Stealing

"Greetings, my friends. I have a job for you to do."

- Artorius, Stealing

Stealing is an Epic written by BZPower and C.I.R.C.L.E. member Tohunga Tahnok.

Prologue
The dark figure moved silently through the oppressive gloom. It was pouring rain from the heavens, turning the ground into a brown, mucky soup. The figure wasn’t hindered by the terrain, and simply continued to walk, his feet literally crushing the rock beneath him. A black cloak masked his face, although most of his mask, jutting out in smooth, wave-like protrusions, could have been viewed, if anyone was present that could see through the darkness. The figure however wasn’t hindered by lack of light. In fact, he drew strength from it. Not physical strength, there was nothing to glean from the shroud of darkness and water physically. It was his mental state that grew stronger. He loved the dark. It covered his red-flecked obsidian-colored armor like an invisibility spell. He relished the rain too, feeling every drop on his exposed organic tissue, what little of it still existed, that is. It filled him with euphoria, and made his bear-like saunter grow even more meaningful. As for provisions, the muscular, armor-covered being traveled light. On his back, he carried a large, two-handed sword that was about as long as a Toa was tall, and a spiked, red-tinted chain was tied around his broad chest. He had several stones, each a different hue and polish, in his right, bear-like hand. His destination was, like most aspects of his personality, well hidden. The rain was, in this aspect, a problem, as was the darkness, making the entrance to his concealed dwelling much harder to find. He hadn't visited this island in years, and as it was, the small, metal door in the ground was difficult to find. Still, though, he was determined, and the figure always got what he wanted when he was determined. It was, of course, one of his most defining qualities, among his lesser-known killing abilities, which, when you think about it, have simple explanations behind the "lesser-known" part. So, it was no surprise when he brought his foot down on the reinforced metal, as he had expected to all along. Unfortunately, it also had the small after effect of creating a considerable dent in the Protodermis hatch. "Karzahni!" the figure cursed in a very bear-like growl. In his anger, he reached down, and ripped the door right off of its' hinges, sending a small wave of mud into the room beyond. Cursing again, he jumped into the hole onto a flight of stone stairs. Once solidly on the ground, he jammed the door back into place, then slammed his fist into the dent, forcing the metal back up into shape. With that fixed, he turned, determination once again in his eyes, and began to walk down the muddy stairwell. The stairs didn't take long to traverse, and within a minute or so, he arrived at the bottom. The passageway opened out into a vast, blank chamber, completely devoid of decoration except for a small, protodite-infested table in the center of the room. When the dwelling had been well maintained, so long ago, the table had been a beautifully carved piece of the most expensive Bula wood available anywhere and coated with an exquisite onyx-colored varnish. But after decades of neglect however, the varnish had begun to flake off, and the wood was home to countless insects and rot. The same went for the chairs surrounding the table, but not, however, for the three figures sitting on them. The being known as Artorius finally smiled over the thought that they had all bothered to come to this secluded location in the first place. "Hello, my friends," Artorius growled cheerfully. The others remained silent, but turned their heads to stare at the hulking Makuta. The soft glow given off from their eyes did not waver in anyway and they did not blink. "Hmmm... Upset, are we?" Artorius asked in a coy whisper. "You said this island was uninhabited," the first being snarled. "I had to dodge at least forty Matoran just to find the outpost!" He then rose from his chair into the artificial light produced by a Lightstone. He was slightly shorter than Artorius, but much more muscular and was armor-clad in the deepest hue of cerulean that Artorius had ever seen. The being's yellow eyes were furious, and his hand twitched toward the double-crossbow slung across his back. His mask, jutting out in rounded, triangular-like shapes at the top, was distorted with anger. "Patience, Terraius. You would not want to try to shoot me with my back facing the opposite wall would you? " Artorius retorted, just as fiercely as the previous comments made by Terraius. "It would be a hazard to your health, so I say we leave it at that." "Perhaps we can begin, now?" implored the being that had been sitting next to Terraius. His armor was a forest green, and he had a tall, sinewy build like that of a tree. His mask was simple, looking very similar to a standard Kakama only it was missing the opened ridge at the