The Ratchet and Kim Possible Chronicles: The Lombax Secret - Chapter 4

They eventually arrived at the Planet Ardolis. There, they landed and got out of the ship. Soon afterwards, Ron quivered with fear. Ron: "So…this is the…pirate planet, huh? Sure looks…gloomy…and very…pirate-y…" Kim: "Gloomy is right. This backwater planet does look a lot like some place where lowly scum like those pirates would want to occupy." Ratchet: "Come on, Talwyn and her pals can't be too far off."

Kim nodded once; they rushed out as fast as they could.

As they scurried through the place, they ran into a lot of the pirates that had been occupying the entire area. They were subjected to fighting through the pirates as those cutthroats were ruthless and showing no mercy towards the group.

The fight through did indeed take a while. Ratchet: "By the way,  the last time you both faced off against pirates was when you were doing that school trip to ye olde Middleton, right?" Kim: "Yeah, that old colonial town that was being run by Mr. Barken's father, no less." Ratchet: "Ugh…Barken senior, huh? That doesn't sound like much fun." Ron: "It was terrible!" Ratchet: "I hear ya, Ron, I mean 1 Barken was bad enough, but 2? That's like twice the irrational annoyance." Clank: "Indeed. That Barken fellow is truly most unpleasant." Ratchet: "Not to mention having to put up with him is probably the only thing worse than being forced to give up all forms technology for an entire week." Ron: "Including television!" Kim: "At least it's all over and we don't have to put up with him ever again." Ratchet: "Hah! Since you both were able to graduate from high school? Oh, yeah, no more Barken and his…annoying…barking?" Ron: "Uh…you know what? The whole "no more putting up with Barken" thing has made me too happy, so I'll overlook that bad pun of yours, Ratchet. Booyah!" Rufus: "Booyah!" Clank: "But wait, do you not work with him at your jo-?" Ron: "I said no more HAVING to put up with Mr. Barken!!!" Kim: "At least on a regular basis as adolescent high school students." Clank: "Um...right, as adolescence at the very least (giggle)."

They continued on, fighting off more and more space pirates. As they progressed further in, the number of space pirates that they had to fight gradually increased. The entire place was indeed crawling with those cutthroat robotic scoundrels.

As they arrived within another area, they received a transmission from Talwyn. Talwyn: "Ratchet. Kim. Can you hear me?" Kim: "Talwyn?" Talwyn: "I've keyed into your nav-unit. You guys are close to the treasure room but you'll need to find a way inside. Slag's crew is already on to us." Kim: "Then we need to get moving. Thankfully, we are resourceful. Right, Ratchet?" Ratchet: "Yeah. So not the drama."

They were eventually able to find the treasure room, from there, they made their way inside and shortly afterwards, located the artifact. Kim: "There it is!"

They walked up to it. Ron: "Uh…what is it, exactly?" Ratchet: "We'll figure that out later. Let's grab it and get out of here."

Before they had the chance to snag it, they could hear the muffled sounds of Cap'n Slag and his first mate, Rusty Pete, singing. There was no doubt that they would arrive at that moment. Ron: "What? Oh, man! Come on! Not now!" Ratchet: "Quick! Hide!"

They darted over towards one of the treasure chests and hid behind it. Cap'n Slag and Rusty Pete came in, still singing. Kim: "I should have known better than to think that we wouldn't see those idiots again." Cap'n Slag: "Arrrr…what be that foul smell?" Kim: "What bad smell? I don't smell anything other than the usual bad odors that involve pirates." Rusty Pete: "Aye, that oyster chili be disagreein' with me somethin' fierce." Kim: "Oyster chili?" Ron: "Ew! I've never heard of a far worse disgrace to chili since someone put chocolate sauce into it!" Cap'n Slag: "No…there be a yet fouler smell…one I now be smellin' for nigh 600 moons." Rusty Pete: "Oh…fresh trousers?"

Ron snickered a little. Cap'n Slag went sniffing around a bit more. Cap'n Slag: "Lombax!"

The group became greatly startled. Kim: "Oh, no!" Cap'n Slag: "Roust the lads, Rusty Pete. Tonight, the foes taste the cat's tail!"

Ratchet was terrified; Kim's face became tense as she was preparing to strike. Ron took notice of that. Just then, they heard a loud whistle from somewhere. The 2 pirates turned around and spotted Talwyn. She was holding a smoke bomb in her hand. Talwyn: "Hey, Rust Bucket! Catch!"

She tossed the smoke bomb at them and gassed the entire place. Cap'n Slag: "Arrrr…skewer the saucy wench!" Rusty Pete: "Aye, Cap'n! Skewerin'!"

