A long-awaited truth! A distress signal
has been received at the Shinobi Temple, and
Master Rob O'Hedge has been dispatched to
investigate its origin. The signal is from
a ship thought to be lost and was last known
to be in the possession of a Shinobi Master who
was killed long ago...
Rob, Karl were inside an all-terrain vehicle and a squad of clones were walking through a sandstorm in front of it "Can anybody hear us. Come in, please" "We're not getting anything over here. We must be off". Karl checked the scanner "Negative. It is here. The data specifically states it. It has to be" "Sir, we've searched the are three times. It's a wasteland. There's nothing". Karl shook his head "All our information pinpoints it is here" "I don't know what to tell you, sir. We're getting no visual, and no recognition on the scanner". Rob watched "We must locate the source of the signal commander. Press on". One of the clones at a console stood up "Wait. I think I've found something". Rob waked over to him and could see a ship wreckage on the scanner "That is it". Rob got on his commlink "Halt all vehicles". They all stopped, Rob and Karl exited the vehicle wearing cloaks to protect from the sand and walked towards a wreckage "The hull shows substantial scoring and wear. Whenever is crashed, it wasn't recently" Karl said. They entered the ship "General, the scans check out. It's a T-6 shuttle, alright, serial number 181108". Rob looked around and saw something on the floor. He picked it up and realised it was a lightsaber "I want the entire area cleared. We're taking everything back to Mobotropolis". Karl was surprised by this "Everything, sir?" "Everything". As the clones exited the ship Rob ignited the lightsaber and stared ominously at its green blade.
The Shinobi Council were listening to a hologram of Rob "Then it must be the lost ship of Master Chip? I found this at the crash site" he showed hem the lightsaber. Blaze nodded "That is Master Chip's lightsaber. It was never found after his death". Merlin turned to Espio "Master Espio, remind the Council of what you discovered regarding Master Chip before the start of the Clone War". Espio nodded "My investigation of the bounty hunter Mimic the Octopus led to Soleanna. Their King recounted that it was Shinobi Master Chip who ordered the production of a clone army". Blaze nodded "Without the consent of the Council or the Senate" "Prior to the blockade of Albion, Chip sat on this Council until we judged his ideas to be… too extreme" Merlin responded. Rob nodded "Indeed, he said he foresaw a great conflict, and the Republic would need to raise an army. At the time, the Council rejected those ideas". Espio shrugged "Well, it's not the first time we've been wrong recently, is it?" "Chip kept this army a secret from us. We don't know how though. Perhaps this new clue will bring us clarity" Blaze said.
The Council was now in the war room with Vanilla showing them a hologram of a winged burgundy creature half the size of Shadow "Our records definitively state that Master Chip died on Botanic. In the fifth quarter, a small skirmish broke out between the natives. Master Chip was assigned to negotiate peace talks between the tribes. The negotiations failed and Chip was killed". Rob looked sceptical "What became of his body?" "I'm afraid I do not know. Any further information on this incident has been sealed". Merlin stared curiously at her "On whose authority?" "By the office of the Supreme Chancellor". "Thank you, Madam Vanilla" Merlin said to her before she left. Blaze nodded "Espio, you and Shadow will go to Botanic. There may still be a clue there. Question all those present the day of Chip's death. I will speak to the Chancellor personally on the sealed file, and we shall see what part the politics of the Senate have played".
Blaze was in Solaris' office and has just told him what she knows "Master Chip? Forgive me. I'm afraid I am not familiar with that name" "He died some time ago on Botanic. We are investigating his death and yet some of his files were sealed by the Chancellor's office". Solaris nodded "And what is the nature of your investigation?" "It is a Shinobi matter, Chancellor. I would not want to add to your troubles". He smiled "That is very considerate, Master Blaze. May I at least ask when Master…um" he acted forgetful, "Chip". He nodded "Yes. Master Chip. May I ask when he was killed?" "Over ten years ago". Solaris came to a realization "Well, that explains it. I'm afraid this was before my time. Ten years ago, I was a humble senator serving the planet of Albion. Only my predecessor, Chancellor Bullyani, would have the answers you seek. I suggest you speak to him". Blaze bowed her head "Very well. Thank you, Chancellor" she turned to leave and Solaris' face turned very sinister. She left the office and then spoke to a hologram of Espio "I have spoken with the tribal leaders on Botanic. They use a very ancient dialect which is hard to understand, but from what I can make out, when Master Chip died, he was not alone. There was a second Shinobi here with him" "And the name of this second Shinobi?" "Either I can't understand them or they won't say his name. This is a primitive people we are dealing with. They said after his death they cremated Master Chip's body; the trail goes cold from there. Did you have any success with the Chancellor?". Blaze sighed "Hmm, as much success as usual I'm afraid. I've been pointed in a different direction. I'm going to speak with former Chancellor Bullyani".
