Chapter 4 - Fractures

UZOK - METRU NUI

Under-Marshal Uzok, or, as he was known by many of his troops, "Tahtorak Slayer", was extremely pissed off.

"You worthless curs, all of you, get up!" he shouted into the barracks, as Skakdi slowly rolled off of their cots. The Skakdi of Air had never seen such a disorganized lot - with only a matter of minutes left before his lance joined in the parade, it was downright disgusting that they had failed to prepare in time. Perhaps their celebration over the victory at Lharis had taken precedence the night prior.

"I should have you all flogged, you lazy bastards!" He barked, beginning a lazy patrol through the room. Two dozen skakdi packed their equipment in silence, not daring to meet his eye, lest they incur further punishment. A handful held their heads out of pain, though a quick glance at their encroaching superior encouraged them to get to work sooner rather than later.

Making his rounds, he stopped before one bunk, where a Skakdi of fire lay still sleeping. The disobedient brute, by the name of Hakis, had once again failed to respond to his superior officer's commands; a routine that was becoming regular amongst the troop. For a moment, Uzok considered throwing the Skakdi out of the single window at the end of the room, though in the end, he considered the morale of the men would take an even further tumble, which was a dangerous proposition when putting them on parade in under half an hour.

Leaning in close to Hakis, Uzok drew back a fist, and thrust it into the Skakdi's gut. Immediately, Hakis' eyes shot open, and he rolled off of the bed clutching his stomach in pain.

"You gafna! You spine slug! I have seen insolent scum underneath my claws of more value than you, Hakis. You have disgraced this lance yet again."

The Skakdi had a fire in his eyes, but instead of getting up for a fight, Hakis stood down.

"Sorry, sir. Won't happen again." Hakis' eyes burrowed into the floor. Uzok glared for a moment.

"Get out of my face and get ready to move. Dismissed!" He hollered, loud enough to make Hakis flinch. Turning with machine-like precision, Uzok marched towards the door, waiting for his elite guard to finish their preparation. The rest of his lance had been made ready by now, and were waiting at attention for him.

Within two minutes, the Elite Guard of the 65th Skakdi Lance, commonly known as the "Warbirds", had assembled before their Under-Marshal. They, along with ten other lances stationed at the same barrack, were at attention in a large plaza connecting to the parade thoroughfare. Already, the lead groups had departed - three Xian X2 War Walkers at the lead, a dozen A1 Atmo suits, and two Aquamarine Lances; made of four thousand Ursare (8), Ekedax (9), and Gawalai (10) alike. While imposing, the lead groups had been chosen out of strategic value rather than for show. As the last of the Xian armor legions to be loaded onto the ships, the extensive time it would take to embark them forced them to the head of the group, while the aquamarines, serving as dedicated fleet security and marine forces, were meant to be at their action stations aboard each vessel by the time the parade ended, and preferably sooner.

Uzok was extremely pleased to see Marshal Koltari inspecting the status of each lance. The presence of such a high-ranking official indicated that Uzok's lance, along with the others assembled, would likely be subject to some special ceremony.

Snapping to attention, Uzok took a knee before Koltari, who looked over his nose at the Skakdi of Air. An older Skakdi of Gravity, Koltari was lean and muscular, and wore several gilded pieces of armor, indicating a storied career. By his side, he carried an ornamental staff which had once belonged to a Turaga he had slain, though now was carried under his arm like a baton. Stopping before Uzok to inspect his lance- of which the elite guard stood at the front, warglaives polished and ready for action.

As the Marshal inspected the men, Uzok felt a sudden compulsion to raise his voice. Clearing his throat, he kept his eyes averted from his superior.

"Permission to speak, sir?" He probed, and with a quick glance, saw Koltari nod. Rising, Uzok continued.

"If you'd be inclined, I was wondering… what special circumstance warrants your presence? Shouldn't you be marching with the high marshals at the rear?"

Glaring over his nose, Koltari spoke calmly.

"I will be. Along with all of you. You'll be taking position third to rear. Keep the 2nd Steltian Raiders in front of you, and for the love of Teridax, keep the Makuta behind you or I will kill you myself. Understood?"

Surprise made itself clear on Uzok's face. Although an Under-Marshal, on account of his victory at the battle of Bost, he had rarely been privy to such honor as to march fore of the Makuta themselves. In fact, dwelling upon it, he could not remember having ever seen a Makuta in person, save for a glimpse of Bitil during a battle. The thought thrilled him terribly.

"Understood, sir. The 65th warbirds will present themselves most commendably."

"Good, see that it does, or I'll tear your arms off." Koltari said, departing without another word.

