Trouble-Shooting in the Trees
Chairman Drek's Warship, Eudora Orbit
Chairman Drek and Doctor Nefarious were standing at the bridge, gazing in wonder at what was, at the moment, an incomplete planet. Just about a third of the planet was complete so far, but Drek wasn't worried. They were on schedule, and more planets would be harvested soon.
"Yes, quite lovely," he commented, grinning. "That should just about do it."
"Lawrence," Nefarious commanded to a rotund butler robot with pupil-less blue optics, "we're finished with this world. Tell the troops to begin towing our planet to its next destination."
"Yes, sir; right away sir," Lawrence replied, and he ambled out of the room.
Drek then pressed a button on the control panel, bringing up a video from Eudora. Lieutenant Ernest Von Ion appeared on the screen. "Lieutenant!"
Ernest, who had been lolling against a tree, snapped to attention. "Yes, sir!"
"You have fulfilled your tree quota; barely."
"We are ready to return to base," Ernest acknowledged, saluting.
"Not so fast, Lieutenant!" Drek ordered. He thought for a second. "Just because we don't need any more trees doesn't mean they should have them!" His face split into an evil grin. "Destroy everything! He, he, he, he!"
"And should a Lombax turn up to halt your plans," Nefarious added, "make sure to give him a proper welcome!"
"Yes, doctor!" Ernest replied.
The Skyhopper dropped out of warp above Eudora. The entire planet was covered in green, with only a few touches of blue or white here and there. It looked so peaceful from a distance, and Clank felt this was fitting. Curious to learn as much as possible about this new planet; the small robot had looked up Eudora on the Gadgetron Network. Originally called Ferwon, Eudora was essentially a planet-sized nature reserve. With so many protected species, the idea that Drek could dare to besmirch was abhorrent!
"You got the co-ordinates for where Skidd's ship went down?" Ratchet asked, as the Skyhopper descended towards the surface.
"Affirmative," Clank confirmed, bringing them up on the control panel. "Once we find where the ship crashed, we should find where Skidd and his agent bailed out to." He paused. "Ratchet, I still do not think it was right to leave without waiting for Miss Veralux…"
Ratchet rolled his eyes, chuckling, as they broke atmosphere. "Oh, quit it, buddy. We can handle this fine! The last person I need for back-up is some fussy, critical Markazian who finds fault in everything I do and doesn't know how to welcome newcomers!" His voice got angrier with every word, and he gripped the control yoke so tightly, it almost broke.
Clank looked a little startled. "I am given to understand that you and Miss Veralux did not make a good impression with each other."
"Like you wouldn't believe, buddy," Ratchet sighed. "All she did during my training was claim that she was better!"
He shook his head. What was that Markazian's problem? Why couldn't she appreciate what he did in Metropolis? If it weren't for him, they'd probably be dead! So much for one of his heroes!
"Hmm, I assume that means she is definitely not your friend like the other Rangers are now," Clank commented dryly.
Ratchet glanced at Clank, frowning, but ultimately decided to let it go. They had a mission to do.
Ratchet brought the Skyhopper in to land atop one of the many plateaus, situated near the logging sites. Lying in a smoking crater a short distance away was what looked like the remains of a crashed ship.
Nearby, several robots were cutting down more trees with reckless abandon, occasionally hitting each other by mistake.
"Stay down, buddy," Ratchet advised Clank. "We don't need you getting plugged." He popped the cockpit of the Skyhopper, tele-quipping his Ion Blaster into his hand as he did so. Taking careful aim, the Lombax opened fire on the Axebots.
Caught unawares, a few bots got their heads blown clean off, while the rest lost a limb or two. They began to run towards the Skyhopper, axes raised.
"Alright," Ratchet grinned, holstering the Blaster and drawing his Omniwrench.
Leaping from the Skyhopper, he ran at the Axebots and began taking them out with powerful whacks to the heads or torsos, all the while leaping over the clumsy axe swings. By the time Clank joined Ratchet, the lumberjacks were spare parts.
"You continue to impress me," Clank mused.
"Heh, heh, tough guys are a cinch when you grow up in Veldin," Ratchet chuckled. "Now, where to begin?"
The two scanned the surrounding area more carefully. They were on one side of a wide gorge, the bottom of which was lost in mist, rather like on Kerwan. Trees were everywhere, with broad leaves, and like on Novalis, Ratchet couldn't help but admire the more pleasant temperature compared to Veldin's constant aridness. However the natural look was ruined by the presence of various yellow buildings that had clearly been constructed beforehand and then dropped into place. The largest of them was what had to be Drek's logging warehouse, set on a different plateau in the distance. The sky was full of massive butterflies and various drones, some carrying huge logs towards the logging warehouse. Even the natural scent was tainted with fumes and sawdust.
"Bet environmentalists would love to tear into this place," Ratchet muttered.
Just then, he spotted a metal door set into a structure just behind their ship.
"Let's start over there," he proposed, pointing.
