Mimic and Nack were loading their ship when Espio ran out onto the platform, Nack saw him "Dad!", Mimic turned around "Nack, get onboard!" Mimic was now wearing a white mask with one blue eye on its left side. Espio ignited his lightsaber as Mimic pulled out his blaster, he started firing at him but Espio deflected the shots. Espio advanced on him but Mimic pulled out a wispon with his free hand and pointed it upwards, an orange glow appeared around the wispon before Mimic was launched into the air. He continued to fire on Espio with his other hand and the glow changed from orange to green as he hovered above the platform. Mimics wispon changed to red before he launched a fireball at Espio, it exploded near him launching him back. Mimic was now using a red glow as he was flying towards Espio at high speed, but Espio jumped high and kicked him in mid-air. As they landed on the ground the wispon glowed violet and Espio started getting pulled towards it, he quickly used the force to push Mimic off the edge platform but the wispon was still pulling "Oh no, not good". Espio was pulled off the edge too and they both started rolling down the side, Mimic changed the wispon to glow pink and the tip grew spikes. Mimic used it on the side of the platform to stop himself. Espio tried to grab him but he missed, and he fell off the platform to a lower one. Espio made his way back up as Mimic climbed back up and ran into the ship. Espio got back to the platform but the ship began to take off, he quickly threw a tacker on the hull of the ship.


Shadow and Tikal flew to Sandopolis and landed in the Dusty Desert spaceport. They with Emerl made their way through the town when Shadow spots a familiar green hawk at a stand. They walked up to Harry and saw he was working on a piece of machinery "Hello, Harry. Let me help you with that" he picked it up and started messing with the wires, Tikal's face turned angry when she saw the slave owner. Harry looked annoyed "What do you want? Wait. You're a Shinobi. Whatever it is I didn't do it!". Shadow put the machine down "I'm looking for Sonia the Hedgehog", Harry stared at him as the gears began to turn "Shadow? Little Shadow?". Shadow stared blankly at him as Harry examined the machine realising that he fixed it. Harry looked happy "You are Shadow! I knew it, haha. You sure grew, huh. You're a Shinobi, well what do you know. Hey maybe you can deal with some deadbeats who owe me money". Shadow's expression didn't change "My mother", Harry suddenly got nervous "Oh, yeah. Sonia. Well… She's not mine anymore. I sold her" "You sold her?" Shadow took a step forward. "Years ago. Sorry Shadow, but you know business is business. I sold her to a moisture farmer named, uh, Stripes. I believe he freed and married her. I think they live somewhere on the other side of Dusty Desert". "I'd like to know" Shadow gave him a threatening look "Sure, follow me. I'll have it in my records".


Mimic and Espio's ships came out of hyperspace and entered the ring of a planet. Nack saw Espio's ship on a screen "Dad, I think we're being tracked!" "He must have been tracking us. Hang on, son We'll move into the asteroid field and we'll surprise him" Nack cackled at that. Espio saw something get dropped out of there ship "Seismic charges!" the charge hit one of the asteroids and it detonated causing a huge blue wave of energy that approached Espio. He flew the ship through the asteroid field trying to avoid it, he managed to but before he could celebrate Mimic's ship was now behind him and firing. "This is why I hate flying" a chase ensued through the asteroid field. Part of the ship got hit and Mimic then fired a missile, Espio tried to outrun it but it was getting close "Scylla, jettison the spare part canisters" the ship ejected the cannisters which hit the missile causing it to explode. Mimic saw Espio's ship disappear from the screen "We won't be seeing him again", the ship entered the atmosphere of the planet and landed near multiple egg carriers. Espio's ship was hiding on one of the asteroids "Alright, Scylla that's enough time" the ship took off and followed Mimic's trajectory. He landed far away from the egg carriers and jumped out, he decided to walk the rest of the way.


