Whole Again

by RevenantReaper337

Sequel to Time Heals All. It's been nearly a year since Drek's defeat; the day Ratchet last saw Ellen alive before she was cruelly torn away. Fate works in mysterious ways however, and an unexpected opportunity provided by the eccentric head of a mega corporation in a distant galaxy may be just the catalyst needed to reunite the heroes of Solana once more. Covers R&C 2.

19. Marooned and Other Problems

Author's note:

The views are over 9000!

…

Sorry, had to get that out of my system. All jokes aside though, I'm honestly stunned at the sheer number of reviews and overwhelmingly positive feedback for the last chapter. It never ceases to amaze me just how many people read and actually like this story; something that in turn motivates me to continue writing to the best of my ability and see this thing through to the end. Not much else to say other than to thank you all for your continued support, and hope that you enjoy the chapters to come.

Review replies:

The White Guardian - I can't help but agree. Angela should definitely have gotten more than just a mention in ACiT, especially considering the underpinning plot of the Future series deals with what happened to the lombaxes. Things will certainly be warming up in this chapter, both metaphorically and literally. You're right to point out the similarities with TF2's Sniper since Cash is based partially off of him, with a bit of Crocodile Dundee and my own ideas thrown into the mix. Unlike the Smuggler though, he's not likely to undercut and cheat his clients.

To be fair, the dune crawlers weren't that big a threat in the game considering the amount of explosive firepower Ratchet would have been packing at that point. With Ellen adding her own weight of fire as well however, I felt it best to make what would have been a cake walk into something much more challenging for our heroes and more interesting to read; hence why I limited their use of heavy weapons. I have to admit though, the Bouncer is one of my all time favourite weapons, and I am so glad Insomniac are bringing it back for the new game.

The potential for DLC could be awesome as well if done right; new weapons, armour, levels as you mentioned, and perhaps the ability to play as other characters in their own side stories. Although they would probably never make it, could you imagine a prequel DLC whereby you play as Kaden, Ratchet's dad, during the fall of the lombaxes? Or perhaps Angela from her perspective up to the start of Going Commando? I really hope the movie lives up to the hype, and that there will be sequels for both it and the game franchise to come.

Sounds like you've got a lot of work for Kerbal on your hands, and an interesting sounding terrain generating mod if it works out; fingers crossed on my part. And of course, a very happy birthday to you as well! Have a great day, and hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

GoldenLombaxGirl - Yep, and I know longer have to keep coming up with variations on 'masked thief' to describe her, thank goodness. If Insomniac do decide to remake Going Commando for the new continuity or continue with the original series, I really do hope that Angela's disappearance is properly resolved. There are just so many questions left unasked, and I had honestly hoped she would have reappeared in the Future series by now. (Sigh). Oh well, I guess all we can do is hope for the best…

DarkEnigma95 - Back again indeed, and has it really been that long? I can still remember when the game first came out… When you think about, and the similarities to what happened in the first game, our heroes stances have reversed from what they were before; Clank becoming mistrustful and suspicious, while Ratchet is much more forgiving. He's still a furry little pyro though, and isn't parting with that Lava Gun anytime soon.

I'm glad you liked how the confrontation and reveal went, and yes, Ellen was not a happy bunny considering what Angela put them through. I tried to make Ratchet's reaction more realistic and down to earth than canon; retroactively addressing the gaping plot holes that have built up into the Future series and often seem contradictive at times. Really hope Insomniac fix that for the movie tie in game and any (hopeful) sequels. Thanks again!

starrat - Glad you enjoyed it, hope you like this one too.

Firestar5277 - Aw, thanks! There's nothing more annoying than having to wait ages with no idea of when the new chapter for a story will be updated, so I try my best to keep updates coming at a steady rate. Glad you liked the reveal and confrontation with Angela, and it is kind of ironic really that Ratchet is playing the peacemaker here, but something I think he would have done; especially since he doesn't want either Ellen or Angela to get hurt for differing reasons. The wrench in the glass case and Ratchet's 'solution' is actually canonical for Going Commando, but something I probably would have written had it not been the case since I loathe ridiculously convoluted puzzles in games (I'm looking at you, classic Resident Evil).

Nice to know you like the direction I decided to take with Cash as well; I wasn't sure how he would be perceived, so that's a relief. Doom Squad will be a thing, but I'm leaning more towards giving the loveable little murder bots their own separate mini series of snippets and omakes rather than tacking them on to Whole Again. Not sure when I'll be able to get started since this story is eating up all my writing time, but I'm thinking about taking a break once I get to around chapter 30 (or roughly two thirds complete) so I might be able to throw something together by then.

Although it would easy not to do so, I feel that every review deserves a response, even if it's just to say thank you. After all, if somebody takes the time to offer their opinions, criticism, or support, then the least I can do is respond in kind. That and it allows me to connect with the readership on a more personal level; and more often than not they'll come up with something I wouldn't have even thought of or forgotten. I know it's not much, but my condolences for your loss. I know what it's like to lose close family, and it never gets any easier; but I'm glad that I could do something to brighten up the dark times, no matter how little. Thank you for reviewing, and helping to keep me on track with this story; anymore praise and I'll end up the same colour as Ellen's hair! Take care.

Razor of DOOM - 'The solution is Ratchet'… That… could be a meme, or at least a slogan with regards to the R&C universe. Millions strong army bent on galactic domination? The solution is ratchet. Kind of has a nice ring to it. Also, if that's how you feel about Ellen and Angela's little dust up, then I wonder what you'll think of the latter part of this chapter…

dragonborn795 - I did address your concerns via PM, but for clarity's sake, Angela did quite literally get away with murder in canon without repercussions and the 'ends justify the means' mentality seemed to fit her actions. Of course, being indirectly responsible for several people's deaths in the name of 'the greater good' will weigh down on her conscience, and we'll be seeing some of that lingering guilt in chapters to come.

OMNISENSE95 - Well that escalated quickly, and sounds like a prime candidate for omake material to me. Considering what's coming up however, I don't think Ellen will be needing 'the talk' anytime soon, let alone from an outside source…

Shane Kor - (Tips metaphorical hat). Thank you.

Destiny W - I'll certainly try; hope you like the new chapter.

Jadzia Kira Dax - Why, thank you. I'll do what I can to keep the chapters coming.

vengarl22 - Hey, good to hear from you again. I try to follow the spirit of the games in terms of fast paced combat, though it can be difficult at times to keep things fresh and new. Glad you liked it, along with the Ocs I've introduced so far. Here's hoping you like this chapter too.

ReginaDC21 - Yeah, it was kind of inevitable really that those two would come to blows; what with Angela's combativeness and Ellen's fiery temper. That, and her previous life experiences (which may be delved into a little later) mean that she's quick to lash out at a perceived threat without thinking of the potential consequences. Glad you approve of my take on the confrontation; Angela did pretty much get away with murder in canon and I figured it was about time she got a reality check.

Happy to hear you had a good Christmas, any disagreements aside, and at least you've had something to look forward to with catching up on Gravity Falls. Aside from having to work longer hours over the holiday period, my Christmas was actually pretty good. I'm finally on PS4 and eagerly looking forward to the new R&C game, plus the Division is looking pretty good as well. Hope to see you two posting soon, although going by what your sister mentioned, the curse of Windows 10 seems to have struck once again. Take care, and hope you enjoy the new chapter.

Plazmatik - If by 'dome fight' you mean the part I think you are referring to then yeah, nothing like that happened in the game, or at least on the same scale. I simply exaggerated the threat Ratchet and Ellen faced in order to make things more interesting. Glad you like Cash too. I really want to see Deadpool myself, but I don't know if I'll get the chance anytime soon. Here's hoping you'll like this chapter too.

bajy - Thank you, and believe me, I will. After all, I have planned on another sequel after this story is over.

BulletWitch1985 - (Facepalms). Catfight… why didn't I see that one coming? All puns aside though, like you said, that fight was going to happen sooner or later; especially with tempers frayed as they were. Happy to get the thumbs up from you as well. Things are definitely going to get interesting from here on out, with Angela having already divulged more information on the Protopet than in canon up to this point and our heroes having more pieces of the puzzle a lot sooner. The final confrontation is going to be a lot of fun to write with what I've got in mind… Oh, and Windows 10? Yeah, considering how God awful its reputed to be, I'm not surprised Regina's having… issues. One of the reasons I've stuck to Windows 7 and XP for so long. After all; if it ain't broke, why fix it? Especially when its actually reliable. In any case, hope to hear from you again soon, and that you enjoy the new chapter.

