Sonic had never been so angry in his life.

Standing back, he watched as the echidna Hazmat team ran past towards the infected site. From the start, he had suspected that Eggman was up to something with this whole "cease fire" and "repatriate the robians" thing. As always, he left the peculiars to Sally, and mostly just spent the time on Angel Island relaxing and catching up with some of his friends. If and when trouble started up again, and everyone knew it would, then things would just go back to normal.

He'd been hanging out with Knuckles and Julie-Su when he'd gotten word of an attack and that Sally was being tested for poison. Rushing over at top speed, he learned what had happened: apparently Snively had bailed on the conference without warning, and his escorts had made some kind of suicide attack on the Mobian delegation. Geoffrey's men had been on the ball and prevented the robot attackers from getting to the Prince or Princess, but during the firefight, some sort of chemical agent had been released into the air.

Dozens were dead.

"I'm sure she's fine." Standing next to him, Knuckles cupped his right hand in his left and cracked his knuckles threateningly. "Let's go make sure."

Echidnapolis security was all over the place, herding the wounded and sick into makeshift plastic tents for treatment and isolation. Sonic saw two guards in yellow hazmat suits escorting a sick noblewoman, a female of the same base breed as Sally, into a tent. Blood was running down her throat from her mouth and nose, covering her courtly dress. She had her hands over her eyes, sobbing softly. It was a wrenching sight, and not just because of her passing similarity to a certain Princess.

"Hemoptysis," Julie-Su said, walking alongside the two boys. The light colored female echidna frowned at what she saw, anger lit up behind her eyes. "Chemical burns in the lungs and eyes. This is... monstrous."

"Eggman used a number of chemical defoliants back when he first attacked the island," Knuckles added, fists clenched. "Most didn't actually kill plants. He used them to thin out the panicked wildlife while he burned the forests."

"I don't care what it is or what it's called. Eggman's gonna pay for this!" Sonic swore, as the three approached a heavily armed group of Royal guards.

"Sorry sir," one of the four on duty began to say. "We're on lockdown, so..."

"We're going to see Sally," Knuckles growled.

Sonic glared at the guard with light jade eyes.

The guards exchanged worried looks.

"Sir..." the one from before started.

"It's alright, let them though."

Geoffrey St. John had one arm in a sling, the other calmly poised near the pistol that hung by his right hip. The top half of his secret service uniform had been removed to allow for the splint and bandages, leaving him with just the black pants and formerly white shirt. The four guards immediately saluted and stood aside.

"This way," the skunk said, motioning the three to follow him into the compound. None of them missed the scowl that graced the royalist's face.

"Thanks, Geoff, I - "

"Don't thank me," he cut Sonic off. "How was the... arcade, was it?"

All three had at least the grace to look a little ashamed.

"You tryin' to pin this on me?" Sonic asked, teeth clenched.

"I never said that," Geoff responded, getting them past another group of guards defending a makeshift wire crowd control barrier.

"You did!"

"If you want to spend your life running around and goofing off and playing games, that's your decision. I'm sure you had a great time."

Julie Su spoke up at his defense, "We couldn't have known..."

"That Sally would be poisoned? That we'd be attacked?!" St. John snarled, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Eleven of my men are dead. Twenty exposed. Source knows how many civilians got caught in the crossfire. There were maybe a hundred downwind."

"What are you saying?" Knuckles asked, getting tired of the tirade. "Spit it out already."

"I just can't help but wonder," the skunk spoke slowly, carefully looking forward. "How many mobians would be alive right now if you had been here, protecting your friend, instead of goofing off in the city."

"Maybe that's just what they wanted?" Julie Su replied, pointing out, "Maybe Snively was hoping Sonic would jump in, spin dash one of those robots, and catch this thing."

"Are you suggesting its better that eleven, maybe even thirty, good mobians die rather than..."

"No," Julie Su quickly interrupted. "I'm just saying, you don't want to play into your enemies hands, do you?"

St. John snorted, but let the subject drop.

"Sally," Sonic said, glad to move onto another topic. His normally cool and unflappable demeanor started to slip. "Sal's alright, right? She's ok?"

"The Service exists to protect the Royal Household, overtly or covertly," St. John stated plainly. "We stopped the enemy before they got near her."

"What happened, exactly?" Knuckles felt the need to ask. Angel Island was, technically, his territory and his responsibility.

Geoffrey led them past the front door of the villa reserved for the Kingdom's delegation. Everyone they passed looked nervous and ill at ease. No one except the Secret Service's most trustworthy agents patrolled the halls.

"That bastard Snively bailed on the conference in secret. We caught wind of him leaving just as the plot itself unfolded," the skunk explained. "They used a robian to try and get in and see the Princess, claiming he was Snively's personal physician. My men refused to let him past the first gate. Before we knew it, we were under attack. They managed to break through to the inner perimeter before we cut them down."

"The robian had the gas with him?" Julie asked.

St. John nodded in confirmation. "He did. It was hidden on him. A stray shot must've triggered something. In seconds, the whole courtyard was... it was bad. We managed to keep things under control. You probably don't know about this... any of you..."

