Chapter 8: Sentinel
Arbus studied his surroundings as they stepped off the Vanguard ship. Beside it sat other vessels, mostly massive ones belonging to Commanders stationed here.
That was only natural, since no Vanguard or even Captain usually had business in the hold.
The docking area stretched far into the distance, filled with thousands of vessels of varying sizes. The standard-issue Commander ships dominated the space, their uniform designs creating an almost military precision to the rows. The smaller ones belonged to those in the higher Administrative position, or the more essentric Commanders that bought their own ships instead of using the standard ones.
Seeing the ships brought back a flood of memories for Arbus. This wasn't his first time on Paradis. He'd been brought here before, years ago, under far worse circumstances—locked in a holding room on his own grandfather's ship.
That day was still quite fresh in his mind. The day he realised that Reincarnators were truly evil and couldn't be reasoned with. The day he had gained his immortality, that was still struggling to keep him alive in that moment. The day he'd lost his best and only friend.
Beyond the docking area, the streets around the Hold hummed with life.. Thousands of beings from across the system crowded the pathways between colorful market stalls and entertainment venues. Vendors shouted their wares, everything from "authentic Sentinel memorabilia" to exotic foods from all seventy planets. Tourists gawked upward, their recording devices capturing images of the Hold towering above them. Hotels and restaurants competed for business, their signs promising the best views or most authentic experience of Paradis. Between these commercial establishments stood residential structures, stacked high and packed tightly together. The homes of those privileged enough to live in the shadow of the star system's most powerful figure.
Arbus and the Vanguard team headed inside the Hold after the Guards on duty confirmed their identities.
The ground floor of the Hold was a marvel of engineering. The ceiling soared hundreds of meters above them, with transparent lifts shooting up and down through vertical shafts embedded in the walls. Officials in administrative Renegade uniforms hurried across the polished floor, their footsteps echoing in the massive chamber. Holograms projected the status of all 70 planets and over 100 civilised moons and asteroids that fell under the Sentinel's jurisdiction. Each display showed population figures, possibly compromised planets, and resource metrics updated in real-time.
This 300-floor tower was the nerve center of the star system, where decisions for over a trillion lives were made. The lower floors handled public affairs and basic administration. The higher levels, restricted to all but the highest-ranking officials, contained the command centers and living quarters of the administrative elite. And at the very top, unreachable to all but those specifically summoned, was the Sentinel himself, the strongest man in the Star system.
Arbus was the only one who had seen most of these before, and even then he was still blown away by everything, although he tried his best to hide his awe. Bridge and the others on the other hand, did not. They openly gawked at everything, even Yome who Arbus was starting to think never dropped her serious demeanour.
He held himself back from chuckling.
Trix stared the most, gawking like a kid. Most likely because he understood what at least half the tech here did.
Eventually a female Remarta with glistening blue skin, yellow eyes, and flawless raven dark hair walked up to them. Her tail was swaying gently behind her.
"I'm assuming this is Vanguard Yome's squad" she said with a smile to Yome, her demeanor completely different from when she was with Bastain.
Yome was still staring when she noticed Ophilia. She immediately snapped to attention, composure returning in an instant.
"Um, yes it is. I'm Vanguard Yome. It's an honour to meet you in person, Commander Ophilia." She replied with a bow, the rest of the crew following her lead, including Arbus.
"So cute. You don't have to be so formal," Ophilia said with a chuckle. "The Sentinel encourages everyone in the Hold to be more casual with each other."
She leaned in slightly. "After all, no one knows when we'll all die tragically when the Primordial becomes bored of his games and decides to attack this universe himself. It's best to be your true self while you can, according to him." She said with a smile.
The squad exchanged bewildered glances. Yome blinked rapidly, clearly unsure how to respond to such casual fatalism from a high-ranking official.
"That's... surprisingly dark," Bridge muttered under his breath.
"Follow along now. The Sentinel is waiting for you," she said as she led them to one of the transparent lifts that shot up the building's massive interior.
Ophilia opened a panel and inputted her security code, one that changed daily, to grant them access to the top floor, where the Sentinel stayed.
Yome and her squad were wondering why they were also asked to follow despite already delivering Arbus, but they decided to just follow orders.
"It's nice to see you again Arbus. It seems like you're doing well. Or umm, well enough I suppose, given the current circumstances." Ophilia said with a smile.
The rest of the squad subtly shifted their attention to Arbus, surprised that he'd met such a high ranking Renegade before.
"The Sentinel just got out of a meeting with the High Commanders concerning your case. Which is why it took us so long to call you up. Sorry for the wait."
"It's fine, Commander Ophilia. We're just honoured to be here," Yome replied, her voice steady.
Arbus's expression darkened imperceptibly at the mention of the High Commanders.
His grandfather was a high commander, who no doubt still sat on that council. considering the fact the he was the second strongest being in the star system. He had always doted on Arbus when he was younger, but now that same man now regarded him with undisguised contempt. The half-human grandson. The living reminder of his daughter's disgrace.
