Into a Galaxy at War (Bounty Hunter Edition)

Chapters

Into the Galaxy
The First Bounty
Meeting Nem'ro
Dealing with Traitors
Hunting a Hunter
Off to Dromund Kaas
The Black Talon
Joining the Great Hunt (Part 3)
The Hunt Begins
Balmorra's Target
Broadening Horizons
Joining the Great Hunt (Part 2)
Joining the Great Hunt (Part 1)

Into the Galaxy

Spike was skateboarding home from school, another long eight hours sitting on a hard plastic chair talking about pig farms and the wonders of methane. When his phone rang, he saw a text from his mom that said, "Hey honey, can you stop at the convenience store and pick up some milk?"

Spike sighed, "Figures I'm the one who has to pick it up while I'm heading home from school." He texted his mom back saying he'd get the milk.

Shortly afterward, he got another text that said, "Dear sir or ma'am, your NRG System has arrived at our store. Please pick it up at your earliest convenience."

Spike smiled, "Sweet, the NRG system I preordered is here! Once I get the milk I've got to go pick it up!" he skateboarded to the convenience store and got the milk before heading over to the game store, seeing his friends, Thorax, Gabby, and Starlight Glimmer there too. He waved to them, "Hey guys, you got the NRG too?"

Thorax nodded, "Yeah, I got SWTOR bundled with it."

Starlight smiled, "What a coincidence, that's the same bundle I got!"

"Same as me! What about you Spike?" Gabby asked

Spike nodded, "Yep, it looks like once we get off the starting planet, we can join a guild together. I'm going Bounty Hunter."

As Spike and his friends split up on their way home, Spike went into his house and said, "Mom, I've got the milk!" before putting it on the kitchen table and heading to his room.

As Twilight Velvet called out, "Thanks honey, how was-" before noticing Spike was gone, "-school? He's got another video game hasn't he?"

Spike's sister nodded, "Probably, that's the only reason he ever skips dinner is to play a new game. I think I heard him on the phone with the game store to preorder something called the NRG Virtual Reality system."

Night Light sighed, "I don't understand why kids today need to spend their lives in front of a TV or computer. When I was your age-"

Twilight sighed as her father rambled on, just trying to focus on reading the book she chose for her book report at school, Princes and Pirates.

As Spike started his game, he put the VR helmet on and was introduced to the game by a computerized voice that said, "Thank you for purchasing the NRG Virtual Reality System. You have chosen Star Wars the Old Republic as your game. Entering character creation... Please choose your class, species, and gender."

Spike spoke, "Class: Bounty Hunter. Species: Chiss. Gender: Male"

As Spike made his character, he felt a strange surge go down his spine, and the computerized voice said, "If you have felt a strange feeling going down your spine, it means you have been successfully linked with the game. This link cannot be removed until the game is beaten. Please enjoy your game."

Spike's eyes widened, and as he felt himself fading into unconsciousness, he quickly wrote a note explaining his predicament. As he finished the note, he fell to the ground, out cold.

At the dinner table, Twilight Velvet kept yelling, "Spike! Pause that game and come down for dinner!"

To stop her mother's yelling, Twilight said, "I'll go get him, he probably has the volume on his headset so loud he can't hear you." As she walked up to Spike's room, she screamed when she saw him lying on the floor, running over to him and shaking him, "Spike! Spike! Spike, wake up!" she saw his note, and here eye twitched, before screaming so loud that downstairs, her father's glasses cracked.

Night Light and Twilight Velvet ran up to their son's room and when they were shown Spike's note, Twilight Velvet burst into tears while Night Light looked at the box of the NRG VR System and said, "Seems like they scammed Spike and anyone else who bought this system. They put disclaimers about this, but it's so tiny you can barely read it." holding a magnifying glass up to the text and reading it, "The NRG Virtual Reality System's VR headset cannot be removed until after the main story of the selected game has been completed."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes widened, "Are you saying Spike's stuck in there until he beats the game!?"

Night Light nodded, "That's exactly what I'm saying, and because of this disclaimer, we can't sue the company on reckless endangerment charges."

Twilight Velvet wiped her tears, and asked, "Is there a way we can see how Spike is doing?"

Night Light took a look at the owner's manual and said, "Looks like there's a hookup that'll let us." before hooking the wire from the VR headset to the TV and pressing a button on the remote, allowing them to see what Spike was seeing.

Spike was in the opening Bounty Hunter cutscene where he meets Mako, Braden, and Jory. Brayden introduced Spike, "Team, this is the man we're pinning all our hopes on. Best shot I've ever seen and nerves of steel. He's Great Hunt material. What do you say, hunter, ready to meet your team?"

Spike smiled underneath his mouth guard, "My team, I like the sound of that."

Braden chuckled, "Get used to it, to win the Great Hunt you'll need structure, intel, that's what we're here for, you do more of the actual hunting than us. Let's do introductions officially. This is Mako, a little genius I picked up on Nar Shaddaa, she provides intel and handles all the technical equipment."

The girl with cybernetic implants smiled, "Hope you're as good as the old man says."

Brayden continued, "The big bruiser is Jory, he provides muscle and security for our base of operations."

The Nitko spoke in his native language, but Spike seemed to understand every word. "I am at your disposal. Feel free to make us all incredibly wealthy and famous."

Spike smiled, "Cute girls and big guns, I'm sold."

Braden nodded, "Good, now let's get down to business. We're here cause the Great Hunt has been called. Lil' Mako here is the most rabid hunter fan this side of Geonosis, and even she doesn't know what the Great Hunt entails."

"I do know the names of every Great Hunt winner though, Bloodworthy, Jewl'a Nightbringer, the Defenestrator."

"Every hunter who's won a Great Hunt has gone on to massive riches and glory, that's why we're here." Braden explained

Spike chuckled, "You can keep the glory, I just want to be rich."

Jory raised his glass, "To a man who knows that credits and credits alone are how the galaxy works."

Mako started explaining more about the Great Hunt, "The Great Hunt is made up of two groups, the Mandalorian elite, and freelancers sponsored by influential crime lords."

"Considering I'm no Mandalorian, I'm guessing we have a plan for getting me a sponsor?" Spike asked

Braden nodded, "You bet your blaster on it. Nem'ro the Hutt runs this stinky little town. But first, we need to get you situated as a big-time hunter, as far as the locals know. Mako will spread rumors about your off-world exploits, but you need to take down someone big and local to get attention. Mako-"

"Already on it, Braden got one of the worst of the worst. Vexx, Corellian, he's wanted for robbing 15 Imperial military pay stations."

Jory rolled his eyes, "Out of all the places to get credits, what sane person would rob an Imperial pay station?"

Spike's nodded in response to Jory, "Even I'm not that desperate for credits."

Mako continued, "Vexx has a safe house in the heart of the madness. That'll be fun."

Braden explained, "A rival Hutt is making a move on Nem'ro's territory, it's dangerous poking around in there, but it's our only shot. Raid Vexx's safe house and see if there's anything we can use to track him down."

Spike nodded, "If you'll excuse me, I have a safe house to shoot up." before leaving into the Poison Pit lobby.

When the cutscene was over, he went into the main room of the Poison Pit Cantina and saw a group of players talking. He heard a voice he recognized, "Spike! Is that you?" before a Rattataki Imperial Agent walked over to him and said, "It's me, Starlight. I must say, this is the last thing I expected, getting sucked into the game. I looked for Thorax and Gabby, they must be on Korriban, so it's me and you against Hutta. Do you think we'll be able to get out of here in one piece?"

Spike nodded, "As long as we don't do anything stupid, we should be able to get out of here. I can't imagine what kind of mob this will cause in the real world. My parents are probably worried sick now that I'm stuck here."

Starlight wiped a tear from her eye saying, "Yeah, I already miss my family, I mean, I've been without them before, but not like this. I hope they're all right."

And so Spike has found himself forced into the world of Star Wars the Old Republic. Armed with his wit and a blaster, he starts his quest to escape the game, by beating it. Will he be able to make it?

The First Bounty

After meeting with Starlight Glimmer, Spike told her, "It looks like we have to part ways. I have a safehouse to raid, and you have an alien to meet about some gifts for Nem'ro. See you around for now." before running off to Vexx's safe house. He snuck inside, only to see some hired thugs. They hadn't noticed him yet, so he shot blaster shots at the first one before launching a small rocket at the second one, blowing him to pieces, literally. He found a datapad and headed back to the Poison Pit cantina to show the others.

Mako looked over to him and said, "Find anything in the safe house?"

Spike nodded, handing her the datapad, "Vexx left this in the safe house, it's encrypted though."

Mako smiled, "Don't worry about that, I can break through any encryption." before going to work at the datapad's encryption coding. As Braden came in, she said, "Just in time, cracked the encryption in record time. Check out that last entry."

Braden looked at the datapad and said to Spike, "Our boy Vexx keeps detailed records. There's a receipt for a shuttle ticket he bought today. If you hurry to the spaceport, you can catch him before he escapes. Bring his dog tags in as proof you were the one you got him. Anything else he has is yours to keep."

Spike nodded, "You give me a target, I don't stop until I take it down." before running to the spaceport.

As Spike entered the hangar that the shuttle Vexx booked was leaving out of, he fought his way through his thugs and bodyguard. When he came up to Vexx, he turned to see Spike and said, "What's this, a lawman of sorts? Never thought I'd see the day when dashing Vexx was cornered by an ugly alien brute."

