The Chaos Project

by ChaosProjectAuthor

Thousands of years ago, a being called White Sage created a weapon capable of destroying planets. Now, Sonic, Shadow, and friends are trapped in a Cyber Space world—a world once inhabited by another Sage. Could it be a simple coincidence? The answer is out there. But it won't mean a thing if they can't make out alive, first. (Celebrating the release of Sonic Frontiers!)

84. S3 E7: Arms Race Part 2

Captain's Log, Veimue 31, White Willow reporting.

I've arrived in orbit around planet Tolkoi VII in response to reports of Black Arms activity in the area. Preliminary scans show no signs of intelligent life, terraforming agents, or psychic fields. If they're here, they don't seem to have established any presence on the surface.

Hold on… There's something coming around from the other side of the planet. Biosignature confirmed. It's a Black Arms vessel. They're…requesting communication.

… … …

Shadow the Hedgehog, this is Veimue 31. The White Arms do not recognize your claim over this area of space. You and your crew are wanted in connection to the destruction of Veimue 11. Drop your shields and power down weapons immediately.

… … …

You're mistaken. The White Arms are not at war. We haven't been for thousands of years. An attack on this vessel, as on the 11, will be considered an act of terror against the Kaosian Nomadic Empire. The White Dreamnet is already aware of your presence here. Enforcers are already on their way. That little ship of yours won't last in a battle against them. Do the smart thing, and surrender yourselves now. We can promise some leniency if you do.

… … …

What!? How did you—!?

…

…! … … …!

…

GYAHH!

…

…

…

…

…

White Dreamnet, this is Shadow the Hedgehog. This planetary system has been claimed by the Black Arms. Any additional ships sent here will meet the same fate as this one. More deaths are unnecessary. Do the smart thing. Stay away.

End of transmission.

---

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

Season 3, Episode 7

Arms Race Part 2

Written by ChaosProjectAuthor

---

Daily log, July 20th, 2 A.E. Sonic the Hedgehog reporting.

After two days at what the Kaosians call "Mega Warp," we're about to arrive at our destination: the White Dreamnet, mothership and acting home planet of the White Arms. Whether we're boarding as allies or as prisoners is…still unclear. If it's true that Shadow has joined a group of Black Arms terrorists…by their law, that would make me accountable. The best Seraph has been able to offer us is a maybe. If we're deemed especially helpful in the effort to take down this group, we may be forgiven for this whole mess. As for Shadow himself…even fewer promises can be made.

Sometimes, Shadow, I just wish I could know what was going on inside your head…

—–—

Deep Space — Current Position of the White Dreamnet

From the direction of a distant star, White Seraph's ship snaps into place all at once.

"Wow…" Inside the small craft, Tails looks in wonder out at the far larger vessel in front of them, and the imposing fleet of smaller ships that surround it—smaller than the Dreamnet, though many are impressively large in their own right. Though they all share a similar teardrop shape and white-and-blue color scheme, the fleet of ships vary greatly in size, patterning, and the shape and placement of rear fins. Long lines of the smallest ships file directly in and out of open bays in the Dreamnet from several angles, some coming in from Mega Warp like Seraph's ship before falling in line, while others break out of line to fly off in much the same way. On one side of the mothership, dozens or perhaps hundreds of identical wide-screened Veimue ships are docked in as many identical ports on the hull, some in the process of attaching or detaching, in an organized pattern of coming and going in Mega Warp just like the other ships.

"White Seraph contacting White Dreamnet. I've arrived with three detainees regarding case number 6232231-SO. Requesting permission to come aboard."

A voice quickly responds, "Stand by."

Johnny appears in almost as much awe as Tails. "You live on that ship?"

Seraph smiles. "Since taking a position on the Committee of Xenobiology, I've spent a lot more time here on my personal ship than on the mothership. But yes, I grew up there. Ivory District. That…makes me one of the lucky ones."

Sonic questions, "What do you mean, lucky?"

"The ship houses over 60 million. But that's only about one-sixth of our surviving population. The rest crew the smaller ships in the fleet. Most of them are rarely afforded the luxuries provided on the Dreamnet. The fleet travels from one system to the next, mining materials from uninhabited planetoids and asteroids needed to construct more ships and expand the ones we have. So it has been for thousands of years."

The voice on the radio returns, "White Seraph, you are approved for landing in the Alabaster District, Bay 31, Pad 216-C. Escort the detainees directly to the district's Master System terminal for processing."

Seraph steers the ship into one of the shorter lines streaming into one of the Dreamnet's open bays.

As they draw closer, Tails continues to marvel, "It really is incredible. I mean, I know I called the Eggshelter the size of a small moon, but that was nothing compared to this. This ship is the real deal. It even registers a natural gravity field, you could walk around the outside of the hull without any special equipment. I can't even begin to imagine how it was built."

"It was no easy feat. In the year leading up to our planet's destruction, nearly every living White Kaosian was employed in its construction for some amount of time. We were nearly 2 billion, back then…"

Everyone goes silent at the mention of so many lives lost.

"That was long before my time, of course. Long before anyone's time, save the Empress herself. This nomadic life is the only one I've known. It's a fulfilling one, as I see it. Exploring the stars, researching the development of life on countless planets. It is a sort of comfort, knowing that life goes on elsewhere, no matter how all-consuming a tragedy may seem."

Johnny nods in agreement. "Life is a beautiful thing."

The ship finally makes it to the head of the line, passing steadily through a translucent barrier of blue light into the hangar bay where hundreds of other small ships have landed in organized rows. The bay appears to be bustling with activity, as small figures board and exit from ships both landing and taking off. Despite the constant flow of traffic both on the ground and near the ceiling, there doesn't seem to be any risk of collision. All movement follows one of the many trails of a differently-colored streak of light built into the room itself, narrow and straight on the ground or wide and curved on the ceiling. Seraph follows one such trail of yellow light that shines brightly above their heads. Where the trail ends, she finds an unoccupied landing pad below, and sets the ship gently down for landing.

"White Seraph arriving at Pad 216-C." She turns back from the radio to address the passengers. "For as long as we're on this ship, please do your best to remain calm, answer all questions, and follow all orders. Cooperation is key to this process."

Sonic nods. "You're the expert."

"Good. Firstly, Johnny, leave your weapons here on my ship."

Johnny frowns. "All of them?"

"Yes, all of them. You're a prisoner, you can't be seen carrying weapons around. You may be permitted to retrieve them later, if it's deemed necessary."

With a sigh, Johnny begins undoing various straps and buckles on his uniform.

"Tails, you can keep your computer, but it must be held in plain sight at all times. If its use is requested, you must obey, even if that means handing it to someone else. If you're not comfortable with that, you can leave it here."

"No, that's fine. I'll take it."

"As you wish. Now Sonic, take off your gloves."

"Uhh…" Sonic blinks a few times in confusion. "What?"

"Your mechanical enhancements. They're allowed, but it's considered improper to conceal them."

"Right…" Sonic hesitantly pulls off his black glove, exposing the clawed robotic hand underneath. "It's, uhh…" He waggles the mechanical fingers for her to see. "…just the one hand. I'll leave the other as it is, if that's alright."

"Very well. Let's go."

Moments later, a circular platform rises up out of the center of the ship, lifting Seraph, Sonic, Tails, and Johnny to the top. An angled metal path jets out from the landing pad beneath them, giving them a gentle slope to walk down on. The center of the path lights up with a trail of bright white, leading the way down and around straight towards a round exit door.

Tails once again marvels, "Wow…"

On closer inspection, much of the activity on the ground appears to be not of people, but of small drones of various shapes and functions. Several of them approach Seraph's ship following red light trails, wordlessly beginning a process of scanning and cleaning its hull. One small drone, flat and round in shape, latches onto the side of the ship, quietly buffing out small scratches and chips as it slides across. The yellow light blinking continuously at the center of the gyrating machine, surrounded by three long containers of colorful chemicals, gives it a vague resemblance to a Black Arms Death Leech, though white in color and mechanical in construction. Several more drones come up through small ports that open on the bottom of the ship, quickly coming back out carrying small samples of plants and a few animal cages.

Seraph notes, "A white trail has maximum priority. We're being told to hurry along. Stay close to me, and don't touch anything."

Tails hastily retracts his hand before it can touch the buffer drone.

Seraph leads them strictly down the white path at a swift walking pace, holding her arm-cannon close to her chest. Around them, what few real people there are in the bay—all White Arms pilots in full armor—stare intently at the alien prisoners as they walk along their own light paths.

Seraph explains, "The Dreamnet is divided into 36 districts surrounding the central Spectra District. That's where the Empress commands the ship. Most of the rest are specialized to a particular purpose as well. My home district, Ivory, is effectively the ship's academic community, where most scientific research is done. This district, Alabaster, is where you'll find most of the ship's holding facilities, political offices, courtrooms, and the like. Not courtrooms like you have on your planet, mind you, but that's the closest translation we have. Regardless, this area doesn't generally get as much foot traffic as the rest. Less so for aliens. The jurisdiction of our law rarely extends to non-citizens. Acts of terror are another matter."

Johnny hardly seems to notice the attention they've gathered, too focused on Seraph and her explanation.

Sonic, on the other hand, appears keenly aware of the many eyes on him. "Geez, and here I thought it'd be a nice change of pace, going somewhere I wouldn't be recognized." Almost unconsciously, he covers his exposed hand up with his gloved one.

Seraph leads them on through the round exit door, which shutters open for them automatically, into a far narrower hallway, with walls and ceiling all rounded together in one nearly circular curve. Unlike the industrial steel of the hangar bay, the hallway is painted a glossy white and blue, accented with black to frame the various doors, signs, and digital readouts in the walls, as well as the continuing trails of light on the floor. Seraph leads them along a sharp turn in the path as she continues, "Adjacent to this district, you'll find Pearl District, which manages our material mining and refining processes, as well as Porcelain District, where most of our manufacturing work is done. Farther astern is Eggshell District, where you'll find most of our medical, educational, and childcare facilities. That's directly across from Scale District, which is primarily residential. There are, of course, residential areas in most districts, but none on the scale of Scale."

Johnny interjects, "So even on the mothership that only a lucky percentage of your population can live on, some families get to live next to the schools, while others have to live next to the prisons?"

"I did say most districts, but that's the general idea, yes."

"So how is that decided? Is it just about what you can afford?"

"Afford? No, no, our civilization did away with currency in the age of the old Arms Race. Every contributing or dependent citizen on the Dreamnet is automatically afforded a basic level of food, furnishings, education, healthcare, and so on. Those who work more demanding or skilled jobs have access to greater benefits, including more desirable housing, though most prefer to live in the same district in which they work. Regardless, there is no exchange of money in this process."

Sonic nods along in interest. "Huh. When I started finding Rings on other planets, I sort of figured that meant they were a universal currency."

"Ah, of course. Though Rings are valued on all civilized worlds—except yours, under the current regime, but that's beside the point—to us they're just uniquely useful trinkets, sometimes used to settle personal debts, but not governmentally recognized."

"So what about the people who can't work? What happens to them?"

