AuthorsNote: Well, been a few weeks, sorry it was the long at all, been slammed, new games, more school, sheesh it never ends, anyway ready for more?

[waits]

Good

Sadly, this chapter is a little shorted then most, only 3 1/2 pages, sorry about that, the next one should be longer. Anyway enjoy Chapter 11.

-Two Weeks Later-

"Okay Stella, now you see those two wires right there?"

"Uh-Huh"

"You need to peel their cases off the wires very carefully, then attach them to those two points right there."

"Okay"

"NO! WAIT UNTIL I'M OUT OF TH-"

There was a flash of light and Ratchet fell out of the engine with a surprised look and a very scorched face while Stella covered her mouth with her hands and gasped.

"OH DAD" She knelt down in front of him "Are you okay did I hurt you?"

Ratchet blinked and shook his head "Nothing a little Nanotech won't fix. Just hold back next time I give you instructions okay?"

Stella blinked, laughed and nodded "Sorry Dad"

Ratchet stood up and dusted off his cargo pants "No big Stella, and we did get the desired effect." he said pointing at the engine that towered above them and the piston inside that was starting to churn at speed that it was become invisible. Stella gasped and watched as it started moving to fast to be seen "I did it" she squealed before jumping into her dads chest and giving him a hug.

Ratchet laughed and spun her around landing her on his shoulders "That you did, but I think a small break is in order before we try and get the last four engines going" he said as he kicked the small panel they had both been in closed. "Shall we go see what you're mother and brother are up to"

Stella leaned upside down into her dads face "Uh-huh" she sat up straight and pointed "Onward Jeeves" she said with an snob voice.

"...Jeeves?"

Stella broke out into laughter as her Father headed for the elevator.

When the doors binged open in the living area Ratchet had Stella under one arm while she kept trying to reach up and pull at his ears. He tickled her from time to time to keep her in order and Sasha stuck her head out of the room she was in to see what was going. Seeing it was Ratchet and what he was doing to Stella she sighed and walked over. She rescued Stella from her father and put her on the ground next to her. She turned to Ratchet.

"So, how did it go?"

Stella raised a hand "I got one of the engines running"

Ratchet raised an eyebrow at her and she grinned sheepishly "Well, dad helped"

Sasha laughed and gave Stella a quick kiss on the cheek and Ratchet a longer one on the lips. Ratchet laughed in his chest when Stella made a barfing motion behind her mother. Sasha broke the kiss and turned around with a raised eyebrow and Stella quickly stood straight with a 'Innocent" expression on her face. Sasha shook her head and turned to Ratchet.

"Well?" she asked as the three of them started walking down the hallway.

"We got 21 of the Phoenix's Engines running, enough to keep the ship in full power, but I would rather wait to set out till we got them all running at max. As is only five of the currently active are giving 100% the rest range from 40% to 60%. Or course on the best I would like all the engines up and running at max but I doubt it'll happen before we need to report out to the field. Even with Stella helping me."

Stella smiled at the fact that her dad wanted her to help even more around the ship.

"Anyway, what have you and Sky been up to?"

"Well..."

"Sasha?"

She sighed as they stopped outside a room "Sky found the Holodeck training suite"

Ratchet groaned "Let me guess, been in there all day, rather then helping you?"

"Well not all day, since one of our projects today was getting the suite up and running. But once it was on I turned my back and he hopped in, and you know how unpleasant it is to be pulled out of a session."

Ratchet shook his head "Not fun, I think I might be able to get him out through."

"How?"

Ratchet walked up to the Holosphere that Sky was floating in he gestured Stella over and made a wiggling motion with his fingertips, Stella grinned and got ready.

"One, Two, Three"

Ratchet and Stella reached into the Holosphere and began to tickle Sky's floating body. Sasha watched on screen as Sky who was currently dangling from a pole suddenly pulled his body tight and started laughing. He twisted and turned but couldn't get away, finally his hands slipped from the bars and he fell to the ground. He kept rolling on the ground laughing until he managed to slap a button on his wrist. Sasha turned back to the Holodeck to watch as the zero gravity bubble vanished with a thrum and Ratchet caught his son and swung him around before setting him on the ground next to his sister. Sky put his hands on his hips and tired to look mad, which was hard while he was still giggling slightly.

"Not fair dad, I was training."

"Well, you shouldn't have been in their in the first place."

Sky scuffed his foot along the floor "Still...it was fun."

Ratchet nodded "Yea, it-"

He was cut off as an explosion threw them all to the ground and all the lights through out the Phoenix dimmed before shutting off completely as another explosion rocked the ship. Ratchet hoisted himself up as green lights lit up along the corridor. Ratchet helped Sky to his feet.

"You okay?" he asked as Sky shook and clung to his dad's leg.

Stella meanwhile was doing a similar thing with Sasha, she looked up at her mom.

