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Chapter Nine
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Plant Z332, Planet Quartu
Having learned of a new brand of Blargian robot being manufactured on Quartu from an infobot recovered in Gorda City, Ratchet, Rivet, Clank, and Kit shortly used the Blarg fighter from Gemlik Base to arrive on the barren planet in close proximity to the giant robot factory where sentry-bots among others were made for the benefit of Drek Industries. During their travel, however, Ratchet noticed that his three friends were awfully quiet and knew that he had to break the ice.
"All right, guys, I'll bite," he began to say upon landing on solid ground before adding, "What cat got your tongues?"
While Clank and Kit looked at him strangely, Rivet could not resist snorting at Ratchet's words. "Really, Ratchet? Aren't you and I the only closest things for cats here?"
Getting the joke, Ratchet had to restrain a laugh of his own while saying, "You know what I mean, Rivet!"
Showing a morose look, the female Lombax said, "Let's just say that I'm really not looking forward to facing those Ultra-Mech Unlimited thingies."
"Neither am I," Kit admitted shortly afterward, and Ratchet, seeing how gigantic the new Blarg robots were in the commercial, could not blame either of them, especially if the only weapon they had to take them down was Kit's warbot form.
Turning to their other teammate, Ratchet then said, "And you, Clank?"
Seeing all eyes on him, Clank took a moment to answer, "I suppose I have 'homecoming jitters' as some would say."
"Wait," Rivet inputted and pointed at the nearby factory while continuing to say, "that's the robot factory that built you?"
Clank nodded, replying, "The very same, but I was not here for long after coming off the assembly line and then crashlanding on Veldin where I met Ratchet."
Humming in thought, Kit then suggested, "In that case, Clank, you must know if the factory has a mother computer with information on Drek's whereabouts."
"There is, but my databanks indicate that Plant Z332, as the factory is officially designated, should be protected by forcefields managed by the sentry-bots."
Rivet then interjected while flexing her fists, "Nothing that some good, old-fashioned cross wiring can't fix, guys. Kit and I will work on that angle while the two of you check out those mechs."
Placing Clank on his back while Rivet did the same with Kit, Ratchet said, "Should take some time, but okay."
Splitting up, the girls approached the factory's entrance while the boys went west towards the area that Ratchet recognized from the infobot commercial, where he figured the Ultra-Mechs were at. Surveying the front of the factory, Rivet and Kit soon found what they were looking for in the form of a circuit panel hidden underneath one of the many mechanical columns surrounding the factory.
"Okay, this is how we'll do it, Kit," Rivet began to say while taking out a new weapon Ratchet had bought on Oltanis, the Tesla Claw, which pretty much looked more like a crustacean's pincer worn like a glove that fired electricity than a literal claw. "I've done the metaphorical math in my head, and I'm positive that once I fire this weapon's electricity into this panel, it'll short circuit all the forcefields that will take any local repair teams hours to fix, which they won't have."
Kit, however, was more uncertain about Rivet's logic than the Lombax herself was. "Are you sure you have done sabotage like this before, Rivet," she could not help but ask.
Rivet, though, made a non-intimidated scoff at the question as she answered, "Oh, please, Kit! Have a little faith!"
"Okay then," Kit ultimately said in response no matter how unsure she still was.
Without any further ado, Rivet then placed the Tesla Claw over the panel and opened fire, frying the circuits within and, from what they could hear outside of the factory, causing a panic in Plant Z332 itself. Empowered, she and Kit then hurried through the fenced-in areas, bashing every enemy robot in their path, and making a stop near two conveyor belts when they heard a loud ruckus coming from the testing arena Ratchet and Clank were investigating at the time.
"That does not sound good," Kit pointed out in concern for their friends.
Rivet nodded in agreement with a worried frown. "They could be busy being stumped by those huge Ultra-Mechs for all we know." Thinking it over, she then exhaled and went for a resolved expression before telling her partner, "Kit, you're going to have to transform."
"Rivet," the yellow robot yelped in surprise and even fear at her friend's words.
The Lombax shook her head, saying, "We can't afford running away from that powerup anymore, Kit, especially when lives are counting on us either right now, or any other time!" Bending down and making direct eye contact, Rivet added, "We said back at the space station that we're a team, right?"