"About what?" Knuckles prompted.

"There's trouble on the mainland. Knothole's been attacked."

Sonic sucked in a sharp breath. "What?"

St. John motioned for him to keep his voice down. "It was Shadow. He attacked the Shield Vault and took the Chaos Emerald. Probably a coordinated strike to go along with this gas attack. Two of your friends have been hurt."

"Antoine and Bunnie," Knuckles guessed. "So much for the peace process."

"Does Sal know?" Sonic asked, but by his tone he had already guessed the answer.

"No." St. John sighed. "I'd rather not tell her now, either. The doctors say she'll be fine, but that doesn't mean she's in a condition to hear this kind of news."

"Is that your decision, or the King's?" Julie asked, giving the skunk a sharp glare.

St. John's good shoulder twitched. "It was my humble suggestion, and His Majesty agreed. The Prince knows."

"How's he taking it?"

"He's... a bit unsure how to proceed," Geoffrey admitted. "He has opted to remain with the Princess."

"What did Sally come down with, anyway?" Julie asked, as the four of them approached the royal quarters. "Was it really poison?"

"Yes. Food poisoning." St. John paused, before elaborating. "A fairly mild case, actually. As I said, not life threatening, just... rather unpleasant."

Knuckles sighed in relief. Sonic likewise let out a quick breath.

"Convenient," Julie observed. "To get it at a time like this."

"I thought so as well," Geoffrey agreed, nodding to the ex-Dark Legionnaire. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was an inside job; an excuse to get her out of harm's way. We're still investigating."

He stopped them at the door.

"Remember," he said. "She's still sick. I'd appreciate it if you helped her recover, rather than burden her with stress she doesn't need. There's nothing she can do about it right now anyway. The King is assuming control of the situation."

Knuckles crossed his arms definitely, but agreed. "Fine."

"I won't say anything," Julie promised.

Sonic grumbled, but eventually gave a small nod.

"Good," St. John opened the door, and they filed in. The Princess' eyes lit up at seeing them, and she got all of halfway off her bed before clutching her stomach and groaning. Sonic and Knuckles immediately ran over to comfort her, but Julie hung back, keeping an eye on St. John and his guards. She looked from one to another, and tried to remember the faces of some that she had met.

The Dark Legion had experience in infiltration and covert ops of this nature. Not every Grand Master preferred the "brute force" approach to influencing policy. Very likely - very likely - someone close to the Princess had poisoned her. Either it was a botched attempt as an assassination by someone with a personal grudge and no experience (highly unlikely), or it was an agent working for someone or some group who suspected Sally was in danger.

She would have to keep a sharp eye out.

The Fiona gynoid watched as Sonic, Knuckles and his ex-Dark Legion girlfriend walked past her and into the villa. It seemed unlikely that any of them, even the sharp eyed girl, could have noticed her. Even if they had, there would have been no recognition there. Not a one of them knew about her existence, not even the Princess who she had met before right before the Downunda Expedition. No: she was a ghost with many faces.

The mission had been easy enough, though not really her preference.

She had been built for seduction and assassination after all. Miles' reprogramming had freed her of the compulsion to engage in those activities, but she still possessed an appreciation and enjoyment of them. Sadly, he hadn't let her assassinate a single man or woman since her reactivation. Spying and flying were fun, but did get dull after a while.

Adjusting her Secret Service uniform, Fiona 2.0 blended back into the background. Perhaps there would be time for some excitement... later...

"As you can all see, the object is heading north-northeast at roughly one hundred and eighty kilometers per hour at an altitude of around a thousand meters." Rotor stood before the assembly, dwarfed not in size by the image behind him, but by the enormity of the situation. Projected on a large screen behind the master mechanic was a detailed picture of a circular object, textured with square and rectangular indentations. Beneath it, a trailing edge of the Great Forest stood in stark contrast.

"When was this taken?" A mobian spoke up from his seat in the conference room, referring of course to the picture. He was of the somewhat rare porcine breed, and he had the distinction of being one of the very few Freedom Fighters (though only a Substitute FF in his case) to retire from service and enter politics. Hamlin had the dubious distinction of being the elected speaker for the Assembly of Nobles that theoretically ran Knothole.

His voice was unsure and betrayed his inexperience with situations like the kind they'd all been thrown into.

"Initial reconnaissance was conducted by Sir Charles, these images were taken by elements of the MAF advanced seventh recon unit, located within The Ring." Nicole-Knothole was also present in holographic form. Her expression was serious, as always, from where she stood next to Rotor.

"This picture was taken by one of our satellites an hour ago." Rotor continued from before Hamlin has interrupted him, "Unfortunately, relaying the information revealed its position and it was destroyed soon after by anti-satellite interceptors. The uplink relay on Mount Sandoval was also targeted by kinetic impactors."

"Where is it heading?" King Max who asked the question, present only via video screen. The King had taken up residence in a secure and hidden facility and had no intention of venturing outside it.