Sonachugirl - One of the original drafts was actually a lot more violent and got way too dark, while another was more comedic with Ratchet nigh egging them on. Neither suited what I was hoping to convey with such a crucial scene, but from your reaction I'm guessing I made the right choice for how the confrontation played out. Having the usually trigger happy Ratchet play peacekeeper felt like an appropriately ironic twist to end the fight, and perhaps a more realistic response considering he want's neither Ellen or Angela getting injured for entirely differing reasons. Hopefully Ellen can discourage him from going full pyro mode anytime soon, or at least watching where he points the damn thing before he hoses anything down. But since this is Ratchet, I'd recommend investing in flame retardant clothing; y'know, just in case… Glad you like the chapter overall, and thank you; it's good to be back.

I'm always trying to improve as a writer, so please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome, flamers are not.

If you enjoy this story, please feel free to check out the other stories on my account should you wish.

Stranded on a desert planet with no obvious way off world and an uncertain path ahead of them, what will our heroes do now? All will be revealed in Chapter 19.

- RevenantReaper337

Disclaimer:

Ratchet & Clank, associated characters, organisations, and intellectual properties belong to Insomniac Games. All other real world organisations and products belong to their respective governments, companies, etc. Original characters, creatures, weapons, etc. belong to me. Cover art belongs to Nekolover3 and is used with her kind permission.

'Thoughts'

Flashbacks

"Speech"

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Chapter 19:

Marooned and Other Problems

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Disused Mining Site, Tabora

Bogon Galaxy

G2.17.082 Galactic calendar

11:23am local time

Desert planets, Ellen had long since decided, were entirely overrated.

Having ridden the small lift up from the mine entrance, the two commandos plus one robot were faced with an endless sea of scorching sand dunes in every direction and no sign of civilisation anywhere. Unsurprisingly, there was no trace of either Cash Harding or the recently revealed Angela Cross either; both likely having already long since left Tabora for elsewhere. Without a ship of their own however, thanks to Fizzwidget, the three companions were pretty much stuck; and to make matters worse, the large quantities of mineral deposits still remaining just below the planet's surface were interfering with their Wrist Coms' communication suites, meaning no rescue either. The only bit of good news was that Clank's sensors had managed to pick out traces of the hydrogen fuel mix that had been leaking from the lombax's crushed Star Explorer, and the trio had set out to salvage what they could from the wreckage before deciding what to do next.

That had been half an hour ago, and with the already blazing hot sun having almost reached its peak, the heat was proving to be unbearable even with the temperature regulating suites in the two commandos' suits working overtime. It didn't help that there wasn't a hint of shade or moisture anywhere; and to make matters worse, once they finally crested over the last ridge between them and their target, there was nought but a large depression in the fuel soaked sand.

"Where the bloody hell's the ship gone?"

Ratchet shook his head at the human's disbelieving exclamation, shielding his eyes with one hand as he meticulously took in the crash site. "I don't know... But whoever, or whatever, did this must have been working fast; there's not a trace of wreckage anywhere and we've only been gone for an hour."

"I believe the remains may have been dragged off, possibly by an indigenous inhabitant," Clank added from over the lombax's shoulder; pointing a metal digit at a faint trail disappearing through a gap in the dunes and away from where the ship should have been. "In addition, I am detecting faint residue consistent with the fuels used by light, interstellar vessels leading in that direction."

"Well they can't have gotten too far, and we still need to get our survival gear from what's left of the ship if we're gonna last the night," the golden-furred commando reasoned; rolling his shoulders to relieve the tension.

"We'd better get moving then," Ellen replied before half sliding down the dune to the crash site; turning back to face her companions once she hit the bottom. "I don't know about you two, but I've got no intention of staying out here once the sun sets."

Ratchet couldn't help but agree as both he and Clank rejoined her before setting off after the trail, especially considering his own experiences back home on Veldin. Fur coating or not, the temperature on such an arid world would plummet rapidly once night fell; the shifting sands leeching away any ambient heat and leaving them all freezing their butts off unless they could find some form of shelter. Hopefully soon than not, seeing as the heat was beginning to make Clank lethargic as well in spite of his internal cooling fans working overtime. As they followed the fairly straight path through an enclosed set of dunes however, the trio began to notice odd formations of translucent, soft lilac-coloured crystals occasionally jutting up out of the sand, along with small swarms of the enlarged desert-dwelling flies orbiting the structures. The closer they got to their destination, the more numerous the crystals became, and Ellen couldn't help but wonder aloud.

"Those look like natural formations... But what are they, and why is the wildlife attracted to them?"

"Perhaps those insects are drawing sustenance from the growths, or there may be a concealed hive entrance nearby," Clank suggested; helm tilted and optics narrowed as his integrated sensors scanned the closest formation in more detail. "Interesting... The crystals appear to be a carbon based structure formed from absorbing leftover mineral deposits from just below the surface, using the planet's naturally high ambient temperature as a catalyst to transform into a single mass."

"You mean, like tiberium?" Ellen pondered aloud; waving a hand dismissively at the quizzical looks she was getting. "Never mind, too long to explain. Do you think they might be worth something though?"

"Conceivably," the little robot replied. "However, I am uncertain as to-"

"Good enough for me!"

"Ratchet!"

The reason for Clank's sudden outburst shrugged nonchalantly before dashing forth with his wrench; shards of crystal laying inert in the sand from where he had blown it up with his Bomb Glove while the attendant cluster of angry bugs swarmed forth to meet him. "What? You said it could be worth something, and besides-" The lombax paused long enough to spin on his heel and smash the last fly into the sand. "-we can never have enough bolts."

"That's assuming we can even find anyone willing to buy the things in the first place, fuzz ball," his redheaded partner pointed out; though she too couldn't contain her curiosity at the various bits of sediment trapped within the largest chunk of crystal in Ratchet's gloved hands as he returned to her side, giving it a quartz-like effect. "Actually, I have to admit that does look quite pretty up close. I wonder if Debby would be interested in having a few for her dress designs..."

Suffice to say their continued journey was further interrupted by more such excursions; both human and lombax hoarding as many of the shiny, soft lilac-coloured crystals as they could find without straying to far from their given route, much to Clank's exasperation. A number of dune crawlers had apparently decided to make their home beneath the sands around one such dense cluster of crystalline growths, though no longer being restricted in the use of heavy weapons as the duo were underground soon evened the playing field and resulted in their biggest net gain yet. All told, they had around a dozen or so of the 'desert crystals', as Ellen had dubbed them, after a good forty or so minutes worth of effort when they finally saw it on the horizon as the surrounding dunes began to even out into sand flats.

A small fenced compound comprised of a few squat structures shimmered in the heat haze, growing ever clearer with each step the two commandos took. There were two main buildings, if they could be called that; each little more than a glorified, rounded hut with domed roof. Of more importance however was the rotating assembly of solar panels on the central most structure, resembling the petals of a blooming flower, along with the various antennas protruding from the top of the second that marked it as a communications building of sorts. Hoping to get a signal off world and persuade Slim Cognito to send Ellen's Star Explorer their way, they picked up the pace and entered through an open gate in the perimeter fence only to pause as they located Ratchet's ruined ship at the end of the trail, along with an odd looking solitary figure stood alongside it; apparently meditating with his eyes closed and pointer fingers touching thumbs on his outstretched palms.

"Ohm... Ohm..."

The distinct southern twang of his voice was a surprise but not unfamiliar to Ellen, thanks to numerous movies and imported American series on British TV, although it did seem at odds with the man's physical appearance. He looked like a rilgarian, with the stubby spines running along the top of his vaguely conical head in the same manner as Skid McMarx from seemingly a lifetime ago, but his skin tone was more akin to a novalian with its smooth texture and bluish-green tone. What hair he possessed was stark white and extremely bushy; from the caterpillar eyebrows and handlebar moustache to the thickly carpeted beard. Considering the open-toed sandals, green and yellow trimmed flowing brown robe, crystal pendant around his neck, and the matching bandana with a prominent yellow sun set upon his forehead, the strange man honestly looked like some kind of new age mystic.

"Excuse me, sir?" Clank tried tentatively, only to be ignored as the meditating spiritualist continued his mantra.

"Ohm... Ohm..."

"Hey!" Ratchet cut in. "That's my ship you've got there!"

The old man's chanting trailed off as his eyes lazily opened to reveal two brilliantly gleaming orange orbs, seeming to penetrate whomever their gaze fell upon, while his mouth split into a grin that was missing several front teeth as he gestured wildly. "Possession is an illusion; do not all thangs belong to the cosmos?"

"Ah, no," the lombax replied with his palm held up in a halting motion before placing it on his chest. "That's definitely mine. Well, what's left of it anyway."

Ellen pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh. "Let it go fuzz ball. There's not much worth saving other the survival gear; the rest is just scrap metal."