"In the long term? If one can't prove their competency at a desired job, they'll be assigned a more suitable one. Most everyone is capable of doing something. The few who aren't would be considered dependents."

"What about the people who don't want to work?"

"This is a crowded ship. Such a person, taking up space without contributing to the society, wouldn't find much sympathy here. They may find other ships in the fleet more welcoming. Or perhaps an alien planet."

"And who exactly decides what a 'suitable' job is for someone who can't do what they wanted to do?"

"That would be one of the many tasks of the Master System."

This gets Tails to look up from the readings on his screen. "Master System?"

"The Master System is the AI program that operates the inner gears of our society. It has a hand in nearly every district." She looks down for a moment. "Even the trails we walk upon are calculated in real time by the Master System to minimize pedestrian accidents and the like."

"So it just handles…everything?"

"Even our judiciary system, as you're about to see." The light trail has ended at another circular door, not distinguishable from any others but for the unintelligible alien writing displayed beside it. "This is the Alabaster District's Master System terminal. Remember: answer every question, and do exactly as you're told."

The three detainees nod in response.

Seraph proceeds through the door as it opens automatically for her, the others following closely behind.

The room beyond is perfectly spherical in shape, with the door opening on an elevated platform that wraps all the way around the center of the sphere. In the very core of the room, appearing to float in mid air, is a smaller sphere that almost seems to be made of a soft blue light. Periodically, thin beams of light briefly shoot out from the walls at the surface of the sphere, causing the impacted area to glow momentarily brighter before shooting back a beam of another color.

Seraph steps as close to the floating sphere as the platform allows. She announces, "White Seraph arriving as requested with three detainees regarding case number 6232231-SO."

A computerized voice, calm and feminine yet slow and droning, responds with a glowing pattern on the sphere, "Thank you for coming, White Seraph. Will the first detainee please step forward?"

Seraph takes a step aside and indicates for Sonic to step up in her place, nodding him forward. "Do as it says."

As soon as Sonic takes the last step, the Master System continues, "Please state your name and affiliation."

Sonic clears his throat and begins, "Sonic the Hedgehog. Leader of Earth's Rebellion Against the Eggman Empire."

From within the sphere, a wide scanner beam spreads out over Sonic's head, washing down over him slowly. A chime sounds off as it reaches his feet. "Sonic the Hedgehog has been registered to the Master System database as a noncitizen. Will the next detainee please step forward?" Sonic moves out of the way so Johnny can take his place. "Please state your name and affiliation."

"Johnnathan Naka, Rank: Captain, unit of Earth's Rebellion and the Guardian Units of Nations."

The scanner beam proceeds. "Johnnathan Naka has been registered to the Master System database as a noncitizen. Will the next detainee please step forward?"

Tails goes last. "Uhh… Tails the Fox, unit of…Earth's Rebellion."

Sonic throws a confused glance at Tails while the scanner beam passes over him. "'The Fox'? You didn't want to use your full name?"

Tails shrugs his shoulders, to which the Master System responds, "Please remain still." The usual chime sounds off as the beam reaches his feet. "Tails the Fox has been registered to the Master System database as a noncitizen. White Seraph, please step forward."

Seraph takes the forward position back. "The detainees seek audience with White Genesis regarding amicable resolution of the case."

"Audience has already been requested and approved. Intraship transport has been authorized. Please remain still while you are transferred to the Spectra District."

Tails looks up in surprise. "Transferred?"

Seraph echoes, "Just keep still."

The platform beneath their feet begins to glow with an intense purple light, spreading up each of them in a pulsating glow. The glow of light grows more and more solid, until it conceals them completely.

The Master System voices, "Please remember that all activity in the Spectra District is recorded for your security. The Empress will see you now."

The light fades away, taking the group away to some other place in the ship, and leaving the glowing blue core of the Master System once again as the only light source.

—–—

Ebony Tower — Planet Orthan IV

High in the top bulb of the towering tree-like spire in the center of the Black Arms city, Shadow, lit by the constant bright purple glow of the organic walls around him, stares out through the translucent film that acts as a window looking down on the city below. On one of the closest streets, a pair of Black Assassins lead a convoy of Orthani prisoners bound in organic chains to some new task of labor.

"Good morning, Shadow."

Shadow looks back over his shoulder at the wide circular valve-door at the back of the room, which irises open as it makes a strange alien sound. The Black Arms Orthani Herald, Luna, steps through from the other side, letting the door seal closed behind her.

"Is it morning?" Shadow looks back out at the dark gray skies above. "I couldn't tell."

Luna walks over to the window next to him. "It was Black Morbus who bioengineered the unique microorganism in the atmosphere that thickens the cloud layer in response to sunlight, and thins it when there is none. On Kaos, there was no day or night, so our kind are better adapted to a constant level of dim light like this."

Shadow rolls his eyes. "You sound so proud."

"Is it wrong to be proud of us for thriving in spite of losing our home planet? Think of all we had to overcome to get here."

"It's wrong if what you had to overcome was another race of beings. It's wrong to get your planet back at the cost of someone else's."

Luna shakes her head. "There was no such cost. This planet was like yours. The atmosphere was polluted. The natural resources were all but depleted. The people were so overcome by greed that they were ready to destroy one another before the ecosystem could do it for them. We saved them. And that's better than they deserved."

Shadow watches another troop of slaves go by far down below. "I'm sure they're very grateful."

"I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to offend you. I just wanted to talk."

"You mean, you wanted to take another shot at convincing me of your lies?"

"I've told you no lies, Shadow. But if you don't believe me…" She closes her mouth and begins to speak a different way. "…there are no lies in the language of the mind. Ask of me anything you wish in this way, and you will hear the truth."

Shadow scoffs. "And open my inner thoughts to you? No thanks."

"Then ask aloud. I'll still answer."

"Why am I here?"

"You've been told already. Father wants your help in restoring the Black Arms to the power they once had."

"I refused. So why am I still here? Why am I trapped in this tower? What is it that you're having me do when you force me out using your mind tricks?"

"Father has tasked me with…breaking your mind. Forcing you to our side, permanently. He doesn't yet know that I'm incapable of such a thing."

"What?"

"No lies in the language of the mind. Father overestimates my abilities. My power of compulsion does not last, no matter how many times I try it. It is all I can do to assure him that I'm making progress—all I can do to stop him from getting rid of you."

"More lies. There is no progress, and you don't care if he gets rid of me."

"That is what you believe. But it is not the truth. I do care about you, Shadow. I feel that I am making progress, in some form. Look at us, talking now. You wouldn't have spoken to me like this on your first day."

"It's a waste of energy for me to resist. I'm conserving that energy for my escape."

"You don't fear speaking candidly to me. It would be simple enough for you to prove that I'm telling the truth. Try to lie to my mind. It won't work. It isn't possible."

Shadow pauses for a moment. Then he closes his eyes. "I have…some sympathy for you."

Luna's eyes widen in surprise. "Was that supposed to be a lie?"

Shadow growls and clenches his eyes tighter to try again. "I once wondered if it was my purpose to serve Black Doom. He knew what to say, how to make me believe him whether I liked it or not. But that wasn't my purpose. My purpose is to fulfill the wish of—" He growls even louder as he turns his back on Luna, walking as far away from her as he can in the enclosed room.

Luna echoes, "To fulfill the wish of…?"

"You weren't supposed to hear that."

"Shadow, I…" She closes her eyes and continues with her mind, "I know…a little bit about what happened. Only glimpses seen through your dreams. I know that you lost a friend who was very dear to you. I know how much that hurts. If you want to make up for something that happened on that day, I can help you. We can help you."

"How dare you? You kidnap me, imprison me, violate the deepest corners of my mind, and you have the gall to put on this act as if you actually care how I feel? You're no different than the drones you control. A cold, unfeeling, mindless servant to Black Gladius."

"It's not an act. I do care. You and Saturn are like family to me. Not by blood, of course, but connected all the same. We're the only three in the galaxy who know what it's like, being of two worlds. Family is very important to me. Doesn't it matter at all to you?"

"Last time I made allowances for family, my so-called 'brother' caused the deaths of a lot of people. So no."

"I didn't know you had a brother. There's so much I don't know about you. So much that I'd like to learn. But above all else, I just want to help you."

"Then help me escape."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because it would be against father's wishes."

"Defy his wishes. Betray him. I beat Black Doom, you can do the same."

"I can't."

Shadow presses mentally, "You can. You're strong enough. You care where he doesn't. What's stopping you?"

Luna bursts out loud, "Because he's my father, Shadow! Not that you would understand that, having killed your own."

This gives Shadow a moment of pause. "…He threatened my planet. I did what I had to do."

"So you would have tried to reconcile with him? If you felt that he left you the choice?"

Shadow closes his eyes, and closes his mouth. "…Maybe. But there was no choice."

"I understand. And I don't blame you for that. But I don't have a choice either. I owe my father…everything. He found me when I was lost. He showed me how to be a better, stronger version of myself. He gave me a family when I thought I had none."

"And then your family conquered the planet where you were born. Not much of a happy ending."

"I know you think that the Black Arms are some sort of ultimate evil, Shadow, but we're not. Our planet was taken from us, our population was reduced to almost nothing. I don't blame you for doing what you had to for the people you wanted to protect, but I've only ever done the same."

"You're no victims. Your planet was destroyed by your war."

"Is that what the White Arms told you? I'm sure they conveniently left out the part where it was their Core Disruptor bomb that destroyed the planet in the first place. Did you not wonder how they were able to prepare their escape ship so far in advance? While we were left with nothing but the remains of the planet itself? They destroyed their own planet just to get rid of us. We are the victims, and we've been trying to reclaim what we've lost ever since."
"Maybe you didn't destroy that planet. Do you think that makes you innocent? What about the planet of the Skenouans? Recently purged of all life. It was the Black Arms that did that, wasn't it? You can't tell me that was for some noble purpose. Even you can't use a lifeless planet."

"Wrong again. Skenoua III was destroyed by its own people. They bartered with Black Morbus over the creation of a Herald, much as your planet did. They requested a powerful bioweapon as part of that exchange. Morbus engineered it for them. They later went to war with themselves, and released that bioweapon knowing fully well what it was. Saturn was hardly born before he had to be evacuated from the planet. Now he's the last of their kind. Another victim of the destructive actions of other people."

"Interesting how your people are still indirectly responsible."

"We didn't tell the White Kaosians to set the bomb. We didn't tell the Skenouans to release the bioweapon. They chose the path of destruction for themselves. And the Orthani would've done the same, if we hadn't stopped them."

"So that gives you the right to take their planet from them?"

Luna takes a long breath. "It doesn't matter whether or not we had the right. It's what we had to do."

"Is it really?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you tell me that with your mind?"

Luna clenches her eyes shut and repeats in a mental shout, "It's what father says we had to do!"

Shadow maintains his calm. "That's not the same thing."

"It's close enough for me."

Another voice interrupts, "Friend Luna and Puny Shadow should think quieter. Giving Saturn headache."

Shadow mentally growls, "Saturn? You've been listening this entire time?"

