Haven: Rescuers
After Jak and Shining had finished taking turns on the Blaster course until they'd both gotten perfect scores on it - with Jak playfully rubbing it in that he got the perfect score first - the trio returned to the Underground's hideout. Torn was waiting for them, and he didn't look happy.
"Sure took your sweet time with that job," he chided. "I hope you have something worthwhile to show for it."
"The Baron is trading Eco to the Metalheads to keep them out of Haven," Jak explained. "Also, to ensure they attack just enough to justify him continuing to rule Haven."
Torn was silent for a time. "Alright, that's some good information. Let's see about spoking that deal. One of the Baron's mining operations is under attack by the Metalheads. Part of the Baron's deal or not, the foreman's one of our best informants. His name is Vin, and he's just valuable enough to save...so you need to get there and save him, now. The warp gate is at the power station."
"Understood," Jak replied.
"Whatever the deal is, the city's Eco's running out," Torn added. "If we don't get that kid back on the throne soon, there might not be a city left to defend."
As the trio headed out, Daxter glanced at his friends. "So...no plans on telling them Jak's the kid in question all grown up?"
"Who'd believe us?" Shining indicated logically.
Daxter frowned. "Point made."
The Power Station, though a riot of electronics and delicate controls, was unguarded, as was the warp gate. Hopping through, the trio found themselves at a distant location, surrounded by heavy equipment and barren sand and stone, the only signs of life the occasional shrub and the huge number of small Metalheads.
The path into the mine itself wound around tall hills bare of any vegetation, and between several stacks of large crates. Though the Metalheads swarmed the trio, a balance of Scatter Gun shots and Blaster shots were able to take them out before they could get close.
After riding a basket full of stone along a line, the trio were able to clear the Metalheads away from a locked down building. Assuming this would be where Vin was hiding, Jak pressed a large red button beside the door, causing it to open.
They got the briefest glance of computer equipment before someone leapt up and started shooting at them, shouting, "Ah! Stay back!"
Shining immediately projected one of his small shields to block the incoming shots. This let them see the shooter clearly, a pale skinned human with white hair, wearing a white coat, goggles, and a hood covering most of his head. "Are you Vin?" he asked calmly.
"You'll never take me alive!" he shouted back, shooting randomly.
"We're here to rescue you!" Daxter snapped out. "Torn sent us!"
"Stay back!" the man shouted, ducking behind cover.
"If we were here to kill you, would we be talking?" Jak asked logically.
The man hesitated. "Friendlies?" he gasped out in relief before collapsing across his cover. "Thank goodness. So...where's the army?"
"As far as I could tell, there isn't one," Shining admitted. "Based on the charts around the hideout, I'm pretty sure the Underground is still in the 'recruitment and sabotage' stage of rebellion. I doubt if they actually have enough members for a full scale revolt yet."
Vin blinked for a time. "...now that you mention it..."
"Can we talk more back at the power station?" Daxter pleaded. "Before more Metalheads show up?"
"Good idea," Vin agreed, racing through the nearby warp gate with the group.
Back at the power station, Vin explained why he'd been at the strip mine. "Those Metalheads have been attacking our mining operations and we're running out of Eco," he began breathlessly, still a tad high strung. "Readings show that there's a steady Eco drop at the drill platform. Any of you care to guess why?"
"Metalhead eggs?" Jak offered. "I mean, if the Metalheads need Eco, maybe their eggs need it even more."
Vin's jaw dropped. "...uh...yeah, that's what I was thinking. Anyway, I've reprogrammed the warp gate to take you there, so you can destroy all the eggs before they suck us dry!"
"Can do," Shining agreed, turning to head into the gate. Not wanting to let him go alone, Jak quickly followed.
The drill platform was suspended high up in a tower of machines, and the Metalhead Eggs were all plainly visible. However, they were too durable for the group's weapons. Luckily, three turrets were visible in plain sight positioned relatively close to the clusters of eggs.
"I have a cunning plan," Shining began.
"I thought that was my job," Daxter countered jokingly.
"Daxter, can you operate one of those turrets?"
Moving forward as a group, they reached the first turret and Daxter looked over the controls. "...yeah, I can handle this," he confirmed. "Not too big for me."
