Bionicle Re-genesis: Chapter 6

The ride to Vanon was uneventful and, miraculously, silent, thanks to Gareyn being sedated. Not that his wound was that bad; Wasad, chief medical officer of the Toa Xemtan, had fully sterilized and dressed his shoulder and assured that the Toa of Fire would be field ready in a few days. Gareyn simply wouldn't sit still or shut up. Riana couldn't help but enjoy the quiet since they had left this morning.

Soon, their destination came into view. Vanon's borders were reinforced by walls of wood strengthened by metalworks in an inner crisscross pattern. Artistic and sturdy. Riana couldn't remember the last time she had been here, she tended to lose track of time easily. The trees surrounding the road lent a balance of shade to the midday sunlight, and she briefly found herself thinking of a particular point in her Matoran days where Naztan had shown her a beautiful spring just outside an entrance in the walls.

The Toa of Air quickly gave herself a good mental shake; she wasn't a Matoran anymore. As a Toa, she had more responsibilities. No time for nostalgia, girl. She chided.

Thereby, she turned to their superior who had been driving the speeder for five hours straight. "I know my partner probably won't say it," she began, "but thanks for saving us yesterday, sir. And sorry for getting you into trouble."

Marqo briefly checked to make sure they were on the right path, then smiled at her. "Don't worry about it, Riana. It's not the first time I've been chewed out for doing my own thing. And Nukoma's out to get me anyway." The two laughed at that before he continued. "But helping you two out of a tight spot is worth breaking a rule or two. Like Eisherr said, we need all the Toa we have."

The Toa of Stone then activated his badge. "Hey, Relem. This is Marqo reporting in." He spoke clearly.

"I hear you, Marqo," a guttural voice replied, loud enough for both to hear (Marqo must've boosted the volume on purpose, Riana figured). "Sounds like you've been busy giving Nukoma a headache. Shocker."

"You know me." Marqo replied, chuckling. "I'm already at the gate with Riana and Gareyn." Sure enough, the novice Toa could see the elegantly carved buildings of the city she had once called home. She also heard moaning from the backseat, a clear sign her partner had awoken. Good timing, I'll give him that, Riana mused with a smirk as the speeder was expertly steered through the gate.

As the vehicle parked into a vacant space, Gareyn was the first to jump out, trying to look as cool as possible for any nearby bystanders. There were a few Matoran that stopped, cheered and took pictures. All of which delighted the Toa of Fire to no end. Riana for her part simply stepped out and stretched a bit, eager to get some feeling back into her limbs before they had to drive another couple of hours to Unkadrah. The driver checked that no one had left anything behind and joined his fellow Toa before they heard something… loud.

"BIG BROOO!" At this, Marqo quickly shot his hands out with a smirk, catching the white-and-blue blur that had been heading right for him. Up close in his arms, the thing turned out to be a grinning Chikali. "Hi," she said just before Marqo simply dropped her, only for her to pull him into a tight hug. "It's great seeing you again, Big Bro!"

Marqo couldn't help but chuckle. "Nice seeing you too, Little Sis." He replied, squeezing her right back. "But ya know, I ain't the only one here." He then let her go so she could turn around.

"Riana! Gareyn!" Chikali happily called, arms outstretched. The two stayed a bit away, trying to play it cool, before Riana just rolled her eyes with a smile and stepped into the embrace. After a few seconds, the sisters released each other, only for Gareyn to pull Chikali into a noogie, to which the latter squealed. "Ohh, stop it, you big meathead!"

"Not happening, little livewire!" Gareyn shot back while adjusting his hold. "I still owe you for that blaster you built paralyzing me for two. Whole. Hours. When you asked me to test it."

"That only happened because you didn't handle it properly!" The Toa of Lightning argued before finally managing to wiggle out of her brother's grasp. But before the two could get into a heated debate over whose fault it was, they heard someone clear their throat. All of them turned to see Vanon's Captain Zyklus and Relem, Toa of Magnetism, had also arrived.