"We know Knothole has been compromised," the monarch continued. "Sonic is still on Angel Island and that damned boy has disappeared!"

"Actually," Nicole stepped in there. " Nicole-Typhoon has received several coded data-bursts from Tails over the last half hour. She had passed these on to me."

Max was, as one would expect, still livid. "Why haven't I heard of this? Where has he been, damn him?!"

Nicole closed her eyes, as if relaying the information was uncomfortable.

"The data packets were time encoded. Rotor here is the only living mobian who understands my code as well as Tails. He knew exactly how to relay it and ensure that it remained encrypted. Much of the information pertains to this weapons system. It would seem he left to pursue an independent investigation."

Rotor shook his head. "Reckless...!"

"I have integrated the information into our existing database," Nicole concluded.

Additional layers of schematics and other data layered over the display of the flying city. Datapoints highlighted sections critical to the maintenance of flight and stability, reinforced sections, and weapons emplacements.

"Summarize it for us," King Max's Minister of War, a vulpine noble by the name of Duncan Menthe, spoke by video alongside his monarch. "Is there some sort of weak spot we can strike?"

Nicole paused, triple checking.

"No," she responded with an even, dulcet tone of voice. "According to my analysis of the data, Robotnik has not just created a flying city, as Angel Island is a flying island. It appears to be a giant, integrated, and entirely self contained weapons system. The city shield has been modified: instead of a hemispherical shield, as Knothole had, this one is spherical and far more powerful than anything I have on record."

"How much more powerful?" Rotor asked, checking a tablet in his hand for the information even as he asked it. "Oh." He found it. "Oh dear."

"The shield is designed to repulse Super-class entities," Nicole explained for those unable (or unwilling) to look it up. "Once it has all seven chaos emeralds powering it, it will be beyond our ability to damage it using conventional weaponry. At present, Fleet assets may be able to weaken the shield sufficiently to allow shield breakers to land in the city."

"Normally, shields of this size and power are tangible and cannot be physically moved through," Rotor clarified. "They're a physical barrier. However, when you damage the shield in any area, it weakens it across the entire projected surface. This is why some cities, like Echidnapolis, have multiple overlapping generators. If we can damage this shield, it will become thin enough that an especially hardened vehicle can slip through."

"There is more," Nicole added after Rotor finished. "We were unable to verify this with the other sources of information, but one of the encrypted packets from Tails indicates a weapons system integrated into the shield itself. Currently, the nature of this is unknown."

"You mean a weapon that can fire through a tangible shield, as you called it?" Minister of War Menthe sounded unconvinced. "That's impossible. Shields aren't one way only."

"You're right, Minister," Rotor replied, nodding. As Acting Minister of Technology, due to Sir Charles being in self imposed exile, he felt no need to be too formal with the man. "Normally, a shield has to stutter on and off for weapons to go through it. If this information is accurate, the shield itself doubles as some sort of weapon. I... I don't know how it would do that, myself."

"It also implies that Robotnik may have a weapon that entirely ignores shielding as we know it," Nicole provided.

"So what can we do?" Max asked, but coughed and corrected himself. "Rather: what do you recommend? And where is this monstrosity headed?"

"Nicole-Typhoon and Fleet Intel believe it is set to rendezvous with the Western and Southern Egg Air Armada," Nicole answered.

With a gesture, the display changed to a topographical overview of Eastern Mobius Major, centered around what had once been Robotropolis. It now showed a massive crater where the city had once been. A giant disk was moving steadily north, and groups of smaller dots in the east and west were on projected paths to intercept it.

"It is very likely, given the heading, that the Combined Fleets intend to meet up here." A bright red dot highlighted on the map. "Starlight City.'

"That place again," Hamlin grumbled, making no real contribution to the discussion. "Why there?"

"Starlight is Eggman's most important base in the region," Rotor guessed. "He'll either want to secure it from above or replenish his forces by simply airlifting them. Many of our forces are still based around the original city encirclement. They could be his first target."

"Much of our data also indicates that the flying city is launching in an incomplete state." Nicole then speculated, "The peace initiative was launched when we threatened to cut Robotropolis off from the power plants of Starlight City. It is highly probable that Robotnik intended to use the city to circumnavigate the use of the two Chaos Emeralds he could not otherwise obtain."

Rotor nodded in agreement. "We know how to artificially generate chaos energy from electricity and vice versa. The power output of a city like Starlight, over a long enough period of time, really could take the place of a Chaos Emerald. This would also explain why so much power was leaving Starlight, while reports indicated Robotropolis and the Empire's war machine was still starved for power. It was all going into jump starting the Chaos Emeralds."

"Hmm. I've also heard some rumors about the GUN Fleet pulling off a victory in the East," Minister Menthe speculated. "If that's true, then reinforcing Starlight will also force the humans into an early fight with what's left of their fleet. What sort of conventional weapons does this thing have? We'll need to know that before we decide to commit the Army or Fleet."

