Vezok's Friend

IC [Kunok McGrokk]: “If you think I am that old and unclean, there’s a broom just behind the door, give an old fella hand while the rest of us do business. If you’re old enough to play with knives you can hold a broom. Chop-chop, now!” OOC: @Dane

IC [Vent, Providence - Strange Tunnels]: It took a few moments for the Aspect to find the right position for his body to fit into the tunnel opening. It became very narrow and difficult to navigate at first. If he tried to force himself through at the wrong angle his armor might get stuck, putting a premature end to the exploration. But the further the duo pushed, the easier it became. Away from where the daylight could reach the rock and soil, solanaceous growths flourished, alongside moss and fungi and things best left unthought about. They coated the walls of passage, making them slimy and slippery enough to pass through. But they still encountered narrows that could only be traversed by squeezing through sideways, which were especially tricky to get a Mahi to fit through. But they managed. The further away they got from the outside, the more intense the smell of the dank caverns became, until it was the only smell left, only varying in its intensity. Eventually, the duo’s path opened up into a larger cavern, or rather a larger tunnel. They could go either left or right, something only Providence could see at the moment. It was too dark to see for Vent. The only tell in the utter blackness surrounding him was that the noises had changed: Rufus' breathing echoed a bit more, indicating the larger space. In addition, he noticed a slight draft coming from his right. And then, the two noticed a soft thumping noise disrupting the silence around them. It was low and almost more felt than heard. But it was there. The question was, where did it come from, and what was causing it? OOC: @Burnmad @Dane IC [Kunok McGrokk]: Yumiwak’s fingers rapping went unanswered at first. She frowned and knocked again. There was a rustling sound from the opposite side of the door, then a clatter and the distinct shattering of something made of glass followed by a muffled “Ow!” Footsteps thudded closer, someone was muttering as they did. “...sign says ‘appointment only’...is that so difficult to get...stupid...” Looking at the shop front...there was clearly no such sign. The next instant, the door was yanked open, but only as far as the multiple heavy locking chains becoming visible in the gap allowed. Next appeared a Skakdi face. Disheveled didn’t begin to describe it, at least in the moment. “Yes!?” it croaked. The Skakdi gathered outside the door now all looked at him - and as if someone had flipped a switch, the visage that might well have been the dictionary entry on ‘not a morning person’ fell away, instantly replaced by a toothy, suave grin. A bit of gold glinted as the Skakdi flashed his smile. “Well, hello there!” he greeted them. “Do mine eyes deceive me or is that the lovely Yumiwak and friends come to pay visit to this humble establishment? Just a sec, I’ll be riiight with ya.” The face disappeared for a moment, as deft fingers undid chains and unlatched the door. It opened wide, revealing the owner of the face: Before them stood a Skakdi-Xa of average height and rich brown color. His spines were long, flexible and bent from the sleep the visitors had clearly woken him from, but they fit right into his look. Double dewlaps dangled from his chin and were held together like an odd beard by piercings. In fact the Skakdi had numerous pieces of integrated jewelry, from his eyebrows to his frills and spine, all the way down to his stubby tail. Not a ridiculous amount, but enough for any Skakdi to pay for their own funeral several times over. His look was completed by the robes he wore. Judging by his initial appearance, they must have been his sleeping attire, but the way he carried himself now, they seemed befitting of a king or emperor. The space he stood in was...a mess. Cloth piled high on baskets and boxes and other means of storage and every last bit of space available was filled with...stuff. It was just so much stuff. He spread his arms wide. “Kunok McGrokk, at your service! Come in, come in and tell me what you seek, as that is clearly why you’re here - for anything worth seeking I either possess or can procure.” He chuckled, and the sound was echoed by his trappings. “Well, anything within reason, that is.” OOC: @EmperorWhenua

IC [Nixie - Astronomer’s hut, Metru-koro] Nixie waved goodbye to Taja as well, before shutting the door behind her and turning around, facing the mess that was her new ‘office’. Stacks of star charts and other papers she’d miraculously managed to save were strewn about, assembled in loose piles, stacked on available free surfaces and generally unsorted. They were lucky to have this much available at all, considering the state Metru Nui had been in. She would eventually have to work through the backlog, but right now the astronomer Matoran had more pressing matters to worry about, such as updating the chart of the current night sky. If there was anything the stars could tell them to help them find their place and way in this new land, they needed to know, so she needed to get on with it. Nixie sighed, rolled her shoulders to loosen up, then returned to her desk next to the freshly setup telescope. It would be immensely useful! She picked up her writing instrument with one hand, while reaching for a mug of tea with the other. It was her primary form of sustenance this past week and half, to keep her going. She meant to savor the gulp she took, but instead immediately spat it out in bitter disgust - all over the chart on her desk. Great. The comforting liquid had gone icy cold in the time Taja and her had set up the telescopes. She’d completely forgotten about the mug. With a sigh, she stood up, fetched a cloth and wiped the chart down as best as possible. Then she took the Mug, poured the rest of the stale tea out of her rear window, before refilling it from the kettle that was being kept warm over the small fireplace. She had made sure that got put in right away, since she often worked late evenings and nights and it got bitter cold during those in this wasteland. It was the other most important feature in her hut - if she was awake, the kettle was going. With her refill in hand and finally ready to get down to business, she sat back down at her desk and got to work with the telescope. She started with the brightest stars and constellations, working her way through the night sky methodically. Soon, she’d lost track of the time, fully engrossed in her task. Then, she frowned. The constellation she was putting to paper was - cut off? That wasn’t right. She leaned back from the telescope, looking up through the opening without its aid - and realized the problem was the giant head that had been her home for so long - now a dark silhouette obscuring part of the night sky from her studious gaze. “First it almost kills us all and now it’s getting in the way of my job - perfect, just perfect.” she muttered, annoyed. She sighed, set down her tool and rubbed at her eyes. Pulled out of her workflow, exhaustion set upon her rapidly. Perhaps it was time to call it a night - it must have been hours and way past midnight. She cast another glance towards the ruins of her old world. She could work around it for now - after all they were on a rotating, orbiting celestial body so in time she would get to see most of the stars, but there was always a risk of missing out on some important detail. No, eventually she would need to get the full picture and for that she’d need a better vantage point, like a mountain, or the top of the fallen head...but that could wait for tonight. With a yawn, Nixie turned down the heat stone powering the fireplace, before promptly crawling into her cot and falling asleep the second her head hit the mattress. OOC: Hey, I can finally write little character moments for any NPC =D

