Eternal Darkness

Eternal Darkness is the final novel in the Xaterex Multiverse Storyline.

Teaser
''Vahrikaan has risen. Darkness has fallen over Xaterex.''

''For the allies of the Resistance, whose war has been long, deadly, and filled with pain, the treachery of Saren Naghara has destroyed their ranks. The rebellion has collapsed in on itself, even as the Ix are at their strongest, and the only beings that have a chance of stopping the ascending Dark Lord have been scattered across the universe..''

''Shardak and Valkryia’s only hope of victory against Vahrikaan lies in unraveling the cryptic Prophecy of Time, which states that at the end of worlds, the Spirit Toa shall make a choice that will save or annihilate the universe forever. Blast must confront the being who holds the key to his past, which holds a secret so great that it could change the tide of the war. Fairon and Luxa, captured by the mysterious Mindeaters, must journey beyond the known worlds to stop a plan that threatens to end all hope for survival.''

''All of these allies must come together to stand against Lord Vahrikaan. And as darkness closes in on them, the fate of the Resistance— and the Xaterex Multiverse— rests on a single choice that will preserve or destroy existence itself.''

Prologue
''"What happened then?" asked the Toa. His voice trembled slightly as he faced the hooded being, whose face was shrouded in the darkness. Only the being's eyes could be seen.The Toa could not read the expression within, but could feel the force of the eyes upon him, staring intently into his own.''

''"I failed," The hooded being said simply. “I failed, and eternal darkness fell upon the universe.''"

''"You failed?" asked the Toa. His voice was incredulous. "But how?"''

"My friends had fought well. My allies were strong. But, in the end, the battle came down to a single choice, a choice foretold hundreds of years before. And because of this choice, I have journeyed across the strands of time for thousands of millennia."

''"So that's how everyone knows of you, and knows your title." said the Toa. ''

''"Yes," the being answered. "I have seen the uncountable pasts, the varied presents, the incalculable futures. But everything came down to the single choice at the end of time, a choice that had been foretold thousands of years before." ''

''"What happened?" the Toa demanded, real fear in his voice now "At the end of time? How did you fail? Who are you?”''

''For a moment, all was silent and still. The hooded being said nothing, merely continued to stare into the Toa's eyes. Almost unconsciously, the Toa dropped his gaze. For a few moments, neither being spoke.''

''"Who are you?" asked the Toa again, breaking the silence. But the hooded being could feel his aura, and he knew the Toa already knew. ''

''"I will tell you of the final battle, then." said the being at last. "I will tell you how it all ended..."''

And he lowered his hood.

Chapter 1
Var'kala hung above Xaterex like a grim premonition of doom, its presence creating a grim aura of fear within the hearts of all beings below. The jagged grey surface of the mobile planetoid hovered just below the nighttime skyline, revelling in the fear that it instilled in the hearts of the warring Toa, Glatorian, and Ix below. For the presence of Var'kala, the Citadel of the Darkness, meant that the Dark Lord, Vahrikaan, had returned to Xaterex.

Within the open chambers of the Resistance base, Shardak stared at the skies above him and, unconsciously, shivered as he felt the force of Var'kala's dark gaze upon him. While he couldn't feel any enemies nearby, the sense of shadow energy around him was palpable.

Beside him, Valkyria Rhai shivered slightly in the aura field as she, too, looked at Var'kala. Shardak knew without question that she felt the darkness here as well.

"It's odd we haven't encountered any of Saren's guards here yet." said Shardak, breaking the almost oppressive silence. He tore his gaze away from Var'kala, accessing the situation before him. "You'd think they'd be everywhere, especially after Var'kala appeared. Vahrikaan knows the Fells are the heart of the rebel's territory, and he's likely to mount an attack here."

"It is strange," Valkyria agreed. "And worrying. Maybe Saren's abandoned the base, and left us here for the Ix?"

But Shardak could tell she didn't believe it. Saren was too canny a strategist not to hold onto his territory, especially now, when his forces were engaged in a life-and-death struggle at the heart of the Ix Empire. The treacherous Resistance commander who had sent his warriors to capture him and Valkyria in the Void would not have abandoned his last, most easily defended base in the Fells so easily.

"We have to get out of here as soon as possible, though." said Shardak grimly, turning his gaze back to Var'kala, which still hovered above them like a massive, all-seeing eye. For the first time, Shardak wondered if Vahrikaan could actually see him with his highly advanced auric abilities, or if he could see any of his friends, all of them scattered across the worlds. Many could be dead, for all he knew, they all could be.

There was Blast, with the ancient being Moru Kul and the bounty hunter Nightwatcher on Noctxia Magna, fighting alongside Ixtil and his interim government, the Hand of Mata Nui, on the Resistance's side. Whether or not he was aware of Saren's betrayal was unknown. There was Jareroden, the Toa who'd likely been killed in the Void, but whose body had not been found. Two of his other friends, Fairon and Luxa, had joined the Akkadians and the Veythari in their attempt to defeat Saren at Calos. Shardak was unsure of the outcome of the battle, or if either of them were still alive.

Only Valkyria was left to stand alongside him as he attempted to complete his mentor Atarus' last plan, hunted from all sides by both Vahrikaan's armies and the Saren's Resistance.

The words of the Prophecy of Time, the unfinished final prophecy of the enigmatic race known as the Ancients, seemed to whisper the first lines to Shardak once again.

The end of worlds has been declared,' the Spirit’s allies are ensnared.' The Spirit must choose now or never, 'or time shall fall, worlds’ death forever...

His friends and allies were indeed ensnared, scattered across the worlds as they fought to help Shardak complete his destiny.

But how? Shardak wondered. It had been simple when he'd had Atarus to rely on, but now the Elemental was dead, his plans for Shardak unknown. His only instruction, the only thing Shardak was sure he knew would somehow lead him closer to defeating Vahrikaan, was simple: ''seek out the rest of the Prophecy. ''

But if the knowledge had eluded even Atarus, how—

"Shardak, look!"

Valkyria's voice, tinged with a slight note of fear, brought Shardak back to the present. He could see they were standing in one of the larger gathering chambers of the Resistance. Dim torchlight cast illumination across the room, and on the corpses which lay sprawled across the floor. Only then did Shardak first smell the reek of death.

There were dozens of the dead beings scattered across the chamber, all Resistance members, from commanders to simple warriors. Glatorian, Agori, Matoran, Vortixx, Steltians...all dead. There were no Ix or Veythari among the corpses.

