"They're gathering on Fastoon, but none of them are my Lombax."
"...which one's the one you're looking for?"
"The gray one. He'll show up eventually. Then we'll get him."
Late afternoon light filtered through the window of Alis' office, spilling onto fresh blueprints that lay on the desk. Alis sighed as she sat back, setting down a pencil as she looked over the finished sketches in front of her. She scanned them, her ears twitching as she heard the sound of voices downstairs. She picked up her head, staring at the door to her office before she stood. She grabbed the pile of papers and quickly walking out the door, down the hall, and down the rickety stairs to the main lobby where Ratchet stood with Talwyn, Clank, and a few of their friends they'd called for help.
"-Oh, hey Alis!" Ratchet spoke up as he saw her run down the stairs. "We just finished moving as much of the junk furniture out of here as possible." He explained. He saw the papers in her hand, eyeing them with interest. "Hey, are those the new blueprints?"
Alis' face lit up. "Yes!" She said, holding the papers up. "I finished them!"
"Oh cool! Can I take a look at them?" Ratchet asked as he walked over to peer at them. Alis started to hand them over, but someone snatched the papers out of her hand before Ratchet could even see them. They both looked up at a tall, broad man in green spandex. "-Qwark-" Ratchet snapped.
"I'll take a look at these!" Qwark's voice boomed over them both, and Alis reached up to adjust her hearing aids after a small cringe. "-I'm the expert on plans, as you know."
"I think every plan of yours that I've used has nearly gotten me killed," Ratchet muttered as he crossed his arms.
Alis just watched him curiously, eyes going back and forth between Qwark's face and the blueprints in his hands. After a moment, he looked up from them with brows furrowed and confusion in his eyes. "It's just lines! You need a real plan."
"This is a real plan." Alis replied as she got on her tiptoes to take the papers back. She then kneeled, laying the papers out one by one on the dusty floor. The others gathered around to look down on them, eyes scanning the blueprints. "...this is just a rough sketch of what I want the outside to look like, and then I have the floors mapped out here…" She explained, pointing to each paper. "The most important things we can do right now is start fixing the stairs, and the upstairs floors so they do not come down on us." She said, pointing to the ceiling above them. "And the places we will be sleeping. For our safety."
A brown cazar with dark hair came to kneel besides Alis, looking over the different papers as she rubbed her chin. "...this looks pretty good, Alis." She said, looking over at her with a smile. "...I wish we could help fund the rebuilding. I'm still trying to convince the council to lend you guys some money."
Alis couldn't help but smile at the Cazar's offer. "...aw, Sasha…" She started. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll find some way to fund all of this. Things work out, usually."
"I really hope it does." Sasha answered.
"I already got some of the supplies coming." Ratchet explained. "So we can start working on something as soon as it's here."
"I'll make a list of things to be done." Alis nodded, gathering up the papers. "When will they get here?"
Ratchet looked towards the busted out window. "I'm not sure…" He admitted. "He really doesn't run on a real strict schedule, so…"
Alis nodded, stacking her papers. "I'll go put this up, I can try and cook something. I'm sure you guys are hungry…"
"Eh, don't worry. I'll go get something."
She nodded, turning to hurry up the stairs to put her papers up. As she ran up the stairs, she paused as she felt vibrations under her feet. Her ears perked up and she heard the sound of a ship landing outside. She looked down at everyone standing near the base of the stairs. "Who, or what, is that?" She asked.
"I think he's here." Ratchet said, looking towards one of the busted out windows.
"Oh!" Alis hurried to dash back down the stairs so she could follow the group out to the plaza in front of the town hall.
There stood a ship that reminded Alis of an old dairy ship, and standing besides it with arms crossed was an extremely tall and strange looking Tharpod. When he saw Alis he grinned, tipping a hat to her. "Well, look at that. A lady Lombax." He said. "Now where did you come from?"
"...well...I came from here." Alis said. "But I've been on Terachnos for a while, until Ratchet found me." She paused. "I'm Alis, by the way."
