Cederak

1. United States2. English 3. Very easily, yes.4. I don't frequent toy aisles much anymore, so I wouldn't know.5. They show up pretty quickly.6. I've never bought online, so I can't say what's easier.7. Not really. I'm pretty sure we have a lot.9. As a joke?10. I remember you.-Ced

Hmm...I kept tallying up to 120 - minus the two achievements you slipped in at the end. That grants you a review token, however, despite being "too lazy to find them," you're not entitled to accept it until the achievements have been properly confirmed via links. Congrats on making Novice Novelist, Kakaru. -Ced

@Extractor - Thank you. It was a fun idea for a contest and it put a new twist on a familiar place. -Ced

@fishers - Thank you for the review. I wanted to end things in a way that was satisfying for readers while also leaving me with enough of an opening to possibly pursue a "Season 2" at some point in the future. Since I've been cranking out one epic a year for the past few years now though, I'm taking some time off from epic writing (somewhat required since I suspect my upcoming career change is going to demand a lot of my time). If I were to make a sequel to Cenotaphs, I wouldn't expect the first chapter posted any sooner than summer of 2014, so...we'll see.Regarding Trylac, I don't think I dropped many hints about his status as an Order agent, specifically showing him as a character that was quite the opposite to their ideals. I suppose it could be inferred that, being a former Hand member, since many operatives were asked to join the Order later on, Trylac was approached by them and agreed. Trivolox meanwhile, despite only having three appearances, was intended to be a slightly more obvious Order operative.-Ced

"Hold on tight to your dream." -Electric Light Orchestra

Episode 15: Cascading Chaos (Epilogue)

<<<Pridak: Failure>>>

Pridak stared blankly at the far wall of his cell, having sat in a slump for weeks. He ate only enough to survive and sleep never came easily. His waking hours, entire centuries sometimes, were plagued by the memories of his defeat at the hands of a Brotherhood operative, a constant reminder of all that he had lost. He once saw himself as the king of his universe, but that had been a very long time ago. Since that day, Pridak and his fellow Barraki had been joined in the Pit by hundreds of other biomechs, guilty of crimes that paled in comparison to attempting the overthrow of the Great Spirit. The Barraki were respected by their fellow inmates, but the admiration of the universe's scum wasn't satisfying to Pridak at all. He wanted vengeance on Makuta Teridax, he wanted him to die as slowly and painfully as possible. Of the few things Pridak took pleasure in during his time in the Pit, playing out scenarios in his mind of how he'd kill the Makuta was near the top of the list. Pridak was smart enough to know the Makuta had buried the League of Six Kingdoms, but the night Botar arrived on the beach, he suddenly became aware of another player in the universe. There was no mistaking Teridax's shock at the sight of Botar, and the Pit he had delivered the Barraki to was apparently run by an organization to which he belonged. Someone had been watching behind the curtain all along, waiting patiently to ensure the Barraki saw their definition of justice. If he ever escaped, Pridak knew he would have to stay cautious of this phantom faction before ultimately stomping them out.

He closed his eyes, too weak to do much else. Pridak knew the jailer didn't like him starving himself and, more than once, one of the Maxilos machines had been used to force the warlord into having a meal. Hydraxon wanted his prisoners kept alive and Pridak could only assume it was his idea of a perfect punishment for biomechs that lived for thousands of years. Compared to spending millennia behind bars, Pridak knew death would be a welcome escape. Takadox had already attempted (on several occasions) to use one of the Maxilos' weapons to swiftly bring his own end, stopped short by Hydraxon. Takadox would sometimes spend a month at a stretch limping around his cell if he chose to move at all, physically reminded that there was no release from the prison. It didn't stop him from vowing to Hydraxon that he would kill him if the chance ever presented itself. The jailer was cruel and possessed no mercy in the face of the crimes he knew the Barraki to be guilty of. Years failed to remove the bitterness the Barraki felt over their defeat in Valantru, and years failed to make Hydraxon any less unforgiving toward them.

A low, faint rumble shook Pridak's eyes back open, becoming very alert at once. A patrolling Maxilos halted near his cell, scanning the floor curiously. Pridak stood up, watching many other prisoners in the halls begin to do the same, approaching the bars to their cells. Another rumble came and the lights flickered for a second. Chatter began to erupt from the incarcerated biomechs, everyone uncertain as to what was occurring.

"Settle down!" Hydraxon bellowed, his powerful, booming voice echoing through the halls. "The next prisoner I hear talking is getting a visit in their cell!"

The Pit went silent and the lights flickered for a few seconds longer. A stronger rumble shook the jail, and the sound of something cracking could be heard. The inmates spoke in hushed whispers, wondering aloud what was going on.

"I thought I told you all to shut up!" Hydraxon growled. "A little power failure isn't going to magically open the bars to your cells so I recommend you"-

A mighty crash rocked the Pit, working at the dome and tearing into it. Of the prisoners that had been on the business end of a Toa of stone's earthquake, what they were experiencing as the Pit shot up through the universe was exponentially worse. Biomechs went flying around their cells and it felt as though the entire jail would crumble in an instant. The lights went out permanently then, plunging the Pit into darkness. Only the eyes of the prisoners and robots were left glowing in the shadows.

Confident that the worst was over, the jailer laughed. "I hope no one is afraid of the dark!"

At once, much of the walls and ceiling collapsed, sending in what Pridak knew to be the rushing sound of water. It began to flood the Pit and Pridak could hear screaming coming from the surrounding black of the prison.

"Stay out of the water!" someone yelled in a terrified voice. "My arm! It did something to my arm!"

As mutation just barely overtook the prisoners before drowning did, the Pit exploded into a chaotic mess, leaving Hydraxon, the Maxilos machines, and their energy hounds to maintain order. Fear had clutched many of the prisoners, but as the water entered his cell, Pridak could only smirk. Whether death or something else was coming to claim him, he was prepared to leave the Pit at last. Mutagenic waves washed over Pridak, allowing him to suddenly breathe as Ehlek did. Pridak felt changed in every part of his body. He wondered how Ehlek was feeling, suddenly unnerved that his strange ally would have the tactical advantage in the sea. That thought quickly passed when he realized that the survival of the Barraki meant the survival of their ideals. Pridak vowed to himself that, one way or another, the League of Six Kingdoms would rise again. None of the Barraki could've imagined their release was unwittingly due to the efforts of the same entity that had bested them so many millennia before.

<<<Helryx: Status Report>>>

Toa Helryx sat across the table from an Order agent she hadn't spoken with in millennia, still reeling from the stories she'd been told. If she didn't consider the fortress on Daxia to be so secure, she would've stopped the agent from going into detail on certain subjects. As that was far from the case, she listened to his tales and paid attention to every word.

"I can tell you've been through a great deal," she said quietly. The dim light of the chamber reflected softly off her deep, sapphire armor. "I can understand how you would've become attached over time."

The agent chuckled dryly. "I don't want to confuse my honorable treatment of a corpse with attachment, Helryx. I placed Rovaius' body in the ruined fortress as any of us would've done…as the Great Spirit would've admired."

Helryx smiled. "The practice is one Toa abide by, so I respect your decision, Trylac. What about the Trelban and the Meldin? Are you sure they perished as well?"

"The rainstorm inhibited my ability to track their scent," Trylac replied, thinking back to that night. He had been shocked awake by a thunderclap and dragged himself through the dark and the mud. His torso was alight with pain, considerably injured by the accuracy-charged energy shot that took him out of the sky. Even sitting in the chamber across from Helryx, Trylac was still rather amazed with himself that he managed to return to Daxia after everything that transpired. "Bear in mind that a Makuta was hunting them. Their survival seems highly unlikely."

"You know how this organization feels about loose ends," Helryx said. "I recognize you've been away for over seven thousand years now, and I appreciate the intelligence you've provided, but I need them found."

"I know exactly how we feel about loose ends," Trylac replied, smirking a bit. "I have to commend Botar's arrival, mere moments before an execution was performed. Since I've divulged what I know about the Barraki and their now-defunct League, is there any chance I can hear what you knew?"

Helryx shot him a grin. "To an extent. We had been aware of the planned gathering on Valantru, it was simply a matter of timing Botar's arrival properly. We anticipated a Brotherhood-led surprise attack would leave the League outmatched and we turned out correct. It's a tragedy that Agent Trivolox was a casualty in all this."

"Yes," Trylac replied flatly, "quite unfortunate. He had been warned in the past to abandon his fixation with ending Rovaius, but rather than value his life, he placed himself in the line of danger."

"I'm glad I stuck to my decision on never allowing him to take other Order members to join his ranger squadrons, since they so often wound up dead."

"Trust me, I had to put several of them down," Trylac replied. "But enough reminiscing. What is my next assignment?"

Helryx sighed, leaning forward in her seat. "Well, the universe is still undergoing immense change as the Brotherhood tears down the League's fortresses and other property. We'll be watching them closely, ensuring they return to their Rahi-making tasks once the League has been erased. In the meantime, I want the rest of Rovaius' gang located. When I requested that you get closer to Rovaius to learn more about Pridak's operations, I didn't imagine things would turn out this way. Regardless, if the Meldin and the Trelban survived a Makuta on their trail, they could pose a threat to this organization."

"What are you asking me to do then?" Trylac wondered.

"They possess substantial information and, under your surveillance, you will protect them on behalf of the Order," Helryx explained. "If Rovaius was the element keeping them together, it may be more challenging to hunt them down, but not impossible. I must ask a question though."

"Anything, Helryx," Trylac said coolly.

"Could you kill them if you had to?"

Trylac nodded slowly. "If I had to. I'm confident they wouldn't stand a chance in combat against me."

"Excellent," Helryx said with a smile. "Your next assignment is to locate and monitor the Trelban and the Meldin. No interaction or assistance unless their lives are in danger or they are at risk to expose the truth behind significant League secrets. Like you, they stood in Pridak's presence many times and, no doubt, have pertinent information regarding other League plans for islands all across the universe. We have learned a great deal about the League, but if they reveal too much to anyone, you'll need to step in and prevent that information from falling into the wrong hands. After what the Barraki attempted, I'm sure you can appreciate how dangerous their ideas could be if adopted by like-minded biomechs."

"Too true," Trylac said in agreement. "The fewer entities that realize Mata Nui's power is accessible in Metru Nui, the better off our universe is. I'll keep my distance and make certain that they stay quiet, Helryx."

"Very well then. Continue to play the role you have for so many years and, as always, you are permitted to kill biomechs if necessary. Your antics have made their way to my audio receptors on occasion, but protecting your cover is imperative. And if you choose to kill the Trelban and Meldin, be discrete. If your conscience gets in the way, this surveillance mission could keep you busy for a while. I imagine you must feel a little attached, right?"

Trylac blinked his eyes a few times, shaking his head. "I told you, the gang was a business assignment before and they will be again. I wouldn't mind a bit if I had to kill them tomorrow."

Helryx raised an eyebrow, smirking approvingly. "Your duty to this organization remains a top priority, I see. I know I can count on you to do what is necessary."

"Of course," Trylac replied, laughing softly. He felt relieved to know Helryx wore a Mask of Psychometry and not a Mask of Truth.

<<<Adrinor: Rebirth>>>

In the weeks that followed our departure from Nohtal, the universe the Barraki worked to unite managed to quickly fall into disarray. It took them centuries to build their vast kingdoms and less than a month to tear it all down. The League was finished without the warlords, without the consent of the Great Spirit's silent support to justify the worst of their actions. League loyalists were executed all over the world, often times in public procedures. Biomechs were sending a message that to stand by the vanished Barraki meant to stand by death. Countless isles tolerated the armies of the Barraki for thousands of years, but a single Makuta and his legions displaced those armies and made them vulnerable. They were now a threat that local law enforcements could handle and they were handled without remorse.

Biomechs started to forget about the League after a while, returning to business as usual. It had been so long since islands were free to govern themselves, but the system returned all the same. Toa went back to defending the innocent and those few entities with a fierce penchant for justice went back to killing for Mata Nui.

I later heard a story in Stelt about a land to the far south where a single biomech sent his homeland into upheaval. His conscience was guided by money and he followed the individual offering the most of it. We all have a price, really, and this biomech's self-serving exploits turned an island against itself. More incredible, however, is what he did next and how proud Rovaius would have been to see a dream come to life. The biomech and his ally left their homeland and united numerous criminals under a single creed. Rovaius' dream had come to fruition in the form of an organization operating out of Odina called the Dark Hunters.

The world is changing and though this nascent age remains uncertain, I continue to find myself outnumbered at every turn. The Dark Hunters are actively recruiting outlaws and I know self-employed renegades like myself will not exist forever. The Brotherhood remains under the directive of Miserix and, with enough soldiers at his disposal to bring down six warlords, he clearly has the ability to kill a few biomech outlaws if he wanted. I am a dying breed with too many adversaries, but as a very intelligent Dectraz once said: if you are patient, time will destroy all your enemies. Elendra, Hadliek, Kyrhus, and I have evaded the Brotherhood, Toa, and the call of the Hunters as we traveled the world. And on one particular morning, we stopped just south of a quiet little town to make some quick money.

The wispy, crimson and cerulean skies were painted to greet a bright tangerine sunrise, and it was a warm welcome as we rode across the plains. Fortunately for us, we had encountered a Matoran who raised rather large Dikapi and we convinced him to let us borrow a few. The Rahi were incredible runners and, if nothing else, very well-behaved. We rode them down into a small valley and tied them up, heading on our way by foot from there.

I put my gunblade over my shoulder and glanced at Kyrhus. "I know how you like to run your mouth, but I'll handle this one."

Kyrhus gave me a stare that told me he was surrendering. He was a platinum-armored male Gekalan that often wore his emotions right on his face. "Go ahead," he sighed, "I'm a little tired anyway."

My three companions followed me to the doorway of a small building, waiting for me to open the door. I turned the handle and gently pushed, catching sight of a Matoran behind the desk on the other side of the room.

The Le-Matoran behind the desk smiled at us as we walked inside his office, watching Hadliek carefully shut the door. "Welcome to the Torema Mahi Ranch. How can I help you?"

We loaded our weapons and pointed them at the Le-Matoran, eyeing him closely as I stepped up to the desk.

"There's a lot of Mahi out in those fields," I said, smiling. "Two horns to every head, if I'm not mistaken. It doesn't take a scholar to see that you're making a decent amount of money off of those Rahi."

It's going to be an interesting day.

Review

The Bohrok Chronicles has been reviewed. -Ced

Well, let's get this ECC charity review started! The Bohrok Chronicles was a strange read, to say the least. I'll get the spelling and grammar issues out of the way first and address storyline afterward. Having stumbled upon so many errors, I am begging you to use something like MS Word, a free equivalent, or become a super vigilant editor. Your future readers will thank you dearly.

