//------------------------------//
// Brink: Pieces of Fate 
// Story: Sons of Damas 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

	Jak decided to go after the closer part for the Eco Seeker that was further along the Brink, at a facility Phoenix identified as Outpost Epsilon.  From the outside, the structure seemed old and abandoned, built into a stone mountain on an island just outside a man made wall to keep the water in for use by humans, to keep it from spilling over the Brink.  As they approached closer, the 'abandoned' appearance was quickly lost, as fighters - whose was unknown at this distance - flew up to attack Jak's ship and the Pirate flagship.  Thankfully, there was an open hanger door, allowing Jak to land immediately rather than trying to fight his way through.  Keira and the as yet unidentified Dark Eco Sage arrived shortly after them on a separate ship, but at Jak's direction held back while his group took point.  "Let's see if we've got the right place," Jak murmured as he led the way to a massive door.

Shining and Daxter followed close at his heels, at his side as the door opened to reveal a path through a wilting, almost dead forest.  Not far along the path was another Precursor Totem.  "I'm guessing it is," Shining mused.  "We don't find those on wrong turns."

"I'd ask how the Precursors knew where to put all this stuff..." Daxter began irritably.  "But...Time Rings.  Causality doesn't really mean jack anymore."

"Nope," Shining teased back.  "Instead it means Jak!"

"You mean you think some further future Jak comes back in time to build this world, and knew where he'd find the powers, and thus knew where to place them?" Daxter demanded in shock.

"It could happen," Shining pointed out.  "Heck, maybe Jak will evolve into a Precursor Spirit late in life, and he's the spirit that gets housed here."

"Please stop talking," Jak whimpered softly.  "I don't want this discussion to make sense."

Chuckling, the group approached the Totem, and it promptly filled Jak and Shining with a mix of Green and Yellow Eco, unlocking the Eco Shield ability.  They quickly discovered that while it was similar to the Shield ability Jak had in his Light Form - and Shining's own magical shield - it could be generated while moving and inflict damage on enemies that made contact with it as well as deflect incoming attacks.  Jak could also sense other things the shield could do, but he'd need Keira's help unlocking those skills.

Another door blocked their path, but it was sealed tight.  Jak tried forcing the doors, but even with his enhanced abilities he wasn't able to break through.

"I bet I can crack the security system-" Keira began, carrying a device over to the keypad.

Jak caught her off guard as he held her back.  "There's a lot of Blue Eco in that panel," he warned.  "A lot more than it needs just to run."

"Sounds like some sort of electronic countermeasure," Keira murmured softly.  "I could have gotten a nasty shock.  Thanks."

As they were talking, the old Sage walked up to the keypad and silently input a code, causing the display to glow green and the doors to slide open.  He then walked straight in, as though in a trance.

"I get the feeling we aren't going to like what we see in here," Shining murmured softly.  In silent agreement, the group followed the old man in.

Unfortunately, other security systems triggered, once more separating Jak, Shining, and Daxter from Keira and the old man.  Keira was able to send some map details of an alternate path through which the two groups could meet up deeper in the facility.  Jak, meanwhile, began calmly and methodically tearing the control systems for the security systems out of the walls to bypass them.

After disabling the first security shield, the group was confronted by a pool of Dark Eco.  "That's going to be tough to cross-" Daxter began.

Jak waved his staff, and the pool parted, leaving a path of dry packed dirt across the gap.

"Or...not?" Shining asked, tilting his head.

"Apparently, Dark Control works on pure Eco as well," Jak explained, leading them across and using the same technique to tame a pair of Dark Eco wolf/porcupine mutants that started to lunge, but instead turned to lead the way inside.

As the facility seemed to be all but filled with pools of Dark Eco, the new use for Dark Control proved most useful, especially as the two mutants called their pack to them to assist in taking down the robots guarding the facility, ripping them limb from limb to clear Jak's path.  Other guard bots attempted to fire on the group from a distance, but Jak spun his staff to deflect the blasts right back at them, rendering them easy prey for the patrolling pack.  One robot managed to get close enough to Jak to grapple with him, only to find its motive force draining right out of its grip into Jak's body.

Seeing all this, Daxter whistled appreciatively.  "Damn, Jak!  You're unstoppable!"

"Not really," Jak countered.  "It's only the Dark Eco in everything making this so easy.  But we can think on that later.  Right now, we need to get to Keira."

