The Iron Toa

Those 'swarms' were pretty much that -- the Visorak, Rahkshi, Bohrok, and Vahki were not one of a kind, but one of many. Some of them did have personalities that seemed to depend on their 'breed' -- for example, Oohnorak are especially subservient, Guurahk are observant hunters, Tahnok are the most easily-provoked Bohrok, and Vorzakh are notorious for smashing right through obstacles when chasing criminals. But these traits didn't seem as pronounced in the story as they could have been. I can think of two reasons villains like the Piraka had more personality: 1, they actually were unique, colorful individuals rather than hordes of minions, and 2, we got to see the story from their point of view, while we rarely if ever followed the adventures of say, a Vahki.

Nidhiki wore the Mask of Stealth, and he was a sneaky type. As it says in Birth of a Dark Hunter, he had to be on the Trem Kron Peninsula where he was from, because it was dangerous there. I guess that stuck with him even after he went to Metru Nui.

Artificial gravity makes the direction of Mata Nui's back 'down'. As for the passage to Bara Magna, I'd... wait a moment. What if the southern islands slope gradually, imperceptibly, so that the islands in Mata Nui's feet are level with the ground they stand on?

Actually, Mutran wore the Mask of Silence, as did Chirox. I'm not sure how that suits the two of them. As for Vultraz, the best match I can think of between personality and mask power is that the Great Mask of Scavenging encourages killing because its user can siphon strength from dead victims, and Vultraz is a murderer. Some of the above matches, such as the ones for Karzanhi, Helryx, and Tuyet, are very clever, good thinking.

Ah, I wondered in what way the Huna could possibly be better. I thought they both made you equally invisible. What if you were blind (and did not have natural echolocation)?

According to BS01, the Great version does grant night vision to the user as well as glowing. I'd imagine that the night vision effect isn't active while it's glowing, however -- that would be hard on the eyes. But night vision without glowing would be best for when the user is alone and/or needs to be stealthy.It also says that the glow can be used offensively to blind one's enemies. That's a nice extra use for it, one I don't remember ever seeing in the story.

The mask's main use as I imagine it would be to age nonliving things like rock or metal structures to make them crumble.Oh, right. I even had it used for something like that in my epic once, haha. But still, the Kanohi Jutlin would work better for that. If the Mask of Aging could age beings like Voporak could, or even half -- a quarter or less, even -- as quickly, it would be good for killing or weakening beings by rapid aging.

And that would make the Elda a much more useful mask if the Rode didn't also have that ability. As for the Mask of Aging, that depends on how long the mask takes to age a being that lives for a hundred thousand years any meaningful amount.

Huh. I didn't notice that. As for Nuparu, the fact that he was destined to be a Toa probably meant he was a little eccentric, and he was an unusually talented engineer. But I don't think the fact that he was an engineer makes him an oddball.

Huh. I don't remember those, what were they?

I think Teridax was the best, for obvious reasons, but there are a few other Makuta that stand out to me. Those are Mutran, the foremost mad scientist, Krika, the nicest Makuta we ever knew and perhaps the least evil, Gorast, the bloodthirsty psychotic fanatic, and Icarax, who could be the most dangerous warrior in the universe, only outdone by Teridax's cunning. The rest, of course, are special characters, but those are the ones that are most memorable and entertaining to me.

I don't know... I thought the Mask of Scavenging let the user easily drain energy from a lot of corpses, while with the Avsa you need to focus on one living target. Growing each stronger with each enemy you kill sounds like a pretty useful power to me.

So, is there still going to be a poll about this?

Well, I think a Toa of Earth would be stronger than a Po-Matoran, yes. But stone types are naturally strong. I think Onu-Matoran tend to be strong too, but not as much as Po-Matoran. Maybe, in the case of the Onu-Matoran, it depends on the nature of their work -- the Onu-Matoran miners might have grown stronger since they were archivists, for example.

Whoa, that's an idea I like -- the Great Beings want 100,000 years of life after the Shattering to teach the people of Spherus Magna a lesson. But we already know that the reason they had to wait 100,000 years was for the fragments to settle -- I guess they wouldn't be aligned or orbiting right until then. As for why they didn't Meld the planet in the Main Universe, I guess either they didn't think of it or by the time they could have done that it was too late -- maybe in the Melding Universe they came up with a solution earlier.About the whole method... well, it seems they could have made a big gravity machine (or more than one) to do half of the job and sent out a space probe to do the other half. But that wouldn't have been as cool. Another idea I had was that the way the society of the beings in the Matoran Universe developed was meant to be studied just as Mata Nui studied alien species as he traveled. But the fact that the MU inhabitants were not meant to be sentient messes up that possibility.

