Freedom Fleet was heading towards Avalon. Sally was leaning them on board the Hurst "Hurst to Dawn home, we're heading down with another load" "Copy, Hurst. I'll meet you on the surface". Sally turned to G-merl and Tex "So, one more run, then we'll take a break. Are they still at it?" "Pretty much non-stop". Sally left the cockpit and went down to the railing above the cargo hold. She stood next to Wave and looked down watching Sonic and Tails training with lightsabers. Sonic blocked an attack "Keep your blade up. It's easier to drop it than it is to raise it". Sonic got him in a saber lock and threw Tails into the wall. Tails got back up and fired stun shots which Sonic blocked "You know, that's my move" "I steal from the best". Tais slid forward and tried to go for Sonic's leg, but he jumped. Tails went under him and then leaped off the wall before Sonic turned around. Tails jumped back behind Sonic and put the lightsaber next to his neck "Gotcha!" "And I got you". Tails realised that Sonic's lightsaber was pointing at his stomach. Tails tied and lowered his lightsaber "Tied again" "There's no such thing as a tie. You lose, you die. You win by surviving". Wave smirked "You two are getting pretty good". Tails raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms jokingly "Getting? Are you saying we weren't good before?". Sally smiled "I think she just meant you're even better now". Tails shrugged "I'll take it". Sonic suddenly tried to strike him in the back and Tails quickly tried to block it "Hey!" "You never turn you back on an enemy. Let's do it again". Tails sighed and they continued. Wave looked to Sally and realised her face dropped.
The Hurts landed on a strangely shaped rock structure with two other ships. Sally walked out with Sonic "I thought you'd be more excited about our new base. We finally have a place to call home" "Trust me, Sal, I'm excited. This is my excited face". He turned to her and gave a fake grin, Sally rolled her eyes "Yeah, very nice". She walked over to Fixit "Here's that crate of power generators, Fixit" "This shipment was due hours ago". G-merl beeped making Fixit sigh "So I can expect them to be late all the time then?". Sonic and Sally met with the others including Fang "The site doesn't look like much, I'll admit. The good news is our scouts found a fresh water source, deep underground". Wave smirked "We're placing sensors markers around the perimeter. We'll know if anyone drops by unannounced". Tex then saw a small creature crawling on the crate next to him "Hey! Get away from that!". He growled and the creature ran away "I hate those little things". Fang chuckled "This planet may be hot, dry and unpleasant. But at least there's nothing to kill us".
A bird pilot had landed on a rock platform and placed down a sensor. She walked back over to her fighter when two small creatures ran past her terrified. She watched them go over to the sensor "Hey! Get away from that!". She heard a growl behind her. She turned and saw a massive spider like creature standing on her fighter. She took out a blaster and fired at it, but it had no affect. She screamed as the spider lunged at her.
Sonic and Sally watched more ships land "I can't believe it's all finally coming together. Ships, pilots, a base". Sonic nodded "Everything you need". Her face dropped and she sighed "Except you and Tails". Sonic turned to her but said nothing, "So, when do you leave?" "As soon as Amy gets back. We can't run from Inquisitors forever". She nodded "I figured it was something like that, with all that training". She walked away but Sonic followed her "Sally, what you've accomplished here is important. I understand that now, the need for us to be part of a larger fight, I'm behind you, but none of it will matter if we don't do what we need to do". Nearby a pilot want over to Wave "All sensors on the eastern side have been placed" "Good. Have all the pilots checked in?" "Lieutenant Deiser hasn't come back yet". Fang heard this and got on the transmitter "Dawn-Six. Deiser, do you copy?". There was no answer, Wave checked the log "She was on the North face. We'd better go check on her". Sally heard this "Take the Sneak".