"Saturn stands guard outside door, but Puny Shadow thinks very loud. Could as easily hear halfway across New Kaos City."

"Then you heard that I plan on escaping. And that I plan on convincing Luna to help me."

Luna interjects, "I won't be convinced."

"Neither will I," Shadow agrees. "But one of us has to. So what would happen then, Saturn? If we both decided to escape, what would you do?"

"Yes, plan very funny. Saturn wish for snack to enjoy with show. Interested to see who changes mind first."

"So you would join us either way? I'm surprised. You struck me as more loyal than that."

"Saturn loyal. Loyal to only friend in galaxy. Friend Luna serve Lord Gladius. Saturn serve Lord Gladius. Puny Shadow best remember that."

"What about Black Morbus? Aren't you the third Herald? Don't you have your own planets to enslave?"

"Herald of dead planet has little use."

"So Morbus thinks you're useless? I'll bet that hurts. Wouldn't you like to take revenge?"

"You're wasting your time with him," Luna verbally interrupts. "He told you himself. He won't go without me."

Shadow does his best to conceal his frustration.

"Still not used to others being able to hear your thoughts? I can help you with that. And so much more."

"What do you mean?"

"Learning to focus your thoughts is only the beginning to mastering your powers. Black Doom's mind was the strongest of them all, and those powers are your birthright."

"I don't want Black Doom's powers."

"You have them whether you want them or not. Wouldn't you rather be secure in the knowledge that you have complete control over them? I will teach you that control." She finishes mentally, "I want to help you, Shadow. That's still the truth."

"…If I master these powers, I will use them to escape."

"They're yours. Use them as you see fit."

Saturn's voice adds, "Train well, Puny Shadow. Future rematch more interesting."

—–—

Spectra District — The White Dreamnet

White Seraph is already crossing an arm over her chest, bowing her head down as she materializes in the new room. "My Empress, I thank you for your audience. These are the detainees as requested."

The Dreamnet's throne room doesn't appear to contain a single straight line within it. The walls and ceiling all curve together in an egg-like shape, plastered with dozens of screens showing various angles of the starfield outside, with ships coming and going, as well as rooms in the interior of the ship, populated by White Kaosians of all ages, some with armor and some without. Viewing it all from the center, the Empress, White Genesis, sits atop a sleek black throne suitable to her towering height, looking down on Seraph even while seated. She wears a full-body cybernetic armor much like Seraph's, though far more elaborate and decorated, with a gridlike pattern of lines across its surface, and a sporadic spread of colorful shapes and swirls. She mirrors Seraph's motion of an arm across the chest, though leaves her helmeted head upright. She speaks with a voice not dissimilar to that of the Master System, though with an added tone of elegance that somehow carries with it an immense authority. "Thank you for arriving so quickly, child. You are, as always, a credit to the Empire."

Sonic takes a few glances at Seraph before doing his best to replicate her motion. "Sonic the Hedgehog. Pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty."

Tails follows quickly behind. "Tails the Fox. We want to help you find Shadow."

Genesis looks across each of them, until her eyes settle on the last. "Then you must be…Captain Johnnathan Naka, yes?"

Johnny is startled into a formal salute. "Uhh…y-yes ma'am, that's me. Reporting for duty. Ma'am."

Genesis lets out a soft laugh. "Dear Seraph has told me so much about you, child."

"Uhh…she did?"

"Indeed. It is an honor to meet one whose voice was so able to change the heart of one of our greatest minds. It is because of that voice that I was able to see the value in meeting all of you on this day. In particular, Seraph tells me that you consider the Black Herald to be a valued friend. Is this true?"

Regaining his confidence, Johnny gives a firm nod. "Absolutely."

"I see. And Seraph, having met this Shadow the Hedgehog yourself, how would you describe your impression of him?"

Seraph appears surprised. "My…impression, Empress? You've already reviewed my full logs and report on—"

"In this moment, child, I ask only for your feelings on the matter. We were once a people in close touch with our feelings. Where have those days gone, that we now trust only logs and reports? Had you not trusted your feelings, I suspect you would not have conversed with the Herald at all."

Seraph stops to think for a few moments. "I suppose…what most struck me about Shadow the Hedgehog was his honesty. He did not behave in any way I could describe as deceitful, as we would expect from his kind. He was nothing if not honest. Brutally so, at times, even to his own detriment. And with that honesty, he affirmed the Black Arms as his enemies, which is what makes this situation so strange."

"And to those who call themselves friends of Shadow, does this seem an apt description?"

Sonic offers a contemplative nod. "Yeah, pretty much nailed it."

Tails agrees, "We don't know why he's doing this either. I-if you have any information that could help us—"

"In due time, young one. I have one more question. Do you believe your friend to be incapable of the violent acts of which he's been accused?"

This gets Tails to scratch his head. "I don't know if I'd quite say…incapable…"

"Incapable of killing?"

Johnny objects, "In the line of duty, a soldier learns to…"

"Incapable of turning on his allies?"

Sonic chuckles awkwardly. "Well, now that you mention it…"

"So you all agree that his guilt in this matter is a possible conclusion?"

"We have a saying on our planet. 'Innocent until proven guilty.'"

"I see. Well then, perhaps the time has come to review the evidence. Master System, play file number 10086-F416152."

The Master System's voice projects into the room, "Playing file: Transmission recording received by Veimue 31." A small Master System orb lowers down from the ceiling in front of the throne, projecting a bright beam of light straight downwards, which widens out into a screen for all to look at.

On the screen, Shadow stands at the center of the Black Manta's cockpit, his hands submerged in a tall basin of glowing red fluid. "White Arms vessel, this is Shadow the Hedgehog. The Black Arms have claimed this planet and the surrounding region of space, and you are violating that territory. Leave now, or I will be forced to attack you. And I mean that in the most literal way possible." For just a moment, he almost seems to visibly wince.

The voice on the other side responds, "Shadow the Hedgehog, this is Veimue 31. The White Arms do not recognize your claim over this area of space. You and your crew are wanted in connection to the destruction of Veimue 11. Drop your shields and power down weapons immediately."

"The Veimue 11 was a casualty of war. If it were my choice, that battle would not have taken place. I can say the same about this one."

"You're mistaken. The White Arms are not at war. We haven't been for thousands of years. An attack on this vessel, as on the 11, will be considered an act of terror against the Kaosian Nomadic Empire. The White Dreamnet is already aware of your presence here. Enforcers are already on their way. That little ship of yours won't last in a battle against them. Do the smart thing, and surrender yourselves now. We can promise some leniency if you do."

"Then it seems you haven't noticed the Death Leeches eating a hole into your shields."

"What!? How did you—!?"

Shadow looks back over his shoulder in surprise. "Saturn, wait! What're you—" He shields his eyes against a sudden flash of light. "Chaos Control? But I thought we were…" He looks back at the screen with rapidly growing concern.

The voice on the other side suddenly shouts in pain, "GYAHH!"

Shadow drops to his knees, covering his face with a hand. Then the transmission ends.

Genesis quickly adds, "There's more. Master System, audio attachment B."

"White Dreamnet, this is Shadow the Hedgehog. This planetary system has been claimed by the Black Arms. Any additional ships sent here will meet the same fate as this one. More deaths are unnecessary. Do the smart thing. Stay away."

Sonic, Tails, and Johnny all stand agape. Sonic slowly moves a hand up to his chin. After another moment of thought, he concludes, "Yeah, he's definitely being coerced."

Tails nods along. "Oh, for sure."

Johnny quotes, "'I'll be forced in the most literal way possible'? Obviously a not-so-subtly coded message."

Seraph and Genesis share a silent look.

Johnny continues, "The Black Arms have mind control, right?"

Tails answers, "They're a hivemind, which is sort of the same thing when you look on an individual scale, especially when that individual typically has a mind of his own. But Shadow was able to resist Black Doom before."

Sonic agrees, "Well, it sure looked like he was resisting something. Or at least trying. But what was that name he said? Saturn?"

Seraph interjects, "Black Saturn, Herald of Planet Skenoa III. We've confirmed that the third Mongr—…Herald, Luna, was on that ship as well."

Johnny theorizes, "If there were two minds trying to control his instead of just one, that might be all it took."

"You have such confidence, even seeing…?"

Genesis interrupts, "Now, Seraph, we should be expressing our gratitude to our new friends. After all, they were able to conclude in mere minutes what our analysts could not be certain of after dozens of hours of research. Unfortunately, as you can all well see, the situation has grown rather complicated. The Three Black Heralds have been gathered as a single force, and that alone is more dangerous than you can imagine. They are claiming new territory, bioengineering weapons that can consume our combat shields, and attacking our ships. An Enforcer was sent after the Veimue 31, as is standard protocol. We've since lost contact with that ship as well. We have every reason to believe that the Black Arms are preparing for a full-scale war."

Sonic notes, "It sounds to me like they think they're already at war."

"That distinction aside, it is clear that they've placed your friend Shadow at the forefront of this war effort. You must understand that, while it would be preferable for all of us to have Shadow as an ally, rather than an enemy, it is our way to dispose of threats to our people. If Shadow poses such a threat…"

Sonic shakes his head. "It won't come to that."

Johnny agrees, "Right now, Shadow needs our help more than ever. This is a rescue mission, an extraction operation. All we need is the right plan, and we'll get him back, no doubt about it."

Seraph watches him silently.

Genesis voices, "What are your feelings on this matter, dear Seraph?"

"I…I trust Johnny and the others. I want to help them in any way that I can."

"Very well. We'll begin work on this…rescue plan."

—–—

Ebony Tower — Planet Orthan IV

"Sit with me." Luna kneels down near the center of the room, placing a hand on the floor in front of her.

Shadow crosses his arms. "I still haven't agreed to this."

"If you want to hone your powers, then come and sit. If not, I'll simply practice here on my own. You can watch. Or not."

"You aren't going to force me?"

"Your powers come from within, Shadow. I can no more force you to use them than I can force you to enjoy being here."

Shadow seems to consider this for a moment. Finally, he steps over to sit across from her, cross-legged on the ground.

"Are you familiar with any form of meditation from your planet?"

"I am."

"That's good. Close your eyes, and clear your mind as best you can."

Shadow eyes Luna with suspicion.

Though her own eyes are closed, Luna repeats, "Close your eyes, Shadow."

Begrudgingly, he does so.

"I know that you can sense my mind as it speaks to you now. Feel how close it is to yours. We share the same space, yet we are distinct. Now…reach out a little bit farther. What else are you able to sense?"

"I sense…Saturn. Just outside the door, as he said. His mind is…larger than yours. Not necessarily stronger, just…there's more presence to it. As if he's trying to…"

Saturn warns, "Puny Shadow should be careful. Don't prod where mind not belong."

Luna assuages, "Have some patience with him, Saturn. He doesn't have full control yet. Keep going, Shadow. Keep reaching out. What else can you touch with your mind?"

Shadow's face contorts as he struggles to follow the instructions. "Nothing. There's no one else. The three of us are alone up here."

"That's true. But it's not the whole truth. Keep searching. Don't look for a consciousness. Just for a mind."

Shadow shakes his head slowly. "Nothing."

