BULiK

IC: Exuze, Zakaz Airspace, Tuyetmobile Exuze slowed his breathing, and his leg stopped bouncing as much. "W-well, whaddya know..." The lesterin turned to Tuyet with a still-worried, but curious expression on his face. "You knew that was going to happen, right?"

IC: Knichou & Taku Crew, Ko-Pou, The Taku So the Vortixx was reasonable and cooperative, perfect. The good ol' "good cap' bad commander" technique, paying dividends yet again, yes, clearly. Knichou crossed his arms once more and looked to his pilot expectantly. While the engineer had a firm grasp on what needed repairs, he decided that perhaps silence would be more effective. After all, if Berys missed anything, Knichou would be able to give a second opinion. "Well, where to begin..." Berys said, glancing back at the dashboard that was emitting a spectrum of warning lights. It was hard to tell if there were more or less than right after the incident, and at this point it was best to not dwell on that. "We've lost a quarter of our levitation engine clusters, all in the stern, mostly on the lower deck. Half of the cargo bay is missing, and with it half of the power and command distribution cables. One of our main engines is unresponsive, and it's bingo on fuel, to boot..." The Le-Matoran looked to the side of the room, silently counting through a list on his fingers as if to check what he had yet to mention. "Oh yeah, we also only have half our landing gear, less than half of our fuel..." "Don't forget the dent in the starboard side," Arnex helpfully added. "Well, yes, but we can still fly well enough with that. Make that a stretch goal. The hull dent is less important than getting structural integrity in the stern back and extending the deck so we can fit as much as possible for this evacuation." Throughout all of this, Knichou had been uncharacteristically silent, almost as if he was off somewhere else. He looked forwards, but it was clear his gaze wasn't directed at anyone, and that the engineer was instead admiring the infinite void within and beyond all things. You could also say it was the look of someone who was no longer paying attention, but that was far from the truth. To become as focused as he needed to be, Knichou would need to distance himself from the reality he occupied, and see the solution as he could assemble it in the presence of the infinite. After Berys began to wrap up, golden lines on Knichou's legendary kanohi began to glow. The ex-Ghost began to keel over, unable to support and control his body anymore. His desperate, stabilizing grasp on Nale (Or was it her holding up him? The commander was too dizzy and numb to tell where whose arms were whose any surety) being the only thing keeping him standing. The Nynran retched, with him gagging and mildly convulsing for a moment as if vomit was approaching. The color drained from his face alongside the glow of his kanohi's activation as his job was finished, almost as if it took a part of him with it. If there was anything anyone in the room was going to add, it was postponed by seeing such a strange sight. "Get... to work..." he croaked, pointing to the door, which flung open by his command to reveal that the meeting room's table was full. On it was a replacement part for every critical component Berys had mentioned. Brand new, pre-assembled levitation engines sat as if they had just been removed from their packaging. Rolls of thick shielded cables eagerly awaited splicing. A complete set of engine parts and a full tank of liquid protodermis were ready to speed up the propulsion system's repairs. Motorized landing gear legs nearly filled the room, shifting around on their suspension. Stacks of protosteel beams and plates filled the corner, with a handheld welding kit sitting atop. A variety of other tools and other components left no room for doubt - anything and everything needed to fix the Taku, or even build one's own smaller airship if necessary, was strewn across the meeting room and its table. Between Niidak, Knichou's crew, and any others from the outpost pitching in, there was no doubt that this would be more than enough to prepare the Taku for it's next voyage. "Nale... the captain... and-and I... will be in touch," he heaved.

IC: Knichou, Ko-Pou, The Taku, The Bridge The Nynran glanced at his partner, and took her cue to heart. Perhaps he had been a bit too authoritative for an introduction. It had been a long day, after all, and there was so much Knichou needed to get around to, with seemingly so little time. Perhaps opening by using the bula instead of the stick would offer a greater incentive, as the mahi herders always said. "Right... there's that, but also if you have something in mind that you need, perhaps a tool that could help speed up your repairs or something, I can make you just about anything you'd ever need like -" he snapped his fingers as he finished his sentence. "- that."

IC: Knichou, Ko-Pou, The Taku, The Bridge Knichou was about to turn back to Nale, the matter settled in his mind, ready to move on to the next topic, when the Vortixx spoke up and retained his attention. The commander was unamused, and crossed his arms. The Fe-Toa's green glowing optics stared at the scavenger from behind his ornate mask of creation. "Is 'the only smooth ride off of this hunk of rock' not enough? What more could you want? As you said, the economy's taken a hit recently, so you're going to have to be more specific about any demands."

