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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Ratcheted and Riveted

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Chapter One

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Resistance Outpost 4, Outpost L51, Planet Sargasso, Verdigris Sector, Polaris Galaxy, Rivet's Dimension

A swampland of a planet home to valuable reserves of Gelatonium and positioned close to the neighboring Solana Galaxy, Sargasso was mostly ignored by the Nefarious Empire that dominated it's native universe simply due to Emperor Nefarious's distaste for the world's environment and wildlife alike, especially after wiping out the Kerchu who managed Sargasso's Gelatonium refineries after they unintentionally insulted him by misspelling his name. With the Kerchu gone, the planet's industries had been maintained by a group of affable beings all referred to as the Morts, who, in secret to the Nefarious Empire, harbored a prominent member of the Resistance against Nefarious's tyranny.

In her personal hideout near the Morts' primarily workplace, Rivet, a white-furred, blue-striped, and blue-eyed feline in a black and gray jumpsuit known as a Lombax that was well-regarded by the Resistance as the figurative symbol of their loose organization, was overlooking Infobot and Spybot data on her computer. It had been a busy week for her and the Resistance in terms of collecting intelligence that they hoped could change their universe's status quo around in a positive light, and in order to be best effective, she requested the aid of a Nano-Systems IT Bot from one of her fellow Resistance fighters to help speed things along.

"All right, Glitch," Rivet said to the aforementioned Resistance hologram of a spider-like robot that was inserted into her computer at that time, "find anything juicy on Nefarious?"

Making an appearance on Rivet's computer screen, Glitch took her time to properly, yet shyly, report to Rivet, "Well, by the look of these files, the Emperor has left question marks on any info pertaining to Savali."

Rivet showed a dubious look at the news, recognizing that Savali was a wilderness planet with even fewer resources and people than Sargasso. "Why? Last I checked, that rock's only inhabitants are some Snivelakian monks that nowhere near like their people's bounty hunter stereotype."

It was then Glitch's turn to raise an eye at Rivet, which reminded her of the program's design flaw that she only communicates verbally via a computer while reduced to body language in her usual projector carrier. "Actually, Rivet," Glitch began with a slightly self-confidant tone of voice at knowing something her Lombax comrade did not know, "the Savali Monks made their home in where a Lombax outpost once stood tall and proud. They've been safekeeping secret dimensional knowledge for generations well before the Nefarious Empire became a thing in the Solana Galaxy as much as anywhere else."

Rivet hummed with interest at Glitch's words, finding anything she learned about her missing species with a continual desire to learn more. Nonetheless, her priority at the moment was to remove Nefarious from power, which prompted her to ask Glitch, "What do you mean by dimensional knowledge?"

"Well, if you believe the rumors spread around here and there, the Monks are so attuned with dimensionality that they can levitate their own bodies, astral project themselves, and even open and close rifts in space that would allow them to travel great distances not only in our dimension, but in so many others as well." Glitch's enthusiastic explanation, however, deadpanned when she added, "Of course, their abilities are apparently limited, and even if we got them to join our fight, they're still the nonviolent type. Being monks and all."

Intrigued even further all the same, Rivet contemplated to herself saying, "Still, I should pop on over there to learn somethings when I have free time. You never know when it could come in handy."

Glitch was about to respond to that when she noticed something odd from where was looking in Rivet's computer. Humming in thought, she turned to the Lombax asking, "I don't mean to pry, Rivet, but what's with the long-distance broadcaster? Are you trying to spread word of the Resistance to other galaxies?"

Already knowing what Glitch was looking up, Rivet looked through the device on her end as she answered, "Well, I kinda figured that if we stirred up rebellions outside of Polaris, it could distract Nefarious and boost us in more ways than one." Seeing the results of one such broadcast on the Solana planet of Veldin, Rivet's reaction was mixed as she added, "Even though, instigating uprisings in consolidated territory tends to bring as much good guy casualties as well as bad ones."

The IT Bot was similarly bummed as well upon looking over the report, but Glitch tried to be optimistic for her sake as much as Rivet's. "For what it's worth, I'm sure Phantom and all the other Resistance fighters with roots in Solana will appreciate that you did what you could to help," she told the Lombax who slowly showed a small, grateful smile to Glitch.

"Thanks, old girl," Rivet said in response, and was about to say more when the omniglove she wore on her right hand lighted up purple energy towards the computer much to her and Glitch's shock.

"What was that," Glitch yelped in surprise as the computer that she herself was logged in kept flickering until it finally dazzled in the same purple light to show her and Rivet something, or rather someone, they did not expect at all.

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Ratchet's Garage, Kyzil Plateau, Planet Veldin, Solana Galaxy, Ratchet's Dimension

Covered almost entirely in desert and rocky terrain alike, Veldin had few large bodies of water and was mostly home to a diverse population of farmers, criminals, and others of many races. While not an unpleasant world to call home as far as some people were concerned, to the sole Lombax who lived there, it lacked an adventurous atmosphere to go with his spirit.

