Chapter XXII: The Way Back Into Haven

LES: The last chapter before the start of Act II!


After a rather long fall through the Darkness, Jak landed on some sort of metal floor in the crouched position as to not break his legs. The Darkness still surrounded everything, the Darkness that even Jak's eyes could not pierce.

He stood up, looking around, trying to get some clue as to where he was. Suddenly, the Darkness disappeared and light flooded into the room.

He looked at his surroundings. They were in a large hanger-like room made completely out of Precursor Metal. In the center of the room was the base of the Great Oracle. Jak moved around the large base and saw just how huge the room was. At the far end of the room was a huge hole that lead off into Darkness. Just opposite of the hole sat a strange Precursor made vehicle. Jak walked up to it.

Jak knew that he had seen a hole like this before… and then he remembered. After the Palace fell in Haven City, it uncovered a hole like that, some sort of Precursor-made catacombs. "This looks just like the catacombs I saw in Haven City." He said, looking at the hole. "Is this the way back into Haven?"

Suddenly, a loud squawk sounded from behind him and he spun around, conjuring a large sword, and ready to fight. And then he lowered the weapon when he was who it was.

"Pecker?"

It was Onin's former translator and Damas' current advisor. "Ah… Jak." Pecker said with his ever-present Spanish accent. "I'm so squawking happy I've found you."

"And just how did you find me?" Jak demanded.

"I followed you, of course!" Pecker said. "Onin contacted me. She says that we… well… she said a lot of things (you know her)." Jak glared at the moncaw in a way that said 'get on with it'! Pecker cleared his throat. "Anyway, she says that we must get back to Haven City, and the Catacombs are the way to go. This pipe will dump us out about five miles outside Haven's walls." Pecker landed on the vehicle's control panel and began to stomp on random buttons in an attempt to turn it on. "We only have to turn on this blasted thing and ride it through the Catacombs…"

Jak studied the armored hull of the craft. Etched into the metal was a miniature Seal of Mar. Maybe it works just like the door. Jak thought, pulling out his Seal of Mar and holding it up to the vehicle. There was a flash and the vehicle activated, hovering about a foot off the ground. Jak grinned as he put the Seal in his pocket. "You boys ready for a ride?"

"You bet!" Daxter said, jumping into the vehicle.

"I hate riding in flying machines!" Pecker grumbled. "They could fall right out of the sky."

"It would only fall about a foot." Jak pointed out, jumping into the vehicle and strapping himself in. "Come on, Pecker, it could take forever for you to follow us. Remember, we've got about an hour's worth of traveling to do through these Catacombs."

"Augh! Only bad things can come from people trying to imitate flight!"

"Well, it's the best most of us can do." Jak said. "We don't all have wings, you know."

Pecker flapped into the seat next to Daxter and something in Jak told him how the machine operated. He grabbed the steering device and pulled in towards his body and the vehicle moved forward.

The vehicle moved rather slowly at first, slowly picking up speed as it began to head towards the Dark hold. Then they past through the darkness and the vehicle shot forward at an insane speed.

They were in a large tube, and the vehicle was going an insane speeds and, to make matters worse, there were obstacles in the way… it was going to be a crazy ride.

A large pipe, spanning across the tube, popped seemingly out of nowhere and the young elf had to swerve to miss it. That was how they ended up on the roof of the pipe. "What the…?"

They were on the roof of the pipe, but Jak couldn't feel the effects of gravity. While gravity should have been trying to make them fall out of the top of the vehicle, but the force seemed to be still centered underneath them.

This was the most advanced anti-gravity system that Jak had ever seen. Sure, Haven had anti-gravity for just about everything, but none of those systems allowed you to hover off the ceiling! And, yet, here they were. Jak quickly maneuvered the Precursor vehicle until it was right side up again.

"That was really weird!" Daxter commented loudly.

Jak didn't answer. He was concentrating on the road ahead. It took all of his reflexes not to crash into anything. A quick glance at the control panel told Jak that they were going several times the speed of sound. A crash at that speed would be deadly.

Suddenly, a wall of Darkness appeared before him and signaled the end of the journey.