top. "Artorius, Terraius, please take your seats." Terraius said nothing, but stormed back to his chair and sat down so violently it nearly cracked in two, meanwhile Artorius merely smiled, and sat down himself. "Brothers, and sister," he said, smiling again and nodding toward the third figure, "I have called you here for a reason." "That being?" the third figure asked with more than a hint of acid in her tone. She was covered in sleek, shining yellow armor that covered most of her thin, curved frame. Her legs were politely crossed, defying the look of her mask, which was curved into a mild scowl. "Perhaps I should rephrase myself," Artorius murmured, before aggressively slamming his fist down onto the table. "Shut up! Lose the attitudes, shut up, and listen!" Artorius growled violently. Quickly composing himself he continued in a much calmer fashion, "Now, as I was saying, I have a plan. A plan which requires some... additional help." "Why should we help you?" snarled Terraius. "I have work back at Destral, and I'm not in the mood to plunder some lowly little village." "If you would listen, you might find out," Arotius said through clenched teeth, his patience running thin. "Now Gahnges, I have your payment, which I have generously doubled, considering that you were the only one who asked, but before I give it to you, I need to know the condition of The Ouir Nui Deathbringer?" The Ouir Nui Deathbringer had once been a Matoran cargo airship under a different name that the Makuta had captured while it made a routine trip to the Dome of Kemet Nui. They had plundered the goods, slaughtered the crew, and took it back to Destral, where it was given to Gahnges, head of the Brotherhood's Transportation Division. "It was damaged during a patrol of the Isle of Visorak, but repairs won't take long," said the green-armored Makuta, satisfied that he had earned his pay. "If you can get it to me by a week from tomorrow, I'll pay triple the original offer," Artorius said nonchalantly. "Deal! Just pay me up front so that we can have a solid foundation to work from," demanded Gahnges. Artorius chuckled, and dropped the polished stones that he'd been carrying into Gahnges' eagerly waiting hand. "Each stone is worth four-thousand widgets and there are five of them. If you attempt to sell them, don't take anything less than ten-thousand." Artorius suggested. He then turned to Terraius. "From you I need some minions, beings who love fighting and can die without anyone shedding a tear in their name." "Skakdi?" offered Terraius. "I was thinking more Mana-Ko, but Skakdi will do just fine." "Wait what's my motivation? I have had just about enough of being asked to provide services to you for nothing!" Terraius bellowed. "I pay you with every moment that I restrain myself from activating my mask," Artorius retorted, which for the most part was true. The only one known to be in existence, the Kanohi Keemaru, Great Mask of Confusion that Artorius wore allowed him to temporarily distort a target's sense of time and place, effectively erasing their short-term memories, opening them up to the false memory suggestions of the user. "I could kill you right now," hissed Terraius as he leaned forward to the point where his mask and Artorius' were almost touching. "Get out of my face," hinted Artorius. "Make me." Artorius looked up at Terraius' last comment and his mask glowed a dark red as Terraius' eyes went blank. "You were going to the place that I put in your head and will come back when it is halfway level to the ground," Artorius commanded. Terraius nodded, and then disappeared, having activated his teleportation power. "Where did you send him?" asked Gahnges, acting somewhat more timid than only a few minutes earlier. "There is an island to the west of here, called Fennal Nui. He's headed for a Matoran village on the western coast," Artorius replied. "Toa?" inquired the yellow-armored figure. "Four of them, lead by a Toa of Insects," he answered, turning his full attention to the amber-clad being. "Lerra, I called you here because we need a Chronicler of sorts, someone to write down the entire plan, starting with the day it was initiated," Artorius finished quietly. "Payment?" Lerra asked, which was bold considering what had just happened to Terraius. "You will get payment eventually, but in the meantime, your work can begin," hedged Artorius. Lerra nodded, and withdrew a blank clay tablet and a stylus from her pack. "Fellow Makuta, this is going to be an extraordinary day. I will set forth a plan that could quite possibly alter the course of history for the remainder of time," came Artorius' loud and bold introduction. He withdrew a roll of parchment from his own pack and unrolled it, revealing a map that displayed an island, triangular-like in shape, but slightly rounded, and surrounded by multiple, smaller islets. Nine locations were readily visible, each bearing the name of a village. "My plan starts here," Artorius smiled, "the Isle of Resi Nui.

