ISLAND CITY LANDMASS DESIGNATED METRU NUI
INDUSTRIAL REFUGIA / TA-METRU DISTRICT
UNKNOWN LOCATION
Private Dolic Nordstrom shook uncontrollably, his rifle barely held steady, as he stared into the eyes of the split-lip warrior standing on the cockpit of their Hornet, the tips of the energy blade it carried barely penetrating the layer of glass between it and the pilot beneath. The message was clear; fight back and the pilot would die. Behind him, Corporal Thom Stevens choked on his own blood, one of the claws of the giant flying bug that had successfully latched onto the Hornet having penetrated straight through the unfortunate UNSC serviceperson's shields, armor, and chest cavity alike.
Dolic knew that his death was imminent. He had seen Death fly past as they fell, a Spartan in its claws. He had seen Death on the ground, staring at them as they plummeted into the cityscape. And now he saw Death in front of him, clothed in gold.
The scene in front of Private Nordstrom was otherwise motionless. The veteran alien warrior remained as still as a statue, and the trapped pilot was frozen in place. And yet there was no silence, for the pinned Corporal continued to moan, and the biomechanical being - Nuju, as his VISR designated him - positioned himself to hold the wounded Marine steady so the razor-sharp claw wouldn't cut through more of his vital organs, every step on the skid thus echoing throughout the area. And then... words.
"On and on our war shall go, without respite blood will flow, over eyes till none can see the possibility of victory," the Elite intoned, its gaze switching between the entrapped aviator and the terrified private, and then past the latter. "So full of hate were our eyes, that none can see, our war will result in all dead, and no victory. So let us cast arms aside, and as such discard our wrath. For enough souls have been lost in conflict, all in search of a false path."
The energy sword was raised and deactivated. The alien reached out and grasped the web once more, placing his weight onto it instead of the Hornet. "I am Field Master Joek'Achoem," the Elite stated, in perfect English, "and I have had enough of this folly."
A roar sounded to their right, and Dolic shifted his rifle to bear on its source. Another Elite became illumiated by the flashlight, this one still half trapped within its own cocoon. "Heretic," they bellowed, "you dishonor your-"
"There is no honor in continuing a slaughter, Evocatus Eik," the first Elite stated, his gaze remaining fixed on the pilot before him. "Humans. Your blood sings with vengeance, to strike at us to avenge your countless fallen. What is your decision? Will you continue this cycle?"
The temperature abruptly plummeted around Dolic as his rifle became sealed in a block of ice, his finger forced off the trigger by a solid mass of desublimated atmosphere. Nuju moved past him, pressing the Private into the fuselage and literally freezing him in place. "You are offering a truce?" the Toa inquired, in a cautious tone - and in a passable imitation of Suban-accented Sangheili. "How do we know your intentions are honorable?"
"You know our language?" The Field Master replied as his head snapped up to meet the gaze of the Toa of Ice.
"I am a scholar of Ko-Metru," the Toa responded, "and I know-"
"WE JUST SAVED YOUR-" the Private screeched, before a strand of ice coalesced itself around his mouth to cut off his protests. Nuju lowered his hand, not breaking eye contact with the Sangheili.
"I am Nuju, Toa of Ice. My companion is Whenua, Toa of... the Ground. I am aware of what your Covenant was, and what it intended to do. That you have not killed the Matoran in your midst, despite them having the rough appearance of humans and being partially artificial, shows that you have restraint. What are you offering?"
"To shatter the cycle of violence. I have laid enough of mine down in senseless conflict, the original orchestrators of such having long since received their deserved fate. Continuing this will only end with all dead... or worse."
"Heretic," the entrapped Evocatus snarled again, furiously twisting around in their cocoon and jostling the webs around them. "You will burn for all eternity!"
"And if you do not still yourself, Eik'Levos, we will all meet the same fate as our scouts," Field Master 'Achoem growled back, a shudder traveling through the alien warrior's frame. "There is little time as is," he stated, switching to English once more. "I have felt the vibrations. The devourers are coming. When they will arrive is impossible to say for certain. Humans, Toa, I offer you clemency. Assist in freeing all of us here, and I will grant you safe passage."
Partial silence - broken only by the enraged Ultra to the right of the UNSC aircraft - fell over the local area. Nuju tilted his head, but did not break eye contact with the alien in front of him. Eventually, he responded, "On behalf of both of us Toa, the Matoran of Metru Nui, and of our human friends, we accept your offer. But can you guarantee the cooperation of those under your command?"
The Field Master turned his head to surveil the web-choked cityscape around them. "The devourers are coming. Hiding from them will be an impossibility. Our only chance for survival will be to breach the Sentinel Wall, and only the humans hold the key for such access without direct intervention by the Forerunners' guardians. And while you have demonstrated the capability for restraining the Imps with little difficulty, they will undoubtedly be able to direct the Sentinels to free them once we cross into their territory." His gaze drifted around the webs directly encircling them. "Evocatus 'Levos is the only one here that I do not fully trust to follow my instructions. The rest will follow my lead. They have all seen enough of the devourers that the possibility of becoming prey is enough of a motivator to hold to our truce."
Nuju's expression was impassive as he raised his arm, and a single snap of his fingers summoned a crystalline prison that encased the incensed Sangheili Ultra up to their neck. A set of ice pillars extended from the structure next to the alien, supporting the extra mass now engulfing the cocoon. "Then we are in agreement."
ISLAND CITY LANDMASS DESIGNATED METRU NUI
MODULE NETWORK
ALRT: GOLF-33 REASSIGNED TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH MATORAN RESISTANCE, UNAVAILABLE FOR RETRIEVAL MISSION
PRIORALRT: CONTACT REESTABLISHED WITH AV-14 DESIGNATE RESCUE-2
-ALL ABOARD STILL COMBAT-CAPABLE
-REPORT OF AGGRESSIVE VISORAK-ALIGNED AIRBORNE SPECIES ENGAGING AV-14 RESCUE-1
-CONTACT STILL LOST WITH AV-14 DESIGNATE RESCUE-1
PRIORALRT: SUBSTANTIAL VISORAK REPOSITIONING INTO INDUSTRIAL REFUGIA
PRIORALRT: COVENANT ACTIVITY INCREASING WITHIN MODULE FOXTROT-SIX
WARNING! MODULE FOXTROT-SIX ACTIVATED!
