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 camouflage 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 authoritative. 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 orchestrated, 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, he'd still 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 hierarchy, 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, unconsciously 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
Walking through the jungle city, full of pyramids and golden spires, Silver had never felt so confused. He'd been teleported to a dark cavern after being seperated from his friends Shardak, Valkyria, and Torak, and he and another Matoran, Dust, encountered a being that had identified itself as the Arcaean Entity. The being had decided to transport them to Arcaea, despite the fact Silver knew, as everyone on Xaterex did, that Arcaea had been destroyed during the first great civil war between the Toa and the Ix.

Then they'd encountered another being in Arcaea, which had somehow been restored to its former glory. He'd identified himself as Leviathos, and after a short discussion Silver had learned that this being knew nothing about where they were either.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by the appearance of a hooded being with a skeletal hand, who'd told them they were looking at the ancient, almost mythological, City of Light, which had been destroyed during the war. Then Silver and the others had looked again, and the being, as well as his Skrall-like companion, had disappeared.

At first Silver had been unsettled by this, but he'd been forced to accept that it was probably an illusion of some kind, created, perhaps, by the strange environment they were in. Silver knew little of Lost Arcaea, but he knew for sure that it no longer existed. Was it possible they'd somehow been pulled into the past?

No, he thought, that couldn't be it. But it was the only explanation for their current situation. As he walked through the City of Light, which was as real as Xaterex itself, the more Silver was convinced that this was real. He could see beings were on edge, discussing the political instability of Arcaea's current government, as well as the problems the Toa Order was facing. Silver could see beings of many types walking through the city, Vortixx, Glatorian, and even several Toa, garbed in Hand of Mata Nui robes.

"So this is Arcaea." breathed Leviathos. "Before the Fall."

Silver tried to remember the events before the Fall, and he remembered how the civil war had began: a rebellion started by the Ix for the common people that had led to the creation of a new set of tyrants. He could tell this was before the war; while many of the people he passed seemed on edge or uneasy about the current state of affairs in Arcaea, it was still relatively stable, still the paradise spoken of in the Matoran myths.

Suddenly Silver saw an insignia that made his blood run cold, the Imperial standard that the Ix used. He could see several Ix garbed in Arcaean robes bearing the Imperial insignia, and while their faces were hidden in the shadows of their robes, Silver could tell they were not wearing the customary skull-like mask favored by many of the Ix warriors.

"Ix." he whispered grimly to Dust, but Leviathos shook his head.

"In Arcaea, the Ix were often elite guards, honorary members of the Hand in their own right. These aren't the Limiters you know, these are the guards of the Hand, before the revolt."

Silver nodded. He'd learned that Leviathos was also an enemy of the Empire; he'd been taken prisoner and forced into the 174th Eternal Game along with Fairon, one of Shardak's friends and one of the few surviving Toa on Xaterex.

He'd eventually been knocked into the Void at the heart of the arena, then suddenly appeared outside the city, exactly where Silver and Dust had, a few minutes earlier, he'd said. Dust had told them that two and a half years had passed since the Fairon's Eternal Game had ended, and that Fairon had won. Leviathos had been exultant to hear that Fairon had won, though concerned about how much time had passed in the outside world while he was in Arcaea.

Silver's confused thoughts were suddenly interrupted by shouts, and a voice broke through the silence. "Mevon! There you are! The council is meeting, you need to be there!"

Silver turned to see a tall Toa racing toward him, heavily armored in gray and silver. His eyes were bright red, and his armor gleamed in Solis Magna's morning light. "What--"

"Don't you recognize me?" asked the Toa. "It's me, Atraks. The high council of the City of Light is ready to meet, and they need you before the meeting can begin."

"What--" Silver began, but Atraks cut him off.

"We can talk after it's over." the Toa said. "Now it is time for the council to meet."

Shardak could see that the surface of the planet known as Drakyr had begun to fill the viewscreens of the large transport, which looked as grim and forbidding as the gray wastes of Xiost had. However, Drakyr was mountainous, though also completely lifeless. It did have an atmosphere, which suggested that life had at one time inhabited the planet, perhaps during the days of the Ancients.

"We are nearly ready to land on Drakyr." a voice, Chameleo's, hissed through the commlink system. Shardak's hands, almost unconsiously strayed to touch the Blade of Arcturas. He knew that, if they were there, the Ix would probably be there as well. Though he'd encountered no Ix ships yet, it seemed unlikely that they were actually one step ahead of the Ix. They always seemed ahead, no matter how hard the Resistance tried.

Almost unconsiously, his thoughts strayed to Valkyria Rhai again. He'd been so filled with rage then he hadn't been able to think, and Saren's revelation had almost completely taken his mind off her, but now, alone and flying toward Drakyr, their battle was on the forefront of his mind.

He certainly still believed everything he'd told Valkyria, his hatred and rage had not deminished after seeing her again. However, he felt horrible about how he'd let his anger flow into the aura field. Now that Valkyria knew how furious he was with her, she'd be able to use his anger against him. She'd been dangerously good at playing with his emotions before. He'd actually believed that she was his friend.

That doesn't matter now. Shardak told himself. ''I can't let my anger blind myself to the dangers the Ix pose. Like Blast said, it almost isn't Valkyria's fault.''

''Yes it was. ''Whispered a second voice, the same angry, bitter voice that had spoken with Valkyria yesturday. ''She could have betrayed them. Now...I'm not sure how long it will be until one of us kills the other.''

Shardak vowed he'd be the one to survive. He had to live, for the sake of the Resistance. He—

Shardak felt the transportg glide to a halt, landing atop a small, craggy cliff. Below and above him, Shardak could see mountains, craggy and clifflike, rising above, and a small valley from which he could sense several auras, none of which he recognized. However, they were extremely strong. He knew they had to be, to reach this far. Only the most powerful auras could extend as far as these were. He could not, however, find any sign of the Annulus in the field, something he found odd.

Maybe it was hidden in a cave where auric powers couldn't penetrate, like the Annulus fragment on Xiost had been, Shardak thought. Climbing out of the hull of the Resistance transport, which dated back before the Fall of Aracea, Shardak saw Chameleo, Flardrek, and three Veythari warriors move to stand beside him.

He'd partnered with Chameleo on the mission to Xiost, and he and Flardrek had worked together in the Void and the 175th Eternal Game with Fairon, Valkyria, and the others. Both were loyal to the Resistance. While he knew little of these three Veythari, he knew that the Veythari formed the elite core of the Resistance military, and were some of the greatest archers and spearfighters in the history of the multiverse. They were extremely loyal and longtime enemies of the Ix, and Shardak knew they were loyal.

''All of the Resistance members are loyal. ''He tried to convince himself, but he simply didn't beleive that now. Tensions had risen very high since the Sarkanian clones' rampage across Arden, and Parikon's kidnapping had taken those tensions to another level as Skakdi, Veythari, Glatorian, and the other Resistance members began to turn on each other. And Saren's revelation that Freztrak was a traitor meant that there was also a network of Imperial spies within the rebellion, something that could prove to be even more devastating then even the fact that the rebellion had begun to disintegrate from the inside.

"There are beings in the valley." whispered Shardak, careful to keep his voice lowered. He had no idea how capable the beings were, and if they could sense them. Their auras seemed to be carefully controlled, leading Shardak to beleive that they were, in fact, aura users. "I can sense their auras, but I'm not sure who they are."

The lead Veythari nodded. "I understand. We'll proceed with caution."

Raising their bows, the three Veythari began to walk into the valley, which was a maze of twisting passages that led into the deeper ground. Shardak could see the massive cliffs rising above their heads, and knew that this would be an ideal place for an ambush, if the auras he sensed were indeed those of enemies.

"We're nearly there." Shardak whispered to the lead Veythari warrior, who gave a barely perceptible nod of the head. "I can sense the—"

Suddenly Shardak's words were cut off as he saw a flash of black armor in the shadows, as well as the slash of a scythe. The Veythari standing next to him staggered backward, blood spraying in all directions as the attacker hacked at his armor.

Before Shardak could even register what was happening, a Limiter appeared out of the darkness, slamming his scythe against Shardak's weapon with a massive clang as the Shredsteel met the hard firey metal. The Veythari had fallen to the ground, his eyes staring emptily at the cold, cloudy gray sky. The two other Veythari had reacted quickly, and two Limiters had fallen, one shot full of arrows, the other speared through the heartlight.

Shardak brought his weapon around in a complicated Sila attack pattern, forcing the Limiter backward. He then lunged forward, aiming for the Limiter's heartlight. Fortunately for the Ix, his reflexes saved him from being seriously injured or killed, and the weapon glanced off his shoulder without causing any serious damage. The Limiter then attacked with both scythes, his sheer agression and power forcing Shardak back toward the cliff.

The Limiter, sensing victory, lunged forward, switching his grip on the scythes and aiming to spear them through Shardak's body. Shardak raised the weapon, but knew already that it was hopeless. The Limiter raised the scythe—

Then fell to the ground. In his place stood Chameleo, breathing heavily but alive and well. Shardak opened his mouth to thank him, but then Chameleo turned, slamming into another Limiter. Two more Ix were standing at the mouth of the laybrinth, and Shardak charged forward.

One of them was a Limiter, and he slashed outward with a scythe, aiming to spear him through the heartlight. However, at the last minute Shardak heard Flardrek shout a warning, and he remembered the second Ix warrior standing behind him. As Flardrek slammed into the Limiter, knocking the weapon from his hands, Shardak whirled around to face the second Ix warrior. His weapon met hers, and he saw he was staring into familiar green eyes. Valkyria seemed just as shocked that he was here as he did that she was, but reacted quickly, bringing Silverblade around to counter his wild barrage of attacks.

Shardak fought back the anger that threatened to rise within him again as he faced this Ix girl. It seemed that the Empire and the Resistance were determined to force them to confront each other, this time to the death. He could see that Chameleo was being overwhelmed by two Limiters, but Flardrek was holding his own easily against his attacker. Of the two remaining Veythari, there was no sign.

Shardak had no time to worry about them now. Facing Valkyria for what they both knew was probably the last time, he said nothing, simply charged forward. He could feel the red haze of anger clouding his mind once again, but he forced it down. If he allowed his emotions to best him, then he would not survive. And he had to survive, or all hope for the Resistance was lost.

Slowly, Shardak began to force Valkyria backward, toward the cliffs. His steady, relentless attacks were easily countering Valkyria's Lihtne and Vauhti defenses. She didn't seem her usual self, she seemed off-guard and unprepared. Shardak had nearly forced her against the cliff wall now, hindering her movement. Soon he would be able to—

Kill her? Shardak's concentration slipped for an instant when he realized that was actually what he'd planned. He knew that there was no choice now, that either the Ix died or they did, but he—

Valkyria took advantage of his momentary slip in concentration, slashing Silverblade across his shoulder, drawing blood. Shardak staggered backward, and immediately Valkyria began to force him backward, toward the opposite side of the cavern wall. Still, Shardak knew now the Ix were doomed. Chameleo and Flardrek were both fighting the only surviving Limiter now, and he was beginning to weaken. As he watched, Chameleo lunged forward, and the Limiter brought his scythe down on Chameleo's back. With a sickening crunch Shardak heard Chameleo's spine snap.

"No!" he yelled, as Flardrek ran the Limiter through the heart. However, even now Chameleo's powers of regeneration were undoing the damage. Shardak felt his happiness turn to fear as Valkyria once again attacked him, but now Flardrek and Chameleo were both at their side, all fighting her. Panic shone in Valkyria's eyes now as she realized they'd trapped her against the cliffs. There was no way out, and against three opponents, she stood no chance.

"Shardak—" she whispered, but Shardak cut her off.

"There no other way." he hissed. "Let's end this now."

Valkyria seemed to understand, but she hadn't surrendered. Flardrek slashed open her shoulder, and Chameleo lunged forward, aiming to finish her off. Shardak, meanwhile, was forcing her against the cliffs, where she could no longer move fast enough to counter all three of their attacks.

"Stop!"

A new voice cut across the battle, and all of them were so stunned they actually obeyed, turning to face the speaker. Shardak gasped in shock as he faced the beings.

They were tall and thin, robed in black, but they were not Ix. Many of them wore ornate armor that was like none he'd ever seen before, and they all carried weapons. But it was the being in the lead that held his attention, the being in green armor and a cold green mask, the craftmanship like nothing Shardak had ever seen before. His eyes were startlingly green, almost yellow, and he carried a set of throwing knives. His eyes fixed on Shardak with recognition and not the slightest bit of surprise.

Shardak quailed beneath his gaze, but something about this being was strange, beyond his appearence. Something so alien that Shardak recoiled as he realized the truth— ''the being had no aura. ''

"This battle is over." said the green-masked being, eyes fixed on those of Shardak. "Come with us, and you will not be harmed."

"Who are you?" asked Shardak.

To his surprise, it was not the green-masked being who answered, but a tall Makuta standing behind him. The Makuta's eyes were cold red, and he gave Shardak a cold smile pitiless beyond imagining.

"We are the beings who haunt your darkest fears, your most grim imaginings. We are powerful beyond anything you have encountered before, and today our plans have taken a great step forward."

"Hello, Spirit Toa." said the first being. "We have been expecting you."

One month earlier.

The shadowy torchlight flickered in the darkness, illuminating the cold features of the massed group of beings below. All of them were heavily armed, and there seemed to be beings of many different species there, though the bulk of them were the cold, grim Ix soldiers known as Limiters, in their characteristic mottled camouflage. All had their eyes fixed on the beings standing atop the raised dias at the heart of the massive citadel.

He was tall, and carried a long, wickedly sharp silver scythe which gleamed in the shadowy halflight. A hood obscured all of his features, and only his hands could be seen, pale and tinged with gray, like those on a corpse. He seemed to have an almost physical aura of authority, that seemed to pervade the darkness and hold it in its thrall.

The Hooded One surveyed the beings standing before him, red eyes almost visible through the hood. Beside him stood a tall, dark-armored being, and a lithe silver female, carrying two long daggers in each hand. Both of the beings eyes were cold, and they lowered their heads before him, their auras subservient before his own power.

"Tonight..." the Hooded One whispered, voice carrying clearly over the beings below. "We begin anew.

"For too long we have been forced to lurk behind a curtain of impenatrable shadow. For too long we have allowed our enemies to force us to lurk in the darkness, working behind the scenes, controlling the battles now unfolding in the multiverse only subtlely.

"Tonight, the final stages of our plan begin. For our lord is awaking once more, the great ring will be made whole, and our Order will take its rightful place as the masters of the universe."

The chanting and cries of triumph from below grew louder. The Hooded One raised the scythe, shouting. "The corrupt rule of the Arcaeans will now come to an end! From this day forth—WE SHALL TAKE WHAT IS OURS! 

The soldiers yelled in triumph, and raised their weapons. The Hooded One raised the scythe, watching as the warriors vanished into the darkness once more, preparing their weapons for the days to come. The Hooded One turned to face the Elemental Prince standing beside him.

"Skorpix, I have a special mission for you. Return to the Ix Empire, and bring the Ix warriors to Drakyr, to delay them. Make sure the...being we were discussing...is among them."

Skorpix's eyes betrayed no emotion, though the Hooded One, skilled as he was in the aura field, saw his aura flicker briefly with surprise. "It shall be done, master."

"Good, good. And alert Commander Sxe'cahn that he must go to Drakyr. There the trap has been set. There, the Spirit Toa will come to us."

Chapter 4
Silver followed Atraks into a massive gathering chamber within one of the massive, golden pyramids, mind racing with questions. Why did this Toa seem to believe that he was a being known as Mevon? How could he and Dust and Leviathos be in Arcaea, when they were from the present day? And could Leviathos even be trusted? Silver felt as though evey time he came a step closer to figuring out the source of their current problems, another, more puzzling and potentially more fatal question assailed them.

Two Ix guards, clothed all in dark, crimson-red robes, stood before the entryway of the gathering chamber. Silver shivered under their gaze. Though he knew it was many years before the Ix's revolt, their cold, dead eyes always made him shudder.

Still, it was good to know they were protected. Silver knew very little of Aracea, but he knew in the waning days of its power the Twelve Elemental Kingdoms had been extremely dangerous. Not knowing what time period they were in, he couldn't even begin to analyze the situation in depth. He was hoping that, provided he could get through this meeting without revealing who he truly was, then he'd learn enough about where, exactly, they were to return to the Resistance.

But one question still nagged at him: ''who was the being with the skeletal hand? ''Something about him seemed oddly familiar, although Silver was absolutely sure he'd never seen him before.

"Mevon!" Atraks' voice rang through the gathering chamber. "The meeting has begun."

"Wait outside." Silver hissed to Dust and Leviathos under his breath. "With any luck, I'll be able to figure out where we are and how to get back to the Resistance."

"Be careful, Silver." whispered Leviathos. "You don't know anything about—"

"Mevon!" another voice called now. It belonged to a Toa of Water, lean and armored in silver-gray and pale blue. Her eyes were bright green.

"Coming!" Silver said, taking a seat between Atraks and another being, a Glatorian armored in ice-white. He reminded Silver slightly of Arkhan, one of the Resistance leaders. Thinking of Xaterex made him more determined to find a way out of this, despite how impossible it seemed. He scanned the room for signs that any of them doubted his identity, and some smiled or waved a greeting. None seemed to even slightly doubt he was Mevon.

"This meeting is now in session." said one of the beings, a tall, stern looking Glatorian. "Does anyone have any business to bring before the Arcaean Council?"

"I do." said one of the beings, the silver-blue Toa of Water. "Recently there have been a series of brutal attacks on travelers between our Kingdom and the Earth Kingdom. The Ix elite guard has been at loss how to deal with this problem, as they have not been issued Olmaks. We—"

Silver soon lost track of the discussion, as it dissolved into different beings discussing the interdimensional murders. Eventually, the discussion turned to safeguarding their borders against any threats, and the members of the council began discussing whether the murderers were from the Plant Kingdom or from another Kingdom within Arcaea, or even places as far away as Xaterex or Calos. He—

"Mevon?" asked Atraks again, and he was suddenly once again sitting around the table, facing the somber Glatorian leader.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Toa Taro was just asking you if you believe the attackers in Arcaea are from within the Earth Kingdom, as all of the attacks have been near dimensional portals leading from or to that location." said the Glatorian, slight impatience in his voice as he gestured to a tall Toa armored all in gray. "Or if you think they are from the Jungle Kingdom, or from somewhere completely different?"

"I believe they are from the Earth Kingdom." said Silver at last, hoping desperately he'd said the right thing. "However, we have inconclusive proof to confirm this. I think that opening negotiations on the topic of the attackers with the leaders in the Earth Kingdom is imperative."

