Hey all, I'm happy to be back a lot sooner than I originally anticipated. Part of the reason for this rapid update has been a wealth of time at my disposal, and the other part is the overwhelming support that this story has received thus far. Seriously, I am immensely thankful to all of the support that this story has received thus far. Rest assured that I will do everything in my power to not let you down, dear reader. Although the overarching storyline isn't completely finalized as of yet, I have already finalized the first few chapter's worth of it so there should not be any long waits. This also holds true for the next chapter, which should start production soon. With all that said, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.


"I'm sorry for what I said before," Rivet said as she rested on Kit's shoulder, reflecting on their first victory together. "You're my friend, and… thank you. For coming back."

Kit was quiet for a moment before she raised her enormous hand up to Rivet. "Team?" she asked. The Lombax chuckled and happily shook one of Kit's enormous fingers. "Team," Rivet affirmed before she turned her head, hearing footsteps approaching behind them. It was Ratchet, who came walking up with Clank in his arms. "I guess it's time to go home, huh?" he asked. He was smiling, though Rivet could tell it wasn't wholly sincere. She understood, she was also tense about the idea of being on their own again. The backup they had been able to give each other was addictively reliable.

Kit lowered her arm and let Rivet slide off to the ground. "Yeah," she said as she walked up to her fellow Lombax. "Our dimension could use a couple heroes right about now," she explained as she glanced over at Kit. "Well," Ratchet began, drawing her attention back to him. "How would you two feel about making a pit stop on the way?"

Rivet felt her chest tighten, but she kept a straight face. Could it be, she wondered. Was he about to…?

"Where're we headed?" Rivet asked with a grin.

"I think you know," Ratchet replied as he smiled widely at the duo. Kit smiled back and nodded excitedly before everyone's attention was drawn to a shrill whistling noise, and they watched as four rockets were shot out, and four images, each depicting one of the heroes, were drawn in the sky with fireworks.

"Is that… us?" Kit asked incredulously. Clank giggles. "Welcome to the hero's life, Kit," he said. "So this is what being a hero is like?" Kit wondered aloud. "Sure is," Rivet said as she walked over and placed a hand on her friend's currently enormous arm. "People tend to be really grateful when you save them from a tyrant – or, well, any kind of ne'er-do-well. You might want to shrink down though, I think the people here might get anxious at the sight of more heavily armored robots. No offense."

"None taken, I understand," Kit replied as she shrunk down. "I was built to intimidate, after all," she added as she jumped onto Rivet's back. "So, anything we gotta do before we head out to this 'pit stop I know'?" Rivet asked as she turned to Ratchet. Her fellow Lombax nodded. "Yeah. Firstly we should check if either Nefarious damaged the Dimensionator in any way, and secondly we need to decode the map that that Lombax researcher – Mags – made. We need to find that marker that he left, so we can find the dimension that the Lombaxes fled to." He grinned smugly. "And I know someone who can help with that. Come on, I still remember where I parked my ship thankfully."

"Lead the way," Rivet replied as Ratchet secured Clank onto his back. The two Lombaxes kept pace, and as they walked, Clank caught Kit looking at him curiously. "Is something bothering you, Kit?" he calmly asked. "Oh, no, all is well," Kit awkwardly replied. Clank was skeptical but decided not to pursue it any further.

Soon, they arrived at the parking garage of the Polaris Defense Force headquarters, and Ratchet lead them to the VIP spots. Rivet gasped audibly as the ship came into view.

The setting sun really did Aphelion justice, catching her sleek panels and sharp, defined shapes in an orange, slanted light. "What a beauty," Rivet remarked as she walked up and affectionately ran her good hand along Aphelion's hood. Kit got down from Rivet's back to see for herself, and as equally amazed, eagerly taking in the ship's peculiar design. "She got a name?" Rivet asked, glancing at Ratchet.

"Why yes, my name is Aphelion," she ship piped up. Rivet yelped in surprise and lost her footing, landing ungracefully on her back. Ratchet quickly rushed over to help her up. "You okay?" he asked.

"Well, now it's my turn to awkwardly fall over due to a sudden voice when I'm admiring a ship," Rivet grumbled. "Just so you know, if we run into a Snagglebeast or a sewer, I'm out of here."

Ratchet laughed while Aphelion spoke up again. "I am very sorry, I did not mean to startle you. I must confess to being utterly astonished at the sight of a Lombax other than Ratchet. It is an experience I had marked down as 'impossible'. I see you have been hurt."

