Summary
With Rivet's and Kit's dimension finally liberated from the remainder of the now-exiled Emperor Nefarious' forces, peace begins to spread across their small corner of the universe and the two Lombaxes are finally about to make that final pitstop Ratchet alluded to at the end of Rift Apart.
Finally, after years of dreaming about it, the two Lombaxes are finally going back to their kind - home.
However, something terrible has happened in the other corners of the universe while Ratchet and Clank were away, and the two Lombaxes and the two bots will need to rely on each other if they are going to survive the long road ahead of them.
An Unexpected Welcome
It has been 5 months since the megalomaniacal Emperor Nefarious was defeated. Upon reclaiming the Dimensionator, Ratchet and Clank returned to Rivet's dimension to aid the Resistance in ridding the galaxy of the vanquished dictator's influence. One by one, planets are liberated, the majority of Nefarious' forces having been disposed of by Kit during hers and Rivet's showdown with the emperor, speeding the process up substantially.
Celebrations spread rapidly across the galaxy of the dimension Clank names D2-416, and the quartet find themselves unable to resist joining in, though they make it a point to take an occasional day off to enjoy some peace and get to know each other better.
At last, after months of fighting, and for the first time since Rivet's childhood, the galaxy is free. Having just finished his job of assisting in the removal of imperial propaganda on the holo-boards of D2-416's version of Axiom City, we find Ratchet sitting on the roof of a skyscraper and watching the fireworks lighting the night sky.
At ease after a long productive day, Ratchet's mind wanders, settling on an afternoon a few days previous in which he and Clank had spent the day with Rivet and Kit in the first natural park in Corson V since before it fell to the emperor. The memory brings a smile to his face, and he finds himself wondering about the future.
For the first time since before learning that he and Clank had been made Grand Marshals of the Festival of Heroes all those months ago, Ratchet feels relaxed and excited for what lay ahead. His mind lingers for a while on Rivet – her sapphire eyes, the little tuft of fur on her forehead, her laugh, interspersed with the occasional snort, her fiery spirit and - he almost felt embarrassed to admit it – her strong physique.
His smile widens a little, and he feels the heat intensify in his face. There had been no time to explore those feelings that sprouted within him at the sight of her when they met at Zurkie's Gastropub, but now with the galaxy liberated and all danger passed…
Ratchet shook his head. It was happening again. He had found himself dwelling on her more and more lately – every day they spent together, fighting the last of Nefarious' troops, tearing down his propaganda, and especially those treasured moments where the four heroes just took the time to enjoy each other's company… Every day he felt his attachment to her growing stronger. But for the time being, he had convinced himself that those feelings were nothing deeper than that of a brotherly affection. After all, wasn't she just… an alternate reality of himself? The idea both felt odd yet made sense in a strange way.
'(Although...)', he argued with himself, the longer they spent in one another's company and the longer he dwelt on the thoughts that whirled in his head as he lay in bed at night kept making it more and more apparent that this was not strictly speaking the case.
He shook his head again. He was being crazy - He already has a girlfriend, and he couldn't do that to Tal… Or he had a girlfriend…
He blinked. What made him think that? He considered this unplanned and unexpected thought for a while… Could their relationship still be considered a thing? He had seen exceptionally little of her in the past three years with how busy she had become, ever since she took over as head of the Polaris Defense Force. His early attempts to visit her had been unfruitful, due to her workload and her need to travel, and he had since given up on dropping by her place to visit. She had not even come to the Festival of Heroes to calm him down, when she knew how anxious he was after their call the day before. In fact the only time he had seen her within the last year was when she had come with him to inspect the Dimensional Archives before he and Clank embarked on their mission with Rivet and Kit to rid their dimension of all traces of imperial influence.
True, she had decided to join them in their efforts at that time, but she had chosen to join Gary and the Monks, when he – Ratchet - was standing at her side, room for at least one more in their ship clearly visible.
The thought made him scowl for a moment, but his brows unknitted as that momentary frustration was replaced by a drop of melancholy. He had truly felt for her at once in his life – he really, really had, and a part of him didn't want to let that go. But was it worth holding onto? Was it worth continuing to fight to retain feelings that so long ago now had begun to flicker, growing dimmer and colder, while his dimensional counterpart not only wanted to spend time with him, but was herself just as equally fascinating as she found him?
His ears twitch suddenly as they pick up something to rouse him from his musings. The sound grows louder and more familiar - the sound of metallic feet. Wrenching his mind from Rivet and Talwyn, he turns and spots a glimmer of silver in the light from the fireworks. His insides glow warmly again, and he smiles at the sight of his best friend.
"Good news, pal?"