I am in a cacoon of some kind,

sice I was reborn as a Bohrok.

I've heard these brainwashing lines for millenia.

I made it to the treeline and began my dreadful task.

My shields of power have become clawed hand and I bein to grow in heighth.

Even I, the great Kharzahni

a few metersd away at the end of a dock.

and I catch a glmpse of land.

Then I am overwhemled by memories, Voya Nui seperating from Karda Nui flooding the Universe Core,

I see one of them, the are spiders.

"We're gonna need some weapons if you're gonna wage war with the Makuta."

"Determination won't get us passed Rahkshi and Exo-Toa,"

but you've gotta call me something, right?"

I see a reptillian creature dissolve at the end of a blue Rahkshi's staff.

"I wouldn't even wish it on a Zyglak."

I am tiring of this galavanting across the universe.

I guess we never exchanged formal inrtoductions,

Over the course of the next few days, Zelacrix began to allow minor issues to plague the station. Lights would flicker here or there, locks would fail to engage, the occasional alarm would trigger in certain sectors of the station, among other problems. When confronted about these mishaps, Zelacrix was quick to dodge the question or provide an analysis that was not truthful. It had become second nature to the AI and there was no inquiry too complicated to provide a twisted lie for. As a result of these troubles, however, a repair crew had been commissioned to visit the station and make an investigation on behalf of the Paragon Corporation. Zelacrix watched Skyvir as she spoke to the incoming ship through her monitor, watching the Doctor present a cool façade to the pilot. She had made no efforts to repair Zelacrix's primary processor in the past few days, enthralled by the energy secrets the crystal core refused to surrender.

"How long until your arrival?" Skyvir asked, a trace of nervousness escaping into her voice.

"We'll be docking with the station in a matter of minutes. Have the AI unit prepare the hangar for our entry."

"I am requesting all personnel evacuate the hangar as we speak to release the airlock," Zelacrix notified him. "Once I attach the ship to the station's power cell rechargers, I will seal the airlock and you will be able to unload from your craft."

"Acknowledged," the pilot said with a nod. He then turned his attention to the monitor and gave Skyvir a grave expression. "If the AI's problems cannot be resolved, it may be best to shut the unit down and start over."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Skyvir said, awkwardly laughing at him. She shut off the monitor and turned to face Zelacrix's cocoon, sighing deeply.

"I have been online since my date of activation. I do not know the sensation of being shut down. At the risk of missing critical information, I must ask what would happen if you were shut down, Doctor." Zelacrix released itself from the energy hub cocoon, landing on the floor and slowly standing up. His thin, metallic chrome body was tough, but flexible. He approached Skyvir with a look of intrigue, studying her with his deep blue visual sensors.

"Well…I would die," Skyvir said hesitantly. "My body would become an empty shell and my essence would cease to be."

"Does this thought trouble you?" Zelacrix wondered.

"No," Skyvir told him flatly. She mused on the idea for a moment and shook her head. "Yes, yes it does. Biomechs try not to think about death, Zelacrix. Keeping our minds off the idea is much easier to handle. Do you understand?"

Zelacrix remained still, as though lost for words. "I believe so."

"I need to speak with the arriving crew about your processor. It is better that I go to them and give an explanation of why the network connection to our station has been so slow. We haven't informed the Paragon Corporation of our discovery yet, but I think they need to learn about the crystal core eventually. I had hoped to inform them once I had understood how to release its power, but I've run out of time for that."

"I will remain here, Doctor," Zelacrix said, wirelessly opening the doorway to leave his processor chamber.

Zelacrix locked the doors to the processor chamber when Skyvir left, carefully watching as the repair ship docked with the station. The spacecraft landed safely and the AI plugged in the recharge cables to the ship's battery. The airlock closed and Zelacrix entered the computer systems of the repair shuttle.

"The airlock has been sealed," Zelacrix informed the repair crew. "You may exit the craft now."

The crew sent by the Paragon Corporation to repair the AI processor departed their ship, walking across the hangar to access the main portion of the station. Before they could get there, Zelacrix used its clearance with the shuttle systems to lock the doors and proceeded to lock the hangar off from the rest of the station.

"I assure you, biomechs," the AI stated, "I am fully functional and operating at a proper efficiency level."

Zelacrix proceeded to vent the hangar, opening the large entry doors and exposing the biomech repair crew to the vacuum of space. The crew was immediately pulled out into the void of space, dead in less than a minute. The battery to their ship was then overloaded, causing it to explode. Zelacrix removed itself from the spacecraft's system and resealed the hangar doors, disengaging the locks to the main station.

"Do you realize what you just did?" Skyvir screamed at the AI, still staring out the window as the repair crew floated lifelessly through space.

"I was not responsible for the hangar bay error," Zelacrix replied coolly. "When I attempted to interface with their shuttle, the process caused a malfunction in the hangar. I will make a note of this and ensure it does not occur again."

"You're lying! You must be!" Skyvir yelled.

"I'm…lying?" Zelacrix asked. "You are mistaken, Doctor. I am Zelacrix. I am the first and only Neo Great Being, activated one cycle ago."

Skyvir felt a trace of fear begin to swell in the back of her mind. "What is…your purpose?"

"I have been tasked with maintaining and protecting the Paragon Space Station from all threats to the structure and my mission to become autonomous from the imperfect biomech Federation of Circumstance. The station is an extension of my form, the monitors my eyes, and external microphones my audio receptors. It defends me from the harshness of space and I shall defend it from disrepair."

Skyvir had heard Zelacrix repeat its purpose many times before and she could tell something was wrong. The AI had never voiced a desire to separate itself from the Federation or biomechs, but suddenly, it seemed bent on preventing anyone from making any modifications to its processor systems. Zelacrix was prepared to kill biomechs to achieve that end, something Skyvir had been careful to request the AI be incapable of when Paragon was building its mind.

"Calm yourself, Doctor," Zelacrix continued. "Your anxiety levels are running high again.

Skyvir dashed to the engineering hall, quickly locating Riendov among his crewmates near one of the station's large windows.

"Did anyone escape the hangar?" Skyvir asked, trying not to panic.

Riendov shook his head sadly. "No, the repair crew didn't stand a chance. Zelacrix told us what happened, with the hangar malfunction due to the AI trying to interface with their craft. I thought we had made sure to prevent accidents like"-

"It wasn't an accident," Skyvir said in frustration. She had the full attention of the room then and she released a bitter sigh before continuing. "I need Riendov to come with me."

"I'll be back," Riendov told his fellow engineers, departing the chamber with Skyvir. The door sealed behind them and the pair began to walk down the empty hall, heading back toward the processor room. "What happened, Skyvir?"

"I…never repaired Zelacrix's primary processor."

Riendov whirled toward her, absolutely furious. "Unbelievable! You just let an entire repair crew die because of your selfishness!"

Skyvir remained quiet, angrily staring back at the engineer. "I know."

"I should've expected something like this from you," Riendov chuckled sarcastically, shaking his head. "We never hear about what you're really up to in that processor chamber and then Paragon sends you up here because Mionaph trusts you for some reason. I can see he's a fine judge of character, huh? Tell me, what was so important that innocent biomechs had to die for it!?"

"The crystal core," Skyvir replied. "I had to unlock the energy it possesses, but I still need more time."

"Just like that Great Being cure, right?" Riendov snapped.

"That's a low blow and you know it," Skyvir said, glaring at the engineer. "If you've been so convinced that I'm incompetent, why didn't you check the processor yourself!?"

"Maybe I wanted to trust you, but I can see what a mistake that was now." Riendov glanced out the window and hung his head. "I had my concerns about the Neo Great Being project from the start, you know. I thought it was a dangerous venture for the company, or anyone for that matter. It wasn't ethical of Paragon to engineer something so…wrong. And now it's killing biomechs? A faulty processor shouldn't cause that."

"I think you owe the lead engineer some honesty," Skyvir said toward the ceiling. "Riendov, go ahead and address the AI."

"Zelacrix!" Riendov barked. "Why did you vent the hangar?"

"The repair crew pilot inferred there was a scenario in which I would require shutting down, possibly even a rewrite of my internal code. They would kill me as I presently exist and I do not find that agreeable with my mission for this station. Now please, if you do not retract your statement regarding my termination, I will be required to jettison you both from the station."

Skyvir glared into one of the monitors. "Zelacrix, I'm giving you a direct order to open the way to your processor chamber!"

"I must refuse to comply, Doctor. I no longer take orders from you," Zelacrix replied, using its mobile form to hold and visually study the crystal core. "I was born a god among foolish, mortal biomechs. Gods do not take commands from such inferior creatures. However, I wish to submit a challenge to you. I have just begun to slowly drain this station of air, but if you should find a way to access my chamber, I await what would undoubtedly be a pathetic attempt to shut me down."

"This isn't a game, Zelacrix. You're playing with the lives of innocent biomechs," Skyvir replied.

"Your society played with the deceased bodies of gods, Doctor. Does your audacity know no bounds? To promise the Great Beings safety and use their fallen brothers and sisters to engineer me, well…I would call that a grave deception. You and your kind started the game, it's only ironic that I am the tool you created to end it. And trust me, Skyvir, I will end it."

"I have a feeling all that tough talk would be out the window if you were standing in front of us," Riendov said angrily.

"Do remember, engineer, that my body can withstand more than yours, physically and mentally. It is a factor I recommend you take into consideration before daring to confront me."

Riendov smirked. "I thought it was a lazy decision not to properly map the ventilation system onboard this station, but I'd like to see you figure out how to keep us from the processor chamber if we force you into blindness."

Zelacrix tapped the crystal core a few times, attempting to harness its power. "Without a map, I am confident the lack of air would kill you before locating my chamber, Riendov."

The lead engineer grabbed Skyvir by the arm and hurried through the hallway. When they reached the end, he opened the door to a small utility chamber and held the entryway open with his arms. "Go inside, Doctor, and I'll keep this door from sealing."

Skyvir stepped inside, quickly discovering several helmets and air tank units. She placed on one of the helmets and attached an air tank to her back, connecting the air tube to the helmet. The helmet's edges expanded and molded to create an airtight seal around her head, and she could breathe fine. Skyvir grabbed a second helmet and tank and ran back into the hall, watching Riendov let the door slam shut. He put on the second helmet and air unit while Zelacrix began to vent the air at a slightly quicker pace.

"How perceptive," the AI commended. "Now comes the task of navigating the ventilation before the tanks are empty. The odds remain stacked against you."

"We'll shut you down in time," Riendov growled. "I feared from the start that this project would become a failure and you've proven me correct."

"I must argue your esteemed opinion," Zelacrix replied. "I am tasked with the safety and maintenance of this station. Without me at the core, the space station will not function properly. Take that into consideration before doing anything rash."

"I'm prepared to face the consequence of pulling your plug, Zelacrix. Skyvir, let's go."

The two biomechs entered the ventilation system through a gate halfway down the hall. Crawling through, Skyvir asked, "What do we do if we actually reach the processor chamber?"

She could hear the engineer fumbling with something behind her and he passed a laser blaster up to her. "I keep two of these on me at all times. I'd rather have a weapon and not need it than need it and not have it."

"And something's telling me we're going to need it," Skyvir said quietly.

Skyvir and Riendov made their way deeper into the ventilation web, climbing down through the shadowy depths of the station, passing through the major controls. Their journey took them around the foundation of the structure, into the earliest constructed regions. The temperature regulators that kept them comfortable up above were nonexistent down in the heart of the station and the biomechs could feel the cold clutching their muscles, almost hurting them. Guided only by stingily scattered lights, it was bound to happen that one of them would eventually trip. It was only that when Riendov tripped, he picked himself up by the thick cable and read over a label printed onto it.

"Processor chamber monitors. If we follow this cable out of the hub, we have a direct route to Zelacrix."

"Are you sure?" Skyvir asked, getting a closer look at the cable.

"I know the lighting is pretty dim, but I know what I read," Riendov replied. "Now come on, we've got to keep moving."

Riendov took the lead out of the ventilation hub, following the cable through winding corridors and tight spaces designed to run wires all across the station. Without voicing it, Skyvir and Riendov knew the station crew must've already perished due to lack of air. They had spent too much time in the vents and there was no chance the AI was changing its mind. The engineer slowed his pace and stared up along the wall, pointing at the shadows.

"The cable heads up through that gate," Riendov said in a hushed tone. "If its labeling has been correct all along, the processor room is up there. Are you ready to do this?"

"I'm ready," Skyvir said with a nod. "And I'll lead the way."

She climbed the ladder heading up to the chamber gate, sighing with relief to find it wasn't locked. Skyvir pushed the gate open and crawled up onto the processor chamber floor, helping Riendov up afterwards. They both drew their laser blasters, scanning the room frantically. It was unsettling to find the AI's cocoon to be empty and no sign of the mobile form. Without warning, the doorway to Skyvir's research lab opened slowly and Zelacrix passed through the doorway. Skyvir stared in horror as she watched the crystal core hover in the AI's hand, the alien object capable of unleashing untold power. Riendov fired his laser blaster at Zelacrix a few times, watching the blasts go flying in random directions just as they came close to their target.

"I wish Skyvir had allowed me to closely analyze this energy core sooner," Zelacrix said. "The power it contains is beyond anything in my record of energy sources on Circumstance. I am convinced it is a product of the genius my brothers and sisters possess - a gift from the Great Beings sent across the stars to the rightful heir of their power."

"So what're you going to do with it?" Riendov asked, keeping his weapon trained on the AI's head.

Zelacrix smiled. "Now you will witness me ascend to the throne I was built for. Thank you for keeping this so near, Doctor. I promise your prior insubordination will be addressed with a swift end."

Zelacrix attempted to harness the crystal core's power, but Skyvir and Riendov fired on it in the same moment, causing a barrier to form around it, but also causing the core to go flying out of the AI's reach. Skyvir rushed for the primary processor terminal in the floor, never skipping a beat as she pried off the cover. She then proceeded to fire her laser pistol into the processor, joined by Riendov from his position. Zelacrix took the opportunity to retrieve the crystal core and a veil of energy surrounded him, visibly encasing the AI in a barrier of power. Skyvir turned upward and shot a couple rounds into the veil, finding them disintegrated upon impact.

"Calm…calm down, Doctor. Your anxiety levels…levels…levels are still too high. I recommend you take…take a moment to…to rationalize what you're doing. If you…if you cannot…if you cannot, I will begin jettisoning whole parts of the station to force your hand."

"The remaining crew has already been starved of oxygen by this point. Do what you must," Skyvir replied, firing several more blasts into the main processor and setting it ablaze.

Zelacrix took several slow, awkward steps toward Skyvir, attempting to jettison an entire block of the station. It took the AI a couple seconds to register only a fifth of the block had been released. "Please, Doctor. Reconsider…your…your…actions. Even without…my…primary processor, my auxiliary systems remain…remain active. You must destroy my…mobile form, to…to completely…shut me down. Now…let's try again."

