Chapter 6 - New Lands
UZOK - UNKNOWN
Uzok was drowning. Around him, the cold black abyss clung to his body, and he could feel himself sinking. His lungs screamed for air, but upon opening his mouth, he could feel icy water rush in to meet it. A sudden flash of light filled the area, and Uzok could see waves breaking above him. Thrashing upwards, he clawed his way through murk, until he burst out of the water like a stinger whale breaching the surface. Coughing and sputtering, the Skakdi took heaving breaths, before attempting to figure out his surroundings.
As far as he could see, there was chaos. The hull of the troop carrier, the Fungible Assets, was quickly sinking below the water. Nearby, a rainbow sheen lit up the surface of the water, and an orange glow washed over Uzok, with flames dancing into the night sky. A Skakdi of Gravity paddled furiously out of the inferno, hollering in pain as he splashed at the blaze clinging to him. Scraps of metal floated in the water, as all manner of beings clung to them. Confusion wracked Uzok's brain.
What happened? he wondered, as he tried to recall the last hour. He remembered the 65th Skakdi Lance standing on the nose of the Fungible Assets as it went through the portal, then a sudden drop, and the next thing he remembered was clawing his way to the surface. Something had clearly gone very wrong, and the thought of such a thing made him feel nauseous. Scanning the area, he looked for anyone familiar; his gaze passing over several Oropi he couldn't recognize. His elite guard, Edak, Ikotinn, Tharak… where were they?
"65th Skakdi-" he began, before a wave smashed into him. He submerged once again, before pushing himself out of the water. An unusual taste filled his mouth - saltwater? Nonetheless, it was not a pressing issue, so he simply spat the water out, and attempted again.
"Warbirds, sound off!" he shouted, hoping for at least some of his men to respond. But amidst the screaming of wounded or frightened beings, and the fickle light of fire, he could neither see nor hear a familiar being. Suddenly, a voice came from nearby.
"Undermarshal, help me! Please!"
Turning, Uzok could see a Skakdi of Fire treading water, though his right arm was clearly broken. Of course, Uzok thought. Of all the bastards that end up surviving. He debated ignoring the flailing Skakdi for a moment, before he felt a twinge in his chest. Swimming towards the voice, Uzok reached out an arm.
"Take the hand, Hakis."
Eagerly, the Skakdi of Fire reached out and grabbed ahold of his commanding officer's hand, and Uzok pulled it around his shoulder. Grunting with the effort, Uzok suddenly appreciated how heavy his underling was. He needed something stable, and fast, unless he wanted to return to the deep blue. Not far off, however, he could see the comforting sight of land. A golden beach, with palms and mountains beyond. It was a sight for sore eyes.
"65th, to me," he hollered in a hoarse voice, not even bothering to check if anyone was following him. He began urgently treading towards the island. Hakis attempted to follow as well, paddling as well as he could, while holding on to his commander. The white foam of waves breaking against the shore wasn't far off. Almost there, Uzok thought. Almost there.
The effort of dragging Hakis behind him was slowing Uzok greatly. Internally, a debate on whether to throw him back into the deep raged, as the Skakdi of Air struggled to justify risking his own life to save the worst member of his elite guard. We need a raft, he thought, looking around for a large-enough piece of metal floating in the water. What he did see, however, was another Skakdi. An Onu-Skakdi, Uzok identified, pulling Hakis through the water behind him.
The Onu-Skakdi was massive, easily the largest Skakdi that Uzok had ever seen. It seemed like bits of scrap armor had been plastered to various parts of his body, as his already imposingly large frame was supplemented with additional armor, which crudely jutted off of his body at odd angles.
"You there, Skakdi! Where's your squad?" Uzok shouted, catching the Onu-Skakdi's attention.
"Who's asking?" he shot back, furious at the interruption.
"An Undermarshal, you stupid worm!" Uzok flared.
"Don't know, sir! Wasted, probably."
"What's your name?"
"Akres, sir," the Onu-Skakdi spoke through gritted teeth.
"Akres, you're in the 65th Warbirds elite guard now. I'll help you make a earth platform, if you get me and this bog snake out of the water."
Akres stared at the two Skakdi, struggling to keep up with him. Sizing up Uzok, he seemed to be internally deliberating.
"Do what he says, or I swear I'll strangle you with the arm that still works-" Hakis began, before Akres suddenly thrashed his arm through the water, splashing a massive wave across the Skakdi of Fire. Hakis stammered and stuttered, now soaked entirely.