"Agreed." said a Toa of Fire, ramming his red-armored fist on the table for emphasis. "We must also, however, continue searching our own Kingdom for these beings, and, if the attacks persist, bring the news before Lord Nex."

"Lord Nex has been far too busy to speak with us." the Toa of Water hissed. "We must try all other options before we bring this before him."

"Yes." the steel-gray Toa, Taro, concurred. "Nex cannot be bothered with trivial matters such as this, Korasaunt."

"This is not a trivial matter." said Korasaunt. "Citizens are dying!"

"I understand." said the ice-white Glatorian to Silver's left. "But Nex has been too busy to hear still more pressing things, and trusts us to handle the Kingdom in his absence."

"The use of one or more Kanohi Rodes would not be amiss, either." Atraks broke in. "Toa and Ix, working together, should easily be able to sort these murderers out."

Silver almost laughed aloud at what he'd said, it was so ironic. He wished, at that moment, he could tell these beings exactly what the Ix would do to Arcaea years later. But how could he, without surely being called insane and being sentanced to a prison he simply didn't see how.

''Would it be possible to alter the past? ''thought Silver. Or would it simply fail, or create another time stream that we would be trapped in?

Then, a worse thought— what if he was already trapped in a parellel world, with no way for him to return? Then that would mean that there would be no chance of them changing anything here, or in the present. Silver tried to concentrate on the discussion going on around him, knowing that the sooner it ended, the sooner he and Dust and Leviathos could try to figure out more about their surroundings.

"That will be all." said the Glatorian leader. "I shall call this immediately to a vote. Should a special team of Toa and Ix be formed to immediately investigate these attacks?"

Atraks, Korasaunt, Taro, the Glatorian leader, and the Toa of Water immediately voted yes. Silver hesitated, but the end decided to cast his vote to form the Toa/Ix team. Three more beings voted after they saw Silver vote for the Ix/Toa team, including the ice-white Glatorian. Only three beings remained silent.

"Excellent. That carries the vote. I will announce the council's decision for the leader of the team next week. For now, Taro and Korasaunt, you will lead, as well as Khazin Thaer, one of my Ix guards. Unless anyone has any objections?"

There were none. All of the remaining council members seemed content with the decisions, and were happy to have Taro, Korasaunt, and Khazin Thaer lead the—

Suddenly Silver remembered something Valkyria had told him once, during their journeys across the Fells. She'd mentioned one of her Ix commanders had been named Khazin Thaer, and Silver was sure he recognized the name. It had only been two days ago, after all. She'd mentioned Thaer for sure.

But that couldn't be right, Silver realized. They were trapped over 1,000 years into the past, in the middle of Lost Arcaea. Khazin Thaer couldn't still be alive.

Was there something else going on here that he wasn't seeing?

Silver's thoughts immediately jumped to the being with the skeletal hand, who'd confronted them in the jungle. He and his Skrall-like ally knew something about all of this, he was sure. There was some other force present, but he simply couldn't assemble the rest of the puzzle.

"If there is nothing more to be adressed here, then the meeting is ajourned." said the Glatorian leader. Immediately Silver rose to his feet, drawing curious looks from some of the other council members, though they didn't ask him anything. Slowly, the meeting began to break up, and the rest of the council members began leaving the chamber. Desperate to stay ahead of them, he almost slammed directly into Dust and Leviathos, who were waiting outside the doorway.

"Sil—" Dust began, then immediately stopped, remembering what Atraks had called him. "Mevon?"

"Yes?" Silver asked. "Come with me." he hissed under his breath. "There's something I have to tell you."

Stopping outside a small tavern once they were hidden among the crowds, Silver told Dust and Leviathos about what he'd heard in the council, as well as the Glatorian's puzzling mention of Khazin Thaer.

"Thaer?" asked Dust. "Valkyria mentioned him, yes, but they couldn't be one and the same, could they? After all, we're at least five hundred years in the past."

"Look!" said Leviathos, interrupting him. The afternoon sun had begun to set, and slowly streaks of gray were beginning to replace the bright lights of day. At twilight, the great binary sun's dying rays reflected off the pyramids' gold-plated summits, casting brilliant rays of light in many colors across the city below. Silver was left staring at the skies, speechless with wonder.

"No wonder the Jungle Kingdom was called the jewel of Arcaea's crown." murmered Dust, and Silver nodded agreement.

Then, like a perfect dream turned into a nightmare, Silver realized they had no place to rest for the night. He could try asking someone where Mevon lived, but if he ran into the real Mevon there, he had no idea what might occur. Still, with bandits on the loose, they couldn't remain out in the open, alone.

''Where should we go? ''Silver thought, asking no one in particular. He turned, and followed Leviathos and Dust to the edge of the city gate, where both the Noctian and the other Matoran were discussing the same thing. None of them seemed to have any idea of what they should do.

"I'm sure Arcaea has somewhere we can stay." said Silver. "Remember what the Arcaean Entity said, they're used to travelers. We should ask someone before night falls completely."

The sun was beginning to set, the lights slowly dying. Silver knew they didn't have much time left before the majority of activity ceased within the city.

"But what if they think you're Mevon again, like Atraks did?" asked Dust. "That will raise more questions then it answers."

"I know, but it may be our only chance. We—"

"It has already been taken care of." hissed a voice from the shadows. Silver, Dust, and Leviathos whirled around, and saw a shadowy figure wearing brown-gray armor leap from the darkness. Silver raised his weapon, whirling to face another blur racing past him. Then, suddenly, the world went black, and he knew no more.

The world was spinning all around him. To Toa Shardak, the world had become a shadowy void of purple-black nothingness, where the only things he could sense around him were auras and emotions. Gateways to millions of different realities spun before his eyes, and the myriad possibilities of the world flashed across his vision, close but always just out of reach.

Once, this would have been a panicking sensation for him, but now it was familiar, almost too familiar. In the void, he had no time to think about the fear of what his captors planned to do with them, or who they even were. He could only reach out in the aura field and attempt to read their auras.

He could feel Chameleo's aura, powerful, and intelligent, but with the slightly animalistic traits that all Reptisapeans possessed from their forerunners, the Gekkans. Flardrek's was there as well, steady and calm. He could feel Valkyria's, usually so carefully controlled, but now full of fear and guilt, neither of which he'd expected.

Reaching out beyond her, he could sense the presences of the Makuta and several other beings, but their auras were so faint he could hardly sense them, much less read them. For the first time ever within the teleportation field, Shardak felt a twinge of fear. If these beings could control their auras to that extent, then what could they do to them?

Of the mysterious, green-masked being there was no sign in the field at all. Shardak couldn't understand why the being didn't seem to have an aura. Was he even alive, then? Or a construct, like the assassins who had killed Arcturas, the Copies of Corpse?

No, he was definitely a living being. No construct could appear that real...

Suddenly Shardak felt the pull of the shadows once again set in, and the void began to slow. Suddenly, he felt his body becoming once again whole as the world blurred before his eyes, finally solidifying before him. Shardak was conscious of the green-masked being standing beside him, and could feel the black-armored Makuta's hands on his shoulders. The Toa took one look at his surroundings and gasped in shock, awe, and horror.

The skies of this planet were deep red, the clouds overhead blacking out the gray skies almost completely. The ground was flat all around him, so he could see the massive black fortress, forbidding, like an Ix Citadel, though the architecture was not anything like the Ix's. Nor was it modern or Ancient. It was somewhere in between, both new and old at the same time.

Shardak could see beings striding toward them, all armed with long scythes. Unlike the daggers Valkyria was carrying, these were full length weapons. The beings' eyes burned like torches in the shadows, and one stepped before the others to face the green-masked being, who was obviously the leader of the force.

"Commander Vor Sxe'cahn." said being with the scythe, acknowledging the green-masked being. Once again, Shardak scanned the aura field for any sign that the being had an aura, but found none.

"Lieutenant Shale." said Vor Sxe'cahn. "We have recovered the Spirit Toa, as well as two of his allies. I have also taken an Ix warrior as a prisoner as well, whose rank and purpose has not yet been determined."

Shale surveyed the beings dispassionately, his cold gaze raking across Shardak, Chameleo, Flardrek, and Valkyria in turn. When it reached the Ix girl, however, Shale whirled around to face Vor, and immediately began to speak rapidly in a harsh, grating language he didn't understand. He turned to look at Flardrek, Chameleo, and Valkyria, but they all looked as puzzled as he was.

Finally Shale barked what sounded like an order at Sxe'cahn, and Vor and his squadron led the Toa through the fortress gates. Shardak was eerily reminded of his capture by the Ix, all those years ago in the Circle, and knew immediately these beings could not be trusted. All of the seemed to be completely in control of their auras, but there was one thing that they all had in common: a dark shroud, not a typical aura, but a dark, crackling black cloud, seemed to envelop, or in Vor's case replace, their usual aura.

Shardak tried to reach out and touch the field of darkness and immediately recoiled at the raw, dark power held within. He felt as though if he reached any further into the darkness, he would lose himself in it completely.

The city itself was just like the outside walls: caught between the Ancient architecture that Shardak had seen in the Nameless City and Xiost and the more modern buildings that resembled the Ix Citadel in the Circle. The tall lamposts with red light orbs rather then the green of the Circle and the bloodred skies made it seem even more forbidding and dark.

A being caught his attention, and Shardak's blood ran cold. It was a tall Ix warrior, garbed in rust-red robes and a skull-like Limiter mask. Though he was not wearing the traditional Ix cloaks or Limiter armor, Shardak recognized the Ix immediately. Reaching into the aura, he found himself barred by the same shadowy presence as before.

Now Shardak was sure these beings were enemies. If there were Ix here, then this could only mean that, somehow, the Empire was involved. He had no idea, then, why he was still alive, or why there were so many beings here who weren't Ix, such as Shale and Vor. None of this made sense.

Ion's last words came back to him, the words he'd gasped out as blood poured from his mortally wounded body.

''I was wrong. The Order will stop at nothing to see you dead.''

Was it possible these beings were the Order Ion had mentioned? If so, then why hadn't they killed him already? And had they also captured Parikon? Shardak's mind burned with questions, and there was nothing more he wanted to do then ask his captors. But none of them even seemed the slightest bit approachable; all were veiled in dark robes and masks that he did not recognize.

The inside of the central citadel was ornate, yet practical. It was also heavily defended, with some weaponry that Shardak didn't recognize. Along the way they passed two more Ix, and several Makuta. All were armed to the teeth and patrolling the inner sanctum.

"All of your questions will be answered soon enough, Spirit Toa." said Vor, as though he could read his thoughts. The being's voice was harsh and accented with traces of another language, the same language that he and Shale had spoken at the gates. Shardak had no idea who or what this being was, and remained silent.

Passing by three more beings, Vor issued orders to them in the same language he'd used to speak with Shale. The guards bowed and murmered a short reply, and the green-masked being disappeared into the darkness, followed by the remainder of the group that had captured them.

Two of the guards roughly seized Shardak and Valkyria by the arm, leading them down a twisting passageway. The other led Flardrek and Chameleo through the darkness, scythe readied. Shardak tried to struggle, but the being's grip was like iron and their auras shrouded in darkness. There was no way for him to break their hold on his aura and on his arm.

"You will wait within your cell until further questioning." said the being. His voice was deep and authoritive, and he jabbed Shardak once in the aura field to emphasize his point. Then, turning away, the being shoved Shardak into his cell, then locked Valkyria in the cell across from his. Flardrek and Chameleo were led away, into the darkness by the other two guards.

"But I haven't—" Shardak began.

"That is immaterial." said the black-armored guard. "You will wait within your cell until questioning."

Then he was gone, leaving only the cold, flickering torchlight within the prison to light up the all-pervasive blackness.

The Hand of Mata Nui base reminded Fairon of something from the ancient Matoran legends. Massive stone columns, open air ceilings, and dilapidated gateways and walls that had been broken long before the Ancients themselves had set foot on Noctxia Magna were covered in thick layars of moss and vines. Fairon was half-expecting the fortress to collapse in on itself, but Artonix and the others who had come with him assured him it would not. Fairon could only hope this was true.

Walking through the fortress, Fairon paused to examine the ancient runes inscribed on the walls, many of them rendered illegible over the course of hundreds of years. Still, some were partially recognizable, such as fragments of the Fall of Arcaea or the War of the Great Beings, tales that had been told for centuries by Matoran and Agori alike.

Slowly Fairon tore himself away from reading the carvings, and followed Artonix, Saren, Tiral, and the rest of the Xaterex Resistance warriors through the halls of the base and into the open chamber. Fairon could see only one being was standing there, a lone Ko-Matoran wearing a Noble Iden. Fairon had never seen him before, but recognized him immediately from the description Shardak had given him: this was Ixtil, the commander of the Hand of Mata Nui.

"Atarus told me you would be coming today." said Ixtil, adressing Saren. "Greetings, Saren."

"Hello, Ixtil." said Saren, shaking the Matoran's hand. "You already know Tiral, I am sure. This is Artonix—" he said, pointing to the Agori. "And Toa Fairon."

"Welcome." said Ixtil to them both. "I calculated there was a 63.7% chance the Resistance would bring another Toa with them, but I hardly expected it would be you, the Toa who escaped the Eternal Game not once, but twice. I am pleased to make your aquaintence, Toa Fairon."

"As am I to make yours." Fairon answered, Ixtil waved for him to sit down around the table at the center of the room. Fairon could see sunlight streaming in from the roof of the fortress. It was midday on Noctxia Magna, and they'd left Xaterex an hour ago.

Saren and Ixtil began to discussing the tactical situation in the Noctxia Magna and in the Fells, and explained to Ixtil everything that had happened since the unleashing of the Sarkanian clones and the destruction of Gigas Nui and the Resistance armies in Arden. Ixtil's expression changed from shocked to horrified at Sarem's description of the devastation.

"We need to free Noctxia Magna from the Empire, and quickly. If we do not have the full support of your legions soon, then the Fells will fall and we will be in an even worse position then we were before Fairon's victory. The Veythari are willing to fight to the death, but our regular army has begun to desert us."

"I calculated there was an 63.72% chance the Sarkanian clones would damage our war effort." said Ixtil shakily. "But I didn't factor in their raw power and the affect that that their strength would have on your armies' morale. This could be even worse then before Fairon's victory, you're right.

"Fortunately." said Ixtil. "We will only be too glad to help you provided the Imperial invasion is defeated."

"That is what we're here to help you with." said Saren. "Two hundred elite troops, most of them Veythari warriors, have come with us to reinforce you as well. We've left the Fells mostly unprotected, which is a gamble, but one we have to take."

"I understand. It is a gamble that has a 47.3% chance of success, but we will simply have to overcome the odds, then." said Ixtil. "We will begin discussion—"

Suddenly Ixtil was interrupted as the doors were thrown open and an Agori scout raced into the room and gasped something to Ixtil.

"What?" asked the Matoran, unable to understand his shouts.

The Agori seemed to recover his voice, and between gasps for air whispered, "The Ix...they're coming. And— they have one or more of the Sarkanian clones with them."

Chapter 5
Fear.

Pain.

Hatred.

''All of these emotions and feelings raced through Nightwatcher's body and soul as he felt the pain begin again, the horrible torture of both aura and mind forcing the bounty hunter to writhe and tear at the Shadowdermis bonds that held him captive. His worst fear— that of helplessness, of being unable to act as the world ended around him, was holding him prisoner, trapped and held like a Muaka Cat on a chain.''

''There was no escape from the Ix's horrible torture. Nightwatcher might have been the strongest bounty hunter in the multiverse, but even he was rendered helpless by this horrible torture. There was no way to be freed. He could hear the voices of his torturers inside his mind, asking him question after question. Unconsciously, against his will, each time he replied.''

"Did you fight the Spirit Toa?" One asked.

"Where did you fight him?" ''said the other, his raspy, nasal voice cutting through Nightwatcher's powerful mental block like butter. Nightwatcher felt himself strive against the pull, not answering the question, but still they continued to throw more at him, relentlessly. Finally he began to answer, but the pain wouldn't stop''—

"Where is your Girahk?"

"Did you fight the Spirit Toa?"

"Where is your Girahk?" ''They asked again. ''

Girahk. ''The thought of the Rahkshi of Growth, the only being, mechanical or living, that Nightwatcher still cared for, emboldened him to strive against the bonds once again, lashing out with his aura. But each time the Ix overcame him with ease, their raw power— or that of the Shadowdermis— holding him captive.''

Let me go! ''he thought. ''I'll tell you nothing.

"Answer our questions." ordered the Ix in his mind. "And you will be released..."

''Then they began again, each word punctuated with a burst of pain. And Nightwatcher was helpless to stop them. ''

"Where is the Shadow Orb?"

"Does the Spirit Toa have it?"

"Did you fight the Spirit Toa?"

"Where is your Girahk?"

"Go to Karzahni, you vile—" Nightwatcher began to curse the Ix in a string of different languages. "You'll get nothing more from me."

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the nightmare had ended. Nightwatcher was still bound, still writing against his bonds. In the place of the two Ix torturers stood Mordrax.

"Well, hello." said the twisted Kodax of Absobation. "No doubt you have been enjoying our little game. I know I have."

"Mordrax." Nightwatcher grimaced under his breath. "You and your Ix will never break me. You'll never get any information from me."

Mordrax's one remaining red eye burned with intelligence. His horribly scarred face, an accident that millennia of study had not been able to heal, had never looked more sinister in the shadows. Standing over Nightwatcher, Mordrax looked like an all-powerful being, and his aura, amazingly powerful and augmented by Shadowdermis, made Nightwatcher's seem like nothing.

"Yes, we will." he said dismissively. "We have already gained far more from you then even you yourself know. And the small Shadowdermis chains? Nothing. This power makes me the most powerful being in all of the Ix Empire, except possibly Skorpix and the Hooded One himself."

Nightwatcher remembered the Hooded One, the dark avenger whispered by Resistance fools in fear, lest he crush them completely. It seemed that soon, the Hooded One would rule the multiverse, with the power of Shadowdermis and the clones of Sarkanian at his command.

"Not just this multiverse." breathed Mordrax, casually reading Nightwatcher's thoughts. "Them all. Every one of them, at our disposal, to be used at will. And there is nothing more you can do to stop us."

"I will." said Nightwatcher. "If you're not going to kill me, then I will destroy you and your vile master as soon as these Shadowdermis bonds are destroyed!"

He fired a massive blast of energy directly at Mordrax, but the Kodax waved a hand and it simply disappeared. "Tsk. Nightwatcher. So overconfident. The memories you have, the places you've been. I'm almost disappointed your journey ends here."

