Chapter VI

Soara had picked up speed. As light began to fill the cave without the use of her flashlight, she knew that she and Clank reaching their destination. As she came to the mouth of the cave, she poked her head out to see if there were anymore guards. It looked they had just come to a mining shaft. There were pickaxes that lay abandoned on the ground, and there were mining carts as well. But there were no miners. The shaft appeared to be abandoned. Deciding that is was safe Soara entered the shaft. "Now where do you suppose we go?" She said as she surveyed the area. "Perhaps we could try the front door?" Said Clank, speaking in a voice as I he was stating the obvious. "If I wanted to do that, I would have done that by now." Said Soara, looking behind her at Clank. "Remember what happened LAST time we took the front door? Let's not make the same mistake twice." She continued to look around, until she found a way in. "The vents!" She said, rushing towards the entrance to the base. Above the large door, was an opening to the ventilation shaft. "Oh THAT"S original." Said Clank. "I'm not trying to be creative, Clank." Said Soara, as she climbed up, and removed the cover. "I'm trying to be affective. They still think we're dead, remember they wont think to search the vents." Once inside the vents, Clank hopped off of Soara's back and she place the cover back where she had found it. She then crawled through the small tunnel as quietly as she could, while Clank followed close behind. "Do you know where you are going?" Clank asked after a moment. "Yeah, Clank." Said Soara annoyed. "I just happen to have the whole base mapped out in my databank, and know exactly where- oh wait. I don't HAVE a databank!" She grumbled quietly as the crawled on. "What do you want me to do? 'Excuse me, Mr. Guard? I was wondering if you could tell me where you're holding my friend captive.' I mean, really!"
"That is it!" Clank exclaimed as an idea hit him. "Whoa. I wasn't serious." Said Soara, who had stopped crawling. "But it is perfect!" Said Clank. "If we were to apprehend one of the guards, I could access his databank, and that could tell us where Ratchet is!" Soara thought for a moment. "If we do this just right." She said. "We could avoid being detected too." She grinned at Clank from behind. "You're a genius!" Clank smiled. "I have my moments." He said.
Soara looked down into a hallway from another vent cover. After waiting a moment, a single guard approached towards their position. Making sure that he was right under her, Soara suddenly jumped out of the ventilation, landing, with a crash, on top of the guard. "Man down." She said, grinning at the now immobilized guard. Clank jumped out of the shaft too, and walked over to the guard. "Okay, Clank." Said Soara. "Do you're thing." She kept guard to make sure no one was approaching, while Clank messed around in the guards mind. "I have it!" Said Clank triumphantly after a minute. "I know where they're holding Ratchet!"
"It worked?" Said Soara disbelievingly. "Yes." Said Clank. "And I also altered the guards memory to make him think he slipped on a banana peel."
"Nice." Said Soara, chuckling. "Let's get going. You lead the way." She tossed Clank back into the ventilation shaft before hopping up, and climbing back in herself.
Ellyra smacked Ratchet in the face with her shock-rod. She was breathing heavily, a look of shear insanity on her face. "How does it feel?!" She asked him. "Bet you wish you never crossed paths with the Tachyons now, don't you?" Telther, who was watching in the corner with his hands crossed, chuckled slightly. Ratchet said nothing, he was looking determinately at the ground. "Maybe next time you'll think twice before murdering someone's father." Ellyra gave a short laugh. "Oh, wait!" She said. "There is not going to BE a 'next time'!" Turing up the voltage on her shock-rod, Ellyra prepared to shove it into Ratchet's chest. "GET AWAY FROM HIM,BITCH!" Came a sudden voice from above. Ellyra looked up in shock, just in time to see both Clank an Soara jumping out of the vents. Soara managed to kick Ellyra in the head on her way down, causing her to slam into the wall that Ratchet was chained to, and collapse. "Clank?!" Said Ratchet, exasperated. "Soara?! You're alive?!"
"Nah." Said Clank smiling at Ratchet, as he made to free him. "We are just spirits."
"Spirits that can pack quite a kick!" Said Soara, grinning at Ellyra. "Hold on. Let me give you a hand." She said to Clank, who was struggling to unchain Ratchet. Soara pulled a small, thin tool out of her utility belt, and inserted it into the lock. "Watch out!" Both Clank and Ratchet shouted. But Soara didn't have a chance to react. Telther, unknown by the others, had lunged forward and punched Soara in the face, causing her to drop the tool that she was using. "This is it, Soara!" Said Telther, unsheathing a sword. "Today, you finally answer for your crimes against the Echelon VI!" Soara glared at Telther, unsheathing her own sword and activating it, so it sparked blue around the blade. Unnoticed by Telther, Clank had picked up Soara's tool, and had resumed picking the lock. "Come on! Hurry, Clank!" Ratchet urged, watching Telther and Soara prepare to fight. "I am going as fast as I can." Sad Clank, trying not to let the fight distract him.
