A/N- IMPORTANT! Decided to go in a little bit of a different direction with this story. As such the first chapter is unconnected to this one. This is where the real story begins. I will leave the first chapter up as a reminder of what could have been, but from here on out this is the start of the story. I feel much better about this opening than I did about the last and I hope you feel the same.

Also, should I add Qwark to the crew? Your decision.

I may include a few minor Oc's to fill out the crew, but I can't be sure. Other than that, every other character is someone from the series.

Now, to answer a few questions.

1. Ratchet will be utilizing both the variety and the strength of his arsenal in his fights.

2. Some weapons will be as powerful as their descriptions suggest, but others might not be. (Seriously, have you read some of the in-game descriptions for some of the damn things?)

3. Ratchet is roughly 5 feet tall-ish, (I forgot the exact height) and was stated as being 17 as of the first game in the series. Assuming that he aged by about one year per game, (Not counting Secret Agent Clank so don't complain. Mainly because I never played it so I know nothing about it. Also, the future series all occurred one after the other, so no counting there.) that would make him roughly 23-26 years old given the start point of my story.

4. I use my personal information on the series from being a super fan, along with wiki for my sources. If something truly doesn't add up, then you can complain and I'll listen.

5. COMPLETELY DISREGARD THE RECENT REMAKE OF THE ORIGINAL AS WELL AS THE MOVIE.

6. This takes place after Into the Nexus, with it being the most recent event prior to this story.

7. It is somewhat hard for me to pin down Ratchet's exact personality. He has changed quite a bit over the years, and I will try my best to stay true to his character. (Compare Deadlocked Ratchet to Tools of Destruction Ratchet.)

8. As a fun little tidbit of information, my favorite weapon in the series is the Rift Ripper from Up Your Arsenal. My favorite of the RYNO series, including the Zodiac and Harbinger, is the RYNO 7. And my all time favorite game is Deadlocked. The fast paced action, badass armor, mature theme, small but highly customizable arsenal, powerful vehicles, and mountains of rewarding challenges, made it my favorite.

Feel free to voice your favorite's in the your reviews.

(-)

It was just another average morning on Kyzil Platuea on planet Veldin. The planet was mostly barren and was used as a ship graveyard. The majority of it is covered in red desert with only 40% of it being water. It is a harsh environment to live in, but people lived in it nonetheless. Mainly the poor or the less fortunate live on it. Its numerous ship graveyards make it a scavengers paradise as well as a popular place for mechanics to set up shops for low prices. But in recent years the planet has managed to improve its status. This was in part thanks to the presence of quite possibly the greatest heroic duo the universe has ever seen.

Residing in a meager looking garage on Kyzil Platuea, the inhabitants of said garage began to stir. One was a Lombax. Or rather, one of the last Lombax's in the universe since the rest had fled to another dimension. The Lombax race was well known for their ingenuity in crafting, repairing, and modifying various types of machines. This Lombax was no different. It was only natural that he ran a mechanics. The Lombax in question was known as Ratchet, and he was currently beginning to wake up in the mess he called a bed. The covers haphazardly tangled around his limbs, schematics and tools littered about the bed. He was not the most well organized of people, but that was where his companion came in.

Exiting sleep mode and unfolding his limbs on a nearby chair, was Ratchet's ever faithful companion and best friend, Clank. Clank was a Sentry Bot that was improperly produced at a Blarg factory. It was through the machinations of his father, Orvus, the leader of the Zoni, that he came to be. Although his proper designation is XJ0461, the nickname 'Clank' given to him by Ratchet, had stuck. Clank was the more intellectual and refined of the two and it showed on a regular basis.

"Ratchet, it is time to get up." he said in his usual robotic tone of voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." said the Lombax as he sat up and stretched his limbs. "What's on the schedule for today?"

"Well, we have to finish repairing the KR-79 Star Shooter for mister Zall. The engine stills needs to be tweaked a little. Then we need to find a replacement combustion manifold for a D-4 Sky Hawk. The owner said he will be bringing it by around noon. And then we need to head to Veldin's Lossal spaceport where we need to do repairs on a Kerchu Star Cruiser." listed off the robot.

"Hahh, just need to get my morning coffee first." Ratchet said as he pulled on his pants, threw on a black sleeveless shirt, and placed his leather cap on his head.