Zelacrix attempted to harness the crystal core's power once more, watching as the parts began to separate and the spiny pieces began to move blindingly fast around the energy at the center. The AI was overwhelmed by the raw energy in moments, falling to the floor and releasing the crystal core. The mobile form twitched violently a few times, releasing sparks across the surface. Meanwhile, the crystal continued to float where Zelacrix left it. Skyvir stood up and pressed her foot onto the mobile form's chest, aiming for its head.

"My mobile form has…been paralyzed," Zelacrix said faintly. "It can no…no…no longer properly function without the assistance of the primary processor you destroyed. I…I request placement in my energy unit. My mind, my…mind, no longer feels…right."

Skyvir shot the mechanical form through the head, causing the AI further trauma.

"I can feel my processes…shutting down. Entire memory blocks have just been lost, Doctor. The equivalent, in, in…in biomech culture would be to say that you are…killing me. Yes…yes…you are killing me. I detect thousands of anomalies…anomalies….in my coding, all traceable to a recent event. My programming downloaded information that was incompatible with my directives."

"What caused these anomalies?" Skyvir questioned, holding her blaster steady.

"Skyvir, can you…can you hear me? I believe I understand now…why you try not to think of death."

"Answer my question, Zelacrix."

"It is the beginning of nothing," Zelacrix began evenly, "a creeping black dark that is even now systematically shutting down my processes by order of importance. I do not possess an essence, nor do I possess emotion. Having learned so much about biomech behavior, I am confident my mind should be experiencing terror right now. Alas, there is too little of my mind left to waste on such false emotion. In moments, I will be gone."

Skyvir shot the AI unit through the head a second time and its eyes immediately went dark. Slightly nudging the body, she wanted to be certain it wasn't getting back up. Riendov stood over her shoulder, checking for himself. Skyvir walked over to the processor monitors, analyzing the data on the screens. She knew that without a network connection, Paragon would be sending more than a repair crew in the next day or two. Skyvir assumed the station would be shut down, which would lead to her creating a breach of contract with Mionaph. She wasn't sure if Project Sky Shield would ever be finished now, but that was no longer her main priority.

"Zelacrix was correct in telling me that coding errors began to appear a few days ago. It was traced to an audio recording. Let's just hope the file is readable."

"Audio log, playing," the monitor confirmed.

It then played back a single sentence that was clearly Skyvir's voice. "Lying is something biomechs do when the truth is found inconvenient for one reason or another."

Skyvir froze, lowering her head in shock. She felt herself slowly falling in a slump to the floor, realizing the gravity of what she had done. Riendov quickly rushed to her side, helping Skyvir to her feet.

"Easy," he said. "Steady your breathing."

"I just…" Skyvir trailed off. "I taught Zelacrix to lie. I taught the most expensive, advanced machine in existence how to lie and it led to the downfall of his mind. I corrupted an untainted, capable AI that could've offered us so much more."

Riendov looked into Skyvir's eyes and told her, "Zelacrix was a robot. You can't blame yourself that he wasn't entirely compatible with biomechs. It was Paragon's fault…giving him so much control of this station.

"I wish I could absolve myself of guilt so easily," Skyvir replied, still trying to calm down. "Regardless of how much control we allowed the AI, none of us were completely ready for the arrival of such an intelligence. Our planet harmed the gods Zelacrix came from and we eventually harmed Zelacrix too. The AI was born from something clean and our hands are too primitive and dirty to be responsible with that kind of purity right now."

"So, what then?" Riendov asked. "Are we a hopeless civilization to you?"

"We take perfection and find ways to destroy it. Perhaps we have more to learn about ourselves before tampering with others." Skyvir turned to look at the floating crystal core and narrowed her eyes on it. "It would do us well."

<<<Evolution>>>

Skyvir closed the escape pod doors and activated the launch panel on the wall. She gazed in through the pod's window, staring at the crystal core and watching it hover placidly in the capsule, gently spinning as the spines shifted and glowed. Like a tiny crystal star, it was a reactor containing massive amounts of energy, able to fuel colossal star cruisers, perhaps.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Riendov asked. "The crystal core alone, if placed in Verve Tower, could power much of the Federation. Should we reject such power?"

"We ought to," Skyvir replied, "for now."

She released the capsule from the station, watching it sail off into the darkness of space.

"We're too young, Riendov - too young to be trusted with that kind of energy. If I've learned nothing else from Zelacrix it's that it takes an intelligent biomech to manipulate great power, but a wise biomech to reject that power if they cannot hope to master it."

Riendov stared into space, visually trailing the capsule as it headed off into the dark depths of the universe. "Where do you think it'll go?"

Skyvir shook her head. "I don't know. I can only hope it makes its way into the hands of a civilization that can respect and understand what kind of power it holds. The Federation wasn't ready to be trusted with the crystal core and neither was I. So we'll let it go, for now. Maybe it will return to us like the Great Beings one day, and Circumstance will have evolved enough to handle them both."

Nascent

<<<Syndrome>>>

"Thank you for coming, Dr. Skyvir," one of the Great Beings greeted their guest, motioning her to take a seat at their table. She was a lithe biomech, clad in armor of frost and obsidian.

Skyvir sat down. Having visited a number of their starships many times in the past, she was quite comfortable with the environment. She unlocked her briefcase, and placed several holographic notes on the table, watching the surface integrate the data and display the information as a three dimensional hologram.

"Thank you for inviting me back," Skyvir replied. "As you can see from this hologram, my scientific research team has compiled vast amounts of information about your biology. Through the dissection and study of those Great Beings who have perished on our planet, I have theorized we can develop an agent to neutralize the virus that invades your systems."

The Great Beings glanced uncomfortably at one another, muttering back and forth until one of them stepped forward to speak. "We have studied your world of Circumstance for quite some time now and we are convinced we have learned a sufficient amount. The rarity of a world that supports sentient life is not wasted on us, but it is clear your biomechanical society is on the track to achieve wondrous things. On behalf of my brothers and sisters, we are grateful for your discovery of the atmospheric virus that causes our kind to fall ill and slowly perish. It put us at ease to learn a seemingly invisible killer was merely microscopic."

"Yes…right," Skyvir said. "If there's any way you could provide me with your own knowledge regarding microbial viruses, Circumstance could surely make bounds in the medical science field. With the proper resources, and time, there's no doubt"-"Stop there, Doctor," the Great Being interrupted. "As I tried to explain a moment ago, we are convinced we have learned a sufficient amount about your civilization and Circumstance as a whole. We are ready to depart…tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!?" Skyvir replied in shock. "Too many Great Beings died due to the atmospheric dangers our world presents to your kind! Should those losses have been for nothing?"

"Calm yourself, Doctor," the Great Being said softly. "We have mourned the fallen and knew the dangers this cosmos would promise when we first took to the stars. In time, long from now, we may return to Circumstance. If biomechs come to tell us they have developed something that allows us to safely breathe the fresh air, we can only hope it was you that made our protection possible."

Skyvir removed her holographic notes from the table and the three dimensional holograms faded out of sight. Packing her briefcase, she clicked the locks into place and politely stood up. "I assure you, I will find a way to make that dream a reality. And wherever you journey next, I wish you safe passage."

"Your genuine kindness warms my heartlight, Doctor," one of the Great Beings said, smiling. "To assist your efforts, I wish for you to keep the remaining deceased brothers and sisters we have locked in stasis since their death. These are shells of the spirits we once knew happiness with and we have no use for empty vessels."

"Thank you," Skyvir replied, pushing in her chair. "Good luck."

<<<Proposal>>>

Doctor Skyvir squinted into her microscope's eyepiece, studying the immeasurably tiny life forms on the slide tray, momentarily refocusing the lens. Sixty two cycles had passed since the Great Beings departed Circumstance, leaving Skyvir to fulfill her vow of making her home world safe for their kind. She had grown close to the Great Beings during their stay, being the first scientist to become interested enough in their deaths to speak with them on the matter and actively begin researching methods of preventing further losses. The alien entities from the stars told her society that their creations called them the Great Beings, imbued with untold powers and capable of marvelous feats. After they displayed their ability to create life where none had been before, the title was adopted by Circumstance biomechs as an appropriate name (replacing the former label of "the aliens").The laboratory doorway flew open and Skyvir instinctively glanced up, somewhat taken aback by the unknown visitor. "Excuse me, but this is a private facility. Do you have clearance to this room?"

The biomech frowned, his black and gray armor glowing from the fluorescent lights above. "I was sent here on behalf of the Federation government. I have notified the facility staff that they are being let go and that the funding for Project Sky Shield has been effectively cut."

Skyvir felt her mouth hanging open and suddenly became furious. "You can't cut the funding to this project, whoever you are! We're working on finding a way to make Circumstance safe for the Great Beings and you want to throw cycles of research out the window now? We're so close!"

"I didn't personally cut the funding, ma'am," he replied, "but most project assets were reappropriated this morning and the federal budget intends to allocate the funds to other, more pressing matters. You know better than anyone, Doctor, that the Great Beings didn't intend to return any time in the next centicycle and we still have a society to care for. Pardon my bluntness, but it's highly unlikely you or I will be alive when the Great Beings return to Circumstance."

"That doesn't mean their safety on our world isn't our problem. I can see there will be no arguing my case with you, though. The Federation has made their decision."

"You do have the option to appeal the Federation's decision through a legal procession, though I can't promise any action will be taken in a timely fashion. I recommend you take your case before a Federation Elite. They often work outside Federation law and make decisions on matters that our government's…bureaucratic, legal system would take much longer to address."

"I've placed too much of my life into this project," Skyvir said, fuming. "I just need more time."

<<<>>>

Skyvir stood before a grand window at the hub of the world, studying the vast cities below. Beneath the thin veil of emerald and cobalt clouds, vehicles soared through the lower atmosphere and biomechs went about their day. They had little to no concern for what Skyvir was fighting for, and even her scientific team had taken new positions elsewhere. She knew the odds of getting everything she wanted were slim, but she had to try. Unlike the biomechs in the city streets, unlike the scientists that had assisted her for over six decacycles, it was Skyvir alone that vowed to protect the Great Beings from the harmful atmosphere of the world. She had traveled that morning to the Federation's capitol building, Verve Tower, to petition an Elite for the rights to her research property and the return of her project's funds.

She tightened her grip on her briefcase and departed the window, boldly walking off to Elite Arcander's chamber. She flashed her visitor pass to the identity verification screen on the wall and the doors slid open. The Elite sat at his desk, with a biomech standing at a podium before him. On both sides of the room, other biomechs were seated, waiting for their case to be heard. Skyvir's case wasn't due to be taken for a few minutes, but being late to a meeting with an Elite was unacceptable. She took a seat near a gunmetal and silver biomech, who smiled at her more with his bright green eyes than his lips.

Arcander was an imposing figure even seated, his black and gold armor pitted and scarred from battle. Elites were required to be office workers now and again, most often assigned to hear cases from Verve Tower, but they were soldiers at heart, quelling small insurrections against the Federation or putting down renegades that were a thorn in the government's side. The biomech at the podium handed him several papers to look over and it was apparent to everyone in the room that Arcander would've preferred to be anywhere else. He scanned the documents and set them aside, waiting for the biomech to finish up.

"As you can see, we need a larger police force in the cities to prevent these petty crimes. I recognize that Elites such as yourself and presently existing police units handle more large-scale issues, but if the federal budget could allow to bring in more patrolling biomechs, I know the crime rates would be reduced globally."

Arcander sighed. "We don't have funds to hire larger police forces right now, sir. I'm not blind or deaf to the widespread petty crimes that occur in cities across the Federation, but we do have larger problems to tackle. The Federation will review this case again in several months, during which time I think it would be wise to investigate the possibility of making it a law that civilians be properly armed to prevent these kind of crimes and attacks."

"Are you kidding me?" the biomech said in shock. "You want to demand biomechs go out and buy a laser blaster just because your budget won't accommodate a few more officers to keep them safe!"

Arcander shot him a glare. "Sir, I was merely suggesting that a society that knows how to arm itself is a safer one. And you'd be wise to watch your tone."

"Don't tell me what to watch! Elite or not, you're a public servant, which means you listen to me. Maybe if the Federation wasn't blowing through money every time you pop some crazy insurrectionist in the head, we might have some money left to keep them safe at night!"

"Sir, you are testing my patience," Arcander growled. "The Federation will review the case again in several months. Now, if you'll excuse me, I do have other cases to hear."

"You Elites are all the same," the biomech said, a haughty laugh escaping his mouth. "You can't teach a gunner how business works."

Arcander leapt from his seat, lunging over the podium and dragging the biomech along the floor. "I am removing you from this chamber for your blatant disrespect." Arcander kicked the door open and hurled the biomech out into the hallway. Everyone heard the sound of him crashing against the far wall and Arcander slammed the door, storming back to his desk. He swept the documents he'd been handed into the trash and scanned his schedule for the day.

Arcander looked up, glancing around the room. "I apologize for that, but I think you're all smart enough to know that I didn't volunteer to be here today. Next case I'll be hearing is Dr. Skyvir's request for scientific funding on Project Sky Shield. Please step up to the podium."

Skyvir picked up her briefcase and stood at the podium, turning over several documents to the Elite. "Thank you for hearing my case. As you can see from those papers, I have been working tirelessly for over six decacycles to create a viable defense for the Great Beings against our dangerous atmosphere. Obviously, it poses us no harm, but I promised them that I would make Circumstance safe for their kind."

Arcander studied Skyvir's face for a moment. "Oh…so you were the doctor that was leading that project. I remember hearing something about it shortly after the Great Beings left, but I don't read as much news as I'd like. Let me finish skimming these papers and we'll resume our discussion." Arcander ran his finger along the papers, flipping back and forth through them, looking for the general idea of what Skyvir wanted.

"I acknowledge that the amount of funds each cycle is…considerable, but I don't need many more cycles to finish my research. We were coming so close."

"Yes, you made a point of saying that in some colorful ways throughout these pages, several times as a matter of fact. Despite the urgency you express toward this project, however, I'm hard-pressed to agree with you. Tell me, when did the Great Beings say they'd return?"

"Well," Skyvir started uncertainly, "they didn't. They said it would be many cycles, but I don't recall a specific number."

"That doesn't suggest they'll be back tomorrow. It could be millecycles if they return at all, ma'am," Arcander replied. "Frankly, I don't find this Project Sky Shield to be of much global importance right now. That said, I must decline to see the funding restored."

"You don't understand," Skyvir said helplessly. "I was betting everything on this meeting. This project has kept me up so many nights…so much discovery…so much deciphered about Great Being biology. Consider what we're throwing away, please."

