Dante slowly backed the shuttle into the fighter bay of the Anubis. He halted the ship. The emerald was safe. But what use was it to him? He was no scientist. What use was such power if one didn't know how to harness it. No. It was not his alone. It was for the Empire. The empire Robotnik worked so hard to build. The empire that had taken Dante in. The empire that was shaken but will not collapse!

"Sir! We've just received a threat via radio!" his trusty Eggrobo announced. Dante chuckled. Who would dare do such a stupid thing?

"Well? Who is it?" Dante asked.

"It's Mitch, representing the USS…whatever those initials are." Mitch stood silent, until his eye twitched and his hand grew into a fist, causing pain to his previous injuries.

"What does it say?"

"He says our alliance is over, and that he will take control of the planet. He wishes to speak with you right now." Dante nodded and turned on his communicator.

"I am Captain and Commander Dante Sellis of the Robotnik Empire. This planet is nearly ours. We have spent many long months capturing and killing our enemies. Our only major threat left besides the Freedom Fighters was Sonic the Hedgehog. Now you guys come along and screw it up for us. Did you assassinate our leader, Dr. Robotnik as well? Well listen here, you bastards. NO! THIS PLANET IS OURS TO TAKE, AND I'M NOT GOING TO LET SOME SLIME FROM GOD ONLY KNOWS WHERE TAKE OVER WHAT IS RIGHTLY OURS! YOU WILL KNOW THE FULL FURY OF THE ROBOTNIK EMPIRE!" Dante's face was flushed with rage as he finished addressing the hostile race. Suddenly, a hologram of Mitch appeared. Only, even through the projected image, he could tell something was different about this fox. Other than the fact he just destroyed their trust.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Mitch? Just moments ago, you were at Ivo's funeral!" Dante yelled. Then, Mitch began to speak. The traitor's voice no longer was present. In its place was a dark, unfamiliar tone.

"You fools do not know who this fox is! He is the Reclaimer. The one who is chosen as the planet's leader. We are the holy guardians of Mobius, and you are the threat! You shall be eliminated!" Suddenly, 5 of the other faction's ships appeared out of nowhere and opened fire on the Anubis. Dante quickly began yelling orders to his troops.

"Everyone, retaliate now! Fire at those ships! I want that traitor destroyed!"

Count Sin stood in thought as the medical Badniks prepared to heal his wounds. Who could have wanted Robotnik dead like that? He began ruling out possibilities.

Sonic is too isn't one to brutally assassinate anyone, no matter how cruel. Tails and Knuckles wouldn't either. Amy can't stand the sight of blood, neither can Cream, and Big is too stupid. Besides, Dante's report a while back mentioned him dropping the fat ass into the ocean. That only left two possible candidates…

Shadow and E-123 Omega. That had to be it. Who else to kill Robotnik but his creation and his grandfather's mistake?

"I'm relieved to see you alive, Sin." Sin spun around to face someone he had thought to be dead. He couldn't process it then. This person he had just witnessed dead in his chair, was standing right in front of him.

"Ro…Robotnik! Sir!" It was rare that Sin became surprised, but this was an exception.

"What's the matter Count? You look as if you've seen a ghost." The doctors voice. It was still as, well, real as ever.

"That might as well be the case. How did you survive? All five of us witnessed your dead body in your office."

"No. What you saw was my imposter. I'm afraid Mitch and his armies have turned on us. Their first plan of attack was apparently to assassinate me. Unfortunately for them, I assigned a robotic double in my place," Ivo explained. Sin thought for a minute. Yes, it made perfect sense. What didn't, though, was Mitch's apparent betrayal.

"You have Biolizard's DNA, am I correct?" Robotnik asked. Sin snapped out of it. After all that had happened prior to their attack on the ARK, he forgot all about the Prototype's remains. He retrieved the tube from inside his armor; thankful the DNA was not damaged during his beating on the Super Egg Carrier.

"Here it is."

"Excellent. Return to the Super Egg Carrier and start the cloning. I, meanwhile, shall find out what Blaze and Dante are up to."