Shadow and Tikal were exiting the ship that was now in front of a moisture farm. As they headed towards it, they were greeted by a familiar robot "Oh, hello. How can I be of service? I am Or-" "Orbot?" Shadow noticed that he no longer had missing parts. Orbot looked at him for a second before his eyes lit up in surprise "The maker! Master Shadow! I knew you would return. And Miss Tikal". Tikal smiled at him "Hello, Orbot" "I'm so pleased to see you both". Shadow was happy to see him as well but he knew what he was here for "I've come to see my mother" "Oh. Um, I think perhaps we'd better go indoors". He led them down into the lower level of the moisture farm where a male and female hedgehog where waiting "Master Jules, May I introduce two important guests" "I'm Shadow". The male hedgehog stepped forward and shook his hand "I'm Jules, this is my girlfriend Bernadette. I suppose I'm your stepbrother. Your mother talked about you a lot". Shadow didn't seem that interested in his new extended family "Is she here?" "No, she's not" a tiger in a wheelchair appeared "I'm Stripes. Sonia is my wife. Come inside. We have a lot to talk about".

They took them inside and they sat down at a table "It was just before dawn. They came out of nowhere. A hunting part of overlanders. Your mother was out at the time and… they took her. The overlanders look human but they're mindless monsters". Shadow tried to hide his anger; Stripes continued "Thirty of us went out after her. Four came back. I'd go out again but after I lost my leg, I couldn't. It's been a month". Shadow got up and started walking away "Where are you going?" Jules asked, "To find my mother", Stripes looked at him "Your mothers dead, son. Accept it".

Shadow was back on the surface staring into the distance when Tikal came up to check on him "You're gonna have to stay here. There are good people. You'll be safe" he said blankly to her. Tikal looked to be in thought "You don't have transport. Wait here" she ran back to the ship and after a few minutes she came back out carrying a box. She ran back and handed it to Shadow "You'll need these". Shadow curiously opened the box and saw a pair of rocket shoes, but not just any rocket shoes, they were the same ones he used all those years ago. Shadow was surprised "How did you-?" "I tracked them down not long after we freed Albion. I was going to surprise you" she put her hand on his shoulder "Go find her". Shadow smiled "Thank you" he adjusted the size on the shoes and put them on. He took one last look at Tikal before blazing through the desert at top speed.


Espio sneaked into what looked like a hive structure that the Egg Carriers were surrounding. He heard a noise coming from a room, when he entered, he went over to a balcony and saw that the structure went deep underground, and the entire thing was a badnik factory. He went deeper into the structure and he was now above a meeting between the separatist leaders, Espio noticed that in the head seat was Dimitri. He was wearing blue and gold armour as well as a helmet "We must persuade the rest of sympathisers to sign the treaty". Also at the table was Dr Robotnik and Nega "What about the meddlesome Echidna? I'm not signing the treaty until I have her head" "I am a man of my word, Doctor". Dimitri looked around the table "I am convinced that 10,000 more systems will rally to our support, gentlemen". A wasp who Espio figured was a native of the planet spoke up "The factories of Waspnosia are at your disposal" "Thank you, Vesper". Another alien who looked similar to Black doom spoke next "The Black Arms will sign your treaty". Dimitri nodded "Once the Waspnosian badniks are combined with Robotnik's, our army will be greater than any in the galaxy. The Shinobi will be overwhelmed, and the republic will agree to our demands".


Shadow had a long journey, running for hours through the desert landscape. Eventually he talked to a group of Nerbs who pointed him in the direction of an overlander camp. He snuck into the camp without being seen and he could sense his mother's presence in one of the tents. There were two guards at the front, so he snuck around the back and quietly cut a hole with his lightsaber. He went inside and was horrified to see Sonia tied to a wooden cross, she was covered in cuts and bruises and patches of her fur where gone. Shadow quickly untied her and held her in his arms "Mum? Mum, come on" "Shadow?" Sonia opened her eyes and saw him. "Shadow?" "I'm here, Mum. You're safe" Shadow was trying to hold back his tears. Even though she was in pain she gave her son a smile and placed her hand on his face "Oh, you look so handsome. Oh, my grown-up son. I'm so proud of you". Shadow kissed the hand that was on his face "I missed you" "Oh Shadow, I love yo-". She stopped talking and her head began to slowly fall "No no, come on. Stay with me, Mum. Please… Don't". She stopped moving, Shadow with what little control he had left closed her eyes before he sobbed and he rested his head on her. However, something else took him over, not sadness but pure rage. He stopped crying and placed his mother on the ground, he walked right out the entrance of the tent, ignited his lightsaber and removed the heads of the two guards. The rest of the camp heard this, some of them stared running while others carrying weapons charged at Shadow.