"That's okay. Open your eyes."

Shadow looks as Luna runs her hand slowly across the floor. "It's been here the entire time. That's the difference between your world and ours. On a Kaosian planet, you're never alone. The walls, the doors, even the lights are alive. Living, breathing creatures, just like you. And with the right encouragement…" A small hole opens up in the center of the floor, and something begins to grow out from the inside. The shaft sprouts a pointed end, sparking the soft blue glow of a torch. "...that life will live for you."

Shadow stares into the glow of the torch for a while. "I could use this as a weapon."

"Is that what life is to you? A tool for your disposal?"

"That's an awfully hypocritical thing to say."

"That's what you don't understand, Shadow. The Black Arms are our children. From the mightiest soldier to the smallest microbe. We don't create life lightly. We provide for them, so that they can provide for us. They say that Black Doom, above all else, wanted nothing more than to feed his children. That's why he had to choose a planet so rich in natural resources. It was to ensure his people would never starve again. I know how you feel about survival at the cost of others, but is that not worthy of at least some compassion?"

Shadow continues to stare silently into the light.

"This is your legacy, Shadow. Not death. Not destruction. Life. Growth. Everything around you is alive, and you are the heir to all of that life. They're all your children, now."

"I fail to see what any of this has to with my training."

"Of course. The training. Just focus on the torch. Use your ordinary senses for now. See the soft light it radiates. It isn't bright like a star, but it has a warmth of its own. Close your eyes, and feel that warmth. And now, look again with your mind. You're not looking for the bright star of my mind, but for the gentle glow of the torch."

"I…I see it. It's here, but…it's also part of something…much larger. The tower."

"Go ahead and say hello."

"What do you mean? Isn't it…?"

"It won't have anything to say in return. But it will hear you. It may even respond, in a nonverbal way. It's alive, like you. It wants to be felt. It wants to be heard."

Shadow takes a deep breath. "Hello…tower?"

Instantly, not just the torch, but the glowing walls all around the room respond with a brief pulse of brightened light. Though Shadow's eyes are closed, the light momentarily puts a smile on his face.

Luna smiles as well. "That was perfect. But remember that these abilities aren't just for communication. I want you to put your focus back on the glow of the torch. Feel the light itself with your mind. And with the tower's help…put it out."

"Won't that hurt it?"

"No. The torch may be alive, but the light it produces is just a chemical reaction. With your mind, you can slow it. Or stop it completely."

Shadow takes another breath. "I…I feel it. It's not a mind, just…energy."

"Good. Take control of that energy. Think of it as an extension of yourself."

Shadow clenches his eyes tighter, struggling to follow the instruction. Despite the effort he puts in, nothing seems to happen. "It's not working…"

"All minds, all matter, all energy is connected in the same way. You use your mind to control your body, and you can influence the world around you in the same way. Focus on that light. Think of its presence just as you think of your own. Just like controlling your own movements…just like taking a breath…take the light away."

Shadow redoubles his efforts, grunting from the strain of the attempt.

Saturn's voice announces, "Watch. Fwoosh." The torch instantly goes dark. "Same as blowing out birthday candle. Shadow was thinking that, right? Saturn not know what birthday candle is, but comparison seems…good."

Luna looks back over her shoulder and shouts aloud, "Saturn, you're not helping!"

"What? Puny Shadow was upset about failure. Needed demonstration."

Shadow growls, "What happened to not prodding where your mind doesn't belong?"

"I hope you know, he's only teasing you because he likes you."

"I hope you know that I don't care what he likes."

"You say that, but…your thoughts say otherwise."

Shadow lets out a groan. "When do we get to the part where I start controlling who can hear my thoughts?"

"Once you learn to control the world outside of yourself, controlling your own mind will become trivial. Now…following Saturn's impromptu demonstration…we can try lighting it back up in the same way. Are you ready?"

Shadow closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath.

"Remember. It's just an extension of you. Farther away than the other parts of your body, but controllable just the same."

Shadow clenches his eyes tighter as he takes another breath. Finally, the torch takes on the faintest glow. Shadow opens his eyes with a gasp, but quickly becomes disgruntled at the dim result.

Luna takes a close look at the dim torch. "That was…a good start."

"Don't patronize me."

"I wasn't—"

"I don't need to read your mind to know what undue consolation sounds like. You thought I would do better than this."

Luna asserts mentally, "I mean it. This is better than you could've done before we met. It's progress. And it's enough to show us how more progress can be made. I see now that there's something blocking your way. Even though you know, consciously, that these powers can be helpful to you, there's something deeper down trying to stop you from using them. Is there something you're afraid of?"

"Lots of things." Shadow once again growls at the unplanned candor. "I meant—… Never mind…" He shakes his head frustratedly.

"Tell me about them."

"I…don't want to be like Black Doom. I don't want to hurt others. The first time these powers activated, I hurt a close friend of mine. He almost died. And that wasn't the first time my lack of control led to harm. I can't always control what I do when I'm angry, but these powers…Black Doom's powers…I went so long not even knowing that I had them. If they remain dormant, I can at least know for certain that they won't hurt anyone. At least that's a form of control."

"Is it really? Did you have any control when you hurt your friend?"

"No…"

"Whether these powers were dormant before or not, they aren't anymore. You know that you have them, and you know that you're capable of losing control over them. With practice, you can get that control back. You can choose to lock these powers away and forget about them. But if you keep fighting the process, that will never happen."

"I'm not fighting—"

"You don't think you are. But tell me again with your mind. Your mind knows the truth."

"I'm…scared."

"Of something more?"

"I don't know. That's the truth, but…every time I reach out with my mind…I feel something…something I don't like." Shadow admits aloud, "Something that terrifies me."

Luna nods slowly. "I see… Maybe we should stop for today."

"Why? Do you have something better to do with your day?"

Saturn's voice announces, "Two of you do now. Visitor incoming."

Shadow and Luna both look up in surprise. "Visitor?"

The door to the room opens, and Saturn, standing on the other side, gestures the way through for the small octopus-like creature that propels itself in through the air. Saturn nods as it passes. "Lord Gladius."

Luna rises to her knees as it stops before her. "Father. I've been working with Shadow to—"

The Eye of Gladius wastes no time in beginning to project the full form of the alien ruler. "There's been a change of plans. Is he ready?"

Shadow's fists clench closed as he rises tensely to his feet. "Ready for what?"

The hazy image of Black Gladius turns slowly to look at Shadow. "Ready for war." A second image begins to phase into view in front of him. Luna gasps at the sight of it. "This device was found in the White Arms enforcer ship sent to pursue us. We've run out of time to prepare."

Shadow's attention turns to the floating image of a sleek black device with many hooks and attachments on the bottom, and decorative white bar shapes on the top. "What is it?"

Luna answers solemnly, "That's the CD. The same Core Disruptor bomb used to destroy our planet."

"Not quite the same," Gladius adds. "The technology has been upgraded significantly. This bomb was built recently, and for a particular purpose."

"They're going to destroy Orthan… Everything we've worked for… The only home we have left…"

Shadow gasps. "They can't do that. This planet is still inhabited by the Orthani, innocent people…"

Saturn interjects, "This is what Luna and Saturn try to tell Shadow long time. White Arms are ruthless. Merciless. Black Arms must do same to survive."

Gladius continues, "It was our intention to capture more ships, and study their recent technological advances, but the loss of this bomb will only prompt them to send more. We will not be so well prepared in stopping the next one. If we don't take this war to the front lines now, they will destroy this planet. So I ask again. Is he ready?"

Luna dips her head lower, "With respect, father…I think that's a question that only he can answer." She stands up and turns around to look Shadow in the eye. "Shadow…will you help us save this planet?"

Shadow stares back in surprise. Though they make direct eye contact, Luna gives no order, and Shadow's eyes remain focused. "I…I don't…"

Luna impatiently grabs his hand and glares more firmly at him. "Answer me. Truthfully."

At this compelled order, Shadow's eyes grow distant. He clenches them shut before declaring in a loud thought to all present, "Yes. I will save this planet."

Luna turns back to Black Gladius. "Your answer, father. He is ready."

With a snort, Saturn comments snidely, "Well, look who was convinced after all."

Gladius takes several more moments to look Shadow up and down. "I…was harsh with you, when you arrived here, Shadow. Your creator, Black Famis…Black Doom… Strong though he was, he was a fool in the ways of war. I did not trust his creation to be any better. The truth I failed to acknowledge is that you are not Famis—you are he who surpassed Famis. You were wise to do away with him. You are the hope and the future for all Black Kaosian kind. And your destiny is nigh."

—–—

Spectra District — The White Dreamnet

"Your plan must have a failsafe," Genesis states plainly. "If you find that Shadow truly has joined sides with the Black Arms, the damage they do together could be catastrophic. As such, you will be provided with one of these." The miniature Master System core above her head projects down a hologram of a familiar, sleek black device.

Seraph gasps. "Empress, you can't seriously expect us to use this? After what happened…?"

Sonic questions, "What is it?"

Johnny notes, "Obviously a weapon of some kind. Judging by these protrusions on the bottom, it's designed to bore a firm foundation so it can lock into…whatever platform goes beneath it. Too big to be a landmine, though…"

Genesis gives a nod. "You are quite close. This is a Core Disruptor bomb. Designed to destroy an astronomically large body using the force of its own gravity."

Tails appears shocked. "Your people built a planet-killer?"

Genesis laughs softly. "So did yours, as I recall. It was called the Eclipse Cannon, was it not?"

Seraph goes on to explain, "Every planet has its radicalist. Ours was named White Sage. Sage's CD was built, against the wishes of the greater Empire, as an ultimatum to end the planetary war those thousands of years ago. Sage's warnings fell on deaf ears. In the end, the bomb was detonated, and the planet was destroyed. But as far as I was aware, only the one CD was ever built, and White Sage died in the destruction of her own making."

Sonic waves his hands to halt the conversation, "Hold on, back up. Are you asking us to destroy a planet for you? 'Cause if you are, we might have a problem. Set aside for now the fact that we'd be killing our friend in that process."

Genesis responds curtly, "If your friend proves to be a traitor and an enemy, and you still identify him as your friend, we might also have a problem."

Johnny insists, "Hang on, we can still make this work. This is the point of making a rescue plan, right? We get Shadow, alive, no matter what side he's on, and then…"

Tails picks up, "And then…we do what we thought we already did when the Black Comet was destroyed. That's…not so bad, right, Sonic?"

Sonic gasps incredulously. "Not so bad? We aren't even talking about fixing problems that Shadow might be causing anymore, we're talking about ending these people's war for them! For us, that wouldn't be self defense, it would be genocide. Whether you want to argue that being justified or not, it's completely outside of our bounds."

Johnny presses, "That's the foundation for a solid alliance, isn't it? After that, we would have grounds to ask for their help with our war. Imagine if we had their technology to—"

"No! I can't believe I'm hearing this right now!"

Genesis holds up her hands in calm. "I am sorry if you believe I've overstepped. You will not be required to use this device if you do not wish it, of course. Mutual understanding and cooperation is quite important in this situation."

