Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet, Clank or any character related to the franchise. I own Loric Ellebor, Master Orion, the Grey Mages and the Unseen Destroyer.


Chapter 9: To Elude Damnation

Loric Ellebor woke up freezing and starving in a confinement cell. He opened his eyes to face the ceiling, the ground he was laying on cold. How many hours had passed? How long had he been sleeping? Despite the long hours of unconsciousness he wasn't feeling rested at all. He moaned in exhaustion as he stood up drowsily and explored the room with darting eyes. The realisation that he was all alone made him feel colder than a frosty wind would and the fact that his staff was missing almost made him believe he had become victim of a mirage when he had spotted it next to him before his eyelids became too heavy. He recalled anguished moments of his own brothers binding him, the man he had been loyal to for his entire life calling him a traitor.

He shut his eyes to evade the growing sense of being betrayed. "I'm devoted to the Brotherhood. It's him, it's certainly him. He's the right Lombax" he spoke to himself with a palm pressing a nearby wall to support his weight, the past events clouding his mind and filling him with bitterness.

In a fit of indignation, he banged at the sealed door and yelled with all of his might. "I don't deserve such disgrace!" However, his strife sank to the depths of pointlessness. He couldn't change things and intervene in this sequence of misfortune that had befallen him, Ratchet and Clank. Was he forced to follow the path Orion had forged for him with his decision?

"The Unseen Destroyer will catch up with us sooner or later" his thought echoed in his words. "I can't stay here" he decided to neglect everything he had been taught so far, something that seemed relatively easy under these adverse circumstances.

Bestowed with the virtue of patience, Loric waited for someone to enter the cell that separated him from the soothing mist of Silthrin to offer him some food. Being knowledgeable of the customs his prudent leader wanted to preserve, he was certain Orion would show just enough generosity to keep Loric standing until the Trial of the Sovereign.

His reasoning had been correct for he soon heard the door being unlocked. Loric stood right next to it so as to be hidden by its wide, rough surface as soon as it opened. The door budged and a Grey Mage advanced inside the cell. His gaze became troubled while he searched for the prisoner anxiously. Loric moved out of his hiding spot provided by the door consisted of bricks and sneaked behind the one sent by his master. He quietly walked out of the cell, almost tiptoeing, and pulled the door shut without looking behind him apprehensive about the sight of treachery he was creating. He hastily turned the key which was placed in the keyhole and retracted it. Violent beating on the door could be heard from the other side.

"I'm sorry brother, but I have no choice. I have to defend my honour" he explained, though he wasn't certain if the now imprisoned sorcerer had heard him. With a final glance at his former cage, he rushed out with the goal to release the two unjustifiably convicted outsiders.

The communal warehouse wasn't far from his current location and Loric stepped into the ethereal white veil that blanketed the planet, bent on reaching it fast. Once there, he retrieved his staff and also observed that an entire arsenal of nuclear, electrical and other kind of weapons had been stored there. 'Ratchet's equipment. I must lead him here as soon as I find him', he developed a plan in his mind.

He moved to the case where all keys were kept and stared at the small, metallic objects curiously. "Which cells are you two in?" he whispered, wondering if there was a way to know which keys he should pick up. Of course he had the option to collect all keys and search each cell individually but this would be too time-consuming and Loric had to act quickly to release Ratchet and Clank from Orion's menacing grasp.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. He brought the picture of the key case in his mind, trying keenly to bring it vividly before him as though he had his eyes wide open. In a slow manner and with an ever so purposeful force, a constant buzz penetrated his ears while he summoned the spiritual strength within him to obey him and do his bidding. His eyelids trembled, his breathing so meager it felt like no oxygen filled his lungs. He already began feeling weakened but he couldn't cease his effort. He had to try harder. A little longer. And longer. Shortly, an image of a Grey Mage disposing two particular keys flashed before his vision momentarily but vividly, colours scintillating and ascendant over the space of blackness.

He opened his ocean-blue eyes instantly. "Fourteen. Twenty" he murmured and fixed his gaze on the key case. "Key fourteen and key twenty" he confirmed his vision as he selected the keys labeled with the aforementioned numbers. After gripping the objects that would grant him access to where his friends were trapped in, he set off to find the respective cells.

Cell Fourteen was the one closest to him so Loric headed there first. He couldn't know whom he would come across there for the concise vision didn't disclose which cell each of his companions was held in. All he could do was continue his effort with once again patience as his trustful guide so as to find out. His thoughts didn't distract him for long for he reached the cell in less than two minutes. Standing in front of the door this time made of copper red metal, the one declared as traitor grabbed the key with the label 'Fourteen' hanging from it and decisively turned it in the door's keyhole.

The moment the surface that impeded him from reaching his ally retracted, Loric walked inside and observed the prisoner, who heard the commotion and wearily lifted his head to face the intruder. Loric narrowed his eyes so as to refrain from wincing. His acquaintance seemed quite beaten up. "You seem like you've seen better days."

Ratchet would never directly admit Loric was right, no matter how true his observation had been. "Well, I've seen worse too."

He was bound to a mechanical system that ended up in chains which restrained him and limited his ability to move by wrapping his arms, adjusted so as to be taut, hence eliminating all possibilities of a potential escape. He looked languished and a few scratches ran across his furry face.

"Really? I don't want to know more" Loric spoke and quickly made his way to the device behind Ratchet to begin working on it. "What happened to you?" he asked as concern reverberated in his voice.

"Let's just say I wasn't really glad to see that machine" Ratchet spoke in a cunning manner.

"So you tried to resist" Loric conjectured, figuring out what had transpired while letting his fingertips trail on the small switches of the contraption. "Son of the Stars, you never learn."

"I told you, don't call me by cheesy titles!" the Grey Mage heard his imprisoned friend complain.

"And how should I call you?! You don't know your own name! I lost my dignity because of that!" Loric stormed, his task forgotten as he glared at Ratchet. "I've been branded a traitor" he mentioned, the realisation of his sorry state hitting him hard no matter how many times he went through this ordeal.

Ratchet stared back at him with regretful eyes. There were no words to describe how much he was plagued by remorse. All these endless hours he had been lost in thoughts as the chains around his arms made the remainder of his unfortunate stay in the cell colder and harder to bear. He felt angry for he couldn't know if Clank was safe and the turbulence of Orion's words still resided in his consciousness, trying to reach his core and break his valour apart.

"I'm sorry" he pronounced, pride abandoning him while he became fully aware of the impact of his mistakes. Loric didn't say anything to alleviate Ratchet's troubling feelings. With a grunt, he just kept working on the device in order to release him from his restrains. "What is the Trial of the Sovereign?" he decided to ask after a short-lived silence.

"Something you don't want us to get through. I just hope I manage to lead you to your ship before we get caught so you never have to know" Loric replied.

