Disclaimer: Ratchet & Clank characters and setting belong to Insomniac Games and are thus not mine.


Chapter 15: Ground of Ancestral Glory

Puffy white dots floated in the infinite light-blue as they unwaveringly intervened into the endlessness of the sky. As if fleeing in fear, they dissipated in small molecules when a red starship dared fly into their kingdom. The parts of clouds dissolved into the atmosphere after drifting a good distance away from the ship, resembling tiny woolly creatures running in an invisible meadow. The peculiar hues of copper-yellow and glistening golden in the writings of Aphelion's wings danced beneath the rays of a shimmering sun, making the engravings themselves twinkle as if dazed by the sun's reviving effect.

A slight steering of the ship's wheel sealed the beginning of the space vessel's long glide as it performed a plunge straight into the sea of silvery fog that obscured the sighting of anything kept on the ground. Ratchet's sheer movements betrayed an absolute lack of reluctance and the opaque fog's will to intimidate the visitors of Breegus Minor disintegrated when the starship dove into the vaporous sea. The flight underneath the clouds promptly revealed the arid lands of the former Lombax colony.

Clank shifted towards the transparent glass of the canopy and watched with gleaming optic lenses while the density of clouds ceaselessly and fearlessly changed. The weak wind commanded them to waltz and transform into creatures only a child's wild imagination could recognise. A blithesome laughter came to externalise his excitement as soon as he discerned in the clouds a creature he had read about in that novel he last bought in Meridian City. Dragon it had been called. Momentarily his CPU scanned all the colours he was aware of, a procedure that guided him to the conclusion that purple would be rather fitting for a mythological creature like this. As he wondered whether a purple dragon existed in some other dimension, he retreated from his observatory and resumed sitting quietly next to Ratchet.

"Whoa… Clank, look at this" the robot heard his friend express wonderment and instantly became curious about what had enthused Ratchet. After all, he wasn't very easily impressed.

Ardently he moved closer to the steering wheel to watch the spectacle from a better angle. Two pairs of brilliant green eyes radiated in fascination despite their different natures. Three beryl-coloured spheres were imprinted on the sky's cyan canvas, glowing out their magnificence with such intensity the heroes thought they were made of trillion tiny diamonds. Azure, turquoise and ocean-blue seemed to coruscate on the orbs' surfaces so one could reign over the other, resulting in a brilliant glow of deep blue hue with greenish hints diffusing around the celestial bodies as if the colours were trying to cling to the sky's perfectly clear sea.

The sky's dome became enlarged as the two spaceships flew towards the ground. Finally, it widened tremendously and covered all the space above them once they touched the ground. The sound of operating starships died down and the occupants of them slid outside to be instantly met with the long abandoned lands of Breegus Minor.

With feet set firmly on the ground Ratchet let the exotic colours and the strange yet magnificent remnants of civilization guide his curious stare and his expressive, green eyes seemed to emit sparks as a result of everything his sight absorbed. He gave into motion and took steps that followed no pattern and had no destination all while his head moved sideways in order to observe the architecture of the land disclosing its history; wreckage from buildings that formerly stood proudly against both drought and storms now resided closer to their foundation. The collapsed parts bathed beneath the light of the peculiar blue orbs that twinkled unto the platinum of the debris, as though its reflection was trapped into a metal mirror.

Plants enfolded the fallen pieces with a determined grip that rendered them under their dominion, green present on parts of the cement and metallic chunks. Some halves of the buildings had managed to withstand the effect of destruction and time's decay, thus stood their ground persistently and towered the visitors with shadows due to the multiple sources of light emanating from the sky. Despite the reminders of a past conquest, the air was exceptionally cool and the young mechanic felt its light humidity rejuvenate him as he willingly breathed in until his chest slightly swelled.

"The Lombaxes definitely knew where to build their settlements" Talwyn remarked, complimenting the work of Ratchet's race.

A nod indicated that Ratchet agreed with Talwyn while taking another good look of the sparkling, sapphire sky before turning his attention on Clank. "Let's head to where the coordinates lead."

An unexpected noise startled the three. Ratchet held the handle of the OmniWrench and raised the weapon, acquiring a fighting stance. Talwyn aimed at the direction the noise had come from with her blaster. No one was on sight and no significant change save the preface of some ruined buildings collapsing was noticed.

"The remnants of the buildings would not move on their own" Clank kept his hostile stare fixated on the partly standing wreckage. "I suspect we are not alone."

Talwyn lowered her own weapon and turned to face Ratchet. "Go deactivate the Red Sun. I'll keep our ships secure."