"Indeed." said Clank. "The Terachnoids are re-establishing the city's power grid, a temporary Mayor has been installed until an official election can be held, and…" Clank glances down at the info-pad clutched in his hands. "Yes, Quantum and Qwark should be nearly done establishing the galactic authorities." he resumed, tapping small squares next to each item on the list, crossing them off. Noticing Ratchet's silence, he adds –
"…Overseen of course by Talwyn and the Monks." Ratchet sighs in relief. "Had me worried for a sec, heh… How about Rivet and Kit? Where they at?"
"They were with Moydoy and Clatchky, assisting in the dismantling of the final Nefarious statue. It was quite large, I expect they shall be-" but Clank cut off, both he and Ratchet jumping a little at the sudden WOOSH as a hulking figure passed over them, making Ratchet's ears flop in the breeze.
They both look up. There was Kit, in her warbot form, descending onto the roof beside them, and on her shoulder was a Lombax with white fur and blue stripes. The warbot lands, surprisingly soft for such a hulking figure, and Rivet leaps down. Ratchet's gaze softens as he watches her land gracefully on the asphalt.
"I assume you were about to say, 'be back soon', right?" said Rivet, smirking at the small silver bot.
"Ahh, Rivet, Kit. On the contrary, you are back much sooner than I expected!" Clank said, walking forward to greet them.
"'Sooner than you expected'? C'mon Bolts, I thought you knew how good I was at breaking things!" Rivet said, giving the silver bot a playful punch on the arm, a punch that, despite clearly being intended not to harm, still caused Clank to lurch a little to the side from the force.
"I only meant I am surprised you got away from the crowd so quickly." Clank said, rubbing his arm. "Nevertheless, I am pleased to see you both."
With a series of whirring and clanging, Kit reverted to her usual form, no larger than her counterpart. "My database shows no more imperial propaganda remaining on this planet." Kit said.
"Awesome!", Ratchet replied jubilantly, pulling his eyes off the female Lombax and giving Clank a high-five. "Great work guys! I guess that means our work here is done then."
Rivet smiled. She walked to the edge of the roof and looked out over the city. She inhaled deeply and sighed, her hands on her hips and her tail swaying slowly from one side to the next as she gazed up at the stars. "So this is what it feels like, huh?", she said suddenly.
Ratchet looked up, trying rather to focus on the multi-colored fireworks erupt over the city behind her than that hypnotizing pendulum of fur and fluff. He suddenly remembered how long she had told him and Clank she had been fighting the emperor. '16 years'. She had been fighting Nefarious since before Corson V had fallen, since… well at least since before he and Clank had met. For the first time since she was a kid, there was peace.
"It's finally over…", she sighed.
Ratchet smiled and, after a moment of hesitation, joined her side.
"Yeah… Although, I seem to recall there's still one more place we need to visit…" Ratchet said.
Rivet's ears twitched and she turned her head to look at him, looking a little confused.
"'One last pit-stop', remember?" he said, smiling.
Rivet's eyes suddenly widened, and he saw comprehension dawning on her face.
"Heck yeah I do! You ready Kit?"
"Absolutely!" the tiny yellow bot replied excitedly.
"Well buddy, it's finally time… Ready to go?" Ratchet asked his best friend.
"Naturally!", Clank replied. He then touched a button on his chassis and looked expectantly out over the city skyline.
"What was that about, Clank?" asked Ratchet, looking curiously at his friend. Aphelion after all was not synched with Clank's sisterboard… '(Might oughtta consider that later…)', thought the Lombax. '(…Though maybe while he's in sleep mode…)'
"Oh, you will see soon enough!", the bot replied, a sly edge to his voice.
Indeed, within seconds there was the unmistakable sound of a starship engine on-approach. The two Lombaxes looked up in surprise and backed up as the starship descended and landed smoothly in front of them, again making their ears flop and wave in the wind. The door opened, and Ratchet's stomach gave a jolt.
"T-Tal…?!", Ratchet gasped. Though pleased to see her, the sudden meeting felt distinctly awkward, not made any more comfortable as Ratchet remembered the sight of her walking away with the Monks… not to mention his recent blooming feelings for Rivet. Nevertheless, he returned her warm smile as she walked down the ramp.
"Ratchet! It's so good to see you! Been a while huh?" She approached the Lombax and bent down, being a good two feet taller than him at least, and hugged him. Ratchet's eyes widened a little, his
arms raising slightly out of surprise. Where did this come from? Not that he was complaining of course, but… His eyes flickered to Rivet long enough to register her profile as she spoke to Kit. Returning to the present, he awkwardly patted Talwyn on the back.
"Y-yeah! Still here, heh… It's good to see you too! I didn't know you were-"
"It's all thanks to Clank, of course! He hacked into our system and-"
"I prefer to think of it as 'tweaking the schedule.'" interrupted Clank. Ratchet stared at him.
"You… did what?", the Lombax began.