"What's going on?" she asked fearfully. Sasha looked across at Ratchet who was already opening a line to the bridge.

"CR3, Report, what his us?"

"Nothing sir, Engine number seven had a coolant malfunction, we're thinking a leak, it overheated before anybody knew what was going on and exploded."

Sasha and Ratchet threw glances each others way, very bad. "Tell me that's all CR3"

There was a pause for a moment "No sir, latest report just came in, when Seven went it took Six and Eight with it."

"There's more"

"Yes, Nine went shortly after, and although it didn't take anymore engines with it, it fractured the turbines casing on Ten."

Ratchet palled under his fur "CR3, tell me you can still control Ten"

Another pause

"No sir, we just tried to beam the stop code to it, transponders not responding. Emergency Shutdown didn't register either. Also Sir, the energy output shows Ten climbing rapidly into the red, along with heat sensors and safety warnings."

Ratchet pounded his fist again the wall "Hellfire" he swore softly

"CR3, listen to me very carefully. Type code 42687 into the commanders chair."

Ratchet looked around as all the green lights started to pulse a dark orange and red combo and a whine began to permeate the air.

Sasha looked around stunned "The Ev-Evac alarm?" she asked him.

Ratchet picked Sky up off his leg and walked over to Sasha "Yes, if Ten goes it'll crack the main backbone of the Phoenix, It'll drift apart and everything inside will be exposed to space. I won't risk that, not with the crew and not...not with you guy...never with you guys." Ratchet handed Sasha Sky and spoke into his wrist

"CR3, how long till Ten goes critical."

"Forty-five minutes sir, if the computer can be trusted."

Ratchet nodded to himself "Alright, that gives me time, Come down here and escort my Family to the escape pods."

"What about you Sarge?"

"I'm running to my quarters and grabbing my gear, then I'm going to the engine room and attempting to shut down Ten."

Sasha's mouthed dropped "Are you crazy?" she said right as CR3 told him that the engine room was bathed in pockets of radiation that would fry him instantly.

Ratchet nodded "Maybe I am, If I can reach the main capacitor inside and remove it the Engine will go into direct shutdown mode and vent built energy, that should be enough to both cool the engine and keep the ship from being ripped apart."

"But Ratchet." "Dad"

Ratchet walked back to Sasha and took her by her arms, he ran a hand gently across her cheek and Sasha leaned into as tears rolled down her face and both of the kids leaned towards him grabbing on tight. He backed up and took the kids with him, he made sure he could see both "Look, you need to go with you're mother, somebody needs to be there to watch her just..." Ratchet couldn't finish the words.

"You'll come back Dad" Sky said as Stella nodded quickly..

Ratchet chuckled sadly putting the kids down on the floor and being flattened as Sasha crushed him in a hug "Don't you dare leave me." she sobbed into his shoulder. "You can't" she whispered, He rubbed his hands along her back. "I won't" he promised He forced her away from him a bit so he could see into her eyes

"Go now" he said as CR3 ran down the corridor "Take the kids and keep them safe"

She nodded and Ratchet saluted CR3 before running down to his room to grab his gear.

He reached the engine room with just over twenty minutes till critical by his count, fully geared up in his Carbonox armor, Ratchet was almost a living robot. He shook his hand and made sure he had his wrench before slapping the access button for the engine room. His ear flapped as Air was sucked out and a green mist tried to creep in. Ratchet avoided it and moved into the room he and Stella had been in just a slight time before. He looked around to see debris was thrown everywhere and that the only way throughout most of the room was with the catwalks that crossed the upper areas, as a think green mist covered the floor and leaked out of the engines.

That must be the radiation CR3 warned me about. Better make this quick he thought to himself as he saw the green creeping across the floor to him.

He ran towards the wall and made a running leap over a small river of mist to grab an access ladder, he climbed quickly to the top and pulled himself onto the catwalks. He ran for the access to engine Ten and was halfway there when the catwalk shuddered sharply and Ratchet was thrown to the side, the railed gave way and he flipped over it, his glove sliding along the small rail that he had a grip on. He pulled himself up quickly and grabbed the edge of the catwalk as the rest of the railing sheared off. He pulled himself up halfway when the catwalk shuddered again and began to bend down towards the glowing green mist below him. Ratchet glanced down and felt true terror strike through his heart. The entire catwalk was coming off the wall and there was no way to reach either end before it would fall. Determined to try Ratchet hoisted himself and began to run towards where he had come in the nearest support pillar being his only chance at survival.

As he felt the ground fall beneath him he jumped for the edge and missed it by inches.

Closing: Oh no, Cliffhanger again, no blackmailing this time, just trying to keep you on your toes. Anyway, now that this is done I'm off to read Secret Agent Pointless awesome fic Lord of Fire. He inspired me to make sure this chapter got posted today and also gave me a shout out in a different chapter. I'm glad I'll finally have time to read his next update,

Cheers,

Emile