PRIORALRT: COVENANT ARE DEPLOYING COMPROMISED SENTINEL UNITS AGAINST ALLIED SENTINEL UNITS
PRIORALRT: MODULE FOXTROT-SIX CONTAINMENT BARRIER FAILING IN NORTHEAST QUADRANT
EMERGENCY PRIORITY ALERT: MODULE ECHO-FIVE UNDER ATTACK!
METRU NUI - TA-METRU
NORTHERN DEFENSE PERIMETER
Nokama stared at Ta-Metru's skyline, the web-strangled outline of the Coliseum looming in the near-distance. The Visorak had infested every inch of the monument's external surface, and undoubtedly had uncontested control of the interior as well. The Matoran were trapped in there, made prey for the spiders within. Whenua was the Rahi specialist, but Nokama knew mathematics - and could readily calculate how much matter a single Visorak could consume, let alone a millions-strong mob of them.
The Horde was not entirely unopposed, however. Beneath the Toa was a fortification nearly thirty-two feet in height, stretching from the channel of the Silver Sea between Ga-Metru and Ta-Metru, angling roughly thirty degrees south once it reached the former Nuurakh Task Force Hive, then continuing in a straight line until it came to what was once Chute Station 142, before angling east-southeast once more. Foreign constructs - Sentinels - were positioned on the battlements, undoubtedly ready for battle at a moment's notice. In the distance, where a series of bridges connected Ta-Metru to the Coliseum's own island, flashes of light could be spotted, marking the point where a forward force of Sentinels were delaying the Visorak Horde from repositioning back out into the metru.
A presence welled up in the back of Nokama's mind, a wispy mental-echo reaching out with the semblance of a hand resting on her shoulder. "They are still alive, Toa Nokama. Do not give up hope."
'I may have followed your guidance when we were facing imminent capture,' Nokama bit back, shifting off the fuselage to once again rest on the airship's exposed skid. The human soldier riding on the same protrusion - his name now identified by the Entity as Staff Sergeant Issac Kronstad - subsequently adjusted their own position, respectively backing further down the support to give her slightly more space to move around. 'But a true friend does not invade the minds of others and steal away their memories.'
"Spartan Martinez was interrupted..." the Entity nestled within her mental-space replied, before the avatar it had formulated bent its head in contrition. "...We were unknowing of the situation here. As I have stated before, we were operating under the assumption of... in the end, it does not matter. What we - I did was wrong. But obsessing on past slights corrupts the future's ability to heal and offer new outcomes. And the longer we squabble amongst each other, the longer the Visorak hold the Matoran in custody. I have run enough simulations on the mutagenic effects of Visorak venom, and have seen the effects of such on other entities. Your memories of the Matoran, if genuine... we will NOT allow them to suffer the same fate! We will STOP the Visorak HERE!"
'And after you defeat the Visorak," Nokama inquired, "What will you do then?'
"We will leave all of our still-intact infrastructure - as of the cessation of hostilities against the Visorak population in local - here, for the Matoran to make use of. We will attempt to restore the city to how it was prior to the groundquake that ruined it before we depart Metru Nui, and never return... unless called upon." The entity's avatar flashed with fury, before its face grew somber. "The Visorak destroyed countless ecosystems. We will attempt to repair the damage inflicted to this world, and properly quarantine the remainder of the arachnid species as per the Conservation Measure."
Nokama's reply was interrupted as the further of the two alien structures embedded into Ta-Metru changed, the impassive grey edifice flaring purple and emitting a blinding sapphire beam into the sky. The sight was not completely unknown to her, as half of the Toa Metru had observed such an event during their return transit across the Silver Sea to Metru Nui no more than half a day earlier. The only difference was that the earlier flash had been in the distance, not within the same metru as her.
The Sentinels escorting the Hornet promptly froze, turning as one and flowing towards the closer 'module'. Half of the Sentinels below followed suit, abandoning their previous positions and vectoring in on the other structure. SSgt. Kronstad had a hand on their head, undoubtedly communicating over the foreigners' wireless transmission system, likely in order to find out what was going on. She could see the human's body language change before he turned in the direction of the Toa, shouting past her towards the pilot; "PUNCH IT!"
"What's going on," she inquired of the foreign soldier. "What's happening?"
"The damn Covies just flipped a Module, ma'am," the individual responded. "We need to get the Karzahni out of here, right now! The Industrial Refuge just switched from a safe pit stop to a damn hot zone!"
Images from the Entity flowed uncontrollably. Burning spheres; steel titans in a dark void blasted into a million fragments or simply rendered unto slag; billions of humans dead, their bodies burned, scarred, or partially devoured... and through it all, a mere two words were repeated. "The Covenant." The Toa of Water was shocked into silence for a moment, detachedly observing a cloud of constructs rise from the unknown-controlled module and augur across the cleared skyline of Ta-Metru, swiftly closing the gap with 'friendly' module before being interdicted by more Sentinels.
"Turn around," Nokama declared, her tone as chilled as the peak of a Knowledge Tower. The Staff Sergeant jerked his head in surprise. "What? No, we have to get out of here!"
"Whenua and Nuju will be traveling through this... corridor. They will be stuck here... at best," the Toa of Water stated, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. "If what I am... seeing is true, this Covenant will not show any mercy to them, no less than they would to your kind. You will need our support to hold this place."
The impassive mask of the human warrior stared at her before the figure started to nod. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. PILOT! Come about, get us to Module Five! Let's go bail Marshal's rear out of the fire! HOO-AH!"
METRU NUI - TA-METRU
UNKNOWN LOCATION
It had been a simple enough task to free the few Matoran stuck in the web, who subsequently assisted in reciprocating the effort for the rest of the still-living Covenant aliens. The Hornet had regained power and flight capability no less than a quarter of the way through the task, and the pilot had grudgingly rendered assistance to sever web strands and slowly lower entire sections of trapped individuals to the ground. Throughout the process, the Covenant Field Master had grown steadily more apprehensive, a change in demeanour that the few remaining Unggoy within his ranks were quick to pick up on.