That slight tightening in the stomach returned. Ratchet found himself reluctant to leave Talwyn alone again. He shut his eyes and mildly shook his head as soon as he imagined Talwyn's reaction if she knew; she would probably laugh, or worse, get extremely irritated if she got the impression that Ratchet thought she wasn't capable of protecting herself. He sent her a bold look and complied with her suggestion.

The Lombax lowered his hand and opened up his palm so Clank could reach him. Once the robot was attached to Ratchet's Hex-mount he felt like tearing the wind and the more speed Ratchet gained the faster Talwyn moved away from his vision. Ratchet felt as if there was excessive energy blocked within his system and quickly wished to set his feet in motion, so he decided to run for a while before using his hoverboots.

His muscles warmed up fast and the drumming of his heart offered him an intoxicating sense. The glow the celestial orbs emitted made everything around glisten as if he was moving in crystal clear water, unveiling beauty that chased away the shadows residing in his mind, even if it was temporary. All of the stress he was under seemed to be somewhat unleashed and the physical effort translated to a sensation of lightness instead of exertion. The pounding grew stronger against his chest and breathing became an imperative necessity. Before he could over-exhaust himself he cherished the sense of freedom that left a smile on his face and let his hoverboots quickly narrow the distance between him and the key to the Red Sun's destruction.

TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT

Talwyn watched Ratchet disappear particularly fast, as if running from someone. Her eyes lingered on his form and then simply on the glowing horizon, trying to guess where he could be now; always running from someone or something, always elusive and moving, never standing still. She wondered how Ratchet managed to find the zeal to help, to fight and to protect after all these years of strife. She admired his persistence but on the other hand she just wondered why she failed to guess the source of his unending strength.

She blinked once or twice to gather the thoughts that were flying away, leaving the ground of Breegus Minor. She had work to do and wasn't willing to let the thought of Ratchet become a distraction. She gave an inspecting look at the starships and noticed no threat dawning their way. Of course, Talwyn wasn't going to spend her time on the planet guarding the ships while waiting for Ratchet and Clank; that was only a pretense.

So many hidden corners and sealed rooms awaited their discovery. All that had been crafted and built by the hand of a Lombax had been submitted to nature's mercy, their conjunction creating a sight of marvel and grandeur. Talwyn had inherited her father's flaring thirst for exploration and the enigmatic sceneries called her. Besides, searching the ruins could either confirm or refute Clank's statement.

The Markazian took steps that drew her away from the open field the starships had landed, leading her to the opposite direction of Ratchet's course. She passed beneath barely standing lintels made of platinum coloured metal that gracefully reflected the azure light, creating a dreamlike scenery around the once standing building. Talwyn walked slowly while observing the elegant architecture. She gently ran her fingers on the wall where epigraphs of the Lombax language had been carved. Looking up, she spotted velvet fabric hanging from specific parts of the hall. The collapsed ceiling allowed the three spheres of the sky to fill the area with their majestic light for which Talwyn was glad. Without its effect, the place would have been reminiscent of decay and defeat.

A stone rolled near her feet and the sudden change in the environment triggered a thoughtless reaction. She grabbed her blaster and aimed to the place the stone's descent had begun whilst failing to smother a gasp of surprise. She managed to catch a shadow standing in place for split seconds before hiding behind a wall. The next thing her senses perceived was the sound of running, one foot quickly placed in front of the other to remain out of her sight.

'Clank was right. We've been followed.'

The realisation made her angry. She felt stiffened but her feet yearned for a dash. Embracing the surge of adrenaline that already made her heart pulsate she gave into a frantic run to catch up with the stranger.

With blaster squeezed steadily, Talwyn entered a partly lit hall where the unknown figure had gone to. She quickened her pace and ventured deeper into the settlement, abandoning the illuminated areas. The floating dust invaded her throat, hindering her breathing as she panted but she tried to neglect the discomforting effect and the mild stinging pain she felt there. There was no one running in front of her but there were no alternative pathways and Talwyn wished the hall led straight into a wall so she could corner the stranger.

Her pursue came to a halt when she entered a wider area with two hallways. Talwyn ceased her running and holstered her blaster to place her palms on her knees while breathing heavily. There was no trace of the mysterious figure and Talwyn couldn't have known the direction they might have gone to. She rose upright and glared at the two entrances as her red headband became soaked from the sweat that glistened on her pale forehead. Her agitated stare remained on the hallways perpetually and her breathing slowly became soundless as her heartbeat returned to normal.

Her tactic proved to be successful for she noticed a shadow moving swiftly on the right corridor. Talwyn wasted no time and gave into a mindless dash. Small streams of sweat flowed beneath her clothes, adding to the high temperature of her body. She longed for a breeze to blow her way but left the thought aside and concentrated on catching the stalker.

