Chapter 9: From Bad to Worse
Angel Island Village War Room, 19th October 3241, 11:30 am…
Roman saw Sally visibly tense as he walked into the room, followed suit by Ashley, Tails, Caleb, and the clones.
She relaxed somewhat when she saw that Ahsoka was not with them, breathing a sigh of relief. Ahsoka was recovering in the medical centre, having nearly lost the baby she carried due to the stress of the previous day, the events of which still weighing heavy on Sally's mind.
She eyed Roman, whose eyes met hers, and she saw that Roman's normally chocolate brown eyes had darkened to a muddy black, a tell-tale sign of Roman's lingering dark mood. Sally frowned at this, but felt a reassuring arm wrap around her waist as Sonic came to her side.
The cerulean hero's eyes were also dark as he glared at Roman, who ignored this hostile show as he calmly stopped, his eyes on the holoprojector instead of those he was currently not pleased with.
Knuckles and the Chaotix were quick to enter as well, taking a position on Sonic and Sally's side of the room, as did Bunnie, Antoine and Rotor when they entered as well.
Team Rose quickly came in, with several members, namely Blaze and Cream, taking Roman's side, and the others taking Sally's side, those being Amy, Big and Sasha, the wolf whose life Amy had saved.
Finally, Team Dark came in, standing firmly at Roman's side.
For a time, they stood like this like two armies sizing one another up before a major battle.
Sally finally broke the silence and the tense atmosphere by addressing Roman: "For the record Rome, yesterday's mission was, to say the least, a staggering success. We achieved our main objective, which was to rescue Caleb, thus reuniting him with his grandson. But we also taught the Imperial presence here on Mobius a valuable lesson: No-one is safe. Not even Dr Eggman."
Roman shrugged. "True, true." He replied. "But now we have a new problem."
Sally sighed. She'd known her attempt to sneak past that particular subject would not work.
Roman stepped forward as he said: "While our mission to rescue Caleb was a success, we also committed a cardinal sin in the field: We left someone behind. That someone just so happened to be my close friend, Seth Kerran."
The mood in the room darkened to a degree that it seemed that the air itself seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for the entire group to erupt in violence.
Roman folded his arms as he eyed Sally, who suddenly felt much younger again. "Now we could have prevented that from happening, had we used the firepower we had at our disposal to send the Imperials back before extracting Seth. But what Sally deigned to do was the exact opposite. Instead, she decided to turn and fly away, leaving him to be captured and possibly tortured." Roman sighed. "Now, I know what the risks of trying to rescue Seth could've been, and I'm well aware that we could've all been captured instead. But it's like I said when we were planning the op to rescue Caleb; it's worth a try. And besides, I'd rather have died by Seth's side then leave him out to dry."
Everyone in the room suddenly nodded agreement, save for Sonic and Sally, the latter of whom said:
"And what if there'd been civilians in the surrounding buildings? Would you be so quick to act then?"
"Well, if you had the Force, like me and Tails did, don't you think we'd have noticed if there was anyone in the surrounding buildings? Why else would I propose we use the firepower we had on the Emerald?" Roman retorted.
Sally mentally swore. She hadn't considered that. "Well how was I to know then?" She replied.
"You could've asked." Tails replied, shrugging innocently.
Sally rolled her eyes. This was not going her way at all. Frowning, Sally said: "Regardless, I was in command of that mission, and not you, Rome. I went with the decision that would benefit us as a whole, and not just you for your selfish wish to get your friend back."
"True." Roman replied. "But my reasoning wasn't selfish. You're forgetting that Seth has a pregnant girlfriend due to give birth in a month. I wanted us to go with my course of action so that Seth's kid had a decent chance to know his father. Something you just jeopardised yesterday."
Sally scowled. "Again with the baby?" She demanded. "Is that your only reason?"
"No child should ever grow up without a father, Sally." Roman replied.
Sally sighed. Looking up, she replied: "Well, in case you've forgotten, most of the people in this room grew up without a father. Yourself included." Sally paused before adding: "And have any of us turned out bad?"
"That was different, Sally." Roman replied. "Back then, we had each other to keep ourselves going. It was the friendships we shared during those days that shaped us as the individuals we are now. But Seth and Ahsoka's child won't have that. The kid needs a father. And unless we rescue Seth, and soon, your decision yesterday will have deprived that kid of that need." With that, Roman turned and left, the people that had stood with him following suit.
Sally sighed and folded her arms. She had a decision to make.
Later, Roman and Ashley's house, 12:15 pm…
Roman leaned back in his chair, his mood having darkened to a significant degree. He'd long since finished his lunch, a simple turkey sandwich coupled with an apple, and was now just relaxing, a large frown on his face.
