Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet & Clank, or any of its associated characters and lore. That right belongs to Insomniac Games.
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Hoven Lifestyle
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Edwina's Roboshack, Planet Hoven, Solana Galaxy
A desolate planet covered in ice and snow, Hoven nonetheless had value in terms of industrial activity as many across the galaxy would come to mine both ice and Raritanium, process them both into usable resources, and then ship them off-world. While not the best planet for a Lombax to reside on for work as much as leisure purposes, Ratchet had known not much else since he was left on the planet as a baby, and, at the same time, he grew fond of Hoven over the years.
Nonetheless, that did not mean Ratchet had no inclination for venturing beyond Hoven, and out of a sense of adventure, had spent most of the year gathering parts to build his own spaceship from scratch, which brought him to the local robotics-specialized shop to buy such equipment. The fact it was run by a cute friend of his made it a bonus as well.
"Oh my goodness, Ratchet," Edwina, the proprietor of the Roboshack aptly named after herself, could not help but exclaim when he showed her the design specs of his ship in the works. Her surprise then gave way to unease as she asked him, "Not to sound doubtful, but are you sure about going down this angle of getting your own means for space travel?"
Despite hearing his friend's genuine concern, Ratchet could not help himself from responding teasingly. "Aw, it warms my heart to see you care, Ed." The resulting glare she gave him, however, prompted the panicked Lombax to change his direction in the conversation. "But, uh, I'm sure I can manage it all okay." Relaxing somewhat, he added, "After all, you know my mechanical skills are just as good as yours, and with all the money I've earned from working the mine and doing some odd repair jobs for the people, I think I can afford the parts I need to put it together while following the HelpDesk's instructions."
Exhaling, Ed soon enough replied, "Ratchet, I get how much building your own ship means to you, but can't you try being more cautious? I don't want anything homemade of yours breaking apart with you in it!"
Gesturing for calm, Ratchet said, "Okay, I get it, but in my defense, building a ship is more cost effective than buying one." When Ed responded with just a shrug and nothing else, Ratchet showed her a kind smile as he added, "Besides, it wouldn't be as special if I did it all without your help."
Shaking her head with a visible grin, Ed remarked, "And it would be unprofessional of me if I did nothing to keep my favorite rascal from getting himself killed." The two embraced briefly before Ed then put a warning finger in Ratchet's face. "Nevertheless, I want you to get your pilot's license just before you set sail on that prototype of a ride of yours. Got it?"
Ratchet could not help but groan at the request. "It feels so unnecessary."
"Ratchet," Ed called out with some force in her tone of voice.
Nodding his head in defeat, Ratchet said, "I promise to get it just as soon as the ship is done."
Smiling broadly, Ed then patted Ratchet on his head, saying, "Good boy."
"Do I get a kiss for luck, though," he quickly asked in mid-patting.
Seeing the eager look in his eyes, Ed shook her head unsurprised and said, "You are so incorrigible."
Despite her own exasperation, however, Ed grabbed the sides of Ratchet's head to plant a kiss on his mouth which he was more than happy to reciprocate.
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I was getting sidetracked from my updating routine, so I figured that some quick one-shots would help me get reinspired. And my fellow Ratchet & Clank fan, Tangent, did say that they did not mind there being more alternate universe one-shots of the series with different scenarios, pairings, and all that kind of stuff, so I figured that a Ratchet who grew up on Planet Hoven and fancied Edwina from the original game would make for something new and good.