Welp. Here it is after a couple of months. Sorry about the wait, I've been on nursing placement and time got away from me.
Anyway, this whole chapter is from Rivet's perspective. I've been wanting to write from her POV more so here it is!
Hope you like it! Let me know what you think!
Rivet woke up to the sound of screaming and the unmistakable roar of a grunther. Her head foggy from whatever had hit her earlier, but still aware enough to reach for her blaster on instinct - finding it strange it was already phased out from her weapons storage linked to her belt. She stood up, steadying herself, before quickly assessing her surroundings.
The rock - or rather muddy ground - carried the swampy scent of home. Large ferns trailed the dirt around her and there was an annoying buzzing of insects in the distance. Touching the familiar roughness under her fingers of a rocky wall her vision cleared. Having to stop herself from gasping at the apparent reality.
She was... back on Sargasso?
"Miss Aquila!' said a masculine voice. "Are you alright?"
Rivet glanced behind to see the frantic expression of Alex. His helmet missing half it's armor. He staggered towards her, a minor limp in his step. Thankfully, whatever hit them took out more of his armor than himself. Though the impact seemed to affect his breathing.
"I'm fine," she said, inspecting the exposed sites where the armor had come off. "Ratchet... I mean, Lear got hit too right? I need to chat with him to confirm if we are where I think we are."
"And where would that be?"
"I'm not sure if you want to know, friend," she muttered. Her eyes narrowed. "Did you... take the hit? For me?"
The edge of his single exposed ear tinged pink. "Something like that..."
"Oh... Thanks. They must have upped the laser force for my attack. Should have gotten my armor out, sorry."
"It's my duty Miss Aquila..."
"Sure it is..."
There was another scream from behind them. This time Rivet flicked her wrist, phasing out her amour. They couldn't afford to use Alex as shield twice.
She ran towards the screaming. Knowing in her gut a mother grunther had its nest invaded and some poor soul was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Alex trailed behind, shouting at her to slow down and check her injuries.
Good thing she didn't, cause once she made it to the edge of the plant hollow, a view of three hunting grunthers stood before her - each of them targeting a young Lombax for their next meal. She noted the larger one - the mother grunther - taking on a very short Lombax. Two grunther teenagers had split off - each chasing a female Lombax in respective corners of the field. A fourth grunter - the runt of the batch - limped around in the center with an injured leg, waiting for leftovers. The girl's were fairing better than the short guy... Telling Rivet the order she needed to attack.
"All right," she grinned, kicking her hoover boots on. "Time for some real hunting. Alex, please go assist the gray girl in the corner. I'll be there to help in a sec."
With as much speed as her feet could carry her, Rivet bolted from her position, jumping in the air at a naturally formed ramp while swapping her blaster out for the more appropriate buzz blades. Heading straight to the grunther attacking the struggling short Lombax - somehow knowing that he would be the first to get eaten if she didn't intervene.
She hit a single shot right in the tailbone, lodging a blade in the most uncomfortable spot imaginable and getting the desired effect. The grunther turned to her, more interested in taking out the threat than eating an easy meal.
"Easy, big girl," said Rivet with a chuckle, leading the grunther to a safe distance from the short Lombax. "I want to enjoy this."
"It's a GIRL!" screamed the short Lombax, who proceeded create distance between the Grunther and himself. "Why is she so BIG!"
"Girls are bigger in the species!" screamed back Rivet. "Now shut up and go help Alex. I've got this..."
She ran forward, bringing out her buzz blades in her other hand and side stepping a bite. Intentionally cutting it close, so to feel warm breath near her leg. A burst of adrenaline pumped through her at the near contact. She grinned. Her muscles relishing the hit of energy as she hover booted behind the beast - letting it chase her from behind.
She steadied her wrench, her eyes sighting a raise in the ground. Perfect.
A click of her boots and she hit the ramp at full speed. The grunther flailing its legs as it tried to keep up - stepping on an unfortunate speedle in the process and digging up the ground with each step.
With one last breath, Rivet turned, preparing to get close and finish things quickly. The bigger they are, the better the odds of landing a bullseye as her guard would say. Rivet wasn't sure if she agreed with them, though she supposed positive thinking was good for mental health.
She hit another ramp, flying backwards and flipping so she was flying a few feet higher than the Grunther could reach, then launched a flurry of buzzblades around the head. Cutting through the grunther's skin as if it were butter and not some of the thickest hide in the galaxy.
The mother grunther cried out in pain and tried to snap at Rivet while she aimed for a landing.