IC [Nektann - Fort Nektann]: “Good, now everyone is happy.” Nektann clapped once, with enough force to squash a Thornax between his meaty palms. “So, anything else? How are things down South?” OOC: @Conway @Burnmad IC [Takadox - The Wasteland] The Barraki paused as he and his guide scaled another ridge. Looking up, he could see the silhouette of the giant robot slowly tumbling through orbit overhead in the evening sky. “This’s a bad place to stay.” Skerek said. “We oughta keep moving.” “We’ve been moving all day, I’m tired and my feet are about to fall off. We’re making camp.” He didn’t even bother with the politeness anymore. “Okey dokey Mr. Turkedurr.” Ugh. The Skakdi started to drop off his traveling pack and rolled out a sleeping mat. It used to be his. Now it belonged to the warlord. Takadox plopped down on the bedding, canteen in hand. “What’s got you so worried, anyway?” “Uh, well...you see, no one ever comes round these parts for long. Dunno why, it’s just bad. Word is, there’s creeps out in these wilds. I ain’t ever seen one. Don’t intend to neither. They call ‘em Mesi.” “Mesi, huh? Well, if they decide to show their face, I’m sure to take a good look at them.” “Yeah...sure.” Skerek replied, sitting on a rock and glancing around nervously. OOC: @Toru Nui There might be a trail to follow soon-ish.

@Kal the Guardian Update is good, Sorilax is good to go =)

IC [Nektann - Fort Nektann]: “Information, for the most part. Lotsa new faces round these parts, especially that big one loomin’ on everyone’s horizon. You ever head out there, make some new friends perhaps - and next time you come back this way you tell me all about it over drinks.” Nektann lazily pointed a thumb at the other Skakdi. “Meanwhile Barius and the rest of the gang here will give your pride and joy full service, a wash and double wax. ” Another throaty chuckle rumbled its way up the Boss’s throat. “Oh and if you want to be a real pal and do the odd job every now and then, I’ll pass the word: you get in trouble on my turf, the crew’s gonna come get ya out. Sound good? Course it does.” OOC: @Conway @Burnmad

IC [Nektann - Fort Nektann]: Nektann made a sound that was halfway between chuckle and growl and could go either way. Boogeyman… “Ain’t nothing lasts that long. I don’t deal like that. And I got plenty of what you got on offer. Ya gonna have to bring somethin’ new, boogeyman.” The massive Skakdi rolled his shoulders, the sound of the grinding cartilage was like millstones at work. IC [Takadox - The Wasteland] “How much further, Skerek?” The once smooth voice of the hypnotic warlord was raspy as he asked the question. He was tired, dehydrated, had a growing headache - oh and his entire life had literally come crashing down! “Another day’s march, Turkeyduck, sir…” came the strongly accented reply from the Skakdi walking slightly ahead and off to his side. The Barraki groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He would have preferred someone else’s company right now, but that was over now too, broken off like the great spirit’s neck - right after he’d flushed his career down the drain so the two of them could make their piña colada escape. “Takadox. For the whatever-reth time, it's: Ta-ka-dox.” He had befriended the local the day before, after their paths had crossed in a dried out ravine. They’d tried to confront him, but after asking them to kindly disarm themselves, the Skakdi was more than happy to share where they’d come from. Apparently, they were working for someone they just kept calling ‘the Boss’ who was ‘big an’ mean’. Such a wealth of information to go on. The caliber of volunteers on this dump of an island left the warlord wanting. Maybe this ‘Boss’ felt the same way, considering he’d sent Skerek out alone - possibly to get rid of them - to scout the crash site of Mata Nui’s head. But he never got that far, running into Takadox instead. With introductions over, Skerek had helpfully offered to take the Barraki to his home, some sort of fort out somewhere in the wild. The Barraki wasn’t looking forward to dealing with more people like this...but it was a start, somewhere he could make himself comfortable, take over and establish himself. If this headache doesn’t kill me first.