"O-Oh, my arm? It's okay," Rivet replied awkwardly. "It sucked but I'm doing okay now. I'm Rivet by the way," she added. "What's your name?"

"Aphelion," Kit said before the ship herself could answer.

"That is correct. Have you been told about me?" Aphelion asked curiously. "No, but it is written on your hull," Kit replied.

"Oh yeah, you can read Lombax, right?" Ratchet asked.

"Only the specific dialects that were preserved in the relics on Savali," Kit replied. She walked over and pointed at a second engraving. "And this one reads 'angel'."

"Yes, that refers to my model, a 'Z741 void angel'," Aphelion clarified. "Oh, I apologize, I should offer you all seats. You must be tired after that invasion," the ship quickly added and opened the window. Ratchet sat down in the pilot's seat and sat Clank down on the back seat behind him. Rivet took the passenger seat, and reached down to help Kit climb in as well, who sat down next to Clank on the couch in the back.

"Aphie, can you plot us a course to the Apogee station?" Ratchet asked as he ran through the pre-flight checks. "Certainly. It should take us approximately five hours. I recommend you make at least one stop to rest up, for the sake of your health."

"Thanks, we'll see how it goes," Ratchet replied before he turned to Rivet, who was watching the interaction between Ratchet and Aphelion with a mixture of amazement and confusion. "You know, I never imagined that Lombax ships would be so talkative," Rivet remarked as she leaned back in her seat. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Aphelion asked, and Rivet chuckled. "Well, that depends on the pilot, I suppose. Me, I think it's neat. You seem like good company."

"Aww, you flatter me," Aphelion happily replied before continuing in a more serious tone. "Though I must ask you to fasten your safety harness, lest Ratchet bestows upon you a nickname as well."

"Huh?" Rivet asked as the ship started to take off. She questioningly looked at Aphelion's dashboard console, then at Ratchet, then at the dashboard again.

"Ah, Aphelion is referring to my first flight with Ratchet," Clank explained, and Rivet looked at him over her shoulder. "Our first flight together was in a ship that Ratchet had built himself. It did not include safety harnesses. Shortly after takeoff, Ratchet was so mesmerized by the sight of his home planet from space that he had to make an emergency maneuver once he returned his attention to the steering wheel. This caused me to hit the ship's metallic cockpit chassis, and I made a 'clank' noise upon collision. This caused Ratchet to call me 'Clank' "for short", which has ultimately become my regular name."

Rivet smirked. "So your name is an eternal testament to his careless driving?"

"Hey, whoa, I was seventeen!" Ratchet protested. "Plus, I'd been trying to get off that dust-ball for a decade at that point, so excuuuuuse me for being interested in finally learning what it looks like from space, princess," he continued as he looked at Clank in the rear view mirror with a raised eyebrow. The robot in turn emitted his signature giggle, and Kit laughed along. "It feels odd to learn that I could have been one misstep away from being nicknamed 'plink'," she added, and Ratchet laughed. "Well, I sure hope that my names have become more creative since then," he replied. At that point, the blue sky of Megalopolis was fading away to make place for the inky darkness of space.

Clank giggled, and Ratchet frowned. "What?" Ratchet asked, partly amused and partly concerned. "Stunderwear," Clank replied with a smirk, and Ratchet's eyes widened. "Oh, nonononono, we're not talking about that."

"Talking about what?" Rivet cut in with a smirk on her face. Ratchet looked at her briefly and then gave Clank a pleading look. "Pal, please, don't."

Rivet also turned to look at Clank. "Pal, please, do," she asked with a grin. Clank looked between the two Lombaxes, and then grinned. "Well, we did share an embarrassing bit of trivia about my name."

"Oh, gosh," Ratchet groaned, and Clank chuckled. "Ratchet once invented a pair of undergarments with an electronic shock feature, dubbed 'stunderwear'," the robot explained.

Rivet burst out laughing, and Kit could not suppress a snicker either. "Har, har, har," Ratchet dryly remarked. "It was a phase of my life where I just invented what I could for the heck of it."

"Yeah, but why did you market something that – sorry – sounds so ridiculous?" Rivet asked.

"Well, it was a huge seller on Umbris. That's no accident, the people who live on Umbris typically struggle with their nerves because of vitamin deficiencies. The idea of the stunderwear is that it helps recharging their nervous system, since that's how it works for a few of the species of people that live on Umbris. It's clunky but it worked well for quite a few of them."

