Chapter 6: Calm Discussion.
Bastian's purple eyes surveyed the room intently as he leaned back in his seat.
His gaze wandered from face to face, taking in the Council's mood.
Oti's left face was scowling, which wasn't surprising for him.
In fact, Bastian couldn't remember ever seeing Oti's other faces active around him.
The aTer grunted under his gaze, muttering something inaudible.
The Remarta queen Tera lounged across from him, her usual smirk tugging at her lips.
Tristan, his best friend, was as calm as always. A slightly amused expression rested on his face.
Bel and Zub simply sat perfectly still. Their expressions were as apathetic as ever.
Iberia seemed saddened and impatient.
Aztec's ever cold gaze was locked on him.
'Such a scary guy,' Bastian thought to himself.
Respen, well, didn't look like anything naturally - since he had no features. But Bastian could tell he was already thinking of how to shut down anything he proposed.
Umber just sat quietly like always, not particularly interested in matters not concerning his people. The obscured glass of his suit revealed nothing of his form or thoughts.
After a bit, Bastian finally turned his gaze to the expression he was most interested in seeing, Nash Grimm.
He was a bit taken aback to see how blank Nash's expression was considering how passionate the Tarokian chief usually was. Clearly, the matter with his grandson was affecting him more than he wanted to let on.
Bastian sighed.
"Let us begin this meeting by addressing the loss of Terytl-B," he said solemnly.
"As of right now there have been no confirmed survivors besides the Renegade responsible for the death of Ronin."
"As much as I'd like to keep this incident a secret from the general populace for a little while longer, that wouldn't be fair to the families of the victims."
Bastian turned his gaze to Aztec.
"I want you to relay the news to the other Sentinels of our neighbouring Star Systems, to keep them alert. After that… send a message to the King, explaining our current situation in clear detail. Then, after a few days, spread the news across the Star System."
'Kings' were the very few Renegades with significant power that had been appointed as rulers and protectors of certain galaxies.
They were recognised unofficially as the final ruling class in the universe.
The Wardens, the Pinnacles, and even the Emperor himself, did not have the luxury or time to focus on governing.
They were too busy keeping the most dangerous Reincarnators in the universe at bay.
Naturally, the Pinnacles and the Emperor held more authority than any King, but they rarely ever needed to use it.
Aztec nodded, his two pairs of eyes blinking in tandem.
"Understood, Sentinel."
He paused for a moment then continued in a slightly irritated tone.
"It seems we'll also need to update our communication networks. According to the reports we received, Ronin had been able to disable it completely until his death."
"To do that, I will need to examine his remains to understand how he was able to achieve such a feat."
Bastian simply nodded.
"Done, you can have his remains. Anything else?"
"No, that will be all. We can handle everything else from here, Sentinel," Aztec replied simply with a slight bow.
Bastian turned to Respen next.
"I want you to look into how Ronin made his way to our galaxy and why he targeted this Star System specifically. These attacks are usually random, but I have a feeling this one wasn't."
Respen nodded slowly. He transmitted his response directly into the minds of everyone present.
"I had the same thought. My best inquisitors are already on their way to the M-3000 Galaxy, Sentinel."
"Good. I also want you and your team to handle the bodies of the massacred Renegades, personally. See that they get to their families as quickly as possible. They died valiantly in the line of duty. It's the least we can do for them."
"My men were already handling that as well, Sentinel. The bodies of the civilians will take longer to identify and transport," Respen transmitted.
Bastian nodded somberly as his gaze shifted around the table. "This was truly a great and unexpected loss for the N-0-A-1 Star System, and the Renegades in general," he said, his fists clenched.
"Unfortunately, we do not have the time to mourn. We have to use this period to tighten our defenses. As of right now we are at our weakest. Let us make sure it is the last time."
"We'll also ask for a Warden to be assigned to our galaxy for protection against further attacks."
Everyone present nodded in agreement.
Bastian's eyes narrowed.
It was finally time for the part of the meeting he had been dreading.
He took a slow breath and leaned forward in his chair.
"Now then, let us talk about the valiant hero of this event - Arbus Kaelen," Bastian announced, his gaze finding Nash.
"Or would you prefer if I called him Arbus Grimm?"
"…I'd prefer if you didn't," Nash replied simply with a blank expression.
"…Of course. Arbus Kaelen it is, then," Bastian replied, his voice even.
He straightened up.
"According to the reports, Arbus Kaelen was the individual that managed to eliminate Ronin after the massacre had concluded."
"Quite frankly, it's a miracle he pulled something like this off. But it seems the boy has a penchant for creating miracles," Bastian mused.
Oti's left face scoffed sharply.
"Miracle? Is that what we're calling it?"
He leaned toward Nash, his voice rising.
"Tell me, Tarokian chief… from your experience with Reincarnators, what exactly are the chances of a low-level Sentry beating one?"
Nash turned to Oti with a blank expression etched on his face.
"None."
"Exactly!" Oti snapped, his left face twisting into a sneer. "And yet this boy managed to kill a Reincarnator, his second one, no less. Especially one as powerful as Ronin. It's unbelievable. Simply untrue! I believe we're not being told the full story of what happened on that planet."
