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Chapter Seven
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Bob's Roboshack, Jowai Resort, Planet Pokitaru
Emboldened from learning what truly motivated Drek's destructive crusade, Ratchet, Rivet, Clank, and Kit made quick detours on Planets Gaspar and Orxon for any gadgets that the Blarg developed on either planet, followed by making their way to the tropical vacation world of Pokitaru to acquire an 02 Mask for Ratchet, since Rivet already had hers that she used to explore the polluted Orxon alongside Kit. Additionally, they were prepared to aid the owner of the local Jowai Resort when they found the Blarg dumping toxic waste that had the added effect of mutating the native marine life.
However, as their shuttle at the time lacked weapons to destroy the flying tankers, the Lombaxes and Robots had to use a local jet fighter under heavy lock that they lacked the strength to access, even though, they had the Blargian Pilot's Helmet from Gaspar that would allow flight via mental commands without the need for a robotic ignitions system. Nonetheless, the Resort Owner directed the four to the local Roboshack, and its owner, Bob, who had a means to deal with the lock.
Entering the establishment, Ratchet and his friends saw the robotics engineer who reminded them all of Big Al on Kerwan in a skinnier and somewhat shorter kind of way.
"Well, well," Bob commented in a thick country accent upon laying eyes on Clank and Kit before gently picking them off the floor to observe them closer, "whadda we got here?"
"Hey, watch it," Clank responded unamused.
"I am under enough pressure as is, sir," Kit added just insulted.
"Sorry, darling," Bob apologized before adding, "but I rekanize that work. Y'all went to see my idjit of a little brother, Al, ain't cha?"
"Huh, small galaxy," Rivet commented with a glance at Ratchet, who was just as surprised at the connection as she was.
Directing the conversation back on track, Ratchet answered, "Yeah, but something tells me you've got an upgrade that can help us deal with that lock on the garage nearby."
"Sure do," Bob declared as he explained, "The Thruster-Pack might be a bit pricy for both robots, but it'll definitely give y'all the extra oomph to get to the jet fighter and then some."
"How much for both Clank and Kit then, Bob," Rivet asked as she took out some bolts to spend.
"Four thousand bolts altogether." As soon as Bob got the payment with Kit and Clank getting themselves ready for their upgrades, the former then noticed Rivet's cybernetic prosthetic and could not restrain a whistle that got everyone's attention. He then quickly explained, "Sorry, I was just admiring the craftsmanship of your arm. It practically looks brand-new!"
Awkwardly glancing at her arm herself, Rivet replied, "Yeah, that's because it is, Bob. I lost my real arm not too long ago."
His expression changed to one of sympathy and regret, Bob said, "Oh, sorry, sweetheart, I didn't know."
"It's fine, I'm still getting used to it. For what it's worth, it's not all bad."
Nodding in agreement, Bob said, "I can imagine. Between your fur color and the color of the arm itself, you might as well be the glue that keeps your band of four together."
Recognizing that her fur could almost be a mirror to Clank's grey metal just as Ratchet and Kit were as yellow as the prosthetic, Rivet traded a smile with her fellow Lombax as she said, "Yeah, I guess that's true."
Upon completion, Bob showcased Clank and Kit having interchangeable wings where their arms go with the implication that their legs could also be replaced with rockets as well before the team then made their way to the garage to save the entire planet from the Blarg.
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Bomb Factory, Planet Hoven
Upon dealing with the waste dumping on Pokitaru, Ratchet and company then flew their shuttle to the icy planet known as Hoven. According to Fred back at B.T.S., the Blarg invaded the planet and converted Hoven's ice mining facilities into weapon factories for their own purposes, and the quartet of heroes were eager to remove Drek's influence from that world.
As they landed on Hoven, however, the two Lombaxes and two Robots were stunned to see a giant and green rocket-shaped bomb, carried on the underside of a darker green ship slightly longer than the bomb itself which had three engines alongside five turrets on its top for defense.
"Well, that looks like a serious threat," Rivet uttered on the whole group's behalf, which her three friends nodded in agreement at.
