BULiK

IC: Exuze, Kini-Nui, Templeside The scared lesterin sighed at the arrival of even more unknown beings who looked rather powerful. "Anyone else gonna come out of tha woodwork?"

IC: Exuze, Kini-Nui, Templeside "Ya didn't tell me yer a thief."

IC: Knichou, Metru-Koro Ruins, Datrox Plaza For a long time, Knichou wanted revenge. It was not a Toa-like impulse, so Knichou ignored it. Pushed it deeper. The commander knew that seeking revenge for Aurax's betrayal could easily get out of hand, but part of him longed for it anyways. Helping Zaliyah's rebellion. 'Freeing' the Vahki. Some part of Knichou always wanted to strike Aurax where it hurt, make the traitor feel the same pain he inflicted on those around him time and time again. Helping the traitor get betrayed? That was poetic justice, the only justice Knichou could hope for in these times. The exile watched his former colleague lose all control. Aurax ceased to exist - his body was a prison, the toa of plasma trapped within himself like an anesthetized patient awake during a surgery. Aurax had become beyond pathetic, not even an ant, for at least an ant had purpose, had life. Aurax was a corpse, and could only wish be one of the ants dancing atop him, returning his body to the veins of iron from whence it came. It must have been excruciating. Knichou didn't taste the sweet ichor of revenge. He was disgusted. This was not justice. Aurax, king of the League, false toa of Maru Nui, traitor of the Nynrah Ghosts and countless others, was rendered powerless from Caedast's unseen influence. Aurax was a slave to the whims of the incomprehensible. Knichou was surprised to feel so much pity for such a vile toa. Caedast's emergence from Aurax's shadow was a shock - if Sorilax's scrolls were to believed (Which Knichou was even more inclined to do as more of the other Aspect's truths were confirmed), Caedast actually had at least a kraata power of level five. Halfway to achieving his Grand Wish. At least. Knichou couldn't move. He stood still, speechless, in an almost defensive pose, which slowly relaxed involuntarily as Stannis's revelation utterly disarmed the Fe-Toa. The former Nynrah Ghost was lost. He looked to Nale.

IC: Knichou, Metru-Koro Ruins, Datrox Plaza The commander stood deathly still, gaze darting around Aurax, looking for a sign. This voice... it was familiar in a way. But who was speaking? Who could be speaking? It couldn't be... He recalled Sorilax's scrolls - if this was shadow puppetry, that meant Caedast was at least at kraata power level 4. "Let him go, Caedast. Let. Him. Go."

IC: Knichou, Metru-Koro Ruins, Datrox Plaza As Aurax's optics widened, Knichou's shot towards Nale to his side. She was looking away. He turned back to Aurax as his counterpart finished speaking. There was no need to wait for Nale's gaze to return. She knew. He knew. He knew she knew. There was no dancing around it - unless Stannis had some other magical spell that bound Aurax's will to his, the case was closed. Knichou expected it, hoping the gamble would prove he was right, reveal the truth. His internals churned regardless, for he still wished it to not be true. Nale's joke lightened the mood and gave restored Knichou's strength, but it was sapped away in an instant when Aurax struggled to respond, and an otherworldly voice emanated from the seizing barraki. "Goooooood. You two finally have met again." The sounds were from Aurax's voicebox, but that was distinctly not Aurax's voice. The base sounds were similar, but pacing was all off, like two different musicians playing the same instrument, but playing two different songs in two different keys. Knichou took a step back. His adaptive armor, limber and focused on cooling him in the desert, visually shifted like it had been agitated. A wave rippled through it's surface like a muaka's fur when it was on edge. Smaller, flexible scale-like plates of nano-chainmail conglomerated and morphed into more generalized plate armor as the armor struggled to understand what was going it. All it knew was something was wrong. That voice... IC: Berys, Tobduk-Koro Airspace The dawn light made the approaching village even more evident. Berys began to slowly lower the airship's altitude. "Hmm?" he continued with a sly grin. "With all the upgrades Knichou makes, it's hard to keep track." OOC: @ whoever's in tobduk koro, Taku is visibly approaching.