Knowing where Rivet was coming from, Kit's expression hardened and she replied, "Then I will focus my power into protecting our friends," before proceeding to jump off and instantaneously transform into her larger, jet-propelled warbot form, and unlike before in Nefarious City, her optics were blue instead of red. "Let us do this thing, Rivet," Kit proclaimed.
Relieved to know Kit was willing to use her full strength while retaining control, Rivet then jumped on the former's back as she flew straight to the testing arena, where they were surprised at what they saw.
As they saw from the infobot, the Ultra-Mech Unlimited were bipedal and yellow giants with singular red eyes and small arms with pincer hands that contrasted with their large jaws and shoulders as well as the spiked ball and rocket launcher on their right and left shoulders respectively. What caught the two budding heroines' interest, however, was the similarly gigantic yet bulkier robot that both girls recognized just by looking at the enlarged version of his normal head.
"Clank," the duo exclaimed in surprise while Kit landed herself straight on top of a unaware Ultra-Mech, crushing it on the ground.
His attention caught by the girls' sudden arrival, the Giant Clank quickly remarked, "Come here often, ladies," before proceeding to punch one of the mechs with his great strength while showing them that Ratchet was hanging onto his back.
"No time to explain, you two," the male Lombax shouted out before adding, "Just help us take these junkheaps down!"
Not wanting to be outdone just when she arrived to assist, Kit then moved in to punch in addition to firing rockets and lasers at the Ultra-Mechs with Clank also displaying rockets and large energy waves of his own. Working together, the Ultra-Mechs, and their Blargian helicopter reinforcements, were all scrapped.
Once victorious, Ratchet and Clank then led Rivet and Kit out of the arena to a glowing pad resting on the nearby ground where a sophont of the same species as Fred, but with a beard, waited for them.
"My word," the seeming Scientist exclaimed in genuine amazement, "I mostly prefer to stay out of needless conflicts, but I gotta admit, y'all were incredible out there!" His look then turned uncertain as he stared at Kit in her giant form, prompting him to ask, "But where did you come from? I don't remember giving someone like you the enlarging treatment, and even the Blarg would've told me if my technology was compromised."
"Wait a minute," Rivet interjected as she and Ratchet joined the Scientist on the ground and she added, "You were the one who created the Ultra-Mechs?"
Ratchet then explained with a bright smile, "Just because the Blarg contracted him for this thing doesn't mean he's as bad as they are, Rivet." Pointed toward the Pad, he then said, "If it wasn't for him and his invention, we would've been fighting the mechs longer and harder."
The Ultra-Mech Scientist nodded at Ratchet's words before saying, "And now it's time to see if we can turn your friend back to normal." Gesturing for Clank to step on the Pad, the Scientist then played around with the controls before Clank was retrofitted back to his original size and form. He then said, "I've also recalibrated this gizmo to only work on your specific circuit pattern."
"Perfect then, sir," Clank commented.
The Scientist then returned his questioning gaze back to Kit, saying, "Still, back to my original question, young lady."
"It is a bit complicated to explain at the moment, sir," Kit began to say while grabbing her three friends into her hand before adding mirth to her voice, "but let us just say that you are not the only in all of existence to unlock the code as it were."
Quickly waving goodbye to the Scientist, Kit then flew with her friends back to the factory where she returned to her smaller size, and shortly after entering the building proper, the quartet found the mother computer they were looking for, deactivated yet intact. With both Lombaxes quickly booting it back up, the computer came back online with text onscreen.
"Uh, 'son,' " Rivet read aloud in confusion while Clank stepped forward unsurely.
"Mom," he said, if somewhat out of place as Rivet was.
Rivet and Ratchet looked at each other lacking some understanding of the situation as the latter's words implied. "Seriously?"
The Lombaxes then heard Kit clear her mechanical throat in a reprimanding kind of way, prompting all three to return their focus back to Clank's Mother Computer as it, or rather she, detailed Drek's newest means for destroying Veldin and when he will be near Ratchet's home planet, too.
