Fastoon, a certain desert planet within the Polaris galaxy and the home world of a particular species called Lombaxes. They were clever feline creatures with a penchant for excitement and tinkering. One of these lombaxes an Alister Azimuth breathed deeply of the dry cool air as he strolled in or as he often protested strongly, began his 'patrol' of the nearby park of the Central Region.
Alister passed down a row of thorntrees, tall with sharp thin spines jutting out and caught a whiff of the spicy scent made by several broken thorns. The smell brought a release of tension in Alister's spine and a slight relaxing of finely honed senses. Just because that he was somewhere safe didn't mean that he should let his guard down completely. Coming back from a raid on some space pirates had set Alister's paranoia on high and for good reason.
Alister blinked and shook his head with a grimace as hard lines creased his brow as the space pirate raid brought up another issue. What could be bothering the four bolt general of the Lombax Praetorian Guard, elder councilman of the Center for Advanced Lombax Research and possible candidate for the Lombax Central Council? Though it was highly unlikely that Alister would ever willingly accept the last position in any case, just like every other minister of the Lombax Central Council.
It had to do with a certain meeting that happened a few days ago, an inventor appearing before the lombaxes with fantastical ideas and plans for new technology. The lombaxes were in dire need of something to help defend and fix the problems in the Polaris galaxy after all this time after the Great War. A conflict between the Lombaxes and one of the foulest races in the universe, Cragmites.
In any case going back to the meeting, the scientist had asked for access to the Lombax archives. This person gave forth the reasoning that by investigating in depth lombax technology, he could develop solutions to the lombaxes' problems suited to their capabilities. Alister's gut twisted, the Central Council had decided that it was too dangerous and refused the offer. The Four Bolt General on the other hand disagreed and his ears drooped. His arguments in favor of letting the inventor have some technology samples had led to a very uncomfortable and heated meeting before his last space pirate raid. Yet still Alister's belief in the scientist having the way for the lombaxes to better protect Polaris burned fiercely in the lombax.
In one particular instance of reality Alistair would go ahead with his plan to secretly give this inventor access to Fastoon's technology and that included weapon plans. Of course if he could only see what would result, the Drophyd war, the exile of the lombaxes, Polaris falling under tyranny and being forced to live with the knowledge that he caused the death of his best friend. The lombax would never go through on his plan if he knew what was to come.
However this was not that particular reality. It was then that all the fur on Alister's back suddenly stiffened. Pale white ears bearing red stripes flexed as a certain whistling sound was picked up. The lombax turned, reflexes quick on the draw by adventure after adventure pulled out his double headed Praetorian OmniWrench.. As it lengthened from its storage mode, Alister swung it. Yet the weapon cleared nothing but empty air and then the lombax felt a light bop on his stomach.
" Not bad, Mister General Alister, but you forgot something." Alister's gaze, well used to searching for anything irregular under attack saw nothing until he tilted his yellow and brown eyes down. Alister found out why his attempt to strike down his attacker had failed. His attacker was small, just barely reaching his knee but any other details were obscured by the cloak that the person was wearing. There was also the little fact that his attacker tried to use a OmniWrench on him though it was of a make that the lombax could not recognize. Alistair was about to ask just what this figure meant or even better clobber the answers out of him when the next breath he took was sweet. Sweeter than the scent of thorntree oil in the park, the smell began swirling around Alister's head, driving out all control of his limbs. Stumbling forwards, Alister moved to do something, anything before darkness tunneled into his vision. As control over his limbs wavered, the lombax found himself flashing back, back to his last argument with his closest friend.
His chest and ears burned, the ambient heat clashing with the climate controlled atmosphere made Alister shiver. He and Kaden had sent all the other lombaxes in the area scurrying over Kaden's inability to see things Alister's way. Alister's breath came out with loud rasps that echoed within the halls of the Center for Advanced Lombax Research. Why couldn't his best friend see? The inventor was their chance, perhaps the best chance for the lombaxes to find a way to help the still struggling Polaris Galaxy. With a voice cracking from the shouting he had done, Alister made one simple statement. "Don't show your face to me ever again." It repeated itself over and over again in Alister's head when he fell forward onto his face. The pain from the impact didn't reach him and as his eyes, weighted down by the gas closed. And the voice of his attacker without the hint of mockery that often came from a victor speaking to the defeated, slid gently into his ears as the fog of unconsciousness began to drown him. "There's more than one way to knock out a lombax."