Chapter One
The morning started, as most mornings did, quite normally. Matoran awoke in their wooden huts, emerged into the streets of Ina-Koro, and began the morning shifts of work. The dawn light bathed the village in its' soft, yellow glow, allowing for the duties of every villager to begin unhindered. Off to the west, the sunlight lit up the Kush River, along which the village of Ina-Koro was built. Soon, the sound of stone hammers and transport carts filled the air. And no one was enjoying the normal morning more than Turaga Persh. Turaga Persh rose from his sleeping pallet, having slept dreamlessly, yet deeply. He smiled, feeling surprisingly gleeful. He reached out for his Javelin Staff, which was propped up on the wall next to him, and quickly draped his cape, bearing the colors of Resi Nui, over his thin shoulders. The cloak was ancient, and had begun to tear in certain places, however Persh wasn't concerned in the least. It still did the job of covering his lime and yellow armor, plus it was extremely comfortable. "Now, now, let's see..." he wondered outloud as he quickly hobbled over to his tablet shelf. He fingered each one on the fourth shelf from the bottom fairly quickly, then pulled a tablet out from its' place. He rapidly read over its' contents, a record of the Resi Nui population, then secured it under his shoulder before walking out into the main entryway of his dwelling. The main hall was enormous, to say the least. The main doorway was located at the far eastern end and opened onto the streets of Ina-Koro. On each side of the hall were entryways into multiple tablet storage areas and a library was located on the upper level, which had no interior walls, allowing for the second floor to be viewed from the ground level. The walls of the lower level were draped with banners, each displaying their own set of colors and a map of one of the nine Resian villages. Persh laughed to himself as he recalled the first visitor he'd ever had to the hall. "You have so many tablets, Turaga. I'm surprised." "I enjoy reading very much." "Turaga?" asked a quiet voice from the railing of the library above. "Yes, Kanna?" the Turaga asked, turning to face his Ga-Matoran assistant. "I’ve just received updates from the other village leaders and have compiled it into a single status report," Kanna half-sighed. Her sky blue Kakama was curved in a very slight frown and her eyes avoided contact with Persh's. "Is there something wrong?" Persh asked worriedly. "No Turaga, I'm just not feeling like myself lately," Kanna admitted. "Well, no sense just standing there and being bored. Can I see the report?" Persh requested. Kanna nodded quickly, and ran towards the stairway. "Is there anything interesting on this report? Or will I have to read about the increase of rainy days in Nentchā-Koro again?" Persh asked jokingly as an out-of-breath Kanna reached the bottom of the staircase. "I... hope... not... Turaga," she huffed in between her short, exaggerated breaths, causing Persh to laugh heartily. "Kanna, Kanna. Perhaps agreeing with everything I say isn't working for you after all," Persh joked. Kanna had opened her mouth to retort, but Persh cut her off with a simple hand gesture. "The tablet, please," he asked. Kanna nodded and handed him the Protodermis slab. The Turaga grasped it in his right hand as he passed the other tablet that he'd been carrying to Kanna. "As you can see sir, things are going relatively normal on the mainland and islets alike," Kanna guaranteed. "It appears that you are correct," Persh confided. "The only thing that I can categorize as 'out-of-place' is the increased water levels at Tahena." "We're lucky then, I guess?" Kanna said cheerfully. "Yes, I daresay we are," he replied. "Now, perhaps you should go enjoy these rising water levels with your canoe for yourself? Tahena is only seventeen kio from here, as long as you avoid any tributaries and keep to the Kush River." Persh paused, admiring the irony of this advice for his adviser. "Turaga... are you sure? I still have to sort through some orders from the Crystal Mines, an–" Persh cut her off again with another quick hand gesture. "You Kanna, are one of the most hardworking Matoran I know, and believe me, I know many, many Matoran." His tone displayed a mockingly stern voice that caused Kanna to blush, but before she could interject herself, Persh continued, "so don't view this as a vacation then, perhaps consider it... an assignment?" "Turaga?" "Yes, that is my title. Still though, if you really enjoy it that much, I assure you that the work will remain here for you tomorrow when you return," he said as he chuckled to himself. "Ummm... yes Turaga, I'll accept this 'assignment'," said Kanna as she finally, reluctantly agreed. "Good. I'll hope to see you tomorrow morning then," Persh replied quietly. "Now, may I please have my tablet back?" "Just one quick question before I go. Why were you reading this one in the first place?" Kanna asked. "Oh, nothing specific really. I just like to see for myself how far our civilization has come. Now, may I have it back?" Persh requested for the second time. Kanna quickly placed Persh's tablet back in his waiting hand and rushed out the doorway. After waiting several minutes to make sure she had gone, Persh