@TL01 NUVA Hey, first of all welcome to SKE from me as well. Echoing @Unreliable Narrator, canon Makuta are not in the game, but we do have the Aspects of Makuta, which is the closest playable race. They usually have shadow powers as their primary ability, but there's always the odd one out, so that could be another option in addition to what others have suggested already. The aspects do not come from the MU/GSR and would accordingly need a Zakaz origin though. Of course being a light elemental and allied with the refugees will put them at odds with the other aspects. But since looks like you're still trying to figure some things out for your character, so: If you want to explore some of those alternate ideas and update the profile accordingly, please do so and let me know when you're ready for approval. =)

IC [Zataka - Days earlier]: Zataka breathed heavily as she reached the top of another rise, trying to ignore the stinging pain in her side and leaning heavily on her sword that she was using as a makeshift walking stick. She hated treating a fine blade like hers this way, but since she had seen no trees of any kind yet on her journey, there was little choice in light of her injury. In fact, she had yet to see any sign of intelligent life on this island. Unless Kalmah had indeed intended for her to spend the rest of her life aimlessly wandering alone on a desolate island in the middle of an endless ocean. Except her wandering was no longer aimless. Her destination loomed ahead, a half-buried dark silhouette on the horizon: The fallen head of the giant robot, the main part of what she had understood to be her entire universe, up until a few days ago. For the past few days, she had made her way steadily west towards it, using the coastline as navigational reference. She had watched it grow steadily closer in the night sky at first. Night after night she watched from her campsites, all the while making rudimentary notes of the constellations of stars that stood out to her on a small iStone she kept in her coat’s many pockets. Until the head of the great spirit was close enough that it was impossible to miss, even in daylight. She knew nothing of astronomy, but she knew there were enough Matoran stargazers that might be able to make sense of it all. If she could find one that had survived the impact. She’d seen the damage to it as it hung there in the sky, slowly rotating about its own axes as it drifted closer and closer in its orbit. She saw the liquid protodermis leaking out of the neck. She knew that what seemed like a fine silver spray from her point of view had to be billions of tons of liquid getting ejected. She could only imagine the damage that had been caused on the inside. Sometimes it was an almost comical ritual, waiting for it to rise above the horizon like some misshapen moon, occasionally staring down at the strange, barren land with dead eyes. And just as her laughter about the absurdity of it all poured out of her, Zataka suddenly realized her own continued survival depended entirely upon where it would eventually impact: If it hit the island or the sea nearby, she would either be crushed by the head itself or the resulting tsunami. Either way was fatal and there was nothing she could do to stop that from happening - except review her notes and sketches, keeping track of the relative position of the head and the island and then - based on her observations and some very, very shaky maths - guess if she was in a safe spot, if she had enough time to reach a safe spot - or if her days were numbered. By some miracle, the first scenario had been the case. And so she watched one evening, from the top of a hill, as the gargantuan head hit the western reaches of the island, appearing to strike the surface in slow motion - due to its size. But she knew the speed and forces involved were more than anything anyone in her universe could have ever imagined. And she knew she was the only being from her world that got to see it happen from the outside. Maybe the only being to see it period… Where it struck, a cloud of dust was thrown up that reached all the way up into the sky, even higher than the clouds. And it all happened in perfect silence - until the shock wave of the impact reached her. It had knocked her off her feet and then out. When she awoke again, hours later, she was covered in a layer of dirt that had clung to her ever since. Zataka sighed, and took a moment to try and wipe some of the grime off of her leg armor, but it was hopeless. The dark iridescence was buried under the caked layer of dust to the point that her lower half now had a gradient ending at her feet in complete reddish brown. She had to get back to Metru-Nui, to the forges of Ta-Metru specifically. If any had survived, that is. She cursed herself for having ordered the deliberate flooding of the Metru with molten protodermis from the forges. It had been the right thing to do at the time, in order to halt the league’s forces advancing further into the city. Now it meant she had once again added to her own problems. How could she have known she would be in desperate need of the place just a day later? Looking out from her vantage point, the titan could see lights beginning to flicker within the dark shape of the fallen head. She noticed them the past couple of nights before, after the dust of the impact had settled. Initially she thought they were fires that had broken out - but there was no smoke during the day that she could make out and the positions were too regular. There had to be survivors. It was quite possible many of them were part of the league’s forces and who knew what had happened to remaining Barraki - but she was thankful for any glimmer of hope right now - metaphorical or real. By her estimate, it would take at least a couple more days to reach her destination. She just hoped her rationed energy canister would last her that long. But first, she would have to find a suitable campsite for the night ahead. It was folly to continue in the dark across the unfamiliar territory. Dying because of falling into a hole just seemed too tragic an end to risk when her destination was this close. That night was the first time she heard something that told her she was not alone: A blood curdling shriek...

Name: Zataka Breed: Brutaka/'Titan' Faction: Metru-Koro/Self Appearance: Very tall and athletic build, that comes with being part of her species. While appearing almost black in color at first, her skin is in fact iridescent - as is her armor, which is cut in sharp, flowing lines that match her physique. The protection of the armor is combined with functional clothing appropriate for someone living in Metru Nui. (rain coat, storage pouches, carrier straps etc.) Her gear is looking worse for wear since her arrival on Zakaz, Background/Occupation: Hailing from the southern isles, Zataka was a warlord in her own right before the league and hunters began their current campaigns. And to her that meant one thing: competition. And since all eyes were on Metru Nui, she traveled to the island city, begrudgingly allying herself with its defenders - to become the warlord that triumphed over the other warlords, so that she may see her position solidified in a grateful universe. But things did not go according to plan and Zataka found herself transported to Zakaz even before the GSR lost its head - brought there in the midst of battle by the Barraki Kalmah, using the fallen Brutaka's Kanohi Olmak, before promptly shattering the mask upon his defeat, stranding her in the wasteland. Flaws: Her lust for power and confidence in her own abilities has been shaken by recent events: She is a ruler in exile and struggles with the fact that she failed her people. She is still a lone wolf, single-minded in her pursuit of a way back home to the point that she doesn't much care who she alienates or has to step on along the way. Powers: Enormous physical strength. Capable of raw energy blasts, stasis field dissipation. (Primary) Shadow - insofar as cloaking herself or an area in absolute darkness; but can’t physically harm with this ability. This skill is not natural, but was acquired by a chance encounter with a strange substance (antidermis) during a previous adventure. It surprisingly interacted with her physiology, unlocking the ability in the process. (Quirk) She wears a Kanohi Suletu, used for communication, mentally transmitting her thoughts to others or disrupting their concentration. (Secondary) Her personal armaments include a Falchion matching her style and size; and a standard Kordak blaster for long range engagements.

