Nova stands with pride, her staff's soft glow displaying her confidence. Glancing down at Clank, then to Saros, she answers him. "Of course. I have to stop Nefarious before he hurts anyone else. Who else can?"

"The Polaris Defense Force can take care of that guy, he's probably out of practice and just talking a big game. He hasn't been a galaxy-wide threat since-" Saros' voice trails off, seeing Nova's face harden at such a flagrant dismissal of the danger. Her eyes narrow, crystal blues freezing the man in place. Her staff's energy shakes, the static licking the wood. Clank reads her anger, giving a silent prayer for the poor boy.

"Out of practice? Nefarious killed my family!"

Saros stiffens. Everything from the date makes sense now. Her covered scars. Her vagueness about her home and family. Her distant staring out the window. I really messed up. Why didn't I ask before? Maybe I could have talked to her about it. "I mean, I just, I don't want you to-"

"Saros Mendrano, leave this shop. Don't you dare come back until you know first hand what that bastard is capable of."

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Did I stutter?"

Defeated, Saros turns away and leaves. He looks back through the window for a moment, but Nova doesn't grant him any pity. As soon as he's gone, and Nova cools herself down, she steps outside and locks the front door. Her back leans against the glass as she slumps to the sidewalk with a tired sigh. Her staff lies in her lap inactive, propped up against her collarbone. Nova's emotionally exhausted, completely drained of anger by this point, and looks to Clank for guidance. "Was that too far, Clank?"

"He was concerned for your safety, I know this much. I believe that he wished for you to stay to keep you from danger."

The markazian scoffs. "That idiot says he's out of practice. Like what happened to me was nothing."

"From watching the two of you interact, I can guess that you did not tell him directly about Nefarious until now."

Nova's face lights up in understanding, realizing a problem she didn't know was there until now. Her voice drops a bit in shame. "...Yeah, I didn't. I should have told him."

"No good will come from dwelling on the past. If you feel that you were too aggressive towards Saros, you can always apologize later on, or after Nefarious is defeated. If you are ready, I can call a ride to our first destination."

Nova stands up, looking to the sky. One month, and so much to learn. She takes a deep breath, calming herself and preparing for the trials ahead. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Clank opens his chest compartment to reveal a ship key, pressing a button on it. "I will teach you how to use weapons, among other skills. Aphelion can take us to the planets we must reach through autopilot for now, but she will make certain that you are well taught in aviation."

"Sounds good. Where are we going first?"

"I would like to visit the Intergalactic Museum of History first, if you do not mind. There is much for you to learn."

"That's not a bad idea. It'll give me a chance to learn more about who we're up against."

In the skies, a blue dot appears. The hum of an engine fills the air, getting louder and louder as the ship gets closer. Nova's jaw drops at the sight. Aphelion gently hovers in front of Nova, who slowly circles around her taking in every detail. "Wow, I've only ever been in one ship in my life, and it was left to rot a long time ago. This thing's got to be an antique, but it looks like it just came off the lot!"

An annoyed 'hmph', and a new voice. "I'll have you know that it's quite rude to comment on a ship's age."

Aphelion's sudden answer spooks Nova, not expecting the ship's reaction or tone. Clank looks up at the ship warmly, then extends an arm to the vessel. "Nova, this is Aphelion. She is the ship that Ratchet and I traveled with back in the day."

Nova turns to the ship, bowing her head a bit in respect and apology. "Oh, I'm sorry, Aphelion. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Apology accepted. It's good to be back in action. I've been maintained by Big Al for so long, and he's far more dull than I'm used to. So, Nefarious is making trouble again?"

"Yes, ma'am. We'd really appreciate your help."

Aphelion opens her cockpit with a hiss, and the inner controls come to life. The young woman stares at all the blinking lights inside, slowly walking forward for a closer look. "Take the wheel, Nova, and I will explain my controls in more detail as we travel."