Clank then inputted, "Perhaps, we should research what that new bomb is for?"
"Way ahead of you, Clank," Kit replied as she took out a telescreen and looked for the Blarg TV Holovision channel until finding a news report marked as recent.
Upon playing the video, their most hated Blarg appeared on Hoven itself, cheerfully smug as ever to say, "Hello again, everyone, Supreme Executive Chairman Drek here to fill you in on our progress. We have now found the perfect orbit for our artificial planet, one which will allow for the optimum temperature, all year round!"
"Really," Ratchet asked rhetorically, doubting that such an orbit even existed in Solana, and judging by his friends' own expressions, he was not alone in doubting Drek's words.
Drek's speech continued as he added, "However, there is a natural planet now occupying that orbit, and sadly for its few insignificant inhabitants, it must be destroyed."
"That jerk," Ratchet and Rivet both snapped in response to the dictator's casual cruelty.
Back to the video, Drek's video expanded to reveal the missile upright as he explained, "That's why we've created this, the Planetbuster Maximus, a device capable of blowing an entire planet into sub-atomic particles! We're quite proud of it! Here's how it works." As the video went on, the carrier vessel appeared onscreen as Drek explained, "We attach the Planetbuster to this ship, fly it into orbit around the opposing planet, and let it go! Kaboom!" Laughing to himself almost innocently, Drek added, "Quite ingenious really. Once our trained professionals put the finishing touches on New Orxon, everything will be complete! Thank you! Goodbye!"
As the video ended, Ratchet exclaimed, "It's like there's no limit to how mean he can be! I mean, what the heck is up with that?!"
"We can deliver our complaints about Drek's character in person later, Ratchet," Clank advised stern yet understandably.
Rivet nodded as she said, "Clank's right. Right now, we got to stop that missile from leaving this planet before it reaches its target."
"And we should discover what planet the Blarg wish to completely destroy for future reference," Kit added for the sake of argument for which her partners agreed upon with a nod each.
"Then let's get going," Ratchet declared as Clank got on his back with Rivet and Kit following behind them as well.
Making their way away from the landing platform, the four figured that since the carrier was not leaving the planet yet, they had time to explore and ask from any inhabitants for information as to where the Planetbuster was to be dropped at. Following the map from Ratchet's HelpDesk, the team soon found themselves at a roboshack like the ones on Kerwan and Pokitaru, which felt like a good place as any to get info in addition to another upgrade for Clank and Kit.
Entering the shop, Rivet was the first to approach the seeming owner, a somewhat taller person wearing a welding helmet as well as a pink top with a bolt logo. "Excuse us, sir, but can you help us out," she asked nicely.
The owner quickly removed their helmet to reveal a feminine face who looked at Rivet not angry, but very amused as her words indicated. "A bit early to mistake me for a man, don't ya think," she said in an accent that reminded the group of Bob's.
A bit stumped, Rivet shortly then added, "Uh, by "sir", I meant more of an authority kind of way, like you're the owner of this place for example."
Everyone laughed at Rivet's logic as Ratchet himself said, "Nice recovery, hotshot."
"Hey," Rivet lightly protested much to everyone's further amusement before the owner then noticed Clank and Kit.
"Well, hello there, sweet things," she said as she carried them to her shelf before adding, "Just say the word and Ed will do what she can for the both of you."
"Ed," Clank said aloud in confusion.
"That's my name, sweetie. It's short for Edwina."
"That makes sense," Kit commented before saying, "As much as we are interested in a potential upgrade, though, Ed, we would like to know if you happen to know where the Blarg are taking that super weapon they will be moving soon."
"Not that we'd blame you if you didn't want to go anywhere near those guys, though," Ratchet quickly said in defense before explaining, "We just don't want Drek and his company to get away with what they're doing is all."
Nodding in understanding, Ed answered, "Well, for the most part, I did keep my distance from those goons so they wouldn't shoot at me, but I did hear scuttlebutt here and there, and I think Veldin is where they plan to use the bomb at."
"What," Ratchet yelled in shock at the news before seething in anger. "That Blargian scumbag," he said to himself with fists clenched. "Bribing my childhood hero wasn't enough? He has to blow up my home planet, too?!"
