Chapter 24 - The Long March
UZOK - PANAMA
Uzok had tried to execute the plan flawlessly. He really had. But it was just not meant to be.
Under Koltari's orders, Uzok and his crew assembled within a separate ship, preparing for the landing on the Primitives' mainland. The 65th Warbirds looked commendable, from what Uzok could see. The rest had done them well, and so had their new equipment.
Akres now wore a mask that covered his face. A thick slab of Rahi-hide, with metal shutters over the eyes, and chain mail that draped over the mouth and nose. As healed as Amana salve could get his wounds, they were still too gruesome to go uncovered, in Koltari's opinion. Uzok grimaced every time he saw it - it was a reminder of the injuries they had both suffered. Even with all the Amana salve in the world, it was unlikely he would ever be able to remove the item, or that he would even want to. It was a part of him, a piece of armor that covered a scarred, pitted, and broken thing beneath. He was still armed with the same shield he had equipped in their prior battle, but during his requisitions, he had found a particular love for a large, spiked mace which was equipped with a chain and pulley within, allowing it to transform into a flail at the press of a button. Uzok wondered who had originally wielded such an item, that it had fallen to the side as a piece of spare requisitions for Akres to choose.
Next was Moke, who, ever the technically-minded, had not bothered to discard the standard sword he had been provided. Instead, he had scrounged the pile of weapons available for electrical components, making a small pile and horde of materials that he fiercely guarded. He then set about spending every second of his free time locked in his quarters, upgrading the technical gauntlet he wore. Hakis and Korenn had briefly made a sport of stealing or reorganizing his spoils to annoy him, though their infraction occurred only once, and after his thorough verbal lashing, did not occur a second time. After a week of development, he emerged proudly bearing a technical gauntlet almost exactly like the one he had already been wearing, with the exception of two large microkanoka launchers attached to ammunition belts that snaked into a small backpack he wore. Although Uzok had no mind for such mechanics and could see no difference in the gauntlet itself, Moke had sworn up and down that it had been completely overhauled for the better.
Korenn had found a weapon she was very pleased with - and one the Warbirds found quite ironic, given the rumors circulating about her past - a large polearm with a long, smooth blade at the end, and a spike at its bottom. It was entirely similar to the weapons wielded by Skakdi Zakazeidas, and as such, the entirety of the team had debated among itself in hushed tones as to whether this was Korenn's tacit admission of her past, or if it was her idea of a joke. What they all knew for certain was not a joke, though, was her skill in using the weapon.
Sokul, still fond of his throwing axes, had simply exchanged his standard-issued sword for a kukri, claiming it was a better fit for his fighting style, and that the throwing axes should make up for any range he would lose by discarding the sword. The weapon featured a nasty hook, that Uzok worried would find itself getting stuck within enemy armor, but Sokul was certain it would not be an issue. He also promised it could have unforeseen benefits, which concerned Uzok enough that he did not press upon the matter.
Hakis was the only member of the group who had not replaced or upgraded his equipment, opting to remain with the standard Microkanoka carbine and sword provided for their last mission. Uzok could appreciate the practicality of the combination, and in fact, had chosen one not unlike it for himself, though he had traded the carbine for a shorter Cordak hand cannon, and had exchanged his sword for a cutlass. It was a weapon he was more comfortable with, and the combination of pistol and cutlass reminded him of his days as a sailor on Zakaz. Wielding the two was like being home again, however macabre the notion was.
The group had arrived on the Primitives' shores much like last time, being deposited by landing craft separately from the rest of their forces. It was a hot place, also not unlike the last one, but felt much more humid. Uzok had been to some of the southern islands of his own universe, and this reminded him of them greatly. Emerald-green palm trees decorated a pristine white beach, that, were Uzok the type to enjoy a vacation - this would be the place he would do so. Seabirds flew overhead, despite the chaos, squawking in tones that could only be described as ignorant of the danger nearby.
With them, Moke carried a whisperstone linked to the crew aboard the Silent One , the ship they were meant to escort. The group had only gotten a brief glimpse of it, so that they knew exactly which ship it was that they were meant to protect. It was a small craft, no larger than a patrol boat, and had a low profile, with the exception of two "wings" at either side, which reminded Uzok of the outriggers he would sometimes see back home. He had been told nothing of the crew or their mission, and when he had pressed upon the matter, he had been told not to ask.
The Silent One in the distance behind them, the group pressed onwards into the jungle, following a basic map they had been given, inscribed upon a tablet. They moved in silence and in secrecy, avoiding any and all encounters with the Primitives. They planned to check in each night with the Silent One 's crew, and stop along the river to ensure the boat was passing unharmed.
The plan was, from its inception, fundamentally flawed. The idea that the group could sneak the Silent One through the canal undetected was hampered by a large lock in the river, placed directly alongside a Primitive settlement. There was no way to move through it without alerting them to their presence. As soon as Uzok saw this, he immediately slammed his fist into a nearby tree trunk.
"How?!" he cried, furious. "It's the bare minimum, they didn't even bother to check if the plan was possible before sending us on it!"
"Sir, reporting several enemy signatures. Appears to be several dozen along the waterfront, more further inland. Armored vehicles present, capabilities unknown," chattered Moke, his eyes alight with X-ray vision.
The group was still a fair distance from the first lock - close enough that they could visually scan it, but far enough to be covert and undetected.
"This isn't going to work," said Hakis, glancing over the area. "It's suicide. I say we cut our losses and regroup with the bulk of the ground forces while we still can."
"And then what, report back to Koltari that we deserted at the first sign of trouble?" replied Uzok angrily. He was in no mood for Hakis' cowardice.
"Things happen in war," replied Hakis, with a grim implication. Uzok chose not to pay it any mind.