IC: Arnex, Ko-Pou, The Taku "Important vessel? You could say that again. Commander Knichou certainly would," Arnex joked as the Vortixx embarked the airship. The Onu-Matoran silently lead Niidak out of the Taku's entrance area and into the cargo bay proper. The lower deck was a mess, and the back half of it appeared entirely missing. The Vortixx could almost feel the strain on the airship's machinery as it struggled to keep everything operational amidst near-catastrophic damage to critical systems. The pair turned around to climb one of the mirrored staircases on other side of the ship that lead to the upper deck. They were met with a large meeting area with a sturdy table that could fit the entire crew, and to each side were doors leading to other rooms of the airship, the threshold to the port side marked Crew and the one to starboard marked Officers. Towards the front of the upper deck, past the meeting table, was a larger, sealed door leading to the bridge, which the duo approached... IC: Knichou, Ko-Pou, The Taku, Bridge "Thanks for catching me, commander." There was a rumbling in Knichou's chest as the engineer could hardly suppress his pained chuckling. Words couldn't escape the Toa, but despite being hardly able to synthesize any response, the comment's impact on him was clear from the assortment of nonverbal reactions he exhibited. Her joke may not have been the most elaborate, but yet the entire situation and her presence bubbled up a warm laughter within the Nynran even as he wheezed while trying to recover from the impacts of the pair of falls. Knichou's optics opened to see his partner smile for a moment, an expression that had already been been beaming on Knichou's face since her remark, before his armor sealed himself off from the world once again as the last Toa Rode lifted herself up a few moments later. The adaptive armor was as much an extension of Knichou's body and nervous system as Knichou was inherently tied to its purpose. The ex-Ghost's second skin had never left him unprotected from the outside, however its actions of letting a trusted party share its symbiotic bond with Knichou was one of the rare moments where Knichou's instincts allowed himself to feel the presence of something unfiltered by the protective layer of nanites. The freedom Knichou felt to feel free near Nale was exhilarating. "It's uh, alright, Berys. As long as no one got hurt, right?" The pilot shrugged to the captain with an unamused, knowing expression beneath the dark green tint of his kaukau. "If anything, I'd say the opposite happened, making this possibly the most exciting landing for you two today. Knich' should give a tip. Five stars, at least." The commander gave an amused snicker at the remark as his right hand locked with Nale's, the two Toa's adaptive gauntlets forming a metallic seal as their armor systems amalgamated by the will of the subconscious bond they shared. The two barely needed to hold hands to lift Knichou for their armor did all the gripping for them with mechanical strength and computational precision, and yet the grip of the two Toa's clasped hands beneath the liquid metal armor could have shattered protosteel. "Come on, then. Let's assess the situation here." As Nale helped lift the flustered Commander to his feet, The bulkhead doors slid open to reveal Arnex, followed closely by a Vortixx none of those aboard had met before. It appeared the situation had come to assess them. "Ummm, Captain Vella, Commander Knichou," Arnex began with nods in the direction of each to introduce her superiors to Niidak. "This is a local who's offering to help in the repairs." Knichou's bubbly demeanor momentarily shifted back to serious as his optics narrowed as they combed over the newcomer, soaking in the details with a thorough scanning. Needless to say, the former Nynrah Ghost instinctively worried of another copycat Xian trying to steal his designs. That ancient feud was as ingrained in his mind as much as his adaptive armor's subsystems were. Knichou did cool his suspicions with the logical conclusion that the Vortixx's corporate masters were no longer a part of the equation due to the collapse, although this did not rule out all the possibilities for deception. Xia had been content to sit on both sides of the war to make lucrative contracts on whoever could pay them best, and the League was the winning one, much to Knichou's chagrin. A moment of considering his limited options later, Knichou lightened up slightly. Best to not look a gift Ussal in the mouth, as they say. "Great, Berys will let you know what to fix once we're done meeting with the guards here," he said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the now-sighing Le-Matoran pilot. "We need to make sure we can carry everyone and everything we can for this evacuation."

IC: Knichou, Ko-Pou, The Taku, Bridge Having clenched his optics shut out of instinct during the fall, Knichou opened his eyes a moment later, after hearing Nale's relieved sigh. He gave a pained sigh of his own, an outlet for his numbness. They were okay. He began to reassure her (and himself). "Don't worry I'm -" The Nynran's sentence was interrupted by the sharp inhalation of his gasp as Nale began to follow in her partner's footsteps with a tumble of her own. His optics felt like they were bulging out of their sockets as Nale's potentially hazardous fall was broken by the cushioning layers of Knichou's adaptive armor (And the unprepared Toa underneath). The freshly-adapted padding and the Ex-Ghost's frightened clenching helped, but didn't keep the wind from being knocked out of the Fe-Toa. The nanodermis armor's programming discerned a strange mix of elevated stress and comfort levels. The fall-protective padding, having done its job, began to deflate as it followed the softer cuddle protocols that typically accompanied proximity to the commander's most trusted wingmate. Having confirmed her identity and analyzed Knichou's subconscious neural responses as part of the suit's scanning for nervous system and environmental changes, the armor's composition shifted and Nale began to sink through the metal that acted like a liquid to her touch alone, soon reaching the warm Toa underneath. "...f i n e," he squeaked, falling limp and letting the tension in his body release in a similar manner to how his armor instinctually knew to do the same when Nale was in close proximity. With the impact over, the soft pressure and presence was now nurturing to the winded Toa. The engineer's optics were closed again, and his chest rose and fell in large, slow movements that Nale felt flow into her with the peaceful regularity of waves on a beach. ow... breathe... shhhhhhh... "...at least we didn't crash." A second later, there was a momentary lurch in the ship as one of the levitation engines malfunctioned for a brief moment before the auto-hover system corrected the vessel's balance. The ship only dropped a few inches to the side, but it was enough to sent a shiver down one's spine for a split second. Knichou's next deep breath exhaled in a sigh. "Sorry, bosses, should have warned you," Berys meekly announced. "We're, uh, here." IC: Arnex, Ko-Pou, The Taku, Entrance Ramp Arnex raised an eyebrow at the proposition. Knichou had that fancy mask, but it would take more than that to get this ship back in shape. Plus Knichou was the type of guy who would want someone to boss around to do the work for him, Arnex thought. "I have a feeling we'll need all the help we can get to get fully prepared for our next voyage, whatever that is. The Captain and Commander are upstairs in the bridge, if you want to negotiate something. I'll lead you there if you want." OOC: @Daniel the Finlander feel free to bunny Arnex up to the bridge if Niidak decides to go there, or anywhere else on the airship for that matter.

IC: Arnex, Ko-Pou, The Taku, Entrance Ramp "We only thought there was one monster too. After we got hit we heard over the radio that the there was another one that had snuck around in the city already. Given our damage and the fact that our guns didn't hurt the first monster, our captain and commander probably decided to head here for repairs instead of going after a monster we couldn't hurt. If people from Kini-Koro aren't here, they probably evacuated to Tobduk-Koro already." The Onu-Matoran sighed and gave a shrug. She pondered about Niidak's last statement - did the guards leave to help the evacuation? How long has the sinking been known about? It was still a shock to Arnex how the island had changed from the last time the Taku flew out of the valley. "Anyways, what were you saying... right, NUVA are Toa with extra powers who drive giant robots, or something. It's a bit above my pay grade, but that's the gist of it. If you saw a hundred foot tall robot, that's probably one of them. At least... I hope it's them and not some new surprise this island throws at us. Don't know what they'd be doing out here when the fight is over in Kini-Nui, but who knows, I did only see two of them fighting the big guy..."

I'm curious to the size limitations myself - but I think the best solution is to find out if you reach such a limit, and if so, consider your options from there. I know that this is the longest BZPRPG post in terms of raw character count (roughly 93 thousand or so based on how I measured it, which is including any formatting) if you want a comparison of other long posts on the forum. I highly doubt that long posts would cause the page itself to break - perhaps a longer loading time if lots of extraordinarily long posts exist, but I think that if you encounter any problem, it would be the limitation of the size of a post's content, not the page itself. Because of how databases work, 'pages' don't actually exist per se, so the only backend limit you'll encounter is the actual size posts are allowed to be.

