The journey to Jade Creek proceeds without incident. Despite her lack of experience, Lilac proves adept at riding Hanna's ATV, a task helped by her being the same height and general proportions. The ride isn't too comfortable for the vixen however, as she is forced to sit on the edge of the luggage rack, unable to shift her weight properly due to being strapped to Lilac for her own safety.

After the three‑hour journey, the group arrives at the lakeside house to find Shadow stood at the edge of the lake, staring out over the water. Electing to leave the hedgehog in peace, the group parks and enters the house.

"Welcome back," Rouge greets from the sofa. "And hello again, Lilac and Carol." Rouge then notices Hanna, who is still locked in her straightjacket and muzzle. "Do I want to know?"

"Turns out attacking police officers in their own station is a bad idea," Hanna summarises.

"And she still hasn't thanked me for negotiating her release," Lilac adds. "Well, technically it's not a release: she's in my custody."

"Our custody," Carol corrects.

"Of course, sorry," Lilac apologises. "And she will be until this alien situation is resolved."

"That explains why I'm still in this stupid straightjacket," Hanna grumbles as she flops into the chair. "Out of interest, how did you strike the deal?"

"Nothing major," Lilac waves away. "Just a favour."

"I'm not an idiot," Hanna replies gruffly. "They were going to send me to the nuthouse, yet here I am, in your custody. What deal did you strike?"

"Promise you won't laugh?" Lilac asks.

"You laughed at me," Hanna reminds. "I'll laugh at you if I feel like it."

Lilac takes a deep breath. "OK. In return for getting custody of you, we agreed to‑"

"Please don't tell her," Carol pleads.

"She's going to see the adverts anyway," Lilac explains. "At least this way, we get the ridicule over in relative privacy."

"But… Fine, tell her," Carol relents.

Lilac turns back to Hanna. "We've agreed to a guest spot on children's TV."

"So?" Hanna replies. "Nothing wrong with that."

"It's preschool TV," Lilac adds.

"Not exactly glamourous, but still not the worst thing in the world," Hanna opines.

"You don't think it's embarrassing?" Lilac asks, a little confused.

"Oh, it's very embarrassing," Hanna answers, allowing herself a sly little grin. "I can't wait until you prove to the world you've both sold out in the most complete manner possible. Your fall from grace will be spectacular. Can you get me out of this straightjacket now?"

"Why?" Lilac asks.

"I need to go to the bathroom," Hanna explains. "You have a choice: let me out, or‑"

"I'll let you out," Lilac decides quickly.

The rest of the night goes smoothly, in part because once Hanna was finished in the bathroom, she was ambushed and locked in the straightjacket again. The vixen wasn't happy, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth fighting about. And when everyone turned in for the night, she reluctantly agreed to wear it all night.

However, not everyone had such a relatively peaceful night.

Shortly after midnight, three creatures emerge from the sewers of Shang Tu, entering the Royal Palace via the access previously used by Carol Tea, Milla Basset, and Maria Shanmao during the Jade Alliance's siege, and again by Carol when she and Lilac were testing the Palace's defences. Sneaking silently through the lower levels, the Elites follow the directions implanted in their minds by their leader, using information gathered from Shadow's mind during the lakeside battle the night before.

It's not long before the Elites come across Palace guards, who they brutally dispatch without trouble. Within minutes, the Elites have fought their way to the labs, where even the increased security installed during the day is unable to hold them back. The alarm is raised after the Elites have entered the labs, but response is sluggish, and by the time reinforcements arrive, the Elites have slaughtered the guards outside the vault holding the Elemental Crystals, and have broken into the vault itself.

Over the next half hour, the Palace guards fight valiantly, but their defeat is inevitable: the Elites escape with the Elemental Crystals.

As the Elites flee Shang Tu, a small shuttle emerges from behind Avalice's moon, and heads directly for the planet below. This time, the Coalition flotilla doesn't just observe: they send two fighters to follow the object and attempt to learn more about it. Unfortunately for them, they learn nothing useful about the object, and are left with no option but to let it pass into the atmosphere.

