Chapter Text
The bright lights of Kras were in the rear-view mirror. Haven's relative darkness seemed a comfort by comparison, if only for a moment. Jak still heard tires screech in his dreams. He smelled burnt rubber. He felt the engine vibrate through his limbs into his body until he was one with the machine.
When he awoke, pulse pounding and adrenaline coursing through his veins, Jak almost wished he stayed behind. Dim light broke through his curtains in his tiny room. It mingled with a dimmer light shining beside his bed, accompanied by a loud buzz Jak had come to loathe.
Jak hoped for Keira, someone worth the rude awakening. He reached for his communicator on the nightstand. Commander Rovia was on the line. Only he would have the audacity to call at five in the goddamn morning.
"What do you want, Torn?" Jak asked, shielding his eyes from the screen.
"Good morning to you too," came Torn's scratchy voice. "Did I wake you?"
"I think we both know the answer to that question."
Jak heard the slightest chuckle come through the speaker. He was not in the mood for Torn's smug sense of humor. Daxter long held the suspicion that Torn never slept and, the longer Jak worked with him, the more Daxter's theory made sense.
"Why are you calling?" Jak asked again. "It's the middle of the night."
"Keira's drones picked up an eco signature over on Bone Island," Torn explained. Jak half-listened, caring only what was expected of him. "It looks promising, but a band of pirates set up shop over the reservoir. We've gotta catch these dirtbags and secure the eco for the city. We're departing from the harbor in half an hour."
Torn must have heard Jak's weary sigh. He added, "Come on. This is gonna be easy."
Jak's head fell back onto his pillow. He held the communicator aloft, keeping his eyes covered. "Can't you do it without me then?"
"You're the reason this'll be easy," said Torn. Jak knew that was a compliment, but it made him feel like a tool. "I'm leaving HQ now. I should be there in ten minutes. You're right down the road. You could probably walk and still get there before me."
There wasn't much point in protesting. "Okay, fine. I'll see you in a minute," Jak said, ending the call without a goodbye.
Jak tossed his communicator aside and stared at the ceiling. He gave himself five minutes to savor his bed. When he ventured dangerously close to falling asleep, Jak kicked off his bedding and peeled himself off the mattress. He stretched, wobbled to the window, and peered out at the harbor.
The usual neon glow was absent. The streetlights extinguished themselves, announcing the coming day. Over the gray water, Jak saw the faint red light of a Freedom League vessel idling at the dock. The blinking light mocked him. He could practically hear Torn's big feet pacing the deck, waiting for him.
Jak hastily pulled on his clothes and boots. He grabbed the morph gun resting on the wall by the door. He checked the mirror. Bags hung under his eyes and his hair stuck out in all directions. Jak pushed it down with his goggles and called it good.
Meanwhile, Torn anxiously drummed his fingers against the railing. He pulled up Jak's number and hovered his thumb over the button. The sudden yell of a surprised pedestrian and the grind of metal on metal heralded Jak's arrival.
Jak glided up the ramp onto the ship. He hopped off the jetboard and tucked it under his arm in one fluid motion. Setting his free hand on his hip, Jak said, "Well, I'm here."
"You're late," Torn said, eyeing his communicator's clock. "And your hair's a mess."
Jak breezed past Torn into the vessel. "I'm out of bed and dressed. What more do you want?"
Torn noticed Jak’s bare shoulder as he passed. "Where's the rat?"
“Daxter’s staying with Tess,” Jak replied, leaning against the door frame. He paused before adding, "She hasn't been feeling well lately."
"I know she's pregnant," Torn said, crinkling his nose. "Is she gonna be okay?"
"The Monks are visiting today," said Jak, following Torn inside. "Hopefully, they'll know."
Torn nodded silently, then turned to his men. The hull was packed with Freedom League soldiers in full regalia. When Jak and Torn entered, the soldiers grew quiet. Whether it was respect for Torn or fear of Jak was unclear.