IC: Knichou, "Oh, how I wish that was the case," the golden Toa replied, trying to suppress a light chuckle. Aurax was truly clueless, wasn't he? "Unfortunately, we all have bigger problems. It's a long story, so I'll get straight to the point. We're both busy Toa, and we're running out of time as is." Knichou extended his right arm in front of himself, palm upwards. A sphere of bronze grew into his grasp, which he promptly tossed up in the air. It floated at chest height in between the two Nynrans, remaining stationary position under the influence of Knichou's powers, and slowly spun laterally like a globe. "Ever seen this before? This is a Makoki sphere, and these..." the sphere seamlessly separated into six puzzle pieces, which exploded floated outwards, coming to rest in an orbit around where the orb was earlier, spinning in the same direction. "... are called Makoki stones. They're how the Aspect of Makuta, the Great Spirit of Death we know as Mata Nui locked a spirit called Tren Krom out of our dimension. We need to either find out where all of these stones are, or learn how to make more, so we can summon Tren Krom again to repair the time paradox we're living in. A computer called the Administrator up in the floating sphere might hold records on where to find the last ones needed." "You just mentioned the island disappearing. This is our best shot at stopping that from happening. We both know that sooner or later, you run out of places to flee too. If we don't get all of these ancient stones, it doesn't matter if Ehlek is going to harvest Matoran or not - there won't be a reality left for them to be free or slaves in." "Forget about Ehlek - you help me get these stones or the plans to make more of them, and I'll..." Knichou began. He paused, quickly giving a knowing glance to Nale before he made his gambit. The truth was out of either of their hands. Nale could see the conflict in Knichou, the uncertainty within. Despite this, he continued, turning back to Aurax with a steely facial expression. "... I'll give you something you wish for more than than another meaningless crown:" Knichou put his hands on his hips once more. "Your freedom from our mutual friend."

IC: Knichou, Metru-Koro Ruins, Datrox Plaza Knichou looked over the plans as Aurax spoke, cataloguing the design in his memory for future reference. He remembered his former colleague's experiments, but the modified design was still new to him in many ways. Knichou had plenty of experience with Kanoka-manipulating devices by now - what he learned from Nuparu's work on Dume's Kanoka infuser made this device seem all the more feasible. It appeared Aurax had made similar advances in the time after their exile from the Nynrah Ghosts, though there were still some ways Knichou would modify the designs with his newfound knowledge on the field. Knichou handed the tablet back. Large-scale kanoka usage on the subjects on an entire fortress? This might be a valuable backup plan if the administrator couldn't pull through... "Okay..." the commander began, choosing to ignore the comment about Aurax's wild schemes and their surprising effectiveness. "So you want us to go up there, shrink Ehlek, then squish him like a bug," he calmly repeated. It sounded like he was leading somewhere, even if Aurax might not have a clue where. "Then what?"

IC: Knichou, Metru-Koro Ruins, Datrox Plaza Aurax looked different than the last time they met oh-so-long-ago, but Knichou could feel a familiar stench of treachery lingering in the air. The Fe-Toa couldn't help but smugly cross his arms and crack a grin at his reveal leaving his rival incredulous. He had waited for this day for so long, and, under different circumstances, Knichou would be enjoying it. But he had more on his mind than his past - he still had to save the future. For everyone. For Nale. Knichou nodded along, amused, in answer to some of the questions Aurax asked himself out loud about Knichou. Knichou was not only a Toa, he'd earned the right to be one instead of stealing someone else's destiny. The commander cocked his head to one side at Aurax's quip. Knichou wasn't short, nice try. He did have the Mask of Creation, and he was going to earn it's responsibility too. "If you asked me that a few years ago, I'd have wagered that not even us being the last two Nynrans alive, not even the universe's destruction could get us to work together." The glare from Knichou's glowing optics could have engraved Aurax's kanohi. The commander let the thought simmer, before giving a slight shrug and moving his hands to confidently rest at his hips. "But I wouldn't have predicted the universe ending twice, and well, here we are." Truth be told, Knichou would have probably said the same even just a few days prior, but the change in circumstances and his recent experience had struck a chord, making this less painful than he thought it would be. If Sidra could forgive Knichou, and he could forgive Sidra, perhaps Aurax and Knichou each others' paths to redemption? More practically, it was very likely the only path to the survival of the Matoran. Time would tell. Aurax would tell. "So, what's your pitch?"

