Authoress: Sibilant-Whisper

Rating: PG-13 | T

Note: Song in this chapter is Digital Love, by Daft Punk. Any song lyrics in this story are necessary for the story flow, meant to give that Sonic Underground feel for music. This is not a song-fic.

Hey, sup. No, you're not being pranked-I'm alive and updating.

Of Chaos and Stars

A soft beep chimed on an idle data-pad resting against the console, with a message popping onto its screen: System Maintenance – Completed. Seated in the reclined pilot's seat, a blonde in a form-fitting blue jumpsuit sat up from where she'd been tinkering and glanced towards the controls. The green light on her data-pad blinked twice as if to confirm; her face lit up with realization and she spun away from her work to face the main controls, scooping up the pad and resting her booted feet upon the dashboard. Muttering quietly as she worked, she tapped across the screen with expert fingers.

"Hull capacity – green, shields - green…" she trailed down the list quickly and a brilliant smile broke out across her face as she reached the end of the list. "—all clear!" She closed the window with a flick and reached forward to press a button on the control panel. A holographic window sprang to life. "Hey, Shadow? How's the clean-up going?" She called out, watching the screen as she waited for an answer…

Last night, I had a dream about you
In this dream, I'm dancing right beside you
And it looked, like everyone was having fun
The kinda feeling, I've waited so long…

Shadow drifted to a stop, shutting off the hull cleaner he'd been walking alongside and looking around to survey his work. A notification interrupted him, beeping twice inside the helmet of his space-suit before displaying a view of the cockpit on his visor: His partner smiled at him from inside. Automatically, he lowered the volume of his music player.

"I'm almost done here," Shadow replied. He held onto the cleaner as he pressed a switch, releasing its hold onto the ship so that it floated weightlessly in his hands. "Another half hour and we can head to the nearest base to get that system upgrade." He eyed the girl coolly. "We can finally get that cockpit replaced." The blonde let out a scandalized gasp on screen, giving the console a pat as if reassuring it.

"Leave it, she's a classic!" the dark hedgehog rolled his eyes.

"Maria, it's an outdated model on an upgraded ship. Get with the times." He pushed off with his foot, floating in the direction of the door. Maria rolled her own eyes back in immature rebuttal, but cut the act when a smile curved the hedgehog's lips. She answered back with a winning smile of her own and waved her pad.

"Maintenance diagnostics are done," she tucked a loose blonde strand behind her ear as her gaze darted to another screen and back. "We're good for now, so we can do inventory before the base hangar and stock up on supplies when we get there. You hungry? I was thinking we should take a lunch break - we haven't had a bite since we started." Her partner shrugged.

"There isn't much left to do, missing a meal won't hurt me."

"Please?" She sang, clasping her hands in a pleading gesture. "You've been out there for ages—you can forget about work for a few minutes." Shadow snorted.

"Whose idea was it to cut our vacation short by signing us up for extra duty?" Maria gave him a sheepish grin, apologetic but amused.

"Are you still upset about that concert on Mobius? I said I was sorry! I'll get a disc of the concert next time we visit."

"We could've had everything cleaned at a station, you know." He continued on dryly, opening a small panel to access the keypad for the door. Maria made a 'tsk' sound, waving a slender finger.

"What's the point of the pay bonus if we waste it on something boring like that?"

"Fair enough," he conceded, punching in the code for the door. "…but that disc better be hi-def."

"Fan-boy," she mocked with a grin.

"Get your feet off of the console." He shot back indifferently. A minute twitch of her body gave her away but she crossed her arms and tilted her chin up.

"They aren't on the console—you're not denying it either, are you? Boy, you've got it bad for that band." Her blue eyes twinkled mischievously. "Or one-third of it anyway…"

"Maria." He cut in with a half-hearted growl. She laughed, giving him a wink to show she meant no harm.