"I'm not going anywhere without Clank" Ratchet stated, refusing to listen to any dispute and ready to argue if any came from Loric.

"I knew you'd say that. Don't worry, I have the key to his cell. We'll free him right away" the Grey Mage reported and right afterwards, his efforts ended up in success and the chains around Ratchet's arms loosened and fell on the ground. "Come on" he urged and rapidly headed for the cell's exit. "We must leave before Orion-"

He never completed his sentence and froze where he was standing as he turned around and saw Ratchet on his feet but not moving at all. The Lombax stood still as if he had stepped on a mine and looked at Loric with eyes full of distrust and caution. Loric knew exactly what was on Ratchet's mind. "You… You can't be serious" he muttered when he understood Ratchet wasn't willing to put his trust in the one native to Silthrin. There was a pause as Loric anticipated an explanation from the one in doubt.

"How can I know you're not playing along?" Ratchet conveyed the reason behind his mistrust with his question.

"Are you kidding me?" was Loric's aggrieved response "I didn't know Orion would do this!" he went on but aggravation turned into despair when he witnessed Ratchet's unchanged attitude through a resolute motionlessness and a pair of narrowed emerald eyes. "I awoke locked up in a cell, just like you. I trapped one of my brothers in it. I'm disobeying my master's orders by helping you escape, Ratchet. Now I am becoming a traitor, for real. Why would I risk losing my honour permanently for someone I wished to see dead? Besides, I'm your only hope right now" he claimed and grabbed the key in his pocket. He outstretched his palm to show it to Ratchet, whose suspicious gaze softened as soon as he lay his eyes on it. "You must trust me" he uttered with a calmer tone.

Ratchet stared at the key with the tag 'Twenty' for several seconds. Loric was right, he didn't have much of a choice. And if this Trial of the Sovereign was a horrid as the Grey Mage before him had asserted, he had to do whatever he could to find Clank and flee Silthrin. He slightly nodded and took the first steps to show Loric that he would follow him. The two of them marched into the wan fog, Loric leading the way to Cell Twenty.

Loric's earlier confession had sounded leastwise honest to Ratchet though he still felt perplexed. The Grey Mage's outburst while loosening the chains around his arms had given him the impression that he no longer believed in his cause. And the confusion Orion's misjudgment had left him with prevented Ratchet from thinking rationally and overshadowed his common sense. "Why are you doing this? Why run the risk of losing everything?" he wondered in the meantime.

"Because even though Orion hasn't seen who you are, I have. And I believe you can rescue us from the Unseen Destroyer, no matter what your name is" Loric warmly answered and smiled. "And when you do, my honour will be restored and I will be accepted back at the Brotherhood."

Ratchet shook his head, his frowned expression signifying he was in a quandary. "I still don't get it. Why didn't you deal with the Unseen Destroyer in the first place? Do you lack military forces?" he pondered.

"It's okay, I, I never really explained. We couldn't fight him because he never made a direct assault on Silthrin. And Orion never begins a war unless our home is at stake. For the protection of our ways, he decided not to choose sides on conflicts that don't affect us" Loric expounded while the wind blew around him and his ally. "We've been asked for help by planets pillaged by him but Master Orion refused to offer it, fearing this kind of tactic would endanger our own planet."

"So he left everyone that needed him high and dry to save his own ass? What a wuss!" Ratchet spoke, utterly miffed. "Why is he your leader again?"

"Contain your arrogance. Orion's made a lot that render him a worthy leader" Loric defended his master, even now that he had been practically renounced by him.

"It's not arrogance, it's logic. You just don't refuse to help someone, especially when you're able to actually help" the Lombax claimed in zeal. He couldn't comprehend the way Orion thought. For him it was inconceivable to be asked for help and do nothing but let the ones in need suffer. And that wimp had become a leader? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. "Did you bring us here to serve as Orion's minions?" Ratchet spat, looking more bothered than he meant to as soon as the thought that Orion wanted to take advantage of him and Clank by sending them to a mission he himself had the debt to fulfill brought forth his disdain towards the master of the hoary celestial orb.

"The reason why Orion brought you here is much more complex than you think" Loric hastened to alleviate Ratchet's malign impression.

"Can you be more specific just this once?" Ratchet said loudly as he raised his hands in an apparent lack of composure.

Loric eyed him with arched eyebrows, failing to conceal how nugatory Ratchet's impatience seemed to him. "Anyhow" he sighed as he shifted his gaze to look forward, desiring to end the controversy. "We've reached Cell Twenty" he declared as a small building similar to the one that bore the name 'Cell Fourteen' was seen beyond the colourless cloak that swayed in Silthrin's atmosphere.

Ratchet dashed to the door and observed it with anxious eyes as soon as he reached it, for the fact that it was locked prevented him from running any further. Loric approached it shortly and after unlocking it in a slow, sedate manner, as though he was unlocking something as uninteresting as a broom closet, unlike Ratchet whose anticipation was too great to conceal and as a result, he couldn't stop his tail from moving frantically, the gate opened.

Once they were allowed to examine the room with inquisitive eyes, the two of them saw Clank's form lain motionless on a stall. Ratchet called out his name and ran near him. Loric glanced behind to make sure they hadn't been followed, therein, after he was certain time was still on their side, he walked inside the room and observed his unmoving companion. His optic lenses were shut, their warm green light absent while he remained unresponsive to Ratchet's vehement pleas to wake up.

"What's wrong with him" Loric asked as composedly as he could, though concern filled him.

"His antenna's missing. He won't be able to register anything without it, even if he wakes up" Ratchet explained the situation, anger and distress creating a dangerous combination within him.

"It might be in the communal warehouse, where I found the keys and my staff. I saw your weapons there too" Loric came up with a possible solution.

Ratchet immediately ordered the Grey Mage to tell him how to reach the warehouse and Loric gave him detailed and comprehensible instructions. The Lombax began making his way there after asking from Loric to prevent anyone from approaching his unconscious friend. Despite his surprise by Ratchet's sudden urge to confide in him, Loric nodded assuring him there was no reason to worry. It wasn't long until the one regarded by Orion as thief found and entered the warehouse, gratefully retrieving all of his equipment and hastily searching for the lost antenna. Ratchet investigated while leaving everything behind him in a state of disarray, his fern green orbs reflecting concern and exploring every corner. After several minutes, he allowed a smile to form on his face and ceased feeling distraught as he had found what he had been maniacally looking for. With his mission now complete, he retrieved the antenna from the cabinet at the far left corner of the rectangular structure and started walking back to Cell Twenty.

Loric heard footfall become louder with every passing second and gripped his staff, his wary glare fixated on the door. Moments later, he found himself relaxing as Ratchet's form appeared from beyond the ashen murk holding his trusty weapon on one hand and the missing object on the other. Without either of them having the need to exchange any words, Ratchet rushed to his robot friend and began to fix him, setting the antenna where it should have remained.