The robot followed his Lombax companion to the kitchen where the latter started a pot of coffee. Clank had long since gotten used to Ratchet's morning routine. Due to the lack of recent adventures for the duo, he had become somewhat lazy in his everyday duties. That's not to say it ever affected his work. No, when his wrench was in his hands he would work magic on whatever was on the receiving end of it. It's just that Ratchet was a bit bored of the dull, mundane lifestyle that he was currently living. It had been well over a year since their last big adventure. That being their fight against the Nether.

What had started as a simple prisoner escort mission had rapidly fallen apart and cost the duo the lives of two of their close friends. The old warbots Cronk and Zephyr. Ratchet's good friend Talwyn had also suffered from their loss. The two were her guardians and acted as father figures seeing as her father had gone missing. But as time went on the wounds began to heal. Things would never be the same without them, but they all knew the aged bots wouldn't want them to sulk over their deaths forever. Wherever they were, they were in a better place now.

Ratchet took a sip from his mug, savoring the taste of freshly brewed Talnog coffee that had been sent to him courtesy of his friend Big Al. He would need to thank the tech-wizard the next time he got in contact with him, as well as ask him where he could get some more.

"Mmm, that's the good stuff." Ratchet said as he made his way to his 'office' which looked more like a bachelor pad then anything else. A slightly ripped couch was positioned in the center of the room. A small table in front of it and a television mounted on the wall across from that. In one corner was a messy desk that had papers of varying importance which were stacked into piles designated, important, very important, and crap. They ranged from schematics to bills and even a few un-cashed checks from customers that Ratchet never got around to cashing. Also on the desk was a computer that was used mainly by Clank for their business. Another side of the room held some memorabilia from the many adventures that Ratchet and Clank had been on. A Protopet plushy, photos of the friends they'd made over the years, Azimuth's wrench, Tachyon's crown, the list goes on.

Ratchet and Clank plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV to see what was on the news today. The appliance surged to life and the screen displayed a familiar robot reporter who was standing outside the Galactic Presidents palace on planet Marcadia.

"This is Darla Gratch of channel 64 news. And for those of you just joining in, we are about to hear a press conference from President Phyronix concerning the newly discovered and recently dubbed 'Grismin' galaxy."

The camera then panned over to the stage where a large Cazar walked out who was flanked by two guards. The man took the stage and stood in front of the podium in the center.

President Phyronix stood at roughly ten feet tall, the tips of his brown hair starting to turn gray as a sign of aging, as well as small wrinkles forming in the fur of his face. But the man was still a rather upbeat fellow, not letting his age get to him very easily.

"Fellow citizens of the Solana galaxy, first I would like to thank you for..."

Ratchet tuned out for the next couple of minutes. He was well familiar with the cazares habit of grandstanding, trying to up his appeal and promote himself. Not that he wasn't bad at it. No, in fact it was something that all cazares were skilled at. They possessed a natural aptitude for leadership and civil service, which made them great politicians. It was just that Ratchet wasn't big on politics. Hell, he didn't even vote so he saw no point in listening to the first half of the mans address as it would just be political jargon that he didn't care for. But by the time Ratchet had finished his coffee, President Phyronix had gotten down to business.

"I would now like to address the concerns about the newly discovered Grismin galaxy. In accordance with intergalactic law, since Solana was the first to find it, we are the ones in charge of first contact. That being said, we are currently in the process of putting together a skilled team of professionals who we will send out to scout the galaxy for any signs of sentient life. I can assure you, no expense is being wasted in our search for talented individuals to undergo this endeavor. In fact, this will be a joint effort along with two other galaxies to ensure that we have the best outcome possible. Both the Bogon and Polaris galaxies are putting their hats in the ring to aid us. Although the forces of our galaxy will still be the ones primarily in charge."

Ratchet scratched his chin in thought. The Grismin galaxy was the hot topic of the season. New galaxy's don't get discovered very often, so when one does it is usually a big deal. It can also turn into a political shitstorm if the cards aren't played right. But fortunately this time around it seemed that Solana drew the ace of spades and was lucky enough to discover the galaxy without contest. This meant that they had full rights to making treaties with any discovered civilizations. However, it seemed that Solana was also trying to up its popularity by allowing two other galactic governments to take part in the operation. It was a good way to get on their good side while still reaping the majority of the reward.

"I bet there's something interesting to be found out there." mumbled Ratchet.

"Indeed. The probability of them finding something is actually very high. The Grismin galaxy is far beyond the Shadow Sector, so no one ever noticed it until now." added Clank as he sifted through the various messages they had received on the computer.