IC: Knichou, Elemental Temple Ruins of Ice Knichou smiled with pride as he watched his partner begin to soar through the night sky on her own accord. In the moonlight her form was less distinct from afar, a silhouette that sliced through the surrounding star filled sky with the pulsing lights of thrusters and the warm glow of her heartlight and optics. At first her flying was shaky, but as her mind began to flow with her body, she learned to maneuver with ease - a true natural. Over the past month, the couple had shared many flights together, and the ex-Ghost was please to see that the Toa Rode had picked up on some of his tricks from the times he had been the one powering her flight. Like a gukko, she always knew true north by instinct, with the reflexes, balance, and proprioception of a limber, highly experienced Toa to match. So why was Nale stopping? Nale's expression of concern was instantly mirrored by Knichou as he felt something off in the air when she began her careful descent. At her prompting, Knichou looked over his shoulder to see the faint warm glow of flames in the distance. Words weren't necessary for the two to communicate - he turned back, their optics met, and a moment later, both pairs were covered by a protective visor as their armor knew what came next. They both launched themselves into the air, rapidly gaining altitude so Knichou could gain a gukko's-eye view of the raging wildfire. It was even larger than what he imagined from down below. << What in Artakha's name... >> Knichou's voice crackled in Nale's kanohi as his armor instinctively used their built-in radios for clarity. << What could have caused this? >> The Fe-Toa's internals sank at the thought. They were running out of time. He leaned forwards, shifting from a hover to full speed with urgency. Knichou slowed down slightly to let Nale catch up, then took point in their formation, with the Fa-Toa forming a right echelon. While she had navigational instincts, Knichou relied on the headings indicated on his visor's heads up display. The two flew northeast with minimal chatter. Knichou went into detail on a few more armor functions, clarifying any questions Nale had about it's usage, and give a few tips on more advanced techniques. As the flight continued, Knichou watched with pride as Nale grew visibly more comfortable with her new power. If it weren't for the fact that they were going as fast as they could to reach their destination before the fires consumed Metru-Koro too, Knichou would have loved to show Nale some of his tricks. As the light of dawn began to creep over the horizon and wash out the starlight, the two Toa reached their destination. While Metru-Koro always stood out from the surrounding wasteland, what was more of a surprise was how little of said wasteland was left. As the warm, ambient dawn light began to softly illuminate the landscape, it became extremely clear just how much less of the island there was. Knichou couldn't even see the relic fields anymore. The wingmates circled around the edge of the abandoned village once, and Knichou could see that Aurax sat in Datrox plaza with what looked like an Exo-Toa. Knichou gave his partner a nod in that direction and the two descended on the memorial in the forum named after her former partner. The golden Fe-Toa descended rapidly, turning his thrusters around to slow his descent at the last second, a risky maneuver that had become instinctual from much practice. He landed suddenly, kicking up a cloud of sand and dust that drifted away to reveal the prodigal Toa leaning forwards on one knee in a heroic pose, with a fist in the dirt for support and the other in the air behind him for balance. Nale followed shortly behind him, although Knichou was too focused on his own landing to see how she performed. He trusted her with his life and knew that she would make it without his micromanagement. The Nynran stood up and took a step towards his former friend and fellow exile. Throughout the process his determined gaze inspected the false barraki - Knichou was ready for any surprises. "Kept you waiting, huh?" OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Snelly