"Oops," Ed could not help but comment embarrassed as the others looked concerned.
"Hang tight, Ratchet," Rivet said soothingly to her counterpart before adding, "We'll take out the Planetbuster together, but you running off on your own will probably bring more trouble than good."
Forcing himself to calm down, Ratchet nodded to Rivet before saying in agreement, "Okay, Rivet. The ship's not leaving right away, so we have time." Turning back to Ed, he then asked, "Anyway, since we're here, what kind of upgrade can you give our friends here?"
Nodding with a returning grin, Ed answered, "The Hydro-Pack, two thousand bolts each, but I can shorten the price since this is kind of an emergency."
Trading glances all around, Ratchet answered on behalf of them all, "Nah, we've got more than enough to pay. You giving us the heads up for free is more than enough."
Once their purchases were done, the two Lombaxes and Robots made their way back to the area where the carrier was stationed at, but were dismayed to see it leaving just as they showed up.
"We are too late," Clank cried out aghast at the circumstances. Turning to his counterpart, he then suggested, "Kit, perhaps you should transform."
"No," Kit was quick to turn the idea down in horror and Rivet did not look up for that course of action either. "Clank, I know how this is, but I cannot control myself in that form!"
"Hang on," Ratchet interjected as he pointed toward a nearby defense turret. "We can use that instead!"
"Dibs," Rivet exclaimed in a hurry as she got to the turret and immediately used it to fire on the carrier and any Blargian helicopters in her way before the ship finally fell apart with the Planetbuster falling into the river below, thankfully without exploding.
With that event passed, the party of four all gasped in relief and even chuckled at the Planetbuster's short-lived history before an infobot then appeared from the turret to show them a transmission from Drek to his troops.
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Water Tanker of the Blargian Space Fleet, Oltanis Orbit
"All right, Captain," Supreme Executive Chairman Drek was telling a distracted Qwark as they came closer to a shuttle more befitting the former's stature than the latter's, "the time has come for your new assignment." Not hearing a response from the taller man in spandex, Drek impatiently called out, "Qwark!"
Immediately startled, Qwark struggled to respond before he noticed the shuttle and asked, "Is this going to be a photo op, sir?"
Instantly exasperated, Drek shook his head with a hand to his forehead as he commented, "No matter where I go, or what I do, I'm always surrounded by morons." Turning to Qwark with annoyance in his facial expression and tone of voice, the diminutive Blarg explained, "My sources tell me that the two miscreants we began with, and their two unexpected cohorts, will be approaching Gemlik Base soon, Qwark. Once they arrive, you are to ambush all four of them with a starfighter the base already has prepared for you, and this time, you will destroy them all completely."
Having followed along Drek's summary and knowing who he was talking about, Qwark nodded in understanding, but could not help but ask upon remembering the events on Umbris, "Are we supposed to be the bad guys in this, Supreme Executive Chairman? I know you and I have our reasons, but couldn't there have been another way?"
"Qwark," Drek yelled furiously at the disgraced superhero, who cowered in the face of his sponsor's anger. "You will do what I say and not screw it up, or I will publicly inform the entire galaxy that our deal, made in secrecy no less, is off!"
Gulping audibly at the threat and all it represented for him, Qwark held his arms in a placating way as he said, "Understood. I'll be going now." He then squeezed himself into the nearby shuttle and did what he could to fly it towards the nearby space station.
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Initially, I thought about inputting a scene of Emperor Nefarious and his Assistant reacting to Kit's disappearance, but then I decided to keep things brief for the sake of argument. I do have one idea for a future, non-Nefarious antagonistic force to be referenced in the next chapter of Ratcheted and Riveted before Ratchet and Clank would have confronted them in a certain game, but that can wait for now.
Also, while I did get involved in Ratchet & Clank thinking that Edwina was the sister of Big Al and Bob, it does not say so on the wiki anymore, so I cannot be certain if it was fanon, or from a lost game guide. Any definitive answer would be appreciated, though.
That is all for now. I will be back eventually.