The place had become significantly darker and Talwyn feared that she would lose track of the path that had led her there. She wished that finding the way back wouldn't cause her trouble and reached the end of the corridor, now setting foot into a spacious room. Sending brief glimpses around, she noticed no doors apart from the one she had entered from. She smiled wickedly and carefully equipped herself with the blaster. She had the upper hand; the stranger was cornered.

She kept her weapon raised and searched around for any sort of movement, hoping for any misstep that could betray the location of the figure. The silence grew strong and prevailed in the room, which sent a shiver down Talwyn's spine. It was only her who disturbed the stillness of the Lombax ruins, a stillness that was well on its way to convince her she was seeing ghosts.

Talwyn almost gave up the idea of someone watching them until the misstep she was wishing for came.

She turned to her left and stretched her arm, the weapon slightly below the level of her eyes and her index finger flirting with the idea of pulling the trigger.

"Come out" she ordered and waited for someone to creep out of the dusty box she was aiming at. "I know you're here. No sense in hiding."

"I'm sorry" a timid voice barely reached her ears. It was light in tone but quivering. Small hands appeared in the air before the stranger spoke again. "I'm not a threat to you."

"I'll be the judge of that" Talwyn hissed, refusing to let the trembling voice quell her resolve.

Deciding he was out of options, the figure slowly stood up so he could be seen by the planet's visitor. Talwyn's eyes softened and the furrow on her forehead disappeared when her eyebrows relaxed. Before her stood a skinny Tharpod with light-blue complexion and dressed in a torn white robe. The creature seemed extremely weary, eyes failing to remain fully open and bones showing their shape beneath the skin of his arms.

Pity dawned on Talwyn as soon as she laid her eyes on him. All there was before her was a moving wreck, an exhausted and possibly scared Tharpod who didn't have the strength to hurt anyone even if he wanted to. She ceased aiming at him and withdrew her blaster. "I'm sorry I chased you. I thought you were after us. What's your name?" her voice reflected caution and her insistence to stand where she was indicated a watchful attitude.

"Eldan" the trembling faded from his voice but fatigue took its place. "How did you find me? Did… Oh no… Is the Killer Ray activated?" the Tharpod began speaking a little faster, as if panicking.

"Killer Ray?" Talwyn wondered and quickly made the connection in her mind. Killer Ray was the name Tachyon had given to the Red Sun. "What do you know about it?" Talwyn asked, neglecting to breathe as she waited for Eldan to process the question and provide her with an answer.

"Everything" Eldan took a few steps closer to the Markazian, always making sure he was leaning on something as he walked. "After all, I created it."

TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT

"You sure we're in the right place?" Ratchet took a good look of the room, observing the multiple small screens around him.

"This is where the coordinates lead" Clank reassured him. Unlike Ratchet, he was focused on a control panel right at the centre of the circular room. He ignored the switched off screens and stared at every detail, every button and every indication of the panel as if trying to memorize it. He refrained from touching it and his hands hovered in the air, above the surface of his finding.

In the meantime Ratchet sunk into the stagnancy created after they had reached their destination. He was looking at Clank but not really seeing him. He had begun hating stillness after Azalea. Every moment he spent in silence brought him face to face with Kaden's message. The moment the recording started, the moment he heard his father's voice call him his son, he felt an emptiness he had never realised was there. Something empty yet heavy that was there all along and he didn't know. He never thought he had missed having a family, he had never dwelled on it. He had decided not to when Veldin showed its unwelcoming face in the form of utter loneliness.

But the moment he knew what it was like to have a father, the moment he was aware of the emptiness it was immediately filled. A few loving, yet distressed words and Kaden was already making up for all the lost time. Ratchet had felt genuine joy. And it was taken away from him by Tachyon's interference and Kaden's choked breaths.

His father's final moments were still imprinted vividly on his mind, tainting his clarity, chasing away his peace. Kaden's suppressed screams seemed to linger within him and emerge painfully in every silent moment. And Ratchet was afraid, so afraid whenever he closed his eyes and remembered. He was frozen in fear every time he contemplated on the tormenting way Kaden had died by the hands of that treacherous Cragmite. He was afraid this would haunt him forever, even if he managed to confront the Unseen Destroyer.

That is why Ratchet grew to hate stillness and the safety it provided. He preferred to fight, to run, to be at the edge of death which would force him to push these thoughts aside for the sake of survival. Right now he hated that all he had to do was wait for Clank to figure out what the control panel could do. He folded his arms to keep his hands busy, to fall into the illusion that he was holding a weapon's handle, hoping to sink into the delusion of fighting.

"How long are we gonna stand here?" Ratchet blurted out, failing to hide his irritation.

"I do not want to trigger any sort of unpleasant chain reaction" Clank claimed calmly as he continued to inspect the panel.

"I think it's a little too late for that" the Lombax scoffed and looked away from Clank as he let his folded arms tighten closer to his body.