The shuttle lands on the outskirts of Shang Tu, picks up the Elites and the Crystals, and takes off again before anyone can report its presence. On its return to space, it once again is picked up by the Coalition flotilla, who are now left without a doubt that something unusual is happening. Again, they dispatch a couple of fighters, but the shuttle evades them without much trouble. The fighters pursue the shuttle, but when they pass around the moon and see the mothership, they barely have enough time to send a single message before being destroyed.

The message: 'Black comet'.

In the Shang Tu Royal Palace, the Magister surveys the carnage wreaked by the Elites. Accompanying him is General Gong.

"General, this is a most vexing turn of events," the Magister begins. "This is the third time the Crystals have been stolen."

"This hasn't been done by any Avalician," Gong concludes. "We're going to need outside help."

"Phone them first thing in the morning," the Magister orders.

Early the following morning, General Gong enacts the Magister's order. However, with Lilac and Carol having spent the night in Jade Creek, there's no answer.

Maria is, as usual, the first to wake in the lakeside house. Initially, she snuggles up to Tai and attempts to snooze, but the call of nature means she doesn't snooze for more than a few minutes. After a quick visit to the bathroom, Maria returns to her room to find Tai is now awake.

"Sorry if I woke you," Maria apologises.

"It's fine," Tai yawns as she stretches. "I never sleep long after you get up anyway. Breakfast?"

"I don't want to wake Hanna," Maria answers.

"Not like she can do much about it," Tai reminds.

"Good point," Maria accepts.

The two felines wrap themselves in their bathrobes, and pad into the den to find Hanna is already awake. "Morning," the vixen greets. "Your sofa's lumpy."

"How was sleeping in a straightjacket?" Maria asks teasingly.

"Surprisingly comfortable," Hanna answers. "Would have preferred not to be chained to the end though," she adds, referring to the ankle restraints chaining her ankles to the end of the sofa. "Can you nick the keys?"

"No," Maria refuses.

"Then you don't get the sofa," Hanna decides.

"We prefer the chair anyway," Tai smirks.

The felines disappear into the kitchen. A few minutes later, they return with breakfast, settle into the chair, and turn on the TV to watch cartoons. However, the TV is tuned to a news broadcast that greatly worries both Hanna and Maria.

"The Palace was broken into‽" Hanna exclaims.

"You don't think…" Maria begins.

"The Black Arms," Hanna concludes.

"I'll go wake Lilac and Carol," Maria decides.

Fifteen minutes later, Lilac hangs up the phone. "It's as we feared: the Crystals have been stolen."

"We have to get them back," Hanna asserts.

"Agreed," Lilac replies. Agreeing with her feels wrong, even though she is right. "We need to get in contact with the Coalition ships, but Pangu's at home."

"Pangu?" Hanna asks.

"Her pet robot," Maria answers.

"You have a pet robot?" Hanna asks Lilac.

"Companion robot," Lilac corrects. "And yes. The Magister gifted her to me after the data was lifted from it."

"Of course," Hanna acknowledges. "Because worldwide fame and bags of money isn't enough. Next you'll be telling me you also have diplomatic immunity."

Lilac and Carol exchange looks.

"You've got to be kidding me," Hanna snarls.

"Hanna, we have more important things to worry about," Lilac reminds. "We're going to fetch Pangu; we'll be back in a few hours."

"Can you let me out of this thing first?" Hanna asks, referring to the straightjacket.

"When we get back," Lilac answers.

A few hours later, just before lunch, Lilac and Carol return with Pangu to find Maria waiting for them outside. And the lynx is very unhappy.

"Keys," Maria demands. "Now."

"What's wrong?" Lilac asks.

"Hanna needed the bathroom while you were gone," Maria explains. "I had to help her. Because you took the keys with you. Now hand them over."