As they explored, they were forced to blast their way through a couple walls in order to get where they were going, and there were a great many guards blocking the paths.  However, with every wolf/porcupine mutant they encountered immediately turning on the other hostiles at Jak's Dark Command, very few obstacles lasted long.  As they continued to fight through, however, something caught Daxter's attention about the 'robots'.

"Jak...don't these 'robots' seem kind of...organic?" he asked carefully.

"They do seem that way," Jak agreed, "but I tried Dark Control on them...and there was no mind to connect with.  What could cause that?"

"Well, they're super strong, ill tempered, long fingernailed..."  Daxter shuddered to himself.  "Sound familiar?"

Jak and Shining both shuddered as well.  "Yeah...it does," Shining agreed.  "All too familiar."

"But they're too far gone," Jak mused.  "There's nothing we can do for them...but end them."

It was a morose trio that caught up at long last to Keira and the old man.  Keira had a Precursor device in her hand.  "We got it Jak," she greeted, warmly but sorrowfully.  "But..."  She turned to the old man.

"It's all my fault, Jak," the old man offered sadly.  "The memories of this place are flooding back..."

"You're the Dark Eco Sage," Jak offered calmly.  "And you created this project..."

"Yes," the old man confirmed.  "The Dark Eco Warriors.  I thought...thought the plentiful, corruptive energy here on the Brink could be used to protect people, to make us stronger...keep us safe...but all it does is destroy, turn people into monsters.  I tried to build robots to take this facility back by force, to undo my mistake.  But I've failed..."

"And who commissioned the project?" Jak asked calmly.

"That would be me," Phoenix offered sadly as he entered the chamber.  "For Aeropolis."

"I wondered why you were so familiar with an Aeropan facility," Jak mused.  "Go on."

"I was once commander of the Aeropan Air Forces," Phoenix explained.  "I was put in charge of a secret weapons program to make a new class of warrior.  We were fighting a terrible war, and we were losing..."

"And you thought this was a way to win?" Jak asked calmly.

"No!" Phoenix snapped out.  "When I learned what they were doing - turning humans into monsters - I tried to stop the project, but Duke Skyheed wouldn't hear of it.  So I did the only thing I could think of...I kidnapped the program's chief scientist."  He turned to the Sage.  "Sorry old boy, but you took a bad bump on the noggin in the scuffle.  I marooned you on that island to hide your work from Skyheed."

"If you stopped it, why did we see the signs of Dark Eco corruption in every Aeropan in Aeropolis?" Shining asked firmly.

"Because I didn't stop it!" Phoenix growled.  "Skyheed just kept the research going, and now every Aeropan is infected with Dark Eco..."

"It's not too late to fix things," the Dark Sage spoke up.  "Have you seen what Jak is?  He is the Prism Sage, the Eco Master...and he has fully awakened to his true nature!  I came back here, unafraid...because I could see and feel it in him when he returned with the Light Eco for the Seeker.  If we can get him to the Eco Core...we can save everyone!"

"W...what do you mean?" Keira asked, startled.

"The Eco Core guides and controls all Eco on the planet!" the Dark Sage explained eagerly.  "Dark Eco is a natural part of the planet's energies, but one that can only be truly controlled by a fully awakened Prism Sage.  But the damage of the war with the Metalheads and others has weakened and corrupted it, as has the incomplete nature of the planet itself.  If a Green Sage can reenergize the Core to let it complete and repair the planet, Jak can link directly with the Core...and safely extract Dark Eco from every living thing on the planet, reversing the damage and restoring the purity of life!  And then Light and Dark Eco can be put back where both belong...in balance within the Core itself!"

"I'm not sure putting that kind of pressure on Jak's such a good idea..." Shining began worriedly, remembering how Jak had felt with all the pirates looking at him like he would fix everything.

"That's...wonderful!" Jak suddenly crowed out happily.

"Jak?" Keira gasped out in surprise as he turned, grabbed her by her arms, and spun her around in the air.

"Don't you get it?" he laughed out gaily.  "All this time, I've just been a warrior.  All I could do was stop the evil before it did more damage.  Help people control themselves before they could go too far down the wrong path.  But the scars of battle that had already happened, the damage I had to do to stop it...nothing could fix that.  But now?"  He suddenly pulled Keira into a deep kiss before pulling back, his eyes alight with joy and hope, glowing with power and emotion.  "I can fix it!  I can finally save people!  Everyone called me a hero before, but since Sandover I've never felt like one...and now I can be again!"

Daxter chuckled as Jak and Keira continued to cavort as the Dark Sage watched happily.  He then burst into laughter as he saw the look on Phoenix' face.