But as they approached the door, it soon became clear that procedure onward in this direction was impossible. Not only was the door incredibly thick, meaning Ratchet's attempt to blast it open with a Bomb didn't make so much as a dent, but when Clank scanned the lock, the Gadgetron Help-Desk said: 'You'll need a Gadgetron Trespasser to get through this security door. Unfortunately, our scans do not show a Trespasser available on this planet.'
"Oh, that's just brilliant!" Ratchet fumed, thumping the door.
"Perhaps we should contact the Rangers and ask for their help," Clank suggested.
"No," Ratchet declined. "This is my first mission; I've got to do it right. I'll just have to find another way." He looked back at the crashed ship. "Since the ship's here, Skidd and his agent must have landed close. Any ideas, Clank?"
"Perhaps we could try over there," Clank proposed, pointing across the gorge in the direction of the warehouse.
"And how do we-?" Ratchet began, but he broke off when he saw a collapsible bridge, with a bolt crank next to it. "Never mind; Ratchet and Clank to the rescue!"
Pausing only to let Clank reattach himself to his back, Ratchet jogged over to the bolt crank, latched his wrench on it, and began to spin it round rapidly. The bridge's two halves folded upward, connecting across the gorge, providing a pathway onward.
"How do you not get dizzy, running round in circles like that?" Clank inquired, as Ratchet set off over the bridge.
"Heh, you get used to it after a while," Ratchet shrugged.
A couple of Buzzsaw bots were waiting for them on the other side, and surged forward. Ratchet blew them back with the Proton Drum, sending them crashing into thick tree trunks.
A little further on, Ratchet came to a clearing, next to the gorge. Several more Buzzsaw and Axebots were there. Ratchet decided to bring out an old favourite. Summoning his Bomb Glove, the Lombax tossed an explosive towards the advancing 'bots. Clank winced as the Bomb went off, and robot pieces flew through the air. Ratchet just chuckled, inhaling the familiar stink of fried metal and circuitry. This was very much like the training course on Veldin, except this was a proper mission. Ratchet's fur tingled with joy.
He jogged over to another Bolt Crank that no doubt operated the collapsible bridge spanning the gorge. A few twists later, the bridge was up and the Lombax was hurrying over the ravine.
On the other side, among a few tree stumps, the duo spotted a crater nearby, from which some steam was still rising. As they approached the crash site, Ratchet saw a green Rilgarian standing next to what looked like the remains of an escape pod. Dressed in a colourful T-shirt, blue shorts and a red visor, he was looking around rather anxiously.
Ratchet grinned broadly. "It's him! Skidd McMarx!"
"That man who sent the distress signal," Clank agreed.
Skidd grinned. "In the flesh, little dude!" he announced proudly. He was one of those guys who adopted a surfer talk in an attempt to look 'rad' and 'cool'. He even sounded a bit like how Ratchet sounded at the time, only with more slang and 'dude' in his vocabulary.
"You guys get a load of that epic space battle I was in?" Skidd mused.
"We heard you, screaming for help!" Ratchet teased. Skidd looked away, blushing.
"Uh… t-that was, like a… war cry," he attempted to salvage. "My agent Don and I were ambushed on the way to hoverboard practice. Might have been because I heard about this hydroharvester, perhaps…" An uncomfortable look passed over his face. "Anyway, we, like, fought hard, but there were too many. Nice to see the cavalry's here!"
"Did your agent survive the crash, sir?" Clank asked.
"Ah, Don's okay, man," Skidd assured them. "But we landed separately, and this area is crawling with robots. I'd take 'em on myself, but, eh, my ankle was sprained in the crash."
"You seem to be standing on it fine," Clank noted.
"It hurts when I move it too much!" Skidd countered. "Say, if you take out the 'bots 'round here and help me find my ship, I might just have a spare hoverboard for you."
"We appreciate the offer, Mr McMarx," Clank pointed out, "but we are also here to stop Chairman Drek's forces from-"
"Shh!" Ratchet cut in eagerly. "One of your boards?!" he asked Skidd. "Hmm… I've always wanted a decent hoverboard. You got it! Just keep that foot elevated, or I may… reconsider my offer."
"You'll definitely be reconsidering your actions soon, Lombax!" yelled an angry voice behind them, making Ratchet jump.
"Uh oh," Clank mumbled, looking round.
Cora Veralux was striding towards them, looking livid. She was now garbed in her own Protosuit. Her Pyrocitor was still smoking from dealing with bots.
"Yikes, lady dudette looks mad!" Skidd cried. "I'll… secure the perimeter." And he 'limped' to a safe distance as quickly as he could.
"What were you thinking, taking off without waiting for me?!" Cora snarled, coming right up to Ratchet, disengaging her helmet as she did so.
"I did warn him that was a bad idea," Clank pointed out, but Ratchet was unabashed.
"I don't remember asking for back-up," he countered, shrugging nonchalantly. "Besides, Skidd needed help fast. Not my fault you can't keep up, lady, or that you didn't listen properly during the briefing."