"Were they attacked?" wondered Shardak aloud. It seemed impossible; he and Valkyria, bound deep within the heart of Saren's base, would have heard sounds of fighting. And as Shardak stared at the fallen corpse of a Steltian, he saw that the being hadn't even been wounded. The same was true for the rest of them.

"What could have done this?" asked Valkyria. She sounded shocked and fearful, and it surprised Shardak. Having lived for years as an Ix warrior, Valkyria was a master at concealing her emotions, something that had prevented Shardak from trusting her during their tentative first alliance in the Void against the bounty hunters known as the Sharidir. Shardak was even more afraid, though tried not to let it show. It was as though every being here had been lain low by some unseen enemy.

Then the truth slammed into Shardak, so hard and horrifying that it was almost a physical blow. "The Ancient's virus in the Void. There must be another Void portal, one that Atarus didn't know about, in the Fells."

For a moment, Valkyria was silent, then the implications of what Shardak was saying hit her like a lightning bolt.

"But even then, it was unlikely that the virus would survive long enough to escape onto the surface, considering how deep the Void is below the surface of Xaterex." said Valkyria. "Still, there's no other explanation."

"So all of Xaterex could be in danger," said Shardak. "And thousands could be dead if we can't somehow stop it. The virus wiped out almost every complex lifeform that existed in the Void."

"We have to find the Void portal, then," said Valkyria. "And seal it off. Is it possible it could be within the base itself?"

"Yes..." moaned a new voice, and Shardak and Valkyria whirled around to identify the speaker.

It was Skar, the brutal Glatorian who had captured Shardak and Valkyria in the Void. However, now his face was contorted in pain, and he was gasping for breath. "Yes, Saren has a portal in the fortress," he gasped.

Shardak saw Skar was staring at him with almost dead eyes, and the Toa realized the Glatorian didn't recognize them. "To the Void. It wasn't enough, though, not enough to protect us. The Void power that Saren gave us when we were sent to the Void...wasn't enough to defeat—"

The Glatorian fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Slowly, he grew still, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

Shocked at what they'd witnessed, Shardak and Valkyria, immediately knowing in the aura field what they had to do, turned away and ran toward Saren's personal headquarters, where, less than a month ago, Shardak, Valkyria, Fairon, and Luxa had confronted the treacherous Resistance commander. Still more corpses were scattered across the hallways, many of them civilians and lower-ranking warriors as well as Saren's own commanders. All of them victims of the virus which had been unleashed into the Void.

Shardak and Valkyria had not been present during the final stages of the battle, when Freztrak, fighting the Ix high commander Reyna, had ordered them both to flee before Atarus' massive explosives detonated. Atarus had sacrificed his life to kill Nightshade, an Ix apprentice, and to seal off the Void. Later, when Valkyria and Shardak had returned, they'd found the portal destroyed, and the corpses of both Freztrak and Reyna. Both Skakdi and Ix had sustained horrible injuries in the battle, and the vial had been broken.

The hundreds of Ix, and the massive army of Shadowdermis beings they'd created there, had been wiped out by the virus, as had almost every complex lifeform within the Void. Shardak had remembered walking through the deserted streets of the Nameless City, which was littered with corpses, and dreaded thinking about the same thing happening to Akkad, Iskar, Drakos, or Ecbatana.

Shardak knew from experience that the virus did not linger in the air for long. Assuming that these corpses were more than a day old, which he was sure they were, the virus would no longer be present in the Resistance base. However, if the virus had somehow escaped the airtight confines of the base and entered the atmosphere...

Hoping desperately that the plague had not spread beyond the Resistance base, Shardak opened the door to Saren's chambers. He could see several beings lay dead here as well, and one of them was lying against the wall, his hands reaching upward, as though, even in death, he was trying to somehow break it down.

"That must be the Void portal's entrance," said Shardak. "Skar must have told them how he knew of the Void energy and how Saren maintained his power. They must have been desperate enough to risk trying to somehow absorb some of the power for themselves."

Shardak was wondering inwardly how Saren had managed to do it, but put that out of his mind quickly. If they survived, he would figure it out.

Finding Saren's secret entrance to the Void wasn't difficult. The wall slid backward if pushed hard enough, and then, if pushed horizontally to the side once more, opened an entrance to the Void. It was a cord-like structure, which descended downward. Forcing his aura against the rocks, Shardak felt his power tear through his body for a single moment, then vanish into the earth. He could feel Valkyria adding her strength to his, and soon the steps which led into the Void were buried forever.

Sealing the secret door, Shardak and Valkyria considered other viable exits from the base, in case any of the beings had survived long enough to escape. There were none. They'd sealed themselves tightly within the base in case of an attack, not knowing it would instead become their tomb.

"There's no way out by land," said Shardak. "They'd have to—"

"Go by starcraft." finished Valkyria. "And there are starcraft here. Nearly thirty, in case of emergencies. Even Saren never used them when his base was under attack by the Ix! One or more of the carriers could have escaped in a starcraft vessel!"

Shardak nodded grimly. As he turned away from the Resistance command room, however, he stopped, standing silently in the dying torchlight for a moment. In this room he had met with the leaders of the Resistance many times— Arkhan, Atarus, Freztrak, Parikon, Ion— all beings who were now dead. It was unlikely that he and Valkyria would ever return to this place, but Shardak hesitated for a moment to leave it. There were memories here, memories of a better time.

He looked one final time at the ancient runes enscribed on the wall, depicting champions of ancient battles, then sealed the chamber behind him and followed Valkyria through the narrow corridors of the base. The small starcraft fleet seemed to all be in place, and Shardak could see the fallen form of a Glatorian, another victim to the ancient virus that had claimed the lives of so many. Shardak saw that every starcraft seemed to be in its place, until he saw— and felt a cold dagger of fear flash through him.

One of the starcraft was missing. While there was no sign of any bodies, Shardak already was certain of the truth.

Some of them escaped in a ship.

"Even now, probably not realizing the truth, they're heading to join Saren at Iskar, or at Ecbatana..." said Shardak.

Valkyria nodded. Although they both knew it, neither of them mentioned the worse possibility— that the starcraft had crashed on Xaterex already as its pilots fell victim to the fatal pathogen, discharging the lethal toxin into the air of Xaterex. It would strike and wipe out every being on the planet's surface within twelve hours, then fade away just as quickly.

"The pathogen is still out there," said Shardak, as the full, horrible truth became clear to them. "The ship is carrying the live virus."

Two months earlier...

A single axe lay abandoned within the Nameless City.