As soon as they went through the wall, he slammed on the brakes. The slamming part was rather unnecessary as the vehicle went from many times the speed of sound to a dead stop in a millisecond.

Jak got out of the vehicle, shaking. Traveling that fast really takes it out of you.

Daxter sort of oozed over the side of the vehicle and flopped on the ground. "That was… fast."

"I hate these flying contraptions!" Pecker grumbled as he flopped onto the ground next to Daxter.

Suddenly, a glowing being walked through one of the walls, giving off a distinct aura of happiness, a Precursor 'smile'. It was Tiatin. "I knew you would make the right decision." He said. "You see, Great One? I did not force you. I did not push you. You came on your own, and that is your greatest weapon."

Jak frowned. "I don't understand."

"You will." Tiatin said. "You show great promise, but your bravery and strength alone will not protect you from the foes you will soon face."

"Who are these foes?" Jak asked. "Are they Metal-Heads? I can handle Metal-Heads, even without my ability to control them…"

"You are not the Metal-Head Leader." Tiatin said. "There is one out there, but he is not you."

"But… what about the Metal-Head that killed itself when Jak ordered it to?" Daxter asked.

"The true Leader wants you to believe you are the Metal-Head Leader." Tiatin said. "Those Metal-Heads obeyed you because they were ordered to obey you."

"But… why?" Jak asked. "What's the point?"

"There are many reasons." Tiatin said. "But the most simple and obvious one would be to lead you into a false sense of security, to double-cross you when your back is turned and your guard is down."

"Then who are my real foes?" Jak asked.

"Creatures of Darkness." Tiatin said. "Ones that are even worse and more powerful then the Metal-Heads. They are called the Dark Makers in your language. They are coming, and only you have the power to stop them."

"Why me?" Jak asked. "Why aren't there others who could do it?"

"Only you." Tiatin repeated. "With time, you'll understand." Tiatin moved towards Jak, a glowing hand outstretched. "In the meantime, please accept this Light Power, the gift of protection… for yourself and those you care about. It is… what little I have left to offer you."

Jak nodded. "I accept your gift, Tiatin." He quickly transformed into his Light form. Tiatin placed a hand on Light Jak's forehead. This power took less time to learn than the others. Within a second, Jak could use the power. He pulled away from the Precursor. "I've got to try this."

Within seconds, he had conjured a six-foot diameter shield out of nowhere. It completely protected Jak's body. "Wow! Built-in shield!" Daxter commented.

"My Dark Side is all about offensive maneuvers and violence…" Light Jak said, turning off the shield and changing back into himself. "Is my Light Side about defense?"

"It is." Tiatin said. "In a sword fight, offense and defense balance one another. One who neglects defense will be cut down, but one who never presses their own attack will never win. Our warrior must be such, a creature of perfect balance. Only when you are in balance, will you be at your strongest. Only then… will you be unbeatable."

"Thank you, Tiatin." Jak said.

"I only wish I could do more." Tiatin said. And then he pointed at an elevator that Jak hadn't noticed. "That is the doorway to Haven. Of course, you will have to travel some ways before you have reached Haven. And beware, you have spent far too long in the heat of the desert. The climate may be unbearable."

"Oh no!" Jak looked down at his outfit, which was clearly more suited to keep cool in the burning desert. "I'll freeze!"

"Should've brought a jacket." Daxter commented.

"You will not freeze." Tiatin said. "It will only be uncomfortable for a little while."

"Uncomfortable?" Jak demanded. "For months, I've lived in a hundred and twenty degree weather! How can I go back to seventy degree weather?"

"The same way you got used to the climate of the Wasteland." Tiatin said. "Good luck, Great One." And then the Precursor disappeared.

Jak looked at the elevator. "This is going to suck… royally suck."

"Got that right." Daxter said. "Even I'm not looking forward to this."

"Well, we can't stay down here forever. We've got to go up sometime." He walked over to the elevator and walked on to it. It moved up automatically. It stopped at the top and a small door opened. This let in a blast of seventy degree air that was, in Jak's opinion, nothing short of freezing.

"Oh shit!" Jak swore as the cold air hit him. He wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to keep warm. He then let out a long stream of colorful words in no particular order.