There was a lot of noises being heard within. Thankfully, the group was able to take advantage of the confusion as they managed to jump out and make their escape.

They ran from that place as fast as they could. Ratchet: "That was a close one!" Ron: "Tell me about it! We barely made it out of there without getting caught!" Kim: "Good thing Talwyn showed up when she did otherwise that would have ended badly." Ratchet: "You can say that again!"

They received another transmission from Talwyn. Talwyn: "Ratchet. Kim. Can you guys still hear me?" Ratchet: "We read you loud and clear." Kim: "Thanks for helping us out of there, Talwyn." Talwyn: "It was my pleasure. I just want to let you know that I managed to snag the artifact during all of that confusion. Cronk and Zephyr will be landing their ship at that Skull Radio Tower." Kim: "Got it! We'll see you there." Ratchet: "Let's go."

They darted off immediately. They did not go far before hearing Cap'n Slag on the loud speakers. Cap'n Slag: "Attention, ye worthless swine! A Lombax and his friends just stole our treasure! Snap to it and bring me their heads!" Kim: "Geez, he sounds really angry!" Ratchet: "Well, we did steal from the pirates." Ron: "But they stole from Talwyn and her dad!" Ratchet: "That's…also true."

As they rushed through, the pirates were a lot more fierce and vicious than they were earlier. They really had it in for the group. Regardless, they fought through onslaught after onslaught. It was a long and perilous run through, which really does go without saying, but they were able to make it out of all of it unscathed.

Eventually, they were able to reach the radio tower. They kept on going until they found Talwyn, Cronk and Zephyr waiting for them. There, she and her 2 robots were struggling to get the artifact to work. Ratchet: "Hey. Having trouble?"

It didn't take long for Talwyn to notice them. Ron: "Um…perhaps you should let Ratchet have a crack at that thing since, you know, he's a Lombax?" Ratchet: "Uh, yeah, why don't I give it a try?"

Talwyn hesitated for a bit. Talwyn: "OK, genius, you figure it out."

She tossed the artifact directly towards Ratchet. Immediately after he caught it, it began to react. Ratchet: "Uh…how do you…"

He touched one side of the artifact and at that moment, it displayed a holographic image of a planet directly from its top. Ratchet: "Whoa!" Ron: "Whoa…what is that?" Kim: "It looks like a holographic image of a planet. But…what planet is that?" Talwyn: "Wait a second…that's Rikon V; that must be where the secret might be hidden." Kim: "Then that's where we need to go next." Talwyn: "I agree with you on that, Kim. I'll send the coordinates to your ship. Meet us there as soon as you can."

She departed from the planet with Cronk and Zephyr on their cruiser. The group stood by for a bit. Ron: "Huh, I wonder why that doodad reacted when Ratchet touched it." Kim: "Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that he's a Lombax." Clank: "Hm…it would make sense, considering that the device consists of Lombax technology. I would surmise that they have built much of their technology to respond to their kind only." Kim: "Yes, that would make sense." Ratchet: "Come on, guys. Let's go."

They returned to their ship, got back in and left the planet.

They made the long flight to Rikon V. Along the way, they flew through the Rakar Star Cluster, where they were ambushed by the space pirates. Kim: "What!?! They followed us!?!" Cap'n Slag: "Avast, you mangy bilge rats!!! This be Cap'n Slag, scourge of the galaxy and runner-up of the Suzy Sweet's Homemade Butterscotch competition. Return our artifact at once or face the gallows." Ron: "Uh…he seems really angry, you guys." Ratchet: "Don't worry, Ron, we can handle this."

They flew through the system of stars as they fought many of the pirates and dodged their attacks. They also made strides to dodge solar flares of some of the stars that they flew really close to. Ron: "Whoa! Must you fly so close to these stars!?!" Ratchet: "Oh! Sorry, Ron."

They kept fighting until they managed to defeat a lot of them, chasing them away. Kim: "Finally! Thought we would never ditch those heaps of salty rust buckets." Ratchet: "Come on, let's get to Rikon V."

They then managed to fly away from the star cluster and continued on towards Rikon V.

They took on another long flight until they arrived at Rikon V. Shortly afterwards, they were flying through the skies of the planet. Zephyr: "Uh, oh! We're picking up multiple hostiles on the spaceport. Ha ha! You rookies got the stones for a HALO jump?" Ron: "Uh…HALO…jump? What does that mean?"

Ratchet pushed on a few buttons on the dashboard. Ratchet: "It means we're going to have to free fall from here."