Rotor nodded, and the projection displayed a closer overhead look of the Floating City. "I've already given you all the dimensions of what we're dealing with here. Previous intelligence reports confirm a large number of pre-existing missile batteries in that part of the city, possibly up to eighty. In terms of new weapon emplacements, however, we have not detected anything suspicious. However, this analysis was visual, and open to subjective criticism. Our current conclusion is that the city is mostly functioning as a sort of air carrier."

"The Air Carrier concept is hardly new for Eggman." Nicole jumped in. "The fact that he would devote so many resources on this instead of rebuilding weapons like the Flying Battery or another Egg Carrier corroborates speculation that there is a 'doomsday device' of some kind involved."

"What about those pylons?" Max asked. "Those weren't there before."

"They don't appear to house weapons of any kind," Rotor answered, not sure whether to sound happy or sad about the discovery. "They may be conduits for the power of the Chaos Emeralds, and thus have a function in steering the city."

"Aside from the city's defenses, there are also mechanized defenses to consider. An estimated five to six thousand Combot type robots, as many as two thousand of the old Swatbot type robots, several air wings of aerial badnicks, in several varieties, likely numbering just over a thousand, and half that number of the ED-series of robots. Several hundred remaining Shadowbots, several hundred of the older miscellaneous robot types, ten to twenty thousand robians, and over two hundred heavily armored robot types, again of several varieties."

"That's…" Menthe started to say.

"His entire Central Army." Rotor finished his sentence. "Yes. He's recalled everything from within The Ring."

"Gentlemen," King Max asked again. "We're going around in circles now. What do you recommend? We must have a response to this! I demand we take immediate action! Especially after that assassination plot against my daughter and son."

The King's advisors waffled, and Nicole remained silent.

"Perhaps," Rotor suggested, when it became clear there were no other ideas, "We should attempt to gather more information on what this thing can do."

"Agreed," Menthe eagerly responded.

"Perhaps Sir Charles could…" "A recon in force could…" "A covert ops team…"

"Hello everybody!" Nicole's body suddenly flickered, the hologram morphing into that of a certain AWOL kitsune fox. Tails was seated on a too-large chair, legs crossed. The abrupt transformation quenched any further debate among the King's advisory staff.

"And an especially warm welcome to Doctor Robotnik," Miles said, resting his right cheek in the palm of his hand. "I'll keep this short and sweet. I'm coming to kill you, Doctor. I've taken over nearly half your forces and I'm coming for you. I'm not like Sonic; you won't get away this time. I won't sit back and watch as you fly off vowing revenge."

The image distorted again, showing dozens of garishly recolored Eggman airships flying in formation, flanked by swarms of automated drones and badniks. In the distance, other shapes flew on the periphery of the great fleet, sporting neutral colors. For those who with the training to identify silhouettes, they would have been clearly ID'd as ships of the GUN New Navy.

"Consider this both my declaration of war, and a way of extending an invitation I know you won't refuse. I don't care what anyone else does. My former allies in the Kingdom of Acorn can keep chatting with you if they want, hoping against hope you return their robian friends and family… the echidna can keep thinking they're safe on their little island. I don't give a damn anymore. I only ask one thing from those who fight alongside me: show no mercy. Come with no regrets. This is My Armada, now, and I'm going to drive it down your fat throat!"

The image turned back to Miles, sitting in his chair.

"You want the last Chaos Emerald, Eggman? Come and get it!"

And just like that, the transmission cut off, and Nicole returned to her normal self. She seemed less than pleased by the interruption, and made an obvious display of smoothing out her holographic avatar's clothes.

"How abrupt," she grumbled, and closed her eyes. "I am receiving multiple inquiries regarding the transmission."

"Sir," Minister of War Menthe began to propose, "Perhaps we can…"

Max cut him off.

"I won't be left out of the loop like this!" The King roared, slamming a fist down on his throne hard enough to shake his teleconferenced image. "Who does this damned brat think he is, declaring war all by himself? And taking MY Emeralds with him to use as bait?!"

"Nicole!" he pointed at the bemused AI hologram. "Relay message to all Army and Air Force assets: attack on all fronts! Assemble all ships around Knothole! If there's going to be a decisive battle on our own soil, the Kingdom of Acorn will not sit it out!"

King Max slammed his fist onto his throne again.

"And get a line to St. John and Angel Island. I want Sonic to head out and get back my Emerald. I don't care how! I want it done, and I want it done NOW!"

"You were aware of this?"

Eggman's voice was calm, rational, seething.

Rouge had the grace to lower her eyes. "Yes, sir."

Standing next to her, Shadow said nothing.

Robotnik let out a long, resigned sigh. The incoming communication replayed again in the background on the command center's main screen, the voice muted. For the third time, the image turned to the pirated air fleet. Anxiously brushing the long bristles of his moustache, Eggman nodded slowly to himself, his back to the offensive images. For a moment, he seemed on the verge of exploding into rage.

Then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"I have transferred security permissions for all relevant forces in southwestern Mobius Minor," he calmly stated. "Feel free to verify them."