Sonic nods firmly. "Good. I agree."

Tails admits, "Probably for the best that we focus on Shadow and not…whatever else is going on."

Johnny continues, "So let's get back to the plan. What else do we know about—"

A chime sounds above their heads, and the Master System declares, "Priority 1 transmission incoming from Veimue 31."

Genesis gasps. "The 31? Put it through directly to me."

The largest screen among the curved walls, straight ahead from the throne, shifts from a view of the stars outside to a view of a fully armored White Arms pilot. He announces in a flat tone, "My Empress, this is White Willow aboard the Veimue 31…requesting permission to land."

"White Willow, we lost contact with your vessel days ago. What happened?"

"I was…captured…by the Black Arms…but I escaped… I've prepared a full report. May I land?"

Genesis glances away for a moment. "...You're approved to land in bay 32. Alabaster District. Proceed to the Master System terminal to make your report."

"Thank you…My Empress." Willow reaches forward to some control in front of him.

Seraph voices quietly, "Something's not right…"

Genesis seems to agree. "Hold, White Willow."

He freezes in response.

"Please remove your helmet for us."

Willow obediently reaches up to tap the side of his helmet, causing the mechanisms to retract and expose his face. His golden Kaosian eyes appear cloudy and distant.

"Child…are you alone?"

"No, Empress."

"The Veimue is an individual vessel. Who is with you?"

"All of them."

"All of whom?"

Willow's tone remains as flat and uncaring as ever. "The Black Arms who followed me here."

Suddenly, the entire room shakes, and an alarm siren begins to wail. Screens around the room begin to shift automatically as the Master System declares, "Hull breach detected—Eggshell District. Breach sealed. Unauthorized entry detected." One of the screens shows a clear view from the inside of the ship, where an exploded section of ceiling is rapidly replaced from the outside by a scaly black ship's port, out of which dozens of Black Warriors come falling one by one, weapons already flashing in fire.

Johnny gasps. "Eggshell District? Isn't that where the children are cared for?"

The Master System doesn't allow for an answer. "Multiple Mega Warp reentry fields detected. Combined mass exceeds priority one alert threshold." On another screen, one Black Arms ship after another comes snapping into view. The more dense the fleet of ships becomes, the clearer it seems that one massive hole is being left in the center of the formation.

Finally, that space is filled by one final Warping body—a Black Meteor with long trailing tendrils, of a size that dwarfs everything else in the fleet.

Sonic mutters under his breath, "It's a full scale invasion…"

Genesis seems to keep most of her calm through it all. "Scramble all combat capable vessels. Initiate breach defense procedures. Begin the evacuation of all civilian areas."

"Impossible," the Master System responds immediately. "Insufficient forces available to carry out all three orders."

Genesis growls something incoherent under her breath. "Focus on evacuation first, ship-to-ship combat second."

"But Empress," Seraph objects, "without hindrance, Eggshell District won't be able to evacuate before the invaders—" She cuts herself off for a moment, then deploys her helmet and holds up an arm cannon resolutely. "Send me there, I'll hold them off myself if I have to."

Johnny volunteers, "I'll go too! We have to—!"

"Fine, fine, go! Master System, two to transport directly to Eggshell District, priority one." The two are instantly encompassed in a flash of purple light, and transported away.

Tails suddenly looks up from his Handheld. "I have an idea that might help bolster your defenses, but I'll need direct access to the Master System."

"You'll need what!?"

"I know it's asking a lot for you to trust us right now, but if you don't, the kids in that district could be killed, and so could Seraph and Johnny. I can make sure that doesn't happen!"

Genesis' next mutterings are a bit more coherent. "How could we be so unprepared for this…?" She shakes her head for another moment. "The Master System can summarily execute you if it deems your actions to be traitorous. Careful what that computer of yours does. Master System, one to transport to the nearest terminal, priority one."

"Did you say 'execute'?" Tails vanishes before his question can be answered.

Sonic shakes his head with a groan. "So much for our rescue plan…"

"Do you still wish to confront your friend?"

Sonic looks up with surprise. "More than anything."

Genesis looks out at one of the screens. "The Heralds' ship is among that fleet. Take Seraph's ship, it has an advanced autopilot that can do most of the work for you. I'll do everything I can from here to help you get in close, but what you do from there is up to you."

Sonic mutters quietly, "If I just had a Chaos Emerald, I could use Chaos Control to get into his ship once I'm close…"

"Well…since it seems I'm trusting you all with the fate of our species anyways…" Genesis reaches up towards the center of her armor's chestplate, where a panel slides open, allowing her to pull out a small gemstone with a hazy green hue. "Take this." She tosses it through the air to Sonic.

Sonic snatches up the gemstone with his gloved hand. "What…?"

"It's a rare mineral from the core of Kaos. Like your own Chaos Emeralds, we believe it derives energy from the unending conflict between Light and Darkness. Among our kind, it is a rare gift to be able to harness such energy naturally. Use it well."

Sonic closes his fist around it and pulls it close to his chest. "I will. Thank you."

"Good luck, Sonic the Hedgehog. Master System, one to transport to bay 31, priority one."

Sonic offers a thumbs-up with his free robotic hand as he vanishes like the rest.

On the screen that shows the Black Arms boarding party, one last figure emerges from the newly-made entrance, directing his forces forwards. Once he lands on the ground, Saturn looks up directly into the camera, and gives an almost friendly wave.

Genesis tightly clenches a fist as she takes this in. "The third Mongrel… Does that mean…?"

Giving her no time to ponder the question, Saturn reaches up to pinch two claws around the small gemstone that keeps his shoulder pads clasped together. In a flash of blue light, he disappears. Instantly, he reappears on the opposite side of the screen—alone in the throne room with the Empress. His eyes narrow as he takes in her appearance. "Genesis. Saturn is here to replace you." He reaches up and crosses his arms, dipping a claw into each of the two fluid sacs on his neck, drawing out two streams of ooze that form into twin blades in his hands. "Welcome to next level."

Genesis seems completely unperturbed by the sudden appearance of the intruder. She stands slowly from her throne, revealing the full extent of her towering height. "So this was your plan all along, was it? An all-out attack to draw every possible defense away from the core of the ship, so you could slip in for an assassination. I'll admit, you caught us unprepared. We've been dealing with your hit-and-run tactics, your thefts of our Mega Warp drives and other technology for so long that a full conflict simply wasn't anticipated."

"Genesis forgets, Black Gladius is warrior king. Master of battle tactics. Genesis is foolish to provoke."

"I daresay it's up for debate who provoked whom in this situation. That aside, there really is only one flaw with this plan of yours." Genesis crosses a fist over her chest, and a long blade that almost seems to be made of pure light jets out from the back of her wrist. "This armor isn't just for show. I think you'll find me quite difficult to kill."

Saturn raises his own blades with a hint of excitement. "Saturn counts on it." He leaps in with impressive speed, and his Black Swords lock against Genesis' light blade.

—–—

Eggshell District

Seraph holds a crouching position behind a downed ceiling panel, pivoting in place to shoot down one marching alien after another with uncanny precision. As one Black Warrior draws close, Johnny leaps out from behind his cover, tackling it to the ground, smashing its head against the floor, and ripping the twin barrel Flash Shot out of its hand. He keeps low to the ground as he backpedals next to Seraph, laying down cover fire and narrowly avoiding a few shots close to his own head. Once back behind cover, he takes a careful peek over, then quickly fires off three successive shots that all hit their marks. He keeps pulling the trigger, but finds the weapon already depleted. "Shoot!" He tosses the weapon aside. "This would be a lot easier if I just had my own weapons!"

"Here. Give this one a try." Slowing down her rate of fire for only a moment, Seraph twists a knob on the bottom of her arm-cannon and pulls out a small mechanism to toss to him.

Johnny catches the device and examines it carefully. Though it has a barrel in front, a chamber in back, and a handle in the middle, it doesn't much resemble a weapon. Still, Johnny points the barrel at the closest Black Warrior and squeezes down on the handle. A burst of white energy flies out from the device and strikes the alien, instantly encasing it in a wall of ice. "Ice beam. Sweet." He squeezes down harder, charging up a more powerful beam that freezes the entire front line of invaders.

The halted advance gives Seraph the extra time needed to charge her own beam, firing off a powerful plasma shot that blows through the ice wall and takes out multiple forces behind it. The two continue to wordlessly coordinate their attacks, even as Seraph takes a distracted sidelong glance at Johnny. "Your friend is still in danger…yet you chose to be here?"

"I'm not gonna let these freaks hurt those kids. …Or…hurt you."

"You continue to surprise me, Captain Johnnathan Naka…"

"How much longer before the area is evacuated?"

"Too long. We may be holding off the main force here, but there are other ways around—" she ducks down as a blast from a Light Shot sails over her head from behind. They both look back at the second troop of Black Arms that approaches from the other end of the hall. "…us."

"They're closing in… We're done for…"

"Not for nothing." Seraph switches her attention back and forth between the two approaching armies, now failing to hold either one back. "We've saved every soul that's made it out so far, and we can save at least a few more." Suddenly, she takes a step in front of Johnny, taking a shot to the shoulder and putting him between her and their cover. Though her armor repels the blast, it clearly takes some damage.

"Seraph…"

"Keep fighting!" She takes another blast to the shoulder, this time ripping a plate of armor clean off. She now puts all of her focus on guarding Johnny, while Johnny does his best to keep the front line of the main force frozen.

"Seraph, if we don't make it out of this, there's something I want you to know."

Seraph goes silent as she continues to gun down enemies as rapidly as she can.

"I think that you're…amazing. And if I have to go down fighting…I'm glad it's by your side."

"…I feel the same. Thank you for standing with me, Johnny."

"Don't count yourselves out just yet!"

Johnny and Seraph both look up in surprise at the sound of Tails' voice. All around them, dozens of wall panels open up in sequence. A small army of robotic drones emerge from their ports in the walls and charge erratically at the encroaching waves of Black Arms. They attack with cleaning instruments, repair tools, and scanning devices, none very dangerous on their own, but completely overwhelming in numbers.

A small buffer drone nudges Johnny in the foot, startling him as Tails' voice greets from it, "Great news, guys! The Master System didn't kill me when I took control of the drone network!"

With all of the Black Arms fire focused on the swarming drones, Seraph and Johnny are freed to move as they please. They both look at one another with a nod. It takes them both a moment to realize how close their faces are. Then they each take an awkward step back. Unable to hide his blush, Johnny clears his throat and declares, "Let's get the rest of these invaders out of here for good."

—–—

Conflict Zone

Sonic is thrown from the pilot's seat of Seraph's ship as the floor shudders violently beneath his feet. Rubbing his head as he gets back to his feet, he mutters frustratedly, "Geez, I thought she said this autopilot was advanced…" The ship shudders again. "Can't you keep us from getting shot at for ten whole seconds!?"

A robotic voice answers from the console, "Inquiry not understood."

"Yeah, whatever. Computer, how close are we to the target?"

"Target destination is at 400 gageyers and closing."

"I don't even know what that is! Give me a break here!"

