Sonic was meditating on a flat piece of land when Sally walked up to him "You know they already left to get the hyperdrive. Figured you'd go" "I wanted to stay". Sally stared at him causing him to chuckle "It's funny, no matter what happens, we always end up back here on Emerald Hill". Sally sat next to him "Well Tails has a strong connection to this place. It is his home" "Before we knew Tails, we were drawn here.". Sally looked confused "The mission was here" "There were a lot of missions in a lot of places, but we kept coming back" "Are you saying we were mean to come here? To meet Tails?". Sonic sighed "I don't know, something like that. But there's more to it. I'm just not sure what".
Nephthys was at the wreckage of the defender talking to a hologram of Mogul "We have recovered your prototype, Grand Admiral, but its data recorder and hyperdrive are gone" "They will attempt to deliver the recorder to the Freedom Command" "The hyperdrive is too cumbersome for the Freedom Fighters to have carried it far on foot. They must have hidden it in the area". Mogul nodded "Which is why I've dispatched specialized assistance your aid". Nephthys didn't seem to like this "Uh, I do not require assistance" "The return of these Freedom Fighters and the theft of my ship are two recent lapses proving otherwise. My agent, Reala, will arrive shortly".
Tails and Tangle were disguised as troopers near a rock formation keeping watch while Tex looked around for the hidden hyperdrive. Tex sighed in frustration "All these rocks look the same" "It was dark, and we just crashed. I didn't have time to make a map" they then heard a cheetah meowing. Tails smirked "When in doubt, follow the cheetah" "You're kidding, right?". They followed the cheetah to a large rock which they then moved revealing the hyperdrive "You and your cheetahs" Tex said.
A small transport landed near the wreckage and Nephthys stood in front of it. The door opened revealing a humanoid creature wearing a strange red and black outfit. Nephthys glared at him "As you must know, I'm Governor Nephthys". Reala ignored her, kneeled down, and sniffed a handful of dirt. Nephthys continued "I assume you are Mogul's assassin, Reala" "I smell it. A lizard". He looked in the distance and saw the disguised Tangle "And he's not alone".
Tails and Tex took out the hyperdrive "Uh, Tails" Tangle said looking through binoculars "We have a problem". Tails ran up and saw Reala "What is that?" "I don't know, and I don't think I wanna know". A transport was following behind Reala. Tails turned to Tex "You get the hyperdrive out of here". Tails and Tangle walked out "Just let me blast him" "It's okay. I can get us out of this". Reala ran up to Tails, leaned in and sniffed him "LS-3226 and LS-3227 reporting". He back away "We've checked out this area and found nothing. Should we continue our search?". "No" Reala said before throwing a punch. It tackled Tails and Tangle tried to shoot Reala who ran fast enough to avoid the shots and tried to lunge at Tangle. Tails however stopped him with the Force and threw him to a rock "Shinobi" he said when he stood up. The transport released troops and Nephthys "It's Prower. Blast him!". Tails ignited his lightsaber and covered Tangle as they jumped on an Extreme Gear board and raced off. Reala jumped on one "The lizard is still close. Find him!". Tails looked behind them and saw Reala catching up, "Are they following us?" Tangle asked, "What do you think?". Nephthys found a speeder "The lizard must be somewhere. Spread out and-" the transport behind them suddenly powered up and drove past them. Inside was a laughing Tex "Naka-Four to aka-Two. I've acquired the hyperdrive" "Good work, Naka-Four. What about Naka-Six?" "Oh, I'm sure he'll be along".
Tails and Tangle raced through a trench, Reala was close behind holding an electric staff. He tried to hit them, but Tails stopped it with his lightsaber "Can't this thing go faster?" "Just hold him there". Tangle droved them so a rock was in Reala's way forcing him to turn away however he quickly fired a small device to the back of the board. They went underneath a large boulder which Tangle threw a detonator on. It exploded causing it to block the road but Reala was able to get over it. The moment he did Tails used his pistol to shoot the board causing it to explode launching Reala into a rock wall which he latched onto. Tails gave them a mocking salute before racing away.
Sally and Wave were next to a shuttle managing cargo "Tex should be here soon. You ready?" "I should be able to just drop the hyperdrive in and run power to it". Sonic walked up to them without wearing his mask "This ship is old. There's no guarantee the defender's hyperdrive will even in this thing, never mind the Imperial blockade". Sally gestured to the recorder "Getting this data to the Freedom Fighters is vital" "When are you going to feel you've done enough for the Freedom Fighters?". Sally shrugged "I guess when the Empire is overthrown, and people are free to live their lives the way they want again". Sonic smirked "And when that time comes ow do you want to live your life?" "I don't know. Guess I never really thought about it". Sonic's face dropped "So I guess you really never thought about us". Sally sighed "Sonic, we've talked about that before". Sonic took her hand "Have we?", she smiled "You know how I feel" "Do I?". The two were about to kiss but "Hey, we got incoming!" Baron yelled. Sally follows him and Sonic watches her leave. They see the transport arriving and take their weapons out. Tex suddenly walked out "Look what I-" a blaster bolt hit near his face "Oh. I guess I should have mentioned I stole the transport. Then Tails and Tangle arrived, and Sonic greeted them "Good job. Looks like our hyperdrive problem is solved". Tails nervously chuckled "Yeah, well, you know how one problem usually leads to another?". Sonic crossed his arms "Yeah" "We have another. It's creepy, dangerous and has weird fashion". A distance away Reala was watching an got on his commlink "Governor, I've located the insurgent camp. Transmitting coordinates".
Wave and G-merl were working on the top of the shuttle "Well, it wasn't easy, but I got it patched in. Still, I give t a 50-50 chance of working". Sally didn't look deterred "I'll have to live with 50-50". Tails suddenly heard a humming in the distance. He looked out and saw Imperial tanks coming towards them "Oh no. We're out of time!".
