"Ugh..."

Wraith slowly began to pick himself up, a paw going to his forehead as he gritted his teeth in pain. The metal in his head had fortunately dissipated some of the energy from the whip into the surrounding air, lessening the blows ever so slightly each time they struck, but even so they had hurt, and now he had a splitting headache where his implant was ringing with energy resonance like a bell. "I will be..." he responded to the question as he slowly eased himself up to his knees, wobbling slightly as a wave of dizzyness hit him. "...I think. Hey there Ray, long time no...see, uhhh..."

"You're useless with that collar." Solstice's sinnister voice rang out across the tunnel as she stepped up to them, the pickaxe still hanging loosely in her hand. "I can remove it. Lie down."

Wraith's eyes blinked open as he looked across at the Squirrel, raising his brow. "Trust you to break this thing...with a pick in your grasp like that???"

"I'd be willing to do it if you won't let her." piped up Nack from the other wall, a sly grin on his features. "Don't worry about that Wraith, you got a line forming."

Sol's cold eyes regarded him with a subzero stare as she spoke again: "If you refuse to remove your collar you will become a liabillity to me, since you cannot fight yourself. I would have no need of you any more. Besides, I daresay I have the best coordination of anyone here, so I'm the most likely to be able to break it without injuring you." Her own sly smile returned, mirroring Nack's on Wraith's other side, however her face was infinitely darker and more scary. "You're just going to have to trust me."

"So it's 'let you try and take off the collar and risk you using the oppertunity to kill me', or 'you kill me anyway because I can't fight'?" wraith muttered wryly as he took a deep breath to steady his head. Not a choice he particularly relished, to be honest. Still, Solstice was right when she said she had the best coordination here, and she had given her word to help him until they got out, for whatever it was worth. "Looks like we have no choice."

Standing up (slowly due to his throbbing head) he stepped over to a large rock at the side of the tunnel and lay down again next to it, draping his neck, and the collar, over the top. Brushing his dreads out of the way with a paw, he grimaced. "Go on, let's get this over with."

Solstice's grin was still wide as she stepped forward, raising the pick in her hands. It's blade was thin and sharp, the chances of actually hitting the tiny collar with such a small area of attack infantecimal...and a miss would pierce Wraith's neck clean through...

"NO!!"

A pair of child's hands grabbed onto one of the squirrel's arms and struggled to drag it down. "I'm not gonna let you do it! I mean it!"

Kanal's eyes were shut tight as she pulled with all the strength she could muster.

"Did you even HEAR the conversation back there?" Bean snapped irritably. "I knew it was a bad idea to stand back and-- WOULD YOU LET GO OF THE WOMAN ALREADY, YOU DAMN KID?!"

Dakar *heard all the echange between Wraith and the mean female squirrel, plus he couldnt beleive Nack was there too. When he heard the way he was going to get his collar removed he runned toward Solstice getting on the way between Wraith and her* Kanals right, there must be other way to remove the collars! *tryes to stop her by holding her*

(OOC: Whoo mama, Kanal and Dakar are treading on thin ice here!!! "> )

"STOP!" Wraith lunged forward himself as the other two stepped in to try and hold Solstice back, grabbing his would-be saviors and dragging them to the other side of the tunnel as he swiftly stepped between them and the Squirrel. "Guys, I appreciate your help but this is not the time!!!" he hissed to them quickly through clenched teeth. "Please, for the love of Mobius, don't interfere!" He didn't wait for a responce, instead taking a deep breath as he turned back towards Solstice, his fists clenched tightly by his sides. "They ment no harm. Leave them, let's just get this done and get out of here, okay?"

The Squirrel's sly smile had dropped from her face at Kanal and Dakar's attack, her expression now set in an ice cold glare, her eyes gleaming with emerald fury as she stared at the duo with a look that could melt metal. Slowly she raised the axe in her paw, pointing it towards the two as her gaze slid like molten lava on to Wraith. "If either of them come close to me ever again, I will dismember them." she murmured, her dark, sinnister voice sharp as a knife and cold as the tunnel air around them, not a threat, as such...simply a statement of a fact, and all the more unnerving for that.

