Chapter 6

The city of BZ-Koro was alight from the huge fires and explosions as sections of the wall and battlement began to collapse. The Bohrok continued to ravage the city and scour the buildings for any unfortunate Matoran who did not heed the command to escape to the Lower Level. Now amidst the Tahnok, Lehvak and Pahrak the three other species could be seen in small quantity – Nuhvok, Kohrak and Gahlok, all gathering near the staircase covered by the Protodermis slab, as Nuhvok began digging around the indestructible stone.

A little less than a kio down, Také and a scout were listening to the noises into the soil. Také lifted his head off the wall and nodded curtly to the other.

"They're getting closer, Sakun – tell Beisbeis we need to make a decision soon. Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute." The scout nodded and sprinted nimbly down the steps. Také turned to the wall again. The distinctive scratching noise was becoming louder by the minute. Také sighed and turned around and began down the stairs.

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The remaining militia, including the renegade group stood around in the Common Room for the Captain's main hall as Beisbeis paced the room. After what had happened, everyone – including the Council – had just made him their leader again, in hopes of an amazing and life-saving idea from him. They were disappointed when he flung up his arms in despair.

"So what should we do now?"

"Well," began someone sarcastically, "We could try and dig out of the city –"

"On, come on," another person interrupted, believing he was serious, "like we have that much time to actually dig out –"

"Hey, shut up –"

"You shut up –"

The room suddenly burst out with arguments and people presenting their own ideas to an ignoring crowd. Out of frustration, Beisbeis slammed his sword hilt onto a table. The room quickly quieted down.

"Let's do this at least semi-civilized, please." Beisbeis sighed quickly, and then raised his hands. "First suggestion?"

Khora hesitantly raised his hand. Beisbeis nodded encouragingly.

"All right, Khora. Go ahead."

"…Well, sir, we could blow out with the Madu Cabolo we have and get out that way."

There was silence for a few seconds. A Matoran shook his head.

"He was serious this time, Khora."

Beisbeis shook his head, intrigued. "No, wait… you have an interesting idea, Khora. Please elaborate."

Khora noticed the stares of his fellow comrades as he quickly thought of what to say. "…Well, we have stocks of Madu Cabolo down here, don't we?" Beisbeis nodded. "Then we could embed them in the ceiling and have it cave in and create an escape, couldn't we? The Bohrok won't expect this, because they will be too busy trying to tunnel around the Protodermis slab."

"But we cannot risk it!" someone shouted out, "The explosion will endanger the Matoran. We cannot guarantee that they will be safe."

Khora shook his head, emboldened by his initial success. "It's better than waiting to be massacred by the Bohrok. We can get more out this way."

A Matoran suddenly burst into the room. Everyone's heads flickered to this new person, half of them starting to pull out their weapons out of sheer instinct.

"They should be past the wall in fifteen minutes, sir."

Beisbeis nodded and looked around the room. "That settles it; we don't have time to choose anything else. Khora, Také, get the Madu Cabolo out and get them in there. Let's blow our way out of here. Everyone else, inform the population. We need to get them safe." Everyone shuffled out quickly, as the scout returned to listen to the tunneling that was close to reaching its target.

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Cahdok sat in the enormous cavern as their children scrambled everywhere, gathering Krana to replace the lost ones all over the island. The Toa had been of late gathering the Krana to unlock the nearby Exo-Toa; but this was not as important as BZ-Koro was now.

'I can see it!' Cahdok shouted. Their telepathic abilities let them control the Bohrok's movements - even see, however faint, a muddled picture of what the Krana could see. It was a difficult task to control for a weak mind, but not for the Queens.

'They are nearly there.' Gahdok shook her long neck as she watched through another Bohrok's eyes. 'I sensing something else, though… best keep our guard up.'

Suddenly the Bohrok she inhabited flew through the air from an explosion, and the Bahrag's connection became a black emptiness. Frantically, she concentrated on anything that might be there; she could sense a lot less live Krana than five seconds before.

'What – what happened?' Cahdok asked as she, too, was scanning the area to find a Bohrok and see what had caused this. She finally found one that had been thrown off its feet but was able to walk fine. As she entered its mind, she saw numbers of Bohrok laying on the soil, some with multiple missing parts, their bodies a twisted piece of flesh. The large hole in the ground, however, was what attracted her attention the most.

