Chapter 9: Midnight Assault

Acorn Forward Operations Base, 26th June 3256, 00:00 am…

"'Ow goes zee night mes amies?" Antoine asked as he stepped up near the front line.

"Pretty good so far, sir." Said the person in command of the group, a Colonel by the name of Braddock, a thirty-five year old anthropomorphic bear in whose abilities Antoine had placed a fair deal of trust and faith. "Though I did see signs that the enemy were pulling back about a quarter of an hour ago. Something's not right."

Antoine nodded. If the Imperials were pulling back, then something was about to happen. Something that could either be very good, or very, very bad. Looking up to a nearby sniper, Antoine called out: "Buteur, can you see any sign of Imperial Forces from your position?"

"Nope. Don't see nothing." Replied the sniper.

Antoine scowled. If there was anything he'd learned well as a general, it was to always know the positioning of the enemy. How far away they were, how close they were, what battle positions they had taken up. Yet he had little to no idea as to the whereabouts of his enemy. And that would simply not do. Walking up to the sniper's tower, he climbed up to the top and took hold of his electro binoculars, looking out towards the enemy lines. Yet he could not even see a glimpse of either Imperial Stormtroopers, Officers, or anything else of that kind. Swearing under his breath, Antoine looked down to his men. "Get the men 'ere now." He called out. He had a bad feeling that the Empire were rearing back for a major attack, which was never good for them. It would cost them men and equipment, of which replacements would not arrive in time to repel this attack, which looked as if it would happen at any minute now, much less any that followed it.

However, it was not long until Antoine heard sounds he had grown accustomed to after years of fighting on the front line: The sound of heavy artillery cannons firing. His eyes widening, Antoine shouted: "DUCK AND COVER!" As he leaped down from the tower, ducking behind cover just as the first artillery blasts struck. As he looked behind him, Antoine found himself staring into sheer carnage:

Soldiers that had until then been moving up to the front lines now ran about the area in flames, screaming in pain and terror as their flesh slowly cooked and their fur burned off of their bodies, others lay holding the mangled stumps where limbs had formerly been, and others sat against boxes holding their heads in their hands and bawling their eyes out in terror. Elsewhere, various pieces of equipment burned or lay strewn about the area in ruins, their usefulness having run its course.

Suddenly, the artillery stopped completely.

Instantly alert, Antoine and those that had been taking cover manned their defences, staring into the smoke and mist that had arisen as a result of the bombardment, Antoine himself squinting into the smoke, trying to pierce its misty veil with his keen eyesight. Yet before his eyes even spotted anything, his ears picked up something. Something that made his blood run cold in his veins:

It was the sound of breathing. Deep, laboured breathing, which echoed resonantly around the surrounding area. Breathing that once it had been heard, could never be forgotten.

Tightening his grip on his LL-30 Blaster Pistol, Antoine swallowed hard, forcing his fear down his throat with the excess saliva that he swallowed. Again, he stared into the thick smoke.

Again, nothing could be seen. The fact that it was the dead of night failed to help eyesight either.

Until finally, the unmistakeable sound of a lightsaber igniting filled the air, and the area metres in front of the Acorn soldiers was bathed in a ghostly red light, giving form to an imposing dark figure standing mere metres before them.

After that, it wasn't long before two more lightsabers followed, revealing the two other dark figures standing on either side of the imposing figure.

Antoine drew in a sharp breath: "Mon dieu…" He was barely able to mutter before he finally screamed at the top of his lungs: "OPEN FIRE!"


With Darth Vader…

Vader immediately blocked the cascade of blaster bolts that came his way, either deflecting them towards those that fired them, or blocking them all together, either with his lightsaber or with his hands, using Tutaminis.

All this and more the Acorn soldiers fired at him and his Shadow Guards, and all of which he and the Shadow Guards blocked.

Finally the cascade of fire stopped, and there was a brief pause between the two sides.

Our turn, then; Vader thought. Without so much of a sign, Vader's hand shot out, unleashing a savage Force Push that sent every single Acorn soldier flying backwards. Seeing this, Vader now started forward, flanked by his Shadow Guards, and the Death Troopers, who now began opening fire, picking off scores of Acorn soldiers. Clearing the front barricade, Vader saw two terrified soldiers, who raised their rifles to fire just as he moved to strike them down. The remainder of their cut up rifles hit the floor, followed suit by their severed heads.

Another not too far away drew his sidearm and snapped off a number of shots at Vader, but the Dark Lord of the Sith merely raised his hand, absorbing the bolts as he came closer and closer, striking the soldier down with a single-handed cleave from his lightsaber. Seeing three others, who opened fire at the sight of Vader, he blocked their bolts with ease: And then threw his lightsaber towards them. Guiding his blade's trajectory, Vader beheaded all three of the soldiers in question, calling his lightsaber back to his hand. Turning towards the retreating Acorn soldiers, Vader's eyes locked onto one of the individuals bringing up the rearguard, one who he immediately identified as the leader of the group, if the Mobian's officer attire was anything to come by. Rejoining his Shadow Guards, Vader continued to surge forward. Nothing would stop him now.