The window of the cockpit opened up. Ron: "Oh, no, not again…!"

They were ejected from the ship. Ron screamed as they fell all the way down. Soon enough, Cronk and Zephyr were seen falling nearby. They then landed on the ground safely and began fighting through the ground area. Talwyn: "Ratchet. Kim. I've pinpointed the coordinates from the holo-map. The location that we're looking for is just ahead of you, just past the spaceport, but Tachyon's got the port surrounded, so be careful." Kim: "Got it! We'll keep our guard up."

They fought through many enemies as they made their way further up. Cronk and Zephyr fought along side the group, blasting away at the many enemies that were in their way. Ron: "Oh, yeah! Let's stick it to that tyrannical Cragmite brat! Booyah!" Rufus: "Booyah!" Ratchet: "Heh, couldn't have said it better myself, Ron."

As they continued fighting through, Cronk and Zephyr made one comment after another about the "good old days" of the many battles that they have fought in the past. Despite them being old war bots, they really did put up a good fight against the enemy forces. They were indeed very formidable. Kim: "Huh, these 2 old robots are actually pretty good, for a pair of chatty, metallic geezers." Cronk: "Hey! I heard that, little missy!" Zephyr: "Mind your elders, young lady!" Kim: "Oh, sorry." Cronk: "Well, rude comment aside, we do appreciate that first bit that you mentioned." Zephyr: "Yeah, you're not half bad, yourself and that Lombax is also really good. Although…your blonde friend? He's…" Cronk: "He doesn't seem like much of a fighter." Ron: "Hey! I'm doing the best that I can!" Ratchet: "(sigh) Oh, Ron…"

They were able to make it to the spaceport. There, they received another transmission from Talwyn. Talwyn: "Ratchet. Kim. There's too much anti-spacecraft fighters to land my ship anywhere near you. I'll try to find the location we're looking for in the air." Kim: "OK, understood. We'll see you soon." Ron: "(groan) Stupid anti-spacecraft defenses, forcing us to eject from our ship instead of just having us land." Kim: "I didn't think it was that bad." Ron: "KP, you've faced numerous dangerous stuff many times; a lot of them were more terrifying than that. Of course you didn't think it was that bad!" Kim: "Right…so where do we need to go?" Ratchet: "Talwyn said that our location in question is just past the spaceport. As to where it is exactly? I don't know."

Just then, Talwyn transmitted to them again. Talwyn: "Ratchet. Kim. Do you read me?" Kim: "Yeah, we read you, Talwyn. What's the sitch?" Talwyn: "The coordinates I have here point to one of the rock islands in Sector 4. There's a strange heat signature coming from there." Kim: "Copy that. We'll head over there as soon as we can." Talwyn: "OK. Hm…this heat signature seems to be way too cool to sit in a lava pit. I can't believe it; the Lombax Secret is real!" Ron: "So…how exactly do we get over there? Tachyon's forces will gun us down if we try to fly over there."

Kim switched on the Kimmunicator. Kim: "Wade, we could use your help. Got anything that could get us through this impasse?" Wade: "I'm way ahead of you, Kim."

He typed on his keyboard. At that moment his vendor appeared before them. Ratchet: "Hey…I was wondering if we would see that thing again."

A few devices were transported from it. Each of them was for Ratchet, Kim and Ron. Wade: "I've spent some time studying Lombax technology. I've built these from what I was able to learn."

The devices opened up as sphere-like motorbikes that encased each of them in said spheres. Wade: "They're called Gyro-wheels. They were developed by a research facility called the Center for Advanced Lombax Research. I think you guys would like them." Ratchet: "Thanks…Wade…this means…a lot…" Kim: "Let's get going, you guys."

And so, they rode the Gyro-wheels into a tunnel that went through another area of the facility. It was a long and dangerous trek through, dodging lava pits and enemies that were attacking them constantly.

After the long ride through the perilous tunnel, they were able to arrive at a small rock island. There, they spotted a bunker. They soon met up with Talwyn, Cronk and Zephyr. Talwyn: "Hey, guys. This is where the coordinates lead." Kim: "Huh, it looks like some sort of alien bunker." Ron: "And look! There's some strange writing on that door. Um…at least…I think it's a door…"

Ratchet went up to the door and took a closer look at the writing. Ratchet: "Hm…I wonder what these strange symbols mean." Talwyn: "Can't read Lombax texts, can you?"

Everyone stood silent for a bit. Kim: "Well, can you?" Talwyn: "Allow me. It says, "In this room, a secret is born, to quell the angry Cragmite storm. You've traveled far but to be clear, without a tail, your quest ends here."."

