Page 66 of Cheating Fate

“It’s okay to admit that you like me now,” I taunted with a smug grin.

“Fuck that noise,” he replied with a mix of outrage and disgust. “I’m only here riding your coattails to increase my chances of admission into the Sentinels.”

I laughed and opened my mouth to reply, but a sustained beep resonated over the training grounds, signaling for everyone to take their positions. To my shock, I noticed our numbers had noticeably dwindled from when I first arrived.

We all exchanged excited looks, although I didn’t miss the nervousness lurking in the depths of their eyes. The rest of the recruits joined us, and we formed perfect lines while waiting for our verdict. The other people, already members of the Sentinels, also stood loosely on each side of the training grounds, although all of them clustered by units.

A deafening silence settled over the assembly as Khel Praghan walked up to the dais with Ghan shadowing him, as was his wont. This time, Sohr also tagged along, holding a small box. It undoubtedly contained the new insignias for those who would be selected. Like on the day of our trials, countless guests packed the bleachers, their faces lit up with the same excitement we felt.

“Welcome everyone to this day of celebration. You have all worked hard and pushed yourselves through an intense and grueling training. As you have likely noticed, we excused some people early on. It wasn’t for lack of effort, but only the best of the best can overcome the challenges thrown your way. So congratulations on making it to the finish line,” the General said.

The crowd applauded and cheered, quickly quieting down when he raised his hand to request silence.

“All of you that are still here proved your worth and dedication. It has been an honor to watch you grow in such a short period. But understand that this is not the end. This is only the beginning. In a minute, I will call those of you who have earned a place in our midst. But now begins the more advanced and lengthier stage of your training. Some of it will take place here, and with the way things are going right now, plenty of it will occur directly during missions.”

He glanced at Ghan, who took his place at the podium. Khel stepped to the side, next to Sohr.

“As the General expressed during our last gathering, even those of you in training will be sent on an early deployment,” Ghan said. “Your new unit leader will convey that information to you. And now, I will call each person who qualified to become a Sentinel. When I do, come forward to receive your insignia, then go stand with your unit.”

We all held our breaths as he called the first name. Cassius, a young Korlethean, looked shocked to be called first. Although talented, from what I’d witnessed during my three days here before the rescue mission, he certainly wasn’t the best among us. He proudly walked to the front under the cheers and applause from the crowd.

The attendees quieted when Cassius stopped in front of Khel. The General spoke a few words to him, then reached for an insignia in the box Sohr held for him. Visibly choked with emotion, Cassius puffed out his chest, his head held high as Khel placed the insignia on his chest. Once done, he clasped Cassius’s forearm in the Warrior salute.

Ghan then announced through the com which unit he would join. As soon as he said Delta Five, the entire unit cheered and clapped while the young Korlethean proudly marched towards them.

Ghan then called the next name. It quickly became obvious that the order in which he called them had nothing to do with their performance or merit. However, that did nothing to alleviate our growing concern that, as of yet, not a single Braxian was invited to the podium. When the last person received their insignia, the eight of us still stood in our positions.

“And this concludes the Sentinel assignments,” Ghan said in a solemn voice.

A general gasp rose among the crowd and the unit members surrounding us. Every face displayed the same disbelieving expression.

“What the fuck?!” Nolar growled under his breath.

“Silence!” I hissed in a whisper.

My mind reeled at such humiliation. I understood and accepted that without discipline and obedience, any army would devolve into chaos. But this was different. The General acknowledged that my actions had been necessary. I clamped down on the anger threatening to surge within me. Although it looked bad right now, I believe he would do right by us.

As soon as that thought entered my mind, an odd sense of peace settled over me.

Khel returned to stand behind a podium. He once more lifted his right hand to request silence. A hush descended over the audience, every eye locked on him with intense curiosity.

“You all wonder about the Braxians,” Khel said in a self-evident manner. “Are they being punished for insubordination? While such an act would normally warrant it, in this instance, it is not. Sometimes, in extremely rare situations, disobedience is required. Which doesn’t mean you get a free pass to do as you please just because you think you are in the right.”

He locked eyes with me for a brief second. And that sense of peace heightened. He then looked at each of my companions in turn.

“That day, extreme circumstances more than justified their disobedience,” Khel continued. “Their rescue of the mission team was nothing short of heroic and even miraculous. For that alone, they more than deserve acceptance. However, times have changed and will continue to do so.”

The people in the audience exchanged confused looks, wondering where he was going with this.

“The last meeting we held here, I mentioned to you that tensions were steadily building in both the Eastern and Western Quadrants,” Khel said grimly. “And things have reached a new peak. Tonight, you will see in the news that Veredia left the Galactic Alliance.”

This time, the shock didn’t emanate from the audience but from the members of the units who were not permanent residents of Veredia by birth or marriage. Naturally, their counsel would have consulted the population before making such a monumental decision.

“To avoid potential conflicts of interest, the Veredians have decided to separate from the Sentinels,” Khel said. “Therefore, they have created a new division, a sister army to the Tuureans—but similar to the Sentinels—which they have called the Vigil.”

More murmurs welcomed his words. He gestured to his right, and every eye followed the direction he was pointing in.

“Vahleryon will lead the Vigil. A select few will be invited to join them from the start. But I will let Vahl speak for himself,” Khel said before taking a step back, although he remained near the podium.