turned back to the report she had presented to him. Unexpected delivery to Crystal Mines yesterday afternoon. Unidentified Airship involved. No crew aboard vessel. Persh read those same three sentences over and over for several minutes before placing the tablet on the small, wooden table next to him. He quickly strode out the door of his dwelling, locking it behind him. Once in the streets, he couldn't help but feel the amazement that came with the village itself. The brown dirt roads were flooded with Matoran of every hue and type, plus the size and sheer number of shops, houses, and stalls was overwhelming. Still though, Persh wasn't about to let himself be overwhelmed with wonder in a city that he had built. Without hesitating, he headed north from his dwelling towards the Ina-Koro Wharf, where his personal vessel would be waiting in dry-dock for him. I wonder, Persh thought to himself, what this unexpected delivery could be? -........- Several Hours Later... Artorius peered out through the thick, hazy fog of the Kush Nui coastline. Nearby, a small ship that was painted red and green along each side with a strip of gold down the center was tied off to a log, which he had jammed into the ground. After meeting with his three fellow Makuta and arranging his plan to be set in motion, Artorius had waited on the island until he was ready to leave. Just three days ago, he had sent the airship that had been borrowed from Gahnges, The Ouir Nui Deathbringer, to the Isle of Resi Nui on autopilot. At first he had thought of taking the ship himself but ultimately decided it would have aroused too much suspicion. Quietly, he lifted his head up through the layer of fog to gaze out at the sea. The journey from Kush Nui to Resi Nui would take several weeks, but he had no fears about the possible disappearance of his cargo during that time. After all, he thought with more than an ounce of smug satisfaction, who would get rid of free 'storage pods'? After gazing towards the waves of silver Protodermis for what felt like ages, he composed his thoughts and stalked off towards his ship. Unlimbering his sword, he easily sliced through the tether holding it in place. Before it could drift away, he leaped up, grabbed onto the bowsprit, and before it could crack under his weight, swung himself up onto the main deck of the ship, right next to the steering wheel. Artorius then easily shifted the boat towards the east and began his journey out of the Dome of Kemet Nui. "Soon, very soon, all who look upon me will do so with fear," he muttered. His plan would not fail. It could not fail.

Chapter Two
As a Matoran, Crendas had seen an almost excruciating number of puzzling things in his lifetime, such as a boat carrying the corpses of nearly forty Doom Vipers, or the cargo airship containing only ten cases of a fruit that exploded when eaten. And no one could forget the time when he slipped on an ancient Kanohi Toltac that had been smuggled onto the Isle of Resi Nui by a trader from a neighboring Dome. Yes, Crendas was a risk taker, and risk always seemed to find him, so it was no surprise to the Ba-Matoran when Turaga Persh arrived at his office, bearing a look of obvious doubt on his face. "Hello, Turaga. Can I help you?" Crendas asked politely, hoping silently that he wasn't in any form of trouble. He quickly brushed some stray patches of dust from his black and yellow armor before looking back to the Turaga. "Hello, Crendas. You are the overseer now, aren't you?" Persh asked, extending his fist. "Yes, sir," Crendas replied, returning the gesture by bumping his fist with Persh's. "I was promoted just last week, but how did you know my name?" "I read about it in a news report," chuckled Persh. "Anyway, I'm here because of a delivery that occurred recently." "I'm sorry, Turaga, but you'll have to be more specific. We get hundreds of deliveries every day. Mining equipment, food, Lightstones," Crendas rose from his swivel chair. "Anything and everything really." "I received a report detailing an unexpected delivery by airship," Persh clarified. "Oh, that. Well, Turaga, the ship that docked was carrying a lot of items in the cargo bay. Most of it wasn't equipment for mining at all. Still, though, there were some things..." "What did you receive?" Persh asked, his voice rising. "About three-hundred storage pods, Turaga," quickly replied Crendas. "Storage pods?" "Yup. We use 'em to store raw crystal deposits until they're shipped out to be polished and sold around the universe," Crendas smiled eagerly. Storage pods were really quite useful and this description had been the best he'd drafted yet. "Interesting..." Persh mused. He closed his eyes and began muttering to himself at a rate Crendas couldn't keep up with. After a minute, Persh looked up again. "Could you show me these devices?" he asked in a 'this-is-not-a-question' tone of voice. "Of course Turaga, I'd be glad to," Crendas acknowledged. Then he quietly crossed the room and stopped short in front of a painting depicting the silhouette of a Toa. "Is there a safe behind that picture? I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I've seen one of those fail in a robbery," Persh lamented. "There is no safe behind this picture," Crendas retorted before pulling a key out