Ratchet's bitterness was enough a reason to lose interest in the control panel and stare at him worryingly. The mission was having a toll on him and Clank knew every failure would be sufficient to make Ratchet feel like a wreck. He had become aware of that the moment Tachyon revealed the twisted heritage he left behind on Everos. He had decided to keep an eye on Ratchet but the Lombax was already letting the Cragmite win over his determination and courage. He knew Ratchet would never falter or cower away in a fight. But that didn't mean he would be able to win the fight inside.

"Perhaps you are right. We came here for a specific reason and there are no other ways of deactivating the Red Sun as far as we know" Clank's statement was pragmatic but sounded more like admitting they were on a dire situation. "I am activating the control panel. Are you ready?"

"Bring it" was all Ratchet said and walked to the control panel next to Clank.

For a while it seemed like the control panel was taking too long to send the command to the central system but in reality it was Clank who wouldn't dare touch the activation button. For a few more seconds he wished for stillness and silence to remain for he was unable to predict the forthcoming events, something that unsettled him greatly. Unmoving and speechless, the robot curled his two fingers into his palm tightly and then outstretched them again as he positioned his hand closer to the button. With unending anguish, he let his hand come in contact with the button and applied the necessary pressure.

To their own dismay, the screens on the walls synchronized to commonly show the perpetrator of Project After Omega.

"So you made it this far. You must be desperate to help poor Zanifar."

The now familiar agitation left its trails on Ratchet as shallow breaths were exhaled through bared teeth and ears were raised in full alertness.

"This is the first part of our game. And every game has its rules. This game will be straightforward. Instead of setting deathtraps or bringing your death through toxic gas and have you fight for your life, all you have to do is choose one of the options I give you."

"Choose?" Ratchet murmured, keeping his voice quiet enough to keep it from trembling.

"This button before you sends a signal to my artificial satellite, the Killer Ray. If you push it, the orb will drift away from Zanifar's orbit and self-destruct after falling into dark space. But that's not all this button will do. I had the entire planet excavated as close to its core as possible and I implanted heavy explosives. Every Lombax mine is also filled with explosives. Should you decide to save Zanifar, I'm afraid you'll have to sacrifice Breegus Minor."

"No…" Clank gasped. His thoughts raced to possible outcomes of such an act. Destroying a planet could be the cause of many anomalies and imbalances. His time in the Great Clock had taught him that interfering with the universe's order was something to be avoided at all costs. Neither he nor Ratchet was in the position to make such a decision.

"You have 60 seconds to make up your mind. Will you help Zanifar or will you let it burn to death? Once the countdown is over, there is no turning back. Make your choice, Lombax!"

TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT

"I don't understand. You created the Red Sun?" Talwyn was overtaken by an urge to cling to her blaster. "I thought Tachyon did."

"The emperor conceived the idea but it was me who brought it to life" Eldan confessed. The more he spoke the quieter his voice grew. His eyelids lowered even more, almost covering his irises. Talwyn could see the signs of prolonged weariness on him. "He forced me to create all of it."

"Can you be more specific?" Talwyn's voice lost its sternness and was replaced by traces of pity while she finally holstered her weapon.

The Tharpod detached his eyes from her and found solace from her persistent stare to the floor. He gripped the rusted, metallic chest next to him to fight against his exhaustion. "I don't know how the emperor found me but when he did, he threw me into a lab and forced me to work on his backup plan, as he called it. He gave me the schematics, the blueprints, the whole idea was his. I just executed."

A sheer tremble crossed Eldan's frame. His gaze was still away from Talwyn's face. He felt momentarily happy to finally talk to someone rather than himself. It felt like forever since anyone spoke to him. He was proud of himself for still being able to form sentences with correct grammatical structure and for not sounding delirious. "I never admired his work itself but I was surprised by its complexity. Tachyon is smart. The fact that he vanquished the Lombaxes proves it. I knew he would find out if I tried to sabotage his work or if I fled. I knew better than to oppose him. So I did everything he asked. I shouldn't be telling you all this, the emperor will kill us both if he finds out."

Talwyn was hanging to every word she listened. She failed to process all of it but she could see the general idea. She wished she could have felt disgusted and angry but instead, she had felt afraid. She feared what awaited Ratchet and the thought of anything happening to him twisted her stomach into a knot. "Wait! You speak about Tachyon in present tense. You do know that he's dead, right?"

Eldan's small yet spasmodic constant moving ceased and when he raised his head Talwyn witnessed his tired eyes widen and his skinny face somewhat distort as he let his mouth hang agape. "Dead?"