"Huh, that's actually rather neat," Rivet remarked in surprise. "But I digress, I actually wanted to ask your ship something."

"How can I help you?" Aphelion asked.

"Well… you're a Lombax ship, right?" Rivet asked.

"That is correct," Aphelion replied.

"Well… is there anything you remember about them?" Rivet asked. Her voice was almost pleading.

Aphelion stayed quiet for a while before she finally spoke. "I am… I am so very, very sorry. All I remember is that I partook in aerial defense of Fastoon as Tachyon's forces assaulted the city. I was hit and crashed in a square near the court of Azimuth. My memory banks were severely damaged and I do not recall much. I do not remember my original pilot, nor do I remember much about the Lombaxes themselves."

"Where is Fastoon anyway?" Rivet asked.

"Planet Fastoon, an arid, class-four terrestrial planet located in the Cerullean sector; west of the Zarkov Sector and the Verdigris Sector and southwest of the Praxus sector. It is actually near our destination; the Nundac Asteroid Ring."

Rivet turned to Ratchet. "Can we please go check it out?"

Ratchet grimaced. "Rivet, I'm not sure if you want to see that."

Rivet reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ratchet, please. I have to see it. I… I have to see where we came from. Please."

Ratchet sighed. "Okay. Just know what you're getting into. It's not going to be fun."

They flew on in silence, with Ratchet slightly adjusting Aphelion's heading to instead stop by Fastoon. Meanwhile, in the back, Kit quietly waved her hand to get Clank's attention. Kit started flashing slightly with her eyes, and Clank quickly realized that she was transmitting in morse code. A communication protocol. Clank accepted, and helped her quietly establish a wireless data link between the two of them. "Hello, Clank. I apologize, but I need to ask you something," Kit beamed to him.

"Certainly, what can I do for you?" Clank transmitted back.

"Can you share with me your memories of Fastoon? I would like to prepare myself by having some indication of the emotional distress that Rivet may be about to experience," Kit sent back.

In response, Clank transmitted a number of images from his memory banks. Memories of him and Ratchet repairing Aphelion. Memories of Tachyon's second attack on the planet. Memories of his scans of the decaying Lombax structures to check if they were safe to enter. "Oh… oh my…" Kit replied over their secured connection. "How… how heartbreakingly tragic. It strikes me how peculiarly beautiful the Lombax architecture is despite its decaying status. But I can also… well… I can feel the emptiness, the unnatural quietness, of the city. By technicality it is not possible for a city to die, and yet I am compelled to state that that city looks like it was killed. Thank you, Clank. This will not be easy for her. I understand her compulsion and yet I fear that she is about to inflict upon herself a wound that will take years to heal."

"Such is life sometimes," Clank replied. "I agree with you completely. This will hurt her greatly but I suspect that we both know that Rivet will not move on otherwise."

"Yes, and that is what concerns me the most," Kit sent back. "But I see Fastoon in the distance, I should get prepared. Thank you Clank," she added before ending the connection.

Indeed, a pale golden orb was starting to come into view in the distance, rapidly growing in size as Aphelion began to slow down. Ratchet glanced at the passenger seat, and noticed Rivet staring at the planet in awe. Ratchet felt a knot form in his stomach as he flew Aphelion down into the dusty atmosphere. Soon, the ruins of city wherein he and Clank had found Aphelion came into view. "A Lombax city," Ratchet could hear Rivet whisper in awe under her breath. "Well, that's what it used to be," he somberly remarked as he engaged the landing protocols. Rivet got out as soon as Aphelion opened the canopy.

She took in a shaky breath, and she could feel her nerves tingle as she realized that she was breathing in the same air as her distant ancestors had done. It was late in the evening where they had landed, and she could see the stars appear in the sky.

"Rivet, are you okay?" Kit asked as she walked over. "Can you believe it, Kit?" Rivet mumbled back. "We're staring at the same stars that the very first Lombaxes witnessed. The same constellations. So many generations apart and yet I'm looking at the same sky as they once did. I imagine so very many people, with such vastly different stories, hopes and dreams, yet they all look up and see the same expanse of stars."

She looked down at the ruined buildings, and sighed. "It makes me wonder… beneath the obvious scars of war, what marvels did these buildings witness?" Then, she let out a dry chuckle. "Look at me, getting all poetic. I'm sorry."

