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Chapter Three
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Ratchet's quarters aboard the Starship Phoenix,Enroute to Eudora
Upon their report to Captain Sasha, who, in turn, reported to her father, the Galactic President, the Cazar military officer had volunteered her support and that of the star cruiser she commanded, the Starship Phoenix, for the duration of Captain Starshield's efforts against the Blarg alongside Ratchet and Clank, which the three were more than happy to accept. While they arguably could travel faster on their own means, the benefits of a mobile base and the backing of the Galactic Rangers were too hard to pass up.
A long, narrow space vessel colored in silver with large wings on either side, the Phoenix was the pride of the Solana Galactic Fleet, and seeing his personal accommodations, Ratchet could definitely see why. Even though he imagined that Sasha partly got command over the ship due to nepotism, Ratchet was never going to complain as he played a racing game on the VG-9000 in his quarters against Clank, who himself had been upgraded with a Thruster-Pack and Hydro-Pack to better help Ratchet alongside Starshield against the Blarg.
In the middle of their gaming, Starshield entered the room to casually call out, "Hate to interrupt, boys, but Sasha just told me we're getting close to our destination, so you might want to save your progress and get ready for the fight."
"Understood, Captain," Clank answered on both his and Ratchet's behalf while the latter followed Starshield's instructions and returning the screen to regular holovision where the three saw an odd news report.
Subtitled as Darla Gratch, the robotic reporter had glowing blue eyes and thick black metal hair, and wore a pink dress with a green shirt underneath. She then announced herself saying, "This is Darla Gratch reporting live from Blackwater City. We've just learned that Captain Qwark, who was hired to present the grand prize at the Intergalactic Hoverboard Championship being held here, has been reported missing with no clues as to his current whereabouts or status."
As the report continued to show Darla getting attacked by an Amoeboid, Clank turned to Starshield asking, "Do you suppose something happened to Captain Qwark?"
Rubbing his chin in though, Starshield replied, "Possibly, but this wouldn't be the first time a hero has missed a celebrity event. There are any number of reasons that Qwark might have missed this one, some good, some bad. We should keep an eye out for any information, one way, or the other, but at the moment we have to prioritize on stopping Drek."
Turning off the screen at last, Ratchet could not help but quip, "With his on-and-off show-ups and all those on-location endorsement deals he does, he probably got his schedule crossed or double booked an event."
After a moment of glaring at the Lombax's casualness, Starshield exhaled as he nodded in agreement, "That is a distinct possibility with Qwark, yes, but we really shouldn't rule out foul play just because we have a low opinion of the man's P.R. stunts, Ratchet."
"Captain Starshield is correct, Ratchet," Clank interjected with consideration in his tone of voice, "He may be imperfect, but would you have kept a poster of him in your garage, if you allowed his faults to color your opinion of him."
Feeling a bit guilty at both their words, especially since he knew they were right, Ratchet answered, "Fine, fine, I'll keep an eye out, too." Relaxing somewhat, he then added, "And yeah, Qwark's probably not all bad, he just can't resist wanting to be larger than life."
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Blarg Tactical Research Station, Nebula G34
"So much for being larger than life," Captain Qwark commented to himself as he remained in his glass cage with a gloomy disposition.
Having been kept under lock and key since being sent to the Blarg Tactical Research Station, Qwark was left scared out of his wits at the sight of so many mutant animals sizing him up for a bite. Admittedly the small, frog-like Swarmers were more of a nuisance, but the larger quadrupeds appropriately named as Snappers had Qwark worried in the event that they broke the glass keeping them from getting to him, which was why he had not broken himself out among other reasons.
Sighing tiredly, Qwark was starting to regret accepting the recently retitled Supreme Executive Chairman Drek's offer in the first place. Not only did it get him into trouble, but looking back, it was not as heroic as his triumph over Captain Blackstar and the Robotic Pirate Ghosts he called a crew. However, just as he was about to completely lose hope, Qwark heard laser fire approaching the green lighted room he was trapped in, and was surprised to see a dark green warbot with an orange eye in its torso wielding a Blaster for a left hand.
"A Galactic Ranger," Qwark cheered with a wide grin which quickly alerted the Ranger to his presence. "At last, I'm saved!"
"Uh, excuse me," a familiar voice that Qwark recognized as belonging to a short felinoid employee of Drek Industries named Fred asked in confusion as he entered from a neighboring room and then held his hands up when the Ranger noticed him, too.