A blast sounded and a shot hit the grunther before it could reach out again.
"Miss Aquila!" yelled Alex. Staggering back towards her - not that he got very far. A dead grunther lay behind him near the gray Lombax girl - a sight which caused Rivet to grin. Guess her instincts were right regarding Alex's combat strength.
"Thanks for the help, Alex!" she yelled. "I can clear the stray guy up in a few seconds! Now go help the sand-coloured girl until I can get there."
She turned to the grunther in the center of the field and ran forward, shoving the short Lombax to the side. No way she was letting him get in the way.
"Come on, buddy. You're already on you're last legs, so lets make this easy, okay?"
The grunther reared its head back, as if in defiance, though it wobbled on its right leg.
Rivet smiled, deciding to have a bit of fun. She booted forward, launching herself up from a naturally formed ramp straight to the head of the grunther. Missing its jaws by inches and feeling the breath again, allowing another - brief - spike in adrenaline before landing solidly on its head.
She aimed the buzzblades down. "See you, big guy," then shot a single blade straight into the skull.
The beast fell forward, letting out a final moan.
"You Azalea's are insane!" screamed the short Lombax as he finally staggered away from the fighting and catching Rivet's attention for a moment.
The distraction was enough. Precious seconds where Rivet wasn't thinking clearly as she launched herself from the head of the falling Grunther, failing to watch where she was heading.
A roar sounded - lounder and deeper than the others, right in the direction Rivet was flying.
She glanced up and immediately tried to swivel her body to no avail. Another beast, smaller than the mother but larger than the kids, was running towards her with a flaming vengence in its gaze.
Oh, shit - it's the dad...
Rivet cursed under her breath. She's lost her touch. Her time in the dimension must have weakened her senses, and all because she allowed herself to be distracted by an idiot.
She could smell rotting meat from its breath, and its jaws opened above her, too fast for her to react mid-air without her hover boots. She braced for the pain, hunching over to protect herself as much as possible...
A large arm was her saving grace. Swooping her from the right and shielding her with a loud Crunch!
"Alex!" she called. Her eyes bulging as blood seeped through the remnants of the armor on his upper thigh. The heat of heavy breathing in her ear forcing her to go still at the sight of half a double-ended wrench in the grunther's eye socket.
"Miss... Aquila..." He slumped forward while the grunther reared back its head in agony from the well-aimed hit.
Okay - maybe Rivet had lost her touch when hunting for fun. The death worms back in Azalea territory didn't exactly keep her skills up with more complex beasts.
But now.
She saw red.
Her sight locked onto the grunther before her. "You'll pay for that big guy..."
They landed - hitting the ground hard and rolling at the force of impact. Alex keeping Rivet close and clutching his bloody left leg with his free hand.
Without bothering to check on the other Lombaxes, who had all rushed over towards them, Rivet pushed out of Alex's grip and positioned herself in the open. Swapping the buzzblades out for a Negotiator - she had to make this quick. They couldn't afford another surprise with so few experienced fighters.
The grunther still struggled to stand - its head shaking as it tried to force the wrench out of its eye. Letting out a roar, it stilled as Rivet ran close and pulled the negotiator over her shoulder and made aim. Her body forcing itself still to stop the recoil from flying her backwards.
"We've had enough fun, big guy..." she muttered, then pulled the trigger. The rocket landing square into the grunther's overly large forehead.
His body spasmed at the impact, then fell to the ground with a thump. Finally, joining his family in the afterlife.
Rivet let out a laugh, then turned to face the other Lombaxes with a grin. Expecting a few thank-you's and a couple of panicking faces. Only to be greeted with anything but.
"What the hell was that, you monster!" yelled the short Lombax, as he pointed to the corpses of the beasts. "Is this a threat? What do you plan to use that strength of yours for?"
Rivet glanced between him and the two girls - both of whom glared at her exactly the same as the short guy and waiting for an answer. Her shoulders slumped at their responses, so much for easily making friends.
"A simple 'thank you for saving my life' would be appreciated," she grumbled, walking away from them towards Alex. "But I guess they don't teach basic manners at the heir academy, huh?"
She didn't see their reactions, not wanting to. Still unable to believe she risked her neck for these idiots. Instead, she walked over to her ally, who was tending to his bloody knee on the ground. A sorry state to be in after taking out two grunthers without experience.
She kneeled down next to Alex, examining the wounds at the top of his thigh. Ugly puncture holes from the grunther's teeth glared up at her. If only Kit had come to the conference. She would have been able to end the combat immediately and then charm her way through the grumpy Lombaxes behind her. Instead Rivet was left on her own to play nursemaid to an injury that didn't need to happen.
