AN: If you have an easily playable copy of Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction, I suggest doing a playthrough of the planet Sargasso. A lot of side comments and actions happen in the next few chapters that tie in subtly with the gameplay and story. It also helps with the visualization.


Kaden shoved another piece of clothing into his traveling case, more violently than he'd done the previous piece, and the piece before that. With each proceeding item he packed inside the container, his anger grew.

It had been just over three days since he'd met the Academy's dean and he had just recently been cleared for active duty by the medical staff.

Just as promised, his mission timer had started the second his status had been updated. He was now leaving for Sargasso in just over an hour, but it was unlikely that his temper would hold out until then.

By the time he'd packed all of his clothing, he'd had enough, "Shut up," the irritated Lombax growled, unable to hold back any longer.

The white-furred Lombax sitting at Kaden's desk shrugged, "I didn't say anything," he replied calmly, the broad smile that split his handsome features remaining unaffected.

Kaden glared darkly at the now, mostly full, suitcase, "You were thinking it loud enough," he insisted, without turning to face his provoker.

Varick laughed in amusement, "Yes, well I did warn you about getting on Tor'doran's radar, didn't I?"

"You were also the one that pushed me to settle matters with Kor," Kaden countered bitterly.

Varick scoffed at the words and his expression turned to one of mock indignation, "Huh, you were practically on the battlefield already by the time my hand even reached your back. Besides, I never told you to break any rules in the process."

Kaden angrily grumbled a halfhearted retort that was so weak he didn't actually want Varick to hear it. Then, with a mighty push and a click, his bag was packed and he wasted no time before hammer-throwing it across the room.

The object flew through the air, past where Varick was sitting, and sailed out the doorway, knocking over the robot who'd been standing outside of it.

Varick made a slight, disappointed shake of his head, "That will be everything, James. You can go now," he said to his personal robotic servant.

James, the robot who'd been laid flat by Kaden's bag, jumped back to his feet energetically, "Yes, sir," he replied in a cheerful demeanor, which showed no signs that he was at all fazed from being assaulted with luggage.

Varick watched his mechanical aide leave before turning back to the angry, tan Lombax with a serious expression, "Now, I should hope I don't have to tell you this, but during your mission you absolutely must 'not' fight with Kor. Tor'doran's punishments may be he harsh, but she takes disobedience while carrying them out as a direct insult. If you really want to get back at her, then prove to her that you're not just a rule breaking failure and make it through this without issue."

Kaden bit back the snarky retort that came instantly to his mouth at the mention of Tor'doran's name, but he knew that what Varick was saying was the truth.

"Yeah, yeah," he eventually mumbled quietly, before throwing his backpack over his shoulder and heading out of his room.

Varick stood up to leave as well and smiled once more while he watched Kaden move further away from him, "Oh, and do try not to die. Besides the considerable investment I've already put into you, I'd hate to lose 'another' bet with my colleagues due to my overestimation of your abilities."

Kaden stopped walking as another retort worked its way up towards his jaw. While the main reason he shouldn't reply was the fact that he knew Varick was obviously goading him for his own twisted pleasure, he also knew that any response on his part was inherently flawed.

The reason Varick's words stung so deeply was the very reason Kaden couldn't refute them. It was an undeniable fact that he'd almost died last time and that he'd overestimated his own abilities.

After a long moment of silence, Kaden simply continued walking forward without saying another word.


Kaden arrived at the Military Field starport to find James waiting patiently for him.

His luggage was nowhere in sight, so he assumed that the robotic servant must have stowed it already, which was impressively efficient, given the fact that he'd only had few minutes head start.

"Right this way, sir," directed James cheerfully as Kaden approached. "The shuttle to Mr. Adjunaris' ship is set to leave in just a few minutes."

Kaden simply nodded and followed James' lead.

It was only a short while before they reached the boxy space vehicle that would take him up to Varick's interplanetary research vessel, where it waited in low orbit to depart for Sargasso. Kaden took a moment to marvel once again at how a student here at the academy possessed such resources.

James began to speak again as they entered the shuttle, "Master Varick has given you permission to use the Slipstream free of charge, as its scheduled flight itinerary will take it quite close to Sargasso. Such freely given gestures are quite rare for my master to offer, you must be very important to him."

Kaden rolled his eyes at the comment. James' words only made sense if he swapped the word 'important' with 'valuable'. Regardless, Varick Adjunaris always got something out of anything he did, so if this trip was 'free', then there was definitely some other way that the manipulative President of the Science Field was going to get 'paid'.