"I'll wait outside. Someone has to make sure we aren't followed" Loric informed but Ratchet had paid little to no attention, too absorbed by his attempt to help his unconscious friend.

After a while Clank slowly blinked as power began flowing through his circuitry again, rendering him awake from his unexpected shutdown. "Ratchet? Are you alright?" He asked in pure concern as he shifted to a sitting position, narrowing his luminous optic lids as he observed the nasty scratches on his friend's face.

"I'm okay, pal" the Lombax reassured, relief evident in his affectionate gaze. "Come on, we've got to get outta here."

"I do not seem to have registered any data from the last 7 hours, 11 minutes and 26 seconds. What happened?" the robot inquired curiously as he stood up to follow his friend to the door.

"Your antenna was missing when we found you. But I got it and fixed you. Look we've gotta get to Aphelion and fast, we're running out of time" Ratchet exhorted impatiently as soon as he remembered they would be practically hunted down and seized by Orion if he learned they had escaped.

"That's where you're wrong. You're already out of time" a voice behind them minatorily uttered, making Ratchet and Clank turn around abruptly to face Orion and right in front of him a knelt Loric. The leader of Loric's brotherhood was holding some type of dagger infused in a strange glowing liquid that made the blade glisten in neon-blue colour.

Ratchet summoned his Combuster swiftly as his survival instincts emerged above amiability and aimed at the leader accurately, his stare wrathful and hostile.

"Put that down, you audacious rat, or he's done for!" Orion threatened and brought the edge of the blade closer to Loric's throat. Loric himself looked unable to react but not because he lacked the strength. While noticing his lugubrious expression, Clank deduced it was due to his inability to process the way his master was treating him. The dagger close to his neck didn't seem so lethal in comparison with the mental torture he was undergoing right now. And to think that Orion considered him a traitor.

"How can you say that when he's done everything you asked?" Ratchet wondered fervently, his unwillingness to lower his weapon too great to allow him to even flinch.

"You mean the one who brought a thief and a phony to our lands? I'll kill whoever it takes for the safety of my Brotherhood. Including this traitor" Master Orion confessed his dark intentions in a menacing tone.

"If anyone in this room's a traitor, it's you Orion. You're the one threatening to kill one of your own while forcing the rest of the Mages to do the same if needed. I don't even know why Kaden trusted you in the first place" Ratchet argued, the fire in his words hurting Orion's pride.

"You dare talk about Kaden?! You, who's shameless enough to still wear this armor while it's destined to be worn by someone else? While it's not even yours to claim? Hah, you fit the description of a traitor better than anyone here" Orion daunted.

"Master Orion please, let Loric go. There is no need for anyone to be executed. As you have stated, we are to be subjected to a fair trial. We are willing to cooperate" Clank tried to reason with the enraged leader.

"Cooperate? You tried to escape! Your actions have insulted our ways. I'm beginning to think the Trial of the Sovereign is too merciful a punishment after all" Orion spoke in a spiteful manner. "However, as an act of good will I shall allow you to go through it. I'd like to believe you won't waste that second opportunity I'm offering you" he added, slightly more calmly than before, and gestured at Ratchet's weapon, which was still raised and aiming at the Grey Mage ceaselessly.

Ratchet was reluctant at first but silence settled in the cell, expecting him to do what he had been asked. He glimpsed at Clank who simply nodded, indicating he should submit to Orion's demands. Loric's life was on the line. And despite what had transpired as soon as they set foot on the Monument Square, this time Ratchet wanted to believe Clank was always right. In a slow pace that betrayed his unwillingness, Ratchet lowered his Combuster and voicelessly surrendered to Orion's command.

Master Orion withdrew the glowing dagger as well to show his will to end matters as painlessly as possible. Loric stood up and quickly made his way to join his allies.

"Night is almost upon us. Soon you will endure the Trial of the Sovereign. Don't try to escape , I'll have Mages patrol the area. If I find out that you made even a slight attempt, my good will shall be gone. And you'll never leave this planet, this I vow" Master Orion necessitated the significance of his decisions and after he took hold of Loric's staff he walked out of the cell, locking the door behind him and trapping them among four walls once again.

Loric turned to face his friends, a look of uncertainty and bitterness darkening his features. "Thank you, both of you."

"It was nothing. Helping someone who's in apparent danger is the least we can do" Ratchet emphasised, intentionally triggering the controversial discussion he had with Loric earlier. Loric realised that and frowned.

"So what? I'm supposed to stop obeying Orion so I can worship you, Ratchet?" the Grey Mage broke out, the stress that had built inside of him through these past hours obviously extending his turmoil.

"You're not supposed to worship anyone. You make your own decisions and do what you think is right. Simple as that" Ratchet responded stormily for reasons similar to Loric's.

"I make my own decisions. What do you think, that we've no free will?" Loric went on, allowing his distress to take control of his rationality and composure.

"Do you see anyone trying to free you? Where are your brothers, Loric? Oh that's right, they've abandoned you now that you need them the most just because this selfish jerk told them to!" Ratchet's words were filled with irony and the hurtful truth Loric had been denying all along. Now exposed before him, it pained him more than any other time.

"This argument is not leading any of us anywhere" Clank interfered, trying to end the fight and find the most reasonable solution to the problem at hand like he always did.

"I know" Ratchet sighed, abandoning the will to go on with the conversation as well. "I'm done talking anyway" he muttered as he grabbed his Warmonger and stepped backwards, facing the door.

"And what do you think you are doing?" Clank questioned, although he knew what was on his friend's mind and that he would have to find the words to convince him to change his plans, no matter how hard a task.

"Getting us out of here" Ratchet plainly replied as he caught a glimpse of Loric examining the weapon with widened blue eyes and mouth agape.

"I do not think we should provoke Orion more than we already have. We must endure the Trial of the Sovereign as an act of good will" Clank stated, fearing it wouldn't be enough to change Ratchet's mind.

"So you want me to just sit here and do nothing?" he roared in disbelief.

"It is the only way. Do you want to make matters worse?" Clank lectured, though he held a look of worry, eyes almost as if they were begging him to try and repress his uncompromising nature.

Ratchet's mind raced to the sequence of events the pulling of the trigger would ignite. With only the movement of his finger, a mad chase would ensue and the path of escape he would forge for him and Clank was not without perils. The Grey Mages were an easy target and this was exactly what held the young Lombax from continuing; should one desist from falling back Ratchet would be forced to fire his weapon. The mere thought seemed crazy, he could never become relentless enough to coldly murder them in the process of escaping. The slight pressure he was applying to the trigger was forthwith erased and Ratchet lowered the oversized, green-coloured weapon only to face the door as he suddenly caught himself missing the thick mist. The Warmonger approached the ground as its weight could now be fully perceived by his tired arms. Staring at the door with vacant eyes, Ratchet was dragged to the painful awareness of having to surrender in order to reach the end of the path he had chosen to follow.

TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT

Dense blackness embraced the iron-grey sphere that planet Silthrin was. Night had fallen and with it, the shadows of ordeal were cast. The cell darkened due to the gradual withdrawal of blocked by clouds sunlight and all Ratchet could think of as the dim yet comforting light slowly faded to reach other regions of Ceilif was the Trial of the Sovereign. A never ending quest began in his head but the solution seemed elusive and lately, all answers resided in the most treacherous of places, far from his reach.

"So, you still think I'm playing along?" a low, deep voice made him cease his silent mental pursuit. Ratchet would bet his OmniWrench sharp cynicism was hidden behind the Mage's words.

"Sorry about that" Ratchet plainly uttered, fervency having extinguished from the long hours of waiting. "It's gonna take a lot of time to trust a Grey Mage again, that's all" he sighed.

Loric's shady frame jolted and his head turned quickly to face the Lombax next to him. "Well, you did omit to tell me you don't know your true name."

Ratchet rushed in front of Loric, his fully raised ears revealing his alarm. "Why is it so important? No matter how I'm called, I'm still the same Lombax! I've left all this behind, can't Orion do the same?" he claimed, ignoring the pinches curiosity troubled him with. He knew that if he had truly left everything behind, he wouldn't be on Silthrin right now. Before the disheartening thought could bring him further down, he leaned on the wall with his back and crossed his arms over his chest. "The Lombaxes would never treat guests like that."

"How do you know?" Loric protested, waving an open palm in the air to underline the importance of his words. "You've only come across one or two of them as far as I know. You really think everything your kind did was for a good cause?"

A cold stare was fixated on the Grey Mage despite the darkness that concealed details and features.

"What do you mean?" Clank stepped in to defend his friend. "The Lombaxes fought against the Cragmites to protect an entire galaxy. Is this not a good cause?"

"I see your point Clank, but do you know what the Lombaxes wanted to do before the Great War broke out? They wanted a greater involvement in warfare. They developed their technology so much they could dominate the entire arms industry. Many weapons you two have used have either been manufactured by Lombaxes or evolved thanks to prototypes designed by them" Loric explained as underlying contempt accompanied his allegation. "Tell me Ratchet, how can one sell weapons if there isn't a war? They craved for a war to break out."

"Lies!"

"Face it, your kind loves war. It's always been in their blood. You for example have a natural affinity with battles and guns. Don't you ever wonder why?" Loric spoke with a steadily ever-growing scorn distorting the tone of his voice.

Even though he kept his expression bold, Ratchet's defenses had begun to give in. Never in his life had such a question been posed to him and the more he pondered it the more his resolvedness forsook him and the more the Trial of the Sovereign scared him.

"Do not listen to him, Ratchet. Even if this is true, it was many years ago. The Lombaxes have helped more than they have caused harm" Clank tried to ease the pain Loric's words could be causing to his friend. Even though Ratchet wasn't looking at the robot, Clank knew he had his attention and that he valued everything he had to say. "Let us not forget Loric is very upset about what Master Orion did and obviously does not mean everything he is saying" the Zoni robot concentrated on interpreting Loric's body movements, his optics narrowed so as to show his anger towards the Grey Mage.

Before Loric could come up with words that would belittle Clank and guard his pride, Master Orion entered the incommodiously small room and announced that the time had come for the three convicts to face justice by the Brotherhood's ways.

Ratchet, Clank and Loric walked behind Master Orion through the Monument Square where Aanwathir's statue prevailed, the darkness and the mist creating an eerie atmosphere and making his marble figure intimidating to Ratchet's eyes. He didn't falter for a second and his every step was steady, reflecting intrepidity. However his somewhat dropped ears and relatively still tail displayed the feeling of apprehension he was being tortured by. Loric marched with his head lowered as if shame and fear had left him with the need to hide his face and Clank's expression was enough to make Ratchet realise they were drifting in blurry and deep waters.

The long march seemed to have its toll on Ratchet for he seemed to now drag his feet as courage abandoned him. Moments later, they approached an enormous building the size of which inspired the two outsiders to feel dread and awe. The two best friends exchanged a hopeless gaze, unable to know what they should expect. At that instant, one thought helped Ratchet rid himself of some of the burden laid on him; whatever the Trial of the Sovereign was, at least they would get through this together.

Gigantic gates ornate with peculiar lines and symbols opened slowly, producing a heavy sound as they moved. Ratchet and Clank stared at the construction before them with eyes that divulged their admiration as well as intimidation.

"Move already!" Orion ordered with fiery rage and as a result Ratchet glared at him with anger so great he thought his veins were burning with adrenaline. They were going to get through trial on a planet far away from any known galaxy and he was seething? He had only felt such ferocious wrath two or three times in his life. Orion was close to claiming the first position on Ratchet's list of most annoying people he had ever met, surpassing even Qwark who had gained the first place with unbelievable ease as he had been helped by his natural talents.

"Give them some time, Master" another Grey Mage proposed and Orion said nothing in return, just moved inside the building hastily after producing an annoyed grunt.

Ratchet couldn't help but observe Loric, who had been quiet all along and without daring to look at anyone's face. He just walked in the tune of his defeat, his spirit highly disturbed. The young mechanic didn't seem to be able to decide if he should offer him some words of consolation after his uncharitable attempt to discourage him and make him re-evaluate the reasons he was fighting for at such an exigent time. Although gifted with kindness, Ratchet had a policy of limiting its exposure to people who treated him with respect and his belief that Loric respected him had crumbled the moment he forced him to assess the significance on his race when a great challenge awaited him.

"It is going to be alright, Mr. Ellebor" Clank openly tried to comfort him but it didn't seem to work. Loric turned his head the other way, too humiliated to dare raise his gaze from the ground. Clank felt ultimately defeated at that point and withdrew with a bitter look, allowing Loric to have his privacy.

They eventually moved inside the monumental edifice as they wandered through the hall, stepping on the dark-purple carpet beneath their feet. A circular chamber was afterwards approached as a chandelier with various little glowing gems hang from the ceiling. A pedestal was placed on the centre of the cornerless hall on which Orion stepped to officially proclaim his decisions, two Grey Mages standing on either of his sides. After ascertaining himself that no one was moving and everybody's attention was on him, Master Orion spoke.

"The challenge ahead of you will require all of your physical and mental strength, though the will of the Astral Ones is also a crucial factor. Survive the ordeal and you shall gain Purification, meaning I will release you and allow the two of you to return to your home planet. Fail and simply die so you can be delivered at the hands of what we call Damnation" Master Orion informed, speaking casually, ostensibly ignoring the fact that his words were affecting the fates of three lives.