Fast garbled reports flew on the airwaves reserved for official business and another lombax with the common yellow fur and brown stripes listened closely. The entire planet of Fastoon was on high alert with hover bikes zooming past and patrol drones humming through the air. General Alister had been declared missing several hours ago and there wasn't any record of him leaving the planet. The possibility of the General being attacked was the most probable. This was a highly alarming situation because who in their right mind would attack a four-bolt general? In particular the lombax in his office that was following the official comm channels was much more worried than the rest of the populace. His name was Kaden, Alistair's childhood friend.
The duo had been through many scrapes and adventures together. As a result Kaden knew Alister better than any other lombax and he could tell that this was not normal behavior for Alister. Even after that huge fight both of them had over that shifty scientist. While Kaden knew that Alister could be reckless and stubborn, his friend would never disappear under the radar like this. Unless Alister was going to defy the Council and give that inventor information from the archives.
Kaden's insides turned cold like certain nights on Fastoon in which one was thankful for every strand of fur on their body. If Alister did go against the Council's decision, his friend would be in a whole lot of trouble since such an action could be constituted as treason. Anyway the lombaxes had sent out search parties for Alister but they were having no luck in discovering his friend's whereabouts.
While Kaden himself was not part of the search operations, he no intention of leaving everything up to the guards. He had been through too much with his friend to just sit around and twiddle his thumbs in worry. However like the search parties, Kaden had no luck in discovering his friend's whereabouts. He had swept by their old haunts on Fastoon, several canyons not as vast as the one he broke his arm in while hoverbooting. The practice ranges where Alister and sometimes Kaden would vent their rages via giant explosions to innocent test dummies. Yet each place was painfully absent of one white furred block headed lombax. Kaden slumped into his chair made of quite comfortable leviathan leather.
He fiddled with several gears and other machine components. Nothing came together, not even a single humorously dangerous device that usually came with unconscious lombax tinkering. Kaden's hands shook until they stopped and he blinked considering his whim foolish. Why not go back to Alister's house? Sure it would be the first place that the guard would look but somehow the idea nagged at Kaden.
That was why Kaden had left his offiice and was now in the front of the Azimuth estate. The Azimuth family was one of the oldest names on Fastoon. They along with several other families were the closest to being called upper class among the chaotic society of the lombaxes. Sliding his thumb across the bio-lock, Kaden suddenly froze. After that argument it was entirely possible that Alister had removed Kaden from the register of people allowed in his house. However a click from the door proved him wrong and even in spite of the worry, Kaden felt a small cloak of warmth spread over his shoulders. Even after acting like a complete twat and saying that he was cutting him off, Alister still considered him a friend. Kaden shut his eyes, lines marking his brow. Yet his friend was now missing and Kaden didn't know if the white furred lombax was alright.
Kaden pushed past the heavy doors that bore a raritanium inlay, Alister always commented that it just made the entrance tacky. The empty halls of the Azimuth house echoed with his footsteps, except for the occasional cleaning bot there wasn't much of anybody within the estate. Ever since Alister's father died the place seemed to Kaden to be too quiet to be healthy. The yellow lombax, wearing a standard pilot suit called out to Alister but got no answer like he expected. After passing through several rooms, Kaden was starting to feel stupid for thinking that Alister was just sulking at home.
Kaden sighed and went into the kitchen that was nearly spotless. Mostly because Alister rarely if ever cooked and relied on take-out. In fact the few times that Alister had actually home cooked food these days was when Kaden had Alister over for dinner. Though it was Kaden's mate Cara that did all of the cooking. At first Kaden glanced over the room, everything seemed normal even as there was a surplus of take out containers in the trash. Then a blot of white on the countertop caught his attention. Kaden snatched it up and found it was a note scribbled in the Lombax language messily.
The lombax had to blink and reread over the note as some of the symbols were sloppy. Some of the bolt and wrench markings were tilted oddly or went all over the place. However Kaden wasn't a member of the Center for Advanced Lombax Research for nothing. Deciphering messy hand writing was child's play after dealing with frenzied notes jotted down in a flash of inspiration that came usually in the middle of an explosion.
The message that the note gave however was cause for worry. In the mechanical symbols of the Lombax alphabet the note flat out stated that Alistair had been kidnapped and he was now at a particular set of coordinates. Kaden had to sweat a bit as the note further went to say that Alister likely would not be harmed but the place where the general was held was definitely a trap.
