Wookieepedia:Featured article queue/July 19, 2009

Spiker was a Chiss mercenary and a member of Big Gizz's swoop gang, working for Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine. One of few Chiss to ever leave the Unknown Regions during the time of the Empire, none knew of his heritage, not even Spiker himself. Several years before the Battle of Yavin, he became an undercover agent in Jabba the Hutt's swoop gang, spying on the gang's leader, Big Gizz, for Jabba, while severely downplaying his intelligence. For his efforts, Spiker was rewarded with a suit of uniquely spiked armor from Jabba, from which he earned his nickname.

Spiker worked with Gizz for several years, and his deception was never discovered; together with the rest of the gang, he intimidated Jabba's clients and customers into repaying their debts, and earned a reputation for surviving extremely dangerous maneuvers. In 3 ABY, the gang took on a new member, Jix, who was in truth an agent of Lord Darth Vader. Jix attacked Gizz, and later lied to Spiker, claiming that Gizz had been killed in a collision. Jix left Spiker to die after his swoop bike exploded several days later in a chase for Boba Fett. Spiker survived, and was healed by members of the B'omarr Order; he was also reunited with Gizz, and the two hatched a plan to commandeer a secret ship of Jabba's in Glass Mountain. Their plan went awry when Gorga the Hutt also attempted to claim the ship, and they ultimately came away from the adventure with nothing, save for a straggling Lizling named Onoh. During their travels, the trio were attacked by a rogue Imperial dark trooper, though they managed to survive, barely. After that, Spiker and Gizz were believed to have disappeared.