"Oh, Ratchet do not make a big deal of this. It was the least I could do for my 'favorite fuzzy-eared softy'." Clank gave Ratchet finger-guns and winked at him behind Talwyn's back and the Lombax blushed. Did he have to use one of Tal's old nicknames for him in front of Rivet?
The Markazian released him and Ratchet stood half-frozen for a second, still processing what had just happened. Talwyn turned.
"Oh, and you must be Rivet!"
The female Lombax's ears perked up and she snapped toward the direction of Talwyn and Ratchet, abruptly breaking off her conversation with her robotic friend.
"Clank's told me so much about you these last few weeks!", the Markazian said enthusiastically. She held out a hand as she walked forward to greet her. The female Lombax's eyes widened and she took a step back, looking wary. She was still not used to opening to others so readily, and Talwyn was, well very eager to meet another Lombax. Kit intervened.
"Ms. Apogee? I am Kit. Pleased to make your acquaintance! And yes, this is my friend Rivet." The female Lombax gulped. "Hi." she said briefly, avoiding eye contact.
Talwyn looked at Kit. "Oh, you're Kit! Nice to meet you!" She knelt down and shook the former warbot's hand. She then turned to look back at her boyfriend. "So, do all Lombaxes have robot companions?" she asked jokingly.
Rivet took another step back, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Talwyn. Curiosity flashed across her face but was instantly masked as she stood up and turned back to Ratchet. "Well we'd best be off! From what I understand we have a bunch of Lombaxes to find, am I right?"
Ratchet saw Rivet blink once, her hands clutched and kneading together – a sign, he had come to learn in the five months he had gotten to know her, that she was uncomfortable and nervous. The sight always gave him a soft prick in his chest that confused him as much as it made him feel for her. Ratchet snapped himself back to the present and turned to follow after the Markazian and his robot companion, who had already climbed up the ramp.
"Don't take it personally Tal, she's just nervous." he whispered up at her. Talwyn nodded covertly and together they boarded the ship.
"Are you coming, Rivet?" Kit asked. She had already walked halfway to the ship. The female Lombax jumped slightly, evidently having been deep in thought. She looked at her robot friend and nodded silently before joining the other four.
Talwyn closed the door behind her and took the pilot's seat while Ratchet, Rivet, and Kit took
seats behind her. "All right, I'm gonna take us out of orbit. Probably best to open that rift where nobody can see it, right?", the Markazian asked.
"I agree one-hundred percent." said Clank, taking the co-pilot's seat. "The general public has, I am sure, seen enough dimensional rifts to last them a lifetime."
'(And honestly I hope this is the last one I'll see, heh…)' Ratchet thought.
The starship rose swiftly, pressing all of them into their seats and momentarily making the blood rush to their feet from the speed of their ascent. The fireworks fell further and further below them, clouds soon surrounded them as they rose higher and higher into the night sky.
Rivet leaned over to Ratchet.
"…She's coming too?", she whispered, sounding tense.
Ratchet leaned over to whisper back.
"She's been researching Lombax-kind since before I met her when I was eighteen… She's been dying for a chance to meet more of our kind. She's really very nice, Rivet."
The female Lombax frowned slightly before sighing and leaning back. "Sorry. She just came at me so fast…"
Kit, who was seated between Rivet and Ratchet, patted Rivet's good hand. "Do not apologize Rivet, you did not mean any harm… If you can befriend me, I know you and Talwyn too will become great friends."
The corners of Rivet's mouth twitched as though she was about to smile.
"Thanks Kit."
A few minutes passed in silence as the starship rose high and higher, the city lights soon far, far below them, stretching out in a vast amber-colored spiderweb, and the stars of endless space stretching before them.
"We're leaving Terachnos' gravitational pull!" Talwyn called back.
"Excellent. Pulling up dimensional map now." Clank replied. He had taken the Dimensionator and was punching in a series of values. "Hmmm… Even with the dimensional map, the coordinates are encrypted. The Lombaxes hid themselves well."
He began entering formulas that even Ratchet, with his expertise with all things engineering was struggling to follow.
Suddenly a small chime emitted from the Dimensionator.
"There we are – Havenon IV, home to the Lombaxes… But… how intriguing…! Ratchet, they are in our dimension!"
Rivet and Talwyn looked at Ratchet, shock and wonder in their faces. Ratchet was stunned – They had stayed in their home dimension after all… They never left...!
"But… how? Where?!" Ratchet asked, shocked.
"Hmmm… The Terradon Galaxy; it appears they masked their location using the Dimensionator
before it was lost - I am seeing records of a Lombax invention – top-secret - that when paired with the Dimensionator, can be used to project a type of camo-o-matic force-field, yet reveals itself to those who recently travelled via dimension-hopping… Quite convenient, and I must say, rather ingenious too… That would ensure they could still travel to and from Havenon IV without ever being spotted."