The lift accelerated through the heart of the Hold, offering breathtaking glimpses of various departments through transparent sections of the shaft.
After a while the lift came to a halt with barely a whisper. The doors parted to reveal a corridor that stood in stark contrast to the technological marvel they had witnessed below. Where the lower levels had overwhelmed with grandeur and innovation, this level was surprisingly... modest. Clean, simple walls without the expected ornate decorations. Rare but impressive artworks hanging at various intervals.
The lighting was soft and warm, making them feel like they were walking down the corridor of a normal Mornan family, instead of the headquarters of the star system's most powerful individual.
Ophilia led them down the hall for a few more minutes before they arrived at their destination. She paused before a set of unassuming wooden doors that seemed impossibly ordinary given who resided beyond them. Without ceremony, she pushed them open and gestured for the squad to enter the study.
The squad's breath caught for a moment, their eyes wide at the sight.
Books. Not digital displays, not holographic archives, but thousands upon thousands of actual, physical books lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Their spines created a tapestry of colors and textures, some clearly ancient, others more modern. They were in an age where almost all forms of knowledge existed digitally, so the sight was quite surprising for them.
Bastain was seated behind an ornate desk of dark wood, seemingly absorbed in one of his books, or at least pretending to be. At their entrance, he looked up with a smile.
"Ah, you're finally here. Welcome, brave Renegades!" The Sentinel's voice was Jovial and soothing.
Yome immediately dropped to one knee in respect, with everyone following shortly after without hesitation—everyone but Arbus, who remained standing. This left the rest of them shocked, but they maintained their positions.
"It's good to see you again, Sentinel Bastian," Arbus said simply.
Bastian's smile widened. "It's good to see you too, Arbus. You've grown taller." He set aside his book and rose from his chair. "Well, I suppose that makes sense. You're not a kid anymore. Time sure does fly by fast."
He turned his attention to the kneeling Renegades. "The rest of you should get up. There's no need for such formalities. I'm sure Ophilia already told you about my rules. Try to be as casual as possible."
Yome rose hesitantly, the others following her lead with varying degrees of uncertainty.
"That's... a bit hard to do, Sentinel," Yome admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "After all, you are the Sentinel."
Bastian sighed dramatically. "I suppose I am. But I'm also just a Renegade like the rest of you." He made a dismissive gesture. "I don't really care about the formalities. In the end, it accomplishes nothing."
"I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you here despite you already delivering Arbus," Bastian continued, pacing slowly in front of his desk.
"That thought had crossed my mind, sir," Yome acknowledged cautiously.
"That's because I wanted to praise you all myself." Bastian's gaze swept over each of them in turn. "I have a habit of keeping track of as many Renegades as I can in my Star system. I called you here because I found your story quite fascinating, Yome Kyun."
Yome's eyes widened slightly.
"A Red Mornan gaining a unique Shard ability from the moment you got your Shard, despite only being a Knight at the time. I was shocked, really." Bastian leaned against his desk. "You may not know this, but I'm the reason your mentor's application for you was accepted in the first place."
Yome froze, caught off guard by the revelation.
"I wanted to see how far a genius of hard work and unending willpower like myself could go," Bastian continued, his voice carrying genuine curiosity and pride. "And to my surprise, you turned out to be just as talented as me. Maybe even more so." His eyes twinkled. "Not only that, you also chose your team from those you believed in rather than the countless Sentries that would have no doubt made it easier to progress faster."
"I'm not saying the rest of you are less by any means," Bastian clarified. "But I am saying that you'll all have to be as hardworking to achieve your goal of climbing the ranks of the Renegades."
He returned to his chair with fluid grace, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk. "My advice to all of you is to focus on whatever drives you and never give it up. A Renegades determination and willpower are what make them truly outstanding. One day, you could be in my position as well."
The squad remained silent, the weight of his words settling in. Being recognized by the system's most powerful figure was an honour they never thought they'd receive, at least not so soon.
"Thank you for coming," Bastian said, his tone shifting subtly. "And I hope to see you all again soon. But for now, I'd like to have a private conversation with Arbus."
He nodded to Ophilia. "Ophilia, please see them out."
Ophilia bowed slightly and gestured toward the door. "This way, please."
Yome hesitated for a bit, glancing at Arbus with curiosity, before heading out .
Just before leaving, she turned back toward Bastian, bowing her head deeply in gratitude.
"Thank you, Sentinel," she said, her voice barely containing her emotion. "No matter what happens, I won't forget what you've done for me. I won't let you down."
Bastian smiled. "I know you won't."
Bridge simply nodded a silent goodbye to Arbus as the door shut behind them.
Just like that, Arbus had parted ways with one of the most interesting groups he had ever met. And now he was alone in front of the most powerful man in the star system.