"Miss Aquila..." wheezed Alex, taking a sharp breath as she tore apart the armor covering a section of the wound. "You can leave me here..."
"Don't be so dramatic. I have nanotech," said Rivet, phasing a block of the glowing substance from her belt and smashing it near his leg. Watching as worked like magic to stitch the skin back together and causing Alex's eyes to pop out of his head. She laughed as he started to poke at the healed skin. "You still need to get out more! Feeling better?"
"Yeah..." he wheezed, staring up at her, then glanced around. "Where do you think we ended up again?"
"I didn't say, and I won't until I can get in contact with Ratchet," she said with a grin. "Don't want to freak you lot out more than necessary."
"Who the hell is 'Ratchet'?" said the short Lombax, walking over to get a closer look at Alex's healed leg. "And what was that? Is that secret Ventore technology?"
The two girls hung back, but continued to watch. Their eyes narrowing at Rivet as she explained. "'Ratchet' is the guy who scored a girl at the conference. This." Rivet gestured to Alex's knee. "Is Nanotech. I've been using it for years. They're microbots designed to repair skin and replace energy. Not invented by Lombaxes."
"Ratchet's a weird name..." muttered the short Lombax.
Rivet shrugged. "Better than being called 'Toolbox'. Anyway... I'm gonna try and find a signal. If you guys are hungry, make sure you don't eat the grunther's skin. Trust me, you don't want to know where it's been. The muscles are still good protein - though don't forget to cook it!"
"What?"
Ignoring their horrified faces, she pulled out one of her communication devices, hoping the one her and Ratchet used pre-dimension would be enough to make contact. She held it in the air. Sighing as the little signal bar failed to pick up anything.
"Okay. Guess I have to venture out a little. Stay put."
There was no need to look back as she left. Alex was already glaring at the ungrateful brats.
Shrubs tickled her hips as she moved towards what she thought was a signal. In theory, the higher she got then the better chances of getting something. Though she did not know what this planet's signal was like without asking one of the morts. They may need to get close to one of their plants - if they could find them.
She ventured higher, the lean of a small hill finally filling the little signal bar at the top of the screen.
A clear beep sounded from the device, causing her to grin. Found it.
"Rivet? That you?" said the unmistakable voice of Ratchet. There was a slight huff in his voice, as if he had been carrying something heavy.
"Hotshot!" said Rivet, ears perking up. "You okay? Where are you?"
"I'm fine... and I don't think you'll believe me, so brace yourself. I've just had an encounter with some Kerchu. Humali's fine - but it will be awhile before the Kerchu let down their defensives so we can steal some transport. Could be worse though. The wildlife around here are quite easy to deal with."
"Kerchu?" said Rivet, glancing around. "Okay then, I think I have a major problem. I'm on Sargasso... but if you're talking about Kerchu..."
"Shit... Yeah. That's right. My Sargasso. You need to get to safety. Unfortunately, there are no Morts in my dimension and the Kerchu who own the planet are nasty. I'll sit tight with Humali until we can meet up."
"About that Hotshot... I have four other Lombaxes with me. Only one of them is decent in combat and the others want to pick a fight."
A groan sounded from the other end. "Ah... Okay. Send your location to me, find somewhere safe and I'll do the rest."
"You sure?"
"Positive. I've gotten in touch with Aphelion in case we need to hop planet - it will take a while for her to arrive from Kerwan. You should have heard Aphelion when I called her, Rivet! Seemed thrilled to be leaving her hanger. Apparently, the other AI ships there are the equivalent to the dumb blondes on modelling shows."
"Aww... You've missed her..."
"Shut up! Anyway, can you handle babysitting for a night or two? I'll send you a message once we have some transport."
Her shoulders slumped at the news. "Gonna have to handle it. You have the dimensionator?"
"Naturally. It's connected to my weapons belt."
"Sweet!"
A loud crash sounded from where she left the other Lombaxes, followed by a shout from Alex. Rivet sighed and stretched out her shoulders. "Gotta go. The toddlers are fighting."
There was a light chuckle on the line. "Lucky you! See you later, Rivet. Keep your radio on."
"Roger that."
The radio signal died out. Leaving Rivet to listen to nothing other than the fighting noises coming from the field. With another stretch of her arms, she skipped back over to her fellow Lombaxes. Rolling her eyes once, she could see the scene beyond the hedges.