Kit reached up and took Rivet's hand, making the Lombax look down at her friend. "Don't apologize. I felt the same way living on Savali, studying the remnants of the Lombax society that once lived there. Not a day would go by that I did not wonder what those rocks must have witnessed."

Kit closed her eyes. "I imagined children, happily splashing in the hot springs. I imagined academics, proudly standing on the higher mesas at night with telescopes and mapping the sky for as far as they could look. I imagined families, living and thriving in the buildings that now lay derelict. And then I wonder what could have happened to all that. I knew I had at least a piece of that puzzle at my fingertips, I just had to work harder. I was convinced that the answers lay within the Archives. They just had to. There had to be an answer."

Rivet quietly gave her friend's hand a small squeeze. "Maybe you'll find a clue here, Kit. I'm gonna take a look around in any case."

"Be careful, Rivet," Kit replied before her friend walked off. Rivet walked down one of the ruined streets, quietly cringing at the sheer number of the marks of violence that surrounded her. So much destruction.

Among the ruined homes, Rivet noticed one that still seemed pretty stable. She walked inside, and her mouth fell open. She had walked into what used to be a living room, though what little furniture hadn't been broken was decaying. And yet she could imagine what it had looked like in its prime. She looked at the ruined fireplace, and she could almost feel warmth emanating from it along with the inviting crackling of a woodfire. She walked a bit further, entering into what had been the home's kitchen. There were still pans on the stove, though its contents had long since decayed beyond all recognition. She eyed the fridge, and she quietly wondered for a moment what horrific smell of rot it was likely containing.

Rivet then walked up the stairs, the steps creaking and groaning under her weight due to sheer age. She found herself in a small hallway, and decided to enter the first door on her left. As soon as she opened the door, Rivet screamed and recoiled backwards a bit.

It was a child's bedroom. The walls had been plastered with a cheerful wallpaper describing a tropical beach. The furniture in the room – the bed, the closet and the small desk with matching chair – all seemed in good shape. But what instantly caught her attention was the large bloodstain on the floor. Rivet slowly entered, feeling a pang of sadness as she imagined what once was. Then, when she moved her foot, it hit something, and she looked down to see the tip of her boot resting against what once was a child's toy. She carefully picked it up, recognizing it as a plushie of a Troglosaur, though part of it had been severely damaged by fire, and it was partly coated in dry blood.

Rivet couldn't take it anymore. She held the ruined toy against her chest as she started sniffling, and then full-on crying, so much so that she didn't hear the stairs creaking behind her. She almost jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned her gaze, only to find Ratchet's green eyes staring at her, concern and sympathy clearly visible in the way he looked at her.

Rivet couldn't speak clearly in that moment, and just blubbered incoherently as she looked at him, then at the toy that she was still holding against her chest, then at him again. Ratchet wordlessly stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. "You don't have to explain," he mumbled. "I get it completely. Just let it out."

Rivet tried to toughen up, and fought to keep it all in, but the mental dam soon broke. The toy slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor as she buried her face into his shoulder and just completely broke down. Ratchet stayed calm throughout it all, patting her on the back to try and comfort her as she came to terms with what she had just witnessed. She cried for many minutes, while Ratchet didn't speak a word. He just felt empathetic.

Over time, Rivet's sobbing slowly quieted down, and ultimately she was just breathing heavily. "You okay?" Ratchet ultimately whispered. Rivet looked up, her eyes red with emotion. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just… such unimaginable cruelty. I thought I'd have become numb to it all after so many years of Nefarious, but this… it's hardly been this personal."

"I get it, Rivet, I get it completely," Ratchet replied. "Don't think it doesn't affect me, I've just cried my share of tears already. I've cried myself numb over this planet years ago. Right now, I'm more concerned with the future than I am with the past. The past is horrific but also rigid. There's nothing more we can do about it."

Rivet took a long, deep breath. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks for the support, I really needed that. Let's… let's just get out of here, okay?"

Ratchet nodded, and lead her down the stairs and out of the house. "So, now what?" Rivet asked, her voice still a bit hoarse.

"Well, I'll be taking you and Kit to the space station where I live with Clank and my girlfriend, Talwyn," Ratchet replied.

Rivet looked at him, a bit surprised. "Oh? You've got a love interest?"

