Syrus woke up slowly, rubbing his head, shaking off the cobwebs as he sat up.
He saw a dark room around him, dimly lit with a few plasma torches, Dio and Spurg tapping away on two computers in one corner, as he then saw Rivet repairing Rusty in another, patching up the part of his shoulder that Decimus had sliced off.
"Hey, you're awake." Ratchet smiled as he walked in front of the Zin. "How are you doing?"
Syrus found himself sitting on a cot, as he looked up to the Lombax. "Shaky…but I'll live…" he slowly stood up with a half smile, steadying himself as he looked around the room.
"It appears that this is the Headquarters for the brothers…" Clank spoke, answering the question Syrus was about to ask, as the Zin nodded and walked over to the working siblings.
"This place?" Syrus cocked his eyebrow a little. "You two have been operating out of this…basement?"
"Nice, spacious, and most important, inconspicuous." Dio put up one of his fingers for a second, his back turned to Syrus.
"This is actually our second basement this month…" Spurg added as he typed away. "We have to stay on the move, being underground and all…"
Syrus nodded slowly. "Well, it's my duty to turn you guys in…" He then thought about the attack that had knocked him out. "But seeing as how you guys brought me down here, when you could have left me to be killed by that…thing out there, I guess I'll give you a pass…"
"We've known each other since we were kids, Syrus…" Dio smiled as he worked. "We couldn't watch you get killed out there…even if you are a bit of a zogwarg's behind sometimes…"
"Thanks…" Syrus smirked a little. "I think…"
The trio chuckled a bit, as Ratchet walked over to Rivet, who was finishing her work on Rusty.
"How's he holding up?" He enquired.
"Oh, he'll be fine…" Rivet smiled as she stood, helping Rusty to his feet again. "I'm just miffed that we can't seem to be much of a match for Decimus…"
"Decimus?" Ratchet tilted his head.
"Yeah…" Rivet nodded. "Head of the Korthos Robotic unit, and probably Neross' best fighter."
"That name again, Korthos…" Ratchet grinned a little, thinking of the God the organization was named for. "I guess he must have been famous when the Lombaxes were around…he even has his own sector of the galaxy named after him…"
"Really?" Rivet giggled a bit as Rusty changed back to his Lombax form. "What's it like?"
"You don't wanna know…" Ratchet grinned as he shook his head, thinking of the Agorians and the Battleplex. "But I had some wild times in that place."
Rivet nodded as she looked to Rusty. "How are you doing?"
"Improving, I assure you…" He placed his hand on her shoulder. "One day I shall calculate a way in which I can defeat Decimus…I am sure of this."
"And I'll be right here to help you find that way." Rivet smiled as she returned the gesture.
"Fascinating…" Clank spoke as he took Ratchet aside. "They really do seem to share a deep, personal bond. The kind of bond between machine and organic I have only ever seen between us…"
Ratchet nodded slowly. "I wonder how keen they'd be on travelling, after we've taken care of this?" He wondered to himself.
"Here we go…" Spurg spoke out loud, suddenly. "All the info from our man in interstellar spacelines on the ships leaving Habilis."
Syrus took an especially good look at this, as the group gathered to look at Spurg's info on the screen, while Dio punched up some video of a ship leaving the orbit of Habilis as discretely as it could.
"Wait a minute…" Syrus' eyes suddenly went wide as he pointed to the screen. "Pull back and freeze the image…right there!"
Dio nodded quickly as he complied…Syrus took a long look at the image on the screen.
"That's the Chancellor's emblem on that ship…" he stated, shaking his head. "You can't fly those freighters without special permission, and I know they've never been allowed in Habilis' airspace…"
He stepped back and rubbed his head. "What the hell is a restricted freighter doing there?"
"Our guess…" Dio answered. "Neross might have bullied your guys into giving them these ships…some kind of cover for the materials they're transporting."
"But what?" Rivet looked closer now. "What could Neross possibly want with such a reclusive, primitive planet like Habilis?"
Syrus rubbed his lip a little in thought. "I heard from a mercenary I talked to around here once…that there's supposed to be a huge deposit of Raritanium on that planet…"
"Raritanium?" Ratchet's eyes went wide.
"Ye gods…" Spurg froze in mid-type. "Can you imagine what Korthos could do with stuff like that? They'd be invincible."
"Then our mission is clear…" Rusty stepped forward. "We must travel to Habilis, and stop Korthos from extracting any more of this Raritanium…"
"But how?" Clank enquired. "You have said, often, that the inhabitants of this planet do not take well to visitors…"
"I know some guys…" Syrus spoke up. "The fly in with these anthropologists to study the Habilites from a distance…they say the trick is to fly into the uninhabited sections of the planet, and land VERY discretely…I think I can get you guys some special mufflers for your engines, to make sure you don't attract any attention…"
"Syrus…" Dio looked up. "Thank you…"
"It's the least I can do…" Syrus smiled, looking to Ratchet, Clank, Rivet, and Rusty. "Once you guys leave Zinjan, I think I'm gonna have some private words with the Chancellor…"
Neross walked slowly across one of the narrow corridors of his base, two skabs flanking him as his personal guard, as he walked into a room where many sparks flew, and robotic arms worked for hours on end.