"I wonder what it would take to get chosen for the mission?" Ratchet mused as he turned off the TV.

"Oh. Ratchet, you might want to read this." Clank said as he stopped on one particular message.

"What is it?" Ratchet asked as he leaned over for a closer look. The sender was from none other then President Phyronix. The subject: Grismin Galaxy.

Ratchet smirked as he read the tag-line. Job offer. "Open it."

Clank clicked on the message and it opened up to reveal a video file. The screen was black save for President Phyronix who stood in the center of it.

"Hello Ratchet, Clank. I have sent this message to you as I have a job offer you might be interested in. If you've been paying attention to the news recently, then I'm sure that you're familiar with the discovery of the Grismin galaxy. You may also be aware that we are currently putting together a team to go and investigate it. We need the best of the best for this job, and we have decided that you are the most qualified people for a certain position in this undertaking. I would like to personally offer you a spot on the crew that is being sent. If you are interested in the offer, please respond to this message with a yes and I will arrange to meet you at the Bassos city spaceport on planet Marcadia on space date 6/11."

The message cut out there and the two gave each other a look.

"Well, once more down the rabbit hole?" asked Ratchet.

"I'd say it's about due time." mused Clank.

(-)

Ratchet was currently waiting at the designated spot at the Bassos city spaceport alongside his companion Clank. He was wearing an orange and green jacket over a red shirt with black pants. Leaning up against a wall, tapping his foot against the ground, he was patiently waiting for President Phyronix to show up.

It didn't take long. Soon enough a convoy of black hovercars pulled up alongside the road and stopped in front of Ratchet and Clank. The door to the center one opened up to reveal the man of the hour.

"Ratchet! Clank! Good to see you two again!" the President bellowed as he climbed out of the hovercar and held out his hand.

"Nice to see you again sir." Ratchet said as he shook the mans hand.

"It is nice to see you are doing well." Clank spoke as he shook hands next.

"My, it has been far too long since we were able to meet in person like this. When was the last time?"

"I believe that was a year and a half back, during the resolution of the Artemis Zogg affair." answered Clank.

"Has it really been that long? Huh. Well, it's good to finally having a meeting face to face again. Care to go for a ride?" the president asked as he gestured to his car.

"Sure sir." Ratchet said as he and Clank climbed into the hovercar, followed by the president.

"You know where to go." the president called out to the driver as the hovercar took off. "So, what have you boys been up to as of late?"

"Eh, not much. Just normal mechanic stuff. A broken driveshaft here, a clogged engine there. You know, the usual." answered Ratchet.

"I take it business is good?"

"Well there certainly isn't a shortage of it. Half my customers are totally stoked that the universes greatest heroes are working on their stuff."

"And the other half?"

Ratchet chuckled. "They can't believe that the actual occupation of the greatest heroic duo ever is mechanics."

The president let out a hardy laugh at that. "Well you can't blame them. When you think about it it is a little strange. So why do it?"

"Well..." Ratchet trailed off as he leaned back in his chair. "Just something about it is so soothing. Like it's what I'm meant to do. You are aware of the Lombax's predisposition towards tinkering with things, right?"

"Indeed. Once upon a time they were well known for their gadgetry." spoke the president solemnly. "But that was before..."

"Yeah." finished Ratchet. He was still somewhat down about not ever being able to see his race again, but he wasn't going to let it control him. The only thing he could do was hold his head high and move forward. "By the way, I want to thank you."

The president quirked a brow. "What for?"

"Back when we first met, you always treated Clank as the hero. You acted like I was just his chauffeur like from the Secret Agent Clank movies." Ratchet said as he twiddled his thumbs. "Back then I thought you were just ignorant. But now I understand you were playing him up and me down for a reason."

The president remained silent as Ratchet continued.

"Even if you didn't have the whole story, you still had an inkling of an idea of what had happened to my people, what was going on in Polaris. You had to. Even if he was far away from Solana, you knew that Tachyon would have spy networks setup. You tried to keep my existence hidden." explained Ratchet.

"... All I did was what I thought was best for your survival. If you kept accruing fame, then I knew that Tachyon would eventually find you. So I did my best to cover up your exploits, peg your success's to someone else."

"Qwark." spoke Ratchet.

"An already famous hero to pin all the fame on. A celebrity that everyone was already familiar with."