of his pack, sliding it into a slot in the top of the frame, and turning a metal latch. Click. The painting slid open, revealing to Persh's utter amazement, a safe. "But there is a safe inside the picture," finished Crendas. "Brilliant idea, Crendas!" Persh replied, grinning wildly. "I won't tell a soul." Crendas beamed as well while he pulled a ring of keys from the safe before closing the compartment and stowing the safe key back in his pack. "I'm counting on that, Turaga. All the keys to the Crystal Mines are in this safe. Now, if you will just follow me," he gestured before striding out of the room. Persh wheeled on his heels and followed. Once outside the office, the sound almost overwhelmed the Turaga of Elasticity. Crendas' office had obviously been fitted with soundproof panels, but near the opening to the mines, the sound of equipment was staggering. "You might want to put on a pair of ear protectors! It keeps the sound out!" Crendas yelled over the din of the machinery as he handed Persh a small pair of circular-shaped leathers. Persh took the protectors from Crendas and fit them snugly over his ears. The sound immediately became almost inaudible. "Don't you need a pair of these?" Persh asked, yelling despite the seemingly quiet atmosphere. "Nah! I'm used to the sound!" Crendas yelled back before striding down the tunnel towards a small, metal hatch. Crendas took one of his keys, slid it into the lock, turned it, and pushed the hatch open. To the Turaga, the sound only increased by several decibels. To Crendas, however, the sonic blasts were tremendous, not that he noticed however. He had worked in the mines all his life and the sound was nothing new to him. He looked over his shoulder to make sure that Persh was still with him, and strode down into the constantly enlarging catacombs of the Resi Nui Crystal Mines. Mata Nui make sure that Turaga Persh doesn't get lost in here, thought Crendas as he glanced around the dim Lightstone-lit caverns before leading the way forward. After sometime it seemed to Persh as if he was staring into nearly pitch-black tunnels. Although he had ordered the mines to be established, he had never gone this deep inside. It was only every few bio that a Lightstone would peek down from the ceiling, therefore it made most of the tunnel nearly impossible to see in. Twice, already, he had almost gotten separated from his guide. "You see," Crendas yelled over the clamorous purr of the mining equipment. "The mines are a very dangerous place! You always have to be on the lookout for anything that could kill you!" Crendas' eyes wandered from the Turaga to a pair of nearby Matoran. Their backs were slumped against the wall and they were chatting loudly, their mining tools strewn out across the tunnel. "Just a moment," Crendas fumed, walking over to the two Matoran. At first Persh thought that they were both Ki-Matoran, but upon closer inspection he realized that what he had taken for white armoring was actually pale purple. Matoran of Power Scream, Persh though to himself as Crendas stomped back from lecturing the two lazy workers. "Problem solved, Turaga," nodded Crendas before turning towards yet another tunnel. "The storage units are down this w–" Crendas was cut off by a Matoran who was running up from the tunnel. "RUN! EVERYONE RUN! THE TUNNEL IS COLLAPSING!" he bellowed without ever stopping or hesitating in his retreat. Behind him came an entire swarm of Matoran of varying colors and hues and behind them came a torrential rain of soil, dirt, and rock as the ceiling progressively collapsed. The tunnel was filled with terrified screams as the workers fled their individual stations, heading for the surface. Crendas was swept up in the rushing horde and the frail leader of Resi Nui was left to face his own fate. "Mata Nui," Persh whispered in the now silent tunnel. Then came the feeling of being lifted airborne, followed by nothing but darkened silence.

Chapter Three
" 'scuse me! Pardon me!" Rohn interjected haphazardly as he slid through the immense crowd outside the Crystal Mines. All around him, the dazed and frightened miners congregated, talking loudly to each other. Some were sitting on the ground, breathing deeply and noisily, while others simply stood in terror as they tried to piece together in their heads what had happened below the surface. I have to find Crendas, and I need to do so quickly, the Matoran of Fire thought to himself, looking anxiously through the crowd for his friend. As one of the supervisors of the mine, Rohn knew better than to allow worry to overcome him. Instead, he drew the collar of his white and orange decorated cape further up his neckline, and walked onwards through the panicked crowd. Rohn looked behind him, towards the sealed-off entrance to the mining tunnels. He knew that at that very moment off-hand personnel were evacuating the miners from the unaffected tunnels, some most likely against their will. The mines were like a second home for many of the workers. Why, even his friend Crendas worked outrageously long hours at the mines, although those hours had been shortened ever since the Ba-Matoran had been promoted out of the dank, dangerous tunnels. Despite the risks, though, neither Crendas, nor Rohn, nor any other worker in the Crystal