Cora narrowed her eyes. "You listen here, Lombax. There's a reason I was the youngest recruit to pass Ranger selection, and unlike you, it's not because I had a free pass handed to me on a silver platter!" Leaning in closer, she paused just long enough to jab Ratchet in the chest plate before continuing. "Don't push me, kid. You might have completely won over Qwark and Brax with that stunt in Metropolis, but luck isn't everything. As far as I'm concerned, you're just one step removed from the merc trash infesting this galaxy. So I strongly suggest you watch your step and your tongue, because if you don't…" The Markazian's fingers tightened briefly on the Pyrocitor's handgrip, her eyes cold and boring into Ratchet's with undisguised intensity. "…your next mistake might very well be your last!" The Pyrocitor vanished as Cora tele-quipped it away. "And neither of us wants that."
If Ratchet was fazed by her words, he didn't show it. He just folded his arms and responded calmly, "Well, I'd advise the same for you. You don't want to lose your badge dealing with 'merc trash' now, do you?"
Clank decided it was time to intervene before things boiled over. In any case, he did not like how Ratchet was acting here; it was almost like he was a different Lombax altogether.
"Can we please focus on our mission there?" he spoke up. "We have a robot lieutenant to stop, and Skidd's agent to rescue."
"He's right, you know," Ratchet concurred. "Qwark wouldn't be very happy if he heard you botched up the mission."
Cora's lips drew back off her teeth. She raised two fingers, pointed first at her own eyes, then at Ratchet, before turning and walking off.
Ratchet half-smirked, half-frowned. Next time he visited Grim, he was binning Cora's merchandise.
"Skidd, stay behind us," he advised to the Rilgarian. "We'll cover you."
"Cheers, dude," Skidd thanked.
Ratchet followed after Cora, pausing only to restock on ammo from Gadgetron crates. They came to a higher stratum of rock, on top of which stood a Buzzsaw bot and two Blargian troopers. Before Ratchet could summon a weapon, however, Cora summoned a Warmonger, took aim and fired.
The rocket struck the rock face behind the two Blarg. Rocks and moss cascaded down onto them, crushing them both as they screamed in shock.
One of the Blarg fired his weapon as rocks buried him. The plasma bolts hit the Buzzsaw bot and it fell, sparking, to the ground.
"Whoa," Ratchet gaped.
"Sick!" Skidd complimented.
Cora smiled at them knowingly. Her expression annoyed the Lombax. Perhaps he'd set fire to her merchandise after putting them in the bin.
They came to a series of stone steps, each about a metre higher than the one below.
"Whoa," Skidd exclaimed. "You dudes up for carrying me? My sprained ankle could make it, err, difficult for me to climb."
Cora looked round, just as Skidd quickly lifted his leg, having just realised he was putting weight on it. "You're faking it, aren't you?" she observed.
"No, no, it's pretty bad," Ratchet countered. "Frankly, the only way it could be worse is if it were actually broken. Don't tell me the youngest recruit doesn't care about civilian well-being!" Oh, that had to burn!
"How about I break your leg for real?!" Cora scowled, taking a step towards Ratchet.
"How about you do not?" Clank cut in. "Can we please just proceed? Mr McMarx, you do not have to hurry up the steps; just take your time, and… mind how you put your leg down. Looking at the steps, compared to your height, you should not have too much difficulty."
"Hmm, I guess you're right," Skidd noted. "Alright, dudes and dudette, lead on."
"Gladly," Ratchet answered, and used Clank's new Heli-Pack Upgrade to climb the first step. The steps weren't that high, but Ratchet was happy to use the Upgrade anyway.
"Hey!" Cora cried, scrambling up after him. "Where are your manners? It's ladies first!"
Ratchet groaned internally. This was going to be a long mission. "I was officially assigned to this world by Qwark, so I think that means I should go first!" He moved up to the next level before Cora could answer.
At the top of the steps, they came to another clearing with Axebots and Sawbots swarming about. Up on the drop, Ratchet took a swipe at the nearest with his Wrench, smashing through its chassis, before whipping out his Pyrocitor and gyrating on the spot to burn any bots unfortunate enough to come close.
Alas, while it did take out two more bots, it also set the surrounding grass and flowers on fire. Yelping, Ratchet quickly stamped on the smouldering flora to put it out, momentarily failing to realise that more bots were closing in on him.
Before they could attack, however, a metallic ball flew forwards and released a shockwave of pink energy that blew the bots back from Ratchet.
Reacting instinctively, Ratchet replaced his Pyrocitor with his Ion Blaster and shot them at almost point-blank range.
Ratchet saw Cora hurry past him to go after a few more bots nearby. Ratchet knew it must have been her who saved him from being sliced up, and felt a touch of gratitude, but it was quickly eclipsed by a determination not to let her get ahead of him. This was his mission, and he wasn't going to let her hog the glory. Even so, he made a mental note to not use the Pyrocitor again while surrounded by greenery; the last thing he needed was to start a forest fire.
Ratchet saw a pile of massive logs stacked neatly, and this gave him an idea.
"Mind your back, Cora!" he warned, before tossing a bomb at the rock formation behind the log pile.