The boys were in the middle of a scuffle - though it was an unfair fight. The tall broad shouldered Alex was holding down the short Lombax with one hand while fending off the girls with his broken wrench in the other. They seemed prepared to leap to the short guy's defense. However, in Rivet's opinion, it would be safer for all of them if they left him to drown in the swamp.
"Hiya, guys! I got a hold of Ratchet," she called, walking over and grabbing their attention.
"Where are we?" hissed the sand-coloured girl. Her body hunched over.
"Easy, friend. Welcome to Sargasso! The home dimension version. We need to find some shelter until we can meet up with Ratchet and his girlfriend. Then we can go home once he gets here."
"Humali's with him!" shrieked the short Lombax. "This is the worst day ever!"
"And how long will it take him to get here?" said the gray girl, her voice desperate. "And we can't seriously be on the dinosaur planet, of all places?"
"A day or two according to Ratchet," said Rivet with a shrug. "And yeah. The dinosaur planet, but hey! There are worse places to land on!
The short guy bawked. "A day or two!?"
"Well..." said Rivet, moving her hands about in a sarcastic, grandiose manner. "Space is quite big, so travel takes a while. Let's go find somewhere reasonably comfy and play nice. Okay, kids?"
Alex let go of the short Lombax. Letting him stand to his feet. "You heard Miss Aquila. No more fighting."
The short Lombax rubbed the back of his neck where Alex's hand had been. "You Azimuth's are beasts..."
"I know!" said Rivet, with an enormous smile. She walked up to pat Alex on his beefy arm. "Aren't we lucky to have him with us? I actually have someone half decent to help me out."
"Only half?" said Alex with a raised eyebrow. Though his snarl faded as the corners of his mouth twitched upwards.
"For now. Once I teach you a few survival skills, then you'll be up to scratch."
"Good to know."
"You two done flirting?" said the gray-coloured girl. "Or are we going to move?"
...
It had taken them over three hours to find a place to camp, on account of the smaller Lombax complaining every time Rivet suggested a spot and consequently getting into a fight with Alex moments later. The girls were borderline useless. They were smart, clearly, but held no experience outside the training room. A fact which caused them to jump at every stray sound or movement.
At least it wasn't boring...
"We are staying here!" yelled Alex. Pointing to the large crevice in the rock face - suited to providing shelter and far enough from the swampy marshlands to avoid bugs. "Miss Aquila has chosen five similar locations. We will not be finding anything better!"
"But how are we supposed to sleep on rock?" demanded the short Lombax.
"Would you rather sleep on rock or die?" growled Alex, towering over him.
"Is that a threat?" said the short Lombax, puffing out his chest.
Rivet yawned. Wishing Kit was with her to complain too. Hopefully, the little bot was enough to prevent her crazy mother from going on a murder spree... probably not, but a girl could hope. She turned to the female lombaxes trailing behind them, the two of them having a deep conversation in Lombax as they eyed off their surroundings.
"You two have names?" she asked, deciding it wasn't worth her time to watch the boys argue. She tipped her head back with a grin and recalled Ratchet's lessons. "I'm Rivet! Or Aquila if you work for Mum. Pleasure to meet you."
She stepped towards them, causing them to look up with a jolt.
The gray girl scrunched up her nose but didn't step closer. "Malea Hillax. Glad to meet you, Miss Aquila."
"Don't call me 'Miss'. Alex says it because he was sent to protect me by my uncle. Apparently, the Azimuth leader is more terrifying than my mother. Doesn't apply to you, kay?"
"Uh... sure. Aquila."
"See. Easy! And you," she gestured to the sand-coloured girl who still hadn't stopped glaring in her direction.
"I'm Calaris Sterino. How do you not know who we are? We are heirs like you!" she muttered while crossing her arms.
So this girl was smart... kinda like how Ratchet was smart. Not too bookish, but held a stroke of genius in what they noticed and came up with. Rivet grinned, she could cope with this, and maybe the three of them could be friends after all.
"I haven't started my lessons yet, and it's not as if Mum is letting me research stuff either," shrugged Rivet. "And all the Lombaxes at the conference look the same to me - mostly."
Behind them, Alex secured the short Lombax to the ground. Causing a yelp.
"Who's the short guy?" whispered Rivet. Leaning over to the girl's so only they could hear her. "He looks familiar, but I can't place it."
Calaris rolled her eyes. "That's Tarvi Polivier. You know, Humali's previous match? Heir to the Polivier family?"
