Keeper of Kraata

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro Airspace, Tranquility Bridge) The Toa grimaced under his hood; it was only partially an act. "You dare question me? I have seen creatures that call this forsaken island home that could tear this airship out of the sky with a lazy swing of one claw. I have personally been captured and tormented by native skakdi, practitioners of a foul ritual I still don't know of despite being the only Shadow elemental I've met, and an unaligned Toa that used their power over Light to render hundreds of square kios worth of land uninhabitable." Skorm seeded his worth with fragments of truth; it was the best way to bluff. "I am no longer asking, Ostrox. Wiping this settlement out would have consequences far beyond what Lord Pridak could know; I will assume any consequences myself. Stop the bombardment; that is an order. If you choose to disobey it, I will be forced to take responsibility for your life yet again." He thought to Irna, Keitara, Kat, and Nale, who by now must be inside the ship. Narrowing his eyes, Skorm willed them to glow in the darkness beneath his hood. "The last time you and I dove out an airship, I saved your life; trust me, that example will not be repeated." OOC: @Toru Nui

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro Airspace, Tranquility Bridge) The discharge of the ship's energy weapon brightened the sky outside the bridge. Skorm's eyes narrow, not out of reaction to the bright light, but of a sense that he had only limited time. He finished rising to his feet, squaring his shoulders. "I have been walking this island, as my Lords commanded. I have come to the conclusion that the destruction of this settlement would not only bring little benefit to the League, but would endanger it in the future. There are things on this island we need satellite settlements for; I believe that Pridak was uninformed of these when he ordered Metru-Koro's destruction." Skorm took a step forward, his arms spread and hands open. "Ostrox, I saved your life, you can trust me. End the attack, please." OOC: @Toru Nui

IC: Skorm (Tranquility, Metru-Koro Airspace) Closing his eyes as he allowed himself to fall off the ship, Skorm dissolved into shadow. The noises of combat disappeared; he could feel the night sky being perforated by muzzle flash and lights. He sped along the hull, stretching his amorphous body as he located the bridge. It was lit, but not well enough; Skorm slipped through a hole in a bulkhead caused by a bullet, dimming the lights on the bridge so it would be safe for him to re-materialize. The lights of the bridge flickered as he assumed his normal form, in a crouch. "Captain, I must urgently..." Skorm spoke as he rose, pulling his hood back over his head. Then he saw the captain, giving him pause. "Ostrox?" OOC: @Toru Nui

IC: Skorm (Tranquility top, Metru-Koro Airspace) His step unsteady as the ship turned, Skorm made his way over to Keitara and Kat. "I could say the same thing," he shouted over the engines. "My plan is to get in there and try to talk the captain into standing down; if that doesn't work, we board the airship as normal, take care of the crew, and turn this thing's guns against the other League ships. That work with everyone? Kei, if you can cloak everyone else here, you all might be able to get a head start. I'm going to pop out of a shadowy corner of the bridge and talk to the captain. If you hear sounds of a fight, go loud and I'll try to link back up with you." The Twi-Toa turned to the edge of the ship, then looked back at Keitara and Irna, a faint smile on his mask. He wanted to get one last look at them in case this went madu-shaped. "Keep your senses up, if you sense a high-energy laser discharge on the bridge, its probably me." He paused for a thought; "Well, actually, more than one. I have to keep up the scary League enforcer image, I might have to laser an eye out." OOC: @ultimoscorp @Tarn @TL01 NUVA @Conway

IC: Skorm (Taku Cargo Bay) "I can't help but feel like something was lost in translation," Skorm said to Irna, loud enough for her to hear over the din but still quiet enough to be private. "When I volunteered to board one of the League ships and talk to the captain, I did it knowing that I could move through shadow and reappear on the ship." He saw several of his friends jump. "I was my own landing strategy, but..." Skorm placed a hand on Irna's. "I'll stick with you on this. Someone needs to make sure Kei's favorite Zyglak doesn't go pancake-shaped." The Twi-Toa let out a breath, shutting his eyes, extending his senses to the night below. Chaos. He opened them. "Nale, we're ready, on your mark." OOC: @Conway @Tarn

