CHAPTER 18

Tikal felt a disturbance close by. She stopped in her tracks and listened for any sounds but heard none. I don't hear anything, she thought, her senses on edge. But that doesn't mean something bad hasn't happened somewhere. She started running. But what is it? Did something happen to Shadow, or Rouge, or Sonic? Did that disturbance even have anythng to do with anyone in the castle?

Jonas Irad finished with his sabetaging and quickly made his way back into the hall. Once there he instantly felt disturbances all around him. He felt Shadow fighting the mecha, he felt Sonic, Tikal, and Rouge meeting their own obsticles, and he also felt Black Doom, the alien's presense filling the air like pison.

He knows I got out, the hedgehog realized, running down the hall. But why isn't he going after me? Is something more important distracting him?

Suddenly he ran into a white faced bat Padawan. Her blue green eyes widened with shock when she saw him and a gasp escaped her throat. Joanes stared back at her a moment then turned and fled.

"Wait!" she shouted, running after him.

As he ran he suddenly started questioning himself. Why are you running from her? She sisn't going to hurt you unless you're an enemy and you're not her enemy!

I beg to differ, a voice in his head shot back.

Suddenly sparks filled his mind and he grabbed his head at the pain. "Gah!" he grunted, falling to his knees. I won't! I won't let this happen to me! I will not be turned back!
Rouge stopped in her tracks and stared at the cloaked figure as he screamed in agony and threw himself against the wall as if he were going insane. What's wrong with him? she wondered, stepping forward.

"Stay away!" he screamed, putting out a hand to keep her from getting any closer. "Just stay back! I don't want to hurt you!"

She stopped in her tracks and continued to stare. "Are you all right?" she questioned.

He fought with himself a little longer then the pain suddenly and unexpectantly left him and he looked up at her. "I'm fine," he told her as he slowly got to his feet.

"Who are you?" she asked when he stood infront of her.

"My name is Jonas Irad," he replied, looking down at her. "I'm the one who gave the Jedi Temple the information about the Sith."

Rouge gasped and put a hand over her mouth at this news. "You did?" she asked.

Irad nodded.

Sonic was hopelssly lost. He'd been so confident that he wouldn't lose his way when he'd chosen the direction he wanted to go but now he was regretting his descition. Oh man, he thought, stopping in his tracks to stew about his bad luck. I should have let Shadow go this way. I'd rather have him get lost than me!

Then he heard it. Voices. They were coming from around the next corner. "Who's that?" he asked himself out loud as he walked toward it.

He looked into the room and saw a fat man talking to a black and blue hologram. What's that? the blue hedgehog wondered. He decided to find out and stood very still and held his breath as he listened to the conversation.

"The Jedi are here, Master," the fat man said. "They broke into the castle and disabled the securtiy system."

"What are you going to do about it?" the thing in the hologram questioned, sounding impatient.

"Do about it?" the fat man asked. "What else can I do about it?" suddenly he grinned and ignited a red lightsaber. "I'll deal with them the old fasion way." he said rather cockily.

Sonic held back a snicker. This weirdo didn't look like he was in any shape to deal with anyone, let alone four skilled Jedi.

Just who do you think you're kiding?

He decided to find out just how skilled this tub of lard was. He waited until the fat man was finished talking to the holoegram to show himself. Fatso was just turning from the deactivated hologram when the blue Padawan stepped into the room and almost gave the man a heart attack.

The man gasped and leaned against a wall, his hand over his heart. "You!" he exclaimed.

"Hey there, tubbo," Sonic said, grinning. "What's up?"

"Who are you?" the fat Sith asked.

Sonic pulled out his lightsaber and ignited the blace. "A Jedi!" he answered, smiling cockily.

The Sith let out a growl and reignited his won blade. "Jedi!" he roared before he lunged.

Shadow and the mecha fought untiringly. Shadow, because if he didn't he'd die, and the mecha because he's a robot and doesn't tire. Shadow jumped out of the way just in time to avoid a saber slash he hadn't seen till the last second. The tip of the blade cut through his tunic and played tag with the black hedgehog's flesh. He gasped as he stared down at the blade and torn cloth.

That thing's fast! he realized, looking up.

The mecha ran toward him and jumped high into the air. Shadow ducked out of the way as the red blade sang past him and dug into the metal floor.

"Yukinamako!" the mecha snarled, wrenching its blade out of the floor and chasing after the black hedgehog.

How does he know my name? he wondered, turning around and slashing at the robot.

The mecha avoided the blow and struck out with his own blade. Shadow screamed in agony as the blade dug into his arm. He grabbed his arm and glared at the mecha. Out of anger he swung his blade and cut off the mecha's arm.

The robot stared at the sparking limb the sparking limb then glared at Shadow with an emotion that can only be called hate. He ran toward Shadow and swung his blade so fast it looked like he had ten instead of just one. Shadow was forced to block as he tried to think up a strategy.

Suddenly it came to him. He jumped back and shoved out his hand, using the Force to shove the robot against the wall. The mecha's feet left the floor and he slammed had against the far wall, with a crunch of metal. The lightsaber fell out of his hand and he slowly slid down the wall to he floor. Shadow walked over to it and shoved his blade into its power core. The red eyes flashed twice then went dark. The black hedgehog sighed with relief.

"Well done, Shadow," a deep voice said behind him.

Shadow gasped and turned around. He found himself facing a large black alien with three glowing yellow eyes. "Hello, Shadow," it said.

Shadow took a step back as he stard at the alien in horror. "You!" he exclaimed. "Y-you're!"

"That's right," the alien said. "I'm Black Doom."

Tikal was still making her way down the hall when a figure stepped into her path, allowing her to go no further. Instantly she let out a scream and ignited her orange lightsaber. A yellow one met it and she stared in horror at the figure holding the the blade.

Espio.

"E-Espio!" she gasped, moving back. "You're... how did you...?"

The chameleon smirked. "It was easy," he replied, walking toward her calmly.

"What did you do to Knuckles?" she demanded.

He smirked again. "Oh he's alive if that's what you're asking," he replied. "Though barely."

"No!" she gapsed, feeling tears come to her eyes. "How could you? He was our friend!"

"You're friend not mine," he corrected her. "Never mine."

Tikal glared at him, her whole being filled with rage. "I'll never forgive you!" she screamed before lunging.

"So who is really responcible for this?" Rouge asked Jonas after he'd explained a few things to her. "Who's manipulating this man called Ivo?"

Jonas took a deep breath before he answered. "An alien called Black Doom."