"Okay, okay. I'll see you on the bridge." She closed the vid-screen before he could reply and drew her feet back from the console instantly. Her jostling knocked the data-pad from her lap, sending it to the floor with a clatter. Shaking her head, Maria bent over to retrieve it. "How does he always know?" she wondered aloud, picking it up and flipping it over to check the screen for scratches. Her eyes softened when she did. The numerous programs had been closed, revealing the old photo she kept as her background theme. In it, two men stood side by side. One was a bald, wizened scientist with a bushy mustache, and the other a stern looking soldier in uniform. Beside the old man a young girl and a certain dark hedgehog held hands, gazing back at the camera with content smiles. The grand building they stood in front of bore the same logo that that was emblazoned on her data-pad and shoulder: a bold white 'G' that sat in the middle of a red and blue shield inside a white star.

So many years ago…she'd have been twelve then. A gentle smile graced her lips as she traced the old man in the picture with a finger. 'Grandpa…if you could see us now…'

It was amazing to think about how far they'd come. He'd be proud, she was sure. After all it had been Gerald Robotnik who'd co-founded the service dedicated to upholding peace and prosperity amongst the stars. The man had been forever guided by a drive to protect others, be it his own dying race or some unfortunate planet in peril. He'd given her a cure and a brother at the same time and instilled in them both a purpose and sense of duty to aid those in need. Even when he'd passed away, it wasn't long before she and Shadow found themselves joining the G.U.N ranks in honor of his memory. Now they were seasoned agents. 'Miss you grandpa…' Maria thought to herself, darkening the screen of the data-pad with a light tap of her finger.

A display on the HUD indicated that the storage units for the space suits were being accessed; Maria pressed down the intercom button.

"So what should we eat? I'm feeling a bit generous so I'll make anything you like."

Shadow stepped out into the main hallway of the ship, the door hissing shut behind him as he raised his arm and spoke into his wrist communicator.

"It doesn't matter to me, Maria. You can pick." He covered his mouth as a yawn crept up, but managed to shake it off. "Just call me when it's ready."

"You're not coming up?"

"I'm going to relax for a bit." He turned down the hall and headed for the bedrooms.

"Well, just don't fall asleep, we have to get that inventory done."

"I won't," He replied, opening the door with the press of a button and stepping inside. Maroon walls greeted him, a match to the dark, wooden floor in an otherwise plain room. It wasn't really wood of course, just floor panels that could digitally emulate any texture he chose. It could have been grass if he wanted, but he liked to keep things simple. 'Painfully simple' as Maria had called it more than once. Even his bed was plain, covered in the same standard issue coal grey sheets that he always replaced the previous set with (it drove the girl crazy). Making a beeline for it, he dropped down onto the mattress with a sigh, and let his eyes rove over the room appraisingly. Now that he was thinking about it...it wasn't that bad, was it? He had a few furnishings aside from the desk, chair and built-in wall com. A digital picture frame sat on the desk, projecting an old photo of Maria and Gerald. Beside it, some of the awards he'd gotten for his services were displayed—the few he had proudly accepted despite his discomfort of hero worship. A frown crossed his face as he realized there was little more than that to his room. Although…

Don't stop, come a little closer
As we jam, the rhythm gets stronger
There's nothing wrong, with just a little, little fun
We were dancing, all night long

Garnet eyes drooped dangerously low as his ears picked up on the media player in the wall that continued to play; the song he'd had on loop earlier was on its umpteenth cycle. He'd never stopped the track while he was bantering with Maria, so the song was back where he'd left off. It was incredibly relaxing, and that made it easier to acknowledge the truth of his best friend's teasing. The biggest personal touch in his room was the number of Sonic Underground posters. A few were just pictures, here and there, like the cover of a past album or the advertisement of an upcoming performance. The biggest one graced the ceiling, and most of the posters in general displayed the guitarist smiling brightly, front and center. Impossibly green eyes stared out at him, so lively even in print that Shadow couldn't fathom being able to handle them in person.

…Okay. So he might have had a bit of a crush on Sonic. It wasn't his fault, really. While he hadn't met any of the triplets personally, or even been on the planet longer than a few days at a time, he...admired the group and their music, what they meant to Mobius even without the royal tag. It was a detached sense of pride he felt, knowing their story. Shadow wasn't a native but his love for the planet was no less. He'd been doomed the moment he first saw the prince.