Whenua had taken a moment to key up his Ruru in order to take a look around their surroundings. He was soon grateful of the luck that Mata Nui had blessed them with; the tangle of organic filaments holding the Matoran and the aliens was merely one section of a network supporting the weight of a colossal patchwork construction. The Visorak had been busy securing this area; dragging debris from all around and forming a shell around what might have previously been a foundry. Most of the visible cocoons that adorned its perimeter had already been emptied of their contents, though whether or not the creatures within had torn their way out or been fed upon by the scourging spiders was indiscernable. The spiders had presumably vacated the structure of their own will, likely to join the hunt for the Toa Metru. If they hadn't...
Nuju had taken up the role of an intermediary between the UNSC service personnel, the Covenant, the Matoran, and a very bemused Whenua. At one point, while everybody else was busy, the Toa of Ice had confered with his teammate. "It's strange," he had said, tapping the side of his head. "There's this... entity. It gives me guidance. It predicts possibilities. And it grants so much knowledge." He stared at Whenua, before turning his gaze towards the aliens working to extricate their compatriots - and for some of them, their previously mortal enemies - from their ensnaring prisons. "If I had not intervened on its request, that encounter would have ended in bloodshed."
"Nokama warned us about these foreigners, brother," Whenua rumbled, "And they did something to her, something that removed knowledge from her own mind. Their influence obviously runs deeper than mere translations. Do you have any missing gaps in your own memory?" The Toa of Earth trailed off as a pair of saurian alien-Rahi vaulted the span between two buildings, sliding to a stop in front of one of the quadruple-mandibled beings and chittering away in their own language. He didn't need to understand their vocalizations to know what was being passed along, as their body language conveyed enough signs of stress and fear.
"We're running low on time," the two Toa stated simultanously, before glancing at each other once more. All movement ceased in the area when a blinding energy beam erupted from the peak of a structure in the distance, which subsequently began to exude a purple aura from its surface. "What in Karzahni was that?"
"That was a Module realigning, Nuju. As such, there is no more time for subtle measures," the monotone voice of the Entity implored in the mind of the respective Toa. "I have prepared a solution, but it requires absolute focus. With your permission, I will operate your Kanohi and give you targeting parameters for ice discharges. Inform Field Master 'Achoem - and use the full title - to assemble his Host for immediate departure. The pilot is to depart to ferry the worst of the wounded to safety beyond the Sentinel Wall, then return with Sentinel support... if possible."
"I do not fully trust you," Nuju responded verbally, for Whenua's benefit. "But cooperation is preferable when compared to pointless conflict. What is your plan?"
The entity showed him, and Nuju promptly swiveled to face his teammate. "I will require assistance," the Toa of Ice said, clutching his Toa-brother's shoulder. "And it will have to be precise."
ISLAND CITY LANDMASS DESIGNATED METRU NUI
MODULE NETWORK
ALRT: REDIRECTION OF ALL ASSETS ON STANDBY TO TA-METRU
ALRT: HEAVY AIR SUPPORT UNAVAILABLE
-COVENANT JAMMING SIGNAL DETECTED IN CRYSTAL REFUGIA
-HIGHER PRIORITY GIVEN TOWARD ELIMINATION OF COVENANT PRESENCE IN OTHERWISE UNCONTESTED REFUGIA
ALRT: MODULE ECHO/FIVE TO CONSOLIDATE DEFENSES AGAINST COVENANT-CONTROLLED ASSETS IN LOCAL REFUGIA
-STRENGTH CAN BE EQUALIZED AND STALEMATE ESTABLISHED
-VISORAK MOVEMENT BEYOND THE SENTINEL WALL NO LONGER TO BE INTERDICTED
RESPONSE: AV-14 RESCUE-1 STILL ABSENT FROM DETECTION!
COMMAND RESPONSE: AV-14 RESCUE-1 CAPABLE OF EVASIVE MEASURES
-MODULE ECHO/FIVE IS NOT CAPABLE OF EVASIVE MEASURES
-ASSETS CAN REMAIN ON STATION TO INTERDICT VISORAK-ALIGNED AIR ASSETS AS LONG AS MODULE ECHO/FIVE ALPHA PERIMETER IS NOT THREATENED
PRIORITY REQUEST FROM MODULE ECHO/FIVE: TAKE THE FIELD Y/N
COMMAND RESPONSE: NO UNNECESSARY RISKS
ALRT: MODULE CHARLIE/THREE HAS SECURED RELIGIOUS CENTER "GREAT TEMPLE"
ALRT: CONTACT REGISTERED WITH NEW SUBSPECIES OF BIPEDAL VISORAK DESIGNATE "CAMOUFLAGE CAMPER"
-SUBPECIES PROJECTS SMALL AVATAR OF SELF WHILE RENDERING ITSELF INVISIBLE IN ALL LIGHT SPECTRUMS
-LARGER SPECIMEN ONLY DETECTABLE WITH DIRECT CONTACT AND/OR GRAVITATIONAL/ATMOSPHERIC ANALYSIS
-SUBSPECIES IS NOT RESISTANT TO SENTINEL ENERGY WEAPONS
ALRT: RELIGIOUS CENTER "GREAT TEMPLE" IS NOT TO BE ENTERED WITHOUT LOCAL ESCORT
PRIORALRT: COMMENCE SEARCH IN LOCAL AREA FOR MODULE DELTA/FOUR
METRU NUI - TA-METRU DISTRICT
UNKNOWN LOCATION
The plan had succeeded without a problem, other than Nuju and Whenua being almost completely exhausted at its conclusion. Nuju had unleashed a torrent of ice knives in nearly every direction, each one carefully placed to either sever a cocoon from its attached webbing or to drop a section of entangling filaments to the ground below where they would then be used as an impromptu net to carry mobility-impared individuals. Whenua had simultaneously raised columns of tightly-packed earth to catch the cocoons when they dropped, then steadily lower them to the ground below while Nuju used his Kanohi to keep the being above properly balanced. The end result was a total of forty-one aliens, nine Matoran, and two energy-fatigued Toa with their feet on passably solid ground. The foreign aircraft had been dispatched to carry the injured and a number of other Matoran to their supposed safe haven, being so weighed down by the embarked individuals that it barely managed to clear the second story of the buildings surrounding it.
