Italics: Thoughts
Underline: Communication
Authors note: In case you missed; The note I placed back in February on chapter 15, has been replaced with the actual chapter. Enjoy.
Story continues.
...
Wolf Pack Nation. Grand Chief's residence. 1:45 PM.
Day 233.
Year 3237.
Lupe was working in her chambers, when Sean emerged from the adjacent hallway.
"You wanted to see me?" Sean asked as he entered Lupe's chambers.
Lupe looked up from her work and nodded: "I did." She then gestured to the spot one opposite side of the fire pit. "Have a seat."
Sean complied and sat cross legged. The Jedi looked at the fire pit which was extinguished, before he gently eyed Lupe.
"What's this about?" Sean calmly asked. "Am I in trouble?"
Lupe looked at Sean with wide eyes. "Oh goodness no!" She said in surprise. "No you're not! Why would you think that!"
"Just a hunch." Sean shrugged.
Lupe raised an eyebrow. "No, I just wanted to hear how your session with Marcos went."
"The session went well." Sean answered. "His abilities with the Force is far greater than I anticipated."
"Is that so?" Lupe asked. "Was he any trouble today?"
"Surprisingly." Sean started. "He wasn't."
"That's good to hear." Lupe smiled. She then remembered. "Also there is another thing I had to tell you."
"Yes?"
Lupe cleared her throat. "Marcos is going out fishing with his father and Canus; and he was hoping that you could come with them."
Sean rubbed his chin in thought, before he eyed Lupe. "Of course I can." He responded. "I don't have much better to do."
Lupe smiled. "He will be happy to hear that."
Sean smiled as well, but sighed and looked down at the ground, which Lupe caught.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, concerned.
"I need to ask you something." Sean started.
"Sure." Lupe said. "Go on."
"Did you know that Leeta and Lyco are working for a secret organization?" Sean asked, with a clear tone of disapproval in his voice.
That very question caught Lupe by surprise. She did not expect him to find that one out, or better yet; Bring that subject up with her. Lupe contemplated her next words and said: "Yes I did, but how did you find out? I know for a fact that they didn't tell you anything."
Sean nodded in agreement. "They didn't at first, but they came clean after RB managed to intercept one of their conversations with this Director Who." Sean answered.
"And what does their current work have got to do with you?" Lupe asked.
Sean sighed. "One; They were both spying on me. Two; They tried to recruit me into their team."
Lupe regained a calm composure and carefully studied Sean's facial expression. He was really hard to read. She knew that he was not only frustrated of what the twins had tried to put him through, but she knew that the Jedi was hiding something from her; Something he won't tell her. She then decided to break the silence.
"I agree that it's not okay to spy on someone." Lupe began.
"That's what I've been trying-"
"But I have to ask." The Grand Chief interrupted with a firm tone. "Is it wrong for the twins to plead for someones help?"
"I never said that it was wrong to do so." Sean corrected. "I just declined their request."
"And why did you?" Lupe asked.
"I did, because I am not ready for another war." Sean responded.
Lupe raised her eyebrows. "Is that so?" She asked. Sean nodded, as Lupe continued: "Then if that is the case; I want you to do something for me."
"Name it."
Lupe pointed at her chamber's exit. "I want you to take a long look at that robot you brought here." She instructed. "Because it was build and designed by that power-hungry, deceitful, treacherous maniac to kill you!"
Sean's expression softened. "What are you saying?" He asked.
The Grand Chief eyed Sean. "You were the one who decided to lead Leeta and Lyco's rescue mission; You were the one who chose to stay behind and cover our escape, and fight half of the Dark Egg Legion on your own, which gained the attention of Dr. Eggman who sent Metal Sonic after you."
Sean Struggled to counter Lupe's argument. "I-It was the right thing to do at that moment-"
Lupe held up her hand. "Let me finish." She cut him off. Sean didn't respond and remained silent.
The Grand Chief cleared her throat. "Whether you are ready or not; I hate to tell you this Sean, but you became Dr. Eggman's enemy the moment you allied yourself with Sonic and the Freedom Fighters. He will not rest, and he most certainly won't give up until he has completely disposed of you."
Sean contemplated everything that Lupe had just him, and she was right; he was told that this Dr. Eggman was resilient and extremely intelligent. His train of thoughts was interrupted when Lupe spoke.
"But if you're truly committed not to fight, then I guess there is no reason to allow you to continue train Marcos." She said with a tone that spoke authority.
Sean eyed Lupe in shock. "Y-You can't do that!" he protested.
"Of course I can." Lupe responded in a calm tone. "I am his mother, and I am the Grand Chief of the Wolf Pack Nation... And of you Sean." She then continued. "So you'd better know your place in our pack, if you don't want any trouble. Understood?"