'Get them!' She shouted in all the Krana's minds. 'Finish them now!'

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"All right, let's go!" Beisbeis shouted as soon as the rubble subsided. Archers quickly started up the edifice, their bows bent, ready for the inevitable attack.

"Here they come!"

A Tahnok and a Lehvak began rolling down the dirt, recklessly swinging everywhere, trying to collide with any Matoran. One was unfortunate enough to smash into the Tahnok and fly backwards, landing three bio lower than where he was. Beisbeis avenged this by swinging his sword into the rolling body, stopping the Bohrok to rear back in pain. Beisbeis pulled his weapon out of the severed back and called out, "Hurry! We don't have much time! Take two swordsmen per group!"

The Matoran quickly sprinted out the soldier's barracks where they were being kept safe. Shouts of "Come on, people, we need to go!" hurried their pace to the ruined mound of dirt rising to the surface. Beisbeis scanned a split-second before shouting, "Anybody alive?" to the archers on the hill. After some nods, he said, "Good. Form a wall with me, and we'll go up together and move whatever's in our way." A couple shouts of encouragement helped him to form the line, and within a few seconds, they charged, screaming up the hill.

However, this did not last. About halfway up, Bohrok revealed themselves from the Upper Level and instantly began expelling flames to the soldiers below. Beisbeis, disturbed by this sudden appearance, threw his sword blindly into the flames. As he cursed himself for this mistake, A Bohrok rolled under the flames, the sword through his right leg. Také seized the opportunity and shot arrows above the flames. As another fell down, Také shouted, "Throw a volley… now!"

The archers followed his example and shot above the fire to the stampeding Bohrok. As they fell down, Beisbeis yelled, "Let's go!" and grabbed his sword. The Matoran nodded and begun their ascent, just as the Bohrok began flooding out of the stairs from the Upper Level, carrying the dead Matoran's body that was listening for the Bohrok's movements. One of the soldiers began to turn around, but Beisbeis grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't stop! There will be a time to take revenge," he said, "But unless you want to die, it is not now." After a second, the soldier nodded painfully and began to climb again.

Beisbeis was the first to reach the top and find the hole surrounded by Bohrok. He swung the sword around, pushing the advancing beasts back. As soon as they did so, he pulled out a Madu Cabolo and threw it into the enemy. The result was a large explosion throwing everything off their feet, with the nearest Bohrok to the explosion had their Kranas ripped from their headplates as they sailed through the air.

As the dust settled, the Matoran began their escape, the soldiers fighting off any Bohrok that was able to stand to protect the civilians with them. Také shot arrows everywhere, but even with this massacre the Bohrok began to regroup. Beisbeis watched the monsters swarm Také's group and begin to overtake the Matoran. The captain was filled with such rage that he gripped his sword and blindly leaped screaming into the fray, swinging his weapon at anything that lived. After four Bohrok lay with some detached appendages the swarm to back up slightly, although they did not give in to the swordsmen's fierceness and let them escape.

A sudden and large explosion that came from Také answered that.

Beisbeis tried jumping up after being thrown back form the Madu Cabolo's force and flinched from the blood oozing out from his left shoulder. A bit of the skin was missing; it was painful to move it in any way, as he discovered as he tried to raise his arm to defend. Luckily, the Pahrak missed its target as the captain began to rise and Khora swung into the Bohrok's neck, bringing it down.

"Out!" Beisbeis bellowed, running to the entrance, "Retreat! Run for your lives!"

Everyone obeyed this command, whether they were engaged in combat or not. The Matoran made their way under the arch that used to support the wooden gate that was now burned to ash. Beisbeis watched the Matoran exit the city and nodded to Také as he passed by.

"Get everybody into the Pöuri forest. Understand?" Také stood for a moment, concerned as he saw Beisbeis' arm before he was pushed ahead by the frightened crowd.

Beisbeis turned back to the city. If he had known when escaped this city two days ago that he would do so again with the remnants of the Koro were crumbling and dissolving before his eyes…

Beisbeis stood, pondering for a few moments, then sighed, shook his head, and turned into the forest.