"But I was under the impression that our actions were to be thoroughly examined by some sort of jury" Clank expressed, the tone of his voice indicating he suspected that this challenge was fraught with danger.

"Our ancestors are the only trustworthy jury. You'll face the challenge. Survive or die" Orion stated impassively.

"You're insane, Orion!" Ratchet snapped at the pitiless master.

"I'm insane? You're the one who showed up with a stolen piece of armor and claimed you're someone else. Now those are some serious signs of insanity" Orion affronted the rebellious Lombax before him. "Proceed" he dictated and gestured at the three dark corridors behind him. "The phony on the left, the traitor on the right and the thief in the middle please" he gave his instructions in a callous manner.

"Don't you see, Master?" Loric shouted unexpectedly, drops of cold sweat sparkling on his forehead from the chandelier's lurid light. "Ratchet is the only one we can rely on right now! The Unseen Destroyer will come to claim Silthrin sooner than you might think! Inertia will only lead to enslavement!"

Loric's sudden urge to defend Ratchet mystified the thief, who could no longer look at Loric with anger after what he had heard him speak. Instead, he stared at the sentenced sorcerer as a bewildered, almost sympathetic sense made his gaze softer.

A silent, baleful laughter escaped Master Orion's thin lips. "A traitor indeed. Thank you for eliminating all suspicions of wrong judgment, Ellebor" he stated with a sardonic smile before his expression became cruel again, making the lines of his face deeper and more intense. "I said proceed!"

Ratchet turned to face the three corridors. They were too dark to distinguish what lay beyond and he was getting the impression they were hungry and ready to swallow all three of them. "Orion has a strange definition of good will" he told his friend. "You still believe this is a good idea?"

"If I am to be honest, no" Clank replied, doubt deluging the energy that flowed through his circuitry.

"Does that mean you were actually wrong and I was right?" Ratchet mused a bit too enthusiastically despite their dire situation. He only received a glare from Clank.

"We help each other" Loric clarified, his voice stable in spite of the shameful feeling that took hold of his rationality through the hours of his condemnation. "That's our goal. Overcoming the obstacles on my path will open the way for Clank and when he succeeds in moving ahead, your way will be cleared of all enemies. Whenever you manage to go farther in your path, I'll be able to progress and so on. We must endure this until all of us reach the end of our paths" he explained to Ratchet who had sunk deep in thought, listening to the Grey Mage carefully.

Loric was given his staff back as it was necessary for his journey through the Trial of the Sovereign. They moved closer to the unlit halls, each where Orion had instructed them to go. They stood cold on their tracks right one step before the engulfing darkness could embrace them.

"Clank was right" Loric had spoken with an apparent lack of constraints to his emotional state, which made Ratchet slightly turn to his right to ascertain the Mage's face betrayed the same regret his voice did. "I didn't mean to agitate you. I guess I was so upset I couldn't control myself. I lost my faith in my kind and for some reason I wanted the same thing to happen to you. If we get through this, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Ratchet looked at obscurity's scenery before him, challenging him and reminding him the leader of this land expected him to fail and even wished for his doom. He could feel a discomforting heat surround him and the thought that Orion's pitiless gaze was on him made the fur beneath his silver armor defy gravity. He gnashed his teeth in oppressive anticipation of what lay ahead. Silthrin's atmosphere no longer provided oxygen abundantly and his chest heaved visibly for his lungs suffered from the absence of clear air that vitalized him.

"Good luck" Loric wished to his allies the moment he realised Ratchet wasn't about to disregard what he had told him in the cell. Without anticipating a response, he walked further in the corridor and disappeared into the unsettling absence of light.

Clank turned to his right to face Ratchet. "Please, be careful" he told him in a manner that indicated he was basically demanding it while also offering a piece of advice.

"Yeah, you too buddy" Ratchet reciprocated the concern Clank had overtly expressed.

Neither of them moved for several seconds. They kept staring at the cold darkness before them, its grasp and its tests so intimidating that neither could ever muster the strength to trust it. In the end however, they didn't have a choice. Almost simultaneously Ratchet and Clank stepped into the gloom, causing their ordeal to begin.

The Trial of the Sovereign.

After taking slow, blind steps ahead, Loric found himself on an intricate crossroad with several walls with tiny bores and obstacles that brashly surfaced from the floor and enclosed him in their fraudulent cage. Walking into the small labyrinth, he raised his head hoping to see the fogged, charcoal sky that had the ability to call malevolent anxiety out of his system in his darkest hours and send it to the mist, shivering and evanescent into the haze's clarity that surpassed that of the most crystalline waters. He spotted no ceiling above and only the broken on several parts glass separated him from the cathartic blessing of the grey. The moon's radiant presence led him to the recesses of his will to go on. With a look of courage, he moved forward to enter his own personal challenge while letting the night's glowing guardian illuminate his way.

After taking hasty, determined steps ahead, Ratchet was led deeper into the inimical darkness where fear could easily rejoice and feast on the shattered hope of whoever awaited the adjudication of the Astral Ones. Through the minimal vision provided by the dark, he could detect mechanical beings roaming like puppets whose strings were pulled by the invisible judges Orion was so fond of believing in. On the opposite side of him beyond the robotic enemies Ratchet could discern a button and its presence made him wonder whether he was becoming victim of a fallacy or he was chosen by good fortune to be her new outlast. However, doubt lasted for a mere second for the desire to prove his worth in battle and survive with flames and explosions as his witnesses took over.

"Great. Just what I needed" he uttered with a cunning smile and grabbed his Constructo Bomb.

After taking steady, cautious steps ahead, Clank saw refulgent rays penetrate the darkness and declare their dominance through the light they provided. But he was wise enough to hold himself from falling into deceptive reassurance which turned out to be a smart tactic as soon as he was faced with a hall of deathtraps consisted of electrical whips and lasers. The incandescent lines moved in the air way too fast to evade even for a being such as him that lacked natural deficiencies and Clank, in his inability to express any other form of reaction, stared at them with bright-green lenses wide open. He shook his head in disbelief and moved closer to the deadly lights reluctantly. His sensors received signs of a presence behind him and so he turned rapidly to find out who was watching him. The sight before him made his aspiration transcendent as it pierced through his fearfulness

"We're here to help you, sire."

Loric knew that despite his age, he was a fairly good runner. Whenever he sent his stare downwards though, he perceived his gait was laggard and his foothold imbalanced. The smog created by the gas emitting from the walls harassed his equilibrium between perception and insensibility as he felt jaded and powerless against the trail the Astral Ones had prepared for him. Multiple times did he stumble upon a deadend and every single time he was forced to turn back and find a new way to navigate through the maze, his hopes for his survival diminished. He knew the seconds he wasted were seconds that brought either Ratchet or Clank closer to their extermination as well. Deciding to head to the right by random choice Loric watched his own feet moving slowly, one foot in front of the other, as the juniper green haze reddened his cyan eyes.