One slow step towards him seemed like a risk but Talwyn took it. She was glad the traumatized Tharpod didn't recoil in astonishment. She looked at him warmly and kept her voice low-toned and comforting. "Yes, Eldan. It's been seven years now. You are free. You can leave."

There was a strong urge to shriek but Eldan couldn't bring it forth for years of physical hardship made his fatigue much stronger. Talwyn had a hard time seeing through him as all she encountered was a vacant stare and an unnerving stillness.

"Free?!" Eldan suddenly exclaimed which startled Talwyn. "No, never. I can never be free. Not after what I've done."

"You can come with us and help us stop all this. Testify what you know. We can help you" despair was apparent in Talwyn's voice as she saw a losing fight in Eldan's disheartening words.

Eldan turned the other way and stared at the room around. His next words made Talwyn's heart sink into a state of rising despair. "No one can help me."

"Eldan, you've got to get a grip of yourself and tell me how to stop Tachyon's insane plan!" with indignation out of control, Talwyn's yelling echoed in the entire chamber. "It's already begun. You might be my only hope of ending this without any losses."

"Now this is impossible" Eldan blurted and turned swiftly to look at Talwyn. "If Project After Omega is already in motion, people will die. The emperor made sure of that. It's either the inhabitants of Zanifar or the village here."

A sense of impending devastation overshadowed Talwyn. Her heart started racing so fast she swore she could hear its pounding echo in the room. "Village? On Breegus Minor? This planet's uninhabited."

"When Ephemeris rose some Tharpods came here for shelter. They built a village and remained hidden from the authorities and from Ephemeris as well. They can't leave until that thing is destroyed. But if the deadly satellite is deactivated Breegus Minor will be destroyed. And those villagers will die with us."

Talwyn's heart was ready to rip her chest open. She felt as if oxygen was depleting, making her lightheaded. She activated her comm-link to reach out to her allies. "Ratchet! Clank! Don't use the control panel. It's going to destroy the planet and there are people here needing evacuation!" When only silence prevailed on the other end Talwyn felt like she was close to fainting. "Ratchet! Do you copy?!"

"You think I wouldn't try to contact anyone if communications were available?" Eldan was dauntingly calm. There was an underlying bitter acceptance beneath his tone but his eyes, after so long, conveyed something that ruled over emptiness; cynicism. "No one can help you either."

TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT

The seconds ticked down loudly in Clank's head. He saw numbers counting down with a merciless resolve and wished for time to stop for a while. He needed time to comprehend the situation. His thinking had frozen, bound to an inexplicable state of paralysis. The numbers on the screens looked enormous enough to tower his tiny form. Clank felt helplessness crawl beneath him. "What should we do?"

51, 50, 49…

Ratchet couldn't make out the numbers. He was lost in a haze which kept everything around him away from his vision. Time was an irrelevant thing to him for all he fought against was rage. An enemy he thought he had left behind found a way to trick death and challenge him with bold mockery. For Ratchet, Tachyon was alive and had to be stopped again. He allowed the seconds to slip away from him, blood boiling in him and tension flowing through his form at an erratic speed. "I'm going to push the button."

"This is not right" Clank's objection was harsh, displaying urgency. "We simply cannot destroy a planet."

"What else is there?" Ratchet's fur bristled and tight fists formed in his hands. His stance looked as if he was ready for combat. "We came here to help Zanifar and that's what we're gonna do. This planet's uninhabited anyway. I can't believe you're still considering this."

"Are we really going to destroy a planet?" Clank had a determined stare fixed on Ratchet, showing no intention of releasing the Lombax from his judgmental glare anytime soon. "Pushing this button makes us no better than Drek."

"And letting Zanifar burn makes us no better than Tachyon!"

30, 29, 28…

Persuading Ratchet to change his mind seemed like a losing fight at that point. A morbid realisation began to darken Clank's thoughts. The passing seconds forced him to mature abruptly when he was encountered by a bitter fact; they couldn't always win. He never wished to be the cause of any evil but he soon would come to understand life is not black and white. "Ratchet please" he released a final, dying endeavour to change their fates, to find a better way than death or destruction. "We have to think this through with logic."

The pleading words coming from his friend shook Ratchet's initial temerity. He subconsciously rubbed his forehead to deliver himself from a persistent headache before setting his eyes on the timer, dreadfully seeing that he had only 19 seconds left to reach a decision. The big ounces of air he breathed did nothing to slow down the beating of his heart. After a short moment of contemplation, Ratchet's eyebrows lowered and turned to look at Clank with an unwavering resoluteness. "I'm sorry Clank, but logic isn't going to get us out of this."

The next moments seemed unending to Clank. Ratchet's determined stare collided with Clank's doleful expression, making the Lombax's face unrecognizable to Clank's eyes. A chilling cold resided into his tiny form and numbness overtook his usually fast and rational thinking. Desperation kept his feet in place and his optics partly open in mental weariness.