IC: Arnex, Ko-Pou, The Taku, Entrance Ramp Arnex noticed a Vortixx approach, the glowing purple eyes slowly getting closer until the faint moonlit silhouette of the Xian gave way to the Taku's headlights. This wasn't a Vortixx that the Onu-Matoran remembered from anywhere, but given she was approaching from the outpost ahead of the Taku, it probably was one of the refugees stationed there. As Niidak spoke, Arnex strolled down the entrance ramp until she was at the very edge, which was still floating a few feet above the ground. From that height, the matoran was standing above the vortixx, looking down on her. So this is what Toa feel like... The Onu-Matoran sat down, legs dangling off the ramp, slowly kicking back and forth from the excitement of the thrill of battle dying down and the anticipation of finally reaching solid earth. Arnex was a warehouse worker at heart, not a thrillseeker, and despite growing used to being in the air, there were still some nerves that could only be relieved by not being on the ship, especially after having now survived three battles aboard it. The Taku had a strange streak of good and bad luck, and she always wondered when they set off if this expedition would be her turn to get Exuze'd. From her new perch, Arnex was at eye level with the Vortixx, a stranger turned confidant as a test - could anyone believe what they had just seen and done? "Yup... you already hear about the giant monsters there, huh? We were the scouting party for the first one. Had a storm all around it, couldn't see until it got too close... and well, the result speaks for itself." The crewwoman gave a sigh, adding an uneasy shrug as well. "The NUVA are dealing with it. We gave it a full broadside but none of our heavy artillery gave it a scratch! It felt like only the NUVA and their big robots could hurt it for some reason. They're dealing with it now. Hopefully..." Arnex's gaze had drifted downwards to the rocks just a meter or so below her feet. After a moment, her head lifted to make eye contact with Niidak again. "What's going on here, stranger?"

IC: Knichou & Taku Crew, Ko-Pou As Triage and Vashni walked towards the communications station of the outpost, above the horizon they could spy two stars growing brighter than the others surrounding them in the night sky. The binary stars twinkled through one of the many patches of fog over the newfound channel. It was a curious sight, but there were far more important matters at hand. After the pair had entered, without fanfare, the specks of light fully pierced the fog, with the husk of the Taku following soon after. The headlights began to supplement the moonlight and make the island of Ko-Pou much easier to see as the airship began its final approach. ~~~ Knichou frowned as he felt Nale retreat at the thought of all their problems. That was what he wanted to - nay, what he had done not long before. It didn't help much at the time. The young Toa wanted to be stronger, to be the leader that their crew could look to for sustaining their courage... but no posturing or speech (Especially one of Knichou's speeches) could or should fool his partner into a sense of security. The danger kept them sharp, alive, useful. He knew as much (Who was he kidding, likely even less) about what to do in these unprecedented times as she did. There was only so much either could do, and even with Knichou's remarkable powers, he was split over his responsibility to use it for good and to keep himself balanced. The Vahki incident didn't calm his mind on the matter, either. They both knew the dangerous situation would not go away with them not acknowledging it. Their distinct lives were proof that running from their mistakes merely delayed their inevitable resolution. Despite this, Knichou still faintly felt the tugging of his internals as they whispered to sail away, let the problems of others be theirs, to fend for himself once again as he always had. His heartlight dispelled all such doubts, and his mind justified his what his heartlight's irrational yearnings chose afterwards. As Nale continued to steady herself, Knichou stepped forwards to offer his willpower and trust in a gesture that could bolster her resolve, and his as well in the process. Not that she needed him for either. The Nynran put hand on her right shoulder and looked to where her optics would be behind her hands. "I know. I'm feeling it too. But every burden we carry is one less for our peo-" Everyone on the ship felt the lurch as the one good engine shot into reverse with an utter lack of grace to slow the airship to a halt. The harsh jolt came without warning, and Knichou was entirely unprepared for such an interruption. His hand slipped, grip too weak, too late to tighten for any stability. If one had looked at the engineer, they would see a terrified shock plastered across his face. Mouth ajar, unable to form words. Optics blazing. He felt he was going down, and the tired Toa's mind honed in on a singular focus for that brief moment as his self preservation instincts kicked in with full force. He didn't have time to wonder if it was himself he was preserving. His thoughts screamed his reality. CLOTH! SEWN! DIKAPI! CLIPPED! COLLECTED! STUFFED! CLOTH! SEWN! DIKAPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!! The Commander's hit the floor in an explosion of feathers. The newly materialized pillow's eruption soon settled on the deck, however the Toa continued to groan and writhe slightly as his nerves all echoed a screaming numbness that would soon resolve itself. His now-padded armor and instincts had protected him from any real harm, but the Nynran was still frightened by the loss of control. At the whims of gravity, danger lurked. "Berys... WHAT THE -" BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA The blaring foghorn resounded throughout the islet. The Taku was here. It limped a few meters above the ground, with its front landing gear nearly touching the ground. The rear landing gear was touching the ground... just.. the ground somewhere over Kini-Nui's mountainside. Light leaked from the massive hole where the cargo bay doors used to be, and the strain of the overworked levitation engines could be heard as they continued to clang levitation Kanoka at a higher rate than normal to keep the ship afloat. Water continued to drip from the hull in too many places to count. ~~~ The front hull plating parted, and soon afterwards, the ramp lowered. An Onu-Matoran clung to the lever, waiting for the obstruction to clear so she could see the surroundings. Land, at last. Arnex was overjoyed to see it, and nearly leapt up at knowing that she had reached dry earth again. It had been quite the day.

IC: Knichou, Ko-Pou Airspace, The Taku, Bridge "He thinks the Taku can help because we can and will help," Knichou corrected, raising an index finger in the air. "It's just... the help may be delayed a bit. I don't want them teleporting into the jaws of whatever the Karz is in Kini-Nui right now, but I don't want to lie about the complications. It'll take time to get things repaired, which, luckily and unluckily, is time that we'll have since we're almost late for a meeting and loading up everything useful from the outpost isn't going to trivial either." OOC: Landing post soon™

IC: Knichou, Zakaz Airspace, The Taku "That... might be a problem. We'll update you when we arrive. Taku, over and out," Knichou finished. One of his crossed arms rotated upwards so his hand could caress his chin; the commander was clearly deep in thought.