"You can call me Smuggler." The man replied. He held a hand out for her to shake, and she gladly took it. She had to shift all the papers in her hands to one of her arms.
"It's nice to meet you, Smuggler." She said.
"Well…" Smuggler said. "I brought all the stuff ya asked for. Although…." He paused, rubbing his chin. "...what exactly do y'all need building materials on Fastoon for…?" He asked as he eyed the papers in Alis' hands.
"Oh, well…" Ratchet reached up to rub the back of his head rather sheepishly. "...It was Alis' idea, but me, Tal and Alis decided we wanna kinda rebuild Fastoon…."
Smuggler's eyebrows shot up and he let out a sharp, almost disbelieving laugh. "-rebuild Fastoon? For who?"
"Lombaxes are gone!" His parrot at his shoulder cried, making Smuggler reach up to quiet him down by running a finger over his feathers. "...he's got a point. Lombaxes are gone."
"Well, obviously we're not gone." Alis quickly snapped, sounding indignant. Her tone made Smuggler backpedal a little bit. "I'm right here. Ratchet is right here. Alister was here. Clearly I'm not the only one. I do believe that there are other Lombaxes in the other universe."
"-plus! Even if there aren't actually others in the universe, we can rebuild it for refugees and stuff." Ratchet cut in, glancing at Alis. "I think that's really the plan."
"...that's a little more realistic, I reckon." Smuggler answered, glancing down at Alis. He looked her over before he asked, "...you really think there're more Lombaxes out there….?"
"I believe so." Alis said firmly. She tapped her foot in the dust, watching his face with a stubborn look on her own.
Smuggler looked away from her, and after a moment he just softly laughed. "...you seem pretty sure of yourself."
"I am."
Smuggler once more rubbed his chin as he thought. He then reached up to adjust his hat as he got a small smile on his face. "...well…" He started. "I should take ya to meet my wife and son, then."
Ratchet could have swore he just got whiplash turning his head towards Smuggler the moment he heard those words. "-your what."
"You'll need something fancy, you can't come up there dressed like that." Smuggler continued, completely ignoring what Ratchet had said. "...how bout y'all help me unload the buildin' supplies, I'll leave and come back in…an hour or two, I'll take ya to meet them."
"You have a wife?" Ratchet continued, his voice unheard by both Smuggler and Alis besides him.
"That sounds alright. I'm afraid I don't have anything besides this to wear." Alis said, glancing down at her silver tank top, pants and boots.
"I might have something that'll fit you, don't worry." Sasha spoke up. "We're pretty roughly the same size, I think. We'll just run back to my place."
"GUYS." Ratchet tried.
"Then I think we gotta deal. Let's get this unloaded then, come help me out, Ratchet." Smuggler said, shooting him a shit eating grin before he turned to walk to the back of his ship.
Alis stood in front of a dusty old mirror standing against the wall out by the plaza. She stood looking at herself, straightening a tux jacket and and fixing the pants she wore. For a moment she stood just looking at herself, nervously fixing little things. She didn't move until she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Ratchet walking up behind her in his own tux.
He flashed a grin at her. "Hey, the tux looks pretty good on you after all." He said. "You look way more comfortable in that then one of the dresses."
Alis laughed nervously. "...I always liked suits better than dresses." She said. "Never got to wear them very often, though."
"Why not?" He asked as he went to sit down on a pile of bricks by the town hall entrance.
"I don't know. Guess everyone expected me to wear dresses and stuff, since I'm a girl." She said as she straightened her hair before going to sit besides him. "I got used to both, though."
Ratchet nodded, glancing at the entrance as some others started to come out dressed up. He couldn't help but scratch his chin a little. "Wonder where we're going, you know? That we gotta dress to the nines."
"I don't know. I can't think of many places…" She said, coming to sit besides him. "...some opera house? Some rich person's party? A casino? Like a really, really rich people casino?"
"I really can't see Smuggler married to someone rich." Ratchet admitted."He's kind of, uhhhhhh…."