And it didn't take long before Kaden figured out just what Varick was after, either.

"Though your shuttle will be docking aboard the Slipstream, you have not been given clearance to enter the ship's interior," explained James as they stood in the opened hatchway of the shuttle. "It will take us approximately five hours to reach our destination. Once in low orbit over Sargasso, this shuttle will depart once more for the planet's surface. Do either of you have any concerns before we leave?"

Kaden didn't say anything at first, he simply glared silently at the red-armored Lombax already seated in the shuttle's passenger cabin.

As he did, however, he studied the current Kor in great detail.

The first thing he noticed was how horribly damaged his antagonist's armor was. Clear indications of the superheating it had recently gone through was evident in the way that its edges were twisted and warped as if the metal were made of wax.

While the functional damage had been extensively repaired, it would appear that whatever armorsmith had taken on the job was unable to save the suit's helmet.

Kor's face was covered as usual, but not with his now famous G-83 helmet or his goggle/breathing mask combination. Instead, he wore an old, I-94 Light combat helmet.

The helmet's design was part of the ancient 'I' series armor set, the successor to the G series, but it offered only light protection. It did, however, cover the wearer's ears in a strong carbon-nanofiber weave which allowed a solid, airtight seal over the head without constricting the user's ears.

Unlike the Crimson-heavy color scheme of the G series, this helmet was painted green, which, actually complimented Kor's red armor nicely, but threw Kaden off, as he was used to seeing all red whenever he saw Kor… or thought of him.

Beyond its solitary occupant, the shuttle room itself was set up like a combat dropship. Two cushioned benches lined either side, dotted with seating harnesses at measured intervals. Kor sat at the farthest end of one bench and had been staring out of the nearest port window.

The armored Lombax had turned around to face Kaden's gaze as he'd entered, but only for a moment, before he seemed to quickly lose interest and return his attention to the window.

Kaden's eye twitched with irritation at the slight insult, but he quickly pushed the emotion away.

With a blank expression on his face, the tan Lombax asked a question, "James, when you say we can't enter the ship, do you mean that we won't be allowed to leave this shuttle during the whole trip?"

"Yes, sir," answered the ever cheerful robot.

"And, if I were to ask to leave the shuttle, even to simply sit in ship's hangar area, your answer would be?" Kaden asked next, knowing the response already.

"No... sir," smiled James in a way that reminded Kaden far too much of Varick.

It was almost as if he could see the grinning, white-furred Lombax enjoying his torment in James' place. There was a brief moment where Kaden considered arguing, but his shoulders quickly drooped and he gave a conceding sigh before walking forward into the room.

In truth, this situation fit his plans perfectly, though that did not mean he was happy about it.

"Very good, sir," continued James upon registering the tan Lombax's submission, confirming Kaden's suspicion that his positronic mind was completely aware of the tension in the air. "Should either of you two need anything, you may contact me through the comm unit in the wall. I will be in the cockpit acting as your shuttle pilot." James then bowed deeply and left, sealing the doorway shut behind him as he did.

Kaden walked on eggshells his whole way to the seat across from Kor. Under normal circumstances he'd have chosen the seat that was as far away from the armored Lombax as possible, but again, his plan deemed this discomfort necessary.

He'd had several days of recovery time to think about his current situation and he had not spent it doing nothing. Kaden knew from the mission briefing files that the dean wasn't just trying to scare him when she'd said the mission was dangerous. The reality of his situation, no matter how much the very core of his being was loath to admit it, was that he needed Kor's help if he was to guarantee his own survival.

This meant that he have to bury his pride so that he could bury the hatchet with his enemy.

The first part of that plan had taken him all the way until this very moment to do, but the second part would prove a little trickier. He needed to start a conversation with the silent Lombax, but there seemed to be no opportunity at present.

Kor hadn't moved a centimeter since Kaden had entered and, of course, that meant his eyes hadn't shifted away from the window either.

It was hard enough under normal circumstances to gauge the mysterious Lombax's mood while he was totally encased in armor. This left only his subtle body language and almost emotionally-void, static-riddled words as the only clues.

Kaden briefly mused about what a pain in the tail end a character like Kor would be to write about, but quickly shook the useless thought from his mind and refocused his attention on the task at hand, looking for any opportunity to engage.

However, Kor seemed quite determined to stare out of his window and not look at Kaden at all. The two sat in complete silence for several minutes and Kaden could only assume that the reason for this was that Kor's hatred of him matched his own. That did not bode well for his plan.