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Flagship of the Blargian Space Fleet, Veldin Orbit
Having heard no further word of the four troublemakers that had impeded his operations for New Orxon, the recently retitled Ultimate Supreme Executive Chairman Alonzo Drek believed that he could carry on his next plan without further interruption, especially with his superlaser platform, the Deplanetizer, finally ready for use on Veldin itself. On the bridge of his flagship, Drek had arranged for another broadcast to be seen by all Blarg in the Solana Galaxy.
As the usual patriotic anthem kicked up, Drek adopted his best smile as he announced with a gesture to the completed New Orxon, "My fellow Blarg, our synthetic world is now fully functional and ready for habitation." Restraining a fiendish sneer, he then said, "However, there is one small obstacle remaining in our way," but then, he felt his speech being cut off as he heard sounds of battle coming from outside his ship. Flustered, he turned to the cameraman, ordering, "Turn it off!"
A running Blarg Elite Commando then caught Drek's attention before the former saluted hastily and reported, "Sir, the entire fleet is under attack!" Taking out a telescreen that then expanded to show the attack in progress, the commando added, "Just look!"
Seeing what was going on in front of him, Drek could not help being shocked at who the attackers were. "We're being attacked by spaceborne Ultra-Mechs?!" Looking closer at the mechs in question, he then added with a snarl, "With familiar heads?!" Turning to all the cowering Blarg around him, he then shouted, "Don't just stand there, you incompetent idiots! Move the Deplanetizer to the planet's Kyzil Plateau on the double! And prepare my newest suit!"
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Kyzil Plateau, Planet Veldin
Having been informed by the Mother Computer of Drek's newest laser platform, Ratchet and Rivet flew in their Blarg fighter to Veldin's solar system while Clank and Kit flew separately in their gigantic, heavily armed forms to engage Drek's fleet of starships before all four passed through Veldin's atmosphere, where the Blarg had, fittingly enough, set up the Deplanetizer not too far away from Ratchet's residence on the planet's Kyzil Plateau as soon as the attack had begun.
As the fighter flew over the Plateau as Night approached the planet itself, Rivet could not help but see the sights while Ratchet handled the piloting. "So this is Veldin up close, huh," she commented in interest.
Showing an appreciative grin, Ratchet said, "It might not be worth a lot to some people, but it's definitely 'home' to me, and after this mess is wrapped up for good, I wouldn't mind showing all of you around the place."
"I think we'd all like that, hotshot," Rivet replied in earnest before getting serious. "First thing's first, let's find that little Blargian maggot and squish him like the little cocky cockroach he is."
Showing his fangs eagerly, Ratchet remarked, "Oh, yeah," then turning back to the dash with a gentle pat, said, "Nothing personal, old girl," before he, with Rivet following his lead, jumped out of the fighter to be caught by an airborne Giant Kit while the fighter crashed into a Blargian dropship.
Carried by Kit as she flew to join Giant Clank at a large platform, Ratchet then hopped onto the latter's back while Rivet repositioned herself on Kit's.
"Now to find Drek," Clank said firmly before the two then heard familiar laughter as a large, black mech suit with two large arms and a thruster in place of legs hovered down in front of them.
"That depends on who or what you mean by that," the pilot in mech's translucent cockpit, Drek himself remarked overconfidently before saying, "Me, Ultimate Supreme Executive Chairman Alonzo Drek of Drek Industries, or the Limited Edition Ultra Supreme Executive Chairman Drek-Mech?!"
While Drek continued laughing like an evil loon, Rivet stared at him and his mech in disbelief before uttering, "Really? You not only gave your title an unneeded change again, but also named your new toy after yourself, title included?"
Ratchet snorted. "Yeah, there's gotta to be an ego joke somewhere in that, pal."
"Shut it," Drek snapped before appraising his four foes before him. "I don't know where half of you came from, and I can only imagine how I'm seeing two Ultra-Mechs before me, but this ends now. And just so you all know, it all could've been avoided if you chose the right side."
Kit narrowed her eyes at the Blarg's words as she questioned, "And how do you define those sides in the first place, Chairman? In addition to everything you have done, we know that you have been marketing your artificial planet as real estate, I analyzed your old world and found the indications that you deliberately polluted Orxon to justify this insane plan, and I would not be surprised that not only you want Veldin destroyed simply to spite Ratchet, but that you are going to pollute the New Orxon to restart this madness as many times as you like."