Decimus was checking on a few of these machines, as he then turned and bowed.
"Master…" Decimus spoke. "How may I serve you today?"
Neross got right to the point. "How did the Raritanium processing proceed?"
"Exceedingly well, sir…" Decimus spoke as he walked over to an upright enclosed tube. "I have already constructed a marvelous project for the Robotic Unit…"
He entered a code on a panel next to the tube, as the door steamed and opened up…
Neross looked on, as the figure in white armor with silver lining stepped out slowly, a black visor looking like two large black orbs making out the upper part of the robot's head.
"This is Gochak…" Decimus motioned to the robot. "Named for the Habilites' supposed god of warfare. He will not only work to further our favor with the Habilites, but he was also constructed with a large portion of Raritanium, more than a match for anything our enemies will be able to throw at us…observe…"
He looked to Gochak, and pointed to a skab that was straggling behind the other skabs. "Dispose of that one…"
The skab stopped in its tracks, and looked to the new robot, as Gochak nodded and walked over to the skab. The weaker robot put up its hands and waved them, imploring Gochak to back off.
Gochak didn't respond, though, as he then grabbed the skab by the arm, and punched it in the abdomen, sending it flying into some metal crates with a smash, its arm coming off in the robot's hand.
He then walked over to the skab, which was just sitting up now, and grabbed it by the head, twisting it slowly to the side. Metal could be heard crunching and snapping, as he then gave the head a final twist, turning it completely backwards.
Neross smiled lightly, the old Lombax nodding in approval. "Well done…" He looked over to Decimus. "Send him to Habilis as soon as you can…"
"As you wish, sir…" Decimus bowed again as Neross walked away.
Hours had passed since the time spent on Zinjan, as the Aphellion and the Mother Loader quietly made their way towards Habilis, all the time on the lookout for Korthos ships, or any other ships that might get wise to what they were doing.
Syrus had quietly slipped into a shipyard, earlier, and retrieved some engine mufflers as he had promised. They were indeed successful in keeping the ships relatively quiet.
The vast lands of Habilis were heavily forested, and hot with a humid, blazing sun. Villages were scattered throughout the planet, and populated by the Habilites, creatures who looked almost similar to Lombaxes, only they had shorter ears, and black fur, like panthers.
In the center of the planet was Olduvai, the original village, and the unofficial capital of the planet. It was marked by a single, impressive stone structure, the stone heads of each of the Habilite gods, stacked atop one another as a single pillar.
The sight of this pillar was ever present in the sight of both ships, as they carefully made their way into the middle of one forest, and landed slowly, making sure no locals were in view.
Ratchet hopped from his cockpit once more, with Clank in tow, as he met up with Rivet and Rusty on the ground nearby.
"I don't think we were spotted…' Rivet smiled as she looked around.
"We still must be cautious…" Rusty walked out in front of the group. "I do not intend to assume combat form unless absolutely necessary, and I must ask that you keep your weapons packed away…these are most likely a fearful, and superstitious people, and we must do nothing to make them fear us."
"I do not fear you…" a voice suddenly called out from above.
Everyone's head quickly shot up, looking to the form of a slender, female Habilite, appearing to be in her teens, sliding down from the tree where she had been spying on the newcomers. She was dressed in a tan cloth skirt, which went down to her knees, as well as a top made of the same material. The clothing was adorned in red and green symbols along the edges, as she also wore a carved necklace.
"So much for the mufflers…" Clank shook his head slowly, posed on Ratchet's back.
"Who said that?" The Habilite looked around, as Ratchet motioned for his partner to keep quiet, not sure how this female would react to the sight of a robot.
Rusty walked over slowly with Rivet behind him. "What are you doing outside of your village?" He looked over to the village closest to their landing site.
"Oh, that's not my home…" The female giggled a bit. "I live all the way over in Olduvai."
"Olduvai?" Rivet cocked her eyebrow a bit. "Why are you so far away from there?"
"Because I've learned things…" The Habilite walked slowly along the clearing. "Things that made me curious about the world around me…I've seen the other visitors here quite a lot, because of who I am…"
Ratchet scratched his head a little upon hearing this. "And who are you?"
The Habilite turned towards him with a smile. "I am Qunya, eldest daughter of the High Chief of Olduvai…" She politely made a small bow of welcome.