With a loud BANG, the explosion sent the logs tumbling out of place and rolling over the bots and a couple of Blargian troopers that were in their path, crushing them into the ground.
Cora, who had thankfully been out of harm's way, looked rather stunned at such a daring manoeuvre.
"Sweet!" Skidd praised, hobbling along after Ratchet. Cora said nothing, which told Ratchet she could find nothing to criticise. Bet that's a first, he thought.
They proceeded onward, over a bridge, and found two more Axebots, hacking fruitlessly at the trees before realising they had company.
Ratchet and Cora acted simultaneously: both drew weapons - Ratchet his Ion Blaster and Cora what looked like a rocket launcher - and fired.
One Lumber bot fell, riddling with holes, while the other was blown to bits. Remarkably, little damage was done to the trees. Guess that explains why the Axebots had been struggling to chop them down.
Further on, a few Blargian troopers came at them, so Ratchet whipped out his Pixelator.
But as he pulled the trigger, Cora ran out ahead, her rocket launcher, which Ratchet would later find out was called a Devastator, raised.
The blast from the Pixelator quickly turned her and the Blarg into bizarre, blocky figures with completely black eyes and stiff movements.
The sight made Ratchet burst out laughing, especially Cora's weird appearance.
The Markazian glared at Ratchet with wholly black eyes, who continued to laugh even as he threw a Bomb at the Blarg, scattering blocks everywhere. The Lombax only stopped laughing when Clank elbowed him hard.
"He, he, just watch your step next time, okay?" Ratchet advised. He'd only meant it as casual advice, but as he walked on, Cora, returning to normal at that moment, extended a hand and began wringing an imaginary neck. Then, she realised that Clank could see her. The little robot shook his head slightly. Cora's face fell, and she looked away guiltily.
At the top of some more steps, they came to another clearing, with what looked a large, hydraulic platform mounted on three legs above a tree stump. Across the gorge was what looked like the back entrance to the logging warehouse, but there was no collapsible bridge that Ratchet could crank up into place.
"This is a bummer," Skidd noted, as he staggered up the last step behind the trio. "Guess this must be a dead end."
"I do not think so," Clank countered. He was looking at the hydraulic platform. "Perhaps if we lower that platform, we could use the Heli-Pack to get across the ravine."
Ratchet grinned. "Good idea, Clank," he commended.
"Guess we should contact Elaris for help," Cora supposed.
"Nah, don't need her," Ratchet assured her. "I'll program this thing to come down."
Cora rolled her eyes sceptically.
"Just so you know, Ratchet," Clank informed, as Ratchet stepped up to the platform, "I can only keep you up for a few seconds."
"That should be all I need."
Clank deployed the Heli-Pack and levitated the Lombax up to a small latch, which opened to reveal the platform's controls. Ratchet ran his eyes over them just as he came back down. On the second levitation upward, he pressed a few buttons quite rapidly. And on the third trip upward, he pressed one last button, and the platform lowered slowly, until all four of them could get onto it quite easily.
"How'd you know what to program into that platform?" Cora asked, trying and failing to mask her wonder.
"I've always been a dab hand at machinery," Ratchet replied. "Kinda necessary, growing up in a garage."
"Ratchet and I should be to get across this gorge, no problem," Clank noted, "but Miss Veralux and Mr McMarx, neither of you have any means of levitation. And I am not sure the Heli-Pack will be strong enough to carry all of us."
Ratchet grinned. "Well then, I guess this means you'll stay behind, Cora. We'll send you a postcard from the other end. Come on, Skidd."
"Oh, no, you don't!" Cora protested at once. "You're not gonna leave me behind, Lombax!"
"But Clank just said the Heli-Pack mightn't be able to carry all of us!"
"Guess there's only one way to find out, then, isn't there?"
"Miss Veralux, please," Clank interjected, rather exasperatedly. "We cannot risk all our lives needlessly just so you can prove a point!"
"Thank you!" Ratchet appreciated, relieved that Clank was on his side here. Just how had Cora earned her position at all?
Cora glared at the small robot, and then took such a massive breath that it almost strained her cuirass, and said, "Fine! I'll think of another way across. You go first with Skidd."
They stepped onto the platform, helping Skidd up with them, and the platform rose back to its original height. Ratchet moved behind Skidd.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Erm, that Heli-Pack isn't, like, gonna fail on us, right?" Skidd pondered, nervously.
"I am confident it will be able hold three of us," Clank asserted, deploying the rotors.
And before Skidd could protest, Ratchet pushed Skidd over the edge, grabbing him under the armpits as he went. The Rilgarian cried out in panic and grabbed Ratchet's arms in turn as they glided down towards the platform on the other side of the gorge.
"We're not gonna make it, we're not gonna make it, we're not gonna make it!" he wailed.
"Don't flail about!" Ratchet yelled.
At last, they touched down safely on the platform, and Skidd gasped in relief.