"Ah yes, this vessel suffers from wounded chi," the mystic drawled with a slow sweep of his hand towards the pile of mangled ship parts. "Only the power of the crystals can hope to heal it."

"Crystals, sir?" Clank enquired curiously.

"Crystals!" the old man emphasised with both hands gesturing wildly. "Like those found in the desert, beyond." The last word seemed to trail off along with his attention span as he pointed out towards the dune sea surrounding the compound perimeter before resuming chanting. "Ohm... Ohm..."

"You mean like these ones?" Ratchet asked, taking one of the crystalline shards that Clank had pulled from his sub-space storage and holding it aloft.

The lilac-coloured crystal was promptly snatched from his grasp in the blink of an eye, the mystic's gleaming orange eyes drinking in every detail from inches away as he manipulated it between surprisingly dexterous fingers. "Yes, yes... The crystals, they are spayking to may with a sangle voice. But I require more to heal such grievous wounds."

Ellen personally thought the old man was either trying to con them into giving up their hard earned crystals for his own means or simply a few marbles short; but was ultimately overruled as her lombax and robot companions handed over the dozen or so they had already collected. The three looked on with various of degrees of curiosity and bemusement as the new age mystic carefully placed shard around the wrecked ship so that it formed a rough semi-circle before standing before them with his eyes closed and arms stretched out to the heavens with pointer fingers touching thumbs.

"Ohm... Ohmmm..."

Ellen rolled her eyes with a snort. "Seriously? You can't honestly expect us to believe that... bull... shit...?"

Her words trailed off and jaw hung agape with widened eyes as the mangled pieces of Star Explorer gradually began to vibrate and shift before achingly rising off of the sand and into the air, floating a good dozen feet off the ground to orbit around what was left of the main fuselage. The mystic's steady chant began to rise in pitch and duration, the crystals arranged around the spectacle beginning to emit a lavender glow in response as wisps of energy flowed through the air from each shard to form a growing ball that soon enveloped the suspended ship's remains.

Said vessel slowly began to rotate upon its axis as it picked up speed; bent and torn parts seeming to be fixing themselves as they reattached to the hull until the whole mass was briefly obscured by a blinding burst of light. By the time it died down and Ellen could see again, she was just as shocked if not more so as the crystal's bright glow faded away to nothing; the now pristine red-painted Star Explorer gently floating back down to earth and looking like it had just come straight out of the showroom.

"Buh... wuh... how...?"

Ratchet reached across to the stuttering redhead beside him and gently closed her gaping jaw, giving an appreciative whistle as his eyes drank in the completely refurbished ship. "I gotta admit, that was pretty impressive."

"Impressive?!" Ellen snapped her head towards the lombax incredulously. "Did you see that space magic shit?! He just turned a pile of scrap metal back into a state of the art, multimillion bolt starfighter; with his mind! 'Impressive' doesn't quite cover it, fuzz ball." A sudden thought had her eyes widening further still if it were possible at where she had seen such similar abilities before; in a series of movies set a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... "Holy shit... he's a frigging Jedi!"

"Say what now?"

The human wasn't exactly in the right frame of mood to adequately explain to the perplexed lombax and equally curious robot, the three further distracted as the possible hippy-come-Jedi audibly released a cleansing breath and lazily opened his eyes once more. "This vessel's chi has been restored."

Clank nodded his head in gratitude. "Thank you sir, we greatly appreciate your assistance."

"Bring me more crystals and I'll pay you cold hard bolts."

Ratchet blinked in surprise at the sudden non sequitur. "Huh? What did you-"

"Ohm..."

"I... don't think we're going to get anything else out of him for now," Ellen managed haltingly; having recovered sufficiently enough from her little freak out and deciding to take things in stride. After all, she had already had her fair share of weirdness from both their previous adventure and the past few days. "Besides which, now we've got your ship back, we should really get going and check out that testing facility."

"I concur," Clank added. "There is nothing more to be gained from remaining here."

Ratchet couldn't help but agree, the scorching hot conditions not doing his fur-clad form any favours in spite of living on Veldin for years with its similarly arid climate. Leading them over to the newly repaired Star Explorer, the lombax was the first into the cockpit with his companions following close behind and settling into their regular seating positions; running through the standard pre-flight checks and starting the engines. Or at least trying to, since the turbines did little more than give a dry cough of sediment out of the rear facing nacelles and otherwise refused to turn over in spite of Ratchet's best efforts.

"Come on, come on... Stupid thing, why won't you start?"

"What's wrong?" Ellen asked with surprise colouring her voice, getting an irritated growl in response.

"I don't know! Something's stopping the engines from firing up; maybe some debris, or-"

From his position seated on the human's lap, Clank audibly cleared his vocaliser in order to get the increasingly frustrated lombax's attention. "I believe I see the problem."

Both organics turned their attention towards where the little silver robot was pointing; the sight of the blinking, empty digital gauge on the Star Explorer's central console giving them a sinking feeling as realisation dawned.

"Out of gas?!" Ratchet exclaimed. "But the tanks were nearly full!"

"Not anymore fuzz ball" Ellen replied with a sigh, taking off her helmet and rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Right now the contents are all over the damn desert thanks to Mr Fizzwidget's crappy landing, and all we've got are dregs."

"I am afraid there may not be another refuelling facility left on the planet that still functions," Clank chimed in, "and with the remaining mineral deposits interfering with long range communications, we are unlikely to be able to call for assistance."

The lombax's helmet clad head thumped against the control panel with a groan. "That's just great; now what are we supposed to do?"

There was a gloomy silence inside the cockpit punctuated only by the sounds of soft breathing, each of the three mired in their own thoughts until inspiration struck their smallest member. "There is a building in this compound with a parabolic antennae array."

"What about it?" Ratchet mumbled from where he was still slumped over the ship's controls.

"If connected to a sufficient interplanetary communications transmitter, we may be able to send a signal off world."

"Hey, yeah..." the lombax trailed off while brightening up considerably; sitting back up in his seat and grinning at his little metal friend. "Then we could call Slim and get him to bring Ellen's ship here, and enough fuel to get this baby off the ground!"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Ellen cut in. "I thought the mineral deposits blocked all transmissions on and off this rock?"

Clank nodded. "For short ranges devices perhaps. However, since this compound was likely originally used by Megacorp for their mining operation here on Tabora, I suspect whatever infrastructure is in place to be efficient and hardwearing; including any communications systems that are present."

"Well it sure beats hanging around here doing nothing," Ratchet responded; back arched in a very feline fashion and limbs stretching with a grunting sigh in the relatively cramped cockpit's confines. "C'mon, lets go check the place out."

Unsealing the canopy, he hopping over the side and landed in a crouch on the compacted sand; Ellen following suit on her side while Clank used his Heli-Pack function to slow his descent. Together they headed towards the largest structure in the compound with the blooming solar panels on top, the well weathered door emblazoned with a faded Megacorp logo grinding open at their approach and revealing the much cooler confines within. There wasn't much to look at really, the interior mostly spartan other than the wide-based, column-like generator taking up most of the centre, and someone's long forgotten coffee mug among a mess of long outdated reports on power fluctuations piled on a nearby desk. On the plus side, everything seemed to be working surprisingly well for having been long abandoned, so hopefully the rest of the compound would prove to be the same.

Next stop was the other building the three had noted earlier with the multiple antennas mounted on top; their previous suspicions confirmed upon finding an entire wall dedicated to several monitors that were linked up to a powerful communications suite. Brushing layers of dust off the swivel chair in front of the console, Clank boosted the seat up in order to reach the holographic interface and set to work, while his companions took it upon themselves to further investigate the interior. A nearby weapon locker proved to be disappointingly empty, although Ratchet did manage to find some emergency flares and a few other items of interest in an old and time worn metal crate. Ellen on the other hand was more interested in the digital filing cabinet set next to what would have been the duty officer's desk and what files she could pull; comparing them to a printed survey map of the surrounding area that was tacked on to the wall.

"I have gained full access to the communications network," Clank informed his organic companions; gaining their attention and interest as they returned to his side. "However, I am currently unable to send out a distress signal in the system's current state due to background interference from the surrounding mineral deposits."

Ratchet quirked a brow. "Whadya mean? I thought you said this thing would work?"

The little robot frowned as he continued to rapidly type. "Under normal circumstances that would be correct, but the jamming effect is to great for this station to operate effectively. According to this, Megacorp established a series of relay towers at set intervals around the planet's surface to sufficiently boost the signal strength; although many are currently offline due to lack of maintenance over the intervening years."

