On a large airstrip a dozen TIE fighters were waiting for use. Two stormtroopers walked past crates when Wave came up behind them "Miss me, bucketheads?". They fired at her, but she rushed up to the roof of a small structure "Yep, you definitely missed me". She ran across and an alarm went off. All the troopers in sight chased after her. Tails and Tex the walked out without getting spotted "Guess that worked". They entered an Imperial shuttle, and both sat in the cockpit. The ship took off and Wave jumped on board as the troopers fired at her "Buy, buy, bucket heads!". She pressed a detonator, and all the TIE fighters blew up.
The ship was docked with the Hurst in space, the group were in the common room examining a hologram of Flame Core "The transport you stole will get us close to the fleet over Flame Core. We know they have Sonic on Finitevus' Scarship". Tex nodded and changed the hologram "And it's surrounded by a bunch of other Scarships". Sally nodded "Lot's more. We'll need a distraction to cover our entry. Wave?". Wave pondered "The engine rooms power the whole ship. If we could get inside the docking bay, I could rig something, black them out. But our transports ship's not gonna fit in there" "We need something small enough to get into that hanger bay. Too bad we blew up all the TIEs at that base". Tails and Tex glanced at each other before the former said "Well, uh, there is one left. But it's not at the base". Sally crossed her arms "What's going on?". Tex sighed "The TIE we stole a while back, we, uh… We didn't exactly crash it" "And by didn't exactly, you mean-?" Sally asked. Tails shrugged "We didn't crash it. We kept it. Hidden" "You both knew about this?". She sighed in frustration "I should be angry. I should yell at you for disobeying a direct order. But right now, I'm just grateful we got it". Wave nervously laughed "Um, there's a slight problem with that". They all turned to her confused "What?" "Tails might have shown me that fighter a few weeks ago and well…".
They walked behind a rock formation and found the fighter now painted in different colours "Okay, this is awful". Wave looked offended "What? It's some of my best work" "It'll have to do" Sally said. Tex stared at her in disbelief "I thought you were supposed to be the sane one. This whole plan is as crazy as those colours" "Maybe you're right. Maybe this mission doesn't make military sense. But Sonic is family. And we've all lost enough family to the Empire. So, rescuing him makes sense to me. I'm not ordering you, any of you, to come along. But you need to decide now. In or out". They all said the were in "What about that?" Tex asked pointing at the fighter, "Th Imperials only have to scan it. By the time they see it. It'll be too late".
The Scarship holding Sonic was now above Flame Core. Zik was watching as Sonic screamed in pain from the torture "Still protecting your precious crew. Quite admirable. But what I want to know is about your informant, code name Ortiz". Sonic breathed heavily and shook his head "I know nothing. And if I did, I'd rather give my life than tell you". Zik chuckled "So heroic. Just like your master. Tell me, Shinobi, how did you survive Order 06, hmm? It was your Master Longclaw who laid down her life for yours. Do you remember her last word to you, her last and final breath before she died? You do, don't you? You see it in your sleep". Sonic face seemed to revert to a scared child, Zik grinned sadistically "You hear her voice when you wake. Tell me, Shinobi, what was her last word to you?". Sonic face fell "Run" he said with such shame in his voice "And does your loyal and precious crew know you ran as your master fell, abandoned her and the Shinobi Order when they needed you most?". Sonic looked away from him as he continued "What do you think your Freedom Fighters would do if they knew their leader was a coward? Your even afraid of your own power". He took out Sonic's lightsaber and ignited it "You don't have the courage to wear your full saber out in the open. Let me tell you something, Shinobi". He pointed it right in front of Sonic's face "You're right to be afraid. You couldn't save your master then, and you can't save your followers now".
The transport with the TIE fighter attached jumped out of hyperspace. Inside Sally pressed two buttons above her "I'll send in our transponder code as soon as we know Sonic is there. Tails?". Tails sighed nervously "Well, he goes nothing" he closed his eyes and concentrated as hard as he could. "You got anything?" Tex asked and Wave elbowed him in the stomach "Give him a minute" "We don't really have a minute". Tails suddenly opened his eyes and he smiled "He's there. He's alive!". Sally sent the codes then "Transport 63378 cleared for docking. We have ten TIEs inbound with reinforcements. Open Bay five". Sally smirked "G-merl, send in Wave's present". The fighter was released, and it flew into the hanger. The stormtroopers saw it "That's not regulation" "I kind of like it". The fighter suddenly released an electric pulse damaging the troopers' helmets knocking them out. The blast also damaged the ship shutting it down". Finitevus was listening to an officer on the bridge "We've lost main power. Some kind of pulse detonation in Bay 5" "Go to auxiliary power".
Sally docked the transport with the Scarship. Everyone left except for G-merl, Tails cut through the wall of the Scarship allowing them to get through. On the bridge Finitevus didn't look worried "I've been sending an all-clear signal to the rest of the fleet. As soon we miss an interval, they send reinforcements. And that interval is up now". He saw tow shuttle fly towards the Scarship and released troopers into the hanger. The Hurst crew were running through the hallways and ran into the reinforcements. Tails protected the others with his lightsaber, and Sally quickly closed the blast doors. "How're we going to get to Sonic now?" Tails asked as he sealed the door. Sally smirked and looked up to a ventilation hatch. Tails looked up to it "What about you guys?" "We'll be fine, kid" Tex told him. Tails reluctantly climbed up into the vent as the others ran. On the transport G-merl saw more TIEs arriving. His eyes suddenly projected a hologram of the cloaked Ortiz "This is Ortiz. Who is this?". Tails made it to the cell block and found Sonic "Turns out you've taught me really well".
