"When this is over, I'll back whatever decision you make." This is it; the end of the road. As the general's ship leaves behind the ruins of Nefarious's space station, that very promise echoes in Clank's mind. The soft hums and beeps of the starship's controls mingle with the subtle breathing of the two organics, the only sound reaching his audio receptors. The robot looks out the window, watching the stars fly by, then turns his attention towards the lombaxes, hoping to piece together the thoughts neither would dare to express. First off, the pilot. "This is General Azimuth. He's been helping me look for you!" The general seems tense, as if he is alert to some unseen danger, or preparing for something. What that 'something' was, Clank isn't sure. After the three of them discussed the Clock's limitations, he and Ratchet walked towards Aphelion, determined to stop Nefarious. In response, Azimuth turned to his own ship without another word after being rejected by Ratchet. On the other hand, the general rescued them from certain death when the space station was seconds away from exploding. Clank is, of course, grateful for everyone to be alive, but he can't quite shake this feeling that something is...off about this behavior. Why would Azimuth return after being denied the Clock? Perhaps I should ask him about his intentions after we land.
Turning his attention to his dear friend gives Clank another feeling entirely. In this rare moment of calm, only now does he have the time to assess Ratchet's condition. His friend is leaning back on his seat, staring through the top of the ship into the sky. He's clearly exhausted, and desperately trying to relax. That is not unusual, considering all that he has encountered recently. He has been fighting the Agorians, the Valkyries, and Nefarious himself, and that is not considering what he faced to find me. Clank's mind held onto that thought. Being in stasis from the beginning, the robot had no idea how long Ratchet actually searched. How long did Ratchet have to search to find me? A closer look at his face gives a vague, concerning answer. Underneath the fur beneath his eyes, there are clear purple rings underneath them. There's this distant look in his eyes, as if something is eating away at his mind. It's an expression that Clank has only seen a few times before in his life, most notably after the showdown with Tachyon. The cragmite's claim of knowing Ratchet's 'true purpose' hit a deep nerve, and it was up to Clank to restore his friend's confidence. Inspired by the memory, a small metal hand slowly reaches out towards an armored shoulder, and a gloved hand meets it in return. Ratchet turns towards Clank, giving a small smile. The hiss and click of the landing gears flicks both lombaxes' ears and snaps Ratchet's attention away. As the cockpit opens and everyone touches solid ground, Clank's processors stick to a worrying observation: That distant look has not left his eyes.