It wasn't just the lack of eye contact either (or, eye-visor contact as the case would be), it was also the stiffness in Kor's posture that warned of ill will.

Kaden wasn't exaggerating when he'd noted that Kor hadn't moved a centimeter. The armored Lombax's body was so stiff and rigid that Kaden's survival instincts were starting to buzz. Tension like that indicated someone whose body was ready for action at an instant's notice, as if they were sensing danger and expecting to be attacked at any moment… or planning to do the attacking.

Kaden's mind was reflexively starting to drain focus away from the dwindling hope that he could reconcile with Kor to survive Sargasso and was instead putting it to the effort of just trying to figure out if they'd make it to Sargasso at all.

This point was then made abundantly more concerning when Kaden felt a light rumble and hum of energy that meant that their shuttle was preparing to take off, reminding him that they hadn't even left yet.

But something happened after that which clashed with the reality in Kaden's mind.

Despite the air around Kor seeming to grow more tense and dangerous by the second, the armored Lombax's form also seemed to shy away from him ever so slightly. As if he were afraid of Kaden.

'No, that wasn't right,' Kaden thought to himself as he reconsidered the evidence.

Kor wasn't subtly trying to put distance between the two of them... he was slowly inching away from the porthole that he had been so intently staring through.

The floor and walls of the room shook more intensely as the ship's thrusters ignited, causing it to lift off from the port.

The moment this happened, Kaden saw another strange sight: he noticed that Kor's armored fist was now slowly crushing the front edge of his seat, which he'd already been gripping vice-like since before Kaden entered.

'No way…' Kaden's mind refuted in disbelief, 'He couldn't be…'

As the ship pulled away from the docking station and began heading toward Fastoon's upper atmosphere, the shaking within the room became much more intense. So much so, that it almost completely hid the nervous twitching that was now evident in Kor's posture.

Kaden, a veteran of spaceflight, was as relaxed as if he were on the ground. He simply studied his fellow passenger with fascination while the shuttle climbed ever higher.

Then, he decided that now was as good a time as any, "First time flying past the atmosphere?" Kaden asked in what he hoped to be a friendly and non-threatening tone.

But Kor did not respond, or even show signs that he'd heard the question.

"I remember my first time off-planet," Kaden continued. Then, in as non-insulting a voice as he could muster, he said, "It can be 'frightening', can't it?"

Kor's whole body jolted with a single twitch that was amplified throughout every limb by his stiff posture.

Very slowly, or perhaps carefully, the armored body began to sit upright again. It was amazing how much taller Kor looked once he wasn't subtly hunched away from the window anymore.

The metal-encased Lombax then turned his expressionless, armored head away from the window and fixed his fellow passenger with what was probably a harsh glare, "There is nothing in this universe that I am afrai-" A sudden bout of turbulence shook the shuttle violently, causing Kor to redouble his grip on his seat, twisting the metal edge as if it were made of soft plastic.

Kaden made extra sure to not show any signs on his face that he'd noticed anything.

After the worst of the shaking had stopped, Kor loosened his grip once more and stared at Kaden in silence for a few more seconds before continuing, "I am simply… 'concerned' for you Demari and your obsession with heights."

Kaden thought the statement was odd, but then he briefly reflected on how he himself had grown up in an apartment that was built roughly two miles above the planet's original ocean level, how he frequently flew his hoverboard around the tallest buildings (which were closer to four miles high), and that the two of them had just left a school that was based on top of a mountain.

It was possible that Kor was onto something with his observations, but it was more important that Kaden use this opportunity to keep the conversation going.

"Then let's talk about our mission instead," the tan Lombax offered, taking charge of the discussion and changing the subject. "There is a fair chance that we won't run into anything too dangerous while we scan the swamplands, but... if we do, well… there's a reason Sargasso isn't known for its tourism industry."

The cabin fell silent again as Kor stared for a few more seconds, mulling over Kaden's words, "Then, it is a good thing that we are not tourists," he replied simply.

Kaden got the mild feeling that Kor didn't fully understand what he was saying, so he figured it was best to get straight to the point, "What I mean is: we need to work together... as a team, at least if we want to survive this mission. So, uh…" it took a little time and a lot of willpower for Kaden to continue, but if he followed his logic, he knew this was the only way, "I uh… I guess I should start by apologizing. I'm sorry for targeting and attacking you like I did."