Oh, I don't know what to do
About this dream and you
I wish this dream comes true

His eyes began to close despite his earlier assurances to Maria, but he couldn't help it. Not when he was staring into the eyes of his crush while listening to him croon out the rest of Digital Love. The colors of his room blurred as he drifted off, melding with his muted senses and lingering thoughts to pave his way into dreamland. Almost immediately he found himself running, attending the concert he'd wanted so badly to see and then taking a personal tour through the famed Mobian zones, blurring past the sights at supersonic speeds as he traversed them with the very Mobian prince he was modeled after. Just the two of them…

The loud, extremely unwelcome blaring of an alarm abruptly brought him out his dream; Shadow was up instantly—that was the signal of an emergency call. He was already out the door and running down the hallway when Maria jumped on the intercom.

"Shadow – get up here, now! We've got a call—"the door behind her opened just as she was checking the transmission.

"HQ?" the dark hedgehog questioned, hopping into his own seat on the right and turning to face the controls. Maria shook her head as her fingers worked, a frown already furrowing her brow.

"No, it's being patched through by them but it's…Mobius." Shadow mirrored her expression, not liking the thoughts that immediately welled up at that news. Mobius was in the middle of a well earned peacetime; nothing that required G.U.N interference could be good. A vid-screen popped onto their display, and the pair were suddenly faced with the Queen herself. Despite the urgency of the matter, they remembered to bow their heads, if not shortly.

"Your majesty," the two G.U.N agents echoed in unison. Queen Aleena gave a curt nod of her own.

"We were attacked," she spoke hurriedly, calm and succinct. "Approximately 20 minutes ago, two small ships were deployed from a larger vessel just outside our atmosphere—they attacked swiftly, disabling our communication and security systems before making off with the Master Emerald…and my- the royal triad." The queen managed to continue on but she was blinking rapidly, ignoring the way her throat had tightened on the last bit of information. Not mentioning her children directly was a means of retaining control and Shadow respected it, even as his hands tightened on the armrests. Queen Aleena nodded to the two of them, lips tight as she glanced somewhere off to the side. "I can send you some footage of the attack, anything that will help you track them down. Our systems missed most of it, but we managed to catch them leaving." The screen changed abruptly; Maria left the information gathering to him as she entered the coordinates to the nearest jump point for Mobius and strapped in.

Shadow couldn't think to do the same yet, he was in a mood solely for soaking in information without distraction, and chaos it was hard not to get angry. The video had started with different shots of a ship—no, two identical ships. One was leaving the island that housed the Master Emerald at top speed, leaving a ravaged temple behind. The scene changed, and this time he couldn't stop the rush of anger. The concert had been violently interrupted; there was debris surrounding a gaping hole and robots marching about, attacking citizens. A pair of robots were carrying two of the triplets on aboard the second ship. Then there was Sonic, bolting for the city before he was stopped in his tracks by missiles and then also collected. The two ships met up with their stolen cargo and fled for space. Queen Aleena's face was back on the screen before he could wipe off his scowl. "All that was stolen is vital to Mobius – please return them to us." Bring them back to me, she didn't need to say. All Shadow managed was a curt nod, finally thrown out of his thoughts as Maria fired up the thrusters, still speaking to queen as she did.

"We will your majesty. Please contact the commander at HQ for any additional assistance you may need planet-side. Unit Arc – signing out."

"Yes, good luck to you." The transmission ended just as the ship roared to life in Maria's hands, turning about and blasting off for the nearest jump point. Shadow was busy doing his part, prepping the weapons on his side in case of any altercations and reviewing the mission details being sent from HQ. His mind was racing even as he did—Sonic, kidnapped? He'd seen it, but he still couldn't understand how it had happened, or why anyone even had the gall. It wasn't a good sign that he was more concerned with this than the theft of one of Mobius' major power sources, but he was sure the Queen was having just as much trouble with that. The thought soothed him a little, made him feel less weak.

