Shattering

Shattering is the fifth story in the Xaterex Multiverse Storyline.

Prologue
Six months earlier...

The massive Spire at the heart of Drakos Capitol that served both dually as a prison and a military base was a typical example of ordinary Ix infrastructure: simple, not complex, and practically built. Nightwatcher's green eyes surveyed the chambers, knowing that here he would be able to claim his reward for the Glatorian Elementalist he'd captured.

The Ix high command usually met in the Ix Citadel, where the Ix's greatest plans were orchestrated. However, it was off-limits to any beings who were not Ix, and the high command had agreed that they would meet him here. Nightwatcher felt the thrill of grim satisfaction that always accompanied the completion of a mission rise within him.

He led the Glatorian, Kyhrex, down the narrow, winding corridors of the Spire, his claw clamped tightly around her throat. She'd given up struggling many days ago, and while Nightwatcher admired her bravery and devotion to a lost cause, he knew that there was no longer a place for Resistance in the multiverse.

"This is over." he said to her, pausing before the door. Kyhrex's expression was cool and composed, but Nightwatcher could sense her fear in the aura field. This Glatorian had nearly killed Flareus, an Elemental commander of the base known as the Circle. She faced nothing but death or imprisonment at their hands.

"Why are you turning me over to them?" she asked. "Is greed all that inspires you?"

"Not greed." hissed Nightwatcher. "Revenge, which is something that you can never hope to comprehend. Besides, in a few weeks, your Resistance will be no more. With any luck, you won't live to see the final battles."

As they entered the central chamber, Nighwatcher felt two heavy, cold presences in the aura field, one that he recognized, another he didn't. Nightwatcher's eyes met those of the Elemental Prince, whose eyes were burning. abyssal pits of cold rage. Of the other presence in the field, he saw no sign.

"Skorpix." he said, acknowledging the Elemental coldly and fearlessly. "I have brought you a prisoner."

"Is this being the Spirit Toa?" asked Skorpix, his voice cold. "It does not seem to be."

"No." said Nightwatcher. "I was...unable...to capture Toa Shardak. However, I have managed to take prisoner another being, one of his allies. This Glatorian Elementalist, Kyhrex, has known ties with the deceased rebel warrior Silencer, and is the being who nearly killed Flareus during the Spirit Toa's escape from the Circle."

Skorpix looked at the Glatorian with new interest, and Kyhrex almost flinched away from his aura, though Nightwatcher knew she could not sense the field herself. Skorpix's eyes fixed once more on Nightwatcher's, and for the first time in years, Nighwatcher felt a slight chill of apprehension run through him. Something was wrong, Skorpix seemed too confident somehow.

"What will you give me in reward for her?" asked Nightwatcher. "I don't come cheaply. I was promised twenty-four thousand widgets for the Spirit Toa, though I am—"

"Here is your reward." snarled Skorpix, and another being stepped out of the shadows. This being seemed almost as powerful as Skorpix to Nightwatcher, but different in some way. Skorpix was a powerful, heavy presence in the aura field, but this being's power seemed to be augmented by something else, something that had a malign intelligence of its own.

"Hello, Nightwatcher." Mordrax snarled. His body was twisted into a prothetic suit of armor, and raw power seemed to flow from his aura, power so great that Nightwatcher almost flinched.

"Mordrax." Nightwatcher hissed. His weapon was already in hand as he released his grip on Kyhrex and charged toward the powerful, twisted Kodax of Absorbation.

"Shadowdermis has returned to Xaterex, Nightwatcher." said Skorpix triumphantly, as Nightwatcher fell to the ground, bound in chains of Shadowdermis. Mordrax's strength held him still, and for a moment Nightwatcher wondered if this Kodax was even more powerful then Skorpix himself now.

"You have failed, Nightwatcher." Mordrax rasped from behind his helmet. "And we do not tolerate failure from anyone, not even you."

The last thing Nightwatcher saw before blackness closed in around him was Mordrax's bestial smile.

Present Day, 176 AYD.

The ancient, desolate city was built, seemingly abandoned, at the heart of the long-deserted planet. Massive spires that characterized much of the cities constructed by the mysterious beings known as the Ancients rose high above the two cloaked beings standing within, like grim avengers set against the bloodred skies.

"I wished to speak with you." said one being. His voice was low, quiet but sinister. The second being, who was taller and carried a massive ebon broadsword in one hand, nodded quietly, as though he had been expecting this already.

"Yes?" the second being asked. His voice was calm, but layered with dark menace. "What is it?"

"It's about Toa Shardak." said the being. "Time and time again, he has eluded the Ix, and often forced us to rework our plans. He has been a thorn in the side of the Empire for many years now."

"Do you believe that what happens to the Empire is any concern to us?" asked the first being. "Our plans have been laid, and nothing can disrupt them now. Soon another fragment of the Annulus will be in our posession."

"Yes, I know." said the second. "But there is—"

"Toa Shardak." the first being interrupted. "Has only survived so long because of his Ignika. And the fact that he has allowed his friends, who possess more skill then he will ever have, to do the fighting for him."