Spike rolled his eyes, "This is all about the credits, not you, not the law, so shut up and die."

Vexx scoffed, "But I know something you don't, Vexx is no run of the mill crook, oh no. Vexx is the galaxy's greatest quick-draw artist, Vexx can shoot your ears off so fast, you won't even hear yourself scream."

Spike was getting annoyed at the fact Vexx kept speaking in the 3rd person and said, "Show me!" before drawing his blaster and shooting Vexx in the shoulder before he could react.

After being knocked to the ground, Vexx yelled, "Cheater!" before firing back at Spike.

Spike activated his energy shield and put his blaster in its holster, punching Vexx in the face multiple times, jokingly saying, "Guess Vexx ain't so dashing anymore is he?"

As Vexx was recoiling from the first punch, he thought to himself, "Ah, what did my old man tell me to do in this situation?"

He had a flashback of his father saying, "Son, if you ever find yourself being punched repeatedly in the face, always remember to-" before being cut off to another punch.

"Aw, he cut off my old man!" Vexx yelled as he felt another punch in the face

Spike raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you going to dodge any of these?"

Vexx smirked lightly, "That's what my old man-" before being punched again and yelling to a bodyguard that had survived Spike's rampage in the hanger, "Biggs, support!"

Biggs smiled and said, "Well, you've got very nice hair, your eyes are a beautiful shade of blue, and honestly, you're the best boss I've worked with."

Vexx growled, "I meant shoot him you daft bastard! But thanks, you know. That did really cheer me-" before being punched again by Spike, holding his face in pain yelling, "-God I think he broke something that time!"

As Biggs and Vexx shot at him at the same time, Spike activated his jetpack and flew into the air, causing the two criminals' blasts to hit each other. Biggs fell dead from the shot hitting him in the head whereas Vexx got hit in the shoulder. Spike smirked and said, "Game over, pretty boy." before sending the final blaster shot right between Vexx's eyes.

As Spike returned to the ground, he took Vexx's ID tags and started heading back to the Poison Pit. When he got to the base of operations, he saw Braden and Jory dead. Mako ran in, crying, she asked Spike, "Are they?"

Spike growled, "Somebody's going to pay for this."

Mako was tearing up even more, "No, the old man's really... dammit!" before crying over Braden's corpse. "Wait... you had something to do with this." before getting up and glaring at Spike.

Spike put a hand on her shoulder, "I know you're upset, but why would I kill them? Braden was the one who was trying to get me into the Great Hunt, killing them is about the same as me just giving up on entering."

Mako wiped her tears, "You're right, I'm sorry... It's just, I've been with Braden for years. I'm fine, let's find out who did this, we've got security monitors all over this place." As Mako started getting the recording ready, she swore, "Damn, somebody's tampered with the recording. I can still get a bit through. Here we go."

The holo-recording of Braden and Jory started by two men, obviously, Mandalorians by their armor walked in and Braden said, "Move and you're dead. Now if you know what's good for you, you'll back out nice and slow."

One of the Mandalorians said, "Oh I know precisely what's good for me. Winning the Great Hunt won't just be good, it will be splendid. Soon the whole galaxy will know the name Tarro Blood. And I'll charge extravagant fees for my services, won't I Sedyn?"

The other Mandalorian, Sedyn said, "The highest in the galaxy, only the filthy rich will be able to afford you."

Braden spoke, supposedly know the man's name already, "Tarro Blood, I've heard of you. Nearly got crippled by the other Mandalorians in the Great Hunt ten years back."

Tarro grumbled, "Ah, yes, that. A bit of bad history, but this time, I plan to win. Of course, that will be easier if my rivals don't go above my fellow Mandalorians. The Twi'lek vibroblade master from Ord Mantell? Gone. The Chiss droid builder fond of explosives? Gone. That just leaves your protégé to deal with."

Jory scoffed, "Your quarry is not here, and your plan is in shambles!"

Tarro chuckled, explaining, "You misunderstand. The rules forbid killing competitors before the allotted hour, thus the promising up and comers I mentioned are very much alive. I simply eliminated them as threats. And how does one slow a charging Gundark Sedyn?"

"Blast his legs out from under him." Sedyn said smirking.

"Destroy the upstart's so-called crew? I'll be outside, innocently unaware." Tarro replied before leaving.

Braden yelled, "Jory, shoot to kill!" only to be shot by Sedyn, who delivered a final shot to the injured man

Mako growled, "That scum, he didn't even have the guts to kill them himself. He had his lackey do it, coward." before starting to work on the computers again. "The guy calling the shots said he was Tarro Blood. He's a big shot, even for a Mandalorian. He barely survived the Great Hunt last time, he was out on his back for years."

Spike nodded, "We need to find this man Mako, he needs to die."

Mako smiled, "Yeah, but first thing's first, you need to get over to Nem'ro. If nobody knows... that Braden's dead, I should be able to get you in to see him. I'll need the tags from your bounty, it should cover the cost of two burials."

Spike handed over the dog tags from Vexx and said, "I didn't know them well, but I'd like to pay my respects."

Mako shook her head, "No, you need to get to Nem'ro. Braden would understand and Jory would insist. Take out some of Fa'athra's street captains and you'll earn some points with the Hutt. Go show that Hutt who's the best bounty hunter in the galaxy."

Now with Braden's death, Spike is driven by his desire to avenge his mentor's death, and he heads off to meet Nem'ro the Hutt in order to gain sponsorship into the Great Hunt.

Meeting Nem'ro

Spike walked through the crowd in Nem'ro the Hutt's palace. When he got to Nem'ro, a Houk said, "Look, master, small tiny man come to beg mighty Nem'ro's attention."

Nem'ro shook his head, and spoke in Huttese to Spike, which he still understood every word, "Forgive him, he lacks manners. You're the bounty hunter I've heard so much about. Cleaning the scum from my streets is a menial task to the person Mako says you are. But Mako says many things."

Spike shrugged, "Mako told me you're a powerful Hutt, is that a lie?"

Nem'ro chuckled, "A good liar sprinkles some truth with the fabrication."

Spike chuckled, "Fair enough, you know why I'm here, I want sponsorship into the Great Hunt. Now, considering you just met me, you may have some doubts. If that's the case, test me."

Nem'ro thought for a moment, "There is something you could do. You don't have a soft spot for brutish natives do you?"

Spike shook his head, "The only soft spots I have are for credits."

Nem'ro laughed, "Spoken like a true mercenary. In that case, I'll send you for this task. The natives of Hutta, the Evocii sold us their planet for mere trinkets. That was so long ago, that the new generations have forgotten who their rightful masters are. There is one Evocii who dares to call himself Huttsbane. Bring his head and lay it on my floor."

Spike felt sick to his stomach at the thought of cutting off somebody's head, but nodded, "Head on the floor, got it."

The Houk next to Nem'ro said, "Be careful tiny hunter, Huttsbane raided another palace, killed pile of captains, murdered a mighty Hutt!"

As Spike nodded, accepting the job, he headed out of the palace and out into the swamps of Hutta. It surprised him that the Evocii were stupid enough to sell their planet to the Hutts. Then again, if they didn't sell it, the Hutts would have just taken it by force.

Spike was noticed by an Evocii warrior who charged at him from a very long distance, only to fall immediately to a blaster bolt from his gun, "Not very smart to bring a vibrosword to a blaster fight." before taking what little credits the corpse had on it. "I can't believe I'm looting dead bodies..."

As Spike headed into Huttsbane's tent, Huttsbane scowled "Are you proud of yourself? Filthy murderer! Do you plan on slaughtering the women and children as well?"

Spike shook his head, "They don't have a bounty on them, only you do."

The elder in the tent said, "You don't need to kill Huttsbane. The Hutts slaughter us like criminals, but it is they who have taken what is not theirs."

Huttsbane nodded, "Yes, this planet was home for Evocii long before the Hutts-"

Spike interrupted, "Bought it from your ancestors. Your kind aren't very bright. You forget that your ancestors sold this planet to the Hutts for trinkets. Blame yourselves for your predicament. Now that that's out of the way, you die."

Huttsbane drew his sword saying, "Lies! All lies! Our ancestors would never do such a thing!"

Spike shot quick, knocking Huttsbane's sword out of his hand, "Believe what you like, it's not going to change anything."

The elder called, "Warriors! Rally to Huttsbane!" before two more Evocii warriors rushed in.

Spike turned a dial on his blaster, turning it to rapid fire. As he did, he spun on his feet, holding down the trigger, blasting all four of them at once, and easily killing them. He took out a vibroknife and cut off Huttsbane's head, while trying not to lose his lunch. Suddenly, he got a call on his holo-communicator, it was from Mako. He answered, "What's up Mako?"

Mako told him, "I did some digging, and the bastard was Tarro Blood. He barely survived elimination from the Great Hunt last time, so now he's paying off the other Mandalorians so they don't rally against him. One more thing, when I was coming back from... saying goodbye to Braden and Jory, I saw someone following me. He was wearing a bone mask, like a hooded death."

Spike nodded, "If he makes a move, let me know, I'll put him on my to kill list."

Mako chuckled, "I love how simple you are at times. Show that Hutt who's the best hunter in the galaxy." before hanging up.

As Spike returned to Nem'ro's Palace, he dropped Huttsbane's head on the floor in front of him. Nem'ro laughed heartily, "Tell me about your hunt, how was it?"

Spike told him, "I danced in savage blood."