There was a cheerful postscript about how the lombaxes were more than welcome to try and get Alister back. The paper crinkled as Kaden whipped out of the kitchen and began to signal for the Praetorian Guard on his comm. There wasn't a moment to lose as this was the only hint that Fastoon had on the whereabouts of their Four Bolt General. Yet Kaden ran though the information again as he relayed it to the guard. The sector that Alister was said taken to was space occupied by only space pirates due to the numerous asteroid belts and lifeless planetoids. Not exactly a place most people would live but the pirates did so since it made for an excellent place to hide. However who was responsible for this note and attack was still a mystery.
At first glance any normal person might assume that it was the space pirates that were responsible. After all the lombaxes had been stopping those criminals in their activities. Kidnapping one of their greatest military heroes would in the pirate mind give them an advantage. Not that it do anything but bring the wrath down on the pirates. The lombaxes may be individualistic but they do take care of their own. Anyway Kaden didn't come to the same conclusions as most people would have had.
For the first part there wasn't any possible way for pirate vessels to sneak into Fastoon's airspace. Not to mention the impossibility of getting away without being noticed. The second thing was that Alister was a warrior and Kaden knew his friend would never have fallen to amateurs like the space pirates. But besides these reasons, there was something to take after accounting that the note actually admitted that this was a trap. It gave information, it gave a warning of danger at the location, it was doing just about everything wrong about a ransom note. But it was the only clue that Fastoon had now, so while the Guard made its own preparations Kaden made his decision. Trap or not, he was not going to let his friend remain in danger a pico-second longer.
They had parted on shaky terms due to that blasted inventor and Kaden would never forgive himself if he never set things straight with his friend. Hang on Alister, Kaden thought as he stepped out the estate and made his own preparations to join the rescue team we're on our way.
When Alister awoke, it was to a blurry ceiling that welcomed him back from unconsciousness. Groaning a complaint about the pulsating ache in his skull, the lombax reached around for his Praetorian OmniWrench. The lights throbbed above bearing halos that grew and shrank into the general's eyes. Finally Alister's hand felt the comforting grip of his weapon. Pulling himself back up, Alister leaned his weight on his makeshift crutch. Blotting out the clashing contrast, the lombax let the seconds pass while keeping a sharp ear for any troubling sounds.
When the general could open his eyes again without feeling like falling back straight down, his gaze swept the area. Judging from the deteriorated but still operating machinery Alister guessed that this was some sort of factory. The movement of what appeared to be parts being weld or soldiered together was a large hint. The general atmosphere was surrounded with the background hum of energy motioning the construction along, though Alister was not close enough to tell or currently interested in what was being made here. The lighting which while low still caused a bit of a headache to the lombax but didn't help Alister in seeing anymore than a few meters away.
All this currently was a moot point for Alister who was trying to remember how the sprockets did he get here and where he exactly was. Clutching his head tightly but still alert, Alister thought back to all the possible reasons for why he would be here. Bar brawl? Couldn't be since even though his head hurt, it wasn't the same intensity as one of his rare hangovers. Plus there was the fact that he couldn't smell any alcohol. Captured by an enemy? Unlikely since he still had his OmniWrench on him and just about everyone knew that a Lombax with a wrench was someone to watch out for. Besides what enemy would be stupid enough to leave a weapon on a prisoner? Another practical joke by an angry Kaden fed up with him? Not a chance! Something in Alister's gut told him this wasn't the case. Though if the general found out that his tail tuft was going to be shaved off again or his fur dyed Coboltan pink, then Alister was going to have his pound of fur no matter how close they were.
Yet all these possible explanations fell short of providing a reason for Alister's current predicament. Then it struck him, the last moments before he fell unconscious, the memory of being knocked out by an unknown assailant. Thankfully nobody he knew was here to see him flush. Alister's ears burned as they folded back, he'll never hear the end of it. The Four Star General beaten by somebody barely to his kneecap.
Whatever purpose that attacker had by spiriting him away here, agonizing over it wouldn't be helping him get back to Fastoon. Going through corridors of machinery loudly rattling sent Alister's blood pumping. At first there didn't seem to be much of a problem, as the general leaped, somersaulted, climbed, and hovered throughout this facility. Yet soon the echoes of multiple footsteps came, and the lombax had to whip his head around and dive towards either higher ground or the opposite direction.
