Chapter 6: Into the Trap

Ahkmou’s footsteps echoed quickly through the Coliseum’s empty halls. With the Toa Mahri gone, he could finally get the Matoran in line. Even though he’d walled off the districts from one another, someone was somehow coordinating strikes, protests, and other acts of defiance all over the city. They weren’t harming Makuta, they were too small for that, but they were certainly making Ahkmou’s life a living nightmare.

Really, I don’t understand all the fuss, he muttered. I just need them to get to work. I thought Matoran loved work! To be honest, if you told me to get back to the Sculpture Fields, I’d jump at the chance.

An Exo-Toa crossed his path. “Report!” he barked. “I sent a Panrahk to pacify the Moto-Hub hours ago. It should be back by now. I can’t have it running around smashing every bit of stone it sees. Where is it?”

“Gone,” the Exo-Toa reported.

Ahkmou blinked. “Yes, I’m aware. But where did it go?”

“Panrahk unit was destroyed.”

“What?” Ahkmou snapped. “You can’t be serious.”

Silently, the Exo-Toa opened its claw to reveal scraps of mottled brown armor. “Matoran can’t do that,” Ahkmou spluttered in disbelief. “So who–?”

At that moment, a whining alarm emanated from the blue crystal on Dume’s staff - “A civilian requests your attention at Gate Four.”

“Gate Four? I didn’t even know we had four gates.” Ahkmou raced back to the Turaga’s office, then dusted off the ancient console under the desk, eventually finding the slot marked Gate Four. He tapped Dume’s staff to the console, activating the transmission system and lighting up a screen on the wall.

A single Matoran stood before the gate, carrying curved blades and wearing a noble Mask of Water Breathing. Briefly, Ahkmou wondered what had happened to the guards stationed there - then he saw the scraps of Rahkshi armor strewn behind the Matoran. Was this his culprit?

He pressed another button, and his voice resonated through the gate’s speakers. “This rebellion against Makuta will be the last foolish act of your life. I have already dispatched Exo-Toa; I estimate you have thirty seconds to say your last words.”

To Ahkmou’s great surprise, the Matoran knelt reverently. As he watched, her armor faded, turning to shades of black and crimson. “Much to my chagrin, I am a Matoran of Light, but I am loyal to the Makuta,” she said. “My brethren have been playing at being Toa, ambushing your Rahkshi. I’m here to put an end to their little games.”

Ahkmou smiled, pressing buttons rapidly. “Finally, another Matoran who sees things my way. I am Ahkmou, Turaga of Metru Nui; and you are?”

Gate Four slid open. The Av-Matoran sprang to her feet, beaming. “My name is Gavla,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Turaga Ahkmou.”

✴        ✴        ✴

Under the cover of night, a small ship slipped through the waters around Daxia, carrying six passengers. Rahkshi circled overhead, but none saw the slim, dark vessel slip as it crept around the southern shoreline and docked on a rocky beach.

Tahu Nuva was first out of the boat, followed by Onua, Johmak, Krahka, Lariska, and Kopeke the Chronicler. Hardly the standard six-Toa team, he muttered to himself. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

“Home sweet home,” said Onua Nuva, “or so I have been told. I must say, it’s not as beautiful as I had imagined.”

“It’s seen better days,” said Johmak. Next to her, Krahka prodded the ground nervously, watching plumes of smoke billow from further inland.

“So where’s this all-important protodermis pool?” Tahu asked. “And how do we get to it?”

“The first answer is easy,” said Johmak. “The pool is located beneath the fortress… or what remains of it, rather. That’s to the northeast. We’ll have to cross much of the open wilderness to get there, but the Rahkshi won’t see us coming.”

“And this terrain is… volcanic, you say?” Tahu said, grinning. “Leave that to Onua and me.”

“Happy to do so,” said Lariska, twirling a knife. “Call me when you find someone to kill.”

Kopeke mumbled something. “I’m sorry?” asked Onua, leaning down to hear it.

“…over there,” said Kopeke, pointing up the beach. Some distance away, a sleek Rahi panther was prowling along the water, its eyes gleaming in the darkness.

“A shallows cat,” said Johmak. “But that’s not right… shallows cats don’t move that rigidly.” She drew her shield. “Something is wrong.”