Nem'ro chuckled, "Who is more savage, the savage, or the one who kills the savage?"

The Houk at his side said, "Oh, wait, I know this one."

Nem'ro rolled his eyes and said, "Shut up Carnus." Before turning back to Spike, "I see you're serious. Tell me, what do you know about the situation here on Hutta?"

"It looks like a turf war between you and another Hutt, that's all I really know."

Nem'ro nodded, "Such basic knowledge is acceptable. Fa'athra makes claims to things that are not his, disobeying the laws of the Cartel. Some people think Fa'athra is mightier than me. One of those people is my ex-accountant, Yalt."

Spike nodded, "I see where this is going. Let me guess, head on floor?"

Nem'ro smiled, "You know me so well, but his head is not for me. Bring it to his wife who works in the cantina. She convinced Yalt that betraying me was a good idea."

Spike shook his head, "Harassing people isn't my line of work."

Nem'ro rolled his eyes, "A mercenary does whatever the client asks, am I wrong?"

Spike sighed, "Yeah, fine, I'll do it, but I won't like it."

Carnus told him, "Speak to Juda when you want credits for dead savage."

Spike walked towards the cantina and stopped to talk to a Twi'lek, who said, "I've got something for you."

Spike chuckled, "My favorite words."

The Twi'lek giggled, "Not like that! You're a bad one. Here you go, credits for the head of Huttsbane. Good hunting out there."

And so Spike has completed Nem'ro's first task, killing a brazen native who rebels against the Hutts. Now he is assigned another mission to kill a traitor who chose another Hutt over Nem'ro, a big mistake, and Spike will be the one who makes sure he knows what happens to people who cross Nem'ro.

Dealing with Traitors

After Spike had gotten his credits for bringing Nem'ro Huttsbane's head, he walked out of the palace and started heading towards the Rust Yards on a speeder. When he got there, he saw lots of Fa'athra's goons. "This won't be easy. Sneaking around them would be too difficult, so I guess I have to go through it with brute force. I'll have to find those generators though."

Spike walked through the Rust Yards, blasting anyone stupid enough to come too close to him. He took out the generators and then headed inside one of the buildings. He felt sorry when he saw all the slaves being forced to clean the floors, but he couldn't do anything about it unless he accepted a side quest. Maybe before he left Hutta, he would do some side quests, if not for saving the slaves, then at least for the credits.

As Spike blasted the goons guarding Yalt, he found him cowering in fear, "Please, don't kill me! I never meant to betray Nem'ro, but Fa'athra offered me so many credits! Then he didn't pay me, he threatened to kill my wife if I didn't work my accounting magic for him! Please, I'll do anything!"

Spike raised an eyebrow and sighed, "Truth be told, I don't want to do what Nem'ro asked me to. He wants me to bring your head to your wife. I may be a mercenary, but I ain't that sick. Maybe we can make a deal."

Yalt smiled lightly, "Of course, please, I'll crash Fa'athra's accounts and leave Hutta for good! Nem'ro will be so happy, he won't care what happened to me!"

Spike thought for a moment, "This still only benefits you, what do I get out of it?"

Yalt gulped, thinking that if he didn't offer Spike something in exchange for letting him live, he'd kill him, "I have access to Fa'athra's accounts, I can transfer some credits to your account, I'll transfer as many credits as the restrictions allow me."

Spike nodded, "You've got a deal." before letting Yalt crash the accounts and transfer some into Spike's account. "Now, you need to disappear, leave Hutta and never look back."

Yalt nodded, "Thank you so much!" before running off, most likely to the spaceport.

As Spike returned to the cantina, he saw a woman run past him like she was fleeing for her life. That was probably Yalt's wife. When he came into Nem'ro's private room, a Rodian girl stopped him and said, "Tarro Blood doesn't want you in the Great Hunt. A smart person would take the hint. You're obviously not smart."

Spike didn't let her go on with the grand speech he was expecting and shot her point blank, right in between her eyes. He continued walking to Nem'ro, who laughed like crazy when Carnus told him about the fact that Spike had crashed Fa'athra's accounts. "Well done hunter, well done! My spies tell me Yalt's wife was running as if all the Akk Dogs on Hutta were chasing her, AND that you got Yalt to crash all of Fa'athra's accounts before you killed him! Well done indeed, going above and beyond my expectations!"

Spike smiled, "Then sponsor me in the Great Hunt."

Nem'ro stopped laughing and said, "There is one last thing you need to do. The traitor in my own palace is my beast master. He plots against me and thinks I know nothing. Go down to the beast pens and take care of him."

Spike raised an eyebrow, "Don't try anything funny you overgrown slug." before walking back to Juda to get the credits from his last job. As he headed down to the beast pens, he saw all sorts of fierce looking beasts, Akk Dogs, a Gundark, and some things he didn't even recognize. He walked over and hit the alarm to summon the beast master.

The beast master ran over and said to Spike, "You're here like Nem'ro said. So stupid. Nem'ro promise me big reward if I kill you."

Spike growled, "Is that so? Come out from behind those bars and see if you can claim that reward."

The beast master laughed, "You think I not prepared? So stupid. Free the beasts!" before pulling a lever and releasing some of the beasts.

As the beasts ran out of their pen, Spike shot blaster bolts, rockets, and electro-darts at them. When he killed the last beast, the beast master ran out, only to get shot in the crotch, and falling over in agonizing pain, before Spike shot him in the head.

Spike returned to Nem'ro who said, "Well done. I apologize for the deceit, but it was the only way I could have the beast master killed without causing chaos."

Spike laughed, "No worries, that was the most fun I've had on this planet!"

Nem'ro sighed, "Savor that moment for now. You may not like what I have to say."

Carnus looked at Spike, "I heard about small hunter's killing spree in Rust Yards!"

Nem'ro nodded, "I should have trusted you Carnus. Either way, what's done is done. I already gave the sponsorship token to another hunter. You'll have to kill him to get it."

Spike growled, "I can do that, but this isn't over."

Nem'ro rolled his eyes, "If you kill him and take the token, I win. If he kills you, I still win. Either way, the strongest hunter on Hutta goes to the Great Hunt with my sponsorship. Talk to Juda for your payment and apologies for the beast master business."

Spike walked over to Juda, who said, "I can't believe Nem'ro did that to you. I've got a huge payout, not sure what it's for though, but it's for you. One large sum of credits for unknown services."

As Spike started walking out of the palace, he saw Mako run up to him and say, "Hey hunter, we've been played. Nem'ro's already sponsored another hunter!"

Spike nodded, "That's old news Mako. Any idea on how to find this other hunter?"

Mako nodded back, "Already got it, but it'll cost you."

Spike sighed, "Name your price and I'll pay it."

Mako shook her head, "Not credits. Take me with you on this hunt, and whatever comes after. I want to be there when you catch Blood."

Spike nodded, "Sure thing, you deserve it."

At first Mako didn't realize Spike agreed, "I'm good with a blaster and Braden was like a father, you can't- wait, did you just say yes? Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me."

Spike smiled, "Well then, let's get down to business. Where do we find this other hunter?"

Mako nodded, coming to her senses, "Fa'athra is holding a Republic scientist with a bounty on her head for a Trandoshan, lizard people. The Trandoshan is our rival hunter. We need to break into Fa'athra's palace, find the scientist, and take the Trandoshan's token when he comes to collect her."

Spike nodded, "Then let's get going."

And so, Spike has done enough work for Nem'ro to convince him to sponsor him. That is if he hadn't already sponsored someone else. Now with Mako at his side, Spike heads to Fa'athra's palace to face his rival hunter and take the token, by any means necessary.

Hunting a Hunter

As Spike and Mako walked towards Fa'athra's palace, Spike asked, "You know, Nem'ro seems to really hate this Fa'athra guy. Any chance we can make Fa'athra 'disappear'?"

Mako looked at him like he was crazy, but then chuckled, "You really are a true hunter, not scared of anything, even killing a Hutt. If Nem'ro puts a bounty on Fa'athra, I'll make sure we're the first ones to know about it. By the way, a lot of Fa'athra's thugs have prices on their heads. We could easily collect the bounties from them."

Spike nodded, "Good idea, the more credits we have, the better equipment we'll be able to afford."

As they made their way towards the palace, Spike and Mako took out goons, and as they did, they got calls on their holo-communicator telling them that credits had been transferred to their account. Spike was surprised that they already knew they'd taken out the bounties, but didn't question it.

As they made their way into Fa'athra's palace, they shot out the security cameras so they wouldn't catch them on camera, as well as killing any security who was stupid enough to come at them.

Mako walked up to a terminal and started hacking into it, "Ok, our scientist is in the lounge on the second floor. While we're at it, the armory is down there too, we could definitely use some extra ammo and weapons, don't you think?"

Spike nodded, "Yeah, it wouldn't be much fun if we didn't stock up on weapons." before they started heading to the second floor. When they got to the armory, it was locked with an encryption lock. When Mako cracked it open, Spike was surprised at how many heavy-duty weapons. He picked out an upgraded version of his rocket launcher and a thermal detonator shoulder-mounted catapult.

After they stole a bunch of new weapons and ammo, they made their way to the lounge, where the Republic scientist asked them, "Wh-Who are you? What am I doing here?"

Mako told her, "You're being held for a bounty hunter who's going to turn you into the Empire, where you'll probably be tortured and killed. Lucky for you, we're after that hunter."

As Mako explained her predicament, the scientist cowered in fear, "Oh no, please no!"