Rouge withdrew a small handheld computer, and did so. Within seconds, small holographic screens popped up around her. Despite the tension and urgency of the situation, she carefully checked and double checked the security routines and permissions. As an Underboss, she had administrative authority over all mechanized and allied organic forces in her area of influence.

"Everything seems to be in order," she finally decided, and closed most of the screens with simply finger gestures. "You'll excuse me for being cautious."

Eggman's fingers clenched into gloves fists.

"You knew that brat had the Seventh Emerald," he stated. Rouge nodded, looking up at the nearly eight foot tall human. Robotnik stood on an elevated dais, making him seem even taller.

"I'd been trying to locate the Kingdom of Acorn's Emeralds for some time, but had no luck. When I discovered that it was Tails who was in charge of researching and using them, I seduced him. You know that. One of the first things I learned was that he kept the Sapphire Chaos Emerald for his personal use. He was always very concerned about the Emeralds being stolen, so he moved it around as much as he could. Its last known location was a research facility west of Starlight."

"Go on," Eggman prompted; growing slightly impatient for the information he had been promised.

"Well," Rouge continued, "I looked into what he was doing with it there. Part of the reason I was able to so easily… take advantage of him was because he thought I was still working for GUN. It turned out that he had been building a chaos drive for the humans using the seventh Emerald."

"The Egg Carrier," Shadow guessed.

"Exactly," Rouge replied, giving Shadow a quick look but focusing back on her employer. "I don't know if he was always planning on something like this, or if King Max sanctioned it. Probably not. Either way, a chaos drive using an actual Emerald could only be needed for one thing: to get something really big in the air. The crashed Egg carrier was the logical conclusion. Unfortunately, he moved the project after the Babylon Rogues attacked the facility."

"And you thought we wouldn't be able to figure this out, just by seeing the Egg Carrier up and operational again?" Robotnik asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Rouge refused to be cowed by the unspoken threat.

"With all due respect, Doctor, you know the humans have been close to getting it airborne. You also know that the humans have never replicated the construction or use of chaos drives. Would you really have investigated the ship before blowing it up?"

Robotnik plucked a long red whisker from his moustache.

"What is this brat up to?" he asked, accepting her reasoning. "Why come after me now?"

"Miles was infuriated by the pause in the war. The attack on Starlight was… well, he considered it his idea. He was the one who proposed it to the commanders in the MAF. He has always advocated fighting regardless of robian losses. Over the last two weeks, I noticed him growing more and more disenchanted with how his superiors had thrown away their chance at swiftly winning the war. I think he saw it as a personal insult."

Shadow snorted, dismissively.

"I see," was all Eggman said.

"I don't know how he managed to take over your ships," Rouge added. "I think he and GUN may have been working on this since the peace conference started up."

"You don't know for sure?" Shadow asked.

"I just slept with him; I didn't read his mind."

Eggman chuckled at that. "You see, Shadow? In some ways, humans and mobians truly are no different!"

"Hmf!" the black hedgehog crossed his arms petulantly.

"What troubles me is that we've not seen any reports of Metal Sonic," Robotnik mused, turning to look at a frozen picture of the pirated air fleet. "Something is going on in there. Why wait until now to strike?"

"When I left, he must have known…"

"No," Eggman cut Rouge off. "It isn't just that. The boy is making this into a trap of some sort. He obviously thinks that he can protect the Emerald. He wants me to come and get it because he believes he has some kind of trump card. Something besides just those stolen ships."

"Are you saying you aren't going to go after him?" Rouge asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Not like he expects," Robotnik concluded. "Shadow!"

"Doctor," the black hedgehog replied.

"I'll be relying on you to get that Chaos Emerald," the mad genius said, crossing his hands behind his wide back. "Be prepared for anything."

"Will Rouge be coming with me…?"

Eggman considered it for a moment.

"I don't exactly enjoy risking my life," Rouge spoke up. "But if it needs to be done, I can watch his back. Besides, I think I can find the Emerald this time using my sixth sense."

"She has proven to be useful in the past," Shadow added in her defense. "I do not believe she would be a hindrance."

Coming from him, it was about as much praise as anyone (except Maria or Gerald) would get. Rouge smiled at him in thanks, and he cautiously returned the gesture. Standing with his back to them, Eggman quietly considered their suggestion.

"Very well," he finally decided. "I will leave it to you. Infiltrate the Egg Carrier while I see to the brat's hijacked airships. When we have all seven Emeralds, we'll put an end to this farce. Ah, but first..."

One of the command center airlocks opened with a hiss, and a small figure entered the room. Rouge turned and saw Snively striding into the chamber looking both angry and nervous. A thin sheen of sweat was already accumulating on his brow and trickling down to the tip of his abnormally long nose. What few hairs he had on his head looked damp and worn.

Snively hated feeling small.

More to the point, he hated feeling insignificant. Walking down the metal halls of Helios, flanked by his cordon of red schemed Combots, Colin Kintobor the Second could see his reflection in the newly laid down polished steel. Compared to the war machines that strode alongside him, he was a tiny mouse of a man. Short of stature, with a malformed face and midget-like frame…

He was nothing like his roguishly tall and strong father.