“Rahkshi,” Krahka hissed, taking the form of a snarling Muaka. “They are controlling it. Making its mind follow theirs.”

“If that’s so, then the Rahkshi must be somewhere around here,” said Tahu. “Stay sharp. It only takes one of them to sound the alarm.”

Weapons at the ready, the motley crew moved up the beach and into the wilds. Their most dangerous mission had just begun.

✴        ✴        ✴

Lightstone in hand, Kopaka climbed through a large tunnel, leading to an even larger chamber. He again activated his mask, looking through the walls to see where the tunnels led next. Upon seeing what lay beyond the next wall, however, he stopped in his tracks. A chill ran down his spine, and it wasn’t from the cold.

The walls of the next chamber were filled with hundreds upon thousands of cylindrical cells.

It is the mark of a truly brave Toa that when every one of his instincts tells him to run, to flee, he continues on for the sake of his mission. Steeling himself against the revulsion wriggling through his body, Kopaka drew his blade and continued into the chamber.

It was everything he had feared. The huge, six-sided chamber was lined with eerie, glowing stasis cells, the signature home of one kind of creature:

Bohrok!

Kopaka cast his gaze about, using his mask to gauge the numbers of his enemy. He stopped when he saw that each and every one of the cells was empty. His heart sank as he confronted the one thing that could be worse than an enormous hidden nest of Bohrok: an enormous hidden nest of active Bohrok.

Proceeding through the nest, Kopaka caught a glimpse of a carving illuminated by his lightstone. He came closer to see a curious diagram. Within a large circle, a line of beings were depicted. He recognized the Bohrok, the Bohrok Va, and the krana that sustained them. What shocked him were the images presented parallel to the creatures of the swarm. Adjacent to the krana was an image of a Kanohi mask. Beyond that, a Matoran… Toa… and Turaga.

In Karda Nui, we learned that certain Av-Matoran become Bohrok as part of their destiny, Kopaka recalled. But this… this means something more. Is it possible that all Matoran could become Bohrok?

“You’re very clever, aren’t you?” Coming out of the silence of the nest, the sharp, nasal voice seemed as thunderous as the bellow of the Rahi Nui. “You will make an excellent addition to the swarms.”

Kopaka whirled to see who had spoken. In the silent gloom of a hidden Bohrok nest, two Toa faced each other, both tensed for battle. One wore a Kanohi Akaku Nuva, but the other’s face was hidden behind a warm, glowing krana. Blue and white armor meant a Toa of Lightning. She carried no weapons, but Kopaka recognized the Krana Vu on her face. The flight krana, he recalled.

“Who are you?” Kopaka asked, though he knew he wouldn’t get much of an answer from a krana’s thrall.

“Who I was doesn’t matter,” said the Toa. “What matters is who we are - the Bohrok swarm. Your brothers and sisters.” She spread her arms wide, and bright white sparks illuminated the empty nest.

“I deny that,” said Kopaka. He had heard from Onua how he defeated the krana controlling Lewa, and he hoped this strange Toa had the same willpower as his brother. “I deny you, krana, and I deny the swarm. I am speaking to the Toa before me. Who are you?”

The Toa gave a robotic laugh. “Here, I am the Krana Vu,” she explained. “I hear their orders and dispense them to my brothers and sisters, and to you.”

“I will not hear the orders of the Bahrag,” Kopaka growled. “They have served their purpose.”

“Oh, but our purpose is never done,” replied the Toa. “Always, always so much to clean. Not just the island, but everywhere. We must clean the shell of the Great Spirit. Then we sleep, and it is dirtied once more, and it must be cleaned anew. All obstacles must be removed.” The Toa tightened her gaze. “You are an obstacle,” she said. “You are an obstacle. You will be removed.”

In the darkness, Kopaka heard the skittering sound of Bohrok Va. No doubt they had come with a krana for him. They will be sorely disappointed. “I don’t want to hurt you, sister Toa,” he said. “I want to save you. But I will need your help.”

“There is no Toa in this body!” hissed the Toa. “Only the Krana Vu, and the will of the Bahrag!”

“Then we’ll do this the hard way,” Kopaka said, raising his weapon. “Krana Vu, you will vacate this Toa’s body, or I will tear you from her face myself.”