IC: Knichou, Zakaz Airspace, The Taku "Ko-Pou, this is Taku Actual, we're on approach," Knichou broadcasted, activating the radio himself. "What's the status of the outpost? Are we safe to land? Over."

IC: Knichou & Taku Crew, Zakaz Airspace, The Taku "Dump it in the cargo bay or something, we might need the spare parts," Knichou responded with a hand wave as he turned around at Nale's beckoning. The Nynran had had enough of this. He walked up to the captain's side, catching himself up on the situation. He had overheard much from the other side of the bridge but he didn't quite understand until he saw out the viewport himself. The mysterious landmass grew ever closer as the Taku continued to cruise at half speed. "Huh..." Knichou crossed his arms, musing aloud. "I wonder if they evacuated beforehand, or if the riteborn struck them first..." Subconsciously, he was glad to have a problem to solve that seemed solvable. Well, as solvable as 'inexplicable rapid sinking of the island' was. There was a sinking feeling in his internals as the scope of what this might imply or effect grew substantially. "Weren't Okuo and Triage supposed to be returning earlier today? Maybe something happened. Give them a hail, Berys." Berys adjusted the radio to Ko-Pou's frequency. He knew that some activity had gone on over that open channel recently, but the pilot had much more on his hands - such as eavesdropping on Knichou's crackpot theory and keeping this accursed ship in the air - that preoccupied him from monitoring the radio earlier. Hopefully whoever was on that frequency still was. "Ko-Pou, this is Taku, do you read us? Over."

IC: Knichou & Taku Crew, Zakaz Airspace, The Taku Knichou was going to respond in kind to NU's outburst, but stayed silent as Nale walked past him to add her warning to his. The Nynran shot a grateful yet serious nod to the captain as she turned around to deal with the pilot's concern. Knichou stayed standing, facing the Vahki and the entrance to the bridge that Rose soon arrived through. From the veteran's question, it was clear she knew what was going on. "I'll deal with its problem later, just get it and this junk off the bridge, okay?" Knichou told the Ta-Toa with a sigh and a gesture over his shoulder to the scattered Vahki parts. He had enough to deal with right now, patching its malfunctions could wait until after he had time to talk to his partner. At the front of the bridge, Berys was glad someone was finally paying attention. If there was daylight, he would have been more certain of this problem earlier, but they were well on their course by the time the environment's oddities became apparent in the moonlight. He turned to Nale to give his assessment of the situation "Our position is correct... it's just... no land beneath us. Even if we were lost from the storm, that's where Ko-Pou should be." Berys stated, pointing at the vague shape of the island they were approaching. "Unless someone picked up Mata Nui's head without anyone noticing and moved it near some islet nobody has charted before in our prior expeditions, that landmark proves we have the right heading and haven't overshot it or had some navigational instrument error."

IC: Knichou & Taku Crew, Zakaz Airspace, The Taku Knichou rose from his chair to point a stern finger at the squad mother after the automaton's extraordinary malfunction. What was this, some kind of neuro-core overload? "Don't talk to her like that again. Comply." His accusatory digit subsequently pressed a button that formed on his gauntlet and the commander's voice broadcasted throughout the Taku's intercom. "Rose, get to the bridge." She'll help handle this if the unit continues to glitch... Knichou solemnly looked back to Nale, the matter settled after having asserted his dominance over the mechanical public servant. "Hold on..." The Nynran's mind was already racing while his internals were churning. His arms were raised in front of him in a pseudo defensive stance, palms outstretched in a universal gesture of peace and calming. He understood how it felt to be consumed with confusion, doubt, and the nagging seeds of acceptance. To a lesser degree, the same emotions broiled in him as well. Unfortunately, Knichou continued to struggle to communicate it all, even to the one he felt the most comfortable speaking to. "I'll try to explain..." The commotion of it all certainly did not help. "I wouldn't have begun to believe Sorilax if other things didn't add up beforehand. Stannis knows the ways of the Aspects, he explained to me their concept of Grand Wishes, and the mysterious powers called Taboos that Aspects are known to wield. I thought he was using a taboo to hold Aurax's invasion back, but Sorilax-" The Fe-Toa put a hand to his forehead, realizing how off track he was. Nale hadn't been there, hadn't heard what he had. "What am I doing?!? Best to start from the beginning." "Stannis had told Viltia earlier that he was a friend of Sorilax, but when the three of us met at the entrance to the newly opened bunker, Sorilax didn't-" "Captain, Commander... you might want to see this..." The Le-Matoran pointed out the bridge's panoramic glass windshield where the waves of the ocean could be seen undulating in the moonlight. In the distance, there appeared to be an island, unreflective and slightly silhouetted against the stars behind it. It was difficult to discern more, but that definitely wasn't the godhead, which could be seen ever further off in the distance to it's right. "Hold on, Berys," Knichou spoke, absentmindedly pointing a finger to the pilot behind him that said to shush. It was clear he had more to say, yet it was unclear whether or not he would get such an opportunity.