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking! Don't interrupt me you damn idiot, or that broken arm will be the least of your problems - I'll beat you into the sea floor until there's nothing left of your bloody broken face if you do that again, understood?"
Uzok and Hakis stared at the Onu-Skakdi in silence, amazed at the strength of his outburst, and the group stayed in silence for a moment, out of a combination of confusion and distrust.
"Fine, help me out, we can share a raft," Akres said, as Uzok linked his elemental powers with the Onu-Skakdi. A cloud of earth began to form in the water, which initially dissipated in the waves. After a few moments, however, it began to solidify, growing into a solid earthen clod, which the group climbed onto, panting for breath.
"Right, where to?" Akres asked, as Uzok took the opportunity to take a better stock of the area. Uzok wordlessly pointed a single finger towards the island.
Uzok, Hakis, and Akres panted heavily, as they rolled onto the beach. Hakis slowly clambered to his feet, the first to stand, and called for a medic.
"Save your breath," Uzok remarked, opting to remain on the sand. "There's a lot of beings looking for a medic right now. You'd be lucky to find one."
"But my arm-"
"Stow it. You'll live," Uzok said, as he looked out over the water. The body of a Layamat lay in the foam of the shore, and several more could be seen floating in the waves.
"Which is more than can be said for some…"
The group remained on the shore, patrolling for an hour in search of members of the 65th. Several infantrymen were lucky to survive, but for the elite guard; all that remained was Hakis, and a Po-Skakdi named Moke emerging from the water.
"Sir. Reporting for duty," said the Po-Skakdi in a hoarse voice, as Uzok and his team approached the waterlogged being. Moke was average sized for a Skakdi, if somewhat short. His armor, unlike most Po-Skakdi, had freckled yellowish dots on it, which made him visually stand out in most crowds. He bore a number of scars, which he painted over in vibrant reds, whites, and blacks, giving his body the appearance of a strange piece of art. Atop his head were a set of protective goggles, which could be folded downwards onto his eyes, though he currently kept them upwards due to a lack of need.
"Moke. You survived," Uzok noted, masking his happiness with an air of disinterest. He reminded himself that it was important to appear above his men, lest they get any ideas.
"Yes sir. Have there been any others?"
"Only Hakis."
"I see," he replied, in a tone that did not portray a great deal of sadness over his lost comrades. "And the newcomer?"
"Akres. Member of the 65th elite guard, as of… an hour," Akres said, with a small amount of pride. Uzok was not sure why the Onu-Skakdi delighted in rubbing his rank in the face of Moke, considering the two were of the same status.
"I see," he repeated. "Sir, I must protest. It is rash and illogical to look for replacements for lost team members so quickly, especially when it involves inducting untested members-"
"Believe me, I'm more tested than you are, tiny," Akres shot back. Moke ignored the comment.
"He also seems exceptionally rude. You were either very lucky or very unlucky to encounter such an ill-tempered specimen."
"Quiet, both of you," Uzok barked. "Akres helped save Hakis and me. Treat each other like a brother, or you'll have to answer to me."
Moke and Akres glared at each other, before turning towards Uzok, nodding.
"Yes sir," they both said.
"I don't mean to interrupt your little argument," Hakis added, barging into the center of the group. "I for one would like to get dry, I'm soaked, I'm tired, and I want to sit down and get some damn rest."
Hakis' tone challenged Uzok, who was ready to discipline the Ta-Skakdi for his insolence, before he glanced around the group. A similar sentiment was brewing among them all, as he could see water still dripping off of their armor.
"Fine. Find some dry trees, branches - anything flammable. We'll set up on the beach."
The group nodded eagerly, before they all came to a simultaneous realization. Not a single one of them had anything outside of their teeth and nails that could fell a tree, and none of them were willing to spend the several hours it would take to cut down a single tree with said implements.
"Does anyone have an axe-" Moke began, before there was a sudden whistling noise, like an object flying through the air. The group was stunned to see a hatchet bury itself in the center of the group, blade in the sand. Looking around frantically, the group searched for the source of the weapon. It was quickly identified.
A duo of Skakdi stood at the treeline - one of Ice, one of Water. The Skakdi of Ice had several identical hatchets tied at his belt, while the Skakdi of Water was quite large and imposing looking; a female, noticed Uzok after a moment. Akres and Moke immediately went into a defensive stance upon seeing the two beings, though Uzok raised a hand to calm them.