After reaching the end of the path, he discovered he had finally followed the right track for the abnormal lack of oxygen was no longer present and the end of the labyrinth unveiled itself in the form of a symbol carved on the wall and extending its simplistic design through the wideness of the stony surface. The carved lines conspired to shape a crescent moon and a drop trickling from its lower tip, resembling a lonesome tear. Panting and exhausted due to inhaling a considerable amount of the weakening gas, the one accused of treason spotted a sizeable niche on his right that contained three smaller holes. He frowned, his thoughts searching for the exact nature of its purpose. The Grey Mage allowed his staff to slide into his sweated palms until his fingers could touch the sapphire gem. Some short moments of deliberation disclosed to him that the precious stone and the little openings on the wall had the exact same size.

"The symbol…" he mumbled and mentally traced back to the poems and phrases his teachers were so fond of preaching when he was much younger.

"This is the symbol of the War of the Moons" he cogitated and recalled the excerpt he had read in the respective history book.

'…Then fell on Silthrin endless night

When our dead immortals cried

Ash of flying iron stars touched Monument Square

And as war waged on Ceilif's moons

To the west Aanwathir marched the news to share…'

"To the west. The west is… on the left" he finally concluded. "Please, let this work" he murmured to himself, though entire possibilities filled with terrorizing realities flashed through his mind.

He took a tighter grip of his staff and after a hopeless glimpse at the smoky heavens above his head, a pale light was emitted from the precious stone. With his pair of dark blue orbs set on the left opening, he inserted the top of his staff in it and awaited with trembling arms. No negative change occurred to lead him right into his death. Instead, he watched as a white energy travelled in another room, flowing in specially designed conduits incorporated on the ceiling.

The Zoni helped Clank through the mortal path by manipulating the normal flow of time. They worked in perfect unison to assist the robot as they prevented the lasers from rotating at maximum speed which offered Clank the opportunity to trespass the perilous path successfully. Clank refrained from blinking as the reflection of the radiant lines disrupted the harmonic green of his optics and his state of stillness manifested his clinging to a seemingly illicit hope. The urgent need to evade death in the form of blazing strings permeated motionless and led Clank to his next steps as he crouched in order to move ahead while keeping away from the heat-emitting ray. The world around him became pellucid cerulean every time the guardians of time intervened, participating in the challenge Orvus' son had to overcome.

Once the ever so moving beams were behind him Clank arrived at a door that seemed sealed. The first seconds he spent staring at it didn't grant him a way through and the set of possibly lethal lasers reduced the distance threateningly. The four Zoni that were there to aid him watched the door with an unorthodox calmness, their abilities being of limited use as they weren't allowed to slow down time for too long or a severe time paradox would occur. Clank was trapped and unless the door before him opened, he would be exterminated.

He narrowed his lenses as defeat dawned on him and observed the lethal rays as they rushed to his direction. And not even the Zoni could defer the forthcoming woe. Clank feared he wouldn't see the light of any celestial orb again and his instant devastation was the only foresight his restless thoughts could produce, even if it perturbed the core of his circuitry.

An unwonted brightness drew his gaze to the door again where a dazzling white light filled its crevices, causing it to instantly open. He attempted to spot its source and his research quickly guided his stare to the right corner of the wall. Loric's words were replayed in his head, making the gears in him turn fast.

"Overcoming the obstacles on my path will open the way for Clank and when he succeeds in moving ahead, your way will be cleared of all enemies."

Clank and the Zoni proceeded to the next room, moldy walls with the colour of wet soil enclosing them into ordeal's den and striving to keep the cold breeze away. Once on a safe spot, the robot observed platforms with mechanisms consisted of elongated bars that supported them, one far away from the other and all of them moving as they rotated to follow a nondescript pattern with the objective to lead the convict to irreversible defeat. The neon-blue fluid underneath the untrustworthy surfaces made Clank immediately remember the dagger that almost took Loric's life back at the cell, the memory giving space to a dread that affected his already waning confidence. He quickly made the connection, concluding that coming in contact with the glimmering pool beneath the platforms was to be avoided at all costs.

Realising that Loric had managed to survive the first part of his path of condemnation he became aware of the gratitude he owed him for evading death at the clutches of fiery lights but anxiety prepared him for worse since the burden of their survival lay on him now.

"My turn to help you, Ratchet" he remarked as he readied himself for the next tide of the raging storm born by Orion's wrath, allowing no demons of doubt to obscure his sense for he would allow no failure that could potentially take his friend's life.

Click, click!

"Damnit!" Ratchet cursed as the trigger of his Doom Blades became unresponsive, which rendered it the fifth weapon of his arsenal that was out of ammunition.

An ever-growing tension flowed through him in the form of adrenaline as he took firm hold of his Constructo Shotgun with rather spasmodic movements, the coldness of the steel penetrating the fabric of his gloves that almost sent a chill down his spine. His tail twitched due to the abrupt appearance of even more robotic enemies and the coolness of the weapon's alloy led his pair of vivid green eyes skyward, imagining this planet's bleak daylight and longing to face the sky sunken in the color of the ash, now valuing it as more enchanting and serene than he had appreciated when he first reached Silthrin.

The sound of drilling circular saws forced his attention back to the fight with a relentless cold-heartedness and Ratchet sighted his metallic rivals that contained blade saws instead of regular arms. Sharp, intermittent breaths escaped him as his consciousness settled from incredulity to full alertness. His defensive stance and aggressive stare worked as a form of retaliation for the pessimistic thoughts that threatened his integrity. The notion of pointlessness weighed heavily on his mind for no matter how great an amount of enemies he defeated more and more spawned and outnumbered the fallen ones. The battle seemed endless as if he had been trapped into a frozen moment in time where the effect of suns and moons orbiting could no longer reach his existence and were unable to give meaning to the passage of minutes and hours. His military experience dictated that melee combat was a rash decision he had best avoid but Ratchet would have no choice once the ammo of all of his weapons depleted.

He kept that thought aside for he knew it would drain him of his strength prematurely. And he needed all the strength he could muster to survive his own agonizing ordeal, a poisonous gift granted by Orion, representing a vengeance protected by the night. The robots formed a semicircle in front of Ratchet, the spiky edges of their saws moving closer to the Lombax's face.

"Uh no, I'm not getting a close shave today" he uttered before firing the first round of Constructo shells.