Spike sighed as he heard growling, "Well, so much for the element of surprise." before turning around to see the Trandoshan hunter who had his sponsorship token. "Well, looks like you're here. You want this scientist? I can arrange that. Give me Nem'ro's sponsorship token, and you can have her."

The Trandoshan scoffed and said in his native language, "You're not particularly smart, even for a smooth skin. I'll just kill you now and be done with it." before pulling out his blaster.

Spike sighed, "Why must it always come to violence?" before launching a thermal detonator from his shoulder catapult. It killed the two thugs that were with the Trandoshan, but he managed to escape the blast. Spike then used his jet pack to rush at the Trandoshan before blasting him in the eye, blinding him in it.

As the Trandoshan tried to blast Spike, he couldn't see well enough, and hit a blaster resistant door, and the door ricocheted the bolt back at him, killing him when it hit him in the neck.

Spike took the sponsorship token from the dead Trandoshan, and the scientist asked them, "Thanks... but, you're bounty hunters too, right...? D-Does that mean?"

Spike shook his head, "No, I'm not going to turn you in. Get off Hutta and get home safe."

Mako smiled and pulled out a spare blaster and handed it to her, "Here, I always carry a spare, you'll need it more than I do."

The scientist smiled back and said, "Thank you, I'll never forget this, thank you so much!" before running out of the palace.

When Spike and Mako returned to Nem'ro's palace, Mako saw the guy who was following her, "That's him, that the bone masked guy who was following me!" before taking out her blaster, only for the guards to take out theirs.

Spike put a hand on Mako's shoulder and said, "Calm down Mako, let's see what's what first." before Mako put away her blaster.

The man, who was a Kaleesh said, "Forgive me young one if I startled you. I was hunting another quarry when our paths crossed. I was looking to see if Tarro Blood truly was cheating. I reviewed your recordings. While dishonorable, what Tarro did wasn't against the rules. Unless he kills a competitor, he cannot be punished."

Spike growled lightly, but kept his temper under control, "I understand. I don't like it, but I understand."

The Kaleesh nodded, "Since you have Nem'ro's token, you must be his sponsored hunter. Here, take these shuttle passes, they will get you to the Imperial Capital of Drommund Kaas. When you arrive, head to the Mandalorian Enclave in Kaas City, that is where you'll learn more details of the hunt. I will continue to watch over Tarro, and if he cheats, he will be punished."

Spike bowed respectfully, "Thank you." before saying to Mako, "Looks like we're in." before heading to the spaceport and getting on a shuttle to the Imperial Fleet.

And so, Spike has obtained sponsorship into the Great Hunt from Nem'ro the Hutt. Heading off to the Imperial Fleet, he readies to travel to Drommund Kaas to officially enter.

Off to Dromund Kaas

As Spike and Mako stepped off the shuttle to the Imperial Fleet, Spike said, "Finally away from the stink of those swamps. Should we take a look around the fleet, see if we can get some supplies?"

Mako nodded, "That would be a good idea, you can never be too prepared, especially with Blood's cheating."

As they walked around the fleet, Spike saw what looked like a pet store, but it wasn't dogs and cats they were selling, it looked more like large beasts that could be used as an attack or hunting animal. The clerk said to Spike, "Ah, you look like one of those bounty hunters. If you are, feel free to look around! I sell some of the galaxy's greatest beasts. Whether you're looking for a hunting partner or a bodyguard who doesn't complain about their pay, this is the place for you!"

Spike looked around the crates and saw two animals that piqued his interest and asked, "What about these two?"

The seller smiled, "Good choices, those are a Panuncian and an Anubian Baskurr, both native to far off planets, so we don't get them in stock very often. Sadly, people don't seem to recognize the potential these two have as hunting partners. Panuncians are incredibly fast, but what makes them truly spectacular is their self-duplication ability."

Spike was intrigued, "Self-duplication? Are you saying that this Panuncian can create clones of itself?"

The seller nodded, "That's exactly what I'm saying. The Anubian Baskurr is still a good choice, they have a better sense of hearing than Panuncians, so they'll be able to hear some things that Panuncians can't. They're also capable of seeing through even the most advanced cloaking devices."

Spike thought for a moment, they both seemed like great animals, but it was hard to choose. He checked how many credits he had before asking, "How much are each of these two?"

The seller smiled, seeing that Spike was interested, "For first-time customers, I do a special deal. Normally they'd cost 25,000 credits each, but as a new customer, you can buy them for only 6250 credits each."

Spike thought about it, he had plenty of credits to spare, and decided, "I'll take them both, which is 12,500 credits. Do we have a deal?"

The seller unlocked the cages the two animals were in after Spike handed over the credits. The animals both came up to Spike and smelled him before sitting obediently.

Mako liked the Anubian Baskurr and said, "What a good boy, hey, can I name him?"

Spike nodded, "Sure, go ahead."

Mako smiled and thought for a moment, "What about Fang?"

The newly named Fang licked Mako's cheek, approving of his new name. Spike smiled, "I think Fang is a good name. As for the Panuncian, I think I'll name him Scar." petting the Panuncian, rubbing him behind the ear.

The seller smiled, "Well, it looks like you've got loyal hunting partners for life! Here are all the supplies they'll need, no charge."

After they got their new hunting partners, Spike realized that he should be able to find Thorax and Gabby here if they'd finished Korriban, and he knew Starlight was already here, since she had gotten on the same shuttle he had used in order to get to the Imperial Fleet.

Thorax saw Spike and waved to him, "Spike! Over here!"

Spike turned to where Thorax's voice came from and walked over to the cantina. "So, you guys are here too. Who's bright idea was it to turn this game into a Sword Art Online ripoff?"

Gabby shrugged as she drank her drink, "Hell if I know, this whole thing is just plain irresponsible. And we're not the only kids in Canterlot City who bought these things. I've seen plenty of kids from school playing too."

As Spike's Panuncian sat by his side, Starlight backed up nervously, "What the hell is that thing?"

Spike petted Scar's head and said, "He's one of my new hunting partners, his name's Scar."

Thorax chuckled, "Well, you've certainly gotten a head start over the rest of us."

Spike laughed back, "I guess so. So, are you guys heading to Dromund Kaas too?"

Spike friends all nodded and said, "Yep."

Spike thought for a moment before saying, "What if we take the Black Talon flashpoint together?"

Starlight nodded, "That's not a bad idea, we could get a bit more experience. But before we leave the fleet, we should check out our class trainers to see if there are any new skills we can learn."

Spike agreed, "Yeah, plus we should choose our advanced classes." before heading to the Bounty Hunter trainer. He saw two men who called him over.

The skinnier man asked him, "You look like you've got a good trigger finger, but what do you do with your other hand, style your hair?"

Spike rolled his eyes, "I normally use it to knock teeth out of smartasses."

The other man said, "Ignore him, he's always like this. Still, heavy armor may be tough to wear, but it'll save your life if you can get used to it."

After Spike trained with the two men, he decided to go with the Mercenary advanced class, and went to buy a second gun. Suddenly, his holo-communicator beeped and he answered it to see his parents and Twilight on the other end, "What the!? Mom, dad, Twilight? How'd you get in touch with me?"

Twilight answered him, "We've been watching your progress by hooking your NRG system up to the TV's HDMI input. I have to say, I wish you picked a Republic class after seeing you cut that guy's head off."

Spike gagged remembering that, "Don't remind me. Still, how did you make it so you can talk to me?"

Night Light said, "The system came with a communication device. We wanted to tell you that we bought you some Cartel Coins. Apparently, it's an in-game money that can be used to buy special items. We were able to get you 14,500 Cartel Coins. Use them wisely, and come back to us safe and sound when you can."

Spike smiled, "Thanks, dad. Is there anything about this fiasco in the news?"

Twilight Velvet nodded, "Yes, it's all over the news, parents are trying to sue the company, but there were disclaimers that rid them of liability. Just be careful, and try not to make us want to puke again."

Spike nodded before saying, "I will mom, I love you guys." before hanging up. "I better get to the Black Talon to meet up with the others."

And so Spike has made it off Hutta and joined forces with his friends. And to his surprise, he is able to communicate with his family outside of the game. With the Cartel Coins his parents added to his account, he will be able to buy new equiptment to make his quest easier. But will that be enough?

The Black Talon

As Spike and his friends entered the Black Talon flashpoint, an imperial said, "Welcome aboard the Black Talon, it's truly an honor to have recruits from the Sith Academy."

Spike cleared his throat, "There are other people besides Sith here you know."

The imperial nodded, "Apologies, I've heard good things about you hunter, you have a bit of a reputation for stubbornness, no offense."

Spike chuckled, "None taken, it's true."

The imperial smiled lightly and said, "Your droid's in the conference room, it mentioned your names, so I thought it belonged to one of you."

Spike shrugged, "I've got no droid. Let's just go see it." before heading to the conference room to see a droid. "So, you're obviously not our droid, so what do you want?"

The droid told them, "I have an urgent message from my master, Grand Moff Kilran."

Thorax spoke, "I don't care who your master is. No imperial talks before a Sith without approval."

Starlight made an obvious cough and glare at Thorax and said, "I live to serve the Empire, let's hear it."

Spike said, "I expect good pay, I don't work for free."

The droid nodded before bring up a holo of the Moff, who said, "Ah, it seems that you're just the people I've been looking for. I have a mission for you. Your ship is the only one in range to intercept a starship called the Brental Star that is transporting an important individual code-named 'the General.' The captain of the Black Talon has refused my orders to attack."

