Solaris: Electric Sentinel

IC: PordalPordal followed Gamelia down the road. It felt good to have someone hold your hand. He hadn't known that luxury in years."So what would you like to drink?" he asked once they got to the bar.

IC: Solaris, AliaONU-METRU"That's a good idea," Alia said, already beginning to inch her way out of the room.Solaris began to follow them, not really comfortable being in the same room as the #2 Dark Hunter."Like I said, Plan D," he mumbled.

IC: PordalThis time Pordal smiled and took the bottle."Agreed," he said. "Now, where's the bar?"

IC: Solaris"Thanks for the assist, Kryza," Solaris said.He then ducked down and swung his sword at Pantak's legs.

IC: Pordal"I'd love it if you came with me," Pordal said. "There's such a thing as sharing a drink of loneliness, but it's a lot better than just drinking alone."

IC: Pordal"It's all right," Pordal said. "I'd rather bug that General for a disk launcher than you."He thought for a moment about anything he might need. Hm, nothing, really."And of all places, I'd like to go to a bar right now," he said.

IC: PordalPordal looked about the shop, then remembered something. He felt around his satchel, checking if he still had the Iron disk Yerith had slid to him back on the bridge."You wouldn't happen to have a disk launcher anywhere, would you?" he asked.

IC: Pordal"Don't worry," Pordal reassured her. "I won't be going away for a while and I'm a skilled warrior. People don't kill me all that easily."

IC: Solaris, MitenalSolaris threw the ball of electricity at Pantak then followed through with his sword.Mite stood back, throwing little bursts of flame at Pantak, hoping to help Kryza drive him back to Solaris.

IC: Solaris, MitenalSolaris shot a web of energy at the doorway, then charged, swiping his sword at Pantak.Mite pulled his spear from behind his back and pounced at the target swinging the polearm crazily and inaccurately.

IC: Solaris, Mitenal"Bag and drag," Solaris replied. "Simple enough. Let's do this."Mite waited inside, spear hidden behind his back.

IC: Pordal"Thank you," Pordal replied. "And yes, I'll be in extremely dangerous situations. But I'm a soldier; it's what we do."He looked at his right hand. When Altal shook it, he had handed over his captain rank insignia. He removed his sergeant armplate and replaced it with the captain. It looked just like Yerith's, only much newer."And I could've sworn we won that last war," he muttered to himself.

IC: Solaris"No problemo," Solaris said, unsheathing his sword. "Let's jump this punk."He walked stealthily back to the hut.

IC: Pordal, AltalPordal's attention snapped to the doorway."Are you Sergeant Pordal MacTavish of Team Winged Dagger?" Altal asked, walking in."Aye," Pordal answered, fully facing the Turaga."Your informant told me you'd be here," Altal said, gazing about the shop. "I'm Lieutenant General Altal Shepherd former MNMC, now MNA. When Quoren Zakhaev died, a new leader rose. Ozi Mekrof. I'm forming a team to stop him before he does something to this island that he'll regret. Oh, and for your actions on that bridge in Ko-Wahi, you've been promoted to Captain."Pordal blinked, shocked. He didn't know what to say."You have already proved yourself to become a part of my team," Altal went on. "Welcome to the 141st Task Force, Captain."Pordal shook the Turaga's hand."I'd like to fight against Ozi, I really would," he said. "But I just want to be left in peace for a while.""I understand," Altal said, a dark look crossing his face. "The war hasn't started just yet. When I need you, I'll come and get you."With a salute, he walked out of the shop.

IC: Pordal, Altal"I can stay for as long as you need me," Pordal answered, getting ever closer to being able to crack a smile. "And I'd like to see you again as well."Altal grunted in frustration. Where was he? He peered into windows all over town until he came to one shop. He was talking to the shopkeeper. He'd let them finish up before coming in.

IC: Pordal, Altal"I've heard stranger names," Pordal said, thinking back. "Gamelia, though, is very nice as it is."Lieutenant General Altal Shepherd wandered through the lilypad streets of Ga-Koro with a tablet in his hand. This is where the informant said he'd be. But where exactly was he?

IC: Pordal"That's what I thought when people started calling me it," Pordal said. "But it kind of grew on me. So what's your name?"

IC: SolarisSolaris heard Kryza call for him and dashed to his location."What do you need? Something wrong?" he asked.

IC: Yerith, OziYerith felt relief as his wounds were being healed. He relaxed as the doctor moved on to burns. The doc seemed a bit tired. The Mask of Healing probably took a toll on him.Ozi sat in frustration as his own doctor removed the tubes from his leg."Is there still poison in there?" he asked, regaining some movement in his limbs."There is still some," the Vortixx doc answered, "one more transfusion and that should clear it up."Ozi placed his head on the pillowed headrest of the chair, waiting for the tubes once more.

IC: Pordal"It's all right," Pordal said to the shopkeeper. "All I need right now is some company and you're doing just fine at that. Karz, I just told a classified story and we don't even know each other's names. I'm Sergeant Pordal MacTavish. People call me Soap."

IC: Solaris, AliaONU-METRU"Detrius," Solaris answered, returning to his fake gruff voice. "I'm a mercenary what dat just got hired into the Dawk Huntas. You people sure do pay well for thieves. And I'm not wid the lady exactly. Just ran across dese guys now, really."Did he really still look like a Toa in the armor?Alia looked the ridiculous figure up and down. Hang on. He wasn't wearing any of that dusty armor on his back. No, this armor was gold. She decided not to say anything.

IC: Yerith"People have been asking me that for years," Yerith chuckled, thinking of Gaz. "But specifically, I've been hit all over with several sharp pointy things, probably spears, and I can't use my legs. I also have a few burns all about my body."

IC: Pordal"Ah, these things happen," Pordal said. "We were soldiers. I'm going against some high-up orders telling you this, but I have to tell someone. There was this force of Vortixx that my Captain-- Yerith Price-- had made angry 15 years ago. They came back for revenge and allied themselves with a force of Skakdi that were planning to take over Po-Koro. My team destroyed a cargo ship that supplied the Po-Koro revolution, catching the attention of the Vortixx. After some fighting to subdue the Skakdi in Po-Wahi, the Mata Nui Marine Corps Toa were slaughtered."That's when my team went on the offensive. We started trying to track down the people responsible for this. We did and they responded violently. Our final confrontation was on an ice bridge in Ko-Wahi. The leader of the Vortixx force was there with an army behind him. He destroyed the bridge, wounding all of us. Cedil, a Marine who was sent to us before the slaughter in Po-Wahi, dragged me to cover and was shot in the head by a stray projectile. Gaz, my best friend, was executed by the Vortixx leader. Yerith slid me a disk and I killed the Vortixx leader."That's when the rescue team came in. They tried to revive Yerith, but they gave up. He was dead, I knew it. They flew me here where I was healed. And that's that. My messed up story."

IC: YerithYerith quickly looked around the room before weakly raising his hand to answer the doctor's question.

IC: Pordal"Why... thanks. And I'm free for probably the rest of my life," Pordal said, almost trying to smile. "As for my problems... it's all rather messy. You see, all my friends are dead."He paused, trying to fend off the mental image of the bridge.