Blaze arrived at the top of a tall building where four guards were waiting. Bullyani then walked out "It's been a long time, my friend. What can I do for you?". Blaze smiled "The Shinobi Council has come across a file sealed by your administration" "The subject of the file?". The two walked together "Shinobi Master Chip" "Chip? When I was Chancellor, I sent him on a mission to deal with a flare-up in the Battle Kukku Empire, a powerful part of the spice cartel. Their criminal activities had allowed them to almost completely control the production of raw spice used to create a powerful drug. We were facing a full-scale war underneath the surface of Mobotropolis. Knowing of his expertise in the underworld, I contacted Master Chip to stabilize the problem". Blaze was surprised by this "The Shinobi Council didn't know this" "The Senate committee assigned to the matter feared that open discussions with such a criminal element could legitimize their activities and give strength to opposition leaders within the bureaucracy. Secrecy was our only choice". Blaze sighed "What was the timing of these negotiations. When were they to take place" "I cannot remember the precise timing, I'm afraid. It was so long ago. I do remember that the talks were postponed not long after our delegates arrived on Cocoa, something about a flare-up of activity on Botanic". Blaze nodded "Yes, the Council insisted Master Chip intervene on Botanic. But tell me Chancellor, who was the other Shinobi you sent with Chip?". Bullyani looked confused "Other Shinobi? I know of no other Shinobi. There was only my personal aid, Mark, and Chip himself. I'm afraid they were both killed on Botanic". Blaze began to ponder "Personal aid?".
Dimitri was kneeling before a hologram of Mephiles "Tell me, why do the Shinobi look for Chip? What trail are they following" "If there is a trail, it is unknown to me". Mephiles glared down at him "Retrace your steps, find this loose end, and eliminate it". Dimitri bowed his head "I understand what is at stake, my lord. I will go to the Battle Kukku Empire and take care of it" "This is not the first time you have been proven to be clumsy, Lord Enerjak". Dimitri suddenly couldn't breathe and was raised of the ground "You know the price of failure". The hologram cut off and Dimitri was dropped to the ground. He started to cough but quickly got up and left the room.
Blaze and Rob were back in the war room with a hologram of Shadow and Espio "The Botanic natives know nothing of this Mark. No one there seems to know anything about him" the chameleon said. Shadow examined a hologram of Mark who was a brown Tapir. He saw that he was wearing a necklace "What's that symbol he's wearing?" "The symbol of the high Chancellor before the war" Blaze answered. Espio sighed "So we have one dead Shinobi with no physical evidence of a body, a second Shinobi who appeared on Botanic that we have no record of, and now this Mark, personal attaché to the Chancellor, is missing?". Shadow looked to him "Yet now we know Chip and Mark were both on Cocoa, according to Chancellor Bullyani". Rob showed a hologram of a moon "The crashed shuttle I found was located on a moon which orbits the planet of the Battle Kukku Empire". Blaze nodded and looked to Shadow and Espio "You must go to Cocoa. Speak to the Kukkus".
A shuttle carrying Shadow and Espio arrived at Cocoa, they entered a mountain area covered in clouds. They flew towards a base and landed on a nearby platform where two Kukku guards were waiting. They were led inside and entered a large hall with a throne at the end. The walked through the halls and walked past different animals lying against the walls clearly drugged. They reached the throne where the leader of the Empire, Battle Bird was sitting. He smiled at them "I cannot remember the last time a Shinobi came here. It's been many years". Espio shrugged "Funny you should say that. We're looking for a Shinobi that got lost here. His name is Chip" "Oh, the Shinobi Chip was here, but that was a long time ago". Shadow crossed his arms "Master Chip's ship was found crashed on a moon orbiting this world". Battle Bird took a drink "What you found we know nothing of. Would you like to join us for a refreshment?". Shadow was about to say something but Espio stepped in front of him "The Kukkus offer is kindly accepted". Battle Bird clicked his fingers, and a hedgehog came over and gave them two drinks. He then raised his own glass "To friendship" "Friendship" the two Shinobis replied. Battle Bird took a drink and Espio saw something familiar around his neck "What an interesting necklace that is. May I have a look". Battle Bird stared at him "Perhaps the Kukkus have taken enough of the Shinobi's time". Espio smirked and shook his head "Oh, no, no. It's no bother at all. The Shinobi are happy to know all the Kukkus secrets". Shadow then pulled the necklace of his neck with the Force and caught it. The guards raised their blasters, but Battle Bird gestured for them to stop "We have no quarrel with the Shinobi" "Then maybe you should tell us why you're wearing the crest of the Chancellor's personal advisor" Shadow said. Battle Bird Sighed and stood up "I am confused. Are you looking for a Shinobi Master or someone else?". Shadow was getting angry "Stop playing games. Chip was travelling with an advisor. They were sent here to negotiate with you". Battle Bird laughed "Well, it looks like you have finally put the pieces together. The man you are looking for is here".
