Chapter 7: Arrival
The room grew quiet as the meeting ended. Both Nach and Oti were visibly displeased with the outcome, but they had no choice except to follow the majority. Tera didn't care much either way. She just hoped whatever came of this wouldn't affect her or her people.
Bastian knew Aztec and Respen were disappointed too, though they hid it well. He just hoped they weren't plotting something.
Bang!
Nach's fist slammed the table hard, the sound echoing sharply. "Do what you want. Just don't be surprised when things go awry. The crater at the center of Tarok can attest to how truly evil these Reincarnators are. I will not make the same mistake I did last time," he said, standing abruptly. He stormed out of the room without a glance back.
The rest of the council didn't react. They rose one by one, bowed to Bastian, and left in silence. Respen paused at the door, glancing back at Bastian one last time before stepping out.
Soon, only Bastian and Tristan remained. Bastian leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "How tiresome. Sometimes I miss the days when all we had to worry about was competing against each other on missions. Why did we have to be such geniuses and advance so fast?" He pulled a jade coin from his pocket and let it float slightly above his palm.
Bastian was a genius in every sense of the word. At only thirty-four, his Shard had already reached stage five. He'd developed his unique ability the moment he got it—the power to control gravity. The elemental ability that came with the Shard was wind, and he used them together with ease. He was considered the second strongest Sentinel in this galaxy, and for good reason.
Tristan wasn't far behind. His Shard stood at stage four, like every other council member. He never gained a unique ability like Bastian, which was common, but he did receive four elements with his Shard instead of one, a rare feat. He was a prodigy in his own right.
Tristan just smiled. "I think leadership suits you well, Bastian. Also, you're the only genius in this room. I just had to try my best to keep up with you." He leaned back in his chair, stretching slightly.
"That was quite an interesting meeting, wasn't it, Bastian? Especially the part about the Renegade boy."
"Yes, it was," Bastian said, nodding once. "And thank you for backing me up, by the way. Like always."
"Anytime. Although I did find it strange how you cared more about the future of that boy, despite how much it displeased the council, over dealing with the fallout from the destruction of one of our most prized planets." Tristan's smile held steady as he watched Bastian. "You wouldn't happen to be planning something with him, would you, Bastian?"
Bastian's smile didn't falter. The jade coin still danced above his palm. "I wouldn't say that. This was merely an emergency meeting to get some things out of the way. We have to fully understand the scope of our current losses to know where we go from here. The Arbus matter could just be settled quicker, so I decided to focus on that." He stood up, brushing his hands together as he tucked the jade coin back into his pocket.
He locked gazes with Tristan for a few moments.
"You know me, Tristan. I'm simply doing what's right, and what I believe is for the greater good. I'm not one for ulterior motives," Bastian said, stepping toward the door.
"You should get some rest. I know I've been dumping too much work on you lately. I'll try to give you some free time, though that'll have to come after we've handled our current predicament." He walked out, closing the door behind him.
Tristan's smile faded as the door clicked shut. "You're right, Bastian. I do know you."
_____________
"Well, how does it feel? I know I'm a little taller, but I think my clothes should still fit you quite well," Bridge said with a smile. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Arbus try on some of his casual gear.
He'd been kind enough to let Arbus use the shower in his quarters to wash up. Arbus had still been covered in his own dried blood when they brought him in.
Yome had just told Bridge to watch him carefully after he suggested Arbus clean up, which surprised Arbus. He'd thought she'd disagree outright.
The Vanguard ship had landed on Paradis a few hours ago, settling near the Hold—the largest Tower on the planet that dominated the skyline with its imposing silhouette. they were told to wait for further orders.
"It's fine, thanks," Arbus said, adjusting the sleeves. "I'm a bit surprised you're helping me out so much, considering…"
"Considering what?" Bridge asked with a smile. "You just killed a Reincarnator. You should be getting a parade or something, considering the power difference. This is the least I can do."