"Now, now, you two, there's no strong-need to get worked up," Zyklus gently admonished them before adding with a wry grin, "you're both talented-cool and delicate snowflakes." Watching Chikali blush and Gareyn sputter at the "delicate" part, he walked over to Marqo and clapped him on the shoulder. "Been up to your usual antics, brother?"

"You know me." Marqo shrugged smirking. "But it's good to be back home." He then gestured to the younger Toa from Unkadrah. "Turns out these two were on the right track with the Hunters but got blindsided."

"Yeah, we heard about their mission from Captain Eisherr," Relem spoke up gruffly. "And you know what's funny, rockslide? I don't recall you asking permission or so much as notifying us you were heading outside Vanon's territory. Care to explain?"

"Um, th-that was m-my fault, sir." Chikali nervously spoke up. "I-I just wanted to make that Riana was okay cause we're sisters-in-arms and I hadn't heard from her in a while and it's not like I thought she'd be in trouble because she's a super-amazing fighter aaand I'll just shut up now…" she flinched away from the older Toa's stare before feeling a comforting hand on her shoulder. Chikali turned to see Riana smiling at her.

"Relem, sir," the Toa of Air began, "this isn't Chikali's fault. I was the one who insisted on going after the Dark Hunters without sufficient evidence or Captain Irbran's permission, and we were," she paused to take a breath, "outclassed. Toa Marqo saved our lives; if anyone should face punishment, it should be me."

Relem made to say something, but his superior raised a hand to stop him. "Don't heavy-beat yourself up over what past-happened, Toa Riana." Zyklus said. "Even the mighty-best of us can still make mistakes. How Irbran handles your discipline is his task-business, but I only kind-ask you two to wise-learn and strong-grow from this experience." He then clapped his hands suddenly. "Now then, it is right-time for lunch, and I deep-think we are all hungry. Surely you young-ones have enough time for me and Marqo to treat you to something before the Unkadrah-Toa return-hurry home, no?"

Relem sighed deeply after thinking for a moment. "You're just looking for an excuse to get a break from the tablet-work back at base, aren't you, Captain?" Zyklus simply looked on in total innocence.

"And when he says, 'me and Marqo,' he means I'll have to pay for everything," the Toa of Stone mumbled, then shrugged. "Eh, I could use a bite, and maybe this'll cover for any extra punishment."

"Don't bet on it." Relem shot back, albeit with a half-smile. "I'll head back to headquarters and start handling the basic work. Just promise you'll show in an hour at the latest, sir." Zyklus lazily waved his hand in response, so the gray-armored Toa just walked off with an exasperated huff.

The rest of the group headed towards Vanon's market square chatting over various things; Riana and Gareyn outlining the battle against the Hunters in excessive detail to a sparkle-eyed Chikali and then Marqo taking over the storytelling (with Gareyn repeatedly assuring everyone that he could've won the fight easy… eventually), questions from Zyklus about how his former teammates in Unkadrah were doing, the upcoming elections for Magnus of Vanon…

The latter topic was reinforced by the banners and flyers spread across the streets; election day was only two months away, and it showed in Vanon. The current Magnus, Stefanos, was up against a few rivals, chief among them a young political activist named Krystophos who had been active only for a few decades, but quickly gathered a following. He proposed radical new ideas and had a gift for making them sound enticing.

"I don't really see why anyone would have a particular problem with Stefanos." Riana thought out loud. "He's helped govern Vanon smoothly for decades now, and even before he was elected, he was a respected politician. It doesn't look like Krystophos will be taking over anytime soon."

"Depends on who you ask," Marqo replied as they walked up to a food stall close to the center known for its variety of delicious sandwiches. The conversation stopped briefly as they made their orders (Chikali naturally chose one that practically radiated sweetness), then as the food came with drinks and Marqo as predicted had to pay for everything (although the cook tried to insist a discount for Toa, the veteran wouldn't have any of it), they unanimously agreed to eat their food on the go. The middle of the day was pleasantly warm, and three of them had been cooped up in a speeder for hours, so it was no surprise. As they sauntered through the nearby park, their discussion continued.

"Like I was saying," Marqo said while munching on his own meat-heavy sandwich, "the people here that follow Krystophos think Stefanos is a pretty decent guy, but he's kept things mostly stagnant. Most of them are looking for a big change, something exciting, Vanon getting active."

