A/N: Hello everybody! Thanks for reviews...and last update til Monday, as I'm not here tomorrow night and I'm working Sunday night :( No double update either, because I'm mean. I'm also just about to start Chapter Four of the dual-titled sequel to this story – when I finished drafting Chapter 10 I'll start posting the story on here. Probably won't have to wait long going by the creative river running round my body. :D Read, review, enjoy. ~ Mika

Yuhmer fired on the approaching fleet as fast as the plane's rate of fire would let him. His confidence quickly waned, however, as he saw the rest of his own fleet destroyed in a single hit from each of the opposing fleet's planes. The realisation that this battle was one he couldn't win hit him as his confidence fell and shattered. He turned the plane and hammered the acceleration pedal as hard as he could, zooming off into the horizon. The other fleet turned, diving quickly down through the heavy cloud and touched down at the back of Sandover City before they knew it.

Rhogan ran out to greet the captain. "All sorted?"

The captain stood to attention stiffly, saluting her superior. "All sorted, sir. Except for one, who managed to escape – "

"Don't worry about him." Rhogan smiled. "I know who to call,"

"With all due respect, sir, we're the last line of defence you have," the captain said, a tinge of confusion in her voice.

Rhogan chuckled, flipping his communicator open. "With all due respect, Captain, no you're not. Our main line of defence just happen to be in the Wasteland right now." He opened a channel. "Jak, come in, it's Rhogan."

~x~

Sig watched as the missiles exploded into a huge dark purplish cloud. He spent the next hour and a half watching the damn cloud itself, wondering what the Metal Heads were up to with their new Leader. He heard some more muted explosions but nothing fell out of the sky to attack Spargus. He continued watching until his gut loosened, telling him to find Jak and regroup with Eraux, Seem, Damas and the children. He followed that gut instinct, running as fast as his sixty-five-year old legs could carry him to the garage, jumping into his vehicle and roaring back into the Wasteland towards the volcano. When he got there, he found Jak, Daxter and Jakuelynn waiting just outside the tunnel, Jakuelynn cradling her left hand, which looked black, purple and heavily swollen.

What's happened to her? Sig silently worried. She looked like she'd been torn apart by whomever – whatever – was in there. He hoped she'd given It hell, whatever It was. And Cherry too, for hurting his little one.

"Get in, cherries!" he yelled. The trio wasted no time hopping into the car and buckling down as Sig took off with a force that nearly snapped multiple necks. In spite of the loud noises made from the car, he noticed how silent and tense things were between Jak and Jakuelynn. He shook his head and accelerated, keeping an eye out on the skies.

Jakuelynn was furious. Jak didn't need to say anything or even look at her to understand this. He felt it rolling off her in waves as she stared straight ahead, her green eyes fiery.

"Did she know?" she said, the brittle edge returning to her voice. "Keira. Did she know that you fucked Ashelin?"

Jak winced at his daughter's verb of choice. "No. She never found out."

The blonde tipped her head back and let out a stone-hard laugh devoid of humour. Jak noticed that she had become harder and less forgiving in her manner since Deimin's death and her banishment. Either that or Jak's memory was starting to go, which at his age he didn't doubt.

"Why did you do it?" was the next thing she uttered. "I just want to know. What possesses people to think they can have their cake and eat it?"

"Jakuelynn, it wasn't like that!" Jak insisted, rather calmly.

"Oh, sure," she spat.

He was beginning to get irritated. "Jakuelynn, stop. It was a mistake. We were both drunk, we were both very stupid and we both happened to be there with each other. You must understand."

"Actually, Father, I don't. I don't have experience in the romance side of things, except for with Day. As far as I know, he's never cheated on me and I've never cheated on him."

"Because he knew you'd break his neck," Jak replied.

Despite herself, Jakuelynn smiled. "Because he knew I'd break his neck," she agreed. Her iciness melted away and she put her good hand to her heart. "I miss him, Jak. So much." She looked at him, her green eyes betraying her vulnerability, the fire doused. "I don't know how much longer I can do this..."

"Come here, little one," her father said gently. Jakuelynn shuffled over and he put his arms around her. She rested her head on his shoulder, allowing herself to be held for the first time.

Allowing herself to be human for the first time in months.

~x~

As he sped away, Yuhmer left all logical and controlled thinking behind him. His instruments were warping and breaking with the Dark Eco cloud below him and a faint cold fear grew in him of suddenly losing control and plummeting to the ground below. He quickly checked the map, sighing with relief when he saw he wasn't too far from the volcano.

Just a few more miles...just a few more –

"Alert. Engine One at 10%."

"Shit!" Yuhmer swore. He checked the other engine. 50%. Not too worrying, but enough to cause concern. "C'mon, plane. Only fifty more – "

"Alert. Engine One at three per cent. Engine Two at 26%."

"SHIT!" Yuhmer yelled as his screens blurred and switched off completely. The plane jerked around and he struggled to keep it under control. It turned and spiralled before plummeting into a nosedive, descending quicker than a body after he'd shot it. The ground rose to meet him much quicker than he liked and he pulled the joystick up with all the strength he had in his body. The plane slowly angled just enough to send it crashing to the ground, skidding a long way until it came to a slow halt. Yuhmer breathed heavily, the smell of gas and the sound of hissing small warnings that he needed to get out of the plane, which miraculously wasn't badly crumpled. He climbed and crawled his way out of the plane, landing on the hot sand on his hands and knees. He'd barely gotten a safe distance away from the plane when he saw the toes of some very familiar boots.

Then he heard the sound of a very familiar, cold, hard, rough and distinctly female voice.

"Well, well, well. Look who's crawling at my knees."

He slowly raised his head, looking up the non-stranger's legs, hips, body, shoulders and finally, the face. She swung her Morph Gun round with her right hand – her left, Yuhmer pleasingly noticed, purple and black from where Roah had presumably crushed it.

She also looked mad as hell.

Yuhmer gulped, his throat suddenly as dry as the desert.

Behind him, his plane exploded.