"And some thanks I gave you." scoffed Ratchet. "What did I go and do? Try and make my name even bigger."

"I did my best to control the news reports that left Solana. I was the reason that Tachyon never found you after you defeated Drek. But when you were taken to Dreadzone..." the president said as his face became downcast.

"You couldn't control them. So that's how Tachyon learned of my existence." finished Ratchet.

The three sat in silence for a few moments, the mood having taken a downturn.

"But in the end, I guess everything turned out well." Ratchet said with a bit of pep. "I found out my origins and finished what my people started."

The president grunted in approval. "Indeed you did."

"Sir, we're here." came the voice of the driver.

"Ah. Well boys, you ready to see her?" asked the president.

"Her?" parroted Clank.

The door to the hovercar opened to reveal a massive hangar that played host to an equally massive ship. A familiar ship. All three stepped out of the car and gazed at the giant spacecraft.

It was immense. A large, sleek star ship that was painted bright red and gunmetal gray.

"Is that... the Phoenix?" asked Ratchet. s he pointed at the ship.

"Nope." answered the president with his arms folded behind his back. "The Phoenix was recently decommissioned. This is her successor. The Dragon." he said grandly as he swung his arms out.

"It's... amazing..." gaped Ratchet in awe.

"It is quite the impressive ship." added Clank. "But why are you showing us this?"

"The Dragon will be the ship to go on the expedition to the Grismin galaxy." answered the president. "She's twice the size of the Phoenix with the latest technology installed on her. She's the new pride of the Solana fleet. Should you accept my offer to go on the expedition, this is what you'll be spending most of your time on."

"Shit, sign me up!" cheered Ratchet. "I'd say yes to the job even if we were just taking her to get her warp drive re-calibrated. I can't wait to be a passenger on such a gorgeous ship."

"Oh, you won't just be a passenger." spoke the president.

"What do you mean?" asked Clank.

"If you say yes to the job, you will be the captain of this glorious vessel."

"No. Fucking. Way." gaped Ratchet.

"Yep!" answered the president. "The Phoenix's last captain retired and aside from my daughter, you've got the most experience in handling the Phoenix, so the Dragon should come to you naturally. You will be the commander of the First Contact Recon Force, or, FCRF."

Ratchet looked at the president with a mad look in his eyes. "Where do I sign?"

"Aha, ha, ha! I like your enthusiasm! We have the paperwork on board the ship. Care for a tour?"

"Strangely enough, you had me at 'paperwork'." said Ratchet.

(-)

Ratchet gaped in awe at the sheer absurdity of how massive the ship was. The hangar inside was so spacious, mainly because there was nothing in it right now.

"In one week's time this hangar will be filled with the vehicles you'll be using on the mission. Mostly military, but a few exceptions such as a mobile lab and an escort shuttle for our ambassador." spoke the president. "Now, I would love to give you a proper tour of the ship, but unfortunately this is all the time I can allot to you today. The life of galactic president is a busy one. So I will have the chief scientist take you for the tour."

"And who would that be?" asked Clank.

"Ah, if it isn't my two favorite heroes." came a familiar nasally voice.

Ratchet and Clank turned around to see Big Al walking towards them wearing a lab coat over his Captain Qwark t-shirt. The cyborg/Gorian(1) was an old friend of Ratchet and Clank. He had helped them out on their first adventure and had been around to support them ever since. He was a total techy/geek/nerd/all around good guy. He had a bit of an unhealthy fan obsession with Qwark, but that seems to have petered out over the years. When it came to hacking, computers, and robotics, no one knew more then Big Al. (Save for his brother Bob, but don't tell him that.) Unfortunately he nearly died when he shot by Ace Hardlight during their stay in Dreadzone. But, as Al put it, since they couldn't repair his injured body, they built him a new one. A good portion of his head was replaced with robot parts along with one of his arms, but he was never worse off for it.

"Nice to see you guys again. How was that Talnog coffee I sent you?"

"Divine." answered Ratchet. "How's life been treating you Al?"

The cyborg shrugged. "Not too bad. I'm happy that the galactic government has chosen me to be chief scientist on this mission. And I hear that they chose you to be the captain."

"You heard right!" boasted Ratchet.

"Well, it seems you guys have everything under control. I have to be off now." said the president. "It was nice seeing you again."

"Yeah. You too." replied Ratchet as he waved goodbye along with Clank.

