Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet & Clank, or any of its associated characters and lore. That right belongs to Insomniac Games.
[BTNART]
The Big Things are Not Always the Right Things
[BTNART]
Intelligence Center, Hall of Heroes, Aleero City, Planet Kerwan
Having been officially inducted in the Galactic Rangers, Ratchet the Lombax was being given a jetpack test drive by their leader, Captain Copernicus Qwark, which led them to the makeshift intelligence center where his fellow recent recruit, Clank the Robot, was chatting it up with the team's technical supporter, Elaris, who was trying to get their superior's attention. Although Qwark was eager to be anywhere else and Ratchet, still in a daze at joining his favorite team of heroes, was happy to follow him, a quick look at Elaris and Clank's disgruntlement, which felt familiar to Ratchet, gave him second thoughts.
Exhaling, Ratchet called out through the hole in the ceiling Qwark just made. "You go on ahead, Captain! I'll have lunch later!" He then turned off his jetpack to join the brain trust on the ground level. "Sorry about the mess, guys. I guess I've been so caught up being a Ranger that I was close to treating you like how Qwark treated me at the Veldin tryouts. Something I probably shouldn't have forgotten."
Showing a small smile at Ratchet's sincerity, Elaris said. "It's alright, Ratchet. I've learned by now to get used to how he and the others treat me. More or less."
Clank then perked up, saying. "Still, since you are at least here, Ratchet, we would like to inform you that some planet fragments have gone missing."
Ratchet looked uncertain at the news as he commented. "Missing planet fragments? Then what's going on? A weird form of asteroid mining or something?"
Elaris shook her head saying. "I wouldn't say that. The landmasses that disappeared either had beaches, forests, or something else good for tourism rather than industrial purposes."
"Tourism?" Ratchet could not help but repeat rhetorically at that. "If this Chairman Drek guy is involved, what are the odds he's literally going to build a new Blarg home planet from the fragments missing?"
"Ratchet." Clank began to say sternly before he and the Lombax then noticed Elaris's surprised expression.
The closest thing the Galactic Rangers had to a second in command then said. "Ratchet, I think you just figured out the Blarg plot."
"I did?!" Ratchet could not help but exclaim in shock. At that same time, the sprinklers in the hall outside finally turned off, prompting Ratchet to form a smile as he took the nearby mop and say. "For the sake of argument, why don't we brainstorm about it while we make sure everything gets mopped up. Uh, there are extra mops, right?"
Clank laughed at Ratchet's question while Elaris looked cheered up by the Lombax's offer to help.
[BTNART]
War Room, Later
Having spent a good amount of time talking with Elaris about her ideas and her work as a Ranger, Ratchet discovered a newfound appreciation for her as a person, considering that part of what drove him to the Galactic Rangers was the equipment they used, and the media as much as the Rangers themselves did not give Elaris enough credit. Later on, Qwark called for the whole team to discuss their plan of attack on Drek Industries, and while Ratchet did like the sound of what he detailed through crayon, deep down, he knew that Elaris could come up with something better.
Ignoring Qwark's line directed to him that "big heroes do big things", as soon as the field operatives, Cora Veralux and Brax Lectrus, voted in favor of the Captain's plan of operation, Ratchet made his decision when it came to Clank and Elaris's turn to vote.
"Nay." He said more firmly compared to what his friends muttered, and all the same, everyone was surprised.
"What?" Qwark asked upon recognizing what Ratchet just said before saying in a more annoyed fashion. "Why, cadet? The Blarg will continue destroying even more planets unless we stop them now!"
"Look, Captain, with all due respect, you can't just handwave your own teammates just because you're in charge." Ratchet replied, even though he felt like sweating at how Brax and Cora as much as Qwark himself were glaring at him. "Heading over there right away and making a big show out of it is fine by me, but if Elaris thinks she's got an easier plan to nab Drek, then we should hear her out."
Sighing tiredly, Cora decided to break the ice and say. "I don't usually infiltrate, but fine." Turning to Elaris, she asked. "How would you make this easier for us?"
While a despondent Qwark looked at an uncertain Brax, Elaris, placed in the center of attention by Cora, and feeling confident from the reassuring looks Ratchet and Clank were giving her, stood up and then displayed the holo-schematics to Drek's headquarters on planet Quartu. "Well, the first thing I think we should do, is cut off his means of escape."
[BTNART]
Onboard the Starship Phoenix, Approaching Planet Quartu, Later at Night
"All right, Rangers." Qwark announced as the team were about to make their arrival over Quartu's Skorg City. "As Elaris described, we shall first employ a low EMP over the warbot factory's escape transports, preventing Drek and any other high-profile targets from escaping, but not large to let them know we're coming. Then, while Elaris gives us a bird's eye view from the Phoenix, the rest of us will drop down, approach the factory, and let Clank enter the airducts first before he opens a stealthy entrance for us." Turning to Elaris with an eager grin, Qwark waited until she gave him an approving nod before he then said. "And after we navigate our way to the innerworkings, that's when we go all guns blazing as ever!"
"Yeah!" The other field operatives all cheered at the briefing and were on their way to the aft airlock when Elaris approached Ratchet and Clank.
"Before you guys go, let me just say "thanks" for all your help." She told them both with a broadened smile.
"You are most welcome, Elaris, but it is not like we are going to stop helping." Clank replied logically yet sincerely from Ratchet's back.
Ratchet then said. "And don't worry about us. We'll be fine."
Emboldened, Elaris then happily leaned forward to plant a kiss on Ratchet's forehead which surprised him. Recognizing what she just did, Elaris then said in embarrassment. "Well, uh, anyway, good luck, and be safe."
"Uh, yeah, you, too." Ratchet replied distracted as he then headed for the airlock himself.
"What happened?" Clank asked confused. "I cannot exactly see from this angle, you know."
"I'll explain later, pal."
[BTNART]
While I probably had said before that I am not sure about using reimagined characters in a full Ratchet & Clank story, I am interested in seeing Ratchet pair up with female characters Elaris and Cora Veralux, both of whom seem to be rarely featured, and reading the movie novel followed by watching the movie itself got me a good idea of how to feature Elaris, the Galactic Ranger's tech support, with Ratchet, so there you have it. Sorry to the Clank/Elaris and Doctor Nefarious/Elaris shippers, but this is mostly how I roll, and to top it off, the novel described Elaris as a teenager, so this is how it is.