He helplessly watched Ratchet's fist slam the button and for one second time stopped, allowing defeat to stupefy Clank as his inner pain was perpetuated.

The next thing Ratchet perceived was the numbers on the screens remaining unaltered and forthwith, the ground beneath his feet started to tremble. He felt as if something had clutched his stomach from the inside after he realised what he had done; he had just condemned a planet to inevitable destruction.

TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT

Talwyn's balance crumbled as a strong wave permeated the ground she was standing on. The atmosphere suddenly felt heated and she was literally breathing hot air. "What was that? What's happening?"

"Oh no…" pure disappointment dripped from Eldan's silent murmur. "The planet… It's going to be destroyed."

Her blood boiled as it rushed through her form, sending surges of adrenaline that made her legs impatient. "We have to go, now!" she shouted and grabbed Eldan's forearm as she attempted to run away from this place.

As she was dragging Eldan out of the Lombax settlement her mind raced to that remote village. She imagined the ground shaking violently, the air slowly turning into hot gusts, Tharpod children panicking as the sky twirled into peculiar colours, reacting to the cruel interference. The Lombax writings had now lost their enchanting effect on Talwyn. The light of knowledge which she saw them emit dimmed down, dying out before the entire planet could become one with the infinite darkness of space, the little beacon of Lombax civilization prematurely lost into oblivion.

The initial enthusiasm of discovering this place vanished and fearfulness took its place in Talwyn's head. Her strength was wearing thin as she almost carried Eldan. He was moving too slowly, the years of hardship and malnourishment confirming he was too weak to save himself.

"I can't go on" words of defeat escaped Eldan in-between deep breaths. He leaned on the wall and let his weary form slid to the floor. "I'm too tired."

"Eldan, you can't give up now" Talwyn knelt to his level. "There's a life away from Tachyon's rule waiting for you. You have to keep running, you just have to!" her voice crossed the boundaries of composure and was slightly cracking while she held the scientist's shoulders, looking straight into his eyes with her sorrowful blue orbs.

"There is a more peaceful way" Eldan seemed to speak to the empty hall behind Talwyn. He wasn't paying attention to his surroundings or the imminent destruction of the planet. He seemed like he had sunk into a raving. "All of this could have been prevented. I created a leak, something like an override switch that supposedly could stop the Killer Ray and keep Breegus Minor intact, and I transferred this flaw of the project to Zanifar."

"Wh- Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Talwyn asked in fervency. Eldan hadn't reacted to the question but she could tell he had listened.

"I did everything very quickly, I was afraid the emperor would catch me red-handed. So I'm not sure if the bypass was successfully created or if it even reached Zanifar. And besides, it's too late for that now."

There was a powerful turbulence beneath the ground that sent Talwyn and Eldan straight to the hall's floor. Talwyn shut her eyes to brace herself for the abrupt fall but her palms held her face away from the cold, solid ground. She spotted her headband lying on the floor. She picked it up and ran her fingers through her hair to clear her sight. Raising her head, she saw the entrance of the grand building. That stunning blue light falling on the reflective surfaces and bathing the area with majestic, soothing sapphire rays no longer existed. Talwyn surmised that the sky had turned dark, black clouds covering the brilliant spheres adorning the heavens above Breegus Minor.

Talwyn felt the bleakness of the sight before her penetrate her heart, leaving her without zest or hope. "We really have to leave."

Eldan felt guarding hands trying to raise him but the endless years of starvation and immobility rendered his exhaustion timeless. Despite the emperor's long absence, Eldan was bound to this place physically and mentally "Save yourself."

"What?! Eldan, you don't mean that. Just a few more steps and your torment is over!"

A deep, perpetual roar rumbled from the depths of the planet. It escalated slowly and the more it increased in volume the more unstable the ground became.

"You can't save us all. At least save your friend, the one that started this. If he's the one Tachyon wants, he's the only one that can put an end to this madness" Eldan's final warning came with a strong push that shoved Talwyn away from him. "Go! I don't have the strength to keep pushing you. Just run, please!"

The ever-growing rumble turned into a thundering turbulence which made Talwyn fear that the earth beneath her would be torn open any second now. Talwyn's eyes remained fixed on the Tharpod's feeble form. She stepped back reluctantly with unshed tears making her blue orbs seem like little sparkling pools. When the fierce vibrations plagued the foundations of the walls, she let her heart freeze and ran for her life, leaving Eldan behind and helpless to the grim situation.

Talwyn's lungs ached as she exerted herself to reach her ship. She defied the pain crossing her legs and ran as fast as she could until dark skies appeared above her head. She activated her comm-link as soon as she caught a visual of her ship. "Ratchet, can you hear me? Where are you? Ratchet?!"

TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT

Thick smoke shrouded the bluish light and challenged Ratchet's vision. With one deep breath after the other, he sprinted away from the facility seeking shelter from the forthcoming catastrophe. His pair of emeralds frantically searched for Aphelion and until he could find her he had no intention to stop running. Fumes were forcefully unleashed from large crevices on the soil all around him and the fear of stumbling into one of them quickly crept into his head. Feeling the weight of Clank on his back slightly alleviated his worry as it reassured him of his friend's presence.

An acute pain ran through his chest as a reaction to his refusal to halt and breaths were no longer sufficient to keep him running. Ratchet had pushed himself to his limits. The air he gasped in was hurting his lungs and his legs failed to support his weight for any longer. He fell on his knees and clasped his burning chest as the rifts around him multiplied, discharging compressed vapours. He raised his gaze and allowed the chaotic scenery to leave its trail on his already dejected mind; the line in the far off distance that separated the sky from the earth was fiery red as though the horizon was ablaze and the rest of the sky had emerged into a dominating blackness coming from the smoke the ground released.

An incessant quaking made standing up a hard struggle and Ratchet could swear there were Leviathans moving underneath. The depths of the planet growled angrily and Ratchet's ears dropped instinctively due to the unpleasant sound. He finally managed to stand up and tried to activate his hoverboots, hoping they weren't jammed anymore. If he failed to make them work, he intended to tell Clank to run for Aphelion. His legs had been severely exerted and he felt almost paralyzed. Running was no longer an option.

He felt his feet hover some inches above the ground and a smile of relief ignited a spark in his eyes that was missing before. He thrust himself forward and welcomed the gust against his face while moving at incredible speeds. Whilst rushing forward to find his ship he maneuvered sideways to avoid the hot winds of the crumbling planet.

Ratchet could finally discern Aphelion beyond the blur the vapours created. He managed to also take a good look of Talwyn's ship which seemed to already have its engines on. "Tal's in her ship waiting for us" he shouted after slightly turning his head to his right shoulder so Clank could hear him.

"Then there is no reason for us to remain here" Clank shuddered as he gazed into the sky. The memory of the once radiant sky worked as a bitter reminder of what was now lost and the luminosity of his eyes somewhat dimmed down in response to the thought.

The red starship's cockpit opened up when Ratchet was in close proximity. After a graceful jump he landed on Aphelion's leather seat and clung on the wheel, determined to reach space as fast as he could. Clank quickly occupied the seat next to him and emerged himself into a fragile, delusional sense of security as the cockpit's glass lowered and separated him from the chaos unfolding on Breegus Minor.

"What's our destination, Ratchet?" Aphelion's voice lacked the usual sophistication, replaced by alertness that made her sound rough and stern.

"For now we're just getting the hell out of here!" the engines were brought to life and Ratchet was already putting his plan in motion by moving the ship away from the shaking ground.

The fiery horizon was smothered by the black clouds enshrouding the globe. Clank watched as the planet left its dying breath through countless chasms breathing out smoke. Some of them glowed with liquid fire flowing beneath the surface. The robot felt an invisible weight be placed upon his small form and the ever-changing scenery before him rendered him numb by sorrow. His gears turned vigorously and Clank heard an imaginary helpless cry as the beauty which once dwelled there had been overpowered by the everlasting rage of emperor Tachyon.

Dismayed, he shifted his position to shield himself from the desolate sight and decided to focus on Ratchet. To his own surprise, Ratchet refused to let the destruction around him break through his shell. He wore a mask of coldness, seemingly indifferent to the mayhem unleashed. But Clank always knew when Ratchet raised up his defenses to hide his inner turmoil and he could tell this was one of these moments. The Lombax's eyes wandered restlessly to the part of the sky that was visible from where he sat. However he was not yearning to lay his sight on the next wondrous land he was about to explore, that kind of enthusiasm was missing from his pair of brilliant green. Instead he seemed filled with a craving to leave, to be as far away as possible.

Ratchet's heavy silence told Clank he wished to be away not only from the planet but from him as well. His mouth was tightly sealed, a sign which showed Clank he was clenching his teeth. The might with which he held the wheel was unnecessarily excessive, making the muscles of his forearms somewhat tense. No matter how much Ratchet tried to hide, it was crystal clear to Clank; Ratchet was burdened with guilt and it was bound to slowly turn him into a wreck.

Their quiet flight eventually led them to the dominion of stars as the Lombax starship disengaged from the planet's orbit at a great velocity. Ratchet dared to turn the wheel so he could position his ship sideways and take a look of the planet's condition. Breegus Minor had been split into many giant chunks of earth that now hovered aimlessly into the vast black. His heart skipped a beat and even the gasp he unconsciously inhaled wasn't enough to help him process what he was seeing. The facts finally started to catch up with him and when they did, a terrible feeling sunk within; he had destroyed a planet.