Base Camp, 00:30 am…

The sound of voices raised in terror and trepidation aroused Shadow from his slumber, but the sound of blaster fire rendered him immediately alert. Jumping from his bed, Shadow seized his combat gear and hurriedly pulled it on, just as a soldier came in:

"Director Shadow, we're under attack!" The soldier cried.

"Tell me something I don't already know for a change, soldier." Shadow snapped callously. "Like say, where the fuck is the general?"

"He was on the front lines when the attack started, sir. I have no idea where he is."

Shadow scowled. "Fuck!" the ebony hedgehog snarled before grabbing his dual blaster pistols, taken from a dead Mandalorian warrior whom Shadow had personally killed. Holstering them, he took his knife and sheathed it, before storming out, already sensing carnage. Contacting Antoine, Shadow shouted: "Antoine, you there?!"

"Oui." Antoine replied. "For now zat ees."

"What's going on out there?"

"A small force of Imperial Forces attacked us. Zey are making mincemeat out of our forces, so I will assume zat zey are Special Forces. Furthermore, zere are trois lightsaber wielding individuals at zee head of zese troopers."

Shadow drew in a sharp breath- Antoine wouldn't stand a chance against any of the people in question. "Antoine, fall back now! I'll head up and deal with those guys."

"A non!" Antoine replied. "I will remain by zee side of my men; even if zis is to be my death." At this, the line was cut.

Shadow shook his head. "For fuck's sake, Antoine!" The Ultimate Life Form snarled as he stormed forward, headed towards the battle. If Antoine wasn't going to save his own skin, then he was going to save Antoine himself, whether the general liked it or not.


With Antoine…

"We 'old zem 'ere!" Antoine called out as he and his men came to a stop, immediately opening fire on the oncoming Imperial Forces.

The dark figure in front deflected all of the bolts directed towards them, before motioning to their men, commanding them to fan out. They then eyed Antoine, raising his lightsaber as if challenging Antoine.

Antoine drew a sharp breath- He was aware of his chances against any force wielder- they were little to none. However, he was not going to back down from any one-on-one duel, regardless of his chances. Stepping out from the lines of his men, he approached the dark figure, drawing his own sabre.

"General, what're you doing?" Captain Braddock whispered to Antoine as the general approached the dark figure, flourishing with his sabre as he did.

The figure did no such thing in reply, merely glared into Antoine's blue eyes with his seemingly soulless, bulbous, black eyes.

The opponents continued to stare one another down, waiting for the other to attack. They were nothing if not cautious with their opponents.

Finally, seemingly out of boredom, the dark figure attacked, a small, penetrating jab, which was parried with ease by Antoine, who countered with a riposte that nearly struck its intended target, but the figure sidestepped the attack and slashed at Antoine's chest.

Antoine barely leaped back to avoid the blow, before staring down his opponent yet again, readying himself for any attack. When none came, he decided to attack himself, jabbing towards the figure's gut before spinning around as if pirouetting and slashing towards the figure's mask. He intended to discover what was beneath it.

The figure again blocked the blow, seemingly having realised that his opponent was more skilled with his sword than previously thought. With this in mind, the figure attacked yet again, albeit much more viciously and with more confidence in whom he was dealing with.

Antoine struggled to keep up with the figure's attacks, which he found came at him quickly and precisely, intent on discovering his weaknesses and exploiting them. Suddenly, he felt an immense pain overload his nervous systems as he felt his back laid open with a strike from behind. Turning around, he immediately attacked the culprit, one of the dark figure's guards, who was wielding some form of pole-arm lightsaber. Slapping aside the jab the guard made with his sabre, Antoine drew his pistol and fired several shots into the guard, letting its body fall to the floor. Turning, he was barely able to block the oncoming strike of his opponent, before stepping to the side, throwing his opponent temporarily off balance. Drawing back his sword to drive it through his opponent's flank, Antoine felt another intense pain flare up, albeit this time in his knee. Looking down, he saw the blade of another lightsaber protruding from it. Kicking back with his free leg, Antoine felt his leg strike something which then fell back. Antoine heard the sound of a lightsaber switching off, and then, turning, he stormed over to the defenceless guard that had stabbed him in the knee and drove his sword halfway into the guard, dragging it out as he watched the guard die. He turned then to face his opponent, and limped forwards to attack. But that changed the moment his adversary made a pincer of their fingers, and lifted him into the air.

Dropping his sword, Antoine began kicking and choking, his eyes tearing up at the lack of oxygen and blood travelling to his brain. He reached down with one hand, hoping to draw his pistol, but again, his free hand joined the other one currently at his throat.

"You underestimate the power of the Dark Side." The figure replied, before holding his lightsaber before him and pulling Antoine towards him, impaling the general on his blade, hearing the groans of horror and despair from Antoine's men at the fall of their general.

Antoine's face fell as he felt the lightsaber blade being driven completely up to the hilt into his stomach. The pain was immeasurable, but he forced down any efforts to cry out in pain. He instead turned his thoughts to Bunnie, the girl he had devoted both his life and his achievements to, throughout his thirty-eight years of life. The warmth of her fur and skin, the taste of her lips, the sheer joy that he had felt at her announcement that she was finally pregnant with their child.