IC: Knichou & Taku Crew, Zakaz Airspace, The Taku, Bridge The Vorzakh's sudden appearance was enough to make anyone on the bridge jump. The ship rocked slightly as Berys was startled by the collapse of the machine, the metal clanging loudly as the automaton's disjointed components scattered across the deck. Knichou sat entirely still for a few moments, blinking. How long had it been since he had slept? It had been... a long day. The commander struggled to find a way to spin this, because while Nale was quite used to waking up to (or being woken up by) another one of Knichou's unplanned materializations by now, none of his prior unanticipated creations had talked. Well, maybe? That one time was - nononon don't think about that. Awkward glances were exchanged. The Nynran looked as embarrassed as he was confused, and for a moment the engineer's demeanor was uncharacteristically distant. Nale hadn't seen him act this shy and guarded since their first days together near the end of the continuation war. It was clear the brief life and death of the robot had compounded her partner's stress and strife from the day's events and revelations. The Fe-Toa cleared his throat to get back on track. "Even better, Vahki: clean that up, and sort the spare parts by usable and junk," he ordered. Best to move on, for as much as Knichou wanted a distraction, he also knew it would only make the pain worse. The Nynran took a few moments to breathe, doing his best to stay calm and focused. Focused on what? Focused. Focused on the lies. Focused on the truth. Well gee, it's that simple. If only... "Where was I?" Knichou nervously chuckled. Everything's perfectly alright now, we're fine, we're all fine here, now. The commander shifted within his chair as he thought back to his conversations with the granite guardian. Their disagreements from earlier that day were still fresh, and Sorilax's revelations had only lead to more strife beneath the Fe-Toa's heartlight. The emotional wound was still fresh, and Knichou had, in his haste, cauterized the surface to quell the bleeding and moved on to more urgent matters. That left the poisonous bullet to embed itself deeper within his innards, tugging at the stray threads of one of his closest allegiances to unravel it into a contradictive limbo that only grew more incomprehensible the longer he avoided it. The Toa carefully walked through the events in question, speaking in a fashion that started out almost too calm, but would soon grow more impassioned as he neared the inevitable conclusion. "When you went ahead to the hospital I uh, met some people. I met Dume's assassin again, the other NUVA, y'know, whatserface. She's the military arm of some backwater swamp village and is Karz-bent on not cooperating with us. Anyways, I was taking samples of the energized protodermis that emerged when Kilo unlocked it's mech (like how it happened with Atamai) and there was an Aspect there. He's called Sorilax and he used the substance to make robotic bodies for Kraata to pilot, called Rahkshi. Very ugly, very dangerous. His are docile apparently, but only his, because, well, there's a lot to unpack with him... it's hard to..." Knichou gave a deep sigh, cradling his head with both hands as he leaned forwards in his chair, looking at the floor. "He... he said... he knew - he felt... he detected..." Knichou stammered, unsure how to describe it all. "The Stannis we met today isn't Stannis. Sorilax claims to have powers that prove that the Stannis we've seen today is... an Aspect of Makuta." Knichou looked Nale in the optics, the conflict within his mind immediately apparent. Every word was mournful, as if they held back tears of a missing friend whose fate was unknown, but could only be presumed to be unfortunate. There was no closure for this loss because it had yet to occur, but it also simultaneously had already happened, either the day before or as far back as the time before time. The darkness surrounding it all was overbearing and utterly claustrophobic. Grief without boundaries. A sickening dread, catalyzed by hope. "I don't quite know the extent of what's going on within Stannis, or how long this has been going on, but I think Sorilax spoke the truth. There are... documents... he has written that explain the ways of Aspects that make the story make more sense, and his goals lead him to undo his very nature and reject shadow for light. I've thought of... so many possibilities and it makes the most sense out of any of them. There is no logic that I can turn to for certain proof. It all comes down to who we believe..." Knichou's face contorted in frustration at the grim paradox that had been haunting the back of his mind. "I'm scared because I don't know who I believe anymore..."

IC: Knichou, Zakaz Airspace, The Taku, Bridge In lieu of a chuckle, the Nynran sharply exhaled in a cheerful fashion at his partner's remark. She was right after all - if he had been in their place, he would have been just as eager to go out and do everything he could to help - and test his new powers in the process. Nale's wisdom also subsequently proved she knew her boyfriend was hiding something important from her, not that Knichou was a seasoned liar to begin with, or had anything to truly hide. In fact, far from lying, it couldn't be more apparent from a glance how the Fe-Toa was conflicted about how to best go about telling his girlfriend what she had to hear - it was clear the intention was compassionate yet he clearly lacked a solid plan for a painless execution. The Fe-Toa winced as the jig was truly up. There would be no better time. There probably was no such thing as a "good time" to reveal such a deception. Knichou squirmed in his chair for a moment before turning to the Vahki on the bridge with them, a sudden sternness in his voice. "Vahki, activate Maka-Vaiu protocol: mandatory access control, full confidentiality, critical priority - the works. Nothing I'm about to say is allowed to leave this room or else you will leave this room before I go on. Do you comply?" OOC: @Toru Nui

IC: Knichou & Taku Crew, Zakaz Airspace Ostrox's protestations over the radio were met with silence as Knichou ignored the Mantaxian's crazed rambling. Even if the ex-Ghost's mind didn't want to tune out the ex-leaguer's voice automatically by this point, the confused commander's attention was drawn to Nale with her remark. "'What? No, why wou- Onaku's fine, or he will be better soon. Even us visiting him right after he got back really seemed to cheer him up. Something else is the problem, it's a long story." Even Knichou knew that she wouldn't be bringing their fellow Toa up if she didn't have reason already in mind. He thought back to their visit earlier that day, and how it had been abruptly cut short by the announcement of the Tahtorak's presence nearby. Knichou had resolved to leave quickly, and had dismissed the idea of Onaku, Kat, or Jutori following along, concerned for their well being. The Nynran remembered the Onu-Toa's solemn sigh before they departed. Perhaps he had been too quick and stern in rejecting their offers to aid? "Do you... think I was acting too callous by not wanting him and the others to come aboard for this mission or something?" Truth be told, Knichou was glad Nale didn't take his suggestion of going to the back to decompress. Her presence was always a comforting bonus to him, and the likewise was true as far as he knew. There wasn't any reason for her to not be up in the bridge, either. Both of them knew Knichou's earlier offer was a formality - to give permission Nale didn't need or ask for and wouldn't feel the need to ask for. Permission to excuse herself to not overwork herself, a habit the two defenders shared many times. Knichou quite simply wasn't sure how else to lower the stress that blanketed the room - he needed some way to start a conversation... and that was as good as any opening he could execute to distract them from the battle playing out on the bridge's viewscreens that they were flying away from. However, he wasn't lying when he said he would need to discuss something with her. Before Nale could respond, the Fe-Toa looked around the room, wondering if now would be as good a time as ever to explain his encounter with Sorilax. Berys was faithful as always, and didn't have any connection to any Aspects, however NU's presence was an unknown variable. The Vahki's programming might easily let such a secret leak. If the opportunity arose, Knichou knew he would need to inquire further before beginning any revelations.

