Kulagi raced back to his home, with both Huaju and Triki right behind him.
"Wait up!" Huaju called. "What's the big rush?"
"The Dark Hunters attacked the area where Sufina lives!" Kulagi shouted back. "She's in danger!"
"The Toa will take care of it, just like they rescued Triki and the other Le-Matoran," Huaju said.
"You heard them back at the chutes," Kulagi said. "That region has been completely cut off. The Toa won't get there in time. The Ga-Matoran are completely at the mercy of the Dark Hunters."
"You don't know that," Huaju countered. "We don't know the details."
"I don't care about the details," Kulagi snapped. "Sufina's in danger, and I'm going to help!"
"Why are we fast-running?" Triki asked. "Is this some sort of fun-race?"
"This is a race, alright," Huaju mumbled, as Kulagi increased his speed. "But it's not going to be fun for anybody."
Huaju knew why Kulagi was acting in such a way. Sufina was a Ga-Matoran chemist, and a very close friend to Kulagi. It was clear that the Onu-Matoran cared deeply for her; after all, he had gone out of his way to rescue her during the Gang Matoran fiasco. But this was different. The Dark Hunters were more numerous and more dangerous than the Gang Matoran, and the Matoran now had the power of a hundred Toa to protect them. What difference could a single Matoran make in such a conflict?
When Huaju and Triki reached his house, Kulagi was already in the middle of a packing frenzy. He crammed all the powerful discs he had left over, as well as some other useful tools and his Kanoka launcher.
"You aren't seriously thinking about going there?" Huaju asked.
Kulagi had a pained look on his face. "Huaju, you don't get it. The Toa are spread too thin, and this attack caught them completely off guard. They might push the Dark Hunters back eventually, but they won't get there in time to rescue the Matoran. And we've heard the stories of what the Dark Hunters do to Matoran they capture. I'm not going to let Sufina suffer that fate."
"But how will you get there any faster than the Toa?" Huaju asked.
"I'll fly there on my Hover-Bike," Kulagi answered. "It's faster than walking, and is almost as good as the chutes."
"You'll be flying over Dark Hunter territory," Huaju pointed out. "You'll be attacked and shot out of the sky."
"My Hover-Bike is more maneuverable than any other airship," Kulagi said. "I can dodge their attacks, and if it comes down to it, I can fire back." He patted his Kanoka launcher. "I know a thing or two about dueling with Kanoka discs, after all."
"These aren't dimwitted Gang Matoran or clueless Vahki," Huaju said. "If they get you, they won't drag you to the Coliseum and slap your wrists for breaking the Turaga's rules. They'll capture you, and nobody will be there to rescue you."
"I'm aware of the risks," Kulagi shouted back. "But Sufina's worth it. And currently, she doesn't have anybody else rushing to her rescue."
Huaju sighed. "Triki, back me up on this."
Triki pondered his statement. "How far back do you want to go? Of should I front-down instead?"
"No, help me talk Kulagi out of this crazy idea," Huaju said.
"So you're going on fun-fly adventure?" Triki asked. "Got seat-spare for me?"
"You're not helping," Huaju muttered.
"I don't know, I would really appreciate Triki's help," Kulagi said. "And yours too, if you would come. You know about traveling through Po-Metru; you could guide me through."
"Yes, I know that area," Huaju said. "And I know dozens of spots where you can get ambushed. It's not safe. And even if, by some miracle, you make it through, then what? How will you rescue the Ga-Matoran?"
"I don't know how exactly," Kulagi admitted. "But I can help them hold out until help arrives. I do know a few good places to hide in that area, having been chased by Bordakh too often there."
"So you even admit that you'd need more help to show up!" Huaju said. "Why head out in the first place?"
"Because that help won't show up fast enough," Kulagi said. "They could use some powerful Kanoka right now, and I can deliver."
"Ooh, ooh, delivery!" Triki chimed in. "Can I order cake too?"
"Triki, please say something useful," Huaju said.
Triki tilted his head in thought. "It like when I lose my Kanoka in Cable Crawler web," he said. "I could wait until Vahki come and out-push them, but that might not happen for days or weeks or ever. So I take handful of matters into my own, and get-snag my Kanoka back myself. If nobody else do it, why not me?" He paused, and then added, "But try not to wild-ride Cable Crawler, that method not-well work."
Huaju sighed. "Fine, he makes a good point. You both do. But Kulagi, do you really think you can pull this off?"
"Honestly, I don't know," Kulagi said. "But I didn't know for sure if I could take down Gragu Nuva that one time, but I still had to try. Things have changed since the Toa and Dark Hunters showed up, but this is still the same Metru Nui, and we're still the same Kanoka Makers. We don't have to take Destiny lying down; we need to make our own Destiny sometimes. And with Kanoka powers, I think I can hold out against a Dark Hunter or two."
"Except you don't even have any powerful Kanoka," Huaju pointed out.
"Yeah, about that," Kulagi said, as he knelt down and pried up a floorboard. He pulled out a couple of Onu-Metru Kanoka that had been hidden beneath. "A level 7 Enlarging disc, a level 8 Weakening disc, and a level 7 Teleportation disc. I've been hiding these from the Matoran Guard, just in case. Plus, I have some good level 5 and 6 discs too."
"I have some level 7 Le-Metru discs too!" Triki exclaimed. "Matoran usually avoid my place, so they not confiscate my discs."
"And I know you have some descent discs left too, Huaju," Kulagi said. "Come with me, and we can show them what Kanoka Makers are made of."
