Tails, Wave, Tex and Baron were on a small cliff edge watching an Imperial base. Wave used her mask to watch closer "I see plenty of interceptors, but that's nothing new. Are you sure this is the place, Baron?" "My spies said this is where the test flight for the new TIE defender will be". Tex was getting annoyed by two cheetahs "Well, we've been out here for hours, and all I've seen are these stinking cheetahs" one licked face. Tails was petting another "What can I say. They like me" "I'm glad somebody likes you, Tais, but let's stay on mission". Commlink activated and they heard Sally "Naka-Two to Naka-Six. What's your status?" "No sign of the ship. Yet. How's your recon going?".
Sally, Sonic and G-merl were watching form the tower "The Empire's been fortifying their anti-aircraft defences, and there are some new fuel tanks near the factory". Sonic pondered "They must be getting ready to start full-scale production" "Maintain surveillance until nightfall then return to base" "Copy that. Naka-Six out".
Baron was still watching "My contacts tell me tis new protype is even tougher than the one you've already encountered. More powerful engines. Upgraded targeting computer". Tex looked sceptical "Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it" they suddenly heard an engine hum causing the cheetahs to scatter. They then saw the defender fly overhead. Wave used her mask to examine it "Do you believe it now, Tex?" "Nope, still don't". They watched it land at the air base "Do we have anything that can match that?" "Don't tell Sally I said this, but I think it could give the Hurst a run for its money". She then saw a familiar pilot exit the defender "Barker". Baron put his binoculars down "Well, we got a good look. If you had your recorder running, we should have enough intel for Freedom Command". Wave however didn't move "We can do better" "Wave, we got what we came for" "Hey, if we're gonna beat that thing, we need more than some pretty pictures". Tex sighed "I don't like where this is headed" "We need to get the flight data recorder" "From inside the ship?" Tails asked. Tex rolled his eyes "Yep, I was right. I don't like it" "The data would give Freedom Command a complete record of the ship's range, top speed, shield array, weapons payload, everything. We are not passing this up". Baron sighed "How could we get physical information like that to the Freedom Fighters? We have no starships left" "A transmission can easily be blocked. If we have the evidence, finding a way to get to Freedom Command is what I call a good problem".
Tails shrugged "She's right. We can do it. Baron, you and Tex stay here and keep watch". He and Wave slid down and quietly snuck inside the airbase. They hid behind a crate and saw two guards at the defender. Tails suddenly felt something touch his leg and he realised two of the cheetahs followed them "Not now". Wave watched the guards "This I no good. We need a distraction" "You got any ideas?" "I'm thinking". Tails then glanced up ad did a double take "Uh, looks like my little friends beat you to it". They walked up to the troopers who sighed "Great. More of those things" "That's what we get for building a base in the middle of nowhere". One of them leaned down "They're kind of cute". One of the cheetahs growled and leaped on the trooper's head causing him to fall back. The other trooper laughed but then was attack by the other cheetah "Ah! Get of me!". The cheetahs then jumped off and ran away "Get them!" one of the troopers yelled and they chased after them. Wave chuckled "I like those cats more and more. Keep watch". She ran over to the defender and jumped into the cockpit "I found it. Just give me a few minutes to remove it from the panel" "Can't you just copy the data?" "No, faster to take the whole thing". They then heard Tex "Heads up, you two. We got a ship coming in from the south". Tails watched a shuttle land opposite the defender". Tails hid and saw Barker stand in front of the shuttle. "Tails, what's happening?" Wave asked.
