Chapter 12 #2
“Therefore, I’m here to announce the imminent deployment of the majority of our troops,” Dad said, his gaze roaming around the units gathered before him. “Senior troops will be assigned to the more volatile zones. New recruits will head to the more stable areas.”
The screens shut down behind him. For some reason, it struck me like a door being slammed in my face, locking me inside a reality I wasn’t quite certain I was ready for.
“Every single one of you underwent extensive vetting before you were even allowed to come here to try out as a recruit,” he continued, his palms resting on the corners of the podium as he leaned forward to look at us with great intensity.
“In the upcoming months and years, you will have some extremely hard choices to make. Some of your homeworlds will be the aggressors. The question you have to ask yourself is whether you can still perform your duty as a member of the Sentinels. Right now, what we’re seeing are likely only dissuasion tactics as talks continue.
But an escalation is possible and even likely. ”
He gestured at Ghan next to him, then at the other unit leaders standing on each side of the podium.
“Over the next couple of days, each of you will meet with your unit leaders to receive your assignment. If you have any reservations or do not feel ready for deployment, you can schedule a meeting immediately to discuss your personal situation and the next steps. There is no shame in not being ready, and asking to be exempted from deployment at this time will not reflect poorly on you. There are difficult times ahead, and we need to make sure that everyone out there will be able to perform at optimal capacity. Your duty is to protect the galaxy, and ours is to keep you as safe as possible while you do so.”
A wave of warmth swelled in my heart as I stared at my father.
There was a reason he was hailed as one of the greatest generals in Xelix Prime’s history.
That was also why our homeworld fought so hard to keep him still involved with their military after he chose to move to Veredia when our people decided to spread their wings on their own.
These weren’t just empty politically correct words for him.
Dad meant every single one of them. When it came to protecting his troops, he was feral.
Those under his commands weren’t just warm bodies to throw into the fray, but people that he valued and respected.
He spoke a few moments longer before dismissing us.
People immediately started talking among themselves, some with excitement, some with worry, and others with confusion.
I hated that Gavin had not been here to learn about all of this at the same time we did.
However, Vahleryon claimed all my attention.
Just like Dad, he had mastered the art of the stoic face.
But it couldn’t fool me. His spine was tense enough to snap at the slightest touch.
We didn’t need to make eye contact or for our silent communication to kick in for me to guess the thoughts crippling him.
With each day drawing us closer to the Great War, so did approach the moment where he would have to take on the mantle of the Great General.
He always doubted his ability to live up to the insane expectations the entire galaxy had laid upon his shoulders from the moment of his birth.
The recent events at our failed mission shattered what confidence he had been building over the years.
I didn’t quite know how to convince him that he would prevail, and that we would be here for him every step of the way.
We had that conversation so many times in the past. Sadly, until that day came, the monstrous impostor syndrome that plagued him would continue to crush him from within.
Although I suspected he was trying to block his emotions from Rhadames, his Gem wasn’t fooled either.
He placed a comforting hand on Vahl’s shoulder, who responded with a grateful smile.
It quickly faded as he glanced at something to my right.
I followed his gaze to see Ghan approaching while our father stared at us with that same disturbing intensity.
My stomach knotted when Ghan gestured for the three of us to follow him.
I swallowed hard and fell into step with my siblings.
Without a word, our father led the march as soon as we reached him and took us to his office.
To my surprise, Aunt Venya was already standing outside the room, obviously waiting for us.
We piled inside, the same curiosity and nervousness radiating from the three of us as our father indicated for us to take a seat at the rectangular worktable in the left corner of the room.
The large window next to it gave a perfect view of the training ground.
Instinctively, my brothers and I sat together on one side of the table, Rhadames and me flanking Vahl as was often our wont, with my father, Ghan, and Aunt Venya sitting across from us with Dad in the middle.
“Is it starting?” Vahl asked pre-emptively, his voice tense.
He didn’t need to specify what he was referring to.