In response to Kit's words, Drek laughed as if the robot said a funny joke until he finally calmed down enough to say, "Goodness, you got it all in one! My work so far has been quite brilliant, hasn't it?"
At the Blargian dictator's sheer lack of remorse, Clank finally snapped, "I have had enough of your selfish cruelty, you evil, little-," but was interrupted when the Drek-Mech fired a beam at both him and Kit which reduced them to their normal selves with Ratchet and Rivet being carried on their struggling shoulders before all four collided into each other.
Nursing a bump on her head from hitting Ratchet's, Rivet muttered, "Okay, this doesn't look good."
As they all got back on their feet, Kit then inputted in dismay, "My self-analysis indicates that Clank and I will not be able to transform for several hours."
"And unfortunately," Drek began to say pleasantly before angrily finishing with, "you and this pitiful backwater don't have hours!"
With Drek immediately hovering his Drek-Mech away from the platform, the robots mounted their Lombaxes as the latter two ran in full pursuit until they got to a rocky plateau where the Drek-Mech fired shockwave bombs from its left arm and missiles from its cannons below while Ratchet and Rivet returned fire with their Blasters.
"Very impressive," Drek commended before his mech's right arm revealed a cannon which fired a blue electro burst that devastated the plateau and he added, "but futile!"
As the Drek-Mech hovered away to a new plateau, Clank yelled out, "Careful, everyone," while Ratchet and Rivet went back to giving chase. Once at the next plateau, however, Drek showed off a new attack in the form of homing mines launched from the mech's bottom, prompting Ratchet and Rivet to switch their Blasters with a R.Y.N.O. and Visibomb Gun respectively and then fire back on Drek.
"Let the end commence," Drek exclaimed as he fired his cannon on the plateau and flew towards a nearby dark red platform with six floatation cannisters surrounding it and a large laser positioned just below it, the Deplanetizer itself.
"Hurry," Kit shouted as the Lombaxes regained their balance and followed the Drek-Mech over unstable platforms with their partners' Thruster-Packs and their own Swingshots until they all reached the Deplanetizer just in time for the Drek-Mech to step on the platform's ignition switch.
"We have to stop that timer," Ratchet nearly screamed in panic as Drek opened fire on them once again.
"We'll on it," Rivet proclaimed with Kit on her back as she then stepped on the switch in the platform's center, cancelling the countdown while Drek kept on attacking.
"Walloper is a go," Ratchet called out as he took out a boxing glove that then propelled him straight towards the Drek-Mech for a punch and then an OmniWrench swing.
Taking a step back from his enemies, Drek then announced, "Perhaps it's time I called for some backup of my own."
Before anyone could retort that his army was history, the Drek-Mech's bottom launched dark-coated, red-eyed robots that Clank and the girls recognized in some manner.
"Gadge-Bots," Kit identified before adding, "And they do not look like the friendly kind!"
Equipping her Hammer, Rivet yelled, "Kit and I can hold these goons back, Ratchet! Go save your planet!"
Taking Rivet's words to heart, Ratchet ran straight for the Drek-Mech with all the weapons he could muster from Clank while the girls handled the Dark Gadge-Bots. Pyrocitor, Tesla Claw, R.Y.N.O., whatever Ratchet had with ammo still in it until finally, the Drek-Mech crashed into the platform and flip the laser over.
"Oh, no," Drek screamed. Terrified at the sight of his imminent death by being crushed, the two Lombaxes and their robot partners saw the Blarg fiddle with his mech suit's controls in a panic until it thrusted straight through the atmosphere as Drek screamed again, if higher in pitch, and crashed into the artificial planet orbiting Veldin.
With all the Dark Gadge-Bots taken care of and the superlaser now facing New Orxon instead of Veldin itself, Rivet could only say, "Wowzah, now that's a splat."
After only a moment, all four shared a laugh at the comment before slowly calming down and observed that an ignition switch was around to us the Deplanetizer to destroy New Orxon.
Turning to his friends, Clank eagerly asked, "Are you all thinking what I am thinking?"
"This time, yeah," Ratchet said just as enthusiastic.