Telther attacked first, swinging his sword at Soara, who moved aside, allowing Telther to run passed her, before kicking him in the back. Telther stumbled, then turned back to face Soara again. She swung her own sword at Telther, who blocked. When the blades collided, sparks flashed around them with a crash. "How could you do this?!" Telther shouted, as he swung again. "I raised you! I treated you like my own daughter! I taught you everything you know! Even how to fight like this!"
"Shut up!" Soara shouted dodging the sword and swinging again with her own. Telther blocked again, then again. Clank was still struggling with the lock. Soara ducked yet another attack from Telther, bending down and sweeping his leg, causing him to topple over. He then rolled away and got back to his feet. Soara made to stab, but Telther knocked her arms upwards, leaving her body open. Telther struck. It took Soara a moment to realize what had happened, but then, there a searing pain in her chest, she heard Ratchet shouting "NO!", Telther had a victorious look on his face. Soara looked down to see his sword protruding from her chest. She dropped her sword, which fell to the floor, sparking as it hit. Soara suddenly felt weak and fell to her knees. Telther put his sword to Soara's neck, preparing to strike again. "Goodbye." He said, swinging his sword. There was a flash of sparks as Telther's sword collided with Soara's. Clank was successful in freeing Ratchet at last, who had raced forward, picked up Soara's sword, and blocked Telther's blow. Soara collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, and clutching her wound, blood pouring out of it. Clank ran to her, and tried putting pressure on the wound, but it was no use. Ratchet swung the electro-sword at Telther, who jumped backwards. Ratchet didn't give Telther a chance to react. He swung again, and again. Telther now looked terrified, unable to fight back. Ratchet was swinging to fast. Telther jumped back again, but collided with the wall. Ratchet had him backed into a corner. He put Soara's electro-sword to Telther's neck, so he could feel the tingling sensation from the sparks. "Give me a reason not to." Said Ratchet through gritted teeth. "I dare you." Telther was breathing heavily. "Y- you must understand!" He whimpered. "I- I was only following orders! Tachyon wanted her dead for betraying her! I didn't want to! I LOVED that girl!"
"You have a SICK way of showing it!" Ratchet snapped. Telther had raised his sword behind Ratchet's back. "RATCHET! BEHIND YOU!" Clank shouted, still with Soara, whose breathing was becoming slower. Ratchet moved away just in time. Telther, instead of getting Ratchet plummeted his word into his own chest. He gasped in surprise, and fell to the ground.
"Ooh. My head hurts." Came a voice from behind. Ratchet turned, and saw Ellyra getting to her feet, massaging her head. She looked around. First she aw Telther dead on the floor, then saw Ratchet standing above him. Ellyra shouted in panic, backing away from Ratchet, who was walking towards, her a terrifying look of rage on his face. "Stay back!" Said Ellyra, brandishing her shock-rod at Ratchet, which had been broken in two when she hit the floor, and was now parking feebly. "D-d-d-don't come any closer!"
"What's wrong?" Said Ratchet. "Can you only face me when you have me chained to a wall?!" Ellyra whimpered. "What can I say to just make this like it never happened?" She said, a cheesy grin on her face. Ratchet raise an eyebrow. "You're gonna have to surrender, Ellyra." He said "You'll have to face justice for your crimes."
"Never!" Ellyra hissed. "I will NEVER go to jail!" She raised her shock-rod. "It's okay." She said. "It's time for me to see my father again." She plummeted the rod into her chest. She wretched and shook violently for a moment, then fell to the ground.
Ratchet ran over to Soara and Clank. Soara smiled weakly at Ratchet, tears falling from her eyes into her hair. "Thank you." She said quietly, taking Ratchet's hand. "For what?" Said Ratchet, squeezing Soara's hand with his own. "I never had a reason to live." Said Soara. "Until I met you." Her grip on Ratchet's hand loosened, and she stared blinklessly at him with her beautiful violet eyes. Ratchet looked at Soara for a moment, then gently pushed her eyelids down. "She- sacrificed herself." He said. "For me. Talwyn never believed her. I just- wish she didn't have to gain her trust this way."
"I am sorry, Ratchet." Said Clank. "She was very brave." Ratchet nodded, getting to his feet. "We should go." He said. "I agree." Said Clank. at least it is finally over. Ratchet and Clank walked out of the base together. Neither one of them said a word the whole journey back to the Apogee Space-station. All Ratchet could think of was. "Rest well, Soara. And Thank you. For everything."

THE END

Now I'm crying! This all finished sooner than I would have liked! I don't know what's worse, a story being shorter than you want, or killing you O.C! But I hope you enjoyed this all the same thank you all! P.S, Don't forget to leave a comment. I like knowing what you all think.