The Remarta queen hummed slightly.
"Unfortunately, I have to agree with Oti this time."
She said softly, ignoring Oti's frown at her words.
"The boy is a Renegade with no Heart Shard. Meanwhile - Ronin was a Reincarnator who had killed over fifty Commanders, thousands of Renegades, and billions of citizens across multiple Star Systems. His feats do seem quite impossible, don't they?"
Respen nodded slightly in agreement. Then, he transmitted his thoughts into their minds again.
"I concur with Tera on this."
"Especially for the reasons discussed. It strikes me as odd that Ronin had somehow managed to travel across eight galaxies and a Warden's outpost to reach ours."
"After that, he attacks Terytl-B. A planet that holds no strategic value or importance. And then decides to slaughter everyone there - except the human."
"I am not a Qus that believes in coincidences, Sentinel."
Bastian frowned as he leaned back in his chair, the Sentinel coat draped across his shoulders ruffling slightly.
"What are you suggesting, Respen?"
"That Ronin was sent here on purpose to die?"
"That he willingly allowed himself to be killed?" he questioned.
"I've only had the displeasure of encountering him once, years ago - when I'd been assigned to capture him."
"From how fast he ran when he'd caught sight of me, I could tell that he was a human who valued his life greatly."
Oti grumbled as he moved to speak again. But then he stopped as he noticed Tristan's hand raise slightly.
"If I may," he muttered calmly as everyone's gaze landed on him.
"I believe the three of you are underestimating the boy quite a bit."
"We all know he's still a Sentry because we didn't permit him to rise any higher than that."
"Keep in mind that he's been trained by Trip, an ex-Renegade Commander for years. Not only that - he also has the ability of his father, Joren Kaelen."
"It's entirely possible for someone like him to have done this. Especially considering how exhausted Ronin's ability would be after traveling such a vast distance, despite his level."
Bastian smiled slightly, pleased by Tristan backing him up, just like always.
"Precisely. The boy has the blood of a Reincarnator flowing through his veins. While this is unfortunate for him, it is also a huge boon."
"…The fact he has the blood of a Reincarnator flowing through his veins is exactly where the problem arises," Nash said finally through gritted teeth, breaking his silence.
He turned to Bastian, his voice barely restrained.
"He's cursed. He's a child that… that should have never been born."
"Sharing the same blood with our enemy is not something we can simply look past, Bastian!" he bellowed.
Bastian's expression darkened.
"That's rather harsh, Nash."
"Doesn't he share your blood as well?"
"…Yes, he does,"
"Due to my foolish daughter's mistakes. She was charmed by that-" he stopped, holding himself back from cursing outwardly.
"…by Joren, and even helped him hide his true identity after knowing what he was."
He paused, trying his best to remain calm. "That child may share my blood, but he is no family of mine. He is no Tarokian, especially after he committed sins of his own."
Bastian frowned.
"That wasn't his fault. We already discussed this."
"It matters not now," Aztec said, finally speaking up. "I agree with Oti, Tera, Nash, and Respen. While what the boy did was rather impressive, I do not believe we owe him anything. For the safety of everyone, I believe we should discharge him from the Renegades and let him live out the rest of his life on the Tarokian moon in luxury - as his reward."
Bastian released a weary sigh, his eyes sweeping across the remaining Council members.
"And what do the rest of you think about this?"
Right now, they were at a stalemate. Bastian's vote as Sentinel carried the weight of three Council members. Tristan stood with him as well.
Meanwhile Aztec, Nash, Respen, and Tera opposed.
The rest would tip the scales.
The Bocheander Commander spoke first. He had already grown tired of this meeting. Terytl-B was one of the planets under his rule. Therefore he had suffered the most losses out of everyone sitting at this table.
Not only that, he had lost countless good people as well.
The matters of this boy were inconsequential to him now.
"Let's get this over with already. I agree with whatever Respen thinks. He's usually right about these things anyways."
Bel and Zub exchanged a glance, their silence stretching for several heartbeats before Bel finally spoke.
"We do not care either way," she said, her voice flat.
"But we do recognize effort," Zub added. "We do not believe this Renegade should be judged for how he was born, but by the things he has done. So far, it is clear he does not side with the Reincarnators. There is a possibility however that it could be a ruse."
"Until we see otherwise, we believe he should be given a chance to prove himself and advance like any other Renegade."
Bastian's smile returned after hearing that. He turned his gaze to the only one left, Umber.
Umber didn't immediately answer, instead he looked around the room, gauging everyone's expressions himself. He would be the one to determine if this would be a stalemate or not.
He remained silent for several moments, then spoke through his mask, his voice sounding raspy and cold. "As the Emperor already told us years ago, we should let the boy live how he wants, unless he proves to be a risk. I highly doubt the Emperor wanted him to be suppressed, like the Council has been doing all these years. I vote that the boy be allowed to advance, at least for now."
A smile spread across Bastian's face as he clapped sharply. "Alright then. It is decided. The boy will once again not be punished for a crime he did not commit. Instead, he shall be rewarded with a promotion, as well as a few more things - at my discretion."
"We will return here tomorrow to discuss our plans going forward in depth. But for now, this meeting is adjourned."