To all,

Chapter 6 is finally up, it has a bit more action then the other chapters as I am trying to work towards the good stuff so bare with me. If you have any suggestion or requests fire away… It would really help evolve the story if in your reviews, you can add what you would like to see, or improvements all along other subjects.

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Flying without a care

"05:59"

Ratchet ticked his watch to make sure it was not defect, the ticking continued steady as the seconds counted away towards 6 o clock. The Lombax was in his famous battle suite, the black suite with blue strips running along the limbs, alongside his helmet made Ratchet look a bit larger then he normally was without the extra armour, but it wasn't like this was going to be a pleasant ride, oh no! "06:00, where is Abel? I said to him that I wanted to see hi…GAH!" "PRESENT" he heard being yelled at him from behind, quickly scratching his ears in the process Ratchet quickly turned around to see Abel in a similar suit. He actually looked quite good in blue! Shame he only wore white the rest of the time. "You should really know how to approach people you know!" he said panting as his hart raced inside his chest and his lungs trying to breath properly after the "surprise" he just received from his fellow Lombax.

"So why you asked me to come here Ratchet? Or we going into one of those?" he said pointing towards one of the ships. "Or what did you wanna do anyway? I mean I can't know what you know, because you already know the things that I do need to know before knowing fully what…" Ratchet just pointed his finger to Abel indicting he should calm down a bit. How that guy kept so energetic God only knew Ratchet thought, as he went towards the gate, "Well then Abel" he said finally having been able to catch his breath somewhat. "Today I'll teach you how to fly, I know that this is normally done by an instructor, but I wanted to personally train you today." "Oh boy you mean it Ratchet?!!" he said in joy as he leapt towards ratchet hugging him tightly.

As Abel sat down in front of Ratchet the green eyed Lombax began telling about the F-304 interceptor, listening to every word the Lombax told him making sure he took notes. "So remember that the inertial dampeners are NOT yet fully 100% effective so it could get a bit bumpy along the ride once you pass past a few G. Any questions?" Ratchet asked hoping that Abel would ask some so that he at least have the feeling he paid attention. But what Abel said shocked him so hard he had to sit down. "Yea when do I get to fly?... Ummm ratchet are you ok there?" as ratchet looked very white even viewable trough the fur. "Wait you mean you actually know how to fly the plane?" Ratchet asked with a glimmer of curiosity, what surprised him the most was that Abel actually seemed to tell the truth. And Abel did tell the truth as he told him he had already learned to fly star ships as soon as he was able to walk from his Master. But as soon as Ratchet dared to ask for the name Abel shut completely down, not saying a word.

"Well then… Let's see what you know then" Ratchet winked as he went towards one of the P-304's signalling the maintenance bots to help prepare the crafts. As several bots made there way towards both Abel and Ratchet, taking with them equipment going from ammunition towards the washing sop for the windows. "This is Captain Ratchet calling radio tower…over!" "This is radio tower…over!" as ratchet began to tell that both he and Abel would go for a small test drive, the last of the equipment was brought onboard the two ships. Ratchet's ship was the first to be ready as he made his way towards the landings tripe.

"Captain Ratchet, you are ready to go…over!" it sounded in both cockpits as ratchet quickly turned on one of Courtney Gears albums. Even if she had tried to kill him in the past, her music was still rather good there was no arguing about that he taught ash eh put down his helmet over his face giving him various readings of the ship and his surrounding as well as details over Abel's ship.

As soon as both ships were in the right position Ratchet clicked on the ignition switch, a load thundering sound came forth from the engines as they charged up, preparing themselves for the initial thrust forward into the depths of space. Ratchet gave signal to the tower to open the front gate, but not letting the shield down so that decompression couldn't take place within the hangar, last thing he wanted was a dozen fighters drifting off, or being hit by space debris!