Ratchet walked up to the door and placed his hand on it, it reacted immediately. Computer Voice: "Welcome back, Lombax. I hope your journey has been rewarding."

The door opened up. Cronk and Zephyr pointed their weapons directly inside, but then lowered them when nothing attacked them. They entered almost instantly and looked around. Ron: "Huh, this place looks…empty." Talwyn: "What? You've got to be kidding me! We come all this way and there's nothing here?" Kim: "Hm…I'm not so sure about that. There had to be something that the Lombaxes were using this bunker for, but what?" Zephyr: "Ooh! Lookie here!"

At that moment, Zephyr was seen standing near a film player of sorts. Zephyr: "It's one of those ancient holo-vid players. (laugh) We use to watch old episodes of Lance and Janice on these durn things." Kim: "Turn it on. It might provide an important clue."

Zephyr switched on the holo-vid player. On it was a video talking about a helmet-like device known as the Dimensionator, which consisted of inter-dimensional travel. It was apparently mentioned that the Lombaxes constructed it to put an end to the war against the Cragmites but it was being tested. They were to head to a testing facility that the Lombax had built on another planet named Sargasso.

After the tape, Ratchet seemed as though he was about to laugh at what he just saw. Ratchet: "So, let me see if I got this right: the weapon used to do away with the Cragmites was a helmet? I mean, seriously? There's no way a Lombax would invent something so ridiculous." Kim: "Oh, really? A Lombax wouldn't invent anything ridiculous? What about the "Nuclear Powered Rocket Sled"?" Ron: "Or the "Anti-Matter Bathroom Buddy"?" Clank: "And let us not forget the "Electro Shock Undergarments" you invented last fall." Ratchet: "Stunderwear; huge seller on Umbris." Talwyn: "Uh, guys, you're missing the key word here: "Inter-dimensional"." Kim: "Actually, I did notice that. There's more to this than we thought." Ron: "Wait, are we talking about multiple dimensions, as in more than 1 dimension?" Ratchet: "Hm! Gee, Ron, I don't know. We did hear mention of other dimensions on that video, so I would think so." Talwyn: "Come on, we need to check out that testing ground on Sargasso."

Talwyn rushed out along with Cronk and Zephyr. Kim, Ratchet, Ron and Clank walked out a little afterwards.

As soon as they got outside, Talwyn, Cronk and Zephyr were already gone, but Talwyn contacted them via transmitter. Talwyn: "Hey, guys. I need to do a few repairs on Cronk and Zephyr, then I'll meet you guys on Planet Sargasso. The good news is Tachyon and his forces don't know about Sargasso. The bad news is…well, let's just say that there are a few bigger problems to deal with." Ron: "Uh…what exactly are these…"bigger problems"?" Kim: "Something tells me we'll find out once we get there." Ratchet: "Come on, guys. Let's get moving."

They returned to the ship, got in and left for Sargasso.

After another long flight, they arrived at Sargasso. They landed on the surface and got out. Kim: "So, this is Planet Sargasso. Huh, this place sure is…exotic…" Ratchet: "Come on, that Lombax Testing Facility has got to be somewhere around here."

They rushed off through the nearby area. As they got further inward, the Kimmunicator went off. Kim answered it. Kim: "Yeah, Wade?" Wade: "Hey, guys, I…thought I might…bring you up to speed on the current events." Kim: "What's going on now?" Wade: "Well…first off, you…might not want to go back to Kerwan…or any other planet within Solana any time soon for that matter. It's a mess." Ratchet: "What? What's going on over there, Wade?" Wade: "Well…the attack on Metropolis has left the entire galaxy in an uproar." Ron: "Oh, no…" Wade: "There have been suspicions directed towards you, Ratchet. Like I said, you may want to avoid going back there for the time being."

Ratchet began to sulk, Kim became worried for him. Kim: "Is there anyone handling the situation there right now?" Wade: "Yes, your parents are there at the moment; they're trying to deal with the whole mess. They've been facing the press and the riots. They're trying to calm everyone down and assure them that the attack wasn't Ratchet's fault." Clank: "Any luck with alleviating the aftermath?" Wade: "Sorry, no dice. They're doing everything they possibly can but it's done very little to change the situation. Regardless, they're not giving up." Ratchet: "Oh…no…they shouldn't…not for me…"

Kim worried about Ratchet even more. Kim: "Wade, are my parents currently busy?" Wade: "Yeah, very. The crowd and the media are really on them; they hardly get any time to even catch their breaths." Kim: "And I'm guessing that they can't speak with us right now." Wade: "No…they can't." Kim: "When you get the chance, can you tell them that we're sorry for having them go through all of this on our behalf?" Wade: "They knew you would say that and they wanted me to tell you that you shouldn't be sorry. They really don't blame you or Ratchet for any of this and you shouldn't feel responsible for any of it. They just want both of you to stay safe."