After several near misses in which Alister hung from ledges by the skin of his teeth, he found out who he had been hiding from. Space pirates, robot space pirates that normally he would wipe the floor with. However even the greenest recruit could say that Alister was outmatched as the pirates were traveling in groups. Great warrior he may be but he was still only one person and only had his Omni-wrench. Without another advantage, he'd be overwhelmed and likely killed. He had a reputation to maintain so getting caught like an idiot wasn't an option on the menu. He hit as best as he could, his highly contrasting fur not an advantage. Yet he managed and heard some disturbing pirate complaints of it taking it too long for them to prepare for their assault.
Besides taking evasive action that grated on his instincts, Alister then turned his attention to the facility he was trapped in. Being close to the construction lines many times in order to keep a low profile, the lombax's eyebrows rose as he saw just was being made by the machinery in here. Weapons, but not just any weapons, Lombax style weaponry. They may have been low-grade and hardly a threat compared to the more advanced armory that the lombaxes had but still there was the question that the pirates were able to manufacture any of this stuff at all.
Alister continued his way through the factory, looking for any convenient open windows or vents. His face was pale and his breathing rendered uneven with what he just discovered. He had to get back to Fastoon, there was trouble brewing. Alister could feel it in the tips of his fur, pirates gathering, weapons based on Lombax designs, and the overheard mutterings about when they were going to move out. Something was happening, and Alister knew that he needed to tell Fastoon even if it was the last thing he did. Yet soon his path was being blocked by numerous groups of space pirates.
While the Praetorian OmniWrench was quite useful, serving as both close combat and mid ranged weapon, he needed more options in combat. His nano-tech supply could only go so far if he engaged with the groups of space pirates he was encountering. After numerous occurrences of doubling back on himself, Alister was biting back curses, as he was getting nowhere.
Then something fell quickly in front of face. He jumped back as a sudden clank sounded in front of him, ready for an explosion or bolts being shot at him. Alister's gaze flickered down and his jaw dropped at the miracle lying there near his feet. It was a blaster, an honest to goodness blaster that fell down from the sky! Alister bent down, quickly glancing back and forth and tensing as he picked up the weapon.
A weapon, just it seemed all hope was lost, here drops just what he needed! Alister tentatively turned the handle and slid open the magazine tube afraid to look if. Yes, yes! It had ammunition. Only 200 shots, but still 200 more shots then he had a few seconds ago. Now he had a reasonable chance to take care of those space pirates Still the lombax gave a quick examination of the weapon and was rather surprised to see the logo for Gadgetron. Why was a weapon manufactured in the Solana Galaxy here?
Shaking his head, Alister decided for right now this was irrelevant. With the blaster, he could snipe down those pirate groups that prevented him from advancing, making the odds more even in his favor. Still he had a limited amount of ammo, so Alister taking in all possible routes noted that the most efficient path would take him higher in the factory. While normally Alister would be all for thumbing his nose at the odds, his duty to the Lombaxes took higher priority.
So he rolling and jumped higher, catching the edge of platforms and quietly boosting himself up several catwalks. With the blaster, he could take out several of the pirates that were grouped together and finish off the rest with his wrench. Blasting them with shots of negative energy or relying on a solid whack. Eventually the lombax passed by what seemed to be the main office and control room of the facility. The fact that it overlooked the factory and all catwalks seemed to radiate from it was quite a large hint.
Alister was going to skip attempting to discover any further information. He already knew that the pirates were setting up an attack and with subpar copied lombax weaponry. That was grounds enough for worry. However his already agitated stomach burned even more when he heard someone inside say. "When be we goin' to attack them Lombaxes matey?"
Alister froze and crept back to the door of the office to eavesdrop, he felt as if he was in a nightmare. Those very words brought Alister's worse fears to life as both a general and a lombax to life. And it continued to get worse as a very familiar voice answered. "I told you! As soon as one of those fool lombaxes gives us the plans to their weaponry. "
The general's grip on his Omni-wrench tightened. He had heard that voice several times in a series of presentations on how lombax technology could be furthered for the good of the galaxy. The voice belonged to the scientist with the amazing ideas and plans and just a while ago Alister thought to give that person access to the archives. Well now he wasn't but he was going to find out who had the gall to attempt to trick him and edged himself towards a window.