End of YrentaChapter Thirty-eight==Domain of Makuta Krika, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~609 AGC~ “No turning back now,” said Vilam as they ducked out of sight. “I hope Mozmana and Baw will be alright.”“Us, too. Wherever you're taking us, I hope we'll be able to get out again,” said Imlen.“Well, it is near the docks,” said Stuhi. “And the prisoners I saw are pretty big and tough-looking. Maybe they can help us.”The two Toa and the Matoran continued towards a shipbuilding facility at the waterfront, and as the Dark Hunter defenders came near from the east, they did their best to stay out of sight. Generally, Toa were not stealthy beings, but Imlen and his companions had had the good fortune to be trained in the art by a Turaga from the Tren Krom Peninsula. It was uncertain if any Toa from that dangerous region were still active, and when they had been, they had been forced to hide from their enemies to survive. Imlen and Vilam put what they had learned to good use, moving along behind buildings and staying in the shadows as they approached their destination. Stuhi didn't have the training they did, but his stature helped him stay hidden well enough. The Toa were still several blocks from the shore when the sound of battle resumed, louder than before. They glanced back to see Dark Hunters and Brotherhood forces battling down the street where they had passed minutes ago. The clamor was momentarily covered up by a tremendous boom accompanied by a column of flame and smoke in the south.“The munitions storehouse,” said Stuhi anxiously.“Don't worry, we got everyone out,” Imlen assured him. “I'm surprised it lasted this long.”“Incoming! Move!” Vilam yelled suddenly.The Toa threw themselves forward as the leafy green hut they had been using for cover was struck by a Rhotuka. The spinner instantly removed all moisture from the woven plants that made up the structure, causing the dwelling to whither and crumble. The same happened to the other Ga-Matoran huts on the street, and several others were blown to bits by incoming artillery, revealing the Dark Hunters that had been hiding behind them. Now exposed, the outnumbered mercenaries were slaughtered by the wave of Visorak and other Makuta servants that washed over the devastated street. The Toa also had no time to find shelter, and a Brotherhood platoon went after them, led by a trio of Rahkshi. Imlen picked up Stuhi and the Toa ran, dodging incoming energy bolts and Rhotuka. They outpaced the Visorak and soldiers, but the Rahkshi flew after them. The Makuta-spawn were just about to catch up to them when the Toa stopped suddenly before a crossfire between the two factions tearing through the city block just ahead.The Toa had surely been seen by the warriors on either side, but for now the two enemies were occupied exchanging shots with each other, leaving the Toa to face the Rahkshi. Imlen let Stuhi down, instructing the Le-Matoran to find shelter, and he and Vilam turned to confront the reptilian machines. They did not wish to remain out in the open any longer than they could help, and so they did not hold back with their elemental powers. Imlen quickly melted the head of the Rahkshi of Laser Vision, incinerating the Kraata within. His next attack, however, was blown away by the second Rahkshi, a Rahkshi of Cyclone, and the Rahkshi of Plant Control Vilam faced proved to be tenacious as well. As Vilam's lightning could not be blown away and plants could not survive the heat of Imlen's plasma, the Toa moved to switch opponents, but the Rahkshi countered, moving between the Toa to keep them apart, then forcing each of them to retreat away from each other. Imlen wasn't much afraid of the Rahkshi – they were frustratingly elusive, but so far Imlen and Vilam had in turn managed to easily evade their attacks – but the time this confrontation was taking worried him.The rest of the Brotherhood platoon was still advancing down the street towards them, and soon the fight on the other side would be over. Indeed, just as Vilam fried the Rahkshi of Plant Control, Imlen's opponent was suddenly disintegrated by a ray of orange light. He turned to see that on this block, the Dark Hunters had prevailed, for now at least. The Hunters' next target was the Toa, and the one that had fired the disintegration beam aimed his weapon at Imlen. The Toa of Plasma dodged, avoiding the deadly shaft, and Vilam channeled a lightning bolt at the mercenary's weapon before he could get another shot off. The high-tech device exploded in its wielder's hands, taking that one out of the fight, but there were many more of the gangsters remaining on this street. As some of them opened fire with ranged weapons and the rest charged, the Toa ran to the street to the west, in the direction they had seen Stuhi take. With the Toa out of the way, the Brotherhood platoon and the group of Dark Hunters had a clear path to each other. Forgotten for the present, the Toa had a moment of peace, but more Brotherhood warriors were approaching.“Stuhi! Where are you?” called Imlen. There was no response, and he cursed.“Stuhi!” Vilam called, also to no effect, and she turned to Imlen. “We need to keep moving, Imlen.”“I know,” said Imlen, bowing his head with reluctant acceptance. “I hope he's alright.”Vilam didn't have anything worthwhile to say in response. This row of streets had become the front line, and there was little room to hide. And yet it was possible that a Matoran would be overlooked or ignored by the two armies. The Toa did not have time to worry about it now: they were surrounded. Another struggle between the Makuta and Dark Hunter forces was occurring to the north, and the Toa had no choice but to navigate through the midst of the battle. Though the combatants of either side were mostly concerned with battling each other, some of them blocked the progress of the Toa and had to be taken down. The fight reached all the way through the streets to the building Stuhi had told the Toa about, and when it was in sight the Dark Hunters guarding it were still holding their own against the Brotherhood assault, though Visorak and enemy soldiers were beginning to surround them. Battered from their trip through the battle, the Toa took shelter in the blasted remains of a stone building nearby. There, they waited for the best opportunity to break into the shipyards.In a few minutes, the time came – or perhaps it was already too late. There was a rumble as a hole was knocked in the seaward wall of the great workshop, and Dark Hunters on either side of the building rushed to defend the breach. The Toa got up and bolted towards the eastern entrance, catching the Brotherhood warriors on that side by surprise. With a precise application of elemental energy, Imlen melted the locks securing the wide wooden doors, only to find that the doors were