* * *
"Princess Sally, what a pleasure it is to meet you alone at last." Lieutenant Colonel Franklin said graciously as he offered Sally a seat in his office. "After so many years of fighting Mobians, I find it refreshing to open a dialogue. Don't you?"
"Indeed." Sally said as she sat down. "Now that I've fully explored this facility and its denizens, I think we can help each other out."
"Oh?" The Colonel said, ever the cool customer. "What do you think we need help with?"
"For starters, I hardly think you consider those creatures in the jungle to be good neighbors." Sally returned.
"Too true." He agreed. "But what can you do about that?"
"We're Freedom Fighters, Colonel. It's our specialty to deal with problems like these."
"That may very well be, but what makes you think we can't handle this ourselves?" He smiled, as if amused.
"Colonel, I've managed to piece most of this puzzle together. I know why you have Sky Lynx dropping sonic bombs in the forest, I know you can't be happy being trapped in these walls, and I KNOW that most of your charges can't survive this much longer."
He frowned but said nothing. Sally took that as an invitation to continue. "When I talked to Misha earlier, I had my computer scan him for any signs of past ailments. I thought perhaps we could have some of our friends drop off medical supplies. Do you know what those scans told me? Misha is still showing the aftereffects of small pox, tuberculosis, cholera, and influenza. His immune system is shot, it's a wonder he's still able to carry on in a semi-normal way. But even so, he can't live like that. He's-" Sally felt her voice tremble for a second but pushed on, "-he's dying. He wont live another two years like this. Assuming that you even care-"
"Of course I care." He snapped, his cool facade gone for the first time. "I was his teacher for the last ten years. And he's my best pupil. I had a son his age, so much alike. Both of them bright, intelligent, and sensitive." He shook his head. "I lost two of my sons in the Great War. I'll be damned before I lose Misha. Don't you DARE claim for a second that I don't think of Misha, of ALL of them, as my children. Is that clear?" He said, as if he were addressing a raw recruit.
"Crystal. And I apologize, but my point stands. They need to go someplace that has doctors, medical supplies, adequate food and shelter..."
"I know, Princess." Franklin said tiredly. "I know. We've been trying to get rid of those pests for some time now. But we just can't get rid of all of them. As you deduced, we found that the creatures are sensitive to certain sonic pitches. Certain ultrasonic pitches frighten the creatures off and certain hypersonic pitches attract them. Sky Lynx drops sound resonators in the jungle to drive them into the open. Then he...dispatches them."
"Destroys them, you mean." Sally clarified.
"Correct. Unfortunately, you can never get rid of all of those damned things. Our best estimates say there are still about two dozen of them. It's slow work, it requires time."
"Time you don't have." Sally said, finishing his thought for him. "Which brings me back to my original point, we can help you. We've been in tough scrapes before, we can handle those things in the jungle and clear the path to the tunnel caves. I assume you know how to navigate those."
"We have maps." He nodded. "You did your homework, very good. But I can't help but wonder what you want in return?"
Damn, he was sharp. Sally couldn't help but think. Ah well, no point in pretending to be a philanthropist. "My people and I have a raid scheduled tomorrow evening on one of Robotnik's oil refineries." Franklin growled at the name. "It's only a short distance away and whatever help you could offer us would be vastly appreciated." Sally finished.
He drummed his fingers on his desk, clearing considering his options. Sally had already thought it out. If Colonel Franklin agreed to help in the raid, then not only would the raid itself be far easier, but it could potentially alter the shape of the war. Overlanders and Mobians fighting side by side for the first time in history! That would give Robotnik more than his fair share of sleepless nights and give the freedom fighters a much needed morale boost. However, that might also bring Robotnik's attention to his Overlander brethren whose Empire had collapsed after the Great War, and if Robotnik were to seek revenge...
Sally stopped herself. The Colonel was a smart man, he could draw his own conclusions. But if he WERE to agree, then this would be the start in a new chapter in Overlander/Mobian relations...
The Colonel stood up and walked over to the window, his back turned to Sally. "Granted."
"I beg your pardon?" Sally blinked.
"I accept your terms, you dispose of those beasts and we'll help you destroy that bastard's refinery." His voice was so harsh that Sally couldn't help but be surprised at the intensity.
"Sir, if you don't mind my saying so, you seem to be taking this rather personally."
"There's reason." Sally frowned trying to think why he would take Robotnik so personally. Then she remembered the lack of files on 'General Franklin' and then it all came together.
"Your name wasn't always Franklin, was it?"
"It sounded better," He said sourly, "Than Kintobor." Catching Sally's gaze he nodded. "Oh yes, I'm related to that bloated bag of scum, not that I boast about it. We're cousins, in case you're wondering."
Sally unconsciously felt the fur on the back of her neck stand on end at the thought of being related to Robotnik. She shuddered.
"You see my problem." The Colonel observed. "He betrayed my people and then betrayed yours. I'd say he's a compulsive traitor. My entire family was disgraced because of him. And when I saw those children that were...disposed because of his takeover...." He shook his head. "Those kids wouldn't have been in that situation if he hadn't launched his coup."
"So you felt it was your responsibility to help them, make up for your cousin's misdeeds." Sally guessed.
"Precisely. Though it cost me my rank and my good name, I have no regrets. Save for the fact that I couldn't do more for them."
"Perhaps you can, by making Robotnik pay for what he's done to them and their loved ones." Sally urged. Franklin nodded.
"Agreed. But, how are you going to deal with our friends in the jungle?"
"I'll think of something." Sally promised.
"I thought you would."