Tails eyes opened wide when he saw Mogul and Nephthys "Something terrible". Mogul stepped out to Barker "Good afternoon, Commander. I'm eager to hear your opinion on the improvements made to the TIE defender program" "Allow me to present the defender Elite for your inspection, Grand Admiral, and then I will provide you with a flight demonstration". Tex and Baron watched them heading to the defender "Uh. Get ready. Things are about to get interesting". Tails watched as well "Wave, we have to go. Now" "I've almost got it. Just stall them" "Stall them? How? It's Mogul!" "I'm confident you'll think of something". Tails peaked out and saw a strange water creature standing on a hill outside of the base. Tails then heard a blaster click and quickly turned around and ignited his lightsaber. A trooper shot at him, but Tails deflected it and jumped out. Mogul and the others saw him "A Shinobi? Here?" Barker said, "Miles Prower. Capture him!". Mogul then turned to two death troopers behind him "Secure the prototype". Tails was now defending against three troopers "Well, Tails, you certainly got their attention" he heard Wave say. "I'm glad this is working for you!" he yelled back when he then heard Tex "Tails, Wave head for the south end of the runway. We'll blast our way down there to get to you" "No, take the information you have, and report to base. We'll find our own way back". Tails ran behind a cargo container for cover "Tails, we have the data recorder". Tails jumped out and saw Mogul "Hey!" he said mockingly. Tails was then surrounded by troopers. He then saw the defender fly up and fire around the Tails killing the troopers "Wave! Are you crazy?" "Don't just stand there! Jump!". Tails did so and entered the cockpit behind Wave who then fired on the other ships at the airbase. She then tried to hit Mogul who refused to move and fired at them with his pistol, "Admiral, take cover" Barker told him. Wave didn't manage to hit him so flew away to escape. Mogul turned to Barker "Was that part of the demonstration?" "They won't get far, sir. Its hyperdrive is offline". Nephthys stepped forward "I will activate the ships kill switch" "Not yet, Governor. This is a perfect opportunity for a combat test. Barker, send your pilots to intercept" "Right away".
The two troopers were still chasing the cheetahs but then stopped form exhaustion "I'm done with this!" "Do you hear that?". The defender suddenly flew over head and they watched it "We're probably gonna get blamed for that". In the defender Tails glanced at Wave "I thought we were just gonna steal the data recorder" "We are but I'm also learning all kinds of things. Like, this thing has a navi-computer, which means it has a hyperdrive, so, obviously, I had to take it" "Why?". Wave rolled her eyes "Because without the hyperdrive we have no way to get the data back to Lost Jungle, but with it, we can fly it there right now" "This idea has gone from good to great". Wave got out of the seat "Take us east until I can disable the transponder. Don't need the Empire tracking us back to Freedom Command". Tails took control as Wave opened a panel on the floor. He then saw something on the scanner "We got enemy fighters, .68. Hang on!". The fighters fired on them, but the shields held. Tails flew up before dropping back down and shooting one of the fighters "Keep it steady!" Wave said, "Sorry. Little busy trying to not get shot down". Tails chased the remaining two and shot down another. Tails then turned the fighter upside down to mover around a rock formation causing Wave to fall on the ceiling. Tails then looked down in the console "We have missiles?". He turned the ship back around and fired two missiles which followed the final fighter blowing it up. Tails took a breath "I hate piloting". Wave finished what she was doing "Got it. Wait. Oh no. No, no, no!" "What? What is it?" "Land the ship. Now! The ship has a kill switch. They used it at Skystrike. They can disable the ship from a distance".
Mogul had been watching all this from the tower "The speed of the transponder being disabled would imply it was the work of Wave Voyance. If Miles Prower can best three trained pilots, our new fighter will give us an overwhelming advantage against the Freedom Fighters. Governor, you may proceed". Nephthys nodded "Activating theft countermeasure now. Scramble gunships. Once they have fallen from the sky, locate and secure the crash site".
One of the wings of the defender broke off "Wave!". They started hurling towards the ground when another wing broke off "Got it". Tails used the remaining wings to pull the ship up and the crashed upside down. The two of them fell through the hatch "Ow. You okay?" "Yeah. Nice landing" "Well I'm never piloting again so good to end on a high note" he said through the pain. They both stood up "What now?" "We can still take the hyperdrive". Tails didn't understand "Why?" "Baron's hyperdrive is shot I can use this one to replace it" "How are we going to carry it?". Wave raised her eyebrow "Gee, I don't know, Shinobi".