"You can say that again." Daxter said as he shivered.

Jak, still trying to keep himself warm, moved out into the environment.

"What are we?" Daxter asked, looking around. They appeared to be in some old mine.

"It's an old Eco mine." Jak said, his teeth chattering. "When Mar built Haven City, he must've carved out these old mines to get at the Eco power."

"Sheesh!" Daxter scoffed. "That Mar guy must've never slept much."

"Probably." Jak said. "There were probably a thousand and one things he had to do… building a City… being the Greatest Hero of all time… being King…" Jak mused.

Pecker landed on one of the railings that would stop someone from falling into empty space. If you fell, you'd have a long time to wave good-bye before you splatted on the rocks below. "I'm going to fly ahead and tell Onin we're back."

"Abandoning us already?" Jak asked.

"Just think of it as a valid use of my fight or flight instinct. In this case: flight!" Pecker said. "You watch your tail feathers, Jak. This is a spooky place." With that, Pecker flew off to the south, in Haven's general direction.

Jak shivered as a cruel breeze passed over him. "Great." He said with very little enthusiasm.


After walking several miles, and fighting off dozens of Metal-Heads… (It appeared that whoever really controlled them now knew that Jak knew that he wasn't the Metal-Head Leader, so there was no point to pretending) and finding some another piece of Mar's armor (greaves which protected his shins with the same unbreakable Precursor metal as his bracers) Jak reached a large door that opened without complaint when he flashed the Seal of Mar at it.

Inside the door was a large room with a platform in the center, surrounded by air, and a door on the far side of the room. Jak knew that the door led into Haven City.

The stone walls all around him were covered in carvings that depicted the Creation Epic.

Jak crossed a wooden bridge that led to the platform. The door slammed shut behind him, catching the bridge and disintegrating it just as Jak stepped off. Jak paused, and looked back at just how close he had come to falling into the abyss below. Then he heard the small door opening just across the gap on the other side of the room. He looked around and growled. His welcoming party was none other than Count Vegar.

"The monks told me that someone was coming in through the Precursor sub-rails, but I never imagined it was you." He hissed. "So, you are quite the survivor, aren't you. How long was it? Three… four months?" Jak growled loudly, but didn't answer. "Those sub-rails are interesting, aren't they? The Precursors used those Catacombs to build the world countless eons ago. The rail system leads deep into the planet where its said that the Ancient Ones wait to bestow unimaginable powers upon the worthy!" Vegar paused, glancing lovingly at the scepter that he held. "I will save the world with that power, just as Mar once did. Pure light will rule the universe, and I will be the bright light that shines to every corner of the world and destroys all shadows!"

Jak blinked. "Ah…" Daxter began. "Excuse me… Count Vulgar…"

"It's Vegar!" The Count corrected angrily.

"Right, whatever." Daxter said airily, like he just didn't care. "Isn't it nice just to curl up in the shade sometimes? Just chillin' it, watching the babes prance around in their skimpy little bikinis, you know, just how they… jiggle?" Daxter pointed downwards. "I always get the special tingly feeling in my… tail."

"Enough!" Vegar yelled, annoyed. "I will be the one to save the world, not a tainted Dark Eco Freak like you!"

"You will save the world?" Jak almost laughed. "Well, you've done a great job so far, letting the Metal-Heads destroy the Palace. No self-respecting hero would have allowed that to happen."

"Oh no, you couldn't be more mistaken." Vegar said coolly, and then he started to speak with even more pathos. "We're on a time clock, Jak! That light in the sky, do you know what it is? Our nightmares have found us, and the end is coming! I needed quick access to the Catacombs below the Palace, so I attacked the Palace myself. It will be our little secret."

"Well, you're full of surprises." Jak said.

"And you're full of Dark Eco!" Vegar hissed. "You and your rat are abominations! You have been allowed to wreak havoc on this world for far too long and now I'll start the cleansing of this world with you're demise!" Vegar turned his back on Jak, his arms spread wide as he faced a large statue of a Precursor Robot. "Behold! I now command the very power of the Ancient Ones!"