Ratchet seemed touched, Kim looked at him again. Kim: "OK…tell them…I said thanks." Ratchet: "Tell them I also said thanks…"

There was a brief pause. Wade: "Will do, guys."

Kim shut off the Kimmunicator. Ratchet seemed very sad. Kim went over to him and attempted to comfort him. Kim: "Ratchet…are you OK?"

He glanced at her. Ratchet: "Let's just keep going."

He walked off. Kim stood by for a bit before following after him. Ron and Clank stood by a little more, also concerned for Ratchet. They then followed after them.

As they made their way through the area, they found themselves in front of a facility built in the middle of a prehistoric landscape. Ron: "Whoa…check this place out." Kim: "Hm…could the "bigger problems" that Talwyn was referring to involve this entire area?" Ratchet: "I…would think so…come on, let's hurry towards that facility."

He rushed off, the others followed after him. They fought tooth and nail through the entire landscape, dodging one hazard after another. It was a long fight, containing a few mishaps along the way, but after much perseverance, patience and a lot of determination, they were able to reach the facility.

They entered a large chamber within the facility. Ratchet: "Alright! We're in! Now let's see if we can find anything involving that top secret project." Kim: "Let's go."

They looked around the entire room. Within a short amount of time, Ron stopped in front of a large door. Ron: "Hey! Guys! I think find something!"

The others ran up beside Ron and stood in front of the door. When they opened it, they were startled at what they saw: it was the backside of a guy in overalls. He turned around and faced the group. He was wearing a pair of specs. Man: "Oh! Hello there." Ron: "Uh…hello…Mister…Plumber Guy…" Plumber: "Well, it's good to see you youngsters again." Kim: "Uh…likewise…"

Kim and Ron whispered to each other. Ron: "Do we know this guy?" Kim: "I'm not sure, but he seems to know us. Although…he does look familiar." Ron: "Yeah, I also feel as though I've seen him before." Ratchet: "Uh, what are you doing here?" Plumber: "I was working on a new project of mine. It's a revolutionary high speed interplanetary transportation gizmo."

He revealed to them the machine that he was working on. They stared at it with awkward looks on their faces. Kim: "Uh…that looks a lot like a…" Ratchet: "Don't say it, Kim." Ron: "Massive toilet bowl?" Ratchet: "Ron!" Ron: "What!?! You told her not to say it!" Ratchet: "I know, but that's not the…(grunt) Nevermind!" Plumber: "Ah, I see. I suppose you were expecting to find something else, such as a weapon capable of vaporizing an entire planet of whatchamacallits." Kim: "Cragmites." Ron: "Wait! How do you know about that?" Kim: "Well, this place did house the weapon from what we could tell from that footage." Clank: "Yes, that much is true, Miss Possible, so he may have found out about it from just being here." Plumber: "Well, I hate to break it to you youngsters, but such a weapon don't exist." Ratchet: "What!?!" Ron: "But we just saw a footage of it that lead us here! How can it not exist!?!" Plumber: "Well, let me tell you somethin! I've been everywhere in this Universe…and beyond. Believe me, there's no device like that." Kim: "Uh-huh…kind of hard for me to believe anything you say when you just told us that you've been "beyond" the entire Universe." Plumber: "However, that don't mean that what you're lookin' for ain't there." Ron: "But you just said the device we're looking for doesn't exist and now you're saying it does? Did that make any sense?"

Clank thought for brief moment. Clank: "Hm…" Plumber: "Say, do any of you happen to need a 3¾ Centicubit Hexagonal Washer?"

He then pulled a small hexagon-shaped object from his machine. Plumber: "Because I seem to have a spare." Ron: "From in there? No way!" Kim: "I know I don't." Rufus: "Oh, gross!" Plumber: "Oh, here, take it, just in case."

He tossed the object on the ground in front of the group. They stared down at it in an awkward manner. Ron: "Not it!" Kim: "Not it!" Ratchet: "Not it!" Clank: "Darn it…"

Clank picked it up and held on to it a bit before putting it away. At that moment, they looked up at something that shocked them. Kim: "Uh! What are you…?"

The plumber stood on the side of his machine, he was about to jump into it. Plumber: "Well, good luck, young'ins."