He was nothing like his beautiful sister and mother.

He was - he was a freak: a disfigured mistake of a human being – little more than a joke. He wasn't even smart enough to outshine the name and legend of his long dead Great Grandfather, much less his twisted uncle. Yet, the only thing worse than being a freak was being a failure. Hearing the soft tap-tap of his footsteps nearly droned out by the heavy footfalls of the Combots, he realized this was both the high and low point of his life.

"Snively the Great."

He whispered the phrase so softly, he was hardly sure it had even left his lips. Truthfully, at this point in things, he'd be happy to be "Snively the Alive." He'd escaped the conference at the first possible opportunity, but he suspected that his unexplained absence had made it all but impossible to successfully pull off the assassination as planned.

The RX toxin didn't work on Overlanders or humans. A braver man would have used that to good effect. He could have gotten close to the princess himself, and then used the toxin to wipe out both her and her guards. It would have been a mortal blow to the Mobian cause. Instead, he had ran for it and sent his remaining forced to try and force their way in. He had known it would fail the moment he ordered it. The whole operation was a bust.

Now he was back "home" and ready to explain why he had botched a golden opportunity to take out one of the Empire's more intractable and troublesome enemies. Luckily, he had the excuse of being told to look after his own well being first, and striking at the enemy second. Snively had always lived by that code anyway, but it was a surprise to hear his dear uncle actually affirm it.

It also made him nervous.

Robotnik wasn't normally the type to actually tell someone to be careful with their well being. He didn't care enough about anyone – perhaps even himself – to put their welfare above that of his goals. If it cost a thousand lives to make a machine, and Robotnik wanted that machine, he would forfeit those lives without a second's hesitation. Living beings were just tools to him: squishier and less reproducible than robots, but no less replaceable. Snively knew, without a doubt, that he wasn't an exception to that rule.

'What the hell is going on? Has the old man grown nostalgic?' Snively wondered, and almost laughed at the absurdity of the thought. 'No. no, of course not. He wants me around for something...'

A long time ago, Snively had looked up to his maligned uncle. The man was a genius, after all, and at that time in his life, Snively would have worked for the devil if it meant finding a way to turn against his damned father. Julian was supposed to have been Gerald reborn: a true genius among geniuses, but this time without the hapless pacifist streak. Back then, Snively had thought he and his uncle wanted the same thing: to build a new world! The enslaved Mobians and later the robots were just a means to an end. Not the end itself!

Snively clenched his fists.

'Here we go.'

The final door slid open, and Snively saw the most secure of all the rooms in the Helios construct. This was the 'nerve center,' the control room, for all the flying city's functions. Circular and four stories tall, it was a room he was familiar with. The Eggman had taken to using it even before construction had been finished, several months ago. Snively walked over and past the spot where, not so long ago, he had wailed and cried, clutching his partly roboticized shoulder.

A few nervous sweat drops dripped down his brow as he remembered the incident. Without thinking, he reached for his left arm. The flesh there was still tender and still stung sharply. Still, the lingering pain was like a drop in an ocean compared to what it had been before. What the price of his cowardice and failure had been…

"Promise me, Snively." Robotnik had slowly dug the toes of his boot into his prone nephew's shoulder. "Swear to it!"

"I - I…" Snivley remembered himself forcing the words through teeth clenched in fear and pain. "I promise! I promise, sir!"

"Goooood." Robotnik had said the word so slowly, so horribly. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, Snively. I'd hate to lose you…"

Snivley shivered, and pushed the memory away.

"Snively." That voice boomed from where Robotnik stood in his elevated platform above them. The fat man's back was turned, but he saw the entourage enter via one of the vast room's many monitors.

"Sir?" The small man looked up, and asked curiously. "I've returned. I must apologize… I was unable to remove the Princess as we had hoped. Like you said, I was looking out for my own safety and…"

"Not a problem." Robotnik returned, somewhat obliquely. "Not a problems at all. I'm not angry in the least."

"You aren't?" Snively asked, and tried not to sound too excited. It was always best to keep a neutral tone around the often-explosive Eggman. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shadow and Rouge standing side by side. The former wasn't a surprise to see, but he hadn't expected to see Rouge the Bat again. Seeing her here, and apparently in good with the Eggman, bolstered his spirits. Rouge was greedy, but reasonable. She was also smart. She had to know that, sooner or later, either they would betray Robotnik or he would betray them.

Yes: she would be willing to join him.

And he had Shadow.

Yes! Snively was certain he could, eventually, secure both mobians in his camp. With most of the robotic Underbosses off by themselves or out in the field, and a bit of Regin'a help later on, it was possible! There were only a handful of Tails Dolls here in Helios. The three of them together could take out Robotnik and divvy up the Empire themselves. Rouge being here was a very good sign! Snively was sure of it. Things were turning around in his favor!

"Snively… I would like you to speak to you of something."