"Preparing for jump," Maria informed sharply, and suddenly they were shooting off—the stars around them blurring into whiteness and occasional streaks of color. The two were forced back into their seats a bit, but within minutes they were slowing down, exiting the jump point and soaring through the familiar stars of the Genesis system. Maria piloted at full speed, taking the shortest route that led to Mobius. Shadow watched one of the displays in front of him, crimson eyes narrowing as they swept across the readings. "Anything on the scanners?"

"Nothing yet, not like what we're looking for—wait… there!"

"I see it." His partner confirmed. Their ship was approaching the planet fast; while the vast space surrounding it was seemingly vacant, their heads-up display told a different story. A large mother-ship was pulling further and further away up ahead, cloaked from view and putting on enough speed to outrun any immediate pursuers. Unfortunately for them, Maria and Shadow had the Arc. The sleek spacecraft hurtled after the thieves, closing the distance quickly.

"Warning shot," Maria called out. The dark hedgehog squeezed the triggers of his controls, and a beam shot towards the ship's thrusters. The ship appeared for a few seconds, its stealth disturbed by the attack. As expected, the shot was absorbed with a telltale shimmer of the ship's shields. They didn't want to damage the ship, not with the precious cargo on board, but it would certainly grab their attention. A boost of energy to the thrusters signified this as the mother-ship shifted directions and attempted to flee. They gave chase, easily following the bulkier ship until they were alongside it. "You're clear!"

"Firing disrupter," Shadow called out, aiming for the broadside of the ship and firing. An orb of energy spiraled forward and collided with the invisible shield again, this time rippling across the surface in a swell of light as it dispersed, bringing the ship into clear view. "Shields down!" The mother-ship swerved, trying to pull out of the Arc's range as it realized the status of its defenses. As the chase approached a nearby asteroid field, Maria gave a caustic laugh.

"Bold for someone without protection, but I don't think so," The Arc flew in after them with the same assurance, weaving with expertise as Shadow repeatedly tore down the shields they tried to fix. The pair couldn't be shaken off, no matter what rock the larger ship tried to steer them into or duck behind. Abruptly, hatches on the ship opened and a flurry of robots came flying out, heading right in their direction.

"They know they can't outrun us-they're trying to buy time and keep us busy." Shadow remarked with disgust at the amateur level of this offender. They had to be toying with them, this wasn't the same work of someone who'd taken out the triplets... "I need a clear shot with the ion cannon."

"Hang on, we'll show him busy." Maria muttered, pushing the steering handles down and sending the ship into a sharp dive as she avoided the first of the robots. Shadow redirected the weapons and began their counter attack, flawlessly matching Maria's elegant piloting with his aggressive blasts. The Arc wove around the asteroids even as they attempted to stick to the mother-ship; a few unlucky bots clipped the rocks and exploded, unable to keep up or taken out by a laser blast if they got too close. Up ahead, the mother-ship was pulling away, clearing the asteroids and heading for an open area of space that was developing a faint white shimmer, warping as the ship neared it.

"Maria, they have a jump drive!" Shadow growled. It was rare for most ships in this sector to have the clearance to use jump points let alone have the tech to create one on board. It was no wonder they had crept into this system so effortlessly.

"They won't get away!" Maria turned the ship around, abandoning her elaborate maneuvers to give chase, shooting out of the asteroid field. The hatch on the ship lowered again, releasing another swarm of robots. Shadow shot down as many as he could, unwilling to let them distract them from their pursuit. The shields were giving them decent cover from the robots tailing them, their lasers too weak to get through. Maria dodged and rolled past the remaining ones, locking onto the ship and preparing their own jump. An alarm popped onto their HUD, and Shadow tapped away at the controls, frowning.

"Something has latched onto us, these robots aren't the same-they're draining power from the Arc!" Maria sucked her teeth in vexation, launching the ship into a spin that would've made any inexperienced pilot sick. Shadow remained unfazed, eyes focused on the readout as a few of the robots were dislodged from the hull. The drop in power draining slowed, but stubbornly pulled on their resources. Up ahead the gateway was widening, a warp in space finally big enough for the mother-ship to jump through. "Maria!"

"I know, we can't waste time fighting - prepare for a jump!"

"Do we have enough?"