"Command not understood." Another hit sends the ship shaking. "Shields are at yellow and falling."

"I don't know what that means either! Just—" Sonic takes a breath to calm himself. The ship takes a sudden turn, putting the familiar sight of the Black Manta in central view of the cockpit's windshield. "That's it! Computer, any word from that ship?"

"All attempts at communication have been ignored."

Sonic slams a fist down on the arm of his chair. "Dang it, Shadow! Why won't you answer me!?" He looks down in concern as realizes that his robotic fist has left a dent in the chair. "Oops… I'm sure that'll buff out…" The ship gives its most violent lurch yet. "That too…"

"S…Sonic? Is that you…?"

Sonic's eyes go wide, and he looks all around for the source of the voice before settling his eyes back on the image of the ship ahead. "Shadow! Tell me what's going on!"

"What are you doing here, Sonic?"

"We're here to rescue you, obviously! Just tell me what I need to do!"

"We? What do you mean, we?"

"Tails and Johnny are back on the mothership, but where—"

"No, no! This wasn't part of the plan!"

"Plan? What plan? Just talk to me, Shadow!"

"Oh no… She heard me… Sonic, you have to—"

"Shadow?" Sonic waits for a response. "Shadow! Shadow, we can't go through this again!" A seething groan slips through his teeth as no response comes. "Computer, match the speed and course of that ship as closely as you can."

"Course matched. The target ship is loading weapons. Return fire recommended."

"No! Shadow's in there, we can't just start shooting! I need to get inside!" Sonic looks down at the gem in his hand. "Will Chaos Control even be able to get through their shields?"

"Negative."

"Oh, you understood that one, did you?"

"Affirmative." A volley of worm missiles fire out of the Manta and arc back towards the windshield. They explode against the ship's shields a short distance away. "Shields at red. Shield failure imminent."

"Is there any way we can get them to take down their shields, even for a second?"

"Affirmative. A prolonged plasma blast at overloaded power levels is known to disrupt conventional shielding systems. Enemy shields can be restored in approximately three-point-two exins. This course of action is not recommended, as weapons systems will be permanently damaged."

"I'm going to assume that three-point-two exins isn't a lot of time. But I only need a second. Computer, prepare to do that thing you said, on my mark. Aim for the shields, not the ship itself."

"Affirmative. The target ship is loading weapons. Return fire recommended."

Sonic closes his fist around the gem, and takes a deep breath, thinking to himself, "It's just a Chaos Control. Not even a long one. Just a quick warp…through open space…using a gem I've never seen before in my life…from one moving ship…to another moving ship…at about a thousand miles an hour…in a window of just three-point-two exins. And I don't know how long that is. Easy. Simple. Nooooo problem."

"Target ship has fired. Shield failure imminent."

"This'd better be worth it, Shadow. Do it, now!"

—–—

Luna's hands are held around Shadow's head as she glares into his eyes. "Focus on the mission."

Shadow's eyes hardly even seem able to stay open. "But my friends…"

"Your friends will be fine if Saturn does his job right."

"The ship…is still shooting at Sonic…"

"That one is attacking us. He's trying to get in our way. His actions are risking an entire planet. We can't stop shooting until he gives up. Then we'll let him go."

"He's not… He's not a danger to us…"

"Not a danger? Then why are sensors picking up a CD bomb on his ship?"

"That can't be… Sonic would never… If I can just talk to him…"

"Focus on the mission, Shadow!"

"Focus…on the mission…"

Suddenly, the ship shudders violently, knocking both of them off balance.

In a flash of light, Sonic drops down onto his hands and knees. "Shadow, I—" He looks down in confusion at the slimy substance his hands have picked up from the organic floor. "Eww…" He finally remembers to look up again, immediately meeting eyes with Luna. "Eh, who are you?"

With an almost bored expression on her face, Luna orders from across the cabin, "Sleep." Instantly, Sonic's eyes roll back, and he collapses to the ground. "He doesn't have a very strong mind, does he?"

Shadow cries out with concern, "Sonic!"

Luna glares right back at him. "Focus on the mission. Put the shields back up."

"No… No, I have to—"

"Shadow, you promised you would help us! We can't do this without you! Focus on the mission!"

"I know, but…" Shadow clenches his eyes shut. "This isn't the way…"

"Don't you dare close your eyes on me!" Putting her hands in front of his face, she psychically forces his eyelids open. "I have to do this! For my family! I won't let you ruin it now! Focus on the mission, or…" She takes a glance back at Sonic's sleeping form. She directs one hand backwards, levitating him off of the ground. "…or I throw him into open space."

"No… You wouldn't…"

Luna walks with Sonic closer to the back hatch. "I hear your species can survive out there, at least for a good long while. He's the one distracting you. So either you listen to me, or I get rid of him."

"Put him down… Now."

"What about your lost friend, Shadow? Would she have wanted you to trade one person for an entire planet?"

Shadow's eyes go wide. "Maria…" Suddenly, his eyes focus intently on Luna. He growls through clenched teeth, "You don't get…to speak of her." He takes one stomping step towards her. Then another. "You don't get…to threaten my friends."

Luna takes a frightened step backwards, suddenly finding her back against a wall. "S-stay back." She stares directly into his eyes. "I'm ordering you, stay back!"

Shadow doesn't so much as falter. "You don't get to control me, anymore."

"The block is gone… Y-your powers…"

"Are stronger than yours will ever be." Without a stray movement from Shadow, a shockwave bursts out from his head, knocking Luna back into the wall. He continues his march on towards her.

Quickly rising back to her knees, Luna raises her hands in surrender, stammering, "L-l-look, I-I'm putting him down, see?" As she says, Sonic's limp form is lowered gently to the floor.

"It's much too late for that." Shadow slowly raises a hand as he marches. "All this time that you've imprisoned me… Controlled me… Violated my mind…"

Luna covers her head with her hands. "Please, stop! Stay out, I'm begging you!"

"Let's see how you like…having the deepest corners of your mind violated!"

"No! No, don't make me go back there! Please, don't make me go back!"

Shadow presses his hand onto Luna's forehead, and Luna screams. The ground beneath their feet seems to glow a harsh crimson red. That red light ripples out in a wide circle, shifting the shape of the world around them as it goes, leaving them floating above an unfamiliar alien world. Wooden buildings as tall as skyscrapers sit not on the ground, but hanging freely from the massive lip of a cliff high above. Thin wooden walkways hang between the buildings much the same. Across one of these walkways, far below Luna and Shadow, two figures run frantically.

"Please, no…" Luna keeps muttering. "Take me out… Don't make me see this again…"

Shadow takes a closer look down at the fleeing figures. "That's…you." Just as he says, the figure running in the front is an image of Luna from the past. By the hand, she leads someone else as fast as they can both go—a young Orthani boy with bright yellow feathers.

"Keep going, Toma! We're almost there!"

The boy glances back behind them. He doesn't seem to like what he sees. A small squadron of armored Orthani with weapons in hand pursue them closely. He shouts with tears in his eyes, "They're catching up to us, Luna! What are we gonna do?"

"Keep going," Past Luna repeats. "Just keep going. That's all we can do…"

"No…" Toma suddenly rips his hand away. "I won't let them take you!"

"Toma, what're you doing?"

"Go. Find your family. I know you will, someday. Goodbye, Luna."

"Toma, no!"

Before she can stop him, the boy jumps over the side of the platform, flapping his wings to fly back towards the pursuers. "Hey, over here!" He rams into the lead pursuer at full speed, knocking him over the side. The rest turn their weapons on him.

Past Luna watches in horror as she listens to the sounds of the weapons all firing at once. She screams in agony, "TOMA!" With her shout, a shockwave explodes out from her mind, shredding the platform and the buildings around her to splinters, before the whole world seems to go dark. Only Luna and her pursuers are left. With no ground to stand on, they fly back towards her. All emotion has drained from her face, though her tears still stream down. With one wave of her hand, they instantly lose consciousness. And they fall, unable to move, and unable to stop themselves from hitting the ground far, far below.

Though past Luna doesn't seem to move, the limp form of Toma eventually appears in the darkness. She goes to him, and holds him in her arms.

"I killed them all," the real Luna suddenly announces. "Not just those soldiers. Their entire organization. Then the government that controlled them. By the time Father found me…the entire continent was already in chaos. And he told me how proud of me he was, for claiming my destiny on my own. And he told me why it happened. He told me about how the White Arms contacted the Orthani. Told them about the alien hiding among their own people. Toma died because of them. All of them. So don't ask me if I regret what I did, because I don't. I wish I could've done more to hurt them. I would've destroyed their entire planet if Father hadn't stopped me." She finally looks up at Shadow for the first time since the memory began. "So now you know. You were right about me from the beginning. I'm exactly the monster you said I was. Does that make you happy, Shadow? Being right? Being better than us?"

Shadow, silent for all this time, keeps on watching the memory of Luna holding the limp form of Toma. Slowly, he begins to shake his head. "Not better. The same. Look."

"What…?" Luna looks out in confusion. The memory appears to have restarted. Only, the details are beginning to change. It isn't Luna who leads Toma by the hand. It's Shadow, leading Maria through the corridors of the ARK.

The GUN soldiers aren't far behind. "Find them before they escape!"

Past Shadow pulls Maria into the Research Lab, and the door seals shut behind them. Shadow runs right for the center of the room. The memory grows hazy for a moment.

Maria practically collapses down onto the computer console.

The glass walls of an escape pod slam down around Shadow. "What!?"

Supporting herself against the console, Maria pleads, "Shadow, I beg of you…please do it for me…"

Shadow shouts in anguish as he pounds against the inside of the glass, "Maria!"

Maria keeps going in spite of his cry. "For all the people on that planet…give them a chance…to be happy. Let them live for their dreams. Shadow, I know you can do it." She turns away, unable to face him as she presses another key on the console. The escape pod is launched away. Though the past Shadow flies towards the surface of the planet at a rapid pace, his memory of the inside of the research lab remains impossibly clear. "That's the reason why you were brought into this world. Sayonara…Shadow the Hedgehog." Suddenly, she looks up with a gasp.

The GUN soldiers have made it through the door. The soldier in front doesn't hesitate to lift his pistol and fire.

Moisture in the eyes of the real Shadow reflects the sight of her falling to the ground, before the world around them fades into darkness. "This was my block," he says softly. "I see it now, I just never understood it before. It was the first time these powers ever activated, 50 years ago. I wanted so desperately to get back to her…that I did. I reached back into their minds. So I could hear her last words. And watch her die. And every time since then, I've felt that same terror."

Luna sobs into her hands, not needing her eyes to feel how the memory ended. It doesn't stop the tears from seeping between her fingers. "How…how can you side with those who took her away from you? Against your own people!?"

"I didn't. Not at first." Slowly, the blackness gives way to reality—the dim interior of the Black Manta. "At first I was exactly like you."

Luna looks up in surprise, the edges of her eyes stained red by her tears.