Under-Marshal Uzok's military career was a surprising one. For most of his life, he had served as both a sailor, and a "liberator of goods", though surprisingly he rarely served both positions at once, despite the wealth of Skakdi pirates that sailed the seas. Instead, his military career would begin through a foolish turn of irony. During the Makuta siege of Zakaz, many Skakdi ships had been stationed at a specific coastal town, and were expected to be sortied within days. In response, the Makuta threatened to raze the town to the ground. Uzok, out of self preservation, broke the Varrak's command that all ships remain and defend the area, and attempted to flee in the night. Instead, his crew was so desperate to escape that they failed to adequately adjust their course, blocking the single fjord that the Skakdi fleet relied on in order to mobilize. The result was a one-sided massacre, which the Makuta attributed to Uzok's cunning act of treason against his kind. As a result, he had been immediately accelerated to the rank of Brother Greater, a position granting him 60 Skakdi soldiers with which to command.

Though the position of military distinction was not what Uzok had expected or intended with his life, he took to the challenge like a Gawalai to water. Although his knowledge of combat tactics was somewhat elementary, he was nothing if not the picturesque example of a leader. Skakdi under his command were both highly loyal, highly motivated, and highly efficient. Subsequent victories had taken his already prestigious career and elevated it, until he at last arrived upon the position of Under-Marshal.

It was because of this rank that Uzok had the particular opportunity to march at the head of - rather than in the ranks of - the 65th Warbirds. Nonetheless, he wished his naval prowess had caught the eye of the Makuta more than his tactical blunder, as it would have kept him out of the parade and on a ship, cozy and - in most cases - quite safe from the battlefield. Instead, he was among the men and women of the Brotherhood's fighting forces, wearing on his foot armor as he marched.

"I don't suppose there's much of a purpose to this exercise." He thought, letting his eyes wander. Although it did impress upon the locals the sheer indomitable might of the Brotherhood, he figured they would have learned that when they first arrived in their universe, bringing destruction with them. Any display the parade was attempting to make was outweighed by the surviving Matoran's already-saturated fear of the Makuta. It was a fear that Uzok related to.

"Glad I'm not back with the rest of the Marshals," he thought, sparing a minute, half-second glance over his shoulder, towards Koltari and the rest of the commanders. Only the Marshal stood between him and the eerie, shadowy beings beyond. Following at the rear of the parade, the Makuta exuded a constant, chilling atmosphere of fear. At this range, even those personally addressing the dark masters dared not meet their eye, or even stare in their general direction for more than a second. As such, Uzok had little perception of what the beings themselves actually looked like. He was, however, underwhelmed from the impression he had gotten. Rumors had spread throughout the ranks that the Makuta were horrifying, insectoid creatures, or batlike monstrosities that hung from ceilings. The figures behind him were little more than tall, gaunt warriors with wings folded behind them. He had noted their armor, each of them clad in a different color, and that a few carried strange orange pods in their chest, clutched behind a silver ribcage. They carried large cloaks upon their shoulders, which wrapped around them, and dragged behind them. Their leader was particularly large, and wore a bright golden mask with flared cheeks upon his face, which contrasted terribly with his otherwise shadowy black and red armor. He was the only one of the Makuta who was armed, carrying a massive blade, taller than Uzok, in one hand. It clicked against the floor with every step, as Icarax used it like a walking stick. The rest, as Uzok figured, were likely willing to rely on their own mysterious powers to defend themselves.

"Lucky bastards. Wish I could saw a Matoran in half just by opening my eyes." He thought. Then again, there were members of his lance that could, so he wondered if perhaps his point was moot. That, and the Skakdi with laser vision were people he trusted, and didn't feel on edge simply sharing the same island with, while the Makuta - although he was loyal, he could hardly say he felt the same towards them.

In the distance, he could see the ships waiting for them in the harbor. In a few moments the entire parade would finally be over, and the soldiers and naval forces of the Brotherhood could get underway. He was dying for something more interesting than marching to come his way.

No sooner did the thoughts cross his mind, than a matoran burst from the side of the street; A Ta-Matoran from the looks of it. Idly, Uzok glanced over at the matoran.

"Wonder what he thinks he's doing…" he wondered, as the Matoran sprinted across the ground. In a matter of seconds, the Matoran had closed the distance to the parade, as the Makuta and Skakdi watched, stupefied. Suddenly, a red glow began to appear around the Matoran's heartlight. The glow began to intensify, growing larger and larger with each second. Uzok's eyes widened.

A sudden panic went through the Skakdi lines, lasting only a second, but in that time, Uzok had made up his mind. Turning back towards Koltari, Uzok leaped through the Air towards him, sending him tumbling to the ground. Shielding him with his body, the Skakdi of Air could feel the heat increasing, as a wave of flame suddenly shot out from the Ta-Matoran.