The being nodded, seemingly reassured. But the first being extended a dark probe in the aura field, confirming that he remained unconvinced. "You hesitate..." he whispered.

"No." said the second being. "I do not."

The first being surveyed the ruined cityscape before him, which was now illuminated in unnatural, callous bloodred light. The cold star that served as this ancient planet's sun was rising once more, and in the halflight, the streets seemed to be drenched in blood.

"You do." he said. "Wait until Varkanax returns from his current mission. Then we will strike."

"It is time?" asked the second being, a note of dark anticipation in his voice. "It has begun, Commander Velnax?"

"It has begun." confirmed Velnax, a note of triumph in his voice. "With our puppets installed in both the resistance and the Ix Empire, and the cloning project finally completed, we are ready. The final stage in our plan, a plan that has taken millennia to fulfill, is being laid, and nothing, not the Great Beings, the Toa, or the remnants of the Ancients can stop us now."

"But Shardak—" began the being, but Velnax cut him off silently, touching his aura again to show his displeasure.

"I know the Spirit Toa better then you might think, Omicron." said Velnax. "I know his strengths, his weaknesses, and much, much more. When the time is right, he will come to us."

Chapter 1
The great binary sun of Solis Magna rose above the Eastern Mountains, overlooking a scene of devastation below. The once-great city lay in ruins, corpses of unfortunate Matoran and Agori buried beneath the twisted fragments of rubble that were all that remained of the city once known as Gigas Nui.

Though he'd known what to expect, the massive devastation shocked Shardak to his core. Only four months ago, he had been standing in this same city, helping Fairon and Saren oversee repairs after the battle here that was now nearly seven months ago. Now, all that remained here was wreckage, scattered across the Fellsian border.

In other words, it was another sign that at least one of the Sarkanian clones had been here.

Over the past four months, the Shadowdermis-enhanced Sarkanian clones created by the Ix leaders Mordrax and Skorpix had been rampaging across the lower regions of the Fells, destroying towns and Resistance bases as they went. Recently, Parikon had ordered a complete evacuation of the city of Gigas Nui, though not all of the beings there had obeyed.

They had paid with their lives. Shardak's keen eyes, adept at tracking, saw signs that other beings had been there as well. Probably the clones' Ix masters, leading them through the city, though this was unusually sloppy of them. Usually the Ix left no trace of their presence. Perhaps they'd wanted to make a statement, a warning that rebellion was not tolerated. But most of the citizens who'd died there had not been rebels, merely beings suffering beneath the rule of the Ix.

They didn't deserve to die that way, but there's little we can do about it now. thought Shardak, turning to see two of his companions, Fairon and Flardrek, striding toward him.

"Any signs of survivors?" he asked them, already knowing the answer. The Ix would not allow any beings to escape and turn against them, they'd have eliminated every single being within Gigas Nui. So he was not at all surprised when Flardrek shook his head.

"We've scanned almost all of the central buildings in the city." said Fairon. "No survivors."

Shardak nodded, trying to keep the disbelief and hatred from once again overwhelming him. In his mind's eye, Gigas Nui was still intact, a spire-city now controlled by the Resistance. Despite the fact that all of his senses were telling him that Gigas Nui was gone, had disappeared forever, he still didn't believe them. To him, the wreckage before him was still surreal.

"We'd better go, then." he said. "Round up Artonix, Chameleo, Shardos, and the others. We'd better get back to the base."

Fairon nodded, calling over the rest of their patrol. Shardos was a tall, thin Glatorian, a veteran of many battles, Artonix was a powerfully built Agori warrior, who'd fought for the rebellion for years before Shardak had joined. Chameleo, native to the planet Noctxia Magna, was a Reptisapean, a reptilian being with clawed hands and feet. Four other Glatorian soldiers were with them, as well as one Veythari known as Veron, a grim-faced, slightly taciturn young warrior.

''How can we stand against these beings? They're simply too powerful to be defeated by beings such as us. We cannot even find out how Mordrax was able to bring Shadowdermis back to Xaterex.''

Shadowdermis was a semi-sentient virus created by Makuta scientists millennia before the Ix's rise to power. It had the ability to allow its users almost limitless power, provided they were strong enought to control the substance. The Sarkanian clones, with their limited intelligence, were controlled by the virus, compelled only to destroy anything in their path. It had taken them only three months to eliminate the Resistance's bases in Arden, then they'd turned north and rampaged through the Canyonlands and on to Gigas Nui.

Shardak suddenly heard voices in the distance, loud shouts in a nasal, indecipherable language. Fairon turned and looked at him, panic in his eyes. The shouts could only mean one thing. The Ix were coming for them. Shardak needed no further urging. Months of training, honing his skills with the Blade of Arcturas, took over as he tore the weapon free from its sheath and raced away, toward the smashed city gates. However, out of the corner of his eye, he could see arrows, flashing out of the darkness, flying toward them.