"The position is assailable," said Moke, still examining it. "The enemy are prepared for an assault from the coast and city. They would not expect an attack from inland. That is the most practical avenue of attack. "
"Yeah, it could work. Akres takes point, Moke and I get in there and destroy any defensive fortifications, Hakis and Sokul clean up any stragglers," said Korenn, confidently, though her voice shook slightly.
"It's not worth it, if they have any sort of thermal optics, they might spot us on the approach. I say we hold here and maintain observation on them, and look for blind spots." said Sokul, shaking his head.
"Who cares about blind spots - I say we march up to the front door, break it down, and give them a Zakazian handshake," said Akres, cracking his knuckles. His voice growled, and Uzok could see the Onu-Skakdi was desperate for a fight.
"Stand down. Korenn, even you have to admit there are too many of them for that - Sokul, don't be obtuse, every second we wait they get reinforcements retreating from the city to bulk up their patrol. There's no way through this lock. We're reconvening with the Silent One . We need to find another route to the far side of the landmass," said Uzok, his tone chastizing the group as a whole.
"Aye, sir," replied the Onu-Skakdi, with a notable tone of distaste. Drawing the whisperstone from his pack, Uzok spoke into it.
"This is Undermarshall Uzok of the 65th Warbirds. I am confirming my identity with passcode Dikapi Sunset. Are you receiving me?"
A second of silence passed, before a voice returned through the stone. It was a harsh and quiet tone, and sent a shiver up Uzok's spine.
"We read you."
Uzok waited a second for further response, but there was none provided.
"The canal plan is not viable; I repeat, the canal is not viable. We require an alternate route."
A moment of silence passed, as Uzok could feel the being on the other end of the whisperstone thinking.
"We understand. Meet us at the following coordinates."
Uzok's tactical map of the area pinged as a new location of interest was marked, just a short hike away.
"65th Warbirds, move out!" he barked, as the group began their hike.
The crew of the Silent One waited diligently at the rendezvous point. Approaching them, Uzok could see a collection of three Toa waiting along the beach, at the prow of their ship. Behind them, their ship bristled with an eerie sight; six Rahkshi, of a breed that Uzok lacked the familiarity to identify. They screeched as the Warbirds approached and leveled their staves on the Skakdi, but were calmed by a wave from one of the Toa.
"Undermarshall Uzok, this is highly irregular; we expected to make this journey covertly. That you have seen our faces puts our goals at risk," said the first of the group, who was wearing a Komau. Now closer, Uzok could see that their armor was tinted with subtle red and gunmetal tones - these could only be Shadow Toa. The thought frightened him, as Shadow Toa were quite rare, and universally high-ranking agents who answered to the Makuta themselves.
"The plan changed. Basic recon proved the position too entrenched for assault," said Moke surreptitiously.
"Then how are we expected to complete our mission?" asked the second Toa, who wore a Mahiki.
"We hoped to ask you. Any ideas?" asked Hakis rudely. Uzok shot him a glance - the Ta-Skakdi was forgetting his place, and Uzok did not want to die for his underling's mistake.
The three Shadow Toa, as a group, shut their eyes. They seemed lost in thought for a moment.
"There is a route," began the third Toa, clad in a Huna. "A river, to the south. It does not span the full length of the land. We will have to make a portion of the journey on foot. It will be slower. We do not like this idea."
Uzok considered it. It would be closer to the safety of the Brotherhood's forces, and thus make them less likely to suffer an attack - but they would quickly outpace the Brotherhood's advance, and once they were alone in the enemy region, they would be confined to foot travel. Still, it was no more or less dangerous than their now-defunct plan.
"Alright. Load up on the boat; we make for the southern river," said Uzok, with confidence.
Uzok and his crew clambered aboard the Silent One , and sailed their way toward the other river. He worried, as they skirted along the coastline, about the possibility of being stopped or attacked, either by the enemy or friendly forces, but no such attack came to fruition. Instead, they arrived at the mouth of the river entirely unmolested, and began their travels inward.
Uzok hated crewing a ship with Rahkshi aboard. He hated the creatures themselves, and had ever since he had first heard of them. He hated the idea of reporting that he had been too cowardly to complete the mission more, though, and so he gritted his teeth and endured the presence of the creatures on the voyage. He uttered a small thanks to whoever was listening that the creatures remained below decks and silent throughout the entire run of the trip.
By the early light of the subsequent morning, the group stopped the ship along the banks of the river. Uzok could see it continuing up ahead, prompting confusion within him.
"Why are we stopped?" he asked, as the Shadow Toa conferred amongst themselves.
"The river is too shallow on the draft. Our ship cannot pass any further," began the first Toa.
"Yet we have some many more mio to our journey," continued another Toa.
Uzok scowled. Not only was the boat faster, it was safer too. Travel by foot at this juncture was a risky proposition.
"Is there any way to push the boat?" he asked, to which the Shadow Toa shook their heads in the negative.
"We have no such strength," they replied. The group was interrupted by a cough.
Korean and Akres stood side to side behind Uzok, with a smirk.
"Perhaps you should stand aside and leave this sort of work to those who are better at it," Korenn said.
Uzok gestured for them to jump overboard. Splashing into the murky waters of the river - which at this point was no larger than a creek - the water came up to their waists. Korenn and Akres tentatively probed the riverbed underfoot, satisfied in its solidity that they could gain traction on it.
"Alright. Give us a moment," Uzok said, before pointing to the rest of the warbirds.
"Hook up the tow cable to the bow, and run it to the shore. We'll be pulling it while Akres and Korenn push."
Grumbling came from the crew, prompting Uzok to stomp his foot.
"Let's go!" he shouted, and the group obliged, scurrying to their new post. Meanwhile, in
the river behind the ship, Akres and Korenn took up position behind the craft. Akres, the larger of the two, pushed his back against the ship, while Korenn cracked her neck and fingers. Suddenly, she began to grow larger - only by a small amount, perhaps a height of less than a foot. But the bulk of her growth did not come from her height, but from her muscles, which began to ripple with power. Activating her body power, her strength grew many times over, and she slammed herself against the hull of the craft, pushing with all her might.