From where he stood, Robotnik lifted a heavy hand, and directed his platform to lower downward. Behind him, one of the larger screens caught Snively's attention. It was a display of the area beyond Robotropolis' ruins, out towards Aquatic Ruin. The picture was one of the sea: stretching on forever, all the way to the horizon. The setting sun was half vibrant gold, half fading red. Snively watched it with a detached sort of appreciation. He had always liked the sea. It always seemed so tranquil on the surface… even as it seethed in its depths.

Still, Snively stood in silence, as his uncle descended.

"It occurs to me, Snively, that you never asked what became of your counterpart on my world."

"Sir." Snively coughed, covering his mouth, and shifted his feet nervously. This was a topic neither had brought up before. "It was never important, sir. So I never bothered to ask."

"Are you curious?"

'Yes!' His mind screamed, but his mouth said, "No, sir. That was one world. This is another."

Robotnik stepped down from his dais and Snively saw the man's face. The jaw was set, eyebrows in a half scowl. Even his deep red whiskers seemed to droop slightly. It was almost as if… he was speaking somberly. After a second, Eggman nodded slowly.

"I can see how you would want me to think that," the Doctor said, walking up to his nephew. "But you do want to know what happened to him. I can see it in your eyes."

Snively stood ramrod straight, and didn't answer.

"He died." Robotnik stated this with a small touch of emotion. "The 'Freedom Fighters' of my world caught him. Apparently there was a trial of some sort, and he was hung. From a tree… like an animal…"

Snively really didn't know whether he should have been surprised by that or not. Two years ago, after being captured, he had 'gotten off' with five hundred years to life in the Devil's Gulag. Only the relative jubilation of the mobians over the 'end of the war' and the supposed death of Robotnik had spared him from a death sentence.

Still, the image unsettled him, because it was one had had always had in the back of his mind. Even now, without trying, he could see his small body hanging from a tree, slowly waving in the breeze. Sometimes, in his nightmares, flies would be buzzing around his corpse, landing on his wide-open eyes to lay eggs that would devour his flesh. Nights like those, and he had had one just the other day, he often woke up screaming.

Wishing for…

What? Safety? Home?

Life?

Robotnik stood before him now, towering over the tiny overlander. Strangely, he then looked up, closed his eyes, smiled, and inhaled deeply. It was a strange thing to see. Snively was about to ask what was wrong, when the Eggman spoke again.

"I missed him after that."

Any words Snively had to say stuck in his throat. Had this imposter Kintobor actually said what he thought he'd heard? Against his better judgment, Snively had to know. He had to be sure!

"Sir…" He gulped, and asked. "Do you… do you mean that?"

"Yes." Robotnik opened his eyes and looked down at his quasi-nephew. "I missed him. And… I'll miss you, Snively. I'll miss you."

"Wh -- "

The small man never got the chance to finish his sentence. A large and gloved hand clamped over his mouth kept his words, and then his screams, muffled, while strong fingers wrapped around his cheeks. Powerless hands flailed, and beat on his assailant, achieving nothing. Robotnik was too strong, and in the end, he was too weak. Snively felt his feet leave the safe comfort of the floor and dangle, as the far larger man lifted him like a rag doll.

His eyes moved, desperately, like a wild creatures, from face to face, pleading for salvation. There was only one who could really help: he saw Shadow, standing mutely by Rouge, watching things with an unreadable expression. For her part, rouge was looking down at her feet, pretending not to see what was happening. As Robotnik turned, Snively's face in one large hand, the tiny human's watery eyes met those of the black hedgehog one last time. For all of a second, it looked like some glimmer of pity passed through Shadow's red eyes, but then it was gone.

Buried.

With a muffled whimper, Snively's whole body gave one less shake, and then it was still. Robotnik kept walking, holding his nephew several feet over the ground.

"Now, now, Colin… I know you're still alive. In fact, you should be happy. You are a valuable part of My World. You may well outlive us all…"

Robotnik finally came to the perfect middle of the control center of the city. At his silent command, a large cylinder raised up out of the floor. In a hollowed out recess was a small chair. Without another word, the mad doctor placed Snively's body in the recess, and held his head in place. As if in response to the presence of a warm body inside it, the cylinder began to come to life. Clamps snapped out and locked Snively's arms and legs in position, and then a thick wire snaked around his neck, and grips emerged, holding his head in place.

Only then did Robotnick release his grip.

Snively gasped for air, lips dry and lungs starved for fresh oxygen. It took a second for him to remember where he was beyond mere survival, and instinctively he struggled against the bonds that were slowly but steadily entangling him.

"Sir! Uncle Julian!" He pleaded. "Please! What's happening…what…?"

"Goodbye, Colin." Robotnik's glasses reflected the light of the room's many screens, and then the cylinder retreated into the floor, taking Snively with it. He managed one last ragged scream, before he was plunged into darkness. Alone, in that lightless void, the Great Grandson of Gerald Kintobor felt the wires begin to tighten on him, and dig into his skin. His mind raced, and that was when he realized it. The truth of it all hit him just instants before the first of many tentacle-like wires plunged up his nose, into his ears, and up the back of his head, into his brain.