IC: Berys, Zakaz Airspace, The Taku, Bridge "What are Knichou's buttons for? Toggle the headlights, toggle the windshield wipers, toggle the engines, activate the ejector seat, activate mood lighting in his quarters, shuffle his iStone playlist, speed dial Nale's radio frequency, initiate the Taku's self destruct sequence, y'know, the usual," the pilot jokingly answered his friend. The Le-Matoran could see the faint lights of the village in the distance, and adjusted the airship's approach accordingly. IC: Knichou, Elemental Temple Ruins of Ice "Exactly," Knichou agreed. He could feel Nale's concern lingering, and wanted to settle this question once and for all for himself as well. He believed Sorilax and Sidra... but there was no denying the twinge of hope deep in the Fe-Toa's heartlight that he was wrong. As the couple exited into the windy plains surrounding the temple ruins, it was clear that Nale was ready to move on from both the subject at hand and the desolate, icy islet they were stranded on. "So do I just think it, and the jetpack appears?" "Well, not quite," the inventor corrected, looking back the Fa-Toa beside him. "The armor is reading your thoughts and feelings, yes, but it's even easier than thinking of what you need to do - it will do most of the thinking for you." "The nanosuit will automatically configure itself to your environment, whether you think of it or not," the former Nynrah Ghost continued. Nale could see the excitement twinkling in his optics as Knichou got the first opportunity in a long time to teach someone how to use his magnum opus. "All of it's countermeasures, adaptations, and configurations are stored and ready to be loaded up at a moment's notice, whether or not you know they exist. There are even adaptations I don't know about in there. While some things were fine tuned, there's a point where the deep layers of the nanite neural network take on what to the layman would look like a mind of it's own. A system like this needs to be so complex and self-correcting to account for so many possible situations." "Where was I? Ah, right." Knichou leaned closer into his partner, their armor melding in many places, with their Kanohi ending up mere inches apart. They could see the puffs of moisture from their breaths condensate on each other's armor. The Fe-Toa's arm wrapped over her shoulders, his hand reaching around the back of her neck to caress the protective insulated flap at the top of Nale's chestplate. Their bond kept his hand below the surface, flowing through her armor like it was a liquid parting ways for him to enter, so Knichou used his powers over metal to make the nanoweave scarf follow the movement of his hand. Knichou tilted his arm upwards and away from her warm skin to waggle the armor's adaptation in the air for emphasis. "You don't need to think you're cold, you don't even need to feel you're cold, and yet it will ensure you are kept warm. While there are a lot of suit functions you can actively use (as you've seen with your Toa tools and communications package from earlier) the core functions are mostly passive. They don't require any supervision or intention on your part - it will always do the best it can to protect you and make you perform at your peak in the situation and environment you are in." Knichou retracted his arm from Nale, point made. His gauntlet left behind a cloud of golden nanites in the surface of her armor, which soon began to dissolve back into her dark blue hue as their armors disconnected again. He continued to speak, moving to stand directly in front of the Fa-Toa. "So you don't need to think about adapting to flight, per se..." The Fe-Toa jumped into the air. As he left the ground, rocket boosters rapidly formed on the ends of his limbs, with a pair of stabilizing thrusters forming on his back. They activated and began to put him in a hover. The flyboy held his arms at a slight angle, adjusting the direction of each thruster to maintain his balance with a remarkable stability that made it look easier than it was. "You just need to take the leap, and let your instincts guide the controls. They're not difficult, but there is a learning curve. Flying is an art, in and of itself. The more you fly, the more you master it, until one day, the skies belong to you." The engineer's thrust lowered smoothly, leading to a graceful descent back to the ground. His armor returned to the winter conditioning from before, instead of a fluid mix of protective insulation and flight gear. "Go ahead and give it a try, flygirl. Don't worry about falling - I promise I'll catch you," he ordered, one of his green optics dimming momentarily in a playful wink.

IC: Exuze, Kini-Nui, Templeside The Lesterin looked over his shoulder to where Zataka had indicated, saw the approaching titan, then promptly skedaddled behind Tuyet. His right hand stroked his left arm, as if that would somehow smooth the unfeeling mechanical contraption and stop its occasional antsy twitching. OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Eyru @Vezok's Friend