"They won't." Wraith responded immediately, moving back across the tunnel to the rock he had been lain by before. "Now lets get this over and done with and get out of here right away."

Solstice's eyes returned to Kanal and Dakar again for a moment, her piercing eyes a silent threat as she stared them down coldly, before she finally turned back to Wraith, raising the axe once again as he lay down against the rock. The other slaves within earshot tensed and covered their eyes as the blade rose into the air and then swung down once again, slicing the quiet tunnel atmosphere in two as it arced smoothly down towards the Echidna's exposed neck...

A loud CHING of metal hitting metal echoed around the cavern, and the broken collar dropped to the rock below, clattering on the stone as it fell.

Wraith breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped to his feet again, rubbing his neck where the collar had been. It was true that Ianthe and Solstice posessed exceptional hand-eye coordination, a symptom of their fighting style, and in this case it had fortunately paid off. In no way did it mean they could trust Solstice any more than they did already, but at least it was a start.

"I hope you don't expect me to repeat this process for anyone else in your little band." the Squirrel muttered sourly as he moved. "Because I have no intention of doing so."

"No, that's okay. I can handle the rest." Wraith responded, shaking his head. "Now that I can use my fists again I could probably break them without trouble, and a blunt object will be less dangerous than a pick too." Turning to the group of slaves he raised his voice. "Okay all, everyone who has the power to break these collars safely to the front...I'll release you first, then you can help everyone else. We'll break everyone out faster that way."

Kanal returned Solstice's cold stare with one of her own, if a child could even manage one. She even was about to stick out her tongue at the squirrel when she turned away when Bean had placed a hand on her head and said to Wraith, "Break the one on the kid first, else she'll try using her powers and hurting herself."

The girl looked up at the duck. "What about you?"

"Does BEAN THE DYNAMITE mean anything to you, Kanal? I'll collapse this whole tunnel if I have the chance."

He nudged Kanal forward begrudingly. "I think she could probably break her own if she tried hard enough, though."

Dakar *is very surprised of how Skilled Solstice is, if Wraith hadnt stop him and Kanal they would surelly be dead, but that didnt stop him from Glaring at Solstice and Nack. Hearing what Wraith Said he got near Wraith too, even tough he didnt had any particular power he could help with his normal Echidna strenght* I will help releasing the slaves to from their collars Wraith

Meanwhile outside the entrance of Tunnel 27 a group of Tekdroid Corps and Tekbots and some Tekdroids slavedrivers had gathered there with K.H and T.H

K.H Very good now that we are here the slaves and the squirrel wont be able to come out and spread the rebellion, I will love to hear their screams and pleads once they see their efforts will be in vain

T.H *was feeling worried about the slaves who were going to suffer more because of his fault of releasing that dangerous slave squirrel* Yeah I hope she gets caught as soon as posible

Wraith looked ever so slightly irritated at the mention of breaking Kanal's collar first, seemingly thinking that the suggestion about the girl having powers was merely a ruse to get her freed quicker, but the expression was hidden away well before anyone could have seen it, and he sounded a mental note of resignation as he nodded, beckoning the girl to come forward. "Okay, come on over here." As she did so he couldn't help but think she somehow looked familliar, as though her face rang a bell somewhere at the back if his mind, but he couldn't quite place where from. That could wait...right now there were more important things to think about.

"I will help releasing the slaves to from their collars Wraith" muttered the green Echidna as Kanal stepped forward, and Wraith nodded once again.

"Okay bud, thanks for the assistance. Just give me a sec." Gently manuvering Kanal into a similar position he himself had occupied moments ago with her neck held over the rock at the side of the tunnel, he slid two fingers between the collar and her neck to absorb the impact some as he clenched his other fist. "Okay, just keep the thing braced against the rock, and try to hold very still. I'll try not to hurt you." Gritting his teeth, he slowly raised his fist above his head, clenched tightly like a vice, before bringing it down in a heavy blow towards the thin metal collar around the girl's neck.

