen.

On the bridge, the captain had the generally same idea "Lieutenant, I want you to delete the passenger roster"

"Are you sure?" The Lieutenant asked

"Yes, now do it!" The captain ordered

As the Separatist's transport docks and doors open, a man, who was very built, pale skin, blood red hair, yellow eyes, and was wearing nothing but black, walks down being followed by a large number of assault droids. The man wasn't a very happy man, in fact, he was a very pissed off sith named Malice

"You eight" Malice points to a group of assault droids "find all the passengers and any security guards and secure them in the cargo bay"

"Roger, Roger" the lead of the eight said

"The rest of you, follow me to the bridge"

All the passengers were forced to go to the cargo bay. All the way to the cargo bay, Hayden was looking around for Spike. On the bridge, the crew watches with fear as the doors open and Malice walks in with six fully armed assault droids following him and then they securing the bridge.

Malice walks up to the captain and says menacingly "You have information that I want"

Back in the cargo bay, Hayden's father was getting worked up "What the hell is going on?! We're just a transport, what do they want with us?!"

"Father, calm down" Hayden said

"Don't tell me to calm down!! I want to know why their here! Wait a minute this has something to do with that Republic officer!" The father was able to put two and two together and then decided on what to do next "You, Separatist Droid!" He calls out to one of the assault droids guarding the place and walks up to it

Hayden realizes what her father was going to do and tries to stop him by grabbing him and pulling him away "Father, no!" however he was too strong and ends up pulling her along with him

Her father ignores her and says to the droid "You're here for that Republic officer, well I've seen him and can help you find him, for a price"

"Please, father, don't do this"

"Shut up, Hayden, I'm the parent and I know what's best!"

On the bridge, Darth Malice was trying to force choke the info out of the captain "You will tell me what I want to know!"

Even though the captain faces death, he would not speak.

However, the Lieutenant couldn't take watching his friend getting the life choked out of him and spoke up "Look, there's nothing we can really tell you beyond what you already know! Yes, there's a Republic officer on board, but we don't know what he looks like!"

"Then I have no use for him anymore" Malice said and tightens his force choke hold on the captain which slowly starts to choke the life out of him

However the captain lucks out when an assault droid communicates from the cargo bay "Sir, we have someone who's will to help identify the Republic officer your looking for"

Malice let the captain go and says back "Bring him outside the cargo bay, I will meet him there" he then turns and leaves the bridge

Outside of the cargo bay, Hayden and her father stood with two armed droids, the father was currently yelling at the droids "Now understand that I'm not telling you anything until I get a guarantee that my daughter and I will not be harmed!"

"Father, please don't do this!" Hayden pleaded with him

Her father grabs her tightly by the arm and says with a strict voice "Hayden, you will shut up now! I'm the father and I know best!"

"NO!" Hayden responded and did something she wouldn't normally do, she kicks her father's leg and he lets go of her and grabs his hurt leg. Hayden then ran for it.

"Stop her!" One of the Assault Droids said and they both aim their weapons at her.

"No!!" the father said and did something that no one would have ever thought he would have done, he threw himself in front of the blasters as the droids fired, the father took the both shots at close range.

Hayden looks back in time to see her father drop to the floor dead. Shock fills her and, she covers her mouth to keep from scream, but nothing comes out, it was almost like what just happen hadn't completely hit her yet. She did, however, feel her legs get weak and the urge to run back to her father, but she knew that would be a bad idea and she needs to keep running. So she keeps running and turns the corner.

"Huh, should we go after her" the second assault droid asked

"Yes, you should go after her you useless pieces of metal!" Malice yelled as he was walking up behind them and then the assault droids gave pursuit "And I want her ALIVE!"

Hayden ran down the hallway and made another turn; she could hear the droids chasing after her. There were a number of doors and she decides to try one. Choosing the second one in her path, she lucks out because it wasn't locked. Enter the room, it turns out it was one of the crew's quarters.

Just then she heard one of the assault droids say "She went this way"

Hayden had to think fast, and decides on hiding in the closet. She opens the door to it, gets in, closes the door behind her and kneels down and hopes for the best as the droids enter the room.

"She's in here somewhere" One of the assault droids said

By the sound of the droids, she could tell they were closing in, but suddenly there was the sound of a blaster firing twice, follow by a familiar voice calling out "Hayden, you in here?"

"Spike!" Hayden said with hopeful surprise. She opens the door, then runs out and hugs him.