Tex was helping Baron, G-merl and Sonic loading a shuttle "I should have expected them to do something crazy like that" he said guiltily. Sonic shook his head "It's okay, Tex. This is on them". He went to the cockpit where Sally was "According to Imperial chatter, they crashed". Baron entered "The Empire's gonna pour everything they have into the search, but we can't contact them without risking a signal trace" "It doesn't matter. We have to find them".
Tails was carrying the hyperdrive with he Force, he and Wave were walking through an area full of rock formations. Tails stopped when he saw a cheetah at the top of one which then ran away. "This way" Tails said, he led Wave and followed the cheetah. They eventually found a small opening in the cave "Look. We can hide the hyperdrive in there and come back for it later. We'll make better time without it" "How did you know that was here?" "I followed the cheetah". Wave stared at him "Cheetah? Are you sure you didn't hit your head in the crash?". Tails then realised the cheetah was gone "Just…. Never mind" he put the hyperdrive in the opening. Tails then moved two large rocks in the way to hide it. Tails then heard something, "You coming?" Wave asked. Tails cleared his head and followed Wave while carrying the recorder.
Later at night Nephthys and her troopers found the crash. She then activated hologram of Mogul "Admiral, we've located the crash, Admiral, but there's no sing of the Freedom Fighters. I'm initiating a search. They won't escape" "Very good, Governor. Secure the site. Ground units are en route".
Sally was piloting the shuttle searching for Wave and Tails "I'm picking up a lot of Imperial patrols on the scanner" she heard Baron say. She began to look worried, but Sonic put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly "It's okay. Tails and Wave have each other. They'll find their way home" "I'll monitor the Empire's chatter and keep the engines warm, just in case.
Tails and Wave were avoiding the search shuttle "Did they see us?" "I don't think so" Tails answered. He then heard the noise again, he looked over and saw the water creature in the distance "Tails. Tails!" Wave said hitting his shoulder "We need to keep moving! What is it?". Tails looked and saw the creature was gone "I… I thought I saw something. I think it's a chaos. No one's seen them in 100 years" "A Chaos? Like from those old cave paintings?" "Yeah-". Tails then saw the chaos behind Wave "Wave", she turned around and saw it. Now close up they saw that the Chaos had green eyes and a visible brain. The Chaos then leaned in closer "Sleep". The Chaos put its hand over Wave's face, and she immediately got knocked out. "Wave!" Tails caught her "What'd you do to her". The Chaos just started at him; Tails slowly reached for his lightsaber but then the cheetah appeared next to the Chaos. Tails smirked "I don't believe it" he let go of the lightsaber "I thought I was just imagining things earlier". The Chaos then looked to the ships in the distance "I'm glad you don't like the Empire either. They're looking for us". The Chaos then grew larger and more muscular and put Wave over his shoulder. He then looked to Tails who realised what it meant "Are you sure?", the Chaos nods. Tails climbs on its other shoulder and he somehow doesn't fall through the water. The Chaos then ran at high-speed avoiding all the search lights and escaped the area "Thank you".
It was the next morning and the Chaos stopped just outside of Baron's camp. Tails climbed down and then helped Wave who was still knocked out. He then turned to Chaos "I don't understand. Why did you help us?" "Maurice…" it whispered back to him. "Tails!", he turned and saw the others running towards him, he then realised the Chaos was gone. Sally sighed in relief and kneeled down next to Wave "Thank goodness you're both safe" "How did you get back so fast?" Tex asked. "Didn't you see the Chaos?" Tails asked them and they just stared at him. "Wave?" Tails asked who started to wake up "I don't remember seeing anything. I just heard you say Chaos". Sally then saw the flight data recorder "You guys got it" "Yeah. All Wave's idea". Sally helped Wave up "We got the hyperdrive, too. Stashed it in the rocks near the crash. I think it'll work in our U-wing". Tex grinned "Then we can come and go off this rock. Well done, you two". They headed back to camp, but Tails stopped Sonic "Sonic, there was a Chaos. And there's something more to it. What I don't know" "I believe you. All paths are coming together now" "What does that mean?". Sonic shrugged "I don't know. We'll have to find out when we get there" they followed the others as the Chaos watched from the distance.