Tails found Tex lying back on a chair far from the Hurst "What're you doing out here, big guy?". Tex glanced at him "Oh. Hey, Tails. Just getting a little fresh air and privacy. Pull up a crate and watch the sunset". Tex had a drink as Tails climbed up on the crate next to Tex "We're gonna be leaving soon. Sonic and me" "Yeah, I figured. Going after the red blades, huh?". Tails took a drink "Yeah, I don't know when we'll be back. Or if we'll be back" "Hey, hey, bad luck to talk like that. You'll be back". Tex playfully punched his arm "Course we'll probably have toppled the Empire by then. We can swap war stories". Tails chuckled "It's a deal".
The Sneak has landed next to the A-wing, Wave and Fang were looking around "Naka-Five to Dawn-Six, where are you? Deiser, come in". Fang found her helmet "Looks like whatever happened right after she placed the sensor". Wave put on her mask, and she was able to see blood on the ground "Someone else is here". Fang saw a rock nearby begin to shake "Or something else". The rock rose revealing another spider. Wave and Fang backed away and took out their weapons "Do you think it's aggressive?" "I'm not waiting to find out". They fired at it, but it had no affect and more began to appear "Get to the ship". They ran to the ship, but a spider jumped on top of it. Wave activated her commlink "This is Naka-Five. We're under attack, we need back up". One of the spiders hit her into a wall and another grabbed Fang "Get off me, you lousy crawler!" "Fang!". Wave tried to chase after the spider but two more got in her way. She fired at the spider's eyes which managed to kill it. There was still too many and she ran towards the sensor. She kept firing but then realised that the spiders were no longer advancing. They started screeching and backed away. The Hurst then appeared from the edge of the cliff. Sonic and Tex stood at the ramp and fired at the spiders forcing them to retreat. The Hurst landed and the two walked out "I hate multi-leggers!" Tex said. Tails and Sally came out next "Where's Fang" "Those creatures took him. I think they got Deiser, too". Sally turned to G-emerl "Gem, locate Fang's position!". G-merl scanned the area and then pointed in the direction the of the spiders. The others ran except for Tex "I'll, uh… I'll guard the ship" "We need you, Tex. G-merl, stay here and keep the Hurst ready for take-off". Tex grunted and followed the others "More than two legs are just… excessive". G-merl ran over to the Sneak and flew it over tot eh Hurst attaching it. The others entered a cave with Sonic igniting his lightsaber so they could see "Stay sharp and stick together" "They have tough armour. Aim for the eyes". Sonic saw that there were different passages "We need to split up. Tails, go with Sally". Sally shook her head "No. Tails, stay with Sonic. Wave and Tex, with me". Sonic hesitantly nodded "Let's go". Tex and Wave followed Sally "Shouldn't we have a Shinobi on each team?" "We gotta get used to not having them around".
Tails and Sonic slowly walked through the other passage when a spider appeared in front of them. Tails raised his saber, but Sonic stopped him "Wait. We might be able to connect with it". Sonic stepped forward and raised his hand. He closed his eyes and tried to calm the creature. It screeched which made Tails leap forward. He cut off the front leg of the spider and stabbed through its head. Sonic grabbed his shoulder "What're you doing?" "It was going to kill you!" "It made a noise!" Sonic said disapprovingly. He sighed "We don't have time for this. Come on".
Sally and the others found the shells of the smaller creatures "The spiders must eat them". Tex sighed "Even I wouldn't wish that on those pests". Wave found a pile of eggs when "Could really use a hand over here". They shined a torch up and saw a spider sleeping on the roof with Fang trapped between it's legs "I met the neighbours. I don't care for them". Tex and Sally reached up trying to move the legs releasing Fang. Wave got on her commlink "Sonic! Tails! We found Fang" "Good work! We're coming to ya!". The spiders around them started to wake up "Come on!". They ran and fired back at the spiders. Wave then threw a grenade killed mot of them. But more spiders were now on their other side. Wave gave Fang another pistol "Aim for the eyes". Tex charged forward and stabbed his sword through the spider's head and fired a laser bolt inside "Stinking crawler". Wave saw more crawling over the dead behind them "We're getting boxed in here!". Tails and Sonic dropped down from a hole above them and got in front of the group "Come on. We'll clear a path". They cut through the spiders and led the group out of the cave. They ran towards the Hurst "G-merl, open the ramp!". He did so and they ran inside.