Ratchet nodded. "Yeah. She and I first met just after I repaired Aphelion, actually. I was looking for this ancient Lombax secret that her father had once found. I was expecting to run into him, but it turns out that he went missing years ago. She's been trying to find him ever since. Anyhow, she helped me beat Tachyon, and after that she helped me find Clank. We've been through so many crises together. We've seen so much together. Previously I fought for myself, then I started fighting for others, and now I fight for my future with her."

"That's kinda sweet," Rivet replied. She looked away, a bit lost in thought. "I wonder if there's someone out there for me, too," she mused. Ratchet chuckled. "Without a doubt. Maybe you've already met that person already."

Rivet looked at him. "Perhaps. Only time will tell." Then she laughed. "Oh, and if you dare suggest Pierre…"

Ratchet chuckled. "He's into you?"

Rivet grinned. "Yeah, I think. Every time I run into him, he's always trying to pretend that I have some kind of romantic interest in him. I'm starting to think it may be some kind of coping mechanism. I don't hate the guy but he is way too big a handful for me. No, I think I'll be looking for someone who can hold their own. Someone I can climb with, rather than having to drag them up, if you get what I mean."

Ratchet nodded. "That's the same thing I've got with Talwyn. Not to sound weird, but I like ladies who can hold their own in a fight."

Rivet chuckled. "I get that. Anyhow, let's just-"

She was cut off as the ground around them began to rumble. "What the hell?" Rivet remarked. Ratchet meanwhile suddenly seemed shocked. "Rivet, come on!" he yelled as he started running. "What is it?" Rivet asked, bracing herself against the rumbling rather than following suit. "There's a giant aquifer below this part of the city, and nobody has checked on it in years!" Ratchet yelled.

Rivet's eyes widened. "Oh, shit!" she yelled as she started running, but by then it was too late. The ground around her started collapsing. She ran closer and closer as the ground beneath her started sinking. Ratchet rushed up to the forming cliff edge and reached down to grab her. She jumped up, and their fingers barely grazed past each other before she fell.

Ratchet yelled her name as he watched her vanish into the turbulent water below. Rivet, meanwhile, crashed into the water with a loud splash, and instantly felt like she had been kicked in the stomach with the temperature shock. She tried to claw her way back to the surface, but her arm, heavy and solid, just dragged her down further and further.

Rivet grumbled in frustration and reached to deploy her oxygen filter, only to realize in shock that she had left all of her equipment – right down to her hammer – in Aphelion in her eagerness to explore the city. Blind panic began to set in as she renewed her efforts to climb up to fresh air, but she felt like she was trying to fight syrup. It wasn't long until her limbs started growing weak with fatigue, and her vision started to darken as her body started shutting down. Rivet slowly went limp as she sank further into the depths, and the last thing she saw before she passed out was a giant hand reaching down toward her.


One might wonder why I've chosen this particular grim cliffhanger. Rest assured that the reasons for this will make themselves known in due course. I also want to quickly reaffirm that, despite this chapter, the Ratchet/Rivet pairing in the title is accurate. I have quite the story planned there. Although I am - for obvious reasons - reluctant to share details on the plot I've got planned, I can state that this will not be a 'star-crossed lovers' kind of tale. Ratchet and Rivet both strike me as the kind of people whose affection is won through actions and hardship rather than words. That's all I'll say in advance.

Since I've already gotten everything else in terms of author's notes out of the way at the start, I'll end off with personally thanking everyone who left a review on this story since the publication of the previous chapter. If you are not interested in reading that portion then I shall not hold you up. I hope to have the next chapter ready soon; at the very least I have a solid idea for the story of it. Dear reader, I wish you all the best and I hope to see you in the next chapter. Take care!

And now for the review replies, in order of review publication.


Canadians Rock: I love the beginning of this story
I'm very glad to hear that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much. :)


GuardianDragon98: Great way to start this story. I feel like Rivet being from a different colony of lombaxes who settled in another dimension makes a lot more sense than her and Ratchet being counterparts.
Yeah, I feel about it the same way. I feel like just going with dimensional counterparts is selling them a bit short, though the lore as set up by the Lorbs does put the Lombaxes in an awkward position. Either there is only one dimension where the Lombaxes could originally be found in - that being Ratchet's dimension - or Lombaxes exist or existed in multiple dimensions, perhaps with multiple dimensionators. As such it is still possible that a true alt-Ratchet exists in Rivet's universe, if Rivet descends from Lombaxes that originate from another dimension than the one wherein she herself resides. It seems that Insomniac has made a bit of a knot for themselves here and I do hope they manage to find a way around it.