He then jumped in and was flushed down. Ron: "Did…did he just flush himself down the toilet?" Ratchet: "I'd…rather not think about it…" Kim: "Oh, that's so gross." Rufus: "Ew!" Clank: "Hm…I am beginning to wonder if the Cragmites were ever vaporized at all." Ron: "What do you mean? Are you saying that they were moved somewhere else?" Ratchet: "That's ridiculous." Kim: "I'm not so sure about that; that footage did mention something about "inter-dimensional travel" when talking about that top secret project."

Just then, the small portable screen started beeping. Clank pulled it out. Qwark appeared on the screen. Qwark: "Ratchet! Clank! Where have you been?" Ron: "Huh? Captain Qwark?" Qwark: "I need you and those other guys at the arena chop-chop!" Kim: "What is it this time, Qwark?" Qwark: "I may have another C-L-E-U-W…4?" Kim: "You mean another clue?" Qwark: "Sh! Not so loud! Just get over here now!" Ratchet: "Oh, joy, there's gonna be even more fun to be had." Ron: "Shall I whip up the disguise?" Ratchet: "Did you even need to ask, Ron?"

They left the facility, rushed back towards their ship, took off and left the planet.

As soon as they returned to Murow, Ratchet pulled out his "Mr. Coolguy" disguise and rushed back to the arena with the others. There, they fought through several more challenges. They were much tougher than the previous ones. There were a lot more enemies to fight and the battles seemed much more time consuming. They were eventually able to finish all of the challenges and defeat all of the enemies.

After the battles, they were approached by Qwark again. Qwark: "Outstanding work, stranger I've never met before." Kim: "I would so hold that against you if you didn't have a good reason for saying that." Qwark: "Yeah, great. And now for the fruits of you labor: 1 holo-pirate disguise that's been broken since just recently but I'm sure that someone you might know would be able to do something with it and a copy of my new exercise book-Body by Qwark! So now even the blonde boy can have the calves of a champion." Ron: "Been there, done that, don't need it anymore." Ratchet: "OK, enough! Did you call us here for a reason, Qwark?" Kim: "Or are you trying to get us killed again?" Qwark: "Aw, can't it be both?"

The entire group glared at him. Qwark: "Uh, kidding! I found this in Tachyon's underwear drawer." Ron: "Ew…!"

Qwark had pulled out a screen of sorts. Qwark: "Thought it might be a clue."

On the screen, there was information regarding a supercomputer known as IRIS. It is said to know nearly an infinite amount of things, but it was being held at a place known as the Kreeli Comet, which was currently occupied by space pirates. Kim: "Hm…a supercomputer that contains information on pretty much everything." Ratchet: "Perhaps IRIS knows where the Dimensionator is." Kim: "Let's go."

They were about to leave. Qwark: "Wait! Take me with you!" Ron: "Huh? You…want to come with us? Like seriously?" Qwark: "YES! I can't do this undercover work anymore! I'm not a superhero…I'm just a hero!" Kim: "I highly doubt you even made it that far." Qwark: "Oh! How am I supposed to survive without some sort of endorsement deal!?!" Ratchet: "Whoa, take it easy, big guy. Maybe you can be a superhero; you just need to stop being so self-absorbed…and whiny." Ron: "And pompous." Kim: "And cowardly." Qwark: "You…guys really think so?" Kim: "Well…it could be a start." Qwark: "You're right, this is not the time for vanity; it's time to show the Universe how amazingly awesome I really am. I'm sorry, you guys; I hope you never have to endure the pressure of saving an entire galaxy. Wish me luck."

Qwark exited the arena. The group stood by, stunned for a bit. Kim: "Uh…did Qwark…actually agree with us…about something for once?" Ratchet: "I'm…just as surprised as you, Kim. Come on, let's get out of here."

And so, they exited the arena.

They made their way outside and went back toward the ship. Just then, Ratchet stopped and turned back around after noticing something. He spotted Kim staring out towards the ocean. Ratchet walked up to her and stood by her side. Ratchet: "Kim…you OK?"

She didn't say anything as she continued to stare out at the ocean. Ratchet, for a brief moment, wasn't sure of what to say next, but then remembered something. Ratchet: "You're…worried about your parents, aren't you?"

She dropped her head as her sulking confirmed what he asked her. Kim: "I…I hope they're doing OK. This whole mess must really be putting a lot of pressure on them since they decided to do this. Ratchet…do you think they'll make it through this?"