Huaju shook his head. "No, this won't work. I can't go with you. But..." he paused. "Look, I won't stop you either. And I'll give you some of my discs too. Po-Metru Kanoka are always useful in duels, after all."
"So what will you do instead?" Kulagi asked.
"The chute needs to be repaired before reinforcements can get there in force," Huaju said. "And I happen to be fairly knowledgeable in chute repair, up there with some of the Le-Matoran engineers. I'll help the team fix it up and get help there faster. I even have a few Regeneration discs that could be put to use."
"That's fair enough, my friend," Kulagi said. "Sorry, I know I shouldn't be asking you to go into danger, but..."
"I understand that you want to help Sufina," Huaju said. "I'm just trying to keep you out of danger too."
"What about you, Triki?" Kulagi asked.
"Danger's my second-to-left-of-middle name!" Triki exclaimed. "Based on when Matoran say, You're a danger to us all, you crazy Le-Matoran!' to me."
"Then grab your discs and let's get going," Kulagi said. "We've already wasted enough time."
Kulagi hastily packed everything into bags and then began hauling them to the landing field where he kept his Hover-Bike parked. While Hover-Bikes were common on Metru Nui, Kulagi's was a custom design given to him from Turaga Dume, and he had made further enhancements. It ran off four level eight Speed Kanoka and two combined level eight Levitation Kanoka, included multiple storage compartments, seated up to three Matoran, and had dual disc launchers built in. As they reached the bike, Huaju and Triki started packing the supplies into the storage compartments, and Kulagi loaded the disc launchers with some lower powered discs.
However, as they were packing, an Onu-Matoran walked over. "I am Lieutenant Onepu of the Matoran Guard," he announced. "Just where do you think you're going?"
"We're going on a flight," Kulagi responded.
This didn't satisfy Onepu. "Airspace is restricted nowadays, and there's no record of your departure," he said. "What exactly are you planning to do?"
"We're going to go sand surf with sea scorpions!" Triki exclaimed happily. "And also ask the sea scorpions why they're surfing in the sand. Seems like it should be not-right for them to do."
Onepu seemed irked, so Kulagi decided to respond truthfully. "We're going to fly over the Po-Metru desert and head towards the northwest region of Ga-Metru. It's all part of a rescue mission."
"That's absurd!" Onepu said. "That's a job for the Toa, and they are planning for that right this instant."
"And we'll be leaving right this instant too," Kulagi said. "And who's going to stop us?"
"I will," Onepu said, taking out his Kanoka launcher and aiming at Kulagi.
"You're threatening me with a Kanoka?" Kulagi asked. "Seriously?"
Huaju stepped between the two of them. "Look, just calm down," he said. "Hey, look, maybe we can ask Toa Gambar's opinion!"
"Toa Gambar?" Onepu asked, turning his head widely to spot the Toa of Earth, who was the second in command of the Toa army. But Toa Gambar wasn't in sight, and before Onepu could comprehend that, Huaju smacked him on the head and knocked him unconscious.
"Oh, sneaky attack!" Triki yelled out.
"He'll be fine when he wakes up," Huaju said. "But he won't stop you now. And hopefully he won't cause too much trouble when he comes around."
"Just tell him that a rock fell and knocked him on the head," Kulagi said, as he jumped on top of the Hover-Bike. "That's actually quite common in Onu-Metru; he'll buy it."
"Well, do your best to stay safe," Huaju said, as he helped Triki up. "And when you save Sufina, tell her I said hi!"
"Catch you later, friend!" Kulagi said, and he accelerated into the air, leaving the housing area of Onu-Metru behind.
"Weee!" Triki shouted. "I like the feel of wind-air in my mask, especially when I'm not down-falling!"
"This shouldn't be a long trip, especially if I go full speed," Kulagi called back. "But be on alert, because we could be attacked at any instant."
"Okay," Triki said. "Then alert, alert, attack to come in an instant!"
"What?" Kulagi asked, confused. But then he sighted the two shapes rising up to meet them. "Oh."
Two Rorzakh Vahki were flying up to intercept the Hover-Bike. While the Vahki were ineffective guards at keeping the Dark Hunters out, they were suitable for keeping Matoran confined within safe zones. But Kulagi wasn't going to let them stop him, even if it was for his own good.
"Kanoka at ready!" he shouted to Triki. "Let's shoot those Vahki down!"
The Rorzakh advanced, and each fired a Kanoka. As Kulagi swerved his Hover-Bike out of the line of fire, he was thankful that they were just facing Rorzakh. Rorzakh were extremely efficient in the underground maze of the archives, and they could use their staff blasts to see and hear through their victim's eyes and ears, which made it easy for them to track down criminals. But in the opened air, they were less efficient, and their staff blasts wouldn't stop Kulagi from flying into Dark Hunter territory.
Kulagi loaded two low powered Kanoka into the dual launchers of his Hover-Bike, and fired them. One struck a Rorzakh and enlarged it slightly. The additional weight threw the Vahki's flight off balance, and it broke off the attack. The other disc missed, and the Rorzakh moved in for a second attack. But then a Le-Metru Reconstruct at Random disc caught it, and turned it into a cargo loader. It fell out of the air and crashed into the ground below.
"Lousy border patrol," Triki commented. "Not check identification tablets. All the best, I forged mine anyhow."
"Now we head straight for Ga-Metru," Kulagi said, gunning the engines. Under his breath, he added, "Sufina, here I come."