Gabby cleared her throat, "It's a pleasure, but you do realize we have more important things to do than go after somebody who your men lost."

Spike also said, "And pray tell me, how do you expect this ship to hold up to a fully armed capital ship? I may be crazy, but what you're asking us to do is suicide." Before placing both blasters to the head of the droid, "Give me a reason, I'm more than happy to destroy your droid."

The Moff sighed, "I didn't want it to come to this, but if you don't help, I will see to it that your ship never reaches port."

Thorax growled lightly, "I'll do it, but you'd better pray we never meet in person."

The Moff rolled his eyes and said, "Consider me warned. Take control of the ship by any means needed. Agent, I've heard good things about you, do this right and I'll make sure you get a sizable raise to your pay. Hunter, I will also see to it that you are properly paid. My lords, thank you for your service, and I will talk to your masters about why you will be arriving later than expected." before the holo cut out.

Thorax's eye twitched, "I'm going to kill him one day."

Spike sighed, "Thorax, you do realize this is a game right?"

Thorax shrugged, "You never know. We didn't expect to get trapped in the game. Who knows? Maybe we'll meet him again."

Spike smiled lightly, "Good point. Let's get to the bridge and commandeer this ship." before heading towards the bridge.

As they were stopped, a soldier said, "Sir, this is a restricted area, please return to the conference room."

Thorax electrocuted the soldier telling them to turn back saying, "A Sith goes where a Sith pleases. Any of you have objections?"

The other soldiers gulped and moves out of the way, not going for their blasters. As the group made it to the bridge, the captain said, "I have a guess as to why you're here. Moff Kilran must really want whoever it is that the Brental Star has. Or maybe he just hates me. I've fought in the war before, and I will again, but I don't do suicide missions."

Spike put his arm out to stop Thorax, "Let me deal with this." before walking up to the captain. He removed his mouth guard and took out a flask before drinking it, "Corellian brandy, good stuff." before putting the flask away and headbutting the captain, knocking a tooth out.

As the crew tried to intervene, Thorax and Gabby pulled out their lightsabers, stopping them. Gabby thought to herself, "Why do I find sadism like this hot?"

Meanwhile in the real world...

Twilight was watching Spike beat up the captain, as were her friends. When she saw him drinking from a flask, her eyes widened, "He's been drinking!? I'm going to kill him when he makes it out of this game!"

Rainbow Dash had a bucket of popcorn and said, "Still, for a squirt, he really knows how to fight."

Twilight sighed, "I told mom and dad he shouldn't be playing games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, but did they ever listen? No!"

Back at the Black Talon...

The captain was screaming in pain as Spike had his arm behind his back while he was pushing his face into the ground. He made one final scream, "Ah, my arm! You broke my arm! Quarter, quarter, I give up! I'll do the damn mission!"

Spike got off him and said, "Call for a medic and get ready to jump to lightspeed and intercept the Brental Star."

The captain nodded as the medic team arrived, "You heard him, get to it, once I've had some kolto and get my arm in a sling, I'll be back." before being carried to the med bay.

As the medics took the captain to the med bay, the lieutenant took over and said, "Alright, prepare to make the jump to hyperspace, and get to it!"

As the crew made the jump to lightspeed, the Brental Star sent out what were supposedly transport pods and a few star fighters. One of the ensigns said, "Lt., we're getting a transmission, but it's not from the Brental Star."

Thorax rolled his eyes, "Well, get to it, bring it up!" before seeing a Jedi on the holo.

The Jedi said, "Hailing unidentified Imperial Ship. This is Master Satele Shan of the Jedi Council. I'm asking you, please leave the Brental Star to me. The Brental Star got separated from a convoy, soon we will reunite. I just crippled three Imperial dreadnaughts, I don't want any more destruction."

Spike rolled his eyes, "We just want the General, perhaps we can negotiate?"

Satele shook her head, "The General is under Republic protection, please, turn back."

Spike yawned, "In that case, we'll take him ourselves, I personally think violence is bad for business, but if you won't negotiate, I have no choice."

After the holo cut out, they got a call from engineering and headed out to stop the droids from sabotaging the engines, and were able to before going to the hangar to board a transport to the Brental Star. After fighting their way to the escape pods, they ran into a Padawan.

The Padawan said, "I will not let you go any farther."

Spike drank some more of his Corellian brandy and started shooting his blasters in a fury of bolts. The Padawan wasn't able to keep up with the bolts and was eventually blasted to death.

Gabby giggled, "You really have gotten a bit too into the game sweet-pea."

Spike chuckled, "Thanks babe, now let's go get the General."

After fighting through a few more soldiers, they made their way to the General, who stopped and said, "I suppose it's not worth running anymore. I doubt I could get into an escape pod without my intestines splurging out. If you've seen what I've seen, you wouldn't want to reignite this war. It'll be complete destruction, nobody will survive, nobody. So, you've got me where you want me. You can kill me now, I won't fight."

Spike shook his head, "You're more valuable to me alive." He looked over to one of the imperial soldiers that joined them on the raid, and said, "Get him a medic, we're taking him in."

After they returned to the Black Talon, the Moff was on a holo waiting for them and said, "I'm very impressed, not only did you convince the captain of the Black Talon to comply, but you were able to capture the General. He was the most dangerous weapon the Republic could have, a defector. He'll be tried fairly, thanks to all of you. As promised, I've sent a large sum of credits to your account Hunter, I've just signed off on your pay rise Agent, and it was truly an honor to have you on my side my lords, your masters have been patiently awaiting your arrival. Thank you so much for your help."

As the holo cut out, the captain stood up with his arm in a sling, "Forgive me for my doubt, I never knew you were that strong, even as a group. We'll be arriving at the capital in a few hours."

As Spike and the others rested, the ship finally arrived at Dromund Kaas and they disembarked. "Looks like we're here." Spike said

Joining the Great Hunt (Part 3)

Spike and Mako made their way to Imperial Intelligence and when they were seen, an officer came up to them and said, "You must be the ones that Agent Prichard hired. He's in his office, right this way." before leading them to the office.

Prichard dismissed the officer and said to Spike, "I've heard good things about you. I hope you can be discreet about this. What do you know about Dromund Kaas so far?"

Spike shrugged, "I know it's the capital of the Empire and a few little things, like the slave revolt in the jungle. I also know that the Sith around here are on edge."

Prichard nodded, "That's enough, you know what you need. There's a tomb called the Dark Temple. It was created by the emperor to bury allies and traitors alike. The Sith don't want anyone in there. But... my commander insisted on sending a scouting party out there. I can't take his job without telling the Sith about the little venture, and I can't report the scouting party. I enjoy breathing, but this is going to cause a nasty power vacuum."

Spike nodded, "Let me guess, you want me to go in the temple and collect any evidence they were in there. Any orders if they're still alive?"

Prichard shook his head, "They're not. And even if they are, they're not. Understood?"

Spike nodded, "Crystal clear." before heading out to the speeder taxis to get to the Dark Temple.

When he got to the Dark Temple, he saw his friends there too and walked up to them, "You guys here for your missions?"

Thorax nodded, "Yeah, the game was so much better when you didn't actually have to deal with the voices in this place."

Gabby nodded, "Tell me about it, I just got finished with my mission and I've got a horrible headache now."

Spike sighed, "Yeah, well, let me get this over with. The faster I get out of this the better." before moving past his friends, shooting the crazed Imperials who had the proper credentials for what the Agent wanted him to get.

Mako checked over everything and said, "We're still missing the captain's stripes. He must be here somewhere."

Spike nodded, "As much as I hate saying this, we'll need to go further into the temple."

They continued into the temple, protecting themselves from the imperials and Sith lords that the temple was driving insane. As they found the captain, he was definitely crazy, acting and yelling as if he was a Sith lord commanding troops to do his bidding. As they walked up to him, he said, "Fools! You dare stand before the mighty Lord Khas unannounced!?"

Spike chuckled, "You don't look like a Sith to me, you don't even have a lightsaber."

The so called "Lord Khas" told them, "I need no weapons to deal with insects like you!"

Spike rolled his eyes and said, "Well, Lord Khas, tell me this. What's that down at your feet?" When the delirious 'Sith lord' looked down, Spike clicked a trigger, setting off the thermal detonators he'd placed before he was noticed by these nutjobs.

Right before the explosives went off, Lord Khas' eyes widened and he said, "Shit..." right as they detonated

Mako looked at Spike and asked, "Don't you think that was a bit overkill?"

Spike smiled to her and said, "I just don't want you getting hurt by those nutjobs." before picking up the captain stripes and heading back to Imperial Intelligence.

As they returned, Prichard told them, "Thank you for this. You really saved my skin. Which is why this is even harder. The Sith can't know I sent you into the Dark Temple."

Before his guards could draw their blasters, Spike shot both of them in the head, "Word of advice, never turn on your hunter. Only thing worse than that is trying to make a hired gun work for free."

Prichard gulped, "You're right, I shouldn't have to kill you for doing your job. I've been even more paranoid ever since I got here in Intelligence. I'll pay you double for the job."

Spike put his blaster away and said, "Don't worry about it, with Imperials and Sith around, you never know who's watching. But discretion is included in my pay. I've got to get going." before heading back to the Enclave

When Spike returned to Crysta, she told him, "Whoa, you're back! Some big shot Mandalorian said you were dead!"