This is made only worse by the realization of the implications of Kedaro Station, planet Cordelion. Canonically there exists an alternate dimension version of Cordelion that, by the looks of things, was also built by Emperor Nefarious, in identical layout no less. So there is likely an almost identical copy to Rivet's universe. I am working on a possible resolution to what is starting to seem like unworkable dimensional nonsense, but I still need a bit more time to work out all of the details. After all, I think it's time that Clank, with his newfound insight on dimensionality, starts lifting the veil on this strange phenomenon. But I'm rambling at this point. Thank you so much for your review, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much.


Fanfiction guy - I want to preface this by saying that due to the length of your review, I've decided to insert my comments rather than list them at the end, for the sake of clarity. I hope you understand.

Hi, White Guardian. Gr8 story so far! I really like the references you included regarding some of our favourite duos adventures, especially the lore of the future saga and that of the Lombaxes.
Thank you! I'm very glad to hear you're enjoying it so far. I hope you'll equally enjoy the choices I've made for the future chapters.

I totally agree with you btw, after playing Rift Apart and analysing the overall story, I believe that Rivet is another Lombax who was left behind in her dimension following Tachyon's attack on Fastoon in Ratchet and Clanks dimension. Although it is implied by Insomniac that she has a similar personality and/or different upbringing to Ratchet (i.e. Is awed at the chance of meeting another Lombax, makes witty jokes, loves adventure but grew up without a robot companion and learned to fend for herself in a Universe ruled by Emperor Nefarious etc) it is possible that she is another Lombax entirely.
Yeah, that's the interpretation that I got from the Lorbs. I recently realized that our interpretation here is bolstered by an unlikely past friend: Angela Cross. On planet Viceron, Rivet has a chance to remark that her previous breakout was together with "Angela", and that Rivet hasn't seen her in some time. This of course raises the obvious question: last we heard of Angela was back in ACiT, where she was seen fleeing the Cerullean sector in Max Apogee's starship. Coincidentally the Cerullean sector is also where both Fastoon and the Nundac Asteroid Ring are located. If my hypothesis is correct, then those dimensional portal things on Savali are ancient Lombax tech that were used as stabilized dimensional gates, to connect Savali to another Lombax outpost in Ratchet's dimension, such that the Savali colony could be easily supplied with resources without having to bother Kaden. If this is true, then this also provides an explanation for Angela suddenly appearing in a different dimension, and for how Tachyon could have accessed - and subsequently eliminated - some extra-dimensional colonies.

For this reason, it is possible that a potential romance between the two Lombaxes could be developed in future titles and that Ratchet and Talwyn are mere friends (boyfriend and girlfriend without having romantic feelings for each other).
True, though as you might have read, I'm working on a slightly different plan there. And Ratchet is not going to appreciate it much. I will say though that I very much agree that Insomniac did not do a great job at working out any romance between the two, if that is indeed what they were going for. Consequently the two of them can be anywhere from straight up married to just very close friends. In this case I'm going with them being in a relationship initially for a very good reason. I will again pressurize though that the pairing in this story's title is accurate, and is where the story will end up. Just not initially.

My other theory is that Mags (the Lombax ordered by the Lombax High Council to map every dimension in existence over a year and three weeks, prior to Tachyon's rise to power) was part of a team of Lombax scientists who were dedicated to interdimensional research following the events of The Great War and that he was the one who was put in charge of the team under the councils orders.
That makes a lot of sense, I think. I do not recall Mags mentioning having any colleagues collaborating with him on his task, but it would find it bizarre if, given the urgency behind his task, the council had decided to put all of this work on just one scientist. It also makes sense if Mags were a dimensional scientist and that this would form the basis for this selection by the council.

Over the course of his study, Mags would record the Lorbs we heard on Savali. The Lombax High Council, following Tachyon's presentation of his inventions for new technology, became suspicious of the inventor and, as a backup plan, in the event Tachyon betrayed them, decided to approve of Mags' research to ensure their races survival. Also, after the events of The Great War, the Lombaxes became an interdimensional species and established colonies across the fabric of reality. This ultimately made the Lombaxes one of the most mighty and technologically advanced species in existence, excluding the Zoni who came from their own dimension before the Great Clock was engineered. I know this is a lot to take in but it's just my opinion of the lore so far.
It's hardly a lot to take in for me. I actually have a wealth of headcanons about the Zoni, and I could spend ages describing them all, but as to not make these author's notes even longer, I'll refer you to one of my other ongoing writing projects, 'Epilogue Redux', which focuses primarily on my Zoni headcanons.