"Now," Robotnick said, letting out a deep breath.

"Integration with Organic Routines Established," a voice, Snively's voice, spoke over the room's sound system. "Neural Network uplink with Helios Command System operational…."

"Yes, my dear nephew, you will always be at my side!"

Everywhere in the massive room, screens flashed in rapid succession with data and readings. Image after image processed, as the new system began to handle tasks far beyond that of its previous limits. Previously dim system panels lit up with sudden energy.

"Helios Defense and Weapons Systems are now On Line…"

"Yes! Yes!" Robotnick began to laugh, a giddy evil cackle. "Finally, the Eye of Helios has opened!"

He licked his lips, a thick tongue running over great white teeth.

"How nice that we've been given an opportunity to test it!" Eggman laughed deeply, eyes glinting in the light of a hundred displays. "Set course for Starlight City. Ready the Eclipse Chamber!"

The other entities in the room kept silent.

Standing now, alone, Shadow turned away from the screen and his eyes lingered on that spot in the center of the room. He made a mental note to never get near that spot if he could possibly avoid it. Those screams still rung in his ears, and no matter how much he willed it, they weren't going away like all the others. Worse, were the little man's eyes… eyes wet with tears and fear, Shadow had seen those eyes before.

Maria's eyes…

'Soon, Maria,' he silently vowed. 'After so many years, we will have our revenge… on this cruel and worthless world…'

"Shadow?" Rouge quietly asked, leaning in close to him.

"Yes," he agreed, heading for the exit. "Let's go."

Behind him, Rouge shuddered at what she had just witnessed.

"Don't have to tell me twice!"

Sandopolis Zone

Sixty five meters above the haunted sections of the Inner City, past layers of collapsed rock, sealed domes, and sand choked halls, the 8th Division of the 4th Army of the Dingo Hegemony made camp around an artificial oasis. Like the ruined city, now less than a shadow of its former self, the Hegemony was also less than a shadow of its once great glory. Nearly eighty percent of its population had been lost when the New City's dimensional pocket collapsed. Where once the dingo had a quarter million men in arms, and eight times that number in reserves, the reconstructed Army of the present could barely muster a handful of partial-strength Divisions.

Dry wind blew in from the east, wiping up the flaps of tents and the eaves guarding the entrances to makeshift barracks. The more fortunate officers and enlisted men were able to bunk down under the cover of the ruins: the desert was strewn with them. In a few cases, some had provided breakers against the cruel desert weather, allowing water to accumulate and plants to flourish.

Centuries ago, this had been the Third Fane of Rhadamanthus, part of a larger city-wide Temple Complex. The Sacred Circle was now a large watering hole, and a refuge from the inhospitable dunes of the desert sea. Tanned hides, cut from a local species of giant sandworm, hung beside tattered but still proud banners of the once great Hegemony.

It was here that, outside a simple officer's tent, Helmut von Stryker waited for news. Robust even by dingo standards, the scarred mobian stood almost as tall as an overlander, and just as wide. Looking out over the neat lines and strict order of the encampment, past the men at work and the tarps draped over salvaged war machines, Stryker took a short swing from his canteen.

They couldn't stay here.

Not much longer anyway. Over the last two years, the terrible truth had begun to dawn on him, even through all his pride and stubborn determination. The dingo would not be able to reclaim Angel Island. Not in his generation. Not in his lifetime. Perhaps not even in his grandson's lifetime. They had simply lost too much, too quickly, too abruptly. The old leaders were gone, lost with New Dingo City, and any rational man could only be left to conclude that the dingo, as a race, had to adapt and find new ways or die out in this sand blasted wasteland.

Stryker had already taken steps to see that the dingo, as a race, survived. Even if they lost their dreams, even if they lost the island, they would survive. And one day… far in the future, they would return and take back all that they had been forced to leave behind. Until that time, they would simply have to endure. Elsewhere.

The migration had already begun in earnest, more than a year ago.

The hardiest of them, the pioneers, went first. Then the soldiers, to secure safe areas for the civilians. Very soon, the last of the un-enlisted would be shipped out to the New Territories, leaving only the Island Garrisons behind in Sandopolis. It was for that purpose – survival – that Stryker waited.

"Sir!" another dingo, smaller in stature but with an officer's cap shielding his eyes, ran up from the shade of a nearby tent. "The signal…"

"Was genuine?"

"Yes, sir," the officer agreed, nodding enthusiastically. "The boys in the field were able to take control of an enemy detachment via remote. Our techs believe the access codes can open up the entire continent to us without firing another shot."

Stryker nodded, his sand beaten cloak catching a warm breeze.

"So," he mused. "They actually came through. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, since it is those two, of all mobians."

"Sir?"

Stryker shook his head, focusing on the here and now. "Looks like we're headed out for one last war, lieutenant. It should be interesting. I've never even been there…"

Ice blue eyes shone with the promise of a new battleground.

"Knothole, that is."