"We'll be cutting it close but we can't lose them - divert power from the weapons to back us up, we'll have to try."

Shadow did just that, watching the energy levels rise to combat the drain. The shields were suffering; it was barely enough protection for such a hasty jump and they'd have to face that problem once they arrived to their next destination, but at least they'd be close to wherever this ship was heading. That was enough for him.

"Power diverted."

"Hold on!" The mother ship disappeared with a distorted stretch and a flare of light, and the Arc blasted forward, shaking the last of its clingy passengers as it followed in an identical flash.

xxx

Queen Aleena turned away from the now vacant screen in front of her, closing her eyes with a sigh as her communications with the two G.U.N agents were cut. It was out of her hands now, there was nothing more she could do outside of Mobius for her children or the Master Emerald - a fact that was hard for her to swallow. She was glad for the aid of G.U.N, as advanced as they had become in the past decade, there were still many capabilities they had yet to discover. Aside from their defenses planet side and on the merchant ships they occasionally sent out, there was little they could handle when it came to taking their fights to space. A pursuit was simply out of the question. They'd come so far...were a few years all they deserved when it came to peace? Had they not suffered enough? Had her children not been taken away from her protective reach plenty in this lifetime? A mother could only bear so much...

The doors to the throne room were pushed open, and a small company of guards walked in with grim looks on their faces, a figure bound between them with chains. Aleena sat up straighter, her features schooled into a more aloof appearance even as she gazed upon them curiously. A mother could only bear so much, but a leader had much to suffer for the sake of her people. Hopefully she would finally have some answers. She waved away the screen still floating near her throne, and a servant dutifully stepped forward to remove it. The troupe halted in the middle of the room, shoving the mobian forward so she stumbled and fell to her knees harshly with a gasp.

"Sir Valdez," Aleena nodded to the blue chameleon in charge. He gave a stiff salute. "What news have you brought me?"

"Your majesty, we found this one attempting to flee Angel Island. She claimed to have seen the attackers and was going to pursue them."

"You doubt this?"

" Upon questioning and inspection we've discovered she was not involved in any of the attempts to defend the temple and abandoned her station. The security footage is being reviewed as we speak but there is already suspicion of inside tampering with our security just before the attack. She's currently our only suspect on the case." Aleena nodded, mostly to herself, as her eyes roved over the form still forcibly kneeling before her. A young fox, one who didn't look too much older than her own children. She couldn't fathom it, not really. One so young could be behind such dastardly events like today?

"I see..." The young fox continued to look down, a stubborn set to her jaw. "Could I not gaze into the eyes of the one behind such actions? You must have been confident enough when you set out to do this. Could I at least know your name?"

"What does it matter? It's not like you plan to respect to me or anyth-" She yelped as the wombat soldier on her right nudged her roughly with his foot.

"You're the one who should show some respect to the queen!" Aleena wordlessly raised a hand, and the soldier relaxed back into position. Valdez nodded to his ruler.

"Fiona Fox. A technician working at the Angel Island security branch. She performs maintenance on the communication networks and has enough understanding of the system to be behind the breach. This was found near the landing site of the ship, not far from where she was discovered. We suspect it was also in her possession." Valdez held up a card, encased in a clear cover. Even from where she sat, Aleena could make out the symbol that marked the ships that had made off with her children. Her green eyes narrowed.

"You seem to be the missing piece to this entire night, miss Fiona." The queen uttered coolly. Fiona's head shot up, blue eyes alight. If the regal hedgehog was surprised by her ire, she didn't show it.