"What do you want?" he asked, calmly. He was not looking for a fight, and as long as the Ko-Skakdi did not reach for a second axe, he was hoping he could avoid one.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. Was hoping to solve your little predicament," the Ko-Skakdi said in a jovial tone. It surprised Uzok, as the being looked quite serious, but his tone carried such a joyful energy that he almost felt it was emerging from the wrong mouth.
"Nobody gives out tools for free at a time like this," Moke commented.
"You're right," said the Ga-Skakdi. Unlike the Ko-Skakdi, her tone very clearly matched her body, and sent a small shiver down Uzok's spine, though he did not show it. "We want to make a deal."
Akres took a step forward immediately.
"You aren't gonna be able to strongarm us so easily. I've killed better people than you."
The Ko-Skakdi quickly interjected, defusing the tension.
"No, no, nothing like that, no need for violence. We'd like to join your team, as it were."
Uzok blinked in surprise. Voluntary recruits?
"You wish to join the 65th Warbirds elite guard? You know of our reputation, yes?"
"Of course we do. But Korenn here has no group to return to, and we'd like to join up with anyone who will have us. I give you my axes for the moment, we get fire and a team, you get some fresh bodies, everyone's happy. Sound good?"
Uzok thought for a moment. Turning, he gestured for the group to huddle around him.
"It seems reasonable, sir," Moke said quietly.
"Not in a million years. There's something about those two, sir… rubs me the wrong way," Hakis said, glancing over his shoulder at the two patiently waiting Skakdi. The Ga-Skakdi flashed him a toothy smile, and coughed into her fist.
"I'm not very patient," she said, intending to be overheard.
Uzok sighed, looking at his group, and back at the two newcomers.
"It'll have to do for the time being."
Turning back to face the duo, Uzok plastered a fake smile on his face.
"Welcome to the elite guard. Korenn, and?"
The Ko-Skakdi hesitated for a moment.
"Sokul. Pleased to make your acquaintance!"
"Right. Korenn, Sokul. Get to chopping. Moke, help them out. I want dry wood - that means you need to be absorbing the moisture out of it, Korenn. Hakis, Akres, work together, I want a fire as soon as possible. Let's go!"
Each member of the group nodded enthusiastically, scurrying about to perform their various tasks. Uzok watched with a grin, as he once again commanded a group with efficiency - perhaps not the group he had intended to arrive in this universe with, but a group that followed his directions well enough.
The team sat around the fire, which had now become a healthily sized bonfire. Since the fire had been built, Sokul had explained his experience with the crash.
"...and when I found Korenn just floating in the water, I asked her to use her element. We worked together, made a current, and carried ourselves to shore while barely needing to lift an arm!"
Akres and Moke nodded along to the story, while Uzok and Hakis remained silent. Uzok, as the commander of the team, kept a watchful eye on all of its members; meaning he could see Hakis give the newcomer duo a shifty eye the entire time they had been together. As Moke, Akres, Korenn, and Sokul exchanged stories, Uzok leaned over, intent on finding out what was on Hakis' mind.
"You said you don't trust them earlier. Why not?"
Hakis didn't even turn to meet Uzok's eye, simply continuing his glare.
"You trust another Skakdi and you end up dead. Seems a silly question to me, sir."
"I know that, but this is beyond suspicion. You know something I don't. Spit it out."
Hakis took a deep breath, and watched Sokul carefully.
"You see that Ko-Skakdi there? He's awfully nice."
"For a Skakdi."
"Especially for a Skakdi. Forthcoming too, considering how eager he was to talk about him and Korenn washing up on shore."
"So?"
"So why is it that someone as nice and honest as he is had to think about what his name was."
Uzok recalled the earlier incident, which he had barely noticed at the time. Before he could comment on it, Hakis continued.
"And another thing… when he and Korenn stumbled out of the jungle, he said that she had no group. She had no group. He never mentioned his own."
Finally breaking his gaze off of the Ko-Skakdi, Hakis looked Uzok dead in the eye, as a cold wind blew through the beach. The firelight flickered.
"Makes you wonder where his group is."
SKRIE - UNKNOWN
Skrie's wings were still damp. She did not appreciate it, as she was already weighed down with her light armor, weapons, rations, and emergency supplies - the added weight of water made flying even harder. Around her, she could see several dozen Atureas sharing a similar grimace, though all of them recognized that it was simply a harsh reality of their jobs.
As a member of the Atureas-only Long Patrol, Skrie was granted more supplies than the average Brotherhood footsoldier. She, along with her team, would spend days on the move, crossing massive swathes of territory by air, meaning they would be cut off from supply lines. This meant that she needed to single-handedly carry all the supplies she needed for several days' journey, or risk dying of hunger or exposure during the mission.
