Sleep didn't happen for Sasha that night. Her mind seemed to work out a hundred possible scenarios without deliberate effort on her part. She was a decent pilot. A decent shot. A good captain. Unfortunately, (fortunately?) she could not think of anything she had to offer Clank that necessitated her actually leaving her home and career. She tossed in bed from one side to the other, trying to readjust the blankets when they became tangled in her legs.
He needed Ratchet, not her. Clank needed the uncalled for optimism, the ridiculous arsenal, the willingness to fight like there was nothing to lose. He needs to know how to build a dimensionator. She had no idea what a dimensionator was, but she guessed that whatever device Qwark had mentioned on the holo was the thing Ratchet was messing with and got himself "accidentally sucked" into another dimension. So I need to basically act like Ratchet and master mechanical engineering. She tossed in her bed again. She stared at the wall, trying to clear all thoughts from her mind with a meditation technique she'd been taught long ago. It didn't work. With a heavy sigh, she stood, dressed, and started packing.
It was midmorning on Eudora and only about a six hour drive from Kerwan. Sasha had called in sick to her company's answering service. She wasn't sure how many times she'd bother doing that. Or if she would chicken out and return home. She padded slowly up to a split level suburban home. This home seemed a few meters father away from the other houses in the development. The yards were all impeccably maintained. Lush greenery and peaceful bird calls surrounding Sasha made her feel a little guilty for what she was about to do. Taking a small breath to brace herself, Sasha knocked on the door. It opened within moments, but her bracing breath did little to hide her cringe at the image of the figure in the doorway.
"Well hi, Captain Sasha!" came a cheerful voice.
"Good morning, Al."
"You're just in time to check out the beta version of the latest Fire and Ice vidcomic," he pulled Sasha into the house. "Even this version isn't supposed to be released yet but *I* happen to know a guy," Al chuckled to himself through his nose. Well, half a nose.
"Thank you, Al, but I'm actually here to ask you a favor. "
"Sure, Sasha, anything, " he gestured towards a puffy green couch facing a huge screen. She climbed into it as gracefully as she could, being a smaller species than for whom the furniture was intended.
"I need you to come with me to the Polaris galaxy and help Clank build something called a dimensionator to pull Ratchet back home through a wormhole to the unknown."
"Anything but that."
"Al, please!" she burst. That favor sounded much less ridiculous in my head.
"Did this plan of yours sound any better in your head?" he asked incredulously. She stared blankly into his one organic eye. He'd read her mind. Also, the number and complexity of robotic prosthetics running her friend still gave her the creeps.
"It did sound more reasonable in my head, yes," she admitted. "But after all Ratchet's done for this galaxy, everything he's been through…" she paused awkwardly. "It's the least I can do."
Al sat down on the opposite end of the couch. "Sasha," he began. "I don't blame Ratchet and Clank for what happened to me at Dreadzone. I really don't. I'm just not built for that kind of adventure." He adjusted the elbow of his robotic arm with his organic one. "Heh heh. No pun intended, of course."
"Do you blame me?" she looked at the ground.
"I… No… Wha-"
"I knew what was happening in that sector. I even called to warn you about it. How many weeks were you three gone? How much military influence, political influence did I have at the time? I could've gotten everyone out of there if I tried. And I did nothing. Not one thing." Words she'd never allowed herself to think all came spilling out at once. She kept eye contact with the ground. "He never even called to tell me you'd all escaped."
"… And now you want to make up for that?"
Sasha nodded once. Pity party over, she looked Al in the eyes, both of them this time. "I won't be able to figure out how to build this machine, so it's my responsibility to find someone who can. If you won't do it, I'll find someone else." She stood up, falling a few centimeters to the ground. She brought herself up to her full height and lifted her chin. "I won't push. But I'm asking that you think about what Ratchet would do." Al sat quietly for a moment. Sasha turned towards the door and took a step.
"Sasha, wait." He groaned. She stopped, but didn't turn to face him. There was a long pause. "Let me put together some equipment."
"We launch at 1500 hours. Don't be late," she commanded. Walking tall out the door, a ghost of a smile crept onto her face.