Shardak heard one whip past his Kanohi, missing him by centimeters. However, one of the Glatorian was not so lucky, and the arrow struck him in the neck, killing him immediately. The others all managed to dodge, though the Veythari was hit in the shoulder. Whirling around, Shardak saw that four Ix warriors stood before them, like ghosts in the darkness. All of them were wearing camuflage armor, and carried long dagger-scythes. Shardak looked around for any sign of the archer, but saw none.

"Limiters." hissed Fairon, his voice colder then the Fellsian winds at midwinter. "Stay low. We can't afford to allow them to kill you, not now."

Shardak nodded tensely, feeling horribly vulnerable as the Ix warriors advanced on Fairon, Artonix, and Chameleo. He could see two more, both carrying the same curved daggers, emerging from the shadows, these two wearing the same armor as the Limiters. However, Shardak could tell that neither of them were from the elite soldier detachment. One was male, the other female, and there were no female Limiters. Both wore helmets that shrouded their faces from view.

All of these thoughts raced through Shardak's mind in the blink of an eye. Then the battle had begun, two Ix warriors charging toward Chameleo, another engaging Artonix. Fairon fought three at once, his curved scimitar slashing one across the shoulder while the morning rang with the clash of metal as the scythes struck his shield. Still, Fairon seemed to be holding his own, and Shardak, Veron and Shardos behind him, charged into the battle.

A Limiter, faster then Shardak's eye could follow, whirled around to meet him, red eyes burning behind his skull-like mask. Once, the sight of this elite soldier would have terrified him. But Shardak now knew that unless he could fight them on their own level, he would die.

Most battles are won before the weapon is even drawn. Atarus had said to him. The mysterious golden-armored being had taken over his training after the death of his previous mentor, Arkhan. Shardak knew this to be true; if he did not believe he could win against the Limiter, his death was a certainty. He felt a slightly jarring clang as his weapon collided with the Limiter's massive scythe, and then the world seemed to desecend into clashes of weapons and shouts as more Ix sprang from the shadows.

As Shardak leapt to one side, dodging the Ix's swinging scythe-daggers, he saw one of the Glatorian was too slow to react, and fell to the ground as a spear, thrown from the shadows, ran him through. Shardak could see the Kranr's eyes gleam in the darkness as he drew another spear. The Toa charged forward, ignoring the Limiter who was chasing after him. The Kranr was aiming his spear at Artonix, and no one else was near enough to help him.

The Kranr had just enough time to whirl around, spear still raised, before Shardak slashed the iron tip from the rest of the weapon, Flames gleamed along the edge of the Blade of Arcturas, illuminating the startled features of his opponant as Shardak slashed him to the ground with two quick stabs. The Kranr fell to the ground, eyes glazing over.

Shardak whirled around, expecting the Limiter to be attacking him again any minute, but instead he saw Veron, standing above the Ix warrior's corpse, a bloodied scimitar in hand. Shardak nodded his thanks before turning once more to the fallen Kranr. Though he'd had to do a lot of it since the Ix had killed Arcturas, killing had never become easy for him.

That's a good thing. he had time to think. ''Even when it's necessary, killing should never be something taken lightly by anyone. It may not be much of a difference, but it's the only thing that seperates us from the Ix, in the end.''

Then his thoughts were cut off as he was once more in the midst of the battle, Chameleo and Veron by his side. Two Ix Limiters were still fighting, as well as several Kranr. Two Glatorian lay dead, one impaled by a spear, the other slashed down by an Ix's scythe. Shardos had also fallen, but Fairon and Flardrek were both alive, fighting two Ix warriors. Artonix was still alive, fighting a Kranr, his twin daggers flashing in the shadowy predawn light.

While he was now skilled enough to kill a Limiter in single combat, he couldn't fight three of them and expect to survive. He simply tired too quickly. What was more, the other Ix commander was still alive, and was fighting Veron now. One Ix Limiter fell to the ground, but the other was still alive, and she wouldn't surrender. Her long silver dagger met Shardak's, and, suddenly, with a jolt of recognition, Shardak found he recognized the runes engraved on the sword.

She dodged his weapon again, and Shardak looked up at his foe to see familiar emerald green eyes staring at him, and a familiar bow strapped across her back. Charging toward the Ix girl, angry now, he slammed into her, tearing the helmet from her face. The Ix warrior recovered quickly, however, and rose to her feet, her eyes meeting Shardak's.

"Valkyria." he whispered, surprised he hadn't recognized her earlier. Anger, and hatred that had been smouldering within him for more then six months returned, and as he faced his enemy once again, the enemy who had once been his friend, he felt energy spread through his body once more.

"Shardak." she said. Her voice was the same as before, though now coldly detached. Shardak felt a pang of regret, which quickly disappeared once again. "You should not have come here."

"Why not?" asked Shardak. "Let's finish this now. I've waited long enough."

For a moment, he could see real pain in Valkyria's eyes, and for a moment he felt guilty and mean for what he'd said to her. But then it vanished. He had every right to hate her. She'd betrayed him, and stolen a fragment of the ring known as the Annulus, which the Ix were searching for. If they assembled all three pieces, they would have more power then any other being that had ever existed before, and their enemies would be easily defeated.