"Don't talk like you know! You think you understand everything after one report from your lackeys - you're every bit as pompous as I thought you'd be." The soldiers around her stiffened, ready to silence her rude words, but Aleena held up a hand again, halting them. She wanted the girl to speak. Fiona had paused, but realizing she was going to be allowed her say, she licked her lips, continuing. "You think I did it? Then prove it first before you talk big. What will you do then? Take your anger out on me while you sit on that chair worrying about your precious triad? The Sonic Underground, praise them, for they play music. I made sacrifices during the Black War your kids could never stomach, but no one ever sang my praises. And for what?!" She screeched at the Queen, growing angrier with every second that passed with no real response. She knew from the way the soldiers beside her grew restless that she was pushing it, but she'd never have another chance like this to freely say what she felt. Hell, how many chances of any kind did she even have left? Her plans had all gone to hell... "You're so stupid, thinking that everything we went through during the war could just be forgotten over some pathetic 'peace' concerts your kids use to please the masses. It's all just one big ploy to make your family look good." The young fox snarled angrily, hands wrapped tight around the dangling bit of chain between her wrists. Aleena looked on silently after her rant, unreadable for the few minutes it took Fiona to catch her breath.

"Remove the shackles from her, please." She finally spoke. Fiona's eyes widened, and the guards around her glared at her in warning.

"Your majesty...?"

"Remove them." She insisted. Valdez stepped forward to release her chained limbs, and a heaviness she hadn't been aware of lifted from her. Fiona repressed an inward shudder. Her gaze was drawn back to the queen who was staring at her with a look of compassion. She felt her stomach turn. "I will not imprison you. I'm sure you've had plenty of that to last you a lifetime, am I right?"

She wanted to be angry at the assumption. She'd had enough of this haughty noble and way she pretended to have absolute control of the situation... but she couldn't help the relieved nod she gave at the words. A glare was still on her face, albeit confused. "I am always willing to listen to my people, so you can rest assured that I will look into this investigation thoroughly before passing any judgment upon you. I will even give your words some thought. You will not be held prisoner, but until the plot behind the capture of my children and Master Emerald is uncovered by G.U.N, we certainly cannot let you run free. Should you feel the need to confess or shed some light on your actions to help us understand what happened tonight, you may request an audience with me and I will hear you out. You may not leave the castle premises, but for your safety your movements will be limited within and you will be escorted at all times. Is that clear?" Fiona gaped for a moment at her fortune, staring at this idiot of a Queen as she sat on her throne making nice with the mobian who'd sold out her own planet. Confining her to the castle of all places and without any bonds?

'He was right' she thought to herself confidently. 'They are a bunch of self righteous fools'. The guards beside her stepped forward and lifted her to her feet, saluting their queen once again before they turned her about to escort her from the room. A smirk was fighting its way onto her face when Aleena called out.

"Oh, Fiona. One other thing," the Queen's voice rang out softly. The guards halted and immediately turned her around. She was prepared to raise an eyebrow, a sardonic look of intrigue plastered onto her face, but it dropped. She felt almost cheated by the entire previous exchange, because only now did she feel like she was gazing at the Queen of Mobius. The violet hedgehog had her hands folded in her lap, but her green eyes were no longer soft with compassion. They were sharp and pitiless. "All that I said before regarding your stay here was true, however we are still in the midst of surveying all the damage that happened tonight. Many people were injured, some mostly stunned to our relief. But...if you are found to be behind tonight, and you've tainted what was to be a joyous event with even one mobian's death, it will be on your head. Every reasonable agreement about hearing you out will be invalid. You will pay dearly." Fiona flinched. Wordlessly, she nodded, and Aleena's face lost some of its chill as she waved them away. "...that will be all."

A solemn Fiona Fox left the room with her captors, wondering not for the first time if she'd gone about this the right way.

xxx

Outside the brilliant blue-green sphere of Earth, a section of space began to shift and warp. Abruptly it seemed to tear open with a bright flash, and a large space ship appeared out of nowhere. It cloaked itself from sight and made way for the planet surface, entering the atmosphere and departing quietly.

Seconds after, the G.U.N ship Arc came hurtling out of a similar portal, spinning wildly out of control. Maria and Shadow grunted as they were tossed around in their seats; the cock pit was shrouded in the blood red of the emergency lights as the hedgehog yelled over the blaring alarm.

"Maria!" The blonde gripped the controls tightly, desperately trying to direct them despite the failing power and the damaged engines. They were lucky to be alive after the shields had dropped at the last second and their pesky robotic leeches hadn't survived the trip, but now they had bigger things to worry about, like where to land.