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They had been walking for about fifteen minutes, Beisbeis at the rear, watching for anything that might appear. After what they had just managed to achieve the Bohrok would certainly not let them escape that easily. Beisbeis whispered to a soldier wearing a Mahiki, "Kan, signal Také to stop. I'm hearing something."

Kan slowly concentrated on Také's mind, warning telepathically to stop. As he concentrated, Také stopped, raised his hand and looked back at Beisbeis. The company caught on and halted, while Beisbeis scanned the area. He noticed the large amount of heat beginning to surround them. He nodded to Kan, and the two neared the source of the heat, their weapons raised.

Suddenly, two arms appeared, and a Matoran popped out of a bush. Beisbeis dropped his sword out of complete exhaustion, relieved that they didn't have to fight again just yet. All around them Matoran revealed themselves to Beisbeis and the group. Sori stepped out, his arms outstretched.

"Beisbeis, you're alive!"

Beisbeis sighed; his anger that he had managed to dampen down suddenly resurfaced. "Sori – what happened? Where were you when we needed you?"

Sori shook his head worriedly. "We were ambushed by Bohrok before we could break camp and catch up to you… we feared the worst…"

Beisbeis, however, noticed the confused and surprised looks on some of his soldiers' faces. Something was going on; he didn't need his Akaku to know that. The Matoran nodded, pointed further into the Pöuri forest and began walking in that direction. "We can explain everything when we reach safety. There's a cave system we used to the south a bit from here. The Bohrok shouldn't be able to spot us from there."

Sori nodded understandingly. "Of course, sir."

Beisbeis did not respond. He continued through the foliage, wondering what Sori had planned for him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It took them half an hour to reach the caves and get everyone inside and hidden from the outside. Thankfully, they did not run into any more Bohrok, although Sori warned they might still be around. As Beisbeis shepherded the last few civilians left in, he scanned the area thoroughly. His Akaku didn't sense any unnatural heat, even though the sun was beginning to rise again. Beisbeis sighed quietly, and his heart sank. It was time to talk to Sori. After taking one more glance, he turned back into the cave system and pulled out a lightstone so he could see where he was going.

He found Sori in the midst of some of his men, chatting about undecipherable things. Beisbeis coughed to acknowledge his presence. When no one apparently heard, he did it again, louder. The room suddenly went silent.

"I would like to talk to Captain Sori," he said. "Alone," he added, after some Matoran gave confused looks. All the Matoran, including some civilians that were setting their sleeping-places, left; with some soldiers giving an uncomfortable glance to Sori. Sori, however, apparently saw no reason to fear anything. He stood up and clapped his hands, giving a reverberating echo in the caves.

"What can I do for you, Beisbeis?" Beisbeis' lightstone showed a stern face, unchanging and staring back at Sori.

"I want you to tell me the real reason why you didn't come to help us when we needed you." Sori's smile flickered to a face of confusion.

"Didn't I tell you what had happened?"

"Oh come on, Sori, I could tell when we met up again that you made up that excuse about fighting the Bohrok. Where were your wounded?" Sori stammered, trying to find words to say.

"I… I had left them with someone else –"

"Who, then?"

Sori opened his mouth, seemingly thought better of it, and closed it again. Beisbeis' icy eyes stared the Akaku's lens.

"Why did you abandon us, then?"

Sori suddenly glared defiantly back through his blue Hau.

"Since your little outburst on me, I decided enough was enough, and I wasn't going following your command anymore. The Council also feel the same way; since you were stirring up trouble for us, they decided I am the more trustworthy between the two of us." Sori allowed himself a small smile. "So they felt it was forgivable that I let it, em slip my mind and not come to the rescue, knowing they could use you one last time before they give you…" He occupied himself with his pouch for a few seconds and pulled out a small piece of flax, "…This."

Beisbeis looked at the front - it was written by the Council. He could also see his name on the front. Beisbeis snatched it from Sori's hand and tore it open.

By suggestion of the Lieutenant 1st Class Sori and the Head Matoran, Niwan, the Council propose the resignation of Captain 2nd Class Beisbeis. The voting was unanimous in the affirmative, 15-0. Beisbeis will be stripped of his rank and may not continue engaging in the duties of the Army, which includes combat. This will take effect immediately.

Beisbeis' heart began racing. Here was his work – and whole life – stopped by one scrap of paper. He felt his face turning red under the mask. The Matoran looked back up at Sori. He raised his hand to salute, but Sori grabbed it before he could position it.