"Relay towers..." Ellen murmured while turning on her heel towards the paper map on the wall behind them; scanning it with her Wrist Com and bringing up the resulting image on her Auto-Mapper application. "How far out are we talking about?"

"The closest is approximately 12.3 miles north by north-west from our current location," Clank replied; bringing up a list on screen. "Reactivating it should provide adequate enough coverage in order to establish an uplink."

Ratchet nodded. "Then I guess that's where we're heading next. You got the coordinates?"

His question was answered a few seconds later as the two commando's Wrist Coms chimed with the relevant data package, their mutual friend briefly pausing in his work to gaze back at the pair. "Already done. However, I will need to remain behind in order to monitor the connection."

"Are you going to be alright on your own?" Ellen questioned worriedly; memories of Clank's prior kidnapping and subsequent isolation giving her cause for concern.

The sentient machine merely offered a gentle smile in return. "Thank you for your concern Ellen, but it is entirely unnecessary. Aside from the man outside, I doubt there is any more intelligent life for several square miles and I will keep the doors secured against any of the indigenous wildlife." Turning back to the console, he resumed typing as his companions filed out. "I would advise that you move out swiftly. According to what sensors remain, a sandstorm has been predicted to strike within the next three hours."

"I hear you, pal," Ratchet threw over his shoulder as he paused inside the doorframe leading back outside. "We'll be back before you know it."

The door sealed shut with a hiss of pressure as soon as the lombax had exited the building, leaving him and his human partner alone beneath the harsh sun once again. With a fair distance to cover and time at a premium, the pair immediately backtracked towards Ratchet's still parked Star Explorer and salvaged what they could of the survival gear stowed behind the pilot's seat. Though some of the more fragile components were damaged from the ship being crushed, most of the kit was thankfully still intact and ready for use. Emergency blankets, flares, a portable water purifier and many more essentials were contained within a relatively compact case which Ratchet promptly hefted onto his back with the attached shoulder strap before locking down the red-painted vessel once more. Chances are they would need some of it sooner than not, especially with the conditions set to quickly deteriorate in the hours to come.

Ellen took a refreshing swig of water from one of the bottles Ratchet had retrieved from the kit while he drained another to rehydrate, leaving the spares in the cooled confines of his temporary backpack as they set out to cross the desert once more. Before that however, the lombax insisted on checking the only other structure they hadn't investigated in the compound for any additional supplies; a smaller storage shed nestled behind an overhanging outcrop of rock that had previously hidden it from view on their initial approach.

The door wasn't locked and the interior had been gutted of anything not nailed down a long time ago judging by the build up of sand along the walls, but then again that might be due to the fact that there was a gaping hole in the back wall big enough to drive a car through with room to spare. Beyond that was a well worn path in an enclosed gully with a dead drop on one side that sloped down towards what looked like another old mine entrance; numerous dune crawlers wandering around aimlessly out front while the occasional sand fly darted to and fro.

"And I suppose you'll want to go down there," Ellen stated bluntly; not surprised in the least at the lombax's answering smirk as he hefted his Lava Gun. "We don't have time for this; that sandstorm is due to hit a few hours and we need to be at that relay tower before then."

Ratchet waved a hand dismissively. "Ah, don't worry about it, we've got plenty of time! Besides, don't you wanna know what's down there?"

The redhead sighed. "Not particularly, no. But you're going in anyway, aren't you?"

"You know me too well."

Ellen groaned in annoyance. "Alright, fine; but ten minutes is all we can spare. After that we really need to get going."

With the pyromaniacal lombax quite literally blazing a trail ahead of them, the two commandos quickly blew through the native species barring their way and were soon at the presumed mine entrance; the surprisingly still functioning overhead lighting casting a dull glow over the interior as they pushed deeper into the carved tunnel beyond. Explosives were unsurprisingly off the menu once more due to the risk of a cave in, even with the extensive, arch-like metal support struts every dozen or so yards. Thankfully the much cooler conditions allowed Ellen to put her temperature sensitive carbine to good use, incendiary rounds searing through a dune crawler's exposed tissue as they rounded a corner while her partner continued to scorch its friends.

A few twists and turns later found the two commandos pausing as the carved rock tunnel abruptly ended at a thickly braced portal way, giving way to a clearly artificial, circular room beyond. A massive industrial fan set into the sheeted metal wall just in front of the pair continued to cycle air at a steady rate; heavy metal girders showing some signs of rust but otherwise still supporting the ceiling as they extended into a deep water basin that flooded the entire floor. A glimpse around the entrance portal revealed an extensive passageway stretching out of sight to their right and presumably deeper into this cave network, although whatever means there had been to reach it had long since disappeared and it was doubtful they could just jump across considering the raised sluice gate keeping the water in check.

"You know, we might be on to something here," Ellen mused aloud. "I'm guessing this might have been where they processed water for the miners when this place was still running. There's probably a well beneath us feeding the basin, don't know how fresh it would be though..."

"You're thinking there might be some salvageable tech left lying around?" Ratchet mused while rubbing his chin.

His partner shrugged. "Maybe. But a good supply of water would be good too once it's filtered."

Upon running a sample through the water purifier in Ratchet's survival kit and finding it to safe to drink, the pair quickly refilled their empty bottles before Ellen froze the reservoir over with her Thermenator; allowing them to skate across and haul themselves up on top of the sluice gate before continuing on. A half dozen sand flies buzzing around the brief but surprisingly tall passageway ahead swooped down to attack, but were swiftly swept from the air by the lombax's liquid fire hose; the two commandos soon coming across a second reservoir basin with some kind of segmented platforms floating in a row between them and a much higher sluice gate ahead.

The entire corridor looked like it was intended to be filled and drained at will; meaning it was likely designed to act as a multi-layered dam of sorts for the underground water supply. If so, then the floating 'platforms' ahead were probably counterweighted to move with the flow and gauge the reservoir's depth as part of an anti-flooding measure; a theory seemingly proven correct as Ratchet nimbly leapt on to the closest one only for the far platform to raise out of the water to form an impromptu set of stairs. Ellen froze the basin once again and the pair soon ascended to the top of the sluice gate, her partner jumping vertically with typically feline grace to catch the ledge and haul himself up before she used her Jump Pack to follow suit.

Carved rock walls seemed to dominate once again in this upper level of the tunnel network; a quartet of heavy duty, industrial grade pneumatic columns keeping the ceiling from collapsing on to a smoothed floor that was occupied by a small mixed contingent of crawlers and flies. More importantly however was the countless gallons of water flowing from twin large scale faucets into a half-moon shaped basin on the far side; in all likelihood the source of the reservoirs back down below, and possibly a way forward they had dealt with the local residents who were rapidly closing in.

Ellen drew her Blitz Gun in one smooth, practised motion; hitting one of the pincer-legged beasts dead centre as it leapt towards her with a shrill screech and blowing it away before ducking under a sand fly that barely skimmed past her helmet. Ratchet meanwhile had decided to take advantage of the enclosed environment and switched to his Multi-Star, somersaulting over an exhaled toxic cloud and unleashing a trio of laser sharp projectiles while inverted that split apart and ricocheted off the walls. The whirlwind of bladed death was gratuitous overkill for the enlarged insects buzzing the pair and heavily damaged the carapace of the two remaining dune crawlers, allowing Ellen to shatter one's shell with a shotgun blast and her lombax partner to finish the other off with his wrench.

Once the dust had settled, Ellen again used her Thermenator to freeze the water supply in place; turning the twin cascading water flows into pillars of ice that Ratchet used as a springboard to bounce his way to the top while she made use of her Grapple Gun to follow shortly thereafter. A side passage led to an unfinished tunnel that crumbled away into a deep chasm below; the other half laying some twenty feet across and a dozen or so down on the far side. Unsurprisingly, Ellen wasn't too keen on crossing over due to her still prevalent fear of heights, but did so anyway with her Jump Pack slowing her descent; Ratchet having temporarily borrowed the redhead's Grapple Gun and using it to follow shortly thereafter.

The partially caved in passageway looked like it had been abandoned for a very long time, support beams tarnished and sagging with age while the overhead lighting failed to work at all; not that the tunnel was actually all that dark. In fact, as the pair followed the twisting and turning tunnel deeper beneath the surface, things actually seemed to be getting brighter and hotter; though it wasn't until the way ahead cut off abruptly that the two commandos discovered why.

Both human and lombax had to shield their eyes against the sudden stabbing light until their helmet's visors could polarise after being stuck underground for so long; the cause of which being the midday sun beating down from above into a deep, craggy canyon with lava flowing like a river far below. There was evidence of mangled support beams, old mining equipment, and a jumbled slope of fragmented rock leading down; painting a fairly decent picture of what must have happened here. Whether through accident or design, the mine shaft had apparently been flawed enough to destabilise and collapse the surface; creating one almighty sinkhole that stretched on around a bend in the canyon and out of sight. Suffice to say they wouldn't be walking any further; but as Ellen turned to suggest they head back, she found Ratchet's attention fully fixed upon an odd board-like device with a pair of protruding stubby pylons that was propped up against the wall.