Kor did not respond immediately, he simply stared for a long moment. So much so that Kaden was about to speak again, but was cut off,

"Your apology is neither necessary nor desired," Kor stated simply, with no evidence that he cared at all about Kaden's expression of regret. "If your concern is for my cooperation, then it is unfounded. I will fulfill my role as your escort and protect you with my life. Of that, I assure you... with what little honor I have left."

Kaden's initial thoughts were very mixed. He was angry at having the apology that he'd worked for three days to be able to say be disregarded so coldly, but at the same time he felt some relief to know that despite everything so far, Kor would cooperate.

However, he also knew that these were just words. They were far from a guarantee that Kor would not just abandon him if the situation truly got bad. There was even the possibility that Kor was straight up lying through his breathing apparatus and had no intention of working together at all.

Kaden knew that he needed to dig deeper and try to uncover any hidden truths Kor was hiding and that meant more conversation.

Kaden 'knew' this, but the first part of his mind, the one that was still angry about having his apology stiffed, managed to grab control of his mouth first, "Huh?!" he snorted scornfully, "And what makes you think I need 'your' protection?"

Kor leaned back in his seat, eyeing Kaden carefully, "I do not inherently believe someone of your abilities 'will' need protection, but it is not a matter of 'need'. I shall fulfill what is owed of me, regardless."

Kaden was taken slightly aback by Kor's almost humble reply, "You seem a lot less confrontational than you did in the fitness center?" he wondered aloud, saying the first thought that came to mind before the rational part could wrest his voice back.

Even more to Kaden's surprise, Kor turned his gaze towards the floor in what, if Kaden hadn't known better, might have been shame, "At that particular moment," he began slowly. "I was in the process of reflecting on recent… failures. As I said then, you have very poor timing."

An awkward silence then filled the room as the sound of their shuttle docking with something could be heard through the walls. Neither Kaden nor Kor were particularly proud of what had happened in the school exercise room several nights ago, it would seem.

Despite the fact that Kaden was now moderately sure he could trust Kor for this mission, he still at least wanted to try and clear the air between them. It was necessary for their survival.

"How are your wounds doing?" he asked eventually, after running through many different topic possibilities in his head. After all, being injured by each other was something they had in common.

Kor looked back up and eyed Kaden carefully, "I will not be a hindrance on this mission... I swear it," he insisted firmly.

Kaden was startled by Kor's response and he felt a small twinge of guilt, "That's not what I meant," he continued, not sure how to proceed.

"Then what other reason would you have to inquire about my health?" Kor asked, somewhat suspiciously.

Kaden shrugged, "I was really just trying to make conversation, you know? I mean we're going to be working together, so I figured we should try to find some common ground," he answered with the friendliest tone he could manage.

Kor was silent again for a seemingly long few moments before he finally replied, "Let us make a few things clear, Kaden. As a fighter, I respect your abilities greatly and I admire the efficiency with which you defeat your enemies, but as a warrior, as a person… I 'despise' you."

Kaden was caught off guard once again. Being told so bluntly to his face that he was hated was new to him, at least not since his primary education years, so he didn't know how to respond at first.

In the following silence, Kor continued, "Your methods are conniving and you fight your battles through toys and traps while in a direct fight, one-on-one, you are worthless. In a war there are no rules and any method that achieves its goal must be respected, but to one such as I, who succeeds by sharpening their skills and building their strength, you are an insult. Understand that I fulfill my duties 'only' because they are my duties and for no other reason. When this mission is over and I have fulfilled my service and repaid my debt, then we will be enemies once more. And this time…" Kor raised and armored hand and lined it up with Kaden's head, before clenching it tightly into a fist, "I will crush you until nothing is left and there is no doubt as to which one of us is superior."

With those last few words, Kor turned back around and stared out of the shuttle window once more, even though the only thing out there was the static interior of a shuttle hangar.

This also made it clear that the conversation was over.

Many emotions swirled around inside Kaden's mind as he processed everything Kor had just said, but among them all, the one feeling that stood out most strongly was… relief.

The tan Lombax turned his face away and looked out of his own window to hide the small grin that bent his lips. He could not have hoped for a better outcome. He had never wanted to make peace with Kor in the first place, but he had thought it necessary to assure his cooperation. However, this was clearly not the case.

Had Kor been friendly with him right from the beginning, Kaden would have been suspicious of the mysterious Lombax's true motives. He would always have had the doubt that, like himself, Kor was simply acting and that he was possibly waiting for an opportunity to take revenge.