"So this is how they disappeared without a trace..." Ratchet whispered. "...Well c'mon, let's go! Who knows what else we'll learn from them; what else we'll see!"
"Very well! Priming the Dimensionator now."
Ratchet and Rivet tensed up, their excitement growing. Finally, after years of dreaming, giving up, and then dreaming again of finding the other Lombaxes, he was about to see them at last. What would they be like? What kind of society would they have built? What would they say when they saw him and Rivet? Clank stood up in his seat and aimed the Dimensionator directly in front of the starship.
"Opening dimensional rift in three… two… one…"
With a blinding purple flash and what sounded like a mixture of cracking glass and the burst of a plasma rifle, a tear opened in the very fabric of space in front of them, large enough for the starship to pass through. From where they stood, Ratchet and Rivet could make out that strange place between dimensions that offered glimpses into realms beyond.
Talwyn eased the ship forward until the rift consumed them. For a brief moment they seemed to float through the void, catching flashes of scenes from innumerable alternate dimensions, but then a light appeared, growing brighter and brighter, until at last their ship burst free from the void and into sunlight, and revealing a city skyline the likes of which they had never seen… But something… was wrong – very wrong.
They all gasped, Ratchet and Rivet pressed themselves to the window of the starship, their hands against the glass.
"No…!" they chorused.
As their eyes adjusted to the light, a scene of total devastation met their eyes. Craters ten feet deep littered the streets, scorch marks yards long and wide every few dozen feet, houses reduced to smoldering ruins, skyscrapers with debris at their base and holes in their sides from violent explosions, and…
"Are those…?" Rivet gasped.
"Tal, take us down!" Ratchet said urgently.
"Ratchet, I do not think-" Clank began.
"No, we HAVE to land! Please Tal, take us down.", he repeated.
Talwyn hesitated for a moment, then took the ship to the ground, landing on the rubble.
The two Lombaxes hurried to the door as it began to open, Clank and Kit hopping onto their friends' backs. Ratchet's stomach turned over. His and Rivet's fears were correct – the bodies of several Lombaxes were scattered about the street, some charred from violent burns, others with deep puncture wounds, still more with deep gashes covering their torsos and necks. The male Lombax knelt down beside one of the fallen, examining wounds the likes of which he had never
seen in his life... And from everything that he had seen, this was saying something.
Rivet stared at one of the bodies which had a violent burn trailing from his neck all the way down his back, reminding her horribly of a fellow Resistance member whom she watched die in front of her as he sacrificed himself to protect a civilian. Her eyes moved to his side, where she noticed a missing arm. Her bionic arm seemed to seize up at the sight and she gasped, backing away several steps as though physically repelled.
"…Ratchet…?" Clank said, hesitantly. Ratchet didn't respond as he got to his feet; he was still lost in speculation and shock.
Talwyn now joined the two Lombaxes and robots. "Ratch… I don't think we should stay here." she said.
"I agree." said Kit. "Given what has become of the rest of the Lombaxes… I conjecture you two are in very grave danger."
But Ratchet shook his head. "We… we can't leave yet. We have to know what happened." "And look for survivors." Rivet added.
Clank opened his mouth to disagree, but he stopped himself. He knew Ratchet too well; even IF he convinced his best friend that it was wiser to leave now, he knew that the Lombax would not be able to rest without closure. He sighed.
"Very well. I am with you both, whatever you decide to do."
Talwyn looked a little taken aback for a moment but hid her surprise at Clank's decision quickly.
There was a slight delay, then – "As am I." Kit added.
"Thanks pal…" "Thank you Kit." both Lombaxes said.
"I'm coming too." said Talwyn. She pressed a button on a device she wore on her wrist much like a bracer, but which caused their ship to rise and take off on autopilot. "If we need to make a quick getaway, it'll find us." With that, they set forth through the ruined city.
The minutes pass slowly, the five heroes walking through the eerily silent ruins of what had obviously once been a fine, busy city. They stayed close to the walls, wary of staying in the open. Nobody spoke; each of them was tense, ready at any moment to take cover. The only sound that broke the silence were their footsteps, the wind whistling through broken windows, and the crackling of some still-burning fires. Ratchet tried not to look at the corpses of his fallen species – they filled him with a horrible mixture of disgust and sadness, as well as a certain dread. They passed through a ruined starport, walked through an abandoned store, and passed through an abandoned park, dashing from tree to ruined tree. After an hour of traversing the desolate city, Rivet broke the silence.
"But… what could have done this? Not even Nefarious caused destruction on this scale…" Ratchet didn't respond. He had his theory, but… It was impossible… Right? "Sensors detect lifeforms ahead!", Kit said suddenly from Rivet's back.
Ratchet tensed up, his Omniwrench appearing in his hand at the same time that Rivet's hammer appeared in hers. The Lombaxes and Markazian hurried behind a column of a derelict garage.