The sound became deafening even inside the cockpits as the engines had almost reached the right amount of energy for blastoff. Ratchet held his fingers ready for the initial boost, making sure his body was limp enough not have any disturbance of the pressure that would sound fall away. Checking the last of the life indicators, that they were alright and within boundaries. Whilst at the same time viewing at Abel's indicators. As the sound became unbearable to say the least both pilots pressed the switch forward lunging there craft into space, Ratchet having a small head start over Abel. Both crafts went with a speed that soon the phoenix only seemed like a spot on the dark sky surrounding there vessels, the cold that was everywhere as well as the silence that could drive any man to insanity after a while. "Yo Ratchet, I told you I could fly…" shouted Abel into the mike smiling as he said that blissful word "flying" Abel loved it, it made him feel free of everything. "There is a difference within flying and flying" ratchet exclaimed with a grin on his face as he drove more speed towards the engines blasting of further into space… As he quickly jolted a 360° around his sides he added in a small loop to finish of the deal. "Now that my friend is what they call flying." Thinking that Abel only mastered the basics. Tough Ratchet was impressed that his friend had skill of that art! Only a few of the rangers could fly but none of them ever surpassed Ratchet, either backing down out of fear or because there sensors couldn't calculate such dangerous moves. "You haven't seen anything, Ratchet" said Abel barely hear able for Ratchet's own cockpit as now Abel jumped forward doing the same stunt ratchet had done in the deep emptiness of space. Enjoying the beauty of the mists that hang around them. Whilst at that time watching as the lights of the sun shined upon an ice rind around a small moon located just a few kilocubits away from them. "So you learned some tricks eh Abel?" ratchet said over the mike as the only thing Abel said was a small pfff "That was Childs play, THIS, is how it's done!" he said frankly taking ratchet by surprise as he brought his ship into a nose dive before quickly ascending again, turning the ship several times around it's ash. Abel was having the time of his life, flying in space once again after all that time, being here with what he regarded as his best friend. It was just heavenly for him!

"Not to bad fuzz ball!... Tell you what, let's race to settle this little argument shall we?" grinning as he knew exactly how to beat Abel at his own game. But it would take some skill of Ratchet to beat Abel, he knew that but he also knew that he was skilled at a higher level then Abel was. And a few fancy tricks in an open space wouldn't show anyone's skill. The real skill was evading other fighters in a fight! A dogfight that's what it's all about in war. And Ratchet needed to see if Abel would be able for that!

"First one to get passed that ice field over there wins the race… On your marks… Get set…GO!" Ratchet cried out as both ships launched at tremendous speed towards the field of ice, the sun making it blinding to look at, but that made it all the harder for both pilots. As they had reached the outer ring of the moon. Small shards of ice bounced of the shield with lightning speed as both ships went through the field… Ratchet using the skills he had learned over his years as a commando came in handy as he avoided some of the smaller shards, but Abel he was more for a direct approach making sure he went in a straight line. Every now and then ratchet would be ahead of Abel, but at moments it was Abel that took the lead of both of them.

The small shards didn't have much effect, it was until they reached the larger blocks of ice that came hurling towards them at great speed that both of them needed to manoeuvre. "Damm that's close! Diverting power from weaponry towards the shield and engine!" Ratchet said for the black box to note. As his ships altered the power usage, giving him a boost of speed which came a bit hard for the stomach making him almost throw up at the new speed. This is crazy he taught but he could not allow Abel get this victory. Not what had happened during there sparring match a few days ago. "I WON'T loose!" he cried out giving even a higher velocity towards the engines.

Abel was evading the incoming rocks with ease as if he could predict where they came from. Tough ratchet began to gain up with the extra speed even flying like Abel straight trough to the core of field. It wasn't until the rocks became to large for them to evade that they started blazing trough the field, activating some of there weaponry to make passageways if needed. "Yea man this reminds me of the old days!!! WOOHOO!!!" shouted Abel as he noticed Ratchet was firing his rail gun towards certain rocks in front of them… This came as a surprise to Abel as he hadn't counted on ratchet blowing up the rock to get a free passage, and making his own path more dangerous. "So are we going to play it like that, eh Ratchet?" Abel smiled as he gave extra power towards the drive system feeding it with much needed fuel for the extra burst of speed.

Ratchet watched as on the radar to see if Abel was still behind him, but to his surprise he couldn't find his signal anywhere. The blocks of ice making sure that his signal could not be spotted. The ice shards becoming thicker and harder to blast trough as all of a sudden out of thin air a huge block of ice was shattered from the opposite direction. Could it be Abel? No he wouldn't!!! To Ratchet shock as he the ship of his friend flying towards him at super-Lombax speed. His ship turning 180° facing his cockpit downwards as his ship flew by ratchet's own, As seconds became minutes he could see inside Abel's cockpit seeing the Lombax wave at him, as the ship plunged towards the darkness before coming back in a U turn flying past him, letting him believe he had begun a match against a God of some sort. "That's impossible! No way he can survive that much pressure!!!" ratchet said as they reached the third obstacle of there race, the moon itself. It took the limits of both ships not to crash onto the moon's surface as gravity began to pull them down from space. Both ships barely scratching one of the craters formed by impacts of the shards of ice floating around it. Abel took off with a noselength as he quickly bypassed several craters, each one in it's own unique shape and size, whilst not forgetting the plummeting rocks that came crashing down towards the moon every so often. Ratchet had a hard time to keep up with Abel, not only by speed but also by guts! It didn't bother Abel he had almost killed both of them in that stunt of his, nor to fly straight trough an ice field like they had done just a few minutes ago… but he wouldn't give up just yet! As the final lap towards the Phoenix would begin and there he would be in the advantage!! However by not paying attention to his HUD ratchet had barely missed an obstacle, one of his wings damaged and loosing fuel he needed to make sure he got to the Phoenix in time. Else he would be dead!