Still, she found the amount of gear she was forced to carry somewhat overindulgent. Each Long Patrol member carried a holdout microkanoka (save for each team's heavy weapon carrier, who was also burdened with an Arc Carbine) plus ammunition, five days worth of rations, a plated cuirass (intentionally dulled in order to avoid a reflection giving away her position), a whisperstone paired to one carried by the team leader (who, as a result, had to carry about a dozen whisperstones), a weatherproof cloak (which doubled as a bedroll), a lodestone, a set of firework flares, a survival knife, a tube of Amana salve (21), several lighstones, and a detachable scope which could universally fit over both Kanohi and unmasked faces.
Before each patrol, Skrie would meticulously check her gear to make sure that she had each and every item, and that it was in good working order. Normally she considered the task a chore, though normally she had not narrowly survived a shipwreck - a situation that called for her to ensure that nothing had accidentally broken. Running down the list, she was pleased to see that, beyond a small leak in the Amana salve tube that was easily patched, no major damage had been done.
"Long Patrol!" came a call from the head of the group. The entire pike stood at attention, facing forward. They were assembled on the top deck of a large carrier ship, in a formation of six by ten. A Vhisotai (22) addressed the group, standing a head above the Atureas; likely an officer of some kind, but it wasn't one Skrie recognized. Perhaps a Turcopolier, Skrie thought, idly, wondering where her Lance's Undermarshal had gone. She hoped they had made it through the great journey unharmed. Her musings were interrupted, however, by another call from the Vhisotai.
"Gravity?"
"Hurts!" came the reply from the avian pike, having performed their pre-flight chant several times in the past.
Hmm. Guess he knows our chant, Skrie thought.
"We take our master's will to the skies."
"Climb with the dark!"
"Those who fall do so at the point of dying. You see the flesh and blood?"
"Our whispers carry it home!"
"Long Patrol… get up there!" the Vhisotai shouted, and there was a sudden flapping of dozens of wings, as the Atureas began to take to the skies. Skrie began to push against the air, feeling wind rush downwards with each stroke. Lifting herself slowly off of the hull, she felt her feet leave the cool metal of the ship. With a practiced grace, she began to rush through the air, speeding through the night.
With the clouds slowly drifting away along with the storm, and the fleet approaching the nearby island, Skrie's breath was nearly taken away once she had the opportunity to look out over the area. The moonlight here was unlike any she had ever seen before - even hidden by clouds, the entire world was tinted with a blue-white glow that seemed to have an ethereal light to it. It was astoundingly beautiful.
Skrie stopped in place, hovering in the air, despite the physical exertion that it took. She had never seen anything like it. Below her, she could see nearly two hundred ships, in various states. Some were listing in the water, some were nearly sunk, some were aflame, setting an orange light dancing and flickering across the waves. The sea itself was calm, after the raging storm earlier, and she could see the reflection of the moon in the water. For a moment, she looked down, and saw the hundreds of beings frantically swimming for the shore, clinging to floating bits of wreckage for their lives. A pang of sorrow went through her, but she quelled the emotion.
Good luck down there, she thought piteously. Turning, she continued propelling herself through the air, until she had fallen into formation with her team leader, an Atureas Major by the name of Kaah. The group formed a V-shape, and took off towards the nearby island, looking for signs of life.
Air reconnaissance proved highly fruitful for the Long Patrol, as Skrie was the first to spot buildings on the far side of the island. Some sort of town, she suspected, though at this time of night, likely sleeping. Since they were ordered not to engage with enemy forces larger than their own, she simply took positional data of the structures, and relayed it to Kaah, who would in turn pass the information along to the fleet. The Long Patrol could not afford to miss anything - if they did, the Brotherhood would surely find out when they conquered the island. She did not want to be the Atureas who forgot to mention an enemy fortress after the invasion started.
A cry came from the far side of the group, as Tuie on the right flank began to peel off. The group followed him, as he spiralled down towards the island. As they did so, Skrie noticed what Tuie had seen - a small set of two buildings, nestled in the trees, with a poorly maintained dirt path leading away from the two. They were made of wood, with a sheet metal roof. One was larger, and looked to have two floors, while the other seemed low and flat. Skrie would have personally not bothered investigating it, but she remembered her team scouting Balrahapi, and ignoring similarly sized shelters. After the shelters opened their roofs, and began spilling out anti-air fire en masse, the Long Patrol had made it a policy to investigate any structures deemed suspicious - which, for fear of their lives, included most structures.