All that suddenly disappeared as the lightsaber blade was dragged out of him, letting him fall motionless to the ground.

Seeing this, Colonel Braddock felt for the first time a helplessness he had not felt since seeing his parents and sister being murdered as part of the initial genocide of the Imperial conquest of Mobius seventeen years before. He forced resolve to come forth, before making the beginnings of a cry to open fire, but was silenced as something black, red and fast smashed full force into the dark figure, sending them both sprawling. He held out both hands to stop anyone firing, as he watched both the figure and his new opponent rise, the sight of whom brought a profound sense of relief to him and his men:

There, looking angrier than a drunken Knuckles the Echidna, was Shadow the Hedgehog.


With Darth Vader…

Vader regarded the new arrival with an utter lack of surprise. "Impressive. You share the speed of motion which made Sonic the Hedgehog famous." He remarked.

Shadow eyed the fallen Antoine, and motioned for medics to take him back behind their lines. It was time for him to handle this. "I don't just share Sonic's speed;" Shadow replied. "I have a lot of things besides that which I highly doubt you've ever encountered before. There's a reason people call me the Ultimate Life Form." Readying himself, Shadow added with a smirk: "You're about to discover that reason for yourself."

Vader responded with an instant Force Push, throwing Shadow off of his feet and backwards.

Backflipping to avoid the worst of it, Shadow responded by closing in on Vader, drawing his dual pistols and snapping off shot after shot at Vader, who blocked them all effortlessly as Shadow approached. Leaping up, Shadow lashed out with a dropkick that managed to stagger Vader if but for a moment. A moment was all Shadow needed. "CHAOS… SPEAR!" He bellowed as he launched a green bolt of energy resembling said weapon at Vader from the palm of his hand.

Vader did nothing but raise his own hand, absorbing the bolt of energy in an effortless use of Tutaminis.

The colour drained from Shadow's face as he saw this occur, the look on his face clear as day. "How…"

"You underestimate the power of the Dark Side." Vader responded as he leapt forward, lightsaber drew back and ready to plunge into Shadow's chest.

Rolling back to avoid the blow, Shadow resorted to attempting a spinning roundhouse kick that had served him well in the past, but found himself caught in midair, his foot inches from Vader's face.

Vader regarded Shadow with little more than contempt before he threw Shadow down onto the floor, drawing his lightsaber back yet again in an effort to deal Shadow a fatal blow.

In that split second, Shadow immediately shouted: "CHAOS BLAST!" The instant after he shouted that, a wave of energy burst out of him, sending Vader flying backwards.

Flipping backwards and landing on his feet, Vader realised Shadow was indeed more powerful than he thought. Looking up, he saw Shadow was moving towards him again, already firing at Vader with his dual blasters. Absorbing what he could through use of Tutaminis, Vader hurled his lightsaber towards Shadow, using the Force to guide its path. It was not long before Vader heard the sound of his lightsaber striking something, and a strangulated groan. Looking up, Vader saw what had happened.

Shadow was now on his knees, Vader's lightsaber sunken up to the hilt into his chest. It was a testament to Shadow's innate resistance to physical pain that he did not cry out.

Rising to his feet, Vader approached the impaled Shadow, reaching over and jerking his lightsaber free of Shadow's chest, allowing the so-called 'Ultimate Life Form' to topple to the ground. He looked up towards the horrified Acorn troops, and considered slaughtering them all. It would certainly eliminate the problems they posed. But he decided against it. He would allow them to live but for a little more time. Turning, he simply left, his Death Troopers falling in behind him. For now, their work was done. Now to simply wait for a reaction; either from Roman, or from his Jedi apprentice. Vader had no doubt that one of them would respond. It was in a Jedi's nature to defend lesser beings. That nature, would be their undoing.


Well that's not good.

To those fans of Shadow that are inevitably going to flood my reviews page with butthurt remarks on why I dared to have Shadow be so easily defeated by Darth Vader, I say this: Get over it. Shadow's abilities, whilst vast in their scope, are greatly overrated in my opinion. And furthermore, Shadow has always been one arrogant son of a bitch. That arrogance is what cost him against Vader. If that offends you, then I apologise. But I will advise you to look for another fanfiction that will satisfy your opinion of Shadow as another badass who should be rarely beaten. Well, since I he faced off against another bona-fide badass in Darth Vader, one had to lose. And to satisfy the mandate I've set myself for this fanfiction, which is to paint Vader as the single most dangerous individual walking the face of the galaxy besides Emperor Palpatine himself, the loser had to be Shadow. Like I said: Get over it, Shadow fans.

One another note, to those that care not about such ridiculous intricacies, thank you so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then leave a review in the appropriate section, and in the event that you really enjoyed it, then please favourite and follow this fanfiction, in order to be amongst the first to read chapter 10, as and when it is uploaded next Saturday.

Again, thank you for reading, and I will see you next week with chapter 10, which sees Roman and Tails find out about the fates of Antoine and Shadow, which leaves Roman in a state of mind that marks the Empire as in for a complete and utter shit-kicking.

May the Force be with you. Always.

T-Rock14