OOC: Soundtrack Suggestion IC [Zataka,???]: Zataka barely noticed that the sword had made contact as Kalmah slammed into her. The impact drove the air from her lungs and they fell backwards together - towards the portal she had no idea was there. Everything happened at once, yet time seemed to slow for her, as she distinctly experienced a momentary feeling of weightlessness - then vertigo kicked in, her vision spun and there was an odd tingling on her skin. She didn’t understand, but tried to; her mind desperately racing to regain situational awareness. But any thoughts towards solving the mystery were violently cut short by a sudden, intense flash of light. The two warlords hit ground again in a tangle, tumbling end over end. The titan came to rest on her stomach. She ached all over, and by the intense pain she felt on her left side she was sure she’d gotten several contusions at least, but there was no time to assess the potential damage: She didn’t know where her opponent was, she’d lost hold of her blade when she had hit the ground and she needed to get a grip before Kalmah could land a fatal blow while she didn’t have her bearings. Her head snapped up immediately to scan for the other warlord and her missing weapon, palms pushing into soft dirt as she scrambled to get back to her feet. Some part of her noted how odd it was to suddenly drag her fingers through dirt, but her surroundings didn’t fully register yet. The titan got to about standing halfway upright before the dull throbbing at her side became a sharp stabbing and she winced, hand instinctively reaching to check. Her armor was intact, but the slightest touch caused her jaw to clench in pain. Remaining hunched over as to not further agitate the injury, she looked around herself to see where her blade had fallen. And that’s when she noticed she was no longer in the Coliseum Yards - or anywhere that looked like Metru-Nui. The ground, the landscape, the sky...it was all wrong. Reddish dirt and rocks with grey scrubs growing sparsely in-between surrounded them up to a cliff edge just a few meters behind them. They had emerged on some sort of plateau, overlooking a wasteland of sand and rock as far as the eye could see under an encroaching sunset. One. Singular. The chain of events finally clicked into place: Kalmah had wanted to cut the fight short - banish her to this place by using the mask of the fallen Brutaka. Was this even their world anymore? From what she knew of the Olmak, they could be any place, at any time - even an alternate reality. Part of her screamed for her to focus, to stop trying to figure out things while she was technically still in the middle of a fight, but she couldn’t help it. It was as if she’d suddenly stepped into a lucid dream. She slowly stood up to her full height again, as fast as the pain allowed and craned her neck, trying to find the only point of reference she could think of as constant. She took a few slow steps backwards while trying to spot the red star overhead. But she had barely looked up when her foot brushed against something metallic, pulling her out of her trance. Glancing down, she spotted the hilt of her sword and, turning to pick it up, she noticed the dark stain covering the weapon. A rasping gurgle came from close by and her eyes locked onto a dark heap, silhouetted against the sunset on the ground just a few feet away. With her blade in her left and right arm covering her injury, she carefully approached. Kalmah had lost most of his intimidating aura as he lay curled up on his side. His wound had not been immediately obvious against the sun, but as she got closer, Zataka saw that her sword must have pierced the Barraki’s torso just below his left pectoral and his own momentum had then caused it slice violently upward, severing the limb along with the majority of the shoulder girdle. And since it was nowhere to be seen it must have happened just as they'd fallen through the portal. Kalmah’s remaining arm clutched at the gushing wound her blade had inflicted. Dark ichor covered his torso and a puddle was starting to form around him. All his flagellation and trained pain resistance mattered little as his body went into shock from the blood loss. He wasn’t long for the world. Better put him out of all our misery. But as she stood over him, grip tightening on her sword’s handle, she found his eyes were still open, looking at her. She hesitated. “How far?” she demanded. “How far did you take us?” The Barraki made another rasping noise that could only be laughter. “Far...enough.” he gasped as a trickle began to flow from the corner of his mouth. He flexed his broken body, rolling onto his back and slowly lifting his arm. “You may...have beaten me - but there...is no victory...for you...h-here.” Her head tilted up once more, eyes following the invisible line indicated by Kalmah’s gaze and his raised hand. Higher and higher it went, orange sunlight giving way to azure and then dark blue, where the first stars managed to shine in the evening sky. And there, among them, impossibly distant yet starkly lit along its edge by the single sun - a body. With naked eyes, it looked like that of a Toa, but Zataka realized how massive it had to be to be able to spot it like this. And as she squinted, she noticed that it was drifting apart - the head had clearly separated and was drifting away. At the titan’s feet, Kalmah watched, content and with contempt for her, as she started to realize the situation. But there was one thing he still had to do. With effort, he used his hand to remove the Kanohi Olmak, placing it in the dirt to his side. He had hoped to do this cleanly. Banish Zataka, kill the Toa that thought they could stand against him and march into the coliseum. But he had been too eager. He could admit his own failure here to himself here, away from everything and on the cusp of death. Final death. There was no red horizon to resurrect his remains. And nobody else was ever going to hear his private confession or bear witness to his end. And that suited him just fine. Zataka heard the Barraki groan again and that finally let her take her eyes off of the horrible realization overhead and focus back on her opponent - who was looking at her again, but this time she saw his actual face behind the mask - which he’d set aside. “Why…” she started, confused. This was all too much. Somehow, subconsciously, she understood that Metru-Nui - no, her entire world - was...up there. Inside that body. But how could that be? It seemed impossible and was too much to comprehend - but somehow she knew it had to be true. “You took...what was mine.” Kalmah said, raising his hand again, seemingly towards her, fingers curling into a fist. “So...I’ll take from you…” “Everything.” NO! His fist came down at his side, all the remaining strength he had left summed up in one final act of defiance, and hit the Kanohi Olmak, mask of dimensional gates. It shattered in a flash and small shock wave of energy. Zataka blinked, stunned. Kalmah’s head had turned to the side, eyes closed, but with a faint smile upon his face. And the titan realized that, with his dying breath, he'd tricked her into giving him just enough time to exile her. With the mask broken, she could not return to Metru Nui - and worse: her homeland - ever again. All that she’d fought for...it was forever beyond her reach. The titan’s eyes squeezed shut for a time, tears hitting the dusty ground, mixing with dark Barraki blood. Her sword fell from her grasp, her shoulders dropped and she sank to her knees as the strength to stand went out of her. With trembling fingers, she slowly gathered up the pieces of the Kanohi, almost as if they were a puzzle to be reassembled, but she knew it was hopeless. And as all that remained of the Olmak was a pile in her lap, she let her hands fall to her side and looked up again. All she could do was watch helplessly as her world slowly fell apart in the sky above. ... ... ... Is the head getting closer?