The axe had fallen from its wielder's hands, a Vortixx, during a battle there almost three years ago. As the city was long abandoned, the axe remained there, a lone, slightly damaged weapon, abandoned and unused.

The Ix warrior, a Limiter recently sent by his superiors to investigate this area of the Nameless City, even as more and more Ix arrived within the city by the day, did not know anything more than it was a slightly damaged weapon. He did not know that its wielder had been a Vortixx, that it had been used in battle against a Mindeater three years ago, and he did not know how truly powerful the axe was.

And he did not know that axe as so much more than a simple weapon, but the Axe of Eternity itself.

The Limiter had thought it was worth bringing back to his superiors. A weapon was always useful, no matter what type. He reached out, and his fingers closed around the axe.

He had made the biggest mistake of his life.

The moment he lifted the weapon, the Limiter ceased to be. Death closed in around him, even as a new consciousness began to flow from the axe into his body, taking control easily. With slow movements, as though not entirely used to having a physical body once more, the Limiter rose to his feet.

Though he was no longer a Limiter any longer.

The being controlling the Ix's body brought the Limiter to his feet, and felt his fingers tighten around the Axe of Eternity, the weapon that had held his consciousness within for nearly three years.

"Time to begin again, it seems," hissed the being, enjoying the sound of using the Limiter's voice. He knew several ways to leave the Void, and with slow, purposeful steps, began to walk toward a destination only he knew.

The being twisted the Limiter's face— his face— into a hideous smile.

Now, to at last complete my plans...

Chapter 2
Far away, far beyond the stars and planets of Xaterex, the massive, forgotten diskworld of Penumbra, spun slowly around its massive, dying star. The citadel, once the great and mighty capitol of the ancient Mindeater Empire, had long since fallen into disrepair. The ancient city, made of ancient silver iron, was dilapidated and collapsing in many areas. However, it was still inhabitable, and as Toa Fairon had learned, still remained under the control of the Mindeaters themselves.

Following the battle of Calos, when the combined Illieran, Akkadian, and Veythari forces had defeated Saren Naghara and the Ix, Fairon, the rogue Limiter Kalix, and the Illieran female Luxa had gone to the Void portal in the Eternal Game arena. While they'd been successful in sealing off the Void, Kalix had then turned on them both, handing them over to the Mindeaters.

Now, as he and Luxa were led through the ruins of Penumbra, Fairon had no idea what to expect.

He knew nothing of the Mindeaters. Knew nothing of what they wanted, why they were in an alliance with Kalix in the first place. But they'd made it clear that they wanted the two prisoners alive, though for what reason Fairon could not begin to comprehend.

Now the Mindeaters, all wearing solemn hoods and gray robes, gestured with their peculiar Amphistaffs for Fairon to keep moving. None of them spoke, though Fairon knew the Mindeaters understood their language. The one time one had spoken to them was as they approached Penumbra, when he announced they were nearing the ancient capitol of the Mindeater Empire itself.

Now, filled with questions and apprehension, Fairon, escorted by the elite Mindeaters through the citadel, suddenly halted outside a large domed building. Unlike many of the others, this was perfectly perserved, a massive, ancient remnant from the glory days of Mindeater power.

"Enter," ordered two of the guards to Fairon and Luxa. "Lord Thrazkul will speak with you now."

Fairon did not recognize the being's name, but knew he must be the leader of this Mindeater remnant. Whoever he was, all of the Mindeaters answered to him, and with any luck at all, Thrazkul would be able to answer his questions.

Stepping inside the gathering chamber, Fairon examined his surroundings. They were in a massive room, rising to its peak high above them. A massive, vacant throne was at the center of the room, carved of the same silver iron. At the foot of the throne, concealed within shadow, stood a solitary Mindeater.

This being wore no hood, and his cold eyes were a striking red, rather than the dead white of most Mindeater's eyes. In one hand, he carried a massive Amphistaff, in the other, a long bladed dagger. His eyes fixed on Fairon's, and the Toa involuntarily shivered at the aura of power contained within his stare. Fairon knew immediately this being had to be Lord Thrazkul. The other Mindeaters did not speak or even acknowlege the Lord, but Fairon knew they possessed potent psionic powers, and were probably using them to communicate with the Mindeater Lord.

''Welcome, outsiders, to Penumbra. ''A voice, hoarse and cold, spoke within Fairon's mind. Fairon recoiled, and he saw from the expression on Luxa's face that she, too could hear Thrazkul's voice speak. I can communicate through the physical plain, but I prefer to speak within your minds.

"I—" Fairon began, but Thrazkul cut him off.

''I know what you are thinking, Toa. I know what the Illieran is thinking as well. My psionic will is among the most powerful in this universe. However, I can also sense the energy, what you would know as the aura field. ''

Thrazkul's eyes fixed on Luxa's sword, Isidar. One of the Mindeaters was carrying it, along with Fairon's own, larger sword. ''And I can sense the presence of a legendary object here. Hand me the Sword of Air.''

Worldlessly the Mindeater guard complied. Fairon thought the Mindeater looked almost relieved to part with the weapon, he knew exactly how insidious, how almost vampiric the four elemental swords could be. They drank in emotion, strength, and energy to strengthen their weilder's skill in battle, and had a will beyond Fairon's understanding.

However, as Thrazkul's cold fingers wrapped around Isidar's jade green hilt, he smiled. ''It has been many years since I have last seen this weapon. ''he said, his voice cold and filled with barely supressed anger. The traitor's sword, Isidar itself.

Traitor? Fairon thought. Who—

You mean you do not know? The traitor is the reason you stand before us today. said Thrazkul. ''And why my people, the Tur'aenath, the do not still reign over these worlds. It was because of Isidar that the rebel forces were able to challenge our rule, because of Isidar that the greatest of the Tur'aenath rulers are dead. And because of Isidar that Glatorian, Agori, Ix, '' and the rest of them all dominate Xaterex.

"Isidar was used to bring down your Empire?" asked Fairon. At the mention of the green sword's name, every Mindeater stiffened, stepping away from the throne. Even Thrazkul seemed annoyed that he had spoken aloud.

''Do not speak the name of this accursed weapon in the presence of us. ''he ordered, impressing upon Fairon the strength of his psionic will. For the first time, Fairon felt truly helpless. Thrazkul was within his mind, there was nothing he or Luxa could do to stop him. If they displeased him, the Mindeater lord could easily kill him.

