I would like to thank everyone for the supporting reviews it means a lot thanks guys/girls
I do not own Ratchet and Clank (I wish I did) they belong to Insomniac. This is for Entertainment purposes only.
The crew exited the meeting room and proceeded into the living quarters where the rebels they picked up were staying.
The hand approached the new additions and Brynjolf stepped forward.
"We are in a war, we must be prepared for the worst to happen, for this is war and many of us will not make it."
Brynjolf poured himself a tankard full of mead and continued talking.
"But if we all stand together, I promise you, we will win our freedom."
Brynjolf approaches Ratchet. "Go and get the map Ratchet"
Ratchet nodded and walked back into the meeting room and he took the map of the kingdom off of the table.
Ratchet emerged from the back room "got it"
Brynjolf nodded and took the map from Ratchet. "Okay so here is what we are going" Brynjolf was interrupted by an explosion followed by the fort violently shaking.
Everyone hit the dirt as one of the walls of the room that they were in got knocked in from a catapult rock.
Ratchet ran over to Brynjolf who was dazed from the blast. "Bryn, are you okay!"
Brynjolf waved his hand in a dismissive manner "I'm fine, what the heck was that"
Ratchet then remembered the date that the resistance was crushed, today. "That is the commander of the guard"
Ratchet then jumped to his feet and started barking orders, "Shooter I want you on the main tower with as many crossbow bolts as you can carry"
Brynjolf then jumped in, "what the heck do you think you are doing Ratchet? Only I give my team orders"
Ratchet protested "your orders got them killed, something I aim to stop from happening, besides I have more combat and strategy experience than you do!"
Brynjolf backed off "Fine, what do you need us to do"
Ratchet grinned "okay, this is going to sound really outlandish but it will work. I want everyone in cover, we will let them breach the walls but when they do they will be in something we call the killbox. When their ranks are in the courtyard everyone will jump from cover with our bows and we will rain hell on them."
Brynjolf stepped forward with a look of disapproval "are you insane Ratchet, the whole point of siege warfare is to keep the enemy out"
"Just trust me Bryn, this will work. They will be sitting ducks in the courtyard, there is no cover there. Once they are thinned out by our arrows, we will lead a counter attack and take out the remaining enemies. Once we take them out I will kill or capture the commander"
The crew went outside and took positions with their bows and they got ready for the assault.
After a few minutes of the guard beating the door down, they managed to get through.
Ratchet the crew and the rebels all wait in the shadows on top of the walls, waiting for the brute of the enemy to enter Fort Crimson.
There were around three hundred enemy soldiers standing in the courtyard.
As soon as the last enemy soldier entered the fort Ratchet gave the order to unleash hell.
Breach pushed a boulder that was on the wall over the gate over the edge blocking the enemy from escaping.
The rebels jumped from their positions and unleashed arrows on the defenseless soldiers below them.
Ratchet fires a shot from his crossbow striking one of the soldiers in the neck, one of the few places that Praetorian armor doesn't cover. Oh boy I'm I glad I made this armor with no gaps" Ratchet thought to himself as he fired another round.
The Praetorian guardsmen were sustaining heavy casualties in the fight whereas the rebels have only lost five men.
The three hundred guardsmen had been reduced to only thirty men who were so desperate they started using the bodies of their own fallen as cover from the arrow barrages.
Ratchet noticed one of the Guards waving a white flag and he ordered a cease fire.
"Have you had enough!?" Ratchet yelled.
One of the soldiers stood up and dropped his weapons. "I will not watch any more of these men die, we surrender!"
Ratchet turned to Snake, "Snake, take a few men down with you and secure the prisoners"
Snake obliged and he took five rebels with him to bind the new POWs.
Ratchet stepped forward to address the new prisoners. "All of you will be treated fairly, until you do something stupid like attempting to escape. Any who attempt escape will be flogged as an example to the rest of you. Now, I want the highest ranking officer to step forward."
The same guard who surrendered to Ratchet stepped forward. He had black fur with white stripes, he was of average height and weight and he had red eyes.
"I am second lieutenant Kurtis Hammer, and I am in charge of this group."
Ratchet hopped down and walked over to Hammer. "Walk with me"
Hammer obliged and he walked with Ratchet to a secluded area of the fort with two rebels in tow.
Ratchet stopped walking and he turned around to talk to Hammer.
"I have to know, why do you all serve the king? He publicly kills people just for not being able to pay taxes. I cannot come close to understanding why the guard follows that maniac"
Hammer sighs, "Believe me when I say this, if we had a choice we would be right here with you fighting against the crown. But we have families, and they would be publicly executed if we do anything. We are in a bind, Loyalty to the king, or the deaths of our families, tell me which one you would choose"
Ratchet nods in understanding. "I think I know a way you can help the rebellion indirectly. All you have to do is give us some information".
Hammer nods "of course, what do you need to know?"
"What can you tell me about the Commander?"
Hammer grimaces "he's a sick puppy. I heard he kills his own men, for things that would normally be a slap on the wrist. But he is by far the best swordsman I have ever seen"
Ratchet raises an eyebrow "does he have any weaknesses?"
"Not many, the only thing I can think of is to stay in his blind spot, he has an eye patch over one of his eyes."
Ratchet sighed "okay, this guy sounds like a tough one. I will be back when I kill him"
Ratchet turns to the rebels that were with him "take him back to his men" the two rebels saluted and took Hammer away.