The collar shattered as the blow struck, collapsing into several pieces on the rocky floor below, and instantly Wraith had pulled the girl to her feet once again, leaning from side to side to look at her as he checked to make sure she was okay. "You alright? I hope I didn't hurt you did I?" Behind him, Solstice rolled her eyes at the questions, apparently not amused...

Kanal rubbed her neck where the collar had been. "I'm fine, thanks," she muttered.

"You oughta be more appreciative," Bean told her with a smirk as he leaned against the wall of the tunnel. He turned to Wraith, adding, "You should've seen the kid, trying so hard to break it all by herself. She barely managed a spark before the pain became to much for her. Sometimes I wonder if it's either a by-product of her being around her 'big brother' or if it's some trait all echidnas have?"

A small green energy shot hit the ground right in front of the duck's feet making him jump. "What the hell, Kanal?! You tryin' to kill me?!"

"Don't talk bad about Knuckles!" Kanal snapped, glaring angrily at him.

She looked down at her own hands for a moment, wiggling her fingers and clenching them to form a fist. Looking back up at Wraith, she said in a much more pleasant tone, "Thanks again. I feel a whole lot better now."

"Wha...Knuckles?" Wraith was looking from Kanal to Bean and back again, his brow dipped low in confusion, so much so that he almost missed Kanal's word of thanks that she had spoken shortly after the revelation. It finally penetrated his thoughts, however, and he flashed her a warm smile for a moment. "It's okay, I'm glad I could help...but can I just check - what did you just say about Knuckles back there?"

Suddenly he blinked, as if a thought had occured to him, and he continued speaking before Kanal could reply. "Wait a minute, I have seen you before, haven't I! You were up on the Floating Island that time I was visiting. I saw you from a distance but we never got to talk, or be introduced..."

OOC Just to tell you quik, remember the Tekdroid Corp who interogated and beated Ianthe, he now has a name and will be more part of the story =)

Dakar *watched with atention the talking that Wraith and Kanal but was geting nervious and wanted to get free of his collar* Err Wraith?

meanwhile back were some of the Tekdroids and Tekbots that were a bit damaged from the battle in the torture room the Tekdroid cientists were making sure to repair the damage of their comrades

Captain Hyrum *as soon he was back online he sudenly reached out grabing one of the Tekdroid cientists grabing them by his neck thinking it was Ianthe* Graaaaaaarh!

Tekdroid cientist *tryes to get loose while seeing his fellow Tekdroid cientists trying to pry him of* Glad to see you back online Captain Hyrum, but could you please dont destroy me?

Captain Hyrum *seeing it was simply a Tekdroid Cientist he lets go as he stands up* Grrrr where is that squirrel slave!

Tekdroid cientist The information I heard is that she is located in Tunnel 27 and it seems she is starting a rebellion, but no problem a team of Tekdroids Tekbots and some Slavedrivers are at the entrance of the tunnel

Captain Hyrum So she is in the tunnel Slavedriver K.H is watching over?, I will go there at once to guide my teams and crush that rebellion! *walks of in direction to Tunnel 27*

Kanal stood there and blinked a few times. "So, you were that guy he was talking to before? Knuckles told me to stay put when you showed up. Something about 'discussing plans' or whatever. I got bored, so I walked back home." She sighed. "I could use some of Auntie Lara's cooking right now... but enough about that!"

She turned to Dakar and Bean. "Maybe I should take a crack at those things," she suggested. "I think a tiny shot'll do... well, I dunno, it's been a while."

"Not on your life," Bean told her. "What if you kill somebody? I'd be safer taking a pickaxe to the neck that being cooked alive."