Mines, ever shied away from their job. Even when some of us should have, Rohn thought to himself. Not that he was ever in any colossal danger after all. In truth, being the Regional Overseer wasn't a very dangerous, nor rewarding, position. Rohn clenched his fists in worry. Where was Crendas? He had seen him entering the mines just earlier that day. A sudden, alarming thought struck him. ''Suppose Crendas hadn't exited the mines? Is he still down there? Kio from the surface? Trapped? Possibly dead?'' Rohn shook those thoughts from his mind. No, Crendas is alive, he has to be. But it was not that Rohn was particularly worried about Crendas being dead. There had been plenty of cave-ins before, it was a part of life for the miners. Then again, Rohn wasn't specifcally a miner, so he never knew how bad the other cave-ins were, but Crendas had always been alive after the fact before, so Rohn continued his search to find him. "You better show up, you heaping pile of rock-bones," Rohn muttered under his breath, continuing to shoulder through the crowd outside the entrance to the mining shaft. -.......- Terraius pounded on the reinforced metal of a Protodermis door, creating several small dents in the inch-thick plating. This far down below the surface in an unstable mine, he couldn't afford to take the time required to crack the access codes for the door. Lying beside him was the frail figure of an unconscious Turaga whose heartlight was flashing ever so faintly, but Terraius didn't even bother seeing if Resi Nui's leader was okay. "I don't even have time for the life of a petty Turaga," Terraius muttered forcefully under his breath, emphasizing his sentence with another powerful slam to the door. Shaking his head in frustration, he channeled his Shattering Power into his fist, and then delivered one last powerful blow, shattering the door completely. Throwing the Turaga over his shoulder, he strode into the room beyond. The quake he had generated earlier with his Mask of Tectonics had severed the cables that provided electricity to the lighting fixtures on the ceiling of the storage chamber. Luckily, he had come prepared with a freshly mined Lightstone. The implement cast an eerie glow, revealing the rows upon rows of storage pods that Artorius had shipped in weeks earlier. Well, at least most are storage pods, thought Terraius as he began to search the metal containers in an attempt to find the slight difference that were ever so distinctive and absolutely vital to this phase of Artorius' mission. Terraius had paid a price for defying Artorius and he was eager to avenge himself, but for now, it was best to stay under the searchlight. After several minutes of intense speculation and searching he found what he had been looking for. Grasping several "storage pods" from the racks, he set them face down on the ground in front of him. With that, he opened his mind and allowed his telepathic abilities to take over. Artorius, I have found them, Terraius called through the void to the Makuta of Resi Nui. Silently he awaited a reply. After a few moments, he knelt down to open the first of the containers, just as Artorius answered. I'm on my way, was the only reply Terraius received. Satisfied, he sat down on the ceramic-tiled floor to wait. This time Terraius didn't have to wait long. Just as he had finished kneeling down, a loud popping sound startled the Makuta of Fennal Nui, forcing him back on his feet. Artorius had arrived. "Greetings Terraius," Artorius grinned, although it was obvious to the Makuta that he was faking it. "Stop trying to upset me, and help open these stasis pods," Terraius snarled back. Dropping the act, Artorius curled his lips into a sinister scowl. Brushing past his dark blue armored accomplice, Artorius knelt down next to one of the pods. "Do you have the Turaga?" he asked mildly. "Yes, I have the Turaga. Oh, and if you're wondering, there is a single Skakdi in each container." Artorius opened his mouth to ask another question, but before he could speak, Terraius cut him off. "Yes, I had them each sign the contract." "I see that you came prepared," Artorius growled. "A pity, I'd hoped to use my mask." "I don't care what you do to them," Terraius replied, recalling their previous meeting. "No, you don't," Artorius mused darkly agreeing. Turning back to the pods, he began rapidly entering five-digit numbers into each number lock mechanism. One at a time, the devices began to hum loudly and then turned green after the correct set of numbers was entered. "Perhaps you would like to do the honors of opening them?" Artorius suggested. Terraius advanced to a position beside Artorius with the unconscious Turaga still slung over his shoulder. Bracing the Lightstone in his teeth, he grasped two handles, one on each side of a closed hatch, and proceeded to open the four pods in sequence. "What about the Turaga?" Terraius asked, as the quartet of Skakdi arose from their stasis. "Give him to me, I need to inform him of something," Artorius replied nonchalantly, quickly pushing Terraius backward and lifting the Turaga from his shoulders. It took every ounce of self-control for Terraius not to strike Artorius in the head. Artorius then addressed the Skakdi, "Greetings, my friends. I have a job for you to do."