However, since Kor openly declared his hostility, it proved to Kaden that Kor's motives were clear, as his enemy had absolutely nothing to gain by revealing his continued hostility. Quite the opposite, in fact. Had Kor been out to get him, such words would only make it that much harder.

This also meant that Kor's promise of cooperation could be trusted as genuine.

Kaden had wanted the two of them to clear the air because you can only work with someone if you understand their intentions. This condition, however, did not actually mean that those intentions had to be good. Not knowing how someone feels can lead to misunderstandings and misunderstandings lead to mistakes, but Kaden now understood Kor clearly and that was the only thing he really needed.

All that was left now, was to make things clear to Kor as well.

"It will be 'very' obvious who's superior... I guarantee it," he said quietly, but loud enough that he knew Kor's ridiculous hearing would pick it up.

As the warp drive on the Slipstream spun into life and the ship launched itself into FTL, the two Lombaxes within its shuttle bay sat in complete silence, just as they would for the next five hours.

Nothing had been resolved between them, nor was any deeper meaning behind their actions learned.

And that was 'exactly' how they both wanted it.


The small transport shuttle departed from the Slipstream and entered Sargasso's atmosphere with no problems. Though, Kaden was mildly pleased to note that Kor enjoyed planetary re-entry about as much as he'd enjoyed leaving Fastoon.

From his window, Kaden could now see Sargasso's surface growing rapidly in size as they approached.

The entire planet, as far as the eye could see, was murky and brown, and obscured by a slight, but constant fog cover.

Mostly covered in water, the parts of the planet that were considered the 'continents' were essentially massive swamps, dotted with hundreds of tiny islands barely firm enough to build on.

Many of these areas had natural borders made from massive walls of rock, which formed the planet's unique mountain ranges.

As the view of surface became clearer and their destination more apparent, Kaden was beginning to see evidence of artificial dwellings and structures. Mostly the gelatonium drilling rigs and refineries controlled by the Kerchu.

Even more interesting, however, was the sight of massive skeletal remains, belonging to long-dead behemoths which sat almost as tall as the nearby refinery towers stood.

Kaden was so mesmerized by the sight that he didn't even notice the giant flying pterodactyls that were descending toward the shuttle. He nearly fell back out of his seat when one of them suddenly blocked out his view with its body.

To his surprise, though, they did not attack as he had at first feared. In fact, they didn't even seem to notice the shuttle at all. They simply flapped their wings and soared through the sky, completely uncaring of the small vessel that barely equaled their size.

It was a truly prehistoric world.


The shuttle touched down safely on a remote landing platform that was embedded in a firmly grounded island.

This landing pad was also attached to a large, flat staging platform, which itself was connected to several gelatonium drilling rigs, like the ones in the mission briefing pic files.

Slender metal bridges and ramps connected these platforms. They were simple walkways, but clearly capable of supporting heavy machinery or cargo vehicles if need be.

As Kaden studied the structures through his window, the back hatch of the shuttle opened with a hiss.

With one last look of displeasure at one another, Kaden and Kor both stood up and walked out into the lightly fog-shrouded sunlight.

Kaden got to take in the planet from its surface at last. The air stank of rotting organic matter and swampish gases, but overall it was exactly as he'd expected, which was a relief, given how few recent events in his life he could say that about.

The only unusual thing he noticed was that there seemed to be no one working on any of the platforms that were clearly operational... or anyone anywhere else for that matter.

"Are you sure this is the right landing site?" yelled Kaden to James, who was now exiting the ship's cockpit.

The cheerful robot stepped out onto the moist ground and scanned the area with his ocular sensors, "These are the correct coordinates, I'd swear on my motherboard. I assure you that we are where we need to be," he stated confidently, before heading off to fetch their luggage.

Kaden looked around the area suspiciously. He had expected some kind of welcoming party, especially since their mission specifically stated that they'd be working alongside a Kerchu surveying team as well. He was starting to get a bad feeling.

A sharp clang to his side, made by Kor hefting his massive Malleus wrench up onto his shoulders, told Kaden that his new partner was getting the same feeling.

Cautiously the two of them began moving toward the large central metal platform, with Kor taking the lead by a few steps.

They made it only a short distance away when suddenly, Kor came to a halt and became perfectly still. Kaden looked around in search of what had caused the armored Lombax to stop, but he could see nothing.

Then, without warning, Kor spun on his heel and charged at Kaden.

The tan Lombax was so surprised by the action that he didn't even have time to yelp before he was slammed into the ground.