Ratchet gave an enormous boost (which he thought would destroy his ship if he wasn't carefully enough!) to get loose from the gravitational field. Abel who hadn't asked as much from his ship on speed yet was quickly away from the field with ratchet hot in his pursuit. As both ships entered the final kilocubits ratchet gave everything he had, every muscle tensed as his body was pushed yet further and further into the chair behind him, his muscles beginning to ache from the sheer pressure that build on his body. His fur aching as it began to push itself into his flesh. But he would not loose not this time, not this time!!

"Ratchet watch out you might kill yourself!" Abel said viewing ratchet's monitors, but as soon as he saw that the bold Captain wouldn't give up, he himself began to give everything he had… It was a neck on neck race, the victor would and could only be decided by he who would pull of at the last minute to land safely into the hangar. As the Phoenix came closer and closer towards them, as that small dot began to form into the ship that was the Phoenix both Lombaxes had seen there destination. The hangar from which they had started and where it would all end. Several screams and roars could be heard from the cockpits as neither one would give up on this fight. Ratchet nor Abel. The last few yards had been the most thrilling for both of them. As each of them at the last microcubit pulled back the pedal almost flying trough the window as the ships decelerated. A draw! Both of them landed at the same time in the hangar. Ratchet could not believe this but so did Abel!

As the Lombax climbed out of the cockpit he fell down on his back with a hard thud, same for Abel. Both had been exhausted and were at the end of there strength. "Hehe, did I win??" laughed Ratchet before everything went black.

A sound was recognisable for Ratchet, his eyes felt heavy as he tried to open them, a small beeping sound could be heard in the distance as it grew louder and louder with each passing second. His vision was blurred by shady images as he tried to remember what had happened… he tried to speak, but nothing came out of his mouth, the only thing he could feel were his muscles as they ached from pain. He tried to turn his head but to no avail, he was strapped into something. His sight bettering more and more and he began to see shapes, shapes he recognised as the inside of the Phoenix infirmary. "Hoo…oow…did I get here?" he said very softly, even his tongue hurt when he tried to speak. The robot doctor who had been watching over ratchet noticed this and quickly informed others as they began to make notes of various things. Things which could be stolen for all ratchet cared! He wanted to know what happened and more important at that time what happened with Abel!

But his questions had been answered before he even asked them as a cheerful Lombax entered his sight hugging him hard. "Muscles….pain!....ABEL!" he was able to scream that last word which caught the blue eyed Lombax attention. "Hey buddie you're finally awake! It was some race huh?!" said Abel as he put Bolt next to ratchet, as the small Lombax began sniffing at the various things ratchet was hooked on he wanted to know what happened. "well you passed out! Your body couldn't hold it no more. Several broken ribs and well exhaustion is the result bud." Said Abel towards Ratchet, who now began to remember. Abel hadn't strained his body as much as Ratchet had done that's why he wasn't in the infirmary and he was.

But before Abel was able to leave the room ratchet asked who had won… "It was a tie ratchet" said the blue eyed Lombax as he went outside.

As the doctor came outside Abel confronted him. "Yo doc everything gonna be fine for him?" "He will be fine after some nanotech treatments and some good rest. But what were you thinking both of you! Flying over 9 G's is deadly even for you people… And I don't need to remind you that taking ratchet above his limits is no excuse!" Abel growled lowly at the doctor, reminding that it was HE that should not tell Abel what and what not to do. "You just focus on getting him better. That's all I ask for!" Abel sad as his voice became overwhelmed with fear and sorrow. Even if it was not his fault he felt guilty at having pushed ratchet so towards his limits. Indeed it had been fun but this was not what he wanted. The members of the Q-force as well as other people of the crew had come to see how the "captain" was doing. They heard what had happened and especially Clank wanted to be with Ratchet as the small robot felt compelled to be at his side at a time like this.

Flying without a care for Abel came at a high cost indeed as a tear formed in his eye falling on his fur.