barred from the other side. While Vilam kept watch, he conjured a larger stream of plasma that turned the doors into molten ashes. The Toa ducked inside to find a pair of Dark Hunter guards with their backs turned. They were shooting their launchers at the Brotherhood minions forcing their way in from the opposite wall, across several boats that were being outfitted with weaponry before the battle started. The Toa knocked out the two Dark Hunters before they were seen, and hoped the warriors on the other side of the room would remain in a deadlock.The building was bisected by a wide, deep depression in which a larger vessel was under construction, and upon scanning the room the Toa saw the head of a large warrior poking out from it. Dropping down into it, they saw that this work pit reached out of the building to a drydock that was closed off by a gate. For now, their movement seemed to have gone unnoticed, and they took cover behind a stack of building materials before they were seen. From there, they risked a quick peek in the direction of the tall Hunter, opposite from the drydock. Vilam spotted a trapdoor at the feet of a group of the gangsters, and it seemed the Dark Hunters in turn had caught a glimpse of her, for the Toa heard curious muttering. Seconds later, the stack of supplies they hid behind was blasted into pieces – only to reveal nothing, for the Toa had already moved. Surprised by that, but still quite sure there were intruders, the Hunters split up. Two of them remained behind to guard the trapdoor, while the remaining four searched down each side of the unfinished ship, two on each side. The Hunters on the port side of the ship caught the smell of melting metal and ashes a second before the vessel tipped over and fell on them.The Toa jumped out from under the ship just before it fell, plasma still wafting from Imlen's hand. Still startled by the crash that heralded the loss of two of their allies, the mercenaries on that side were quickly knocked out with a twin elemental blast. As Imlen and Vilam charged the last two Dark Hunters in the work area, dozens of Visorak dropped down. The Brotherhood forces had prevailed at the breach in the wall above, and were now eliminating all resistance in the shipyard. The Toa filled the work pit with a storm of scorching ionized matter, clearing a path to the trapdoor, but more Brotherhood warriors kept dropping down. There was little room to maneuver, and Rhotuka spinners were everywhere. A barrage of spinners from all directions felled the two remaining Dark Hunters, and they were lost under the swarm of soldier Rahi. The Toa made it a little farther, then Vilam was struck. It was a Boggarak's spinner, and she let out an inaudible gasp as she felt the moisture being drained from her body. She was not dehydrated to the point of death, but her muscles whithered, and Imlen barely managed to grab onto her to keep her from falling.He half dragged, half pushed her to the trapdoor. Somehow, they made it, though when Imlen began to melt his way through a paralysis spinner hit him. The Toa fell, breaking through the damaged hatch and landing with a thud on the level below. Sore and immobilized, they could only watch helplessly as two Visorak climbed down to finish them off... then there was a bellow from across the room, a flash of movement, and the screech of the Visorak as they were thrown against the wall. Imlen's vision blurred and refocused to reveal a proud-looking being with yellow and blue armor standing over him, visible by torchlight.“Hmm... traitorous Toa working for the Makuta or the Dark Hunters, or has help arrived after all?” the vaguely reptilian being pondered aloud. “Friend or foe, you've arrived in sorry shape.”“We're here to help, I think,” Imlen croaked. “But please, she needs water, and I've been paralyzed by a Visorak.”“So, I must rescue those who meant to rescue us,” chuckled the blue and yellow being. “But you deserve thanks for the effort, and though I managed to free myself, it sounds like we'll need help getting out of here.”“'We'?” asked Imlen. “I can't look around – who else is...”“One thing at a time, Toa friend,” said the prisoner as he gently lifted Vilam. “Your companion here is nearly dead. But there's a pipe here that must supply drinking water to the workers above...”The blue and yellow being dragged Vilam out of Imlen's field of vision, and a moment later Imlen heard a crash and the sound of rushing water. The mysterious prisoner of the Dark Hunters returned, and before Imlen could protest he was propped up facing a row of cells. It was too dark to be certain, but Imlen thought he saw two more beings of the same species as the one that was holding him up, each in a different cell.“She'll live. Rohi has some healing ability, he might be able to speed her recovery and cure your paralysis. I hope so, because we don't have time to wait around. Rohi is him,” said the prisoner that had broken out of his cell, pointing to the one in black and orange armor. “I am Marchog, and we two are sworn protectors of our king, King Brenkonin.”“A king?” said Imlen with disbelief.“Indeed. Though sadly there is not much left to rule,” admitted King Brenkonin, a purple and brown-armored individual who retained a somewhat regal manner despite being chained up in a cell in a workshop basement. “I would tell you more, but now is not the time. Marchog, we must escape immediately.”“Yes, my liege,” said Marchog, and with a mighty pull he tore the lock from Rohi's cell, then he rushed inside and freed his ally from the chains that bound him.More Visorak dropped down from above, but the trapdoor only let in two or three at a time, so Marchog was able to hold them off with Vilam's sword while his ally tended to the Toa. The black and orange being first cured Imlen using the artificial Rhotuka launcher that had been implanted into his arm, and next he treated Vilam. His power accelerated the rejuvenating effect the water had on her dry organic tissue, and soon she was able to sit up. By then, Imlen had freed Brenkonin, and the two of them had joined the fight against the Visorak. Vilam recovered just in time, for at that moment part of the ceiling collapsed, and many more soldiers and Visorak dropped down. Though the freed prisoners were skilled warriors, and they soon rearmed themselves with weapons taken from fallen Brotherhood soldiers, they and the Toa were soon forced to retreat. The subterranean level was spacious, but in the dim light no exit was visible. Rohi shouted a warning as more cracks formed in the ceiling, and with a great crash the unfinished vessel fell through, crushing several Visorak.“Is there another way out down here?” asked Imlen as he scanned the room, using his plasma for illumination.