(OOC: Really sorry for the delay all )

"Yeah so it was you!" Wraith responded, nodding slowly. "Those plans were some emergency measures we were talking about for defense of the Chaos Emeralds...but please, what did you mean about Knuckles being your...brother?"

"This conversation is serving no useful purpose!" Solstice's harsh voice cut across the hubbub of conversation in the tunnel like a sword slashing through a rope, and instantly the whole tunnel fell silent as everyone turned to look at her, frightened by her malevolent tone. Wraith looked round himself, finding her devastating gaze focused squarely on him, and he took a deep breath, shaking himself out of his anxious curiosity.

"You're right." He wanted...needed...to know what the girl had been talking about. Knuckles was his own brother, or so both of them thought considering their similar, if somewhat distant, memories, so to hear someone else adressing him as 'brother' too was like having a huge boulder strike him right in the face! Did they have family he didn't know about? And if so why hadn't Knux said anything? Not to mention she may know something of what had happened to Knuckles when the Teknians took over...

But as much as he hated it, the others were right...this really wasn't the time. And if he tried to persue the matter any further right now Solstice would probably set off on an indiscriminate killing spree anyway. Visibly clenching his teeth to try and force himself to drop the matter and leave it for another time, he beckoned to the waiting crowd. "Alright, line up everyone, let's start breaking these collars...and let's make it fast too - never know when we'll have company."

OOC: Whoa nice update of this Forum, and dont worry Wraith, he he I even had to repeat my posts after update XD

Dakar *nods* Ok Wraith *gets in line with the orher slaves that needed to get their collars breaked*

Ray *is looking at the slaves in line worried and whispers* M-Mighty I w-wonder where y-you are, Im s-so scared

Meanwhile at the entrance of tunnel 27

K.H *notices Captain Hyrum running towards them* Hey Captain Hyrum nice to see back online

Captain Hyrum *sees the army of Tekdroid corps, Tekbots and Tekdroids slavedrivers then at K.H* Good to see your ok as well K.H *then looks at T.H with a more unfriendly tone* and T.H

T.H *looks worried*

K.H Hey dont be to hard on my brother, he didnt knew how dangerous that Squirrel slave is

Captain Hyrum I see, but General Nevus wont be pleased about this

It didn't take long for a good number of the slvaes to be freed from the collars, and as they started chipping in with freeing more too Wraith found that he could excuse himself from the work and focus on other matters. "Okay, we know there's one entrance down the tunnel that way." he muttered, speaking to pretty much anyone who was listening as he turned from side to side, looking up and down the large stone face they had been working on. "I've not been that far the other way though. Anybody able to run down there fast and see if there's anything down there...another exit, dead end, anything?"

Leaving the question open, he turned his attention to the Slavedrivers the group had downed in their initial fight. "Meanwhile we should see if these guys have anything we can use. Solstice, and you bro...Bean, was it?...think you can give me a hand?"

The Squirrel, who had been leaning against the wall of the tunnel with the pickaxe still cradled in her arms as though she were guarding it from anyone who may try to take it from her, rolled her eyes somewhat at the words, but she pushed herself off the wall and stepped forward in her suave, swaying step, placing a hand on her hip as she came to a stop directly over the Slavedriver's prone forms. "Whips, definite." she remarked, bending down swiftly and picking up one of the small holsters for the energy whips the guards used, turning it in her paw to examine it from all sides. "Guns, if they have any. ID cards, for opening doors. Make it quick."

"Eh, might as well," Bean shrugged, moving over to another one of the downed Tekdroids not too far from Solstice to search. "Gonna need all the stuff we can get our hands on."

Kanal, meanwhile, looked unsure of what to do. Her persistent attitude and tough demeanor was replaced with the expression of the lost child she truly was.

OOC: Sorry for taking to long to post

Dakar *when he got his collar broken he breaks the chain at his shackled feet to have more freedom with his legs and started to help freeing the slaves of their collars and the chains of their feet

Meanwhile at the entrance of Tunnel 27

Captain Hyrum *when he finished saying that to K.H he looks at his Tekdroid Corps Tekbots and Tekdroid slavedrivers* Lets crush that weak rebellion, lets make those slaves scream and suffer the consecuenses for daring to rebell against us, get your gunst in paralising mode, I want them all alive!