"I knew we'd make it," he proclaimed. Ratchet shook his head. He was just about to turn round to call back to Cora, when he found the Markazian standing right in front of him. The Lombax was so surprised, he almost fell over.
"Whoa, how-how did you get over here?" he stammered.
Cora held up the Proton Drum, showing she'd emptied two shots out of it. Ratchet was amazed, and a little impressed.
'No, no, you're supposed to not like her!' he chastised himself. 'She's cramping your style!'
'But that was pretty awesome…'
'Oh, shut up!'
"Err, dudes and dudette," Skidd fretted. "We've got more company!"
Ratchet and Cora looked round. A massive red robot with a large axe on a hydraulic for a right hand had exited the logging warehouse and was advancing on them.
Ratchet promptly drew his wrench and threw it at the big Axebot. However, the Comet Strike not only failed to faze the big Axebot, but it automatically responded by slamming its axe down, creating a shockwave that shook Ratchet, Cora and Skidd off their feet. They then had to scurry away on their hands and knees as the Axebot attacked again, leaving a large gouge in the platform.
Realising the seismic power of that axe, Ratchet and Cora quickly scampered away to a distance. Then, they both summoned the Ion Blaster, and, with a curt nod to each other, they opened fire on the big Axebot as it turned to advance on them again. The bolts caused the Axebot to stagger backwards, though they didn't do much damage.
Cora suddenly switched to the Devastator. The subsequent rocket blew the Axebot back further. Suddenly, it fell over the edge of the platform, and disappeared into the gorge.
'Guess that's something I should keep in mind if we see any more,' Ratchet thought. Then, 'Wait, did I share a nod with Cora?'
The group made their way towards the back door of the logging warehouse. Ratchet and Cora stood on either side of the door.
"Okay, here's the plan," Cora formulated. "I'll go into the main warehouse, deactivate the drones, and then set up bombs around the joint. Ratchet, you cover me."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, who put you in charge here?" Ratchet demanded. "This is my mission!"
"Well, I'm more experienced in this field, so I should go first!" Cora countered, her eyes narrowed.
Ratchet ground his teeth. "And how am I supposed to prove my worth with you trying to hog my glory?!"
"I'm trying to prevent you from botching things up!"
"Something's definitely going to be botched up very soon! Or rather, someone!"
"Are you threatening me?!"
"No one is threatening anyone," Clank cut in, struggling to keep his voice even. He shook his head. Once this mission was over, he was going to have a talk with both Rangers about their behaviour.
"Ratchet, just do as Miss Veralux requests," the small robot implored.
Ratchet was shocked. "What?! Now you're taking her side?!"
"I am on no one's side," Clank affirmed. "I am simply suggesting the best outcome for all of us. If you continue with this bickering, I shall report you both to Captain Qwark."
Ratchet was nettled. His first true friend and Clank was siding against him! Maybe he didn't feel so bad about lying to Clank after all…
Yet, that thought still brought a slight squirm of guilt to his stomach. Even so, he ignored it, as he and Cora proceeded into the mill, while Skidd wisely remained outside.
Inside, three more of those big red Axebots were waiting. They advanced on the trio. Cora darted through another door into the main body of the warehouse. Ratchet equipped his Bomb Glove and threw three bombs in quick succession. The bots were all blown off their feet. Ratchet hoped there were more. Blowing bots up would make him feel better.
He was tempted to follow Cora into the main warehouse, especially when the sound of gunfire and shouts started up in the warehouse. Then, he felt Clank's hand on his side, and grudgingly resisted. Luckily, there was something else nearby to grab his attention. Lying propped against the wall was some kind of cannon. It was silver, tubular in shape and decorated with yellow and black hazard stripes on the barrel. A handlebar protruded from the side.
When Ratchet bent down to pick it up, the Gadgetron Helpdesk spoke up: 'The Suck Cannon can vacuum up multiple enemies and then fire them as high-calibre missiles! Caution: enemies must be small to fit inside the barrel.'
"Sweet!" Ratchet cried, holding the Suck Cannon above his head. He was glad he'd noticed it first. No way was he letting Cora have this!
At that moment, a few Sawbots entered the warehouse. Their signature weapons were whirring, eager to slice up some Lombax.
"Perfect!" Ratchet grinned. Taking aim with the Suck Cannon, he pulled the trigger. At once, a massive vortex was created, sucking air into the barrel. The moment the vortex fell upon the Sawbots, they were pulled in, shrinking as they went and vanishing into the barrel. Ratchet noticed a gauge going up with each bot absorbed. He was gonna like this weapon!
"Your client has information that belongs to Chairman Drek!"
Ratchet heard a voice command from outside.
"Come on. Don't make this hard on yourself! Give him up and no one gets hurt!"
"I'm tellin' ya," replied an anxious voice, "I don't know where he is! You know celebrities these days! They do whatever they want! We can work this out, can't we?"
"I have an inclination that that might be Skidd's agent," Clank voiced Ratchet's thoughts.
"And he's in trouble," Ratchet added. "Let's go help him!"
"But Miss Veralux requested…"
Clank would later realise that mentioning Cora only gave Ratchet more proclivity to leave his post.