IC: Exuze, Zakaz Airspace, Tuyetmobile Exuze gulped. IC: Knichou & Taku Crew, Zakaz Airspace, The Taku The Taku sailed slightly easier as it distanced itself from the remains of the storm. As the rain died down, streams turned to puddles along the deck. The crew breathed a sigh of relief as any damage from the fight was surely evident by now, and they were still flying, mostly intact. Arnex left the turret and carefully walked along the upper deck towards the main enginers and generators, holding on to anything she could in case the floor fell out from under her. Reaching the station there, she shut off the damaged right engine and began rerouting power. The cut lines from the missing chunk of the cargo bay no longer occasionally sparked, and intermittent flickering of the lights in the rest of the ship slowly normalized. On the bridge, a few icons shifted from red to orange. Berys continued to pilot as the conversation picked up. After Rose voiced her concerns over the internal communications system, Knichou finally began to lift himself back upright and take stock of the situation once more. He had work to do. There never enough time for a minute of rest, was there? He flipped his microphone over to her station's intercom. "Skyra should be able to fly up to us once she see's we're moving out, don't worry. We don't have a way to contact her and it's too dangerous to go down for a closer look. She's not alone down there either, maybe once the NUVA kill that thing they'll give her a free ride back to town." Now, perhaps Skyra was already dead or unconscious down there, but Knichou simply didn't have a way to know. He could only hope for the best and control what little he had control over. Plus... Skyra leaping out was her choice, not his orders, and that took some weight off of his chest. There were so many ways to justify it if things truly had gone wrong. Even if they had, he was sure Vulimai wouldn't bark at him about it. Knichou settled back into his chair for a moment in the silence that followed. He tilted his head backwards and over his shoulder to glance at Nale. As reassuring as seeing her form nearby normally was... it was clear that the Fa-Toa hadn't let her guard down yet. Knichou turned back to watch the screens on the dashboard. From the cameras attached to the outside of the ship for navigation, those on the bridge could see the battle below. While the grainy, dark footage obscured detail, the Kaita ACRs looked to still have the upper hand. What a relief. While the commander watched, he thought on what to do next - not for the ship and its crew, but how to relieve Nale's stress. Like anyone who had survived this long, she had been through a lot. In particular, she had been on the front lines of so many of the unspeakable tragedies that had transpired since the last days of the great war. That war had brought her to her lowest point, she broke the rules she held dearest and feared the disappointment of her wiser Toa mentor that had saved her life at the start of that madness. She was ready to do whatever it took to save as many lives as possible, and felt like she broke herself in the process. All for naught, too. The greater defeat of the world's collapse was utterly crushing, making her doubt if she wanted to stay alive, or if those whose lights were cut short were luckier for not seeing the tragic aftermath. But a week after the impact, she found love... and that helped her push through the continuation war. Now there was a world to rebuild, a reason to stay alive throughout it all. She even had to confront her failures as she met her former ap- Wait, no. Nale saw the corpse of her former lover, Datrox. I met my apprenti- It was at that point that the Nynran accidentally figured out that the person with all that trauma and anguish he was describing was not his partner, but in fact, himself. Knichou's face twitched as he mentally cursed in frustration at the realization. If I don't know how to make myself feel better... how can I do the same for her? Well... how the Karz does she do it for me?!?!? The ex-Ghost sat still and took a few deep breaths, considering his options. Maybe if I- Knichou's optics shot open as a voice responded to the Taku's hailing. While the Nynran couldn't quite place the voice of the first pilot to respond, her tone was... eerily familiar. For a second Knichou had a sinking feeling like he had just awoken from a dream. As he blinked back to reality, the commander soon heard a new voice chastise him. This time, Knichou pressed a button on his armrest to respond himself. He wasn't quite sure who this person was, they must have stolen the airship from Stannis. Or perhaps they were someone Stannis was directing, and for all Knichou knew, perhaps Caedast had reasons for keeping a Kaiju alive. Reasons that may or may not be good, and that certainly would never be explained so that Knichou could decide for himself. Either way, their spirited broadcast was a nuisance and Knichou naturally responded likewise. "Ambling Alp, this is Taku Actual. Maybe it's not a fight you can win, but from up here, it looks like the NUVA are cleaning house. That lizard is a clear danger to matorankind and needs to be put down. If you don't think you can win then I suggest leaving the area, as we previously advised, capiche? Thank you, over and out." If it wasn't for this imbecile's complaints, Knichou would have clearly figured out the best way to comfort Nale, but now he knew he had limited time span that he had to make count before another volley of words was exchanged over the airwaves. The engineer predicted that the response from the other airship would likely incite more stress in himself and his partner. After all, everybody often seemed to be so adverse to seeing Knichou's side of things, it seemed, no matter how clearly he explained the situation. The pains of being in charge, he supposed. Knichou swiveled his chair around to face Nale and looked through the long, curved slits in the center of her Kanohi. "You, uh, want to go back and some rest?" He clumsily began, followed by many awkward hand gestures as he meandered to his point. "I mean, err, I've got everything under control here, if anything happens I can call you up, but I think we're all fine here. When we reach Ko-Pou we'll need to leave for Metru-Koro soon afterwards, so this is your best shot at getting some rest and relaxation in before then. It's... been a long day, after all. I'll get back there once everything's settled up here, there's some stuff from earlier today that I want to talk about, privately." Knichou, still oblivious to much that had occurred earlier that day, didn't even think of his proposal possibly relating to her prior conversation with Arki-Onaku. He hoped that she thought it was about the earlier proposition of new armor, and that Nale would find the thought of such a 'chat' exciting, appealing, and overall something she would look forward to, even if he knew that what he had to say about Stannis would not spark such joy. It was a half truth, but it was for her benefit. That's the selfless, Toa, thing to do - take on that burden to make her life easier. Right?

IC: Exuze & Taku Crew, Kini-Nui Airspace, Tuyetmobile Exuze's robotic arm twitched, and his right arm grabbed the upper left arm and rubbed back and forth to play it off as not being casual and not freaking out because he definitely wasn't freaking out. "Do you want to go in it or to something on the other side of it? Why not go 'round it?" It was then that he heard a familiar Le-Metruan pilot's voice picked up by the radio. The Taku was broadcasting on an open channel to all in the vicinity. << Ambling Alp and unknown airship to the west, this is the Taku. Be advised, the giant monster and its storm that are moving south are extremely dangerous. We recommend leaving the area until the NUVA finish pacifying it. >> ~~~ On the bridge of the Taku, Berys cut the transmission as he finished his statement. He went back to piloting, now having fulfilled the orders that Knichou had given in a quiet, inelegant mumble. The motivation was less that it was useful information (After all, Berys was just stating the obvious) but moreso that they could begin to understand who else was in the skies with them. The last thing they needed was another surprise from this unknown contact or from whatever Caedast was planning. The commander continued to recline, sinking in his anxiety.