"I believe the proper term of respect a civilian can give to a General, especially a newly appointed one, is to bow," Sori whispered softly, smirking slightly.

Beisbeis hesitated, until he saw Sori's hand stray to his hilt. He began to bend his back and look down at his feet. It was hard to hear anything anymore, even the echoes from the tunnels. His face burned as he raised himself back to his normal standing position. Sori leaned close to Beisbeis' face.

"Dismissed."

Beisbeis nodded slowly after a few seconds, then turned around and stepped out of the cave. It felt like an eternity before he reached Také again.

"What's wrong, sir?" Také asked. Beisbeis slumped onto a rock, barely hearing the words. Také noticed the letter and asked, "May I?" Beisbeis nodded, and after Také had read it at least three times over, the former captain's heart began to pound less than it did five minutes ago. After a few moments of silence, Také sighed quietly amidst the chattering of Matoran all around them.

"Well, what do we do now?" Beisbeis' eyes hardened.

"We go back to BZ-Koro." Také looked surprised.

"To do what?" Beisbeis looked at him as if he were insane.

"To free it, of course." Také returned the look.

"With who?"

"The army, of course."

Také's jaw dropped. When he realized people were staring, he closed his mouth again and said, "…How?" Beisbeis looked at the letter.

"I'm guessing the only Matoran who know about this are The Council and Sori – and maybe some of his more trusting men. We spread the word that in ten minutes we set out for BZ-Koro." Také shook his head, his mouth gaping.

"This is crazy… What if the Council finds out?"

"I'm as good as dead to them," Beisbeis snapped, "So if I get caught in the attempt, oh well."

Také sat silent for a moment. As he came up, Beisbeis grabbed him by the shoulder and said, "Wait – inform someone we can trust. Do you remember that Khora kid?" Také nodded. "Good. Make sure he stays here so he can tell us what happened when we get back." Také nodded and walked silently to adjacent cave systems. Beisbeis sighed grimly, then got up and followed his example.

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'Well,' thought Beisbeis, as the army began marching again to BZ-Koro, 'that seemed to run a bit too smoothly… but we shall see when we get back… if we do return.'

They had left the caves fifteen minutes ago. BZ-Koro was going to be near after a short walk. With this in mind, Beisbeis halted the company and brought the three officers they were able to grab from under The Council's watch out to plan. It was luck that had let them get so many, even if it was barely enough to command the group of fifty Matoran. Beisbeis pulled out his sword and drew out a map of BZ-Koro to the best of his knowledge since they had left, although it was sure to have changed since then.

"All right," Beisbeis said, after he had finished his drawing, "This is the plan. Once we reach BZ-Koro, we shall split, and archers will surround the city and begin a barrage into the city. The team of thirty will be led by Také, and his lieutenants will be Nora and Manu." Here he pointed out two new Matoran that had barely become officers. They were identical twins, one wearing a Miru and the other a Kakama, which were both yellow along with their bodies.

"From that, our swordsmen shall come through the main gate to the South an the Northeast. The word for this to go is "forward." They will be led by Karon and I." He pointed to a sturdy Matoran, bearing a large sword and wearing a black Pakari against his dark blue body, which was to help shield him in the dark. "After we make it in, the archers will shoot two more volleys, then half will advance and join the fight. The other half shall stay where they are to take care of any retreat the Bohrok might make. Understood?" When everybody nodded, he did also. "Good. We will take a ten minute rest to get ready continuing Brief your troops, please."

Everybody quietly came back to the group. Beisbeis sighed quietly and sat on a boulder. The sun slowly rose along the sky, which was unusually clear. Beisbeis hoped that a good omen for today. Fatigue was overtaking his whole body. He came to a stream that had developed from the river running through The Island. He took off his mask, splashed some water on his face, and his senses immediately became alerted once more. He was ready to fight.

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It took them another twenty minutes at a fast pace to get out of the forest and to BZ-Koro. Beisbeis nodded, and the archers split the left and right of him to the city, covered by the trees surrounding the Koro. The former captain nodded again, and Karon followed the archers and left the bushes in which they were hiding with his group of twelve. Beisbeis himself commanded thirteen; only three had ever seen war before, so the experienced three were asked to assist the rest. The Matoran barely saw some of the archers leap into the trees; they had learned that when Le-Koro had been taken, and they were called to help. The Matoran had to be ready for anything in Mata Nui.