The Lombax dashed outside, in time to see a Rilgarian take shelter behind a tree stump, while a few Blargian soldiers took aim with their weapons.
"We can work this out, can't we?" Don Wonderstar offered.
"Oh, we'll work it out," one of the Blarg replied, "by having one of our bots cut you in half!" Then, he spotted Ratchet. "The Lombax! Take him out!"
Don looked up to see his saviours. "Help! These brutes are trying to kill me!"
"Not on my watch!" Ratchet declared. Taking aim with the Suck Cannon, he fired.
One of the Sawbots came shooting out of the weapon at subsonic speed, smashing right into the nearest Blarg and splattering greenish blood everywhere.
Ratchet grinned, though secretly trying not to be grossed out by the sight of blood. "Yep! This weapon is awesome!"
He took aim again, but the Blarg he fired at managed to avoid the shot.
Said Blarg returned fire, as did his comrade. Ratchet dived behind the same tree stump as Don.
"Argh, this constant hounding is killing me!" Don groaned, covering his head with his hands.
Clank's optics widened. "Do you need medical attention, sir?"
"Don't be so literal, kid!" Don replied, as shots zoomed over their heads. "I'm just frustrated that these goons are after me, and I have no reception out here!"
Before either Ratchet or Clank could answer, they heard one of the Blarg say "We need back-up! The Galactic Rangers are here!"
"More of them are coming!" Don exclaimed. Then, his face lit up. "Say, get them off my back, and I'll make you famous!"
Ratchet grinned. 'Maybe word of me will get out to other Lombaxes!'
With that, he rolled out from behind the stump, and sent another Sawbot-turned-missile at the nearest Blarg.
His comrade began a strafing movement. But Ratchet anticipated where he'd be. Judging his moment, all the while strafing himself, he fired and the missile met its mark.
A ship came flying into view, no doubt the backup the Blarg had called for.
But when Ratchet aimed with the Suck Cannon, the vortex was created again.
"Huh?" he wondered. Looking at the gauge on it, the Lombax saw it was empty. "Oh, out of ammo."
A hatch in the bottom of the ship opened, and Blarg descended to the ground, weapons at the ready.
Equipping his Ion Blaster, Ratchet began strafing from side to side, sending shots in random patterns. The Blarg did likewise, though some quickly fell from the wide field of shots. The smell of charred flesh filled the air, stinging Ratchet's nose.
Then, one summoned a Pyrocitor. He sent out a stream of fire that set the grass ablaze.
"Hey!" Ratchet cried. "Are you trying to start a wildfire here?!"
"As long as it makes you one dead Lombax!" the Blarg retorted.
This angered Ratchet. That Blarg would eat those words!
Raising his other hand, he summoned his Pixelator. He started firing both in quick succession. His anger quickly evaporated with the feel of a weapon in each hand. The Lombax laughed as he fired again and again, ignoring the cries of the Blarg as they went down.
It was over in just a few seconds. Soon, all that was left of the Blarg were several pixel-like blocks and one or two whole bodies.
"Good job, kid," Don complimented, standing up from his hiding place. "I think that's all of them."
"Just need to take care of this fire now," Ratchet noted, de-equipping his weapons. "I wonder if I-" The same extinguisher Helga had used on Qwark back on Veldin appeared in his hand. "Huh, how about that?"
After dousing the flames in the grass, Ratchet turned back to Don.
"Are you alright, sir?"
"I'm fine now," Don assured them. "Say, what are your names?"
"Ratchet."
"Clank."
Don smiled. "That sounds great! Socket and Clink!"
Ratchet frowned. "No, no, it's 'Ratchet and Clank.'"
"Right, right, beautiful," Don dismissed. "Sprocket and Plank. I like the sound of that. Real marketing potential - I could sell that!"
Ratchet's frown deepened. This guy clearly had hearing problems or something.
"Say, you wouldn't happen to know where my agent is," Don pressed on. "We got separated when we ejected above this world."
Before either Ratchet or Clank could answer, Cora and Skidd came striding - or in Skidd's case, fake-limping - out of the warehouse, who was now collapsing behind them. Cora didn't look happy. Ratchet was afforded some grim satisfaction.
"So, taking off on me again, eh?" Cora demanded.
"Don here was in trouble," Ratchet replied swiftly. Despite his pleasure, he wasn't up for another argument. "Just doing my duty as a Ranger."
"We were happy to assist," Clank agreed, though his optics looked a little weary as he looked at Cora.
"Hey, Don!" Skidd greeted his agent. "So happy to see you're, like, alright, dude!"
"Same to you," Don replied. "An agent without a client is like a dog without a flea. Say, was it Miss Veralux here who found you? The youngest recruit in the Rangers' history rescuing my client - I can sell that too!"
"Uh, excuse me!" Ratchet exclaimed. "I rescued your client! I reached him first!"
"That's even better! I can sponsor both of you together!"
"Hey, I'm not sharing a sponsor with her!" Ratchet stated firmly, jerking his head at Cora.