IC: Exuze, Zakaz Airspace, Tuyetmobile The lesterin was properly flabbergasted. "Probably not?!? Then why are ya flying straight into it?" It was at that moment that the storm exploded in a spherical cloud of condensation. His stomach sank further as the mists separated to reveal two other airships inside what used to be the center of the storm. One familiar silhouette against the stars was leaking light out of many holes that Exuze knew were absolutely not supposed to be there. "####..." IC: Knichou, Kini-Nui Airspace, "Hold on... there are two airships near us," Berys updated as he scrutinized the radar. "That one's signature matches Stannis's airship from before." The Le-Matoran looked back towards the leaving behemoth, where Knichou's ocular attention was also focused. But the Fe-Toa's mind was on Berys's and Nale's words, and thusly his internals tumbled at the thought of what the deceptive wizard might be planning. Sorilax's revelations were still so fresh, not even Nale knew of Caedast. The ex-Ghost was unsure if it would be better or worse if the Fa-Toa knew the truth before their next encounter with their shared mentor. The commander pushed those thoughts out of his mind, resolved to heed his partner's advisement. After a few moments of considering his options, he spoke up, having reached the same conclusion as Nale. He didn't doubt the veteran's tactical assessment, however there was a reassuring wisdom that came from many voices that helped Knichou cope with the responsibility he carried. "You're right, there's nothing more we can do here - the NUVA will have to deal with this on their own. Either Ehlek will attack soon or we'll be springing Aurax's trap, and that's where we can be of most use." The Nynran shrugged, an exaggerated gesture that, in its honesty, failed to hide the strife he was feeling. "Probably both." The visibly tense Toa continued after another moment of deliberation. "We need to lick our wounds before that happens. If we're going to do that, a military outpost as opposed to a residential center is our best bet for safe harbor. We'll also be able to rapidly transport any troops there to wherever Ehlek attacks." The Fe-Toa glanced at the dashboard full of orange and red indications of the non-trivial amount of repairs needed to get the Taku back into shape. ...and I wouldn't want the refugees to panic by seeing us in this state, he thought. "We'll set down in Ko-Pou and take the Kahu over to Metru-Koro to meet with Aurax while the rest of the crew repairs and awaits word from the NUVA and Vulimai." With a practiced gesture, the engineer connected his armor's microphone over the intercom to inform the crew. "This is Knichou. Make sure everybody is okay. We're leaving for Ko-Pou." Berys wrestled with the controls, and under his guidance, the Taku began a slow turn towards the outpost, limping along at half speed with a noticable list to the stern. A layer of water smeared across almost every surface, sometimes mixing with leaking protodermis or oils. In the rear of the ship, sparks occasionally emitted from machines that were definitely not designed to spurt out sparks. Knichou leaned back in his chair, the flexing of fabric and churning of gears noticeable in the otherwise silent chamber. Knichou letting his body relax so it was only supported by the structure of the furniture was not out of comfort, but utter exasperation. It was clear the Toa was utterly drained from the rapidly evolving geopolitical and supernatural situations. The burden of command was bolstered by the weight of the knowledge to see through Stannis's lies. In a way, every moment he didn't tell Nale felt like as much of a lie as the Po-Toa's Aspect's own deceptions. For years Knichou had believed his suffering was punishment, that there was a natural consequence for his mistakes. He saw his failure to return to his homeland's aid and thought it demanded a debt that must be paid. He had resigned himself to his fate, thinking that his cowardice had merely delayed his inevitable sacrifice, as that was his only path to redemption. Yet now, he had a new family, a new reason to live, and such a death wish had become unappealing. He knew he needed to let the chase go, that continuing to fight Nektann was a useless attempt to prevent harm by choosing a fate that he longer wanted. He now had responsibilities. To a Kanohi that demanded the utmost care to prevent oblivion and the utmost caution to prevent abuse. To a populace threatened from all sides and within by the unknown. To a crew that Knichou needed to protect from the danger lurking in the wake of his path. To the friends he wanted to support. To the partner he could never abandon. Nale was right in assuming that the Knichou she knew would have wanted to follow the beast and continue the battle, despite the unflattering odds. But the Knichou she helped create did not have such an inclination.

IC: Exuze, Zakaz Airspace, East of Metru-Nui Exuze shrugged with disdain as the time traveler dodged his question. Maybe he still was a hero, but she knew that if she told him that he was a hero, he would get too overconfident and less heroic, this dooming this timeline due to chaos theory. Entirely plausible. The silence in the cabin caused the anxiety to spike in the no-longer-distracted Exuze as the lesterin noticed that Tuyet was flying straight into the biggest storm he'd ever seen. Y'know, the one that appeared to be getting even bigger. "Miss... is it safe to fly in there?" IC: Knichou, Southwest of Kini-Nui, Bridge of the Taku "If I hadn't said anything, you lot would have gone on forever," Nale replied, shrugging. "When we're done here we'll discuss this more. Like you said: we have a village to save." As if the universe itself needed a reminder of the volatility of the situation, things immediately got worse. The drumming of waves of raindrops intensified throughout the airship. "And we're far from done here. Wasn't the sky just clearing up?" Knichou swiveled his chair back forwards to see what his audio receptors already revealed. The storm was worsening, and fast. On its face, this was just a return to the status quo of the recent past, but in that recent past, the Taku was distinctly more intact. No longer just assaulting all of those at battle stations with an open window nearby, the deluge utterly soaked areas near the stern that were left utterly exposed due to Nektann's attack. From the Taku's rearward list, small streams formed as water that found itself inside the airship flowed down the slight incline to trickle out the stern like a miniature waterfall. If it wasn't for the storm surrounding the entire affair, it might have even been beautiful. The turbulence was sharp and constant as the storm woke up again. The winds pushed the Taku around, no matter how hard Berys tried to correct the course. The lowered levitation power made it even harder to prevent the ship from feeling like it was bouncing on the clouds around them as wind currents shifted. It didn't help that visibility was nigh-nonexistent. Berys once more focused primarily on the ship's instruments, as they were the only way to have the slightest indication of what was going on. In the stern, there was a sickening groaning of metal and yelp of electricity as sparks flew out near the starboard main engine. Throughout the airship, the lights illuminating the decks flickered for a brief moment. When they returned a split-second later, yet another icon on the dashboard was displayed red. Just a scratch, just a scratch, just a scratch... A distinctive voice ringing out over the radio snapped Knichou back into focus. << Knichou! There's another riteborn! Get Kilo or Atamai over here... NOW! >> "What? How could? That's some Kane-Ra -" << Bossman, can we cease to cease fire already? >> He pressed a button to respond to Rose over the intercom. "No, keep holding your fire! There's another one at Kini-Koro already, save the ammo for it." While Knichou doubted that it would be any more effective on this new riteborn, at the very least there would feel like a reason to not shoot besides... shooting being useless. Speaking of, he knew he needed to inform those down below of the new situation. The commander worked the communications panel with both hands to rapidly swap to the Taku's loudspeaker. So many conversations were going on at once, Knichou didn't even notice the Vahki entering the bridge. "NUVA! ANOTHER RITEBORN AT KINI-KORO, I SAY AGAIN, ANOTHER RITEBORN AT KINI-KORO." The commander hoped it could even still be heard over the storm. Meanwhile, Berys glanced at a nearby dashboard panel, squinting in confusion as if that would help him separate the signal from the noise. "Is that... another airship on radar?"

