AuthorsNote: So wow, been a long time eh? I know I'm sorry, Life kinda slammed me hard the last few weeks, only good news is that I'm with my family for Christmas, so yay. Also here's my Christmas gift to all of you. The Next chapter, and then some, it was going to be half the length but then i figured that wouldn't be fair so...Yea, now i sound like an Ahole lol. Anyway, enjoy.
After they had got home Ratchet and Sasha made sure both kids were locked in their room, Then they retreated to the living room to talk about moving to the Phoenix.
"Think about it Ratchet" Sasha said in hushed tones.
"Would you rather have them exploring a planet with dark secrets like the ones from you're past. Or a starship we both know front to back by heart."
"The Phoenix has its own dirty secrets I care to remind you, and we don't know that they saw-"
"You saw Stella, she was freaked at first. They both were."
Ratchet sighed. "You're right, as usual. But how do we tell them were moving?"
Little known by either Sasha or Ratchet two pairs of eyes had joined the conversation from above, just in time to hear what Ratchet had just said. Sky and Stella looked at each other in shock. They knew that had been bad, but a move? They turned their attention back to their parents downstairs.
"I still don't know how we'll get everything up there, not to mention ourselves of coruse."
"We could have the Galactic President send a dropship. We will technically be in command again if we accept."
Sky and Stella looked at each other "Again?" Mouthed Sky, Stella just shrugged, she didn't know either. Stella absentmindedly scratched her left leg with her right foot. One of her nails scrapping across the metal of the vent as she did. Down below both Ratchet and Sasha's ears perked. Sasha reached behind her back and pulled a small cylinder off her belt. Ratchet mode a move with his hand and his wrench appeared in his hand. They both stood up.
"Intruders?" Sasha whispered as both Ratchet and Sasha's eyes roamed around the room.
Ratchet shrugged "Dunno."
By this time both Sky and Stella were moving through the vent again, Stella's foot slipped as she moved along, creating a clanging noise. Ratchet and Sasha's heads snapped around in the direction of the noise. They both placed the location of the noise at the same time. Their heads snapped back to each other.
"THE KIDS!" They both shouted and tore down the hall towards the stairs. Meanwhile Stella had just dropped into her room and replaced the vent. Ratchet and Sasha split up to head to a different room. Ratchet to Stella's Sasha to Sky's. Stella had just pulled the covers over herself when Ratchet busted into her room with his Wrench held ready, causing her to jump.
"Dad?!" She asked shocked, neither of her or Sky had seen them draw their weapons. He shushed her while checking around her room. Eventually throwing his wrench through the vent grill and wall jumping up to check it. Satisfied there was nothing wrong he dropped down and looked towards Stella.
"Sorry, You're mother and I heard a noise, we were checking it out, sorry to scare you. But I'm going to hang here while you're mother checks on Sky."
Sasha meanwhile had just busted into Sky's room to see him replacing the vent in his room.
"SKY!" She yelled as he jumped and dropped the vent.
"Mom?" He asked surprised that she had gotten to his room so fast.
"What were you just doing in the vent?" She asked accusingly.
N-N-N-othing, I heard a noise, I was just checking" He answered nervously. Sasha lowered an eyebrow at her son.
"Was that all?"
Sky nodded "Yeah, I swear."
Sasha nodded and walked over to help him replace the vent. After they were done Sasha double checked all the locks and making sure Sky was secure in there she went down the hall to Stella's room. As the door slid up she was surprised to see the room was semi-dark and Stella was asleep in her bed, Ratchet sitting by her workbench, his head resting on his wrench, just watching her.
"I don't know how we could do it Sasha" he whispered as she walked in.
She sat down next to him. "What?"
"Their only 12 and they already hacked our security system and got outside through the vents."
She put her hand on his shoulder "How do you know?"
Ratchet took his gaze away from Stella to reach over and take something off the workbench.
"Pulled this off one of the outside vents earlier when we got back"
Sasha took the small device from Ratchet "What does it do?"