IC: Skorm (The Taku) Skorm's eye's widened. He was no fool, he knew though he enjoyed a broad spectrum of powers thanks to his dual elements, he was used to being the only Toa of Light and/or Shadow in the room. Sometimes he forgot what feats a full Av-Toa could do. He turned his mask towards Irna, not taking his eyes off of Keitara. "She's... bending the light around the ship. We're effectively invisible. I don't think I could do that with something as big as my car." OOC: @Conway @TL01 NUVA

IC: Skorm (Taku, Metru-Koro) Although he looked down at the floor, Skorm couldn't hide his smile. "Thanks Irna. Although... I don't know how the both of us were going to get aboard; I was going to shadow glide into one of their ships. Wouldn't be the first time." He turned to Knichou, squaring his shoulders. "Having the two of us might make for a more convincing story. Captain, what do you think the best way to make this work would be?" OOC: @BULiK @TL01 NUVA @Conway @Toru Nui

IC: Skorm (The Taku, Metru-Koro) "Getting onboard one of their ships was my plan. I... used to be a part of the league, I don't know how many of them know I deserted. I may be able to get one or more of the ships called off if I can get on board. Enough of them are just following orders that I could try an appeal." OOC: @BULiK @TL01 NUVA @Toru Nui @Conway

IC: Skorm (The Taku, Metru-Koro) The first thought through Skorm's head as he and Keitara made their way to the bridge was the alarm horn sounds different on the other side. How many times had he heard that call, rousing defenders against forces he was a part of, that he commanded? They all seemed to blend together in Skorm's memory. Was that Takadox's work, or something more natural? Skorm pushed those thought aside as he followed Kei onto the bridge. He had an idea that might be able to avert some of the combat, but for now he just crossed his arms, waiting with the others. OOC: @BULiK @TL01 NUVA