"How long can you do that for?" Akres asked through gritted teeth, while Korenn grunted with effort.
"About an hour," she said, straining.
"Yeah? You look pretty shaky already. I can do this all day."
The two would have been compelled to start a verbal sparring match at that very instant, had the intense weight of the ship not distracted them.
At the same time, Sokul, Moke, Hakis, and Uzok took a position on the shoreline. Carrying the tow line over their shoulders, they dug their feet into the ground. Straining with effort, they began to pull the ship forwards, and within seconds, they could hear the bottom of the hull scraping against the riverbed below.
Like the world's most difficult game of tug-of-war, the two groups fought against gravity and friction, attempting to get the boat moving.
"It's not working," called the Shadow Toa from aboard the ship. They were right - the ship was too heavy.
"Disembark! You need to lighten the load!" Uzok shouted back in response. A second later, a swarm of Rahkshi flew out of the ship, and took position alongside either side of the craft. The six took hold of the ship's handrails, and began to lift. Admittedly, there was very little they could do - their flight, limited as it was, did not afford them the capacity to lift the ship out of the water. But the combination of their absent weight, and the miniscule amount of lift they could generate, meant that the boat was finally free.
With a lurch, it began to move forward. Once it had gained momentum, there was no stopping it, and the group cheered, pushing and pulling the craft further up the river, fighting the current.
The group traveled in this manner for the rest of the day, sometimes stopping to sail under the propulsion of the engines whenever the river deepened too severely for Akres and Korenn to wade. At these times, the two took well-deserved breaks, splashing themselves with river water and lying on the deck, gulping breaths of air.
At dusk, the group stumbled upon lights further along the river - the sign of a Primitive settlement. It was large enough that they could see it at a distance, which worried the group greatly, as that implied that they would likely not go undetected if they passed through.
"What do we do?" asked Hakis, narrowing his eyes at the sight.
"I say we run silently at midnight. Lights out. Use the push-and-rope trick. If they're all asleep, we get by without detection," theorized Moke.
"That would never work, there's too many. If so much as one saw us, we'd be busted," replied Korenn.
"We could burn down the entire village. Save ourselves the trouble," said Akres eagerly. Uzok shook his head.
"No, that'd raise too many red flags. We're not here for wanton slaughter," said Uzok.
"Undermarshall Uzok, I suspect this is a matter that we may be better suited to handle than your own group," said the Shadow Toa wearing the Mahiki.
"You will take the ship one kio back down river, then remove as much of the supplies within as possible. The Rahkshi will aid you in this task. Scuttle the ship, and move to a new position two kio upriver of our current position. At the fork, travel north. We will reconvene there," continued the Huna user.
"Okay, but what are you going to -"
"We will handle things. Do as we have instructed."
With that, the three Toa leapt off of the side of the ship and into the water, beginning to wade away, sinking lower and lower into the murk until only their heads were visible.
Uzok watched them leave with fascination. He had never interacted with Shadow Toa before. They were as intimidating as the rumors held, but he had not expected them to be nearly as bizarre as they were - nor had he expected them to be so pompous. He didn't appreciate being bossed around, but with the Toa slinking away towards the enemy town, he could hardly raise his disagreement.
Sighing, he resigned himself to the Toa's plan.
"Take us back the way we came," he said, finally.
As the group arrived at their assigned destination, they disembarked and began loading the supplies into the Rahkshi's arms. Unfortunately, with as many as they were, they still only carry a small amount of the supplies within the ship. Uzok could see weapons that he had only ever heard rumors of, food and water, medical supplies, communications technology, and devices he barely understood the functions of.
"This is so wasteful," cried Hakis from underneath a stack of rations that spilled out over his arms.
"Don't think about it, just give me a hand," said Sokul, handing him yet another.
"But I've got twenty already!" he replied petulantly.
"Every medical kit or ration you take is one that the enemy does not use," commented Moke coolly.
With the ship as pillaged as they could afford, Hakis stepped forward alongside Uzok. A rush of oxygen and a spark of flame later, and the orange lick of fire began to rush through the ship. Though the sailor in him hated to see such a fine ship be destroyed so senselessly, Uzok knew it was the only way to avoid being detected by the enemy. As the group left, Uzok could already see it sitting lower in the water. Soon it would be invisible to all but the most thorough divers.
Satisfied with the scuttling of their ship, the group oriented themselves according to Uzok's tactical map and began their march. In silence, they crept past the edge of the Primitive town, which was now cloaked in darkness. The Skakdi stood at the head of the party, clearing a path for the Rahkshi. It didn't make sense to Uzok why the Rahkshi - the most expendable members of the unit - did not go first, but the Toa clearly had some design for the beasts, and he did not want to risk them stumbling across an enemy Primitive and making their presence known by way of a blind assault. The only choice was for his group to lead the way, but this did not make him feel better about the fact that he was risking his life to protect some Makuta spawn.
Eventually, he found the fork in the river that was mentioned earlier by the Toa. His group stood on the south bank of the river.
"Can you cross that?" asked Uzok, gesturing towards the river. It was easily fifty bio or more, and the depth was not easy to gauge. The group shook their heads.
"Not with all this Zyga (32) I'm carrying," said Korenn. "And I'm a strong swimmer. Strongest in the group."
Uzok thought for a moment.
"Rahkshi," he said in a commanding tone, after a second of consideration. The serpentlike creatures glanced towards him, glaring with glowing orange eyes that did not betray their emotional state. Uzok shivered upon making eye contact.
"You obey the Shadow Toa, yes?"
The Rahkshi did not respond. He had no way of knowing whether they understood his words, or if the Shadow Toa had some special connection with the beasts that allowed them to control them. Still, if they could be instructed to pick up the supplies, there was no reason they couldn't be instructed to ferry them.