"What's that?"

The lombax crouched down and brushed collected layers of sediment and dust off of the item in question, turning it over curiously as he replied. "I'm not sure, but I think... Aha!"

Whatever button he might have pressed caused the pylons to extend almost instantaneously; revealing a pair of wings made from some transparent but sturdy red-painted material that was in turn supported by a flexible, avian-like metal skeletal structure. The teardrop-shaped central board, Ellen could now clearly see, was padded on top in a way that suggested it was to be lain upon; a theory backed up by the pair of control sticks snapping into place alongside where the potential pilot's head would be. It was obviously a glider of some sort, and a beautifully engineered one too if it could be readied and compacted so easily. But as to why it was down a mine shaft of all places Ellen couldn't say, nor did she suspect her lombax partner cared as his face lit up like Christmas had come early.

"Sweet! We have got to try this thing out! C'mon babe, hop on!"

The redheaded human blanched at the suggestion, especially since Ratchet's gaze lingered out towards the lava filled canyon. "No bloody way. Jumping off buildings with a jet pack is one thing, but an unpowered glider above a lava lake, with nothing but a thermal updraft keeping us airborne? Nope, not happening."

If the golden-furred feline was disappointed with her answer then he certainly didn't show it, instead compressing the glider back into its original state and taking a good look out across the gully with a shrug. "Suit yourself, but you're gonna miss out on one awesome ride." Ratchet's excited mood dampened a little upon seeing the worried expression on Ellen's face, his eyes softening as he placed a comforting hand on her arm. "Sorry, babe. I know heights really aren't your thing, but I figured it'd be a great way to get over your fear together."

The redhead sighed before offering him a reassuring smile in return. "I thought as much, and maybe we can some time when this is over. But... not right now. If you really want to try it out yourself then I won't stop you. Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

"you're the best, babe." The lombax warmly embraced her for a moment before stepping back, ears perked with curiosity as he gave the human a quizzical look. "But what about you?"

Ellen couldn't help but grin as she retrieved her Grapple Gun and used it to gesture towards the craggy rock face making up the right most canyon wall. "I'll take the express route up top and meet you on the far side. Race you there?"

"You're on," Ratchet shot back in return; never able to resist a chance to prove his competitive edge. "On three... two... one..."

The lombax dove off of the ledge with the compacted glider held closely to his chest, waiting a heartbeat before toggling the wings open and riding the thermal updrafts down the gully at a fast clip. A brief glimpse over his shoulder revealed that Ellen had already rapidly ascended the rock face via high-tensile cable and was close to cresting the ridge before he was forced to focus on the task at hand. Up ahead was a still intact archway surrounded by rock where the original mine shaft would have been, Ratchet having to pitch down and fly through the heat-warped structure with scant inches to spare. Rounding a gentle right hand curve, the lombax picked up speed as the warm undercurrents propelled him down the next stretch of canyon; revelling in the sheer sense of exhilaration that came with unpowered flight as he lazily weaved between pillars of rock and leftover support beams from the collapsed tunnel.

Things continued as such for the next few minutes, the furry commando dodging debris and barely scraping through chokepoints as he followed the fairly circuitous route around in a rough loop. while whooping with joy. Seriously, how could Ellen not want to experience this sense of freedom and joy? Of course all good things eventually have to come to an end, and the canyon ahead was beginning to narrow rapidly as it dissolved into what would have been the end of the original mine shaft. Ratchet had to dive abruptly in order to avoid running head first into a solid rock wall, wingtips barely inches away from scraping the sides as he carefully steered the glider down a brief but tight tunnel that suddenly terminated at a dead end. The lombax grimaced as he pitched his ride up at an angle in order to bleed off speed; certain of one thing above all else, regardless of how this situation turned out.

"This is gonna suck..."

{()}

Absentmindedly tapping her leg against the rock she was perched upon while playing with her Wrist Com, Ellen perked up as a dust covered but otherwise still functional teleporter pad nearby flared into life; closing down the current application and making her way over to where a dishevelled looking lombax was currently brushing himself off. "Hey fuzz ball, what kept you?"

Startled, Ratchet's eyes widened upon seeing her nonchalantly striding towards him with one hand raised in greeting. "Ellen? How'd you get here so fast? Hell, how did you know where to go in the first place?"

The human chuckled at his comical expression that equal parts confusion and annoyance for having lost their little race, her eyes full of mirth as she absently tapped her Wrist Com. "In reverse order: Auto-Mapper, and because you flew around in a quarter mile circuit. Those mine tunnels almost doubled back on themselves anyway, so all I had to do was walk fifty feet back to the compound and wait." She couldn't help but laugh at his answering facepalm, but reined it in enough to pat the lombax on the shoulder. "There, there fuzz ball. Maybe next time you'll think before you leap."

"Or maybe you'd like to come along for the ride," he countered with a growing smirk that promised more than one meaning; the twinkle in his brilliant emerald eyes brief but enough to tinge Ellen's cheeks as he suddenly changed subjects. "Oh! Almost forgot, I found these at the end of the canyon. Figured they'd come in handy."

Shrugging the survival pack off of one shoulder, a quick rummage through the contents on Ratchet's part came up with a tarnished platinum bolt and a pair of Nanotech booster packs much like those they had bought in Megapolis, only much older judging by the faded packaging. It was a welcome sight considering that things were likely to get even tougher from here on out, and Ellen was willing to take any edge they could get to increase their chances of survival. That said, she did have more than a few concerns about ingesting a medical supplement that had been abandoned and exposed to the elements for who knows how long, and said as such. "Nice, but... are you sure these are safe to use? I mean, what if they've gone off?"

Ratchet, as he often did when questioned about something the redhead considered to be a bad idea, merely shrugged; cracking open his pack and holding up the pristine tablet for her to see before downing it. "Only one way to find out."

When the impulsive lombax didn't show signs of keeling over a few minutes later in spite of her inventive cursing, Ellen grudgingly followed suit and shuddered at the now familiar sensation of tingling skin and ice running through her veins as the infusion of nanites did their thing. As was previously the case, the redhead physically felt that bit stronger than she had mere moments before, but also revitalised as well; almost like a full night's sleep combined with an adrenaline shot that left her bursting with energy. Judging by the way he had perked up and was almost bouncing on his toes, Ratchet felt the same way too; and considering they now had even less time to reach the distant relay station before the sandstorm was due to hit, the pair were likely going to need the extra boost.

An old Megacorp vendor half buried in sand off to one side in the fenced compound had long been emptied of any useful weapons, but thankfully had enough ammo spare for the two commandos to at least partially top up their reserves before heading out across a sturdy metal bridge spanning the same canyon Ratchet had previously been flying through and into the desert beyond. With the sun having reached its peak and the temperature becoming more unbearable by the minute, it was perhaps the worst possible time to journey anywhere on such an arid planet but unfortunately necessary. A last minute update with Clank via short wave radio before being cut off by background interference had revealed that the predicted sandstorm was in fact due within the next hour, meaning they had no choice but to go now or wait for who knows how long for it to pass.

The sea of dunes were as unrelenting as both the scorching conditions and temperamental wildlife that dwelled out here, seeming to go on forever while the distinct lack of landmarks made it nigh impossible to navigate without the aid of an Auto-Mapper to ensure they were going in the right direction at all. The temperature regulating suites integrated into both commando's armoured suits had already been forced to shut down and operate at a reduced capacity in order to avoid burning out altogether, stripping away what little protection the pair had from the extreme heat and further sapping their strength. Even Ratchet, long used to Veldin's hundred degrees Fahrenheit plus summers, was starting to lag; fur clumping together with sweat as he took a swig of water to keep himself hydrated before pushing on with his Heavy Lancer cradled in one arm.

But at least he was doing better than Ellen; the redhead used to the much milder, often times miserable Scottish weather and suffering as a result. Every step seemed to sap more and more energy, leaving her feeling increasingly drained and dehydrated as time and distance seemed to blur into one incomprehensible mess. It was all she could do to not just keel over and close her eyes as Ratchet called a halt half an hour later; the pair sheltering beneath a jutting rock shelf in the middle of the desert from which several patches of crystals grew while greedily draining their water reserves to replenish lost fluids. How had Simon ever coped with this when he was serving in Afghanistan? Ellen hadn't even been on Tabora for more than a handful of hours and the heat was already dragging her down. God only knows what she would do if they were stuck here for an indefinite period.