Nephthys and Reala were on the lead tank with the latter looking troubled "I could have dealt with these insurgents myself, Governor" "The boy escaped you once, assassin. Besides, where will they go?" "Courtesy of the Lizard, who escape you, they now have a hyperdrive and can go anywhere". Nephthys didn't look bothered "Even if they get airborne, they'll never make it out of the system".
Baron was speaking to Tangle who was in a speeder loaded with cargo "We'll hold off the Empire until you're clear. We'll signal rendezvous coordinates later" "And if we don't hear from you?" "You will" Tails answered. Tangle nodded "Alright, Tails. Good luck" she drove the speeder away. Wave and Sally were heading for the shuttle "I didn't get a chance to double-check navi-computer sync, but I-" "Wave, I trust your work" "Good luck". Sally got on the shuttle where Sonic was waiting "Sally, about what happened. I don't want you to think…. I just-" she then kissed him. Wave and the others were in cover when she saw the two of them. She hit the back of Tex causing him and the others to turn around. Sally and Sonic foreheads rested together before the latter got off the shuttle. "May the Force be with you" Sally said before the door closed, Sonic smiled as the shuttle then took off. Nephthys saw this "Alert Admiral Mogul of the ship".
Sally left the atmosphere left the atmosphere and saw Scarships releasing fighters. G-merl beeped "I'm not worried about the TIE fighters. I'm worried about getting torn to pieces by those Scarships".
The tanks fired on the camp "We won't last long against those tanks" "We have a transport and a board" Baron said. Suddenly a stray blast hit the transport "How many can we get on a board?" Tex said. Tails however heard a familiar sound and saw two Chaos run though the rocks "There! That's our way out". This time the others could see them "Chaos?" Baron said. "Look, they helped me before. We should follow them" "Are you serious?" Baron asked. Tails ran "Come on!" "Seems like the best idea we've got. Let's go" Sonic said. Wave followed and Tex patted Baron's soldier "Trust me. When it gets strange that means it's good" "How have you people stayed alive so long?". They followed the Chaos as the tanks broke through the crates. Reala jumped down and sniffed the ground "They've gone deeper into the rocks" "Then they have trapped themselves" "Perhaps. But they're not alone. I'll hunt them down". Nephthys shook her head "You had your chance. We're going to finish them my way. Get me air support".
Sally was flying past the Imperial stations trying to avoid the TIEs. She then lined up with a hanger that went right through the hanger "That's our target. Get the calculations done, Gem". She flew right into the hanger and then jumped to hyperspace throwing everything out into space.
Tails and the others turned a corner and saw the Chaos staring at them "Hold it. Stay back" "Why have they stopped?" Sonic asked. Tails slowly walked forward to the lead Chaos "There is a way out of here. Isn't there? You wanted us to follow you. Didn't you?".
A female voice came over the commlink "This is bomber LS-21, approaching your position. What is our primary target?" "Just turn those mountains into dust" "Copy that, command. Commencing bombing run".
"What're you waiting for?" Tails asked, the Chaos stared past him to Sonic "Sonic? Sonic, it's looking-" "At me. I know". Sonic then walked forward "What does it want?" "I think they were waiting for you". The Chaos all turned and entered a small cave. Sonic and the others follow them inside, Wave shines a torch on the wall and see paintings of people following the Chaos. They reached a room and the chaos stopped "Wave switch your light off" Tails said. Tex looked nervous "There wasn't a picture of Chaos eating those people, was there?". The cave suddenly shook "The Empire's bombing the mountains!" "We gotta get out of here!" Tails said. The lead Chaos stepped forward and held out his hand, Tails understood "Everyone join hands". Tails held the Chaos and then Wave took his and so on. The chaos led them down a tunnel which began to glow blue.
The group woke up in a different cave and saw the Chaos standing next to the exit. Tails and Wave walked out and stood on a rock platform high above the ground on a mountain. There were small huts, crates and a piece of paper which Wave picked up and read "Uh. You're not going to believe this. We were in the northern hemisphere. Now we're in the Southern". Tex and Baron then walked out with the latter sighing "I'm not even gonna ask" "Tails, how did you know the wolves could do that?". Tails shrugged "I didn't" the Chaos re-entered the cave. Tails followed them and saw Sonic meditating "Sonic?". Sonic stood up "Look around, Tails. Tell me what you see". Tails looked around and realised "This place reminds me of the Shinobi temple here on Emerald. The walls are telling a story". He saw paintings on the wall "There are people coming down from the sky. I think they might be Shinobi" "There's a message here for us" "Because we're Shinobi?". A Chaos watched them "Maurice" it whispered causing Sonic to raise his head slightly. Tails noticed "What does that mean? The wolf said it before". Sonic removed his mask, and his face was full of surprise "Maurice is my name. Olgilvie Maurice is the name I was born with" "But... Uh, how does the wolf know that?". Sonic walked over to the Chaos and placed his hand on his head "It has a deep connection to the Force, to the energy of this planet". Tails was confused "Don't all living things?" "This is different. More focused, like it has a purpose" "And we're a part of it". Sonic stepped back "I'm getting a feeling building the TIE defender isn't the worst thing the Empire's doing here. There's something else. Something more sinister". The Chaos backed up into a crack in the wall "Maurice" it said before disappearing into the cave. "So, all the paths are coming together, right?" Tails asked. Sonic nodded "Yeah. I'm just not sure if we're going to like where they lead" "Do we ever". Sonic scoffed "No. And yes". Tails sighed "I wonder if Sally made it" "I know she did".
Sally landed at the Lost Jungle base where Cosmo was waiting. She exited the ship with G-merl and handed Cosmo the data recorder.