"I—" Nightwatcher began, but suddenly felt chains far more powerful then the ones binding his hands wrap around his throat, cutting off his voice.

Mordrax smiled. "And think of this, Toa Nightwatcher. Even with the raw power at my command, with this, with Shadowdermis, I am still only the second most powerful being in all of the Ix Empire, for the Hooded One is stronger still. And soon our power will be backed by something still greater—divine power."

Flashes of visions raced through Nightwatcher's mind, scenes of destruction so great that the Toa of Shadow almost winced. Scenes of a world made black with darkness, with Mordrax and the Ix standing triumphant over the twisted corpses of their foes.

"That will never happen." Nightwatcher managed to gasp. "You're insane, Mordrax. And if Skorpix and the Hooded One are planning to do this, then they're still more insane."

"Ah, Nightwatcher." said Mordrax, his voice almost concilatory. "On the contrary, I am perfectly sane. It is you who have been living in the past, you who have been lost in a world soon to end. A new age is dawning, one that will be birthed in death, darkness and Shadow."

"No." snarled Nightwatcher. "As long as I live—"

"You will not live for much longer, I assure you." said the Kodax. "But for now, enjoy yourself."

Then the world turned black and Nightwatcher was once again spinning through the depths of Karzahni.

The West Wall was at the edge of the country today known as the Fells, bordering the Ix Empire on the other sides. A small fortress and garison, stretched thin across the border, patrolled ceaselessly day and night along the edge, constantly vigilent for any signs of the Ix or their new superweapons— the Sarkanian clones.

Leiutenant Blast of the elite Fellsian guard stood atop one of the ramparts, his long scythe in hand. The cold wind raced through the trees, causing the Glatorian to draw his cloak tighter around his gleaming ebony armor as he watched the flatlands below. After two Ix raids on the lower villages in the past month, he was sure that they could not be too careful. If the Sarkanian clones came across the border from here, then the Fells could be doomed without a warning.

And that, he knew, would mean the end of the Xaterex Resistance.

Things were already extremely grim. Saren was away with Fairon and Tiral on Noctxia Magna with most of the Veythari warriors, trying to free it from the Ix's control. Parikon had vanished on Drakyr, and Atarus had been away for months, working on something in Arden that only he, Parikon, and Saren knew about. That left Freztrak and Reid Vaethar alone in charge of the Fells, with barely two hundred warriors, mainly Dargon, under their command.

More than a quarter of them were based here, the rest scattered throughout the Fells guarding against the Ix raiders or the Sarkanian clones. That left the Resistance base virtually unguarded.

Not for the first time, Blast wished that Shardak was with him. They hadn't seen each other for nearly three months, since he'd been assigned to the West Wall and Shardak, informally, to the Resistance's high council. The beings here were polite but aloof and rather cold, and he'd made no real friends among them. He missed Shardak, Flardrek, Jareroden, and Fairon greatly.

''You'll see them again soon enough. ''He reminded himself. Then he grim reminder of the Ix's ever-present threat returned. Assuming you survive.

Two beings walked up behind him, and Blast turned to face them. One, a Veythari warrior, was garbed in the traditional green-gray armor that the Resistance had utilized for years. The other was an Agori soldier, a veteran scarred by countless battles. One eye stared sightlessly at Blast, scarred over from where an Ix's scythe had slashed open his face. The other blazed with intelligence.

"Our scouts have spotted a group of Ix warriors coming toward us. There's over thirty of them."

"Thirty?" said Blast. "They should be eliminated easily enough."

"Yes, probably." agreed the Veythari. "However, there is a rumor going around that one of the Sarkanian clones is with them. If that is the case, we need to safeguard the West Wall against all incursions. I am leading a small scout team out to estimate the enemy force's numbers. You will come with us."

"Yes, commander." said Blast formally. He'd never seen this Veythari warrior before, but he had a Resistance commander's insignia on his cloak. He'd probably been recently assigned here in the wake of the Sarkanian clone's rampage in Arden.

Following the Veytahri and the Agori soldier down to main gate, Blast drew his mottled Veythari cloak around him until he was confident he blended perfectly with his surroundings. The Veythari, however, was a master at blending in with the Fells around him, Blast had a hard time keeping track of the being in the shadows of the trees and instead focused on following the Agori.

Blast raced as fast as he could through undergrowth, the cold wind whipping at his cloak and causing it to stream out behind him. Anxiety throbbed within him, growing fiercer and larger as he raced through the shadowy darkness. Now every tree seemed to hide a Limiter; every clump of bushes concealing one of the massive Shadowdermis-enhanced Sarkanian clones. Nothing seemed at all safe.

"There they are." hissed the Veythari commander to Blast and the Agori at last. Blast halted before a large clearing. "The Ix."

Blast looked down into the clearing and gasped in shock and horror as he felt a cold dagger of dread seep into his heartlight.

There were nearly one hundred Ix warriors there, all Limiters and all heavily armed. They easily had enough beings there to equal every one of the soldiers in the Fells in skill and strength. Blast knew that it was unlikely that they'd win, and even if they did, they would suffer massive casualties.

But it wasn't the Ix that froze Blast's heart, made him almost certain that the Resistance's cause was now doomed. For behind the Limiters, its gargantuan body coiled around an ancient tree, was one of the Sarkanian clones, its armor dull gray and red, its eyes blacker then the darkest, coldest night. It's eyes shone with a horrible intelligence, that of Shadowdermis, the sentient virus.

And its eyes fixed on Blast for one moment, then snarled a single hiss of warning to the Limiters.

Silver opened his eyes slowly to the same twilight skies outside Arcaea. The sun had vanished beneath the horizon, and the last pale streaks of daylight were still barely visible in the air, as though they were desperately trying to cling on to their last moments of existance. But Silver barely payed that any attention.

His hands were tied, and he could see Leviathos and Dust, regaining consciousness beside him. Both seemed startled, then as reality returned to them they exchanged glances of horror.

"Where are we?" asked Dust. Silver looked up, and saw, above the jungle foliage, the barest hint of the sunlight touching the pyramids. They were only a few miles outside the City of Light, then.

"Where you are doesn't matter." said a voice from the shadows.

Suddenly Leviathos stiffened in fear, fear that turned to horror as he saw the being who emerged from within the jungle, carefully concealed and hidden from view. Silver gasped in shock and horror as he stared at the being's features.

He was a Kyojin, heavily armored and covered in barely healed scars. One eye had been burned out, and his masked face had melted into his features, causing his breathing to become horribly nasal and his voice hideously raspy. He walked with a horribly bent, twisted gait, and one arm had been almost completely severed and lung useless at his side. In the other arm he carried a massive axe.

Still, it was clear from his reaction that Leviathos recognized him at once. "You!" he gasped. He turned to look at Silver and Dust, shocked disbelief in his features. "You told me Fairon had killed him! That he was dead!"

"He?" asked Silver. "Yes, Fairon won the Game. Therefore, all of the others have to be dead. Who—"

The Kyojin gave a hideously twisted smile. "It would take more then what Fairon did to me to finish me off." he hissed, cutting Silver off. "I am scarred, yes, but still I live on."

"Who are you?" asked Silver, scared by the maniac look in this being's one eye. Clearly this being had lost whatever sanity he'd once possessed. He was completely crazed, and couldn't— 

"This is the being who was Fairon's greatest enemy in the Game." whispered Leviathos, horror-struck. "This is Fairon's greatest foe, the most deadly competitor in the Eternal Game. This is Iruka, the leader of the Fallen Six."

Chapter 6
Fairon's scimitar slammed against the blade of an enemy Kranr's sword, and the Toa felt the flashes of darkness fired from the weapon of an Ix warrior slam against his armor, causing him to stagger backward in pain. Instantly emboldened, the Kranr charged forward, aiming to decapitate him with the massive weapon. Luckily for Fairon, his quick reflexes saved him and he was able to dodge the blow, tearing a massive arc across the Kranr's armorplate. The enemy soldier fell to the ground.

Leaping over the corpses of his fallen enemies and charging to meet a Limiter, Fairon felt his grip on the weapon falter as the Limiter slashed outward with his scythe, tearing through armor and then drawing blood. The Toa of Light winced and slashed out at the Ix warrior, missing him by centimeters.

Fairon lunged forward, aiming to finish of the Limiter before he could seize the offensive, but was unable to stop the Limiter's blindingly fast series of attacks and staggered backward as the Limiter executed an extremely complex Guokte/Vauhti maneuver and forced Fairon back across the plains before the fortress. Fairon felt his hands grow tired as the weapon was nearly torn from his hands, and knew that soon he would be too weak to continue fighting.

Suddenly there was a flash of darkness, and, like a Shallows Cat striking is unsuspecting prey, Saren slammed into the Limiter, his daggers raised. The Ix warrior staggered backward, falling to the ground as the Glatorian Resistance commander slashed open his neck.

Fairon suddenly became aware that all was silent. Their strike team was alone, and the Ix scout force had been defeated. Once again, he whispered thanks to Mata Nui that the Sarkanian clones hadn't been there. However, Fairon reminded himself, they were probably only hours away from the first attack force.

"Yes." said Saren, as though reading his thoughts. The Glatorian's bright, intelligent green eyes gleamed in the twilight darkness. "These were only an advance scout. However, I don't believe the Agori was lying. The Sarkanian clones are definitely within striking distance of the fortress."

Fairon, Saren, and six Noctians from Ixtil's personal guard had been sent to scout out the strength of the attacking Ix force. They'd expected hundreds, and at least one of the Sarkanian clones, but instead they'd only found a small force of eight Kranr and three Limiters. Saren had left the Noctians behind at the Noctxia Pass to make sure that these beings were not simply a diversion to allow the Sarkanian clones an easy gateway to the rebel base, and then he and Fairon had ambushed the Ix.

Now the attackers lay dead, and there was no sign that the Ix had ever been there. Suddenly a more worrying thought occurred to Fairon, something that he hadn't considered yet.

"Do you think they could have used the Shadowdermis to allow the Sarkanian clone to teleport directly to the main base?"

Saren thought for a moment, then shook his head. "The only Shadowdermis user I know of is Mordrax, and our intelligence indicates he's currently on Xaterex, light-years away. I doubt the clones would have enough control over the virus to be able to use it in that manner, from what Shardak said, the Shadowdermis mainly controls them."

Fairon nodded, uneasy still. Was there something they'd overlooked? Something more deadly? Saren's words, far from reassuring them, made Fairon simply more worried about the whereabouts of the Ix army. Unless the Agori messenger had been lying or had been insane, there was no explanation how an army of nearly one thousand Ix warriors could simply vanish into thin air.

Suddenly panic flashed in Saren's eyes. "Noctxia Pass!" he gasped. "That's it! The army's there."

"How did you—" Fairon managed to gasp, but Saren interrupted him.

"No time now. Follow me!"

Racing toward the pass where they'd left the Noctians, Fairon immediately became aware that something was wrong. The Noctian warriors were not standing at the pass, as they'd been when they'd left. And there was no sign that an army had passed though here. Though he wasn't an aura user like Shardak, his insticts, honed to perfection after winning two Eternal Games in a row, practically screamed to him that there was something wrong here.

"Look!" hissed Saren, under his breath. Nearing the mountain pass, Fairon saw the bodies of two Noctians, one shot by arrows and the other gored by Ix scythes, lying dead on the ground. Both wore expressions of shock and horror on their faces. As they passed through the caverns, Fairon saw the other Noctians' corpses strewn across the floors of the Pass, all bloody and none alive.

''Leviathos turned, staggering, away from Ghost and toward the edge of the Void. The demon slashed out again, backing Leviathos against the cliff face. Leviathos flailed desprately in his grasp, but was unable to stop Ghost's claw from cutting a second horrible wound across his chest. His dying eyes turned to lock with Fairon's, and he spoke his last words in a half-whisper before both he and Ghost vanished into the Void forever...''

Fairon shook his head, trying desperately to avoid the rush of horrible memories from the Eternal Game from engulfing him completely. Though it had been many, many months since he'd thought about the friends and enemies he'd left behind in the arena, sometimes certain images caused the flashes of memories to appear once again before him, as vivid as they'd been when they'd occurred.

Not for the first time, Fairon wondered what had happened to Leviathos after he'd fallen into the Void. After he and Jareroden and the other Toa victors had revealed that the Void was a prison, not a death trap, he'd encountered many of his foes from the games there, such as Millennium and Dredzek, the leaders of the Shadow of Ages.

It had only been about a year, but it seemed to Fairon like it had happened a lifetime ago.

However, he'd never learned what had happened to Leviathos, his Noctian friend, or Ghost, the demon who he'd dragged into the Void with him. He'd hoped that, during his travels in the Void, he would be reunited with his old friend—

Saren's voice brought Fairon back to the present. The Glatorian and Toa had crossed Noctxia Pass, and were facing the small cliffs that led toward the resistance base, which eventually led into the flatlands. Fairon knew that Shardak himself had been here, with Valkyria and Atarus, on their way to meet with the enigmatic being Moru Kul.

"There they are. Outside the fortress."

Fairon lifted his gaze and saw that Saren was correct. The Ix armies were massed directly outside the rebel base, their weapons all drawn like a field of scythes. Every one of the back ranks were Limiters, and the rest were Kranr and Copies of Corpse. There were nearly one thousand of them, all with drawn weapons. Fairon could see two of the Sarkanian clones were there as well.

"Holy Mata Nui." Saren breathed in shock. "They're massive."

Fairon had never seen the original Sarkanian, but he was completely aware that even one of these beings could completely destroy the Resistance base. Two would probably eliminate every one of the soldiers. The Ix were no longer playing safe; they were ready to annihilate the entire Hand of Mata Nui and the Veythari warriors in one stroke.

"They don't stand a chance." Fairon whispered. "We'll all be slaughtered. The Ix won't even have to attack at all."

Saren nodded. "We have to abandon the base. It's our only hope."

"But we can't warn them!" hissed Fairon. "We're trapped on the opposite side of a massive army."

"I know." said Saren. "I'll distract them. Buy you time to escape."

"But—" Fairon began.

Saren gave him a half-smile. "Your life is more important then mine. Go, warn the Hand."

Fairon nodded once, remembering how, in the Void, a Glatorian victor named Vorral had died to save his own life. At the time, he'd protested, but Treedaka, another deceased victor, had told him harshly that he was more important to the Resistance. Then, he'd been prepared to die for Shardak in the Games as well, but they'd narrowly escaped.

Now, another being was laying down his life for the Resistance's cause. Would the deaths never stop? "May Mata Nui be with you, Commander Naghara." said Fairon.

"And you." said Saren. Raising his voice, the Glatorian cried out. "I'm over here!"

The Limiters whirled around. "Go! Run!" whispered Saren to Fairon. The Toa hesitated for one second, then turned and ran into the shadows, racing across the cliffs and toward the Resistance base. The air rang with the clashes of weapons as the army turned and a group of Kranr led by a tall Limiter raced after Saren, scythe daggers drawn. Saren had turned and run, racing through Noctxia Pass, the Limiters hard on his heels.

Fairon threw open the back gate of the Resistance fortress before the confused Ix warriors could even draw a weapon to aim at him. By the time the Kranr had realized he'd escaped, Fairon was inside the—

Suddenly pain exploded across his shoulder. Fairon staggered to his knees as a second arrow missed him by an inch. Two Ko-Matoran had surrounded him, and dragged him through the doorway. Fairon could see the Veythari commander, Reid Vaethar's second-in-command, standing there, alongside Ixtil and the other leaders of the Hand.

"Fairon!" yelled Tiral. "Where are the others?"

"All dead. Saren stayed behind to delay the Ix warriors." Fairon gasped out. Now feeling much better, he sat down around the command table once again. He saw that the arrow had ricocheted off his armor, wounding him slightly but not causing any permanent harm. While it stil hurt, Fairon barely noticed it. His entire focus was on the Resistance leaders as he explained, in halting tones, that the army was about to attack.

Ixtil reached out and grabbed his commlink, and gave a few short orders to his generals. he turned to face Fairon and the Veythari leader. "Fairon, Zaxar, you lead the Veythari warriors. I must gather my own troops to oversee the defense of the base."

"No!" yelled Fairon. "We have to retreat! They have two of the Sarkanian clones with them! They'll destroy us all!"

Ixtil didn't even appear shocked. "They would not outright destroy us." he said. "There is a 2.21% chance that they will not kill us all. Still, you are right. As soon as our forces are mobilized here, we will leave the—"

Ixtil's words were suddenly cut off as a massive roar shook the building. Fairon had just enough time to raise the Blade of Arcturas and race toward the massing group of rebel soldiers before the wall collapsed and the Sarkanian clone tore its way into the fortress, the Ix close behind.

Fear.

Anger.

Hatred.

''But the overriding emotion was pain— excruicating, horrible pain as the Ix torturers continued their horrible work. Shardak was dimly aware that he was screaming, and he could see two beings, who looked simular to Vor Sxe'cahn, standing behind the Ix. They carried axes and several daggers, and they stayed completely silent and impassive as they watched the Ix do their horrible work.''

''Pain made it impossible for him to form coherent thought. The last time he'd felt such pain was during the horrible, excruiciating torture he'd suffered during his time as a captive of the Ix in the Circle. But this was still worse— they were not trying to keep his mind whole, they were simply trying to break him, whatever the cost.''

Questions. Suddenly the Ix were asking questions again, alaternating their questions. Each word ripped through his aura, twice as painful as the sharpest shredsteel. The Ix left nothing back, let nothing go. The pain, worse still then before, was merely made worse with each syllable they spoke, and, unconsiously, Shardak found himself answering.

"What do you know of the Annulus fragments?"

"What is your name?" one asked.

"What is your purpose?" asked the other, not even allowing Shardak time to answer before a stab of pain hit him once again.

"Name?"

"Purpose?"

''That time Shardak was able to answer, but no sooner had he spoken before the pain resumed again and he bagan to scream. They were still asking him questions, but he was no longer answering, they were simply ripping through every one of his auric guards with impunity. Their cold, drained auras touching against his felt like fingers on frozen steel, like flesh on flame. Mere words cannot describe the pain he felt as they tore his aura and soul searching for their answers.''

Then, as quickly as it had come, it was over. Shardak was suddenly once again in the small, darkened chamber, with the two Ix standing in front of him, faces hidden by skull-like Limiter masks. Both seemed completely impassive and untouched by the horrible suffering he was enduring.