IC: Knichou, Kini-Nui Airspace, Bridge of the Taku As Na-Captain Vella took the initiative, Knichou glanced her with a curious expression that overrode the simmering fury from before. While Nale spoke, the Nynran thought back to his anger earlier that day, when possibly the only person to have directly caused more pain in Knichou's life than Aurax himself had invoked his rage. During and after that debacle, he wished Nale was there with him, to be that invisible force for good that he could rely on to keep himself levelheaded in the face of those who had lead to so much death. Oh what a relief that she was here now. Knichou wanted to protest cooperating with a backstabbing despot, to dismiss the thought of flying to Metru-Koro's ruins in what in his mind was undoubtedly a trap. His internals churned at the though of negotiating subservience to his rival in the shadow of his failures. The gall! Meet under the all-seeing dead eyes of the world he failed to save? Meet at the battlefield where, despite all of Knichou's efforts, the last war ended in a political defeat? Meet inside of a monument to the hubris of Matoran that Knichou had enabled? Meet near a memorial to the sacrifice of a Toa greater than Knichou could ever be who had actually given everything that he could to protect the Matoran? Knichou had thrown himself at certain death to save all of the Matoran twice over now, and his attempt at self-sacrifice for the greater good had been rejected each time. Yet Datrox went quietly into the night, without fear, for a mere farmer that Knichou had nearly flown into the jaws of a monster. Knichou's heartlight quivered at a nagging question. He did not know if he could have such courage and selflessness. That was why he needed Nale's wisdom guiding him. Her heartlight was not without it's scars, but it was still purer than most in Knichou's eyes. That was especially valued given Sorilax's troubling revelations... As much as Knichou wanted not to, the Fe-Toa kept silent, for he knew that he did not want to become the toa he had briefly been in Sidra's presence earlier that day. The engineer never wanted his beloved to see him like that, and if he could help it, she never would. This was but one step of the challenging test that had troubled Nale as long as she could remember. Was Knichou's anger the start of the same path that lead Datrox to break the Code, and more importantly, Nale's heartlight? Was Knichou's lust for vengeance the same passion that squeezed the trigger in Po-Metru? Nale had a new perspective now, yes. After crossing that line herself, she could empathize with her former lover in a way she couldn't when they separated long before Knichou's time. But that forgiveness came with time. It was not - and should never be - guaranteed, and Knichou could not risk letting it becoming an excuse. The rules still existed, no matter if both of their perspectives had changed radically in the past few months. It was important to mind oneself, not for fear of what could be done, but out of wariness of what could not be undone. That undertone running throughout the Code ensured it always had meaning. Knichou knew he had enough sins to atone for already. The commander leaned forwards in his chair, optics shuttered. His chin came to rest against his clasped hands, his elbows dug into the seat's cushioned armrests. The Fe-Toa calmed his mind, focusing on his breaths and the drumming of the rain against the hull that surrounded them. Without his vision, his mind instinctively reached out with his sixth sense and felt the metal around him. He couldn't feel Nale's warmth from afar, but he felt the presence of her armor, and that alone was more than enough to reassure him. The Nynran's optics returned to meet Nale's a few moments later. His mind was clear. The commander knew he could not risk any further hesitation. "I know... that you know... that I don't like this," he began with measured words and a thoughtful optical glow. Nale could feel the energy in the room between them, she could almost feel in her internals that Knichou had more to say as her partner chose his words with a rare clarity. It was the same clarity she heard in the engineer's voice and saw in his optics when the he was at work with his designs. A confidence not born out of his comedic coping mechanisms, but from achieving a flow state of focus and will that offered an indescribable peace amongst the chaos that he brought to order. "I also know... that you know... that I trust you more than anyone I've ever known. And that I know you made the right call. Thank you." His posture straightened, the Fe-Toa grasping the armrests and leaning back upright. He had pacified and structured his thoughts, and now was the time for action. "We have a village to save."

IC: Knichou, Kini-Nui Airspace, Bridge of the Taku The Fe-Toa looked to Nale, his optics widening with concern as the conversation unfolded. Knichou was silent for several moments as he processed this information. His optics widened further than he thought possible as the Fa-Toa's voice reverberated through both the air between them and the speakers in his adaptive armor kanohi. Knichou gave a slight groan and then shrugged to his partner. "Of course it's not a good time. It never is." "Anyways, Aurax," Knichou quickly continued, not wanting to let the despot take the conversation off track after the sudden appearance of a third person on the call. "Is betraying one Barraki not enough for you? Why the sudden change of heart? Since when did the safety of other matoran matter to you?" Aurax may have been a Toa longer than Knichou, but the commander's only memories of the other ex-Ghost in person were from when they both were matoran. Aurax, like Knichou, was unethical enough to join a guild of supremacist weaponsmiths, yet Aurax's lust for power drove him to experiments that were too unethical for even the Ghosts to bear - a rare feat for which Knichou and his apprentice paid the price. That was the Aurax Knichou knew, and while the betrayer's voice was slightly different than Knichou's memory, that double-crossing matoran was who Knichou envisioned was on the other end of the call. The expression on the Nynran's face lowered to a scowl at the thought. "Did you just realize that ordering minions around is a bit too stressful, and now you think you need us to fight your civil war for you? Why would we do that?"