“Yes, it has,” Dad said in a factual manner.
This time, Vahl visibly flinched, the same shock hitting me square in the chest like a boulder.
“But you said—” Rhadames started arguing only for our father to interrupt him.
“It’s not official or made public yet,” he said apologetically. “So, technically, it hasn’t begun yet. But unofficially, it has. Many planets have pulled out of the Galactic Alliance. But a few who are still members—at least on record—have launched attacks against allied worlds.”
“All this over trade?!” I exclaimed.
Ghan shook his head. “It’s more than just trade.
There are a lot of power plays happening to overthrow certain governments and force regime changes.
The Alliance’s machinations have highlighted certain inequalities, shady deals, preferential treatment, and corrupt dealings that many planets weren’t aware of. ”
“Are you saying that the Alliance is the good guy in this?” Vahl asked, his tone dubious.
“Not at all,” Ghan said. “It was an unintended side effect of their coercive tactics.”
Dad nodded. “It’s forced people to start talking more openly about their business, and discrepancies started coming to the surface, which led people to dig deeper. As you can guess, tempers started to flare once people started demanding redress, accountability, and reparations.”
“So that’s the reason for the assassinations and vandalism that we’ve been witnessing over the past few days?” Vahl asked, although it was more a statement than an actual question.
“Yes. Except these are all distractions, as well as warnings for the next person who will step into the leadership role,” Dad said grimly. “More importantly, this is a smear campaign to paint the people refusing to join the Alliance as the villains.”
“What are you saying?” Vahleryon asked, his voice dripping with suspicion.
“That the people performing these attacks are all secret Galactic Alliance operatives,” Dad said with barely repressed anger. “They’re also behind the attack on Talabor that nearly killed all of you.”
A collective gasp escaped us. Vahl bared his teeth, and his fangs partially descended.
“The alliance turned on us?” he asked in a dangerously low voice that sent a chill down my spine.
Dad hesitated, his eyes locked with Vahl as he seemed to weigh his response.
“Officially, we do not know whether some rogue agents are behind it or if the Alliance ordered those hits,” he said at last.
“And unofficially?” Vahl insisted.
“Unofficially, I and a few others believe the Alliance is not only behind it, but needs to be eradicated,” Dad said harshly. “They have lost their way, given in to corruption, and are willing to trample anything and anyone who might hinder their ability to acquire the power they crave.”
“So how do we prove it and then bring them down?” I asked, my voice frosty as images of Gavin burnt to a crisp flashed in my mind’s eye.
“There are many moving parts that need to be settled first,” Dad said carefully. “The main thing you need to know is that Veredia is pulling out of the Alliance.”
“What?!” the three of us exclaimed simultaneously.
“But what does that mean for the Sentinels?” I asked.
While Veredia had insanely strict immigration rules—basically only allowing spouses and blood-relatives to come here after thorough vetting, aside from very rare exceptions—I didn’t worry about Gavin being able to stay here.
Not only was he my soulmate, but his family was closely linked to the Veredians.
“We are awaiting our final orders from Xelix Prime,” Dad replied.
“We remain a Xelixian army before being a peacekeeping military force for the Alliance. Our own homeworld will very likely drop out as well once Veredia does. Xelixians have already been considering it for a while. This will seal the deal.”
Aunt Venya nodded, intervening for the first time in the conversation.
“Everything that’s happening has been causing an uproar among many nations,” she mused aloud.
“Once Veredia is out, countless others will follow. It is not only because of the Veredians’ military might and technological power, but because of you, Vahleryon.
They all know what’s coming, and they want to be on the right side. ”
My chest constricted for my brother. It was so unfair to lay so much on his shoulders. But once again, he remained stoic as he nodded.
“The Alliance understands it, which is why they tried to nip it in the bud by assassinating you,” Ghan said. “It took this long for us to give you an update on our investigation because we wanted to be certain.”
“I understand,” Vahl replied, his face reflecting the wisdom and maturity of the old soul he’d always been.