“Not that we've seen. Our captors always used the trapdoor,” said Brenkonin, squinting from the glare of the plasma. “Though of course, the sea is in that direction. If you think flooding the building would work to our advantage...”“It would put most of our enemies off balance. Can you three swim?” said Vilam as she fried a group of Visorak.“I wouldn't be much of an elite protector if I wasn't trained for such situations,” said Marchog, and the other two nodded in affirmation.“Right then. Here we go,” said Imlen, and he turned his elemental light source into a superheated orb that he launched at the seaward wall.Water rushed through the hole Imlen created, and the damage to the wall caused the water to create a wider opening for itself. Much of the wall collapsed, and the Visorak and soldiers were caught by surprise and submerged by the sudden flood, though the Boggarak and some of the soldiers recovered. The Toa and their new allies had also been surprised by how quickly the water flooded in, but they too recovered. Water continued to rush through the gap, preventing them from escaping that way until the water in the building reached sea level. The water filled the entire basement, and the Toa smashed through the ceiling to find that the drydock had broken away and the main level of the building was being flooded. Several boats in various states of completion were adrift, and the Toa and the three other beings climbed onto the most seaworthy of these that could fit them all. A few Keelerak had climbed up onto a pile of debris to avoid the water and were launching acid spinners that threatened to burn holes in the vessel's hull. Imlen was feeling low on elemental energy, but he decided this was a good time to use it. As he aimed his staff, however, King Brenkonin raised his hand in the direction of the Visorak. There was a strange sound, and the pile of debris suddenly toppled over, dropping the green Rahi into the water.“Implanted kinetic force launchers,” explained the king, showing Imlen the device imbedded in his palm. “The Shadowed One ruined our home, but the Dark Hunters have also showed us some intriguing advances in personal weaponry and artificial enhancements. And a king must be able to defend himself.”“I'd like to hear more about your people, when we have time,” said Imlen. “Right now we need to get out of here and find the other two Toa we came with, and make sure the Matoran are safe.”“There are plenty of Matoran in this universe,” said Marchog. “Our priority is to get my liege to – ”“Now, now, Marchog, I believe it is in our best interest to keep these brave Toa on our side,” chided Brenkonin. “And you must sympathize with these villagers – after all, does their fate not remind you of that of our people?”“Yes sir, I apologize, and I will do as you command,” said Marchog without hesitation. “Rohi, does this thing have an engine, or sails?”“It has a motor, but it hasn't been finished,” the other guardian called back from across the boat. “I think the Toa of Lightning and I can rig it to start, though. You and the Toa of Plasma defend us while we work.”“Better hurry – more enemies are coming,” warned Marchog.But it was not additional Brotherhood forces coming to secure the ruined shipyard, but a small squad of Dark Hunter operatives. One of them fired a cannon that wrecked the boat in one shot, and the rest jumped into the water, apparently determined to recapture the king and his two protectors alive. Immediately, the Toa and the other beings jumped out of the sinking vessel, landing on the deck of another one that was barely floating, and from there they swam the short distance to the flooded and crumbling building's western wall. Brenkonin blasted a hole in the damaged stone face, and the five companions were washed out onto the beach, ending up beneath a pier. They followed the shore westward for a while until the way was blocked by a wharf, and at that point they climbed back up to the embattled town. As they stealthily moved through the streets, they were surprised to find the fight was not yet over – it felt like they had been in the shipyard for a long time. As expected, the numerically superior Brotherhood forces had taken much of the city, but there were pockets of Dark Hunter resistance, and it appeared the Brotherhood had suffered disproportionately high casualties.“Who, if I may ask, are you looking for?” Rohi asked the Toa. “In fact, I do not believe you ever answered our introductions with your names.”“I'm sorry – we met in a tight spot, after all,” said Imlen. “We're not safe yet, of course, but I can tell you that my name is Imlen, and my companion is Vilam. We are the Toa Muktirhith, and we arrived with the last member of our team, the Toa of Psionics Mozmana, and an independent Toa of Earth named Baw that we allied with for this mission.”“I see now that your mission was not to rescue us, as I had hoped,” said Brenkonin. “But we are fortunate and thankful that in your efforts to help the inhabitants of this town you learned of our plight and came to our aid.”“For that, you can thank a Le-Matoran named Stuhi, if he's still alive,” said Vilam, and just then the earth rumbled.“It sounds like Baw is,” said Imlen, and the group ran towards the source of the vibrations.It felt as though the tremors had originated from nearby, but the five beings traveled for many blocks without finding the source. Along the way, they had to fight through several Brotherhood platoons, and with the Toa out of elemental energy their abilities paled in comparison to the king and his warriors. Just as they thought they had passed by Baw, there was a far mightier quake that nearly knocked them off their feet, and several buildings that had already been damaged collapsed. When the rumbling stopped, they heard sounds of intense battle ahead, and continued a short distance to find the source of the noise. There, battling off a horde of Visorak and Brotherhood soldiers was Baw, aided by at least a hundred Matoran. Corpses from both sides littered the cracked ground, and though Imlen and Vilam were relieved to see that Baw and many of the Matoran were still alive, the sight of so many dead Matoran stung them: each body signified a failure of the Toa to protect those that needed them. More Matoran were sure to fall before the day was over, but the Toa were determined to save as many as they could.“Baw!” Imlen called as he and his allies joined the battle. “Over here!”“Imlen, Vilam, you're just in time!” the battered and weary Toa of Earth called back. “Watch out – Dark Hunters behind you.”“Call us Dark Hunters again, Toa of Earth, and I will have you locked in a dungeon and see how you like it,” said Brenkonin as he took on a dozen Visorak.“So they're not Dark Hunters, I take it?” Baw said to Imlen while the Toa fought side by side. “But what does he mean by – ”“I'll explain later. Let's get out of here first,” said Imlen.Review

