Chapter 28: Strange behaviour
A few months ago....
The doors of the base's hanger slowly parted as Kate stepped out into Tomber's relentless storm, harsh winds and snow violently swirling around her.
She'd activated the lockdown protocol minutes earlier, due to a misunderstanding on her part. A commander had been dispatched the moment she did. This was an extra security system introduced after the tragedy of Terytl-b.
The incident had left the star system in a precarious state, prompting the Renegades to implement additional security measures across all facilities and planets. Now, any emergency lockdown automatically summoned a Commander to assess the situation firsthand.
Kate stood motionless while time passed, despite the onslaught of wind and snow assaulting her. She couldn't help but wonder how long it would take a commander to get here. That was because Tomber was a rather secluded planet in comparison to the ones controlled by various high commander factions. It was considered a low priority planet due to how little the population was.
BOOM!!!
Kate's head snapped up, her eyes widening as the sky suddenly turned red.
A series of explosions erupted in the upper atmosphere of the planet, their light visible even through Tomber's thick, perpetual cloud cover. They appeared in rapid succession, each blast closer than the last, like a Rocketship descending from space.
BOOM!!
BOOM!
BO–
The explosions stopped abruptly. A moment later, a figure slammed into the ground nearby, sending a shockwave of snow and ice in all directions. Kate shielded her face, the impact forcing her back several steps.
When she lowered her arms, she found herself facing a towering male Remarta with glistening blue skin and flowing dark hair. He stood up slowly, his sharp golden eyes taking in his surroundings. A thin, spade-tipped tail swayed gently behind him.
Kate realised immediately that this was the Commander. The sheer power he radiated was enough for her to come to that conclusion.
Finally his gaze settled on her.
"Head Instructor Kate, I presume." he said, his voice perfectly clear despite the howling wind.
"How did you know who i-?"
"I read the information transmitted with the emergency signal. It was activated from your device."
"Oh... right." Kate said as she straightened up.
"So tell me, what's the situation. Is it a Reincarnator? Or something else?" He asked, his tone neutral.
"Commander, I..." She hesitated, embarrassment creeping into her voice. "We received a new batch of knight trainees today. Among them was an individual I mistakenly identified as a Reincarnator. I activated lockdown protocol without hesitation."
"B-but it turns out that wasn't the case. He's only a half-human. He was sent here on the Sentinel's orders."
The Commander's attention shifted to the hangar doors, his expression unreadable. "A half-human Renegade," he murmured.
"Yes, I'm sorry for causing a ruckus. Naturally, my word alone isn't enough for you to believe me, so we should head insi—"
"There's no need. I can confirm everything from here."
The Commander's body suddenly pulsed with a bright orange light, the unmistakable signature of a Heart shard ability. A wave of energy erupted from him, expanding in all directions. The invisible pulse swept through the entire base and beyond, allowing him to perceive everything within its range with perfect clarity.
Inside the facility, Arbus felt a slight disturbance in the air around him but didn't think much of it.
The commander also scanned the base for anything else that could have possibly been suspicious but found nothing.
"Arbus Kaelen," the Commander said, his voice distant. "Son of Joren Kaelen, the immortal Reincarnator." His gaze shifted back to Kate. "Yes, I know of him. Still, I'm surprised the High Commanders are simply allowing him to ascend the Renegade ranks."
The orange glow faded as he deactivated his ability. "Since there's no actual emergency, I shall take my leave. I'd appreciate if something like this doesn't happen in the future. Wasting a Commander's time, especially during our current predicament, is not advisable."
Kate bowed nervously. "I'm sorry, Commander. I'll make sure this mistake is never repeated. Please forgive my negligence."
The commander simply turned his gaze toward the snow-covered mountains.
"Good. As long as you've learned from this experience." His voice hardened. "But there's something else that concerns me."
"What would that be, sir?"
Without warning, the Commander extended his hand toward one of the distant mountain peaks.
BOOM!
A small explosion erupted atop the ice-crusted mountain, sending snow and debris cascading down.
Kate stared in shock as the Commander levitated what remained of a creature toward them. A hybrid monstrosity with fish-like scales and wolf features. One of the creatures they usually referred to as "puppies".
"It seems like the "puppy" infestation on this planet is becoming much worse." he stated flatly.
Kate's eyes widened as she examined the creature. "A puppy, this close to base?!"
The Commander studied the remains. "It was watching us. I only detected it during my area-wide scan." His eyes narrowed. "Now I understand why these creatures are so difficult to wipe out."
Kate shook her head in disbelief. "Watching us? That shouldn't be possible. We've been stationed here for years and have extensive experience with these creatures. Their intelligence is quite limited, but they can sense the strength of other beings. The moment it spotted you, it should have fled."
"Hmm, is that so. It appears some of them are evolving. I'd advise requesting an extermination soon."
"We will, sir, after the current batch of trainees completes their training. We typically use these creatures as part of their testing. It would take a while for smaller packs to migrate to this area after an extermination."
"Very well then. Goodbye, Instructor Kate. Let's hope we don't meet again under similar circumstances."
"Yes, goodbye sir" Kate said as she bowed deeply, watching him as he walked away. When he was at a safe enough distance from the base, the orange glow enveloped his body again. A second later he launched skyward, leaving a chain of explosions in his wake.
On another mountain peak, a smaller puppy watched the commander depart. It's single eye reflected something disturbingly close to hatred. After a while, it burrowed into the snow, disappearing completely to report to its pack.