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 that surprising.
In fact, Bastian couldn't remember ever seeing Oti's other faces active around him.
'Oh my, does he still dislike me that much?' he mused inwardly.
The aTer grunted under his gaze, muttering something inaudible to the room. Everyone present was capable of hearing a small whisper from thousands of miles away, so that was quite the feat.
The Remarta queen Tera lounged across from him, her usual bored smirk tugging at her lips. As usual, she didn't want to be here if it was avoidable.
Tristan, his best friend, was as calm as always. A slightly amused expression rested on his face. It was always hard for Bastian to tell what he was thinking.
Bel and Zub simply sat perfectly still in their seats. Their expressions were as aloof as ever.
Iberia seemed saddened and impatient, no doubt eager to head to Terytl-B himself soon.
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 on a certain matter.
Umber just sat quietly, like he always did, not particularly interested in matters not concerning his people. The obscured glass of his suit revealed nothing of his form or thoughts as well.
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 neighboring Star Systems, to keep them alert. After that… send a message to the King, explaining our current situation in clear detail. Then, after a day or two, 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 recognized 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."
"I must examine his remains to understand how he was able to achieve such a thing."
Bastian simply nodded.
"Done, you can have his remains. Anything else?"
"No, that will be all. We can handle everything else from there, Sentinel," Aztec replied 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. Human attacks are usually random and chaotic , but I have a feeling this one wasn't."
Respen nodded slowly as 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 Warden stationed closest to our Galaxy to seek answers. I'm hoping he's in the mood to talk."
"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 also handling that as well, Sentinel. The bodies of the civilians will unfortunately take longer to identify and transport," Respen transmitted.
Bastian nodded somberly as his eyes scanned those at 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 simply sit and mourn. We have to use this period to tighten our defenses. As of right now, we are at the weakest this star system has been in decades. Let us make sure that does not last long."
Everyone present nodded in agreement.
Bastian's eyes narrowed slightly. 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?"
Nash didn't respond. His expression remained as stern as a boulder.
"…Hmm. Arbus Kaelen it is, then," Bastian continued evenly.
He straightened. "According to the reports confirmed by the captain assigned to this mission, Arbus Kaelen was the individual that managed to eliminate Ronin the human in a battle after the massacre."
A proud expression slowly coloured Bastian's features. "Quite frankly, I consider it a miracle that he was able to pull something like that off. But, it seems the boy has a penchant for creating miracles from desperate situations like his mother."
Oti's left face scoffed sharply as he turned to Bastian. "Miracle?... Is that what we call it these days?"
He glanced toward Nash, his voice rising. "Tell me, Tarokian chief… from your experience with humans, what exactly were the chances of your grandson—a low-level Sentry—beating a full-blooded human?"
A worried expression slowly creased Nash's brow. "None."
"Exactly!" Oti snapped, his left face twisting into a sneer. "And yet, this half-human managed to kill one as powerful as Ronin. It's unbelievable. Simply untrue!"
"This would also make this the second human that the child has killed. How foolish does the second chance believe we are!?"
Both Bastain and Nash narrowed their eyes as their gazes shot toward Oti. "What are you implying, Oti?" Bastian questioned coldly.
Oti's right face reacted for a moment, fear breaking through its blank expression. "N-nothing, yet. I just think it's hard to believe these coincidences." He said, adjusting glhis expressions forcefully.
The queen of the Remarta hummed softly, drawing everyone's eyes to her. "Unfortunately, it seems I will have to agree with Oti this time."
She didn't care about Oti's frown at her words as she continued. "The boy is a half-human with no Heart Shard to speak of. Meanwhile, Ronin was a human with a soul ability. So far, he has killed over fifty Commanders, thousands of Renegades, and billions of citizens across multiple Star Systems."
She let out a faint breath as she leaned back. "His feats do seem quite improbable, don't they?"
Respen inclined forward as he clasped his hands in front of him. Then he transmitted his thoughts into the minds of everyone again.
"I wholeheartedly concur with Tera and Oti on her thoughts."
He paused, turning to the head of the table. "I do not wish to anger You and Nash, Bastain, but I feel it is my duty as the head of the inquisitors in this star system to question signs. "
"It's hard to ignore the fact that Ronin travelled so far just to quench his thirst for violence and blood. he attacked Terytl-B. A planet that holds no strategic value or importance. And then decides to slaughter everyone there, besides the human who had been recently stationed there....."