Of course, having been focused upon simply getting out of the sun for a little while, the two commandos could perhaps be forgiven for forgetting one very important detail with regards to the spouting desert crystals surrounding the temporary camp and their relationship to the native creatures that called these sands home. Leaning his head back against the cool rock behind him, Ratchet's ears pricked up at the sound of shifting sand in the otherwise windless environment from somewhere close by; one hand snaking down to his Quick Select while the other reached across to rouse his lethargic partner.

"Babe, we've got company."

Shaking off her fatigue, Ellen pushed herself up from her slouched position just as the sand in front of her exploded outwards and a screeching dune crawler launched itself at her face. Ratchet's reactionary burst of fire clipped the creature but only managed to slightly divert its course; landing on top of the redhead instead and pinning her back against the rock face as she struggled to keep it at bay with her bare hands. More of the bug-like creatures closing in prevented the lombax from getting close enough to assist without potentially hitting his partner in the process, but thankfully she seemed to have the situation in hand.

Taking advantage of the single-eyed beast's maw drawing back to breathe a toxic cloud, Ellen ran the heated edge of her Versa Blade across its exposed neck; leaving the soon to be corpse gurgling wetly as she shoved it off her and joined the growing fray. Not having to worry about limiting the use of explosive ordinance meant Ratchet was more than capable of holding his own; Mini Nukes wiping out entire clusters of crawlers wholesale while a trail of liquid fire via Lava Gun dealt with any stragglers. The human dropped a few Miniturrets to cover their advance as the pair moved out into the open; Blitz Gun blowing away any of the bug-like creatures that got too close while her partner chained artificial lightning between them with his rapidly depleting Tesla Claw.

Busy as they were keeping their own hides intact, the two commandos failed to notice when one of the dune crawlers suddenly paused in its relentless assault; sniffing at the dry air for a moment before chittering at its fellows and turning tail. Those that were still capable of doing so followed suit; heralding a full retreat that saw the horde scurrying off and burrowing back into the sand at the unseen signal while leaving the lombax and human more than a little confused.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why are they running now after all that?" Ratchet wondered aloud as he suspiciously watched the last few disappear from view; shaking his head with a puzzled frown. "Doesn't make any sense..."

Ellen took the opportunity to reload during the lull; lips suddenly dry and a gut feeling born from prior experience telling her that that something bad was about to happen very soon. "I don't know fuzz ball, but I think we should be getting out of here right now."

As if to spite her words, a pile of long dead tree husks, stones, and various debris nearby simply exploded into the air as something truly massive launched itself skywards; the resulting fountain of sand temporarily obscuring the two commando's vision as they instinctively recoiled. A single, football-sized purple eye with a slitted cat-like pupil glowered at them through the descending dust cloud as it dissipated; revealing it to be set in the brow of a large, spherical creature floating several feet off the ground through unknown means. Its bloated, carapace covered body could easily encompass two decent-sized SUVs in both weight and volume; the thick chitinous plating a mottled grey colour with fiery orange patterns swirling across its length that contrasted with the scaly tan flesh beneath.

A crest made from grooved, bony spikes jutted backwards from the raised ridge that acted as the immense creature's 'skull', while a sextet of segmented pincer-like limbs trailed behind its main bulk. But it was the gaping, unhinged jaw with sword-like teeth in the bottom row and cavernous mouth that got the lombax and human's attention; especially considering the fact it took up roughly half the monstrous beast's face and the stench of rotten meat issuing forth with its screeching cry. Considering its sheer bulk and lack of any obvious long range abilities, the two commandos didn't consider the big floating ball of ugly anything more than a giant target considering how much explosive firepower they were packing; an assumption that would turn out to be a grave mistake.

First of all, the massive creature's scaly hide and heavy carapace proved to be more than capable of soaking up Ratchet's Seeker Gun missiles; Ellen not having any better luck with her carbine's underslung launcher in spite of the excessive heat build up generating a steady supply of plasma grenades. In fact, all they seemed to be achieving was superficial damage at best and enraging the floating beast further still; its singular eye briefly glowing an intense purple before unleashing a crackling stream of energy that swept across the sand like an electrified carpet. The two commandos quickly scattered apart in opposite directions as the tendrils of purple lightning were swept after them; the human spamming Miniturrets to buy them more time while her partner swapped out to his grenade launcher.

The miniature nuclear bomb arced gracefully through the air, impacting not on the bobbing mass of armoured flesh but rather the dune beneath it; searing the beast's underbelly with superheated particles of sand and sending it tumbling off course with a pained screech. Of course Murphy had to raise the bar just when things were starting to look up, and it honestly shouldn't have been that surprising when the resulting explosion caused another debris-topped dune nearby to mushroom up a heartbeat later; revealing another of the monstrous creatures glaring vengefully down at the heavily armed duo before bobbing forth with its eye already charging up.

What had been a fairly straight forward fight quickly escalated into a running battle as the two commandos tried to keep one step ahead of the floating bullet sponges; Ellen's Miniturrets proving about as effective as a BB gun against the sheer bulk of natural armour and quickly running dry. That said, they proved to be enough of a distraction to warrant being swept with crackling purple energy and gave the redhead enough time to gain some distance; bringing her Pulse Rifle to bear and centring the scope on the offending dune monster's still glowing eye. A brief luminous green vapour trail flashed across the desert, ending just off to one side of the intended target and causing the beast to recoil in agony.

Ellen's inkling of a possible soft spot had apparently been proven true considering the fist-sized gouge of nigh cauterised flesh and oozing ichor she had caused. Thus encouraged, she quickly compensated for the bulbous creature's sudden movement and lined up a second shot; punching directly through the eye socket and into its skull with a sickening squelch that left the human feeling a little queasy. That however was nothing compared to the sheer amount of damage that must have been caused to the now thrashing dune monster's brain; limbs flailing wildly and maw wide with an incoherent soul-rending screech that burbled away as the gigantic beast dropped out of the air with one last death rattle before heavily impacting the sand below.

Ratchet meanwhile had been busy with his own opponent and keeping the two bulky creatures from being able to team up against them. To that end, he peppered the original with extended bursts from his Heavy Lancer to both gain attention and lead it away; using the surrounding dunes as vantage points as a steady stream of crackling electricity pursued him across the sands. Another Mini Nuke staggered the beast and tore away part of its already cracked carapace, signalling the start of a new explosive barrage that deluged it with practically everything the lombax had left. It was a tactic that seemed to be working in spite of the sheer amount of ammo he was consuming in the process; stripping away layers of natural armour and hitting the more vulnerable flesh beneath hard enough to leave the dune monster bleeding profusely.

It also enraged the creature and made it more reckless however, a screeching cry issuing forth from an impossibly wide maw as it attempted to charge the furry commando and devour him whole. Ratchet's response was to merely wait for the looming creature to get closer in spite of his partner's shouted warnings, keeping his weapon trained up until the last possible moment before simultaneously pulling the trigger and diving backwards over the sand dune he was perched on in order to escape the coming blast. With such a cavernous mouth, it was honestly hard for the miniaturised nuclear device not to hit its mark; the dune monster's jaw instinctively snapping shut as the innocuous-looking sphere hit the back of its throat a split second before detonating spectacularly.

Bits of overcooked flesh and carapace rained down on the surrounding dunes, some of which fell close to where Ellen had ducked behind the other intact corpse much to her displeasure; a fact she hammered home to the smug looking lombax now staggering back over the dune he had disappeared behind with his grenade launcher resting across one shoulder. "Thanks a bunch, fuzz ball. You mind giving me a little warning next time you pull something stupid like that? Ugh, it's going to take forever to get the smell out..."

"Sorry babe, didn't mean to get any on you. But you gotta admit that was one heck of a boom!" Ratchet chuckled as he finally reached where his partner was grimly picking at the bits of ichor splattering her commando suit; though his sensitive nose soon wrinkled in disgust as the combined stench of rotting flesh and burnt meat reached his sinuses. "Ew, gross! And I thought they smelt bad on the outside..."

"No thanks to you," the redhead deadpanned; a flicker of amusement in her eyes as the golden-furred feline promptly deployed his helmet's rebreather to filter out the overpowering smell. "Now, can we get going before anything else decides to have a go at us? I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be stuck out here when that sandstorm hits."

The wind was noticeably starting to pick up and thin layers of sand were already beginning to shift along the surface, what time the two commandos had remaining rapidly running out if they were going to reach their destination before the full force of the sandstorm hit. The pair quickly gathered up what supplies they had dropped prior to the ambush and prepared to head out once more; though not before Ratchet insisted on gathering as many of the surrounding desert crystals as he could much to Ellen's exasperation, including a pair of particularly large specimens apparently dropped from the two dune monsters they had taken down. It begged the question really as to whether the crystals were a source of food for the bulbous creatures or their... waste products, but that was something for another time, preferably when the pair were not in immediate danger of being buried in miles high waves of sand.