"But I-I-I-" Sean stuttered, but the Grand Chief gave him a glare that said she was in charge.
"Understood?"
Having realized that there was no talking out of this, the Jedi sighed in defeat. "Yes Grand Chief, I Understand."
Lupe softened her expression. "Good." She finished with a tone of satisfaction. "I would hate to disappoint my son with bad news."
And with that, the Grand Chief had drawn the final line, and for Sean's sake, he had better not cross it. Sean only slumped into his seat in defeat.
"Well played Lupe." Sean thought. "Well played."
Lupe rose up from her seat and sat next to the Jedi. She placed her hand on Sean's back.
"You need to know that I am not angry with you." Lupe told the Jedi. "But as the Grand Chief of this nation, the safety of my people is my number one responsibility."
Sean nodded. "I know."
"And that means that I have to keep those in line, who go against those interests." Lupe reminded Sean. "Because I can't have any soon-to-be renegades among my people; Wolf or Human." She removed her hand from his back and used it to gently turn Sean's head so that he faced her. "You get where I'm going with this?"
Sean didn't answer her immediately. It is true that for most of his life, he had always been different from other Jedi: From breaking the Jedi Code on several occasions; to Disobeying the Jedi masters on a weekly basis. He especially was on odds with Master Windu most of the times. Had it not been for his master, Plo Koon; Sean would have been expelled, and disgraced from the Jedi Order long ago. Several lectures from his master, didn't make Sean change his ways. Jedi masters like Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, came to accept his unorthodox ways eventually; since they themselves had experience with dealing with a certain Jedi, who they in the past considered a 'Rogue Jedi'.
For the first time in his life, Sean had lost the confidence and courage to speak up on what he believed in. When Lupe eyed him in the manner she did, he realized that he had to stand down for the greater good. And for all she did for him; saving his life, and taking him in as part of the Wolf Pack; he didn't want to ruin her credibility in her people's eyes. The sole reason he still is alive today, was because of her. The Jedi broke the silence.
"Yes Lupe, I do." Sean said softly. "The only reason I am hesitant to join this war, is that I don't want a repeat to the Clone Wars. Everything really began to fall apart during the war."
Lupe eyed Sean with concern. "What do you mean?" She asked with interest.
Sean was about to respond, when a brown-grayish teen wolf suddenly barged into Lupe's chambers.
"Arturo?" Lupe asked in a surprised tone, as she stood up and walked up to the stressed out Wolf. "You're back sooner than I expected."
The Wolf known as Arturo, tried to catch his breath. "I know Grand Chief!" He breathed. "I bring horrible news!"
Lupe turned to Sean. "Sean could you leave us for a minute?" She asked with a firm voice.
Sean nodded and got up from his seat. "I might need to train a little bit for myself." He thought to himself, before he took his leave. "Just to clear my head."
After Sean had left the chambers, Lupe turned to Arturo.
"Now Arturo." Lupe began calmly, as the gently placed her hands on Arturo's shoulder. "Tell me... What has happened?"
Meanwhile near Leeta and Lyco's hut.
The twins spoke with Director Who through their communicators. They had just told him that Sean found out the existence of the Secret Freedom Fighters, and that they had to tell him what was going on. Though disappointed, the Owl was a calm and forgiving leader.
Director Who: I suppose that it's okay, as long as he doesn't tell anyone else.
Leeta: We even asked him if he wanted to join the team.
Lyco: But he declined.
Director Who: Really? Did he say why?
Lyco: He said that he had to oversee Marcos' training.
Director Who: Marcos? Training?
Leeta: The Grand Chief's son.
Lyco: Sean is training him to become a Jedi knight like him.
Director Who: Jedi knight? Interesting.
There was a pause, before Leeta broke the silence.
Leeta: Anything new on Naugus?
Director Who: (Hesitating) Naugus knows of Sean.
Leeta and Lyco exchanged nervous glances.
Leeta: Are you certain?
Director Who: Yes. Sir Charles showed Naugus the footage of Sean fighting the Dark Egg legion.
Lyco: Did Naugus show his motives when he learned of this?
Director Who: He did not, but I have a suspicion that he will be targeting your friend.
Leeta: Do you need us to return?
Director Who: Not yet, but I want you to remain on standby in case there's new development on Naugus.
Lyco: Will do Harvey.
Director Who: Good. Director Who out.
After the call ended, the twins proceeded to turn their communicators off. Lyco turned to her sister.
"I wonder why Arturo was in such a hurry." Lyco asked, remembering the teen Wolf who rushed through the village a few minutes ago.
Leeta shrugged. "I dunno. Must be something serious."
"Well we won't know unless we find out." Lyco said.