"It holds the vent in place and makes it look like its normal, except when it's sent a signal, then it lifts the vent out of the way, without tripping any of our alarms."
Sasha nodded "Impressive"
"More so is that she built it herself"
Sasha glanced over at the sleeping form of Stella. "So..."
"What?"
"Have you made up you're mind then?"
Ratchet was silent for a bit "As much as I don't want them to get involved in a military style life. I have, Let's take them to the Phoenix"
Sasha nodded and stood up, pulling Ratchet with her.
"All right, let's get some sleep hotshot."
Ratchet led the way out the door "Sleep is a thing of the past for us now."
Ratchet and Sasha's house One week later. 5:45 am local time
Stella was sleeping peacefully in her bed when she was awoken by a noise. She opened her eye blearily and blinked a bit before sitting up and looking around her room. As she blinked the fog away she saw her mom sitting on her bed with her legs dangling off.
"Mo..Mo...Mom?" She asked sleepily.
Sasha just smiled and watched her struggle to wake up. They had been grounded for the past week and stuck in their rooms. No doubt she thought she was in for more punsihment today. Although they had something else in mind.
"Good Morning my sweet moon, up late again last night?" Sasha asked
Stella tired of being confined to her room had taken to staying up late in this past week to work on her gadgets. Stella nodded slowly rubbing one of her eyes, Sasha just shook her head slowly.
"Well you can sleep later, we have a big day ahead of us today"
Stella suddenly was wide awake "The move?" she asked loudly
Sasha raised an eyebrow at her sudden outburst and excitement. "Who said we were moving? I don't recall saying anything yet."
Stella chewed on her lower lip "Well....."
Sasha held up a hand "Let me guess, it was you and Sky in the vents the other night"
Stella nodded slowly. Busted
Sasha nodded with a grin "I figured as much, I caught Sky putting the vent grill back up in his room."
Stella pulled her knees towards her and stared at her mother. "So you and dad were just going to drop this move on us like this?"
Sasha shook her head "Not at all. We won't be moving for a few weeks at first. But we're-"
"-going to be giving you a choice." Ratchet finished as Sky hung upside down off the bookcase.
"What type of choice?" Sky asked as he pulled himself up and dropped down.
Ratchet glanced out the hall where he heard Sasha discussing the same thing with Stella "I think I'm going to wait until you're sister and you're mother are ready." Ratchet held his arm out at shoulder level just a foot or so above Sky's head. "Come on "
Sky grinned and jumped up onto Ratchets arm pulling himself over his shoulders and sitting on top of them.
"What are we going to do while we wait?" Sky asked as they headed for the stairs to the living room.
Ratchet craned his head to look at his son "Well, if you promise not to tell mom I might show you how to do some of my other moves besides a wall jump"
Sky grinned and wished his sister would take all the time she wanted.
Stella mean while was sitting in her mothers lap getting her hair braided. Sasha was singing a gentle lullaby that Stella was rocking slowly back and forth to.
"Sweet Dreams My Sweet Moon.
Sweet Dreams Tonight.
While you doze, I shall watch You, So Sleep in Peace Tonight.
When the Sun Rises tomorrow, I'll shall greet you and play all day.
And when the Moon climbs into the sky, I shall Watch over you again.
Sweet Dreams My Sweet Moon.
Sweet Dreams Tonight.
While you doze, I shall watch You, So Sleep in Peace Tonight.
When The Night comes again.
I'll shall watch you, as you climb into the stars.
I Will Blow kisses and Wait for you're return.
Sweet Dreams My Sweet Moon.
Sweet Dreams Tonight.
While you doze, I shall watch You, So Sleep in Peace Tonight.
When you return to me during the day.
I shall bless you with warmth.
So Sleep in peace my New moon.
I shall love you forever".
Sasha paused to grab a band for Stella's hair and Stella popped a question at her mother.
"Mom?"
Sasha paused in her singing "hmm?"