"How strangely fortunate…" Rusty smiled a little to Rivet. "Here we are, looking for answers as to what is transpiring on this planet, and we meet someone who may be able to give us those answers."
Rivet nodded and looked back over to Qunya. "Do you know of anyone named Neross?"
"Indeed I do…" Qunya nodded. "He claims he was sent by our Gods to speak for us outside of Habilis…but I have my doubts…come with me."
She smiled and motioned towards an open path from the clearing, as the others soon followed her.
She then turned and looked to Ratchet. "You can let your shiny friend on your back down now. I have seen too many larger versions of his kind to be scared of him." She giggled a bit.
Ratchet nodded with a blush as he let down Clank, who then walked up next to her as she led the group on.
"You said you had your doubts about Neross…" The small robot enquired. "Why might that be?"
"The others wouldn't know it…" She spoke as she swatted away some large bugs that buzzed around her. "But I listened in on the talks he had with my father…the words he said…they sound almost word for word like they were lifted from a copy of the sacred texts, which only the family of the Chief are allowed to view…"
"So, you believe Neross stole a copy of these texts?" Clank asked.
"There has been talk of a missing copy…" Qunya nodded. "But my father is trying to keep it quiet…I think he really knows Neross is lying, but Neross has too much support from the people…he feels powerless to block him from our world…" She looked down, sadly. "He's afraid of what Neross might do to him, and my people…as am I…"
Ratchet then walked closer as he spoke up. "So, how do you want us to help you?"
Qunya waved her finger in the air a bit. "Well, I thought we could start by heading to my home in Olduvai…from there we can-"
"That's far enough, child!" A voice growled out, as the form of a taller male Habilite leapt from the bushes, clad only in pants and tattoos on his furred chest, as he pointed a spear at the group behind Qunya.
Rusty moved in front of Rivet, protecting her as other male Habilites came out from hidden spots in the forest.
"Ton've!" Qunya jumped a bit, before running up to the lead male, calling his name. "Ton've, stop this right now!"
"No weapons!" Rusty quickly reminded his friends as they stood still.
"I'm sorry, child…" Ton've gave her a stern look. "But I am under orders from your father to keep a sharp eye on you…and now that you have lead us to the enemies of he whom our gods have chosen, I must ask that you help turn them in with us, and show your loyalty…"
Qunya sighed and reached behind herself, pulling some berries from a pocket on her back, and squishing them a bit.
"I shall swear my loyalty to that outsider…when he can catch me!"
As she spoke the last part, she threw the berry juice into Ton've's eyes, making him grunt and yell a bit as she slipped past him, and quickly ran off into the forest, vanishing.
"Take these intruders to Olduvai!" He growled as he looked into the forest. "I will find this foolish girl, and bring her back to where she belongs."
He ran off after the girl, as the other males poked the group with their spears. Rusty made sure nobody was fighting back, as he put his arms up, and went willingly with his captors…
Time had passed, as there was some activity occurring in a gorge on the outskirts of Olduvai. The figure of the High Chief, Anduriu, stood on the edge, overlooking the work that was going on, dressed in a slender, silver chest plate, silver gauntlets, and painted silver boots over the bottom of his pants, two swords sheathed diagonally on his back. His forehead bore the red, painted band that identified his chief hood.
Skabs were hard at work below him in the gorge, bringing up raw chunks of raritanium to be stored on the freighter parked nearby, as the form of Neross walked slowly up to the chief.
"Good morning, chief…" Neross spoke in a warm, friendly voice now, smiling confidently as he stood next to Anduriu.
"Good morning…" Anduriu simply nodded, in a somewhat less friendly manner. He didn't say it out loud, but it was uncomfortable for him to simply be near this Lombax.
"Everything is proceeding as scheduled." He said to Neross.
"Excellent…" Neross grinned and nodded. "It shall please your people greatly to know that you are working hard for me…"
Anduriu nodded gently. "I'm sure it will please them even more so, when you couple this good news with more exotic fruits, and shiny objects to tantalize them with…"
"Be careful now, chief…" Neross patted Anduriu on the back, gently. "One might construe that remark as nasty sarcasm, and, well…" He leaned in closer with a grin. "You do know how the people love to gossip…"
Anduriu just breathed in slowly through his nose, and out, before nodding, his arms crossed behind him, as he kept a calm, but slightly unhappy look on his face.
Someone could be heard running in behind him now, as he and Neross turned to see a Habilite warrior come and kneel before his chief.
"Sir!" He spoke. "Ton've's men have returned with outsiders they have taken captive…one of them is very shiny!"
Neross' eyes went wide upon hearing this, thinking of Rusty, obviously. He then patted Anduriu on the shoulder and grinned.
"Well now…" The Lombax spoke with his sick smile. "It seems the gods smile on me even more, today…"
Anduiru stared at Neross blankly as he walked away from the scene…