"And the Shadow Toa are absent, leaving us in command of the mission until we reconvene. This makes you subordinate to me."
The Rahkshi remained silent. Uzok could not tell if he expected them to speak or simply give some sign that they understood, but none came.
"Fly the equipment you currently are carrying to the far end of the river. Return immediately back, doing so as many times as needed until all equipment has been carried over."
Instantly the Rahkshi took to the sky, sailing across the river in a matter of seconds. Once across, with a shrug they dropped their equipment to the ground, forming a large pile at the edge of the treeline.
Uzok breathed a sigh of relief. He felt somewhat defiled for having not just worked with the creatures of shadow, but having commanded them - he also felt powerful. He liked having agents that didn't gripe or complain at his orders. He wondered if maybe that was how a Makuta felt at every time, as there wasn't a single member of the Brotherhood who would complain at an order from Antroz or Gorast the way they would at one from him.
The thought passed as the group, handing over their equipment to the Rahkshi, began to wade into the river, paddling towards the far shore.
Uzok and the Rahkshi waited in relative silence for the Shadow Toa. The jungle around him was filled with the sounds of insects and other creatures that he could not name. It both excited and frightened him. Like much of this new world, there was so much to see and do. He did not consider himself an explorer, but he could not deny the thrill of an adventure - and there was no greater adventure than an entire universe ripe for the taking.
His eyes widened as he saw a small creature, not unlike a Fikou, scurry across the foliage in front of him. It was as big as his palm, and had several bright red stripes on it. Nervously, he swatted at it, and it scurried towards a nearby bush.
"Can't stand those things…" he murmured.
"What, bugs?" asked Sokul.
"No, organic things. It's not right."
Moke nodded, sitting by Uzok.
"Indeed. An illogical choice from this universe's Great Spirit. Lacking in armor, strength, and capability."
Akres, watching the two, marched over, following the creature as it made its way towards the underbrush. Raising his foot in the air, he brought it down with thunderous force, instantly pulverizing the creature. He spat at the ground near its remains, before wiping his foot off on a large leaf.
"Yeah. Lacking in armor alright," he said to Moke.
"You seem perturbed, brother," mused Hakis, admiring the remains of the creature that stained the leaf. Akres reacted with a silencing glare.
The purr of an engine began to fill the air, as everyone suddenly looked towards the river. Two small craft sailed towards them with the Shadow Toa aboard. They were barely large enough to fit every member of the group, and with all the supplies they were carrying, it seemed as if the Rahkshi would need to fly behind or overhead so as not to overburden the craft.
Uzok and his team emerged from the underbrush to meet the Shadow Toa.
"These will not be missed, and they are shallower on the underside. They will take us the rest of the way up the river."
Uzok considered them. If they didn't run out of fuel, or start to leak, or otherwise fall apart, it could work.
"You're sure nobody will notice?"
"We were very thorough."
Uzok scratched his chin.
"Okay."
Maneuvering the small boats was much easier than moving their previous ship. Whenever the river became too shallow or rough to sail through, two of the Warbirds were able to simply lift the craft out of the water and carry it along the shoreline until the river calmed again.
This lasted another two days. When the craft eventually ran out of fuel, a combination of Uzok's air powers and Korenn's water powers were able to keep them going for an extra few hours. Eventually, however, the river opened into a small lake nestled in a pass between two mountains, and it was clear that it had run its course.
Disembarking, the group loaded up with their equipment and stared ahead. In front of them was the mountain pass, and two titanic walls of stone and jungle running in either direction for as far as the eye could see.
"Do you think there's any risk moving through an area like that?" asked Uzok, gesturing towards the pass.
"Unlikely. There hasn't been any sign of the enemy. It's dubious they have any territorial interest in the area. If we remain subtle, there's no reason for them to spring an ambush," replied Moke.
"Alright."
Uzok kept his chin held high as he marched through the jungle. Internally, his lungs were burning, and he hated the heat and humidity that pressed upon him with every step, like a blanket that smothered him. Still, he would not - could not - show weakness now. The troops needed him to be Uzok the Tahtorak Slayer, not Uzok the Tired.
"Come on, lads, it's just over the next ridge," he called back to the Skakdi lingering behind him.
"What is?" called back an irate Hakis.
Uzok gritted his teeth, and mumbled under his breath.
"Another ridge."
As the group hiked, they could see behind them the pillars of smoke from the distant Primitive settlements. There was no way of knowing which way the battle was progressing, but considering that there had been no all-consuming explosion like there had been on the last mission, Uzok considered things must be either going very well, or absolutely terribly for the Brotherhood's forces. Ever the optimist, he considered the former more likely.
Another day of hiking eventually led him and his team to the far side of the mountain range, something that Uzok would have doubted was ever possible had he not seen it with his own eyes. Another river met their gaze, this one slightly smaller, and winding ever downward towards the ocean. Their objective was in sight - they just needed to make the last leg of the journey. Then we can go back to the Brotherhood and get some rest , Uzok thought to himself.
"Look at that," he murmured in surprise some few hours later. Ahead of them was another Primitive settlement, this one bigger than the last. He watched as an airship of some sort landed at a runway just outside the settlement. It was quite large, and looked more like a skyfighter than any airship he had ever seen before.
The settlement was nestled between two smaller rivers. Next to one river, a road snaked along in parallel, which the group stood on, catching their breath and inspecting the village in the distance. On their current route, they would arrive at the town before nightfall.
"How do you want to do this?" Uzok asked the Shadow Toa, looking towards the town.
"We will proceed in the manner that we did at the last settlement. You will take the Rahkshi to a specified location in secret. We will acquire vessels in secrecy, and meet you along the coast -"
A sudden snap of a twig nearby pulled the group's attention to the side of the road. Peering into the undergrowth, Uzok looked for the source - and saw two brown orbs staring back at him from inside a bush. Eyes.