Arbus didn't respond for a moment. "Seems like you don't care about the fact that I'm half human that much. That's a bit surprising for me."
Unlike most people Arbus had met, Bridge didn't have that instinctual fear or wariness he usually saw in others' eyes, not even a hint.
"Why would I care about that?" Bridge said, tilting his head, genuinely puzzled. "I'm someone who firmly believes the way you were born shouldn't define who you are if you don't want it to."
He straightened up a bit. "Just look at this crew. We're all red Mornans, the supposed weakest of our kind, yet we didn't let it define us. We still became Renegades and we're still fighting to rise up the ranks."
"Our Vanguard might seem a bit intimidating at first, but if you get to know her, you'll realize she's one of the most hardworking and inspirational Renegades in the organization."
"Without her, I'm not sure where we'd be."
"The point I'm making is that I know what you've experienced—though on a much smaller scale, I'm guessing. I wouldn't want to have that attitude toward anyone. At least not anyone who isn't an actual, full-blown Reincarnator." He finished with a smile.
Arbus just nodded.
After a few more minutes, Arbus and Bridge headed back to the common area of the ship.
The other members of the crew were there as well, waiting for further instructions.
Bridge, being as talkative as he was, had already told Arbus a bit about each of them.
Caster stood off to the side, a tall Mornan with blonde hair tied back loosely. His chest was wrapped in thick bandages under his shirt, the pulse blast from their last mission having seared through his suit and nearly killed him. He stood stiff and stoic, one hand braced against the wall for balance. Bridge said the only time he dropped the cool guy act was when their Vanguard was around.
Arya sat sprawled in a chair, her flowing dark hair draped over the backrest. She was the only other female Mornan besides Yome in the crew. According to Bridge, she usually had a jovial personality. She was adventurous and liked to have fun, at least when not on duty. She was also an excellent sniper.
Damian loomed near the wall, a towering old Mornan in a bulky white suit that hummed faintly with each shift. Bridge called him the teddy bear of the crew. He always tried his best to look after all of them, especially Yome, who had a knack for throwing herself into danger first to keep her crew safe.
Trix, a dark-haired teen, slept with his head slumped on the table beside Arya, his thin arms folded under him. He was the youngest member of the crew, and the one in charge of managing their tech and equipment. He had a natural talent with technology that could have easily earned him a place in the Renegades Mesh division. Unfortunately, he was not a fan of that idea and was far more interested in being a combatant instead.
And finally Kai, a Mornan with blue hair like Yome's, sat rigid at the table's edge. His gaze was fixed on Arbus with open hostility. Bridge had warned Arbus to stay clear of him. Kai was the quiet type who usually kept to himself, a habit the team had been trying to shake him out of. The only time he had a complete shift in attitude, was whenever they had a mission that had to do with groups connected to Reincarnators. During those missions he had nothing but hatred clouding his thoughts. Bridge didn't want to reveal too much about his friend's past so he just warned Arbus to be careful around him.
'How familiar,' Arbus thought with a faint smile. Bridge's attitude was still too foreign for Arbus to get used to. He was much more accustomed to dealing with things like Kai's hatred.
The others barely acknowledged his presence. Their Vanguard had clearly instructed them to limit interaction with him.
That was fine with him as well.
After a while, Yome emerged from her quarters. She'd been contacted personally by the Sentinel's assistant and ordered to bring Arbus into the Hold.
"Let's move out," she announced, her voice cutting through the quiet. "And remember to stay on your best behavior. We'll be meeting the Sentinel shortly."
The main hatch of the ship hissed open, revealing Paradis beyond—a bustling moon alive with chatter and motion. All sorts of species roamed the streets surrounding the Hold.
This unusual activity was only possible because of the Sentinel's uncommon approach. Unlike other Sentinels, he preferred to be closer to the people living on his moon. He permitted them to build whatever they wanted around the Hold, from homes to marketplaces.
After all there was nothing for him to be worried about.
The team and Arbus filed out into the streets of Paradis, disembarking from the ship.