Thankfully the sun had already peaked and was in the earliest stages of its descent as morning turned to noon, not that the temperature was likely to drop anytime soon. It did give some small form of solace however to the lombax and human trailing over yet another dune as they pushed themselves to cover the remaining distance towards their objective; especially when the Auto-Mapper on Ellen's Wrist Com indicated that they were less than a mile away. Draining the last of a water bottle, Ratchet's eyes squinted at a shimmering shape on the horizon just as they cleared the rolling dune sea and arrived on a surprisingly flat section of desert; making out what looked like a tall, artificial structure next to a much shorter squat building that gained in size with every step they took.

"Ellen, look! We made it!"

The human sighed in relief as they took off in a fast jog across what turned out to be a salt flat, ignoring the increased wind pressure behind them as clouds of sand began to increasingly whip up on all sides. "Thank God for that. Just in time, too."

Exhausted from their slog across the blazing desert, the two commandos made it to the relay station just as the sandstorm was about to hit full force; helmets sealed against the smothering, nigh impermeable wall of fine grains and barely able to see more than a few feet in any direction as they located what turned out to be a heavily sealed bunker door. Together they managed to force the long disused lock to grind open and squeezed through the resulting gap; slamming the door shut once they were inside and plunging the interior into darkness once more. A brief fumble around revealed a light switch that didn't work, though thankfully Ratchet had a flashlight of sorts in the survival kit on his back that soon negated that particular problem.

Discarding several items, the lombax soon produced a small baseball-sized drone that hovered above their heads when activated and illuminated the immediate area with a soft blue glow; diligently following his movements as he resealed the pack and shouldered it once more. "Guess the power's out. C'mon, let's see if we can find the generator for this place."

The relay station, as it turned out, was actually a lot bigger than either had originally anticipated; covering a grand total of three twenty foot square floors beneath the surface in addition to the ground floor. After negotiating several short flights of stairs into the bunker's bowels, the duo soon located the back up generator in the corner of what passed for the basement along with empty fuel storage racks of some kind; Ratchet immediately setting to work with his Electrolyzer to see what the problem was while Ellen checked around for any tools they could use. It didn't take more than a cursory check to realise that the problem was simply down to a lack of fuel to power the generator rather than mechanical in nature, hence the empty racking nearby, and so the two commandos retraced their steps to see if the rest of the bunker would yield anything useful.

Moving up a floor, Ellen borrowed an emergency flare from Ratchet's survival kit to light the way as he split off to scout the next floor above; the human searching what appeared to be personal quarters judging by the single bunks and minimalist cabinets in the partitioned room. Other than a few discarded personal effects and a faded poster on one wall, there wasn't really much to see in all honesty; the only bit of good news being that there were slightly musty, but otherwise useable blankets present that would prove useful if they were forced to spend the night. Just as the redhead was about to give up and rejoin her partner on the floor above however, the stabbing beam of his flashlight drone proceeded the grinning lombax descending the stairs to greet her; eyes lit up with barely contained excitement as he pulled her along after him.

"Come on babe, you'll never guess what I found!"

They passed through the communications room above and back up to the ground floor where the pair had originally entered, Ratchet setting a fast pace as he led them towards a slightly ajar hatch that had previously been obscured behind a tarpaulin covered stack of crates. The door grated slightly as he forced it further open, allowing Ellen to step through behind him into what appeared to be an attached garage for what looked like a chunky yet compacted hovercraft of sorts sporting a metallic green finish. A pair of outboard vectoring turbines were mounted towards the rear, sitting on either side of a powerful-looking drill system that took up much of the vehicle's length, while a small, circular dish was fitted to the top of the prominent forward cockpit; the wide, no doubt reinforced glass canopy tinted against Tabora's harsh sun and obscuring any view of what may lay inside.

"Pretty sweet, huh?" Ratchet opinioned while leaning nonchalantly against the dust smeared hovercraft's exterior. "Now we don't have to worry about walking all the way back to Clank once we're done here."

"That's assuming it even works, and has any fuel left," Ellen pointed out; not wanting to get any hopes up prematurely. "Besides which, we still need to find a way to get this relay station back up and running before we even consider that."

"Already way ahead of ya," the lombax replied with an amused smirk at her constant worrying. "There's enough hydrogen fuel cells here to power it and the generator for weeks. You wanna give me a hand?"

Sure enough, there was similar rack to the one in the basement pushed into the far corner from where they stood, only this one contained a number of hexagonal containers with a transparent core that occasionally strobed with power. They were pretty heavy too as it turned out; the human and lombax each grasping hold of the carry handle and helping to lump the canister down to the basement, where it was soon slotted into place and Ratchet set to work with his Electrolyzer once more. A few repaired lines and a system reboot later saw the generator rumbling into life along with the overhead lighting; allowing the pair to kill their shared flashlight drone and head back up to the communications room in hope of getting a signal out.

Opting to stand in lieu of the broken chair at the main terminal, Ellen wiped several years worth of dust off of the screen and used her admittedly limited knowledge of this galaxy's computers to find where the relay mast's control systems were while Ratchet flipped through a nearby ledger for any access codes that were needed. It took some trial and error, but the human soon found the correct file and set about realigning the external mast for optimal broadcasting; her partner relaying the preset sequences written down by the original operators and making the whole process a whole lot quicker than it might.

Once everything was set up to the best of her ability, Ellen used the holographic interface to find the only other structure with an active communications suite within fifty miles and established a connection; the lombax beside her drumming his fingers impatiently on the desk top as the static filled screen slowly resolved into Clank's choppy but recognisable image. "Ratchet, Ellen, thank goodness you are safe! I had begun to fear you were lost within the sandstorm."

Ratchet shook his head. "Nah, we made it here just in time. Probably gonna be stuck here until the storm's passed over though."

"It's good to hear from you too," Ellen shot back with a warm smile. "How are things on your end? Think you can get a signal off world now?"

"With the additional power from the relay station, I believe so. However, with the sandstorm increasing in strength, our window of opportunity is rapidly diminishing as we speak."

"Do what you can, pal," Ratchet replied from over the human's shoulder. "We'll hunker down here for now until the storm passes by."

"Un-erstoo- -ill s-"

Clank's already wavering image faded to black along with the deteriorating audio feed, leaving the human and lombax alone once again with only the increasingly violent winds battering the bunker exterior above for company. Stepping away from the powered down console, Ellen removed her helmet and rubbed suddenly tired eyes as she turned to regard her partner. "Well, looks like we're stuck here for a while."

"Sure does," the lombax replied with a sly smirk; gloved hands snaking around the redhead's waist and embracing her from behind as he huskily breathed in her ear. "And all by ourselves too..."

Ellen's breath hitched at the insinuation, cheeks tinged red and words faltering on her lips as idle fingers gently ghosted across her stomach. It wasn't like she hadn't thought of, well, that before; both during their separation and the time spent reacquainting themselves since. Certainly their physical affections had been leaning towards taking the next step in their relationship for some time now, and the redhead couldn't help but wonder what it would actually be like with the golden-furred feline. But despite how much Ellen loved him, was she honestly ready to move on from simply making out to potentially making love? Her heart and mind were conflicted, knowing that the answer may well change the nature of their relationship forever. But before the human could stutter her reply, the sound of her stomach growling interrupted any further train of thought.

"Sorry..."

Ratchet paused in his ministrations to chuckle at the sheepish redhead's faux pas before linking arms and leading her back down to the living quarters below. "Don't worry about, we did kinda miss lunch, and you did say I owed ya one."

Being a few floors below ground gave an added sense of security and sufficiently muffled out the worst of the sandstorm ravaging the surface above, allowing the human and lombax to unwind in relative comfort considering their surroundings. Shunting a few of the bunks to one side to make some room, the couple set up the camping stove from Ratchet's survival kit and set to cooking up an ad hoc meal using several long-life cans he had pilfered earlier from a storage bin in the garage. The end result was a stew of sorts made up from diced green carrot-like vegetables mixed with chunks of beef and sweet-tasting, lime-sized purple beans; all mixed into a rich, meaty gravy base that somehow made the whole concoction taste slightly more appetizing than it looked.

"Can't be any worse than chargrilled sandshark," Ratchet joked as he finished dishing up their meal; giving his partner and significant other a knowing smirk as he passed her filled mess tin and utensils.