"Do you think you can defeat me, blinded by anger?" asked Valkyria. "You'll die."

"Then maybe I'll be able to take you with me." said Shardak. He was no longer interested in talking to her. He just wanted this to be over, though in his anger he didn't know what he truly wanted. The Sword of Fire slammed against Silverblade, both weapons of equal strength and power. Valkyria followed her attack up with several Sila and Vauhti counterstrikes, forcing Shardak solidly onto the defensive.

For a moment, Shardak wondered if he could win. Valkyria was faster and could endure more damage then he could, but he was easily stronger then she was. With heavy Kracht and Lihtne attacks, he'd be able to easily counter her Sila, Lihtne, and Vauhti attacks. Though she was also quite good at Guokte—

Shardak felt weapon meet weapon as he was again forced a step back. Then he backed up further, all the while readying for a more powerful Napad attack pattern. Valkyria was prepared to counter his attack, but not prepared for the devastating attack that landed. He nearly ripped Silverblade from her grasp, then lunged forward, slashing open her shoulder.

Shardak felt anger burn within him as he remembered how he'd saved her life when she was hit in the shoulder by a poisoned crossbow bolt fired by mysterious assassins. He'd used a powerful aura technique to halt the poison and nearly died in the process. If he'd known what he knew now, he would have let her die.

''Would you? ''a small voice asked him from within, and Shardak felt a pang of regreat that he quickly pushed aside. ''Yes. She'd deserve''—

Then, suddenly, Veron charged toward him, his eyes flashing in the darkness as he raced to help Shardak. However, the Ix commander suddenly lashed out in the aura field, flinging Artonix to the ground. Chameleo and the surviving Glatorian were unable to help as the Ix warrior speared the Veythari through the back. Veron staggered backward, mortally wounded. The Ix warrior slashed open his throat, and, like a puppet with all its strings cut, Veron fell to the ground.

Now Valkyria was on the defensive. Shardak could see that Artonix, Chameleo, and the surviving were now fighting the Ix commander and two Kranr, but were forcing them back. Neither Shardak nor Valkyria could gain the upper hand, they were both equally good fighters. Shardak, however, was slowly beginning to tire.

But he would not be beaten by her. He could not be beaten by her. The anger he felt toward her was so palpable that Valkyria's seemed shocked. Her aura was different then he remembered, steel-gray with little traces of color. Then again, it had been like this during their first meeting, during the battle in the Sanctum of the Mind. He let his aura touch Valkyria's, allowing her to feel the full force of his anger, and she recoiled, seemingly shocked at his aura.

Suddenly the Ix commander hissed something at Valkyria, and she turned to face him. Shardak lunged forward, but she blocked his weapon easily, almost disdainfully. As the one remaining Kranr and the Ix leader retreated, she turned and faced Shardak again, and Shardak saw there was no trace of anger in her eyes, only regret and iron-hard determination.

"Go." he snarled.

"Shardak—" she began, but he cut her off.

"Another time, Warrior Rhai." he said, coldly. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Shardak cut her off. "There is nothing more for you to say, Valkyria." he answered. His hand reached for the Blade of Arcturas, and he could see Artonix and Chameleo were moving to stand beside him, as well as Fairon and Flardrek, only wounded slightly from their skirmish with two Ix warriors. If Valkyria waited any longer, she'd be killed.

The Ix warrior seemed to realize this. As Artonix charged toward her, she turned and followed the retreating Ix. Shardak watched her go, emotions warring within him. Now that the rush of battle was over, he felt sad and mad at himself for allowing Valkyria to see how real his anger was. Now she could and probably would use that against him somehow.

''Was it right? ''he asked himself. Or has my anger made me no better then the Ix?

''No. She lied to us, and betrayed us all. ''

"Should we go after them?" asked Artonix, eager to finish them off. Shardak shook his head.

"We don't stand a chance without Veron. There could easily be more Kranr or Ix warriors in the city, and we need to report back to Parikon and Atarus."

The fog was slowly lifting from Gigas Nui, and the sun began to shine once again through the clouds. But Shardak felt weak and tired and angry, all at once. So much death and destruction was happening all around them, and he was caught at the center of it. And the only hint his last mentor had been a cryptic one, something that only seemed to hint at still more danger.

''I was wrong. The Order will stop at nothing to see you dead. May Mata Nui be with you, Toa Shardak.''

Chapter 2
The resistance leaders were gathered within the command chamber, where Shardak had been summoned so many times in the past four months, when the war had taken a dark turn. They were all there, as usual. Some looked cheered to see that he'd survived, but their grim expressions said otherwise. The war effort was going far from well.

The Sarkanian clones had halted the rebel offensive into Arden, destroying nearly one hundred rebel warriors and scattering the rest. That left the remaining four hundred warriors in the Resistance's armies to guard the rebel bases in the Fells. Then, one clone had begun rampaging through the Fells, forcing the rebellion to abandon Gigas Nui completely so they could defend what little territory they still had. While thus far the clone had not attacked the Resistance directly, the rebellion was sure that any moment one or more of the clones would attack them.