OOC: Jam with @TL01 NUVA IC Skorm and Keitara (Metru-Koro) As Keitara and Skorm made their way to the Taku, Skorm yawned. “So, you used to be a Ghost. Explains a few things; at least why IV likes you. Found him in a Ghost wreck.” Straining to keep his smile, the Twi-Toa focused on the airship. He was happy that Kei was on the right track to uncovering her past, but a part of him was bitter. He doubted anybody he had known prior to his becoming a Toa, when he had lost his memories, would even recognize him now. Keitara looked blearily at Skorm. She rubbed at her eyes, and part of her wondered if her friend was feeling the same lagginess from lack of sunlight. "Yeah… When Knichou mentioned the Ghosts I got… this feeling? Not quite a memory, but… Like, when you've been swimming, or hammering at a stubborn piece of metal all day, and then you wake up in bed when your body feels as though you're still doing it" She looked over plaintively. "Does that make any sense?" “I suppose. I haven’t found any connections to who I used to be. There were other Toa in the League, but none like me; everyone had either been coerced or joined willingly. I knew there were Toa of Light on the other side, but… I never met any until I met you.” Kei flushed slightly. "Well, I hope I wasn't too much of a letdown" she said, smiling faintly. But something her friend had said was working away at her. "Skorm… If… if I find a way to get my memories back… well… What I mean to say is… if we find a way, would you want to know your past?" The Av-Toa looked down at her feet, shod as they were in glittering armor. Were the Ghosts crafters? Had she made her own armor? If so, she wondered grimly, she could have done a better job on her lance. Shaking herself out of her muzzy musings, Kei continued. "I don't know what it's like for you, but for me… it hurts. I just… I don't want you to have to live with that pain as well, if I can help it." Sighing, Skorm put an arm around Keitara’s shoulder. “I don’t hurt like that. Who I am now and who I used to be are effectively different people; I’d like to know, and the uncertainty makes me scared.” Skorm looked down at his hearlight. “What kind of person was I before I was made into who I am today? Did I volunteer, was I kidnapped? Does anyone out there miss them?” Skorm clutched at the robes on his chest. “I don’t even know what my name was.” A cartload of emotions barrelled through Keitara. On the one hand, her heart ached at the pain in the Twi-Toa's voice and body language. On the other hand… Well, 'hand' had a lot to do with it. Kei's heartlight fluttered as the Toa rested his arm across her shoulders. The conflagration of emotions sent tiny shudders across her body, and her free hand began nervously drumming a staccato rhythm on her thigh plate. Taking a couple slow, deep breaths to steady herself, she pushed on. "I… well, jealous isn't exactly the right word. I… I admire you, Skorm. I know it's selfish, and pretty insensitive, but…" A slight quaver touched her voice. "We both lost our memories. But you… You've grown. You don't let the uncertainty taint your every decision the way I've been. You don't… you don't fall apart like I do." Tears prickled the corners of Kei's already sore eyes. "Skorm… I hope I can be as strong as you are." A shiver wracked Kei's whole body, then: "Skorm… Knichou said I died. I… I was dead" she choked out. She turned back to Skorm, but failed to even look him in the mask at all. "I… oh great beings. Skorm, I think I started to remember. For just a second." There was raw panic in her voice now as Kei continued. "I want to know my past… Karz. Skorm… What if I remember that?" The two toa stopped in front of the Taku, and Skorm took Keitara’s hand and squeezed. “Kei, listen. I can’t say that it’s not real, or that it didn’t happen, but you being here, alive, means that no matter what happened, it doesn’t change who you are.” He held her close. “You’re the person who saw Irna and I and decided that we’re worth caring about. I don’t need you to be anything else, as long as that’s who you want to be.” Kei pressed her face into the Toa's chest. The fabric of his cloak was warm, and had a slight smell of metal from his time aboard the Muaka while IV was doing repairs. It was strangely soothing, and Kei slowly felt her muscles un-knotting. After one final, body-wracking shudder, she turned her face up once again. This time she made sure to meet Skorm's gaze. "Thank you. And you absolutely deserve to be cared for, both of you." She rested her head once more against his cloak, feeling the sturdiness of his form beneath the thick fabric. "I'm so glad you didn't turn yourself over to the League. You deserve better than being somebody's sadistic plaything." She gave the warrior a squeeze, and then turned around to face the airship. As she did, she gently reached her hand back until it found, and gently took, Skorm's own. "Come on, Twilight. Let's talk more inside. You look dead on your feet." And, after a pause, "Never be afraid to talk to me, okay? Because you're right. I… I do care about you. You've been there for me through all this. I'd like to do the same for you." Skorm smirked as Keitara led him onto the ship. “Yeah, you don’t sound much better. And… thanks. I care about you too.” Later, in the bunk that Kei had managed to find before they both collapsed, Skorm opened his eyes. Just the darkness and the faint sounds of distant work on the ship. He glanced down; Kei’s head was on his chest, faintly snoring. He smiled. Right here, right now as they were surrounded by darkness, everything was alright. As he listened to Kei’s rhythmic breathing, Skorm let himself close his eyes again, smiling. Then they heard the horn.

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro) Smiling faintly, Skorm gave Keitara's shoulder a light shove. "I was about to say I'm about to collapse myself, and I need a place to crash. I'd be happy to join you, if you'd have me. On the... airship?" He could feel his brain misfiring, trying to find a connection and having none. OOC: @TL01 NUVA @Conway