The group of Atureas slowly circled down to the ground, landing in the woods alongside the buildings. Dropping to the ground in silence, the team of Atureas assembled in a small huddle. Kaah immediately took charge of the group.
"Spread out. You four, treeline," he pointed at three members, who rushed through the trees, keeping an eye on the buildings and looking for movement. "You three, small building. The rest of you, with me," he gestured at Skrie, and the two Atureas nearest to her. "Clear the building, and keep quiet. This is expeditionary, not a fight - any positive contact and we pull out immediately, understood?"
The group nodded silently, keeping low to the ground, and sprinting through the clearing towards the buildings. The three heading towards the low-roofed building silently fluttered their wings, jumping over a decayed looking wooden fence. Meanwhile, Skrie watched Kaah take position beside the door of the taller structure. She and the rest of the scouts took position beside him.
Silently, he reached out, and pushed at the door, which swung open with a low creak. Nodding, he burst into the building, drawing his Microkanoka holdout. Skrie rushed in behind him, scanning the room.
It was in complete disarray. It appeared to be some kind of communal area, though the table was missing a leg, and overturned. A few chairs sat in the corner of the room, roughly Matoran sized. A wood cabinet stood against one wall. A thin carpet, frayed in many spots, but at one point having been quite bright and vibrant covered the floor. Checking the corners of the room, Skrie saw nobody, and Kaah psionically transmitted "Clear," to the rest of the team. Continuing into the next room with another Atureas, Kaah left Skrie and the remaining member of the team to make their way up a rickety staircase off to the side of the room.
Moving up the stairs quietly, Skrie took point at the head of the team. Each step creaked as she walked up, which made her cringe internally. If there were still any residents in this home, she didn't want them alerted to her presence.
The top of the staircase featured two doorways, leading off into separate rooms. Skrie glanced between the two, rolling the dice in her mind, before selecting one at random. She quietly shuffled to the door, while her partner set up beside her. As she reached out to grab the handle, she heard a noise within, like something moving. A creak of a foot against wood.
Skrie and her partner went dead silent, meeting each other's eyes. There was definitely something alive in the next room. Skrie inhaled as quietly as possible, listening for any further noise. The only response was the ceaseless noise of the insects and birds in the jungle outside.
Skrie raised a hand, with three fingers, and began counting down. The Atureas beside her nodded, and the two prepared to storm into the room. Squinting her eyes, she steeled herself for what was to come, as she reached one, then zero.
Skrie kicked the door in with full force, rushing into the room. Inside, she could only see what looked like a cot, with filthy looking sheets atop it. A lump moved in the sheets, and she could see something burst from underneath them, running towards the window. She levelled her blaster at it, ready to attack, before her nerves settled and she realized what it was - some local Rahi. The creature squeaked indignantly, as it hopped onto the windowsill and out of the window. Skrie looked at it with some surprise - it reminded her of a Gafna, though something about its armor was wrong.
Still, it was a non-issue for her. She breathed a sigh of relief. The room was empty of all enemy contacts. Turning, she and Skrie set up to enter the final room on the floor, where she silently hoped it would be less stressful than the last.
Assembling outside of the building several minutes later, Skrie reported to Kaah.
"Second floor's clear. Some Rahi was rooting around up there - got scared away."
"Old food on the first floor. Very old."
"Nothing in the small building, sir," reported one of the Atureas assigned to the squat building. "It was two rooms - one with a thick layer of mud on the floor, and the other seemingly a bulk storage for some sort of plant product. We estimate it was Rahi feed."
"An abandoned farm, then?" asked Kaah, drawing his Oroha, ready to report a successful sweep to his superiors. The Atureas nodded in agreement - it certainly seemed to be. Kaah's Oroha glowed for a moment, as he spoke psionically with the Communications officer aboard the ship they had departed from. The team waited for further instructions.
Kaah suddenly raised his head.
"Alright. We're heading airborne. Command seems satisfied - they're calling us to return to the ship."
A silent cheer went through the team, as they all began to return to the night sky. As the farm grew smaller and smaller beneath them, Skrie turned to give it one last look - before turning her focus forward, and forgetting the structure entirely. Dozens of meters below, the long-dead farm, which had felt the touch of a living soul for the first time in years and barely stirred, remained as still and as quiet as it always had. When the Atureas left, returning to the skies from whence they came, it was as if they had never arrived at all.