"That will be all." one said. "You will return to your cell now." the two green-masked guards grabbed Shardak roughly by both arms and dragged him from the room. Shardak wanted desperately to ask the Ix guards where they were, and why the Ix Empire would have still had any interest in them, or who all of these other beings were, but the Ix sensed the intented question and crushed his aura beneath theirs mercilessly.

"No questions. All will be answered when you are finished with the interrogation. You will return tomarrow."

Confused and full of questions, Shardak allowed the beings to lead him back to his cell without any struggle. His mind burned with questions. That torture had been far worse then anything the Ix had ever done to him, and he was almost sure another session would break him completely. But even in his weakened state, Shardak was able to understand that something was not at all right here.

If these Ix were working for the Empire, why had they locked Valkyria in a cell as well? She was an Ix warrior, and should have been treated as their ally. And why did every being here seem to have a dark shadow imprinted over their own aura? None of this made sense.

"Iruka?" Silver gasped, staring at the Kyojin in shock and horror. "That's impossible!"

"What you believe doesn't matter." Iruka hissed simply. "You are as much a prisoner here as I am."

"A prisoner?" asked Silver, frightened now. "What is this place?"

"Surely you know?" asked Iruka. "Supposedly, we are in Arcaea. For a moment I actually believed I'd somehow been sent back in time, until...I saw Leviathos here as well. Another foe I faced in the Eternal Game. And when, soon after, I found Ghost, I knew it was true. Where are we?"

"I don't know." said Leviathos, ripping free of his bonds. "But I do know that I'm never going to answer you. I'll finish the job Fairon started."

Without warning he snatched his weapon from the ground and faced Iruka. Silver tore free of his bonds as well, just in time to see a flash of silver light fly toward Leviathos. The tendrils slammed into the Noctian, slamming him against the trees where he fell to the ground, stunned.

Another being appeared out of the shadows. His eyes were empty pits of nothingness, like those of an Ix Limiter, and his features were cold and impassive as he stared at Silver and Dust, contempt gleaming from his eyes. "Two Matoran, who I don't recognize, and a Noctian, which I do. It seems you were right after all, Iruka." Ghost's voice sounded like the harsh whisper of an Ix.

Iruka nodded with grim satisfaction. "It seems the Eternal Game still goes on, even now." he rasped in the horrible, hideous voice that frayed Silver's nerves. "Now, tell me Matoran, or you will die. Where are we? What is this place?"

"You both somehow survived the Games." said Silver, desperate to keep them talking as long as he could. "How?"

"Fairon kicked me, burning, into the flames. You have no idea how painful that was, how humiliating, exhausting, and painful it was as my burning, broken body fell into the Void. I remember spending what felt like hours trying to haul myself from the depths of the abyssal darkness, desperate to free myself from the Void and return to face Fairon. But every time I failed.

"Then, suddenly, when I was utterly spent and completely broken, I appeared here, my wounds healed. I met Ghost, another of my old servants who had fallen into the Void and was transported here. Moments later, I saw you three enter the city, and I sent Ghost to follow you. He confirmed you had Leviathos, another competitor of the Games, with you."

Iruka's single red eye, which burned with cold, calculated malice, stared into Silver's scorching his pupils. "And now I have triumphed. Only one thing remains. How do I escape this world?"

"I don't know!" protested Silver. "What makes you think I do?"

A flame of raw ranger lit in Iruka's flaming eyes, more fearsome then the flames that had crippled his body. "I saw you, with a Skrall, who were defeated long, long before the rise of Lost Arcaea, and another being, in a hood and a cloak. They pointed you toward the city, then vanished. What did they tell you? What is this place?"

"I don't know!" yelled Silver, panicked now. He was sure Iruka would kill them if he didn't answer, but what more could he say? If Ghost didn't pick up his lie, then Iruka surely would. His cunning mind, while unhinged, was still shrewd and horribly calculating. He'd know if Silver lied. "The beings said it was the City of Light, of ancient Lost Arcaea. Then they vanished!"

Iruka smiled. "I find that a bit of...reflection upon your lies will do you good. Ghost, bind them to the trees. With your elemental powers, this time."

Ghost said nothing, but raised his scythe, pointing it at the unconscious Leviathos and at Silver and Dust. Before Silver could even move, he was bound to a tree by ropes of pure darkness. Both Silver and Dust fought and kicked and struggled, but were unable to break free from the bonds.

"They say that nights in Lost Arcaea were far colder...far below zero degrees." hissed Iruka, his eye burning with sadistic pleasure. "I will be back tomarrow morning, unless you call me earlier. Otherwise, I will return tomarrow morning, and you will answer me."

Iruka turned and strode toward the trees, then turned around to face Silver. The Kyojin smiled, a hideous expression which froze Silver's heart. Amost as an afterthought, he added, "That is, provided you don't freeze to death first."

Then he was gone, vanishing into the darkening night as though he was never there. Silver watched the stars begin to become visible, and he and Dust sat in silence, pondering their plight. They had no way to get free. Leviathos was conscious now, and struggling desperately against the bonds of darkness that held them there, but they held fast.

Silver watched the moon rise, and saw it was the same moon that shone over Xaterex. It bathed the pyramid-city below in white light, giving it an ephermal, ethereal appearence. It was the same moon, though not scarred by the craters it had aquired many centuries later.

Then a second moon rose. Then a third.

Then a fourth.

Chapter 7
Blast slashed outward, tearing through the armor of a wounded Ix warrior. The Limiter fell to the ground, wounded mortally, but another Ix soldier, seeming even more deadly, took his place. Beside him, Veythari warriors charged the Limiter soldiers, but were quickly being forced backward. Archers rained hails of deadly arrows down on the Ix warriors, but were unable to finish the Ix off.

At the heart of the maelstrom, the massive Sarkanian clone fought, surrounded by a hard core of Limiter soldiers who had not fled into the woods or scattered by the Veythari archers. No being, Veythari or not, could stand against the Shadowdermis-enhanced beast. It fought using its entire body as a weapon, spitting acid and fire and shadow from its jaws. On occasion, even more frightening abilities manifested themselves, such as rays of shadow and flame fired from the creature's eyes.

Nothing could stop the being, it was like a massive, unstoppable colossus of destruction. Almost forty beings lay dead at his feet, and only around six beings were still fighting the Limiters. The Archers, seeing their weapons were no longer effective, charged forward to join the battle with their daggers and spears. However, Blast could already see this was hopeless. The Sarkanian clone was simply too powerful.

As a Veythari warrior charged forward, two Limiters lying dead at his feet. to bring his solid protosteel dagger down on the Sarkanian clone's iron-hard hide, it shattered immediately upon contact. The Sarkanian clone whirled around, and, with a single exhalation of fire and shadow, immolated the Veythari warrior, leaving nothing but ashes and twisted metal behind.

But as he did so, he left himself open to a strike from the opposite side. Blast could see another Veythari charge forward, aiming for Sarkanian's open maw with a massive spear. Blast saw the spear was on target, and there was no way it could fail—

The Sarkanian clone whirled around quicker then Blast would have believed possible. As the Veythari was about to spear the massive serpent through the mouth, the clone fired a single, concentrated ray of shadow from his eye, which simply vaporized the being completely. The noise the spear made as it fell to the ground was drowned out completely by the fighting.

Blast almost droppped his scythe as he stared at the clone in horror. He brought it around just in time to deflect a slash from a charging Limiter, and out of the corner of his eye saw the clone smash three Veythari to death with its massive tail.

"Corporal Blast!" a voice yelled from the furious mêlée. Blast recognized it as the Veythari commander, bloodstained yet still fighting. He was rallying the twenty or so soldiers, all wounded, that he still had under his command around him, readying to face the Limiters and Sarkanian once more. "Run back to the fells. Get help." he gestured to two Glatorian soldiers. "Narmer, Herex, go with him. Make sure that you warn Lord Vaethar and Commander Freztrak. The Fells must be held at all costs. Go!"

Once, Blast would have hesitated, protested that they should all flee, that no one more should die in this battle. But months of living and working beside the Veythari warriors had taught him that they were completely unafraid of death, that it was simply a nessassay sacrifice so the Resistance could continue. The few Glatorian still alive he was sending away as well, so that the Veythari would face the Sarkanian clone alone.

Then, before Blast could think any longer, the air exploded once more with the clash of weapons and the roar of the Sarkanian clone as the Veythari charged foward. Then Blast was racing through the Fells, Narmer and Herex ahead of him. Behind him he could hear the shouts of the Limiters, and the thunder of persuit. They were chasing after him. Blast swung his scythe wildly from side to side, using the raw auric power contained within to blast aside vines that would have impeded him otherwise.

A Limiter sprang from the shadows ahead of them, slamming into Narmer. The gray-armored Glatorian staggered backward, blood pouring from his throat as the Ix drove his daggers into his body. Herex whirled around just in time to counter the sweep of a second Limiter's dagger-scythe, and Blast raced toward Narmer's killer, swinging his scythe wildly. In the haze of battle, he thought he saw the Ix go down.

That was enough for him. Turning, he raced toward the Resistance base, Herex staggering behind. Blast could see the Glatorian was wounded, but kept running, neither asking Blast to slow or help him. The Limiters were still giving chase, he could hear their footsteps coming nearer and nearer.

Suddenly Blast felt a jarring crack as he was thrown bodily to the ground. Pain exploded through his body, followed by flashes of blackness. Herex raced past him, but a Limiter threw a second spear, which ran the Glatorian through. Blast could see his body crumple to the ground, his eyes glazing over. His sightless eyes met those of Blast, and Blast forced himself to stagger to his feet. The Limiters charged forward, and a spear missed him by less then a centimeter.

Blast tried to run, but he was simply too slow. His back ached from where the spear had ricocheted off of his armor, and his strides were growing smaller and his breathing heavier as he raced toward the rebel base. He could see through the bloodred haze of battle that the rebel base was just ahead—tantalizingly close, but horribly out of reach. The three remaining Limiters were catching up to him now, and another spear narrowly missed him, burying itself in a massive tree.

Blast began, just barely, to hope that he could reach the Resistance base. It was very near, but he was weakening. The Limiters were right behind him—

Suddenly Blast tripped over an exposed tree root, and he felt his body fall to the ground. Blast braced himself for death; knew there was no hope of survival, and he could see, out of the corner of his eye, the Limiter standing over him—

Suddenly the Limiter screamed in pain, and fell to the ground. Blast saw that two arrows had embedded themselves in his throat. The two other Limiters raised their shields, deflecting the oncoming projectiles. However, Blast could see a flash of weapons as a Veythari slammed into the Ix soldier, his dagger slashing open the Ix's throat. The dead being fell to the ground.

The other Limiter, meanwhile, raised his scythes and ran his ally's killer through. The Veythari fell to the ground, but the hail of arrows quickly killed the Ix soldier before he could realize his victory.

Blast could see Veythari were surrounding him, searching for any signs of more Limiters. Blast opened his mouth to tell them that there were no more, but the pain was too great. Flashes of darkness, growing larger, began to obscure the world around him, and finally the Glatorian surrendered to the shadows of unconsciousness.

The streets of New Metru Nui at night. Filthy, narrow, and deadly. A warren for hundreds of gangs all struggling to control the rubble-strewn back alleyways under the watchful eye of the dark-robed Ix overlords. A disease-ridden slum full of beings as ruthless as the Ix themselves, and some still more so.

This Atarus understood only too well as he strode through the inky blackness, the only light coming from the small Cold Fire torch he carried. He'd only seen two Ix so far all night, but he knew if the city authorities spotted he risked more then capture and interrogation, but a certain death sentance. And if one of the gangs captured him, they'd simply kill him on the spot for tresspassing on their territory, not caring that he was a wanted criminal throughout the whole of the Ix Empire.

But Atarus had lived here once; like Arcturas, he was often on the move, and had hidden here for a time after the Fall of Arcaea. He knew exactly where he was going, and who he'd meet with.

Once, this group had been almost completely eliminated during the days of Lost Arcaea. However, after the Fall, it had recreated itself from almost nothing, rising to be one of the few crime syndicates that the Empire had not completely destroyed. Their name was known across the Empire: Dark Talon. Atarus had known them only too well, indeed, he'd been a member for a time.

However, recently, there had been a schism between two factions of Dark Talon in the city of New Metru Nui. Atarus, who had connections within the syndicate, as well as many Resistance spies, had seen this as a perfect time to recruit the two branches of the Talon into the Resistance. He knew how they operated; he was confident he could get an audience with the Dark Talon leaders. Then, it was a matter of convincing them both to join.

''There are fewer then one hundred soldiers left scattered across Arden. ''Thought Atarus. ''These two branches of Dark Talon number nearly three hundred battle-hardened warriors and intelligent information brokers. With these beings on our side, we can rebuild the battered legions and regain the offensive. ''

Atarus was nearly there now, he could see, in the distance, the nondescript, dilapidated building that served as one branch of the Dark Talon's headquarters. He would certainly find one of the Talon leaders there. Turning down a narrow alleyway, Atarus was surprised and disturbed by the lack of Ix warrior's he'd ran into. Usually they'd be everywhere, alert for Resistance spies.

Suddenly the Cold Fire torch the Elemental carried reflected off steel-gray armor. Almost unconsiously, Atarus tore his weapon from its scabbard, and raised his torch to illuminate the features of the being he was facing. It was a male Zeverek, in his prime. He carried a blaster and a long scimitar, and his eyes gleamed with anticipation as he faced Atarus.

Atarus recognized the being instantly, and from the being's hideous smile he could tell immediately that the attacker recognized him as well. This was one of the most skilled bounty hunters on Xaterex, who had not been seen on Xaterex since Shardak's mission to Akkad, when he had nearly killed the Toa of Aura.

"Skorr!" Atarus snarled, charging toward the bounty hunter, weapons raised.

Skorr's grin grew even wider as his eyes met Atarus' "Hello, my friend." he said. "I believe there is a bounty on your head. A very large bounty. When you are dead, I will become a remarkably rich individiual. Good-bye."

With that, Skorr charged, blaster raised.

Hands bound, the two green-masked guards led Shardak down the winding corridors of the mysterious citadel. Shardak dreaded facing the Ix interrogators again, but he knew for a fact they were not yet done with him. They had not yet broken his mind, but each interrogation session was more painful then the last, and Shardak's body ached all over from where the Ix had torn at his aura.

''I cannot face this again. ''he thought as he saw the doorway to the room ahead. However, to his surprise, the guards did not stop at the door, but continued down the corridor.

"Where are you taking us?" asked Shardak. When the guards didn't answer, he said. "I know who you are. You're the Order, aren't you? What do you want with me?"

To his surprise, the guard smiled coldly. "You will find out soon enough."

Along the way, Shardak and the guards crossed paths with another group of guards, and Shardak saw, to his surprise, that they had Flardrek with them. The Glatorian met Shardak's eyes, and nodded once to tell him that he was okay. Then both groups of guards led them down the same corridors.

Soon, the four guards halted before a doorway. Tbe first guard stepped forward, pushing the doorway forward, then sliding it to the side, as all doors within this citadel opened. However, this door wouldn't slide open until the guard hissed a word in the same hideous, strangled language Vor and Shale had used outside the doorway.

Shardak stepped into the room and gasped in shock. The room was massive, with an opaque glass cieling and floors. The massive wall made of obsidian on the far side was the only thing in the room not formed from opaque glass, and the ceiling was far higher and the room more open then anywhere else in the Citadel.

But Shardak could barely take all of that in. He had only eyes for the beings standing there. Two of the green-masked guards were there, as well as Shale and Vor Sxe'cahn. But he barely gave them more then a small glance, he had eyes for only the two beings standing at the heart of the chamber.

One was tall and hunched over. His body was horribly twisted, and his eyes were small and red, twin pits of hatred Contempt was all to obvious in his eyes as he stared at Shardak. His armor was silver and green, and in one hand he carried a long dagger attached to a chain. A wickedly sharp looking weapon, Shardak was certain that in the hand of an expert it would be a lethal weapon.

His aura had the same shadow shrouding it the Vor's and Shale's had, that every being he'd seen except the guards had. The guards, like Vor, had no aura at all, but unlike Vor, did not possess the darkness that hid their auras from view.

The other being looked like Skorpix, with four legs and arms. He was an Elemental Prince, armored all in lime and emerald green. His armor shone like reflective gems, and his eyes were startlingly blue. He carried twin Ix dagger-scythes, and, like the first being's, his aura was shrouded in the same shadowy darkness.

"Welcome, Spirit Toa." said the first being. His voice was a throaty rasp. "We have been expecting you to come to us for so long."

"Who are you?" asked Shardak. He was so confused and bewildered that he wasn't sure, exactly, what else to say.

"More then you can ever hope to comprehend." said a new voice, smooth and perfect, but cold and impassive. Shardak turned to face the new speaker, who seemed to step out of the darkness to face him.

She was tall and slender, wearing silver armor. She was, perhaps, the most beautiful being he'd ever set eyes upon, her body lithe like that of a Shallows Cat and her featuers delicate and perfect, but when Shardak reached her eyes he almost gasped in horror. They were green, but horribly empty and devoid of any warmth. She smiled, but it was as empty as the features of a corpse. Like the others, shadows obscured her aura, but even through the cloak of darkness, Shardak could feel her power.

The two other beings bowed their heads respectfully to the lean silver female. "Welcome, Lyria." the Elemental said.

"Hello, Windeus and Nex." she said, nodding to the Elemental and the twisted being in turn. Then she turned once more to face Shardak, who flinched and looked away. He could not force himself to meet her cold eyes, but each time he tried to resist, he found he could not look away.

"Shardak." Lyria breathed, her voice soft as she whispered his name. "I knew you would come to us."

"I didn't." Shardak somehow found the courage to speak. "I was on Drakyr, and your servants captured Flardrek and I." he said, pointing to the red-armored Glatorian. He was sure that by now they knew his name from interrogation, or simply by reading his aura.

"You were searching for the Annulus. But we were one step ahead of both the Ix Empire and the Resistance, as we always are." said Windeus.

"I don't understand?" asked Flardrek. "If you're not the Ix Empire...then who are you?"

"Oh, I think the Toa knows." said Lyria, smiling conspiratorially at Shardak. He flinched under her gaze, but forced himself to reply.

"You're the Order, aren't you?" he asked. "Then why haven't you killed us both yet?"

"Killed you?" asked Lyria, and Shardak thought he heard genuine surprise in her voice for a moment. "Why would we kill you? We need you...for now."

"Need me? Why?" asked Shardak.

"If you truly are the Spirit Toa." said Windeus at last. "Then you are about to fulfill your destiny. The prophecy will be completed."