Sonic couldn't help but grin "You shouldn't have come here, but I'm glad you did" "You would have done the same for me". Tais helped the exhausted Sonic out of the table. He went underneath Sonic's arm to help him walk and the two left the cell. The others were running as troopers were right behind them. Tails and Soni entered the engine room and saw Zik waiting for them with his lightsaber ignited. Sonic took Tails' lightsaber "Let me borrow this" "No problem". Sonic charged at Zik but then deactivated the lightsaber and fired a stun blast catching Zik off guard as he deflected it. Sonic then activated his lightsaber and fought Zik managing to push him back. The two reached a saber lock and in the confusion, Tails pulled Sonic's lightsaber off of Zik's belt and ignited it. The two Shinobi fought as one on either side of Zik, but he managed to push them both back. Tails stood up first but Zik threw his lightsaber at him. He managed to deflect it, but the force knocked him off the path "NO!" Sonic yelled. Sonic fell to his knees solemnly before calming himself and standing up "That was a mistake" "Why? Because you have no one left to die for you?". Sonic pulled his own lightsaber towards him now dual wielding "Because I have nothing left to fear". The two continued their fight as Tails was lying on a path underneath them. Tails regained consciousness and felt a sharp pain on his face.
He felt his face and released Zik's lightsaber made a small slash. He then heard Sally on his commlink "I'm here" "Do you have Sonic? Is he okay?". Tails looked up and saw the fight taking place "I think he's fine". Sonic pushed Zik back "You were right. I was a coward. But now I know there's something stronger than fear, far stronger. The Force". Zik held out his lightsaber which began to spin to try and push Sonic back but instead Sonic put his lightsaber in the middle of the handled and destroyed Zik's lightsaber much to his shock. Zik fell of the platform ad grabbed onto the edge with his hands. The two parts of his lightsaber fell to the engine below causing an explosion. The entire room started falling apart. Sonic walked up to Zik who stared up at him "You have no idea what you've unleashed here today. There are some things far more frightening than death". He let go of the platform and fell into the fire below. "Sonic. Sonic!", Sonic turned around and saw Tails standing behind him. He smiled "I thought I lost you" "I know the feeling. Let's go home" "You got it, buddy". They started running through the ship when the commlink activated "Tails, we're in the Tie. Everyone else is evacuating. Where are you?" "On our way. Go!" "We're not leaving without you". Sonic smiled and leaned closer to the commlink "Don't worry, Sally. I've got him. You gotta take care of Wave and Tex".
The two of them ran into a hanger "Zik's TIE!" Sonic said pointing at it "Well we know he's not gonna use it" Tails joked, "Sometimes you worry me". They ran inside and flew the ship out right before the hanger exploded. The saw Sally's TIE getting chased by others "Why does it look like that?" Sonic asked confused, "Long story". Sonic shot down a few of the fighters and flew next to the others. Sally came over the commlink "Sonic, we've got a problem. G-merl and the transport are gone. We're going no where fast". Dozens of TIE started chasing them. They all thought they were doomed when suddenly G-merl's transport jumped out of hyperspace. Before they could react, multiple other ships jumped out including ones from Echidnaopolis and the Hurst being piloted by an unknown pilot "Who is that?" Tails asked. All the ships fired on the TIEs forcing them to retreat "Sonic, Tails, dock with Gem's transport so we can make the jump to hyperspace" Sally said. They did so and all the ships jumped allowing them to escape. Sonic and Tails climbed up into the transport. Once they did Sonic saw Sally on the other side of the corridor looking relieved to see him. The two walked towards one another "Thank you, even if what you did was rash and reckless" "You're welcome, dear". The two hugged each other tightly. G-merl then entered confusing Tails "If G-merl was in this transport ship, who was flying the Hurst?". The transport docked with the Hurst and the group entered and saw a group of Freedom Fighters standing to attention.
They walked past them all, and eventually G-merl stopped and projected a hologram of Wynmacher "Hello, my friend. It is good to see you again". Sonic stepped closer to the hologram "I don't understand. I met you once, for a few moments. I don't even know your name". Sally stood next to him "His name is Senator Wynmacher of Echidnaopolis" "And the crews of those blockade runners?" Sonic asked. "Members of other cells of people who have taken a liking to your name as Freedom Fighters" "There are other cells?" Wave asked happily. Sally nodded "We weren't supposed to meet. That way, if captured, we couldn't reveal the others to the Empire. That was the protocol" "The protocol has changed". Behind the hologram of Wynmacher which promptly cut off, a familiar pink hedgehog climbed down a ladder. Her quills now pointed down and she wore a red dress. The lightsabers on her belt now had red handles. Sally recognised her "Ortiz" "Amy. My name is Amy Rose". Sonic was surprised seeing another Shinobi "Why did you come here?" "Because of you and your apprentice many in this system and beyond have heard your message. You gave them hope in their darkest times. We didn't want that hope to die". Tails was happy to know how far the message reached "So what happens now?" "I don't know. One chapter has closed for you all. This is a new day, a new beginning".
A shuttle landed at the Imperial complex on Emerald Hill where Infinite was waiting. Finitevus stepped out of the shuttle, Infinite stood to attention "We are getting reports of unrest all over Emerald Hill. There are whispers from Flame Core. Some people see the Empire as weak, vulnerable". Finitevus didn't look concerned "Not to worry, Agent Infinite. The Emperor has sent an alternative solution". Infinite looked to the ship and saw the Raiju Lord Eclipse step out.