Hello! I'm back from the dead!

First off. Sorry! I didn't mean to leave this story hanging, it just, happened. But now I'm back and determined to finish it. Well this is the last chapter, right? You'll see...

Anyway, as usual, enjoy the chapter!

We walked away from our cell at a brisk pace, not running to conserve the little energy we had. There were a few guards patrolling around the vast grey corridors, but they made the mistake of leaving my wrench with me and the before mentioned guards saw nothing but a black hole in their dreams. The guards I took down gave us a small selection of weapons that we took gracefully. Qwark took dibs on the black missile launcher, a sleek looking weapon which looked like it could deal some decent damage if needed, and Talwyn took the other guards pistol as a replacement for her usual one. They were not the weapons I would choose in a fight against Tachyon, and they were definitely no RYNO, but they would do. Plus, in our current situation, a tinny blaster was better than fists, seeing as most of the guards were armed. But then again, I was pretty good with my fists; and even better with a wrench.

Without warning, something tapped my right shoulder none too lightly, causing me to spin around and nearly hit Qwark in the face. The bearded man then leaned his head back, showing off a fancy looking necklace. But with the intensity of his pointing, I quickly realised it was not a necklace at all, but the vocal modulator Tal had mentioned before. I was surprised Qwark had lasted this long after being freed, if I was honest. Talking was sorta his thing. But the silence, however short lasted, was great. And if he had been this quiet before I probably would've put our past behind us quicker, but this is Qwark we're talking about. If he got paid to speak, he'd be the richest man in the omniverse, richer if the topic was on things he claims he's done. But now it was time to let him talk again, and since I know he will hug me if I do it, I'm gonna let Clank handle this situation. I'll thank him later.

"Clank, could you take Qwarks new jewelery off for me while Tal and I stand guard?"

"Oh, very well." Clank sighed as he knew why I didn't want to help Qwark, though his tone went straight over Qwarks head, since the man was beaming with excitement rather than giving us a flat expression.

"Thanks, Clank," I said not halfheartedly as the small robot detached himself from my back, and was almost instantaneously picked up by Qwark. When in range of the device, Clank simply short circuited the device with an electric shock from his index finger. If I had to do it, I would've had to rub my fur a bit first so I guess it was much easier, and quicker with Clank doing it. But I felt sorry for they guy, for as soon as he did, two massive arms pulled the small robot into the owner's chest, a bear hug from Qwark.

"Thank you!" the man in green wheezed as he sucked in oxygen by the bucketfull, which led me to think that it wasn't just modulating his voice. But alas, he was fine now, and with Clank back on my back we stormed fourth, Qwark telling us his side of the imprisonment.

"It was shortly after I sent you the Supremely Awesome Edition of My Blaster Runs Hot that I decided to take a trip back to Solana. The trip was short and filled with glorious foods; I wish now that it never ended! But it did, because it didn't take that long to get here. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by none other that Sasha and President Phyronix who were both pleased to see me, and I mean, why wouldn't they be? It's me after all. So after I had lunch with them, I decided to go to your old apartment back in metropolis, which was unlocked by the way. You should take more care about your house's security! I mean, nothing was stolen, but it could've been and then you-"

"Qwark! C'mon, back to the point" I grumbled. Now was not the time for an over exaggerated story - nor for a lecture on security.

"Right, yes. So, at your place I started setting up a surprise party for you all, and I got a knock on the door. Excited, I raced over, expecting my three favourite people and all I saw was some purplish lizard guy who was about your height. He asked if he could help set up, as he was a good friend of yours. So I said 'Any friend of Ratchets is a friend of mine!'

After that, the setup process was going spiffingly. We had the lanterns lit, food ordered. But I noticed over the five minutes he had been there, he was always edging closer to me. 'He just came here to see me: Captain Qwark' I thought to myself. And I was correct! He wanted to get a picture of me, doing some of my moves."

Qwark. Is this really part of the story!? We don't have the time to tiptoe through here while you give away our position with a unimportant story!" I whispered at the green man hoarsely. My patience was thinning.

"Yes it is, thank you very much! Now, where was I? Oh yes, at the photoshoot! So I pose for the small lizard man, and he took a photo. Only it wasn't just a camera. It was one of those new hologuise taser things, ya know where is makes a hologuise from the DNA that the Mag-Net collects? So the last thing I saw was a less charming version of myself, standing over me laughing and I blacked out. I woke up in a glass tube with that necklace on, and these other guys started torturing me, asking about your weaknesses, which is why I have my clothes torn in place. And there was no food! Not even tap water! They had a worse prison service than Lord Vorselon!"

I looked at the man in disbelief for a second. His story was true, no doubt about it, but what sort of information did he leak? Not that I really think he knows any of my weaknesses, but I better ask anyway.

"When they tortured you, what did you tell them?"
"I said you were scared of bunnies, scarecrows and that you hated people pulling on your tail. They didn't believe me though." Phew, that's a relief. I almost thought he said something important.