The Field Master had ordered a hulking monstrosity of metal and what had initially appeared to be exposed tendons to incorporate the material of a nearby destroyed Ussal-less cart into itself, crafting a raised platform to fit a pair of slender saurians atop its neck. The incensed Evocatus was placed inside what had been the driver's compartment, continuing to spit fury at every being around him, accusing each of them of unforgivable heresy. Nuju spent a small amount of his remaining elemental energy to surround the compartment in a sphere of ice, making sure to leave small holes for which the alien could breathe through.
Private Dolic Nordstrom was stationed in the middle of the alien formation alongside the Field Master and the two Toa. The Marine had been freed from his bonds earlier, though still remained resentful of Nuju's apparent betrayal. As a result, 'Achoem would not allow the human to take up a weapon of his own, though the Marine was not the only one otherwise unarmed.
Once the worm-colony had properly integrated the components of the cart into its gestalt body, the group had immediately set off in the vague direction of the Module. The majority of the agile saurians - the Entity referred to their species as 'Tvaoan' - remained on the roofs, vaulting the gaps between buildings in order to keep up with the beings trapped on the ground, all the while guiding them throughout the maze of damaged or collapsed structures. It wasn't long until they came across what was left of a Visorak patrol, the Hornet evidentally . Joek was quick to engage, efficiently carving through the few survivors before waving the force into the midst of the carnage. Some of the tall aliens - Sangheili - stopped to cut the Rhotuka launchers from the spider carcasses, severing mandibles and talons as well. Some of the Matoran wavered when they were given the dismembered spider parts, but the Sangheili paid little heed to their complaints.
The hulking worm-colony stooped, its component entities molding with the carapace of a red Visorak. Nuju turned away when the sounds of flesh being torn apart had started to reverberate through the immediate area, but Whenua had paid no mind. The archivist had taken two steps forward when an orange-armored 'Sangheili' placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back, the alien's guttural speech carrying undertones of admonishment. Dolic had subsequently given Whenua a rough translation.
"Don't get too close to a Hunter when they are feeding. They aren't picky eaters." The human had shuddered, before adding, "The things they say in boot..."
METRU NUI - COLISEUM
THRONE CHAMBER
The smoking remains of two Keelerak were scattered across the room, and yet Sidorak's rage remained unquenched. The final survivor of the eighteen-strong Venomous Mandibles hunting pack - its heritage stretching centuries into the past and their efforts being key to the conquest of at least a dozen islands - lay quivering at the Horde King's feet.
"Remove yourself from my chamber, Kollorak," the King growled, before raising a claw to his breathing apparatus in consideration. "...And report to Goren for his... experiments. If you survive, perhaps I will grant you the opportunity to extract vengeance."
The First-Among-Many of the Keelerak Breed shuddered in terror before scrambling to its feet and scuttling away. Swarmadapter Goren was a monster, one that delighted in torment, all to expand the boundaries of what the Horde could be capable of. For the past two centuries, the experimentalist had been held in stasis, as his skills were of no use; the Visorak had found no need to further their evolution, as all potential opposition was preemptively defanged by the edicts of the Brotherhood of Makuta anyway.
Sidorak scrutinized the spider as it scampered off before moving to the large window that gave him a view of Metru Nui's skyline. On one side of the cityscape below, webs choked the architecture and fog obscured direct sight of the streets. On the other, the visible signs of Visorak territorial control ended at a series of bright protosteel barriers forming a perimeter around two-thirds of the metru. The Karzahni-damned swarmers had cleared out all the webs and purged the fog, then assembled a barricade to completely block all opportunities for the Visorak to reclaim territory. To add insult to injury, after Roodaka had come to him with news that a team of Toa had made landfall in Le-Metru, the constructs had begun to send forces to contest the bridges crossing between Ta-Metru and the Coliseum, destroying all but one of the spans in the process. To his consternation, Roodaka had placed higher priority on securing the Toa over reestablishing control of their remaining territory in the fire district. And after a full third of his Horde had been obliterated in the Moto-Hub, after being drawn in by a second team of Toa, who were reportedly all slain in the blast, he could hardly afford to wantonly expend his spiders against the mechanical menace.
His former viceroy - now his queen, bonded upon securing control of Metru Nui, the crown jewel of all lands - had previously elaborated on how to guide the situation to the outcome in which he would be remembered in history forevermore as the most loyal and accomplished commander under the banner of the Brotherhood of Makuta. Sidorak had eagerly agreed with her plan after it was all laid out, and at first it appeared to proceed well enough, despite the foreigners' interference. True, he had to dedicate a Nuikorak to get through the Toa of Earth's defense, but victory had been assured - until it wasn't. A medium-sized airship, angular and predatory, had swooped down from the dark sky above and dispatched the Nuikorak with ease, subsequently collapsing the tunnel the great spider had burrowed. The craft had continued its course, flying straight at the Coliseum, before its nose pitched up and the King of the Visorak was forced to jump into cover as several projectiles tore through the spot where he was once standing.
Every single Venom Flier around the Coliseum had responded to that challenge, taking flight and pursuing the airship as it fled to the east, and then angled skyward. The pursuers had kept it within their sights, the odd craft never fully disappearing into the gloom and shadow, taunting them with its continued existence. Skylord Irivi had been the first to break off, guiding their mount to where the Toa had been pinned down previously. Were it not for their later accomplishment, the Skylord would have undoubtedly ended up entangled in a rapidly fraying web as punishment for cowardice, and yet the Bruiser's decision to circle back proved fortunate for the Horde. Fourteen other Venom Fliers of the Skylord's newly-established personal hunting pack had followed suit, while the others continued their fruitless pursuit of the foreign craft - and paid a severe price when two other airships had scythed through their undefended flanks. Only nine of eighty-six had safely returned.