Cora's scowl at Don's words was answer enough for her too. "We need to get you both off this planet as soon as possible," she affirmed briskly, clearly wanting to move things forward.
"Oh, yeah," Skidd agreed. "But our ship must be totally trashed."
"It is, I am afraid," Clank confirmed. "We saw it when we landed."
"You can take my ship," Cora offered. "I can program it to get you two to the nearest safe planet."
"Hopefully, that's somewhere with a hospital," Skidd proposed, as they all made their way towards the landing site. "Gotta get my leg checked out."
"A hospital?" Don remarked, surprised. "Skidd, come on! You've been through worse! What are we gonna do about your sponsors?"
Skidd frowned. "Umm, I'm beginning to think you don't, like, care about me or whatever…"
At the landing site, Cora opened the cockpit of her ship - a Class-G Star Jumper - and began programming co-ordinates into the navigation system. While they waited, Skidd suddenly remembered something.
"Hold on!" he advised, and went over to the crashed ship. After a bit of rummaging around, he returned, carrying a large hoverboard in his arms.
"Here you go, dude," he said to Ratchet, tossing the board to him. "As thanks for helping us out."
Ratchet's grin was so wide, he thought his face would split. "A brand new McMarx Z3000 Deluxe Hoverboard! You can't even buy these!" He turned it over. "And it's signed too!"
Don's eyes lit up with an idea. "Say, Wrenchet?"
Ratchet's grin vanished with a sigh. "Ratchet!"
"Exactly. You want to be a hoverboard star in Skidd's place?"
Ratchet's grin came back so fast, he could have sworn his face actually split.
"Ratchet, we are in the middle of stopping Chairman Drek right now," Clank reminded.
Ratchet was too excited to frown. "Hey, a hero deserves some leisure every so often, pal."
"Great. Just tell 'em Don Wonderstar sent ya!"
At last, Cora's ship was ready. Skidd and Don climbed into the cockpit. Skidd waved to Ratchet and Clank.
"Thanks again for the help, bros. Hope to see you at the races!"
With that, Cora's ship took off into the sky.
"Guess it means I'll have to ride back with you two," Cora realised, looking at the duo.
Ratchet's face twisted as if he'd just swallowed something nasty.
"Yeah, I'm not happy about it either," Cora conceded, "But there's no other way."
"We still need to find Lieutenant Ernest," Clank noted. He turned his head back towards the security door near their ship. "Miss Veralux, there is a security door over there, and we cannot get through. The Help Desk tells us that we require a Trespasser to unlock the door, and there is not one available on this planet."
Cora smiled for the first time since she'd touched down on Eudora. "Luckily for you, I brought a Trespasser with me, just in case." She glanced deliberately at Ratchet. "That's how you stay ahead of the game."
Ratchet rolled his eyes as he restocked his ammo at a nearby Gadgetron vendor.
Cora summoned a device that had three large prongs on its end, strode up to the door and inserted it into the Invinco-lock. Ratchet expected the door to open immediately, but instead, Cora glanced at a panel over the handle and began turning a dial this way and that.
"What-?" Ratchet began, but Clank whispered, "Let her focus, Ratchet."
A few moments later, the door slid open.
"Alright, let's nab that Lieutenant and get out of here!" Cora declared, summoning her Warmonger.
Ratchet was too keen to get the Lieutenant to argue. He and Clank followed the Markazian through the door. But when they emerged on the other side of what appeared to be a small loading bay, they found themselves facing another deep gorge with, at first, no visible means of proceeding onward.
"A dead end?!" Cora exclaimed. "This can't be right!"
"Looks right to me," Ratchet shrugged, though he too was seriously put out. Then, he spotted two Versa-Targets hovering over the ravine. "Actually, I was wrong; there is a way onward." He looked at Cora, raising an eyebrow. "I don't suppose you have a Swingshot like I do." He summoned it as he spoke.
For an answer, Cora summoned a Swingshot of her own. She leapt forward, extended the grappling hook and swung into the void. Glad to not endure another argument (tempting though it was), Ratchet followed.
Having only tested the Swingshot a couple of times on Kerwan, Ratchet was thrilled to use it properly in the field. His heart quickened as he swung over the abyss after Cora. At the top of his first swing, he released the cord, and then fired it at the second target. The prospect of falling did occur to the Lombax - and certainly to Clank, given his slightly anxious cry - but having endured giddiness often when looking at Veldin's canyons, Ratchet just welcomed the thrill.
He joined Cora on the first of a few hydraulic platforms. He then leapt across to the next one, and then the next with easy bounds. Cora, on the other hand, had to take running leaps from platform to platform (she'd used up her Proton Drums and hadn't replenished them). By the time she reached the third, she was panting heavily. When she leapt for the fourth and last platform, she landed very precariously, and wind-milled her arms frantically, trying to regain her balance.
"Ratchet, Miss Veralux!" Clank cried. Ratchet, who'd been about to jump onward, turned to see Cora about to fall. Without hesitation, he ran back and grabbed Cora's hand, allowing the Markazian to orient herself. Breathing deeply, she stared at Ratchet.