Jak sat with his comrades. He could hardly remember any names. He caught wary glances from former Krimzon Guards. They hadn't forgotten their encounters during the rebellion. Jak once relished their fear, but now it was isolating. The new recruits were better, but even they knew his reputation.
The journey was mostly silent. Jak's tiredness met his restlessness. He looked about the drab metal hull and the men in their identical blue armor. Torn stood in the corner, frowning. Jak zoned out in his direction, getting lost in his thoughts while his consciousness waned.
Torn caught Jak staring with his eyes half-open. "See something you like?"
Jak jolted up. He heard Torn snickering and shot him a look. "Piss off."
"We're almost there. Try to stay awake," said Torn, still smirking. Jak knew he enjoyed getting under his skin. When they became friends, Torn still retained his sadistic side. Sometimes Jak enjoyed that side, but not on four hours of sleep.
The ship stopped just shy of Bone Island. There was no dock, so the squadron loaded onto smaller boats to go ashore. Jak and Torn sat opposite each other in the lead, avoiding eye contact while they neared the rocky beach.
Torn pulled a tracker from his belt. Jak could tell at a glance it was made by Keira. Torn showed him the readout. A blinking purple blob marked the eco deposit and, more than likely, the pirates.
The group disembarked on the opposite shore. There was no sign of life through the thick fog. The stillness set Jak on edge. From the moment he set foot on the pebble-strewn beach, something didn't feel right. He readied his gun and waited for Torn's command.
The squadron assembled around Torn, who led them along the rocky cliffs. Jak stayed beside him, eyes peeled for danger. Torn monitored the tracker as they neared the deposit.
"Is this the best way to approach this?" Jak whispered, interrupting Torn's train of thought.
"Would you like to be the commander? I could really use a vacation," Torn returned. “We considered an air strike, but we can't risk damaging any eco containers. We're also trying this new thing where we bring people in alive. I know it might be an adjustment."
Jak kept to the path, ignoring his intuition that something was amiss. Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past their heads. The squadron hit the dirt. Through the fog, Jak spied the silhouettes of enemies hiding behind the rocks.
"It's an ambush!" Torn growled into his communicator, ducking behind a large rock. "Take cover!"
“Typical,” said Jak. He replaced his goggles and cocked his gun.
Charging forward, Jak subdued two pirates on his left with frightening precision. He dodged a spray of gunfire and took out two more on his right. The rest of the squadron was superfluous.
"Who else wants some?" Jak barked, scanning the scene for his next target.
Gunmetal clattered to the ground. Five pirates came out with their hands up. The squadron took aim in case it was a ruse. The pirates fell to their knees. The guards cuffed them and took them away. The drones reported a crew of at least twenty. They weren't finished yet.
Torn told the squad to pick up the pace, but Jak fell behind. Something about the island's mists and sinking sands took him back. The enormous skeletons of primordial creatures jutting from the ground were so familiar.
“Jak?” said Torn, directing the guards to keep moving. Jak was unresponsive, looking intently at a half-buried skull. "Jak!"
Jak shook himself out of his reverie and caught up with the others. “Sorry, I just feel like I’ve been here before."
“There’ll be plenty of time to screw around after we secure the eco,” Torn told him, guiding them up an embankment.
Jak exhaled sharply through his nose. He fell in line. Torn was right to keep focus, but Jak only heard the same subtext he heard from everyone in his life: “Your needs can wait. Do what we ask.”
They came to a circular gate made from Precursor metal. A guard took out a blue eco battery to open it. The guard was promptly shot in the leg and fell, nearly losing the battery in the island muck.
Torn swore, narrowly catching the battery. He tossed it to Jak. He grabbed the fallen guard and dragged him to safety. “Jak, get in there and lock this place down!”
Checking for gunfire, Jak held the battery to the gate. Blue energy surged through it. The thought occurred, as the door spiraled open, that more pirates probably lurked on the other side. Jak quickly ducked and avoided the rush of pirates entering the fray.