"Contact!" he spat, angrily, as he unsheathed his cutlass.
There was an immediate rustling of brush as the Primitive began to run as fast as they could away from Uzok and his team. Uzok saw them for a flash - there were two, one taller than the other, but neither as tall as his waist. They reminded him of matoran.
Silently, he cursed himself for standing in so open of a position that he could be caught unaware. He was growing sloppy.
Uzok began to gesture for his squad to give chase. "Warbirds, after them! I want weapons -"
He was cut off by one of the Shadow Toa, who stepped forward, and called out.
"Serpents of Ours - kill them now."
The Rahkshi immediately turned their heads towards the Shadow Toa, taking a moment to internalize the order. Uzok could feel them thinking. A second later, they sprung into action, rushing into the trees.
The Skakdi stood around, dumbfounded for a moment. Uzok stared at them idly, and after a second, raised his hand and waved an open palm towards the treeline.
"Well?"
The Skakdi took his meaning, scurrying towards the side of the road and into the jungle.
"Warbirds!" Uzok called, running after them, "No gunfire!"
If they made any noise, there was no telling how many Primitives could be in the area, able to hear and thus warn of the Skakdi's approach. If they were seen or heard now, there would be no way to get through the village undetected.
The beings were not hard to track; they were clad in brightly-colored fabric that offered them no camouflage against the trees. They screamed as they ran, and their footfalls crashed heavily through the ferns and undergrowth.
Uzok could see the Rahkshi catching up to them. They were taller, and had a longer stride - it was merely a matter of time. Still, he was impressed at how quickly they had managed to be breathing down the necks of the Primitives.
The larger one looked behind him, and Uzok could see shock register in his eyes, as a Rahkshi was less than a bio away from them. A second later, the pointed end of the Rahkshi's staff went through the Primitive's chest. There was a quiet gasp as his legs thrashed in the air, but within a second they were lifted off the ground. Struggling though he was, he could not move. The life quickly went out of him as he gurgled something weakly to his companion.
Meanwhile, the Skakdi were catching up. Korenn was at the head of the group, sprinting as quickly as she could. Her claws brushed through the air as she attempted to grab the being's neck, only for her to stumble over a tree root and fall flat on the ground.
Most of the Skakdi, with the exception of Moke, kept running, though she batted his hand away and pointed towards the fleeing Primitive, shouting "Go!".
A moment later, Hakis' voice rang out.
"I've got him!"
A red glow began to emerge from Hakis' body, and Uzok recognized a second too late what was happening.
"Damn you, Hakis, no!" he yelled. A moment later, a burst of explosive energy rushed out of Hakis'chest, striking the tree next to the fleeing enemy. It shattered into flaming chunks as fire began to crawl up the trees nearby. Hakis began to glow again, charging another shot.
"Stop!" Uzok hollered, tackling the Skakdi of Fire. Uzok could see anger in Hakis' eyes at the interruption. He seemed about to protest, but they were cut off by the sound of a scream as one of Sokul's throwing hatchets embedded itself in the enemy's back. The weapon was nearly as large as the being was, and like a pallet of bricks they slammed into the ground, breathing weakly.
Sokul immediately rushed over and knelt alongside the bleeding Primitive. With a sickly smile, he began to pull the axe from the being's spine as slowly as possible. They screamed again in pain, howling as the axe was pulled through flesh and bone. Uzok, climbing off of the prostrate Hakis, angrily stormed towards the Ko-Skakdi.
"What are you doing?" Uzok hissed angrily. Sokul looked up at Uzok with an expression of confusion for a moment, before instantly and effortlessly plucking the axe from the dying Primtive and looping it to his belt along with the rest of his collection.
"Nothing sir."
If Uzok had not watched him torture the dying being, he would have seemed like a picture of innocence. His jovial tone and cheerful expression seemed completely alien compared to his glee at inflicting pain.
"Both of you, Sokul, Hakis, you both just screwed up royally. I specifically ordered no gunfire -"
"They didn't use any guns," said Korenn, interjecting from the side.
"I ordered it because it would make noise - and you set off an explosion!" said Uzok, angrily digging his finger into Hakis' chest accusatorily. Wheeling about, he turned to Sokul. "And you kept him alive and screaming! Even if we get rid of the bodies, there's no way of knowing we're alone out here. If anyone heard that, this entire operation is done for."
"Sir, we -" began Hakis.
"I don't want to hear it!" Uzok shouted, furious. He lamented the incompetence of his squad. They seemed so skilled, so perfectly equipped to deal death and destruction, and yet…they were still Skakdi.
The three Shadow Toa emerged from the trees behind Uzok, nodding in agreement.
"The Undermarshall is right. Your sloppiness has accelerated our timetables. We can no longer afford to evacuate in covert. We move to the village now and make our escape as quickly as possible."
"Good! No more of this sneaking around, let's do what we're good at!" said Akres, spitting eager hate.
Uzok sighed. He had hoped to keep the operation as quiet as possible, and yet he could not account for every possibility. Perhaps it was Hakis and Sokul's fault that things turned sour - but it was his own that they had the chance to make a mistake in the first place. Shouldering the blame, he returned his cutlass to his hip.
"Warbirds - double time. We're heading for the village. Abandon what you can't carry within your packs. We need to move fast."
The Skakdi were the first to set foot in the Primitive village. They formed a vanguard so that the Shadow Toa could be kept safe. In an arrow formation, they rushed along the riverside. They could see the first buildings up ahead, with two Primitives standing at either side of the road. Clearly they were guards. Uzok and his company could have made their way around them, but there was no point by now. Sneaking past guards only to be spotted by enemies within the village served no function.
Marching behind them, the Rahkshi crowded around the Shadow Toa, forming a protective bubble around them. They moved slower than the Skakdi, staying low and darting from cover to cover.