"How come.....How come there aren't any more like us?"
Sasha stopped breathing for a moment, she had always been dreading this question.
"What do you mean Stella?" Sasha asked resuming her care of Stella's hair. Stella pulled away and hopped off the bed going to the wall and facing her mother.
"Don't play stupid Mom, you know what I mean. How come the only Lombax we have ever seen is Dad. It makes Me and Sky....Fre....FREAKS. THERES NOBODY ELSE WHO WILL BE LIKE THIS MOM. WHY ARE WE CURSED TO BE DIFFERENT" Stella's voice had risen in volume until she was yelling at her Mother, breathing hard.
Sasha waited as Stella calmed down and quit breathing as though she had just run a mile. She opened her arms "Come here, and I'll tell you why"
Stella didn't move from her position against the wall. She would have stayed there if it hadn't been for Sky
"Heck, If she won't I will. I've always been curious." Sky said as he walked into the room and climbed into his Mothers lap. Sasha patted the bed next to her and Stella walked over and climbed up slowly. Sasha put one arm around each of her children.
"You both know that you're Dad saved this galaxy once before, a long time ago. But I don't think you know the particulars. It started when you father was near on fourteen years old. He was working on ship to leave Veldin. When something impacted over the gully near his house....
It took the rest of the day for Sasha to finish recounting Ratchets adventures.
"So he stopped the Thief, we got married and shortly after you two were born."
Sky and Stella were both laid out across the bed and sat up as Sasha finished her story. Stella rubbed her eyes.
"Well the explains a lot, but I have a few questions"
Sasha nodded "What?"
"None of that explains why Dads the only Lombax we've seen"
"Well-" Sasha
"That's because it's something even I do not know" Ratchet said as he walked into the room making the three of them jump.
"Oh, Ratchet, You scared us" Sasha replied as she took a few deep breaths.
"All I know was that I was raised on Veldin. That's it. Sorry there's not more to it, I keep thinking that maybe one day I'll find out more about my past. Maybe even meet my own Father."
He glanced at both of his kids sitting on the bed. "Any other Questions for me?"
Sky and Stella glanced at each other, before Sky nervously raised his hand. Ratchet raised an eyebrow at him "Really?"
Sky smiled "How come we've never seen this Clank that always accompanied you." Ratchet grinned in a way Sasha hadn't seen him do in years.
"Well, you've actually know him most of you're lives, ever since you started school at any rate."
Sky looked confused, while Stella's eyes widened "You...You Mean the Principle?" she asked amazed
Sky and Stella both looked back at their parents. Stella opened her mouth once then closed it.
"Whats wrong Stella?" Ratchet asked.
Stella gulped "Well, I can think of only one reason why you would be telling us all this."
Sky looked at his sister quickly while Ratchet and Sasha glanced at each other.
"Something bad has happened hasn't it, something that effects us."
Ratchet walked over to the bed and picked up Stella while Sky was grabbed by Sasha. "Well, yes"
"You see, We've been called back to the military. There's something happing on the outer edges of the galaxy. This means that we'll be going back to taking command of a ship, and it means that we'll all be leaving Veldin. Possibly for good."
Sky and Stella glanced at each other again. "You mean, living in space?"
Sasha nodded "Yes, But we're not going to force you, You can either come with us and adapt to life on a starship. Or you can choose to go to you're godmother-In another Galaxy"
Sky and Stella shot each other a look again before focusing on their parents "Godmother?"
Ratchet nodded "Yep, Would you like to take a guess at who she is?"
Sky and Stella both got a thoughtful look as they thought about who it could be. After several moments of silent thought with Ratchet and Sasha glancing at each other. The twins turned to the each other.
"Anything?" asked Sky
Stella shook her head "Not a clue"
They both turned their heads up towards their parents "We give up, who is it?"
AuthorsNote: If you don't celebrate Christmas, well, happy holidays and merry whatever you chose to do this time of the year. See ya
Emile.