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro) Part of his fatigue was surely somatic, Skorm though. His shoulders slumped. Tekmo surely wouldn't mind if Skorm crashed at his place, since he was lending him his car already. After some rest, surely he'd be more fit to handle everything that was happening. When he blinked, he felt himself drifting to sleep. He hadn't stayed in the Koro for very long; scarcely one night. In fact, this was his first time alone walking the village; he barely recognized some of the scrap-built buildings around him. He recognized Sans's hut; he could hear his heartstone pulse in his ears. But outside he spotted his friends again, with some others. "Hey you two." OOC: @Conway @TL01 NUVA IC: Kaylus (Ruins of Fire) "Sister," Kaylus intoned in a honeyed voice as he turned towards Apex, "If you can sheathe your claws for the moment and be patient with your tract, we can solve our predicament here and go back to what we were doing. Tearing each other apart, pacting, dissecting, whatever we want; but for now, I would rather figure out how to leave, as well as why exactly such a device exists to call our kind to this trap. Unless someone wishes to drop the mysterious act and explain." The broad-shouldered Aspect then turned to Xane, pointing a claw. "You, foreign skakdi. Please elaborate on this... puzzle." OOC: @Eyru @Sparticus147 @Nato the Traveler

IC: Fyura (Nightmare Pits) Fyura smiled, her toothy grin standing out all the more in the gloom. "He died on his feet, snarling as you twisted in your knife!"

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro) "I... uh..." Skorm's mask furrowed. "I'll level with you, I was asking rhetorically. I've been irradiated, healed, and I split twice today, not to mention several long drives. I need to pass out somewhere. Though if you insist on patrolling, you can borrow the Muaka." IV's head popped out from the frame of the vehicle, beeping rapidly. Skorm yawned. "Just listen to IV, he taught me." OOC: @Toru Nui IC: Kaylus (Ruins of Fire) Truth be told, Kaylus was a younger Aspect, and he knew little of what the aspect Tuakana was referring to. The stocky Aspect walked forward, spreading his arms in a show of peace. "Perhaps we should all in turn explain who we are and why we are here. Not all of us seem to be on the same page," he said, shooting a deflecting glance at the non-aspects in the chamber." OOC: @Toru Nui @Onaku @Eyru @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro Outskirts) There was a long moment of silence as the two toa brooded. It didn't last forever; IV popped its head out of the Muaka, warbling. Skorm rolled his eyes and smirked, pushing the fohrok-va's head back into the vehicle. "Just run diagnostics and make sure the car is running at full capacity; if we need to get out of here, we need to get out." Skorm pushed himself off the frame, sharply exhaling to clear his head. Softly, he whispered to IV, "Calibrate expected rider weight for two toa and a zyglak, just in case." Drawing himself up, the Twi-Toa approached Tekmo. "Okay, what are we doing? OOC: @Toru Nui IC: Kaylus (Ruins of Fire) Kaylus felt it. He wasn't just inside; he was trapped. Even if he vacated his armor, the threshold was as impermeable a barrier as a glass bottle was to an insect. Briefly, the Aspect felt panic. Trap. Death. Void. The panic passed soon, settling into cold confidence. He had walked into a trap, yes, but he had an adage: evolve or die. And at least he wouldn't be able to be held again like this. He strode forward, cloaking himself in darkness; his clanking form might not be stealthy, but he could at least make an entrance. From the antechamber ahead he heard shouting. Stepping forward out of the hallway, Kaylus crossed his arms when he saw the hostile Aspect, as well as several skakdi (one not native to the island, by their external spine) and... a most fascinating tailed creature. "Well, don't stop on my account. Though before you all tear each other to pieces, I would like to know who summoned us with that gong, as well as why I can't leave." OOC: @Toru Nui @Onaku @Eyru @Nato the Traveler @Sparticus147