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. That makes sense.

After 1000 years of wandering aimlessly from a malfunction. And yet both the Piraka and Toa Inika successfully used Toa Canisters to Voya Nui (even though neither of them were Toa at the time, I might add).

I guess there's more than one word for gravity in the Matoran language. I don't think changes in gravity would come up in a Matoran's life enough for that to be useful.

It was the response to that that made it really funny:

End of YrentaChapter Thirty-seven==Domain of Makuta Krika, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~609 AGC~ The years passed quickly for the Toa as they traveled the land, hiding from the Brotherhood of Makuta and doing what they could to improve the lives of the continent's inhabitants. Though they had since learned that Makuta Teskor was still alive, he usually left the Matoran of Yrenta in peace, and the villagers were happier than they had been for a long time. But that did not mean the Makuta were idle. Throughout the Northern Continent and, if the rumors were to be believed, the rest of the universe, Brotherhood and Dark Hunter activity was increasing. It seemed both sides had their plans, and they were not the only ones: the Toa Muktirhith had heard from Iskanemo on several occasions, and learned their old companion was busy recruiting fellow Toa and other allies to his side. His progress was frustratingly slow, he had told them, but he had found a small group of new friends and was hoping to soon make important connections that would accelerate his plans. Imlen wished him luck and said he would consider rejoining Iskanemo later, but for now he had other concerns.For instance, the impending Brotherhood attack on a major port that had been seized by the Dark Hunters. It was the same town the Toa had arrived in upon returning to the Northern Continent all those years ago. The Hunters had seized it, hindering the Brotherhood and empowering themselves, and the Makuta were planning to take it back. To keep the port functioning for them, the Dark Hunters had ruled it with an iron fist, and prevented any of the locals from leaving. Even with battle looming, they kept the citizens of the port pressed into service, and the casualties were sure to be high. And so Turaga Xhaliki of the nearby Po-Koro had asked the Toa Muktirhith to evacuate the city. He had also recruited a Toa of Earth named Baw, but even the four Toa together would stand little chance against the strong Dark Hunter presence. There was no choice but to take advantage of the incoming Brotherhood army one way or the other. If the Hunters were reasonable, the Matoran would be safe before the battle began. If not, the mission would be chaotic and difficult.With the Brotherhood force expected to arrive the very same day, the Toa hoped for the former. Riding Hypaka, they reached the coastal settlement in a few hours. As they approached the southern entrance, Mozmana sent out a telepathic request for a parley to the Dark Hunters guarding the gate. To the relief of the Toa, the sentinels agreed, though they insisted the Toa come forth and speak to them face to face. Imlen and the others complied, and met the trio of heavily-armed and thuggish-looking beings under the archway leading into the city. Many more Dark Hunters were visible within. Most of them remained supervising the port's laborers, but some came to back up their comrades at the gate.“What're you doing here, Toa?” grunted one of the sentinels.“They're the Toa Muktirhith!” exclaimed another. “That's right, I know who you are. I've heard of your deeds – you're quite well-known around here. Very impressive, but surely you don't think you four alone could possibly reclaim – ”“We're not here to force you out of town,” interrupted Baw. “We're here to rescue the inhabitants.”“And we're not completely alone in this,” Imlen added. “You know as well as I do that our common enemy, the Brotherhood of Makuta, will soon be here. Now, I offer you miscreants a choice: release the citizens of this city, and we will leave you to defend yourselves against the Brotherhood... or we will be forced to break in during the battle, causing chaos and damage that will severely impair your defenses.”“The locals are keeping this port running for us,” said one of the Dark Hunters that had come forth from within the city. “Why should we let you take them away?”“Well, provided you win the coming battle, you'll still have the infrastructure intact,” said Vilam. “You could do the work yourselves... no, you'd just bring in more slaves.”“You make some good points,” said the second Dark Hunter. “But you're in no position to argue. Get them!”The Toa nimbly dodged backwards, avoiding the barrage of projectiles and energy blasts. Imlen looked at what they were up against. In addition to the uncounted mercenaries within the city, there were the three sentinels, each of them armed with a launcher of some kind and a melee weapon, and six or seven others of various sizes and weaponry. He was confident they could take out this first group, but without the Makuta army keeping the Dark Hunters occupied, the Toa would surely be overwhelmed by the rest of them. They could probably retreat safely, without being pursued, yet Imlen was not quite ready to give up on the negotiations. After leaning to the side to evade a Rhotuka, he hurled a globe of plasma into the enemy mob. While the Hunters were distracted or blinded by the glowing ball, Vilam released a forked lightning bolt that knocked out two of the criminals and stunned another three. A Zamor struck Baw, and while he struggled internally to resist its effects, Mozmana bought the Toa a few seconds with a mental assault. The Toa of Earth prevailed and struck the ground with his hammer. The earth shook violently, and while the Dark Hunters stumbled the gateway trembled, then collapsed on them.