Torn caught Jak’s attention from his hiding place across the doorway. The reservoir was vacant. They should seize the advantage while they had the chance. Jak nodded and followed him inside while the guards contended with the pirates.
Inside the vast reservoir, Jak's breath abandoned him. This was it, the spot where his adventures began. It was the place Daxter had his fateful accident that left him fuzzy and orange. Forgetting the battle raging outside, Jak dashed past Torn up some rickety scaffolding.
“Jak!” Torn called, chasing after him. “What the hell are you doing?”
While the guards and pirates exchanged gunfire, Jak stopped before a vat of dark eco. His outstretched hand tingled, feeling the energy calling to him. A stray bullet flew between him and Torn. The pirates were returning. The eco only tempted him more.
Torn must have read his mind. "Don't even think about it. Got any other ideas?"
Jak looked at the vat again. A crooked grin spread across his face. “Just one. Do you trust me?”
Torn sighed and heard him out. Jak's spur-of-the-moment strategies had a way of working. Torn grabbed his communicator and ordered the squadron to herd the pirates back into the reservoir.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” said Torn. Once the pirates were inside, Torn told the guards, “Okay, reseal the door. Now!”
The gate shut tight, trapping the pirates. Jak pulled an ancient lever, emptying the eco vat and flooding the lower area. The pirates froze facing the deep purple surf. They screamed and ran, clawing at the gate and pleading for their lives. Soon, their shouts bubbled to the eco's surface in globs.
"So much for taking them alive, I guess," said Torn, looking down upon the lake Jak created. "Let's hope we can salvage the eco."
Jak lifted his finger. "Wait for it."
They watched from the ledge as the pirates burst forth from the eco significantly smaller than when they started. Torn pulled out his binoculars. It was hard to tell, but underneath the eco, Torn was sure he could make out hints of orange.
“Damn,” said Torn, passing the binoculars to Jak. “You were right.”
“Told you so.” Jak looked too. The pirates had been turned into harmless ottsels. “Targets neutralized.”
The eco slowly drained through the grates into the reservoir below. Eventually, it was safe to cross. The guards chased down the pirates, who were too shaken by their transformation to pick up a gun. The mission was finished with minimal casualties and Jak had quite the story to tell Daxter later.
Jak and Torn waited for a carrier from the Freedom League's Research Division. With the eco secure, Keira and her team needed to properly analyze it. Jak paced around anxiously, avoiding the puddles of eco that collected. He hadn't seen Keira in weeks. He heard the roar of jets and ran to meet her.
Keira entered the reservoir in a white eco-resistant suit, one of many things she designed since coming to Haven. Her team of scientists followed her in matching suits and protective gloves. Jak waited as Torn briefed Keira on the mission results. Keira struggled to maintain her professionalism, laughing at the ottsels.
With her portable lab kit, Keira sat down by the reservoir and got to work. Keira only offered Jak a mere hello while she collected a sample. Jak forgave her. She could be very quiet when she got into the zone. She stuck a special stick through the reservoir's grate and had results within minutes.
“Well?” Torn asked, hovering over them. "How does it look?"
“This is what I was worried about,” Keira told him, interpreting the readouts on her machine. “This eco's been contaminated.”
“Contaminated?” Torn repeated. He grunted in frustration. “Are you sure?”
“Don't you remember this place, Keira? Misty Island!" Jak turned to Torn and continued, "We used to come here when we were kids. There was this dark eco sage named Gol. He messed around with the eco here. Daxter fell into that vat up at the top and, well... You know the rest."
Torn looked at the ottsel pirates huddled together in handcuffs. He put two and two together. "Well, that’s just great. This eco was supposed to help us through the shortage. Ashelin was counting on us to bring it in. Is there any way it can be processed to get the impurities out?”
“We could give it a shot," said Keira, double-checking the readouts, "but any eco warped enough to do that probably isn’t salvageable.” She pointed at the unruly ottsels en route to the ship. Just what they needed, more Daxters on their hands.
Torn pinched his nose and sighed. “Shit.”