Leeta stared at her sister with wide eyes. "You're not suggesting that we eavesdrop on him?" She asked.
"No of course not." Lyco dismissed. "We're gonna ask him the next time he shows up." She then continued. "We should probably head for the training field; to prepare for when we are called back."
Leeta smiled in agreement as they both headed for the training field. As they were walking, the she Wolf in green then looked at her sister's injured leg.
"How is your leg going by the way?" Leeta asked with a hint of concern.
Lyco to a look a her bandaged leg.. "Much better actually!" She responded with a smiled, but frowned. "But Diablo told me not to overwork it today."
"Well you'd better listen to him Lyco." Leeta reminded her sister. "You know he's gonna give you an earful if you don't."
Lyco nodded, as the twins didn't say a word after that as they headed towards the training field.
Training field 2:00 PM.
The twins eventually arrived at the training field to begin their practice. They stopped on their tacks when they saw Sean was fencing with his lightsaber. They didn't say a word as they were amazed by his skills with that weapon. The Jedi was currently practicing his skills with Form II, using footwork that allowed him to cover more ground, and since there was much more open space on the training field, it enabled him to use his style to a far better extent than when he fought Metal Sonic.
Sean always considered himself as an Outside Duelist, meaning that he relied mostly on his reflexes and constant movements, rather than blocking blows with his lightsaber. He also sometimes moved his head and upper body from time to time to avoid blaster shots. One of the few downsides to this style was that he rarely kept his blade up, which left him vulnerable to his opponent. One mistake on his side, and his opponent would destroy him, as a certain Sith Lord once proved.
He remembered a time when Ahsoka sparred with him; she was frustrated by the fact that she couldn't land a single hit on him. Actually, there were many Padawans who expressed their frustrations with Sean's lightsaber style. Many Jedi Masters didn't encourage their Padawans to study Sean's style, as any average Jedi would be destroyed by their opponents.
Sean turned his lightsaber off, and took a few deep breaths to regain his focus. He then turned to see the twins approach him.
"I take it you are here to train yourselves?" The Jedi asked.
Leeta and Lyco nodded. "We are." Leeta started.
"We have to keep ourselves in top shape, when we return to New Mobotropolis." Lyco finished.
Sean nodded in agreement. "That's probably a good idea." He then remembered what Lupe had told him. "By the way girls; there is something I wanted to talk to you about."
"What's it about?" Lyco asked.
The Jedi sighed as he faced the twins. "You were right about what you said to me earlier." He admitted.
Leeta had a Perplexed look on her face. "Right about what?" She asked.
Sean faced the twins. "You said that sooner or later that this was gonna be my war as well." He started. "And Metal Sonic was a proof of that."
"But didn't you say that you had Marcos' training to take care off?" Lyco asked.
"I can prioritize." Sean smiled. "Besides, what kind of master would I be to him if I didn't help those in need."
"You're right about that." Leeta smiled, but changed to a curious expression. "But what made you change your mind?"
"You could say that certain circumstances made me reconsider." Sean shrugged.
Both Leeta and Lyco had a grin on their muzzle, as they realized what he was talking about.
"Did Lupe talk some sense into you?" Leeta asked, teasingly, while Lyco giggled.
"W-Well..." Sean tried to explain, but ended up nodding in annoyance. "Yep she kinda did."
"Wow! She actually managed to get through that thick head of yours!" Lyco giggled in astonishment.
"Well, considering that it's Lupe we're talking about." Leeta corrected with a smile.
Sean held up his hands in defeat. "Okay! I admit!" He conceded. "Maybe I have been a little stubborn."
"That's an understatement." Leeta sarcastically retorted.
The Jedi fixed an annoyed glare at the twin in green. "No! I mean what I said." He stated in a serious manner. "My stubborn ways has always put me on edge with the ones in charge. Especially the Jedi Council."
The twins gave him a confused look.
"I always got away with it; thanks to Master Plo of course, but when I spoke with Lupe earlier, when she said all those things to me, I suddenly lost my courage to tell her my opinion."
Lyco poked at Sean chest with her finger, while giving him a disappointed look. "You're crazy to challenge Lupe like that!" She scolded.
"Cause that is a fools game." Leeta reminded Sean.
"I know." Sean admitted with a smile. "I learned that the hard way."
"How so?" Lyco curiously asked.
"I'll tell you later." The Jedi dismissed; deciding to change subject, he said: "You two were here to train; were you not?"
The pink Wolves eyed Sean in suspicion, but decided not to ask him further, and leave it to Lupe. The twins gave the Jedi a nod in response. There was a long silence, until Lyco spoke: "Wanna join us?"
Sean nodded. "Sure; I got some time left, before I have to head out with Lobo and Marcos." He answered, before he pointed at some shelves, which contained some spears. "Leeta; hand me one of those sabres."