"I must follow every clues and see where they lead. After all, I am not a Qus that believes in coincidences, Sentinel."
BAM!
The eyes of everyone in the room turned to Nash as he glared at Respen dangerously. The table had impacted slightly where his fist slammed into, despite the material. Such was expected from the terrifying strength of the ruler of the Tarokians. "Are you insinuating that my grandson is a pawn of the second chance group!?" He growled.
"Yes I am" Respen replied flatly. "Although, maybe not by choice."
Bastian frowned as he leaned back in his chair, the Sentinel coat draped across his shoulders ruffling slightly.
"Are you also suggesting 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." Bastian continued. "From how fast he ran when he caught sight of me, I could tell that he was a human who valued his life greatly."
Respen shifted his gaze toward Bastain. "But, he had also been known to be reckless."
"Perhaps he'd simply traveled here unaware of his true purpose as a sacrifice. It's not impossible for the second chance group to have glimpses of the future. After all, the witch is still one of their main forces."
Oti grumbled as he moved to speak again. But then he stopped just as he glanced to the side, noticing the young silver Mornan—Tristan—raise his hand slightly.
"If I may," Tristan muttered calmly as everyone's gaze slowly turned to him.
He smiled as he continued."I believe the three of you are underestimating the half-human quite a bit."
He paused, his eyes taking in the room. "We all know the boy is still a Sentry because we didn't permit him to rise any higher than that."
"Even without a Heart Shard, I believe he is still quite formidable. He is a half-Tarokian, after all. One who has been personally trained by the outstanding ex-Renegade Commander Trip for years on end," Tristan said, glancing at Nash.
"Not only that. He also possesses the ability of his father, Joren Kaelen."
"Immortality."
"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 and committing such a large-scale massacre."
Bastian's lips curved into a small smile, pleased by Tristan backing him up, just like always. "Precisely." He yelled. "The boy has the blood of a Reincarnator flowing through his veins. While this is unfortunate for him, it is also a tremendous boon."
"…The fact he has the blood of a Reincarnator flowing through his veins is a problem, Bastian," Nash said suddenly as he glanced toward Bastian, anger radiating like steam from his calm facade.
"Don't try to make it seem like a good thing for your own agendas. Don't insult the Grimm family name like that!" he bellowed, glancing between the two Mornans.
The Tarokian chief let out a long breath as he calmed himself slowly. "He's cursed, Bastian. A child like him did not deserve such a fate. All because of my foolish daughter's mistakes. Being charmed by that devil."
Bastian's expression remained the same as he studied Nash for several long moments. Eventually he leaned back, his expression shifting into an apologetic one.
"I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me. I shouldn't have stated the obvious so openly." He said curtly.
Nash turned toward Bastian again, his brows narrowing. "You...." He muttered with a scowl. "No, I blame myself for not trying enough before. That child should have never become a Renegade after 'that'. He shouldn't have the eyes of howlers like you all focused on him like this."
"I want to correct my previous mistake now."
"I agree," Aztec said, finally speaking up. "Oti, Tera, Nash, and Respen are correct. While what the boy did was rather impressive, I do not believe we owe him anything. For the safety of everyone, and on the request of his grandfather, 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 frowned, releasing a tired sigh as his eyes swept across the remaining Council members.
Things were going off the rails somewhat.
"And what do the rest of you think about this?" He asked.
Right now, they were at a stalemate. Bastian's vote as Sentinel carried the weight of three Council members in total. Tristan stood with him as well.
Meanwhile Aztec, Nash, Respen, and Tera opposed.
The rest would tip the scales.
The Bocheander Commander spoke first. Bastian was sure that 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 currently sitting at the table.
Not only that, a few members of his extended family lived there as well.
The matter of Arbus was most likely inconsequential to him.
"Let's get this over with already. I agree with whatever Respen thinks. He's usually right about these things anyway."
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 as a board.
"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. However, there still exists the possibility that it could be a ruse, like Respen believes."
"Until we see evidence for that, 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.
His gaze landed on the Sentinel last.
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 should be allowed to advance, at least for now."
A small smile spread across Bastian's face as he clapped sharply. "All right 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."