Thrazkul regarded Isidar's blade again in distaste. ''Where it not for our ally's wishes, and if it were indeed possible, I would have this sword destroyed. However, it seems there is yet a use for it.''

''Ally? ''Fairon thought. Who is your ally?

Thrazkul smiled coldly. "You know him by name already." he said, speaking aloud for the first time. Can you not feel his darkness here? It is everywhere, spread across Xaterex. It is on his orders that you are here, and is the reason why his servants delivered you to us. Giving him Isidar will be an excellent gift."

"Whom do you serve?" asked Fairon.

"What has he promised you?" said Luxa.

"Serve is a poor choice of word." said Thrazkul. "He is our willing ally. He is also your mortal enemy, Toa. Surely you know of Lord Vahrikaan."

Shardak scanned the bleak plain ahead of him, staring at the burned wreckage all around him. The remains of the destroyed settlements and villages were not unique, he and Valkyria had seen similar signs of destruction all across the Akkadian Mountains. The smaller cities had been burned and razed by the Ix's armies, and the survivors had abandoned those that remained, heading deeper into Akkadian territory, where they were safer.

Despite the fact they'd seen evidence of the burning and carnage that had torn through Akkadia during the past three weeks, Shardak was still in shock at the destruction. Even now, an Ix army could be moving further north, toward Akkad itself.

In siding with the Veythari and the Illierans at the Battle of Calos, the Akkadians had brought the entire collection of mountain city-states, so long ignored by the Ix, under attack. And while the Fells had been attacked twice during the war by the Ix, the devastation that the Sarkanian clones and the small Ix strike forces had created there was nothing to what had fought its way through Akkad. The Ix, emboldened by Vahrikaan's rising, were striking back.

"It's probably even worse in the flatlands that border both the Fells and Akkad," said Valkyria grimly, riding up alongside Shardak on one of the Rahi they'd purchased two days ago in Caleh, an Akkadian outpost which bordered the Fells. Caleh was not officially allied with Akkad, but was already making preparations for attack. "Saren's armies have passed through there, and they'll have to fight for every step of it, if they plan to lay seige to Iskar or Ecbatana."

Shardak nodded, thinking over the map within his mind. Iskar was south of the flatlands which lay ahead of them, and to reach it they'd have to pass through Resistance-controlled land, the shortest route being through New Metru Nui, the city which had recently fallen to Saren's former commander, Reid Vaethar. However, the flatlands were massive, and there were other routes, but they were all still under Ix control.

And Ecbatana...Shardak knew he'd never make it anywhere near the city. Ecbatana was built within the mountains directly south of Iskar, forming one point on the triangle it shared with Iskar and Drakos. While neither city was far from Iskar, they'd be forced to head into the very heart of Ix territory, where the fighting, even now, would be thickest.

And the Resistance, devided, with no commanders left alive save Saren and possibly his ally Tiral, would be defeated long before Vahrikaan interfered.

Time was running out.

Unless Shardak could find and unravel the Prophecy, all was lost.

Shardak turned over some of the information he knew about the Resistance. While the Fells were in turmoil, they'd be able to hold as long as Akkad and the Dargon guards at their border in the flatlands held, which, as the armies moved through the mountains, Shardak had to admit was an increasingly likely possibility.

There was also New Metru Nui, a city recently conquered by Saren's former commander, Reid Vaethar. Now, in the wake of the Battle of Calos, Shardak was unsure of the state of the current state of the city, and indeed the state of the Resistance army itself. The Akkadians in Caleh had assured him that, as far as they knew New Metru Nui remained free from the Ix. However, that news was days, maybe weeks old, and in order to get the latest information, they'd have to head further south into Akkad, which would be walking directly into a war zone.

''The army has to be rallied somehow. ''said Shardak. ''If only I could contact Ixtil somehow. Tell him and Nightwatcher and Blast about what's going on here. But we'll have to somehow gather them ourselves, before Saren beats us to it.''

He and Valkyria had discussed their possibilities on the journey through the Fells. They had to somehow join with the scattered Resistance army, which was fighting an increasingly risky, defensive war against the Ix in the flatlands and in the Drakos Mountains. Then they had to reunite it, hopefully with the help of Atarus' other allies, the Illierans and Dark Talon, a crime syndicate now working under the orders of Mersery, another Resistance leader. Shardak had heard nothing of their status, but hoped that the Illieran leader, Iskandar, would be there and be able to help them.

They'd left the Resistance base by starcraft, making sure the base remained sealed to prevent any remaining living virus from possibly escaping. While it was unlikely any was left, Shardak knew they couldn't take that chance. Before they'd left, they'd found Skar, who had also died. Having beaten the virus with his mysterious Void power at the dreadful cost of his own sanity, he'd run himself through with his own sword.

He and Valkyria had then traveled on foot to the edge of the Fells, stopping in the border town of Caleh. None of the beings there knew anything about a disease, so it seemed that the starcraft carrying the live virus had not been released into the atmosphere yet. Shardak had seen how quickly the plague acted— it had brought death within twelve hours to thousands in the Void. It had been at least four days since the infected starcraft had left the Fells, certainly long enough to have wiped out all of Xaterex by now.

No, the virus had not been unleashed. But Shardak still found it ominous that the vessel had seemed to vanish, and wished he had a way to track it down. However, he and Valkyria had no chance of finding the starcraft or the Prophecy of Time on their own. They needed to find the rebel army, and quickly.

"How far do you think we are from New Metru Nui?" Shardak asked Valkyria as they neared the edge of Akkadian territory. The next stage of their journey would be far worse then what they'd experienced in Akkad; they'd be walking into territory little better than a war zone. South of New Metru Nui would be nothing but chaos.

"Less than a week." answered Valkyria. "But it will probably be longer, especially if we run into enemies here."

Neither of them said the unspoken truth, however, though both of them were thinking it. That within a week, Vahrikaan might attack. Within a week, the pathogen might have been released. But what could they do? Surrender? No, he and Valkyria had vowed to Atarus to find the Prophecy of Time, and they would continue fighting, even if they were going to their deaths.

He could tell Valkyria felt the same. He'd become extremely skilled at reading her subtle shifts in the aura field during their quest to stop Vahrikaan's rising on Corona Magna. During the battle, before they knew the truth about the Ix's plan to free Vahrikaan, Shardak and Valkyria had formed an alliance to escape Var'kala, and suceeded with the help of a Caronex named Makour. Eventually, Valkyria had learned the truth about the Ix's plans, and been cut off from her entire culture and branded a traitor after the battle for choosing to save Shardak and stop the rising.