They were being led through the lower levels of the base by Battle Bird "The Kukkus wanted to gain an advantage over the other crime families, so alliances were made. One alliance was with a man named Enerjak". Espio was surprised by this "I've heard that name before. Mimic mentioned it during my Soleanna investigation" "Enerjak wanted Chip dead. We were well paid to shoot down his ship. However, any man that is willing to pay to have a Shinobi killed is dangerous and unpredictable. We inspected the crash to retrieve the Shinobi's body for proof. But with the dead Shinobi, the Kukkus found another, still alive". Espio looked to Shadow "Mark, the Chancellor's aide?". Battle Bird nodded "The Kukkus gave Enerjak Chip, but we did not tell him of Mark. The Kukkus needed insurance". They stopped at a cell door "Insurance?" Shadow asked. Battle Bird nodded "Yes, and the Kukkus can bargain. We give you Mark. You forget about our treachery against the Shinobi". The door opened and the two Shinobi walked through into a small hall. They kept going eventually reaching another door revealing a cell. It was a cylindrical room lit only by what little sunlight entered and had a metal hemisphere in the centre. "Hello?" Espio said, "Who-Who's there" they heard a weak high-pitched voice say. "We are Shinobi sent to find you" "Shinobi? To find me?". A skinny vulture with a beard crawled out from behind the hemisphere looking deranged "Why me? I was betrayed, forgotten… long ago". Espio and Shadow looked to each other before the former answered "No one knew you were alive" "Maybe you have some food. Have you any food". Shadow hesitantly took out a ration bar which at the sight of made Mark laugh. He quickly walked over ad took it "Thank you, my friend. Oh, delicious. You see, I was so frightened I would have nothing to serve". Shadow looked to Espio "Serve?". Mark nodded "My babies. They get so angry when i have nothing to serve". The Shinobi then realised he was looking at slug like creatures lying on the hemisphere "We might have a problem here".
Outside Dimitri's shuttle landed on a platform where two guards were waiting. Dimitri exited the ship wearing his full armour and helmet "Enerjak, you are no longer welcome here" one of the guards said. Dimitri casually threw them off the platform before walking inside.
Shadow stepped closer to Mark "I think you've been cooped up in here too long, old man" "We've come to take you home" Espio said. Mark began to panic "Home? No, no, this is my home. I can't leave my friends". Espio took a step closer to him calmly "You were traveling with Shinobi Master Chip. Tell us what happened to him". Mark cackled "Chip? He died. Died. Died! We were tricked. The Kukkus are not to be trusted. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. But the Kukkus were not the ones. No. They were not the reason" "Who was?" Shadow asked. Mark looked around in a panic "Someone powerful, someone who wanted to be Chip" "Why" Espio asked. Mark chuckled "All this deception. Can't you see? Because… because…" he started gasping and hovered above the ground. Espio and Shadow watched in surprise before his body fell back to the ground dead. They turned around and saw Dimitri who grinned before igniting his lightsaber. The Shinobi did the same "Dimitri. For once you actually came to do your own dirty work" "Sometimes things are just that important". The three fought which led them out of the cell. They eventually made it to a large walkway. At the other end, the door opened revealing Battle Bird with a group of guards making their fight pause "You have no business left with the Kukkus, Enerjak" battle bird said with his army pointing blasters at Dimitri. Espio was surprised "Enerjak? You are the one called Enerjak?". Enerjak calmly turned to him "I told you everything you needed to know on Waspnosia all those years ago, Espio. You should have joined me. Chip understood. He saw the future. That's why he helped me". Espio looked behind Dimitri "Battle Bird, if you're going to help us, now is the time". "Kill Enerjak!" the Kukkus fired on Dimitri but he easily deflected the blasts, he used the Force to throw both armies back. In the confusion he ran up to Battle Bird, stabbing him in the chest. He gasped in pain before falling back dead. More Kukkus appeared, Dimitri backed up to the edge of the platform as Espio and Shadow advanced on him. He then jumped off the platform onto a ship that started flying away. "I'll give you a push" Espio said before throwing Shadow off the platform and onto the ship. Shadow fought Dimitri who smirked and jumped back onto the ship's engines. He cut through it causing the ship to lean down on one side. Shadow fell down and grabbed onto part of the ship. He saw Dimitri's shuttle arrive and he jumped inside before flying away.
The Council have just been told by a hologram of Shadow and Espio about what they learned. Blaze looked troubled "We now know that Dimitri guided the creation of the clones from the beginning. Hm… our enemy created an army for us". Merlin nodded "If this was known, public confidence in the war effort, the Shinobi and the Republic would vanish. There would be mass chaos". Blaze sighed "We must cover this discovery up. No one, not even the Chancellor, may know. The clones have proven to be valiant men. They have saved all our lives many times. We must believe in them. We must win the war swiftly before our enemy's designs reach completion, whatever they may be". Merlin looked troubled "Are you sure we're taking the right path?" "Hm… the right path, no. The only path… yes. This web is designed by the Dark Lord of the Raiju. For now, we must play his game".