"Whaddaya see pal? Hostiles?", Ratchet asked quietly.
Clank was silent for a moment, then - "Confirmed – There are lifeforms ahead – Vullards. No more than three... I detect no other lifeforms nearby."
"But what is a Vullard doing here?", Kit wondered aloud.
"Probably looting; Vullards always show up wherever there's been destruction looking for anything they can salvage.", Rivet said, her voice full of disdain.
At her words, Ratchet felt a sudden, hot, sick, swoop of anger, the tips of his ears perking up.
"No, these do not appear to be carrying their storage devices… I do not think- Ratchet, WAIT-!" Clank began. Ratchet tore around the corner sprinting full tilt toward the Vullards, followed swiftly by Rivet. Looting the dead of an endangered species?! How dare they!
"No you two, stop!" Talwyn said, but to no avail. Both Lombaxes were already halfway to their prey.
The figures ahead looked up, suddenly aware of their company. The lenses of their mechanical eyes widened at the sight of the two Lombaxes, but they made no attempt to flee.
The male Lombax leapt into the air, fangs bared and his Omniwrench raised high overhead, poised to strike.
"RATCHET, RIVET, STOP!"
Suddenly, both Lombaxes were immobilized in their tracks. Talwyn had fired at them both with something that froze them absurdly in mid-air. After a moment both Lombaxes crumpled to the ground.
"Wh-what the heck Tal…?!", Ratchet sputtered, spitting dirt from his mouth.
"Chrono-Break… The latest in the Polaris Defense Force's arsenal... Sorry about that Clank and Kit but I had to stop these two." Talwyn replied flatly, walking passed the two Lombaxes as they struggled to their feet. "Now before you kill these Vullards, take a moment to appreciate their predicament."
Ratchet and Rivet turned to look at their targets. The Vullards were on their knees, their hands and legs tethered together by what resembled a variant of the Mag-Net.
"Are you Lombaxes? REAL Lombaxes?!" the Vullard in the middle asked, disregarding the fact that they both had just been seconds from crushing their skulls. "Oh, thank heaven we thought you were all dead! Now quick, get us outta these things!"
Ratchet and Rivet looked at each other, before glancing back at their robot friends on their backs.
Both Clank and Kit shrugged.
"What's going on? What happened here?" Ratchet asked.
The Vullards looked taken aback. "What? You're a bleedin' Lombax and you're askin' us?! Now c'mon get us outta these, there isn't much time – they'll be back any minute!" said the Vullard on the left.
"Wait, who will be back any minute? What happened to you guys, and what's being a Lombax got
to do with-"
"The hell is this, twenty questions?! Look I'll tell ya whatever you want just-"
But the Vullard was cut off by a sudden rumbling of what sounded like an approaching starship engine.
"Dear gods… it's them! C'mon get us out! HURRY!"
Ratchet, Rivet, and Talwyn hastened forward and deactivated the shackles binding the Vullards. The first two scrambled to their feet and leaned down to help up the third, who seemed to have an injured leg, but—
CRACK! A bright flash of light, a sickening crunching sound, and a small yet violent blast as the injured Vullard's head exploded into a cloud of sparks and oil burst in every direction, his corpse falling to the ground.
"WHAT THE-?!" Ratchet exclaimed, leaping back as he was peppered with droplets of oil mingled with blood. Rivet and Talwyn leapt back in shock, Rivet swearing loudly as a fragment of the Vullard's skull landed at her feet. Ratchet looked to see where the shot had come from. Far away he saw the glare of the sun reflecting from a broken window in one of the many skyscrapers.
"Plasma Striker detected! RUN!" cried Clank.
They didn't need telling twice. Ratchet, Rivet, and Talwyn turned and ran full speed back to the garage they had so-recently left. Behind them, they heard another gunshot and another body hit the ground as the final Vullard let out a cry of mingled despair and rage. The sound of the approaching engine grew louder and louder, escalating to a roar as the four made it safely back to the shelter of the garage. They all looked around them to see which direction the sound was coming from.
Talwyn gasped. From behind every skyscraper, casting the earth below into shadow, came a nigh-innumerable score of battleships. Lights began emitting from the underside of the approaching vessels, and Ratchet saw hundreds, if not thousands of figures descending to the ground from the lights.
Kit leapt from Rivet's back. "Leave this to me!" she said.
For a brief moment, she appeared to have shut down, but then her limbs retracted before extruding, bulky and armed with powerful arm-mounted cannons. But—
CRUNCH!
Kit shrieked in pain, a shriek mirrored by Rivet and matched by a cry of fear from Ratchet and Clank. Kit had been struck before her body could reform into the strong and reinforced torso her warbot form boasted.