Still nibbling on his vegetarian order, Zyklus chimed in, "It's true that Vanon is the most calm-passive city on Xemtan Nui. We're not innovative like Lex or constantly battle-ready like Unkadrah, or Nuc Zahrot for that matter. Peace and plentiful crops are what we offer."

"But isn't that good enough?" Chikali asked, her food already in her stomach to be digested. "Each city on this continent has something to offer the others. We can work together to live together."

Marqo smiled while patting her head. "You have no idea how much I wish others would think like you, Little Sis. Unfortunately, one of Krystophos' biggest ideas is that we get our own army. Apparently, Vanon's got the weakest military might, and if the worst were to happen, it could be the first city to fall." The Toa of Stone finished his sandwich off with a slight grimace. "Truth be told, I can see the logic."

"Yeah, no offense to this place," Gareyn added, "but it looks like if the Toa weren't around, it would be Muaka meat to any invaders." He then smirked confidently. "In Unkadrah, on the other hand, we can take on any threat because we've got the toughest fighters around. Like yours truly." Riana coughed lightly. "Oh, and, uh, Riana too, of course."

Zyklus spoke up again. "Amosada seems to strong-believe we concentrate on preventing the situation from coming to bad-worse, but it's veiled-difficult to know how Stefanos deep-thinks at times. Even after all this time, I can only guess-wager his plans."

"Didn't you guys fight together in the War, though?" Chikali asked rubbing her head in confusion. Still not that big on politics, huh sis? Riana thought rhetorically with a smirk.

"We fought on the same side, but he was in a different unit than our team." Marqo explained. "From what I've heard, he was a master tactician and skilled fighter, and I can count the number of times I actually met him on one hand. Both then and now, he's always… aloof."

Zyklus tilted his head in thought. "That's one idea-word for him. Nevertheless, I'm very sure he's still on our side. We all want the same thing: to protect the people of our home. So let's keep our eyes sharp-open and make sure they don't fear-see another dread-war." As he said this, Riana saw the Captain send a sharp look to Marqo, who acknowledged it with narrowed eyes. Chikali and Gareyn didn't notice, but she couldn't help but wonder what sort of dialogue the two veterans were having. Something was up.

Whatever passed between them, however, seemed to end quickly, as Zyklus turned to her and Gareyn smiling. "Now then, seeing as we're back at where you're quick-parked, and I have no wish-desire to stop-hold you two up any longer, I suppose we shall luck-send you on home."

"Yeah, we'll leave you to do that, fearless leader." Marqo drawled with a smirk. He pulled a certain Toa of Lightning in a one-armed hug. "Riana, Gareyn, see you around, I believe this tiny livewire owes me a sparring match. Preferably somewhere with room to move."

Chikali started bouncing giddily on the spot. She sped over to her friends, gave them both goodbye hugs, then spun around to dramtically point her finger at her mentor. "ALLL RIGHT! Prepare yourself, old man! I, Toa Chikali, shall blow you away with the deliciously sweet fruits of my hard labor!"

"Tch, still calling me old man? Why you cheeky little-"

As the two walked off continuing their banter, Riana smiled lightly at the sight, though it soured when she heard her fiery friend scoff. "Honestly, I don't know what she sees in the old guy. He just breaks rules and does his own thing." The female was about to remind him that Marqo was the one that saved their lives when their senior gently cut her off.

"Marqo fully respects the Toa Xemtan Code, despite what his actions suggest." Zyklus replied. Riana then nudged her partner to pay attention; Chikali had once told her that when Vanon's Captain stopped using that old-fashioned treespeak, it meant he was completely serious. "His heart is in the right place, and I trust him with mine and Chikali's lives.

"It's not that you should break rules for kicks, kids," the older Toa explained, "but that you need to be able to realize what's right and wrong without looking towards the rules, and you should strive to do what's right, even though a law may contradict your choice. And one way or another, you have to accept the consequences of these actions." He looked them straight in the eyes during that final sentence, then started walking away, turning only once to wave goodbye.