Rivet's ears pricked. "Oh! He's the guy Ratchet wants to punch! Man, getting on his shit list in less than a minute takes talent. This guy must be a real moron."
The short Lombax glanced up at her from the ground. His cheek scrapping against the muddy dirt. "What do mean he wants to punch me?" he mumbled.
"If you stay off my shit list by nightfall, then I'll tell you over dinner. Kay, friend?" said Rivet. In contrast to Calaris, this 'Tarvi' was not clearly not as bright.
Alex lifted the short lombax to face level, glaring at him as if he were an Azalea prisoner in the water torture chambers. "You don't owe him any explanation at all, Miss Aquila. Let him earn it."
Tarvi snarled. "You're still a beast."
"And I still take that as a compliment." Alex dropped him, his face slamming into the dirt.
Rivet chuckled, then gestured once more to the spot. Hoping to diffuse the tension. "Let's just stay here, kay guys. I'll keep watch."
"Why should we trust you to watch over us?" said Tarvi. His face contorting further as he stared over at her.
Doing her best not to stare at his weak frame in response, Rivet shrugged and gestured to her weapons belt.
"It's not like I sleep much anyway... And I want to be awake in case Ratchet needs to call me. It's a long way from Solana - so there is a high chance something could stall his ship on the way here. Also, I'm the only one here with enough firepower to take on the wildlife."
Malea narrowed her eyes. "You and Lear are really protective of each other... aren't you?"
"Well, duh. Had to be. Becomes a habit after a while," said Rivet with another shrug. "Though it's not as if Ratchet needs protecting. I just like knowing he's alright. Especially without Clank with him - though Humali is smart enough to substitute in the meantime."
"Clank?"
"If you don't know then don't worry about it," waved off Rivet. She stretched her shoulders before leaning over to pick up a couple of logs, trying the whole 'lead by example' strategy her mother always went on about to the captains.
The others watched as she moved towards the spot she designated earlier, dumping the wood on a spot in the crevice sheltered from the wind and getting started on the fire. She then yelled back, "By the way, the temperature's gonna drop in a few hours so we need to hurry. Grab a few of those giant leaves will you? I don't want my tail freezing off and I assume you don't either."
"Uh... Sure," said Malea. Heading towards the leaves, though Calaris still stood in place glaring daggers at Rivet. Watching as if she were guarding the group from her actions.
Eventually, once the boys stopped squabbling, they managed to get the leaves up around the crevice - providing suitable camouflage - and Rivet started the fire to cook the meat. They were on a high enough latitude to avoid prying grunthers and the bugs would be put off by the flame. Though surviving each other's company would be another kind of battle.
The three less useful lombaxes slumped near the heat, while Rivet leaned on the crevice wall with Alex. Watching them as they responded to the fog rising from their breath, making her wonder if it ever got cold in the dimension like it did on Fastoon. She sighed. These next couple of days were going to be long.
She cracked her neck, sick of doing nothing and remembering again all of Ratchet's lessons before putting on her biggest smile, then strutting over to the Lombaxes near the fire. Her actions causing Alex to move with her.
She sat down, pretending not to notice the Lombaxes jolting in response, and checked the make-shift kebabs over the fire. Even though she knew they wouldn't be ready to eat for a while.
"So..." said Rivet, shuffling into the ground like a school kid and ignoring their panicked expressions. "Tell me what a normal day is like for you guys! Mum never lets me out... I know there are diners and stuff. Is the hoverbooting rink busy when we aren't using it? We're not allowed to skate with the rest of you. Though I bet it's more fun with a crowd."
"Why do you need the rink anyway?" grumbled Calaris. Her nose crinkling.
"It was Ratchet's grandfather's idea. He thought it would stop us from breaking out and help us sleep. Not sure if it worked, but the weekly spike in adrenaline is appreciated. Also keeps the reflexes up," Rivet shrugged. "Ratchet and I don't get to make many decisions regarding what we do for the day - but recently he's had a bit of luck convincing his Dad to let him work. I hear it was one hell of a fight though. Mum only lets me hunt a few times a week. I think it will take some time for her blood pressure to get use to the idea."
They all frowned as she talked, except for Alex - who gave an understanding nod. Having broken Rivet out enough over the past few weeks to know the boring state of her routine.
"Don't talk like that..." muttered Tarvi. Glancing away from her.
"Like what?"
"As if you guys have it tough. I can't believe you have the choice to work. It's disgusting!"
Rivet felt her muscles tense. Resisting the urge to kick him back outside as memories from her old dimension threatened to flood her brain. "You don't know the meaning of 'tough', friend. You think I developed those skills earlier overnight? Grow the fuck up."
