Page 89 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol. 1
I flip him off. I think that gets the message across.
***
Outside, night has just fallen. According to the plan, Wingo will trigger the diversion in less than six hours—at daybreak on Vagantu.
We eat the stew. It’s surprisingly good, though I have no idea what’s in it. Some kind of local fish, maybe, cooked with spices and vegetables.
We speak in hushed tones, going over my role in the Confederation—and Akifumi in particular.
After we eat, I spread out the contents of my bag on the bed. A compass. A water purifier. A long-range light beam. The special felt-tip. A flask of niank oil. Nothing that looks remotely like a weapon—I knew anything suspicious would’ve been confiscated right away.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing here that can help us get rid of that damn collar.
I examine it closely while she watches me, nervous.
“Can you remove it?” she asks.
“No. There’s a safety mechanism. Even if I had a blade or something to cut it, it’s rigged with sensors.”
“So what do we do?”
“We assume it won’t work underwater. That’s the only idea I’ve got.”
“Underwater?” she echoes, confused.
She points out that this planet is basically covered in water. I nod. I’ve noticed a small island nearby—or more like a rocky outcrop. I think I can find it with the compass. It’s about two miles from here.
“But Pherebos… are you sure you can make it? That’s a long swim for someone who’s afraid of the water.”
“My Faksaya,” I say softly, “Asgarne is an island planet. I swam before I could walk, remember? I’m completely at home in the water—or at least, I used tobe. I can handle the distance. I can even pull you with me… in theory.”
“Then why…?”
“I get it,” I say. “You’re trying to make sense of something that’s not logical. It’s psychological.”
I take a breath.
“My home planet is an ocean world. After years away, my sister Silmarwen came back to our village with her Dedicated Soul—an Erian, one of the winged people. They used Confederation tech to predict a major disaster and warned us to evacuate. We’d lived on those atolls forever. We didn’t believe them. I didn’t believe them. I was the leader. I thought I had everything under control. I downplayed it.”
I pause, the memory tightening in my chest.
“And then it happened. Just like they said. The catastrophe hit. Everyone died. My mother. My family. All of them. Except me.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” she says softly, trying to comfort me.
But I can tell she’s struggling to find the right words. “So… the name of your ship and its AI—it comes from your missing sister?”
“It’s a tribute to her, yes. My beloved sister. But she’s not missing. She’s alive. She and her Dedicated Soul live on Eris—his homeworld.”
“I’m glad she made it,” Ileana says. “But… how did you survive?”
I gasp, the memory hitting me like a wave of ice. A cold shiver runs down my spine. My breath shortens, sharp and uneven.
“I’m sorry,” she says quickly. “Forget I asked. I can see how much it hurts.”
“No,” I say, steadying myself. “You have a right to know. Especially with what we’re about to face tomorrow. The truth is… I didn’t escape unscathed.”
I pause, then continue, voice low.
