Chapter 14: Desert Rescue
Location: Soleanna
That afternoon...
Their search having come to a dead end, the group of Mobains, Humans, and one robot had rendezvous within Soleanna's Distillery District. The group was seated at a table in one of the outdoor cafes, taking a much desired lunch break, and to come up with a new plan. Shadow and Rouge were currently engaged in a heated conversation - something involving a Hawaiian shirt. People wondered the streets, acting as if the previous night's attack hadn't even taken place. The damaged building were already in the process of being repaired, a startling testament to Terran engineering.
"What are we going to do now, Sonic?" Chris asked.
The hedgehog and fox had discovered Eggman's robots prowling along the coastline, but that lead had proven to be a dead end.
"Eggman's obviously trying to put everyone on the wrong trail," Tails said.
"We need to rescue Elise," Sonic said, "If we do that I'm sure we can get these Terrans to join us."
"We just need to find her." Topaz remarked, finishing the last of her gelato.
A dark shadow drifted across the district and the group turned their attention skyward to find the Daedalus passing overhead.
"Have to admit; its more impressive then anything GUN's managed to produce," Shadow stated.
"Ooh! High praise from the Ultimate Lifeform," Sonic joked, prompting an annoyed look from the black hedgehog.
A series of objects were launched from the vessel, streaking through the sky before the buildings blocked their view of them.
"What are those?" Tails asked.
"Drop pods," Shard answered, "Not a good sign when those are being deployed."
"How exactly do you know so much?" Rouge questioned.
"I've been...appraised of what I can expect."
"Where to you think they're headed?" Sonic asked.
"Based on their speed and trajectory...I'd say the desert."
Sonic pushed away from the table, his chair scrapping across the cobblestones as he rose to his feet.
"We'd better check it out," the hedgehog stated, a serious look on his face.
The others didn't argue with Sonic's suggestion and quickly rose to follow him in the direction of the desert, but were halted when Topaz's communicator beeped.
"Agent Topaz, this is the Seahawk."
"Go ahead, Seahawk," Topaz said, speaking into her communicator.
"We've arrived just off the coast of the city," their unseen contact reported, "Please proceed to the nearest harbour for extraction."
"Acknowledged, Seahawk," she stated, turning to the others, "Our ride's here."
"You'd better go then," Sonic said, though there was a hint of resentment in his voice.
"Where's the closest harbour?" Shadow asked.
"The New City district, though usually yachts are the only thing docked there," Shard stated.
"Good luck, Sonic," Rouge said, departing with Shadow and Topaz.
With the departure of the GUN agents, Sonic, Tails, Chris, and Shard headed for the desert, passing through the gate and stepping out onto the endless tracks of heated sand. The crags, rock and sand had become host to a battle between Marines decked out in CMC-300 Powered Combat Suits and a variety of Eggman's robots. Armed with C-14 Impalers, they formed the bulk of the Terran Republic's ground forces. The group watched as two Dropships slowly descend from the sky and depositing what looked like a pair of tanks on two ridges that were on either side of the gate before they transformed into what appeared to be some sort of artillery mode and began shelling the approaching robots. Although they appeared to be quite outnumbered the Terrans were easily holding their own.
"We need to help them," Tails said as Sonic shot forward and slammed into one of Eggman's robots that had pinned down one soldier who was unable to fight back. She was a woman with close-cropped blond hair, a tight face with angular cheek bones and shining, steel-tinged eyes.
"Thank you," she said to Sonic, though reluctantly, "My weapon was jammed. Lieutenant L. Z. Breanne of the 417th Marine Platoon."
"Name's Sonic," he explained, "What can we do to help?"
"Not much," the Marine replied, "We've got reinforcements en route from the Daedalus, so we can hold things here. But intelligence indicates that there's activity coming from a ruined temple a couple miles away. Dr. Eggman may have left Princess Elise there but we've been unable to retrieve her. If you want to help then she needs the most."
"Lieutenant!" someone yelled.