The enemy guards kept their eyes on the road, watching for incoming targets. Within the village, Uzok could see more in the same uniform. He silently cursed. It was just his luck that the area was crawling with not just Primitives, but Primitives wielding weapons, and trained to use them. It was clear from their posture that they were prepared for a fight, even if they had not been made aware of exactly where the Warbirds were lurking.
"Warbirds, circle up," Uzok said, in a low whisper. The group huddled together. "Moke, Hakis, lay down suppressive fire. Akres, you're taking point; push up once they open fire. Korenn, with me - we're going through that building there." Uzok pointed towards a two-story building near the side of the road. "Sokul, stick with the Toa, move them up when we signal for you," he concluded. The Warbirds nodded.
Moke and Hakis crept silently through the underbrush towards the closest possible position they could reach without revealing themselves. At the same time, Uzok and Korenn did the same, retreating down the road until they were out of the guards' sight, then crossing to the other side. The Shadow Toa and Rahkshi waited in secrecy along with Sokul, while Akres thumbed the catch-release on his mace's chain.
Uzok glanced towards Moke and Hakis' position, and gave them a small two-finger wave. The wave was returned. A second later, the sound of microkanoka fire rang out as the two Skakdi fired from concealment. Hakis' weapon fired few, but accurate shots, striking one of the guards, while the other was nearly ripped apart at the waist from the hailfire of shots coming from Moke's wrist. His shots were wild, striking the walls of buildings, the enemy target, and the ground further beyond. Regardless, both executed their aspect of the plan flawlessly.
With phase one complete, Uzok and Korenn broke from cover, rushing towards the wall of the building. Activating her body power, the Ga-Skakdi grew larger and stronger, and without breaking stride, she smashed through the wall of the building. It crumpled to dust underneath the assault of her shoulder, and the resulting hole easily fit both her and Uzok. The building - someone's home - was thankfully empty, as the two rushed towards the second floor.
Meanwhile, hearing the commotion and seeing the chaos being wrought, enemy soldiers began to rush towards the source of the shots. Elsewhere, screaming began as the civilians of the village began to run in a panic.
The enemy returned fire, shooting blindly into the jungle outside the village entrance, but Moke and Hakis held their position. For a moment, the enemy fired probing shots towards where they suspected the two shooters to come from. Instead, what they heard was the pinging of metal striking metal. A second later, a wall of armor charged at them from the jungle.
Akres let out a furious yell as he charged towards the squad of soldiers defending the village gates. He swung his flail in circles, charging up its momentum, while more and more shots struck the surface of his shield. A second later, he released the flail's catch, as the chain extended to nearly five times its original length. The spiked head of the weapon sailed through the air, propelled by its swings, and struck the body of the first Primitive, crushing his ribs and sending him careening backwards through the air. Akres roared in rage, sending spit flying.
Distracted by the raging charge of the Onu-Skakdi, Uzok and Korenn burst through the window of the building. Uzok, pistol in hand, fired a Cordak round at the first enemy he saw. Although the pistol was not an accurate weapon, and could only fire a single shot before needing to be reloaded, it did not matter at this range. The enemy fell to the ground screaming as their entire arm was shredded by the explosion of the Cordak round. Meanwhile, Korenn whirled her blade through the air like a scythe, finding it perfectly at head-level with the first two enemies she saw. Their heads fell to the ground, and their bodies soon followed.
Korenn was suddenly shaken by the impact of enemy shots at her shoulder, which staggered her for a moment before Uzok identified the last remaining shooter. Leaping towards them, his cutlass traveled straight through their chest, and they cried out in pain.
"Move up!" Uzok shouted, not even bothering to ensure the kill. His priority was getting his team and the Shadow Toa to the river, and holding there long enough to find a boat.
Sokul and the Shadow Toa began to scurry forward, joined by Moke and Hakis. Uzok watched the street - they were not the only beings on approach. From the far end came more soldiers; this time, they had their targets visible before them, and the element of surprise was no longer on Uzok's side.
"To cover!" he shouted, as the Warbirds ducked into alleyways and behind the corners of buildings. A moment later, Akres and Hakis peered around the corner, before Akres brought his fists down onto the ground. There was a reverberating shockwave that could be felt in the ground, before a burst of earth flew upwards. The dirt road suddenly became an impassable wall, protecting the Skakdi.
Using their newfound cover, the group moved into a building, while Uzok oriented himself.
"Through that wall," he said, pointing to the back wall of the building. Once again Korenn smashed through, as the group exited into the overgrown backyard of the house they had just been hiding in. As they moved, Uzok reloaded his pistol, keeping track of his limited amount of ammunition.
At the far end of the backyard was a fence, which the group climbed over one at a time. Akres went first, while Uzok remained at the rear, last to make the climb. He would not allow any of his squad to be left behind.
Now emerging onto another road that ran parallel to the main street, the group was pleased to see no enemy presence on this street.
"Forward, eyes right, make sure they don't come up on our flank!" he called as they rushed along the street. They could see enemy civilians fleeing. They looked pathetically terrified, and he wondered what tales they might spin after Uzok and his honor guard had gone; what stories they would tell each other and their friends.
Uzok's claim was correct, as a moment later, the two parallel streets merged, and they could see the enemy squad moving to intercept them. However, the time they had bought by changing streets allowed them to close the gap. The enemy was no longer gifted with the advantage of range.
As the first Primitive rounded the corner at a mere twenty paces from Uzok, he was ripped apart by precise fire from Moke. The second, seeing his companion's mistake, returned to cover around the corner and began to spray suppressive fire towards the Skakdi.
Uzok fired another shot, this time striking the corner of the building the Primitive had taken cover behind. The explosion rocked the entire structure and shattered its windows, while a chunk of concrete the size of Uzok's head was ripped out of place. Stone fragments flew across the connecting road, sending the Primitive soldiers back some few steps.