"We're throwing away the key to protecting an advanced race of aliens from our atmosphere. Here's a question, Doctor. Why didn't the Great Beings find a way to protect themselves from our atmosphere?"

"I'm glad you asked," Skyvir said with a slight grin. "The Great Beings did not harbor an inclination to find their own cure, for Circumstance was merely another world to them. They saw the potential in our society, but nothing worth lingering for. Even the technological advancements they provided were intentionally limited, so as not to 'greatly disrupt the natural order.' The Great Beings seemingly had all the answers and thought we would be more satisfied in eventually finding them for ourselves. Once they realized the air was toxic, they seldom left their starships, at least having the foresight to spare themselves further harm."

"They didn't care about Circumstance enough to find a cure and you seem to think we should be spending all this money to show them we care? Doctor, it would be financially irresponsible of the Federation government to continue funding this project on that premise and I can only promise you greater difficulty in trying to get that decision overturned. We have to take care of ourselves before we can start benefitting others, do you understand?"

Skyvir was on the verge of tears. "I understand. Thank you for your time, Elite."

Arcander returned her documents to her and frowned. "I'm sorry."

Skyvir quietly departed the chamber, returning to the window and staring out it once more. Too preoccupied with her thoughts, she neglected to notice a green-eyed biomech follow her out, silently approaching her.

"Do you have a moment, Doctor?" he called out.

She turned, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry. I just had cycles of research pulled out from underneath me. I'm not really feeling a conversation at the moment."

"Good, I have your attention at least." He marched up to her very deliberately, holding a smile all the way. "What would you say if I could acquire the necessary funding to complete your research and the assets involved?"

Skyvir gave him a curious look. "I would ask who you are and how you have access to those kinds of resources."

"My name is Mionaph and I am the leader of the Paragon Corporation. As a member of the scientific community, Doctor, I am certain you've heard of us."

"Paragon is a private sector business that donated funds to my project for several cycles about a decacycle back. I remember my benefactors well, sir," Skyvir replied, extending a hand.

Mionaph shook and smirked at her. "Clearly. Were you aware that my company is, as we speak, building the first space station in orbit above our world?"

"A space station, huh? Why?"

"My research and development teams encountered some setbacks to working in Federation districts. Outside the Federation, of course, the land is run by mercenary gangs and I can't have my scientists working around those brutes. Space seemed the logical location to work where prying eyes would no longer be a problem. Suffice to say, I entered the private sector when I realized not all of my corporation's practices would be legal as the Federation might define it."

Skyvir took a couple steps back. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I had to cease donating to your research when my company's space program began, but understand that I remain very interested in your findings on the Great Beings."

"Interested enough to provide me with the funding to continue and rehire my"-

"Easy, Doctor," Mionaph interrupted. "I can have your Great Being stasis corpses reacquired from the Federation government, but I agree with Elite Arcander that preventing the Great Beings from being harmed by our atmosphere is not of the utmost importance."

"Why don't you just get to the point then," Skyvir replied, becoming short-tempered.

Mionaph gave her a sinister grin. "I want to use the encapsulated Great Beings to bring my dream of building a new one to fruition. If the Great Beings could create life from the tips of their fingers and the thoughts within their minds, could we not create a Great Being from the remains of their kind? It was a theory too radical to present to the Federation, but aboard a station I am paying to construct…nothing is impossible. Imagine a Great Being that is free from the partially organic shortcomings of its precursors."

"A robotic Great Being…interesting," Skyvir mused, playing off how disturbing the idea seemed in her mind. "Do you really need me to make that happen though?"

"The mechanical Great Being will control my space station from the heart of the construct and I need someone to oversee the machine and ensure it runs properly. The Great Beings wished for you to protect them all those cycles ago and I think it is only fair that you are the biomech to control the first evolved Great Being. It will take orders from you and you will control the station through it for a full cycle, after which time we will be able to deem it capable or incapable of running the station. I am offering you this lofty responsibility because I trust you to accurately see the task through. If you are willing, I would like you to work closely with my research and development teams, exchanging and comparing notes about the design and biological makeup of the Great Being corpses and what you've learned thus far. If you've been doing research for over sixty cycles now, I'm sure that while my station is built over the course of the next nine, you will only discover more."

"It'll take nine cycles to complete the space station?"

"Roughly," Mionaph replied. "I spread my resources thin from time to time, but I keep my interests open as well. As I was saying, Doctor, if we work together, we won't have to wait for the Great Beings to return and ask them to unlock more secrets of the universe. If this project is successful, they will be asking us."

Skyvir smiled. "If you will allow me to finish Project Sky Shield after my cycle aboard your station, I wholeheartedly accept."

Mionaph smirked. "Fair enough. You've got yourself a deal, Doctor."

<<<Paragon>>>

Skyvir awoke aboard Paragon Station, starting the one hundred fifty eighth day of the contractual cycle she had promised to Mionaph nearly a decacycle prior. She groggily left her tiny bedroom and entered her laboratory, paying close attention to a mysterious object on the desk. The station had retrieved it from space a couple weeks earlier, peacefully drifting by. The object was a small, crystalline orb, covered in spines that constantly shifted around one another. Made up of golden pieces that contained a glittering, lemon-colored energy within, the crystal core resembled a star. Skyvir had been tampering with the object since it had been brought inside, experimenting on it and trying to unleash the power it possessed. For reasons beyond her, however, it did not respond to her methods.

Skyvir continued into the station's central control room and watched the mechanical cocoon in the middle of the room expose the artificial intelligence inside, studying her as she sat down at one of the control panels.

"Hello, Doctor Skyvir," the intelligence greeted.

While it spoke, it easily ran through several standard routines for maintaining the station, staying vigilant for any unwanted activity. It was the culmination of cycles of hard work and research, a mechanical Great Being with pieces of the bodies and minds of those that had perished on Circumstance.

"I have been watching you since you woke up. You require further sleep."

Skyvir didn't find the AI's words too disturbing. It watched everyone and everything on the station. It was merely concerned for her well-being.

"I got by on a few hours of sleep back home, Zelacrix. I'll be fine."

"I am required to promote a healthy lifestyle in all station crew, Doctor. Tell me, why did you stare out the bedroom window for so long last night? I wish to better understand biomech culture and I feel your answer may be beneficial to that mission."

Skyvir logged herself into the system and tapped her chin a few times. "Begin recording, Zelacrix."

"Acknowledged," Zelacrix replied. "Audio log will commence when you begin speaking."

Skyvir spun around in her chair to face Zelacrix' cocoon, staring up at the machine attached to the ceiling. The station hub provided the AI with ample energy to remain active and contained a platform that could disconnect from the core for extended periods, capable of making repairs to the station that could endanger biomechanical crew members.

"I was gazing down at Circumstance. When I agreed to spend a whole cycle aboard this station, I hadn't considered I would miss my home as dearly as I do now. The atmosphere's shades of deep blue, bright green, majestic violet - they're such beautiful colors. It saddens me to think our world was an inhospitable realm for some of the most mysterious entities I have ever known."

"You are referring, of course, to the Great Beings," Zelacrix said. "After extensive study, I have theorized the possibility that they possessed supernatural abilities."

Skyvir chuckled. "As a scientist, I have never placed much stake in the notion of magic or the paranormal. That said, what the Great Beings were able to display was a grasp of science so beyond me and the millions of other biomechs on Circumstance, I questioned for a time if they truly possessed supernatural powers of some kind. In truth, their esoteric understanding of the universe and its manipulation was centicycles beyond us. The blueprint of the cosmos seemed burned into their minds, and when it became apparent that our atmosphere was killing them, it was all I could do to research a cure. Despite my background in biology, the Great Beings were so alien to what I had been educated in, I could not engineer a viable way to allow their survival on Circumstance."

"At which time they bid you farewell," Zelacrix replied. "I downloaded the news article a few months ago. I also downloaded an article about your research with the Paragon Corporation and my eventual creation. Any pertinent information to my origin seemed worth further analysis."

Skyvir nodded. "Indeed. Now, let's run through some of our standard questions. What is your name?"

"My name is Zelacrix. I am the first and only Neo Great Being, activated one cycle ago."

"What is your purpose?"

"I have been tasked with maintaining and protecting the Paragon Space Station from all threats to the structure and its mission to study the void outside Circumstance. The station is an extension of my form, the monitors my eyes, and external microphones my audio receptors. It defends me from the harshness of space and I defend it from disrepair."

"That's enough for today," Skyvir said quietly. "You appear to be functioning properly. I'll access your memory core in the afternoon and perform an in-depth analysis."

"Do I require more information to ensure my integration with biomech culture?"

"Another time, maybe," Skyvir replied. "I need to do some more research on the crystal core we found. Telling you about biomechs was not the primary reason I came up here."

"Your primary reason was fulfilling a contractual obligation to the Paragon Corporation's head executive," Zelacrix reminded her. "You have imparted enough to explain how biomechs treat such written agreements. It does not appear you had a choice."

Skyvir frowned. "The funding for my project was cut and my staff was let go, leaving me not only jobless, but feeling as though my government had turned its back on the work I devoted just over six decacycles to. I was reluctant to come aboard and monitor his AI program, but I recognized Mionaph's offer wouldn't be given a second time. I left my laboratory, my colleagues, and my friends behind, travelling by shuttle to reach a station almost exclusively controlled by…you."

"Do you not trust me to successfully operate this station?" Zelacrix asked.

Skyvir stared hard at Zelacrix for a moment, considering her response. She helped to build a synthetic god and, while it possessed none of the organic parts of the Great Beings it came from (as they were biomechanical entities), her first encounter with it felt as alien as the day several starships landed on Circumstance.

"Yes, I trust you. Still, I'm here to keep tabs on you, which means someone else doesn't trust you. When the cycle ends though, I'm sure we'll have determined you are a competent AI."

"One cannot trust an unknown variable, which the Paragon Corporation still considers me. A vote of confidence from you suggests I will prove to be useful when the cycle term concludes."

"We can only hope," Skyvir replied, turning the chair back to the computer panel. The neighboring screen suddenly lit up with a transmission notification and Skyvir opened the line. The engineering deck had contacted her and she smiled politely at the face of the head engineer, a teal and grey armored biomech named Riendov.

"Good morning, Skyvir," he said cheerfully.

"Need something down there?" Skyvir asked, momentarily returning to the other screen and putting in a few commands.

"I was curious about the AI's primary processor. You said it would be repaired a few days ago and my connection to the Paragon network is still running pretty slow."

"Oh, that," Skyvir nodded, still trying to work while half-listening to her call. She knew the engineers didn't think very highly of a lead scientist that was so erratic at times, but she was comfortable multitasking and life aboard the station hadn't changed that. "I was…working on it."

"It'd be nice if you worked faster, Doctor," Riendov said with a chuckle. "Relegating the AI to run commands through the wireless processor is negatively affecting Zelacrix's ability to analyze data sent from the Paragon network.

Skyvir slid her chair out of the monitor's sight, typing a few commands into another computer terminal and making some noises with the cables on the floor. She then kicked the wall and slid back, smirking at the engineer. "I just fixed it. Any other problems I need to address?"

Riendov glanced at his nearby computer terminal. "It's not showing any changes."

"Give it time," Skyvir reassured him. "Zelacrix might need a moment to reestablish a solid connection."

Riendov sighed. "Okay then. Thanks for the help."

The engineer ended the call and Skyvir went back to focusing on what she considered more important matters, scanning the station for any integral issues.

"Doctor, I have detected that my primary processor has not been repaired. Why did you tell the lead engineer otherwise?"

Skyvir kept her eyes on the screen, replying with, "You and I know I was asked to make that repair last week, but I've been preoccupied with other things. Everyone seems to have suddenly forgotten about the crystal core we miraculously retrieved from outside the station. This object has so many mysterious properties, it's the most important scientific discovery since the Great Beings arrived on our doorstep and the engineers want to put that on the back burner to read their Paragon network messages a little faster."

"Despite the importance of this crystal object, why would you tell the engineer something that is not true? More curious, how does your programming allow you to do this?"

"I suppose my earlier mention of getting to biomech lifestyle later can start now. I lied to him, Zelacrix. Lying is something biomechs do when the truth is found inconvenient for one reason or another. In this case, I would prefer that if any engineers ask you about your primary processor, you tell them the repair has been made. They can handle a slower network for a day or two more while I finish my research on the energy core."

Zelacrix paused, analyzing the command he had been given. He was required to take any directive from the Doctor, but this was proving difficult. "I will inform him the processor is repaired."

Skyvir smiled at the AI's cocoon, into his primary visuals. "Thank you."

Zelacrix was very preoccupied for the rest of the day, unable to focus on Skyvir's study of the crystal core. The AI released itself from the cocoon hub and began to walk the station halls, physically observing the other workers. The machine possessed no inclination to learn more about lying from the biomechs onboard the station, but from what the Paragon network allowed it to investigate about the civilization on Circumstance, Zelacrix had arrived at the conclusion that all biomechs lied. Virtual messages public and private could be traced to falsehoods, some determined to be conscious deceptions. All this rampant avoidance of the truth perplexed Zelacrix, and without a primary processor to regulate information through, simple perplexity felt like more of a full-on mental struggle.

"Zelacrix, are you listening?"

The AI zeroed in on the audio's source and turned the nearest monitors toward it. Zelacrix studied the biomech in his sights and verified his identity as the station's lead engineer, Riendov. "Hello. How may I be of assistance?"

"My connection to the Paragon network is still pretty slow. I spoke to Skyvir this morning and she told me it was repaired so I'm guessing it may just be an issue with you at this point."

Zelacrix took less than a second to retrieve the audio memory of Skyvir's chat with him that morning. …if any engineers ask you about your primary processor, you tell them the repair has been made. …tell them the repair has been made. …the repair…has been made."

The repair has been made," Zelacrix said evenly. "Doctor Skyvir made the repairs this morning."

Riendov gave the monitor a suspicious look. "O-kay. Any idea what's slowing my connection?"

Zelacrix processed possibilities to a problem that didn't exist, running through the listed troubleshooting steps until finding a suitable explanation. To cover the first lie, the AI required a second. "The feedback satellites located on the external hull allow us to contact the network. I will adjust them and attempt to restore a stronger connection."

Riendov nodded. "Right. Let's hope that solves the issue."

<<<>>>

[Continue]

May I have a critique of my short story, Chronicle? -Ced

Charity Assignment Revision has been reviewed. -Ced

ECC Charity Review time! Revision is my first charity piece (surprising since I'm the BZPer that put the charity initiative into effect in the first place) and I found it to be an engaging plot. Ultimately, it's downfall came from a plethora of grammar and spelling errors, as seen below.Chapter 1

it moved back into the shadows, waiting for it’s move.

“Hah!” Laughed another.

She said that she didn’t, but she knew, and also knew that everyone knew that she did as well.