There was a loud explosion and Jak covered his face as the rock flew everywhere. He looked just as the dust cleared and he gasped. It was a Precursor Robot, something he hadn't seen since he was seventeen. It seemed the 'statue' wasn't a statue at all, but a real Precursor Robot encased in stone. Jak knew that the Ancient Robots were near impossible to destroy.

Vegar calmly turned to leave. "This time, the Precursors won't have mercy on you." He looked at the Robot. "Kill him."

The Robot pulled out a laser sword that had to be at least twenty feet long and whirled the blade menacingly. Vegar grinned and left, the door slamming shut behind him.

Jak knew that it would be near impossible to destroy the pure Precursor Robot. The Robot was made entirely out of the Precursor Metal, indestructible. The only reason Jak had won his fight with the last Precursor Robot was by taking advantage of Gol and Maia's alterations, which were done in plain steel, and by using a Light Eco blast to finish off the Robot. Jak didn't think he could create blast like that again. What he needed was more time to think.

More time! The Robot swung its sword upwards to bring it down on its prey. Within a second Jak transformed into Light Jak and stopped time. The sword stopped about half a foot above Jak's head. Daxter's mouth was frozen in a silent scream.

Jak stared at the laser sword, which had come a bit too close to comfort for him. "Thank the Precursors for the power to stop time." He breathed.

But he still had to destroy the Robot somehow. An act that he last preformed over five hundred years ago with more than a little bodily harm to himself. Even though his abilities had improved during the time-travel enhanced time, an angry Precursor Robot intent on killing you was nothing to sneeze at.

The young elf moved out from under Daxter, still frozen in time, and gazed around the environment, looking for something that would give him an edge. He looked above the robot and grinned. There were several carts hanging half off some rails above its head and, even better, they were filled with explosives. Perhaps there was enough to blow the Precursor Robot to pieces.

The elf turned around and took Daxter out of thin air and set him down on the ground. "Stay there." Jak said, even though he was fully aware that his friend could not hear him.

He turned and raced at the robot, still frozen in time, and leapt at it. Sailing over thin air, Jak hit the robot and clung to the joints in the smooth metal armor. Using handhold after handhold, he scaled the robot with the agility and speed of an over-sized squirrel.

Once he reached a place that was high enough, and close enough for him to leap, he launched himself from the robot, caught the edge of the railing, and easily pulled himself up by the cart.

He studied the cart. A single push would do it. He felt the time stop start to weaken, the laser sword gained inch by inch on the place that he formally occupied. With a silent prayer to the Precursors, Jak let the power slip away, and he changed back to normal.

The time stop disappeared and Daxter resumed screaming as the laser sword traveled downwards. However, it appeared that the robot had quick reflexes. The laser sword stopped a mere millimeters away from Daxter's nose. The rodent stared cross-eyed at the weapon that had come so close to shish-kabobing him. And then he promptly fainted.

The Ancient but deadly robot looked around, trying to find its prey and spotted the target on a small ledge by a cart. The robot's mechanical mind didn't question how the target managed to get up there in a nanosecond. It just took note of the target's apparent ability to teleport and resumed its attack.

It raised its huge sword and was about to cut through Jak.

But Jak was ready for it. He pushed the explosive-laden cart off into the abyss and straight on the robot's head.

With an all-mighty bang that seemed to shake the world, the explosives exploded and the robot fell into the darkness below. Jak looked over the edge into the Darkness to see if the robot was destroyed.

An answer came a second later, the robot appeared out of the Darkness, and it seemed completely unharmed. Jak frowned angrily. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another explosives cart next to him. The Precursor robot hummed and at least six independently targeting lasers popped out of the robot's back. All six aimed in Jak's general direction. His battle-hardened mind instantly calculated where each beam was going to go and he twisted into a strange position that would have made a yoga-master green with envy.

The lasers fired, and the bulk of them missed, but one did graze his arm, drawing blood.

He twisted out of his almost pretzel-like position as the pain stung his arm, but he wouldn't allow himself to be distracted by a dumb little cut that was already healing. The lasers aimed again and Jak leapt for the next cart, and pushed it onto the Precursor Robot's head.

