Chapter 17: Exploration

Location: Backwater Station

One hour later…


Having exited from the capitol, Sonic was greeted by Mar Sara's unspoiled wilderness. For the Hedgehog, it hadn't taken long for him to explore every inch of the city, prompting him to venture beyond the metropolis. He had immediately stumbled upon a settlement shortly after arriving in the countryside, which lay just outside the city. It was a sleepy little habitat, one where entertainment was found within the local drinking establishment.

"I think we can stop here," Sally stated from his arms.

Slowing to a stop, the Hedgehog immediately set the Chipmunk down onto the ground. Scanning the surroundings with her blue eyes, the Acorn Princess beheld a literal backwater.

"Sure is peaceful here."

"Yeah," Sonic agreed, "Makes Knothole look lively by comparison."

There was no disputing the Hedgehog's remark, especially given that Knothole Village had previously been a nature retreat.

"I would've thought you'd be sticking around at the Prime Minister's house to work on some speech."

"I was working on that on the flight over," she stated, "Although…, I wasn't expecting that some would flat out refuse to hear me out."

"You mean Humanity First?"

The Princess nodded her head, grateful that she wouldn't have to be the one to utter the group's name. A silence descended between the pair, occasionally disrupted by the passage of a ground vehicle. Eventually Sonic grew irritated by it, forcing the Hedgehog who finally to break the silence.

"Why do you suppose these Terrans never made themselves known before?"

"I suspect that the impasse within the National Assembly might have something to do with it," Sally stated.

Sonic had to concede that that made sense, especially given how little they knew about the inner workings of the government.

"Do you think they'll ally with us?"

"I can't answer that until I've spoken to the National Assembly."

A silence descended upon the pair, broken only when the Hedgehog finally decided to speak.

"Does St. John really need to be here?"

"He was assigned by my father," she sighed, disliking the spy's presence.

"Who's he here to spy on?"

"They're interested in the individual responsible for informing us of the Terrans."

"Makes sense, we know literally nothing about this person."

Sally didn't deny it, as the only thing she had to go by were Bokkun's vague comments. He had stated that they had previously met, although she couldn't recall when or where that might've been.

"We'd better get a move on," the Princess suggested.

There was much to sightsee, and the Chipmunk wanted to do as much of it before it was too late. The Hedgehog could hardly disagree, and promptly scooped the Princess up in his arms. Breaking into a run, the two Freedom Fighters continued through journey the Mar Saran countryside. They were unaware of the Robotic Hedgehog observing them, who immediately brought his right hand up to his ear.

"Boss, I've got a visual on the Princess. Should I confront?" Shard asked.

A voice came on the line, distorted to the point where it would be impossible to tell if the individual was male or female.

"Negative. We'll need to wait for a more opportune moment."

The rogue Metal Sonic made no attempt to dispute the decision, especially considering how much the Princess already had on her plate.

"Should I maintain overwatch?"

"Affirmative. There's no reason why you shouldn't keep an eye on them."

Deactivating the integrated commlink, Shard immediately rocketed in the air in

pursuit of the two Freedom Fighters. He purposely kept his distance, wanting to avoid the awkward conversation that would surely follow if detected. Following the pair, Shard witnessed them venture beyond the borders of Mar Sara and into the adjacent province of Chau Sara.

"I give Sonic five minutes before he heads back to the city."

Chau Sara consisted primarily of flatlands, with scattered woodlands that added some variety to the landscape. The province was sparsely populated, with the city of Los Andares being the only major settlement of note. Just as he had predicted, Sonic altered his course and headed back in the direction of the capitol. Continuing his shadowing of the Freedom Fighters, Shard didn't abort his mission until the pair had arrived in the outskirts of the city. Once they had passed into Jackson Heights, Shard immediately altered his flightpath and headed in a North-easterly direction.