"Prophecy? What prophecy?" asked Shardak, though he thought he already knew. It was the same prophecy that the two Ancients, Darax and Niha, had hinted at on Xiost, the prophecy that pertained directy to the being known as the Spirit Toa.

"They really have told you nothing, have they?" Lyria asked. "All of the peices in our game have used you, Shardak. And we have maneuvered the peices into place at last."

"What do you want?" he asked, frustration and fear building up within him. He could tell there were still other forces at play here, but as he surveyed the somber group of green-masked beings who guarded every one of teh doors, he knew he was completely trapped by the Order, whose motives were still unknown.

Almost unconsiously Lyria's hand brushed against the wall of the cavern, and Shardak could see there were runes, written in a language that he could not understand, written on the wall. Flardrek saw them too, but he seemed to understand them, and gasped.

"That's the legend of Vahrikaan, isn't it?" he demanded of Lyria. The silver-armored being smiled coldly.

"Perhaps." she said. "You will find out everything soon enough, once we decide whether your friend is truly the Spirit Toa, as the Ix and the Resistance believe."

"What—" Shardak began, but Lyria was not listening. She, Nex, and Windeus had lowered their heads as two more beings materialized out of the darkness, beings he recognized.

Mordrax and Skorpix. Both beings stood before the others, their eyes burning coldly in the shadows. Their eyes fixed on Shardak with recognition and no surprise. Still, they said nothing. Shardak reached out, and saw that now both their auras were veiled in the same inky darkness as other being's were.

"But you're Ix!" he gasped. "So—"

"The Ix serve their purpose well." said Skorpix. "They mask the true masters from sight, Shardak."

Two of the Ix torturers, garbed in rust-red robes, stepped out of the shadows to stand beside Shardak. The Toa saw that the guards, Vor, and Shale were gone. Only Lyria, Skorpix, and Mordrax remained, their eyes cold as the Ix stepped forward and Shardak's mind was sent reeling once more into the depths of Karzahni.

Shardak, breathless, allowed himself to be led mutely back to his cell. He was unable to move, and the guards allowed him to fall to the ground in his cell before locking the door. Shardak searched their faces for any sign of pity, but their eyes were utterly ruthless and incredibly cold.

Then they shut the door, and save for the cold, shallow torchlight that still burned, the room went dark.

"Are you okay?" another voice asked. Shardak rose to his feet with a start. He'd forgotten that Valkyria was in the cell across from his. The Ix girl looked disheveled, and her wounds were still untreated. Her clothing was stained with blood from the recent battle. Shardak couldn't meet her gaze. He knew he should answer, but the last thing he wanted to do was talk to Valkyria Rhai right now.

"I'm fine." he said, the tone in his voice cold and resolute, hinting to her strongly that he didn't want to talk. He could have simply told her in the aura field, but he was worried if he did that then he'd lose the defenses he'd built up against his pain at her betrayal completely again.

Even in the darkness, Valkyria could see his face clearly, and she could tell how much pain he'd suffered at the hands of his torturers. But there was another kind of pain in his featuers as well, as though his anger at her had been drained away completely by the Ix torturers and replaced only by the pain of betrayal.

''I've destroyed his trust completely. ''Valkyria realized. Then she berated herself for even thinking that. Of course she had. She'd just hoped that something remained of their relationship they'd had when they were both warriors in the Resistance, but she knew that was a vain hope. She should have known that from the start.

For a few moments, Valkyria hesitated, wondering if she should ask him what she'd been thinking. But her nerve failed her. She could see Shardak staring at her, his expression unreadable. But even without touching his aura directly, he could feel his sadness and pain and smouldering anger in the field as acutely as though she herself were suffering it.

There was no way she could convince him. But it was her only chance of escape, and she'd done it before.

"Do you know who these beings are who captured us?" she asked finally.

"They call themselves the Order." said Shardak, not meeting her eyes. "They have Ix on their side, but they're not your Empire. Have you ever heard of the Order?"

"No." said Valkyria. "The Ix have never mentioned them before, nor has the Resistance."

For a moment Shardak was about to reply, then he seemed to remember who he was talking to and did not. Valkyria knew she'd said the wrong thing; reminding Shardak of what she'd done. Valkyria decided not to continue to discuss the Order. She'd told Shardak almost the whole truth, but not it all. She'd heard the name of the Order before once, but—

"What do you want?" Shardak asked her, jolting Valkyria out of her thoughts. Meeting his eyes, so full of hatred, was horribly difficult for her, but Valkyria forced herself to. She owed him that much, at least.

''What we had before, when we were both Resistance warriors. When we were friends, not enemies. ''

"Our original agreement." said Valkyria. "An alliance. I'm too weak, alone, to break free from the aura prison. But with your strength and mine, we could both—"

Shardak's expression looked as though she suggested he kiss a corpse. "What kind of fool do you take me for?" he growled. "An alliance? With you? After what you've done?"

"Only until we escape the Order." said Valkyria. "Then we do what we should have done at first: settle our arguement in battle, like we originally agreed."

Saying those words felt like stabbing herself with a Shredsteel scythe, but Valkyria kept her expression neutral. Helping Shardak and working with him after what they'd meant to each other before would be horribly painful for her as well, but it was her only hope of ever escaping the prison.

She was an Ix warrior. Ix warriors didn't surrender.

If only she herself even believed those words anymore.

"No." said Shardak. His voice was now under control, and it sounded detached and almost mocking. "I can't. Not after—"

"It's our only hope for escape." reasoned Valkyria. "We'll be trapped here forever, otherwise. Or until they kill us. I know what they're doing to you, Shardak. I can feel your aura, it's—"

"You really do think I'm an idiot, don't you?" Shardak growled. "Just because I acted the part when you were spying on the Resistance doesn't mean I'll fall into the same trap again."

"It isn't a trap. We'll settle our battle once we're free. The winner takes all." she said.

Shardak lifted his gaze and looked into her eyes once again. While once she would have found him easy to read, now it was hard for her to tell what he was even thinking. She held his gaze, reaching out tentatively in the aura field to show him that she was telling him the truth. She kept her feelings of pain and guilt to herself. He didn't need to know how hard it had been for her to say the last words.

Shardak gave her a crooked smile. "Well, then, Warrior Rhai." he said at last, in that detached, almost mocking tone that had become horribly familiar. "You might just have yourself a deal."

Chapter 8
"As far as I know, Xaterex has never had four moons in those positions." said Leviathos. "I don't know anything about Arcaea, but since it coexists on the same level as Xaterex, but on a different plane of existence, I am sure that Arcaea never, ever had four moons."

"Then...this isn't Arcaea." said Silver. Then, realizing the implications of his statement, he said in a rush. "Then if it's not Lost Arcaea, 5,000 years ago, then we haven't gone back in time at all, and there may still be a way back."

"But if we're not in Arcaea, then...where are we? And why did the Arcaean Entity seem to believe that this is, indeed, the Jungle Kingdom of Arcaea?"

"I'm not sure." said Silver. "But there's another force at work here. A force that has placed all of us—Iruka, Ghost, and us—here."

"Very good." said a new voice, a voice Silver had heard before.

Both Silver and Dust turned their heads, and Leviathos whirled around, his clawed hands nearly tearing through the bonds that held him imprisoned there. When Silver recognized the speaker, he gasped in shock and nearly fell backward. It was only the bonds that held him to the tree that kept him upright.

Standing in the shadows, concealed so well that Silver would have never seen him had he not spoken, was the being with the skeletal hand. His red eyes burned beneath his cloak, and his white finger was pointing at them. As though they'd been there all along, two other beings appeared at his shoulders.

One was the Skrall-like being they'd seen before, the other was a being that Silver had never seen before, only heard of in late night whispers. Still, there was no mistaking the yellow eyes which burned with feverish intensity, the organic green mask. Although this being carried weaponry of metal, Silver recognized his species immediately. It was a Vorgaan, one of the extragalactic invaders that had laid waste to the universe millennia before Silver had been born, after the collapse of the tyrannical Mindeater Empire.

"Who are you?" Silver asked the being, afraid now. He wasn't sure how long that the being had been watching them, for he was sure that the shadows could have hidden him for hours in the darkness before he'd spoken to them. Also, he'd seen this being vanish into thin air in broad daylight, and at night, where there were hundreds of hostile beings prowling the Jungle Kingdom of Arcaea and Iruka could be around every corner, he was desperate for answers.

"Do you mean my name, or who I am?" the being asked. His voice was hard for Silver to place, not cold, exactly, but definitely not friendly, Not deep, but not high-pitched either. He had a strange accent that Silver could not place, one that sounded almost Illieran, but was deeper and harsher. "I have many names. You may call me Varkanax, but to my enemies I am death, and to the Matoran I am fear."

"Then...do you know where we are, Varkanax?" asked Silver at last, summoning the courage to speak.

"The Jungle Kingdom of Arcaea, presumably." said Varkanax. "But really, you are in another plane of existence, one modeled after my memories of the Kingdom."

"You created this plane of existence? And all of the life here?" asked Silver, staggered by what this being was suggesting.

Varkanax's face was completely obscured by his hood except his burning orange-red eyes, but for a moment it seemed as though he smiled. "Not exactly. You, Dust, Leviathos, Iruka, and Ghost and my allies and I are the only real life-forms here. The rest are all simply pale imitations of life, like this world itself."

"They're not alive? But they seemed so real." said Silver, remembering Atraks, Taro, Korasaunt, and the other members of the High Council.

"This entire world is a perfect replica of Arcaea, exactly five thousand years before the Year of Darkness that precipitated the Fall, except, as you have noticed, the fourth planet." said Varkanax. "Even the beings here were alive at this point in space and time."

"So you were there?" Dust asked incredulously, "Five thousand one hundred and seventy-five years ago? How could you still be alive, then?"

"Like the Elementals, I age far more slowly then you would believe, and the time traveling I do allows me to live still longer."

"But you just said that we were not in the past, but simply in another dimension." said Silver.

"How do you think I was able to create this?" asked Varkanax. "All from memory? This dimension is out of sync with time, like the Resistance base at Void's Edge. I created it to be so. Nearly a year has passed since you entered this dimension, Silver and Dust. And for Iruka, Ghost, and Leviathos, nearly three."

"What?" asked Leviathos. "I've been gone for three years? How do you know?"

"I can observe the strands of time. I can travel along the past and, to some degree, the future, but only ever as an observer." said Varkanax. "Baterra Magnus here has the same power."

The being gestured with his skeletal hand to the Skrall-like being, who stepped forward. His armor shone like polished obsidian in the pale moonlight overhead. In one hand he carried a massive spiked mace. His eyes were red, but not as firey or cold as those of Varkanax.

"You still haven't answered my first question." said Silver. "What do you want?"

Varkanax's expression remained coldly neutral. "The Order has need of you. You will come with us."

"The Order? What Order?" asked Dust.

"The Order." said Varkanax. "You will see for yourself soon enough."

Suddenly the world around them vanished, and while Silver was still bound by Ghost's ethereal chains, he was no longer standing against a tree. The entire world had vanished around them, leaving nothing but darkness. Silver was no longer even held upright anymore, he was simply floating in nothingness, a horribly unnerving sensation. Slowly, the world began to reappear all around them, and Silver was once again standing in the forests of the Jungle Kingdom. However, the tree they'd been bound to was no longer there. It had simply meen removed from the scenery completely.

Iruka and Ghost were standing there as well. Ghost was snarling something at Varkanax, deanding answers. Iruka, on the other hand, remained silent, staring at Varkanax with an expression of fear and almost respect, though it was hard to read the hulking Kyojin's scarred features.

"Do you believe me now?" asked Varkanax, who raised his other hand, on which he wore a black armored glove. The tree appeared once more as though it had always been there, only this time it was a few meters back from where it had been before. "I am the master of this world."

"Is it even real, then?" asked Silver. Ghost was staring uncertainly at Iruka, but the Kyojin seemed to ignore him completely and simply stared at Varkanax, Baterra Magnus,, and the Vorgaan guard.

"What is real, exactly?" asked Varkanax. "In one way, no, it is merely a copy, a preserved remnant of all the hopes and dreams of Lost Arcaea, five thousand one hundred and seventy-six years ago. In one way, it is very much alive."

"Why did everyone believe I was a being known as Mevon?" asked Silver. "But didn't recognize any of the others?"

Varkanax's face remained hidden beneath his dark hood as he answered. "I little...altering on my part. I can control the thoughts of every being here. Making them think you were a being known as Mevon was easy."

"But why?" asked Silver. "What did you gain from holding us here in this prison?"

"Because I know the past." said Varkanax. "And I know some of the future. I know that you have a role to play in that future, bringing about the rise of the Order. As do these beings here." he said, pointing his skeletal hand at Ghost and Iruka. He looked into the Kyojin's remaining eye. Before, Silver had thought Iruka's remaining eye burned. But it was only smouldering compared to Varkanax's orange-red eyes, which burned and flickered like fire.

"You keep mentioning the Order." said Silver. "Who is this Order?"

"The unseen masters, the controllers behind your little war with the Ix." said Varkanax. His eyes seemed to brun still brighter.

"What role do we have to play?" Ghost snarled. "I am not your pawn."

"I think he knows." said Varkanax, waving his hand at Iruka. "Hello, Kinyami."

Another voice rose within the depths of Iruka's throat, a deeper, harder voice that burned with hatred. "Varkanax." he whispered. "It's been a while since I've last seen you." he nodded his heads respectfully to the Vorgaan, and to Baterra Magnus.

"Yes, it has, has it not?" said Varkanax. "You played your role well, Kinyami, in the Ix's Eternal Game. But that small game is over, another Game is beginning to end. And we are ready to eliminate the last of the threats to our rise."

The being within Iruka, Kinyami, nodded. "So I see."

"These beings we gathered are the beings that will complete my vision of the future, I am sure of it." said Varkanax. "Iruka, Ghost, Silver, and Leviathos. Kyojin, demon, Noctian, and Matoran. This will complete the strand of time I have foreseen, this eliminating one more piece from the Game."

"What are you talking about?" Leviathos snarled, tearing free from his bonds. He was unarmed, but it looked to Silver as though he planned to fight Varkanax, Baterra Magnus, Iruka/Kinyami, the Vorgaan, and Ghost all at the same time. "What Game? What do you want with us?"

Varkanax's expression was unreadable, as was Baterra Magnus'. Kinyami, however, gave a hideous smile from Iruka's scarred mouth.

"You will find out soon enough." said Varkanax. "Come, let us leave this world behind."

For one last moment Silver was standing in the moonlight of Varkanax's replica of the Jungle Kingdom of Lost Arcaea, staring at the moonlight reflecting off the pyramid. Then they were gone, falling into the spinning void of nothingness...they were returning to the real world again.

For a moment, time stood still as the Sarkanian clone's eyes, blacker then the bleakest, coldest night, surveyed Fairon. The Ix Limiters there as well, faced them, their expressions hidden beneath their demonic helmets. Only their eyes, cold and dead, could be seen as they stared at Ixtil, Zaxar, and Fairon.

Then, with a screech of rage, the Sarkanian clone leapt forward, slashing its tail from side to side. Fairon leapt to one side, and Zaxar's quick reflexes saved him from immediate decapitation. Fairon knew they stood no chance against the massive army alone. More Limiters were charging out of the darkness, armed with scythe-daggers and spears. The Sarkanian clone leapt forward, tail lashing from side to side. Ixtil staggered backward, the tail missing him narrowly.

Zaxar leapt forward, easily dodging the creature's bladed tail. The Veythari leader slashed his long scimitar upward, aiming for the serpent-being's eye. The Sarkanian clone lunged forward, faster then the eye could follow, and ripped the Veythari warrior apart with its teeth. Zaxar had no time to scream before his mangled body vanished into the monster's cavernous maw.

Racing to Ixtil's side, where the Matoran was using a makeshift club to hold off two Limiters, Fairon grabbed the Matoran's hand and pulled him down the corridor, racing away. A spear missed them by centimeters. ricocheting off the wall and falling, broken, to the floor at Fairon's feet. He could see out of the corner of his eye more of the Veythari warriors charging into the battle, but he knew it was hopeless. The Sarkanian clone could not be stopped by even a thousand Veythari.

Ixtil was alive, and he'd snatched a scimitar from a fallen Veythari and was issuing orders to a group of his Noctian troops. "Alert the Ossoona battleguards that we will be leaving the fortress immediately. We cannot stand against this force, they are too strong, and we are too unprepared."

"But sir." said the Noctian breathlessly. "A second Sarkanian clone has breached the back walls. The Veythari and several Ossoona are holding it back, and confused reports say there may be still more of these beings attacking."

"Get out whomever you can." said Ixtil. "Otherwise we will all be completely destroyed. If you do so, there is a 33.2% chance that—"

Whatever Ixtil was going to say was cut off by a roar as the Sarkanian clone, finished with systematically destroying the Veythari attackers, had begun on the Noctians. The Noctian commander barked an order to three of his troops, and they raced off into the shadows. The rest, panicked and scattered, were easy prey for the Sarkanian clone. As Fairon watched, he saw one was decaptitated by a Limiter and another vaporized by a ray of Shadowdermis fired from the clone's eye.

"Come on!" snarled Ixtil. "We need to spread the word that the Resistance and the Hand have to flee. They're all scattered throughout the fortress right now, fighting different groups of Ix and possibly more Sarkanian clones. We need to stop them. There's no way even an organized defense force could hold these parameters."

"I know." said Fairon grimly. He could hear sounds of fighting coming from two different directions, and saw ixtil race off toward one. Fairon could only hope that he'd stay safe, then he was racing through the fortress corridors, toward the sound of fighting.

The fortress was in even worse condition then it had been before; a second wall had been completely destroyed and another was leaning as the ceiling swayed ominously. Fairon saw several larger Cephalosapiens fighting desperately against the Sarkanian clone as it tore its way through the ranks, the Limiters following as they systematically scythed down any beings that got past the Sarkanian clone.

There were several Veythari there was well, armed with bows as they rained hails of arrows down on the Limiters. But the Ix soldiers were heavily armored, and they barely even affected the Sarkanian clone unless they hit it in the mouth, which only added to its rage. Fairon saw that the defenders were scattering, and he saw two Ossoona Commanders, lightning still crackling from their clawed hands, racing for the exit.

"Tell your troops to retreat! Ixtil has ordered evacuation of the fortress!"

One of the Ossoona nodded, calling an order to one of the Veythari. The warriors nodded and began to fall back, the Ossoona covering their retreat with hails of lightning fired from their claws. The Noctians had no such discipline, however, simply scattering, some joining Fairon's group and their commanders, most fleeing into the fortress.