The cart exploded and the stunned robot fell into the Darkness. It popped back up again several seconds later, but now it was significantly damaged. In fact, most of the armor that covered its head was gone, revealing the insides of the robot was not made from Precursor Metal, but regular steel. But the robot was not finished yet. While a biological creature might have given up and died, the robot didn't even understand the concept of 'giving up'.

It pulled out the laser sword again, but this time it split into two identical laser swords. It swung both of the weapons down at Jak.

The elf instinctively conjured a Dark Eco sword. He dodged the first blow and attempted to block the second one. However, the laser sword traveled through the weapon as if it were only air and sliced Jak's face, straight down the right side of his face… a little deeper and he could have lost his eye.

Jak leapt back and tried to clear his vision as his own blood leaked into his eye, blinding him. The Dark Sword was useless to block. The laser sword could cut through it like it wasn't even there.

There was one last, daring chance. Jak, still partially blinded by his own blood, leapt at the monster robot and landed on its head. Before the robot had a chance to try and shake off its target, the elf jammed his weapon straight into the robot's head. And, while robots don't have brains, they do have central processing units. And it happened that the Dark Eco weapon sliced right through it.

And, just as a biological creature cannot live without its brain, a robot could not function without its CPU. The Precursor Robot wavered in mid-air, and then crashed down on the platform below, disintegrating into a thousand parts.

Daxter came too just in time to watch Jak emerge from the robot's wreckage, a still healing cut on his face, the Dark weapon held loosely at his side. A light shone from an unknown source, illuminating the conquering warrior. Daxter stared. To his eyes, his friend looked extremely heroic, and the little rodent was in awe.

And then Jak had to ruin the picture by opening his mouth. "Damn Precursor Robots." He hissed, kicking it for good measure. "How I hate these fucking things." This statement reminded the rodent that his friend wasn't a hero anymore, but a warrior.

"Jak!" Daxter roared. "You ruined the moment!"

Jak glared at Daxter, a gaze that was partially confused, but mostly a warning. "What moment?"

"That there!" Daxter gestured to the scene in front of him. "Jak… emerging for the wreckage of his vanquished foe… the sword hanging loosely at his side… and unknown light illuminating…" Daxter trailed off at the look on Jak's face. "If was like… you looked very heroic."

Jak dropped the Dark weapon, it clattered to the ground and disappeared in a flash of Dark light. His face was unreadable. Daxter knew better than anyone that Jak hated being reminded of the hero he once was.

'I believe that you are still that hero.' Light said helpfully. 'You have merely forgotten.'

Thank you. Jak thought back. But you're wrong. I haven't forgotten… I remember. It's not my memory… not this time. The hero died in prison. Everyone realizes that… why not you?

'Because you are still that hero.' Light said.

Jak shut out the thoughts of Light. He didn't blame him for having hope, it was in his nature… just as it had once been in his nature to be the hero that everyone expected him to be.

He looked across the pit towards the door. "Haven is right through that door." He said. "Let's go topside and see what kind of trouble we can get into." He grabbed Daxter and leapt clear across the pit, landing safely on the other side. "Beware, Haven. This banished warrior has returned, and he's looking to kick some ass!"

Without looking back, he walked through the door and it shut behind him.


LES: Was the fight with the robot up to scratch? It is the only boss fight in this story that I did not plan previous to writing it. That's right! Off the cuff! Well, that's the end of the first act. (sniffs) These times are so sad, but happy, cause I'm moving on! Twenty-two chapters… Do you think I'll break the forty-five chapter record of Back To You? We'll just have to wait and see. (raises wine glass filled with soda) Act, we hardly knew ye.

Jak: (points) Is that Dr. Pepper in your glass?

LES: So? I don't drink, okay? Is that all right with you, Mr. I-got-drunk-at-the-Naughty-Ottsel-last-night-and-made-out-with-Ashelin?

Jak: Hey, I'm twenty!

LES: And I'm sixteen!

Jak: God, and I paid for all that drinking too. I had a hangover that hurt to high hell… where'd the hell did that come from?

LES: (finishes writing Jak's line and grins evilly)