Since then, he and Valkyria had been fleeing from Saren's allies, and been part of Atarus' attempt to rally the Akkadians and the Illierans to his side to defeat Saren at Calos, and had been chosen to join Atarus in the attempt to seal off the Void. During the many battles they'd faced together, he'd trusted Valkyria with his life.

But Shardak still remembered the time before they'd known of Vahrikaan's plans, when they'd both been on the Resistance's side, or so he'd thought. His friendship with Valkyria had slowly evolved into something more over that time, but had been brought to an end when Valkyria had rejoined the Ix. But he'd known she'd felt the same way as he had then.

Now she'd been cut off from the Ix forever. But despite the fact they'd journeyed together with Fairon and Artonix in the aftermath of the battle at Corona Magna, and now were alone, Shardak had not the courage to speak with her now, beyond what was necessary. His feelings were already far too confused.

And yet... if they all died within a few days, would it matter? Their lives were in danger. Anything could go wrong. If he died before he could tell her—

Shardak saw they were no longer in Akkadia. They were in the middle of the flatlands now, with no sign of civilization in sight. However, as the minutes turned into hours they rode through several abandoned towns, which showed no signs of war. The inhabitants had obviously deserted the town, heading into more populated areas. Fleeing from the war.

"I didn't expect it would be so far north," said Shardak, shaken.

"They must have sent their armies through this area into Akkad as well." answered Valkyria.

They passed by several more abandoned villages, then larger towns, which had been completely burned. At times, they also found the charred corpses of beings who had not fled.

"There has been some heavy fighting here recently," said Valkyria. "We could be nearing a Resistance or Ix outpost."

Shardak nodded. He'd always felt exposed and vulnerable in the flatlands, and that was before he'd seen his Skakdi friend Torak killed by crossbows there and Valkyria badly wounded by a poisoned bolt. They'd both almost died that day.

Sure enough, they passed through more burned areas. At times, there were even living beings there as well, but they all ignored them. None were Ix or Resistance warriors.

Warriors like to burn things up. Thought Shardak, eyeing the ruins of one town. They'd avoided it, but they knew it was still occupied by remnants of the population who had returned after the battles there. The Ix army had not been subtle during it's attack on Akkad. These villages had probably been under the control of the Resistance, and had been burned and abandoned as a consequence.

Shardak suddenly felt Valkyria tense in the aura field, warning him. ''Ix. ''Shardak looked around him wildly, and saw them racing toward him. A patrol of sixteen Limiters, all of them armed to the teeth.

''Karzahni. ''Shardak thought. He and Valkyria were excellent fighters, but even they could not defeat sixteen of the brutal Ix elite warrior class alone. He could see Valkyria's fingers tighten around her longbow, but he warned her to stop in the aura field. He himself wanted to fight, but he knew that was merely an urge from the weapon he carried, the Sword of Fire. He was used to denying the urge to fight.

"We'll have to negotiate with them," he said. He knew they probably wouldn't recognize him as the Spirit Toa at first glance, he was wearing a Glatorian helmet and armor, made in Akkadia. Still, he carried the Ignika with him, and the Kanohi gave off a powerful aura. Most Ix were sensitive to the aura field, and it was likely that they would pick up on it. "With any luck, if you can convince them we're allies, they'll let us go."

"But the Ignika—" Valkyria began, but broke off. The Ix were already surrounding them, their leader an older Limiter with a scarred, pitted face and two curved daggers. The rest of his men wore the usual skull masks of the soldier elite, and carried long, curved scythes, rather than the usual scythelike knives.

Shardak felt the last of his hope begin to drain from him as he realized the Ix commander was an aura user, as were all but two of his men. The Ignika was such a powerful force in the aura field that it probably could be sensed a mile away.

''You must fight! ''Shardak thought suddenly. He felt his hand immediately go to the Blade of Arcturas' hilt.

''Fight! Fight them! They cannot stand against you, the Spirit Toa!''

He was already drawing the sword free, feeling the familiar throb of the flaming blade in his right hand which filled him with strength, but now it was different. The sword was urging him on.

Suddenly, before Shardak could pull the weapon out and confront the Ix, he felt Valkyria touch him in the aura field, warning him. Slowly, as her will added itself to his own, he lowered the sword.

Shardak was shocked at how quickly the Blade had asserted dominance. He'd felt this same thing two times before, once during a battle in the Resistance, and once during a fight with the former bounty hunter, Nightwatcher. He'd allowed the sword to gain full dominance over his aura, and he'd killed more than thirty Ix alongside Luxa and Fairon and defeated Nightwatcher and his Rahkshi in single combat. He'd ended up both times utterly exhausted and drained of strength.

Shardak remembered Saren's words to Atarus before he, Valkyria, Torak, Silver and Dust had left for Akkad nearly three years ago, on their first mission as Resistance warrios. Before they'd known of Saren's treachery.

''"He should not have it!" Saren said.''

"He needs it. He's powerful enough. He's a Toa, he needs a powerful weapon."

''"True." Saren conceded. "But there are other swords, less ancient, less...hungary than this one.''"

He'd never given any thought to the words. Saren was a traitor anyway. He'd probably been planning to seize the sword for himself. However, as he felt his hand ready to pull the Blade free, Shardak wondered if the Glatorian had been right. He—

Valkyria was talking to the Ix commander now in their hidous, scratching language. He couldn't read the Ix's expression, though he was clearly using the aura field to communicate with the other Ix, who were slowly closing in around them.

"We're journeying to Iskar," finished Valkyria.

The Ix commander seemed almost amused. "Well, then," he said. "Seperated from the Fellsian attack force during the battle," he said. "And this Glatorian one of our allies from Akkad."

The Sword of Fire throbbed with power, and Shardak had to resist, once again, immediately attacking the Ix.

"Yes," said Valkyria, but Shardak could sense she thought something was wrong. There was something almost tense in the air as they spoke. The Blade of Arcturas seemed to feel it too, and Shardak had to resist its will once again, which was far stronger than he'd imagined. He could almost see the past wielders of the weapon whispering to him, telling him he could win, promising him victory. Scenes of battle flickered in and out of his mind, each of them showing victories against overwhelming odds by the bearer of the sword.

"Then why," asked the Limiter, his voice still calm. "Are you carrying a legendary Kanohi with you?

Shardak wasted no time. In the blink of an eye he'd drawn the Blade of Arcturas and lunged forward, spearing a Limiter through the chest. Then, before any of the attackers could even react he switched his grip on the Blade and slashed another Ix soldier's throat open. The red, gemlike sword gleamed in the twilight as Shardak dismounted the Rahi.