Beisbeis saw Také in a visible spot in a tree from his position to the north. Také gave a thumbs-up. The Matoran returned the gesture. Také nodded once and signaled to the rest on the ground and above, then notched his bow. The others did the same.

"Three… two… one –" Beisbeis muttered, and the archers sent their arrows singing through the air. Beisbeis could hear many hit, and they were confirmed by the various screams and hisses from the Bohrok. The archers re-notched their bows, and soon volleys were sent at will, causing chaos among the inside of BZ-Koro. Amongst the din, Beisbeis could decipher, "Forward! Forward!"

"Let's go!" he shouted, and his group silently ran to the gate. When they came about three kio from it, Beisbeis yelled, "Chaaarge!" His group, screaming, came into a full-blown sprint. They reached it as the Bohrok began retreating. Beisbeis swung his sword upwards into the nearest Tahnok's chin, sending it sailing, as the other Matoran became engaged with their own enemies.

The Bohrok were in total pandemonium. With this new threat coming on them, they panicked, and Beisbeis and his group were luckily able to wipe their swarm without major injury. As the last one was slain, he saw Karon's group, looking around for more Bohrok in the city.

There were none to be seen.

'This isn't right,' Beisbeis thought, 'what happened to the rest of the Bohrok that were guarding the Koro?"

Suddenly, he heard the noise he had come to fear for so long.

"Chikt – Chikt – Chikt – Chikt –"

Swarms of blue, red and green eyes emerged from under the ground, from invisible holes outside the city. Beisbeis' heart thumped harder than it had ever before as the Pahrak, Lehvak, and Tahnok grew closer into the .

'I walked us into another trap. Another trap. They're going to get us now. It's over.'

The archers on the ground ran for their lives into the city while those in the trees recovered from the shock and began firing to the Bohrok. It was not enough to stop them, though, as they continued marching into the city. Také disregarded this fact as he used up his arrows, his arms and hands working seamlessly together, picking them off one by one.

Beisbeis quickly counted out everyone. Not one person had been lost yet, but that would soon change with his stupid mistake. Quickly, he turned around to the Matoran.

"Hurry, create a circle with your weapons out. When I say 'fight', run into the enemy and send them back where they came from! We will make them fear our names!" The soldiers nodded and did what he said, frightened as they were. Beisbeis shifted his pouch and a Madu Cabolo fell out. Surprised, he hid it from sight as the Bohrok finished surrounding them.

All was silent. The archer's arrows were spent. Beisbeis looked around silently for a moment, and took a deep breath.

"Fiiight!"

Instantly he threw out his Madu Cabolo. A large explosion blew the wind whistling through his mask and sent Bohrok flying through. He saw his fellow Matoran being gored by the monsters. He suddenly charged, being the last to do so, and was sent in a rage that no beast could oppose him. Before long, ten Bohrok stood by his side; and he did not stop despite his open bleeding in his leg and left arm again.

It would not be the end, however. Individual Matoran were becoming pinned down. Beisbeis drove his way to one near his death and tore down anyone who opposed him. He was beginning to breathe heavily. It was over.

Suddenly, two explosions rent the air, and Beisbeis saw more bodies, Bohrok and dead Matoran, flying. Their hope was alive again. He fought with new vigor. His last Bohrok came running at him; Beisbeis simply threw his sword at him, which pierced the headplate. It went down, screeching.

Beisbeis saw the remaining Bohrok take a quick glance; eight Bohrok retreated out of the original seventy that had entered the Koro. A great cheer came over the Matoran. Beisbeis nodded slightly and fainted, exhaustion overtaking him.

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'So… they took the city again, Sister. Our visions have not come true.'

'Not to worry. They will fight against each other. They will destroy their unity. And then they will fall. Meanwhile, we must continue searching for what we need.' The Bohrok Va crawling around their feet continued their work, oblivious to their master's grand schemes. Cahdok smiled.

'Yes. When we find what we need, nothing will be able to stop us.'

'Yes… It will the end of The Island… and of Mata Nui.'

End of Part I