Gareyn looked for a moment like he was deeply pondering his superior's words, then turned to Riana. "Sooo, time to go home, huh? There's nothing left for us to handle here, sweetie." And without even waiting for a reply, he headed to where the speeder was parked.

Had he payed more attention, he would've noticed that Riana was rooted on the spot, staring at a street corner in the opposite direction. There wasn't anything really special about the sight; a small bench from where you could sit down and see truly amazing sunsets on the horizon if you looked in the right spot. Just another part of a beautiful city.

But while thinking about what Zyklus had said, Riana couldn't help but remember that was the spot where she had turned down Naztan's offer to settle down with him near the farm where she had once worked. Even almost 300 years later, she could still feel his kiss on her lips, the mixture of disappointment, acceptance, a hint of wit; and mutual love like she hadn't known before or since.

An engine revving snapped the Toa out of her reverie. "Riana come on! It's time to go home!" Gareyn yelled from the driver's seat. She stared at the bench a little longer, then sighed. Accept the consequences of your actions, even when that meant you never saw the people you care about again.

Naz, what happened to you? Riana wondered sadly as she walked back towards their speeder.

-BRG-

Meanwhile, a different group of Toa were having a less… jovial meeting, seated in their headquarters' conference room.

Eisherr scanned the tablet in his hands thoughtfully before passing it over to Wasad, who sat across from him. "Has this information been confirmed, Tyrex?" He addressed the Toa of Gravity standing next to Nukoma. In contrast to the latter's bulky, bright appearance, Tyrex was much leaner, in black and purple armor befitting his element.

Tyrex nodded once before performing an elaborate series of hand-signs in response. Everyone heard a loud groan at that and turned to the final occupant in the room. "C'mon, Tyrex, you know I don't get all that hand-flapping you call a language." Haguzz grumbled while leaning back in his seat.

"How many times do we have to remind you this is how he talks, Haguzz?" Wasad asked in exasperation. Tyrex had been slashed in the throat not long after he had become a Toa; he survived, but the damage to his vocal chords was irreparable. Fortunately, he had quickly learned a non-verbal form of communication that served him well over the centuries, and by now, most of his brothers and sisters understood him well enough. Most, though. Not all.

"Yeah, yeah, I get he can't talk like you and me," the rookie Toa of Sonics shot back, "but what I don't get is why he doesn't try something else. The Xem-Screens' newer models have a feature where they can say nice and loud what you type, old-timer." He pulled his out to emphasize his point.

Tyrex narrowed his eyes and began signing something new. Wasad translated for him (which the mute acknowledged with a grateful nod), "I don't like being dependent on a gadget, and that feature drains the batteries more than you'd think if used on a regular basis. And it wouldn't boil your brain to learn something other than how to make earth-shattering noises, you-" Wasad stopped with a disapproving look at that particular gesture. "Tyrex. Easy on the language there." Tyrex simply smirked.

Nukoma interjected with an impatient, "Can we please focus on the de-briefing?" All Toa aside from their Captain nodded, though Haguzz gave Tyrex a challenging look. The orange Toa continued, "As Tyrex had reported, apparently the Dark Hunter group captured yesterday had acted on a commission to steal some sort of artifact from an ancient temple forty kio north of the Great Volcano."

Wasad stroked his chin. "That's not too far outside Lex's borders. No wonder we noticed the activity." He then mused about a certain detail. "What do we know about the temple itself?"

"Little to nothing," Eisherr answered. "After the Dominance War, most of our continent's focus was centered on building new homes and managing the defeated side. The people had already explored a large portion of Xemtan Nui when they first arrived, and even after all four cities were built, they were more interested in forming a stable government and following it than walking into unknown places. War robbed us of our sense of adventure, I suppose.

The senior Toa looked almost wistful for a moment, then focused. "Nevertheless, I dispatched a Toa to inspect this particular site a little over eight centuries ago as a precaution. She reported that the temple seemed to have been constructed several millennia ago, perhaps even before the Shattering. Traps were present, though, and she barely escaped with her life before she could finish her exploration. She was still insistent that no one had recently occupied it, not even during the War, so we agreed that it was of no particular threat." A brief coughing fit interrupted Eisherr's explanation, but he continued undeterred. "I sent Toa to check the outside of the site once every five years, but the only noteworthy occurrence seemed to be that it recently started falling apart due to its own age and the elements."