Kaden's immediate thoughts were that he had completely misread the situation and that he was shocked to find Kor had betrayed him already. He was sure, now, that his armored enemy was going to finish what he'd started in the fitness room, and then dispose of his body in the middle of nowhere on an alien planet.

But, barely had the assaulted Lombax's thought-connected NID ordered his gauntlet capacitors to charge, before a loud splash of liquid, followed by a burning hiss, reached his ears. This was followed closely by the tingling sensation of extreme heat against his fur.

Blinking rapidly, Kaden saw the raging inferno of angrily burning raw gelatonium as it blazed brightly over the spot he had just been standing on.

The armored Lombax himself was already getting back on his feet and pulling Kaden up with him, "Back to the flying coffin," he said, with a commanding tone.

It took more time for Kaden's mind to figure out what Kor meant by 'coffin' than it did for him to agree with the other Lombax's suggestion.

The two of them were running at full speed (Kaden's full speed) back to the shuttle a moment later, as more flaming balls of starship fuel rained down across the platform behind them.

Looking ahead toward the ship, Kaden spotted James' grinning, robotic face as he walked out into the open, carrying two traveling bags. The ever-cheerful automaton peered out upon the scene of the two Lombaxes running at him while fire trails blazed through the sky in their wake.

His cheerful features did not waver as he calmly turned on his heel and walked back inside the shuttle, his 'nope' protocol active.

Just as Kaden and Kor were about to reach the ramp back to the landing platform, a well-placed ball of flame overtook them and coated their path in obstructing fire. A loud, but deep shout of joy resounded from the other side of the platform.

Kaden spun around to find the source of the noise and quickly spotted the tank-tracked, fire spewing machine that chugged along toward them from one of the distant gelatonium rigs.

Sitting in the controller seat of the roughly twelve foot tall pyroguard mech, was a large, gerbil-like creature that laughed maniacally as it flailed its vehicle's flamethrower arms around in the air.

"Is that not a Kerchu?" asked Kor with what seemed like mild confusion.

Kaden nodded, "Yeah, it is, but I don't know why it's attacking us."

Kor turned to face their attacker with his wrench in his grip, ready to retaliate, "The 'why' is not important right now."

Kaden sighed, seeing no alternative, "Fine, but don't kill it," he instructed before activating his Nuclear Fists.

If he had really wanted to, Kaden could destroy the Kerchu Pyroguard from where he stood with a single blast of Nuclear Fist, but that would likely ignite the gelatonium fuel stored inside its suit. The two of them had come to Sargasso on a mission to help the Kerchu and, somehow, killing one of them within the first few minutes of landing seemed converse to that goal.

"And be careful of the giant tank on the mech's back," Kaden added in warning, "it's very flammable."

Then, Kor did something that once again threw his forced companion for loop. The armored Lombax nodded his head slightly in conformation and said, "As you command," before sprinting off toward his target.

Kaden didn't have time to reflect on the strangeness, though, as the pyroguard had begun launching more balls of fire in their direction.

He dodged the few that came his way, but it wasn't long before the Kerchu seated in the operator's seat noticed that Kor was charging at him. The pyroguard then began focusing its attack on what it saw was the greater threat, all while shrieking in its weird, squawking language.

In preparation for interacting with their Kerchu counterparts, Kaden had set his NID translator to automatically activate when it heard Kerchu speak. Most of the words the creature was saying seemed to be random, untranslatable expletives and threats directed at Kor

But then, one set of words came through very clearly, "Now! Do it now!"

Kor was almost at the foot of the ramp which led up to where the Pyroguard continued to hurl fire at him. Similarly, there were two more ramps on either side of the platform that Kor was currently crossing, each with their own drilling rig apparatuses.

Lying in wait behind the two drilling rigs' structures was half-a-dozen other Kerchu.

These creatures squawked excitedly as they emerged from hiding, each one wearing what looked like an armored backpack that covered their upper back and shoulders in heavy metal plates.

Kaden recognized the sight of Kerchu Rollers immediately; they were a staple of the Kerchu military.

In unison, the six new attackers leapt from their platforms towards Kor and, before they hit the ground again, the metal plates of their backpacks unfolded around their wearers until the Kerchu were each encased in a large metal ball. Long razor blades protruded from the orbs as well, forming two lines of sharp death that ran completely around them, like some giant metallic porcupine.

Kaden watched as the six metal spheres, three on each side, rolled their way down the ramps to the plaza on a direct course for Kor, but the tan Lombax was already holding two fully charged Nuclear Fists in his hands.

