Chapter 1

The engine was working fine thanks to that pecualiar gem that Clank and I found in an asteroid belt after that meteor shower near Terachnos. It still surprised me that one little gem could power the entire mothership for a lifetime.

"Doing another check on the new engine again?" I heard Clank call.

"Well, you did say it could cause a meltdown if overused. How was the main computer?" My little pal shook his head.

"There has been no match as to what kind of crystal this specific gem is."

"Not even the possibility of being radioactive Raritanium?"

"If it was, the ship would've already imploded." I couldn't help but sigh. Ever since we found the glowing rock, Clank and I have been looking into what it could be. But we've had no luck.

"Are you two still going on about that rock?!" Ah. Talwyn. She had been making sure the two of us weren't just focusing on the gem. "Get up on the bridge now! We're being invaded!"

"We're coming! Any idea what we will be dealing with when we get there?"

"That's just it!" Talwyn said with a clear hint of panic in her voice. "I literally have no idea what these things up here are! They don't resemble even a little bit of what we're used to fighting against!"

Clank and I couldn't help but look at each other in surprise. Were we actually being invaded by some sort of species that none of us have encountered before in our lives?

"Ratchet, we must hurry and help Talwyn and Qwark!" Clank called.

"Yeah. I get you." Strapping Clank onto my back, I sprinted to the bridge of the Starship Phoenix.

If the invaders are related to the creatures I faced when I was with Rayman, then I am not sure how to take them down.

Eventually, we managed to reach the bridge of the ship. And it was here that my initial thoughts of worry have come true, as the first thing I saw were the same dark monsters Rayman and I fought against.

"How did they get on the ship without the detectors picking them up?!" I shouted.

"They just popped out of nowhere, as far as I know!" Tal shouted, trying to shoot them with a Combustor.

"Our weapons won't work on them!" I had to blurt out.

"What do you mean?" Qwark questioned. "Nothing can get past this bod of muscles."

"Because you're a muscle head! We can't destroy them with what we have!"

"How do you know this?" Clank asked.

"If I told you, I think you'll believe I've lost my mind!" I dodged one of the monster, still futilely trying to keep them at bay with my Omniwrench.

The voice said Rayman and I were ill prepared to face the new threats to our worlds. Just what did it mean by that? And how much of a danger are these things? The truth behind everything seems like it is a ways away.

Regardless, it was clear plain as day that none of our weapons were doing a thing against them. And it was obvious that Tal was getting more and more frustrated by the minute because of this.

"Ugh, our weapons aren't even doing a dent to them!" Tal shouted in frustration. "What are we supposed to even do here?!"

That was a very good question right there. If Rayman and I couldn't do anything to fight back against these things, then it was obvious, to me at least, that there was no way for us to actually win in this situation.

Qwark was already running away, screaming like the coward he was. A swarm of them were coming straight for me and I had to grapple to the ceiling to dodge.

"Ratchet, I need to get a sample of those creatures," Clank said. "If the results come out what I deem possible, I may know a way to defeat them."

"Go down there?" I looked at the sea of black monsters.

I said, "That sounds risky, but we're running out of options." I think that we need to learn about the creatures to make any progress.

It was a risk that we needed to take. There was no other option in this situation.

"Here's hoping we find something to use against these guys!" I said, preparing to get back into the action happening before us.

And so, without any hesitation, I then jumped back down onto the bridge. Unsurprisingly, the dark creatures took notice of us and immediately started charging in our direction.

"Gah!" Clank gasped. I glanced over my shoulder. When did enemies get behind us?! It didn't matter until one of them leapt and landed on Clank.

"Clank!"

"I've got this!" Clank quickly swatted the bug off. "And I got the scan!"

"Great, pal!" I leapt over the swarm. "What are we up against?"

"These monsters appear to be made of dark energy. If we expose them to a strong enough energy, it should disintegrate them!"

"Where are we going to get something like-?" An idea crossed my mind. "What about the gem?"

"Ratchet, as much as that is the solution, there is no telling what using that energy can do."

"It's our only shot, right?"

Clank said, "I don't know about this... but we don't have many options left." I said, "Then lets do it! Here goes nothing!"

"Agreed! Let's head to back to the engine room and get that stone as quickly as we can!" Clank said.

Without a second thought, I immediately bolted down to the engine room. If Clank's scan results were enough, then that gem we found must be the answer to fending off against those things we needed.

I don't think I ever ran so fast before, not even on the edge of death at the many foes in the past.

The stone in the engine was illuminating a stronger light than previously.

"I don't know what to make of this," Clank muttered in surprise. "Its power has only increased in the few minutes we've been absent."

"Can you tap into it, buddy?"

"Too much of that energy in my system will cause a short circuit."

"Then how-" I couldn't finish before those things broke down the door. I wasn't even thinking when I just reached out and took hold of the gem. As soon as I made contact, the light only intensified, blinding me and Clank.

What is this... this power? I could feel it course through me.

Between this and my meeting with Rayman, a lot of crazy stuff has happened lately. What is going on?

All of these thoughts were flooding my mind at once, seemingly with no end in sight. But I don't think I can blame myself from thinking about that stuff at the moment.

The light from the jewel continued to shed its blinding light for a while longer until it soon started to die down, eventually to the point where Clank and I can actually see once again.

To our great surprise, all of the monsters were gone.

"Ratchet, what did you do?" Talwyn called on the speaker again. "Whatever that light was, it made all of the creeps disappear. Not to mention we've reached some kind of warp drive."

"Warp drive?!" I wasn't expecting that.

"You and Clank better get back to the bridge! I don't think we can control the ship!"

Hopefully the problems aren't too bad. After everything that's happened though, I don't think I can predict what is about to go down at the bridge.

With the jewel in hand and Clank still on my back, I immediately sprinted to the bridge. Once there, it was clear that what Talwyn said earlier was true. Those weird black things had completely vanished from sight, almost like they never attacked us in the first place.

Of course, that didn't really clear my worries completely as soon as I saw the warp drive in question right before the Starship Phoenix.

"What's the coordinates?"

"We don't know!" Tal yelled. "All we know is that we're going wherever this is heading!"

As soon as she said that, all I remembered was a flash of light from the warp drive and then followed by a loud crash.

End Chapter