Spike growled, "Blood's a liar, and when this Great Hunt is over, I'll give him what he deserves." before heading to the spot of the Grand Melee.

The assistant hunt-master turned to him and said, "Well, you're a bit late. We heard you died during your third bounty."

Spike nodded, "It's going to take a lot more than a snob like Tarro Blood to kill me."

The assistant hunt-master laughed, "That's the spirit. Well, get up here!" As Spike got up into the ring, he continued, "No rules, last one standing wins the final spot in the Great Hunt." before stepping out of the ring and sounding the bell for the melee.

Spike wasn't just quick on his feet; he was a quick shot too. He took out his blasters and unloaded his entire clip into the other hunters in a matter of minutes.

Meanwhile in the real world...

Rainbow Dash was surprised at how quick Spike was, "No wonder he's the captain of the boys' soccer team at school."

Twilight sighed, "He really is getting into this game. I hope it doesn't traumatize him when he beats the main story. It's one thing losing a friend in a game, but it's another thing to lose one in a world that feels so real."

Back in the game...

Spike had beaten his last enemy, and the Huntmaster was congratulating him when Tarro Blood came in, "Really, this has gone far enough. This thing will not enter the Great Hunt. He deserves no such honor. His reputation is a stack of lies and deception created by his gutter rat of a partner."

Spike growled, "You're damn lucky I'm not allowed to kill you here and now. But by the time this Great Hunt is over, I'll have your head."

Tarro Blood growled back, "Challenge accepted." before storming off.

And so, Spike has earned the last spot in the Great Hunt, at the dismay of Tarro Blood, the man who killed his friends and tried to do everything he could to prevent Spike from entering. But now, the real challenge begins, winning the Great Hunt takes more than just plain brute force, it takes planning and information, which is what Spike knows is important. Does he have what it takes?

Find out next time!

The Hunt Begins

As Spike went from the melee to talk to Crysta, she told him, "Whoo! Haven't seen a shot that quick since Harok Lisut retired! Well, congrats for winning the melee, you're in the Great Hunt now. But before you get going, you're going to need a ship."

Spike smiled, but then said, "As much as I hate shuttle rides, I don't have the credits to buy a ship."

Crysta chuckled, "Don't worry. If you're going to be a hunter, you'll need to get used to traditions. And there's a tradition in the Great Hunt where you 'procure' a ship on your own."

"In other words, I steal it. I'm a hunter, not a thief."

Crysta sighed, "Well, you do have a sense of honor and pride, I'll give you credit for that. But unless you have a sugar mama, you don't have much of a choice."

Spike grumbled, "Fair enough. So, any ideas?"

"Well, I found just the ship you need, it's a D5-Mantis, top of the line. You're going to have a good time getting it from some weird alien."

Spike nodded, "Alright, I'll contact you when I get my new ship."

As Spike arrived at the hangar his new ship was in, he was stopped by Imperials, one of which, "Oh no you don't. This is the fifth ship to be targeted by those blasted Mandalorians this week. Although I suppose not all of them are bad. It was Tarro Blood who gave us this tip."

Spike grumbled, "I really need to kill that guy soon." Before looking to the alien, who was obviously the soon to be previous owner of his new ship and said, "And I thought the Imperials were above dealing with aliens. But either way, I have information on this guy." before pulling out his data pad and showing the Imperials a forged criminal record for the alien, showing that he had a lengthy record of murders involving high ranking Imperials and even a Sith apprentice.

The alien's eyes widened as he tried to defend himself, "I swear, none of that is real! I'm a businessman, not a murderer!"

Spike rolled his eyes, "And who do you think the Imperials are going to believe, a human with overwhelming evidence, or an alien smuggler?"

The captain of the Imperials took Spike's data pad and looked through the evidence before saying, "He's right. He may be a hunter, but he's still human and has overwhelming evidence that proves you guilty. Although, I must ask, where did you get this evidence?"

Spike explained, "I have my talents, but I've got to give credit to Mako. She can dig up even the most secure records. Not that I take advantage of that to oppose the Empire, I'm just a humble hunter trying to do his job. And besides, with my help, you have a perfect case, and I don't work for free."

The Imperial thought for a moment and said, "Men, arrest this pathetic alien. Hunter, the ship is yours, and here's a payment for your service to the Empire." before returning his data pad to him and entering a transaction between them, "I believe 45,000 credits is acceptable?"

Spike nodded, "More than acceptable, I never turn down a good payday. It's been a pleasure." before heading to his new ship and entering.

As Spike entered his new ship, a droid noticed him and asked, "Wh-Who are you? Where is my master?"

"He's been arrested, and he ain't coming back. You got a problem with that?"

The droid shook his head, "No master. My former master was highly anti-droid and rarely bathed. N-Not that there's a problem with that of course!"

Spike told his new droid, "No worries, calm down. I'm ready to depart for my next target. What's your name?"

The droid bowed in respect, "I am 2V-R8, factotum droid for this vessel. I am programmed for a variety of tasks, including but not limited to ship maintenance, janitorial duty, meal preparation, and etiquette. While I am unable to offer combat support, I function to serve you."

Spike nodded, "Good" before walking up to the second level of the ship and activating the holo-terminal. When Crysta came up he asked, "So, what's my first target?"

Crysta smiled, "Eager, aren't we? Your first targets are on Balmorra and Nar Shaddaa. Contact me for details when you reach either planet. But you should also know there will be another hunter after the same target as you on all the hunts. You've got to beat them to the target if you want to advance."

Spike nodded, "Got it, I'll contact you when I get to Balmorra." before cutting the line

And so, Spike has tricked his way into owning a new ship, and while he feels a bit bad about getting an innocent man arrested, he knew it had to be done. In the world of Bounty Hunters, there was one thing he knew was a fact, that it's kill or be killed, and he liked breathing. As Spike heads to Balmorra, he is ready to take down anyone who gets in the way of him and his target, as well as anyone who tries to deny him vengeance for what Tarro Blood did to Braden and Jory. The Great Hunt begins!

Balmorra's Target

Spike's new ship had just come out of hyperspace and was within Balmorra's atmosphere. He called Crysta on the holoterminal and told her, "I've arrived on Balmorra, what's my target?"

Crysta smiled, "Glad to hear you got your new ship without much trouble. But business first. Your target here on Balmorra is one Admiral Ivernus, people call him Admiral Untouchable. He's up in a secure ship, there's no chance in hell you'd be able to get to him in there. You're good, but not that good."

"So, I guess I have to flush him out and get him to the surface?"

Crysta nodded, "That's right, but I've got a bit of bad news. There's no contacts planetside, you're on your own for this one. Good luck though, if I were allowed to, I'd bet every credit I've got on you kid."

As the call ended, Spike looked to Mako, "Any ideas?"

Mako nodded, "I'm already on it, he's a war hero, won some battles against the Mandalorians, but here's the good part. One of his cronies is in the market for a hunter."

Spike smiled, "Let's get as much info on the client as possible."

"Client's name is Lieutenant Major Pirrell. Get this 'discretion is of the utmost importance.' Whatever he's hiring for, he wants it secret."

"My kind of job, no better action than a stealth mission."

Mako nodded, "I'll get us docked at the station, Pirrell is in Sobrik, not far from the spaceport."

Spike nodded, "Balmorra's still a deathtrap, regardless of who we're working for. Planet full of weapon factories and they still need more guns. Nem'ro does business there, so let's try not to step on any toes."

Mako nodded back, "Got it."

As they exited the hangar, a young man and woman came up to him. The man said, "Bounty hunter! We want a word with you!"

Spike sighed, "Take a number and get in line."

The man growled, "See this blaster? It means we get to jump to the front. You killed Vexx. Our brother was the greatest quick-draw artist in the galaxy."

"Your brother had a bounty on him, I'm a bounty hunter. You do the math."

Vexx's sister told him, "You couldn't take him head on, so you shot him in the back. Tarro Blood heard how you slaughtered Vexx and killed your crew when he discovered your crime!"

Spike cracked his knuckles and said, "If you believe Tarro Blood, you're not smart. Did you happen to see the bruises all over his face? I punched him in the face, repeatedly. How's that for proof I didn't shoot him in the back? Blood didn't kill my crew, he killed my friends, and he's sent others after me, they're all dead. Take my advice and walk away."

Vexx's brother said to his sister, "Vye, he's right. Vexx was bruised up bad. Tarro's playing us for fools!"

"Vorr, you'd really take the word of the man who killed our brother!?"

Vorr shook his head, "I didn't say I trust him, but I don't know that I trust Blood either. Vexx couldn't have gotten those bruises if he was shot in the back. And the two of us dying won't bring him back. If I'm going to die, it's not going to be because I was too stupid to walk away. Let's go." before the two of them left.

Spike stopped them for a moment and told them, "Look, I was just doing my job. And I'm not going to apologize for what my client wanted. But here." before handing over a stack of credits and telling them, "This should be enough for a proper burial. It was nothing personal, just business."

Vye's eyes widened when Spike handed Vorr the credits and told him, "You're a strange one. I still won't forgive you for killing our brother, but at least you're an honest man. I respect that." before continuing to leave with her brother.

Mako chuckled, "I knew you were a softie inside."

Spike rolled his eyes, "Don't get used to seeing me like that. Come on, we have a client to meet." before leaving the spaceport and heading to the Lieutenant Major's office.