The female Lombax sprinted forward as her robotic friend receded into her usual form and collapsed, a burning hole still red-hot in her chassis.
Ratchet lurched forward as well, but Talwyn grabbed him by the arm and held him back. The male watched in fear as Rivet sprinted out of cover - an invitation, it seemed, for their assailants to fire more shots. He winced, expecting at any moment for Rivet to be struck, but each shot, though pinging all around her, luckily missed as the female Lombax scooped the damaged robot into her arms and stumbled back into cover.
"KIT! Kit, talk to me!" Rivet shouted, hurrying back to the cover of the garage and cradling her former warbot friend in her mismatched arms.
"I... I am fine! But my weapons system has been destroyed… I will not be able to fight!" Kit said, shakily.
The six of them looked around – they were quickly becoming encircled. Alien-like creatures with heads split down the center revealing fanged mouths, four yellow eyes and snake-like pupils – two on either side of their mouths, with robotic bodies, fishbowl-like helmets, and spiked wing-esque appendages protruding from their backs were drawing closer on all sides, weapons drawn and aimed right at them, ready to engage.
"Oh great… More deathbots, just what I wanted!" Rivet said through gritted teeth.
But as she, Ratchet, and Talwyn drew their weapons, ready to fight to the death, the Vullard stepped forth, shaking.
"Right then, looks like it's time to do what we came here for… Beat it, you lot! Save yourselves!" the Vullard said, drawing what looked like a rusted steel girder with a wad of barbed wire and nails at the end.
Ratchet stared at him. "What are you doing?! You don't stand a chance without-"
"Go you fools! This galaxy has nothing left for me now... If you stay and my brothers and I died for nothing, I'll kick your sorry tails to the end of Molonoth and back, I swear it! NOW GO!"
The Vullard dropped something to the ground – something Ratchet had not noticed in his other hand – a Gaslight. It shattered, at which it glowed brilliantly and exploded into an immensely overpowering odor that blew them all back and burned Ratchet's eyes. Coughing and sputtering, his eyes streaming, he staggered to his feet and fell back, unable to breathe, with Talwyn and Rivet bringing up the rear.
They could not be affected by the smell, but the bright flashing seemed to daze the aliens, who shielded their eyes and recoiled.
Behind them Ratchet could hear the Vullard smashing every hostile he could while they remained blind and disoriented.
The five managed to escape into a skyscraper a couple blocks away, but they didn't slow down.
They hurried upstairs, reaching the 7th floor before they stopped to catch their breath. They suddenly heard the sound of continuous blaster fire, at which point the Vullard's roars of anger and exertion ceased. A sick, hollow feeling spreads through Ratchet's chest as he realizes what just happened. He punches the wall.
"Damn it…", he spat.
The repulsive odor was still in his nose and throat, choking him slightly. He hesitated for a second, looking back at the door through which they came, but Clank stalled him.
"I am sorry Ratchet, it is too late… There is nothing we can do."
Rivet was breathing heavily, still coughing from the Gaslight the Vullard had deployed and still holding Kit close to her chest, sheltering her from further harm.
"Uhm… R-Rivet… You are crushing me…", Kit said quietly. "Oh! Right uhh… Sorry…" Rivet said, embarrassed. She gently placed Kit on the harness on her back.
Clank looked concerned as he looked over at Kit.
"Are you sure you are all right, Kit?"
"Yes… I will be fine, thank you.", the small yellow bot replied.
Clank fell silent. "…That Vullard sacrificed himself for us – for strangers… I wonder why…?", he said, suddenly.
Talwyn peaked her head around the corner of a blasted hole in the wall of the skyscraper.
"There's hundreds of them… Fanning out in every direction. It won't be long before they find us." She tapped a button on the bracer she wore. "There's two more floors to the roof… If we hurry, we can make it just as our ship arrives; We'll have a shot at jumping to warp-speed before those things even get even halfway back to their ships."
"Great idea." chorused the two Lombaxes. They glanced at each other. Despite his racing heart and his frustration at losing the Vullards, he couldn't help but feel the muscles at the corners of his mouth twitch. Clank however, spoke up.
"I… am uncertain, Ms. Apogee… Ships in numbers so large suggest to me they were anticipating our arrival… I cannot explain it, but this feels… like a trap."
There was a moment of silence while they all digested Clank's speculation.
"Maybe so… But we can't just stick around, buddy. Those things will be here at any minute; they know we're close by." said Ratchet.
"Ratchet's right, we need to leave ASAP… Get Kit someplace I can patch her up." Had the former warbot possessed the capability, she would have blushed.
"Rivet… I promise you I am fine - All I need is some nanotech." But Rivet wasn't listening.
For a moment the male Lombax looked at Rivet. Seeing her so full of concern for the former warbot, particularly after all the history behind her and Kit, was especially touching. Sometimes he almost forgot how tender and affectionate she could be, what with all the fighting the four usually end up getting themselves into.