Skylord Irivi's hunting-pack had subsequently succeeded in taking down the second airship somewhere in Ta-Metru, albeit at great cost to their remaining numbers. Both of the craft's Toa passengers would soon be captured and properly recovered by the Razor Talons hunting-pack - and if those failed to do so, the elements of the Horde pursuing them from Le-Metru would undoubtedly succeed. The remaining two Toa would invariably attempt a rescue of their captured friends, and would undoubtedly succumb to the same fate. Toa were bound to their duty, and it made them painfully predictable.
Sidorak balefully stared down at four shapes suspended on a section of webbing, high above the ground below. Two Toa; one of Fire and one of Stone. A "hewman"; a biological entity snatched off the second aircraft as it went down, under the banner of some long-titled organization he had never heard of before, clad in armor that Warfitter Yertil had been unable to remove without damaging the occupant within.
And the fourth had been a constant annoyance for the past four months, ever since the boat that they had arrived on had navigated the predatory seas surrounding Metru Nui.
The Matoran on and near the watercraft had fallen quickly, as the Horde had been fortunate enough to catch them roaming around the dockyard complex, likely confused about why none of Metru Nui's former inhabitants had come out to greet them. Three others had escaped. One was the Su-Matoran captain, who had attempted to seek shelter in the Great Temple. The Gate Guardian stationed there had unceremoniously kicked her over the edge of the pier, after which she had likely fed the great fish below.
The last two errant crew were identified as Toa, and as such, were more immediate priorities to hunt down. One of them had holed up in Po-Metru, and had drawn in half a legion of Visorak to hunt him down in the Sculpture Fields. The Toa had died, crushed under the weight of an immense monument, taking with it the entire Devouring Heart and Consuming Organs hunter-packs, as well as several other lesser Visorak.
The third was a warrior that had linked up with that annoying group of Matoran that struggled futilely against the might of Sidorak's Horde. For a while, the "resistance" were a curiosity at best - if Sidorak had moved to crush them quickly, then his Horde would have nothing to do by the end of six months of occupation. And a bored Horde was a dangerous Horde.
The Toa - who called itself the Lance Maiden, according to a surviving Visorak they had released, and that Roodaka herself had subsequently tortured for more information - had made them dangerous. Overnight, their tactics had changed, and they later began wielding ranged weaponry capable of massed fire, even if lacking in effectiveness compared to their Kanoka. The spread of foreign projectile weapons accelerated after the errant Matoran had raided the web-choked boat that had brought the Lance Maiden to their shores, and Sidorak had ordered the ship burned to the keel immediately to prevent any further interference.
Roodaka had been gleeful when a section of the swarm they had dispatched to capture the Toa had returned with the Lance Maiden herself, bound in a cocoon and her Kanohi-less expression filled with such exquisite horror. She had led a force of Matoran into Visorak-controlled Le-Metru, and Skylord Irivi had facilitated the capture of half of their number within mere moments of their entrance into the district. Once the Bruiser had realized the magnitude of their prize, they had brought their trophy back to the Coliseum with all haste.
Some of the Lance Maiden's entourage had been cocooned after capture, but most were subsequently thrown down and used as nourishment fodder during the Naming and proper establishment of the Shattered Lance hunting-pack. After the initial gloating was done with, including informing the defeated Toa of the imminent destruction of the remainder of the aggravating resistance, Sidorak had quickly tired of the Maiden's pathetic mewling and had ordered them suspended in a barbed cocoon high above the city streets. Roodaka, too, had wanted to exchange words with the being before their execution, but all semblance of organized thought was gone. The consumption of the Lance Maiden's own hunter-pack was deemed to have broken her mind, and so she was useless to the Queen of the Horde. Roodaka was even more dismissive of the female Toa after examination revealed that she had been completely drained of all elemental energies.
The Lance Maiden had been later joined by the two captured Toa and the armored hewman, all of which were constrained in their own cocoons. Roodaka had obviously wanted the two rookie Toa for herself, but she would have to be content with their broken bodies after they had fallen from the web. If Swarmadapter Goren had been awake when the hewman had been brought in, the sentient would have undoubtedly been spun apart for possibilities to advance the Horde further. By now, the hordika venom inside the cocoon would have worked its way through the biological being's system, and - as Goren phrased it in his protests - 'ruined the purity of the sample'.
Skylord Irivi's following deployments would be less than successful, even setting aside the disastrous attempted pursuit of the initial airship that had systematically dismantled the Venomous Mandibles' surgical strike to secure the Toa. The Bruiser had once again been denied the glory of direct combat when the flier they were riding was brought down in a single shot by the aggravating rangemaster riding atop the second airship, long before the remainder of the Shattered Lance was able to succeed in knocking their prey from the sky. The Skylord had last been seen skulking into the ruins of Ta-Metru, undoubtedly to locate and capture any survivors from the airship.
Sidorak had been in the middle of rallying the Horde for a decisive strike into the district of fire when their fortunes had shifted once again. A thrice-cursed beam of light had erupted from the summit of the second foreign structure in Ta-Metru, and the irritating constructs had rapidly swarmed from within it. Sidorak had seen such an event before, and as such was ready with orders to reposition the Coliseum Guard to counter the machines should they commence a second offensive. A Kahgarak was even standing by to unleash the Zivon if the situation called for it. What the King of the Visorak was not expecting was for the robots coursing from the purple tower to turn on their counterparts milling around the interior of the barricades, which provoked an immediate response from the rest of the defenders. A cloud had rosen up from the battlements of the walls, flowing inward to engage the rogue constructs. It was not long until the skirmish units disengaged from their aggravating actions and flew off toward their hive, thus opening a window for mass deployment of the Horde into Ta-Metru once again.
With the swarmers busy fighting against themselves, there was no better opportunity to crush the two nearby hives before they could reorganize against the Visorak Horde. Sidorak racked his hunting blade, discharging a column of crimson energy into the gap above the Coliseum. His army roared their acknowledgement below; displaying exhilaration for the coming hunt, hunger for vengeance... and a small undercurrent of fear.
Emitting a resounding screech, the Visorak Horde charged from the Coliseum.