Tekdroids Corps Tekbots and Tekdroid Slavedriver Afirmative Captain Hyrum, For the Berserk legion! *after saying so they they put the paralising cartriddges on ther Teknolia guns and started to walk into Tunnel 27

K.H *looks at his brother* Dont worry T.H once they get them all captured I will make sure to torture that Female squirrel, especialy for daring to damage you and get you in trouble

T.H Ok I hope so *still worried of what will happen with the slaves*

"They're coming already!!!"

The call echoed down the line of slaves from the tunnel entrance, passed from Mobian to Mobian until it reached the center of the tunnel where the main group were. Wraith looked up in shock at the words, his brow dipping into a frown. "Heck, they were fast!"

"Give me the other whip."

The Echidna looked up as Solstice dropped her pickaxe on the rocky floor next to him and opened her paw in his direction, her eyes staring off down the tunnel like a warship's searchlights. "They'll only be able to come down the tunnel three abreast at best...it'll limit their firepower. I can hold them off utnil you get off your worthless backside and see fit to join me."

"Three on one? It'd be..."

"Shut up and give me the whip!" Her freezing glare turned on him again, and he sighed, picking up the second Slavedriver's whip and holding it out to her. She was right, she probably could take three Teknians at once on her own...probably more...but he couldn't help but worry just how many enemies they might be facing. They could only come three at a time, but as one fell, another could step forward to take his place...

Still, there was no arguing with her once she had made up her mind. As she set off running down the tunnel without another word, he stood up and turned to the rest of the group with a grave expression. "Okay everyone, anybody with any kind of fighting skill or battle experience please step forward, we'll need your help defending against the Teknians. Everyone else, head down the tunnel to the end and stay there, keep hidden. We'll come collect you when it's time to move out."

Close to the tunnel entrance, where the Teknian units were advancing like a wall down the tunnel with their weapons primed, a slight movement in the darkness up ahead caught their eye. Slowly, with a sauntering, almost casual step, a thin Mobian Squirrel stepped out of the shadows, stopping in the center of the tunnel and regarding the advancing army with gleaming emerald eyes. Her thumbs twitched, and two long, thin tails of energy crackled into life from the whips in her hands, the green sparks mirroring her jade gaze perfectly as the bands of light dropped to the floor, brushing the rocky ground by her feet with a quiet humming noise. Silently, Solstice waited, her muscles primed to leap out of the way the instant the Teknians took any action...the first move was theirs...

Captain Hyrum *has noticed the slave squirrel waiting for them* Its the Slave squirrel charge and capture her!

The Tekdroids and Tekbots *continued advancing and started shooting trying to paralize the female squirrel while yelling* For the Berserk Legion!, for our Advisor Golvon! Graaaaaaar lets enjoy their suffering and fear!

Dakar *after freeing some slaves he runned back withWraith and the other armed with his pickaxe, he could hear the shooting of the Berserk legion and their war cries making him feel chills through his spine, still he tryed to remain as tough as posible and said panting a little *Wraith we have freed all the slaves of their collars and chained feet, all those willing to fight are ready!

Ray *was also armed with his pickaxe and tryed to remain brave but you could notice he was trembling and sweating hard in fear*

Solstice lept to the side as the Teknians began firing, spinning in the air as she kicked off the wall and launched towards the leading troops at speed. Most of the energy blasts from the Teknian guns exploded on the floor and walls around her as she lept and summersaulted across the tunnel, and the ones that did actually manage to get on target were absorbed by the flashing tendrils of the whips in her paws.

As she drew close, she lashed out with one of those whips in a deadly spinning arc, and two of the front three guards dropped to the floor, sliced almost in two by the tendril of energy. The ones behind stepped forward to take their place, but Solstice had lept backwards again, dodging and weaving from side to side to avoid the hail of gunfire...