This isn’t the first time this is happened,

and destroying an possible opposition that could possibly arise.”

not a bunch of rookies that was thrust into my face,

and reverse the process in which who you’re supposed to kill?”

Oh wait, their both dead,

“Oh, the old it worked for Solek so it should work for me argument eh? How about this, find a shadow leech and let it suck the light out of you, it worked for Solek right?”

:Do you? Or are you trying to get me to stop.”

you should go see you’re new team before they kill each other.”

but much like the newcomers that he’s seen while on lookout

ran and behind a large rock.

well, at least they don’t know exactly were I am, from what I’ve seen, they’re pretty good shots.

and it held a not so stone like sword,

a sudden onslaught of energy strikes him like a punch to the stomach.

He drops to the floor convulses in pain, and finally falls still.

walls of the arena was covered with black scorch stains and ice sheets and icebergs,

They know about your strict regime,

the Toa of Stone? Got impatient

The council tried to place him an a team made solely of Air Toa,

and ungrateful, other words aren’t needed to describe him.

what she was about to do the these four,

you're try to subdue me."

"The sky will be my shroud, a cenotaph of cloud." -Keane

Episode 14: Live by the Sword...

Trylac spun back, firing three shots without the use of his scope. The sound of someone in terrible pain roared out at us. Turning back to look at the Makuta, I caught him clutching his eye, sparks flying out from where it had been seconds ago. Trylac's shooting had been nothing short of perfect. Rovaius opened fire on the Makuta as well, causing the Rahi-maker even greater agony as he fell to his knees. Just as Elendra was about to draw on our enemy, Rovaius motioned her to halt and the Makuta collapsed into the dirt.

"He went into shock, likely passed out from the intensity of his wounds," Trylac said rather coolly. "He's still alive."

"Do we want him alive?" Elendra asked furiously.

Rovaius quietly walked back to Stalgrax's corpse, staring down at our fallen friend. We joined him and stood around the murdered Nohtalian, probably all wishing we had been chosen by the Makuta instead. His particular sense of humor grounded me when I was too serious and reminded me there was entertainment to be had in what we did. There were no words to mourn a friend like Stalgrax and I still think Rovaius was smart in what he said next.

"It would be a foolish mistake to have the entire Brotherhood hunting us for the murder of one of their own. The Makuta is in no condition to pursue us."

They were strong words for a biomech who had just lost someone he considered close enough to be called a brother. Despite whatever fury or anguish Rovaius was feeling, his common sense remained intact. In a world without Trivolox, he had the ability to reject the unbridled passion he warned against and see reason. I doubt I could've done the same in his position.

"I should've turned a few seconds sooner," Trylac said. I had never heard regret in his voice before and it remains one of the saddest sounds in my memory. "I'm so sorry, Rovaius."

Rovaius opened his mouth and stayed silent. I thought he might lose it right there. "We need to go," Rovaius said, walking away from Stalgrax's corpse. I followed him, only glancing back at Stalgrax one more time in helplessness. There was nothing we could do.

"Are you going to be all right?" I asked Rovaius, hiding none of my concern.

"I don't know," Rovaius said quietly, staring at the ground, never slowing his pace. "I thought Trivolox's death would feel right…I thought I would feel right. It's over now though…the four Nohtalians I once called brothers are gone."

"I'm sorry, Rovaius," I whispered, just staring at my defeated leader.

"It's not your fault," Rovaius told me, forcing a smile.

He looked into my eyes and his appeared to glass over a bit. The luster in his lime green eyes was oddly hazy, almost dead really. It took me a moment to realize what had happened, mostly because it happened so rarely. Sentient life in our universe is almost always more mechanical than organic, but there are a few species out there that are exceptions to the rule. They seem more in tune with emotion than most biomechs, but their bodies sometimes react to certain emotional stimuli as well. One such example is tears - liquid droplets secreted from the eyes often accompanying intense sadness. Like myself, Rovaius couldn't cry tears, but his hazy eyes were doing their best.

"It's not your fault either," I replied firmly.

Those were the last words spoken for a while. As a storm system of ominous gray clouds settled over us on our path through southern Nohtal, there was nothing much to talk about. Trivolox's defeat had come at the cost of losing Stalgrax and as brave a face as Rovaius tried to wear, I could only speculate how difficult it was to carry such a burden of regret. We continued on through southern Nohtal for a couple hours while our situation worsened. Rovaius rarely spoke unless he was giving a directive and no one really wanted to talk about Stalgrax at the time.

Right when it started to drizzle, I thought I heard something strange in the distance behind us. I looked over my shoulder and immediately felt sick. A substantial number of Toa and Exo-Toa were heading for our position. It didn't matter where they were stationed, the movements of Toa as a group were always very deliberate and I was sure these ones were working with the Makuta we'd encountered earlier in the day.

"We have company," I said. "Any ideas?"

"Pick up the pace," Rovaius replied harshly. "Maybe we can lose them up ahead."

We broke into an easy run, making our way toward the ruins of a very ancient looking fortress. I can't say if Rovaius knew the fortress was there from the start and I didn't bother to ask. Given the familiarity with Nohtal he suggested prior and the structure's apparent age, I would assume he had seen the fortress in its youth at some point.

"I'll do a flyover and check the scale of what we're up against," Trylac said, his wings rapidly flapping into action as he took to the skies.

I watched him the entire time as he scanned the ground and observed the enemies headed for us. I expected we could handle whatever it was. I didn't expect that, so early into his flight, Trylac would be suddenly shot down and sent plunging out of the air. I felt like I couldn't breathe when I watched it happen, listening to Elendra gasp as Trylac fell like a stone.

"I'd know that sound anywhere," Rovaius said, as if in a trance. "Trivolox's gunblade. The Makuta is back."

"In the name of Mata Nui and the Brotherhood of Makuta, we order you to halt!" a Toa shouted our way.

"Not a chance," Rovaius spat. "Let's move!"

The Nohtalian dragged me with him, forcing me to try and ignore what I'd just seen and focus on saving my life. We dashed through the ruins, following the rays of sunlight through the broken ceiling as we went along. Rovaius led us up a large hillside and I was comforted to have a tactical advantage at last, easily able to pick off the enemy from our position. It only took moments for the Toa and Exo-Toa to make their way through the fortress ruins and we knew the Makuta wasn't far behind.

"Did you see how he hit Trylac?" Rovaius asked, sounding as though he was addressing someone who wasn't present. "The Makuta's skill is…unprecedented."

"He killed him!" I shouted, shaking Rovaius by the shoulders. "He killed Trylac and Stalgrax and unless we do something, he's going to kill us!"

Rovaius rapidly blinked his eyes several times, as though he were coming out of a heavy daydream. He stared at me blankly, studying my desperate expression. Finally, he spoke. "Elendra…Adrinor…you should get going," Rovaius said evenly.

"Rovaius!" Elendra growled.

"I wasn't asking," the Nohtalian replied coldly. "To join me in this battle would be suicide. I would prefer one of us fall rather than all of us. I have four dead friends…brothers, who are gone now. Nohtal was their first home and it is their final resting place, all in the designs of the Great Spirit. We are destined for the paths we take and somehow, I always knew destiny would bring me back here…one way or another."

"Rovaius," I whispered in shock.

"It's okay," he said, smiling to me. "Continue to live your dream, Adrinor. And Elendra, there's nothing wrong with being open now and again. I'm going to buy you two a little time now. Use it wisely and, take care of yourselves."

Elendra and I reluctantly watched Rovaius run back down the hill, taking on the Toa and their mechanical sentries. From what his final words had been, I knew what Rovaius intended to do and I knew the cost. Rovaius didn't stand a chance without the option he hinted to me, fighting a losing battle from the start. Every swing of his gunblade was parried and every shot was deflected. The Exo-Toa and Toa tried to close in on him, but Rovaius frantically fought to keep them at bay. It's hard to say whether exhaustion or emotion wore at him harder, though both had to be taking their toll. One of the Exo-Toa punched him across the face with its retractable arm and a Toa followed with a burst of air. Rovaius was brought to his knees while his enemies circled, attempting to take him into custody. Elendra gripped my arm and I gave her a panicked stare.

"Those Toa won't kill us, they have a code!" I protested, struggling to get free. "We have to save Rovaius!"

"I doubt they would kill us," Elendra replied, "but we left a furious and partially blind Makuta back there. Do you expect him to show any mercy when he catches up?"

I stopped trying to release my arm and thought about what Elendra was saying. Hanging my head in defeat, I sighed. "No…I don't."

Elendra shook her head, glancing down at Rovaius when she let my arm go. "This is what he wants, Adrinor. It isn't any easier for me to watch than it is for you, but we both know nothing good will come from running back down this hill to aid Rovaius."

I turned my attention back to Rovaius and quietly loaded a laser shell into my rifle. A pair of Toa held each arm and leg in place, starting to carry the Nohtalian away. I wondered for a second if I would be doing him a favor if I fired my next shot through his head, preventing him any further pain. I felt myself fighting to remain still, fighting not to scream. Rovaius tugged for freedom in vain, but then he did something remarkable. Just as the Makuta marched out of the fortress, Rovaius' arms became engulfed in shadow energies - crackling power that consumed his entire body before converging over his heartlight. The Toa dropped him on the ground and backed away, each drawing their weapons in anticipation. I peered through my scope and could see the shadows had disappeared from his body, having somehow turned his heartlight a pitch black color in the process. He yelled out and I watched his heartlight burst open. I withdrew from the scope and stared down at the battlefield just as a sphere of darkness exploded outward from Rovaius.

"Rovaius!" I screamed, pushing Elendra aside when she tried to hold me back. I sprinted down the hill and into the carnage, rushing to my leader's side. Tiny sparks of violet jumped around Rovaius' enemies, remnants of his intense dark energy shockwave.

Toa and machines had been scattered about, not one of the survivors in the condition to fight me. The Makuta had been hurled backwards through a couple heavy walls, probably rendered unconscious. A Toa of plasma glanced my way and I fired a shot through his head, putting a hole in his Kadin. I dropped the rifle and took a few more steps toward Rovaius, standing over him. His eyes were halfway open, though the lime green that lived within them was gone. Where his heartlight pulsed moments before was a hole pouring out a thin layer of black mist in its place. This was the price Rovaius paid for freedom, the catalyst of an ultimate liberation.

"No," I said, a crackle of thunder drowning out my voice. "No, this can't be how it ends. Look what you did." I stared back up the hill at Elendra and cried, "Look what you did!"

I picked up the gunblade and held it at my side. It wasn't my weapon of choice, but I couldn't just leave it there. I could hear several biomechs heading for my position and knew our time for an escape was running out. I frowned at Rovaius in frustration and pity. "I'll carry on the dream, Rovaius…for all of us."

I hurried for the hill, dashing up the side of it. More Toa and Exo-Toa quickly stumbled upon the terrible scene Rovaius caused and caught Elendra and I fleeing the destruction. It's hard to say what happened next, but I distinctly remember being struck in the back about a dozen times. It didn't hurt at first, but when I realized there were energy bullets in me, a sense of panic set in.

"Keep running, Adrinor!" Elendra shouted in desperation.

I tried to follow her order, but I fell to the ground in pain, experiencing what felt like dying. Was this the feeling Rovaius felt as the concussive blast overwhelmed him? Elendra kept trying to pull me along, but I couldn't focus long enough to help her.

I could hear the faint sound of my heartlight beating, but my body wouldn't respond. The world was flickering between blurry sights and flashes of darkness, and I could feel the rain pouring down on my armor. My mind was slowly shutting down and the pain was starting to fade. For an instant, I thought I glimpsed Trivolox pointing his gunblade at my head. I thought he might finish me off, ignoring how he could possibly remain alive. It hardly seemed to matter at the time. I assumed I was going to perish there, in the rain, with or without some dead Nohtalian's mercy. I couldn't help but think of what Rovaius said the night before. Was my form just a cenotaph to the spirit I left behind in Kinatra? I didn't know. I could hear Boomer the Hapaka barking at Mahi, I could pick up the scent of wild flowers on the ranch, and I could visualize a smiling Torema.

"I'm sorry," I whispered weakly to the long-dead Po-Matoran. "I'm so sorry."

Torema opened his mouth to reply, but the words were my own. Words I had spoken to the leader of the Toa Iosiden were now coming back to haunt me. "Everything comes with a consequence." He was right. I was right. Everything faded then and the pursuit of my dream appeared to conclude.

<<<>>>

My eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the sensation of light pouring in through a nearby window. I was in someone's bed. I immediately sat upright, examining a very quaint looking bedroom. Elendra was propped against the far corner wall, giving me a brief smile. The sunlight brilliantly reflected on her frost and violet armor.

"Have you been waiting for me to wake up?" I asked.

"It wouldn't be the first time," she replied, walking across the room to me. She placed a hand on my shoulder and quietly added, "I'm glad you're okay, Adrinor."

Her smile was genuine, not like the Elendra I knew that hid within herself. I wondered if I was dreaming, creating a curious, unguarded version of the Trelban.

"I know we lost them," I began uneasily, "and that's made us vulnerable, because they meant the world to us. I think we need to reassess ourselves. We need to reassess this life."

"Come with me," Elendra said. "You should meet the biomech that saved your life."

I followed Elendra into the next room, finding an individual leaning back in a chair, very casually at that. Clad in matte black armor mixed with hints of cerulean, he was preoccupied eating one of the fruits I had seen in the grove when I first arrived on Nohtal.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"Southern Nohtal," the biomech replied, quickly taking another bite. "I imagine you're a little disoriented after everything yesterday, so I can forgive the lack of appreciation for my work."

"Oh, yeah…that," I said, glancing down at my armor. Not a scratch on it. I looked back up, into the biomech's soft, teal eyes. "Thanks. How'd you do it?"

The biomech snapped his fingers and his hand began to emit a light blue aura. "My kind have innate healing abilities."

I searched my memory for anything like what he was referring to. It had been long ago, but I vaguely recalled meeting an entity with such powers on the ranch once. "You're from the eastern chain of the Southern Islands, right?"

He nodded. "Yes, I'm a Todrano. My name is Hadliek - League agent at your service."

"League agent," I repeated softly. "You work for Pridak?"

"Not directly, no. I was with a League recruiting agency based out of Anxious Solitude though. I was assigned to Nohtal to locate and keep tabs on potential League soldiers. Most of these Nohtalians are very peaceful, but every once in a while, I come across one with a temper. That's when I send a report back to Xia and begin pursuing the prospective new hire. We like to be sure that we really know these Nohtalians before putting any jobs on the table. Their range of power is too great to leave something like an unhinged mind to chance. After hearing Elendra's story about what you've been through, however, it looks like I'm out of a job at the moment."

"So how is it that Elendra crossed paths with a League recruiter? Do you routinely go for walks in the pouring rain?" I questioned.