"Leading heirs shouldn't swear..." he continued.
"Mum doesn't give a shit, so neither do I! Now..." Rivet stared at the entire group. "What's got all your undies in a twist? Because I have met none of you before today and you're treating me like I'm carrying a disease - even after saving your arses."
They turned away - in what Rivet hoped was shame but suspected they were annoyed. Since their ears still hadn't drooped. Only Malea kept eye contact with her.
"You're the Azalea heir..." grumbled Malea, raising her chin in defiance. "I take it you are aware of your clan's history?"
"Oh, yes. But I'm not asking about the problems you have with my clan - I wasn't even around when it happened. I'm asking about me."
"You?"
"Yep. Do you find me intimidating or something?"
Malea frowned, then shared a glance with Calaris - who continued to glare at Rivet through out the entire exchange. At least Malea was willing to chat.
"Well... I guess our problem isn't with you. It's just that a month ago the smaller clans would have have access to your clan's resources - then you and Lear arrived. You two being here means we have another generation of restrictions... Well, blackmail, in the case of your clan. Most of the smaller clans aren't a fan of the idea. We are struggling as it is and were betting on the lack of heirs in the leading families to gain resources."
Rivet had to stop her eyes from rolling to the back of her head. "You know the restrictions is due to our parents, right? And that because of Hexaton's actions today, you small clans will be in for one hell of an ass kicking. Mum's crazy on a good day - and she's gonna be ballistic right now. And I hear Ratchet's relatives are worse..."
"Is that a threat or -" started Tarvi, but backed down after receiving a warning glare from Alex. Who continued to lean on the side of the cave close to Rivet.
Rivet shook her head. "No. It's the truth. You would know if I was making a threat. Like I said, I don't have control over this crap, and I doubt I can talk Mum out of it. The best we can do now is get home as soon as possible so we can mitigate the damage. You understand? We are all in the same shit right now and none of us - 'leading clan' or otherwise - can do fuck all about it. Even Ratchet and his girlfriend can do jack shit - and their families are hugely influential right now! "
At the mention of Ratchet and the pale girl, the three other Lombaxes hunched over - almost in anger. Causing Rivet's jaw to drop.
"And you have a problem with those lovebirds? Fuck's sake - no wonder we're not getting anywhere."
"You think it's a love match? Not a political arrangement disguised as one?" grumbled Tarvi. "If they make it back to the dimension, all us smaller clans are screwed."
Rivet scrunched up her nose. Remembering how Ratchet was glued to his holopad whenever Humali was online. "Unlike you lot, I've been around them for more than one conference. Trust me. Those two really like each other. The political benefits are just a bonus. I doubt Ratchet even knew about it - and if Humali did, then she clearly doesn't care."
Next to her, Calaris furrowed her brow and stared deep into the fire. Similar to Kit when she struggled to find the corner pieces for her puzzles.
"It's just weird... Lord Forrestier planned out his son's union to Miss Humali, but Lear seemed completely unaware of it," muttered Calaris. She hugged her legs close to her chest, but her gaze still lingered on the flame. "I could tell by their reactions during the conference. The leaders were way to pleased... especially old Dex. He probably had a hand in it too. What arseholes! And Lord Ventore's complete denial of any input is shady as hell. I don't believe a word of it."
Rivet nodded. "That doesn't surprise me. My Mum's the same with all her sneaky political crap. But it's good in the long run. Ratchet was convinced he was going to remain a bachelor forever before we came here. Probably needed a bit of outside help if he was ever going to get a girlfriend."
"You say that because the union won't affect your medical access," said Calaris her glare now turning to face Rivet. "They used 'Ratchet' to one up the smaller clans in another resource. It wasn't done for his benefit! They just worked it in a way that ensured Humali decided - not them. So there can be no finger pointing when shit hits the fan and more restrictions are put in place."
Rivet narrowed her eyes as an urge to defend her unrelated brother rose to the surface. She couldn't speak on what Ratchet's relatives would or wouldn't do. But hearing these useless 'heirs' talk about him like a chess piece set off her instincts like a bug to a zapper.
"Hang on..." she said, trying to remain calm. "Isn't 'background manipulation' better than making threats and forcing her out of a leadership position - her own birthright? Stop trying to make it out as if the leading clans are worse than you. It's pathetic! Honestly, if Ratchet genuinely didn't like her, I can guarantee he would have never spoken up at the conference. Trust me. He'll rather take on his Dad in combat then go down a path that would make him miserable long term. It's you lot who need a self-evaluation. "
"You only say that because..."