IC: Knichou, Elemental Temple Ruins of Ice The elevator lurched into its final position. Back through the hallway. Knichou looked to the stone floor ahead of them. He felt Nale's gaze inspect him. "I... I... don't know..." Knichou slowly began, uncrossing his arms and pressing one hand against his temples, partially hiding the pained expression on his face. "The Admin called us Toa 'Builders'..." "Caedast... Stannis... was last known to be travelling with Toa Korruhn, each with the Makoki stones that Sidra is looking for. A connection between those two facts is only speculation... but..." The ex-Ghost sighed and began to walk forwards through the immaculately carved hallway. "I... have to prepare for the worst." That was what he always had done. His creations ensured survival in the harshest of conditions, yet they never made him feel truly safe. Plans could only go so far. "Aspects of Makuta... beings of shadow... if Stannis is to be believed, they are prone to lying. When Sorilax first called Stannis an Aspect, I also couldn't believe it... but I keep coming back to how it made everything fit. A simple answer for the multitude of inconsistencies and quirks. His spell over Aurax, his age, his knowledge of this island and the ways of Aspects when we first arrived..." Knichou looked to his side. Optics met, both pairs refocusing on each other. A solemn, concerned smile was shared. "I can design anything, but an alternative explanation of Stannis's behavior and actions that is as elegant and as holistic as Sorilax's... that eludes me. When Sidra was in my mind, and I called Stannis an aspect... she didn't flinch. She was in my mind, yes... but... if there was doubt in her heartlight, I would have felt it." The Fe-Toa quietly chuckled at a memory, optics looking distant. "Trust me, with some of the things that I said in that dream... I would have known if she was shocked. To Sidra... it wasn't even noteworthy. I don't know how she knew... but that NUVA knows a great many things I didn't..." IC: Berys, Zakaz Airspace, The Taku, Bridge Berys looked over his shoulder as the recently promoted doctor entered the bridge, followed by Toa Vashni. He gave them a nod, but kept his silence, not wanting to interrupt the peace in the air. The bridge had a soft hum of electronics, with occasional beeps and boops giving feedback as Berys carefully guided the Taku to yet another destination. The Le-Matoran listened, only speaking up at Triage's latest suggestion. He pointed to Knichou's customized pilot's seat that Triage sat in. The ends of the armrests had various doodads and controls that were unhelpfully unlabeled. "If you do switch seats, just a reminder to not touch any buttons on that one."

IC: Knichou, Elemental Temple Ruins of Ice The Nynran sighed. "We don't have much of a choice... let's get a move on." He turned towards the hallway they entered from and began to exit. It would be faster to fly from the temple ruins to Metru-Koro than if they started in Kini-Nui. There also might be another monster in the vicinity, which was not conducive to giving flight lessons. After meeting with Aurax, the pair could link up with the Taku and chart a course for the Aqua Sphere. If there was still time. The Admin's pleas were rather urgent, but the fact of the matter is even if they flew immediately to Mi-Kiri with their adaptive armor, that may not be fast enough to stop whatever Aspect was trying to destroy Knichou's lifeline on creating or finding the other Makoki. The ex-Ghost would just have to hope. Trust himself. He would arrive when he would arrive - so much about this situation was out of his control entirely. The thing about wandering is nobody who accomplished great feats truly comprehended, let alone saw, the entire path as they took it. The couple passed through the purple and gold portal and patiently stood in the elevator as it rose. A chill filled the room, but it wasn't from the icy walls. Knichou crossed his arms and looked upwards at the slowly approaching hallway. "An Aspect and a builder going to destroy the only surviving records on Makoki stones..." he mused aloud.

IC: Knichou, Elemental Temple Ruins of Ice Knichou didn't flinch. "I'm afraid if I don't find this information, it would doom us all." The commander didn't skip a beat with the follow up, either. "I need to make more Makoki Stones otherwise there won't be a reality for your systems operate in." The Nynran wasn't used to negotiating with a computer (at least, verbally) and was put off slightly by him lacking a target to direct his deadly serious stare towards. Not that that was necessary to communicate how urgent he believed what he was saying, given the tone of his voice. He looked Nale in the optics instead, a glance of firm support. These were the stakes. They could make it. They would make it.