IC [Zataka, Coliseum]: You’ve got to be kidding... There was a flash as whatever Kohara had fired got intercepted by her own shield of all things. Whoever was writing this story had cruel timing it seemed. Zataka heard the strange noise behind her, knew something was happening just at her back, but there was no time to turn around with the Barraki hurtling towards her. The only thing she had time for was to raise her blade up with her free hand and channel her energies into the weapon as it pointed at the warlord. She hoped Kalmah had enough momentum to skewer himself.

I swore to use these artistic skills for good only, yet here we are...

IC [Zataka, Coliseum]: There was a metallic whip-crack as the chain hit home, but as the warlord tried to yank back on it in the same move he used to rip away the Toa’s shield, he found it wouldn’t budge. Behind him, Zataka was standing with her left arm curled and hand in a fist gripping the end of the chain that had wrapped around her forearm. The Kordak she’d let go of to catch it was still at her side, hanging from it’s carrier strap. She could feel hot trickles running down and dripping from her elbow where the chain’s spikes had managed to cut through her armor, but the damage was minor. And then, before Kohara’s shield had touched the ground, she yanked on the chain instead to rob the warlord of his secure stance, which could give the Toa an opening.

OOC: Soundtrack Recommendation IC [Zataka, Coliseum]: Zataka looked up from the screen just as Kalmah defeated Brutaka and uttered his guttural challenge to her. With everything going on at once, the Vortixx had managed to go unnoticed. As had the aquatic looking Steltian who’d raved about the monsters in the basement. “I’m a little preoccupied, so I don’t know. Maybe help him.” she told Zecrillia, pointing towards Waveahk with her chin. “Or - “ she parted her hands over the holographic display of Metru-Nui, as if presenting a multi-course dinner, “ - you could back us all up by coordinating defenses from here.” The titan unslung the larger black pack she’d carried on her back thus far. It hit the top of the desk with a thud. Her fingers moved quickly, unlatching the top of the pack and pulling away the black fabric to reveal a pristine Kordak blaster and extra ammunition. She picked up a six-shooter magazine of rockets and slapped it into the receiver with a metallic snap. She lifted the blaster up - the weapon appearing almost like a small arm in her titan hand - and held it next to her ear, slowly rotating the drum magazine manually. Satisfied it was working as intended, she attached it to the strap formerly used on the carrier bag and slung the weapon across her shoulder. Then she pocketed extra ammo and headed outside, through the shattered window. Dume’s office and the attached balcony overlooked the parade grounds. Under normal circumstances it was high enough up for that fact to be irrelevant, but right now it was useful as Zataka approached the edge and peered down. Kalmah was easy enough to spot with his whirling chains and his squad of retainers waving his banner. He was already facing the next opponent - a Toa of light, judging by the sudden bright flash. They look like they could use a hand… The warlord stood back up to her full height, blaster in one hand and blade in the other. Zataka let out a breath and then stepped off the ledge. ---- The only warning Kalmah’s soldiers had that trouble was coming was a soft whistle in the air. Then the Kordak missiles that had been fired from above detonated around them, scattering their ranks. The explosions were followed by another massive impact at the foot of the coliseum, behind Kalmah. The pavement shattered, sending crumbs of concrete and protosteel flying and leaving a crater in the rallying grounds. A tall, dark and imposing silhouette stood at it's center, obscured by the swirling smoke - answering the call of the one foolish enough to challenge her. Arcs of static zapped around the dust cloud, remnants of the energy blast that had been used by the emerging titan to break her fall. Zataka stepped out of the crater and into view of the other warlord. “Kalmah - ever in search of more punishment. You’ve come to the right place.” OOC: Superhero Landing! @Unreliable Narrator Sorry about locking you out @That Matoran with a Vahi Reinforcements are here @~Xemnas~