Clank landed on the last platform with a loud sound produced by his metallic feet coming in contact with the horizontal surface. Glimpsing at the walls around him, he witnessed their colour return to mahogany brown, abandoning the translucent cyan the chrono-spell had covered them with. Running with all of his might, he reached the edge and took one final leap before the platform could float away from the steady ground that looked like the most welcoming sight he had encountered in many hours. The still lines of all objects around him and all figures instantly twirled, blending into a slightly blurry landscape of aquamarine waves. The small robot levitated, turning his gaze to the neon-blue pool beneath his feet that shone extraordinarily due to the effect of the time-bending powers of the Zoni.

The sound of incessant sizzling quickly followed its normal pace as soon as Clank's aerial journey was over and his feet on flat ground, away from the platforms' hazardous dance. At the end of his own path was a lever and in it he saw the only key of helping Ratchet face his personal tribulation.

"You must pull the lever, sire" the Zoni suggested in tune.

Clank's suspicions about the lever's functional purpose faded and the wish to take matters into his own hands guided his hand on it as a resolute movement led it downwards, leaving a dark brown stain on the wall that resembled a permanent shadow.

The sound of a heavy load being dragged penetrated Ratchet's ears as much as he detested distractions during a battle, his curiosity made the robots' razors dull in his eyes. He glanced at the source of the tedious sound and watched doors sealing the openings from where his enemies emerged, preventing any more adversaries from making their way towards him. The monotonous sound of metal descending furiously to touch the floor sounded like a song of comfort during the last moments of this occurrence and Ratchet managed a grateful smile as soon as he assessed the situation.

"Thanks, pal" he murmured and took a firm hold of his Lightning Ravager, opting to preserve the ammo of long ranged weapons in case the number of enemies became unmanageable again in the upcoming minutes.

Swinging the powerful whip-like weapon he saw the electrifying light-blue line comply with his will as it moved rapidly in correspondence with every movement of his hand, the results of its conformity showing in the broken pieces of rusted alloy down Ratchet's feet. A light steam and little sapphire sparks tortured the fallen form of each piece and Ratchet smiled triumphantly at the fruits of his labour.

After the last robot was dealt with, he noticed there was nothing posing a threat to him anymore. Everything was confined to a mundane stillness and no new path revealed itself before him. He recalled Loric's words and realised he had to help Loric go on with his own challenge if he were to continue onward. He set his emerald eyes on the button that had caught his attention right before his battle had began. Exertion made his movements slothful when he headed for the button and once near it, Ratchet pushed it with a skeptical attitude that decelerated the motion of his hand and caused his eyebrows to furrow.

As soon as he applied pressure to the button, the same rusted sound deluged the area like a turbulent tide and Ratchet watched the corroded surfaces give into the gravity-defiant mechanism, thus revealing a new battalion of robots heading his way with a heavy marching.

"You can't be serious!" he spat to no one in particular and grabbed the first thing he could lay his hands on, which happened to be his OmniWrench.

He held it defensively in front of him in an attempt to intimidate his enemies. Fervent defiance accompanied the movements of his melee weapon and the sultry air he inhaled burned his throat only for it to escape through gritted teeth. One of his metallic adversaries assaulted him ferociously with the familiar blade saw but Ratchet managed to strike it in time and deflect the spinning razors attempting to steal the lifeforce out of him.

Never-ending battle or not, Ratchet had once been told that becoming the last one standing in a fight was a matter of choice. And even though the one who had told him this had fallen, swayed by the limitless reach of time's boundless existence right at the centre of the Universe, Ratchet believed he had been right. The sole dividing line between victory and defeat was the limit you put on your will to survive. And his will for survival was abundant on that misty, moonlit night.

As his limbs burned by the sustained energy, Ratchet put his faith on his OmniWrench thinking a close combat might release him from harrowing agitation.

Large stony walls came into view as soon as the symbol that had appeared proudly before Loric was swallowed by the ground he stood on as the surface that prevented him from walking any farther receded and disclosed a second maze he had to trespass. He missed the clearness of unperturbed atmosphere as soon as toxic gas emitted around and made him feel worn out as though the night had acquired the length of days. Keeping his eyes open had never required such tremendous effort and the deep-sapphire colour in them lessened for they remained narrowed due to exhaustion. He pressed on, leaning on his staff with each weary step that was guided by a clouded mind.

A quick glimpse at his feet sent a brief but sharp ache at his heart for he realised he was dragging himself onward rather than walking, soles denying to abandon the ground. A harmless stumble forced him to support his weight on the white staff and subsequently, long strands of hair fell on his face turning his vision partly black. 'I can't give up. I must move on. It's almost over, it must be, he screamed into his mind, commanding his heels to rise in the air and break free from their gravity-bound spell but his body refused to fulfill this order.

"I can't fail…" he expressed through a silent shout and a loud whisper, something akin to a sob and then slowly walked into the first path of the maze he happened to see.

The door that slid open before Clank held the promise of safety for a great distance was created between him and the boiling blue pool. The robot along with his loyal, peculiar followers moved ahead, not permitting himself to stand still for a second. Light chose not to be his ally this time as Clank traversed into the formidable blackness which however was rivaled by his flawless vision and the blue shine of the Zoni. The darkness was disturbed by yet another deadend, its weakness exposing itself through a dimly illuminated area that made Clank smile gratefully before he noticed there was no space on the wall that would grant him a way beyond.

A sudden noise sent an excessive amount of electricity to his sensors which made him jump in surprise. The moment he turned around little glowing spikes made his eyes become enlarged, like two small moons. A surface full of poles that possessed keen edges hurt Clank even with their magisterial presence. The toxic neon-blue fluid adorned the sharp points and the surface quickly detached from the far end of the ceiling to descend to the robot's level, railing fast to his direction.

The sound of a Warmonger's trigger's faint click echoed in the massive hall. Ratchet's breathing became erratic , a lightheadedness already making him feel like he was floating a few inches above the ground, dragging his consciousness dangerously away from the battle. His legs ached unbelievably because of his ceaseless endeavours to avoid enemy attack. He stared at the second button on the other side but the unimaginable amount of enemies obstructing him made it impossible to approach.

Although not a weapon with heavy firepower and thus, not one of his favourite choices, he took a tight hold of his Combuster and fired. As he suspected, it didn't inflict much damage and all it managed was to temporarily distract the mass of hostile iron men.

As much as every muscle hurt, Ratchet refused to surrender. No matter what, he wasn't ready to draw that line that would separate defeat from victory.

Fatigue seemed to have now acquired a form to Loric, materializing in voices of mockery he swore came from the walls he stumbled upon every time he failed to follow the right track. If he could see beyond the hypnotising haze, he was certain he would spot cruel, cold eyes on the walls staring at him with such discontent even a Loki would choose to flee this place in fear. When his staff failed to support his weary figure, he found himself pulled by a force the floor suddenly unleashed with him as the target and thus, fell on his knees.