"Maybe that's why the Hunters only went after that thing now," Haguzz chimed in. "they probably figured the traps would stop working after all this time just sitting around."

Nukoma nodded, then continued. "Their mission however turned into failure when a rival thief got to their prize first. Attempts to kill him and recover the artifact resulted in the temple caving in and the team sustaining casualties. Shortly after exiting the temple, they were confronted by Toa Gareyn and Toa Riana of Unkadrah, whom they managed to gain the advantage before Toa Marqo of Vanon intervened. I arrived with a squad of Knights and escorted all individuals to the city. Any further details, Tyrex can elaborate on."

Tyrex stepped forward, then signed (translated by Wasad), "Interrogation of the Hunters was with mixed success. The three living nameless ones were muscle and thereby knew only the bare outlines of this job. Cold Snap remained tight-lipped, but Redeye provided some information. They didn't know the employers' name or even what the artifact exactly was; or at the least, their leader didn't see fit to tell them. I can only conclude from their behavior and limited descriptions that Dragon had sent them."

"Who?" Haguzz asked, looking a little confused and excited.

"The Dark Hunter supposedly assigned as leader for Xemtan Nui's group." Nukoma answered. "We only know that he is deadly, elusive and very cunning. Capturing Dragon would go a long way towards ending the Hunters' threat."

"Speaking of which," Tyrex signed, "Redeye didn't directly name the thief that caused the mission to fail, but it wasn't hard to figure out. He kept grumbling about a certain 'smart-mouthed, hat-wearing fire-spitter' and how he'd disembowel him the next time they meet."

Nukoma clenched his fists at the realization. "Cadron." He spat out the name like it was poison. "That amoral outcast has eluded us for far too long."

"Calm down, Nukoma," Wasad advised him as the room's temperature suddenly spiked. "Cadron's just a thief for hire. He doesn't set out to attack citizens or disrupt our system. From what we know, he only ever kills in self-defense or as a last resort."

"Cadron is still a Toa," Nukoma angrily interjected, "a Toa who has embraced the life of a criminal. Every day he runs loose, the reputation of the Toa Xemtan suffers! We should've made an example of him long ago!" It was starting to get very stuffy in the conference room before a very cold presence made itself known. All present turned to the source.

"Control yourself, Toa Nukoma." Eisherr said evenly. "Consistently letting your temper run wild does not improve our reputation either." The Toa of Plasma grit his teeth, but consented, making an almost physical effort to rein in his anger. Eisherr studied him for a moment, then retracted his own power. "Cadron's actions are largely for self-gain. He is hardly a paragon of morality, but no monster. We must capture him, but not to simply chop off his head to improve the Toa Xemtan's image. That is not justice." He went to say more, but another coughing spell overtook him, this one more violent.

Tyrex shared a look of concern with the Toa's physician. He quickly signed, "How is he?"

"His condition hasn't gotten worse," Wasad signed back with resigned posture, "but it isn't improving either. All I'm really doing right now is keeping it tolerable." Even Haguzz and Nukoma looked worried for a moment. Anymore conversation ended though when their leader recomposed himself.

"Tyrex, inform the other Captains of what we've learned and advise them to be on watch for our disgraced brother. Cadron may know more about what this artifact was; whatever it is, it certainly shouldn't fall in Dark Hunter hands or those they deal with." The Toa of Gravity masked his concern and nodded stoically in confirmation. "I shall call for Lex's Council so we can quickly organize a trial for the Hunters we currently hold-"

Suddenly, an alert flashed on the screens of the left wall. Nukoma strode over quickly and tapped it for information, eyes widening at what he saw. "Captain," he began, "Hauka's been sighted. He just attempted to murder a Matoran couple six blocks from here and is currently battling Lexian Knights."

Haguzz bolted out of his seat and whooped with vigor. "Finally, some action!" He made for the door outside but was stopped by a command. "Wait."