Alister's yellow eyes blew open and hardened. For now he could see that the voice of the scientist belonged to a Cragmite. But not just any cragmite but Percival Tachyon. Percival was the only cragmite left in the universe. Long after the lombaxes banished the cragmites to another dimension some miners found a cragmite egg. Once it hatched the lombaxes decided to adopt the young cragmite. But it seemed that was a mistake. "Once we have the plans, we'll manufacture the weapons my army needs." Percival said.
"'n brin' below them lombaxes once 'n fer all" A robotic pirate with its modulated voice said. And then they laughed, high and cruel were the echoes that came rolling out, while Alister remained in the shadows seething in fury. Then Percival started to rant about about how his species should be ruling the universe and how he was going to enjoy watching each and every lombax die.
Alister looked down at his blaster and checked how much ammunition he had, only twenty shots left. More than enough to make sure that traitor got what he deserved. The lombax had felt nothing but chills when the cragmite had started revealing his true colors. The horrible realization came to the general of how close he came to bringing disaster to his entire race.
Still Alister drove these thoughts from his head as he found a new resolve. Narrowing his gaze to focus, he pulled out the blaster and inched into the doorway. He had almost made the biggest mistake of his life, well he'll make sure that the mistake the lombaxes made in letting the cragmite live would be rectified. Alister lined the barrel up to Tachyon's and squeezed the trigger...
It was very fortunate that they got the note and its warning after all, Kaden thought as he rammed Aphelion's controls into a sharp dive to avoid laser fire. This led to the ship scolding him with being so rough with her. Normally Kaden would have chuckled sheepishly. However losing the trio of tailing ships behind him took up most of his attention.
After all the bureaucratic necessities needed to set up a rescue attempt had been taken care of, Kaden browbeat his way into being part of the rescue squad. At first the lombax rescue team didn't expect much trouble when flying into the air space of the criminal ridden sector. Then they encountered a not a mere gang of pirates but a whole damn army. The squad of Fastoon's best would have never expected it. They would've been totally unprepared it wasn't for suspicions caused by that note's warning. As a result of that, reinforcements were called for and arrived much sooner than normal.
Kaden maneuvered through several rounds of missiles and other ships attempting to shoot him down, returning fire and launching a barrage of missles that took out several pirate fighters out of the battle. After pulling off several beautiful barrel rolls and roller coaster turns, he noticed that the majority of the ships were coming from a certain planetoid that had multiple installations built on it. It would be the most likely place where Alister would be held captive. "I'm going in." Kaden said over the communications' network. Hopefully Alister would be in there and okay.
Alister dodged another plasma blast from Tachyon's throne, his assassination attempt on the traitor was foiled by the shields that suddenly came out of the chair. The blaster wouldn't be able to pierce through the defenses and the lombax could only rely on his reflexes, his armor and his wrench. The space pirate had fled the scene fairly quickly instead of helping the cragmit. A few balls of fire came flying at the general, who hoverbooted out of the way, swinging his wrench in a comet strike in an attempt to take down the legs of the throne.
"It's too bad that I didn't get access to the archives but at least I'll have the pleasure of tearing you apart." Percival gloated from atop his battle throne. It wasn't an easy task for the general to take down the cragmite. The feet of the throne were reinforced but thankfully from one glance, Alister could tell that the actual connecting legs were very thin. It took several tries and quite a few near misses with laser bolts and drone assaults but with one mighty comet strike Alister was able to put a dangerous dent into one of the throne's legs. The throne lurched as damaged leg bent at an acute angle and with that a catastrophic malfunction occurred.
Percival's throne crumpled in on itself while the Cragmite was thrown to the ground to crawl while his throne began exploding behind him. Alister brought back out the blaster, still ten shots left in the old thing. The lombax walked slowly keeping the blaster aimed on Tachyon. "I'll get you for this Lombax! I will see you despair as you watch as I destroy your entire race." Percival said. "I am Emperor Tachyon! Ruler of the Cragmites, Ruler of the Polaris. The Cragmite Empire will rise ag-ck "
Tachyon was cut off as Alister unloaded the final clips of the blaster into his face, and the body slumped onto the floor. "No, the Cragmites will never trouble the lombaxes or the Polaris galaxy again." The Lombax said to the now cooling corpse and then Alister heard the sound of happy clapping behind him. Turning quickly around, General Azimuth raised his OmniWrench in readiness to defend himself.