"I'm going to bring the ceiling down on the Sarkanian clone and the Limiters." said Fairon, seeing that most of the Noctians had fled. "Would that damage the rest of the fortress?"

"Yes." said the Ossoona commander. "But not heavily enough for any other areas to be affected."

"With any luck, the rubble will be enough to dissuade any more Limiters as using this as an entrance." said Fairon grimly. Raising his scimitar, he channeled a massive burst of light energy through the weapon, slamming it against the collapsing ceiling. The ceiling swayed ominously for a few seconds, and the Limiters' insticts kicked in as the elite soldiers vanished into the shadows, hissing something in the scratchy Ix language at the Sarkanian clone.

But the being hardly payed them any attention, so intent on tearing apart the remaining Noctian fighters. The section of ceiling broke away from the rest of it and collapsed inward. The Sarkanian clone had barely enough time to scream once before hundreds of tons of rubble came crashing down on it, burying it and the Noctians, as well as any Limiters who had not escaped that section of the building completely. The wall swayed for a few moments, but the fortress remained standing. Fairon was staring up at the night skies, knowing that they had not stopped the attack.

"You...killed it?" asked the Ossoona shakily, as though unable to believe that the clone was defeated for good.

"Probably not. With any luck, I've slowed it down for a while. Even if I haven't, it will at least give us time to prepare to evactuate the fortress."

"I will spread the word immediately." said the Ossoona commander, vanishing into the shadows. The remaining Ossoona and Veythari warriors all either left to spread the word that they were abandoning the fortress or remained with Fairon, waiting for his orders.

"Follow me." he said to the Hand and Resistance members. "Let's get as many Hand members as we can to safety."

No sooner had he finished speaking did he see a massive burst of pure darkness obliterate nearly half of the rubble that held the Sarkanian clone. "Run!" Fairon ordered, and, not daring to look back, all raced down the corridors of the fortress. Along the way more beings joined them, until Fairon was leading a force of around fifty or so Noctians, as well as several groups of Veythari warriors. He could only hope that Ixtil was still alive, and supervising the evacuation of the Hand base.

Fairon had no more time to think before he was fighting once again, trading blows with a group of Limiters. The Veythari had switched from bows to daggers, and were fighting the Ix soldiers hand to hand. Fairon took advantage of the chaos, dodging the Limiter's swinging dagger-scythes and racing deeper into the base, the Veythari and Hand members behind him.

The heart of the Hand base was chaos. Ossoona shot lightning from their claws, killing many Limiters. But the Ix continued to pour, like an army of deathless phantoms, in from the fallen walls, unstoppable and brutally efficient as they systematically eliminated any being who stood against them. And the two other Sarkanian clones were there too, their raw strength and power destroying any being who stood against them.

Fairon could tell that the beings trapped there were finished. They stood no chance against the army of Sarkanian clones, and they would not survive for much longer. Their only chance was to flee before still more of the attackers stormed into the fortress and prevented the remainder of the Hand's escape.

"There's no hope." he said, as the last of the Noctian warriors began to scatter. "We have to find Ixtil."

Turning around, he raced through the fortress, the air ringing with the clash of weapons as Ix warriors raced through the shadowy corridors of the fortress. He could see another being standing in front of him, and raised his weapon as a fireball slammed against the wall, dissipating on contact.

"Hello, Fairon." snarled a red-armored Elemental from the shadows. Fairon didn't recognize him at first, but then remembered. His name and picture were on one of the list of known threats to the Resistance. He was once the ruler of the Fire Kingdom, during the Fall. He'd backed the Ix's takeover, and had been a servant of the Empire ever since, ruling over the underground Ix base known as the Circle.

All of those thoughts raced through Fairon's mind in the blink of one moment, then he and three Ossoona had charged toward Flareus. The Elemental's fire powers were strong, but the Ossoona were faster then he was, and Flareus screamed in pain and rage as the lightning tore through his body, fire exploding from his clawed hands and frying one of the Ossoona attackers to death. Fairon leapt forward even as the other Ossoona retreated, his weapon slashing across Flareus' leg. The Elemental unleashed a second blast of fire, but luckily for Fairon his aim was off and it slammed against the wall, where it simply vanished.

Fairon brought his scimitar around, using his elemental light powers to momentarily blind the Elemental Prince. Flareus managed to dodge his massive, decapitating strike and lunged forward, his claws aiming to tear Fairon completely in half. Fairon was ready, however, and, his fighting instinct returning once again, charged forward, trading blows with Flareus across the base while the air rang with the screams of the dying and the unyielding, unceasing clash of weapons.

"It's a shame I have to kill you now." said Flareus. His voice sounded like the gutteral snap and hiss of dying flames. "Before you learn what we have planned for your friend the Spirit Toa."

"What do the Ix want with him?" Fairon snarled. Flareus seemed surprised, then laughed hideously. "The Empire? What they've always wanted. But there is another plan going on here, Fairon, a plan that your mind could never even hope to comprehend."

Flareus' last words sent a chill of apprehension running down Fairon's spine. His words sounded horribly like those of Mordrax that Shardak had told him, when the twisted Kodax of Absorption had hinted that there was, indeed, another plan being formed behind the scenes, that even most of the rank-and-file Ix warriors knew nothing about.

"What do you mean?" asked Fairon, but Flareus was already charging toward him, his weapons at the ready. The Elemental slammed into Fairon, knocking the scimitar from his grasp. Fairon writhed against the Elemental's hold, but could not escape. Several of the Ossoona lunged forward, and the Veythari charged as the claws began to tighten—Flareus suddenly screamed in pain—

Then released. Fairon rose to his feet, whirling around as though expecting the Elemental to spring from the corridor at any moment.

"He's gone." said one of the Ossoona. "He fled down the corridor after we hit him with too many lightning bolts then he could stand. A group of Limiters covered his retreat."

Fairon snatched his scimitar from where it had fallen. "In any case, we can't pursue him. Thank you for saving me." he said to the Ossoona and Veythari. "We need to get out of here. There are two other Sarkanian clones in addition to the one we fought, maybe more. There aren't many Resistance or Hand of Mata Nui fighters still active, though, so I'm pretty sure that Ixtil's alive, and has succeeded in evacuating the majority of the civilians and fighters."

Racing through the shadowy passageways, Fairon could only hope he was right.

Shardak had finished telling Valkyria everything that had happened during his last interrogation session by the Ix, including his meeting with Lyria, Nex, and Windeus. He deliberately left out why he'd come to Drakyr, and everything about the Resistance that had happened since she'd left. She didn't need to know anything about their plans so she could tell the Empire later.

"Then Flardrek recognized some writing on the obsidian wall in the chamber." he said. "He asked Lyria if it was something called the Legend of Vahrikaan. Do you know anything about that?"

"Not much." said Valkyria. "I've heard before from a Matoran that the being known as Vahrikaan was an ancient enemy of the Forerunners, but nothing more."

"Forerunners?" asked Shardak.

"The Ancients." answered the Ix girl. "The beings who made the Annulus."

Shardak nodded, wondering what relevance that had to the Order, and why it was inscribed on the obsidian wall. But he quickly put it out of his mind. Returning once more to the present, he told Valkyria about the remaining dialogue with Lyria and Nex. Lastly, he told her about the arrival of Mordrax and Skorpix, and the revelation of their true allegiances.

Valkyria's face went pale as he mentioned Skorpix, and Shardak felt her shock and disbelief flash through the aura field. "No." she whispered. "It couldn't have been him."

"It was." said Shardak, confused. "I saw him. Skorpix was with Mordrax."

"It couldn't have been. You have to have been mistaken." Valkyria's voice was almost pleading.

Shardak was confused. He had no idea why she was taking this so personally, or why she'd be concerned that one of her commanders was here. He probed the aura field for an answer, but Valkyria had withdrawn to herself once again, and was once again wearing her usual cold, indifferent mask, though Shardak could tell she was badly rattled by what he had said.

''Maybe she thinks he'll execute her to keep the secret of his true loyalties safe. ''Shardak thought. But that didn't make sense. There was something else that he was missing.

Unsettled, Shardak asked her, "Who are those green-masked beings? Apart from the black shadows that all of the Order members have, they don't have any Auras at all."

"They're Vorgaan heretics." Valkyria answered. "They come from a small world, far away from Xaterex, and after the fall of the Mindeater Empire, waged war against the species now known as the Great Beings. Everything that they used was made of organic material, and believed that using anything else was an offense to their deities. They were defeated, and many scattered across the worlds beyond the Xaterex system, such as Drakyr. Many became heretics during the war, and these are not exceptions."

Shardak nodded. "So. Let's get out of here." he said to her, reaching out in the aura field to touch hers. Valkyria responded, raw auric energy melding together. Shardak knew they easily had enough to break through the bonds that held them there, and released the energy within, smashing open the doors to both his and Valkyria's cells.

Immediately he withdrew his aura to himself. He'd made sure that Valkyria had not sensed anything that he was thinking, and she'd done the same. But some things, such as anger and fear, were simply impossible to mask in the aura field. In Valkyria he'd sensed sadness, which he'd expected, and guilt, which he had not. Valkyria also immediately withdrew, her aura fading once more into its usual silver-gray mask.

"So, where do we go now?" asked Shardak, turning to the Ix girl.

"We should retrieve our weapons first." said Valkyria, turning to face him. He could barely meet her eyes. Standing so close to her and feeling her presence in the aura field again so closely was almost unbearable after what they'd meant to each other during their time as warriors in the Resistance, a bond that had been destroyed after her betrayal. Shardak had to force himself to remain calm. He needed to stay focused on escaping with Flardrek and Chameleo.

"The weapons are probably stored somewhere farther away, but I'm not sure. We'll need to find a guard, and interrogate him. They're the only beings who'd know where the weapons are held, and where Flardrek and Chameleo are held. Then we'll free the others."

Valkyria nodded once, seeming uncomfortable for one usually so confident. Shardak forced all of his confused thoughts about Valkyria out of his mind. He couldn't let her distract him now, not while he was fighting for his life, when around every corner there could be another member of the Order ready to kill or capture him. Theoretically, he and Valkyria were unarmed.

But aura field users are never unarmed.

Shardak crept down the narrow passageways, desperately trying not to make the slightest sound. Valkyria kept pace with him, treading silently and easily across across the fortress floors. Shardak felt his eyes almost unconsciously straying to her lithe, slender body and perfect features as she crept silently and effortlessly through the—

No. Shardak thought. He couldn't allow this to happen again. He forced himself to continue searching for any signs of Order guards or Ix. He knew there was probably no one watching them right now, but he had to make sure. He knew how dangerously adept at camouflage Ix were, and he was sure that all of the Order soldiers were highly trained as well.

He sensed that Valkyria had cloaked her aura almost totally in the field, so he could barely feel it himself. He did the same, knowing that the Order guards could be just around every corner.

Then, as though his thoughts had somehow triggered reality, Valkyria's hand grabbed his. He whirled around to face her, and saw she was pointing to two guards, who both appeared to be Glatorian. The Glatorian sensed them in the aura field immediately despite their carefully hidden auras, and whirled around. Shardak could tell by their expressions that they recognized them both.

"Stop—" one guard began, but Valkyria raised her hand. One guard fell to the ground, the other staggered backward, falling against the wall.

"You killed them?" Shardak asked, stunned. He thought she'd known they needed one alive for questioning.

"No, I overloaded their auras with power. One's unconscious, the other's just stunned." answered the Ix warrior, walking over to the fallen guard. Shardak followed her, the guard staring at them with hatred and vengeance in his eyes.

"Where are our weapons held?" asked Shardak. "And where are the Glatorian Flardrek and the Reptisapean Chameleo being held?"

The Order guard glared daggers at him. "I'll tell you nothing, Spirit Toa. Death holds no fear for me."

"Really?" asked Valkyria, stepping in to stand beside Shardak. "There are many ways to die. Imagine a slow death, your aura consumed by dark fire as you writhe in agony, unable to free yourself...and you know I never will."

"You're bluffing." said the guard, but Shardak could see real fear in his eyes.

"I'm an aura user." said Valkyria. "Do you see anything in my aura that says I won't carry it out?"

The Order guard looked into her eyes, but even Shardak could not tell what Valkyria was thinking. When he did not answer, Valkyria raised her hand—

"Okay! Stop! Stop!" he yelled. "The weapons are held in the room next to the command chamber. The Glatorian and Reptisapean are held within the cell corridors to the right of these."

"And where is Parikon being held?" asked Shardak, remembering the Resistance leader. "Do you have him prisoner, or did you just kill him."

"Parikon? I've never heard of him." blank incomprehension shone in the guard's features. It was impossible for Shardak to read his aura, but he could tell that the guard was telling the truth. He was scared that otherwise Valkyria would carry out the threat. "Let me go, let go, I—"

Suddenly the being fell to the ground. Valkyria turned to face Shardak again.

"Did you kill him?" the Toa asked, a little uncomfortable. The threat that Valkyria had made had unnerved him, mostly because he had no idea anymore whether or not she would have actually done it if he'd not answered her question.

"No, he's just knocked out." said the Ix warrior. "Let's go free your friends."

Turning down the winding corridors that were horribly reminiscent of the Ix Citadel in the Circle, Shardak saw to a second row of cells, two turns to the right from the cells that they'd been held in for the past day or so. There were more prisoners there then there had been in his cell block, Shardak saw an unconscious Glatorian lying in one cell. He looked around, searching with both his eyes and in the aura field for Chameleo and Flardrek.

"Shardak!" a voice hissed, disbelieving. "Shardak, is that you?"

"Flardrek?" Shardak asked.

"Over here." hissed the Glatorian. Shardak saw him lying between a Makuta and a Glatorian. Both were chained tightly and were half stunned, probably tortured into unconsciousness by the same auric torture the Ix had used on Shardak. Stepping forward, Shardak touched his hand to the door, and Valkyria did the same. Together, the combined strength of their auras shattered the cell door completely.

Flardrek stepped out, his eyes meeting Shardak's gratefully. "Thank you, Shardak, for—" he broke off when he saw Valkyria standing next to him. Recognition and rage gleamed in his eyes.

"You!" he snarled, lunging forward.

"It's okay, she's on our side!" Shardak hissed under his breath.

Flardrek whirled around, surprise evident in his eyes. "Really? You're working with this traitor again? The one who gave the Annulus fragment to the Ix?"

"It was the only way either of us could escape." said Shardak. "These doors are reinforced by aura guards, it takes two beings who can use the aura field to open them. We've agreed that once we've escaped the Order, then we'll settle our battles once and for all."

Flardrek nodded curtly, but Shardak could tell that he had only set the matter aside because he knew every moment they delayed raised the chance still further that they would be discovered by more of the Order's guards. Two of the other prisoners were beginning to stir as well.

"Over here." came Chameleo's voice. Shardak, Valkyria, and Flardrek turned to see the Reptisapean was held within a cell to the far left, wounded slightly from the battle with Valkyria and the Limiters, but otherwise unharmed. "I'm okay." he said, echoing Shardak's thoughts.

Valkyria and Shardak concentrated their combined auric power on the cell doors, destroying it completely and leaving the fragments scattered at Chameleo's feet. The Reptisapean smiled gratefully at Shardak, though he didn't acknowledge Valkyria at all. He edged slowly away from the Ix girl, as though she would kill him as soon as look at him.

"We have to recover our weapons." said Shardak. "The guard said they were held near the command chamber, where they took Fladrek and me. It's not far, but we'll have to proceed with caution. I don't know if this fortress has any defense mechanisms, like the Spire in the Circle. It could have hidden traps that we know nothing about."

Flardrek nodded grimly. Shardak knew that all of his companions were trained warriors, and probably didn't need reminding, but without weapons, Shardak knew that none of them were likely to survive an attack by the Order guards. Even he and Valkyria, who could use the aura field, stood little or no chance against an armed group of guards who were waiting in ambush for them.

Once again. Shardak found himself creeping through the shadows, Valkyria, Flardrek, and Chameleo following him as he led them toward the command chamber, where he'd met Lyria, Skorpix, and the other leaders of the Order. He could see the double doors ahead, barricaded once again. However, there were no guards there at all, something Shardak found ominous. Where were all of the guards they'd passed during their first day in the Order's fortress. Something was not right here.

"There it is." Shardak whispered. The others turned to the doorway, which was shut tightly but not locked. Shardak slowly pushed it open, stepping inside.

The room was not lit at all, and in the small firey light provided from the torch burning outside the open doors Shardak could see that this was an armory. It was mostly empty, but several shields and blasters were tehre, including a deadly weapon he'd first seen used in the Eternal Game: a Shattering Gun. The deadly weapon, upon impact, could kill almost any living being if it hit a vital area, the force of the pulses being so great it often blew apart the bodies of the beings it hit. Flardrek lifted it expermentally, but put it down when he saw it was not loaded.

Shardak's eyes adjusted to the darkness, and in the shadows he managed to locate the Blade of Arcturas, Valkyria's bow and quiver, and Flardrek's flame sword. He saw that Chameleo had taken two Ix daggers, for his only weapon otherwise was his claws. Valkyria was already carrying Silverblade, as well as her shorter Ix dagger that she'd used during the battle on Drakyr.

For the first time, Shardak had wondered where, exactly, they were. Certainly they were no longer on Drakyr, but this was neither Xaterex, Calos, or Noctixa Magna. Was it a planet beyond even the Solis Magna System? If so, then why were there Ix in the Order base?

He was certain that the Order knew all of his secrets, the Ix torturers had made sure of that. But he knew little or nothing about them, or what their true goals were. One thing was certain: these beings were the secret masters of the Ix, the shadowy figures that Silencer had made several oblique references to during his time as a Toa apprentice in the Circle. They—

"Put down your weapons." a new voice, cold as ice, cut across his thoughts like a knife-edge. Shardak whirled around to face the speaker.

Several Vorgaan guards stood there, standing behind a female Ix warrior. She looked like Lyria, except younger. She couldn't have been much older then Valkyria. Her features were perfect, and would have been exceptionally beautiful except for her jet black, empty eyes and contemptous glare. Like all of the Order members, her aura was shrouded in darkness.

"May we kill them now, Rulen?" asked one of the guards, his voice tinged with fear as he spoke to the Ix warrior.

"Not yet." the Ix girl, Rulen, answered. However, her eyes never left those of Shardak. "I knew you would come here." she said. "Trying to free your friend, the Great Being? Unfortunately, you came too late."

"Great Being?" asked Shardak, confused as well as terrified. There seemed to be no way out of this. Rulen and the guards were blocking the only exit from this room, and while they had several weapons here, he was under no illusions that in this confined space they could escape from their attackers. And even if they could defeat Rulen and the Vorgaan guards, then they would still be trapped within the Order's base, which could mobilize many times the force they had here to capture or kill them.