"I'm fine, we just have to make an emergency landing!" Amongst the alarms, a notice was still on her HUD, indicating that they still had a target. "We've still got a lock on them! If I can just-" She righted them finally, turning the ship in the direction the mother-ship was heading as it dipped towards the atmosphere. The Arc obeyed her commands at first, but upon entry the ship was rocked by an explosion to the rear - the right thrusters. Shadow cursed as they veered off course and started a deadly plummet for the surface. The window was covered with flames as they entered the planet, and it took every skill Maria knew about piloting to keep them from spiraling down towards open sea. She poured the last of the ship's power into one boost, propelling them forward from water to open land. "Shadow! Prepare for impact!" Her partner gripped his own set of controls, lending his strength as the ship fell helplessly. The ground came up to meet them in a thunderous crash, crushing the nose of the ship as it slammed into the hard dirt and skidded several yards. A long trench was left in the wake of the crash; fragments from the ship littered the ground as thick smoke billowed from the wreckage. Inside, the two G.U.N agents remained strapped in, unconscious to their surroundings. The cracked display of their HUD repeatedly beeped, tracking the progress of their target until it vanished behind the abrupt notification: SIGNAL LOST.

xxx

The elusive mother-ship continued its journey, shifting its now visible appearance to that of a jet plane. Sweeping neatly through the mountainous area it was soaring over, the ship came upon a tall, elaborate compound stamped with a familiar grinning logo. 'Eggman Co.' was written along the sides of the building, surrounded by a high fence an abundance of surveillance systems. Touching down onto the stretch of concrete behind the building, the ship came to a smooth stop before opening the hatch. The doors of the building slid open with a hiss, and a figure walked out to greet the robots marching neatly from the ship, each with a gift in tow. Phi held the largest prize, a gargantuan gem more than twice his size. The mastermind rubbed his hands eagerly as he watched his minions unload the ship, eyes glinting with glee as his mind raced with possibilities. A devilish grin spread across his face as his most recent creation marched towards him; three of his robot brethren followed behind him, each standing beside a floating container - his remaining prizes no doubt.

"Well? Status Report, Omega!" He snapped. E-123 Omega stoically lifted a clawed hand to its face, as if saluting. It wasn't a proper execution, but he'd specifically programmed this robot for respect and he appreciated the effort in his subordinates.

"YES, DOCTOR EGGMAN. RETRIEVAL OPERATION WAS SUCCESSFUL. RETREAT PERFORMED AT: 93% EFFICIENCY."

"What?" Eggman growled, eyebrows raised high above his shades. "What problems did you run into?"

"A PURSUIT WAS INITIATED."

"And you got rid of them, right?" The doctor questioned menacingly.

"AFIRMATIVE. SIPHON UNITS WERE DEPLOYED. PURSUERS FAILED TO COMPLETE JUMP TRAVEL." Cackling at this news, he clapped his hands together in glee.

"Excellent, excellent. Now, why don't you show me my newest test subjects." The three SWAT bots ushered the floating stretchers in front of him; he glanced down at them with an eyebrow raised and curled his mustache.

"Ah yes...some interesting specimens. Looks like our little stool pigeon spoke the truth. Good job, boys. I'm sure they'll prove useful for what I have in store for them. Take them down to the laboratory to Snively. We have some... adjustments to make before they'll be of any use to me." The bespectacled man laughed sinisterly before following the robots inside.

'First, I'll take Station Square. Then? The world...'

To be continued in chapter four: Perfect Chaos

So, okay-no, I am not interested in hearing how long this took to update-I fucking know. I have the rest of the chapters written, they're just shallow drafts that need dialogue filled in and errors cleaned up so I'll try to dish those out when I can now that I have some down time. I'm going to work hard this coming month to get this story out of the way. Fiona is an interesting character to write, since it is a completely new element to the Interstella adaption this is, I want to do her justice. I don't expect anyone to like her, but she has her reasons for doing all of this, good or no. I hope you enjoyed Fanboy!Shadow, that's probably the most lighthearted you'll see him about the topic for a while. Next chapter should be much chunkier as the interactions and dialogue increase a bit.