Chapter Four
Shait was immensely displeased. Being the Captain of the Tahena Guard, she was responsible for the technology and military hub of Resi Nui, as well as the surrounding area. This included the Crystal Mines. The mines were always suffering minor collapses, thirteen having been categorized as such in the past year. But the emergency call she had received this time around had sounded far worse. According to her contact in the organization running the Crystal Mines, there were ten deaths already confirmed, and many more were expected. Unwilling to take any chances, she promptly activated two riot control squadrons and a rescue team to hasten all rescue operations and control the miners. Then, she took a transport to the Tahena military airport, hopped into her personal craft, The Red Solstice, and took off for the mines. Her urgent thoughts were cut off by the sharp sound of the on-board computer: "APPROXIMATELY THREE MINUTES UNTIL ARRIVAL AT TARGET DESTINATION. PLEASE PREPARE FOR LANDING." "I’ve been ready, you unobservant piece of junk," the Matoran of Fate muttered under her breath. Normally, she would have been calm, closed her eyes, and tried to get a minute of sleep before landing. In this situation however, it was impossible. Nearly a dozen deaths? That many casualties in the mine were unheard of. True the mines were a dangerous place, but no more than one death had ever occurred from any given incident in the past. In order to calm herself, Shait began to drum her fingers on her armrest, a nervous habit she’d had for years. "Once I’m there, I’ll meet with the Overseer," she told herself. "I’ll try to see if there could be an explanation already. Then, I’ll order a quarantine until reconstruction’s concluded." She shook her head in worry. Never ever had she felt more bereft than she did now. She didn’t even know why she was so worried. Cave-ins were cave-ins, like she told new recruits, they were never very serious. "ONE MINUTE UNTIL ARRIVAL AT TARGET DESTINATION," the computer reminded Shait. Cursing to herself, she reached in front of her and pressed a series of buttons, muting the onboard computer. "If this isn’t as bad as Retek said it was, one thing’s certain, I’m going to punch him in the mask," Shait mumbled under her breath as The Red Solstice began its’ descent towards the Crystal Mines. _........_ Crendas blinked wearily. He couldn’t remember anything from the moment when he woke up that day. It was dark, leading him to assume night had already fallen. Yet he wasn’t in his house, lying peacefully on his sleeping pad, nor was he doing the final rounds of inspection deep within the bowels of the Crystal Mines. So where was he, exactly? I must be dreaming, he thought to himself, the ethereal voice created by his thoughts echoing in his conscious mind. I... I must be at my home. But the false front he projected failed to convince him of that fact. He could feel his heart racing, and lashed out with his hands, trying to find a material object to grasp hold of, although nothing presented itself to him. Cautiously, he attempted to stand up, only to realized he couldn’t feel his legs. What is wrong with me? Crendas asked himself. Where am I? As if to answer his question, a small pinprick of light appeared, just at the edge of his peripheral vision. Crendas strained his neck to see the emerging brightness, but couldn’t move his neck. Slowly, the pinprick began to get larger, and brighter. ''Am I dying? Was I hurt somehow, beyond the point of life?'' Crendas asked himself worriedly, as the orb of luminescence grew steadily larger. He severely hoped this was not the case. He had yet to achieve his goals in life, had yet to experience the things he desperately wanted to experience. Suddenly, without warning, the orb of light rushed forward. With a soft, whooshing sound, Crendas was thrust back into a grim reality. The suddenly intense light, followed by a plethora of sounds he could not distinguish, accompanied by the return of his recent memories, shocked the Ba-Matoran to the core. He could not help but scream. He shrieked for nearly fifteen whole seconds before exhausting himself. Darting his head in every direction, he tried to make sense of what had just happened? "Hey! He’s awake!" a voice sounded from nearby. He heard approaching footsteps as a Matoran, clad in blue-grey armor, rushed to his side. "Are you okay? You sure scared the living daylights out of us," he said in a measured monotone. "Where am I?!" Crendas unintentionally yelled, causing the Matoran in front of him to flinch violently. "You’re in the Crystal Mines. Well, outside of them, actually. There was a cave-in, and we were sent to help. We carried you into this makeshift medical room, and are awaiting the return of medical transports," the corpsman replied. "Am I okay?" Crendas asked, calmer now. "You? You’re fine, you just got knocked unconscious earlier. But others haven’t been so lucky. There are twelve confirmed fatalities, can you believe it?" the medic sounded bewildered and Crendas couldn’t blame him. Cave-ins were usually minor events. Twelve deaths were certainly not minor. "Is he stable?" a new voice cut out from the edge of the room. Crendas tilted his head