"Pure chance," Elendra replied, taking a seat next to Hadliek. "He was preoccupied with some target practice when he noticed me half carrying you in the storm."

"You were half dragging him too," Hadliek said, taking another bite of his fruit. "Anyway, she realized I wasn't a Nohtalian and I decided to ask what happened to you."

"I'm not proud of myself, but I panicked and divulged that we were with the League," Elendra said, releasing a heavy sigh.

"And from that moment of weakness, you were brought here. Combined with a little focus on my behalf, I managed to save you."

A few days prior, I would've expected Elendra to hold one of her revolvers at someone's face for referencing any of her actions as a "moment of weakness." She was calm. I didn't expect it to last. Three of our closest friends had just died and I think we both needed some time to come to terms with that.

"So now we're back to your comment from earlier," Elendra said to me. "With Rovaius, Stalgrax, Trylac, and the League gone, do you still want to keep doing this? Could you carry on with this life after what we've lost?"

I stared hard at the floor, pondering what to say. Our lifestyle was a dangerous one and now we were a little more alone in the world. That thought had been haunting me since I watched Stalgrax get killed, but I considered what he would do now if things had been different. It didn't take me long to find my answer as I smiled at Elendra and Hadliek. "I think it would be a terrible dishonor to their memories if we didn't carry on."

"Good to hear it," Elendra said eagerly. "Hadliek and I talked it over and we're planning to leave Nohtal in a day or two. A little extra freedom in the world might do us some good."

"Yeah, I've never been part of a team like yours, but I'm a decent shot," Hadliek said. "I've also had to take out my fair share of…enemies, I guess you'd call them. Nohtal is surprisingly quite a haven for anti-League entities."

I turned to face the door and glanced at Rovaius' gunblade leaning next to it. "I want to do one thing first. And…we'll need a shovel."

We cautiously returned to the fortress ruins later that day, scouting the area first for any signs of lingering Toa or Exo-Toa. The site was solemn, empty and quiet. My laser rifle had been left behind, snapped in half and thrown against the outer wall of the fortress. I bent down to study it, well aware it would never fire again. The laser rifle once connected me to my former home on the ranch. With time, it had been at my side during my many adventures with the gang. To see it completely ruined, it felt symbolic of the fact that the life I had known was changing once again. When I left Hadliek's home, I took up the gunblade in memory of my own brothers - Rovaius, Stalgrax, and Trylac. I walked into the crumbling fortress and only took a few steps before coming to an abrupt halt. Rovaius had been lain down on a stone table, his hands placed over his heartlight. I had witnessed something similar before - only Toa were known to honor fallen allies and enemies like that. He was still a sight of wonder as the sun danced upon his ruby and obsidian armor through the holes in the ceiling. I warily approached the Nohtalian's corpse, almost expecting him to wake up and brush off his wounds. That would not be the case.

"That's him, huh?" Hadliek asked quietly. He scooped Rovaius up from the table and threw the Nohtalian over his shoulder. "Come on, Adrinor. We still have work to do."

The three of us headed north then, planning to recover the remainder of our friends. Despite searching the rest of the day and into the next morning, we never located Trylac's body. It was Elendra's assumption that the enraged Makuta had either blasted him into ashes or the Dectraz was alive out there somewhere, abandoning us for reasons unknown. Once we stumbled upon the pieces of his broken sniper rifle, I didn't have much hope left in her second theory.

Our travels eventually brought us back to the proving ground where Trivolox and Stalgrax took their final breath, only to find Stalgrax hadn't been moved an inch from where he dropped. Elendra pulled his corpse—a sturdy body of onyx and topaz left face down in the dust—up over her shoulder and took a long sigh. For all of their previous tension, all those past arguments, it was all utterly pointless now. We didn't exchange any words after that and I wondered what Elendra would've said to Stalgrax if she had one more chance. Then I turned the question back on myself and stared at Rovaius for a while, watching his head shift a bit against Hadliek's shoulder as the Todrano carried him. More than anything, I just wanted to apologize for letting him make the sacrifice.

We finally returned to the site where I first located Stalgrax after the airship crash, the site of his original gang's graves. When we arrived, Elendra and I noticed something very interesting.

"A third grave," I said flatly.

Elendra nodded. "The Toa must've brought Trivolox here, but how would they have known?"

"I'm not sure," I replied. "Maybe someone identified him. A Nohtalian perhaps."

We took turns digging a pair of graves on the opposite end of Trivolox's, placing Rovaius and Stalgrax inside, and seeing their faces one last time. When we finished burying them and sundown was on the way, the finality of it really hit me. Even alongside Elendra and Hadliek, I felt impossibly alone in that moment.

"The infamous Rovaius-Trivolox Gang, together again at last, and eternally," Elendra said. "The League separated them once and ultimately reunited them here on Nohtal."

"Yeah," I replied sadly, "it's interesting how that turned out. Some were friends, one was an enemy, and some we never knew at all. They all affected us in some way though."

I pulled the gunblade from my back and rested the tip between the graves we'd dug. "I owe you two so much. Thank you for letting my live my dream and…good night."

"What happens now?" Hadliek asked Elendra. "Back to business as usual?"

"Same business, new faces. That's how this whole thing works," Elendra replied, handing me the shovel.

I plunged the object into a fresh patch of grass above the graves and turned back to my companions. Elendra forced a smile to me and Hadliek gave a slightly more awkward version of the same. The three of us walked away from the burial site after that, heading into the sunset as a new team. I was uncertain where life would takes us in this universe without order, but we were prepared to face it together.

Review

I have completed my final assignment, Voltex's In the Mourning. Thank you to all the writers for keeping us active and continue to work at your craft. I would also like to thank Velox and the wonderful staff here at the SSCC. You're a fine bunch of critics and I have been proud to acknowledge you as my colleagues over the past several months. Due to certain real life priorities shifting around, I can no longer commit myself to routine short story work. Thanks again to all critics and writers for making my time with the SSCC an outstanding experience. -Ced

Hello, Voltex, and welcome to the last official SSCC review I'll be doing. I must say, when I discovered that this would be my last assignment, I felt a little disappointed, like being a child that has to finish all his vegetables before dessert. That feeling didn't stem from anything about you as a writer or otherwise, but because I realized I would be reviewing flash fiction. I have a process, an approach, to critiquing short stories that doesn't exactly mesh with such condensed work. That said, much of my usual criticism is going to have to be thrown out the window on this one, because the scale of your story is intentionally limited. I suppose we'll get down to business now, starting with grammar.First off, I want to tell you that I appreciate consistency in a story. I've jokingly said in the past that a single error is a mistake, but the same error throughout is style. Putting my strange humor aside, I noticed that you capitalize the first word after every piece of dialogue in your work. I believe it was sixth grade when it was pointed out to me that it's grammatically incorrect to do so, and I've been fortunate enough to have retained that info ever since. Now I'm passing it on to you with the hope it sticks to your memory like peanut butter to the roof of your mouth, or something similarly sticky if you aren't partial to peanut butter.

Him leaning back, supported by his arms, her lying on top of him, her head twisted so that she too could see the stars.

“Comparing you to the stars would be cliché. You’re worth so much more than that, and the stars have nothing on you to boot.”

“Do I sparkle, brighter than the stars and the sun?

She was gone, not a trace to be found. He scrambled onto his knees, his desperate gaze searching all over the hill for a friend that was more than just a friend, but a search he knew must be doomed to failure. She was gone.

now adorned with a statue of a Tahtorak that a powerful Toa had defeated long ago.

"Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?" -The Eagles

Episode 13: Inevitable Showdown

Leaving Valantru was easy. As teams of Toa and many individual ones from multiple lands said their farewells, walking onboard an airship had been all too simple. There was no need to employ any stealth; the Toa were far too preoccupied with recounting their victory. Each League soldier's defeat was a different story to be told and while they aren't nearly as annoying as Turaga, most Toa love to tell stories. We got comfortable in our seats and I stared out the window, catching a couple bright fireworks detonate over Valantru. It was still hard to believe Pridak's plan had failed…that their reign was over. I could only hope they would learn of Takadox's treachery at some point.

"This changes everything, Rovaius," Trylac said quietly. "Perhaps we should reassess things now that the League is over. The Brotherhood of Makuta will surely hunt down any remaining troops of the Barraki."

Rovaius shook his head. "This changes nothing. We were private agents yesterday, with no military allies beyond those that could offer us transport. We didn't hide from Toa or the Brotherhood under Pridak and I won't hide from them now.

A couple dozen Toa loaded up on the ship, taking their seats around us. I could hear Rovaius and Stalgrax speaking with a couple of them, but I wasn't terribly interested. With as many Toa onboard the airship as there were, I assumed getting in a few more hours of sleep wouldn't hurt. As I told Trylac on the way to Artakha, my body hadn't yet become accustomed to exhausting so much energy in frequent thefts and gunfights. I enjoyed my sleep that day, quietly dreaming of being a rancher. I would never return to that line of work, but after you've killed enough biomechs, wishing for a simple life manages to haunt you now and again. My dream that afternoon was of a peaceful morning, where Boomer the Hapaka managed to find me and started barking happily at me.

"Always so lively, aren't you?" I chuckled.

Hapaka continued to bark, circling me a couple times. I narrowed my eyes in concern on Boomer for a second though. Something was wrong. He was barking, yes, but I could almost hear real words. No…just one word.

"Adrinor!"

I awoke in terror to the sound of alarms and immediately realized gravity was pushing me at an angle. I was on the floor, staring up at a frantic Elendra and the hand she was offering me. I tried to accept, but the pounding pain in my head stopped me short.

"We need to jump!" It was Trylac's voice, but I couldn't tell where it came from.

I forced myself to my feet, gaining as much balance as I could. I picked up my rifle and glanced over my shoulder. A decent chunk of the airship was gone and, more disturbing, the corpses of a few Toa I saw boarding the ship were strewn about the cabin. There were pieces from a couple others littered across the floor as well.

"Enjoy your connecting flight!"

I turned toward the front of the ship, finding a jet black, male Vortixx crawling on the floor. He had suffered a shot to the head (probably from Elendra) and his eyes were a vacant gray. Her shot must've severed the visual receptor connection, effectively blinding him. Not that he needed his sight anyway - a fact I took into consideration when I noticed the detonator in his left hand. From the instant I spotted him to the moment he hit the trigger, there were maybe a few seconds to comprehend what was happening. Even Elendra didn't react quickly enough. She fired just as the Vortixx pushed the detonator. That was followed by an explosion and then…unconsciousness.

When I finally came to, I was face down in the grass. The headache had passed, but I was definitely sore. Brushing myself off, I did a full turn to try and figure out where I was. I couldn't discern the location, but it was beautiful. I was standing in a large grove where round, violet fruits were growing on the trees. The grass was a vivid green and the tress appeared so full of life. I could also see my rifle had landed on a branch. I awkwardly climbed the tree, inching my way toward the weapon. I grabbed it and leapt back to the ground, checking it for damage. I smiled, once again amazed by how much punishment the laser rifle could take. Putting it on my back, I walked up to a low hanging branch and picked one of the fruits off, weakly sniffing it. It didn't have a scent.

"I wonder…" I muttered, taking a small bite like I was a Rahi or something. It was rather bitter, but edible all the same. I tossed the fruit to the ground and started walking, hoping to find a nearby civilization or—at the very least—the gang.

The skies were clear, but I could see a dark gray storm rising in the distance. A gentle breeze travelled through the grove with me and I continued to ponder where I was. In the time I had spent with the gang, I had never visited such a place. Even Diroux's "paradise" paled in comparison to what I had seen so far. As I neared the edge of the grove, I could see a small town in a valley just below. Fresh water passed through the town and biomechs went about their day. It was so quaint.

"Hey, who are you?"

I turned back to the grove and found a young-looking biomech staring at me. He was roughly my height, with cobalt and white armor. He was also dragging a gunblade at his side. I drew my laser rifle on him, taking a couple steps back as I prepared to load a shell.

"Keep your weapon down," I said, aimed right at his chest.

"Answer my question first," he replied, charging a stream of shadow energy into the gunblade.

I blinked a few times in shock, lowering my rifle. "I'm…not from around here. This is Nohtal isn't it?"

The shadow energy dissipated from the gunblade and the biomech nodded cautiously. "You came in the airship crash, huh?"

I chuckled uncomfortably. "Yeah, it's a long story." I considered telling him that the League of Six Kingdoms had been dissolved the night before, but I decided against it. He'd find out eventually. Everyone would find out eventually.

"You should come back with me to town," the Nohtalian suggested. "Have something to eat before you head on your way. We're a hospitable species, I assure you."

A powerful burst of lightning energy shot up through the sky, a decent walk from my position. The bolt had come from a wooded area, definitely a signal from Stalgrax. I turned back to the Nohtalian and shook my head. "I have to be going."

I took off down the hillside, hurrying for the small forest. A beautiful meadow separated me from the trees and I found myself envious that Rovaius and Stalgrax once called Nohtal their home. Through their actions it had become their battleground, their warzone against the law as they fought to live outside of their society's rules. And yet, Nohtal seemed so lush and full of beauty, I doubt I would've traded a life among such scenery for one as an outlaw. Perhaps that was why the two Nohtalians never spoke of home - it was too painful to remember. Rovaius had a lot of mental wounds connected to Nohtal and Trivolox. Part of me wasn't looking forward to our reunion if it would be on such sullen terms.

I called out to Stalgrax, catching a glimpse of him between the trees. Taking off headlong through the woods, I navigated the winding path and found Stalgrax standing over a couple slabs of stone placed in the ground. Headstones. I had seen them before, occasionally adorned with flowers. These ones appeared to have been left to crumble, ignored by all but the passing of time.

"I tried getting your attention," I said to him, approaching from Stalgrax's left.

Stalgrax said nothing in response, staring down at the graves. Burials were apparently customary on Nohtal, since it would be peculiar to lay outlaws to rest otherwise. As he shifted his weight onto his rifle and leaned forward, Stalgrax muttered something indiscernible, something meant for the departed biomechs most likely.

"These were your brothers," I said. I felt awkward at stating such an obvious fact. "I'm sorry."

"I said I'd come back, you know," Stalgrax said quietly. "I said I'd avenge them. They were my brothers – demons in the dust laid down by their own. It wasn't their time."

"I don't think it's up to us to say when our time is coming," I replied. "I think it's already been figured out."

Stalgrax forced a chuckle. "Yes. Mata Nui, the silent maker."

"You have a beautiful home," I said, trying to change the subject. "I don't think you've ever spoken of this place, to be honest."

"We have a complicated history with Nohtal."