Rulen gave a small smile. "You really don't know, do you? On the other hand, we know everything about you. We have watched from the shadows and often tested your skills against ours, but every time you have evaded us...until now."

"Who are you?" asked Shardak. "What does the Order want?"

"We are the Order." said Rulen. "The Ix's rulers. Most of them know nothing about our plans, though all of them indirectly serve our purposes. Soon, I assure you, the plan will be completed. You will see it be completed. Too bad your friends can't say the same."

Rulen hissed something in the Ix's incomprehensible tongue. Though Shardak knew only the Ix could properly speak it, it was obvious that the Vorgaan guards recognized it. Two of them charged forward, weapons raised. Grimly, Shardak raised the Blade of Arcturas, feeling the fire flow through his arm once again as he readied to make his final stand.

The guard's weapon slammed against his, and Shardak was quickly forced to begin fighting for his life. The Vorgaan guards were skilled combatants, almost as skilled as an elite Ix Limiter. Their sheer strength and speed took him by surprise, and he was forced to step backward, narrowly avoiding decapitation by the Vorgaan heretic's axe.

Seizing the advantage, the Vorgaan continued, using a combat style that was completely unknown to Shardak. He'd been trained in the seven swordfighting combat forms, but never in axefighting, though he knew how to counter it effectively enough. Still, he was unable to stop the Vorgaan's offensive, he was too—

Suddenly the guard fell to the ground. Flardrek stood over the attacker's body, then vanished back into the battle. Shardak was immediately confronted by a second attacker, this Vorgaan guard carrying a spear. Shardak easily blocked his first attack, shattering the spear. The Vorgaan staggered backward, drawing a second weapon, an Ix dagger-scythe, from his belt. Shardak fought the Vorgaan across the room, neither able to gain the upper hand.

He could see flashes of the battle around him; Flardrek fighting three guards at once, Chameleo, whose armor was stained with blood, fighting several of the rust-red robed elite Ix warriors, who were even more skilled then the Limiters. Valkyria was fighting with both Silverblade and a dagger against two Vorgaan, and seemed to be holding her own.

Shardak raised his weapon, finally disarming the Vorgaan. As the guard staggered backward, Shardak lashed out in the aura field with enough force that he was confident it would knock the Vorgaan unconscious. However, the guard wasn't even injured.

Too late, Shardak remembered that the Vorgaan had no aura, and were invulnerable to any auric attacks. The guard took those moments to grab his fallen weapon and charge forward again, weapon raised. Shardak managed to counter the attack with a complex Sila defense pattern, but was unable to block his next strike, which tore open his shoulder. Shardak winced in pain as the old scar from the Stalker bite he'd suffered nearly three years ago was bleeding once more.

The Vorgaan, seeing he was wounded, charged forward again, but this time Shardak was ready. He raised the Blade of Arcturas, swinging it around in massive arc even as he leapt aside to avoid the Vorgaan's dagger-scythe. The Vorgaan fell to the ground, dead or unconscious. Two more Vorgaan charged toward him, and Shardak, unprepared, staggered backward. The Vorgaan raised his weapon, but Shardak could see that Chameleo was running toward him, weapon raised. The Vorgaan didn't seem to notice, and none of the other Order members were close enough to help them.

Then Shardak saw the danger, and he shouted a warning to the Reptisapean. But it was too late. Shardak gasped in shock and awe as Rulen moved so fast she was little more then a blur. The Ix warrior slammed into Chameleo with all the speed and power of an attacking spider. The Reptisapean staggered backward, falling to the ground, blood was pouring from several open wounds, and as he staggered to his feet, Rulen, both daggers raised struck so quickly that Shardak didn't even see her move.

Like a puppet with all of his strings cut, Chameleo fell to the ground. There was no doubt in Shardak's mind that he was dead. For a few moments he was paralyzed with fear. Rulen had killed Chameleo with such comtemptous ease that there was no doubt in his mind that it was over. They couldn't—

"Shardak! Over here!" Flardrek yelled. Both Shardak and Rulen, distracted momentarily by his shout, turned to face him. Three Vorgaan guards lay dead at his feet, and he was fighting the last remaining Ix guard at the doorway. As they watched, Flardrek slashed him to the ground. Valkyria, whose two attackers had been killed, had joined him at the doorway. Flardrek opened it, and raced out. Two Vorgaan guards leapt at Valkyria, but she deflected their attacks easily and raced after Flardrek.

Shardak ran to join them, all the while expecting to die or be recaptured. He turned around—

"Not so fast, Toa Shardak." snarled Rulen. "Don't think you can escape this time."

Shardak stood rooted to the ground, paralyzed with terror. He couldn't move, but he saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye—

Flardrek slammed into Rulen, knocking the Ix girl to the ground. Her dagger-scythe was swinging wildly, desperately trying to kill him as she writhed to escape his grasp. Flardrek brought his gloved hand down on her wrist, forcing her to let go of the dagger scythe.

"Look out!" yelled Shardak. Flardrek whirled around to see a Vorgaan racing toward him, spear raised. Flardrek released Rulen, and the Ix girl was quickly on her feet again, her dagger in hand. Not waiting for her to recover, Shardak raced toward the exit, Flardrek close behind.

Outside, Valkyria was fighting several more Vorgaan guards who were waiting outside. The guards whirled around just in time to see Flardrek's sword flash before their eyes. The guards fell to the ground, and Valkyria and Flardrek raced down the fortress corridors toward the exit, but Shardak hesitated.

Shardak wanted to follow Flardrek and Valkyria before Rulen or the guards killed him, but he was loathe to leave Chameleo's body in the hands of his enemies. It didn't seem right to leave a loyal warrior of the Resistance here, without any chance of a proper burial.

"Shardak! Come on!' yelled Flardrek, grabbing his arm. "Do you want to waste Chameleo's life?"

Before Shardak could reply, Flardrek had grabbed his hand, and they were racing for the exit. Several guards tried to block their way, but were unable to stop them. Shardak could see the exit in sight, could see the abandoned city outside the Order's Citadel. Against the odds, they had escaped the heart of the Order's power.

But they had not yet escaped the Order themselves.

Chapter 9
At the heart of the Order's massive Citadel, the Hooded One turned to face Rulen, then Lyria. In his horrible, ice-hold voice he whispered. "It is done? Have Toa Shardak and the Ix warrior escaped the Citadel?"

"Yes, master." said Lyria, lowering her head to the cloaked being. She, Rulen, Skorpix, Mordrax, and several other cloaked Ix lords were standing at the heart of the chamber, before the obsidian wall, where the Legend of Vahrikaan was engraved in Matoran lettering. All lowered their heads to the Hooded One, who as carrying a massive scythe made from a meterial still harder then Shredsteel itself.

"Good, good..." rasped the Hooded One. "Everything is proceeding as I knew it would. What of the Glatorian? Is he with them? Does he still live?"

"Yes, master." said Rulen. "I eliminated the Reptisapean, but was unable to finish of the Glatorian without putting the Ix warrior's or the Spirit Toa's lives at risk."

"He is immaterial." said the Hooded One dismissively. "Now that the Plan is so close to its fulfillment."

"Why did you let him escape?" Nex asked, confused. "Surely the fact that the Spirit Toa is free within our planet is not a step closer to fulfilling the Plan? Why are you letting him live? Surely I or another of the Order could track him down and eliminate him."

"Nex..." whispered the Hooded One, his voice quiet but carrying easily across the room. "Simply killing the Spirit Toa and crushing our enemies is not all that the Plan is about. It is about much, much more...once the Spirit Toa meets with our enemies, as we have planned, he will, thinking all the while he is one step closer to thwarting our plans...fulfill them beyond what you or I could ever hope to."

Nex smiled coldly, understanding spreading across his features.

"Of course..." hissed the Hooded One. "We must continue the charade that we want him dead or recaptured. Send the Serrakaan clones after him, under the command of Makuta Shale. Rulen, Mordrax, you know what your jobs are."

The Ix girl nodded in acknowledgement, and Skorpix smiled coldly.

"The Resistance is close to being crushed by the might of Shadowdermis. The Spirit Toa is ours. And our greatest enemies...will be eliminated by our greatest weapon, the weapon that we will eliminate Shardak with as soon as he has served his purpose."

"The Annulus will be made whole." the Hooded One whispered. "And we, the Order, will take our rightful place as masters of the universe."

Well outside the Order's desolate city now, Shardak finally stopped, out of breath. He'd been sure they'd have run into more Order guards outside the city, but it seemed to be completely abandoned, with no trace of Ix, Makuta, or Vorgaan. Shardak felt a twinge of unease. Something wasn't right here.

The sun on this planet was massive and bloodred, like the red clouds that shone during the day. Now, night had fallen, and no stars lit the way. The only light that Shardak had was the Sword of Fire's gleaming blade, as well as a torch that Flardrek had stolen from the heart of the Circle. Similarly, there was no moonlight, and even if there had been, Shardak known it was impossible to tell the distance between the Order's planet and Drakyr.

"What can we do now?" asked Shardak. Both Flardrek and Valkyria were trying to find a cave or small cliff, where they could wait out the night without fear of a flatland ambush, but it seemed impossible. They were in the middle of a massive, barren plain, with no sign of any shelter.

"We have to find a place to rest." said Flardrek. "We're well away from the Order's fortress, but they know this terrain and we don't, and it's likely that they'll send teams of elite Ix warriors after us. The Ix warrior, Rulen, is still alive, and she'll report that we escaped to her commanders. More then likely, she already has. We need a place to wait out the night."

"But we don't—" Shardak began, but a new voice broke in to the conversation.

"Who are you?" the voice asked, both curious and slightly harsh. "And what brings you to Var'kala? There's probably no more dangerous place in the universe for a Spirit Toa then here."

Flardrek, Valkyria, and Shardak all whirled around to face the speaker. In the cold, shadowy torchlight, Shardak could see he was tall, and his armor was golden-black. His eyes looked like twin pools of molten amber, that burned almost as intensely as the eyes of Skorpix. Shardak didn't recognize him, but he could sense his aura: fragmented and strangely tangled, though not because of any flaw. It was intentional, and reminded him of the aura of Moru Kul, the ancient being who had teleported him back to Xaterex from Noctxia Magna last year.

"I—" Shardak began, but Flardrek cut him off. "Who are you?" he asked, fear in his voice, something that Shardak had rarely heard before. The being turned the force of his gaze upon Flardrek, and touched the Glatorian's aura with his own.

"Fair enough." he said. "But you must understand that time is short, the Order could be here any minute."

"So you don't serve them?" Valkyria asked. For the first time, the being seemed to notice her. He drew his weapon, a long, curved scimitar whose workmanship Shardak didn't recognize. It certainly wasn't Arcaean or Ix, nor was it anything the Veythari had made.

"An Ix warrior." he snarled. Shardak blocked his way.

"She's not a member of the Order. She's on our side." he said.

"There are no good Ix warriors." hissed the being. "Stay back. I have to finish her."

"No." said Shardak. "I have an agreement with her, and we will finish our own battle once we have escaped from the Order. Until then, she's our ally."

The being looked almost disbelieving, but held his tongue. Instead he turned back to Shardak. "My name is Makour." he said. "The last Corbrarien of the final Caronex library."

Valkyria looked startled for a moment, and Shardak felt a slight twinge of fear flash through her aura. For one usually so excellent at concealing her thoughts and emotions, Shardak was worried. If the Caronex scared Valkyria, then it was—

"We can't talk more now." Makour hissed, real fear in his voice now. "There are Limiters everywhere tonight, and even some of the elite Vorgaan guards are scattered across the Great Plain, searching for you."

"How can we trust you?" challenged Shardak. "How do we know you're not leading us into another trap?"

"You can trust me." said Makour, something in his voice telling Shardak he wasn't lying. "I have fought the Ix nearly all my life, from the moment they invaded my homeworld. Now I am the last Caronex on Var'kala."

As he spoke, images raced through Shardak's mind, pictures of another time, another world...

''Limiters. Ix soldiers. Racing through the twilight. Raging flames surrounding them illuminated their dead eyes cold and impassive behind their skull-like masks''. ''There were more Ix there too, hissing orders to the soldiers as they raced through the curtains of fire... ''

''Only one other being was alive there. Makour. Wounded badly, but alive, vengeance gleaming in his eyes...''

"There are three of you, and only one of me." said the Caronex as the visions subsided. "How long do you think I'd last? Besides, if I wanted to kill you, I could have done so already while I watched you stumbling around in the dark."

Shardak still wasn't convinced; the being's aura was extremely powerful. But the vision he'd seen in the aura field was too vivid to have been fake. And if the Limiters were out there, hunting for him, then he knew the only chance he had of surviving out the night was to trust Makour.

"Quickly!" hissed the Caronex. "They could be anywhere. He raised his lantern, illuminating the land around him. Shardak saw they were standing in the middle of a massive, barren plain of red sand and rocks. Several massive cliffs rose above nearby, but that was all. He could see nothing more beyond the light of Makour's lantern.

Shardak felt exposed and unprotected in the middle of the flatlands at night. He knew that the Ix had perfect night vision; Valkyria could see all around her as perfectly as though it was day. But Shardak was half-blinded by the oppressive darkness which surrounded them all. He'd been raised in the Fells, and had never ventured into the flatlands until a year ago, on his way to Akkad to seek out the information broker Jekart.

There were plenty of opportunities for a fatal ambush in the flatlands, where there was nothing but rocks or sand to see for miles around. Shardak knew that if the Limiters ambushed them, there was little chance they'd survive to even recognize their killers.

Finally Makour stopped before a large cavern that led into the side of a massive mountain, so tall that, in the darkness, Shardak could not see the summit. Apprehensive, he, Flardrek, and Valkyria followed Makour inside the caverns, weapons ready. Torchlight provided shallow illumination for the entire room, Shardak could see there were several chairs within, as well as a large amount of stone tablets, with runic lettering enscribed upon them.

"Welcome to my secret lair, which the Order has yet to find. It also serves as a portal of sorts, so there's always an escape route if the Limiters find us."

"A portal?" asked Flardrek. His aura burned with mistrust; he could not sense the same visions that Makour had shared with him and Valkyria, and Shardak knew that, unless there really was a portal there, as Makour had claimed, they were trapped here unless they could fight their way out.

"Yes, somewhat." said Makour, not elaborating further. "I'm almost surprised the Ix Order knows nothing about this, it's uncharacteristically sloppy of them. Please, sit." he said, addressing Valkyria, Flardrek, and Shardak. "There is much I have to say, and very little time. I'm not sure if the Limiters will find us."

"Do you think that's possible?" asked Shardak, worried at the prospect of facing the ghoulish Ix elite in the winding, small tunnel with only Makour to help them.

"Yes." said Makour. "But I'll make sure you get out alive, Spirit Toa."

His eyes never met those of Flardrek or Valkyria; and Shardak wondered if he was the only one the Caronex really wanted to speak too. Flardrek was simply a Glatorian, and he could sense slight disdain in Makour's aura. As for Valkyria, she was a forgone conclusion— Makour wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she showed a single sign of hostility.

Not for the first time, Shardak wondered how he'd really feel if she died, either at the hands of the Order or Makour. He—

"I was young when the Ix first came to my homeworld, Corona Magna." began Makour, jolting Shardak once more out of his thoughts. "They'd come after the Fall of Arcaea, when the kingdom was dying completely. My people did not know what they learned during the Ix's subtle takeover, and allowed the Ix to have more and more say in their government.

"The Ix were fleeing the fall of their kingdom, trying to rebuild the battered remnants of their fallen Empire. After a few years, many Caronex became convinced that the Ix would bring ruin on their kingdom as well. For a long time the Ix, ignoring the growing hostility and using their aura control technology to manipulate the government, used my homeworld as a military base, to rebuild their strength so they could eventually take over Xaterex, the Arcaean remnants, and the rest of their current domain.

"Eventually, the Ix went too far. The Caronex went into open revolt, though by then the Ix were unstoppable. They had an entire fleet or Arcaean and Caronex starcraft under their command; we could barely find any who would oppose them. Before we could lauch more then a few starcraft to meet them in battle, they'd crippled our shipyards, eliminating any chance we could engage them there.

"Their Elite Guards, the forerunners of the Limiters, then attacked us. Our government did nothing to stop them, it was completely under the Ix's control. My city was one of the few that resisted. When it fell, I fled to the world that became the base of the beings you know as the Order— the overlords of the Ix.

"Var'kala wasn't their most powerful base then." said Makour. "But it was useful, as it was one of the greatest masterpieces of Ancient architecture— a mobile planetoid base, that the Ix could use to oversee their domain. For years and years, it was bound to Corona Magna, but the Ix warfleet destroyed it during the final battle. Now it is completely and irrevocably under their rule."

There was silence as Shardak took in everything that the Caronex had said.

"So Var'kala isn't a planet at all?" asked Shardak. "It's a mobile base?"

"Yes." answered Makour. "Though it hasn't moved for nearly twenty years."

"Why did you remain here, then, in the heart of the Order's territory?" asked Flardrek, after a few moments.

"It was the perfect place to keep an eye on their activities." said Makour. "I'd considered leaving, but most of the remaining Caronex culture is here— the Ix completely erased the rest from existance, as well as wipe out the majority of my people. Besides, where else would I go? Corona Magna? Never."

"Why not?" asked Shardak. "The Ix still don't—"

"The Ix still use it as a base." said Makour. "An extra military outpost, in case Var'kala is ever destroyed. Several of the Order's most elite lords are there."

"Where is Corona Magna?" Flardrek wondered aloud. "Why have we never heard of it before?"

"Corona Magna was inhabited many times, it was designed as a sort of "Crown World". Over time, many beings evolved there, but the main beings who came from there are known throughout the universe as creators of life, and they go by many names."

"Not—"

"Yes." said Makour. "Corona Magna was the homeworld of the Ancients. Not only did they design much of the architecture, they created us, the Caronex. We were to act as record keepers and scribes for their many creations, such as the later race of creatures who defeated the Mindeaters, the Great Beings.

"Unfortunately, the Order invaded. And they remain there to this day. The world is heavily guarded by starcraft battle-fleets, though there's little chance that any of your Resistance friends will ever find you here, so guarded is it, not only by traditional Ix fighters but by Corona Magna ships that the Ix force their Caronex slaves to make them."

"What's the difference between the Empire and the Order?" asked Shardak, confused now. "If these beings are the overlords of the Empire, then why don't they rule over it from Drakos Capitol, rather then remain in Var'kala?"