Atarus, the leader of the rebellion, waved at him to sit. Beside him stood Freztrak, the Skakdi commander whose armies had been called back to the Fells after the fate of the southern armies.

Facing them sat Tiral, commander of the rebellion's spacefleet, and Saren Naghara, who looked even more grim-faced and gaunt since the last time Shardak had seen him. Saren had been leading the war effort against the clone, and while he had thus far been successful, they all knew it had been little to do with skill. The Ix had been biding their time, for whatever enigmatic reason only they knew.

Next to Saren sat Reid Vaethar, his body tensed like a highly strung bow. Of all of the rebellion's leaders, only one being was absent, Parikon, who had lead the Resistance in Atarus' absence. Shardak thought that was odd, but said nothing of it. Parikon was probably overseeing the defenses that were currently being put into effect against the Sarkanian clones.

Fairon and Shardak, who had decided to represent the survivors of their scout force, told, in halting tones, of their battle with the Ix warriors, the deaths of the two Glatorian soldiers, Shardos, and Veron. Finally Shardak told them of how he'd discovered that one of the Ix warriors with them was Valkyria.

At the mention of the Ix warrior's name, Atarus' already grim voice became even more grim. "She was there? You're sure of it?"

"Yes." said Shardak. "I am sure."

Atarus read his expression, and did not say anything more, but merely sighed. "These are dark times. I knew that the Ix would destroy the city, but to leave Ix warriors there to kill any rebel scouts is another matter. And that Valkyria is back again...I'm not sure what we can do to defeat these threats."

Not for the first time, Shardak wished Ion had survived. Without him there, the remaining rebel leaders seemed extremely vulnerable. Even Atarus, who usually seemed so powerful and unbreakable since he'd taken over as Shardak's main mentor, seemed weaker now, less confident that they could survive.

"The Veythari warriors will not surrender." Reid said harshly. "We will continue fighting, and defeat these Sarkanian clones. They may be powerful in the flatlands, but they're not accustomed to warfare in the Fells."

Shardak had fought the clones before, and he knew that Vaethar was right. The clones could not tear through the Fells the same way they'd torn through Arden and Gigas Nui. If they were reckless, they would be destroyed. But two or more of the clones could—

"We need to consider, also, what effects this could have on the Noctian front." said Atarus. "The Hand of Mata Nui, led by Ixtil, is still active on Noctxia Magna. The Ix may decide that it is easier to send the Sarkanian clones to Noctxia Magna, while they still have us bottled up here in the Fells."

Then Atarus turned to Fairon. "Commander Fairon, time and time again you have shown that you are highly devoted to the rebel cause. Thus, we have decided to send you to Noctxia Magna, along with a small fleet of warships, to meet with the commanders there and warn them of the threat that the Sarkanian clones pose to the Resistance there."

Fairon nodded. Shardak wondered why they'd wanted him to report as well, it seemed they'd covered as many defenses as they could. Maybe they'd send him to one of the bases on the edge of the Fells, where the majority of the Veythari warriors were now based, keeping a lookout for the Sarkanian clones, which had destroyed several of the smaller lowland towns in the past few months.

"I will do so." the Toa of Light said, his voice calm but edged now with worry. Atarus nodded.

"Good." said Saren. "Which brings us to you, Toa Shardak."

"Yes?" asked Shardak, apprehension in his voice. His status as the Spirit Toa had given him a pass to nearly every High Council meeting since his return from Xiost, but never had he seen the Council members look as grim as they did now.

"We have located another fragment of the Annulus." said Saren.

Emotions warred within Shardak first fear, then apprehension, and finally hope. He'd been told, what seemed like a lifetime ago, of the ancient ring of power known as the Annulus, which had existed before the Ancients themselves came into being. In the unthinkably far past, it had been shattered into three peices, two of which were now in the hands of the Empire.

The power source of the Annulus, the Shadow Orb, had eventually fallen into the hands of the Ix, and now half of the power source was kept safe by the rebellion, for fear that the Ix would one day get ahold of the stone again. The other half the Ix also had. If the final Annulus fragment had truly been located, the Resistance needed to recover it, or all was lost.

"Where?" asked Shardak, eager now. Once, recovering the Annulus had been an added benefit that could help to stop the Ix. Now, recovering it was a matter of survivalWe.

"My spies within the Ix Empire report that the Annulus fragment is hidden in an abandoned Great Being base on Noctxia Magna's moon Drakyr." Saren answered. "However, that is not all we have to tell you."

"We sent Parikon, as well as two Veythari warriors, to Drakyr one week ago. They landed safely, though soon after, communication was lost and they disappeared, presumed dead."

Shardak felt sadness rise within, more painful than a Shredsteel dagger wound. Parikon was dead? It seemed impossible. How could he be gone? The ancient being had seemed invincible, a paragon of the Resistance's best warriors. No wonder Saren looked both sad and weakened. Parikon had been one of his and Atarus' closest friends.

"A week has passed, and there has been no further communications from either of them." said Saren. We must assume the worst. At first, we believed it to be the work of the Ix, but no Ix ships have been sighted near Drakyr, and the Resistance is still in control of that area. Thus, the Ix are not to blame."