Rivet, however, placed her prosthetic hand on Ratchet's shoulder as she was saying, "Woah, woah, woah, guys! The Blarg aren't on my list of people I like either, but their housing problem is real, and I definitely know that the Novalians and other species have that problem now, too."
"Rivet is correct," Kit intoned before adding sourly, "although, according to my calculations, New Orxon was not designed to last given its disproportionate composition."
His good cheer gone, Clank then said, "And I have my doubts we can use Drek's harvesters to repair the planets he targeted in time to prevent their own destruction."
Sighing in defeat, Ratchet said, "Looks like Drek actually got the last laugh on something after all then. It would be a totally different ending if we have time now."
"Oh, really," a completely unknown voice asked innocently, even as the Lombaxes and robots were spooked to the point of huddling into one another as they turned to see the newest person there.
At first sight, none of them actually had an idea who he, and they all assumed that the metallic-looking sophont with a friendly pink face was a "he", or even what he was. The floating being had blueish-green eyes, wore a headpiece with an imprinted yellow sigil, and upon seeing the quartet's reaction to his presence, could not restrain a laugh similar to that of Clank's.
"Oh, forgive me," the unknown lifeform apologized yet failed to quell his amusement while the four friends embarrassingly stepped back from each other. "I suppose I should've sent a message beforehand that I would be dropping by, but my enthusiasm got the better of me."
"Never mind that," Rivet snapped in annoyance before demanding, "Who the heck are you?!"
Gesturing for calm, the newcomer replied, "My name is Orvus, and to answer your next question, I am a Zoni."
"A what," Ratchet and Clank said in confusion while the girls were more surprised by the information.
"A Zoni," Rivet and Kit shouted in unison.
"You guys are actually real," Rivet asked as she observed Orvus in better detail.
Turning to Rivet, Ratchet said, "Uh, could you clarify to the new students on what the heck you and Kit are talking about, Rivet?"
A bit offput, Rivet calmed down, replying, "Right, sorry." Clearing her throat, she then explained, "Fongoid legends in our universe tell of energy beings from a different plane of existence that interacted with the ancient Fongoids in metallic suits. To make it more interesting, these beings, the Zoni, could travel through time and harnessed that power into technology that they gave to the Fongoids."
Nodding at Rivet's words, Orvus then inputted with a smile directed towards Ratchet and especially Clank, "Similar events also occurred here in our universe, Ratchet and Clank, but for the sake of argument, it's probably best to save the full story for a later date. I came here to offer my help."
Perking up, Kit asked, "You mean, you can send Rivet and I back to our dimension, sir?"
Orvus's smile became more apologetic as he answered, "I'm sorry, young Kit, but my means for interdimensional travel can only go so far. If I were to cross dimensions with you and Rivet in my company, there's a strong likelihood that neither of you will survive." Seeing Ratchet about to interject, he then added, "While I do know of a place where a new Dimensionator could be forged, Ratchet, I'm afraid that mixing Space and Time in such a manner might be even more dangerous."
"Mixing Space and Time," Clank uttered unsure. "I do not understand, sir."
Much to everyone's surprise, Orvus placed a hand to rub on Clank's head affectionately as he remarked with a smile, "Someday you will, my boy, but for now, I am here to see if we can restore the damage Chairman Drek had done to the Solana Galaxy and maybe win a future for the Blarg as well." Turning to the entire group, he then asked, "Will you help me?"
Feeling out of place, Kit could only respond with, "Okay, what do you need us to do then, Orvus, sir?"
Hovering over to the laser, Orvus answered, "Just be ready to hit the ignition switch when I give the word, dear Kit." Before any of the victorious heroes could ask what he was going to do, Orvus then conjured sparkling, purple energy that he then directed towards the laser. Once he was done, he then said aloud, "All right, the Deplanetizer is now prepped and you may begin."
Although both of the Lombaxes and Kit were uncertain of what the Zoni had in mind, Clank said, "I think we can trust him, and if it helps people, the better."
Showing a nonchalant shrug, Ratchet replied, "Okay, pal," before having Clank mount on his back in Thruster-Pack form and then slam straight on the switch.