His eyes widened as he spotted the individual that had knocked him out. His attacker and likely kidnapper was framed by the light coming in through the office windows. The general could not see this person's face, both because of the lighting and the cloak that he wore. "Congratulations General Azimuth. You've just saved your entire species." He said while holding a skipping pose.
Alister's eyes narrowed at these words. "What do you mean by that, and who are you?" The lombax aimed his wrench at figure framed by the window.
. "Oh? Well look around you general, think about what would have happened if you actually gave Tachyon" The figure spat out the last word "what he was looking for?"
Alister had no response to that but clenched his teeth. "You still haven't told me who you are and why you kidnapped me." The stranger was being evasive but the lombax was prepared to detain this person and get the answers he needed. All he needed was to keep this person, male perhaps from the tone of voice talking until he was sure that his negative energy blast would hit..
"Well I'm merely doing what an old new friend requested of me, and giving you what you are owed." The figure said, shifting back to two feet on the ground. Alister was about to shoot when to the general's surprise, several explosions occurred. His shock was compounded by the windows shattering, the glass shards flying into the air. In the confusion the figure fell out of the office. The lombax could only watch as the one who had the answers he was searching for disappear into the plumes of flame made by the exploding machines.
Alister rushed over to the window his throat tight with the thought of his only lead vanishing on him. Yet he saw no sign of the figure on the suddenly more dangerous lower levels. Biting back a curse, he wondered if he could hoverboot right down there after the figure when the lombax heard "Alister, Alister are you in here?"
General Azimuth had to bite back his tongue, that was Kaden's voice, how did he get here? Then it hit him, Kaden was here! Panic set in, even after standing firm in the face of death and knowledge that he could have brought doom to his race. Alister couldn't control himself at the thought of his friend in danger. "Alister! Alister can you hear me?" Kaden's voice had a terrified edge to it, much more different than the last time Alister heard it, filled with anger and hurt.
"Yeah, Kaden I'm in here" Alister said, turning away from the window with its scene of fiery mechanical destruction. Above the sounds of carnage behind him the lombax could hear the sounds of footsteps closing in on his position. Alister still raised his Praetorian OmniWrench just in case it was a trap. And then collapsing onto the door frame was Kaden breathing heavily but with eyes filled with relief at the sight of Alister safe and alive.
"Alister, you're alright?" Kaden asked and Alister retorted well he was alive wasn't he? "I'm glad" Kaden sighed and his voice trembled which was unusual to Alister's ears. The yellow lombax slowly shuffled towards Alister in the midst of the destruction surrounding them. "If those were our last words to each other, ..." He trailed off, his voice cracking a bit towards the end.
"Kaden" Alister went and cut his friend off grabbing Kaden by the shoulders. "You were right" Kaden looked confused but Alister went on "I shouldn't have trusted that inventor." His friend looked shocked as Alister he could count on his hands the number of times Alister admitted he was wrong. The general gestured towards the corpse. "Take a look" Alister said.
Kaden followed the direction in which his friend's OmniWrench pointed and doubled back who lay there dead. "Holy sprockets is that..." Alister cut in confirming that the body on the floor was the inventor that came by and also the Cragmite Percival Tachyon. The Lombax general then went about explaining what the traitor was up to, the manufacturing of weapons, the building up of an army, trying to trick technology out of the lombaxes and the Cragmite's own admittance to planning an attack on Fastoon. Kaden blinked at all of this being told to him. "Oh damn..." Kaden closed his eyes as the implications of what Alister told just sank in. If Percival attacked with lombax grade weaponry, it'll be a slaughter. Kaden shuddered as he thought about his mate and their soon to be born child. If the council didn't vote to keep their technology a secret... "Where did we go wrong with him?" Kaden gestured to Percival.
"Who knows, maybe it was finding out about what he really was. It doesn't matter anymore." Alister said. Unless there was another Cragmite egg out there, whether or not Cragmites were just naturally nasty or it was the fault of their culture would never be known. Another explosion rocked the facility and a shouted warning came over Kaden's com-link.
