Chapter 7: Lightning Round

Some islands had adjusted to Makuta’s reign better than others. Stelt, Jaller decided, as he watched beings of all shapes and sizes trading and bartering throughout its markets, was taking it in stride.

Making use of their amphibious nature, he and his fellow Toa Mahri had evaded detection as they traveled from Metru Nui to this bustling trade center. According to the Toa Nuva, the resistance had made its secret headquarters here, in the basement of a trader’s shop. Now they just had to find that shop, before Makuta’s enforcers found them.

“Ugh, look at the vehicle that merchant is selling,” said Nuparu. “Cheap materials, cheap construction. It’ll fall apart in a day! Forget Makuta, that’s the guy we should really be going after.”

“Calm your inventor’s pride, Nuparu,” said Jaller. “Tahu Nuva said that the shop was on this block. You need to use your mask and go find it. Got all that?”

He turned and found that Nuparu had already left.

“I guess he did,” said Kongu.

“Sit tight and wait for his report,” said Jaller. “Hewkii, put that rock down. This is no time to practice Kolhii.”

“It’s never a bad time to practice Kolhii,” said Hewkii with a cheeky grin. “Got to stay in shape. You never know when Makuta might challenge you to a Kolhii game, right?”

“For the last time, Hewkii, that was a ruse,” said Hahli. “He intentionally lost that game.”

“Oh, right, you were there, huh?” asked Hewkii. “Tell me, how did Makuta play? Did he focus on the offense, or was he more of a defensive player? Got any special techniques?”

“The glory-great team of Le-Koro would have ever-quickly beat him,” said Kongu. “Together, Tamaru and I are unbeatable!”

“Except by Ga-Koro,” said Hahli, smiling.

“You dark-cheated!” Kongu hissed. “I’m sure of it.”

Jaller sighed. “Strange. I could have sworn I was on a team of Toa, not bickering Matoran.”

“Well, you obviously remembered wrong,” said Nuparu, appearing out of the shadows. Jaller nearly jumped out of the alleyway in surprise. “The shop is three doors down, to the left. And that crook of a ship merchant is now short several hundred widgets.” He held up a bag of coins.

“Wonderful. I’m sure the good people of Stelt applaud your heroism,” said Jaller. “Do they know we’re coming?”

“Yep. They’ve opened the back entrance,” said Nuparu. “Follow me, team.”

The Toa Mahri crept down the alleyway to the designated shop. Inside, they found a peculiar gathering of rebels. Matoran, Toa, and Turaga of all elements were resting and talking with Vortixx, Skakdi, and even Dark Hunters. In one corner, a Toa was tending to a wounded Dark Hunter, and in another, a Vortixx was repairing a Skakdi’s weapon, free of charge. The sight was bizarre, but marvelous.

“Who’d have thought it would take Makuta to bring so many people together?” said Hahli.

Trinuma stood near the back of the crowd, reading over a report from the southern continent. Jaller approached and set down the bag of widgets on his desk. “Toa Mahri, reporting for duty.”

“Ah, Toa Nuparu,” said Trinuma. “Toa Takanuva has requested your help on Destral. You should rendezvous with him immediately.”

“Got it,” said Nuparu, and vanished into the crowd before Jaller could stop him.

“Now, Toa Jaller,” said Trinuma. “How dire is the situation in Metru Nui?”

“Dire enough that we couldn’t stay,” said Jaller. “Turns out Makuta has a new friend.”

Trinuma looked at him carefully. “And who is this ‘friend’ of Makuta’s?”

“Nektann,” said Jaller. “A Skakdi warlord. He flushed us out of hiding with Makuta’s Rahkshi, and he said he was coming for Zakaz next.”

“That’s an unsettling development,” said Trinuma. “Nektann is one of the most influential warlords on Zakaz. If he’s been swayed by Makuta, other Skakdi may follow.”

“When Nuparu’s mission is done, my team will be ready for action. What do you want us to do?”

“Go to Zakaz,” said Trinuma, “now. I’ll send Nuparu to join you later. You need to investigate the other warlords, and if any of them are planning to ally with Makuta, you need to take them down. When Nektann arrives, I want him to find no friends among his people.”

“Excellent,” said Jaller. “I look forward to showing Nektann the full strength of the Toa Mahri.”