When they arrived there, they were met with a droid who asked them, "Greetings, welcome to the office of Lieutenant Major Pirrell. I am ODX-9. May I be of assistance?"

"I'm here to see the Lieutenant Major. I have business with him."

ODX-9 told him, "That's odd, my master doesn't have a meeting scheduled within my data banks. May I ask to whom I have the pleasure of addressing?"

"I'm a bounty hunter, and Pirrell is my client."

ODX-9 told him, "I'm sorry, but the Lieutenant Major is in an important meeting and cannot be disturbed for any reason."

Spike sighed, before pulling out his blaster, "What's the fine for destruction of Imperial property?"

"Oh my! I'll let the Lieutenant Major know you're here." before bringing up a holo

The man on the holo said, "I told you not to disturb me for any reason you scrap pile!"

"I'm sorry master, I-"

Spike interrupted the droid and said, "Discretion is of the utmost important. Ring a bell?"

Pirrell realized who Spike was and said, "Send him in, and this time, do not disturb us for any reason. Any. Reason. Are we clear?"

The droid nodded, "Crystal sir."

Spike walked in as the droid unlocked the door and Pirrell said, "Apologies, I hadn't told that blasted droid I was hiring a hunter. Let's skip the formalities and get to the point. My superior Colonel Sartius is an incompetent fool. I toil in his shadow, although his job is rightfully mine."

Spike nodded, "And I assume this isn't as easy as a simple hit."

"You assume correctly, he's popular with the right people. We can't just kill him, we need to prove his incompetence to Admiral Ivernus, whose confidence is trusted within Sartius. We need to show that he is unfit to serve as colonel."

Spike smiled, "The colonel loses his job, and the admiral comes and gives you a promotion. Well, let's get to business then."

Pirrell smiled, "You and I will work well together, I can tell."

And so, Spike has been given his first target, a high-ranking officer within the Imperial Navy. Not having any other connections to the admiral, he finds a lead in Lieutenant Major Pirrell. Pirrell has hired Spike to make his superior look incompetent in order to take his position. While he has no knowledge of Spike's true intentions, he trusts him completely. This is the beginning of the Great Hunt for Spike. To take down the one they call Admiral Untouchable. Let's just see if he lives up to his title.

Broadening Horizons

Spike was at the cantina in Sobrik with his friends. Twilight had told him about an important update to the game, and he wanted to talk to them about it. "So, my sister told me that we can choose a secondary class. It's not like the ones you get to choose when you reach level 10 on the old PC version of the game."

Thorax raised any eyebrow, "What kind of secondary class is it then?"

Spike started explaining, "It seems like we can choose to switch between our main class and another class. It only works for the two class types. An example is like how you and Gabby are Force users, you can choose to train in another Force using class, whereas Starlight and I can choose another Tech class. And it's not limited to factions, if I wanted to, I could take up the skills used by a Commando Trooper, including being able to use assault cannons."

Gabby spoke up, "That does sound interesting. What class are you thinking of picking Spike?"

Spike thought for a moment and said, "I'm going with Sniper. Just feels natural for a bounty hunter to snipe targets without anyone knowing where I am."

Starlight took a sip of her drink and said, "Well, a bounty hunter with a sniper rifle... that's logical, but in my case, and this may be the virtual alcohol talking, I'm going with commando. Imagine a sexy Imperial Agent who knows how to use an assault cannon."

Thorax chuckled, "Not a bad idea. For me... I think I'll go with a Juggernaut. Gabby's already a Marauder."

Suddenly...

Pinkie yelled "Who the hell writes this!? There's thousands of Marauders!"

"Pinkie!"

As Pinkie faded back into the opened background, Spike looked at his drink and put it back on the table saying, "I think I've had enough to drink."

The others nodded and put down their drinks, each of them voicing agreement. Thorax spoke and said, "This may be the alcohol talking, but that fourth wall break did make a good point. Just because Gabby is a Marauder doesn't mean I can't be one too."

Gabby shrugged, "To be fair, I'm probably going with Assassin, not Sorcerer. I always did like some of the Electrostaff weapons."

Spike nodded, "I'll see you back on the fleet, I've heard launching this takes you back to the fleet after you pick your new secondary class." before walking out of the cantina after paying for his drink. He looked at the gauntlet on his left arm, which all players had to access their inventory, check their mail, and much more.

He spoke into it saying, "Launch Legacy of the Sith expansion."

The computerized voice from the gauntlet replied, "Expansion launching. Teleporting to GSI."

The gauntlet beeped a few times and said, "Sniper has been chosen as your secondary class. You will be teleported to the Imperial Fleet in order to receive a new set of gear suited for your chosen secondary class."

As Spike arrived at the fleet, he was met by a droid who told him, "Thank you for your patronage by launching the Legacy of the Sith expansion pack. Contained in this crate is the gear and weapons you will need for your secondary class. It is recommended that you go to your new class trainer to learn skills for your secondary class. Thank you for supporting Star Wars the Old Republic VR Edition."

Spike unboxed the crate and pulled out its contents, adding them to his inventory. He already had a skill set in mind based on what he currently had. As he inspected his new sniper rifle, he was thinking, "It's not a very powerful weapon... I still have some Cartel Coins from my parents... I'll just buy a better weapon in the Cartel Market."

After buying his new weapon, Spike went to see the Imperial Agent trainer who told him, "Ah, a new student. From your armor, I assume you're a bounty hunter who's new to using a sniper rifle. I can easily help you with that."

Spike nodded, "Yes, that's why I'm here. I decided to broaden my horizons. I'm a crack shot with blaster pistols, but I've never used a sniper rifle, and I'd be dead meat if I went out using one without proper training."

The trainer nodded, "Indeed you would. Let's get started then."

Two hours later...

After his training session, Spike told the trainer, "Thanks, I'm starting to get the handle of this."

The trainer smiled, "Good to know. If you ever need more training, feel free to come back."

As Spike left to head back to his ship to get to Balmorra, he called to see if Twilight had been watching. "Hey sis, can you ask Pinkie how she's able to pop in and out of reality? Moreso, tell her to calm down while she's watching me."

Twilight nodded, "Trust me, I've asked her, she won't talk. But I'll make sure she doesn't pop in unannounced, especially at important moments. Good luck with your sniper rifle, it looks powerful."

And so, Spike has obtained new skills in the form of being able to wield a sniper rifle so he can pick off opponents from a distance without being noticed at all. Of course, this new style will not be without its challenges. Can Spike master the art of sniping and become a better Bounty Hunter as a result?"

Find out next time!

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to talk to Pinkie regarding that last fourth wall break."

Joining the Great Hunt (Part 2)

After Spike had collected the bounty for Altaka, he headed down to the office of the Imperial who he was hired for. When he arrived in the office, a man at a desk said, "Excuse me, this is the office of Admiral Faadaal, and he is not taking visitors right now."

Spike told the man, "I'm not a visitor, I'm here on business."

"The Admiral would never have business with you. Please leave before I call security."

Suddenly, a holo came on, "What's all that racket out there!?"

The assistant told the man on the holo, "Nothing important sir, just a quarrelsome individual. Nothing to worry about, I'll call for security to remove this off-world scum."

The man on the holo said, "You idiot! I requested a hunter from the Mandalorians! Send him in now!"

The assistant nodded, "Of course Admiral, my apologies" before saying to Spike, "You may enter."

Spike walked into the Admiral's office and said, "Well, I guess you need some better help. Let's skip the small talk and get down to business. You hired a hunter, I'm that hunter."

Faadaal nodded, "Indeed, good help is hard to find within Imperial ranks. This job requires delicacy. It won't be easy."

Spike smiled, "Good, easy jobs bore me. What's the job?"

The Admiral smiled, "Straight to the point are we? Good. My daughter was born Force-sensitive and was trained to be Sith. An honor for our family. Sadly, she's become a liability. Her master is one Lord Gratham."

Spike nodded, "I've heard people talking about him, crazy paranoid, traitorous, among other things that I'd rather not say."

"Indeed, he boldly defies the Dark Council. And as my daughter is his apprentice, her being captured or killed by Imperials would be damaging to me and my family, we all suffer from Sith politics."

Spike's eyes widened, "Wait, are you saying you want me to kill your daughter because of politics?"

Admiral Faadaal nodded, "Indeed. I love my daughter, but in the world of Sith politics, everyone who's not a Sith just has to deal with it. Lord Gratham's stronghold can withstand a siege from a squad of troops, even the ones who are led by a Sith apprentice. But a single intruder can easily sneak in."

Spike sighed, "I honestly think this is sick, but a job's a job. I'll do it."

Meanwhile in the real world...

Twilight was watching Spike's actions with her friends and said, "My god, I never knew the Bounty Hunter story was so dark."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "What do you expect though? He's a hired gun."

Fluttershy pointed out, "If I remember correctly, he doesn't have to kill her."

Applejack raised an eyebrow and asked, "And you know this, how?"

"My brother has an account and I've watched his live-streams from time to time. Thank god he's not one of the people trapped in this version of the game though."

Rarity nudged Fluttershy with her elbow, clearing her throat before Twilight said, "I take no offense to it Rarity. The players aren't the bad guys here, the company who made this system are the ones I'm angry at, especially because they put disclaimers that rid them of any liability."

Back in the game world...

As Spike and Mako made their way to Gratham's estate, Mako said, "You know, a lot of Gratham's top men have prices on their head."

Spike nodded, "We could use as many credits as we can. Let's get going."