Instantaneously, the laser fired on the artificial planet in a dazzling color resembling the energy Orvus channeled beforehand, changing New Orxon's surface to appear more even than it ever was before, followed by the energy dispersing itself to spread across the entire galaxy. When the energy wave then ceased, the laser above the group of five short circuited and caught fire, showing that the Deplanetizer was rendered completely inoperable.
Orvus chuckled at the sight, commenting, "Good thing we only needed one shot, my friends."
Before either Ratchet or Rivet could ask what exactly happened, Clank and Kit had already grabbed a telescreen and were seeing a fully repaired Darla Gratch reporting from a starship near Veldin. "This is Darla Gratch reporting live from the Starship Phoenix," the robot announced more optimistically then she had before on Oltanis. "Much to this reporter's pleasant surprise, we are receiving reports that all the damage Ultimate Supreme Executive Chairman Drek has caused to our fair galaxy is being undone."
Showing cut outs of torn apart planets like Novalis being put back together by the purple energy, and even growing new landmasses in place of the harvested pieces, Darla explained, "As far as we can understand, this miraculous energy wave, originating from Veldin of all things, is repairing the worlds the Blarg targeted in their senseless campaign, returning them to their natural orbits just in time before they would have faced complete destruction."
The camera then angled to show Darla next to a finely uniformed, brown-furred Cazar female that had as much of a broad smile as the news reporter. "I am here now with the Phoenix's commanding officer," Darla added before turning to the Cazar. "Tell me, Captain Sasha Phyronix, does the Solana Galactic Government have any ideas on how this could've occurred?"
Her smile unchanging, Sasha answered, "We're still looking into the matter, Darla, but I can well imagine that the team of four that we learned were opposing the Blarg during this whole ordeal have some involvement in the matter." Turning to the camera, she then added, "Therefore, I'd like to say this before even my own father, the President himself, can," four photo stills taken from across Solana then appeared on the screen as Sasha said, "Ratchet, Rivet, Clank, and Kit, thank you all so much for saving our galaxy. I'll be sure to check up with you all in person once my Rangers and I land on Veldin."
Turning off the telescreen to soak up all they learned so far, Ratchet and his friends stood in stunned silence before the former finally said, "Okay, so now we're all celebrities for some stuff we did do and other stuff we had no idea we were doing."
"Hey, Orvus, can you," turning to where the Zoni was before, Rivet and the others were even more shocked to see him gone with only a note on the ground from where he was, "help us explain to the press?"
Grabbing the note, Clank then read from it. " 'Take heart, young ones, I am sure you can explain it all to the best of your abilities, but please do not mention my involvement right now. As for why, you will learn in time. Orvus.' "
The other three all exhaled in aggravation.
"First the mysterious Plumber and now this," Kit said in disbelief before saying in frustration, "Just what is this?"
Clank chuckled as he placed a hand on Kit's shoulder, saying, "It is best not to judge too soon, Kit. Besides, while the Plumber may hold some answers for us, I rather liked Orvus, and I trust that he will explain when we meet him again someday."
"And just when and where will that be, Clank," Rivet asked just to make sure before she sighed, tired from everything. "I'd rather go to sleep right now."
Ratchet laughed at her reaction, and suggested, "You all can hangout at my place," awkwardly, he then added, "but I should warn you that there's only one bed."
Snorting, Rivet replied, "Here's hoping that there's other furniture for you to sleep on then, hotshot."
"Look who's talking, hotshot," Ratchet retorted just as amused.
The four exchanged a laugh at that as darkness engulfed Veldin and the local skreeducks could be seen flying overheard. While the group had no idea of what they would, or could, do next, they intended to face it together.
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Finding the resolve to work on a different fanfiction got hard, so I decided to update Ratcheted and Riveted again for the sake of argument. The next chapter will be a kind of extended intro for Going Commando, so be on the lookout for that when I eventually post it.
I wanted to include Kalebo III at first, but then decided that I should try something different, hence, the circuit panel thing. I guess one of the good things that the 2016 reimagined game had over the original 2002 game was that it had fewer locations to explore to make it less tedious. Just saying.
I originally thought about Gary and the Fixer showing up via a dimensional rift after Drek's defeat to make the aftermath smoother as seen above, but then I considered how to get Orvus involved instead, so here we are. Besides, Gary and his fellow monks can only do so much, anyway.