to see a female Matoran, clad in yellow and magenta armor, enter the room and walk towards him. Probably just security or rescue, Crendas thought. "Who are you?" he asked. "My name is Shait. I’m the Captain of the Tahena District. Great, worse. "Is there something I can help with?" Crendas inquired. "Yes, actually. A Ta-Matoran tried to gain access to the med-center without authorization earlier. He knocked several of my men out cold claiming to have been looking for you. You’re Crendas, right?" Shait asked. Much worse. "Yeah, that’s me. The other guy’s name is Rohn, isn’t it?" "Precisely." "Let me talk to him. Rohn’s a rebel. He’s never cared much for the law enforcement system. Nor the law for that matter," Crendas explained. "Then come with me," Shait instructed, motioning him to follow her. Crendas awkwardly swung his legs down onto the cold dirt, and followed the Ma-Matoran, working out the kinks in his joints as he left the medical tent. _........_ Rohn was not having a very good day. To start with, part of the Crystal Mines had collapsed and twelve miners had been killed in the fallout. As if that was enough to guarantee a quarantine for the next several months, then his friend, Crendas, had gone missing. After several minutes of wandering around the mine entrance, he found that Crendas had been taken to a nearby medical tent. The guards refused to allow him entrance, and so he kind of knocked that guard out cold in sheer anger and maybe a few others, he couldn’t be sure.  Now, he was being held in a makeshift jail cell, waiting to be transported out to the Tahena Prison. To make matters worse, it seemed he had punched a fairly high-ranking guardsman in the face. Rohn was embarrassed beyond belief. Not that it would matter at his hearing. "Hey! Hey, you." Rohn called out to the nearest guard. The Matoran sighed, and turned toward him. "What do you want, convict?" he asked icily. "I just wanna know if the possibility exists that I can get something to drink?" Rohn replied, keeping his voice calm. He had already formulated a way out of his cell. He just needed to make sure the guard would fall for his idea. "Should I care if you’re a little thirsty, hot-head? Seems to me you’ll be getting three square meals a day within the month," he shot back at the Matoran of Fire. "I wouldn’t be so sure. On the off-chance I don’t get sent to prison, I’d like to leave at least a little hydrated," Rohn countered. Sighing once more, the guard turned away. "Don’t go anywhere," he ordered, walking out the door. "Not that I have a choice," Rohn growled back. Within minutes, the guard had returned. "There you go," he said, reaching in through the bars to give Rohn some water. Then, Rohn struck. It took less than a second. The Ta-Matoran lashed out, grabbing the guards’ hand, and pulling his mask into the reinforced ProtoSteel bars. The guard let out a stifled gasp of pain, then fell to the ground, unconscious. "Now then, the tricky part..." Rohn mused, reaching out through the bars to try and grasp the keys lying on the ground next to the guard’s body. Straining his muscles to the limit, he managed to grab the ring. After a moment of searching, he found the correct key, slid it into the lock of his cell, and opened it. Within another moment, he was free. It was also at that moment that Crendas and a Ma-Matoran, whom Rohn had never met, walked in. "Rohn!" Crendas exclaimed, looking at the collapsed Matoran next to his friend, "What did you do?" "I got myself out," Rohn said casually. "Rohn, you moron, I was coming to pay your bail!" Crendas yelled. Rohn blinked, swallowed, and turned to the Matoran next to Crendas. "So who’s your friend?" he asked. "The name’s Shait. I’m the Captain of the Tahena Guard," the Matoran of Fate replied in an all-too-familiar military fashion. "Well, now. I see that you’ve caught me, which is good for you," Rohn replied, exchanging glances between his Ba-Matoran friend. "Unfortunately, I disagree with your obvious conclusion, and therefore I mus-" Rohn cut himself off, as he tried to run past the two Matoran blocking his path. Crendas and Shait reacted in unison, grabbing his arms, ignoring his protests, and dragging him back into the tent. "Listen, convict, I could have fifteen armed personnel surrounding you within the minute, so you’d better cooperate!" Shait threatened, removing her pistol from the holster around her waist and pointing it at Rohn’s mask. "You think that pistol is gonna scare me?" Rohn asked maliciously, struggling against Crendas’ iron-strong grip. "Well I’ve had thirteen criminal charges brought against me since I came here, and in each one, Turaga Persh himself has testified in my favor. So what now, Miss Matoran with a Pistol?" In that instant, a final memory clicked inside Crendas’ mind. Turaga Persh is still inside the mines! he screamed inside his mind, letting go of Rohn’s arm in the process. "Shait! Shait, I need to ask you something," he said urgently. Shait never lowered her pistol from its’ target of Rohn’s mask. "What do you need?" she asked. "Did the rescue teams pull anyone else out from the mines?" Crendas asked. "No, not yet. Why?" "Shait, I was in the mines with Turaga Persh. He’s down there right now!"