“Great Spirit guide you on your mission,” said Trinuma. “The Skakdi may look and act like brutes, but they can be deceptively clever… and dangerous.”

“No one knows that better than we do,” said Jaller. “Come on, team. We’re going to Zakaz.”

✴        ✴        ✴

Deep in the darkness of a far-flung Bohrok nest, Kopaka Nuva withstood a blast of lightning with his Hau Nuva. Above him, the Krana Vu’s possessed Toa hovered in the air, fingertips still crackling with energy. “Submit, Toa,” she called in the nasal voice of the swarm. “We are your brothers and sisters. Join us and your destiny will be made clear.”

“My destiny is already complete,” said Kopaka. “But yours is still ahead of you. Fight the krana, sister Toa! You can break its hold!”

“No,” the Toa said, hovering before Kopaka. “She has submitted to the will of the swarms. Her transformation nears completion.”

This was going nowhere. “Where are the rest of your ‘kind’? The Bohrok?”

“Our work is never done,” replied the Toa. “The surface must be cleaned. All obstacles will be removed. Join us, and you will see the truth.”

“I have a better idea,” said Kopaka, and dropped the shield.

Immediately, the Toa fired a bolt of lightning. Kopaka interposed a sheen of ice, buying himself time to duck out of the way. Where the lightning struck, ice turned instantly to water vapor, dispersing into the chamber.

The Toa whirled, unleashing more lightning at Kopaka. He replied with more shields of ice, which turned instantly to steam and vapor. “Give up,” the Krana Vu said. “Your ice cannot stand against the raw power of lightning.”

Of course it can’t, smiled Kopaka. That’s the plan.

Kopaka kept up the game for several minutes. The Toa rained lightning down upon him, but he countered with only walls and shields of ice, never going on the offensive. As the fight went on, he felt the moisture building in the room, and saw water condense on his armor. The Krana Vu continued its attack, growing more and more relentless.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were getting agitated,” he said.

“You are only delaying the inevitable,” growled the Toa, breathing heavily. “Join your sister Toa, and submit to the will of the swarms!”

“I think not,” said Kopaka, and formed a sphere of ice around the Toa. Immediately, he saw lightning flash from inside, eating through the ice like nothing. In just a few moments, the Toa had turned his sphere of ice to a cloud of steam.

That was when he struck. With a fraction of his elemental power, he plunged the temperature of the chamber far below zero, freezing the moist air completely. The Toa stopped in mid-air, frozen inside a wall of solid ice.

“Typical Bohrok,” said Kopaka. “All the raw power of the elements, with no thought or creativity behind them. Just pure, destructive force.” He climbed up to the frozen Toa, and peeled the Krana Vu from her face. Keeping the krana pinned firmly in his hand, he carefully melted the ice around the Toa and lowered her to the ground.

“Wh…” the Toa mumbled, her eyes beginning to flicker open.

“Don’t worry,” said Kopaka, in the warmest tone he could muster. “You’re safe now.” He pulled the Kanohi Volitak from his satchel. “Here. Wear this.”

“My mask,” the Toa groaned, and reached feebly for the Kanohi. Kopaka gingerly clasped it to her face. Sparks shuddered through her form as her power returned to her. Kopaka stepped back, and gave her space to stand.

“It… it took my mind…” she stammered.

“But I defeated it,” said Kopaka, and held up the Krana Vu. “No need to worry.”

The Toa knocked the krana from his grasp. Before Kopaka could react, she blasted it with a powerful bolt of lightning, sending him staggering. She hurled another, and another, until the krana was nothing more than a smoldering mass of flesh. She glared at it until the last of the smoke had died out.

Kopaka waited for a long moment, then gingerly placed a hand on the Toa’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. My brother faced the krana as well. But he survived, and overcame its shadow. You can do the same.”

Kopaka waited. Finally, the Toa gave a long, shuddering sigh, and turned away from the ruined krana. “My name is Kopaka Nuva,” he said. “What’s yours?”

Still breathing shakily, the Toa answered, “Chiara. Toa of Lightning.”

“Do you have a team?” Kopaka asked. “Or a koro? Did the swarms take them, too?”

“No. No team, no koro,” said Chiara. “I work alone.”

Kopaka smiled. “I like you already.” He turned to venture down the tunnel. “Walk with me, Chiara. My work here is almost done.”