He reached out, placing a hand on Dakar's shoulder. "Don't worry, so long as we stick together we'll be okay." Then, clenching his fists tighter, he turned to look at the rest of the group. "Okay lets go battle our way out of here! Mobius will be free!!!"

(OOC: Sorry for the short post, I'm quite tired at the mo)

(OOC: *rubs hands in glee while calling 'sweetly' to her main character* Oh Renieeee....

RENI: Oh, no you don't! Not again....!

--C'mon, every time I tried this before something got in the way of me adding significantly toward it...

RENI: And I'm supposed to care because...?

--Oh, just be quiet and get in the RP already!

RENI: *rolls eyes* Fine...i just KNOW I'm gonna regret this...

Aaaanyway..I'm in. With my usuals, Reni, Viv, and 'Dom. Just have to finish reading the story so far first...)

(OOC: Okay, here I go...gonna put my chars in somewhat away from the main action at this point...Oh, and I seriously doubt the first escape attempt will succeed...where would our story go if that was the case, eh? BTW, Is the brand on the shin or the inside of the knee?)

IC:

"Git yer mits offa me!" Serenity twisted and squirmed, trying to slip out of the grip of her captors. Boy, this rescue mission is NOT going the way I planned it...Guess I should have tried to find more survivors and brought us together in a resistance movement first, but I wasn't thinking... The purple hedgehog princess was covered in more and more of the invaders and their droids as she fought desperately to free herself. It wasn't working. There were just too many of them, and she was tiring. She panted somewhat as they held her down in a cell in what they called the Torture Building. She most definitely did NOT like the sound of that.

She struggled in vain as the incredibly tall aliens forcibly removed her clothing and replaced it with customary slave-garb. "Hey, watch where yer puttin yer hands, ya perv! This is no way to be treatin a princess, ya scrawny--" She tried to bite, but only succeded in getting a gag stuck in her mouth. "Mmmpphh! Mmph!"

The teknians proceded to throw heavy chains around her wrists and ankles before clamping a massive collar around her neck. They then brought out a glowing iron with the innitials of her new 'owner.' Oh no you don't...you are NOT branding me...EEEYOOOWW! She would have screamed if it weren't for the wad of cloth stuck in her mouth.

They finally let her up...and then STRUNG her up onto some sort of metal rack, where they proceded to whip her mercilessly, trying to make her cry out in pain, which was kind of difficult with the gag in her mouth. She resolutely would have kept her mouth shut anyway; she refused to give her captors the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"That's for trying to resist the new order, slave. You shall cry out, and then you will be taken to the caverns to work." They finally removed the gag.

"Yeah, right. I won't...umph..." She bit her lip against the pain. "let you guys...uurgh...humiliate me...when Daddy gets here, sees what you've done...*grunt* You're SOOOOO gonna pay..." She finished, trying to sound ominous but only succeeding in sounding pitiful.

You invaders are gonna regret catching me...I can so be a litteral THORN...

TBC

(OOC: will intro my other chars later. Oh, and Surge will probably be here too. Reni's gotta have her beau, ;p)

(Edit: Forgot the quill shaving thing...*facepalm* Oh well, let's just say they did it...I don't feel like adding it to the story right now...)

OOC: Hey Welcome to my RP Violet, nice to see you again, oh and to answer your question the brand is at the ankle abit up at the shacled feet =)

Dakar and Ray *rised their pickaxes yelling* Yeah for freedom!

The Tekdroid Corps, Tekbots and Hyrum keep atacking advancing in Tunnel 27

Captaing Hyrum Charge charge capture that slave Squirrel and the rest of the slaves!

OOC: Sorry if its to short, next one will be longer

(OOC: Still here, just can't think of anything at the moment...)

(OOC: I am SO sorry not to have gotten back to this before, however, my job saps my energy for RP. I WILL get back to this, hopefully soon...)