Chapter 12

The speeder driver woke to a terrible pain in his head and the smell of burning metal. When he opened his eyes a bright light shone into them. Moaning, he turned his head away from it.

"He's finally awake," a metallic voice said suddenly.

The driver felt a hand reach under his chin and force his head straight. He saw a fat bald man, with glasses and a handle bar mustache grinning at him. The driver knew that face.

"You!" he exclaimed.

The grin got bigger. "Hello, Jonas Irad," the man said. "You thought you could just up and run off and I wouldn't know or bother to do anything about it?"

"I knew you would realize I was gone," Jonas shot back, straining against the bonds that held him to the wall. "But I wasn't about to stay any longer after what you did to her!"

The bald man frowned and let the driver's face go before taking a step back. "She got what she deserved," he said mildly. "No one defys me and lives to regret it."

"She didn't do anything to you!" the driver protested.

The bald man glared at Jonas. "I beg to differ."

"She was only trying to discover the meaning of her existance," Jonas went on. "That was why she hacked into your computer."

"Do you think I'm going to believe that nonsesne?" the fat man demanded. "If you do, you're sadly mistaken. Nobody hacks into a computer just to find 'the meaning of life'. They always have some other agenda."

"Well you're wrong," Jonas shot back.

"I am not wrong," the human told him. "Is that why you hacked into my files as well? To find your meaning too? If that was true you're be horribly disappointed."

Jonas stared at him. "What?" he asked.

The man grinned and crossed his arms. "You, my friend, weren't even suppost to exist," he told him. "You're nothing more than parts."

"Parts?"

"That's right. You're nothng more than leftover parts from when the ultimate life form was created."

Jonas felt an icy hand grip his heart. Maybe this explained all the problems he had. Being unable to go out in the day time, using souls to heal himself... What else could be wrong?

"You're useless to me," the man went on holding up a glowing gem. "You can't even be exposed to more than one of these at a time." he shoved the gem at the driver. "I'll show you."

Jonas felt an electrifying pain shoot through his body. He screamed aloud as sparks shot from the gem and played tag with his genetics. "STOP!" he screamed.

The man man complied. He let the gem fall to the floor. "See," he said leaning his face close to the driver's. "Now that we both know your weaknesses let's get down to other matters."

"What other matters?" Jonas questioned, panting heavily.

"How much information did you give the Jedi Temple?"

Jonas gave him a snide grin as he answered. "All of it."

The fat Sith didn't take this piece of information very well. He angrily picked up the Chaos Emerald he'd dropped and shoved it back at Jonas. The speeder driver screamed in agony as the eletric feeling pulsed through his body again.

This went on until a deep voice suddenly boomed from the shadows. "That will be enough, Ivo!"

The pain stopped instantly as the fat man dropped the gem and turned his attention toward the shadows. "I'm sorry, Master," he said bowing respectfully to something Jonas couldn't see.

The shadows spoke again. "Leave us. I want to speak to Irad in private."

Ive bowed again. "Yes Master," he said before he left the room.

Jonas eyed the shadows wearily. He could sense strong Force energy coming from them, and it reeked of the dark side.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

A dark figure with three yellow eyes materialized out of the darkness. Jonas saw a black alien like creature hovering before him.

"Who are you?" he asked again, eyeing the thing wearily.

The alien, instead of answering, lifted a clawed finger and used it to remove the hood shadowing Jonas' face. This movement revealed a youngish black hedgehog with black and blue spikes and dead red eyes.

"I, Jonas Irad, am the reason you even exist." he replied.

Jonas stared at him. "What?" he demanded.

"Like my apprentice said, you were created from whatever was leftover when Shadow the hedgehog was created," the alien replied. "He is right. You weren't suppost to exist but when the pieces came together there was nothing that could be done. You already had a form and a heart. But, like all leftovers, you had your flaws. Namely you're vunerable to sunlight and the Chaos Emerlads react negatively to you if they get too close."

"I know that," he spit out. "If you chose to give me the chance to exist why did you let those problems stay?"

"So you would forever know your place."

"Know my place?"

"I let you live because I wanted you to forever remain my servant," the alein replied. "But you were able to get away anyway, even with your flaws. You were able to give the Jedi the inforamtion about us."

"They needed to know."

The alein slapped the hedgehog across the face. "No they didnt!" he snapped. "The Jedi don't need to know my plans until its too late for them to do anything about it. If they start poking their noses around Macoo they might figure out what we're planning."

Jonas next words were enough to make the alien's blood boil. "They already are."

Shadow woke to a major pounding headache. "Oh," he moaned, as he sat up without taking his head off the pillow. "My head."

"Well it was your own fault," Rouge saind coming into the room with a cup of orange juice. "You shouldn't have gone out drinking and picking fights with big muscle birds."

He peeked at her with one eye. "That's what I did last night?" he asked. "God, I can hardly remember anything!"

"Well it's your own fault you know," she said sitting on the bed and rubbing his back.

I know," he moaned. "I am such an idiot!"

"No you're not," she told him.

"Yes, I am."

"Could you two please keep it down?" Espio asked from his bed. "I'm trying to focus here!"

Rouge watched the chameleon Padawan meditate for a moment before she looked back at Shadow. "Something's wrong with you, Shadow," she said.

"No, there isn't," he protested.

"Yes there is," she insisted. "The last time you went to a bar, got drunk, got into a fight, and had me bale you out before you got creamed you were upset about something." she lenaed in and said in his ear. "What is wrong? You can tell me. I won't tell the others. I promise."

Shadow sighed again and slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, so he could look the bat girl in the eye. He stuided her face a moment. She was sincere.

"Okay," he said giving in. "I'll tell you but not in here." he glanced over at Espio. "This room has ears."

"All right," she said standing up.

The two left the room.

When the chamelon was sure they were gone he opened his eyes and sighed out building tension. His meditation wasn't helping anymore. His stupid nightmares were getting worse and if he didn't do anything about it soon he'd go mad. he wished he could figure out a away to deal with it. Then an idea came to him. Jumping off the bed he threw his dark brown cloak on and dashed out of the hotel room.

A/N

Now you know who and what the speeder driver is. No he's not a Shadow recolored, (his head spikes have four on each side) and he's not a Mary Sue. Just thought I'd let you all know before you got the wrong idea and instantly hated him.