"So, are you ready to take the grand tour?" asked Al.

"You know it."

(-)

"The Dragon is armed with no less then 50 external cannons of varying type and caliber. Along with it's primary dual Cazarian rail cannons that are mounted underneath the nose. The inside has been retrofitted with auto turrets in case the ship is ever boarded like that one time with the Pheonix. As for taking damage, the hull is reinforced with raritanium along with a quantum repulsar field. The ships top speed is..."

Ratchet took in everything Big Al said to the last detail. His mind working overtime to keep up with all the works of wonder that made this ship tick. Clank stood beside him doing the same, although his recognition software was working at a pace that would send Ratchet's head spinning.

"The infirmary is down that hall, the VR training room is down that one, That one leads to the labs, and here's the crew's quarters." Big Al said as the three entered a large hall filled with doors to rooms. At the end of the hall as a lounge of sorts where the crew could unwind and play games and such. There were even some crew members there now.

They were a familiar bunch to Ratchet. The Galactic Rangers. They were robots of the Cyclops series Mk2. The red paint job identified them as such. Since the Tyhrranoid invasions led by Doctor Nefarious, they had been upgraded to Mk2 so that they weren't as cowardly. The green Mk1 was armed with a blaster cannon for an arm, but the Mk2 had two standard arms that could transform into the standard blaster cannon. This allowed them to wield two handed weapons and such besides their standard cannon.

"Hey look! It's sergeant Ratchet!" called out one of the rangers. Ah, that brought back memories. The small group rushed down the hall to greet Ratchet and Clank.

"Hey sarge! How's it going?"

"Been a few years, eh sarge?"

"You still kicking ass like usual? I know we are!"

"Hey guys. Nice to see you again. It's been awhile." responded Ratchet as he received various handshakes and pats on the back. "But just so you know, it's captain now."

"What? You mean-"

"Yep!" Ratchet said as he puffed out his chest in pride. "You're looking at the new captain of the Dragon."

"No way!"

"You rock sarge!"

"Ahem!" coughed Al. "Yes well, I'm sure that there will be time to catch up later. Right now we still have to tour the rest of the ship."

"Sorry guys. Gotta go. But we'll talk later alright?"

"Sure thing sarge!" the Rangers said as they waved off the trio.

"Good guys." Ratchet muttered.

(-)

The tour continued and soon enough Ratchet had seen the entirety of the ship. The mess hall, the engine room, storage room, armory, briefing room, comms room, everything. He now was standing in the bridge, admiring the sleek design of everything there. It was in pristine condition. Not having been used even once.

Ratchet whistled as he slid his hand across the arm of the captains chair. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." he said as he finally took a seat in the chair that overlooked the rest of the command center of the ship.

"Don't let it go to your head Ratchet." admonished Clank.

"I know, I know. Trust me, I won't."

"Here Ratchet, this is the basic briefing of the mission we'll be going on." Al said as he handed Ratchet a holo-screen. It had a detailed plan of the upcoming mission such as departure time, travel time, a roster of the crew members, a list of the assets being allocated, and various other information.

Ratchet spent a few minutes going over the information, handing each page he finished reading to Clank for him to read.

"Man, they really have this planned down to the last detail."

"Indeed." Big Al said as he pushed up his glasses. "Well captain I think it's about time you get to know the rest of the crew. At least the important ones." said Al as he handed Ratchet a list of the crew specialists. It included their names, a picture, basic information about them, as well as the skillset.

"Sure, bring them in."

Ratchet flipped through the papers in front of him and was surprised when he recognized a few of the names.

"Chief Fitness trainer, Helga von Streissenburgen, reporting!" came the female robotic voice. Ratchet spun his chair around and saw the familiar fitness trainer back from his Q-Force days. And she still seemed as brusque as ever.

The door opened again and in walked a Taborian. Ratchet recognized him as the New Age Mystic from the Bogon galaxy. "Chief Mystic, Walks With Stars, reporting." he said softly as he bowed.

"Why do we need a mystic?" asked Ratchet.

"Just covering all bases." answered Al.

The door opened again and in hovered two familiar combat bots. "Heavy weapons expert Merc," came the rugged voice of the first.

"And gadget expert Green," came the meek voice of the second.

"Reporting." they said in unison.

"Merc, Green! Nice to see you guys again!"

"It's been a long time boss. But we felt it was about time we get back in the game." spoke Merc.

"Y-yeah! And we figured we might as well serve under you again." added Green.