"The Spirit Toa!" yelled one of the Ix. "Valkyria Rhai!"

Amazed at having run into them here, the Limiters charged, but Shardak was ready for them. The Blade of Arcturas was right, with it in his hands, he could not lose. Three Limiters charged toward him, all of them carrying scythes twice the length of the Sword of Fire. But instead of stepping out of reach, as the Limiters hoped, Shardak charged toward them.

Stunned by such a seemingly suicidal maneuver, the Limiters slowed for a fraction of a second. As three of their scythes descended, each of them aimed with deadly precision, Shardak dodged them all, spinning out of the way of the last easily. Not one even came near him, and before the Limiters could lift their scythes once again, Shardak lunged forward and hacked a Limiter to the ground in one easy, killing strike.

Two more Ix immediately took his place, but they were no threat to Shardak. He dodged every one of their scythes and felled another Limiter, then charged a third, dodging, hacking, stabbing and killing anything that came into his path. All the while the Blade of Arcturas seemed to glow brighter until it burned with red light that seemed to Shardak as bright as the dying rays of the sunlight itself.

The Limiter commander loomed before him, but Shardak had no fear of his scythe any more than he had a fear of the others. With two easy slashes he cut off the Limiter's hand, then, before the Ix commander could retaliate, slashed off his head. The decapitated Ix commander crumpled to the ground.

Then all was silent.

Shardak and Valkyria were standing alone, the corpses of sixteen dead Limiters lying in midst of the burned village.

Shardak surveyed the battlefield, and was shocked to see that only four Limiters had been hit by Valkyria's arrows, and two of the hits were not killing wounds. The rest had been killed with the Blade of Arcturas, slashed open over and over again until they'd fallen.

"I—" Shardak began. Then the fatigue hit him. He was suddenly so tired he fell to the ground, leaning against the ruins of a broken building. "That was tiring." he joked, but broke off when he saw Valkyria was staring at him with apprehension and— was it possible?— almost fear.

"You killed almost all of them," she said. "How—"

"I don't know." said Shardak. "The sword just kind of...took over."

Valkyria nodded, but Shardak could tell something was bothering her. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Should I have spared them? They were going to attack us!"

"No," said Valkyria. "You were justified in attacking. However, you seemed to almost...enjoy the fighting."

Of all the things that Valkyria could have said to him, that was the worst. "What?" he asked, almost angrily. "I barely remember any of it. I just remember the sword being drawn and then...all of the Limiters were dead. I don't ever enjoy fighting. That's something only the Ix do."

"I know you don't," said Valkyria at last. "But it seemed—"

"I didn't enjoy it." said Shardak flatly. "It had to be done, or they would have killed us, even if we'd tried to flee. The Blade of Arcturas saved our lives."

"Yes, I know. But...watch out for the Sword of Fire. I know the legends about the four Elemental swords, about how powerful they can be. It takes an extremely skilled aura user to control one."

Shardak thought back to the two other beings he knew who owned Elemental Swords, Nightwatcher and Luxa. Nightwatcher was an extremely skilled warrior, and Shardak had fought against him, defeating his own Elemental weapon with the uncontrolled power of the Blade of Arcturas. He'd also dueled Luxa once, and remembered hwo the Blade of Arcturas reacted to Isidar, memories of past battles flashing in his mind's eye as they fought.

"Hopefully I'll be able to speak with Nightwatcher or Luxa about it," he said at last, as he mounted his Rahi. "Maybe they have some tips on how to control the power."

Staring at the Ix's corpses in the baleful twilight, Shardak suddenly felt uncomfortable. Maybe Valkyria was right. He'd let the sword take control too easily, and now he was paying the price. Not only was his strength failing him after the fight, his aura was drained as well.

Night had begun to fall. Neither Shardak nor Valkyria said another word on that subject, but Shardak was rather unsettled, and not only because of the battle with the Limiters. In the darkness he could see Var'kala clearly above him, where the Hooded One, or Vahrikaan himself, might even be now.

And soon they would be heading into the heart of the war zone itself, where his enemies would be all around him.

Chapter 3
Atarus' first thought when he awoke deep within the Void was that he was supposed to be dead.

His arm burned with pain, the arm where he'd been hit a bullet fired by Nightshade, the Ix apprentice. He'd swept her into the Void with him, then set off the explosives in the attempt to kill them both.Confused, he looked around him, seeing nothing but blackness. No sign of Nightshade either. Or Freztrak. Or Reyna. Or Shardak and Valkyria.

The memories of the battle in the Void came back to him. How long had he lain here, wounded horribly, before he'd awakened? Where was he?

Deep within the Void, that was sure. Somehow, he hadn't been blown to peices by the massive explosion he'd set off, in an effort to seal off the Void. He was deep within the earth, maybe even farther below than the Nameless City itself. But they said there was nothing deeper than the Void...

Atarus was sure his arm was broken. He could never climb out of the Void without the use of his hand, so how could he escape this place?

Slowly, his vision had begun to return. He was deep within the earth, on a flat plateau similar to the one he'd left, the Great Plain. There was no sign of the cliffs anywhere in sight, or of the remnants of the Cord, the destroyed portal that had led out of the Void and into the Circle. He'd done his job well. Too well, in fact. All that was left for him now was to die.

''Shardak will have to find his destiny on his own. There was so much more I wanted to tell him...''

But there was no way he could now. His arm was still bleeding, and yet he hadn't died, which meant he must not have been here long. He'd been falling for hours, probably. Even days. And yet, the last thing he'd seen was the massive explosion of light after he'd detonated the explosives.

"No, it is not your time to die now," said a new voice.

"Who...." Atarus began, but his voice was hoarse and weak. He could not see the speaker, so hidden was he by the oppressive darkness. "I can't..."

"Atarus," said the being's voice. "Do you not remember me? It's been a long time since Arcaea, but how could you have forgotten?"

Then the being stepped out of the shadows. He was tall and thin, wearing black robes which blended perfectly with the darkness himself. His face was hidden by the dark hood he carried, but his green eyes could be seen peering out from beneath the hood. He raised one hand, his left, and Atarus saw that it was completely skeletal, with no trace of armor, skin, or muscle. Only bone.

But the most unsettling thing about him was his aura. He was not merely invisible in the field, like the Vorgaan, He had none at all, and didn't even feel like anything in aura field. He was simply a void, a void in which you could drown forever in endless shadows. Atarus had no idea how long he'd been standing there watching, but knew he would probably never know. But he did know that he recognized this being.