“Now, we can keep doing this, weakening you, lowering your chance to prevail against the Brotherhood,” said Imlen to the last Dark Hunter left standing at the city entrance, on the other side of the pile of rubble. “Or you can reconsider my offer.”“I guess I ought to ask my boss about this,” said the gray-armored gangster, clearly impressed by the brief show of power. “Wait... wait here.”He whispered something to a quintet of his allies that had rushed to the collapsed gate. While they stood guard, he darted off to the midst of the city. A short but awkward while passed, each group watching the other carefully without speaking, before the gray Dark Hunter returned with another: one of the slender blue beings with hypnotic red eyes.“Are you the leader of... of the occupation here?” Imlen asked the blue Dark Hunter, careful to not meet his gaze.“What? No. The one in charge here isn't stupid enough to come out in front of a group of Toa,” said the thug with hypnosis powers. “However, he has reluctantly accepted your offer. Since it seems we don't have any choice, we'll march all the inhabitants out of the city and into your care.”“It's not easy to lie to a Toa of Psionics,” said Mozmana, and she probed deeper into the minds of the Dark Hunters.“What is it? What are they planning?” asked Baw.“To only let out half the population,” said Mozmana, her eyes still closed in concentration. “As if we wouldn't notice.”“Look, the Brotherhood might be here three hours from now or three minutes,” said Imlen. “Are you going to keep wasting time or – ”“Actually – ” the gray Dark Hunter interrupted, only to be interrupted himself.“Actually, they're going to try to kill us,” said Mozmana. “Again.”Before Mozmana had finished speaking, the Toa prepared for combat. As before, they easily dodged the first attack. But this time, instead of retaliating to knock the Hunters out, they struck back with just enough force to gain a moment to flee. When the Dark Hunters recovered, they chased the Toa, crawling over the remains of the archway or smashing through the rubble to reach them. The Toa jumped onto their Hypaka and spurred the beasts forward. Looking back, they saw about fifteen Dark Hunter mercenaries pursuing them. They headed southwest to travel along the coast, and as they left the port city behind, most of the Dark Hunters broke off from the chase and returned to prepare for the battle against the Brotherhood. The remaining Hunters were able to match pace with the Hypaka, by natural ability or artificial enhancements. The Toa zigzagged to avoid incoming projectiles and evaded any Hunters that briefly caught up to them. They managed to keep away from their pursuers for nearly half an hour before their mounts tired and they were forced to come to a stop. They dismounted, sent the Hypaka to graze and rest a safe distance away, and faced the small group of mercenaries.“We're kio away from where the battle's going to be,” said Vilam to an orange Dark Hunter with a jetpack as they sparred. “You think you have a better chance against us than the Brotherhood, is that it?”“A few Toa or an entire Brotherhood legion? I'll choose to fight the Toa,” replied the Dark Hunter, going on the offensive. “I get paid either way, and I'm looking forward to killing another Toa.”“You killed one of us? I'm surprised,” said Vilam, easily parrying the gangster's attacks. “Seems beyond your ability.”“Oh, it was thousands of years ago,” admitted the Hunter, and he took a step back to adopt a different stance. “Perhaps I'm not as quick as I used to be, but I think I can make you the second on my list.”“That wouldn't be much of a list,” taunted Vilam. “Anyway... good luck doing that... with just one hand!”With that, she stabbed at his leg. The verbal feint worked: her opponent was expected her to aim for his hand, and instead he received a protosteel blade through his thigh. He was more persistent than she had expected, however, and swung at her despite his injury. Vilam leaned back just in time and was forced to let go of the hilt, leaving the weapon imbedded in the Hunter's leg. She was forced to retreat backwards, step by step, before his savage swings, but he couldn't go far in that state. After several paces, his leg gave out and he fell. A small electric spark aimed at his weapon caused him to drop it, and Vilam reached over and retrieved hers. While the orange mercenary fainted, she went to aid her companions. The rest of the Dark Hunters were more formidable, and though the Toa prevailed without being injured, they were winded when it was over. After resting for a little while, they turned around and rode back towards the port, leaving the unconscious Dark Hunters where they lay. As they approached the town, it seemed they were just in time.The Brotherhood army was visible on the horizon, coming from the east just as expected, and the two factions' ships could already be seen battling in the harbor. There was a small perimeter of Dark Hunters defending the western boundary of the settlement; most of them had gone to the other side to meet the oncoming army. As usual, the Hunters were outnumbered, but they had an impressive assortment of high-tech weapons and defensive emplacements placed strategically around the city and within it. The Toa had to beware of these cannons, for a