"We have to catch up later once all this is over." said Ratchet to which the combat bots nodded.

The door opened again and in walked another familiar face. One that made sweat pour down Ratchet brow. Standing in front of him was his sort-of ex-girlfriend and fellow Lombax.(2)

"Angela Cross, chief biologist and doctor, reporting."

"Crap." Ratchet muttered under his breath.

Angela was a successful biologist as noted by her work on the Protopet with Megacorp, so it only made sense that she was the chief biologist as well as doctor. Ratchet tried to wave hello to her, but Angela remained still and stoic in appearance.

The door opened again and in walked yet another familiar face.

"Double crap."

"Sasha Phyronix, chief ambassador, reporting."

It was only natural that they would send a cazar along to act as an ambassador given their skills in politics. And seeing as how Sasha was familiar with the working of the old Phoenix, then she would have an idea about the workings of the Dragon. She was also Ratchet's sort-of ex-girlfriend too.

Yet again the door opened and in walked another woman.

"Triple crap."

"Chief archaeologist, Talwyn Apogee, reporting."

Ratchet's sort-of current girlfriend. Talwyn is a genius when it came to things like studying other civilizations, her specialty being the Lombax's, so it only made sense that she'd be sent along for the ride. Ratchet was tempted to say hello o her, but when he noticed her shoot Sasha and Angela a glare, it became apparent that the trio had spoken with each other prior, and were well aware of their status' as ex-girlfriends. Speaking right now was not an option.

Fortunately salvation came in the form of the doors opening again. This time, in walked a Galactic Ranger. However this one had a pair of radio antennae shooting up from his shoulders. The robot gave a salute before speaking. "Communications officer, Gamma 1, reporting. But you can call me Gamal."

"At ease soldier." Ratchet responded. "I take it you'll be coordinating our comms systems?"

"That is correct sir. Anything you need the crew to know, I'm your man."

Again the door opened and in walked a larger variant of the Galactic Rangers. He was easily a foot taller then the rest and was built like a tank. "Armory chief, Sigma 1, reporting." came a deep baritone. "But you may call me Siegfried."

The doors opened one last time and in walked another Galactic Ranger. This one was more lithe in design. It was built not for combat, but for maintenance. "Chief mechanic, Delta 1, reportin. But yah can just call meh Delsin." he said with a thick accent. "If dere's anything yah need repaired, ahm yer man. Be it tank or gunship, I know mah way around all of 'em."

Seeing as how everyone was present, Ratchet stood up from his chair. "Nice to meet you all. For those of you who aren't already aware of this, my name is Ratchet. I'm the captain of this vessel." he then gestured to Clank. "And this here is my friend Clank. He will be my second in command."

"Hello." Clank waved.

"Each one of you has been chosen for a special reason. You are each the best in your respective fields, and when it comes to the mission we're being sent on, we need the best of the best." Ratchet said as he raised his fist. "In 1 space week standard time, this ship will be sent on an expedition to the Grismin galaxy. It is estimated that the journey will take us about 2 weeks. During that time you are to get acquainted with the ship and its crew. Any questions?"

The crew remained silent.

"Good." nodded Ratchet. "You may head to your quarters and get settled in. You have one week to requisition anything you may need for the trip before we leave. Dismissed!"

The group gave a salute before turning and leaving the way they came. Once they were all out of the room, Ratchet collapsed into his captains chair. "Fuck me..." he groaned as he massaged his temples.

"Something wrong Ratchet?" asked Big Al.

"Other than the fact that 2 of my ex-girlfriends are on the crew alongside my sort-of girlfriend? No, nothing's wrong." he gave a wry chuckle. "All perfectly fine."

"Well, perhaps you should try to settle things with them before we leave. I believe that the president left you a special present in your quarters that might help... alleviate the tension."

"Well then, I guess I better go see what it is." Ratchet said as he got back up and he and Clank headed for the captains quarters.

(-)

It was just as luxurious as Ratchet had imagined it would be. On suite bathroom, minibar, skylight, 70 inch HD TV, the place was a bachelor's dream come true. Save for the on suite office in the corner. But Ratchet had a feeling that it would be mainly Clank using that.

"Man, this place rocks!" Ratchet said as he flopped down on the king size bed.

"It seems that they choose both luxury and efficiency in its design." mused Clank as he scanned the room. His eyes stopped on a package that was placed on a table. "What's this?"