He looked away from her as his eyes rolled from side to side a little. Ratchet: "To be honest…I'm not really sure…I'm hoping that they will. Kim…your parents wouldn't want you to worry about them…anymore than…they wouldn't want me to feel as though this is all my fault. But…I can't help but feel responsible for their suffering…much like how…you can't help but worry about them." Kim: "Ratchet…no…you didn't cause any of this. Despite how it may seem, there isn't any reason why you should be blamed for any of it. I never believed that you should…and I never will."

Ratchet was about to say something but couldn't find the words. Kim: "And you're right, my parents wouldn't want me to worry and I already knew that, so…perhaps I should…put it out of my mind and not worry so much…for their sake…they would want me to continue on regardless…and that's what I'll do."

She then turned her head and faced Ratchet. Kim: "I'm going to continue to help you through this…I won't leave you…no matter what…you can always count on me."

She smiled a little. Ratchet was silent for a brief moment but then he spoke under his breath. Ratchet: "Kimberly…"

They edged closer towards each other almost as though they were about to kiss. Ron stood near by, watching them from a distance. Ron: "(whispering) Yes! That's it! Do it!"

Before they had their chance, they stopped themselves. Ratchet: "Oh! Uh…well! Heh! We…we'd better…get going." Kim: "Uh, yeah, uh…of course…let's go!"

They made their way back to the ship. Ron had an appalled look on his face as they walked right passed them. Ron: "Awww, man…"

Clank was seen standing near Ron, he was concerned for him. Clank: "Do not worry, Ron, that day may come in time."

Clank walked off. A tense look then grew on Ron's face. Ron: "No…it will! I'll make it happen if I have to!"

He went back to the ship with the others. They got back in and left the planet.

After another long flight, they were able to arrive at the Kreeli Comet. They landed their ship and got out. Clank: "Ratchet! Miss Possible! Ron! Look!"

They looked out at a major obstruction ahead of them. Clank: "Those pirate ships are blocking our path to IRIS." Kim: "Then we need to find a way to get through them." Ratchet: "Come on, let's get going, guys."

They rushed out towards a line of vicious pirates as fast as they could. They kept going through, fighting off one group of pirates after another. At one point, they came across one particular area that seemed like it could be accessed by pirates. Even more so, there were a lot of pirates within the area. Ron: "Whoa, just look at this place." Kim: "I know. There are a lot of those pirates and it seems like we can't go any further." Ratchet: "Hm…looks like we've hit a serious roadblock, for more reasons than one." Ron: "So what'll we have to do?"

At that moment, the Kimmunicator went off. Kim answered it. Kim: "What is it, Wade?" Wade: "I've managed to put together something from that broken holo-guise that you guys just lent me. Check this out."

With a few clicks of the keyboard, an image of a space pirate appeared before them. Ron: "Whoa, that actually looks really good." Kim: "Amazing." Ratchet: "You've outdone yourself yet again, Wade." Wade: "Well, what can I say? I'm a genius." Ratchet: "Now we can use this to get pass that seemingly impossible impasse."

With the use of the holographic pirate, they were able to get past a lot of places that were pirate exclusive. It really was a long stretch with having to get through a lot of those areas. In addition to having to go through one impasse after another, they were also subjected to fighting a few of their large behemoth members. Ron didn't do much to help out as he was running away screaming at that sight of them, much to the annoyance of the others. Although, they seemed to be use to it. Regardless, they fought through all of them and were able to continue through.

The long trek finally came to an end. They were able to reach the supercomputer. Kim: "So this must be the IRIS supercomputer." Ron: "Hm, it doesn't seem to be working right now." Ratchet: "No, it doesn't. How do you turn this thing on?" Clank: "Hm…it appears to have been damaged by the space pirates. Perhaps I can repair its CPU." Ratchet: "Well, if you think you can do it, then go right ahead."

Clank went into the closed off interiors of the supercomputer and began his trek through. Along the way, he ran into the Zoni again. They helped him out as he navigated his way through the entire chamber. It seemed almost impossible for him to continue on, but with the help of the Zoni, he was able to do it with ease. They then came across some shattered remains of what appeared to be a flat disc-like object. The Zoni were able to put it back together with the use of their telekinesis.

After they were able to fix the object, they showed Clank another vision. It was of Talwyn being held at a prison on another planet. Zoni: "She will perish in Zordoom."

