Chapter 2: Arbus
"How frustrating." The last surviving Renegade on the planet, Arbus, said with a sigh, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Terytl-b had long been celebrated as one of the most beautiful planets in the N-0 Starseeker Galaxy. The solar system had twin suns while the planet itself had about 23 different moons that each shone a different color, illuminating various parts of the planet in an ethereal glow that once drew travelers from across the galaxy.
Arbus had always hated the fact that the main Renegade base of the planet, where he was stationed and where all other branches reported to, was located in the only point of the planet where night never fell and where no moon ever reached. A perpetual day that offered no reprieve, no contrast, just endless, merciless light.
Over the last 9 months of being here, he had come to find the scenery a bit more pleasant than he did originally, the way a prisoner might find comfort in the familiar cracks of their cell wall. However, there was nothing pleasant about it right now.
All he could see were the lifeless bodies of his comrades, the land transformed into a bleak expanse of blood and corpses.
Granted, he had been treated like shit by most of them given his background, but it didn't really change the fact that he never hated any of them. It was easy to understand why people would hate him, in fact, he would hate someone like him too.
Someone with the blood of the enemy flowing through their veins.
After a bit, his gaze drifted to a specific heap of bodies, the one where the now deceased commander of this Planet lay broken and discarded like trash.
Commander Mits, a blue Mornan, the most common race in the universe. His once shimmering skin now laid dull and drenched with dried blood. He had been one of the most hard working people Arbus had ever met, relentless in his dedication to protecting this planet. More importantly, he was one of the only people in this base who had treated Arbus like an actual person, though Arbus could still detect the subtle undercurrent of prejudice lurking beneath his professional demeanor, an instinctual fear that no amount of rational thought could fully erase.
Despite that lingering tension, Mits had still tried his best to treat him like any other Renegade, offering the same commands, the same brutal training regimens, and the same encouraging smile when missions were completed successfully. That alone had made him different from the others, who couldn't bother to hide their disgust when Arbus entered a room.
Mits had been one of the reasons Arbus managed to figure out the weakness in Ronin's seemingly invincible ability. The commander had almost killed Ronin with a precisely timed attack that forced the reincarnator to dodge normally since he couldn't activate his speed ability fast enough. The sudden vulnerability had caught everyone by surprise.
That almost successful attack had triggered something primal in Ronin, a rage that transformed his smugness into murderous fury. After that, Mits was simply... gone. Only to reappear the next second, or rather, what was left of him after Ronin had used his very durable body to surf across the jagged terrain of the planet at speeds that shredded flesh from bone. Mits's corpse had been almost unrecognizable when it finally stopped moving, organs pulped and limbs twisted into impossible angles.
That brutal execution had also taught Arbus something crucial, being in physical contact with Ronin when the ability was already active was pointless. The reincarnator would be in his own protective field while the person he was grabbing wouldn't. They would just be dragged along like meat against a grinder. The trick was to grab him before he activated it, to become part of that field rather than its victim.
A trick Arbus had used to devastating effect.
He had already reported the events that took place here, including the death of the Reincarnator. The news was so surprising that the sentry on duty immediately connected him to a Vanguard in an administrative position, who found his claim of killing Ronin almost impossible to believe. Ronin, the demented demon, who had slaughtered countless innocent lives across multiple galaxies, was dead, and by the hands of a sentry no less. the lowest rank in the renegades.
All he had to do now was wait, and it was quite tiring, even though exhaustion was something he never really had to worry about.
His body wouldn't let it, not with the cursed blood of Joren Kaelen, the immortal reincarnator, in his veins.
The memories of his past gave him a metaphorical headache, so he shoved it aside, turning his focus elsewhere.
That was when a Renegade ship finally came into view.
It had a golden symbol of a clenched fist holding a shard on its bow, the symbol of a Vanguard squad, which usually had one vanguard and about 5 to 15 knights.
He wasn't really surprised that only one ship was sent down, considering the unusual situation. This could have easily been a demented trap concocted by Ronan, he was known for his sick and twisted games after all.
The ship landed, and a Vanguard along with 6 knights disembarked.
They were clad in sleek, white high tech gear, reserved for renegades of knight rank and above. Their faces were obscured by helmets, a precaution against the currently volatile air of the planet.
As they surveyed the area, taking in the carnage, a couple of them seemed like they were going to throw up in their helmets but ultimately managed to control themselves.
The Vanguard leader's gaze finally turned to Arbus. He was still drenched in blood, but even with that, it was very easy for the Vanguard to recognise his skin... it was the skin of a human.
In the next instant, the Vanguard appeared in front of him, a bright purple glow surrounding them, it was the energy that usually appeared whenever a shard user activated their abilities.
The Vanguard's weapon was trained on him, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
"Name" came a cold female voice from within the mask.
Arbus was momentarily stunned, after all he wasn't used to seeing a Vanguard with unique Shard abilities. Mits was a commander and no doubt stronger than this Vanguard, and even he didn't have one. That was due to how rare it was to develop unique Shard abilities at the early levels of using them. Which meant that this Vanguard was no ordinary renegade.
"I already reported everything to the Vanguard I contacted" he said, regaining his composure.
The Vanguard tapped a button on her weapon, increasing its power to level 2 "I won't repeat myself" she said, her tone just as cold as before.
Arbus was starting to get frustrated by his treatment but he responded anyways "Arbus, my name is just Arbus".