"Incoming call from Apogee, Talwyn" Aphelion informed aloofly.

With a long sigh he hadn't realised he was holding in, Ratchet turned the wheel to lead Aphelion away from what used to be Breegus Minor and allowed the call to reach the ship's terminal.

"That was a close one, Ratchet. What happened there?" Talwyn spoke half-heartedly, sounding as if she had run a marathon.

"Tachyon had trapped the system. The only way to deactivate the Red Sun was to let the planet get destroyed" Ratchet's voice was more low-toned than usual, betraying his despondency and ill-concealing his rising guilt. "I couldn't sacrifice lives for the sake of an empty planet. There was no other way."

Talwyn remained unresponsive to his statement for a while but Ratchet could sense Talwyn on the other end, present and fully focused on their conversation. He wondered what made her delay to speak, fearing an argument or a falling out. He averted his gaze from the starry sea infinitely opening wide before him and stared at the console with every heartbeat feeling like one whole minute as he impatiently anticipated hearing her voice.

"You're right. There was no other way" she plainly complied with Ratchet's opinion. Clank could tell she wasn't fully agreeing to what his friend had said, there was something underlying behind her words not allowing him to fall under the impression that she was wholeheartedly in Ratchet's favour.

"What about that distress signal from Zanimal? Did you send help?" Ratchet was quick in remembering that the desert planet was most likely under attack.

"Ratchet, this is bigger than just one planet. We have to keep trying to strike the core of Tachyon's project if we're going to stop his insane plan" Talwyn's bold statement lacked the resolve that could convince Ratchet, sounding as if she wasn't content with her decision.

"Is that a sugarcoated no?" Ratchet's whole being snapped out of the previous state of discouragement as he glared at the console and anger gave new incentive to his body that now tensed up.

"It's a realistic decision I absolutely hate making. But someone has to make it. We've got to help Polaris. As Captain of the Polaris Defense Force, that is my priority" Talwyn was fervent in defending the choice she had made but no hostility was conveyed by her voice. Even if they disagreed, she could never be truly mad at Ratchet.

"I see" Ratchet's tone was ambiguous and neither Talwyn nor Clank was able to tell if there was anger or involuntary defeat lying underneath it. "Then it's up to me to help them."

"Don't tell me you plan on going there alone."

"I've repelled planetary invasions before. I can't stay here, not while knowing I didn't do everything I could to help. I'm possibly their only hope now" Ratchet already began setting the coordinates for Zanimal. His movements were characterised by a peculiar calmness, as if Ratchet was coming to terms with what had happened and with Talwyn's decision.

"Ratchet, this is crazy!" Ratchet and Clank could hear agitated movement along with Talwyn's intense protest. "We need you here in Polaris."

"I can't force you to change your mind but you can't ask me to change mine. I'm sorry Talwyn but I'm not backing down on this" Ratchet insisted, his unbreakable persistence manifesting in the sheer movement of the wheel.

A sigh came from the speakers before the Markazian spoke. "Good luck. And be careful." Afterwards the call was ended by her, leaving Ratchet and Clank to dwell in the silence and the tension the heated conversation left behind.

The Zoni robot was speechless the whole time, refraining from interfering. He tried to let the trillion sparkling stars into the endless, deep black illuminate his gloomy thoughts but the tiny lanterns had little to no effect on Clank's state of mind. His effort to elude his reality was interrupted by Ratchet's voice. "What are you going to do, pal?"

Clank turned his head and stared at Ratchet for a while, dumbfounded by the question. "What do you mean?"

"You're not obliged to come with me if you want to defend Polaris. We always fight together but that doesn't mean you're not entitled to make your own decisions. We can stop at the closest space depot so you can board Talwyn's ship" Ratchet said and looked at his friend. Despite the initial agitation that made his speech rough and cold, he was now looking at his lifelong companion with utter sincerity.

Clank's optics were fixated on Ratchet's benevolent eyes that kept staring at him with perfect understanding. He blinked, trying to recover from the astonishment the proposal had caused him. His prolonged silence was actually there because he was moved by Ratchet's willingness to help him decide freely as well as by his honesty. A small smile seemed to form as his optic lids adjusted to a warm expression "As you said, we always fight together."

A spark of thrill brightened up Ratchet's eyes and a smile softened his features. He nodded delicately and turned his attention back on the starry horizon. "I'll set course for the Astarte Galaxy. Our Gravimetric Warp Drive should do the rest."


A/N: The purple dragon Clank imagined while looking at the clouds in the beginning of the chapter is, of course, a reference to Spyro the Dragon.