Shardak felt mounting dread rise within him once again. Saren's words had probably not been intended to echo Ion's cryptic hints that an organization known as "the Order" wanted him dead, but iit had sounded like that to him. He wondered if any of the Resistance leaders thought the same, as he had told them of what Ion had said before his death,

"Do you think the organization Ion mentioned, that he identified as the Order, could be behind this?" asked Shardak.

"Possibly." answered Atarus. "We have no idea. Whoever they are, they did not leave the planet using starcraft. Tiral has confirmed that no starfighters, of Ix origin or otherwise, have left or arrived Drakyr before and after their disappearence. Thus, we have decided to send you, Flardrek, Chameleo, and an elite team of Veythari warriors to investigate."

Shardak nodded, saddened for one moment. He almost wished he'd been sent to fortify the border now, where his friend Blast was currently stationed. However, it soon vanished, as quickly as it had come. Parikon could still be alive, and in danger, and he and Flardrek were being sent with an elite team of Veythari to find out if they could recover the Annulus.

"You will also, once again, be given the Shadow Orb." said Saren. Shardak opened his mouth to ask a question, but Saren answered before he could speak. "We spent many days locked in debate about whether we should give it to you. However, the Orb can be a potent source or auric power if you need it, and where you're heading, you will."

"We can't have you using your aura to hold together Starcraft now." Tiral said, referring to the time when Shardak had saved Chameleo, Artonix, and another of his friends by holding the starcraft together with his aura. It had very nearly killed him and depleted his power for days afterword. "You need all of your strength for the battles ahead."

Shardak nodded grimly. It felt so different from his first mission as a rebel warrior, when he'd felt so ready to set out to find the Annulus fragment. Now, all of the Resistance's hopes hinged on finding the last Annulus fragment and keeping it out of the Ix's hands.

''But the Order is out there as well. ''a voice seemed to whisper within Shardak's mind. Their motives are completely unknown.

Shardak wished that Ion had told him about these beings earlier. Then he remembered what Ion had said within the Void, what seemed like an eternity ago: ''I will tell you as much as I can. Some things, however, I will not tell you, not because I wish to keep secrets from you, but if you know them it will simply put you in more danger.''

"Will you agree to this, Toa Shardak?" asked Atarus. "As our only aura user in the Resistance, only you will be able to identify and find the Annulus. However, I will not put you in this posistion of danger unless this is what you truly want."

"There's no choice." said Shardak. "I will do whatever I can to help the Resistance win this war."

The Resistance leaders instantly seemed more relaxed, and Saren even smiled slightly for the first time in many weeks. "I am glad." he said. "We will arrange transportation for you to Drakyr immediately, you will leave tomarrow morning. Tiral has three or four transports available at the moment, I believe."

Tiral nodded once. "Yes. How many Veythari do you plan to send with them, Vaethar?"

"Seven or eight, that I will choose myself." answered Reid Vaethar. "You will be well protected, Spirit Toa."

Shardak nodded respectfully to the Veythari leader. The meeting then began to turn to the quanitity of troops the rebellion could muster if the Fells were invaded, then to the situation on Noctxia Magna. After a few more moments, the discussions ended, and finally the Resistance leaders began to depart. Only Saren remained, his almost hollow eyes staring into Shardak's.

"Yes?" asked Fairon.

"I have discovered who the traitor in the Resistance is." Saren began. "It was never Ion, but Freztrak. Freztrak has sold us out to the Empire."

Shardak felt as though Saren's words were an almost physical blow. How could Freztrak have sold out the Resistance? It seemed impossible, but...Freztrak was a Skakdi, and they could be horribly, ruthlessly cunning. It would be easy for Freztrak to have fooled them for so long.

A flame of anger began to rise within Shardak. If Saren was correct, then Freztrak had sent Ion to his death against Skorpix, and had possibly also been responsible for Veron's death as well. The thought that he could have sold them out to the Ix was no longer impossible.

"I have tried to find other possible traitors in the Resistance." said Saren. "But Freztrak is better placed then any other to have betrayed us. He's a low-profile council member who has little to lose if the Resistance is destroyed. He isn't a known enemy like me or Parikon, and when my friends discovered that he was a traitor and gave us ample proof, I had no choice but to believe them."

"What is the proof?" asked Shardak.

"I cannot show you. However, that's just it." said Saren. "It still wasn't conclusive enough for me to convict Freztrak. He'd have too many ways to deny it. However, I am warning you to trust no one. The word about the traitor was leaked, and the Resistance's inner command is beginning to disintegrate. Innocent Skakdi who probably have nothing to do with Freztrak's betrayal are being discriminated against. This cannot be allowed to continue if the Resistance is to survive."

"We understand." said Fairon. He seemed shocked by the revelation, but not surprised. Shardak guessed it was because Saren's words seemed so accurate, so persuasive. Shardak had lost a great deal of respect for Saren after he'd almost convinced him Ion was a traitor, but now he saw a being who was determined to hold the Resistance together, whatever the cost.