Alis couldn't help but laugh. "I understand what you're saying." She said.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement, and she looked over to see the others in their little group making their way out, all of them dressed to the nines just like they were. Ratchet grinned, standing and walking over to Talwyn to place an arm around her waist, leaning into kiss her cheek and compliment her. Alis quickly found herself looking away, a dull ache in her chest as her mind wandered back to memories of herself and Alister as he complimented her on her outfit and kissed her head.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the deep rumbling of a ship entering the atmosphere. She looked up past the setting Fastoon sun to see a nice ship coming down to softly land on the stone plaza outside of the town hall. She glanced at the others, and slowly she stood.
The door to the ship opened and after a moment Smuggler stepped out into the dusty plaza wearing his normal clothes. "-Hey!" Ratchet spoke up. "Why aren't you all dressed up and uncomfortable like the rest of us?"
"Well, m'wife is snazzy enough for the both of us and I don't have to dress up." Smuggler answered with a grin. "...anyways, come on in guys. We're about to head that way."
Everyone stood, dusting off their clothes and slipping into the ship. They found a comfortable interior with plenty of space - nothing like Smuggler's actual ship. Ratchet couldn't help but throw suspicious glances at Smuggler most of the way there. Talwyn kept nudging him, as if to tell him to keep his mouth shut.
The ship ride there was long. Everyone watched through the windows as the stars flew by and they traveled farther out into the edge of the Polaris galaxy, an area not traveled by many. Traffic around the area didn't pick up until they reached a rather large space station with fancy ships parked around it and twinkling lights galore. Alis beamed as she looked out the window, marveling at the build of the ship while the others simply looked puzzled.
"...I didn't even know this was out here." Ratchet muttered.
"...is this a fucking casino?" Talwyn asked, her eyes turning towards Smuggler. "Don't you know those are like, illegal? In the Polaris Galaxy? Where I am Polaris defense force captain?"
Smuggler laughed as he adjusted his hat. "I know, I know. But I think the...resources and people m'wife can offer you might just make this little trip worthwhile."
"Are you trying to bribe me?" Talwyn looked at him incredulously.
"-hey, let him bribe you it's fine." Ratchet muttered as he elbowed Talwyn in the side. "...we're trying to rebuild Fastoon, right?"
Talwyn shot a short glare between both Smuggler and Ratchet before she crossed her arms with a huff. "Fine." She said. "We'll see what your wife can offer."
"I guarantee she won't disappoint." Smuggler said as the ship docked into place. He stood up as the door opened, and he motioned for Talwyn to leave with a grin. "Ladies first."
Talwyn rolled her eyes a little as she stepped off the ship onto a large glass platform above what seemed to be general parking below. Her heels clicked against the glass below as she stepped away from the ship so the others could follow, and as soon as everyone was off the door shut and they heard a voice from the other end of the platform.
As everyone looked up they saw a graying Cazar wearing a tux just like them coming down the platform. "Good Evening John, is this everyone Ellie wanted to see?"
"-John?!" Ratchet choked in the background.
"Yeah, this is all of 'em." Smuggler answered with a nod. "Is Ellie around?"
"She's in her office." The man nodded and looked to the group behind Smuggler. "My name is Orvar Rochus, I'm Mrs. Ellie's assistant. I'll take you all to meet her, she's very excited to meet you all."
"Well, we're excited to meet her as well." Alis spoke up with a nod and a smile.
The assistant nodded, and motioned for them to follow. "Alright, then follow me please."
He began to walk down the long glass pathway with the others in tow, taking them through a sliding door to a long ornate looking hallway. There was a set of double doors on which Orvar knocked and after a moment he opened the door to let them step in.
As they did they all saw a tall nether woman stand up from behind a large desk, and a gray Lombax look up from a book he was holding as well. "-oh is this them?!" She asked Smuggler, her face beaming. She stepped around the desk, walking to the group to hold out a hand for each of them. "It's so nice to meet you! John mentioned he met other Lombaxes, he said you guys were trying to rebuild Fastoon, right?"