IC [Zataka, Coliseum - Dume’s Office]: Zataka moved for the portal as well, only to stop at the threshold as the weight of the choice before her: If she followed the Toa in she would not be able to stop the remaining Barrakis’ advance, likely costing them the city. If she didn’t follow them, they might follow through with Dume’s naive, self-righteous plan - risking their past with no guarantee for a better future. Either way, she would have to give up control over part of the situation and that was something that grated heavily for the warlord. She stared at the machine rising beyond the portal, the dark hunter scaling it in a bid to disable it, the rookie Toa trying to stop her, watched over by Tuyet and her weirdly homogenous Matoran workforce. Zataka let out a hiss through gritted teeth. “Tuyet!” she called out. The Toa glanced back towards her. “Be wary of yourself.” she echoed Stannis’ words and the meaning behind them: :If you screw this up I will come for you. In this timeline or the next.: Then, with one decisive back fist, she shattered the mirror, closing the portal. Her choice made, she moved back to Dume’s desk, fingers dancing across the interface. She pulled up surveillance footage and status reports. There were enough cameras still active across the city and she quickly got the overview she needed. It was time to go to work. Sans and his team had departed for Ko-Wahi. Surveillance showed the warlord was currently engaged in combat himself. Good, that would keep him busy until reinforcements arrived. She repositioned Keerakh to make better use of the terrain and the mirror-maze like nature of the icy buildings, so they could effectively hit and fade the Barraki’s forces. Ga-Wahi was still contested but...there was no sign of Takadox, only his forces following standing orders. Odd. Fortunately, the nature of the conquest had been largely bloodless. Since casualties were low, she asked the Bordakh to gain what ground they could and then moved on. Onu-Metru was equally getting fought over, but the Rorzahk seemed to hold their own for now. Mantax had been seen entering the archives with a personal guard, as had a number of allies of Metru-Nui. But there was no available footage from inside the archives that showed the warlord himself. An entire area of the archives had gone dark, the feeds showing nothing but static. Something must have interrupted the signal. She saw the sky above Le-Metru filled with stationary airships and Ehlek’s forces dug into the Metru. She assigned another detachment of Bordakh to approach from the sea and flank them. Next she flicked to Po-Metru and was doubly surprised: First, Carapar had fallen to the hands of two Toa, by what she could tell. Secondly, Takadox had apparently left Ga-Metru to...help? Either way, she quickly ordered the Vahki to push into the Metru and secure it. Lastly, she checked in on Ta-Metru. Between the terrorist attack, using the foundries to fight the invaders and the league’s soldiers wreaking havoc, this part of the city had taken the worst damage. Fires had broken out, more smoke than normal hung in the air and the dead lay in the streets. And then she spotted the warlord responsible. Kalmah was moving with a purpose, but not further into the Metru. He was headed west by the looks of it - towards the coliseum. Zataka leaned on the table with her fists as she moved closer to the holographic image, studying the warlord’s features. “What are you up to…?”

IC [Zataka, Coliseum - Dume’s Office]: It’s always ‘the Matoran’ with your kind - there are others in this world and they want a future too. Zataka studied Tuyet carefully, trying to get a read on her. She was a new player on the field. She seemed to share Dume’s plan, but her attitude was more...ruthless. The warlord could respect that. But she might be trying to achieve the same goal for different reasons. And she needed to know those to figure where they stood in relation to each other - ally, or enemy? “Yes I am staying here.” she replied, then continued: “And we are going to talk about this, unless you have a better reason than ‘the Barraki are waging war’ - there’s other forces at work here and I get the feeling we have not had a straight answer as to why yet. The old fool died before he could give one, but now we have you…” Glancing around the room, Zataka noticed Knichou stashing away the last great disk, and how tense Sidra was again. The dark hunter had apparently found personal motivation beyond payment for her job. The titan looked the legendary Toa back in the eyes: “So, you’ll have to come up with a better explanation than ‘no we’re doing this’, because - ” Twenty-one, twenty-two… The dark hunter ported in behind Tuyet, sword raised to destroy the machine. “- that.”

IC [Zataka, Coliseum - Dume’s Office]: My success? Wait...she actually bought that. Well...let’s hope the league does too. “Nobody here wants this.” she replied. There was still an edge in her tone, but it was clear more fighting was not what she had in mind. The titan glanced towards Knichou, who had seemed to be the most receptive to Dume’s ideas. :Right?: she mentally asked the young Toa. She continued the audible conversation: "It is merely an option. We need those. And there are other uses for the disks besides a suicide trip. Now relax and we'll talk. Or we can find out if the Vahki have accepted their new ruler already." OOC: @BULiK @Nato the Traveler

IC [Zataka, Coliseum - Dume’s Office]: The Nektann’s fire was deflected by the titan’s blade. Despite her casual demeanor before, she had been paying attention to her surroundings, both with her senses and her mask. She looked at the hunters with annoyance “Enough.” Her free hand crackled with energy again.