hit from one of them could turn a being into a big mess, but when the defenders opened fire it was clear they were for use against easily targeted rows of enemies rather than a handful of nimble targets. Some of the Hunters had poor enough judgment to fire plasma cannons at the group. Imlen took control of the incoming bolts and streams of supercharged matter and redirected them at their source with explosive results. To his distress, several of the city's huts were set on fire by the exploding weapons.Fortunately, the inhabitants were not helpless, and in the turmoil the Dark Hunters could not prevent the Matoran from leaving their burning dwellings and fleeing towards the Toa. Mozmana stayed behind to protect these and direct them to find shelter while the other Toa pressed on into the middle of the city to save the others. The Dark Hunters put up some resistance, but most of them were busy fending off the two-pronged Brotherhood assault. The fire Imlen accidentally started soon burned out, leaving several ruined buildings but no casualties, but incoming artillery reignited parts of the city and smashed many structures to pieces. The Toa used the rubble and flames to their advantage to create defensive barriers, behind which they pulled the Matoran out of danger and directed them to where Mozmana was waiting. They had just evacuated the second to last building on the street they were on when they saw a large, dark shape at the waterfront. A sleek, nimble Dark Hunter vessel had made it through the Makuta armada and was releasing its passengers onto the docks.The handful of beings that came out of the ship were all large, heavily-armed, and very dangerous-looking – no doubt elite operatives dispatched specially for this important battle. The Toa darted into the next building, hoping that the operatives would go directly to fight the Brotherhood army. They found themselves in a warehouse, full of munitions. The laborers were hiding behind the crates, halting their work while there were no Dark Hunters to oversee them, but afraid to leave the building. Their attitude changed when the structure suddenly shuddered and began to collapse. Baw used his Mask of Telekinesis to hold up as much of the cracked roof as he could while Vilam and Imlen aided the Matoran that had been buried in rubble. A few of them were killed, but Matoran were hardy, and most of the buried workers burst out of the debris on their own. With a firm punch, Imlen knocked a hole in the buckling western wall and guided the Matoran through it. Vilam was helping a Matoran that had been injured by a falling crate when another section of the wall crumbled, revealing the Dark Hunter operatives.“Hurry, Imlen! We'll hold them off,” she said, and Baw broke out of his mask-focused trance to hurl the debris he was supporting at the incoming Hunters.Imlen hesitated. The last one to tell him that in such a situation – a non-Toa friend they had met in their travels a decade ago – had never returned. But Vilam could handle herself, and what Imlen had seen of Baw indicated he could too. Regardless, they had a job to do. The Matoran needed to be led to safety. He ignored his misgivings and made sure the laborers all made it out of the warehouse. They evacuated as quickly as they could, which was slower than Imlen would have liked due to the injuries some of them had sustained. In the first moment of combat against the elite agents, it was clear to Vilam that she and Baw only had a chance to survive because their enemies were holding back. That didn't surprise her – this place was full of valuable and volatile equipment, and there was no telling how big the explosion would be if the whole building blew. There was a good chance the operatives themselves would be killed in such a catastrophe, and even if that wasn't the case, it would still be a great waste of armaments.But just as the Dark Hunters were forced to resort to melee combat, she did not dare to call upon her element here. That left her to rely on her sword and her Mask of Fusion. She usually used her Kanohi only to facilitate the transformation into Kaita, as she did not like to forcibly merge with her enemies, but sometimes such a technique was her best hope. After narrowly dodging the rapid attacks of a massive gray and black Steltian with an abundance of claws, she realized that if Imlen wasn't finished soon, she would have to resort to using her mask against her opponent. But before she could attempt to activate her Kanohi, she would need just a moment to concentrate on it. The warrior she faced was not giving her the chance, and Baw was too busy to assist her. After some desperate dodging and parrying, she managed to strike the claws of the Dark Hunter's left hand with enough strength to damage them. The Hunter recoiled, and she took that second to tackle him as she activated her mask. Vilam successfully merged with him, but the fusion would be hard to maintain. She had never before fused with anything so big and ugly, though that was not what would make this difficult: the Steltian had a surprisingly stubborn mind.Struggling against his strong will, she managed to keep him out of the fight long enough for Imlen to return and give the staggering fusion a hard shove. It fell over onto its allies just as the wall of earth Baw had erected was breached. The shock of the fall forced Vilam to release her mental hold, and she was immediately separated from the Dark Hunter. She nearly fainted, but the danger of the moment along with years of practice kept her awake. The black and gray Dark Hunter was also conscious, barely, though one of the assassins he had fallen onto had been knocked out. As he unsteadily got to his feet, an artillery strike from the battle outside penetrated the roof and detonated a barely safe distance from a rack of missiles. The Toa wouldn't wait for the next shot to land in the warehouse: the Matoran had been evacuated, and the building was sure to be blown to bits any moment. They fled through the hole they had left for the workers, and the Hunters, seeing the wisdom of immediately abandoning the place, left the way they had come in. Outside, the Toa were relieved to see some of the locals were evacuating on their own. They recognized one of them as Kyhudh, Ta-Matoran leader of the local city guard.