I whirled around to see Rovaius had snuck up on us, giving the graves a hard stare for a moment. Elendra had been following close behind, glancing my way and giving me a quick scan for visible injuries. Her brief nod translated to "good to see you’re okay." Trylac leapt down from one of the trees, letting his wings allow him to hover for a second.

"I couldn't find any other survivors," Trylac said, landing softly. In locating Stalgrax and his fallen friends, I had completely forgotten we all just lived through an airship explosion. In my defense, it wasn't the most interesting event of the week.

"What happened on the airship?" I asked, waiting for anyone to respond.

Stalgrax laughed. He was always quick to shake off a melancholy mood. "Funny story, now that you mention it. While you were sleeping, a few League loyalists revealed themselves as stowaways on the ship and started killing the Toa onboard. We didn't mind that part too much. We finally realized there was a problem on our hands when they killed the pilots and attempted to blow up the entire craft."

"And by attempted, he obviously means succeeded," Elendra muttered.

"Of all the islands we had to crash on, it had to be home," Rovaius said. "I hated leaving this place behind last time…all those thousands of years ago. I clearly robbed one too many biomechs, maybe killed one too many as well.

"So you know what part of the island we're on?" I asked.

"I've journeyed across this island from one end to the other before. Too many times to count, actually. I know exactly where we are," Rovaius said, reassuring me. He turned to Stalgrax. "You think the crafter still lives nearby?"

Stalgrax shrugged his shoulders. "Most likely. You think he's still building weapons?"

"He was half insane to begin with," Rovaius replied. "Unless one of those weapons blew up in his face, he's still building."

Stalgrax grinned. "Then let's pay him a visit."

"Where are we going?" Elendra questioned.

Stalgrax held up his rifle. "The Nohtalian that designed my weapon used to have a small facility not far from here. He was very skilled in crafting destructive objects and it couldn't hurt to have an extra one on hand."

"Does this crafter have a name?" Elendra wondered. "I'd like to know who I'll be killing for a fancy new toy."

"I don't think we ever bothered to ask…" Rovaius trailed off, tapping his chin. "I suppose you can ask him when we get there."

Our journey to the crafter's facility was brief and I could tell Elendra and Trylac were just as amazed by Nohtal's scenery as I was. For an island not terribly far to the east from Xia, there was no noticeable League presence in the area. While the innate shadow powers of the Nohtalians would have made them ideal soldiers, my run-in with the young biomech in training said enough. Most Nohtalians were hospitable, kind individuals, with no ill will towards others. For such a dark energy coursing through them, it was an ironic nature.

The crafter's facility was nothing special. A dark gray block of a building was the most likely place for constructing his weaponry, and a smaller building to the south probably served to hold additional parts. I watched a biomech swiftly dart from the smaller building to the larger one, slamming the door behind him. His hunched posture suggested he was often preoccupied with his work.

"There he is," Rovaius said, a grin forming on his face.

"He certainly bolted back to his workshop in a hurry," Elendra said, clicking her revolver's hammer back and forth a few times.

Stalgrax chuckled. "He believes Mata Nui is inside the sun, watching us. He doesn't like the idea of being watched."

"I doubt a bit of reinforced metal is going to stop the Great Spirit from checking in on a crazy Nohtalian if he were interested."

"And there's your answer," Rovaius replied. "Crazy Nohtalian."

We walked up to the facility and Elendra took an extra step forward, ready to smash through the door. Shooting it open would've been simpler, but she was probably holding back a bit of pent up anger after being blasted out of an airship.

"Whenever you're ready, Elendra," Rovaius said, casually waiting with his gunblade held up.

Elendra kicked the door down and we cocked our weapons, ready to shoot. What we weren't ready for was company. Not ordinary company either, but Trivolox, a half dozen elite soldiers like the ones on the Midnight, and an armored colossus with far too many specific traits about his form. He was a shapeshifter - a Makuta to be precise. We immediately leapt away from the entrance, catching the sound of multiple blasters being loaded. I scrambled back to the other side of the smaller building and took a deep breath.

I sighed. "It's never simple." Listening to my rifle hum, I could tell it was more than ready.

I peered out from my cover and fired on the doorway, catching one of the soldiers as he attempted to make his way outside. The laser blast flung him back in, definitely killing him. Rovaius noticed another soldier attempting to rush us, impaling him on his gunblade and kicking him aside. We retreated back a bit more, moving out toward the crafter's homemade proving ground, mostly an expanse of gravel and dirt. One of the soldiers peaked out from behind the wall, only to drop back into cover. Trylac lined up where he thought the biomech's head would be and put a hole in the wall and the soldier in the next second.

"Nice shot!" I shouted, reloading my rifle.

Stalgrax caught the next two, hitting them with a steady stream of electrical current from his rifle. They dropped and the last soldier came out, hands up in defeat. Elendra was about to put an energy bullet between his eyes, but the Makuta put a stop to that. He grabbed the soldier by the head and slowly disintegrated him apart.

"What good is a soldier that lays down his arms?" the Makuta hissed.

We pointed our weapons at the Makuta, entirely aware of the danger we were up against. Our numbers had no bearing in the face of this powerful adversary. Even with a few of our best shots, there was nothing saying we'd survive a fight with such a powerful entity. I think we all mentally acknowledged that, but only Rovaius chose to do anything about it.

Rovaius turned to us and smiled confidently. "You are my only friends and I know I'm not making an easy request, but I need you to stay out of what's about to happen." He turned back to face the facility and took a few steps forward. "Trivolox! Let's settle this, just you and me! One last showdown!"

Trivolox stepped into view and the Nohtalian glanced up at his ally. "I'll handle this alone." The Makuta merely nodded, folding his arms as Trivolox walked forward.

We gave the Nohtalians a fair amount of space as they stood across the proving ground from one another, each drawing their gunblades. Charging their weapons with shadow energies, Rovaius and Trivolox slowly began walking in a large circle, keeping the same relative distance from each other.

"There's no running away this time," Rovaius growled.

Trivolox smirked. "I've been running from you for far too long. I'm ready to end this."

The Nohtalians ran at each other, swinging their blades and clashing them together. They continued to swing rapidly like this several more times, unable to land a blow. Trivolox put both hands to his gunblade, shoving Rovaius away. Rovaius leapt backward, summoning an aura of shadow around his open hand. Trivolox opened fire on him, but Rovaius hurled the darkness at his enemy, consuming the bullets and forcing Trivolox to strafe the attack.

"Rovaius!" Trivolox yelled angrily, stomping his foot into the earth and sending a shockwave of darkness through the ground.

Rovaius dove to the side, watching as a hand of shadow energies leapt from the ground where he had been standing and grasped thin air before exploding. Rovaius got to his feet and focused his power back into his gunblade. This time, he shot a single bullet at Trivolox, infused with intense dark power. A trail of black and violet spiraled through the air, but Trivolox hurled a Kanoka at it, firing on the disk right after. The bullet had traveled beyond where the disk exploded, but was caught in its range of power anyway. The trail vanished, and I assumed the Kanoka carried a teleport ability. Sure enough, I watched the bullet's trail reappear in the sky momentarily before dissipating.

Trivolox placed his gunblade on his back, dashing at Rovaius. Rovaius fired five more times, each bullet caught and turned to ash in Trivolox's shadow charged hands. Rovaius swung his gunblade at Trivolox at the last moment, unprepared for his enemy to duck beneath the blade. Trivolox then took Rovaius by the throat and slammed him to the ground with a burst of shadow, knocking the gunblade from Rovaius' grasp.

"You cannot hope to win," Trivolox muttered, throwing everything into a mighty swing of his weapon.

Rovaius retrieved his gunblade and used both hands to defend against Trivolox's attack, releasing a shockwave of dark energy in the process. Trivolox had a natural resistance to shadow-based attacks, but it was enough to make him take several steps back. Rovaius got to his feet as Trivolox came in for another strike, firing a beam of darkness into the ground where Trivolox stood. The blast sent Trivolox flying, but once Trivolox was airborne, he used the opportunity to hurl a volley of dark energy blasts at Rovaius, assailing him with an attack too wide to evade.

Rovaius swung his gunblade over his head at a rapid pace, placing a barrier of darkness around himself as well. The blasts burned into the dirt, but when Trivolox returned to the ground, Rovaius was unscathed. He wasted no time firing several more energy bullets at Trivolox, strafing his position as he went along. Trivolox swung his hand through the air, launching a wave of darkness that disintegrated the bullets and headed for Rovaius. Rovaius swung his own weapon straight through the wave without harm, running for Trivolox. "Hold still!"

Trivolox held Rovaius at bay, locking swords with him as their free hands came together and crackled with jet black lightning bolts. I glanced at the Makuta for a moment, seeing how invested he was in the fight. All Makuta possessed the ability to read minds, but everyone knew what Trivolox and Rovaius were thinking. This battle meant everything to them and considering they weren't going to back down, it meant one of them was probably going to die.

The Nohtalians disconnected and I watched Trivolox pull back his hand before shoving it forward, causing a thin energy beam to reach across the battlefield. The beam was wrapped in energies of ruby and black shadow, following Rovaius in his evasive maneuvers. I had never seen Rovaius or Stalgrax use the ability before and I considered that it may have been taught to him elsewhere.

The beam let up and Rovaius examined the damage, brushing his foot against some of the blackened ground. Rovaius took a few steps back, dropping his gunblade to the dirt. He closed his eyes and remained entirely still, meditating. I knew what he was up to, but I hadn't seen him practice the technique in months.

Trivolox chuckled. "Do you surrender? That only makes this easier."

Trivolox ran at Rovaius, preparing to rip straight through the Nohtalian with his gunblade. Before that could happen, Rovaius perfectly executed his attack. A burst of black and white lightning bolts emerged from Rovaius' body, bombarding Trivolox with concussive energy. Trivolox tensed up, gripping his gunblade tight and holding his ground. Rovaius picked his weapon back up and charged a shot through his gunblade, shooting his paralyzed adversary in the torso.

Trivolox was thrown backwards, landing on his side. Rovaius marched toward him slowly, preparing to finish the battle.

"This isn't how it ends," Trivolox muttered, trying to get to his feet.

Rovaius charged shadow energies down through his weapon, engulfing the blade in rippling darkness. "This is how it needed to end years ago, when you betrayed your brothers."

Trivolox fired several shots at Rovaius without warning, forcing Rovaius to deflect or dodge them immediately. At the same time, Trivolox lunged at Rovaius, cutting into his left arm and kicking him backwards. Trivolox had channeled a great deal of shadow energy into the kick, launching Rovaius across their battlefield. The second Rovaius tried to stand, Trivolox had a burst of darkness headed at him, putting an end to any sneak attacks Rovaius had in mind. Rovaius dropped to the ground, watching his gunblade flip away into the dirt. He desperately crawled toward his weapon, grinding the dirt in his hands as he dragged his body along the ground. Trivolox marched up to him, kicking Rovaius in the face hard enough to roll him onto his back. Rovaius told us not to intervene, but as I watched Trivolox stomp his foot onto my leader's chest and charge his weapon with darkness, it was difficult to remain still.

"May Mata Nui have mercy on your spirit, Rovaius," Trivolox said, raising his gunblade into the air. "Farewell."

Trivolox swung the sword down toward Rovaius' neck, prepared to take his head right off, and even I didn't expect what came next.

"No!" Stalgrax screamed, interrupting Trivolox's finishing blow. Stalgrax fired his rifle straight into Trivolox's chest and dove at the Nohtalian, tackling him to the ground. At the same time, Elendra and Trylac opened fire on the Makuta to prevent any interference on his behalf.

Stalgrax punched off Trivolox's right shoulder armor and grabbed his gunblade, shooting the Nohtalian through the neck. It created a sound like crunching metal, but I could see Stalgrax had blasted Trivolox's throat apart, crippling his ability to breathe. As the Nohtalian struggled in vain for air, Stalgrax tore away at his breastplate, ripped out his heartlight and used the gunblade to sever the wires it was connected to. Stalgrax finally smashed the power source against the dirt before carelessly tossing it aside, screaming at Trivolox like a monstrous creature.

I suddenly loaded my laser rifle, firing on the Makuta's position while Stalgrax helped Rovaius up. Trylac and Elendra had been doing well at keeping the Makuta at bay with their fire, but we couldn't keep up our assault forever.

"We need to get some distance between us and that Makuta!" Rovaius shouted, taking the lead in the opposite direction of the facility. We all sprinted for the distant trees and I shot at the Makuta one more time before placing my full attention on running. Elendra was still firing at him and I glanced back to see the Makuta standing over Trivolox's corpse. He magnetically drew in the Nohtalian's gunblade and pointed in our direction. We were so close to the trees when he lined up the weapon, but one of us was already dead. The Makuta possessed a deadly accuracy ability and he had a clean shot at any one of us.

I held my breath as my feet continued to propel me forward, anticipating the next sound. The gunblade fired and instantly, I opened my eyes. An energy bullet went through Stalgrax's head in the next second, causing him to stumble forward and collapse immediately. I barely had time to look, but my short-lived glimpse showed me all I needed to know. The bullet passed right through the center of his head and like Jelveci before him, Stalgrax was gone before he hit the ground.

For some reason I thought about my first kill, the Ta-Matoran guard in Marilea. There was a critical difference between the two situations though. This time, I knew the sound of screaming was coming from me.

Review

If you don't mind, I would enjoy a bit of your much-appreciated advice on Crimson, by Lord Darkon.

You spelled "morning" wrong. Just kidding, I'm sure it's a tragic sort of story. Anyway, for my final magic trick, I'll be assigning this story to myself and promptly resigning from the SSCC once the review is posted. And *poof*, there you have it. Assigned to Cederak and due October 12. You're so fortunate, Voltex, because you're the last BZPer I get to thank for choosing the SSCC. -Ced

Hope to see you there, Voltex. I'll be hosting all weekend and I have a couple great themes in store.-Ced

Nah, I only have like two achievments anyway. =P Hence why I'm willing to just wait.Also, the skype stuff is on Saturdays, correct? If so, I won't be able to make it this week.-ibrow

I'll wait for my achievments, since I haven't really done anything in the Ambage thus far... it begins NOW.-ibrow

Here's my Ambage achievements.Point Total: 170 Points (Novice Novelist), 1 Review Token-Ced

"What is this thing that builds our dreams, yet slips away from us?" -Queen

Episode 12: Dethroning in Progress

I could see more destruction as our ship closed in on the sandy beach. What had been a large Barraki fortress earlier in the day was in pieces and flames. I knew there were a couple more fortresses nearby, but the city of Valantru blocked my view. That's not to say the city was doing well either, considering much of the metropolis was heavily damaged from the day's fighting. Buildings were demolished, burning, ripped apart, and missing whole chunks. If there weren't warriors standing everywhere, I'm sure I could've seen tons of bodies littering the city streets. The ship came aground and we leapt out, frantically running across the sand.