Ashley watched this with a worried look. She had only seen Roman in this type of mood a handful of times, and it had never boded well for those that had put him in that mood. She recalled the days leading up to the operation yesterday, the most recent time before now that Roman had been in a similar mood. She remembered trying to calm him down with simple talk, but Roman had been laser-focused on the subject that had angered or upset him so. Ashley had since decided to let Roman calm himself down, as her own opinions clearly fell on deaf ears. Not that she could blame him; his best friend was now likely imprisoned and under torture thanks to Sally's decision.
Her troubled eyes met those of Tails, whose eyes shared a similar complexion. She thought of his presence in the meeting room, where he was usually one of the more vocal people. But she suspected Tails had kept his thoughts mostly to himself because they were mostly thoughts that would not be conducive to the stability of the Freedom Fighters.
Tails had been seething about the events of the previous day, particularly when Roman had told Tails that Seth was already badly injured at the time of the escape. Tails was also furious about the comment Sally had made about Ahsoka having left the Jedi Order just to let Seth get her pregnant. He had confessed to Ashley that he had been so tempted to punch Sally in the face, he didn't care how it left things between him and Sonic. With that in mind, Ashley gave Tails a nod in appreciation of the restraint Tails had shown.
Tails nodded in return, just as Nicole suddenly appeared right in front of him, surprising the twin-tailed vulpine so much that he fell back in his chair.
"Any particular reason why you're here, Nicole?" Roman asked icily, one eye open as he affixed Nicole with a similar glare as the one he had given Sally earlier.
Nicole frowned. "Sally wants to talk to you." She said. "Alone."
Sitting up, Roman tented his hands. "And what reason would you expect me to have for wanting to talk to Sally at this point in time?"
Ashley tensed. Roman's tone seemed very insistent that Nicole leave at that moment, lest his mood took a turn for the worse.
Folding her arms, Nicole remained unintimidated. "She wants to clear the air once and for all between you two over Seth. For the good of the Freedom Fighters."
Roman's tone became cynical as he muttered: "It seems that every decision Sally makes is 'for the good of the Freedom Fighters' nowadays. Whatever next? Her making the decision to get pregnant 'for the good of the Freedom Fighters'?"
Ashley and Tails cringed at the cynical sarcasm dripping from his voice.
Nicole again remained unaffected. "Regardless of what you believe, she wants to speak to you. I advise you do so." With that, Nicole disappeared.
Roman stood up, rolling his shoulders. "Fair enough." Roman said before he left the room and the house, already thinking of what he was going to say.
Angel Island War Room, 12:45 pm…
Sally breathed a sigh of relief when she finally saw Roman enter the room. Sonic had voiced his doubts that Roman would acquiesce, but Sally had been confident that Roman would do so. He'd once said he'd always try and do what was best for the Freedom Fighters. "Glad you could come on such short notice, Roman." Sally said as sociably as possible. "Sonic thought you'd refuse to come."
"I almost did." Roman replied snappily. "Now since I am here, give me a reason to stay."
Sally frowned. This wasn't getting off to the best of starts. "To the point, then."
"Nicole did say you wanted to clear the air between us over what happened yesterday." Roman replied.
Sally nodded. Shaking her head, Sally said: "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what happened yesterday. But you have to see why I did it."
"To stop everyone else from getting captured." Roman replied. "I know." He scowled as he added: "It still doesn't change that you committed a cardinal sin in leaving Seth behind. You know as well as I do that no-one gets left behind."
Sally frowned. "You're not going to let that part slide, are you?" She asked.
"No, because it's true." Roman replied. "It's a rule I adhere to, no matter what."
Sally sighed. "Even if it endangers the entire group?"
"Even that." Roman replied. "Especially since my team would've gladly stayed down there to get him back."
Sally sighed. "Okay, okay, I admit it. What happened yesterday was a bad call on my part."
"About fucking time!" Roman snapped. "If you'd admitted as much yesterday, maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation." Roman folded her arms. "Now all we have to do is plan and stage a rescue. Thank fuck we've got a month until the baby is born."
Sally sighed. "Ah, well, that may be a problem. Because as far as I'm concerned, we can't rescue Seth."
Roman's face fell into one of temporary confusion, as he considered what Sally had just said. Then his face became one of anger as he asked: "Excuse me?"
Sally spread her arms out. "Roman, think. We barely managed to rescue Caleb, and he was much less guarded than Seth will likely be. Imagine who we could lose if we tried."
"Trying's better than not trying!" Roman shot back. "I'd rather die trying to rescue Seth then sitting back and doing nothing while the Empire torture him to fucking death."