ISLAND CITY LANDMASS DESIGNATED METRU NUI
MODULE NETWORK
PRIORALRT: CONTACT REESTABLISHED WITH AV-14 RESCUE-1
ALRT: CORPORAL THOMAS STEVENS CRITICALLY INJURED
ALRT: AV-14 RESCUE-1 BOARDED BY COVENANT SOLDIERS
-VECTORING AVAILABLE SENTINELS FOR CLEANSING
-NO SENTINELS AVAILABLE TO INTERDICT
ALRT: MESSAGE FROM LANCE CORPORAL DAIMIA BLAKE; PILOT OF AV-14 RESCUE-1
-TRUCE WITH SMALL COVENANT FORCE ESTABLISHED
RESPONSE: SITUATION UPDATE
-COVENANT CONTROL PORTION OF SECURED INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
-COVENANT DEPLOYING ARMORED COLUMN AND ATTACHED INFANTRY TOWARD MODULE ECHO/FIVE
-COVENANT-CONTROLLED SENTINELS USED AS ABLATIVE ARMOR
RESPONSE: RE:SITUATION UPDATE
-FIELD MASTER JOEK'ACHOEM IN NEUTRAL COVENANT FORCE
-POTENTIAL HIGH-RANKING COVENANT INDIVIDUAL SEEKING TRUCE WITH HUMANITY
-CONFIRMED HOSTILE TO VISORAK
ALRT: DOCKING FOR AV-14 RESCUE-1 ALLOWED WITHIN SENTINEL WALL
-COVENANT SOLDIERS TO REMAIN WITH HORNET UNTIL CONTACT REESTABLISHED WITH FIELD MASTER JOEK'ACHOEM
PRIORITY REQUEST FROM MODULE ECHO/FIVE: TAKE THE FIELD Y/N
COMMAND RESPONSE: ALLOWED
ALRT: DETACHING FORCE OF SENTINELS TO BACKTRACK ON AV-14 RESCUE-1 APPROACH PATH TO ASSIST
ALRT: WINONA REQUESTING TO JOIN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE: TAKE THE FIELD Y/N
-REQUEST ACCEPTED
METRU NUI - TA-METRU
UNKNOWN LOCATION
The host had only been stopped for two minutes to salvage arms and armor from the dead spiders, but the delay had been costly. The Skirmishers on the roofs no longer reported the far-off glare of Sentinel weaponry and Visorak spinners being discharged at each other... and yet the sound of distant energy weapon fire being exchanged did not abate. An all-too-familiar turbulence soon reverberated through the ground beneath them. The Horde was on the march once more. The comparatively dimunitive aliens - Unggoy - lost themselves to panic, breaking and scattering towards the east. The Sangheili and the smaller saurians - Kigyar - attempted to corral a few, growling and barking orders, but doing so while on the move proved too difficult to properly accomplish. All but three of the Unggoy quickly disappeared into the choking fog.
"Sniveling wretches!" A Sangheili in blue armor bellowed, raising a fist to strike one of the few that remained. An orange-armored Elite stopped him, seizing the offending limb and dragging it back down. "Calm yourself, Minor 'Telvi. There are more worthy targets to strike out against!"
One of the Matoran tripped, almost falling before a Kigyar grasped his shoulders, roughly dragging the Po-Matoran upright. "Death by devourer ain't no way to go out!" the alien squawked, laughing to itself, before proceeding to swing the Matoran's arm over its own shoulders. "Boss says we the same crew fer now, so you ain't dyin' on my watch! I'll get paid less for it!"
The Sentinel Wall loomed in the near-distance, decorative lines across its surface emanating crimson light. Only a span of three-and-a-half kio separated them from their destination. The group was no longer traveling straight at it, however, for the Skirmishers on overwatch duty were guiding them eastward to remain ahead of the encroaching swarm of Visorak.
Their luck rapidly changed as wails pierced the air and shapes darted from the sky, grasping at the agile not-Rahi - forcing them to take cover or be seized, dragged into the darkness, and carried away. Additional creatures dove into the street, their claws clutching at anything that might give purchase. More than a few aliens were carried off, screaming and bellowing, struggling against their captors, but disappearing into the dark all the same. One such monster pounced on a Le-Matoran in the rear of the host, not bothering to lift the unfortunate individual off the ground before it slammed its jaws into his head, bringing a gruesome end to its prey's existence. Whenua swiftly avenged the fallen Matoran, revving up one of his earthshock drills and plunging it through the Visorak flier's skull.
The Field Master fought like a Rahi possessed by the essence of Makuta himself; his blade sweeping through the air and carving through protodermic armor and flesh alike with little effort. Other Sangheili had ignited their own swords, some waiting until the creatures had picked them up before hacking open their exposed undersides or severing the claws that held them. Those lucky to have ranged weapons or repurposed spinner launchers took up position on the edges of the crowd, unleashing projectiles and spinners at the fliers whenever they started in on an attack run. The Hunter shuffled, unsheathing its own newly-grafted array of spinner launchers and engaging in massed fire. Even the human marine had regained his rifle, the orange-armored saurian that once wielded it having been snatched away by the wailing monstrosities that harried them. When another Matoran was seized and carried aloft, Nuju attempted to freeze the flier's wings, but could barely get a few ice crystals to form before exhaustion took hold and the Toa stumbled, narrowly avoiding being grabbed himself.
And then something massive dropped from above, landing on top of the towering colossus at the front of their host. The colony-creature collapsed, borne down by the weight of the entity. With a single fluid motion, the heads of both Kigyar were sent flying. The new threat pushed forward, plunging their own blade through the chest cavity of another orange-armored Sangheili, whose shields posed no barrier to the sword as it penetrated through everything in its way. A Tvaoan pounced at the newcomer, only for its head to simply no longer exist when the being placed their fist in the way.
Joek'Achoem pivoted to confront the new threat, only to be smacked with the improvised projectile of the now thoroughly-deceased Skirmisher. Knocked off balance, the Sangheili fell backward, marginally escaping being hit by an incandescent disk as it spun over him.