"I tried to destroy that planet. And everyone on it. I almost succeeded. Until my friends reminded me of Maria's wish. Friends like him." Shadow gestures over to Sonic's unconscious form. "You want to know how? They're the reason. Because the people who took her away, and the people who helped me fulfill her wish, those aren't the same people. And even the people who killed her aren't the same people they were 50 years ago. People change. I changed. You can change too, Luna."

She clenches her eyes shut and shakes her head. "No… I'm…"

"A monster? No. It isn't a monster who admits that they are one. It isn't a monster whose heart breaks when they lose someone close to them."

"Toma would never have asked me…to do any of this… I betrayed him…I ravaged his planet… He would never forgive me…"

"Toma's last wish to you…was to find your family, wasn't it? Gladius may be your blood, but he doesn't care about you the way that family should. But that doesn't mean…that you don't have any." Gently, he offers down his hand. "Here I am. Let's fulfill both of their wishes. Make them both proud. Together."

Slowly, with a trembling hand, Luna reaches up to take Shadow's. As he pulls her up to her feet, she leaps forward the rest of the way, wrapping her arms around him and crying over his shoulder. "I don't know how…"

Shadow puts an arm around her back. "Never turn back. Keep going forward. That's all we can do."

"Ugh…" Sonic clutches at his head as he stirs into consciousness. "I've got such a headache…" He climbs unsteadily to his feet, getting a surprised look at Shadow and Luna embracing. "What's going on with you?"

Shadow gently pushes Luna back so he can look her in the eyes. "We need to contact Saturn. It's time to end this."

—–—

Spectra District

A Black Sword goes flying out of Saturn's hand, tumbling backwards to stick into the ground behind him. He puts up his remaining blade defensively. "Genesis is strong. Saturn likes."

Genesis makes an odd motion with her free hand. "I'd be able to put more into this fight if I wasn't busy managing our fleet at the same time."

"Confident as well. Perhaps backup plan should have been used earlier. Planting White Arms CD bomb on mothership."

"Don't be ridiculous. Those bombs are gene locked. They can't be activated by the likes of you."

"Good knowledge for Saturn to have." He suddenly raises up his free hand. "Now burn!" Two bright lights form around him, each one generating a wave of fire that flies along the ground at Genesis one after the other.

Genesis clenches her upraised hand into a fist, and an arm-cannon seems to materialize around it almost instantly. She lowers the cannon wrist-up and rapidly fires off two ice beam shots, quelling both waves of fire, just in time to raise the blade of her opposite hand against Saturn's charge. Saturn suddenly vanishes before his sword can hit, appearing instead behind Genesis' head to throw a powerful kick that knocks her off of her feet. He teleports again, this time in front of her to slash his sword directly at her head as she falls. The sword tears through the faceplate of the cybernetic helmet on her head, and just barely grazes the white scales underneath as the force of the impact throws her in a different direction.

Genesis lands on her back, her three-eyed alien face exposed for the first time through torn metal. The slash against her cheek draws a thin line of green blood. The moment she tries to move, Saturn's foot slams down onto the wrist of her blade hand. The light blade fizzles out into nothing. "Curses," she mutters. "Reserve power is low. It seems I was in error to loan out my power source."

"Is not so bad," Saturn remarks as he points his sword down at her exposed chin. "Genesis fights well." His eyes narrow as he takes a closer look at the details of her face. Slowly, his muzzle begins to curve up in what might be a smirk. "Or should Saturn say…White Sage fights well? Very interesting."

"So you know my face, do you, Mongrel? I told you already. You'll find me quite hard to kill."

"Saturn's curiosity is piqued. What is purpose of two names?"

"Black Famis became Black Doom when he ascended above the rest of his kind. Why shouldn't I do the same?"

"Black Arms, White Arms…very different," Saturn muses. "But…underneath…" He bends down slowly, drawing his face closer to hers. "…blood is same." He swipes a claw along the cut on her face, scooping up a drop of her blood to take into his hand. "Very interesting. Right?"

"Compare us all you like, Mongrel. We are nothing alike."

"Perhaps. After all…" He slowly raises his blade, preparing for a finishing blow. "…Saturn is superior." As his blade reaches its peak, he suddenly freezes. "Huh?" He remains in that position for several more moments. "Ah. About time."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Quiet. Saturn talking to someone else."

"About what?"

Saturn pauses for another moment. "Good news! Change of plans. Saturn and Genesis friends now."

"Excuse me?"

Saturn casually tosses his sword over his shoulder and takes a step back. "Saturn and Genesis share Skenouan Battle Bond. That is way of Saturn's planet. Genesis have choice none. Is done now."

"The way of your planet? The planet you destroyed?"

Saturn's nostrils flare in amusement. "Tsk tsk tsk. White Sage is one to talk about destroying planet. Matters nothing. Saturn have work to do."

With Saturn's foot gone and his weapon discarded, Genesis is able to spring up nimbly, redeploying her light blade and pointing it at Saturn's throat. "You came here to kill me. Exposed my true face. Do you really think that I'm going to let you walk away unharmed?"

"If Genesis doesn't, Saturn can't defeat Black Gladius for new friend."

All three of Genesis' eyes glare at Saturn for several moments. Finally, she retracts her blade. "You have my interest."

—–—

The Black Meteor — Core

"What is the meaning of this?" Black Gladius, in the flesh, floats in the very center of the chamber at the core of the Black Meteor. "Return to your assigned positions, at once."

"We're giving you one chance, Father. Call off the troops. Now." Luna stands with Shadow and Saturn at each of her sides.

"I don't recall teaching you to joke, my daughter. For what purpose would I do such a thing?"

"The era of war—your era, Father—it's over now. It's time for the Black Arms to change. To move forward. If you won't lead that change, I will. And I'm going to start by ending hostilities with the White Arms, and taking Orthan back for its people."

Shadow nods her along encouragingly.

Gladius lets out a long, drawling laugh. "I see. So this Earth parasite has poisoned your mind, when you were supposed to take control of his. Such a shame. I thought your mind to be so much stronger than this."

"I think you'll find, Father…" Luna begins to step forwards. "…that my mind is stronger than ever. Now that I have a clarity which was missing before."

"Stop. I command you."

Luna does not slow, as Shadow and Saturn follow behind her. "Your mind control was never very strong, Father. That's why you made me to cover that weakness of yours. I followed your orders out of nothing but my own free will. That changes today." She stops, leaving a short distance between them, and holds up a hand threateningly. "So now, I don't order you, but request of you. Please. Call it off."

"I gave you life…and this is how you repay me?"

Shadow rolls his eyes. "I've heard this all already, just get on with it! You're boring me to death!" Saturn snorts in laughter.

"So, it's a swifter death that you seek? Very well. Black Arms…kill them all." At his order, alien soldiers march in on the room from all sides. Armored Black Volts swoop down from the sky, and massive Black Worms burrow up from the ground, all setting their targets on the three Black Heralds. "The hivemind will be better off without you three ungrateful wretches."

"Father…"

"I'm disappointed in you, daughter. But perhaps my next will be more successful. What's a few years to a being who's lived for thousands? Your short-lived 'new era' ends here—today." The last of the Black Arms forces lands between Gladius and the Heralds. The ground shakes as the King of Beasts, Black Rex, roars in the faces of its ordered targets.

Shadow, covered in slobber, reaches up to pat Black Rex on the nose. "It seems that our friend Gladius has forgotten who's in charge here. Why don't you remind him, Rex?"

Rex obediently stomps around in a half circle to roar at Gladius instead.

"Silence." With a psychic power, Gladius forcibly snaps Rex's jaw shut. He continues to lift up the massive creature, and toss it aside like a toy. Without a word, the entire Black Arms army attacks Black Rex. "More disloyalty. It seems I'll have to dispose of you myself. So be it. On guard!" Gladius swipes his hand through the air, generating a wide disc of energy that flies on a path to cut down all three of them.

"Saturn guards!" Saturn jumps in front of the other two, quickly pulling and forming a tall translucent shield out of his throat, which he uses to deflect the attack. Shadow jumps off of Saturn's shoulder and into the air, tossing out a Chaos Spear aimed for Gladius' head.

Gladius drifts to the side, leaving behind a hazy afterimage to be pierced by the spear.

Luna leaps into the air. A swatting motion of her arm instantly dispels Gladius' phantom cloak, leaving only the real one in sight. Her path takes her high enough to grab Shadow by the hand and throw him back down in Gladius' direction. Shadow lets out a shout as he flies down at his target with a hand outstretched.

"Hm hm hm. Pathetic." Gladius holds out his own hand, psychically catching Shadow and holding him still in the air. "To think that Black Doom fell to you… You cannot touch me."

Shadow puts on a smirk. "I don't have to." The world around the two of them begins to fade into darkness. "I just needed to get close enough for this."

"What!? What is this?" A dim crimson light begins to form in Gladius' hand.

Suddenly, that light whips out into an almost solid string that Shadow is able to grab with his own hand, beginning to pull. "As heir to the title of Black Doom, I'm claiming what's rightfully mine. I'm taking your control over the hivemind."

"Preposterous." Gladius pulls back on his own light. "Black Doom himself could not wrest control of my forces from me. Your mind will be obliterated when you fail. You have no hope."

"Not alone, he doesn't." Luna appears by Shadow's side, closing her hand around his and adding her strength to the mental tug-of-war. "But he's not alone."

Saturn appears at his other side, taking his own hold of the glowing rope. "Friendship. Enough is said."

Shadow continues, "Pay attention, Black Gladius. What you're looking at now…this is exactly why your kind needs to change. Thousands of minds connected to yours, yet on the inside, you're completely alone. Real strength doesn't come from control. It comes from the bonds we form with real people. Past, present, and future. Bonds that never die." In the empty mindspace, two more figures appear: a human girl and an Orthani boy, pulling the rope as they look back to their friends with smiles on their faces. "Thousands of connections, but no true bonds. That's why you were destined to fail from the start." All five of them pull as one, and the string is ripped free from Gladius' grasp in a blinding flash of light.

Gladius collapses to the soft glowing ground of the Black Meteor. "Impossible… I cannot…be defeated…"

Shadow holds a hand high into the air. "Forces! Hold!" Instantly, the Black Arms swarming around Black Rex freeze in their attack. Rex throws a few of them off of its back, and turns around to limp back towards Shadow with a whine. Shadow gives it another pat on the nose. "You did well, my friend."

Saturn declares, "Order is given. All Black Arms retreat from assault on White Dreamnet."

Luna steps up to Gladius, looking down on his collapsed form. "Impossible or not, Father…it's the truth."

"Not…yet!" Gladius suddenly reaches up for her from the ground.

Luna simply closes her eyes, and tall shafts suddenly shoot up from the ground, encircling Gladius in a cage that grows all the way up to the ceiling. "You're not in control anymore, Father. We are. You will never again influence the mind of another."

Gladius glares at her through the cage bars. "…Very well, daughter. It seems the time has come sooner than I anticipated. Finish me now, and ascend as hive queen of House Gladius."

"No, Father. That was the old way. My hands will not harm you. Instead, I will take you back to Orthan, where you will be sentenced according to their laws."

"How disappointing… Such a weak daughter I raised, unable to finish such a simple task, even as she claims to surpass me."