"I say it from life experience, friend. Which is more than what you all have. So, why don't we make a little deal? Instead of panicking about your future while we are on our Sargasso vacation, let's go meet Ratchet in person and find out if he is the type to do what you say? Because that's the only reason we are not getting on currently and you guys are nuts if you think he is on anyone's side while this mess is still ongoing."
"He being?" said Tarvi with a raised eyebrow.
Rivet squared her shoulders and leaned forward, making the short lombax shuffle back. "Ratchet, you idiot! "
"Why are you so upset, anyway?" Hissed Calaris
Rivet's anger must be on her face, though her voice sounded neutral. "Because after all the crap we have been through - I have to sit here and listen to you talk crap about us. Ratchet and I aren't fucking comic book villains! Don't we deserve to finally be with our families?"
"But you are heirs," Calaris snarled. "Of large and resourceful clans. You don't 'deserve' anything. You lost that right the moment you set foot in the dimension! Stay here if you have a problem with that!"
Rivet felt her shoulders tense. They weren't getting anywhere. These Lombaxes - and whatever caused them to glare at her as if she were responsible for their problems - were blinded by her title. So much that they failed to recognize the issue with what they just said.
They could barely last one day in this dimension - on the same planet Rivet had called home most of her life - and they wanted her to stay here to make their lives easier.
It took every ounce of her willpower to not phase out her mallet and hit them over the head.
"Okay, I've had it!" she shouted, reaching for her radio and making a call. "Why don't you talk to Ratchet? Once you realize he's not a 'monster', you'll have nothing to complain about."
The Lombaxes jumped to their feet. Fear seeping into their gaze as Rivet fidgeted with radio controls. They prepared to leap towards her. "No! Wait..."
"Don't you dare touch Miss Aquila!" said Alex. Moving in front of Rivet with a diabolical glare.
A friendly voice sounded from the radio in her hands, and Rivet let out a sigh of relief. Happy to hand over to someone with decent anger management skills.
"So you're Alex! Nice to meet you. Kit told me all the shit you helped Rivet get up too. Thanks for keeping our trigger happy girl safe. We worry about her."
"Uh... Thank you, Mr. Lear," said Alex. Pausing still.
He swayed on his feet at the call out. The other Lombaxes froze in their spots, eyes widening as they listened to the voice - belonging to the biggest catalyst of their lives and the topic of their recent conversation.
"Wait! What do you mean, 'Kit told you'?" yelled Rivet into the radio. The only one not bothered by whatever got the others so nervous.
"Exactly that. You know, Rivet. You really need to give her something to do. She's bored out of her mind! So I let her vent. Alex! You seem somewhat responsible. Bring Kit along to your next round of mischief, okay?"
"Will do, Mr Lear," he said with a nod, but still cautious.
"Thanks, man! Anyway Rivet, you have good timing. Aphelion is picking up me and Humali, and I got in touch with an old friend. A Markazian aligned with the Polaris Defence Force. She's cool. Has a big ship that you all can fit in and speaks Lombax."
"Does Humali know she's your ex?" whispered Rivet, her ears falling.
A female voice spoke out. "She does now!"
Ratchet chuckled. "That sailed years ago! And it's not like she's coming with us back to the Lombax dimension. Though she would want too!."
"Remain within my line of sight at all times until I get to know her," a serious sounding threat, but the feminine voice was laughing as it came out.
"Says the girl who was practically engaged a month ago..."
"You two done!" intervened Tarvi, his ears turning pink. "What else do we need to know to survive in this dimension?"
"Not much else, friend. Rivet is probably your best bet for surviving Sargasso - and since everyone is allergic to the Kerchu, you won't get a-lot of hostile visitors. Just stay away from them too, okay? They're quite territorial."
"Everyone's allergic to them? Really?" said Humali. "Tell me more!"
"It's more of an excuse to stay away from them."
"This is serious!" said Calaris. She shoved Tarvi aside. "We are stranded on a hostile planet eating dinosaur meat. How are we supposed to survive in a place like this?"
"You eat dinosaur meat..." deadpanned Ratchet, unimpressed. " You have shelter, food, weapons... You're not gonna die. Humali had a broken leg and is less freaked out than all of you. She was nearly eaten by a giant alien toad, too."
She yelled out, causing Ratchet to chuckle. "Hard to worry about that stuff around you!"
Calaris groaned. "You're acting like its nothing!"
