Chapter IV
Is the anticipation building up? I know it is for me. Let's continue on.
Still being held captive by the pirates, Ratchet and Soara continued to be dragged through the forest planet they longed to leave. Ratchet was starting to feel better after being shocked by Soara's electro-sword, and the pirates noticed too. As Ratchet started struggling harder to break free, the pirates tightened there hold on him. "Knock it off!" The pirate captain shouted, smacking Ratchet in the face. "Resistance will only make matters worse!" Soara longed for the pirate, still holding his knife to her neck, to loosen his grip. She was afraid that if she lost her footing, or is the pirates turned unexpectedly, or if she so much as sneezed, the knife would cut into her neck, and possibly slit her throat. Clank was not quiet either. The sack, that he was still trapped in, swung around in the hands of the pirate holding it, and muffled shouts could be heard. As they walked on, the pirates looked over the treasures that they had taken from Ratchet and Soara. One swung Ratchet's omniwrench around foolishly, while two more fought over Soara's gravity-pack.
"How do you get this bloom'n thing to work?" Said one pirate, holding Soara's electro-sword like a rifle. "Idiot!" Interjected Soara. "You're holding it wrong!" The pirate with her sword stopped and looked at her. "Oh yeah?" He said. "Then how DO you hold it, pretty." Soara smiled. "Long-end down." She replied. The pirate looked at the sword, then turned it around, so he was holding it upside-down by the blade. "You mean like this." He asked Soara. Soara's smile widened. "Exactly." She said. "And do you know how to turn it on?" She asked. The pirate looked puzzled at her. "Why, no." He said "How do ya?"
"Well." Soara said. Ratchet looked at her with a grimace. "What is she doing?" He thought to himself. "We're being held prisoner, and she's showing these imbeciles how to- wait." He then understood. Soara had a trick up her sleeve. "How to out-smart stupid pirates."
"Oh." Ratchet thought to himself. "You see that switched up top?" Soara continued. The pirate looked at the switch on the hilt of her sword. "Why, yes I do!" Said the pirate. "Well, then." said Soara. "You turn it all the way around." The pirate obeyed without giving it a second thought. "You mean like this?" He turned the electro-sword on to full power, so that the electric currents were so strong, he, and several of the pirates around him actually exploded.
At the sight of what had just happened, the remaining pirates all shouted in fear and anger. The one holding the knife to Soara's neck finally loosened his grip. Soara seized the opportunity by grabbing the pirates arm, twisting it so he dropped his knife, caught the knife with her free hand, flipped around, so she was now behind him, and decapitated him with his knife. Soara then threw the now sparking head at two other pirates, who had ran over to aid their comrade, and both toppled over. "Stop her!" Shouted the captain. "Kill her!" Soara kicked up her electro-sword with her foot, caught it, and turned down the voltage. She then used it to slice down two more pirates who ran at her. Ratchet saw Soara run at him, preparing to strike. He covered his eyes, waiting for the final blow, that Soara wanted so desperately, to come. But instead, he felt the pirates holding him let go. Ratchet opened his eyes to see the pirates lying in pieces at his feet, and Soara's free hand outstretched to him. "Well?" Said Soara impatiently. "You going to take it or not?" Hesitating, Ratchet wondered what would happen if he took Soara's hand. Would she slice Ratchet's hand off, maybe cuff it? With the six remaining pirates running at them, Ratchet decided to take Soara's hand. Keeping a tight grip on Ratchet's hand, Soara pulled him away from the angry pirates, kicking up Ratchet's fallen omniwrench with her foot, and tossed it to him without looking at him, as she passed it.
Barely making any distance between themselves and the pirates, Ratchet let go of Soara's hand. She stopped. "What do you think you are doing?!" She said angrily, as Ratchet ran back towards the pirates. "I'm not going anywhere!" He shouted back at her. "Not without Clank!" Soara shouted in frustration. "Ah! For crying out loud!" She shouted. Ratchet dodged one pirated, who swung a long knife at him, knocked over the captain, and went straight for the one still holding Clank in the sack. Ratchet jumped, did a graceful spin, and brought down his omniwrench right on top of the pirate, breaking him in two. Ratchet then grabbed the sack, and ran back towards Soara, who surprisingly waited for him. The five remaining pirates chased after them. As Ratchet and Soara ran through the jungle, they heard blaster fire behind them. They ducked, but continued running. The fire from one of the pirates blaster whizzed past Ratchet, that he could actually feel it's heat. He thought it might have actually singed his fur. He and Soara continued running, even when they had not breath left. Not too far behind Ratchet, Soara looked back to see, how much distance they had put between themselves and the pirates. She could no longer see them, but the sounds of there battle-cries and stomping feet still filled the air. "Soara took that to mean that it was not time to slow down yet.
They seemed to run on for hours until they no longer heard the pirates. The two of them finally stopped to catch their breath, breathing heavily. It was finally quite enough for Ratchet to hear the muffled yells coming from the sack that he was still holding. "Oh, Clank!" He said, reaching his hand in, and pulling Clank out. "Sorry about that, pal." Said Ratchet, setting Clank down. "You okay?" Clank tilted his head back and forth, as if to get a kink out of his neck. "Yes." He said. "I am fine." He noticed Soara. "Look out, Ratchet !" Clank shouted, moving between Ratchet and Soara. "Run! I will hold her off!" Soara rolled her eyes as Ratchet held Clank back. "Woah. Hold on there, Clank." Said Ratchet. "It's fine. Soara helped us escape the pirates." Ratchet turned to look at Soara, glaring at her. "Although, I can't seem to figure out why." Soara shrugged. Ratchet and Clank stared intently at Soara. "I think you owe us an explanation, Soara! Why are you trying to kill us?"
"I was assigned to." Said Soara. "My employer, Captain Telther, was hired not to long back, by the last of Emperor Tachyon's supporters, to kill the Galaxy's last Lombax. You" Ratchet folded his arms, and stared at Soara. "Go on." He said. Soara sighed deeply. Maybe it's best if I started at the beginning.
Don't get bored on me. We're not done yet. Keep your eyes open for the next chapter. The best part has yet to come.