"Goodbye, Father. We have other problems to resolve now."

—–—

Alabaster District — Master System Terminal

"Will the accused regarding case number 6232231-SO please step forward?"

Shadow silently steps up to the front of the small crowd of mixed species that watch from the walls of the terminal room.

"Please state your name and affiliation."

Shadow stares straight into the glowing orb that represents the computerized judge. He seems to hesitate for a moment before forming his answer. "Shadow the Hedgehog. Unit of Earth's Rebellion…and Black Arms Herald to the planet Earth."

"Identity confirmed. Shadow the Hedgehog, you are accused of multiple acts of terror, theft and destruction of Imperial property, and involvement in an armed conflict resulting in multiple casualties. Your connection to these crimes has been confirmed, and is not under debate. Evidence has been derived from a variety of recordings, transmissions, and testimonies. At this time, your own testimony will be considered before a final verdict is reached. Please proceed."

Shadow nods. "As several individuals here have testified, the actions mentioned were made under duress and manipulation. The exception to this is the armed conflict, which I agreed to participate in of my own will. However, I would like it to be taken under consideration that during this conflict, I, along with Luna and Saturn, defected to the side of the White Arms, and put an end to conflict under the direct approval of White Genesis, as Saturn has testified."

"Will this conclude your testimony?"

"Yes."

"Understood. Case number 6232231-SO is hereby resolved. Shadow the Hedgehog has been found: not guilty. Detainees held regarding this case are hereby released, and are welcomed to return home or remain as guests on the White Dreamnet."

Sonic, Tails, and Johnny all breathe a simultaneous sigh of relief.

"Will the accused regarding case number 01-B please step forward?"

Luna and Saturn both step up to replace Shadow.

"Identities confirmed. Luna the Orthani. Saturn the Skenouan. By your own testimony, you have claimed culpability for all recent incriminating actions taken by House Morbus of the Black Arms. Is this correct?"

Luna nods her head down. "Yes."

"Understood. No further testimony will be taken. Case number 01-B is hereby resolved. Luna the Orthani and Saturn the Skenouan are found: guilty. Per White Arms law, each of the accused will be sentenced to—"

"Hold, Master System." Genesis, a silent observer all this time, steps up behind Luna and Saturn to look directly into the Master System orb.

Seraph questions with confusion, "Empress?"

Genesis continues, "These two…these three…have done a great service to the Kaosian Nomadic Empire. And they've overcome many millennia of prejudice in order to do so. As such, I exercise my right to propose alternative sentencing. Luna and Saturn shall work under the supervision of the White Arms to serve the interests of the Empire in matters pertaining to the planets Orthan, Skenoua, Earth, and any others harmed by the influence of the Black Arms, until such time as this harmful influence has been mitigated to the greatest possible extent."

The Master System pauses for several moments. "Do the accused agree to this alternative sentencing?"

Saturn gazes at Genesis with an odd expression. Still, he answers, "Saturn agrees."

Luna lowers her head in deference. "We are grateful for your kindness, Majesty. We happily agree."

"Alternative sentencing has been accepted. All appropriate cases have been resolved. Terminating connection…" The Master System orb goes dim.

"So…" Johnny takes a look around at the strange gathering of people around him. "…what now?"

Seraph answers, "I'd be happy to take the four of you back to Earth. If my ship weren't a smoldering wreck on the surface of the Black Meteor, that is."

Sonic scratches at the back of his head awkwardly. "Heh heh. Sorry about that…"

"Unfortunately," Genesis adds, "much of our fleet was lost in the recent battle. We don't have any ships to spare at all."

Luna bows her head even lower. "My apologies, Majesty."

Genesis continues, "Of course, we'd be able to repair our damaged ships much sooner, if a majority of our drone complement weren't commandeered and destroyed."

Tails lets out an awkward chuckle. "Guess that's my fault, huh?"

Saturn interrupts, "If doing would please Friend Genesis, Saturn happy to bring new friends home on Black Manta."

Genesis nods. "A matter of importance to Earth, I daresay. It is acceptable."

Shadow turns to Luna. "Will you be coming too?"

Luna closes her eyes and shakes her head. "I've sworn to return Orthan to the Orthani. I must get started as soon as I can. If that's acceptable to Her Majesty?"

Genesis pauses for a moment. "You'll be closely monitored. In fact…Seraph?"

"Yes, my Empress?"

"You've performed a full flora sequencing of Orthan IV prior to its transformation, is that correct?"

"Of course. I…rescued several animal species as well."

"How very fortunate. I believe it's time that we finally made use of our genetic records, wouldn't you agree? I would like to charge you with overseeing Luna's work, and contributing to her planet's restoration efforts."

"It would be my honor, Empress."

Luna's face lights up. "You really have it? All of it?"

Seraph shakes her head. "Not all. But…enough to restore some semblance of the old ecosystem."

Luna excitedly takes Seraph's hands. "And what about the animals? I know you said just a few, but…oh, it's been so long since I've heard the call of the Orthani Songbird…"

This forces a smile onto Seraph's face as well. "They'll soon fill your skies again."

Luna's expression brightens even more. But then it begins to sour as she turns back to Shadow. This time, she speaks directly to his mind. "I wish I could go with you, Shadow. We've only just found each other. It is sad that we should have to part ways so soon."

Shadow responds in kind, "There's no reason to be sad. Remember, we have a bond that can never die."

Tears well up in her eyes. "I feel like I should ask your permission before I hug you this time."

Shadow smiles. "Any time you want."

Luna springs forward to pull him into a tearful embrace. "I promise, I'll come visit whenever I can."

Watching the display, Sonic comments, "Are we sure that this guy is our Shadow? Not, like, a bio-imposter or something?" His question goes ignored.

Tails instead asks him, "Hey, do you think the Empress will let me hold onto this?" He holds up a damaged buffer drone for Sonic to see. "You know…for research?"

Sonic shakes his head with a laugh. "I wouldn't push my luck if I were you."

Johnny take's Seraph's hand. "Seraph…about what we were talking about before…"

"Before?"

"Yeah. The thing about…being by your side?"

"Oh. Yes, of course."

"Well…I know that…our species and cultures are very different, and…I don't know that I've interpreted everything correctly, but…" As the blush in his cheeks deepens, he scratches at the back of his head awkwardly. "Maybe I should start over. On my planet, we have this…tradition. When you…feel a certain way about someone…and you know you're not going to see them for a long time. It goes something like this." He closes his eyes and rises up on his toes to kiss her on the lips.

When Johnny finally backs away, a blush of green is revealed on Seraph's own cheeks. She holds his hands up between their chests. "I can promise you, Johnny…that you've misinterpreted nothing. We have a similar tradition here. It's usually accompanied by the phrase… 'As the stars all shine on one another, so will our light be connected.' I will be patiently waiting for the moment we can see each other again." This time, she leans down to kiss him.

Sonic uses a hand to cover Tails' eyes. Tails moves the hand out of the way so he can keep watching.

"One thing Saturn understands none." Saturn looks up at Genesis, who glances back at him through her mask. Saturn continues, "Saturn was enemy. Discovered secret of White Sage. Yet Saturn was spared from execution, why?"

"The answer to your question is a simple one, child. You are useful to me. And, after all, I imagine you had some plan in mind about using that secret to cause a scene that might help you escape. That won't be necessary now, will it?"

Saturn's eyes narrow in a suspecting glare. "Genesis knows mindspeak?"

"Genesis knows many things, child. Understand, of course, that my mercy is not free. There's something I need you to do for me. You will repay my kindness, won't you?"

"Of course. Saturn is indebted to Genesis. And Battle Bond is still present."

"In that case…"

"Say nothing more. Saturn knows what Friend Genesis is thinking. Saturn has already done it."

"I see. I meant this as a test of loyalty, but it's clear that your loyalty to the Blak Arms is already well and gone."

—–—

Several hours earlier

"You…" Black Gladius glares out through the cage bars at Saturn, the two of them alone in the wide central chamber of the Black Meteor. "Have you returned to gloat?"

"Not this time, Lord Gladius." Saturn takes a few steps closer to the cage. "This time, Saturn comes to do what Friend Luna could not."

"Hm hm hm. So you intend to kill me? A foolish choice."

"Foolish? Saturn is only following orders of Lord Gladius." Saturn kneels down and clenches a tight fist, as his entire arm almost seems to fade away. "Protecting Friend Luna from greatest threat to her." He reaches his faded arm straight down through the ground, pulling back up a familiar, sleek black device.

"What? A Core Disruptor? Where did you get that? The bomb we retrieved from the enforcer ship was sent to Black Morbus."

"In bluffing about bomb, Saturn found interesting detail in mind of White Genesis. This bomb was secretly planted on ship flown by 'Sonic the Hedgehog'. Ship crashed on meteor. Bomb is here. Bomb is gene locked, but that is easily solved." Saturn looks down for a moment at one of his claws, still stained green by the blood of Genesis. He dips that claw into the fluid sac on his throat, letting the red slime inside ooze out around his hand, until it solidifies into a scaly white coating. "DNA of Genesis will suffice." With his white-coated hand, he presses down on a panel on top of the bomb. Immediately, a display screen lights up with alien symbols that begin to count down, as the bomb's base bores down into the ground beneath it. "So sad it will be, when Friend Luna finds out Lord Gladius could not tolerate own failure. Blew self up instead of being delivered to enemy. Very sad." Saturn stands up and turns to leave.

"You've sealed your own fate, son of Morbus."

Saturn stops to look back, meeting Gladius directly in the eyes.

"You will regret this treachery."

Saturn lets out a snort. "Friend Shadow was right. Gladius talks too much. Might seal Saturn's fate by boring Saturn to death." This time, he walks away for good.

"The Black Arms…will rise again."

—–—

The present moment

The Black Manta breaks away from the thin line of ships exiting the battle-scarred White Dreamnet, turning to set its course towards a particular star. "Saturn is excited about time for getting to know new friends. Journey will take two Earth weeks."

Sonic's voice exclaims, "Two weeks!? The trip here only took two days!"

"Manta's engine…compared to White Arms' engine…Manta's is…less efficient. Worry none. Trip will be fun."

Shadow's voice advises, "You'll get along better if you just humor him."

Johnny agrees, "You know what? I'm excited too. It's good to make friends with people different from ourselves."

Tails questions, "You do remember that these guys were trying to kill us, like, yesterday, right?"

Saturn snorts. "Saturn likes Puny Johnny. But how is fighting skill?"

"Wanna find out?"

"Gladly."

The Manta's engines light up, and its form seems to stretch out, until it snaps away into the distance.

Moments later, the Black Meteor left behind them begins to rumble, then crack, then collapse in a brilliant ripple of light.

To be continued…

---

Hey, thanks for reading! As always, reviews and other feedback are always greatly appreciated! Right now, I'm here to announce that this story is officially on Frontiers Break. We'll be back no later than this holiday season, when we'll all find out together how this new Sonic game impacts the future of The Chaos Project. Until then, stay tuned to the Sonic Chaos Project website for more updates and other bonus content.

-And don't forget to live and learn every day!