"Great, Qwark, Thanks. Now let's get moving guys, theres a man we need to pay a visit." And wit that, we set off, sprinting down the corridor. Left, right, left again, I seemed to know where I was going. I was following my gut… And the map of the ship I had looked at earlier when we blew an identical one up. The scarce amount of security cameras we came across were each pummeled but either a bullet, or a wrench, and the even more scarce amount of security guards were either knocked out on the spot, or knocked out when they tried to run away in fear. But all in all, something didn't feel right. If we were being held captive, the first thing that would happen when we broke out of our cell would be a very loud alarm blaring throughout the ship, right? Instead it was quiet, and even with us blitzing the security cameras, I couldn't help but think that we were being watched.

Finally, we came across the door the the ship's bridge. It looked sealed shut and ready for a RYNO to start pummeling it.

"Get ready guys. As soon as we find a way through this door, all hell will break loose." The other three nodded, and I took another step closer to the door. And it opened, showing a room full of smoke. Something definitely wasn't right.

"Careful guys, there's going to be a trap."

"Thanks captain obvious" Talwyn smirked, and I think Clank giggled.

Cautiously, I stepped through the thick fog. It was even started to clear as we ventured further into the room. My wrench was at the ready, and I could dodge a bullet at any time. But nothing could've prepared me for what the smoke was hiding.

We must've reached the centre of the room when the smoke was whisked away. It looked like it had been sucked up by the ventilation system in one quick suck, but I almost wished it hadn't been.

Blood line the floor and the walls, in a similar fashion to the blood marks we found at that old Cragmite Space Vessel. But the most shocking part was Varl, in the far corner, soaked in the redness. It looked like someone had used him as a paint can with all the blood in the room. But I knew that there was more to this, as there was way too much blood for one person to 'give.'

But a cough and splatter let me know, much to my dismay, that Varl was still alive, if only just.

Wrench in hand, I let my curiosity get the better of me, and I stepped closer to the dying Cragmite.

"Ratchet!" My enemy gave me a quick fright as he wheezed my name through his bleeding throat.

"Ratchet, you need to go!" Now that was unusual. Varl warning me of trouble? I was convinced.

"What happened here, Varl? Who did this to you?"

"The Frey! They were using me, Ratchet! But when you escaped they decided I wasn't the man to fit 'the Prophecy'" He was a lunatic! But then again, so are the Frey…

"A Prophecy? What prophecy?"

"About the Key of Orvus. The Key to Dimension Zelta! A place of extreme power… You're the only one who can stop them…" His voice was becoming weaker, as was his mind. I really think he has lost the plot.

"Go to the old tree just outside the ship. You'll understand everything there... " And that was the last thing the cragmite said. And from the amount of bruises and marks on his head, I wasn't sure I believed any of it. Except for the fact that he was extremely and utterly dead.

"Clank, any of that true?"
"No, I do not believe so. I detected a lie from as soon as he opened his lips. We should stay vigilant." And that is all I wanted to hear. I didn't want to have to save the galaxy after less than a month of saving Polaris. I didn't even have my good weapons! Though that's how it always begins…

"Oh I wouldn't believe a thing that comes out of that man's mouth. He is just as a crazed fanboy as Zurgo was!" I decided to ignore that comment. Now to get out of here and let the officials deal with the clean up. I walked towards the far door, which was a hatch to the outside. The sun gleamed into the ship when I opened the door, and the four of us stepped out onto the grass paddock. There was a hill leading to a drop which was above the ocean, and the sun was just setting. If this had been other circumstances, I would've come here for a picnic. The only thing that bothered me about the place was the tree, though it didn't look very old, I eyed it suspiciously. I wasn't about to fall for another one of Varls tricks.

"Freedom!" Qwark shouted as he saw the landscape outside. He ran out, pushing past Clank, Talwyn and I heading for the top of the hill. I gave a quick glance at Clank, and rolled my eyes.

"Could you makes sure 'Mr Freedom' doesn't fall of that cliff?" I asked my friend with a smirk, exaggerating the word, freedom. Clank nodded with his own smile and set off to look after the man in green, leaving Tal and I alone. She slid her and into mine after a second, and we too started walking away from the ship, slowly though. We were both deep in thought as we strolled through the grassy fields, looking up at the sunset, and a dancing Qwark.

"So, do you think he's really gone?" I asked quietly, and the look on Talwyns face went from light thoughts to heavy thinking.

"Yes, I think he is. But to clear my conscious, I need to at least have a look at the tree." Tal nodded in agreement, and we picked up the pace. The tree was only one hundred metres away or so, and we were there in a couple of minutes. The tree itself didn't look as old as Carl had mentioned, its smooth wood was literally flawless. Maybe it was just that sorts tree... I stepped closer, and tapped the trunk. A dull thud told me it was not hollow, nor fake. I let out a sigh of relief. It was a bluff - and now that I think about it, a

pretty bad one.

Talwyn had done a quick circuit around the tree, looking for anything on the other side of the trunk, but she mirrored my expression as she walked over to me, stealing my hand again.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

And with that, I was content, until of course a loud thump took our attention back behind us, and milliseconds later, I was head locked by a clean, uninjured Varl. It could never be that easy could it?