As they arrived at the estate, other players were rushing through on their own missions, giving them the distraction they needed to sneak in. After killing any enemies that were dumb enough to get too close, they made their way to the Admiral's daughter, who laughed at them saying, "My father couldn't even get a real Mandalorian to kill me?"

Spike rolled his eyes, "Let's get this over with. You may be Sith, but you're still flesh and blood. I've never met somebody I can't kill."

As she shot Force lightning at Spike, who withstood the pain long enough to grab his blasters, she realized he may not be a Mandalorian, but he's no pushover, and drew her lightsaber.

As the two hunters fought the Sith, Spike injected himself with a stim, increasing his damage. When the young Sith was defeated, she said, "I-Impossible! I lost? But... I'm Sith... Lord Gratham... everything I've learned, is it all just a dream?"

Spike thought for a moment, "It ain't ending like this. You and your old man are due for a chat."

The Sith gasped, "No, that's worse than death! Please, kill-" before being caught off guard by Spike's carbonite blaster, being frozen in an instant.

When Spike returned to the Admiral, he asked them, "Reports of a siege on Gratham's estate are pouring in. I assume my daughter is...?"

Spike shook his head, "I've got her frozen in carbonite." before bringing in the Admiral's frozen daughter

The Admiral's eyes widened, "I specifically told you to kill her! Why would you disobey your employer?"

Spike sighed, "Look, I can't claim to understand Sith politics, but I know a thing or two about family. Be honest, you were ashamed of yourself for hiring me to kill her, weren't you?"

The Admiral looked down, "I'll admit, when you left, I wished I had thought of something else. She's all I have left of her mother. I realized my choices would haunt me for the rest of my life. Thank you for disobeying my orders. I'll pay extra as a sign of thanks." before handing Spike a check for his payment.

"Pleasure doing business. And you have my sympathies, I would never be able to sleep at night if I had to kill my own kid. I'll be going."

The Admiral smiled, "Thank you hunter, you've done me a great service. If I ever need a hunter again, you'll be my first call."

Spike smiled back and said, "Repeat clients are some of my best." before heading back to the Mandalorian Enclave.

When Spike returned, Crysta congratulated him, "Good job out there, most of the other hunters are dead or got arrested. Bad news time though, this last bounty is proof that somebody's after you. Imperial Intelligence is hiring for something super secret. I wouldn't touch those guys with a ten foot pole, but what are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to take that bounty and earn a spot in the melee."

Crysta smiled, "That's the spirit. Good luck with those cloak and dagger freaks."

And so, albeit against the client's wishes, Spike has finished his second bounty on Drommund Kaas, and is one step closer to entering the Great Hunt. Now he is faced with his final bounty from a spy in Imperial Intelligence, people who can be called almost as scary as the Sith. Will Spike finish his third and final bounty and enter the Grand Melee for the last spot in the Great Hunt?

Find out in the next chapter!

Joining the Great Hunt (Part 1)

As Spike disembarked from the Black Talon, he made his way over to the arrival console and registered himself. Mako told him, "I never liked the smell of spaceports, all the drunk passengers and grease monkeys."

Spike looked at her and said, "Smells better than Hutta doesn't it?"

Mako chuckled, "That's like saying I'm thinner than a Hutt."

Spike rolled his eyes and said, "I'm getting the feeling that outsiders aren't particularly liked around here."

Mako nodded, "Imperials are extremely picky about who they trust, so let's watch whose toes we step on, don't want us being killed or arrested without getting a shot at Blood."

After Spike registered them as arrivals, they caught a speeder to the Mandalorian Enclave. When they arrived, there was an Imperial waiting for them who said, "Excuse me, are you the hunter Grand Moff Kilran spoke of in the mission aboard the Black Talon?"

Spike nodded, "Yes, that's me."

The Imperial pulled out a datapad and after punching some numbers in, she printed out and handed a paycheck to Spike. "Thank you for your assistance in the matter, this is your pay." before walking away.

Spike looked at the paycheck and saw that it was for 50,000 credits, "Wow, I expected good pay, but nothing like this." before showing the check to Mako.

Mako was just as surprised as Spike and pulled out her own datapad and used it to deposit the check into Spike's account. She then said, "Let's get a move on, we still need to get our spot in the Hunt."

As the two of them entered the enclave, a woman with a mohawk and tag earrings said, "Well, well, well, another hunter for the Great Hunt? I'm afraid I've got a bit of bad news. We've got two dozen hunters, and only one spot left in the Great Hunt. You want that spot, you have to fight for it. Head in and hear what the Assistant Huntmaster has to say."

Spike nodded, and headed into the next room. He knew this all was what happened when he played the game on his computer before the VR version came out.

The Assistant Huntmaster told them, "You're the best the galaxy's thug lords had to offer, but only one of you will be joining the Great Hunt. You'll each have three bounties to take and complete. Anyone who completes all three bounties will earn a spot in the Grand Melee."

Another hunter said, "You expect us to hunt here on Drommund Kaas, with Imperials and Sith?"

Spike scoffed, "If you're afraid, head back to the spaceport. The Great Hunt has no room for cowards."

The Assistant Headmaster nodded, "Good! That's the spirit! Any of you who are willing to back out, be my guest. To the rest of you, head to your handlers for your first contract." before assigning the hunters their handlers.

Spike and Mako both walked back to the woman they'd met, who introduced herself as Crysta. She took out her datapad and her eyes widened, "This can't be right, you got enemies in the Mandalorians?"

Spike nodded, "Yeah, Tarro Blood killed my team to scare me out of the hunt. Let me guess, he used his status to give me a dangerous bounty?"

Crysta replied, "Yeah, I wouldn't wish this bounty on anyone but my worst enemies, but you have to take what the dice roll. A few weeks ago, a Republic noble was taken into captivity and sold as a slave by mistake. He's worth good money alive, his family will pay handsomely for him. There's been a slave revolt out by the statue that the slaves were working on before they revolted. Head out there and see if you can't worm some information about him out of the rebel slaves. Just be careful, lots of Sith and Imperials are out there, and the lives of alien bounty hunters are worth less than droids to them."

Spike nodded, "Consider me warned." before leaving the enclave. He thought that with his paycheck from the Black Talon, he could easily buy some new armor and weapons, and headed into Kaas City to look around.

2 hours later...

Spike had equipped himself with the finest weapons and armor he could afford, and headed out to the colossus Chyrsa told them about. He noticed a group of slaves hiding behind a large chunk of stone, and headed towards them, one of which pulled out a blaster, "Keep walking! Don't come any closer!"

Spike put his hands up, meaning no harm, "Don't worry, I'm not being paid to kill any rebel slaves, I'm just looking for a noble who was enslaved. Help me out and I'll be on my way."

Before the slave could shoot, another one stopped him and she said, "We saw one of the slaves with a datapad, and he was taken towards Kaas City by a man in rags. We've got the datapad here, take it and leave us alone." before tossing the datapad to Spike.

Spike smiled and said, "Pleasure doing business." before leaving to watch the holo recording on the datapad.

On the holo, a woman came up and said, "My darling, I'm so sorry about what has transpired. I can't get you back to your beloved family, but I can make life here on Drommund Kaas much more comfortable for you. A man in rags will come to get you out of that filth pit you were sold into. Together you and I will pretend you are my brother. Nobody will know the truth about our love."

Spike gagged as he turned off the recording, "Lovers pretending to be siblings? That's disgusting. But we know where they are, so let's go."

They headed back to the cantina in Kaas City, only to be stopped by an Imperial with a group of soldiers who said, "Stop right there, you will hand over your weapons and surrender yourself."

Spike pulled out his blaster and pointed it point blank at the Imperial's head, "I don't want to kill you, but I will if I have to."

The Imperial gulped and said, "O-Okay! I relent! You haven't done anything illegal, but Blood said-"

Spike raised an eyebrow and said, "Blood? As in Tarro Blood? Just get out of here before I get angry."

The Imperial nodded and left with his soldiers, allowing Spike to confront the two nobles.

The man asked, "Can I help you?"

The woman told him, "Don't pay any attention to this... thing. It's not supposed to be here and we shouldn't act like we approve."

Spike pulled out the datapad that had been left at the colossus and said, "Big mistake was leaving this behind. I'm here to take him back to the Republic."

The noble looked to his lover and said, "You said I wouldn't be able to get home, that I had no choice but to stay here!"

His lover rolled her eyes, "I may have exaggerated, but hasn't it been nice my darling?"

He shook his head, "No, this planet is disgusting and you treat me like I'm a pet!"

She grumbled and said to Spike, "I assume his family will pay less if he's dead. So here's a deal, you kill him, and send me the receipt from his family, and I'll cover the difference, twice even."

Spike shook his head, "Some lover you are. But I don't kill if I don't need to." before freezing his target in carbonite with his newest weapon. After that was all said and done, he returned to the Mandalorian Enclave with his target, handing him over to the Mandalorians, who paid him the bounty's pay.

When they returned to Crysta, she told them, "Good job, bit a bad news though, whoever hates you is piling it on hard. Got a job from an Imperial about a rogue Sith."

Spike smirked underneath his mouth guard and said, "I may not be a Mandalorian, but anything that's not a challenge is a waste of time, so this should be refreshing."

Crysta chuckled, "That's the spirit. Get a move on. You'll have an easier time with this Imperial, he's not human either, so it shouldn't be too much trouble."

Spike nodded, "Thanks for that." before leaving to meet his next client.