CHAPTER 7

The speeder drive drove his bike through the dark catacombs of the Old Station Square, the undercity of the New Station Square. The under city had once been the original city and had been through many catastophs including the still talked about incident with the Chao Guardian called Chaos. Since it had become so sturdy over the years it was now used at the foundations for the upper buildings, though a few people, mostly drug addicts and thieves lived down there.

The speeder driver also lived in this underworld, though he didn't take part in anything that went on down there. He couldn't afford to even try smoking marajana. He lived there not only to hide but survive. The driver could not spend much time in the sunlight otherwise he risked losing something he needed. Down in the catacombs he could live without that problem, or so he thought.

He started to get the feeling that the creature working for the Sith knew about his problem and would somehow use it to an advantage.

I cannot let that happen, he thought. Not before I'm finished.

He'd almost reached his home, a small, almost invisable office type building with western style swinging doors. (Like the kind you see in saloons on cowboy movies). Just as the speeder slid into its parking space the whole underworld was rocked by an explosion.

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Shadow, Tikal, and the others walked down the long carpeted aisle in the throne room in Queen Blaze's Castle. Toward the back of the room sat Queen Blaze Anabella., looking majestic in a long blue blue robe, if not slightly bored.

"Queen Blaze," the captain of the guard said waving a hand at the Padawans. "May I introduce Jedi Padawans Shadow Yukimako, Espio Rio, Tikal Sensai, Rouge Saphire and Sonic Kurmasu from the Jedi Temple on Mobius."

Blaze nodded at the Padawans.

"Jedi Padwans may I introduce her majesty Queen Blaze Anabella of Macoo," he said waving at the queen.

The Padawans bowed respectfully. "Your majesty," they all said in one voice.

"What is your business?" Blaze asked, crossing her legs and folding her arms.

Shadow, who was still spokes person, replied. "We recieved information of Sith activity on this planet, my lady."

Blaze closed her eyes halfway and studied the black and red hedgehog before her. "Where did you get this information?" she asked.

Shadow wasn't quit sure. "The Council," he said simply.

"And where did they get it?" she presisted.

He couldn't answer that.

"You see," the captain said. "They have no real proof. Only the words from a most likely dilusional person."

"The Council trusts the words of this person with their lives!" Rouge spoke up.

"Words trusted by the Council aren't always trusted by me," the cat queen told the bat girl, as she rested her cheek on her hand. "Unless you have real poof to show me I can't believe what you are saying."

"But-" Shadow began.

"Please leave," Blaze said looking away from him.

Shadow tried to say something more but then he saw the smug look of the captain and kept his mouth shut. Nothing he said would change her mind and they both knew it.

"Captain," Blaze said looking at the reptile. "See them back to their ship."

"No need," Shadow said coldly. "We'll see ourselves back, thank you very much."

As he fiev left the chamber Shadow once again caught the gloating, mocking face of Captain Rinzo. "It was a pleasure meeting you all," he said sarcastically as the Padawans stepped out of the building.

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The speeder driver instantly made his bike wipe out. It skidded sideways and threw him to the pavement as it fell over. He let himself fall then shot out a hand. He used it to catch the pavement and he did a quick flip as he dodged flying debree. He landed on his feet and went into a fighting stance, instantly reaching into his cloak for his weapon. He heard laughter as his eyes scanned the area. He saw no one but he knew they were there.

Suddenly a huge crushing force smacking into the side of his face and sent him flying. Those membranes shot out again so to keep him from smashing into the wall. The wings caught great gusts of of air and sent him flying backward with a will of their own.

"You won't escape this time!" the metallic voice shouted from deep withing the dark cavern. "This time we will get you!"

The drivers wings retracted and vanished. He fell to the pavement and landed on his feet, his black boots clanking noisly on the pavement.

"I doubt you'll be able to get me!" the driver growled, his hand returning to the insdie of his cloak to grab his concealed weapon.

"We'll see, Irad, we'll see," that voice snarled. A red rod of light appeared from the shadows of the now dimolished building.

The driver cursed. Where had his enemy gotten that!

The rod of light and the shadow attached to it came at him.

He lit his own and parried the blow. His eyes locked with the red orbs of his enemy.

"Just because you have a weapon doesn't mean you'll get the better of me," he yelled.

"We'll see about that!" the other shot back.

The two began to fight. The driver soon realized he wasn't having such an easy time defeating his foe. His enemy seemed to know every movement he was going to make before he made it. He was fighting for his life.

As he dodged and parried he realized he had to get out of there as soon as possible, otherwise he was going to lose...

Yelling, he shoved out his hand and a force of air slammed into his enemy. The shadow grunted as it was flung back into a wall. The thing fell to the pavement with half the wall coming with it.

The driver saw his chance and took it. He ran to his speeder bike and righted it. He hopped on and revved the engine.

His enemy got up and ran toward him.

The engine roared to life and with a sudden burst of power shot down the catacombs.

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"We can't just leave," Espio said as the five headed back to their ship.

"But we were ordered to," Tikal protested, never one to break the law. "We can't go against orders. Especially queen orders"

"But we are also under the Council's orders," the chameleon reminded them. "They wanted us to check for Sith activity."

"They said there is none," Rouge reminded him, folding her arms and gazing over the castle grounds.

"Someone's lying," Espio shot back. "I can feel it."

"How can you feel it?" Sonic asked.

Espio gave him a look. "If you were more atuned to it you'd feel it too," he replied. "I can feel a very powerful dark energy in the Force." He looked beyond the gardens at the mountains in the distance. "And it's getting stonger."

A/N

Okay people. I got two reviewers for this fanfic that are begging me to write another fanfic with Helen from Sonic X in it. Would it trouble you all to be patient? I'm trying to finish other fics before I start another. I hate being overloaded. It's really annoying. Can you people wait a little longer? I'll write it when I have time.