“Keep away from that building!” warned Imlen as the Toa approached the Matoran leader. “It's full of explosives – one good hit and it'll be a big fireball.”“Ah, Toa! There you are, thank goodness. Thanks for the warning, but we already knew what the Hunters were using that place for,” said Kyhudh. “Now, I'm hearing that one of you is waiting at the western end of town...”“Right. Get there as quick as you can,” said Baw. “Where are we needed most?”“I'm, uh, not sure,” said the guard captain as an explosion rumbled in the background. “Ask around, see if anyone's friends haven't been accounted for. Once you got things started and the Dark Hunters all went to fight, most of us got moving, but some might have been hurt in the confusion or be afraid to leave their homes.”“Thanks. We'll get right to it – now you get to safety,” said Vilam.“This is my city. I have a duty to do just as much as you do – I'll be right back,” said Kyhudh.There was no time to argue. The Toa left him to do as he would and did as he instructed. As random buildings were flattened by collateral damage, they hoped no one had been left behind in them. Several times they did find Matoran cowering in their dwellings and workplaces that had to be escorted to where their friends were streaming out of the town. One Ga-Matoran reported something strange: her friend, a Le-Matoran named Stuhi, had run off in a different direction. The Toa were not sure if they had time to save such a fool, but the Ga-Matoran insisted that Stuhi must have had a good reason for his recklessness. He couldn't have gone far yet, she told them, and they decided to see if they could find him. After the Toa had run past a few buildings in the direction she indicated, the green-armored local emerged from an alley and approached them. Like the other Matoran, he looked relieved to see them, though it seemed to Vilam he had something important to tell them.“Stuhi?” questioned Imlen, and the Le-Matoran nodded. “We were sent to find you. What are you doing out here? Get with the others right away!”“But-but there's something you should know,” protested Stuhi.“Well, out with it then, we're in a hurry, if you haven't noticed,” said Baw.“Of course. The Dark Hunters are keeping some special prisoners here,” said the Matoran quickly. “No one else knows, but I caught a peek. I can show you, come on!”“Just one of us,” said the Toa of Earth. “We still need to make sure the rest of you are safe. I'll come with you; Imlen, Vilam, you get back to evacuating the Matoran.”“They'll be guarded. One Toa might not be enough,” said Stuhi uncertainly. “Please, I think it's important.”“Fine, Vilam and I will go, then,” said Imlen rather impatiently, and Baw nodded and left. “Go on, lead the way. This had better be worth it.”Stuhi led them towards the docks. The streets they passed through were empty and quiet. The emptiness was not surprising, as most of the population had left by now, but the silence struck Imlen as disturbing. Until recently, the sound of battle had steadily intensified. Stray shots had torn through the once neat rows of buildings, but none were landing now. Surely the battle was not over already. Looking briefly through one such gap in the buildings, the Toa glimpsed many of the surviving Dark Hunters abandoning their line of defense to head to the center of the port settlement, towards the Toa. As the thunder of thousands of marching feet came to Imlen's ears from the opposite direction, he realized what was going on. With their heavy firepower, Hunters had put up a strong resistance where the Brotherhood army had arrived, and now, learning of the damage the Toa had caused to the western defenses, the Makuta forces had withdrawn and circled around to assault that weak point. Though it was possible Mozmana and some of the Matoran had escaped before the Brotherhood army cut them off, it was most likely too late for Baw and the rest of the locals to do so. As for Imlen and Vilam, they were certainly trapped between the two armies now.Review

Hmm, what Bonesiii said about the Kanohi Olisi made me wonder if Karzanhi ever looked at what his life would be like if he started being good or nice (or if he invented the Fing-longer).

Well, I don't think the Zakaz thing matters too much, considering that there were no Matoran on the island of the Skakdi, as far as we know.But there easily could have been.Maybe originally, but I expect any Matoran there would leave or be killed off when the Skakdi were mutated and everything (metaphorically) went to Karzanhi.

Yes, I said one of them. As for the memorial stone, I forgot about that clue. That doesn't really fit any of the Barraki, does it?

I guess there's not much point speculating on it now, but I had an idea: could the murderer be one of the Barraki? They're free and they crave power, so they'd want to eliminate other beings of power so they can rule without rivals.