He could easily take out two of the Rollers in an instant with his attack and if he attacked the middle Kerchu Roller of either squad, he could probably throw the other two surrounding them off course. However, this still left the issue about not wanting to kill the Kerchu before he understood the situation.

'Not a problem,' he thought confidently.

Raising his hands and taking a deep breath to steady his aim, Kaden activated his newly designed weapon modification. At his command the spikes embedded in his gauntlets' fingers, his Nova Claws, protruded out from his fingertips, but this time only just a few inches, rather than extending to their full length.

This slight increase in effective finger reach gave Kaden the ability to more accurately manipulate the magnetic fields that held back the nuclear reactions taking place in his palms. Then, by slightly adjusting the fields' strength through his NID and altering his finger position, Kaden was able to open an infinitesimally small hole in the containment field matrix.

From these sudden openings erupted twin roaring streams of superheated atomic plasma that carved two glowing lines of molten metal across the central platform, just in front of the two groups of Rollers.

Unable to stop, as Kaden had known they couldn't, the Kerchu Rollers rolled right over the metallic puddles and, thanks to the expertly calculated timing with which they were made, calculations that included the fact that the heat would quickly transfer from the hot metal floor to the cooler metal shells of the Rollers', the six spinning Kerchu suddenly found themselves stuck fast to the ground as the molten metal congealed back to a solid before they could pass.

Many of the metal shells quickly began glowing red and seconds later they burst open, retracting as far as they could before snagging on the spot where they had been welded to the ground.

Many of the Kerchu flailed about in a panic while shouting what Kaden's NID translated as, "Hot!"

Now, all that remained of the attackers was the single flame mech, which Kor was now within just a few feet of.

The pyroguard had already recognized that its ranged attacks were useless against the heavily-armored Lombax and instead switched to a close-range spray of roaring fire. It then used the cover that its flames provided to reverse its tracked mech into a corner and effectively cut off all routes of attack besides a straightforward one.

Kor halted his charge and stood just beyond the Pyroguard's flamethrower range.

Eventually the flames stopped, revealing the laughing Kerchu seated safely on the other side. It was obvious to anyone that if Kor made any further moves forward, he would be wrapped in burning gelatonium.

Kaden watched this scene unfold from a distance and reflexively tried to think of a plan to deal with the situation. Of course, they could still just shoot the Kerchu, but that would again defeat the purpose of their mission and Kaden had to push aside the ever more tantalizing idea into the back of his mind, while also making a note of how annoying that rule was becoming.

He didn't have time to come up with an answer though, as Kor drove his wrench into the ground at his side and then simply walked forward.

Kaden witnessed in amazement as his archfoe-turned-partner was instantly engulfed in flame and disappeared from view. The tan-furred Lombax could also hear the cackling laugh of the pyroguard operator as it burned its enemy alive.

Then, like a phoenix from old legends, Kor burst through the wall of flames and stood, alight with fire, mere inches from the seated Kerchu who had now finally stopped laughing.

Ignoring the inferno that danced around his exterior, the inflamed Lombax reached a burning hand forward and gripped the now fearfully squawking Kerchu by their chest fur.

The creature screeched in pain as the residual gelatonium scorched its skin, before it was lifted cleanly out of its chair.

Recognizing that its operator was no longer seated, the pyroguard mech deactivated and the stream of flames shut off.

Kaden appeared next to Kor a moment later with an expression of disbelief, "I know your armor is pretty fire resistant, but didn't that hurt at all?" Kaden asked with a strange mix of appreciation for the swift solution, anger at Kor's recklessness, and just a hint of actual concern.

Concern that his mind refused to acknowledge was actually there.

The fires around Kor had burned out by now, but the creature in his hand had already fainted from the heat.

Kor never took his eyes off of his hostage as he answered, "It was barely a discomfort," he asserted. "I've experienced much worse… recently."

Kaden pretended as if he hadn't heard Kor's last sentence, "The question now is, what to do about these guys?" he wondered aloud while studying the Kerchu that hung limply in Kor's hand, as well as the ones trapped in the floor.

Kor then dropped the Kerchu onto the ground, "This one seemed to be in charge, but we still have six others we could torture for information until this one regains consciousness."

Kaden knew that he should have been put off by Kor's casual suggestion of torture, but, in truth, he'd already been thinking it. Of course, he'd also already realized that if they hadn't killed them because their mission was to help the Kerchu, then torturing them somehow seemed just as bad, if not worse.