IC [Zataka, Coliseum - Dume’s Office]: :One war at a time, Stannis. Good luck.: She watched the Toa leave, then briefly checked on the status display again to see how the Vahki were fairing. So far, they managed to hold the line with some help, but Le-Metru was getting pressed. Stannis’ group would be of great help there. Her thoughts were interrupted by one of the other Toa, saying something about a necklace. What necklace? Oh, that one. She glanced at Atamai. :Perhaps don’t talk about powerful artifacts in front of the hunters, you don’t want to -: Again, she was interrupted. This time by someone wholly unexpected. Heads turned towards the full length mirror. The warlord raised an eyebrow. “Tuyet, I presume? Hard for the dead to make claims.”

IC [Zataka, Coliseum - Dume’s Office]: “Had to be sure.” Zataka said. She stood up, still holding the undead, struggling Turaga by his neck. She lifted him up and turned until his back was towards the blown out window. Then, energy began to glow between her fingers. The effect grew rapidly, obscuring the Turaga more and more from view until he was barely a silhouette amidst a blinding light that suddenly discharged, shooting out the window, disintegrating the being that had once been Dume and leaving nothing but particulate and the smell of ozone in the air. Zataka sighed. For as flawed as he had been, this was a sad end for a ruler like Dume. There was a moment of silence as those present in the office bore witness to the end of an era. Then the titan turned and looked at Stannis and the other Toa: “Go. Do what you do best. I will do the same from here. I have something in mind that should give the league pause.” She stepped up to the desk with the distorted holographic interface Stannis had pulled up still visible. The dark hunter they'd immobilized had gone and sat down in the chair. Zataka stepped up next to her and reached past her towards the interface. "Excuse me." It was complex in functions, but easy enough to navigate. The warlord pulled up the public address system. She took a moment to familiarize herself with the controls, then hit the ‘broadcast’ control. She wasn’t entirely sure how the system recorded her, but she could see her mirror image on the display in front of her and a status light indicating she was live. Across the city, screens and holograms flickered to life. Some were broken and distorted, but even so it was clear the face being broadcast right now was not the Turaga the Matoran were used to seeing this way. The cold, hard eyes of the dark titan in his place gazed down on the war-torn streets. “Citizens of Metru-Nui.” she began. Her voice echoed through the chasms between knowledge towers and skyscrapers, carried across the sculpture fields and refineries, rang out in the depths of the archives and great temple: “This is Zataka. Turaga Dume’s rule is at an end. I have taken control of the city’s defenses." "Somewhere in each Metru is a Barraki. I want them dealt with. Until I get what I want the city is on lock-down. Martial law is hereby in effect." "All dark hunters operating in the city: There will be a reward for proof of every league soldier you bring down. All league soldiers: Reconsider your loyalties. All non-combatants: Stay out of the way and take shelter until the fighting is over.” “As for the Barraki: You can surrender. You can run. It makes no difference. You are mine now.”

IC [Zataka - Coliseum, Dume's Office]: "Indeed. But do you see anything that might be of use in the here and now?" Suddenly, she felt something around her wrist. With a startled noise, almost a snarl, Zataka pulled back against the grasp of the undead Turaga. But he wouldn't let go. She changed tack then, instead seizing him by the throat and pushing down hard to keep him in place, in case there was anything more to be learned from the markings.

IC [Zataka, Coliseum - Dume’s Office]: "Save your breath, Zataka, the turaga is meeting with his fate. I will find mine in Le-Metru." The titan stood silently, looking down at the lifeless Dume with a mix of resignation and disgust and...pity? Then, she lifted a hand, palm crackling with energy. The body had to be disposed of before whatever secret he had taken with him reanimated the corpse. She took one last look at the Turaga...and hesitated. Dume’s Robe had slipped during the fall and subsequent struggle on the floor. ‘Destined for the stars’ was clearly legible across his chest and more black ink was just visible running up his traps towards the base of his neck. She had paid it no mind before. What did she care for a former Toa’s vanity? But maybe... She knelt down besides the body and turned Dume’s head. Then, she unclasped the necklace with blue stone, putting it in one of several pockets of her techwear pants. Lastly, she pulled the Turaga’s arms out of his ceremonial robes and turned the body over. More tattoos became visible. At first glance they seemed purely decorative, but then...there were patterns there. “Stannis, wait.” she called out to the Toa about to leave. “Take a look at this, tell me what you make of it. You too, Nynrah.” she said to the Wanderer and freshly transformed former ghost, indicating the other tattoos. “And make it quick, before he reanimates.” OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @EmperorWhenua @BULiK