Kaden answered back and turned to his friend. "We better get out of here now " wincing as more explosions began rocking the place. "This place's about to blow, unless you want your tail tuft singed off, again" Alister grimaced and asked if Kaden would ever forget that little accident they -alright- he had on Phylax Gamma. Kaden smirked "Not a chance, now hurry up" Kaden dodged a suddenly dropping piece of burning debris "And let's get out of here, last one back pays up fifty hundred bolts" Kaden smirked and ran off. Alister chased after his friend, leave it to him to lighten the mood with a daredevil bet. No matter, Alister thought those bolts are going to be mine!
After the space pirate army was cleaned up, Kaden and Alister made a report to the Central Council detailing what General Azimuth found. The plans for invasion, the weapons manufacturing, the attempt to gain access to lombax technology, and the identity of the so-called inventor. Alister however kept to himself his intention to give the cragmite access to the archives. It was considered a pity in the council's general opinion that the Cragmite went to the bad. But Alister was commended for his actions in taking out the threat and commented that he was a lombax to watch for in the future.
"You know that just means you've been bumped up in the candidate list for the Central Council" Kaden laughed much to Alister's discomfort. It had been several weeks since the incident where the general was kidnapped, though leads went nowhere on who was responsible. Alister however received a commendation and a small plaque of appreciation. The two were waiting in one of the city's med-bays as Kaden's mate had just undergone labor and was now under the care of the doctors. While Kaden was worried about his mate and their unborn child, it was good to talk to his best friend again.
In any case it was commonly known that the Central Council composed of the most accomplished and experienced adventurers, general, researchers from among the Lombax population. However each and every one of those council men considered the position to be a fate worse than death. At least death was exciting! That was why various security measures were taken up, on paper for the safety of the councilors but in fact was actually to stop the members from escaping or suddenly vanishing. These same measures were applied to those who nominated for a candidacy for a council seat since every Lombax picked attempted to dodge their confirmation for the seat. This also applied to the Prime Minister after a certain amusing incident involving magnetic tape and five pounds of sprinkles.
"Ugh, don't remind me" Alister grimaced "I've been pulling out my wrench on just about every deputy I see. Thinking any one of them is the one that'll give me the bad news and slap that tracer on me." The tracer was just a anklet used to keep track of the council members 'for their own safety' but everyone knew that it was just another tool to make sure that the council members didn't skimp out of their duties. Likewise it came about due to a certain Prime Minister's actions. "So, you're going to be a father." Alister said.
This time it was Kaden's turn to look sheepish "Yeah, I've been out of my mind with worry, but it's kind of exciting as well." Then Alister asked what they were going to name the kid and Kaden let out a nervous laugh. "Heh, Cara and me have been coming up with them for a while. But still no luck" Alister raised an eyebrow and expressed his surprise and disbelief that after all this time Kaden still hadn't come up with a name for his kid by now. A genius, ace pilot with several inventions under his belt and still he couldn't come up with something for the bundle of joy that was coming into his life? Alister said that it was quite a shame. "Hey I've still got time" Just then the door to the waiting room burst open and a nurse called out for Kaden as his wife Cara had just finished delivering the baby.
"You were saying?" Alister smirked to Kaden's groan of protest as both men rushed over to where Kaden's mate and his newborn cub was. However the sight that greeted them drove all matters of joking further from their minds. Cara was holding her cub in her arms proudly with her eyes half lidded. The nurse on duty softly congratulated Kaden and told the new father that it was a boy.
Kaden carefully came up to the bed and gently laid his hand on his son, his baby cub. "Hey there," Kaden said softly since his son was currently sleeping. Cara gently moved the cub over while not disturbing the cub's slumber, leaving Kaden to hold his boy in his arms. The Lombax scientist, inventor, researcher and keeper of the Dimensionator could only stand there, throat choking and vision turning blurry. "it's me your father, you don't know how happy I am to finally hold you." The Lombax let out a short laugh and said "Sorry that I don't have a name for you yet after all this time."
"Ratchet," Alister interrupted and both Cara and Kaden turned to the Four Bolt General, temperamental hero, and one of the most unflappable leader of the Lombaxes actually looking abashed of all things. "Ratchet, I don't know why but he looks like a Ratchet."
"Ratchet," Kaden said, testing the name in his mouth. When he looked towards his mate, he saw that she was nodding her head in approval. They had been running around in circles trying to pick a name for their child but never did they agree on one until now. "Ratchet, it suits you." Kaden said looking down on his cub's sleeping face. "Welcome to the world then, Rachet Nova, my son."