"Zamhareer, take them," Mun Roe said, looking to the Commander with complete trust. The red man nodded, gathering the seven children and two women with his broad arms and leading them off.

"Your small blue and orange friends are clever," Zanni said when they were gone. He was gazing at Lazer intently, the crescent curve of his mask glinting with silver.

Lazer smiled. "What have they done now?"

"You're cheeky; with your Chaos magic you must have sensed..." Zanni began to say, but then his eyes opened wide. "You really don't know! That means..."

"My power is now theirs," Lazer laughed.

"The Super Emeralds have landed on Angel Island," Mun Roe said. "They ripped through our Dark Metal hulls as if they were rice paper."

"So that's the game!" Zanni cried out. "The same as when you warred with a native human called 'Robotnik'..."

"Tell me," Lazer said. "Are your people good at puzzles?"

Zanni waved his gloved hand, then the three of them were standing in a control room, with military personnel scampering everywhere. Lazer looked out the nearest window: stars, with the blue curve of Mobius below. So they were in outer space, aboard a starship, just like that. This area of the ship was dominated by a hologram that showed Super Sonic and Super Tails wending their way through Hydrocity Zone with incredible speed. Chasing them was a single Terran.

The communication officer made his report. "Commander Lall is in pursuit, but..."

Zanni glanced at the image. "She can't keep up with them, even in her native environment!"

Mun Roe tapped his chin with one finger. "Pattern recognition is a simple matter, so why can't she keep up?"

"When the Chaos Emeralds create mazes to hide themselves, they use Life itself as their puzzle. If you aren't in tune with Mobian life; the rhythms and shapes of this world, then it won't matter how intelligent or powerful you are. The late Robotnik learned that the hard way," Lazer said, unable to suppress a grin.

"Life? Life is that mysterious?" Zanni murmured.

Lazer pointed at the image. The Terran chasing them had rage and frustration written all over her face. Her quarry - both of them - were laughing as they blasted through the waterways and canals, leaving her to eat their bubbles. "Call off your people. Sonic and Tails not only understand Mobius better than anyone, but they're the best team, too. When they work together, miracles happen."

The moon-faced man sneered. "So? No matter how much they power up, we are trillions strong. Even if they tear this space fleet apart, we have thousands more. They'll die of old age before they make a dent in our forces."

There was a glint in Lazer's eyes. "They're not interested in killing."

"Then what..."

Mun Roe grabbed Zanni's arm, surprising him. When he turned his head to rebuke his subordinate, he saw that Mun Roe's face was pale with fear.

"Admiral, you are out of line!"

"S-sir," he stammered. "Their magic..."

"You should listen to him," Lazer chuckled.

"Sir, remember their battle with the lich! They can make portals in space-time!"

"Portals for wh-" Zanni began to say, then it struck him. He swiveled on his heel to face Lazer, whose face held a serene smile. "You would attack our planets with your divine weapon?!"

The atmosphere on the command deck froze. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees. All eyes were on the red hedgehog.

"No," Lazer said. "I didn't kill you, did I? However, neither you nor the rest of your species trusts me. I'm an uppity native with a weapon of mass destruction, and that threat is going to hang over your heads for the rest of my life. What are you going to do about it?"

"I should kill you right now," Zanni said, pulling back one of his hands, his fingers poised like five spears. Then he stopped. "But your weapon would save you, as it did in your dreams."

Lazer nodded. "Even if you succeeded, who would R'Thrys choose next? Another Mobian? Or perhaps one of the other uppity natives on your colony planets?"

Zanni shook with rage. "Damn you. I will not be controlled! Admiral!"

Mun Roe snapped to attention. "Sir!"

"I am about to commit several war crimes. I cede all authority to you. Contact the other governments and inform them."

Mun Roe's austere countenance dissolved into anxiety, and as Lazer looked between them, he knew that it was one friend worrying about another.

"Harlequin! Zanni! Retreat is an option! There must be other habitable worlds; we will double our search efforts!"

Zanni shook his head, placing a gloved hand on Mun Roe's shoulder. The men locked eyes.

"I must say goodbye. Take care of your wife and children. Keep Zam in line, and tell Conley to start a family of his own. In the end, I hope you will forgive me."

The False Harlequin turned his attention to Lazer. The moon mask warped into a cold and dreadful smile. "My little red friend, you have sought to rob me of victory; thus, you have dared to take away my freedom. This must not be. I will now hold your world to ransom: either you work for me, or Mobius burns."

Then R'Thrys, the divine greatsword, was in Lazer's paws, its stark white cutting edge against the False Harlequin's throat. The command deck personnel stopped breathing.

"You have convinced me to end your life, Zanni. Please change your mind."

Zanni leaned into the blade. The lightest touch broke the skin of his throat. Blood marked a thin red line onto his pristine black and white suit.

"Yes, that's it; take my head. I have already sent the signal to soldiers who are loyal only to me... present company excluded, of course. If my biorhythms end, my loyal warriors will rain destruction on your planet from light-years away. Even with your Chaos magic and this blessed blade, I bet you won't be able to find them all in time. Now put down your sword."

Lazer complied. Zanni wiped his throat with one finger, and the cut was gone. "In war, quantity always beats quality, Lazer. You work for me now. You don't need that... thing... to carry out my will."

Lazer looked down at the divine weapon. He stared at it for a few seconds, then it was gone. The command deck personnel started breathing again. Zanni took off his gloves, green light dancing between his fingers. He knelt before his enemy. Two more arms erupted from his sides.

Four hands descended upon the red hedgehog. "This is going to hurt, but you will not die. Not until I let you."

Lazer said nothing, but moments later he was screaming. The command deck personnel averted their eyes, some even covering their ears. Mun Roe forced himself to watch: Zanni was carving shining runes into Lazer's flesh, his twenty elegant fingers sliding through the hedgehog's skin and fur like a surgeon's knife. When he stopped a minute later the entire room was awash in an emerald glow, but not from Zanni.

Arcane Lazer was born from the ruins of the red hedgehog. His quills, fur and flesh were burnt black. Through the cracks in his flesh, torrid green light shone with the power of the runic symbols. His eyes were no longer black, but glowed a sickly green, as though dipped in radioactive waste.

Zanni took a step backward, admiring his masterpiece. His twenty fingers dripped blood. "My arcane warrior... RISE."

Arcane Lazer hovered upright. There was no Chaos magic in his body; this vessel was filled with an alien, twisted magic.

"My arcane warrior, seek the Master Emerald. Destroy it."

Arcane Lazer made a gesture with his paw, then disappeared in a flash of jade fire.