"Akres!" Uzok shouted. The Onu-Skakdi did not need more instruction, as he rushed towards the corner of the building and slammed his flail around it. The chain bent around the corner, and immediately the enemy who thought himself so safe behind cover saw the spiked iron ball traveling straight towards them. He did not see anything after that.
Meanwhile, the rest of the enemy squad advanced, firing towards the Skakdi positions. Uzok could hear footsteps from all around - they were not the only squad approaching.
"Sokul, eyes rear," he ordered. Meanwhile, Hakis aimed his body towards the intersecting street, and the building at the far side of it.
"Akres, get clear!" he yelled, before his body began to glow once more. The entire squad saw the explosive bolt travel from Hakis' chest, crashing into the building, and sending flames and debris spiraling. A second and third bolt landed against the first floor wall, until an entire side of the first floor had been reduced into rubble. With a creak, the now-top-heavy building began to list before its remaining support gave way, and it fell towards the street.
Uzok did not know whether the Primitives in the street had enough time to run before the building fell on top of them - but what he did know is that the Warbirds were at least safe from that angle for now.
"Push up!" he shouted again, before a shot whizzed past his head. He turned, seeing another soldier flanking the group from the rear. Uzok raised his pistol and fired, but the shot went wide, striking a tree behind the enemy. A second later, they fell to the ground, thanks to a well-placed throwing axe courtesy of Sokul.
"Thanks," murmured Uzok, as the Ko-Skakdi smiled. Rushing over, he plucked the axe from the enemy corpse and followed as the group rushed down the street. Uzok could see the river up ahead - and several boats. Jackpot.
Something else caught Uzok's sight, however. The enemy had two strange vehicles blocking the path. They were like angular boxes, with glass windscreens on all four sides. Uzok briefly recalled the ones he had seen on their last mission - but those did not have turret gunners on the roof. He watched both bring their guns to bear on him and his squad with a feeling of unease. Never in all his years had the weapons mounted on a vehicle's turret been less powerful than the weapons carried by a soldier in the field.
"Get us cover!" he shouted, and Moke and Akres sprung into action, raising a dirt and stone wall in front of them. Uzok's intuition proved correct, as a second later the wall was suddenly impacted by a rapid fire stream of shots. Uzok could see the wall shudder with the force of the hits.
"This is a lot stronger than their other stuff!" cried Hakis, alarmed and rushing to hold the wall in place.
"Keep it steady! Korenn, Sokul - make it hail!"
The two Skakdi nodded, stepping close to the wall, and reaching out with their powers. There was a sudden crash as a ball of ice impacted against the ground nearby. Then another - and a third. Fist-sized chunks of ice began to fall out of the sky, and Uzok was pleased to hear the sound of a pained yelp as one of the enemy gunners was struck by one.
"Alright, start moving the wall forward!" He said. Moke and Akres reached out with their elements, and the wall began to shift, pushing up dirt and stone as it crawled forward in the smallest intervals. Like pushing the boat days before, it was an arduous, slow, and taxing job, but there were none more capable of performing it.
Uzok could still feel the shudders of impact as the wall took repeated hits from the enemy. However, something was different - the ground rumbled in a new way that he did not expect.
"Cease hailing!" he said. He needed to hear.
The sound that met his ears was like that of a Rahi stampeding - something large, moving close, and fast. Uzok suddenly realized exactly what it was.
"Warbirds, clear the area -" he shouted, barely giving himself enough time to dive out of the way before the wall was suddenly smashed and toppled as one of the enemy vehicles rammed straight into it. Behind them, the Shadow Toa cried out indignantly. The vehicle came to a stop, the gears that connected it to the road spinning idly. With a smirk, Uzok realized the driver had run the vehicle's chassis aground on the wreckage of the wall, and thus its propulsion gears no longer had any traction to the road.
Uzok saw the turret weapon swivel towards him, and he felt his heart drop. He was prepared at that moment to feel the sharp pain of gunfire rending through his armor. Instead, the shots went over his head. Akres leapt into action, crashing against the front of the vehicle, rocking it backwards. Its wheels began to dig into the dirt as it pushed into the irate Onu-Skakdi. "This is for my face, you bastards!" he yelled, digging his heels into the ground. Meanwhile, the other vehicle continued to fire on the remaining Skakdi, who scattered to positions of cover either within alleyways or underneath the wreckage of the wall, while reinforcements began to take positions around the rear vehicle, adding their fire to its own.
Uzok could see Akres was losing the fight against the enemy vehicle. It was only a matter of time before it knocked him to the ground and ran straight over him. However, something happened that he did not expect. Suddenly Korenn stood, running through the spray of gunfire, towards Akres' side. She slammed against the front of the enemy vehicle.
"How long can you do that?" she asked Akres, with a smug tone, chiding him for his earlier comments. Still under the effects of her temporary transformation, her muscles rippled as she pushed back against the vehicle. With the two strongest Skakdi now fighting against the enemy vehicle, what was once a certain death for Akres became an even fight.
"Warbirds, return fire!" he shouted, reloading and firing his Cordak pistol towards the rear vehicle. His shot was accurate this time, and it landed directly in the center of the vehicle's front windscreen, which sent shards of glass flying and created a spiderweb of cracks across its entire front. The vehicle rocked on its suspension, and smoke flew from the site of the impact.
Meanwhile, Hakis and Moke leveled fire into the enemy. The driver of the vehicle, now exposed, was ripped apart by Moke's gauntlet weapon, while an enemy footsoldier by the side of the vehicle went down from Hakis' shot to the knee. The survivors began opening the vehicle doors to provide themselves cover - which worked unfortunately well, as the Skakdi found their shots embedding in the thickly armored plating of the vehicle's panels.
At the same time, the vehicle contesting Akres and Korenn's strength made its displeasure known, as the gun turret attempted to swivel towards the two. However, they had prodigiously found themselves in a position below the gun's maximum depression level, and thus completely immune to its repeated shots. The two began to lift together, grabbing hold of the undercarriage of the vehicle.