"Just remember there are people in the Resistance you can still trust." said Saren. "Such as Atarus and myself, who will help you in any way we can. I will also give you a list of some of my other friends, whom you can contact if I am not available."

Saren handed Shardak the list, and the Toa quickly skimmed over it. It included many of the sub-commanders and starfighter squadron leaders, many of whom Saren commanded indirectly. Many of them he recognized, though a few he didn't, and he guessed they were simply Resistance soldiers.

"I must go to fortify the defenses around the base now." said Saren, who looked tired but determined. "May Mata Nui protect you and guide you to the Annulus fragment, Toa Shardak."

Shardak felt new respect for the Glatorian rise within him. Saren's determination and tactical knowledge were exactly what the Resistance needed nowadays, and with Saren as Atarus' deputy, the Resistance would stand a chance against the Empire. Saren's steely determination had reignited Shardak's old firey strength. Despite Valkyria's betrayal and the current seige that the Resistance was under from the Sarkanian clones, he was once more ready to be a warrior of the Xaterex Resistance.

Let's end this now.

There is nothing more for you to say, Warrior Rhai

Every one of Shardak's words had driven through her heart like a dagger. She'd tried to speak with him, tried to tell him that she wished that she had not had to take the Annulus fragment from him and return to the Ix, but the words simply wouldn't form in her mouth. Nothing she could say would make any difference to him, though.

Valkyria wandered the twisting corridors of the Ix Citadel, at the heart of Drakos I. She still carried her dagger in one hand and was still wearing her camuflage armor that she'd used during their mission to the ruins of Gigas Nui, despite the fact she, as an Ix commander, usually wore the dark robes common to high-ranking Ix when not actively participating in the war.

She'd already spoken with her direct superior, who had been slightly annoyed that they had failed but glad to learn that the Spirit Toa was alive. For reasons that Valkyria had never been told, the Ix wanted Shardak alive so he could do something for them, something that probably involved the Annulus fragment she had recovered.

She'd taken the Annulus fragment from Shardak easily. He'd been horribly weakened in an earlier battle, and it had been easy to ruthlessly crush his aura attacks and immobilize him. She'd left him there with a horrible, blank look on his face, and had forced herself to complete the mission, against her will, which wanted, more than anything, to accept Shardak's idea: she could actually betray the Ix.

In the end, however, the Ix blood which ran through her veins had won the battle, and her determination to complete the task she'd been given had overran what she herself wanted. Valkyria had returned to Drakos I with a massive amount of information about the Resistance's inner workings, as well as information about Shardak. And, of course, she'd brought the Annulus fragment. She'd been promoted to Ix Commander almost immediately after her return, and was now in charge of more Ix warriors then she'd ever been in the past.

Looking back once again, Valkyria realized that this had been the extent of her dreams during her time as an Ix apprentice: to be an Ix commander, based in the Empire's capitol city, and be known and respected as one of the greatest Ix warriors of all time.

Had that really been all she'd wanted? After living for nearly four months as a Resistance warrior, Valkyria had almost forgotten what it had been like to be an Ix warrior. Beings friends with Shardak had shown her the other side of the spectrum, and she'd been truly happy as a warrior in the Resistance, and had not needed to conceal how she felt behind a mask of impassiveness.

Shardak had never had to live his life carrying the weight of lies on his shoulders as she had. He'd actually cared about what happened to her, a concept completely alien to Valkyria. He hadn't questioned her motives, or distrusted her outwardly. He'd accepted her, something that no one had ever done since she'd become an Ix apprentice.

And where had that led her? She'd become a killer, a traitor, and a liar, all for a cause she was no longer sure she believed in. Shardak had trusted her, and she'd destroyed that trust, leaving nothing but anger, anger that had been so intense that it had shocked her. Had she really hurt him that badly?

Yes, Valkyria realized, she had. There was nothing, anymore, she could do, however. Looking around her, surveying the dim torchlight of the Ix Citadel and the black and white walls common in all Ix structures, she felt drained and saddened. But she'd chosen her path, and there was little she could do to change it now. The—

"Commander Rhai?"

A Kranr's voice, reedy and frightened, broke through Valkyria's thoughts. She turned to face the being, not at all feeling like an Ix commander at that moment. She felt vulnerable and weak, and had to remind herself that the Kranr could not sense the aura field.

"Yes?" she asked, keeping her voice calm but authoritive. She could sense in the Kranr's aura that he feared her, but was wondering what, exactly, she'd been doing at the time and why she still was disheveled, as if she'd just come back from Gigas Nui.

"Lord Skorpix wishes to speak with you." the Kranr guard said, still nervous. "Immediately."

"Understood." said Valkyria, speaking in Common. The Ix language was not understood by Kranr, nor could they speak it. "I will be right there."

"Lord Skorpix says...you are to come immediately, Commander Rhai." said the Kranr, still fearful. "No delays."

Valkyria kept her expression carefully neutral, but inwardly she was wondering what required her attention so urgently. "I understand." she said, following the Kranr into the heart of the Ix Citadel. Here, all of the greatest of the Ix's plots were orchastrated, such as the development of a new strain of Elimination that could affect Glatorian as well.