IC [Zataka, Coliseum - Dume’s Office]: So this is what it’s all been about...heh. Zataka wasn’t all that surprised to hear that manipulating time was a possibility. That in and of itself was not what was at the forefront of her mind though: The realization of what Dume was asking of his newly made Toa sunk in and immediately, the possibilities began forming in the warlord’s mind: They could go back, take the Barraki by surprise and end their reign before it ever began. She could already picture the looks on their faces when their barely nascent aspirations of lordship were cut short in an instant. Glorious! But they had to go way back to do it - a daring proposition. Centuries of history rewritten to prevent the current war, without any way to know what would happen in that time. If they sent one of the Toa back and they succeeded in the way Dume had outlined...it would not only destroy the league, but most likely the majority of the order of Mata Nui as well. She could only imagine the massive power vacuum that would leave, one that would inevitably be filled. Perhaps by the Dark Hunters, or the Visorak, or… ...me. She couldn’t help the sinister smile that played across her lips. You listed yourself after the spider horde, really? The opportunity was tempting. All the power in the universe had suddenly become a lot more attainable, at least seemingly. Zataka’s hand tightened around the handle of her sword. An injured Dume, a Nynrah ghost who knew how to fix the machine to make it happen. Now if she somehow could ensure her past self knew of what was coming...and that’s what it came down to, wasn’t it? For the plan to succeed, the time to set up the attack, there would be little to no time for anything else. No way to ensure a bright future for anyone - Matoran, Barraki, Hunters or otherwise. If she was going to pull this off, she’d need some sort of assurance. And there was none to be had. Unless she went back herself. Which then would mean outrunning a nova blast, tracking down her past self and convincing her of the plan as well. Knowing herself, how she used to be...that part alone would be hard enough. She might well create a time paradox if she and her younger self couldn’t get along and tried to kill each other. It was a million to one shot to gain all the power she could ever want, but in turn it risked everything she had already built. Wait... It was desperate. Too desperate in fact. The Barraki and others (herself included) had led bloody campaigns across the silver sea for ages. Invasions happened all the time - just not to Metru-Nui. The shining beacon of all Matoran civilization had been spared the horror thus far, thanks to her Toa protectors and clever politics. But it had known war as well - civil war. They were in dire straits, the league might well win today - but did it justify Dume’s methods? How many had died in this war so far? And now, just because the bloodshed had found its way here, the Turaga broke out the history eraser button. Not when the Mangai had fallen apart or the Dark Hunters began operating unchecked. Why now? To stop the Barraki, sure. But if he knew of the exact time of their defection, why not go back himself? But no, instead Dume had chosen this course of action. Even his worry about a mask of time did not make sense. Any weapon was dangerous in the wrong hands, but an existential threat? The Kanohi Garai existed, yet it did not destroy the fundamental force it held sway over when broken - she knew that for a fact from the last time she had done it, just before breaking the wearer as well. Zataka stood up, glancing down at the dark hunter again. :Stay put: she ordered her, before moving around the desk, slowly, deliberately. Her shadow fell over Dume as she came to a stop beside him. “You also have my thanks. I can see clearer now.” she said, looking out towards the smoke rising from this city stretching out beyond the window. There was absolutely no gratitude behind her words. “Tell me something: With this device you could go back to an even earlier time and warn the Order and bring them proof of the Barraki’s impending betrayal. I know Brutaka and his allies do not take kindly to traitors. Or you could go back to yesterday and warn all of us of the invasion, cut off their advance before it begins.” Dume could see how tense the warlord was. He noticed the subtle shaking of the armored hand clenching the hilt of her blade. “You could have done any number of things. Maybe you failed to consider alternatives - but that's not you. You think things through. No, this was your plan all along. Even though your own friends betrayed you and each other - just to keep the disks out of your hands. And then you had these unwitting Matoran bring them to you. A clever move: Find the disks and people devoted enough to do whatever you ask. And when that was done all you had to do was turn them into Toa so you could find one among their number willing enough to kill themselves based on nothing more than your word. Very clever, but also desperate. And too drastic. Even under these circumstances, it’s disproportionate. We haven’t even tried all conventional methods; my blade has yet to taste Barraki blood.” Her eyes were locked onto Dume now. “Unless this is about more than stopping the Barraki. How does your plan account for the other things at work here: The creature in the coliseum basement, the crimson in the sky, the rising dead...what do you know of them?”

IC [Zataka, Coliseum - Dume’s Office]: “Such strength… why waste it defending on old man… and a dying legend?” She wheezed, focusing the full force of her hypnotic gaze on Zataka, “You could finish him off, take this city for yourself…” Take the city...yes, the thought had crossed her mind, more than once. As had the thought of getting rid of Dume, old fool that he was. But it was one thing to take power. Keeping it was another story altogether. Dume had ruled for centuries, and yet here he was on the floor now, injured and desperate. No, if she were to take over, she would go about it her own way: Rather than take the city and inherit the curse of her enemies snapping at her heels in perpetuity, she would use those heels to crush them first. And who knew, by the time she rid the universe of the dark hunters, Barraki and those creeps on Destral, even Dume might welcome her as ruler with open arms, much like her homeland had… But that was for another time. And time was something neither she nor anyone else had the luxury of right now. The old Turaga might be dying and she would not grieve that loss, but he still held knowledge. Knowledge that was vital to their collective survival it seemed. No matter who won the fight for Metru Nui today, their power would be nothing compared to what was coming. Something the dark hunters had apparently failed to understand. :You’d have me believe I’d be the spark to start a fire - but I would be a last glimmer before oblivion. You are a fool who’s reach exceeds her grasp while her imagination remains trapped by her station.: Her mentally projected voice in Sidra's mind was like a sharp strike across the face. And then the titan suddenly broke eye-contact to look up. Not one, but two flashes of energy within rapid succession had a way of making themselves noticed: First the selfless Matoran who’d sacrificed himself for Dume, and then whatever it was Stannis had summoned. Zataka glanced up just in time, breaking eye-contact, to see Okuo’s new form emerge from the light - good on you, kid - and to hear Stannis ask the old man to come clean. "Tell me the truth, old friend. You have lived so long and hold more regrets than even I... so why do you fear failure in this task the most?” Yes, please do. You’re not just afraid to lose your hold over Metru-Nui, there’s more to it. The old man was injured, running out of time by his own account. If ever there was a time his mental defenses were down, now was as good a chance as any. Once she knew all the cards he held she could determine the best next move for herself: Look in on the monster in the basement, fight the monsters roaming the streets from behind Dume’s desk as before or join the new Toa and face them in person. Zataka dialed up her mask power and listened intently to the Turaga’s words and mind.