Chapter 8: Sentinel
Arbus studied his surroundings as they stepped off the ship. Beside it sat countless other vessels, belonging to the Commanders and administrative personnel stationed here.
That was only natural, since no Vanguard, or even Captain, ever had any business in the hold.
The docking area stretched far into the distance, filled with thousands of vessels of varying sizes.
Seeing the ships brought back a flood of memories for Arbus. This wasn't his first time on Paradis. He had been brought here years ago, under far worse circumstances.
Locked in a holding cell on his own grandfather's ship.
That terrible 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 his immortality manifested in a desperate struggle to keep him alive. And the day.... that he had lost his best and only friend.
Beyond the docking area, the streets around the Hold hummed with life. Thousands of beings from across the Star system crowded the pathways between colorful market stalls and entertainment venues. Vendors advertised their wares, everything from "authentic Sentinel signatures" to exotic foods from all seventy planets.
Various tourists from other Star systems gawked upward as they took images of the Hold towering above them. Hotels and restaurants competed for business, their signs promising the best views or most exhilarating 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 had confirmed their identities.
The ground floor of the Hold was a marvel to behold.The ceiling soared hundreds of meters above them, with transparent lifts shooting up and down through vertical shafts embedded in the walls. Various Administrative officials hurried across the polished floor, their footsteps echoing in the massive chamber. Holograms on the walls projected the status of all 70 planets and the over 100 civilized moons and asteroids that fell under the Sentinel's jurisdiction.
Each hologram displayed population figures, puppies infested planets, and various other stats for each of them.
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 elites. And at the very top, unreachable to all but those specifically summoned, was the Sentinel himself, the strongest man in the Star system.
Arbus had already been here once, years ago. Even then, he was still blown away by everything, despite trying his best to hide it.
Bridge and the others on the other hand, did not. They openly gawked at everything in amazement. Even Yome couldn't hide her fascination.
Their youngest member, Trix, glanced around the most, driven by his curiosity. Given his supposed genius, he most likely understood how half the technology here worked.
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.
"Vanguard Yome's squad I presume" she said, a smile plastered on her face. Her demeanor completely different from when she was with Bastain.
Yome was still glancing around in awe when she finally noticed Ophilia's presence. She immediately straightened up, her composure returning in an instant.
"Yes it is. I'm Vanguard Yome. It's an honour to meet you in person, Commander Ophilia." She replied with a smll bow, the rest of the crew following her lead, excluding 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 to the countless invading humans. It's best to be your true self while you still 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 bluntness from a high ranking official.
"That's... surprisingly dark," Bridge muttered under his breath.
"Follow along now. The Sentinel is waiting for you," she commanded as she led them to one of the transparent lifts that shot up the buildings massive interior.
Ophilia opened a panel and typed in her security code, one that changed daily, to grant them access to the top floor, where the Sentinel resided.
Yome and her squad were a bit surprised that they could come along, despite already delivering Arbus, but they simply went along with it.
"It's nice to see you again Arbus. It seems like you're doing well. Or um, well enough I suppose, given the current circumstances." Ophilia said with a slight chuckle.
The rest of the squad subtly shifted their attention to Arbus, wondering why he'd met such a high ranking official 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. I apologize for the wait."
"It's fine, Commander Ophilia. We're just honoured to be here," Yome replied, unsurprised that the Terytl-b matter was being taken very seriously.
Arbus's expression darkened imperceptibly at the mention of the High Commanders.
His grandfather, Nash, was a high commander, who no doubt still sat on that council. Considering the fact that 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 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 the transparent sections of the shaft.
After a while the lift came to a halt as the doors parted to reveal a corridor that stood in stark contrast to the technological marvel they had witnessed below. Compared to the lower levels overwhelming grandeur, this level was surprisingly... modest. It was mostly empty, with polished walls, and almost no decorations.
It felt like they were walking through 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, as pushed them open and gestured for the squad to enter the study.
Their eyes widened slightly, as they walked into the room.
Books. Thousands upon thousands of actual, physical books lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Most of them being clearly ancient. The universe was currently 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. At their entrance, he glanced up with a smile.
"Ah, you're finally here. Welcome, brave Renegades!" The Sentinel said, his voice jovial and soothing.
Yome immediately dropped to one knee in respect, as her team followed shortly after without hesitation. Arbus meanwhile, remained standing. This left the rest of them shocked, but they simply ignored him as they maintained their positions.
"It's good to see you again, Sentinel Bastian," Arbus said finally.
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 has already informed you of my policies. 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 muttered "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."
He paused for several moments, then continued as he paced slowly in front of his desk.
"I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you here despite you already delivering Arbus"
"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 ability from the moment you got the Heart 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 blinked, caught off guard by the revelation.
"I was impressed by your dedication, and wanted to see how far a genius of hard work and unending willpower like myself could go" Bastian continued. "And to my surprise, you turned out to be just as talented as me. Maybe even more so."
"Not only that, you also chose your team from quite an interesting bunch, despite the countless sentries that would have no doubt made it easier to progress faster."
He paused then added.
"I'm not saying the rest of you are less by any means," he clarified. "But I am saying that you'll all have to be just as hardworking to achieve your goals""
He returned to his chair, 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 star 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 a hint of 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 emotions. "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.