"Ratchet, are you okay?", said a voice behind him.
He snapped out of his trance. "Yeah, sorry. Just thinking of how we can get Kit taken care of once we're clear." he said hastily.
Ignoring Talwyn's and Kit's stares, he stepped forward.
"All right, follow me... and be ready to fight." said Ratchet.
The group hurried through the room and toward the flight of stairs, meeting no obstacles on the next floor. But as they rounded the corner to the next staircase, there was an explosion from behind, sending debris flying passed them.
"Hostiles at six o'clock!" cried Clank.
Wheeling about, Ratchet drew his burst pistol. Registering in an instant four of the alien-robot hybrids crawling through the hole in the side of the building they had just created, he fires a series of precise shots that penetrate the aliens' glass helmets, knocking the first back out through the wall, and causing the other three to crumple on the spot. He turns back around and continues sprinting up the hallway.
Another explosion from ahead on the right – two more aliens rolled into the hall, firing shots indiscriminately. Sliding beneath the enemy fire, Rivet hurls her hammer at one while Talwyn fires the Chrono-Break at the second. The hammer collides with the first alien in the chest with a deep gong-like sound, knocking him back, but so strong was the force, that his head and fish-bowl like helmet detached, suspended briefly in midair before falling to the ground and shattering, causing the alien to sputter and gasp, foaming at the mouth and evidently unable to breathe the air. The second alien freezes absurdly mid-attempt at a dodge. Rivet's hammer returns to her hand, and as they heroes dash by, she swings it with all the force she could muster, crushing the creature's skull and sending an unpleasant mixture of green liquid and fragments of skull in every direction.
They reach the door as the opposite end of the hallway begins flooding with hostiles. The Lombaxes and Markazian slam the door behind them, hearing the aliens' shots peppering the wall. Praying their ship was waiting for them, they dash up the stairs.
Smashing through the door which swung off its hinges, they dash onto the roof and into the bright sunlight once again. Enemy ships spread as far as the eye could see, dropping yet more of those alien-machine hybrids.
"Where are they all coming from?!" Rivet said, halfway between awed and horrified.
"Hopefully we'll find out on our own terms if we get away first! Where's that ship?!" said Ratchet.
"Over there!" Talwyn pointed, and sure enough, among the hundreds of gargantuan battleships, resembling an insignificant house-fly in comparison to those that surrounded it, was Talwyn's starship – speeding toward them.
It was not unnoticed by the soldiers on the ground, who began directing their fire at it at once. Fortunately their shots were like toy guns with how they glanced off its hull. The ship landed smoothly on the wasted skyscraper's roof, and the two Lombaxes, their robots, and the Markazian hurried aboard.
Ratchet took the pilot's seat and Clank leapt off his back, taking the one beside him. The Markazian, knowing that the Lombax was a more skilled flyer (despite his many citations), rose no objection. However, Rivet hurried up behind him.
"Let me pilot, Ratchet! I spent years making smuggling runs for the Resistance!"
Ratchet looked at her, disbelieving. Was she seriously about to argue with him over who was flying?!
"And I've outrun pirate armadas while navigating through asteroid belts! No way, Rivet, I'm piloting!"
"This isn't the time to argue hotshot, just gimme those controls!" "Hey, get your hands off-!"
"Oh, PLEASE!" Clank reached over and punched the throttle, making the ship rocket upwards. Rivet grabbed onto a handrail, her magneboots humming to life and fixing her in place as Talwyn, Kit, Ratchet, and Clank were forced deeper into their seats from the acceleration.
Through the open doorway on the roof below and shrinking rapidly as they flew into the sky, came a swarm of the alien-robot creatures. There were loud clanks and thunks as the enemies' shots hit them, but the ship's armor was too strong – no warnings and no alarms showed on the ship's console. They flew higher and higher, the blue sky fading to black and stars blooming before them.
Ratchet glanced down as the planet grew steadily smaller. From this height, he could see more pillars of smoke, more signs of destruction.
He looked at Rivet behind him. She was staring out over the planet below, disappointment and disbelief in her sapphire eyes.
"…So… some 'welcome home', right…?" Ratchet asked, trying to lighten the mood. Rivet's ears flopped and the corners of her mouth dropped subtly. Ratchet faced forward again, his own ears drooping, and silently cursing himself.
"Structural integrity at one-hundred percent-" Clank said, jerking Ratchet from his preoccupied silence. "-But hostile ships at nine, six, and three o'clock!"
Ratchet looked at the radar, and sure enough, three battleships had appeared and were closing in fast.
"What?! Where the heck'd they come from?" said Talwyn, looking shocked. "This ship can detect other starcraft up to three decasectors away!"
Their ship's radio suddenly burst to life, first nothing but static, then a smooth, refined voice fell on their ears.