Ellen rolled her eyes at the reminder of their trip to Aridia during their first adventure together and her own suggestion at the time on wilderness cooking; snorting with mirth and shaking her head as she accepted her portion. "You're never going to let me live that one down, are you fuzz ball?"

Though not exactly gourmet, Ellen thoroughly relished another chance to sample Ratchet's cooking once more and enthusiastically dug in; wondering not for the first time how he managed to pull it off so effortlessly when her own attempts often fell flat without a recipe to follow. Washing it all down with a bottle of water each, the lombax and human sighed in content with full bellies as they contemplated what to do next. There wasn't exactly much to entertain themselves with aside from a pack of dog-eared playing cards that had been left behind in the bottom of a cabinet, and after a few hands of Maktar five poker even that became stale. Perhaps because of this or the fact the pair weren't currently running around fighting for their lives, Ellen found upon standing up that her joints felt stiff and muscles cramped from being pushed so hard for so long without rest; Ratchet's ears perking up at the sharp intake of breath and moving to support her.

"You okay there babe? You look kinda tense."

The redhead made to wave off his concern only to wince at the twinge of discomfort it sent down her arm. "I'm... Yeah, okay, I do feel pretty crappy. Been running on adrenaline for so long, I almost forgot what it's like to crash. Maybe I should lie down for a bit."

"I think I can go one better," the lombax replied as he gently led her towards a still furnished bunk and helped the human lie down on her front. "You just relax and let doctor Ratchet do all the work."

"What're you- Oh God..."

Ellen groaned as firm, probing fingers slowly kneaded the tensed muscles between her shoulders, moving in expanding concentric circles that left her feeling boneless under his ministrations. Ratchet's touch may have hurt initially, but in a good way; relieving pressure points she didn't even know existed and sending a most wonderful tingling down her spine as warmth flooded her body. So wrapped up in these new sensations as she was, the redhead failed to comprehend what he had just said; turning her head slightly and trying to look back up at the lombax through dishevelled red hair that had spent far too long cooped up in a helmet. "Wha' say?"

Ratchet chuckled at her less than coherent response, moving on to her biceps as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I said, do you mind if I roll your suit down? It's kinda hard to get at your back with all the armour in the way."

The human murmured her permission through lips that had long since lost the ability to correctly articulate words, implicitly trusting the lombax not to stray anywhere inappropriate without express consent as she pushed herself up unevenly on wobbling arms and reaching for the seal hidden behind the suit's front armoured plating. The skin-tight nature of the commando jumpsuit meant that very little could be worn beneath and Debonair's gel layer upgrade meant that Ellen didn't require a bra for support; Ratchet remaining mindful of this fact as he first removed her gloves before helping to extract the human's arms and peel the upper suit layer off of sweat-dried skin.

Ellen shuddered slightly as her jumpsuit was rolled back to waist level, exposing bared flesh to the comparatively cooler air and the ministrations of her golden-furred masseuse's stubby claws. The sensations were certainly a lot stronger now that nothing was blocking Ratchet from his self-appointed task; the heady combination of gentle rubs and stronger kneading required to work out the knots of tensed musculature feeling simply divine and leaving the currently limp redhead revelling in his ability to make her feel like so much putty in his hands.

"Feeling better, babe?"

"Don't... you dare... stop..."

Questing fingers worked their way further south, massaging new life back into aching biceps and triceps before trailing across into the small of the redhead's back just above her rear. Ellen's pulse quickened, the sense intimacy growing with each passing second as strong, furred hands worked their way around the human's side and teased at her now fluttering stomach; pushing at the boundaries they had unconsciously defined and crumbling what remaining resolve she possessed. It was a line however that Ratchet was not willing to cross without permission on Ellen's part, implicit or otherwise, and so he ceased working his magic touch long enough to lean forward and gain the redhead's attention; much to her initial whining protest.

"Fuzz ball, why'd you stop...?"

"Ellen, things are kinda getting heavy here, I don't wanna do something we'll both regret."

The mellowed redhead managed to turn herself on to one side in order to face the concerned looking lombax, noting in her thoroughly relaxed state that his emerald eyes were firmly fixed upon her own rather than elsewhere. Sighing, she reached up a hand to stroke his face; fingers idly caressing golden fur as a loving smile played across her lips. "I've regretted a lot of things in my life, and not appreciated what I've got until it's gone. I love you Ratchet, and losing you last year - being stuck galaxies apart - made me realise just how much you mean to me."

Ratchet reached up to encompass the hand tousling his facial fur with one of his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze as he gave the human a sad smile. "Same here. Aside from Clank, you're the most important person in my life, and the last thing either of us want is to screw up what we've got."

The lombax leaned forward so that he was directly beside the girl had occupied nigh every waking thought for the past year, kneeling down to her level and idly tucking back a strand of red hair as he continued. "The last thing I wanna do is rush you into doing something you can't take back. Ellen, if we do this, it'll change the way things are between us. Are you sure that's what you want?"

She nodded almost imperceptibly, his concern warming her heart and reinforcing the decision she had already made. "I've been thinking about this for a long time now, same as you, only I've been too afraid to pluck up the courage to do anything. I want this Ratchet, I want you." The redhead's last words were punctuated by a wanting, hormone driven growl; startling the furry feline as she pulled his head down towards her own and briefly crushed their lips together before drawing apart. "Now come here you tease, and finish what you started."

Though surprised at her sudden boldness, Ratchet quickly countered with a knowing smirk as he wrapped an arm around her; sliding it down towards her rear. "Well, since you put it that way, how can I refuse?"

Over the coming hours, the pair soon found themselves enveloped in a nest of pilfered blankets on the floor; one that they would occupy until the early hours of the morning. Suffice to say, neither would be getting much sleep.

---

Disused Mining Site, Tabora

Bogon Galaxy

G2.17.083 Galactic calendar

5:41am local time

It was just approaching sunrise when Clank jolted online from where he had been resting his optics, helm snapping up at the sound of an anti-gravity drive engine pulling up outside the communications building he was occupying. Hopping down from the swivel chair he'd spent the night in, the little robot worked his stiff joints as he went to unlock the door; opening it to find his two smiling companions standing before a metallic green vehicle that was caked with dust and appeared to have a pancaked dune crawler embedded in the front grill. " Good morning Ratchet, Ellen. I must admit, I did not expect you to return at such an early hour."

The lombax scratched the back of his head with a grin. "Yeah, well, we figured it would be best to head out while the sun was still down."

"Only because you wanted to get a head start on hoovering up all those crystals and raritanium deposits," his human partner countered good naturedly before turning her attention back to Clank. "Did you have any luck with getting the signal out?"

He nodded. "Indeed. I was able to contact Mr Cognito before the sandstorm made further broadcasts unsustainable, and he has agreed to bring enough supplies to get the ship operational once more... for a significant fee."

"Not a problem," Ratchet replied while absently rapping a fist on the mining survey vehicle behind him; the other arm noticeably looped around Ellen's waist. "Give us a couple of minutes to offload this stuff with that mystic guy and we'll be all set."

"What time did he say he'd get here?" Ellen asked; only to pause as a familiar-looking, chunky vessel resembling a flying armoured car descended from the sky and parked a short distance away inside the compound. "Huh, talk about good timing. Come on Clank, we've got a lot to do if we want to get off this planet anytime soon."

It would in fact take them until mid-morning to get Ratchet's Star Explorer refuelled and space-worthy once more, especially since the sediment lined tanks had to be completely flushed first. By then the three companions were more than ready to wave Tabora goodbye; agreeing to escort the shadowy arms dealer back to his hidden deep space station where Ellen's own refitted fighter still lay and intending to stock up on as many upgrades and weapons mods as they could afford before setting off once again. Though they were wary of trusting their former enemy considering how hell bent she had been on killing them all, Angela seemed to think that there was something at Megacorp's testing facility on Dobbo that would help convince the three to aid her cause. Considering it was the only lead they had going for them right now, the trio saw no other way forward but to follow through; hoping to find answers as to the other lombax's motivations and the truth behind this whole Protopet fiasco.

---

Well, that happened. And before anyone asks, no, I will not be writing a lemon for that scene. This is a T-rated story after all, and any such future intimacies will most definitely be taking place off screen. Besides which, I'm sure your imagination can come up with something far more vivid than that which I may type. Aside from the advancement of Ratchet and Ellen's relationship though, we also have the new age mystic's debut and several minor canonical plot holes which I've tried to fill; including how the wrecked Star Explorer came to be in his hands in the first place. That, and I needed a valid excuse to keep our heroes on planet and exploring, rather than just jetting off once the ship was repaired; hence the fuel issues.

Until next time, please review and check out my other stories once they're posted and/or updated.

Thanks for reading

- RevenantReaper337