Sally started up the ship as the spiders started climbing up the ship. Sonic ran in "Maybe this base isn't so perfect after all" "I'm not giving up without a fight". She tried to fly the ship, but it was stuck "I'm at full power. They must have glued us down. Tex, Tails and Sonic all got on turrets and fired at the spiders "They're all over us!". Sally and Wave were working in the cockpit "Route auxiliary power to the hull. That should knock them off". The spiders on the hull were all shocked by electricity but it had no effect "Hit them again!" "No. If we drain too much power, we won't be able to lift off" "I hate to break it to you, but we're not going anywhere". Tails climbed in "We have to go outside and cut the ship free". He heard Tex "Good luck surviving that" "Oh, thanks, Tex. I'm gonna get eaten. One of the last Shinobi in the galaxy because you're too afraid to go outside!". Sonic entered looking confused "We're missing something. Why didn't these things attack us before?". Sally turned to him "You're right. They could've overrun the base; they didn't come near it". Wave then remembered when the spiders didn't attack her earlier. She looked out the window and saw the spiders avoiding the sensor marker "That's it. Sonic, they don't like the markers". Sonic looked out "And the base I surrounded by them! If we can get it, we can use it to hold them off while we clear the ship" "Only problem I how do we get to it?" Sally said.
They heard Fang "We got a breach. They're coming through the airlock". The others ran to the airlock and saw Fang kill one of the spiders "I'll hold them here. Get out and cut the ship loose!". The others walked out from the ramp and shot at the spiders. Tails stared at the sensor "I have an idea. Wave, stay on the ramp!" "Why?" "Me and Sonic are gonna throw you to the sensor". Wave sighed "I wish I have a hover vial" "Ready?" "Yeah". Wave ran down the ram, Sonic and Tails grabbed her with the Force and threw her across to the sensor "Whoa! Whoa!". She landed and grabbed the sensor stopping a spider that went for her. She slowly walked through the spiders who avoided her. Sally ran back on the ship to get it ready. Wave kept the spiders back as Sonic, and Wave started cutting the webs "We're clear". They jumped back on the ship as it took off. They all entered the cockpit and Fang took a breath "I guess we should inform Commander Bristles that our site, might not work out". Sally shook her head "No. It took everything we had just to find this place. I'm not ready to give up". Sonic sat next to her "We're not going to. The Freedom Fighters needs this place and we're gonna do whatever it takes to keep it" "Don't worry. I'll handle it".
Sensors were now placed all around the perimeter of the base. Sonic was standing with Wave watching them be placed "I think your fence is gonna hold". Wave rolled her eyes "You'd better go talk to Sally" "Why? What's wrong". She sighed "Sonic, wake up! She might agree with your mission but you're still walking out and taking Tails with you".
Sally was walking with a sad looking face when Sonic ran up to her "Sally". She put on a fake smile and turned to him "I told the Commander the site is secure, and operations can resume". Sonic sighed "We're gonna be okay. You know that, right?". He crossed her arms "You realise I know when you're lying, right?". Sonic didn't answer, Sally sighed "Whatever you're facing, I wanted us to face it together". He smiled "We'll see each other again. I promise". He held her tightly and the two stayed there for a while".
Tails was sitting just behind the fence; he watched a stray spider standing just outside. Tails thought back to the pilot that the spiders killed. Tails stood up, ignited his lightsaber and threw it at the spider killing it. Tails pulled his lightsaber back to him, used the Force to push the spider's body away form the difference and then stayed down on the ground. He waited there for a while and then when he heard a Flicky. He turned and saw the flicky flying in the air above Amy. Tails smiled "Amy?" "I see the base is coming long nicely" "Yeah. The spiders are beginning to learn to come near here. Where were you". Amy smirked "Learning just how little I understand the Force" "I'm not sure I understand it to begin with" "We should get going". The two headed back to the base as the flicky watched.