"It is nothing. To me and Rivet, at least. This is our normal on a good day. You haven't even seen an average day yet, let alone a bad one. So suck it up, stop complaining and do what you need to do until Talwyn gets you off planet. Kay, guys? ...And try to behave. For Rivet's sake. She is not very social and hates taking care of strangers. Especially ones who are uncooperative for no reason and have a wrench up their arse."
"I'll throw them in the swamp if they stress her out too much," said Alex, his shoulders relaxing.
"And that is why I like you!"
Finally, a soft voice spoke out. "Why did you align yourself with Humali at the conference?"
The air became heavy. As if it were made of lead. All eyes turned to Malea, who glared furiously at the radio with clenched fists and a gentle frown.
Ratchet sighed from the speakers, breaking the tension. "Honestly? Not sure how to describe it over radio. But Humali and I have practically been at stage one since we met. We were going to enter the marriage progression 'next' month- not during this conference when Rivet and I were to make our introductions - however Lady Hexaton forced my hand. She was going to twist Humali's refusal to remove her as an heir - so speaking up made 'me' her target instead. You follow? I don't like politics. But I can tell when someone is desperate enough to harm an innocent person to save their own ass. That, and Dad gave me a heads up before we arrived."
"So it wasn't for the Ventore resources?" she murmured.
"Truly didn't know they were in high demand. Aren't there other medical clans you could look at instead?"
"Have you done any research!" said Calaris, practically yelling down at the device.
"I take that as a 'no'..." Ratchet chuckled.
"This isn't funny!" said Malea. "Our clans are on the line! Our medical access is currently the only area of society not dominated by the leads - and it looks like your father just made a deal with Lord Ventore to change that! He gave you that information before the conference to put pressure on you to act. It was part of his plan!"
Another sigh from the radio. "Probably..."
"You are way too calm about this!"
"Look, friend. I would be more surprised if he didn't have any involvement. However I can't do anything about it other than try and talk him out of whatever he's planning. Which won't work. So the best chance we have is to get home before he does said crazy plan and mitigate the damage. Okay?"
"Again," said Malea with narrowed eyes. "You are way too calm about this."
"When it comes to political shit - all I know is that my dad is a manipulative prick and that my Grandad is worse. But also that they stress about clan responsibilities and keeping me settled. Truth be told, a sneaky arranged marriage accomplishes both. Gives me the illusion of control while also keeps the clans best interests in order. It was well played. And I can't get mad at them for it. I really do like Humali... And what else am I supposed to do about it?"
"You could just stay here with all your alien friends..." grumbled Tarvi. "It would save us a-lot of trouble."
"And have my family dimension-hop and plow through every planet until they find me again? Trust me, I know how brutal they can be. They've been nice because I have - mostly - been behaving. If I run off... well. I don't think they will be so loving the second time around. Besides, I rather deal with their crazy overprotective arses then live out here on my own again. I also have Humali to consider - and the near 14 million Forrestier and Dexivier clansmen who are counting on me to be their next leader. You seriously need to grow up if you think me leaving will solve all your problems."
Humali's voice rang out. "We had these issues before they came back. Honestly, do you think dealing with the disbandment of these clans would have been any easier? Because that's where we were heading. We would have lost the resources anyway when the Forrestier clansmen stopped mining. Heck, it would be worse than whatever is going to happen now."
"Well, I guess it depends on Lady Hexaton's actions," muttered Alex. "Attacking so many heirs at once won't go ignored. I mean, Miss Malea is now also a leading heir and had nothing to do with this total fiasco - other than that Lord Hillax is close to Lord Lismoth because of their clan duties. Hexaton is probably betting old Lismoth will pass on before Miss Malea finishes her training, and will use that as an excuse to force a leader election using the smaller clan heirs."
A crackling noise sounded from the radio.
"Ah.. shit. A group of Kerchu are nearby. All right then, you lot stay safe. Do what Rivet says! Remember, she has the home advantage - and I will send her the signal for Talwyn's ship when it's in range. She won't be too far away."
There was a grumbled group chorus of 'sure' and 'okay'. With no enthusiasm to be found in any syllable.
Rivet sighed into the night air. Attempting to make peace with the situation and hoping Ratchet could find some transport soon. He was always better at handling strangers.
And judging by the way the three Lombaxes continued to glare into the fire - it will take a miracle to keep the peace for another couple of days.
There you have it! :) Another chapter down.
Next chapter will involve a sneak peak into the chaos back in the dimension as well some drama in the group.
Let me know what you think!