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro, Outskirts) As Tekmo spoke, Skorm continued buffing out the blisters on his mask, frowning. "There are causes that that I would kill for, and die for. But you're right about one thing; this is inevitable. I'm not walking away. I don't think the League is as powerful as they want us to think. I might be able to speak to the forces when they come, get the attack called off. They might even know I deserted." The Twi-Toa replaced his mask, easing into it. "But you're not the only one I owe my life to, Tekmo. I made a promise. I can't stick around after this." IC: Fyura (Dead Forest) "Everything's ash, Torak. I'd be impressed if you were smelling anything else." The Fe-Skakdi poked a tree growing out of the side of the mountain with her axe, exposing the solid core. "Ash and charcoal. Fires made from ashwood like this makes good metal." IC: Kaylus (Dead Forest) The Aspect flexed his fingers in the daylight, and realized he was still wearing his vivisection arm. Kaylus hastily returned to the lab, sealing the air flow. It was a precaution for both living beings as well as himself; he didn't fear any of his essence blowing away in an errant draft. Popping his forearm out of its joint, Kaylus replaced it with one similar to his right gauntlet, save for a depression where the zamor launcher was located. The seal closed with a hiss, and Kaylus left his lab as quickly as he had left. He didn't know who, or what, was calling him; best to come armed. OOC: @Toru Nui @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147 @Conway @Nato the Traveler

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro Outskirts) "You've seen. I was wandering this island before I met you. As far as I can tell, any stretch of desert is the same as here. We can split the population among the other camps; my point is that there are many alternatives to fighting. And you forget, half the defenders of this place until recently were suffering from radiation poisoning. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. Even if we all survive, they'll be nothing left of Metru-Koro; we'll have to move anyway!" Skorm dug around in the cargo compartment, finally finding a metal polishing kit. He took off his mask and began to buff out the blisters; his maskless face frowned at the Bo-Toa. "What I did in service of the League means I'm a Toa in form only, but I know that their job is supposed to be protecting their people, not places. You said it yourself, we're moving the matoran that aren't fighting; good. Then why are we throwing our lives away to defend a patch of earth with a bunch of empty huts?" OOC: @Toru Nui

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro, Outskirts) "I'm prepping the Muaka to get the Karz out of here. If Pridak comes, when the League comes, this place is going to be destroyed. Your leader wants us to make a glorious last stand, built on ideals and moral superiority, but that's never helped you all before. When I was a part of the League, we won island after island from defenders with the same thoughts." Skorm looked at his hazy reflection in one of the solar panels of his interceptor. "I've been on the other side of this situation before. The safest thing to do is organize an evacuation, secure a corridor for anyone who can't fight. I've had the free ability to choose for myself for barely a week, throwing that chance for a life away in a pointless stand seems like a waste." IC: Fyura (Ash Barrens) Frowning, Fyura cut the engine to her trike and wriggled out. Part of her was shaking, whether that was fear or anticipation, Fyura couldn't figure out. The air was hot, difficult to breathe. She'd rather be behind the wheel of her battle trike, but Fyura grit her teeth and hefted her axe onto her shoulder, following the Boss and the others. IC: Kaylus (Dead Forest, Kaylus's Laboratory) Kaylus heard the gong like all other Aspects. Growling, he put down the dissected nui-rama's limb. He had been observing limb mechanics in motion, perhaps to improve his own body. He exited his clean room through the crude airlock in his lab, burning away any leftover rahi flesh on his claws by holding them over a fire, then washing them with cloth. Performing some mental math, the Aspect placed the gong at the ziggurat; also in the Dead Forest, not a long trip away. He traveled light; no food or water or even tools needed, just his own body. When he emerged from his lab into the ashy forest, Kaylus realized he had locked himself into his lab for almost a week since the giant head had crashed into the island; it was good to get out. Who summoned Aspect Kaylus? Whoever it was, Kaylus was eager to meet them. OOC: @Toru Nui @Unreliable Narrator @Sparticus147 @Nato the Traveler @Burnmad @Conway

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro) His mind reeling, Skorm made his way to the outskirts of the village, where he had parked the Muaka. He reviewed facts as he walked, consciously trying to force himself to put one step in front of the other and not collapse to the ground in a gibbering wreck. The League is coming to destroy the village. The League of... well, however many kingdoms now, possessed at least one airship. Metru-Koro, as far as he knew, had a single airship that just arrived as Skorm was making his way through the village. That's at least down to one on one, possibly. Pridak attempted to engage in diplomacy before declaring war. He was willing to commit forces, but not willing enough to begin by destroying the Koro. Maybe he IS after something. Skorm reached the Muaka, exactly where he had parked it. IV poked its head from the window. "Prep the car," Skorm said. "We need to get ready to leave." The Twi-Toa turned his head. "Tekmo, I know you've been following me. What is it?" OOC: @Toru Nui