With that, they vanished and Clank was able to return to his friends. The supercomputer was able to turn on. Kim: "Look! It's working!" Ron: "Way to go, Clank!" IRIS: "Hello, Ratchet. I've been expecting you." Ron: "Whoa! The computer can talk!" Kim: "That's not all, it knew Ratchet's name and…it's been expecting him?" Ratchet: "Uh…OK? IRIS, what can you tell us about the Dimensionator?" IRIS: "The Dimensionator, created by the Lombax Architects of Breegus Minor. Its creation marked the turning point in the Great War." Kim: "Yeah, that much we know, but what does it do exactly?" IRIS: "Existence is divided into infinite dimensions. The Dimensionator opens a portal to these worlds. The Lombaxes constructed this device to exile the Cragmites." Kim: "So the Cragmites weren't vaporized like many people thought." Ron: "But what about Tachyon? How come he hadn't been exiled just like the rest of his kind?" IRIS: "Percival Tachyon. Discovered by Lombax Trillium Miners eons after the war. He was frozen in an egg exactly where we are now and raised on Fastoon." Kim: "The Lombaxes…raised Tachyon?" Ron: "Hmph! Well that guy sure didn't show any appreciation towards them!"

Rufus popped out and let out a raspberry. Rufus: "Tachyon!" IRIS: "When he learned of his origins, he set out to bring back the Cragmites." Ron: "He's going to do what!?!" Kim: "Isn't he aware of how dangerous that is?" Ratchet: "Obviously, he couldn't care less." Kim: "IRIS, do you know where the Dimensionator is?" IRIS: "An explorer named Max Apogee relocated it to Kerchu City." Kim: "Max Apogee…Talwyn's…dad…"

Just then, IRIS began to shut down. Ron: "What…what's happening!?!" IRIS: "Power cells functioning at 8% capacity…8%…" Ratchet: "No! Wait! Where did the Lombaxes go? Why did they leave me behind?" IRIS: "Thank you for visiting IRIS. Please don't forget to validate…"

IRIS ceased functioning completely. Ratchet was left despondent. Ron went over to try and comfort him, but Ratchet didn't seem to want him to. Kim: "Guess we'll have to find out the rest on our own." Ratchet: "Yeah…seems like it…we need to get to Kerchu City." Ron: "Rightio, Ratchet! We need to get our hands on that Dimensionator…" Clank: "Hold on a moment. A wormhole device is too dangerous for anyone to possess." Ron: "Um…OK? So…what do you suppose we do?" Clank: "Well, first off, the Zoni mentioned to me that Talwyn is in trouble. We need to make our way to Zordoom; that is where she is being held." Ron: "Uh…you OK…Clank?"

Kim checked on the Kimmunicator. Ratchet: "Uh…right…maybe you should listen to your real friends instead of your imaginary ones." Ron: "Whoa! Time out! Since when did Clank start having imaginary friends?" Ratchet: "Since Stratus City, now, come on, let's get out of here!"

Ratchet was about to walk out. Ron just stood by, Kim was still checking on the Kimmunicator. Ron: "Hey, wait a sec, Ratchet!"

Ratchet stopped and turned back around to face Ron. Ratchet: "What is it, this time, Ron?" Ron: "Uh, let's just humor Clank for a bit. Let's say that he's right about the Zoni and Talwyn being held at this Zordoom place. We should head over there and rescue her or…you know…check…to see if…she…actually…is…there…?"

Ron made a nervous grin, Ratchet stared back at him with an irritated look on his face. Ratchet: "Ron, you're being ridiculous; like more than usual." Ron: "Ratchet…" Kim: "I say we go for it. All in favor of heading for Zordoom?"

Ron and Clank both raised their hands, Kim did the same. Ratchet: "(grunt) Fine! We'll heed what Clank said and go to Zordoom!" Kim: "If it makes you feel any better, I'll have Wade do a scan on our way there to verify if Talwyn is actually there."

Ratchet seemed even more aggravated. Ratchet: "Whatever!"

He then continued towards the exit. Kim folded her arms and shook her head as she looked back at him with an angry look on her face. Clank: "Thank you both for standing up for me. I know what I am saying is very unorthodox, but I assure you that what I have been saying truly is sincere." Ron: "Hey, don't sweat it, Clank. I believe you. I mean, you being wrong about anything is almost as unusual as…as…" Clank: "You missing Naco Night?" Ron: "Exactly!" Kim: "I also believe you, Clank, especially the parts about the Zoni. Wade has been picking up on a number of unusual readings for a while now. They've been happening around the same time that you have been mentioning the Zoni; this can't be a coincidence." Clank: "Oh, but it is not; I am positive that they are from the Zoni." Kim: "And you have every right to say that. I would be surprised if these readings weren't from them, otherwise…where would they be coming from?"

They seemed perplexed as they thought for a while. They then returned to the ship along with Ratchet. They got back into it and left for their next destination.