"You… you saved me…" she whispered.
Ratchet looked away, somewhat surprised at what he had done, but not sorry either. "Eh, it's what any good Ranger would do," he replied nonchalantly. "Here, how about I give a lift over to that plateau with the Heli-Pack, like I gave to Skidd back there?"
"Um… okay," Cora accepted. Neither of them said another word to each other as Ratchet stood behind Cora as he had for Skidd. That said, when the Lombax wrapped his arms under the Markazian's armpits, his hands accidentally landed on her breastplate, causing Cora to squirm and blush. Ratchet quickly moved his hands to over her arms and launched them off the platform before anything else was said. The three hovered gently over to the nearby plateau and touched down safely. Spying another Versa-Target that seemed to lead to what could possibly be Lieutenant Ernest's headquarters; the two Rangers quickly fired their Swingshots and were reeled in together.
"Okay," Cora declared, as they stood on either side of the door, "we've gotta move fast, so he doesn't escape us."
"And then, we blast him?" Ratchet ventured.
"No," Cora and Clank said together.
"We need the Lieutenant alive," Cora told Ratchet. "He could have information on how to defeat Drek."
"Oh, okay," Ratchet relented, slightly disappointed.
Cora bent to apply the Trespasser to another Invinco-Lock (Ratchet made a mental note to ask Elaris for one of those), then, as the door slid open, she and Ratchet summoned weapons and slowly made their way inside, Clank doing his best to tip-toe (which wasn't easy, given he had no toes).
Lieutenant Ernest Von Ion was standing with his back to them at a console. Cora and Ratchet advanced on him and took aim at his broad back.
"You!" Cora commanded, in a well-practised tone. "Don't move! Place your hands on your head! Don't try anything or we'll plug you!"
Ernest jumped and instinctively ran for a door on the other side of the room. Ratchet fired over his head.
"That was a warning shot!" he sneered. "But go on, Ernest. I dare you! I'd love to reduce you to spare parts."
It was clear that Ernest was nothing like his brother Victor. Placing both hands on his head, he turned slowly to face the trio.
"Alright, you got me," he conceded. "I surrender."
"Smart move," Cora replied. "Now, can you tell us where Chairman Drek is?"
"Before I answer, I just want to say what a remarkable creature this… this… Lombax is," Ernest noted. "Such a unique specimen deserves only the highest recognition, does he not?"
Ratchet was a little flattered, but that wasn't important right now. "Answer her question."
"I-I-I don't know!" Ernest stammered. "He left the system a few hours ago, but he didn't say where to! He just told me to raze this entire forest to the ground and that was it!"
"We'll see about that," Cora replied dangerously. "Let's get you back to Kerwan and find out how much more you 'don't know!'"
"W-wait!" Ernest offered quickly. He pulled out an Infobot. "Maybe this could help you."
The Infobot began its message.
"Is your current occupation leaving a rotten taste in your mouth?" inquired a familiar voice, as a cat-like sapient was blasted in the face with noxious black smoke while working on a pipe.
"Then you need to know about BTRS: Blarg Tactical Research Station." The camera cut to Drek standing in an expansive room of what was clearly a space station. The view of asteroids behind him was pretty extravagant.
"Hi, I'm Supreme Executive Chairman Alonzo Drek, and we here at BTRS are looking for motivated to fill positions in these exciting careers! These include Grind Boot Tester, Warhead Assembly Technician, Mutant Animal Husbandry, Robot Repairman, Suck Cannon Dummy, and Administrative Assistant." As he spoke, a few more cat-like sapients, wearing lab coats, were shown 'doing their jobs': landing on a grind rail between the legs, getting eaten by a mutant creature rather than the chicken being offered, and using to test the Suck Cannon.
"So call BTRS! Build our weapons, and we'll build your future!" Drek concluded his sales pitch.
"Hmm, that could indeed be helpful to us in finding Drek," Cora conceded, as Clank stored the Infobot away. "But you're still coming back to Kerwan with us, so…" She fired a Taser from her left gauntlet. Ernest twitched and jerked wildly for a second, and then, fell down, unconscious.
"Now we're talkin'," Ratchet rhapsodised. "Did you see all those cool gadgets they're making? We should nab some while we're there."
"Those gadgets… might indeed be useful," Cora noted, "as long as-"
"Wait, wait, wait," Ratchet interrupted, staring at Cora as just meeting for the first time. "Did you just agree with me?"
Cora stared right back. "I think I did," she realised. "Yikes… is something wrong with me?"
"That's clearly rhetorical," Ratchet grinned.
"Don't push it, kid," Cora warned. Then, her expression softened as she moved to cuff Ernest. "Still, nice job out there; for a rookie." Her mouth twitched, and Ratchet was sure she had almost smiled.
Ratchet's fur tingled with pride. Cora had complimented him, and sincerely, it seemed.
'Maybe I won't have to burn my Cora merchandise after all…' he thought.