"TOA," the brutish creature bellowed, knocking a charging Matoran down and crushing his chest beneath their feet, the smaller individual having attempted to impale the being with a Keelerak mandible before meeting his demise. "YOU WILL NOT EVADE ME THIS TIME!"
Both Nuju and Whenua turned to face the newcomer, briefly flinching when realization struck. The being confronting them was Krekka - or rather, Krekka after devouring an entire Tahtorak, and with no artificial eyes.
For Nuju in particular, time seemed to slow down as he took in details of the situation around him. Their numbers had dropped significantly, with a mere nine aliens and three Matoran remaining on solid ground. The sole remaining Kigyar had leaped into the air, latching onto the tail of a flier that had snatched away the Po-Matoran they had been previously been supporting. Another flier was coming in low, its claws reaching out for the stooping figure of Joek, in the process of rising to his hooves... and its grasping talons found purchase on the form of Dolic Nordstrom, seizing the human and carrying him off the ground.
Whenua had raised a section of the street, forming an alcove around them for shelter against the unceasing assault from the air, then almost collapsing upon completing the task. The remaining Matoran barely reached the Toa in time to prevent him from completely falling over.
Krekka continued toward the pair of Toa, his progress inexorable. One of the remaining Unggoy shrieked, pulling two bulbous objects from its waistband and holding them to its sides. Both spheres ignited with blue fire, and the alien charged towards the champion. The large being smirked, effortlessly impaling the diminutive creature - which continued its rush down the length of the blade. A second later, the orbs detonated, engulfing the area in a cascade of energy and actually forcing the Dark Hunter to stumble backward. Of the Unggoy, nothing was left behind to mark its existence other than a scorched crater.
Another Sangheili dashed in through the dissolving cloud of plasma, the particles in the air making their shield glow. Arms wide, the alien tackled Krekka, their own body weight pushing the bruiser's center of gravity beyond what its frame could support. Both went sprawling to the ground, though the saurian's victory was short-lived as the Dark Hunter skewered the crimson-armed alien through the neck with the twisted remains of his blade, before tearing the entire head off amid a shower of purple blood.
Four aliens remained, all of which were underneath Whenua's alcove, a pair of energy swords soon teaching the fliers the folly of attempting to intrude underneath the shelter. The Field Master had also regained his footing, though his own energy blade was nowhere to be found. The vibrations from the oncoming swarm shook the entire small fortification, and the ceiling began to collapse. Nuju quickly raised his hands, calling on the power of his Kanohi to hold the roof up. "YOU FOUGHT WELL, TOA," Krekka cackled, once again upright. "BUT IN THE END, THE HORDE IS ALWAYS VICTORIOUS!"
The shrieking of Visorak reverberated through the alcove, the echoes almost deafening those sheltering within. The last Unggoy broke and ran, attempting to evade Krekka and escape into the gore-strewn street beyond. The bruiser seized the alien by the head and crushed its skull, before dismissively tossing the body back into the alcove. "SURRENDER, TOA! OR DON'T! EITHER WAY, THE HORDE WILL FEAST!"
More sharp cries from the spiders outside punctuated the declaration as the brute started to pound their chest in a steadily increasing rhythm. "SKY-LORD IREEVEE AWAITS YOU! THERE IS NO ESCAA-!"
Night abruptly turned to dawn, the orange light of the rising suns slicing through the darkness, peeling away the shadows. The piercing victory calls of the Visorak were cut off mid-screech, replaced with a cacophony of tormented squealing, underlined with hisses and high-pitched humming. The smell of burnt flesh wafted into the alcove as a cone of ivory incandescence illuminated the figure lurking outside the entrance to the fortification.
The bruiser pivoted on the spot - under the light, Nuju could properly see that the individual was distinctively not Krekka, as the Toa had originally thought - and raised their shoulder-mounted Kanoka launcher to engage the emerging target.
Twin streams of yellow-orange energy surged from above, striking the Krekken at the waist and left shoulder, cutting through the being's body as easily as the bruiser had carved apart the aliens earlier.
As the bifurcated halves of the Horde's champion fell, the lower section and arm dissolving into orange flakes and fading from view, another bipedal figure appeared at the entrance to the alcove; this one surrounded in a swiftly-dissipating golden aura. "I am Winona," the individual stated in a feminine tone, floating forward without moving their legs. "There is little time for discussion. Marshal has repurposed his entire outer perimeter to secure this area, albeit under protest. Field Master Joek'Achoem, I am to inform you that your garrison has launched a full strike against Module Echo-Five. They may be successful in capturing the module for a brief period, especially given this redeployment of assets, but our counter-assault is already staging in position. Your folk will not be able to hold the module against us, and they will surely all perish. Lance Corporal Blake informs me that you seek to offer us a truce; and given that you did not execute Corporal Stevens despite him being severely wounded and otherwise incapacitated, necessitating a spot on the evacuation transport that could otherwise have been occupied with one of your own warriors... we are inclined to believe your intentions are honorable. Come quickly. Our Sentinels will not be able to hold off the Visorak for long, not against a force of this size with their current strength. I will contact you again once you reach the Wall."
The human figure vanished, rings of jaundice energy swirling up its form before it winked out of existence. Joek moved swiftly to the entrance, directing the two remaining Sangheili to pick up the disturbingly now-unconscious Whenua and carry him out. The Matoran were more hesitant, but the re-intensifying clamor of Visorak screeches and the reduction in noise from what was presumably Sentinel weapons discharging gave them motivation to emerge from their impromptu fortification. "Make haste, warriors," the Field Master growled, approaching the frame of a bulky human aircraft that Nuju identified as being based on a Falcon, albeit nearly twice as large and with an extra pair of rotors in comparison to the image generated by his mental Entity. "We must proceed swiftly before too many mistakes are made."
The trio of Matoran once again froze upon emerging from the alcove, and Nuju could not blame them. Portions of what were presumably dead Visorak lay scattered everywhere, their carcasses rendered borderline unrecognizable. The sky moved above them all, a circular formation of robotic constructs lashing out with orange and blue beams into the streets beyond. A torrent of green energy rushed up at them, shredding holes through the clustered mass, debris falling from the sky and colliding with the buildings around the beings below.