* * *
"Princess Sally, what a pleasure it is to meet you alone at last." Lieutenant Colonel Franklin said graciously as he offered Sally a seat in his office. "After so many years of fighting Mobians, I find it refreshing to open a dialogue. Don't you?"
"Indeed." Sally said as she sat down. "Now that I've fully explored this facility and its denizens, I think we can help each other out."
"Oh?" The Colonel said, ever the cool customer. "What do you think we need help with?"
"For starters, I hardly think you consider those creatures in the jungle to be good neighbors." Sally returned.
"Too true." He agreed. "But what can you do about that?"
"We're Freedom Fighters, Colonel. It's our specialty to deal with problems like these."
"That may very well be, but what makes you think we can't handle this ourselves?" He smiled, as if amused.
"Colonel, I've managed to piece most of this puzzle together. I know why you have Sky Lynx dropping sonic bombs in the forest, I know you can't be happy being trapped in these walls, and I KNOW that most of your charges can't survive this much longer."
He frowned but said nothing. Sally took that as an invitation to continue. "When I talked to Misha earlier, I had my computer scan him for any signs of past ailments. I thought perhaps we could have some of our friends drop off medical supplies. Do you know what those scans told me? Misha is still showing the aftereffects of small pox, tuberculosis, cholera, and influenza. His immune system is shot, it's a wonder he's still able to carry on in a semi-normal way. But even so, he can't live like that. He's-" Sally felt her voice tremble for a second but pushed on, "-he's dying. He wont live another two years like this. Assuming that you even care-"
"Of course I care." He snapped, his cool facade gone for the first time. "I was his teacher for the last ten years. And he's my best pupil. I had a son his age, so much alike. Both of them bright, intelligent, and sensitive." He shook his head. "I lost two of my sons in the Great War. I'll be damned before I lose Misha. Don't you DARE claim for a second that I don't think of Misha, of ALL of them, as my children. Is that clear?" He said, as if he were addressing a raw recruit.
"Crystal. And I apologize, but my point stands. They need to go someplace that has doctors, medical supplies, adequate food and shelter..."
"I know, Princess." Franklin said tiredly. "I know. We've been trying to get rid of those pests for some time now. But we just can't get rid of all of them. As you deduced, we found that the creatures are sensitive to certain sonic pitches. Certain ultrasonic pitches frighten the creatures off and certain hypersonic pitches attract them. Sky Lynx drops sound resonators in the jungle to drive them into the open. Then he...dispatches them."
"Destroys them, you mean." Sally clarified.
"Correct. Unfortunately, you can never get rid of all of those damned things. Our best estimates say there are still about two dozen of them. It's slow work, it requires time."
"Time you don't have." Sally said, finishing his thought for him. "Which brings me back to my original point, we can help you. We've been in tough scrapes before, we can handle those things in the jungle and clear the path to the tunnel caves. I assume you know how to navigate those."
"We have maps." He nodded. "You did your homework, very good. But I can't help but wonder what you want in return?"
Damn, he was sharp. Sally couldn't help but think. Ah well, no point in pretending to be a philanthropist. "My people and I have a raid scheduled tomorrow evening on one of Robotnik's oil refineries." Franklin growled at the name. "It's only a short distance away and whatever help you could offer us would be vastly appreciated." Sally finished.
He drummed his fingers on his desk, clearing considering his options. Sally had already thought it out. If Colonel Franklin agreed to help in the raid, then not only would the raid itself be far easier, but it could potentially alter the shape of the war. Overlanders and Mobians fighting side by side for the first time in history! That would give Robotnik more than his fair share of sleepless nights and give the freedom fighters a much needed morale boost. However, that might also bring Robotnik's attention to his Overlander brethren whose Empire had collapsed after the Great War, and if Robotnik were to seek revenge...
Sally stopped herself. The Colonel was a smart man, he could draw his own conclusions. But if he WERE to agree, then this would be the start in a new chapter in Overlander/Mobian relations...
The Colonel stood up and walked over to the window, his back turned to Sally. "Granted."
"I beg your pardon?" Sally blinked.
"I accept your terms, you dispose of those beasts and we'll help you destroy that bastard's refinery." His voice was so harsh that Sally couldn't help but be surprised at the intensity.
"Sir, if you don't mind my saying so, you seem to be taking this rather personally."
"There's reason." Sally frowned trying to think why he would take Robotnik so personally. Then she remembered the lack of files on 'General Franklin' and then it all came together.
"Your name wasn't always Franklin, was it?"
"It sounded better," He said sourly, "Than Kintobor." Catching Sally's gaze he nodded. "Oh yes, I'm related to that bloated bag of scum, not that I boast about it. We're cousins, in case you're wondering."
Sally unconsciously felt the fur on the back of her neck stand on end at the thought of being related to Robotnik. She shuddered.
"You see my problem." The Colonel observed. "He betrayed my people and then betrayed yours. I'd say he's a compulsive traitor. My entire family was disgraced because of him. And when I saw those children that were...disposed because of his takeover...." He shook his head. "Those kids wouldn't have been in that situation if he hadn't launched his coup."
"So you felt it was your responsibility to help them, make up for your cousin's misdeeds." Sally guessed.
"Precisely. Though it cost me my rank and my good name, I have no regrets. Save for the fact that I couldn't do more for them."
"Perhaps you can, by making Robotnik pay for what he's done to them and their loved ones." Sally urged. Franklin nodded.
"Agreed. But, how are you going to deal with our friends in the jungle?"
"I'll think of something." Sally promised.
"I thought you would."
* * *