Alis looked this woman over momentarily. She towered over her, and had Nether wings behind her. She wore a deep purple evening dress, and heels that made even Alis feel a little shaky for her. However, if she was nervous she didn't show it. She just smiled and held out her hand. "Why, yes we're trying to rebuild Fastoon."
"That's so interesting." She said as she moved to sit against the edge of her desk after shaking everyone's hands. "What in the galaxy would make you want to do that…?"
"Well...Mrs. Apogee said that there are many refugees without homes thanks to various disasters…." Alis started. Then her blue eyes wandered to the gray Lombax sitting in the background, just watching. "...plus, I personally believe there are...other Lombaxes in the universe who'd like to have a home to come home to."
Ellie followed Alis' eyes to the gray Lombax sitting in the background, and she made a motion to him. He slowly stood, coming over to them and looking both Ratchet and Alis over curiously and nervously. "...this is our son, Smug." Ellie said. "We found him when he was maybe four or five on Ardolis. You're what, 28 now?" She asked, looking down at her son.
He nodded, still eyeing the other two Lombaxes. "Yeah, 28."
Alis tilted her head as she watched Smug. "...you were five around the time Tachyon attacked then, weren't you…?" She asked him gently. "...you must remember some things from before the attack. The braids are a cultural thing…"
The nervousness on Smug's face seemed to fade away as he reached up to feel the braids sitting on his shoulders. "...I uh...I remember my dad having them, yeah." He said. "...you were alive before Tachyon?"
Alis nodded, smiling a little. "Yeah, I was. A while before him, at least 20 years before." As she said that, she couldn't help but notice his face lighting up a little. "I guess I'll have to tell you about it. You and Ratchet both need a history lesson about the Lombaxes…"
"I think my jobs take me by Fastoon a lot…" He said as he reached back to nervously mess with his hair.
"What exactly….do you do?" Ratchet asked curiously, looking this lightly armored Lombax up and down. He had a gun by his side that even Ratchet was a little impressed with.
"Uh...kind of whatever needs to be done around here." Smug admitted. "...smuggling jobs and other…uhh….more deadly jobs."
Ratchet and Alis both raised an eyebrow, and Talwyn narrowed her eyes at him slightly. Smuggler eyed her, before walking over to Ellie's side. "...I told Mrs. Apogee here that you might be willing to help 'em out with their little project…" He explained, watching Ellie slightly.
Ellie looked up up at the Markazian standing there and saw her expression. She just smiled, and walked to sit down in the chair behind her desk. "Ah, yes, I think I might be able to help after all. Have a seat, please." She said, motioning to the seats in front of her desk.
Alis and Ratchet took their seats, while Talwyn sat down a little more cautiously. She was keeping her eye on the three of them. "...you know." She started. "We've been struggling to bust a certain crime ring here in Polaris for a while now."
"I know, hun." Ellie answered. "It's been a pain in our asses for a while now. We're kind of tough to bust."
"What's stopping me from busting you right now?" Talwyn snapped as she sat forwards.
"Like my husband said, I think I can offer you guys some help." Ellie said as she sat back in her chair.
"I'm not going to be bribed." Talwyn snapped again. "If you think-"
"-Talwyn-" Ratchet hissed after a moment, holding a hand out towards her. "...Just...hang on, okay? Let's hear her out. Please."
Talwyn looked at Ratchet with furrowed brows and a furious look on her face. She opened her mouth to snap back at him, but as she looked at his eyes she saw something almost...unfamiliar in them. It was like desperation.
"Thank you, Ratchet." Ellie spoke up after a moment. "...to be totally honesty, this casino and this crime ring in general have brought me a lot more money than I know what to do with. I want to help people who are doing good things like this so...when Smuggler here told me what you were planning….well...I wanted to be of as much financial help as possible."
Alis and Ratchet's heads snapped towards each other, and their wide eyes met. Alis sat up towards the edge of her seat as she moved to look towards Ellie. "-you want to fund the Fastoon project?!"
"Every single bit of it." Ellie said with a smile.