"You." Atarus said, surprised but unable to summon any note of urgency into his voice. "What do you want?"

"To help you survive. As I helped you survive before. I helped you against the Ix in Arcaea, remember?"

"You were there," Atarus remembered. "You were there when Arcaea fell."

"It was the final battle, Elemental," said the being wryly. "Everyone was there."

"But you—" Atarus began, then stopped. He couldn't continue speaking. He was far, far too weak.

The being with the skeletal hand seemed to sense this. He stepped forward, and raised his right hand, touching Atarus' injury. Slowly, the injury began to heal itself. Atarus had no idea how he could have done it without the use of his aura, but did not stop to ask. Slowly, strength began to fill his body once again, and unsteadily he rose to his feet, staring at the hooded being standing before him.

He'd seen the being with the skeletal hand three times before. He was a shadowy figure, but many beings who had survived the Fall knew of him. No one knew what he was, or whom, if anyone, he served. He was neither Ancient or Ix, Elemental or Great Being, of that Atarus was sure. But he'd been around long, long before Arcaea, he was sure of that.

The first time he'd met the being had been when he was younger. The being had spoken to him then, and his words Atarus had remembered for the rest of his life. How could he ever forget them? He'd been in the Fire Kingdom of Arcaea, a young Elemental standing alongside his brother Arcturas, staring at the hooded being with the skeletal hand, a being who had remained the same throughout the many years that had passed since then.

"One day you will meet one of the last Toa," the being had said. "A Toa, sensitive to the aura field, born after the end of everything you now know. You have yet to meet him, but his path will shape your destiny."

He had indeed been telling the truth. He'd met Shardak, trained him, and the Toa's path had shaped his choices and decisions. But, at the time, he'd payed no attention to the words, and within a few days he'd forgotten them entirely. That was, until the war had broken out on Arcaea between Arcturas and his allies, the Ix, against the Elementals and other beings in the Elemental Kingdoms. He'd—

"I am glad you have survived," said the being at last. "You still have a role to play."

"And what is that?" asked Atarus. "How am I still alive? I was at the very heart of the explosion, I shouldn't have survived—"

"I saved you," said the skeletal-handed being. "The Void is an easy place to open portals into and out of, and I saw you were in danger. As you fell, wounded horribly, I teleported you deeper into the Void before the explosions started."

"Then we're—" Atarus began, but again the being cut him off.

"Below the Cord, yes. This area is uninhabited, and now its only path to the rest of the void has been cut off completely. You are level with the Nameless City now, Atarus, You are at the bottom of the Void."

"What do you want, then?" asked Atarus. "How did you get here? Can you get us out?"

"Yes, I can get you out," said the being. "And I created a portal to get here. I can do the same to get us out of here."

''How? ''Atarus wondered. Such a feat was far beyond the abilities of any mortal being, even probably an Ancient, the only being he knew with even close to enough power to do that was Shardak, and he wasn't skilled enough for such a feat. Even then, it would probably kill him. And the skeletal-handed being had no aura. How could he accomplish something that had taken the Arcaeans millennia to create within a few moments?

"As for what I want," said the being. "My goal is to see you alive. That, and I need you to help me. If another being succeeds in this goal before I do, all is lost."

"How can I trust you?" asked Atarus. "I know you helped me before, but how do I know you're not working for Vahrikaan, or another of my enemies?"

"Because I freed some of your friends," said the being. "Silver? Leviathos? Dust?"

Three beings stepped out of the shadows. One was a massive, powerfully built Noctian Atarus didn't recognize at first. Then he recognized the being. It was the Noctian from the 174th Eternal Game, the one who had fallen into the Void. He hadn't been seen since, though the Resistance's discovery that the Void had been a prison all along meant he could have survived. Silver and Dust, on the other hand, had been sent on a mission two years ago with Torak, Valkyria, and Shardak. Torak had been killed, but Silver and Dust had never been seen since.

"How did they survive?" asked Atarus. "Where were they for almost three years?"

"It's complicated," said Silver. "We were transported to a world which appeared to be Arcaea, and captured by a group of Vorgaan led by this being, who took us to Var'kala. Later, though, he freed us, and fed Vahrikaan's servants lies about how we'd gone to Corona Magna. But most of our time was spent in the Arcaean dimension, which was out of sync with the rest of time."

"My creation," said the being dismissively, seeing Atarus' confusion. "I created a world which appeared to be Arcaea, with the intention of freeing all of the Eternal Game survivors who had fallen into the Void. These included, along with the beings you see before you, two allies known as Iruka and Ghost. However, the Order got to those two before I could."

"We'll explain everything as soon as we've left the Void," said Silver. "But it's vital that we suceed in this."

"What?" asked Atarus, feeling more and more confused. "Who are you?" he asked the being again.

"Throughout the ages I have had many names, many titles. But you may call be what I was first called on Arcaea: Varkanax."

Atarus gasped in shock and horror and Silver, Dust, and Leviathos all turned to him. "What? What does it mean?"

"In the langauge of the Ancients, the beings who wrote the Prophecies...it means Death."

Battlefields after the battle are depressing places, thought Blast.

The bird Rahi were already circling above the battlefield, just one of the many scattered across Noctxia Magna. Blast, who had been working with the Hand of Mata Nui on Noctxia Magna for nearly three months now, had seen many unexpectedly bloody skirmishes in the wake of the defeat of Mordrax's Shadowdermis army, but the moans of the fatally wounded as they lay dying on the battlefield was something Blast could never bear without wincing.

That was why he was searching the battlefield for any beings who might still be alive and could be rescued, whether their allegiance was to the Resistance or the Ix. Blast was one of the very few beings to do this, most of the beings on Noctxia Magna would let the beings allied with the Ix die. Most of the beings who could be saved who had fought for the Resistance and their allies, the Hand of Mata Nui, had already been saved.

Still, there were a few who were helping him. His friend Kyhrex, the Glatorian Elementalist from the Circle who had guided Shardak and Blast through the Labyrinth and helped them in the Void. A Glatorian whom Blast didn't recognize were also there, and Vale Iskara, the commander of the Veythari on Noctxia Magna, who believed valuable intelligence could be determined from interrogating the survivors of the enemy force. They weren't, after all, the usual opponents they'd faced, not Ix or Kranr, but Glatorian and Matoran who were all loyal to the Ix.