While by no means as powerful as the nova blast of a Toa, a Matoran nova blast was easily capable of killing any beings unfortunate enough to get caught in its blast, and levelling a building if correctly positioned. Despite this, Uzok felt no fear as he shielded the Marshal, even as he felt flames lick at his back. A scream ripped out from the crowd, and Uzok shut his eyes tight.

"Guess this is it." He thought, devoid of any emotion.

Then, as suddenly as the crisis began, it stopped. The heat dissipated instantly, and Uzok slowly climbed back to his feet, looking towards where the Matoran had been. Icarax stood, a single hand raised, and from it, a rushing wind projected itself. Wrapping around the Matoran, Uzok recognized it instantly by the rush of wind past his ears, and the thinness of the Air - the vacuum field hungrily ate up the fire before it could even escape the Matoran. Instead, the flames had begun to turn inwards, towards any traces of oxygen they could find, trapped within the Ta-Matoran's body. Although resistant to fire, even they had their limits.

Icarax cocked his head in confusion, and seemed taken aback for a moment, which surprised Uzok greatly.

As the Lord of Shadow stared down the slowly incinerating Matoran, he saw the being within the vacuum field grin. From nearby, a second Matoran emerged, this time an Onu-Matoran, and with Icarax distracted, Uzok watched in slow motion as it hurled a protosteel shaft straight towards Icarax's mask. The Grand Commander of the Brotherhood turned, slowly, as if all of his attention was turned elsewhere, and Uzok could see blades extend from the tip of the shaft. It had become a javelin, aimed straight for Icarax's kanohi. Despite the little one's conviction, however, Uzok was pleased to see that his aim was poor. The spear sailed through the Air, towards Icarax, but merely scratched at his cheek before passing harmlessly off into the beyond. Icarax glared, and everything suddenly returned to normal speed in Uzok's mind. Where once a field of vacuum surrounded the Ta-Matoran, now a field of gravity took its place, crushing the Matoran instantly and shattering his armor. Meanwhile, a duo of Steltian Marshals took hold of the Onu-Matoran, and threw him before Icarax. The Makuta surrounded the Matoran, who, despite the presence of the seven most dangerous and powerful beings in the universe, did not flinch. In fact, he seemed quite pleased with himself.

"The more you tighten your grip, the more we slip through your claw-" The Matoran began, before Icarax howled with rage and slammed his double-bladed sword through the Matoran's skull. There was a brief flicker, before the Matoran's eyelights went out, and he was dead.

"Good riddance." Uzok thought, as he watched the Makuta stare at the corpse.

"Vamprah! Your suspicions of rebel presence proved correct - I want them destroyed!" Icarax hollered, his voice dripping with malice. A soft hum filled the Air, and all of the Makuta grimaced, save for the blue one. Confused, Uzok watched Icarax's posture soften.

"Fine then. Decimate them. We will delay our departure no longer."

With a loud step, Vahki standing at the sides of the parade suddenly stood at arms, and charged into the crowd. A scream rose up, then another, and suddenly the crowd scattered, vanishing down alleyways and into buildings, as Vahki leaped and flew after them, thrusting their bladed staves into fleeing bodies. A few brave matoran fired elemental bursts, attempting to slow or disable the Vahki, but there were too many for them to be stopped.

Next to Uzok, Marshal Koltari remained on the ground, in shock. Reaching a hand, Uzok helped the superior to his feet. As he dusted himself off, Koltari glanced at Uzok with an uneasy eye.

"You saved my life." He spoke, matter of factly. Uzok thought for a moment, and realized that he had indeed attempted to throw himself in harm's way for another Skakdi - a highly irregular practice amongst their culture.

"I suppose I owe you a debt." The marshal continued.

"...Anytime, sir." Uzok stammered out, before the momentum of the parade picked back up, and the two were forced to return to their positions, or be left behind to face the wrath of a decimated Matoran population. He did not envy the new Kra-Turaga (11) of Metru Nui for the work they would have once the Brotherhood left.

ICARAX - ABOARD THE INDOMITABLE

Icarax sat stone-still upon his throne, high upon the command tower of the Steltian warship the Indomitable. His personal flagship, it was both the largest and the most well equipped of the ships in any of his fleets, and he took great pride in it. Standing above the main bridge was an observatory, which served as a mobile throne room for the Lord of Shadow. Though currently, his thoughts did not dwell upon the ship - they dwelled upon the insolent and disgusting rebels that plagued his universe. Why did they not understand the hopelessness of their cause? The sheer might of the Makuta could not be harmed by two Matoran - so why had they attempted it at all?