"With all due respect, sir, my armor is greatly damaged. If I may repair first…" Sin started. Robotnik nodded and turned towards his laptop.

"Dante, can you hear me? It is Robotnik, what are you doing?"

"Evasive Maneuvers! Gunnery, target closest enemies and keep constant fire! Pilot! Take us to the Super Egg Carrier! If they get their hands on this emerald, who knows what they'll do with it," Dante ordered. The two Eggrobos immediately sprang to work.

"Protectors? Guardians? Ha. They're as greedy and forceful as any of us. How could THIS be our deliverance?" Dante mumbled loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Outside, the main turrets and guns hummed to life. They turned to face their pursuers, barrels and channels opened wide like mouths, facing down the strange aliens. Suddenly, they blew up, leaving debris where they once stood. In place of the rubble was a familiar face. This face, however, had a new outfit, and looked dark.

"Mitch?" Dante questioned. The fox stared right at the Tasmanian Devil, a piercing gaze his choice.

"It's over. You are now our hostage," Mitch said. Dante did not hesitate to activate the Anubis' engine at full speed. He quickly grabbed on and escaped this new dark Mitch. After climbing into the ship's innards, he felt safe. Little did he know what was to happen next as he entered the new Death Egg's orbit...

"Robotnik, sir. I request immediate entrance into the battle station," he said through the radio. No response.

"…Robotnik? I said I request clearance to enter." He looked over his shoulder to see Mitch's forces heading for him. "Now!" Still no answer. He could hear Badniks in the background, so he knew the other side of the radio was active.

"Robotnik! Open the freaking docking bay already! I said I request…" CLICK! The other end of the communication, Robotnik's end, went off. Dante started to sweat as Mitch approached his ship. He didn't know what Robotnik was doing, but he hoped it was damn worth risking his ship.

"Sir!" Sin yelled. Robotnik had just cut off Dante's request. The doctor then switched frequencies to Mitch. Apparently, they still had some contact.

"Well Mitch, I must say, you've become quite the traitor. Because of you and your friends, we've been more preoccupied with your faction, when we should be conquering Mobius. We will not surrender. I'm in fact making metal forms of you all as we speak, using your DNA. I bet you expected me to surrender, didn't you? Well, that weakling Robotnik is gone. I'm more than he is! I am Eggman!" the doctor laughed, a huge smile on his face. Anger grew deep within Sin, and he felt the wind from his sword on his exposed fur as the weapon halted before Eggman's neck.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were the imposter!" The Count thrusted his sword at Eggman, but the doctor retaliated. Using strength out of nowhere, Dr. Eggman punched Sin in the gut, right where his injuries hurt the most. The bear fell to the floor, and before his vision completely blanked out, he could see only the doctor's face.

"Sir, we're ready for Count Sin's repairs." The Badniks acknowledged Robotnik's gesture of 'never mind'.

"Looks like your beloved leader has abandoned you, Sellis," Mitch said. Dante stood handcuffed to the wall of his own ship as Mitch piloted it into the Death Egg. This gave him time to think.

He had overheard the transmission from 'Robotnik', but he also heard Sin's voice. Apparently, Robotnik had betrayed them all. Dante knew that this had to be too good to be true. But he also knew the enemy of an enemy was your friend. Oh god. But who was our enemy? The newly arrived Earth fleet, or the false Robotnik? The Anubis was but a single small dropship in the midst of a tempest.

What to do. Defect to the Earth fleet? BAH! Dante hated turncoats. His eyes narrowed at the ships that had arrived. The traitorous Mitch was onboard the ARK. He looked back at the massive ship rising into the black void. He thought of the moustached face that it was made in the image of. But...This was not the Robotnik he knew and had come to trust. This one was simply called Eggman, The good doctor's nickname. The Devil's mind raced for options as his aircraft landed in the Death Egg.

"Hey Dante, what's goin' on?" Blaze asked, walking out of his quarters. He was greeted by two soldiers handcuffing him. He glanced at Dante.

"Anything I should know, Dante?"

"There's a lot to explain…"