I'm a huge Ratchet and Clank fan btw, been one since the debut back in 2002.
Same! I actually came into the franchise with an old demo of the 2002 game that came on a demo disc which in turn came with my PS2 back in the day.

I think you nailed Rivets' backstory btw. However, there is 1 minor detail that I picked up on while playing Rift Apart that may undermine your theory. If you listen to the Sargasso Spy Bot, Mrs Zurkon mentions that the Kerchu were killed after misspelling Emperor Nefarious' name on their tax returns. This means that if Rivet was sent from Savali to Sargasso via escape pod by her parents, following Tachyon's attack on Fastoon, the Morts wouldn't be on the planet at the time as Emperor Nefarious didn't rise to power until later in the Ratchet and Clank timeline (10 years before Rift Apart, he took over Corson V).
Well, not necessarily. The Morts could still have been on the planet, just very less prominently so, perhaps working mainly underground. After all, it'd seem strange to me if, after eradicating the Kerchu, Emperor Nefarious would just let the gelatonium plants lay derelict until the Morts took over. Instead I suspect that the Morts were already on the planet and were simply appointed as the new gelatonium plant operators by the Emperor.

I could be entirely wrong, it is possible that Emperor Nefarious wiped out the Kerchu before conquering Corson V, so take what I said with a grain of salt. I still like your interpretation regardless.
True, most of this is interpretation. We'll just have to wait for Insomniac to make another game. I suspect the next one won't take as long as the previous one did, considering the fact that IG now has a mature PS5-targeted game engine to build on.

Last thing I will say is that I really, really enjoyed Rivets dialogue regarding Ratchets wariness and uncertainty to find his family. I think if this kind of conversation took place the game would've been that much better.
I wholeheartedly agree. I find it rather frustrating how undercut the interaction between the two was, especially considering how significant they are to each other as fellow Lombaxes. In the first half of the game they are so eager to meet up, and then in the second half they don't interact nearly as much as they previously acted like they would. They hardly have an actual conversation despite being so intrigued by each other.

I definitely feel sorry for Ratchet, although he has a gr8 life with Clank, Quark and Talwyn, he still insists he isn't good enough to join his race. He's underestimating himself too much for his own good. He literally feels insecure about meeting his family (if he does indeed have one since Tachyon killed his mother and father). I have no doubt, Ratchets parents would love him for who he is. They would be proud of who he has saved, what he has accomplished and what he has sacrificed for the Universe.
Not just that: let's not forget that the Lombaxes themselves couldn't make a stand against Tachyon when he attacked. This was before Tachyon dominated an entire galaxy and got access to a galaxy's worth of resources. Ratchet single-handedly struck him down at his absolute apex - even with both the Drophyds and the Cragmites at his disposal. It's kinda sad how much he undersells himself. It's why I really hope that someday, he has that kind of resolution with his father. As to how, I have an idea...

...but you'll see all of that in due course. ;) Anyhow, I'm immensely glad to hear you've enjoyed the previous chapter so much, and I really hope this one lived up to the expectations set by the previous one. Take care, and I hope to see you in the next chapter!


GrenOut: This story got off to a good start! It is so well written that you would think it is a deleted scene from the game! I love how you handled the characters and I completely agree with this explanation regarding the dimensional counterparts. I never believed that Ratchet and Rivet were the same person but after reading this now I am certain. Everything in this prologue is consistent with what was seen in Rift Apart, I never had the impression that you were making up elements to justify your arguments.

You stay very true to the personalities of the characters as seen in the game. You can tell how Ratchet and Rivet slowly grow closer as they share their fears and their past. No matter what happens in the Lombax dimension they now have each other. They are no longer alone. They cherish their similarities, it really takes a weight off their shoulders to know there's another lombax out there that understands how they feel and what they've been through.

I am fascinated with what I have seen of this story so far. I'm really excited to see what else you have in store for later.
I'm immensely glad to hear that! I really, really hope I can keep that up going forward. And that's indeed what I'm going for with them. If there's any romance between the two, I doubt it'd be the head-over-heels kind of thing, but rather one where they gradually grow closer over their shared hardships and battles. A bond forged in battle, if you will. Anyhow, thanks for reaching out! I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much. Take care, and I hope to see you in the next chapter!