Nova climbs into the pilot's seat, watching Clank as he jumps inside with his helipack. There's the biggest smile on his face, like there's no place he'd rather be than right where he's at. "Guess this brings you back, huh?"

Clank snaps out of his daydream and nods contently. "Yes, it does. I am inputting coordinates to our first destination now." The robot brings his attention to the controls,presses a button, then reclines back into his seat.

Receiving the data, Aphelion lets out a cheerful beep. A minimap of the Vela Sector stretches inwards, shifting into a detailed map of Polaris. Eleven dots appear on screen, all of them blue save for one yellow light. Nova clicks on the screen, and Aphelion rises into the air. Before Nova can put too much attention on the disappearing ground, Aphelion speaks up. "It will take time for us to reach the Praxus Sector, so I will teach you how to drive as we go. Until then, I will steer the ship."

"Oh, uh, okay. I'm all ears."

Clank quietly giggles to himself, stopping as soon as Nova looks at him puzzled at what was so funny. "Forgive me. Please continue your lesson, Aphelion."

"Very well, Clank. Now, if you look directly in front of you, Nova, you will see the control yoke. This governs my roll and pitch. In other words, It is a joystick that controls my direction and angle of ascent or descent."

Nova brushes off the confusion from before, placing her full attention on Aphelion's words. "Like a holo game controller?"

"Yes, very much so, but a bit more complex than that..."

…

Some Time Later, Praxus Sector

Nova stares in awe of the planet before her. Amidst the black space and bright stars, Igliak is a beacon of white and blue. If she wasn't on an important mission, Nova would just recline her seat and take in the sights. The skies are so different here than back home, but still just as beautiful. The serene atmosphere is a welcome change from the past few weeks, one that Nova's more than happy to take. The moment is cut short as red light suddenly fills the cockpit. Anxiety takes over Nova's previous curiosity.

"Huh? What's going on?"

"Hostile ship detected. They are sending a transmission now."

The screen at the dashboard changes from a minimap to camera footage from the enemy ship. A cracked glass oval reflects across the minimal lighting, drawing attention to red optics.

"So, you got my message, Nova. Welcome to the show."

Nova's eyes turn to ice, and her face twists into a scowl. "You..When I get on that ship, I-"

"I'm not in that tiny ship, you half-wit, but I can guarantee you that I have eyes all across the stars. Aw, and look, Clank's taken you under his wing. It's pathetic, really, how much you don't know. What he won't tell you."

The knot returns to Nova's throat, hard as raritanium. There's so much to say, to scream, but Nova instead glares at the transmission.

"I'd love to stick around and chat, but I have better things to do. Especially since you'll be dead before he gets the chance to tell you anything!"

Nefarious cackles, and a ribbon of fire shoots out from the enemy ship. Aphelion rolls out of the way, avoiding the missile as the transmission cuts out. The cockpit lights flare up, placing the ship on red alert. Clank turns to the pilot as he activates the weapons systems. "Take the controls, Nova. We must destroy that ship before we land!"

Nova looks at Clank terrified as she grips the joystick with white knuckles, all the color drained from her body. "Are you insane?! I can't drive!"

Aphelion's voice echoes inside the tiny cockpit, gaining Nova's attention. "And my autopilot can't fire weapons. If you've been paying attention, you'll be fine! Call it a test! Use the buttons on the yoke to fire!"

Aphelion wobbles in space, unable to maintain a stable course with Nova's direction. Flipping open the button covers, the markazian tries to focus on the sight beyond the glass. There are similarities between the scene before her and another holo game Clank showed her. The idea calms her slightly, and with a deep breath, she stabilizes the ship. A muffled voice aims to focus her thoughts. "Okay, just like a game. You can do this, Nova. Ready…"

Aphelion aligns herself with the enemy ship, and blue orbs narrow in concentration.

"Aim…"

The weapon systems lock onto their target, the white crosshair turning red. Two thumbs graze over the buttons.

"Fire."