Immediately after, three more Galactic Rangers entered the area, Blaster arms drawn, followed by two taller felinoids, one of whom Qwark recognized as the Cazar daughter of Galactic President Phyronix, Captain Sasha of the Starship Phoenix while the other was the Lombax giving Drek's forces a tough time. Upon noticing the imprisoned Qwark, Sasha traded a surprised look with her literally yellower comrade.
"Huh," the Lombax, Ratchet as Qwark believed his name to be, commented before turning to the small robot on his back, "I guess it really was foul play, Clank."
Focusing her uncertain eyes on the green spandexed hero, Sasha asked, "Captain Qwark, how did you even get here? I heard you were missing, but I wasn't exactly expecting this."
Qwark could not help but show a shamed look at Sasha's curiosity, but nonetheless brought himself to say, "Look, could you please get me out of this thing first? I promise to explain everything later."
"Tell us how to get Captain Qwark out of there," the Ranger nearest to Fred demanded of him.
Stammering, Fred replied, "Settle down, I surrendered," he then pointed at Ratchet's direction saying, "Just press the third button on the console over there." Following Fred's gaze to the console he was near to, Ratchet then pressed the third button the left without thinking which prompted a loud siren much to Fred's panic. "No, the other third button, you nano-wit! You just released the Queen Snapper!"
"The Snappers have a queen," Clank asked incredulously at the news.
Ratchet, on the other hand, was more annoyed as he turned to Fred yelling, "Now you tell me!?"
"Ratchet," Sasha cried out as the Queen herself, a much larger Snapper with orange eyes, than landed with a thud on the floor from the ceiling and proceeded to maw two of the nearest Rangers.
Tapping on the glass of his cage to get attention from those that remained, Qwark quickly informed them, "I'd attack that ugly mutant with Blasters at a distance, if I were you. Think it over!"
"You heard the sellout," Ratchet called out to Sasha and the surviving Rangers while Fred quickly ran back to where he came from to hide, "Aim your Blasters and make sure she doesn't get you!"
"You got it, Sarge," one of the Rangers obeyed with Sasha showing Ratchet an approving smirk before all four fired their weapons at the Queen and avoided her attacks until she came down to the ground permanently dead.
Sighing in relief, Qwark waited for Sasha and her companions to relax before they finally released him from his prison, which allowed him to stretch his limbs for the first time in what felt like days before he turned to his rescuers with a grateful smile. "Thanks for getting me out of there, Captain Sasha and company," he told them earnestly and then added with concern, "I'm sorry about the loss of your two Rangers, though."
Ratchet looked away at the scattered warbot pieces as he replied, "That makes two of us, Captain."
One of the surviving Rangers, however, piped up optimistically, "Don't feel too down by it, Sarge. Not only because it was what we were built for, but because we can still harness the remaining parts to rebuild them."
"Glad to hear it," Clank said with appreciation in his tone which Ratchet appeared to find welcoming just as Fred was coming out of hiding himself.
It was then that a telescreen popped up from Sasha's belongings to reveal Captain Starshield, who, after saluting the younger military officer, then said, "The other Rangers and I just finished our patrol of the surrounding ships, Sasha, and aside from a Hydrodisplacer, an infobot indicating a large Blargian force being gathered on Gaspar was also found."
"Gaspar," Qwark said curiously before he then remembered something important to share with the group, "That planet's not too far away from Batalia, home of Fort Krontos!"
Looking at his fellow hero in surprise at him being there momentarily, Starshield then quickly nodded to Qwark's line of thought before telling Sasha, "Captain Sasha, I suggest we split up to protect Fort Krontos from any surprise attacks and ensure that the Blarg troops won't be relying on Gaspar to refuel there anymore."
"Works for me," Ratchet opinioned with Clank nodding his head in agreement.
Qwark then said aloud, "I hope you three are not thinking of making this a private mission, because I intend to help as well," turning to Sasha awkwardly, he then said, "As soon as I explain myself for being here so unexpectedly, though, and hope that I'll get a second chance to prove my mettle."
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I originally planned on Sasha just supporting Starshield and his new partners from the background during the events of the first game, but then I remembered how the 2010 comics had her on the frontlines, so I decided that I should make her more relevant to go with my depictions of Talwyn Apogee in Sargasso From the Get-Go and Vendra Prog in Prog it Up, which is why she and her ship are participating as well.
I also decided to quickly move to the Blarg Tactical Research Station for the sake of diversity in storytelling, and admittedly to speed things along, especially since Eudora really is a short world to explore, so there you are, and I hope you understand.
I owe some of the dialogue to Tangent, the writer of Widget & Clank: Lombax Bebop and Sine of Destiny among other fanfiction stories, Ratchet & Clank and otherwise, who knows their way around a good story plot in more ways than one.