Only four Ix warriors had been found on the battlefield, but they had all been killed. The Veythari had taken no prisoners, nor had they suffered any casualties. The Veythari had always seemed rather haughty and aloof to Blast, but he didn't question their skills in battle, which were equal to those of the Ix themselves.

Blast suddenly felt a hand wrap itself around his armored leg. Confused, he turned around, and found himself staring into the eyes of a dying Steltian, bleeding horribly from a slash across his chest. Three Veythari arrows had buried themselves there as well, and Blast could tell immediately he was mortally injured. Nothing they could do would help him. Still, he was desperately clinging on to life, gasping for breath as he stared into Blast's eyes.

From a remote island on Xaterex, the Steltians had served as laborors for years for the Arcaeans, and more recently as slaves to the Ix or mercenaries for the Resistance. Still, he was obviously on the enemy side. Neither Ixtil, the Ko-Matoran who had become the interim ruler of Noctxia Magna, or Vale, who was the sole head of the Veythari and most of the army, would have hired any mercenaries to aid them.

"Yes...I knew someone would find me. Another follower of our lord," gasped Steltian. "Is that you, Mevon?"

"Yes," said Blast, playing along. "It's me, I'm here,"

The Steltian immediately seemed to relax. "I know one of us would find me. You get me back to the Shadow's camp as soon as possible, okay?"

"The Shadow?" asked Blast, interested now.

"The Shadow of Ages," said the Steltian, confused. "Our lord waits for us there. He expects us to return with news from Noctxia Magna, remember? We have the starcraft..."

Blast gasped in shock. It had been many years since he'd last heard the name of that organization, but he remembered them easily. They were an organization led by the dark mastermind Millennium, who had been killed in the Void.

Millennium, in order to survive, had possessed Blast's body and erased his previous memories, deluding everyone— including Blast himself— into believing he'd lived in the city of Intax all his life. It was only when Millennium had once again taken control of his body in the Void that Blast had recovered a few of his memories, but much of his past still felt like a half-remembered dream to him. He could remember a few fights in the Eternal Game, but that was all. Nothing more.

"The Shadow of Ages," Blast repeated. "Who's their leader now?"

"Millennium, of course," said the Steltian. "He gave you our orders personally, don't you remember?"

Blast felt his blood run cold.

''Impossible. Millennium can't possibly be alive.''

"But Millennium is dead," said Blast. "He died in the— in the Eternal Game."

He'd almost said, in the Void.

"No," said the Steltian, a faint note of triumph in his voice. "He survived, in another being's body. He still carries his axe, the axe which he held his spirit within while he was trapped within the Void. He gave you our orders personally."

"Where is he now?" asked Blast, slowly recovering from the shock.

"On Nagra, of course. In the middle of the Noctian Islands," said the Steltian. "Where the rest of the..." His expression changed to one of confusion. "But, Mevon, you know all this. Why do I have to tell you?"

"I'd forgotten, that's all." said Blast, trying to make his voice sound normal, when in reality he was still reeling in shock from the news. "I'd better take you the starcraft as soon as possible."

"Yes," said the Steltian. "Gotta give Millennium the successful report...he has to know we learned the strength of the Ix and the Resistance, and killed a lot of enemies...he'll promote us both, I hope..."

His voice trailed off slowly. "Gotta stop getting hit by these arrows. Hurts..." he gasped out. "I'm going to rest now, okay? Will you help me? Get me back to the ships? But it's so dark..."

The Steltian's ragged breathing stopped and he did not move again.

Blast stood above the fallen corpse of the Steltian, too shocked to even move. Millennium was alive. He was somewhere out there, still plotting to reach his unfathomable goals.

And he still held the key to Blast's memories, a hope that Blast had thought had been lost forever. If he could somehow force Millennium to give him his memories back—

"So, he's been working with the Shadow," said a voice from behind Blast. Startled, Blast whirled around, then relaxed as he saw Vale Iskara standing behind him. She was still wearing her silver Veythari battle armor, and carried her longbow over her shoulder. She held a dagger in one hand. "I'd heard rumors they were still active in that area, but if that Steltian's right, and Millennium's alive, then he needs to be eliminated."

Vale was the leader of the Iskara Clan, which was arguably only second in power to Reid's Vaethar Clan. Indeed, her father had fought and been killed in the Battle of Shadowfell in the aftermath of the Fall of Arcaea, a legendary display of bravery by some of the greatest of all Veythari warriors.

After the death of Zaxar Vaethar, who had been killed during the first battle with Mordrax's armies, Vale had taken over the command of all of the Veythari legions on Noctxia Magna. Later, after the defeat of the Limiters and the death of Mordrax and the Sarkanian clones she had been promoted by Ixtil to the commander of the entire Resistance and Hand army on Noctxia Magna. To see her alone, without her usual ensemble of Veythari guards, was rather disconcerting.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" asked Blast. He could tell from her expression she knew exactly how dangerous Millennium's return could be. "That Millennium is alive?"

"Yes," answered Vale without hesitation. "He had no reason to lie, and we have another prisoner who was also working for the Shadow, a Glatorian. He's told us the location of their starcraft."

Blast nodded. If Vale believed him, then it was likely that they'd be able to wipe out the Shadow and hopefully also take Millennium alive. If he could find some way, any way to regain his memories, then he would, without hesitation.

"Soon we'll be leaving Noctxia Magna for Xaterex, to aid them in the war," said Vale. "Things are going badly for Saren, as the Akkadians have entered the war, and have convinced the Illierans to join them against us. If the Shadow is active here, however, we may have to delay our departure to stop them."

Blast knew she was right. Millennium was doubtlessly up to something, probably still trying to complete his mysterious master plan only he understood. But Blast hardly cared about that. He had to know whom he was before Millennium had interfered with his past. At first, after the battle in the Void in which Millennium had been seemingly killed, he'd given up that hope.

But if Millennium was alive...

"Come with me," ordered Vale. "We must inform the Council of this."

New Metru Nui was openly preparing for battle. Illierans and Veythari were the primary defenders, though there were a large number of loyal Resistance warriors there as well, who had formerly been under the command of Saren and were now loyal to Shardak's allies.

Shardak had been surprised at first. He'd expected to have to deal with Saren's loyalists, who were no longer loyal to the Resistance in the Fells. However, the vast majority of the rebel army hadn't known of Saren's treachery, and, in a few skirmishes in which the few beings still loyal to Saren had been killed, the garrison in New Metru Nui had joined the Veythari and the Illierans.

Chapter unfinished...