Valkyria felt another pang of regret. Despite the fact that her people had decimated Shardak's Toa Order, 'dstill accepted her. She—

''Skorpix is one of the greatest aura users of all the Ix. ''Valkyria reminded herself. ''And he knows me better than most Ix warriors. I cannot allow him to discover this, or I will be killed.''

The Kranr opened the double doors that led into the heart of the Ix's sanctum, and Valkyria saw that the room was empty, except for the being standing before her. His jet-black armor gleamed in the torchlight, and his cold red eyes met Valkyria's. Valkyria lowered her head, knowing she was facing, perhaps, the most important person in all of the Ix's heirarchy, save the mysterious Hooded One himself. Skorpix's aura was a heavy, tangible presence in the field, far more powerful then Valkyria's.

"Commander Rhai." said Skorpix, acknowledging her briefly in the Ix's cold, nasal language.

Valkyria fought back her first thought which was, ''why have you summoned me? ''To ask an Ix Lord that question would not be appropriate for a mere Commander. Skorpix, however, read her aura easily and asked. "No doubt you are wondering why I have called you here. It is because we are ready to complete our plan. At last, the Ix will eliminate the rebellion that has resisted our rule for far too long."

"This is indeed momentous news." said Valkyria, unconcsiously slipping into the same language. "Have we located the final Annulus fragment?"

"We have." said Skorpix, allowing a note of triumph to creep into his voice. "Our spy in the Resistance has confirmed that the fragment of the Annulus is hidden on Drakyr. We are sending an elite team of Ix Limiters out to stop them, and I myself will accompany them. You are to come as well."

"Yes, Lord Skorpix." answered Valkyria, voice calm now. A slight bit of her old anticipation began to rise within her, and for a moment she was once again the naive young Ix girl who had just begun training as an Ix apprentice. Then it was gone, and she was once again, as Shardak had called her, a traitor, liar, and murderer.

Was that what her Ix training had forced her to become?

"We leave within two hours. Be sure that you are ready by then. We will also go undetected, to avoid the Resistance ships that are currently in control of this sector. Three of our Corpse Fighters will divert the Resistance's attention from Drakyr, then we can land there."

"Yes, Lord." said Valkyria, wishing for a moment she could somehow feel more enthusiastic about the Ix's imminent victory. Yes, she still believed that the Ix were destined to rule the multiverse, but after four months with the Resistance, she didn't want to see them all dead.

She'd heard from Skorpix soon after her return to Drakos Capitol that Shardak's mentor, Arkhan, was dead, as well as Ion, another of Shardak's close friends. Arkhan had helped train her as well, and though there was little the white-armored Glatorian could teach her, he'd never argued with the other Resistance leaders to kill her, as Saren Naghara had once. He'd—

"Are you ready, Commander Rhai?" asked Skorpix, who had been telling her the final aspects of their plan. Valkyria nodded. "I will be ready within two hours."

"You are dismissed, then." said Skorpix, and Valkyria left the room, relieved that he had not seemed to notice her inner struggle. For nearly seven months now she had not healed inside, and seeing Shardak again and feeling his smouldering, raw anger had reopened all of her old scars that she'd tried so hard to put aside. Wasn't that how she'd suceeded before? By putting aside her own emotions for the good of the Empire? Wasn't that how she'd become an Ix warrior that her family had been proud of?

Valkyria knew there were no answers to any of those questions.

Deep within the shadowy caverns, the Hooded One lowered his head in supplication as a dark presence began to fill the shadows, an aura of raw shadow so powerful it made the Hooded One's own look weak and unskilled, though the being knew that he was one of the most skilled aura users in the multiverse.

Come. The voice seemed to whisper from the shadows. It sounded like a horrible, disjointed chorus of beings was speaking at once, a rasp that sounded like a knife scraping against rock. You wish to appear before us?

"Yes, master." hissed the Hooded One quietly.

What have you been doing to free us?

"We have nearly assembled the Ring of Power, and have almost recovered the power source." said the Hooded One. "Now all that is required is a second aura user, one who can use the power of the Ring."

'The Toa. Bring us the Toa.'

"Many attempts have been made to reach the Toa of Aura." rasped the Hooded One. "Still he rejects our calls. We will continue to try to turn him."

Bring him before us.

"...Yes." the Hooded One said finally, though hesitantly. "I shall."

You hesitate... hissed the voice from the shadows.

"But would it not be wiser to have him first assemble the ring, then free you from the Ancient Homeworld? Then, when we are done, we can simply kill him."

Perhaps you believe that, if turned, he would replace you and that is why you hesitate to bring him before us. The voice hissed.' He must come here. Only then will he free us from our prison.'

"Then it shall be done." said the Hooded One. "But—"

'Do not worry. We have not forgotten your service to us. the voice rasped, echoing through the endless darkness. When we are free, you will be rewarded. You know we need you to free us. Free us...and you will never... NEVER... lose us again...'

Chapter 3
Chapter unfinished...