"What is it, Private Melnikov?" she called to a bald-headed marine of nineteen years.
"Grizzly's are en-route from the Daedalus, ETA 45 second," he called out.
"All units pull back!" the lieutenant yelled.
She leapt up from behind cover and fired a round from her P-45 Scythe pistol at the closet robot before dropping back behind cover
"Once the Grizzly's have passed you'll have to move quickly."
"No problem, we'll be gone before they come," Sonic said as he grabbed Tails by the arm and shot off across the battlefield.
"WAIT! ARE YOU CRAZY!?" Lieutenant Breanne screamed as the Grizzlies arrived, bombarding the area with B2-C concussion bombs.
"SONIC! TAILS! " Chris cried out as Shard shoved him to the ground to shield him.
The airborne sand completely obscured vision, but the robotic hedgehog's infrared-mode allowed him to see that the two Mobians had succeeded in clearing the blast zone.
"They're fine. They've made it through."
Location: Dusty Desert
Forty minutes later…
Sonic and Tails eventually found the temple that Lieutenant Breanne spoke of half an hour later sticking out of the desert sand. They had expected some members of the Dark Egg Legion patrolling the surrounding area, instead they found robots everywhere.
"Guess Eggman can't afford to leave New Megaopolis undefended," Tails said as he lay on a sandy ridge that overlooked the temple with Sonic.
"How did we not know that Eggman had operational production facilities?"
"He's been confined to the EggDome ever since Enerjak laid waste to New Megaopolis," Tails stated, "We haven't been given the opportunity to conduct a raid."
"We have to get inside," Sonic said standing up.
"Right," Tails said climbing to his feet as well.
The two quickly and carefully made their way down the sand dunes and waited behind a large stone the jutted out of the sand and waited for several minutes. When the robots guarding the entrance failed to wonder off, Sonic picked up a piece of broken masonry and hurled over his head. There was a distant clatter, and the two robots immediately turned in the direction of the noise, eventually moving away to investigate. Making use of the opportunity, Sonic and Tails broke cover and darting across the covered stonework and passed through the entrance. More robots patrolled the interior of the temple as both Mobians hide behind rubble and debris of varying sizes as they made their way to the heart of the temple. There was a large stone door that separated them from the princess and Sonic simply slammed into it causing the entire door to disintegrate into dust. Princess Elise sitting on a ruined pillar located in a large dusty chamber with Eggman's two henchbots were in the chamber with her, Bocoe armed with what appeared to be a spring loaded hammer.
"Don't come any closer, Sonic," Decoe warned.
Decoe and Bocoe could hardly be considered the most threatening or competent of Eggman's creations. Sonic wasn't intimidated by them, and they had lost whatever confidence they had the moment he took a step forward.
"He's coming right for us!" Bocoe cried out, dropping the weapon.
The two henchbots immediately hightailed it out of there, disappearing through a doorway at the far end of the chamber.
"Well...that was anti-climatic," Sonic muttered, glancing over to Tails.
The fox couldn't even bring himself to look at the hedgehog, he was far too embarrassed by Decoe and Bocoe's characteristically quick exit.
"Mr. Sonic!" Elise said standing up and running over to him.
"Just call me Sonic," he said as Elise suddenly embraced him in a hug causing him to blush, "Now then are you ok?"
"I'm so glad that you came…"
"I always keep my word."
"Hate to interrupt the moment, but we should consider getting out of here before Decoe and Bocoe raise an alarm," Tails suggested.
"You're right, Tails. Ready to leave this place, Princess?"
"Yes. Very much so."
Several minutes later the group emerged from the temple and into the hot desert sun, but what they found was more of Eggman's new robots flying toward them.
"How long is this gonna go on?" Sonic asked.
"Let's split up," Tails suggested, "I'll get their attention and you take the princess."
"…Ok, but you be careful, Tails," Sonic said reluctantly.
"Leave it to me," Tails replied as he took to the air while Sonic picked up Elise.
"Hold on tight," Sonic warned.
"Okay," Elise replied as he took off running.