The sound of shaky breaths overpowered the scornful words that came from the walls for details and colours appeared beyond the fading mist that had drained him off his strength, as if now satisfied to have weakened this place's trespasser was free to dissolve and connect with the sky in a vaporous dance. Loric blinked to fix his blurred vision and when his cerulean eyes focused, another symbol welcomed him to the end of his second test. The wall before him differentiated itself thanks to the lines carved upon it that shaped an eye, sparkling silver leaf bits representing the iris.

Spotting the second niche to his right, Loric knew what had to follow and despite the strict eye watching him, seemingly declaring Orion's unforgiving presence, he lifted himself off the ground even though his own weight made him more vulnerable to gravity. He knew that symbol quite well for the adage it represented was one of the basic things every Grey Mage was taught.

"The Astral Ones are watching you

so you won't lose your one-way path.

And if you sway and fall from grace

move only forward and trust your staff."

Loric's nous focused on the traditional saying. "A one-way path has no turns" he eventually concluded and selected the opening in the middle of the niche, the one that had two holes of the same size on each side.

After inwardly ordering the sapphire of his staff to glimmer its azure-whitish light, he positioned the gem in the opening hoping to have solved the riddle. Afterwards, Loric withdrew his staff with an intense, almost violent movement and looked around him in search for any kind of change that would declare either victory or defeat. It wasn't long until the purely white energy flowed through the wall and into another room.

For quite some time, Loric's senses detected no movement and for a while he thought he was trapped in there. As the silver eye kept on watching him in an unmerciful manner, Loric finally became aware of the ringing in his ears he subconsciously kept ignoring during the trial. As his body refused to do his bidding, the Grey Mage felt his limbs paralyzing before falling abruptly on the ground while sweet, enticing oblivion carried his consciousness away from his senses.

The salutary blue light gradually disappeared and Clank was blighted with a feeling of dismay when the fact that he was left alone dawned on him like a livid blaze that unloosed its wrathful sparks on him. When the realisation that no white energy would come to defeat the odds came faster than desired he moved his hand near his chest's compartment, bright eyes almost shut so as to shield himself from the horrid sight of spikes sliding his way with a rampant mania.

He retrieved the only Time Bomb left and stared at it with a look that signified the doubt clouding his thoughts. Although enhanced with nuclear power, it could still slow down time. The highly pitched grinding noise impinged his mental stability which he desperately tried to maintain intact. But the thought that Ratchet's tomorrow depended on him made his efforts futile and the idea of preserving the Time Bomb for a possibly another emergency sound like the silliest plan he could come up with at that moment.

He found the bravery to raise his withered, absent from zeal gaze to face the approaching metal thorns. His hold on the spherical object became even firmer when he calculated there were 6.34 seconds separating him from the chaos ensuing when life was severed and death took hold. Stillness left its trace on these very moments he registered. 4.45 seconds were left when Clank prepared to throw his Time Bomb.

The door behind him budged and the robot turned around to face the familiar light that enabled the rusted mechanism and instantly brought him relief for the second time. 2.01 seconds. He ran as fast as his little legs allowed him to. Once closer to the second lever, Clank turned around with a look of curiosity somewhat consumed by terror and noticed the deathtrap had stopped where it was. He sighed, thinking he would probably feel his heart beat fast in anxiety if he were an organic.

He advanced towards the lever and brought its handle closer to the ground with the little strength he could muster, an act that sealed the ending of his part. Feeling immensely grateful for still being fully functional, he hoped Ratchet and Loric were still fighting out there, somewhere.

A violent impact and one more robot was on the ground, its razor blade detaching from its position and flying to the corner of the spacious chamber with a disturbingly loud bang. Ratchet panted heavily as he struck one more enemy with his OmniWrench, currently the only weapon capable of keeping him alive. He knew he should have taken the R.Y.N.O. V with him but he had left it on Igliak in fear of getting involved in the unknown galaxy's law enforcement.

"How many of you are there?!" he shouted, driven by intensity while he hit more and more enemies.

His efforts to stay alive were so strenuous his whole body was quivering, ears lowered to the point they slightly touched the back of his head. A jolt instantly harassed his right shoulder when the sound of doors shutting penetrated the air. The knowledge that his friend had succeeded on his venture made joy surge within him as it somewhat chased away his tension.

His moment of short relief caught him off guard when the only robot operational dug its spinning saw into Ratchet's blade shoulder, creating a small dent on his silvery armor that sparkled beneath the faint light of the aged lamps. A sharp yell escaped his mouth when his armor's alloy came in contact with his skin with an unpleasantly great force that would probably leave a bruise or two. Turning around, he realised he had taken a few steps forward as a means to protect himself even though he never performed this act consciously. With eyes reflecting the anger caused by the pain on his shoulder, he stared at the robot challenging it to attack him. And as he expected, he saw his rival assault with its blade saw aiming for his head. Ratchet was quick enough to stoop and avoid the attack, in the meantime hitting his opponent with his trusty weapon aided by the momentum he managed to gain. He ended up sending the robot a few feet away from him, rendering it extremely damaged when it hit the ground.

Although Ratchet was now the last one standing, he didn't seem to be enjoying his triumph. His chest hurt and his heart felt ready to explode. He missed a step for the ground felt slippery and fell with one knee on the floor. Wearied by the battle, he raised his stare but perceived everything more slowly than he should, bleary-eyed and fatigued. He faced the button looking less welcoming than earlier as he thought it would be a deed if he ever reached it. He slowly stood up, carefully supporting his weight on both legs and took painfully slow steps, instantly falling on the button's basis to remain upright or else he was certain he would collapse.

His mind raced in-between millions of thoughts. If he pushed the button, more enemies would appear and this time he wouldn't be able to cope with the aftermath of the crime Orion believed he had committed. But if he didn't, Loric was at stake which also meant that Clank would be in serious danger. And he couldn't afford to let him get harmed, especially if it were to happen because of him.

With a bitter inhale and viridescent eyes staring at the button's curvy, maroon surface he pressed it and waited, as alert as his troubled mind would allow him to be.

For about a minute nothing happened and the more his body relaxed, the more Ratchet couldn't control what was happening around him. Even leaning on the button's base was becoming too hard and so he fell down, his search for repose pointless. The last thing he was able to conceive was Master Orion approaching. Afterwards, a veil of insensitivity covered him and the question of whether he had eventually gained Purification or Damnation lingered in his mind before closing his eyes completely.


A/N: What Loric said about the Lombaxes right before the Trial was an attempt to show there's no such things as 'good guys' and 'bad guys'. I find it too simplistic to present the Lombaxes only as heroes and imagined they tried to do or did something bad at least once during their existence. Not because they were evil but because of the circumstances they happened to live under. I don't know if this was a wise decision but it was an approach I wanted to try out.

Also there's a Vullard named Orion in ACiT! I… honestly had no idea!