CHAPTER 5 Heading Out

The speeder driver who had taken the information on the Sith to the Temple stepped out of a local tavern that same night. He hadn't seen the person who had given him the hard time since the confrontation. Even so he could still sense the enemy through waves of energy. The force was strong in him. He could feel the assassin and knew this wasn't over yet.

Now he headed to his speeder and pulled the hood of his cloak over his head to hide his features. He knew the Temple had sent someone to the planet of Macoo. He'd seen the ship. He'd been watching it launch. He also knew this ment another confrontation was coming.

It will be soon, he thought, slipping on a pair of black leather biking gloves. I'll have to be ready. I will not let what happened to her happen to me. I'm not going to be careless. I will not let myself fall at the hands of his minions!

As he neared his speeder he noticed an out of place shadow attached to it. Instantly his right hand reached into his cloak and touched the handle of the weapon he'd concealed in there. I knew you were coming back, my friend...

By then he was only a few feet away from the bike. Immediately the shadow detached itself from it and stood in his way, a dark light sucking blackhole of a creature.

The driver gave the shadow a look of total boredom. "Would you kindly get out of my way?" he said coolly. Though he was calm he was just waiting for the thing to strike.

The shadow refused to comply to his request and stood as a stone in his path. It locked its red eyes on him trying to probe past the shadowed hood to the face within. After a moment it spoke. "They have sent someone," it finally told him. "Just like I knew they would."

"That is not my problem," the driver retorted.

"Yes, it is," the thing insisted. "It's your problem because you gave them the information."

"Too bad," the speeder driver said, fingering his weapon again. "It's your problem now."

The shadow shed its cloaked form. Now a gleaming metallic body was exposed. "I don't know what kind fo game you're playing, Irad," it said. "But it ends here."

The driver tensed, but not enough to ben oticed. "What are you planning on doing?" he asked, slowly wrapping his fingers around the handle of his weapon.

"This!" A huge ball of Force energy appeared out of nowhere and flew at the driver.

The driver cursed and jumped out of the way. He put out his own hand and caught the energy in it. He held it a moment, the light briefly exposing the face withing then threw it back.

The metallic creature dodged out of the way and swung at the driver with its clawlike fingers. The nails made contact with the cloak and slashed it down the back. The driver felt one of the claws dig into his back. He reacted instantly. He grabbed the attackers arm and yanked it hard. Both creatures fell over the edge of the tweny story parking lot. The driver let go of his enemy. He raised both hands and put them over his heart as he consintrated.

A red aura surrounded him and suddenly black and blue membranes unfurled from his back and caught the wind. For a second he froze in mid air as he got used to his wings again. When he'd gotten his bearings he flew back to to where his speeder was parked. When he landed the wings folded back up and disappeared.

The driver sighed in relief and looked over the side of the building, leaning against the railing. His eyes scanned the area for his attacker. It was too dark and he saw nothing, not even with his powerful night vision. He just hoped the robot (for he knew that's what it was) wouldn't come back.

As he climbed onto his speeder bike, roared it to life, and sped it over Station Square he knew deep within this wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rouge got out of her seat to stretch her legs. She walked toward the back of the ship, being careful of the loathsome hatch, and stepped into the small kitchen unit. There she found Sonic trying to work the oven.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He looked up, startled. "Oh, hi Rouge," he said when he saw who it was. He turned back to the oven. "I'm trying to get this thing to work."

"Why?"

"I'm hungry and I want a chillie dog," he answered banging on the machine. "Shoot! Work you blasted thing!"

"A chillie dog?" se said. "Don't you remember what Master Prower told you about those things?"

"Yes," he said looking slightly guilty as he turned from the ovan. "But I like the too much to worry about a little gas."

"You mean a lot of gas," she corrected. "I don't know about you but I don't feel like smelling that in such a tight space. You know Knuckles won't either."

"Who cares about Knuckles?" Sonic asked, folding his arms. "He's an old spoil sport."

"He'll also tell the Masters if you stink up his ship," she shot back. "Do you want that?"

"No."

"Then here." she picked up a banana out of a fruit bowl on the counter and tossed it to him. "If you're so hungry eat that."

He looked down at the banana. "Thanks," he saids sarcastically.

She smiled. "You're welcome," she said before she stepped out of the kitchen.

As she was going out she ran into Shadow who was going in. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said.

"It's okay," she said then noticed something seemed to be bothering him. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

He looked down at her. (he's taller than her by a few inches). "Not really," he replied. "I don't think flying is for me. I don't feel well."

"Oh," she said. "Well when I'm not feeling well I usually lie down."

"That could work," he agreed, turned around and heading back to the control room. "Thanks for the advice."

"You are welcome," she said smiling.

As she watched his retreating figure she began to get the feeling that space sickness wasn't his only problem. Something was bothering him she could feel it.

I'll find out what it is soon enough, she vowed. Whether he tells me or I find out by myself.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tikal watched Knuckles as he busied himself with the ship's controls. He sure knows a lot more than the Temple gives him credit for, she thought with admiration. I wonder what else he knows how to do...

"Isn't there something else you could be doing, Sensai?" he asked after a few minutes, as he contined to stare at the screen for metiors. "You're making me nervous."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, blushing slightly. "I'm so sorry! I was just watching you.. um... you're a pretty good pliot."

"Thank you," he said, looking up at her. "I wish the people at the Temple would give me more credit."

"Why?" she wanted to know.

"They think I'm too naiive," he replied, going back to what he'd been doing. "They think I'll fall to the Sith or something because of it."

"Oh."

He pounded the control board. "I'm not like the first guardian!" he exclaiemed. "I'm not that stupid!"

"I never said you were."

"I know. I'm not talking about you," he said, resting his frehead on his fingertips. "I just with the Masters would let me do more than guard the Master Emerald and pilot other Padawans to other worlds. For once I would like to be given a chance to show that I can do more than just pilot ships and guard giant gemstones."

"Don't worry about it, Knuckles," she said putting her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you'll get your chance."

He looked at her curiosly. "But when?" he wanted to know.

"It might be sooner than you think," Espio said coming into the room from the mediation in the back of the ship. "You just have to be patient."

"I hope you're both right," Knuckles told them. "Otherwise I'm going to go crazy!"

A/N

If you're curous about the unnamed driver you'll find out who he is later. This chapter is pretty good and I liked writing it. I'm a little stumped on just exactly how I'm going to get Black Doom into the story but I'll think of something.