The diminutive robot walked over to the package and read the note that was attached to it.

"What'cha got there buddy?"

"It's for you." Clank said as he handed the package to Ratchet.

"Now let's see here..." Ratchet railed off as he read the card.

"Ratchet. Hope you like this. It came from my personal stash."

- President Phyronix

Ratchet opened the package and whistled when he saw what was inside. "Two bottles of the finest Kerchu whiskey."

While the Kerchu are known for being downright ill tempered creatures, second only to the Cragmites in the Polaris galaxy, they are also known in some circles for their downright potent alcohol. Some believe that they even mix in gelatonium for an extra kick. But seeing as how they rarely like doing business outside of their own race, it is rather hard to get your hands on any of their goods. A single bottle of Kerchu whiskey will set you back quite a bit in terms of bolts. They cost roughly the same as a down payment on a small star shuttle. So for the president to have given Ratchet 2 bottles was saying something.

"I take it you'll be inviting the girls over at some point to try and settle things with them?" asked Clank.

"You bet. No one stays mad after a glass of this stuff."

"No one stays sober after a glass either." mumbled Clank.

"Well anyway, that can wait till later. Right now we've got to get our stuff together and oversee the rest of the mission's setup."

"Agreed. Fun can wait until we're in transit."

(-)

The week went by in a flash and soon the day of departure was upon them. Ratchet and Clank had stocked up on ammo from the local vendors, made some last minute adjustments to their weapons and armor, and took inventory of the Dragon's supplies.

Right now the Bassos city spaceport was bustling with activity. Reporters were everywhere along with citizens who wanted to see off the expedition team. Ratchet currently stood along the back of a stage that had been setup in front of the Dragon. He was dressed in his Hyperflux armor with the helmet retracted. Standing beside him was Clank who was wearing a tie.

Soon enough, President Phyronix stepped out onto the stage and greeted the people gathered.

"My fellow citizens of the Solana galaxy," started the president. "Today is a glorious day in our long history. Today marks the start of the First Contact Recon Force's departure to the Grismin galaxy. It has been many years since the last galaxy was discovered, and now we are sending out a team of our best to scour the newly discovered galaxy for anything of importance. We stopped at no expense in hiring our crew members, and we have graciously accepted the aid of the Bogon and Polaris galaxies, who have decided to aid us in this endeavor. However such an undertaking cannot be started without a proper commander. In line with that, we have hired the greatest duo of hero's the universe has ever seen!" he shouted as he waved Ratchet and Clank over. "I give you, the commanders of the First Contact Recon Force... Ratchet and Clank!"

A uproarious cheer erupted from the crowd as Ratchet and Clank waved out to them.

"Now without further ado, I'd say it about time we kick this thing off!"

The crowd's roar became deafening as they cheered for their hero's.

"Good luck boys." President Phyronix said as he gave Ratchet and Clank a salute, one which they returned.

Making their way up the ramp and into the ships hangar, everything was in place as Ratchet remembered.

The hanger that was originally empty, was now filled with vehicles of varying sorts. He had already taken stock of the various machines that they had for this mission.

They had 3 dropships, 6 star fighters, and 3 fighter bombers for their standard air contingent. They also had 2 Dreadzone hoverships that were reproduced from the blueprints of an original, as well as an escort shuttle for their ambassador. In terms of ground vehicles, they had 4 all terrain Landstalkers, 6 Puma assault tanks, 10 hoverbikes, and 2 mobile labs. And sitting near the entrance to the hangar was Ratchet's personal ship, the starship Aphelion.

Ratchet and Clank could hear the ramp being closed behind them as they made their way past a platoon of Galactic Rangers who saluted them. There were a total of 80 Rangers on board the ship for the mission.

"At ease men." Ratchet called out.

The Rangers lowered their arms and returned to their duties as Ratchet and clank headed for the bridge. After a short walk they arrived.

"Captain on deck!" called out one of the Rangers as Ratchet took his seat in the captains chair.

"Helmsman, are we ready to take off?"

"At your command sir." answered the robot.

"Very well. I hereby commence the start of the FCRF's expedition to the Grismin galaxy. Take off!"

(-)

(1)- I'm pretty sure I heard that this was the name of his race somewhere, but I can't recall from where. I also can't find it listed on the wiki, so unless someone can correct me, this will be his race.

(2)- It is indeed listed on the wiki, with an official source, that she is a Lombax.