Leeta went over to the shelves, and grabbed a training sabre for Sean, but gave him a confusing look. "You don't want to use to use your own weapon?" she asked, referring to his Lightsaber.
Sean shook his head as Leeta handed him the sabre.
"So... Shall we begin?" The Jedi asked as he began to twirl the weapon in his hands, before finally resting the sabre in his right hand.
The twins smirked at Sean, as they got out their own sabres, and took their initial battle stance.
Dark Egg Legion base. Control room.
"At least tell me how many legionnaires you managed to get out of the debris so far?" Drago asked, clearly frustrated. Immediately after the incident, the Wolf Grandmaster had ordered every available legionnaires to pursue and capture Hershey.
"Sir, we're up to thirty-one!" A legionnaire with a notepad said. "...And counting!"
"Good! Get them up to speed; and sent them into the jungle after Hershey! No excuses!" Drago ordered. "Got it?"
"Yes sir!" The legionnaire saluted, as he carried out his orders.
Drago went over to Razorklaw, who stood on the other side of the control room with crossed arms.
"We cannot let the Doctor know about this incident." Drago growled.
Razorklaw nodded in agreement. As if on cue, Dr. Eggman's face appeared on one of the monitors.
Dr. Eggman: (Angry) Let me know about what Drago? That half of your base has been decimated?
Both Grandmasters gulped when Dr. Eggman called them out.
Drago: (Nervous) Dr. Eggman! It's not what you think-
Dr. Eggman: (Angry) And who was responsible for this? Was it that Hedgehog? Dontor?
Drago: (nervous) No sir, it was Hershey the Cat.
Dr. Eggman: (Surprised) Hershey? As in Geoffrey St. John's wife?
Drago and Razorklaw nodded.
Dr. Eggman: What was she doing inside the base?
Razoklaw: (Nervous) She was apparently a spy for the Freedom Fighters-
Dr. Eggman: (Angry) A SPY!
The Co-Grandmasters nervously nodded.
Dr. Eggman: (Angry) And where is she now?!
Drago: (Nervous) She escaped.
The tyrannical Doctor rubbed his head in frustration.
Dr. Eggman: (frustrated) I should have you both executed for your incompetence!
Drago and Razorklaw looked nervously at the obese Doctor.
Dr. Eggman: But I'm willing to give you one last chance!
Drago: (Relieved) Oh, thank you Doctor-
Dr. Eggman: On the terms of that I officially put you under administration.
Razorklaw: (Nervous) Y-You don't mean-
Dr. Eggman: I will come and personally oversee the repairs that were caused by your stupidity!
Drago: B-B-But!
Dr. Eggman: (Angry) SILENCE!
Drago clammed his mouth shut.
Dr. Eggman: And I assure you, that there will be no slip-ups while I'm there.
Drago and Razorklaw eyed each other nervously. What exactly was the Doctor's plans with them?
Dr. Eggman: I'll even arrive with reinforcements to ensure stability in the area.
Razorklaw: When can we expect your arrival?
Dr. Eggman: (Frowning at Razorklaw) I will arrive by noon tomorrow, and you two have better follow my every command while I'm there! Understood!
Drago and Razorklaw: Yes Doctor!
Drago then remembered something.
Drago: (Nervous) Um... Doctor.
Dr. Eggman: Yes Drago.
Drago: (Nervous) We were unable to send that scout after Dontor.
Dr. Eggman: (Frowning) That will not be your problem anymore. This time I will deal with him, myself!
The Doctor angrily eyed the two Grandmasters.
Dr. Eggman: Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?
Drago and Razoklaw shook their heads in response.
Dr. Eggman: (Angry) Then get back to work you lazy slackers! Dr. Eggman over.
And with that, the monitor with the Doctor's face flickered off. The Co-Grandmasters eyed each other nervously, for what was awaiting them.
Somewhere in the shazamazon 2:10 PM.
Hershey was seen running through the soumercan jungle. She had crashed and abandoned the saucer a few minutes ago; but the Cat didn't have time to rest, as the Dark Egg Legion were hot on her tail. Looking behind her while running, Hershey could see that she was not being followed for the moment. She leaned herself against a tree, to catch her breath.
"That was a close shave!" Hershey thought to herself. "I just hope that I lost them!"
The Cat's ears perked when she heard the sound of pursuing legionnaires. Hershey didn't waste a second and immediately sprinted off into the jungle; hoping to get out of this mess, and return home to her husband.
Authors Note: Will Hershey make it back home? How is Dr. Eggman gonna deal with Sean? And speaking of the Jedi: What secrets is he hiding? All these questions will be answered in the future. Until then, I'll see you next time.
Wassy96.