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro, Sans's Hut) He had to drop the Turaga when he activated his mask. Sko briefly considered going for the mask, attempting to blind Sans, or even just stabbing him, but Irna's command rang in his ears. "Their deaths will be on your hands." Sko turned, walking straight into Orm and merging with him to become Skorm again. Briefly, his knees buckled under him, but he managed to keep himself upright. He made his way to the door, glancing at Keitara, Tekmo, and Irna. "We should start getting ready to leave. There's nothing more for us here." OOC: @Azibo @TL01 NUVA @Conway @Snelly @Tarn @Toru Nui @A-tak-nid @Dane-gerous @Sparticus147

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro, Sans' Hut) "Unity..." Skorm stumbled while uttering the virtue, as if it were it were a foreign tongue. He set his jaw. From the hut's door came a knock, and Skorm knew the moment had arrived as everyone was distracted for a fraction of a second. The lightstones in the hut dimmed and flickered. Skorm dissipated into shadow, sliding out of Keitara's grasp, materializing in front of Sans, grasping his robes and armor beneath it. "Our terms? Our terms!? This village is going to be razed to the ground, and you have invited it! Pridak is a bloodthirsty warmonger, but you're no better than the monsters you accuse!" Activating his Occan, Skorm split into two Toa. Sko was holding Sans, while Orm was standing in front of them, ready to fend off attack. "He's on his way now. He has an army. You have a small flood of refugees and a few people willing to call themselves soldiers. But it doesn't matter how righteous your cause, how devoted to our dead god; the League won when you had all that plus superior technology." Sko's eyes glowed. He lowered his voice to a tense monotone. "Maybe if I take you to him, he might be amused long enough by your torture and my execution for desertion for the noncombatants of Metru Koro to flee. That is, if we're not picked off by Skakdi raiders." Sighing, Sko continued somberly. "Mata Nui is dead. Metru Nui is lost. Those monsters, they offered you peace, and you spat and offered them blood instead. Small wonder that not all of us were slaves to the Barraki." OOC: @Azibo @TL01 NUVA @Snelly @Tarn @Conway @Sparticus147 @Dane-gerous, autohit approved by Azibo

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro, Sans's Hut) A surge of vertigo rocked Skorm's senses. He wasn't sure if it was the aftereffects of the radiation and his healing, or the news. A shivering cold crawled up his spine like a fikou; he felt himself let out a tense, shuddering breath when he felt Keitara's hand on his shoulder. Monsters. "They came... offering peace... and you turned them down?" OOC: @Azibo @Conway @Snelly @Tarn @TL01 NUVA @Toru Nui

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro, Sans's Hut) For a moment, Skorm stared off into nothingness. He registered Turaga Sans's words, but his mind was elsewhere; it was only a moment, however. The toa of twilight stepped up pensively. "The being that healed us, Sorilax, may be able to shed more light on the topic. But, uh..." Skorm trailed off, his throat dry. "... What do you mean you're expecting a League attack?" Fighting through his weariness, Skorm focused on the Ga-Turaga, daring not to glace at Irna. OOC: @TL01 NUVA @Azibo @Conway @Snelly @Tarn @Toru Nui

Keitara definitely looks s in the second one, I like the linework!

IC: Skorm (Metru-Koro) Furrowing his mask, Skorm looked between Keitara and Sorilax. She didn't know about the kraata on her? "... Alright, maybe you should be looked over if you haven't noticed, though I don't think its urgent. I sensed it before we even left yesterday, so you didn't get it in the swamp." OOC: @TL01 NUVA @Conway @Burnmad @Kal the Guardian @Sparticus147 @Snelly @Tarn @Toru Nui