With Royalty.
#1 of Alternate Sonic the Hedgehog Universe
_Project Renegade. _
Classified level Blue, the code meant for the Doctor's eyes only. Not even Snively knew of its existence. It was designed to be the ultimate war machine in the Empire. From Prow to Stern the airship was a fortress. Impregnable and armed with the latest and deadliest weapon crafts ever seen by the Freedom Fighters.
Project Renegade first appeared over the skies of the Dryland Zone. Doctor Robotnik oversaw the construction of the warships primary weapon: Mountain Crusher Cannon or M.C.C. The M.C.C. had been primarily designed for leveling large cities, but the test results had reduced a towering mountain into ruin, casting a permanent cloud of dust and ash around the chasm.
Princess Sally ran over the blue prints of Project Renegade for what seemed like the hundredth time. For the past three months she and Nicole searched for a weakness in the Air Fortress.
Attack from the air would seem logical, but their air forces would be ripped apart by the Renegade's automated air defenses.
A night assault from below. Useless, the hull frame of the ship had been crafted with a complex network of sensor markers. Even the slightest touch from a flock of birds would trigger an alert of the security drones.
However, there was one larger concern Sally faced. The Fortress was operated by the robotazized, citizens of Mobius enslaved within robotic chases. Robotnick had become disgustingly clever. By employing the citizenry onboard the Renegade he could ensure his combat drones would not fall prey, should the Freedom Fighters manage to destroy the ship.
This had driven the Princess to a breaking point. For three months she searched for a means to destroy the airship before it could destroy their efforts as well as rescue her people from the cruel manipulations of Doctor Robotnik.
A knock at her door. She did not answer. The knock came again and a voice on the other side, "Sally. Sally, you okay in there?" the knock again, this time harder.
The door opened wide, letting the moon light cast its light inside. Annie Cotton peeked past the door and with a gentle whisper called for Sally again. No answer. She stepped in with the floor whining under her step. The room was dark, despite the light from the full moon. There at the desk, a hunched figure cast in the light of Nicole's emerald glow. Her form was rising and sinking with short breaths. Annie approached, carefully, to the figure. Sally was fast asleep at her desk, her face nestled into the documents and blueprints thrown about the table top.
Annie closed Nicole's flickering monitor, dousing the glow over Sally. She knelt down watching Sally breath. With a low voice she spoke, "Sally...Sally, you're asleep. You need to wake up, dear. You're at your desk, asleep."
Sally awoke, her eyes shot open in a blink as she gasped. She pushed herself off the desktop. She rubbed at her eyes and moaned, unaware of the papyrus attached to her face. She stretched as she tried to adjust to the moon light in her cabin.
"What time is it?" She spoke through a yawn.
Annie peeled the papyrus off Sally's cheek, "It's time for bed. Come on, your highness, lets get you to bed." Annie stepped behind Sally and rolled her chair back, pulling the chair and its occupant away from the desk.
Sally had yet to regain her full awareness. She had been up since one twenty AM studying the blue prints for the air fortress. Sally had only been out once that day for a quick lunch and then back to her cabin with Nicole. Annie could see the crafted bowl at the eating table, hardly touched and ice cold.
Annie placed her hands onto Sally's shoulders and leaned into her ear, "Come on, time for bed." She whispered as she massaged her shoulders.
"I can't...I have to...Renegade fort...people driv..." She stuttered the words she hoped would convince Annie too let her continue. But she was still drained energy as Annie Cotton rolled her in the chair towards the bed.
Sally's eyes were neither open nor closed as Annie lifted her off the chair and onto the mattress. She carefully removed the Princess's vest and boots. Sally had been like a child's toy as Annie positioned her inside the bed sheets and fluffed the pillow.
Annie brushed away a strand of hair over the Princess's face and kissed her soft cheek. "Get some sleep, darling."
Annie Cotton returned the chair to the desk. Placing the vest and boots in their designated position, "Annie..." the words were a weak meow from the Princess.
"Yes, Sally?" she whispered in kind.
"With me. Stay with..."
Annie smiled. Closing the door she cast the room in a dark haze. She went for the other side of the bed, removed her vest, belt, gear pans and boots and let them lay where they dropped. She rolled under the bed sheet and curled up next too Sally, who had already fallen into a deep slumber.