"And how do you propose we do that?" Sally demanded, her hands finding her hips. "I know for a fact that Seth is likely imprisoned in the castle dungeons, in the most heavily guarded location on this planet. We'd never even get close."
"We have a month, Sally." Roman replied. "We could easily plan for such a mission if we put our minds to it."
"True." Sally replied. "But knowing the Empire, they might just order his execution before we have a chance to complete the preparations for said mission."
"Then we'll just do what we did yesterday, just more high profile." Roman replied. "With luck, we might even take out the other two Inquisitors."
Sally sighed. "Sorry Roman, but I can't risk it. Not after what happened yesterday."
Roman folded his arms. "You 'can't' risk it?" He asked. "Can't, or won't?"
Sally scowled. "Say what you will, but I'm doing this to make sure everyone of our friends and family stay alive."
"In other words, you're pussying out because you're scared of what might happen." Roman replied.
"It's a valid concern." Sally shot back. "I'm doing this for Ahsoka and her child's benefit as well as the rest of us. It's all in all preferable to all of us dying in some bone-headed rescue attempt and leaving Ahsoka with no-one to raise her baby with."
"So you'd rather her child grow up without its father and ever knowing him?" Roman demanded.
Sally's expression remained unchanged. "My decision is final." She replied, her voice steely calm. "There will be no attempt to rescue Seth. I'm sorry Roman, but-"
Roman's fist found Sally's face before she had a chance to finish, knocking her to the floor and drawing blood.
Wiping the blood from her split lip, Sally said: "I could easily court martial you for that, Roman."
"Go ahead." Roman spat. "Either way, Seth's blood is on your hands. Not mine." With that, Roman turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard that plaster fell from the ceiling.
Sally stood up and wiped the blood away and sighed. "Not the first time that's been the case." She said to herself. "And it'll definitely not be the last." With that, she left the room and headed to her own house, where she knew Sonic would be waiting for her.
Once Roman was home…
"You've got to be kidding me." Tails remarked as he heard what Roman had to say about the conversation with Sally he'd just returned from.
"Apparently not." Roman replied as he sat down, his face a mask of near unmistakeable fury. "She says it's because we barely got Caleb out, and she's certain that Seth's currently imprisoned in the Imperial Castle, with no chance of us rescuing him."
"Seriously?" Ashley asked. "I recall reading GUN files detailing you and the Freedom Fighters staging riskier rescue missions during Eggman's time in power."
"Exactly." Roman replied. "But apparently the risk now is too great for us to even try according to Sally. She dismissed my argument that we have a month to plan for said rescue, saying the Empire could just order his execution."
"Bullshit!" Tails spat. "Seth is far too valuable to the Empire for them to even consider killing him off that quickly. I have a feeling they'd rather interrogate and do whatever it takes to make him tell them where we're holed up."
"Which given how tough Seth has proven himself to be, will be easier said than done." Roman replied. Sitting back, Roman threw up his hands in the air. "But because it's apparently too risky, Sally isn't willing to sanction a rescue mission."
"Even though we only completed a high risk rescue mission yesterday." Ashley replied. "It was Sally's call that caused us to leave Seth behind. Had she not done that, we'd not be in this position."
"True." Roman said. Tenting his hands, Roman said: "And now, Seth's child is doomed to forever live without ever knowing his father."
Ashley sighed before she had an idea. "It doesn't have to be that way, though." She suddenly said. "We can still rescue Seth."
Tails perked up. "Are you suggesting we completely disregard Sally's orders?" He asked.
Roman sat forward, weighing it up in his mind, before nodding. "If it means we save Seth, then that's something I'm willing to try."
"Even if it means we incur Sally's wrath for disobeying orders?" Tails inquired.
Roman folded his arms before saying: "With respect to Sally, she isn't the one set to become a father in a month. With that in mind, Sally can take her orders and fuck herself with them." Roman stood up and walked forwards a matter of paces, deep in thought, before stopping and turning to Tails. "Get as many of the people that stood with us this morning as possible to meet us here tonight. I have an idea."
Poor Sally. Things just aren't going her way, are they? The decisions she's made so far haven't been 'for the good of the Freedom Fighters'. All her decisions are doing are dividing the Freedom Fighters. Am I the only one getting Captain America: Civil War vibes from writing this?
One of my favourite Marvel Movies aside, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please leave a review in the appropriate section, telling me what you enjoyed and what you think I can do better. And in the case that you really enjoyed it, then favourite and follow this story, so that you will be notified whenever I upload a new chapter.
Again, thank you all for reading, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, which sees Elias faced with a brand new problem, and a choice he may not have the strength to make.
T-Rock14