The young Toa turned around to face Eisherr, his demeanor unchanged. "From what we know of Hauka, you are not yet ready to face a threat of this caliber, Toa Haguzz. Therefore, you will remain at base with me and Toa Wasad on standby." Ignoring the youth's poorly suppressed groans, the most senior Toa of Xemtan Nui shifted his attention to the other heroes in the room. "Toa Nukoma, Toa Tyrex, protect our citizens and bring this lunatic in."

The two made for the exit without another word, ready for battle. Wasad watched them go with a pensive expression, knowing there was no guarantee they would return in one piece. Or that casualties could be prevented.

Still, he hoped for the best. "Captain," the Toa of The Green started, "I'll be in sick bay just in case." At Eisherr's nod, he in turn walked out of the room and towards the aforementioned chamber, barely registering Haguzz' grumbling at not getting to join the fight. In less than a minute, he'd already reached his office, and he spent the next half-hour or so running checks on medicine, surgery tools, a spare breathing apparatus for his superior (just playing it safe). As the healer ran his fingers over a shelf holding scrolls of various species' anatomies, hold-overs from his old life that were still useful in his current, he couldn't help but notice a carving right on top. It showed him and another Toa in the aftermath of a particularly exhaustive battle in the latter stages of the War.

Wasad couldn't help but run his hand over the picture. I hope you're doing fine, Praxit, he mused with a wistful smile.

Suddenly, a deep rumbling sound began as the entire room shook. Steadying himself and any loose items within reach, Wasad looked around with concern. Quickly making sure nothing had fallen over and broken, he then activated his badge, calling for the first suspect on his mind. "Haguzz, please tell me that was you just now."

"No can do, Doc!" came the Toa of Sonics' excited answer. "I just got into the training room, didn't even have time to get that loud." Wasad's badge let out a small chime, indicating another had joined the conversation.

"All Toa Xemtan stationed at Lex; this is a Priority-1 Alert!" Eisherr reported in a dangerously calm tone. "Unknown assailants have launched an attack on the arrest cells of our base. This is a potential retrieval mission. Repeat, potential escape of prisoners. All available Toa to base to subdue the enemy!"

Eyes widening in surprise, Wasad tuned out the whoop of his younger colleague and ran at full speed down the corridor towards the arrest cells. Just then, the left window shattered, and something leaped through at him. He drew his staff just in time to block a sword swung at his head. The Toa noted the trademark grin and large, spiked spine of his Skakdi attacker before twisting his staff to force the blade to the side. He then kicked at the left ankle, forcing the Skakdi to lurch, and cracked the staff against his jaw. Disoriented, the brute tried to halve him with a heavy downward swing, only for Wasad to step just out of reach. Wasad jabbed three times at certain body parts, then finished his off-balance opponent with a powerful thrust to the chest, knocking the wind out of him.

Taking a moment to exhale, the Toa pulled a few seeds out of his pocket and tossed them onto the Skakdi. He then concentrated, willing the seeds to grow; some turned into vines that wrapped around the opponent tightly, others released spores that numbed his body and sent into unconsciousness. Wasad briefly checked to make sure all vitals were stable, then continued his dash.

All, the while, his thoughts raced. Skakdi? I know that in the past, more than a few of them served in the Dark Hunters, but none of the Hunters we know of are of the species. So what are they doing here?

Ahhh, I'm a healer, not a detective. Where's Tyrex with his conspiracy theories when we need them? Wasad mused as he turned around a corner. Another explosion rumbled, this time much closer, and three Dark Hunters strode out of the smoke in front of him. As he settled into a fighting stance, the Toa noticed something red blurring outside the window on his right and…

PFFT.

-BRG-

Just a little heads up. Officially, there are forty-two current members of the Toa Xemtan, but I only built 14 of them, and these will be the focus. Here's also an official age reference for how long each one has been a Toa (approximately in years):

Eisherr: 90.000

Irbran, Lanara, Marqo, Zyklus: 1.280

Nukoma: 905

Relem: 50.000

Praxit: 930

Wasad: 940

Tyrex: 2.400

Riana, Gareyn: 250

Chikali: 150

Haguzz: 120

(Cadron: 280)