"Then scamper up to one of the others," Shining instructed. "As soon as you're there, I'll teleport to your side, then you head to the third. We all target our groups of Metalhead eggs simultaneously, so the Metalheads can't focus their counterattack."
"Not bad," Jak praised, cracking his knuckles as he got into position.
It didn't take long for Daxter to get himself and Shining in position, and the trio then opened fire. The plan worked flawlessly, as the Metalheads couldn't adapt fast enough to the three pronged assault to protect the eggs.
With the eggs destroyed, Daxter crawled back to Shining, Shining teleported to Jak's side, and the trio returned to the Underground's hideout.
Torn looked perturbed when they arrived. "One of my old Guard comrades was sent to the pumping station," he explained. "There's been no word from the patrol, and after what you guys ran into out there..."
"So who are we looking for, and how tactful do we need to be about the rescue?" Shining asked.
"Her name's Ashelyn," Torn replied. Noticing Daxter's smirk, he cut in, "And no, not that kind of friend." Noticing Jak's smirk, he added, "Don't even think about it. She'd shoot you."
"Ah. That tactful," Shining confirmed.
"We'll be back soon," Jak promised.
Back out by the pumping station, the trio was surprised to see more of the large Metalheads that Sig had hunted prowling around. Each took several Blaster shots to take down, and were frequently backed up by both the small Metalheads and the ones carrying weapons. On top of that, the armed Metalheads had upgraded their armor, and now took several shots to take down. Jak and Shining moved carefully, frequently going back to back when they got swarmed.
Thankfully, it being nighttime worked for them as much as for the Metalheads. While the Metalheads could see better in the dark than they could, a Flash cantrip was easy for Shining to throw without any strain, and the Metalheads' dark-adjusted eyes were readily blinded by the blast of light. On the weakest ones, the damage from the flash of light was enough to destroy them.
Another tactic Daxter discovered effective against the larger Metalheads involved hurling small rocks into their side mounted weapons. After a few shots, the rock would become jammed in the gun, making it explode against the side of their bodies. This not only blinded their optics, but also damaged their armor, making them easier to take down.
As they approached a crashed vehicle, a red haired woman with similar facial tattoos to Torn dropped from the trees and wrapped her arm around Jak's neck. "Who the hell are you three?" she demanded angrily.
"Time travelers," Shining replied blithely.
"Try something a bit more believable," the woman growled out.
"Torn's new recruits?" Daxter offered.
The woman was silent for a time. "Okay, let's say you're time travelers," the woman allowed, making Daxter facepaw. "What are you doing out here?"
"Gathering allies to help put my younger self on the throne where he belongs?" Jak suggested facetiously.
The woman was silent for a time, glancing back and forth between Jak and Shining...before releasing Jak and saluting. "Ashelin Praxis reporting for duty, Your Highness," she stated resolutely.
Daxter's jaw hit the ground.
Jak straightened himself. "Not that I'm complaining...but what makes you believe us?" he asked, brushing himself off. As he spoke, the group got a good look at her. Her green eyes stared straight ahead from her 'at attention' position, and her red top and short blue jacket fit her figure snugly, as did her blue jeans which left the outside of her thighs exposed. Though it had the markings of a Crimson Guard uniform, it had plainly been customized.
"Before my father, the Baron, staged his coup, I acted as your bodyguard under your father, King Damas," she explained. "I recognize your brother. Unicorns aren't that common. My apologies for not being there to protect you during the coup. My father arranged for me to be assigned elsewhere at the time so I didn't end up dead. Torn then convinced me to act as a deep cover agent."
Daxter grinned widely. "Be sure to let Torn know who saved you next time you get a message to him," he chimed in, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
"We aren't saved yet," Ashelin pointed out as several more Metalheads converged on the location.
"Close your eyes!" Shining barked out. Without waiting to see if anyone responded, he closed his own and set off a blazing cascade of rainbow light. Many of the Metalheads tumbled down the cliffs they were standing atop, and those that didn't were left easy pickings.
Jak and Ashelin had both covered their eyes when Shining barked out his order, and they opened fire as soon as the light faded. To back them up, Shining hauled out his saddlebag rocket launchers, using the ones charged with Red Eco for blast damage. It wasn't long before the charging group was all down for the count.