"Hey, it's gonna be alright" Spike said "But we need to keep moving"

Hayden lets go of him and Spike takes a quick peek outside to see if the coast is clear, once he sees that it is, he turns to tell Hayden to follow closely behind, but before he could say anything, he sees her eyes watering up with tears. At first he thought that she was having a hard time dealing with the situation they were in. He walks over to her, puts a comforting hand on her arm and says "Hey, we're going to make it threw this, okay"

Tears start rolling down her cheek "I know, I have faith in you, it's just that…that"

"What's wrong?"

"They shot my father" the weakness in her legs finally caught up to her and she fell to her knees in tears

Mixed emotions filled Spike; he didn't know what to say. One part of him wanted to say 'you're better off without him', but another part knew that was wrong because whatever has happen between them, that was still her father, so all together he felt bad for Hayden. Of course he also knew that they had to keep moving, so he kneels down in front of her and says "Look, I know it hurts right now, and it's going to hurt for a long time, but right now, I need you to be strong until we make it threw this safe and sound…okay?"

Hayden nods back and wipes away the tears.

Spike stands up and then helps her up.

"So, what's the plan?" Hayden asked

"Well, first I find a safe place for you to hide…"

Hayden cuts him off "No, I'm not hiding"

"Hayden, it would be safer for you"

"How, hiding alone, waiting for them to find me, and when they do, using me to get to you"

"Well it's safer then you coming with me and getting caught in the line of fire"

"I can help you" Hayden insisted

Spike sighs, he didn't have the luxury of arguing this with her "Alright…we need to get to the bridge and find out what's going on…you know; why the ship didn't hyper space out of here?"

Spike went to peak outside again and as he did, Hayden had an idea "I bet it's a gravity well generator"

Spike looks back at her with a confused look "A what?"

"It's a…wait shouldn't we keep moving, how long until they coming looking for their missing droids"

She was right, and the two of them quietly left the room.

As they were carefully walking down the corridor, Hayden made a suggestion "You know it would be safer to take the maintenance tubes"

"Tubes?" Spike didn't like the sound of that

"Yeah, we'll have to crawl threw them, but at least it will be safer" Hayden points to a spot on the lower wall "Look there's an accuses hatch to one"

Spike sighs, he didn't walk to go crawl threw any tubes or whatever, but she was right, it would be safer because it would decrease their chances of being caught. But he had to ask "Do you know your way around these, I wouldn't wanna get lost?"

"I can figure it out" Hayden answered as she opens the hatch

Darth Malice looks down at the dead body of the man who was going to tell him about the Republic officer he was looking for. Well he wasn't going to tell him anything now, but the young girl that ran for it might prove some use to him, for some reason she seemed very unhappy about the man helping to find the officer.

The captain and his crew were being confined on the bridge under guard; there were four guards on the bridge and two on the other side of doors.

The captain was really scared that once they find this officer they are looking for they will just destroy the ship.

Suddenly there's the sound of two shots of blaster fire on the other side of the doors.

"What happen?" One of the assault droids said

"I think that was blaster fire" Another droid said

The Helmsman rolls his eyes 'They couldn't be that stupid' he thinks and then says "Here an idea, maybe you should check"

The third Assault droid says "Who's going to check?"

The second assault droid says "Not me"

"Ah, I guess I'll go" the first one said, and then walks to the doors

The helmsman thinks about how they could just call on their communicators to droids on the other side, it would be a safer route to go. Of course, he thinks it, doesn't say it.

The first droid walks out to see the two assault droids on the ground, destroyed and no one else.

The droid takes a few steps to look around and that's when Spike drops from the ceiling behind the droid and blast it.

It was then that the bridge crew took the opportunity to attack the other droids. The Captain and Lieutenant tackles the third one that was near them and the helmsman and communication officer go after the forth. Spike turns around and blasts the second one before it could blast him. The crew finishes off the droids they were attacking.

With things clear, Hayden comes from her hiding spot and goes near Spike.

"I take it you're the Republic officer we have on board" The Captain said

"You would be right" Spike replied "Now would anybody care to tell me why you didn't jump into hyperspace at the first sign of Confederates"

"I think they have a gravity well generator on board" the Lieutenant answered

"Ha" Hayden said with pride "I knew it"

"Okay, then what's this gravity generator thing, and how does it keep us from leaving" Spike asked

"Basically, it generator that creates a gravity field that keeps any ships in the area from jumping into hyperspace" Hayden answered

"Alright, then have we sent out a distress signal" Spike asked

"No, there jamming us" The Captain answered

Spike sighs "Great, so any ideas how to get out of this with our skins intact"

Hayden raises her hand "Uh, I have an idea"

TBC