"To stand against the Brotherhood was to court death"; a lesson several universes had been taught at great cost. Despite this, they continued to fight on. As each word entered his mind, Icarax slammed a fist against the arm of his chair. He could see a small crack forming in the metal, though he paid it little attention.

His Makuta brethren remained far from him, retreating instead to their own personal ships, leaving Icarax in solitude. Below him, a Kolhaki (12) captain assigned Oroha (13) messages to his communications officer, who coordinated the mass departure from the harbor. As the last seven ships to leave, the rest of the fleets waited in formation to enter in procession behind the Indomitable. The next six ships - Teridax's Will, the Dominion, the Stealer of Life, the Listener, the Tyrant King, and the Spectre - would follow through, along with over two hundred other battleships, carriers, and support vessels. Over the course of an hour, each ship worked its way out of the harbor, and into the sea of protodermis. All the while, Icarax fumed.

Situations ran through the Makuta's head. He wondered if there was perhaps some critical error he had made that allowed the Matoran to organize such an assault. It was suicide, and yet they attacked him anyways. For a brief moment, the lord of shadow envied his former station, and the times of Karda Nui. Conquering the universe was a simple task then, and involved killing a meager handful of pesky toa. Subjugating populations was more difficult than he had expected, and he found it far less entertaining.

A voice came over the loudspeaker, interrupting Icarax's irritated musing. It was the Captain, waiting for Icarax's order.

"All ships in position and standing by, my lord."

Icarax looked towards the city, where already the slaughter had ended. At this distance, he could not see the bodies, but it contented him to know they were there. Summoning his strength, he activated the Kanohi Olmak once again, and although it took every bit of his power, a massive gateway began to appear before the ship, big enough for an army to march through. The Olmak glowed with a searing light that, even in previous trips, had annoyed him greatly. This time, it would have annoyed him further, had his mind's eye not been turned towards plans of death and destruction.

Had he been watching the horizon, or keeping his thoughts on the present, perhaps he would have spared himself a great deal of trouble. Perhaps, even, he would have noticed a small scar on the cheek of the Olmak, which glowed even brighter than the mask. Perhaps he would notice minute irregularities in the portal.

But he did not.

CAPTAIN MENIRAS - ABOARD THE INDOMITABLE

Meniras was a storied sailor, and had been a captain since well before the creation of the Indomitable. Twice already had he been party to the "Great Journey", as the Makuta called it, as they travelled from universe to universe. The process was always a stressful one, and he dreaded sending his ship through the portal each time, unaware of what waited on the other side.

"Half ahead."

"Half ahead aye." Came the reply from elsewhere on the bridge, as the engines began to rumble underfoot. Deep within the belly of the ship, massive, several-ton engines came to life, turning a series of turbines larger than a Lhomanu (14) with an Awai (15). The ship chugged forward at a slow speed.

"Signal for the fleet to follow."

"Signalling, aye."

Meniras was a machine of efficiency, and let nothing go unnoticed or unattended. Behind him, hundreds of ships began to maneuver into line. Despite his attention to detail, he held his breath as the ship passed through the Olmak gate - never to be seen in the recently-departed universe again.

The permeable barrier passed through the bridge, and he felt the void clear on the other side. He could see another Metru Nui beyond. His face cracked a grin - it had worked.

"Conn, sonar, unidentified contact. Possible aquatic anomaly," came a shout from elsewhere on the bridge. Immediately, Meniras turned from the massive windows, and sprinted towards the sonar station.

"Put it on screen." He demanded, as the Paxorak seated at the controls for a complicated set of arthron and vothron (16) scanners complied. The image of a large disk, submerged in the water, appeared before him.

"What is that?" The first mate - a Layamat (17) - asked. The captain continued to peer at the anomaly with confusion. It seemed strangely familiar.

"Navigator?" He called out. "Are we on a collision course?"

"Aye captain, our bow will be passing over the anomaly in a matter of seconds."

"Do we have visual contact?" Meniras asked, already sprinting towards the viewports. As he did, a stunned silence filled the room. Directly before them, a massive hole - easily large enough to swallow the ship - was planted directly in the sea, a few meters below the water level. Above it, where thousands of gallons of seawater should have been, there was open air; the edges of the hole beveled, as water rushed in to meet the hungering void. Watching the water rush in, the captain realized what lay before him; an Olmak gate.

"Are we able to adjust course?" The captain whispered, knowing full well that the ship had less than a few seconds before its bow would begin to crest over the edge. Silence filled the room.

"Sound collision," he choked out.

Then everything went black.