Luckily, the decision never had to be made. The distant sound of hoverjets reached the two Lombaxes' ears and the together they turned to see a low-altitude hover-skiff racing towards the platforms from across the swamp.

Kaden and Kor prepared their weapons for another fight, but after a few more tense seconds, the skiff was close enough that they could make out its occupants.

Among them was a Lombax.


The skiff was moving so fast, it nearly crashed into the ground as it landed on the island next to the shuttle, where Kaden and Kor had already regrouped with James.

Alongside the strange Lombax that they had spotted on the vehicle earlier, there were five other Kerchu onboard. Three appeared to be soldiers with the same equipment as the Rollers that had, by now, given up on freeing themselves and simply sat quietly, trapped inside their half-opened metal shells.

The other two Kerchu onboard were wearing ornate robes, which was unusual for many reasons, but mostly for the simple fact that Kerchu didn't usually wear clothing.

The new Lombax then leapt from the skiff the moment it was stationary and came running over to where Kaden and Kor stood with weapons at ready. They were still on guard and cautious after their unexpected assault.

The Lombax was male with tan fur. He was short for an adult, but also a bit more muscular than average. He wore a suit that seemed to have been made by whoever designed the two Kerchus' robes, but with Lombax taste in mind.

"I am... so sorry about this!" the man declared animatedly, without stopping to catch his breath. "We were... held up on our end and we'd... forgotten that these rigs... were being harvested this week. Again, my apologies. Is anyone hurt?"

It was Kaden who spoke on their behalf, "No injuries, except this guy has a few burns on his chest," he answered with a gesture to the still unconscious Kerchu that Kor had brought back to the shuttle with them.

The strange Lombax breathed a deep sigh of relief, "I'm very glad to hear that," he wheezed thankfully. The man then stood up straight and held out his hand, "My name is Daniel Jire. I am the Lombax ambassador to the Kerchu race and I take it that you two are Kaden and Kor?"

Kaden nodded as he shook the ambassador's hand, but Kor simply stared at the appendage when it was offered to him, "Why were we attacked?" he demanded suspiciously.

Daniel Jire eloquently hid the slight shiver that Kor's grating voice caused as he gave an embarrassed smile and rubbed the back of his head self-consciously, "Well, you see, the Kerchu are a 'very' territorial species and they'll attack pretty much anyone who comes onto their land. We hadn't considered it to be a problem, as we were supposed to be here to greet you. Again, my apologies."

Kor still did not take the ambassador's hand, but he did nod his understanding. Even further, though, he gave another nod to the unconscious Kerchu, as if approving of their cultural aggression.

At that moment, the two robed Kerchu, along with two of the Roller guards from the skiff, reached them as well.

Of the two attired hamster-like creatures, one appeared to be much smaller than the other. From what Kaden knew about Kerchu anatomy, this one was quite young.

"Ah!" said Dan, happy to change the subject, "This is the 'Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Kerchu on Sargasso', High Minister Baagah."

The larger Kerchu in robes bowed his head respectfully. When he spoke, Kaden's NID translated, "Greetings Lombaxes. I hope we can work together toward the profit of both our races, as we have done many times in the past."

Kerchu vocal cords were very different from most galactic races' and were therefore physically incapable of speaking the galactic language. This is one of the many reasons why Kerchu separate themselves from most of the Galaxy's inhabitants.

Dan nodded happily at Baagah's words and then gestured to the smaller of the robbed Kerchu, "And this here is the minister's son, Boogoh; he will be accompanying you on your surveying mission."

The young Kerchu bowed just like his father, "Greetings, I am very much looking forward to working alongside members of another race," he said excitedly.

Kor continued to remain silent, but Kaden decided it was appropriate to return the greeting and bowed as well, "As am I, Boogoh," he said kindly.

At that, Daniel Jire clapped his hands together and smiled warmly, "Well then, now that everything seems to be back on track, let's get you boys set up."

Both Kaden and Kor nodded their approval of the idea and the group made their way back to the traveling skiff.

Minister Baagah held up just long enough to order his guards to free the trapped Rollers on the rig platform and see to the unconscious Pyroguard operator, before following his son and the Lombaxes.


AN:

I read on the Ratchet and Clank wiki that the pterodactyl-like creatures, seen throughout the Ratchet and Clank universe, were also call 'Skreeducks'. However, since it is an uncited reference, I just went with pterodactyl since it causes the least confusion as that's pretty much what they are.

Daniel Jire - 'danjire' is Somali for ambassador, thus 'Dan Jire'.