"They do rule the Empire. Have you heard of the Ix's ruler, the Hooded One, master of the Order? He rules both the Empire and the Order, and even I do not know where he is currently located. There is no real difference, except the members of the Order know the Empire's true goals, while the general Ix populace know nothing of it."

"Their true goals?" asked Flardrek. "The Ix want the Annulus so they can destroy the Resistance...don't they?"

Makour smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "No. That's what the Ix believe, but it's not why they've ramped up their operations across Xaterex. They plan to seize the last remaining Spirit Toa, spoken of in the Ancients' Prophecies, and use him to assemble the Annulus and free their master."

Makour's words sent a shiver of apprehension down Shardak's spine. His words had echoed those that his old mentor, Silencer, had told him during his first days in the underground Ix Circle, when he'd mentioned that the Ix served still more powerful masters. It had been so long ago, Shardak couldn't remember his exact words, but he'd mentioned the Ix's masters, which he'd not identified but Shardak knew now to be the Order. He'd also mentioned—

"Their master?" began Valkyria. "My people do not have a master other then the Hooded One."

"Who—" Shardak began, but Flardrek appeared still more shocked by the revelation. "Not—" he began.

Suddenly another voice interrupted them. Makour, Flardrek, Shardak, and Valkyria whirled around to face the speaker. Seeing the beings standing there, Shardak gasped in horror, immeditately recognizing him as an Ix.

But though the being appeared to be an Ix—he was wearing one of their dark robes and his face was hidden in shadows— he was not an Ix, but something far more powerful. Shardak's aura recoiled from that of the other being's, so great and powerful was it. It was not hidden by the same shadowy darkness that the Order members had used to mask their auras, but throbbed with power rivaling that of Skorpix himself. Still, Shardak thought there was something missing from his aura, and Shardak realized it was memories. This being had no ideas, no concept of thought.

He only had one purpose—to kill.

Makour had drawn his sword, and Valkyria had knocked an arrow to her bow. Flardrek's eyes, however, were filled with fear and recognition as he faced the being, complete disbelief and horror on his face.

"Serrakaan?" he asked.

Suddenly two more beings, identical to the first, appeared behind the original being. Both were carrying Ix scythes, and Shardak was sure they were Order servants.

Two more of the beings appeared from the shadows, and Shardak knew there was no chance of escape.

The only way in or out of the cavern was blocked.

Skorr fired another round of bullets from his blaster, one narrowly missing Atarus. The golden-armored Elemental ducked, and the bullet whizzed over his head, ricocheting off a dilapidated building and falling at his feet. Atarus charged forward before Skorr could aim his blaster again, and the bounty hunter was quickly forced onto the defensive.

However, Skorr recovered quickly, The bounty hunter was a skilled user of both the Vauhti and Dag combat forms, the latter combining a sword with the use of a firearm. The blaster was of Ix make: one of the few that were still utilized on Xaterex after the rise of the Empire.

Skorr broke away from the furious struggle for a few seconds, firing his blaster again at Atarus. However, Atarus had anticipated this, and managed to narrowly dodge. Once again, he wondered why the blaster made no noise. There was no silencer of any type that he could see attached to the firearm.

''Probably some type of low-velocity ammunition. ''Atarus decided, closing in on Skorr once again. However, this time the Zeverek was ready, and followed up the shots from his blaster with a blindingly fast barrage of Vauhti thrusts, all the while trying to focus his firearm on Atarus.

Skorr's willingness to kill worried the Elemental. The Ix wanted him alive, no doubt so they could torture him for information. He was, perhaps, the most wanted individual on Xaterex, with the possible exceptions of Reid Vaethar and Saren Naghara. Skorr, however, didn't seem at all to care if he lived or died.

"So who do you serve now?" asked Atarus, parrying a blow from Skorr's long scimitar.

"Myself, as always." hissed the Zeverek, firing at the Elemental again. Atarus deflected the attack using his auric power. While he'd never been as skilled as his brother Arcturas, and was not equal to most of the Ix warriors in auric power, deflecting the bullet was a simple matter.

For a moment, Skorr seemed surprised that Atarus had survived, and he immediately seized the advantage, charging into the battle once again and nearly knocking the blaster from the bounty hunter's hands. Skorr, however, had not risen to the status as one of the most feared bounty hunters on Xaterex and Calos for nothing. He quickly recovered, and once again the Zeverek and Elemental were locked in battle, neither able to gain the upper hand as they fought across the grim, dark corridors of the city.

Atarus was almost certain that no Ix warriors would come looking. It was late at night; while the Ix were often patrolling the city at night, gang fights were nothing new, and the Ix preferred to simply allow them to fight amongst themselves. Again Atarus wondered why Skorr did not simply yell for the Ix, if indeed he was in their employ.

"You are a bounty hunter." he said as he and Skorr's weapons warred for supremacy. "Your life is spent serving others for money."

To his surprise, Skorr smiled coldly. "I no longer merely serve, Atarus. Don't you see? The Empire is merely a government to keep Xaterex under the Ix's control while they eliminate the last of their enemies. Once they're finished, they'll invade Xaterex and your pathetic Resistance."

"The Ix don't care about you." said Atarus. "If they win, they'll simply execute you. You're not one of them."

"On the contrary, killing you and completing my next tasks has guaranteed me not only unlimited wealth, but a spot with the new rulers of the universe, while you, the Hand of Mata Nui, and the Resistance all die painfully."

Atarus opened his mouth to answer, but then charged Skorr instead. However, Skorr had anticipated he'd do that, and as he charged forward, weapons raised, fired another round from his blaster. Atarus deflected them all except one, which grazed his shoulder. Atarus barely felt the pain, however, he was focused only on defeating the bounty hunter before him.

Skorr was ready by then for him, and immediately forced the Elemental back onto the defensive. Atarus immediately retreated several steps, knowing that trying to hold his original position would have meant death. Skorr, seeing that he was weakening, closed in slowly, like an Iron Wolf cornering an injured Rahi.

"I'm more interested about what you're doing here." hissed Skorr as Atarus narrowly escaped decapitation again. "Why would the leader of the Resistance, a being with arguably the largest price on his head in the entire Empire, wander alone in New Metru Nui? Apart from Drakos Capitol, this is the least likely place I'd think you'd want to be."

"That's precisely why I am here. Because no one would think to look for me here. But you did, Skorr. Your employers in the Order tipped you off, didn't they?"

Skorr's expression changed from confident to stunned. "They said—"

"That I knew nothing about the Order? Then they're wrong, or simply lying to you. Most likely the latter. Don't think I don't know what the Order is up to." Atarus hissed under his breath. "We'll stop them if it's the last thing we do."

"Who?" asked Skorr. "Your pathetic Resistance, forever locked in battle with the Ix Order's puppet government? Soon, not just Xaterex, but the worlds beyond, will forever belong to the Order. There's no way you can stop that."

"Not just the Resistance." said Atarus. "There are other forces at play in this battle, forces that will fight the Order until either it has fallen or the last warrior is slain. I know this to be true."

For a moment, Atarus' self-assurance distracted Skorr. Atarus seized the advantage and charged forward, forcing the bounty hunter backward, where his blaster was useless. Unable to get a clear shot at Atarus, Skorr instead attempted to fend off the Elemental with his sword.

"Oh, and Skorr?" said Atarus, almost as an afterthought. "I never travel alone."

There was a silver blur as another being charged from the shadows, carrying a large staff. Skorr whirled around to face the new attacker, and was immediately forced to stagger backward to avoid immediate death at the hands of Atarus. He raised his firearm, aiming for the new attacker, but was unable to focus on him long enough to get a shot off. The silver being's staff slammed into the blaster, knocking it from Skorr's hands.

Skorr was quickly being cornered by both Atarus and the new attacker. As he recognized his assailant, Skorr gave a hiss of recognition. It was another old enemy, one he'd last encountered during the civil wars that had plagued Xaterex after the Fall of Arcaea.

"Mersery." he hissed, meeting the silver Mersion's pale green eyes. The being moved with speed and energy, but his eyes told the real story: this being had suffered centuries of warfare and violence, yet remained a fighter for what he considered just. Skorr's eyes shifted contemptuously between Mersery and Atarus, but the Elemental could see that he would not continue fighting.

"Another time, Atarus." hissed Skorr once, before vanishing into the shadows. The only sign he'd ever been there at all was the pain from the minor wounds Atarus had suffered and the smashed, useless blaster lying on the ground.

"Perfect timing, as usual." said Atarus to Mersery. The Mersion scholar nodded once in acknowledgement. A member of the High Council of the Resistance, Mersery had chosen to accompany him, as he was one of the oldest beings still living; he'd been born either a few years after the Fall, or while the Fall was going on. Even Atarus was not sure. After the collapse of the Arcaean government at the hands of the Ix, Mersery fought to hold together the kingdoms as they disappeared one by one, and when it became hopeless, left Arcaea and joined what became the Resistance, fighting tirelessly to keep the Fells and Xaterex free from the Ix's rule.

He'd been good friends, and had become an unofficial mentor, for Atarus after the Fall, when Atarus, an Elemental of Arcaea, had been completely lost in the chaos that the Fall had precipitated. Mersery was not just a scholar, but a strong warrior and an experienced commander off the battlefield.

The kind of being Atarus wanted with him as he attempted to fracture the Empire permanently from within.

"Let's go, then." Atarus said at last. "To meet with the leaders of Dark Talon."

Chapter 10
Fear.

Pain.

Hatred.

''The three horrible, haunting emotions that had tortured Nightwatcher to the core were still roiling within him, but they were growing weaker now. Despite his best efforts to keep Mordrax and the Ix torturers from invading his mind and reading his thoughts, there was no way for him to hold his wracked mind together any longer. Nothing could stop the Ix now as they fired question after question at the bounty hunter.''

''There was no way for him to resist anymore. The Ix were simply too strong.''

''Nightwatcher had completely succumbed to their power, their torture, enhanced one thousand times by the raw power of Shadowdermis. He'd fought for a few more moments, but then once again lost the momentary control he'd gained as he strove to peice together the fragments that made up his existance.''

''They were torturing him with visions now. Visions of other times, other places. Visions where the Ix stood alone as rulers of the multiverse, with no Resistance, no Hand of Mata Nui to fight them any longer. Then,slowly, the visions warped and altered, and Nightwatcher was standing in a place that he didn't remember''. A place that he didn't remember, but that his mind felt he should...

Two beings, a Toa of Light and a white Kodax, prepared themselves to plunge a massive battle below. Nightwatcher's keen eyes surveyed the battlefield, picking out every detail as he saw three beings, all ancient remnants from another time, fighting to the death below.

"Girahk," he ordered his Rahkshi of Growth that lay in the palm of his hand. It was no larger then an insect.

"Follow them." Nightwatcher whispered. "Do not kill them until I give the command." He knelt down, not making the slightest sound, and lowered his hand to the ground. The creature scuttled off in the direction of the two beings.

Meanwhile, the battle continued. Neither of the three beings, who were all locked in combat, had yet begun to tire, and the battle most likely would have gone on for days if they were not interrupted. Nightwatcher's keen eyes surveyed them, and he knew it was time to step into combat. Releasing a blast of energy from his hand which stunned the beings for a moment, Nightwatcher stood over them, his familiar silver scimitar in hand.

"I hope you don't mind," he said coldly. "It's just that I love crashing parties."

The three beings formed a circle around him, the battle forgotten. With a roar, Maserix hurled a powerful wave of shadow at him, but Nightwatcher merely flicked his hand, and the energy was dissipated.

"Please," Nightwatcher laughed. "That's almost pitiful. I expected better from a Great Being."

''Great Being? Nightwatcher thought for a moment. He'd never fought in this battle. This was another vision then, designed to torture him. It couldn't be real...''

''Then his moment of concentration broke once again as the strength it took him to form conscious thought once again disappated, and he was once again the powerful Nightwatcher of the vision, undefeatable and confident as he faced his enemies, the stench of blood present in the air. ''

With a roar, the enraged attacker summoned a great globe of energy and hurled it at Nightwatcher, but instead of being disintegrated, he merely smiled and caught it, its energies still contained.

"You disappoint me, Maserix," smiled Nightwatcher, blasting the being with his own power. As he fell to his knees, the Great Being known as Maserix's shock was terribly evident on his face.

"No one..." he gasped... "No one... It's not possible..."

"I have killed Great Beings before," Nightwatcher said, looking around almost mockingly at the two other Great Beings, who stood there looking coldly at him. "Do you want me to prove it? I shall prove it as many times as you want... say, perhaps three will suffice for this occasion? Unless, of course, you care to fight me in another way..."

Nighwatcher drew his sword to make his point, smiling calmly as he looked around at his foes. Maserix smiled almost as broadly as he prepared his staff. "There is no one in the Matoran Universe who can fight as well as I!"

The two other beings also answered the unspoken challenge, preparing their weapons. "Well, then," said Nightwatcher. "It appears we have a consensus."

Maserix yelled as he charged into the fight, holding no atom of his power back. Had anyone else been watching the battle, they would have seen a pair of blurs, one tall and black and one short and gray, clashing sliver blurs together at twice the speed of sound. Maserix's eyes were squinting sharply in rage as his weapon was thrust at Nightwatcher's.

The two other beings joined the battle, and Nightwatcher responded in turn, altering his strategy and his speed so that he no longer used his familiar double-bladed weapon; instead, he used two single-bladed ones, which held up against the beings' attacks just as easily. Maserix was a thunderstorm of rage, calling upon the shadow to guide his sword, and the other two beings were extremely skilled fighters as well.

"WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE?" Maserix roared, his weapon moving so fast now that it could no longer be seen...

"As I said before," Nightwatcher responded, as exasperatingly calm as ever, "I was gifted by the Omega—"

"SHUT UP!" Maserix roared, all his efforts concentrated on silencing the awful voice that was resonating in his mind—

"Oh, by the way, Maserix," said Nightwatcher with a sneer, "I'm not from the Matoran Universe."

And there Maserix made his fatal mistake. He had concentrated so much on his offense that a massive hole had opened in his defense, and Nightwatcher used the opportunity to, with one swift strike, end the long career of the Great Being Maserix. The other two beings had no time to react as Nightwatcher impaled them both with his twin swords, letting go of his weapons and pinning the two surviving beings to the ground with the swords in their chests.

"Now you see what a terrible, terrible mistake you made," grinned Nightwatcher, the great cauldron of force within him bubbling up to the brim as he looked down at his two helpless foes.

No! ''Thought Nightwatcher. ''Do not kill for the Ix's pleasure. But his limbs would not obey him, he was simply a puppet actor, forced to play the role of the murderer, and soon his consciousness was broken once more as the swirling dark lights that accompanied the Ix's torture destroying all possibility of conscious thought except the horror he felt at the image before him...

"And now... time to level the playing field." he said, casually, almost contemptously, though his mind screamed in agony against the words he was saying. "In the literal sense."

The Nightwatcher in the vision released the energy contained inside his body with a scream of triumph, just the Nightwatcher bound by the Ix—No, the vision-Nightwatcher was him, he realized, they were one and the same— screamed in horror and pain as the bodies of the three beings were pulverized in the white-hot blast...

And the Toa of Shadow watched as the massive explosion ripped through the landscape. Even though there was no possible way any being could hear (save himself) over the terrible noise of the blast, he laughed as he had never laughed before, a great, triumphant screech while his mind screamed within, drowned out by the Ix's raspy voices and the noise of the shockwave...

Victory was his at last...

...And Nightwatcher, trapped, bound, and weakened by countless sessions of the Ix's brutal, deadly auric torture, remembered.

Shardak was numb with fear. In that moment, he could not think clearly. His only thought was the imminent death that would follow as he, Flardrek, Valkyria, and Makour prepared to make their final stand. There were five of the black cloaked beings in total, all armed with Ix Limiter scythes, which were larger then the normal daggers and were carried in two hands.

That they would die was no question in Shardak's mind. If these beings were—

"Surrender the Spirit Toa." one of the Serrakaan clones hissed, a sibilant whisper that carried clearly and coldly throughout the echoing cavern. "Surrender Shardak, and you others will be killed painlessly."

"Never." said Flardrek, his voice carrying just as clearly as the voice of the Serrakaan clones, though Shardak was startled to hear the edge of fear in his voice. "We will not surrender Shardak. You will have to fight us."

The fear in his voice was so palpable it caused dread to grow within Shardak. If they didn't surrender him to the Order, then what would the Serrakaan clones do to them? He'd heard Fairon talk of Serrakaan as being one of the greatest opponents he'd faced in the Eternal Game, and that if forced to confront him directly he was sure he'd die.

The lead Serrakaan clone did not answer, but gestured to the four clones standing behind him. "Eliminate them all, except the Toa."

The other clones made no sign of acknowledgement, but unlimbered their massive scythes. Their eyes burned red, like blots of blood, and their hands were clawed and corpse-like. They reminded Shardak horribly of the Ix rulers of the Circle, the imperious, black-cloaked rulers who had been hunting him for so long. Now, it seemed, they had finally caught him.

The lead clone turned to face Shardak, looking him in the eye. Shardak froze, rooted to the spot. He could not move as Serrakaan lunged forward, faster then his eye could follow.

"Go!" yelled Makour, slashing at the Serrakaan clone. For a moment, the leader was taken by suprise, and Makour was able to slash open his shoulder. Serrakaan snarled in fury at his attack and blasted him backward, slamming the Caronex against the walls of the cave. Makour rose to his feet quickly, but the Serrakaan clone was faster, slamming into him and slashing Makour across the chest. The Caronex staggered backward, and the scythe landed again.

For a moment, Shardak was horribly reminded of Silencer's death at the hands of the Fury, when he'd held off the Ix commander so they could escape. Makour was standing facing Serrakaan, defiant to the end, while the clones followed, all of them eager to kill as soon as the Caronex was dead. One charged toward Shardak—

"Go!" ordered Makour. "Do you think I would lead you here if there was no other escape route? Run, Spirit Toa. May Mata Nui protect you, and remember—"

Whatever Makour had been about to say was cut off as the Serrakaan clone slashed him again. Makour charged forward, his two weapons blurs of light in the darkness as he desperately fought to stem the oncoming tide. But already Shardak could see it was hopeless, there was no stopping the Serrakaan clones, who were ripping him apart, knowing they had all the time in the world to make him suffer.

Chapter unfinished...

Trivia

 * Annulus is Latin for "ring"
 * The character of Vor Sxe'cahn, the Vorgaan and Caronex species, and the planet of Corona Magna were created by, who very kindly allowed to use them in the Xaterex Multiverse Storyline.
 * Shattering is the 12th longest page on the wiki.