IC: Knichou, Elemental Temple Ruins of Ice The Fe-Toa cursed under his breath at the predicament. He looked around the room, but didn't see any indication of where the voice came from. No terminal, huh? While he was thrown off by the new information, Nale got him back on track. "Administrator, give me every file on the creation of Makoki stones and Makoki spheres. Is that information is your core systems?" OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

IC: Taku Crew, Ko-Pou With everyone aboard, Arnex closed the entrance ramp. Berys shifted the collective and the Taku's main engines began to rumble as it turned to the northeast. Through various portholes, passengers could see the ground sink away from them as they rose to cruising altitude. The ride was rather peaceful. Moonlight glinted in reflections across the waves far below. IC: Knichou, Elemental Temple Ruins of Ice "That would be unfortunate," the Fe-Toa pondered, examining the walls of the room. IC: Exuze, Kini-Nui, Templeside "Easier said than done," Exuze commented. He turned to Tuyet. "This what we do in the future? Seems a whole lot easier than finding this axe guy of yours."

IC: Berys & Arnex, Ko-Pou, The Taku "Okay," Berys said. "I'll get us ready for takeoff. Arnex, can you go down and double check that for me?" The Onu-Matoran nodded and turned to go to the lower deck. Berys walked to the bridge and took a seat. The Taku was still in hover mode, having not had all of it's landing gear intact before the various repairs. The landing gear was down, but Berys pushed a lever forwards to change that. The four robotic legs folded back inside the ship, a clear indicator for anyone on the ground that the Taku was going to leave soon. In fact, there was a better way to get the attention of those nearby. Berys pulled a cord and the bass-like honk of the Taku's powerful foghorn resounded throughout the area. He then picked up the radio transmitter and flicked it over to the airship's loudspeakers. "This is the last call for the last ride to Tobduk-Koro. We'll be leaving shortly." Arnex arrived at the entrance ramp, and saw that the pair of Turaga were already making their way back to the ship. When both were aboard, Arnex stood at the edge of the ramp, doing one final check for any other potential passengers. OOC: @Tarn@Toru Nui@Harvali & whoever is at Ko-Pou, here we go. Next Taku crew post from me will probably be takeoff, just so everyone is on the same page. Have your characters be on, off, or w/e, but point is we're leaving soon and if I'm forgetting someone we'll just retcon it together.

IC: Exuze, Kini-Nui, Templeside "By all means, explain," the Lesterin replied. "Maybe I can make sense of yer plan if it's not time travel."

IC: Exuze, Kini-Nui, Templeside Exuze looked behind him. Everyone else was gone? Was he losing his mind? They were real, right? The lesterin shook his head and refocused on the situation at hand. Giant robots, shadow lady, Tuyet being Tuyet. Exuze decided to ask the obvious as he walked closer to Tuyet and her airship. "Lookin' fer help with what exactly?"

Ah, so the G in GB stands for GM.

IC: Berys & Arnex, Ko-Pou, The Taku Arnex took a break from her meal to give Triage a quick, informal salute as Niidak called him captain. "Congrats, cap-Triage!" Berys continued to stand in the doorway to the bridge, arms crossed. "Knichou said he and Nale are inside the temple ruins, something about a portal. Whatever the two of them are doing in there, apparently they might not have radio contact. They'll link up with us on their own after they finish. Until then, he put you in charge of the ship and this evacuation." "I've double checked the repairs from... our new co-worker, I guess," the Le-matoran said with a gracious nod to Niidak as the Vortixx left the room. "We're operating at full capabilities now, and are ready to set off for Tobduk-Koro whenever all passengers are aboard and ready."

that is a powerful combination of two numbers that could strike fear into many hearts

My question for getting 1st on page 69: What's a Grand Builder?

IC: Berys, Ko-Pou, The Taku, Bridge Alone on the bridge, Berys listened to Knichou’s orders over the radio. The commander and captain were - he wanted to- and- but- “What?!?” The Le-Matoran put a hand to his face and sighed. He held that position for a few moments, before standing up and sluggishly walking over to the bridge’s exit. The doors unceremoniously slid open and he looked to the resident Bo-Toa. “Uhhhhh, Triage… I think Knichou just made you acting captain?” The Taku’s pilot shrugged awkwardly. “Congrats?”