"I'm really sorry," Lilac apologises, handing the keys over without hesitation.

"You will be," Maria vows, snatching the keys before entering the house.

"You're on your own on this one," Carol informs Lilac.

Lilac takes a deep breath, then enters the house.

"Let's get this over with so you can get out of my life," the now‑free Hanna growls in greeting, throwing the straightjacket in Lilac's face.

Lilac catches the straightjacket, but not before it hits her. At least she's not attacked me. Yet. "We've already contacted the Coalition fleet, and they're sending a shuttle here."

"Here's the deal," Hanna replies. "You wear that thing until we're on whatever ship we're going to, and I might not try to kill you."

"I'm not wearing this," Lilac informs.

"Yes, you are," Hanna, Maria, and Tai chorus.

Lilac looks pleadingly at Carol.

"Like I said, you're on your own on this one," Carol shrugs.

Lilac looks around at everyone, but they all have the same 'get on with it' look in their eyes. "Fine," she sighs in defeat, putting the straightjacket on. "Lock me in."

Just as Maria finishes locking Lilac into the straightjacket, Rouge enters the house. "Y'know what? I'm not even going to ask," she decides.

Fifteen minutes later, the Coalition shuttlecraft lands outside the house. Hanna, Maria, and Tai are the first to embark, followed by Team Dark, with Carol and the jacketed Lilac bringing up the rear. The soldier assigned as their escort greets them all warmly, but when Lilac boards, he cannot help but feed his curiosity about the jacket.

Lilac refuses to answer.

An hour later, the shuttle docks in the main hangar of the Coalition flagship. Lilac, now freed from the straightjacket, leads the group off the ship, Carol alongside her, and the mix of Teams Dark and Red following.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Lilac, Miss Tea," the petty officer assigned to escort them greets.

"Shall we just stop correcting people?" Carol suggests. "It'd be less annoying."

"Thanks for the welcome, sir," Lilac replies to the petty officer. "And please, call us Lilac and Carol."

"Very well, Lilac," the petty officer acknowledges. "Please follow me."

The petty officer leads the group to a mid‑sized conference room, where food and drink has been laid out.

"Please, help yourself to refreshments," the petty officer instructs. "The commander will be with you shortly."

Carol, Maria, and Tai don't need a second invitation: they raid the buffet with enthusiasm. Rouge elects to take advantage of the refreshments in a more elegant manner, and Shadow also takes advantage of the offer. Lilac is about to join them, but Hanna holds her back.

"Come on then, spill," Hanna demands.

"Spill what?" Lilac asks.

"Why you're so chummy with the Coalition," Hanna explains.

"One of them helped us during the Brevon Crisis," Lilac answers, subconsciously taking hold of a hair whip.

"I know you well enough to know that's not strictly true," Hanna challenges.

"He crashed in Dragon Valley, and I went to help him," Lilac admits.

"Little Miss Heropants to the rescue," Hanna smirks.

"Can you honestly say you've never helped someone in need?" Lilac challenges.

Hanna looks over to Maria. "No, I cannot," she admits. "But unlike you, I don't seek glory."

"Nor do I," Lilac corrects.

"Whose face is plastered on half the billboards in Shang Mu?" Hanna asks.

"Being a hero isn't a full‑time job," Lilac explains. "Gotta pay the bills somehow."

"Don't lie to me," Hanna retorts. "I know you're on permanent retainer with all three kingdoms."

"How would you know that?" Lilac demands.

"You know how," Hanna states.

"Masters of reconnaissance and espionage," Lilac answers.

"Exactly," Hanna confirms. "And never forget: it's the skills we gave you that allowed you to save the world."

Lilac remains silent.

"It scares you, doesn't it?" Hanna asks suddenly. "Knowing we're surprisingly similar. Doesn't scare me. But then I'm comfortable with who I am. And right now, I'm hungry. Want me to grab you anything?"

Lilac continues to remain silent.

"Suit yourself," Hanna shrugs, joining the others at the buffet.