Fastoon Palace.
The inside of the palace was beautifully decorated. There was gold trim running down the lower part of the grey stone walls. There was a long wooden table in the center of the room that was covered with delectable food. On either side of the table were huge stone pillars that supported the massive throne room. Each pillar had a metal ring around the base with eight metal spikes jutting out at a sixty degree angle. At the very end of the throne room was a set of stone steps and at the top was a large stone throne that was covered with precious gemstones and gold trim. In the throne sat a middle aged lombax. He had tan fur with blood red stripes he also had red eyes. He wore red silk clothes and he had a black and white spotted fur cape. On his belt there was a short sword that had a gold handle with a large ruby at the base of the grip. Upon his head sat a gold crown that had rubies and sapphires around the base, the crown had five points and at the tip of each point was a diamond.
The king was fuming, for he had just got word of the failed capture of fort crimson.
"Commander, I want you to personally go and sack this fort, do not disappoint"
The commander bowed to the king "it will be done my liege"
"Good, because if you fail, I will have your daughter flogged then beheaded publicly"
"Yes my liege, I will not disappoint" With that the Commander of the guard left for fort crimson.
Fort crimson
Shooter was sitting in the lookout tower keeping an eye out for any more guards that might be coming to take the fort when he noticed a single silhouette in the distance.
Shooter flicked open his spyglass to get a better look, what he saw sent shiver down his spine. It was the commander riding his horse towards the fort; Shooter had heard the stories on the ruthlessness that the commander showed in battle.
Shooter sprinted down the stairs looking for Ratchet.
Shooter found Ratchet entering the courtyard. "I hope the information you got on the Commander was good because he is on his way here now"
Ratchets mood quickly changed from happy to miserable. "Great" he started "how long until he gets here"
Shooter shrugged "he is about a mile out and on his horse so I would say about twenty minutes"
Ratchet sighed "fine, everyone get into your positions up on the wall with your bows. Shoot him down if he gets the better of me, but unless that happens I don't want any interference from you lot"
Everyone got into their ambush positions on the wall.
Ratchet donned his helm and sat in the center of the courtyard Indian style with his sword resting across his legs.
Twenty minutes went by fast and Ratchet noticed a grapple hook lodge into the wall above the gate and the commander came over shortly after.
Ratchet stood up and walked a few feet towards the commander (he was a good fifteen feet away).
"So, you are the infamous commander of the praetorian guard I have heard so much about"
The commander nodded, "and you are?"
Ratchet smirked "the names Ratchet"
"Where are your men?" the commander asked
"What men? It's only me here"
The commander closed his eye and inhaled deeply through his nose "heh, I can smell the fear on at least thirty people, including yourself"
Ratchets jaw dropped underneath his helm how did he know there are thirty of us? Ratchet thought to himself.
"I may have a bit of fear, I will admit that much, but I am no coward and I will do what is necessary to protect my friends, now let's end this once and for all!"
Ratchet charged at the commander sword in hand. The commander didn't even draw his sword until Ratchets sword was an inch from his face. The commander only drew his sword enough to block the strike. The tip of his sword was still in its sheath.
The commander swung at Ratchet so fast he didn't even see it until he was struck in the side by the commanders' sword. Thank god I made this armor out of titanium or else I would be dead right now Ratchet thought to himself. Ratchet grabbed the commanders sword with his gauntlet covered hand and tried to disarm the commander, but the commander punched Ratchet in the face knocking him back. Ratchet recovered and swung at the commander again, this time from his blind spot. The sword connected with the commanders' armor putting a small gash into it giving Ratchet a target to aim at. The commander managed to push Ratchet away and give himself some breathing room.
"You know, I haven't had this good a fight in years"
Ratchet smirked under his helm "too bad it'll be your last"
Ratchet charged the commander once again but this time the commander thrust his sword at Ratchets midsection but it just bounced off of his armor.
"That's a nice set of armor you have there, I have not seen a metal strong enough to not be pierced by my sword"
Ratchet didn't reply he just charged again. Ratchet swung at the gash he had put in the commanders armor once again. The commander easily blocked the strike but Ratchet had a trick up his sleeve. Ratchet dropped to his knees and he drew his dagger and stuck it into the small hole in the commanders' armor inflicting a mortal wound.
The commander fell to his knees and fell onto the ground. The commander took off his helmet revealing his face.
"That was a nice move Ratchet" he spit up some blood, "would you do a dying soldier a favor?"
Ratchet kicked the commanders' sword away and he knelt down beside him "what is it?"
"Since I failed to take this fort, the king is going to have my daughter publicly tortured and killed, would you please save her from that madman"
Ratchet nodded "I will save your daughter; you won't have to worry about her getting hurt"
The commander smiled "thank you, please make it quick I don't want to suffer"
Ratchet nodded and took the commanders chest plate off "it was an honor to be killed by someone with as much heart as you, I hope you win this war"
Ratchet nodded once more and he rested his blade over the commanders' heart. "It was a good fight commander"
The commander smiled as Ratchet plunged his blade into the commanders' heart.
I hope you liked the chapter. This chapter is the longest one yet for this fic at 2,265 words. Let me know what you think in a review. Also sorry for the long update time, I have a lot of stuff on my plate right now. I love you guys (Evil Ratchet Out!)