The vehicle seemed to teeter for a moment as its front gears lifted from the ground. It rocked in the dirt, its rear gears digging trenches as they fruitlessly struggled for purchase in the loose sand. Then it began to buck backwards into the air.
The two Skakdi cried out in effort, and in unison, began to lift the vehicle until its nose pointed skyward, like a skyfighter preparing to take off.
"And…heave!" Korenn shouted, as she and Akres gave one final shove. With a pregnant pause, the vehicle stood straight in the air, its nose pointed towards the stars, before it tilted backwards, and as if it were in slow motion, began to topple over. With a dramatic and intensely loud crash, the vehicle flipped onto its back, like a pit tortoise struggling to get up.
Akres and Korenn admired their work for a moment, before Korenn - now deprived of the cover of the enemy vehicle - took several shots to her shoulder. She collapsed with a cry of pain, and Uzok grimaced upon seeing blood spurt from her wound.
"Are you alright?" Akres asked, covering the two with his shield. She glared back in the affirmative, clutching her wounded shoulder as evidence that she very clearly was not.
"Can you walk?" Uzok asked, and she nodded.
"It's just my shoulder!"
"Good."
Uzok barely had time to reply before another shot whizzed by his head, forcing him to duck. Zahk , he thought. How are we gonna get past these guys?
"Undermarshall!" said one of the Shadow Toa, from behind a nearby building. Uzok turned with concern, praying that they were not being flanked from the rear. "We have a solution to your predicament," he said calmly. Uzok cocked a brow, before a certain absence dawned on him.
Where'd the Rahkshi go? he wondered for a moment, before the sound of slaughter met his ears. The enemy squad's guns stopped in unison as six Rahkshi suddenly emerged from behind them with a flash of darkness. Uzok grinned as he watched them suddenly turn their attention to the Makuta's serpents. Ah. Teleportation.
"Warbirds and company, let's go go go!" he shouted. The path to the boats was clear, at least temporarily, and his crew would not miss their opportunity. The group began to sprint through the street, past the wreckage of the first vehicle and the remains of the second. The Rahkshi were quick, and dispatched their prey within moments. Unlike Skakdi or other Oropi, they had almost no organic components to speak of, meaning that even a well-placed shot had little effect on them, and only the most powerful of weapons could pierce their shells and reach the kraana within.
As Uzok and his company clambered into one of the boats, Moke rushed to the controls and began plugging the wires of his technical gauntlet into them. As he did so, one of the Shadow Toa approached him, still staying low and within cover.
"Undermarshall. Your assistance has been appreciated thus far - even if perhaps you were not as quiet as we would have hoped."
Uzok did not dignify the comment with a response.
"What is it?" he replied, gruffly.
"We and the Rahkshi will be traveling by a separate boat. You must remain close to shore - as close as you are comfortable risking. Draw the scent; lead them away from us. Neither you nor they can follow us where we are going."
Uzok glared at the Shadow Toa. It was typical of them - for a week they had slaved together as brothers, and yet even after all of that they did not see them as more than cannon fodder.
"Fine. Moke, how's it coming?" he shouted.
"Just finished!" he replied.
"Get started on the next one over!" he replied, before a shot grazed his cheek. It stung, and he clutched it, but when his hand came away from it there was no blood.
"Yes, sir!" Moke shouted with an obvious tone of confusion, as he returned fire towards the shore, spraying indiscriminately. There was no sign of where the enemy was shooting from, but neither side was landing particularly accurate hits anymore.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Toa and Rahkshi piled into the first boat, scrambling either below decks or towards the controls.
Uzok and his company disembarked from the boat one at a time, moving from one piece of cover to the next. Hakis and Sokul together cast a wall of fire, blocking off the street leading to the docks, and began to send the fire along the buildings on either side. Within moments, their wooden construction began to crumble under the heat and flame, and smoke began billowing into the air.
However, shots continued to ping against the ship's hull, or sometimes - albeit rarely - against the Skakdi themselves. The shots were irritating, but not dangerous unless they hit flesh, as they had in Korenn's case.
"Got it, sir!" cried Moke, as the boat's engine roared to life. Next to them, the Shadow Toa's newfound vessel began to pull away from the shore, and was following the river into the open ocean.
"Get us out of here, now!" Uzok ordered, as Moke yanked at the controls. Their ship followed the Shadow Toa's, all while shots rained on them from the shore.
The enemy proved persistent, even if their attempts were lacking. As Uzok and his crew made their escape alongside the Shadow Toa, who did not so much as acknowledge the Warbirds with a wave as they headed out into the ocean and toward the horizon, Uzok and his crew continued to follow the coastline, heading north. For a few minutes, shots landed in the water around the ship, sometimes striking it in the rear, but luckily leaving the Skakdi completely unharmed.
Uzok watched the pillars of smoke from the fire shrink behind them as the village grew smaller and smaller with distance. Breathing deeply, he felt relief fill his body. He had done it - his crew had done it.
Around him, the crew stood in various states of organization. Akres stood at the rear of the ship, watching the enemy village shrink with an expression of pure malice. Moke remained at the controls, diligently piloting the ship. Hakis collapsed against one side of the ship, seemingly exhausted from the fight, and Sokul hunched over a prostrate Korenn, applying bandages to her wound.
We did good. I should give them some words of congratulations, thought Uzok. They need encouragement, motivation…trust.
"Well done," he said stiffly, before stepping over Korenn towards the ship's controls.
"Moke," he said, in a low voice. "How far can we get with this thing?"
Moke gestured towards a nearby hatch, which led downward into the underbelly of the ship. Uzok could see water within. It suddenly dawned on him that perhaps the Primitives had not been aiming at him or his crew as they fired on the fleeing ship.
"Not far, sir."