"That would be amazing!" Ratchet said quickly. "We had no idea how we were gonna do this. I mean it's...millions of dollars."
"I know, I know. That's no skin off my back." Ellie explained. She glanced at Talwyn to see where her emotions lie and found her staring at Ratchet, looking almost uncertain. "...let me sweeten the deal a little more for you, Mrs. Apogee."
Talwyn looked up at Ellie, and she didn't say anything. She just stared intently, her expression caught somewhere between bewilderment and anger.
"...you might have noticed, in your time trying to track down my crime ring, that you've stumbled across no sex trafficking whatsoever." Ellie explained. "...I don't allow that. At all. I will not tolerate it. I have been there. I have done that. I have been one of those girls. However, you and I both know that there's...quite a few other rings out there that allow it and thrive off of it and quite frankly that makes my skin crawl. I've already had my...team…" She paused to look at Smug. "...take care of a few of these trafficking rings but we can't get them all, and quite frankly I don't think the police or defense force can either. But if you allow us to continue to take down these rings and...point us in the direction of the ones we don't find….well. I think you won't have to worry about them any longer."
Talwyn watched Ellie, and after a moment she sat back in her chair again. "...funding for Fastoon, and help with the other rings…" She said. Then, she sighed. She looked up at Ratchet besides her and found eyes looking back at her that were full of hope for the funding needed to rebuild his destroyed home. After a moment she nodded. "...as long as word of me being here or making any deals with you doesn't get out...then I'll agree to your deal."
Ellie smiled widely, and she made a zipping motion over her lips. "...we won't say a word, dear. Don't worry. Now, my assistant Orvar will be in contact with you and when you have all of the expenses down please send it to him and we'll get it taken care of."
"Thank you so, so much." Alis spoke up, her blue eyes practically sparkling with joy at the deal just made.
"Of course, darling. Don't worry, I love to help." She said. She stood from her desk, adjusting he evening gown before walking out from behind it. "Now that business is out of the way, why don't we go downstairs? Have some fun?"
"Sounds fine with me." Ratchet said as he stood up from his seat. "It's been a while since I got to gamble, sounds like fun, huh?" He turned to Talwyn, holding out an arm for her.
She reluctantly, silently took it.
"...Tal?"
Ratchet's voice cut through the silence of the casino hotel room. Ratchet stepped out of the bathroom in an old baggy shirt and sweatpants and walked over to the bed where Talwyn sat. "...what's up?" He asked.
"What do you mean, 'what's up'?" She asked, not glancing up from the floor.
"You've been quiet all evening." Ratchet said.
Talwyn sighed,and reached up to run a hand through her hair. "...I dunno, guess I'm worried. Scared."
"...about the deal we just made?"
"Yeah. The deal we just made." Talwyn admitted. "I...If that information gets out. That I made a deal with a crime boss...money in exchange for shutting up, you know? That could ruin my career."
Ratchet bit his lip, sitting forwards and resting his elbows on his knees. "...so why'd you do it, Tal? Why didn't you put up a fight?"
"Because I looked at you." Talwyn explained as she turned her head towards him. "I looked at you and saw so much...hope."
Ratchet sighed, and he bit his lip slightly. "...I….yeah. There was hope."
"The idea of rebuilding your home and meeting other Lombaxes obviously really makes you happy." Talwyn continued. "...I just thought...I've been polaris defense force captain before. I've lived a bit of my dream and...you deserve yours. You deserve that happiness. As your wife….I wanna help you Ratchet. Even if it means making deals with crime bosses I've been trying to kill for a while."
Ratchet was silent for a while after Talwyn spoke. He slipped his hand into hers, and he leaned against her so he could rest his head on her shoulder. "...you have no idea how much that means to me." He said softly.
Talwyn moved to kiss his head. "...I know. That's why it's all worth it."
Ratchet closed his eyes. "...love you, Tal."
"Love you too, Ratchet."
A/N: Hey guys! Another chapter down! Thank you for being patient with me while I really slowly work on this story, I super appreciate you reading! 3