Operating a garage that he also called his home in the Kyzil Plateau of Veldin, Ratchet, as the yellow-furred, brown-striped, and green-eyed Lombax knew himself as, had closed up shop for the night to look up the Holonet on his personal computer for what he needed to build his own starship, with which, he planned on departing his homeworld to travel the greater galaxy. While Ratchet had collected and bought some parts that would come in handy on Veldin itself beforehand, he still spent of the day exploring the Holonet to find what else was required. Granted, Ratchet also figured that he could buy a commercial flight on his home planet to take him anywhere else in the Solana Galaxy, but he still wanted to feel like a self-made adventurer by building his own ship and flying into the galaxy under his own rules.

As the youthful Lombax continued to delve deeper into the Holonet's instructions on homemade spacecrafts, he was then surprised to see his computer fizzle with a dazzling purple light on the screen that nearly blinded him.

"What kind of website is this," Ratchet all but shouted before the light eventually died down and he was surprised to see his computer screen showing a livestream of a white-furred, female lifeform that looked similar to himself and some kind of tiny robot starring straight at him in befuddlement, which Ratchet could not blame them since he was just as confused as they were. "Uh, who are you two supposed to be," he nonetheless asked before adding, "and what happened to my computer?"

"Your computer," the white-furred girl incredulously exclaimed. "One minute, Glitch and I were just talking about intergalactic Resistance efforts," she said while gesturing to herself and the robot next to her, which gave Ratchet an idea of who the latter was called, before saying, "and the next thing we know, my glove shoots purple lightning at my own computer!"

Seeing that his unexpected caller was a bit on edge, Ratchet fought back his own instinctive irritation from showing itself, and instead commented, "Your glove shot purple lightning? Is that what it's supposed to do?"

Calming down somewhat, Ratchet's counterpart looked at her right-handed glove which Glitch turned around to examine herself.

Humming thoughtfully, Glitch then asked her friend, "That omniglove has a Phase Quartz in it, right, Rivet?"

Uncertainly, Rivet replied, "Well, yeah, Phantom said it would come in handy."

"What's a Phase Quartz," Ratchet asked just as confused.

Glitch took it upon herself to explain to Ratchet, "A rare mineral that, as the name implies, phases matter of all kinds." Turning to Rivet, she added, "Coincidentally, Rivet, it's rumored to have similar properties to how the Savali Monks can supposedly travel across dimensions as well."

Having little understanding of what Glitch was saying, Ratchet ultimately stood up from his chair to think on how to reply to it all when he heard Rivet stammer, "What are you doing?!"

Looking back at Rivet in surprise at her embarrassed outburst, Ratchet asked, "What do you mean?"

"Uh, hello? You're half-naked!"

Taking a closer look at Ratchet herself, Glitch noticed that he was, by all accounts, shirtless, with his only clothes being his gloves, pants, belt, and chest harness. "Huh," she commented at first with a tease in her electronic voice before adding, "when you think about it, he really is half-naked."

"Glitch, you're not helping," Rivet shouted in annoyance and got even more flustered at Ratchet laughing at the circumstances. "And you, be quiet," she demanded of Ratchet with a noticeable blush.

"Okay, okay," Ratchet said at first to calm himself down and then said, "let's all relax." Turning to Rivet with an interested look in his eyes, he then decided to make sense of what just happened. "Now let me get this straight. Your names are Rivet and Glitch, and you both are calling me by accident from an alternate dimension?"

"Most likely," Glitch chirped in a way Ratchet deep down found was adorable.

"Seems that way," Rivet herself answered in a more subdued fashion, as if trying to understand it herself. However, she then showed a curious facial expression as she asked, "By any chance, do you know of a robotic evildoer who calls himself Emperor Nefarious of his Nefarious Empire?"

Hearing the name and description, Ratchet thought for a moment before answering with a shrug, "Sounds faintly familiar, but I think his title is "Doctor" rather than "Emperor", and he's been out of sight, out of mind in this galaxy for a long time."

"Lucky for you," Rivet and Glitch deadpanned at exactly the same time which prompted them both to chuckle.

It was then, though, that Ratchet finally noticed the puffed-up tail behind Rivet's back, prompting him to say, "Speaking of familiar, Rivet, what species are you?"

"Oh, I'm a Lombax," Rivet answered before she then took in a better look at Ratchet's own features and gasped in wonder. "Wait, are you a Lombax, too?!"

"Yeah," Ratchet answered with a wide and sincere smile. "Truth be told, you're the first other Lombax I've seen all my life."

"Right back at you!"

Remembering something important, the male Lombax then said, "The name's Ratchet, by the way."

The following hours of Ratchet's night on his Veldin and Rivet's afternoon on her Sargasso were then spent animatedly talking about themselves and their separate universes to each other in a friendly way.

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I may have been reaching in terms of chronology and the means of how Rivet and Glitch contacted Ratchet by accident, but I figured this depiction sounded good. I think I may have been inspired by some depictions of interdimensional travel to write this from Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or something else, but I cannot remember what it was exactly.

I initially thought this would stay a one-shot, depending on whether or not I got any helpful ideas from my readers to help push this depiction forward, but as I kept writing, ideas of my own came to me, so this will continue for a while, after all.