"Attention starship signature 2271-Echo! This is Lord Valen, Super Genius, and defiler of renegades! It appears you fell right into our trap! I'm so terribly sorry for your losses on this miserable planet, but you're too late and your efforts are futile. Come quietly and die a quick, painless death - after enduring hours of physical and psychological torture - or you can try to flee like the rest of you Rebel scum do and have your bodies join the thousands of other particles adrift in space! Your choice; Do feel free to take a moment to consider your chances... No really, take your time; anything to keep me away from another of His Brilliance's lectures on domination."
"'His Brilliance'…?" Clank wondered aloud.
Ratchet looked left and right – battleships on each side, laser cannons pointed right at them.
"Tal, please tell me this ship has guns." Ratchet said, glancing over his shoulder.
She simply stared back. "…This isn't an X-83 Star Fighter, Ratch!"
"…Ah."
"Actually, change of plans-" the voice of Valen sounded again from the radio. "-Looks like the boss'd rather see you dead sooner than later… Damn… I mean, my apologies, looks like you don't get a say in the matter after all! Farewell!~" The radio then sputtered into silence once more.
"What the hell is this guy talk-"
"-Uh, Ratchet…!" Ratchet looked up. With a yelp he threw himself back in his seat, gritting his teeth and jerking the yoke of the starship, causing them to veer off to the side, narrowly dodging a missile from the ship on the left. Clank bounced out of his seat from the force of the turn, and Rivet caught him by the arm before he could fly passed her. She leapt into the seat next to Ratchet.
"Yeah, real impressive, hotshot! Eyes up front, 'kay?" the female Lombax said derisively.
Ratchet scoffed as he put his foot down, launching them forward and dodging another shot from the ship on the right.
"Incoming missiles, on the left… and the right!" Clank said.
Rivet punched a button next to the console deploying flares as Ratchet dove the ship down. Several of the missiles hit the flares and exploded, the others collided with one another as the ship plummeted, causing an explosion that shook them in their seats. He pulled up sharply, spiraling through space as two more missiles whizzed passed them.
"You all right back there Kit?" Rivet called back.
"Tal, how are ya?!" shouted Ratchet.
"Just super, Ratchet!"
"Do you always fly like this?!", demanded Kit.
With a sudden, deafening rumble, the ship lurched to a halt, and Ratchet and Rivet let out grunts of pain as their seatbelts cut into them.
"They have us in a gravity tether!" said Clank.
The yoke had seized up; Ratchet pushed, pulled, and twisted with all his might, but to no avail. Rivet grabbed it with him, and even together the ship remained unmovable. Ratchet pressed the accelerator to the floor. The engines roared, but they gained no speed.
"Oh gosh… What do we do now?" Kit said, the fear in her voice rising palpably. They began moving backwards, pulled slowly toward one of the battleships, and Ratchet could see no way out. The only option left was to fight.
But then there came another deafening, violent rumble, and suddenly, their ship was floating freely
– something had broken them free of the gravity tether! "Multiple ships on-approach!"
The Lombaxes turned to look, and sure enough, small fighter ships – twenty or more of them – were speeding through space toward them and firing at the hostiles! And at the rear was a larger ship, flying a flag on which was a vibrant, orange insignia. This ship too deployed a gravity tether, and Ratchet felt them once again being pulled through space.
"Wha… What's going on?!" blurted Talwyn from behind.
Within seconds, they were being pulled into the larger ship's hangar. Ratchet looked around as they were pulled into the ship's gravity field, watching a variety of people dashing around – some Terachnoid, some humanoid, some Vullard, some robotic, and others unknown.
"Clank, whaddaya see? Are we safe here?" Clank paused for a moment, the shutters of his eyes narrowing as he turned his head slowly this way and that, reading their surroundings.
"No known hostile species in the vicinity. But as for safe… I cannot answer until we escape from this… 'Lord Valen'."
But the words had barely left Clank's mouth when there was a loud voice over an intercom. "We got 'em! Blue team, fall back to the Phoenix at once! We're outta here!"
BOOM!
All five were jolted in their seats as a large explosion went off just outside the gravity field that separated the hangar from space. One of the friendly ships had exploded as it approached the hangar, shaking everything around them. Ratchet could see blaster fire flying all around them and the friendly ships streaking toward safety on the holoscreen that showed what was behind them.
At last, the final fighter ship landed. Without a second's delay, the engines of the large ship, the 'Phoenix', roared to life as the hangar doors closed.
"Brace yourselves, we're jumping to warp speed in three-" "For gods' sake, no time for countdowns!"
The Phoenix gave a deafening bellowing blast as it rocketed forward at the speed of light, throwing everyone back in their seats, leaving the hostile ships, Havenon IV, and the mysterious Lord Valen far, far behind.