"A bit more warning next time, Shiny?" Daxter pleaded, staggering around and rubbing his eyes.
Ashelin smirked as she began to repair her hovercraft. "Even if he didn't raise you, you're every inch your father's son," she told Jak. "It was like watching him in battle again. Tell Torn the Baron's up to something big...and I think it has something to do with the Seal of the House of Mar. We're being sent out on suicide missions to locate artifacts from the time of his rule."
"Mar?" Jak asked, a bit confused after what Shining had told him.
"The founder of Haven city," she explained. "You were named for him!" She began to take off. "The soothsayer Onin in the bazaar might be able to tell you more!" As the hovercraft took off, she tossed Jak her Bazaar access security pass.
"What a woman!" Daxter shouted out, letting out a playful growl.
"You realize she's technically my old babysitter, right?" Jak pointed out.
"She can sit me anytime!" Daxter countered, rubbing his paws together eagerly.
Chuckling and shaking his head, Jak turned and led the way back to the City.
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Celestia-
ing-dammit Daxter, we almost got through the chapter without you being a pervert.
we were so close...
You'd think that Jak's hair would be enough of a sign, but I guess everybody walks around with greenish yellow hair.
Love it. Absolutely love it, keep up the great work and I might just like you soon enough to give you a hug full of warm and fuzzy feelings.
Anti-climactic info from ash there
I love this story and the way you explain things. Can't wait to see how you explain the precursor stone/egg and the actual precursors. Naughty Dog kind of made that part confusing.
Oh My Fucking God, I love what you are doing to this series!
Ashelin is Jak's old FOALSITTER!?
6733949 That makes two of us.
Another enjoyable chapter.
Wait... so Ashelin must have all kinds of embarassing stories about Jak and Shining when they were kids.
6734221
Which she'll be sure to tell Keira, assuming Damas declassifies them.
6734223 She's the closest thing he has to a big sister, it's her sacred duty to share these embarrassing stories with his love interest.
6733613 We must wait...
This changes things...
GRINS
This changes MANY things...
6734290 Oh yeah, dude. Also, hi.
Ashelin said that unicorns "aren't that common". Shining could imply from those worlds that there's other unicorns out there, and thus not alone in the world.
One hell of a twist with Ashelin's introduction
6733990 Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awake...
6733613 You'll have a better chance asking Krew to lose weight
6735246 Nope. I can't imagine Jak and Ashelin doing the Sunshine dance. It's something that I would imagine Sunset or Twilight doing with Celestia or Cadence respectively. How old is Ashelin anyway? I mean, with that soul patch, Jack looks 26.
6735314 Hell if I knew. Never caught up with ages while playing
"Hey," Torn said, "you two actually look pretty familiar. Really familiar."
"Are they, now? What makes you say that?" Daxter replied.
"This is going to sound a little... odd, but has anyone told you that you're dead ringers for the princes if they were about twenty-something?"
"It's a crazy story. Actually, it's because—" Shining Armor began.
"—they're the princes' identical cousins!" Daxter interrupted. "Identical cousins with no direct line to the throne! You have no idea of the crazy genetics and family history behind it, but that is totally what's going on here."
Daxter clambered up to Torn's ear to stage whisper, "I'll bet you every skull gem within a hundred miles that it involved a lot of eco, though, if you catch my drift."
At which point, Torn ripped the irksome ottsel from his shoulders and threw him against the wall.
"Identical... cousins? How does that even—Ugh," Torn said, holding his head while walking away, "forget I asked."
To be fair, that didn't stop your brother, either.
Honestly? Daxter is trying to spread his "Eco perfect" genes around, and I suspect it's the bits of Eco going through him to blame.
6737633 that... makes way too much sense
6734069 Thrirded! I give it 5 of 5 moustaches!
7294895 UHHHHHH........
Does anybody else think Vin resembles Uncle Chan if he was a Tech Wizard rather than a Chinese Chi Wizard?
duckofindeed.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/vin_sketches.jpg
vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/xianb/images/d/d2/4081430-5513884183-Whene.png/revision/latest?cb=20140914235926
You won't take them alive.
I fucking hate the rail gun part. I always die at least three times before I'm able to get all of the eggs; the stupid flying Metal Heads cheat, always moving around.
Love the idea of Ash having a past connection with Jak