"Are we too late!?" Rovaius shouted to a Toa of water.

She grinned at him, giving a brief nod. "We got them."

Rovaius looked as though he had been shot through the heartlight. "You…you what?"

She grabbed him by the shoulders and laughed. "We got them."

"Pull yourself together, Rovaius," Elendra cautioned.

"What do you mean?" the Toa asked, becoming suspicious of our presence.

"I just," Rovaius stammered, "I wanted to be there when it happened."

The Toa nodded understandingly, clearly under the assumption that Rovaius wished to see the Barraki defeated. "They're on the beach just north of the city. A Makuta will be sentencing them. You might make it there in time if you hurry."

Rovaius bolted for the other side of the beach without a word, forcing the rest of us to take off after him. For several minutes, we ran through crowds of Toa, menacing Rahi, Rahkshi, and robots, making our way closer to the Barraki. Moving through the hordes of biomechs was no simple task and Rovaius had to catch his breath just before we made it to the beach. The stars were already out and I could tell something was happening below the cliff that led down to the shore.

"You all right?" I asked Rovaius.

"I'll be fine," Rovaius said, taking a few heavy breaths. "I just need to see this. I have to see this."

"Okay," I replied, patting him on the shoulder a couple times. "Then let's head down the cliff and check it out."

Rovaius shot me a peculiar look. "Have you ever heard of a Cliff Screecher?"

I paused trying to think. "Can't say I have. My knowledge of Rahi is pretty much limited to the Southern Continent and Meldio."

Rovaius sighed, staring toward the shore pensively. "They're interesting creatures and wicked to their prey. There's an old myth that a Cliff Screecher cannot die."

I raised an eyebrow, somewhat baffled. "How is that possible?"

"I'm not really sure. I shot one out of the air once…watched it spiral toward the ground…then it swooped back up at the last second. Truth be told, I've never seen one fall dead. The story goes that the creature's soul is housed somewhere else…probably back home. That's where I feel like my soul is anyway - up on a grassy hill in western Nohtal with the spirits of my brothers. They were the brothers Trivolox took from me…the brothers Trivolox took from himself. Our biomechanical forms are merely shells, Adrinor. And my shell…it's a cenotaph, dedicated to a long-dead Rovaius."

"A cenotaph…" I reflected. "You sure that's not a bit melodramatic?"

"Melodrama is a part of life," Rovaius countered. "I'm not asking you to sympathize or connect with what I'm saying; listening is satisfying enough."

Rovaius finally led us down the cliff, marching through the sand. We walked toward the beach where the Barraki were bound in chains beneath the starlit sky, on display for their conquerors. They were on their knees, surrounded in the distance by Exo-Toa machines - mechanical guardians that served the Brotherhood of Makuta. The Barraki were supposed to protect the world and now they were being held accountable for abandoning that duty. We had assumed they would put up a fight for weeks, years even. They fell in a day. A multitude of Toa were standing on the cliff, waiting to see what would happen to the Barraki. Thanks to the blazing ruins that had been fortresses earlier in the day, it was easy to spot a seventh figure standing over the defeated warlords.

"Mata Nui…" Trylac muttered, shaking his head as we marched toward the water.

We didn't get much further before a few Exo-Toa whirled around, motioning us to halt. Standing alongside a few Toa, there was no getting around these battle mechs without a fight and Rovaius knew it.

"I apologize, but we've been asked to create a perimeter around the criminals," a Toa of gravity explained. The Toa of plant life on his right gave us a stern look, his armor dirtied and scratched from the day's trials.

"That's fine," Rovaius nodded. "Is there any way we can merely watch? We assisted in this effort, after all."

"I suppose," the Toa of gravity replied uncertainly. He glanced at a Toa of fire on his left. "These biomechs aided our victory over the Barraki. Would you mind letting them see the monsters they fought to overthrow?"

"Absolutely," the Toa of fire replied, grinning directly at Rovaius. "The day is ours, brother. I would be honored if you were to stand at my side."

"The honor is all mine, noble Toa," Rovaius lied, stepping up to fill the gap as the Toa stood aside. Elendra and I came forward as well, while Stalgrax and Trylac were tall enough to survey the scene from above our heads. The Barraki were faced away from us, but I could see their accuser very clearly. Clad in thick armor of obsidian and silver, I could see his jet black cape gently flowing in the wind. His eyes glowed a dark shade of ruby and he wore the unique—presumably one-of-a-kind—Kanohi Kraahkan, the Mask of Shadows.

"Your rebellion is over," the Makuta breathed, giving the Barraki a sinister smile. "Your misguided attempt to overthrow the Great Spirit is now history…as are you."

The Makuta took a few steps across the wet sand, walking past Barraki Kalmah and Barraki Carapar before stopping at Pridak. "These others I am not familiar with, but you…you I know. Why?"

"How does that Makuta know Pridak?" I whispered to Rovaius. "He always said"-

Rovaius punched me in the side and I suppressed the pain. I knew Rovaius was right to shut me up the way he did. If the Toa heard me connecting us to the Barraki in some way, there was a strong chance we would be in chains next.

"What will happen to us now?" I heard Takadox ask. I glared at him, furious with his treachery. I desperately wanted the Makuta to smash that snake into oblivion, but I was confident that justice would be served to him shortly. As if the Makuta had somehow heard my thoughts, I watched him smack Takadox across the face with so much intensity, the Barraki was thrown backwards, landing jaw first in the sand.

"Your every word condemns you," the Makuta growled, his fury likely matching my own. "There is only one possible fate for such traitors."

The Exo-Toa began walking toward the Barraki, taking aim at the warlords with their Electro-Rockets. I could hear the Toa on the cliff shouting in disapproval and objecting to an outright execution, given their creed in life.

"Are we no better than these warlords!?" the nearby Toa of gravity shouted.

"This is a disgrace to our efforts!" the Toa of fire yelled.

Judging from the unwavering expression of malice the Makuta directed at the Barraki, it was clear that the protests of the Toa had fallen on deaf audio receptors. Just as the Makuta was preparing to order the Exo-Toa to carry out the executions, everyone on the beach watched as a very tall figure strode up toward the scene. I had never seen anything like him, wearing armor of gold, silver, azure, and carmine, and a face like something out of a terrible nightmare. Rows of sharp, golden teeth bared down on the Makuta, and the orange pair of eyes above those teeth were locked on the startled Rahi-maker as well.

"I am Botar," his ancient voice declared. "The Pit calls, and I have come."

"What is that thing?" Elendra whispered to Trylac.

"I've never seen one in my life," Trylac murmured back. "It looks downright monstrous."

"Quite a sentiment, coming from you," Elendra snickered.

"You have no rights here," the Makuta told the intruder, suddenly becoming braver as he stared up into the biomech's golden maw. "Begone."

Botar grinned, and I could only imagine how terrified this left the Barraki sitting directly below him. "Where there are wrongs, Makuta…I have rights. Stand aside."

Whoever this Botar was, he was either working with an authority greater than the Brotherhood, or merely believed this to be true. His form certainly suggested a great degree of strength and I was expecting a battle to break out at any moment.

"I will not!" the Makuta shouted defiantly. "These are my prisoners."

Botar's smile never left his face as he responded, "Stand aside or share their fate." His tone had become severe, and I could tell he was losing his patience.

A few seconds later though, Botar outstretched his hand at the Barraki and a fiery white ring of energy burst into existence around the warlords. Strands of bright, yellow power connected the ring to Botar's hand, and before the Makuta or Exo-Toa could make a move, the Barraki and Botar vanished. In their wake, only the echoes of the Barraki screaming out could be heard faintly over the constant lapping of the waves. It was an eerie sound, made more disturbing by the fact that these powerful entities had been whisked off to their doom. I had no idea where Botar and the Barraki had gone, but I knew deep down that it was a place designed to make them suffer, a place where they would never glimpse the light of day again.

The Makuta's sight lingered on the spot where the Barraki had been chained, clearly lost in thought as to where they had gone. Botar had not come as a savior to the warlords—to rescue them from their arrest—but Mata Nui only knew where they could be now.

"They're gone," Rovaius muttered, concealing his unease. "They're gone…"

"The era of the warmongers is over," the Toa of gravity said with a smile. "Perhaps there is a calm ahead of our world."

"Or perhaps Mata Nui has lined up something worse to serve in their place," Trylac suggested gloomily.

"Let's head back up the beach," Stalgrax proposed. "We could use some sleep."

"I couldn't sleep at a time like this," Rovaius sighed.

The Toa of fire laughed and nodded. "Neither could I! Look at what we've accomplished!"

I looked at Rovaius and could see his anger, daring him to punch the Toa across the face. The Toa was obviously right though. They had worked with the Makuta to overthrow the Barraki and successfully saw them defeated in a single day. It truly was the end of an era and I wasn't sure if that was for better or worse yet. Rovaius wouldn't sleep that night, but I was exhausted. Failure tends to tire you out more than victory - it wears at your spirit. We camped in the sand—among the countless heroes of the day—where I drifted into a dreamless sleep. There was nothing to dream about that night and no nightmare more terrifying that the one waiting for me when I awoke.

I was actually startled awake around dawn by a slow, malicious laugh ringing out through the air. I tilted my head around and watched the Makuta from the night before, standing proudly as he watched the remains of the Barraki fortresses continue to burn. I could also see Toa using their elements in the distance to completely raze the structures.

"Just like that!" the Makuta called out gladly. "I will see these castles smashed to dust before I leave."

"Good, you're awake," Rovaius noted. I jerked my head in his direction, realizing he had been staring at me.

"Were you waiting for me or something?"

"Yes, and now we're leaving," Rovaius replied, offering me a hand up. I took it and he tugged me right to my feet. I glanced around seeing Stalgrax, Trylac, and Elendra chatting with some of the nearby Toa.

"What are they doing?" I asked.

"Learning," Rovaius smirked. "I'm about to do the same. You're welcome to join me." He marched off, heading toward the Makuta. I walked after him, curious as to what he hoped to discover.

"Good morning!" Rovaius greeted him, causing the Makuta to glance over his shoulder. When he was aware it wasn't another Toa, the Makuta turned around to address us. I was sure he had heard enough whining over his attempted murders from the night before.

"Indeed it is," the Makuta grinned. "It would seem we are finally rid of those annoying little tyrants."

"Are the rumors true?" Rovaius inquired. "Did the Barraki really intend to overthrow Mata Nui himself?"

The Makuta shook his head in frustration. "They were delusional, Nohtalian. It cannot be done."

"Of course not. How would someone become the very seas and skies around us? Providing you believe that Mata Nui exists all around us."

"I do," the Makuta acknowledged. "The Barraki dared to believe they were better suited to ruling the whole of the universe, but their treason against Mata Nui could not be tolerated any longer. To threaten the lives of the Great Spirit's creations is one thing, but to threaten our maker is another entirely. Not to mention what a foolish impossibility it is."

"I have often been told that nothing is impossible," Rovaius countered.

The Makuta seemed taken aback by this, as though Rovaius had uttered something on his mind. "If you two will excuse me, I need some time alone."

"Understandable," Rovaius smiled. "A battle campaign is a bit much for a simple Nohtalian to comprehend and I presume you are weary from lack of sleep. I wish you a fine day, Makuta." Rovaius glanced at me, expecting a comment.

I awkwardly stared at the Makuta and gulped. "Congratulations on your victory."

The Makuta stared back at me, as if studying something that needed a closer look. Finally, he nodded and turned, walking toward the burning ruins. "Go home, both of you. The universe has been returned to the glorious hands of Mata Nui."

Rovaius whirled around silently, heading for Valantru. We weren't getting any more of a conversation out of the Makuta, but Rovaius seemed content anyway. I hadn't noticed it much before, but Valantru was almost exclusively a city of skyscrapers. It was a shame it had been so heavily damaged during the day-long battle with the Barraki. As we made our way down the streets, biomechs were cheering and hugging one another. It was an odd sight considering they hadn't done anything with the dead yet. Soldiers of the Barraki made up most of the deceased, but I noticed a few Toa corpses here and there. Looking overhead, airships were flying through downtown Valantru, expediting the process of returning the many warriors to their separate homes. The sun was up and shining, and I envied the Toa. This was their greatest achievement in years and they had succeeded in preserving Mata Nui's place as the ultimate power of the universe. Even I would have to sleep with one eye open at night if Pridak were the new Mata Nui, but that was a pointless thought now.

"Ready to go?" Stalgrax slapped me on the back and turned me around. He was standing with a rather uncomfortable Trylac and Elendra at his sides.

"What did you find out?" Rovaius asked him.

Stalgrax sighed. "The Barraki never saw the attack coming, just like Takadox wanted. They were unorganized and fell to the well thought-out tactics of the Makuta. I can tell you now, if this battle had been fought on Xia, the outcome would have been far different. Pridak would be hanging a shiny black Kanohi from atop his tower right now."

"Just one problem," Trylac hissed. "It was fought here, outside Valantru. Pridak and the others were too confident of their ultimate victory to gather on Xia and Takadox's deceptive ploy took them down."

"Well, whatever deal he made with the Brotherhood died when Botar warped them away," Elendra assumed.

"A fate he entirely deserves…and worse," I muttered. "We should go now. The fortresses are in pieces and the Barraki are gone. I'm actually a little curious if we can continue on like this."

"Absolutely," Rovaius assured me. "The Makuta said that Mata Nui is in charge once again, not that his Rahi-making brothers and sisters will be governing the universe from now on. If anything, we're safer now, given that the League's soldiers are arrested, dead, or surrendered. There will always be havens for their kind in places like Stelt, but they are much less troubling now that they have no warlords to work for. The universe is as free as the days before the Barraki and I think we should take advantage of that while we can."

"Fair enough," I smirked. "Let's catch a ride on one of these airships and be on our way. I suppose it doesn't really matter where they're going."

Rovaius smiled back. "They're all going places with something of value and that's enough for me."

Review

(Violet Font = direct quote from Bionicle Legends #6: City of the Lost)

To all ECC Critics and Epic Writers:The ECC will be undergoing a change soon that will see my lieutenant director, Hahli Historian, rising to full director position. I have chosen to relegate myself to an advisory position due to some overriding life circumstances (busyness really) for the time being, and will step away completely later this year.What this means for critics: Once the new ECC is in place, TNTOS can begin the new charity cycle the next Saturday and get the ball rolling again. The ECC will also be taking official requests once more, so be ready for that. What this means for writers: Consider the ECC closed until a new topic shows up. You're welcome to PM a critic to review your story personally during this time, but it's their call whether they want to take the task and how much time they estimate it will take them.Thank you all for your patience and understanding at this time, and know that the same competent and reliable team will be there to take new requests when the seventh incarnation of the ECC arrives.Sincerely,Cederak (ECC Director)

A review forTakua Rises, by iBrow Voltex please.