The Krekken's upper half lay on their chest three meters away, their left arm and shoulder completely absent. Their Kanoka launcher was also detached from the body, a disk half-loaded into its firing position. One of the Matoran shook herself, then darted in, seizing the lower rim of the launcher and dragging it across the ground towards the awaiting airships.
Minor Kirom 'Telvi chortled at the sight of the 'Matoran' hauling a weapon system easily its size across the street as the pair of surviving Sangheili carried the black-armored elemental warrior into the humans' small transport aircraft, with a Demon in similarly-colored armor subsequently strapping him down in one of the seats. The white-armored elemental that referred to itself as Nuju took the position next to its teammate, while Obedientary Sali'Fuldr sat next to their Field Master, as was his right as a higher-ranking warrior.
The Minor quickly moved towards another human transport as the full aircraft lifted off, shortly joined by four others. 'Most of these transport craft will remain empty,' the Minor mused as he clambered into the same one that the human-like synthetics had chosen as their escape method. Two of them had their eyes to the floor, while the other turned to face him as he sat down, the salvaged weapon resting on its feet. "This little one has temerity," Kirom growled. "What is your designation, construct?"
The response given was unintelligible, a mix of presumably machine language and other sounds. 'Telvi sighed in irritation, diverting his attention to the surrounding cityscape as the craft took to the air and headed off toward the Sentinel Wall. The last aircraft to leave was the human ultralight attack craft, two Sangheili riding on the side skids, each holding long-barreled Forerunner weapons. Disintegrators.
The Didact's Hand only granted usage of such devices to his inner circle and the most loyal zealots. Mere Minors and Obedientaries would never be considered for access to such, and yet one of the warriors above was clothed in lime-green armor - denoting the position of a communications specialist, who belonged on the command deck of a starship, not in a direct combat role.
The ground around the area swarmed with the devourers. The Forerunner constructs kept them at bay, forming physical barriers to block incoming energy blasts, sacrificing themselves so that the transports could escape. Kirom pondered on how the humans could have managed to co-opt the Forerunner vessel's intelligence to allow them such control over its constructs.
There had been a human intelligence within their section of the dreadnought, keeping them occupied with navigating a maze of corridors and chambers. Eventually their few Huragok had discovered a place of critical importance, and the heretical AI had been quarantined into non-essential systems, but the biomechanical servants had subsequently relayed that there had been no trace of the infuriating Lochagos Knight anywhere within the ship's databanks.
A piece of Forerunner technology within their impromptu base of operations was soon discovered to be jamming transmissions on all frequencies. At first, the newly-appointed Shipmaster Gorm'Kralitai had ordered it be shut down, but Field Master Joek'Achoem had soon convinced his immediate superior of its benefits. Not only was it blocking Covenant frequencies, but it was also doing the same for any potential human presence in the vicinity. Instead of deactivating the device, Shipmaster Kralitai had subsequently ordered more energy to be devoted to it, all the while encouraging the Huragok to subvert whatever lock had been placed upon the higher functions of their base.
Getting out had been troublesome, but the distortion field that surrounded the above-ground area did not extend too far below the surface. The Field Master had led the first expedition below, then established a safe route to the surface beyond the containment field. Every side passage they found, they had sealed shut with energy fields. Further exploration of the tunnels could wait.
Excellency 'Achoem had eventually become tired of remaining in place until the Huragok acquired control of the Forerunner complex, deciding to lead a recon force into the city proper. At first they had encountered no opposition, the streets having been scorched clean. And then everything had gone black.
When the Minor awoke, he was in a cocoon, unable to do anything else but watch and listen as biomechanical monsters devoured his kin. One of the quadrupedal insect-creatures had crawled up in front of his own cocoon, its sawlike jaws slavering with venom, before something had drawn its focus elsewhere. The following two days were punctuated with screeches, screams, and the tearing of web and flesh, before all of the monstrosities abruptly scuttled away en masse.
Roughly an hour after the creatures had departed, the sound of human large-caliber weaponry drifted in on the wind. Some of the warriors had made comments pertaining to the heretics, that they were undoubtedly receiving the same treatment that had been given to the Covenant. The noises didn't stop, however, and nearly two hours later, a Kig-Yar marksman had declared that they could see one of the UNSC's formidable strike bombers conducting an attack run on the colossal structure in the center of the city. Other shapes had attempted to pursue the angular Longsword, quickly disappearing into the dark sky. For a while, there was merely the noise of human aircraft engines progressively fading from earshot before the sound of weapons fire resumed, this time from something considerably smaller.
Fifteen minutes after that, a small human craft had crashed into their midst, bringing with them more robots. Taller, bipedal ones. Ones that could speak Sangheili. The Field Master - who had survived the bloody harvest - had conversed with one of the constructs, establishing a truce with all involved. A day before, Kirom'Telvi would have laughed at any Covenant warrior who claimed that he would willingly work with humans, or subsequently execute any thrall who relayed the same. But the idea of being left behind for the monstrosities to feed upon...
Too many of his fellow brothers-in-arms had been taken by the flying beasts in the ensuing escape, all of which were likely to end up consumed in short order.
'If cooperating with the humans and heretical machines results in the devourers being purged from existence, never to bother another soul again... this course of action is acceptable.'
The Sentinel Wall loomed in front of the squadron of transports. A slot opened in its surface, turquoise light emanating from inside, the aperture easily wide enough for a pair of Covenant troop carriers to enter simultaneously. The protective Sentinel formation fragmented, a portion of it retreating over the top of the wall, while the rest consolidated their position to the sides and rear of the transport column. Only three craft had been lost, none of which were occupied.
The light engulfed Kirom's transport. The sight of Sentinels being destroyed amid the ruins of an urban environment was replaced with smooth Forerunner architecture. A Monitor awaited their presence on a platform below, flanked by eight Sentinels and another pair of bipedal humanoid constructs. The access point behind them resealed itself, hardlight flaring into existence around its edges, hiding away any indication that there was once an entrance.
They were inside. They were safe from the devourers. That was all the solace he could gain for now, and that was all that Kirom'Telvi required.