I opened my eyes to asses the situation. Tal had been pushed to the ground, and a scary looking Varl was looming over her, gun in his free hand aimed at her head.

"No!" I shrieked, and then a smile came over his face, like he had just thought of a new plan. The gun turned towards me.

"I was surprised you didn't notice the hologuise the 'dying' security bot was using. Such a cheap trick! And well worth it too!" He seemed pleased, happy with himself like killing me won him the lottery.

"What do you want Varl?" I shouted at him, not for the first time. His creepy smile widened.

"You know," he spoke with a distinct tone of a lunatic, "you KNOW," he shouted it the second time, and I cringed slightly at his voice.

Talwyn was off the ground now, glancing behind Varl and U, though the Cragmite didn't seem to notice. A small smile flickered on her lips and I noticed she had her I-have-a-plan face on. Then it turned to anguish - an act of anguish. She cried out.

"No! Y-you're dead!"

"Did you not hear what I just said!" Varl cried out in frustration like a two year old fighting for a toy car.

"But I saw the blood!" Talwyn screamed desperately again, and I was beginning to wonder if this was an act. But I was certain that it was as she over dramatised her argument.

"It was coming from there! And there, and even there! She pointed to various places on Varls body.

"And then you said-"

"ENOUGH!" The crazed Cragmite shouted, guttural like. He was shivering now.

"Stop stalling! I need to do this." He pulled the gun firmly towards my head.

"Say goodnight, Lom-oof" he grunted mid sentence as Qwark took him out with a quick blow to the head.

"And that is how a superhero does it!" Qwark shouted proudly, and I rolled my eyes, ducking my head under Varls now limp arm, and letting his unconscious body drop to the ground.

We all watched the senseless Cragmite for a while to make sure he was really out, not just faking it, and after a few prods and kicks from each member of the group, we had declared him down and out. Clank used a pair of handcuffs from his security system to tether Varl to the tree, and we all decided to walk to the cliff and watch the sunset which had already begun. We sat there for a while, legs dangling off the cliff, my arm around Talwyn as we found some time to finally relax. I also had come to the conclusion that being unconscious in a cell for two days was not good for my back, and I was going to order some serious massages when we eventually wound up off this planet. For now though I was surviving.

It had been almost an hour before the Starship Phoenix's' Dropship came into view, and we were ushered inside, the galactic rangers taking care of Varl for us. Talwyn and I kept close for the ride, silent too as no one spoke during the ride to the Phoenix. Not even Qwark, which is always surprising. Finally, the dropship entered is mother ship, and the door opened letting us out. I didn't get a step out of the dropship before Sasha ran up to me, giving me a fairly awkward hug. She ordered the rangers to take Varl to the on board detention cell as we made our way to my old living quarters.

"We've set our course to Kerwan so we'll be there by tomorrow." Sasha said to us as we walked through the corridor.

"I'm guessing I can't get out of that dinner tomorrow night?" I joked, and she smiled, but sighed.

"No, but it's been pushed back a week. There's meeting to go to, problems to fix, almost all of them concerning your old friend there"

"Great. A week to relax." I sat down on the couch, which felt like heaven, the soft leather almost cradling me. I could sleep. But as Sasha walked out of the room, I had a thought. I called her name.

"Yeah, something you need?" she called back, turning around.

"Yes. About next week, there's something I would like to plan for after our dinner. A special event if you like. It would be fairly short notice, but I've got people I'll want to invite. You think it's possible?" She gave me that grin as if to say 'I'm the Mayor of the capital of this galaxy! I can do almost anything!' But instead I just got a nod.

"What's the event?"

"So what do you think of the 'Stars of Galaxies,' Tal?" I asked as we looked up at the sky above us. This particular restaurant was atop one of the highest structures of Metropolis, so high that at night if you looked up, or all around you for that matter, you felt like you were in space. It was one of my favourite places to be at night on Kerwan.

"Wonderful," she spoke in almost a whisper. She never really got to see much of the Galaxy, so this was actually her first time stargazing in solana. And by the looks of it, she was enjoying her stay.

We had just finished dessert, and Sasha was talking to Clank as Talwyn and I gazed at the sky. Qwark had left the restaurant early to greet everyone for the event on Veldin, and we were due to leave to join him any minute now. After a week of rest, and such an energetic night, I felt I was ready to face what I needed to face. I didn't see myself breaking down as I spoke to the small number of guests, nor did I see it as an easy task. But I know that in doing this a massive weight will be lifted off my shoulders, and I'll be happier, free to focus. Ironically now, everyone was looking at me as I was daydreaming. I gave them a sheepish grin and stood up. Talwyn took my hand and Sasha was thanking the restaurant owner for such a magnificent night. Clank was by my side as we made our way to the dropship, and he gave me a smile. It was going to be a big night.

As the dropship came into view, Talwyn gave my hand an encouraging squeeze.

"You ready?"

I nodded.

Yup. Still got one more chapter to go. Much different from the original ending I did way back in 2013...

So, what did you think? Leave a review and tell me