Since my roommate hasn't taken the computer yet, I have decided to get started on Bounty Hunter III. But if you don't see an update for a while, you know why.
Chapter I
The air was cold and windy. The snow that danced around felt like needles piercing one's face. Planet Aranos was seeing one of it's many year-around blizzards not a creature could be seen in sight on this frigid night. Except, there was one. The form of a young Aqory female was pushing her way through the on come of snow and wind. She was wearing a bulky fur coat with a hood that protected her face from the icy blast. On her back, she had a small robot attached, riding along like a backpack. As she came to one of the many mountains residing on Aranos, Soara lowered her hood, and surveyed it. "This is it, Clank. She said to the robot on her back, speaking loudly for him to hear her over the roar of the wind. "My source should be somewhere on top of this mountain. All we have to do now, is climb." She hopped up to a large snow-covered rock a few feet off of the ground with a grunt. Then began climbing up the mountain. "Is Your friend reliable to you?" Clank asked Soara, looking over his shoulder to address her. "Well." Soara answered with a grunt, as she pulled herself higher up the mountain. "I wouldn't call him a 'Friend.' He's an ex-client who I think would know something about who hired Echelon to nab Ratchet in the first place."
"And he would tell you." Clank asked. "With a little persuasion." Said Soara. "This guy isn't someone you want to get comfortable around. He's a mercenary. Sells himself to the highest bidder."
"Is that not what you use to do?" Soara stopped, her hand suspended in midair as she made to grab another rock. "In a sense." She said finally. "But that was a long time ago, you ought to know that by now."
"I do." Said Clank. "But not everyone changes. "Look, Clank." Said Soara, resuming her climbing. "This guy is our only hope of finding Ratchet. You can either judge him and me, or you can-" As Soara grabbed another rock, her hand slipped from the snow. She gasped as she found herself hanging of the mountain with one hand. She no longer had her gravity-pack, since she was now carrying Clank around instead, if she fell- Her second hand slipped. Soara screamed as the began to plummet to the icy ground below. Clank used one of his handy upgrades to turn himself into a jetpack, causing Soara to shoot back up to where she had fallen. "Whoo! Thanks, Clank!" She said grabbing ahold of another rock. "I'm starting to see why Ratchet is so fond of you."
Reaching a ledge in the center of the mountain, Soara pulled herself up and paused for a moment to catch her breath, clutching the rib that she broken a couple of weeks ago. "How much further?" Clank asked. "Should be just up ahead." Said Soara, getting to her feet. She soon came to the entrance to a cave. But the opening was so small, Clank had to hop off of Soara's back so she could bend down and crawl inside. He the followed after, not needing to crawl inside. Inside the cave, Soara stood up and dusted herself off. Immediately, she felt a sharp blow to the side of her head, knocking her over. Clank saw the culprit. A large, scruffy old Cazar male, clutching a bottle of what had use to be vodka, now broken in pieces since he smashed it over Soara's head. Clank gaped at the Cazar, appalled. "What are YOU looking at?!" The Cazar snapped at Clank. He started to run clumsily at Clank, brandishing his empty, broken bottle at him. But Soara tripped him with her leg, causing him to land flat on his face in the frozen ground with a dull thunk. "Curses!" Said the Cazar in a muffled voice, speaking into the ice. He then rolled on his back. "You wanna sneak up on a sick old man while he sleeps?!" He shouted so his voice echoed around the cave. He then got to his feet and advanced on Clank again. "Come, ye stupid little pile of junk!" He said to him, brandishing his fists stupidly at Clank. "Can't fight'a fair fight? Do I scare yeh? I'll pop yeh a good one a feed yeh to the-"
"Q'inn, will you knock it off?!" Said Soara, walking over and smacking the Cazar upside the head. "He's with me!" Q'inn looked at Soara with unfocused eyes. "Soara?!" He said angrily. "What in tarnation's y'trying to do?! Sneakin up on an old man is very stupid. I coulda killed you!"
"Not in YOUR condition." Said Soara in disgust. "How much have you HAD today?" Q'inn shrugged, snorting. "I dunno." He said. "Lost count."
"THIS is your source?" Said Clank in disbelief. "He could never help us find Ratchet if he was dancing in front of him." Soara ignored him. "Look, Q'inn." She continued. "I have a favor to ask." Q'inn scoffed. "Favor." He repeated. He started to walk deeper into the cave until he came to what looked like a small living room with a torn, holey couch. and a coffee tale laden with bottles, both empty and full of liquor. "A friend of mine has been taken by orders of the last of Emperor Tachyon's supporters." Soara continued. "I need to know where he has been taken." Q'inn just picked up one of the bottles of vodka and raised it to take a swig. But Soara pulled it out of his hand. "You owe me, Q'inn." Said Soara, pointing a finger at him. Q'inn looked at Soara's finger with crossed eyes for a moment, then grumbled. "I might know something." He said. He made to walk over to his couch, but collided with the coffee table. "Who the hell put that there?" He said, pushing it out of his way. "You MIGHT know something?" Clank repeated as he and Soara followed Q'inn. "Yeah. But it'll cost ya some'thn." Said Q'inn, digging through one of the many holes in his couch. Soara rolled her eyes. "I figured as much." She said. "How much we talking?" Q'inn grinned toothily at Soara. "Nine thousand bolts." He said. "Nine thousand?!" She repeated appalled. "Listen, Q'inn, you cheap son of a-" But Clank put his hand up to silence her. "Please Q'inn." He said. "We really need to find me friend. We must to know whatever you know."
"That's all find and dandy. But I don't work for free." Said Q'inn, pulling a PDA out of the hole in his couch. "Fine, Q'inn." Said Soara, pulling a money bag out of her pocket, and throwing it at Q'inn. "I got six thousand. Take it or leave it." Q'inn dug through the bag for a moment greedily, before taking his PDA, and saying. "Very well. I believe the remaining group of Tachyon's supporters are somewhere on the Dayni Moon."
"Dayni Moon?" Clank repeated. "That's right." Said Q'inn walking back over to Soara while still using his PDA. "I'm uploading the coordinates to Soara's com-watch." Not paying attention, Q'inn step in a puddle of melted ice, causing him to slip and fall on his face again. "DAMN IT, FLUFFY!" He shouted into the ground. "How many times must I tell you not to go on the FLOOR?!"
"Who is Fluffy?" Clank asked, watching Q'inn struggle to get to his feet. "His pet that died almost ten years ago." Soara grumbled. Clank put his hand to his face and slowly shaking his head back and forth, clearly doubting Q'inn more and more. Soara's com-watch beep, signaling that she received the coordinates. "Thanks, Q'inn." She said, as Q'inn grabbed his vodka and began to chug it down. "You've been helpful. Let's go, Clank." Clank Hopped onto Soara's back as she turned to leave. "How accurate do you think those directions were?" Clank asked, watching as Q'inn toppled over from leaning to far back as he emptied his bottle. "Q'inn maybe a drunken old coot." Said Soara, reaching the mouth off the cave. "But he's never let me down before."
Making sure that Soara and Clank were out of the cave, Q'inn pushed a button on his PDA. There was a brief ringing sound, followed by a voice on the speaker. "Who is it?!" Came an agitated voice from the other end. "Telther." Said Q'inn into the PDA. "You know how you told me to tell you if Soara came asking about that Lombax?"
"Yeah." Said Telther. "What about it?" Q'inn grinned evilly. "Well, I'm sending them your way"
You know you have a good character going when you crack yourself up writing about him. That's what Q'inn did to me. BTW. It's pronounced Keen, not Kewin. Just saying