Page 1 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol 2
Prologue
The Intergalactic Confederation has been traveling the universe for decades.
Its primary mission: to peacefully explore new worlds, to document and map the countless forms of life scattered across the cosmos.
When a celestial body shows potential to sustain life, the Confederation puts its most advanced knowledge to work—terraforming—a complex series of operations designed to transform a sterile environment into a habitable world.
Its fleet, made up of ships of every size, brings together crews from a wide range of worlds, most notably from Polares—the founding planet—and from Earth. In theory, they all work toward the same goal: to preserve and expand knowledge, always with respect for life and its diversity.
In theory.
Because where knowledge grows, ambition and corruption often follow. Some civilizations seek to dominate rather than coexist, to exploit rather than protect.
To counter these threats, an elite unit was formed: the Galactic Sentinels.
Their mission is threefold.
As explorers, they carry forward the Confederation’s original purpose.
As engineers, they contribute to vast terraforming projects.
And as shadows, they are spies—capable of infiltrating criminal networks, tracking traffickers, and dismantling their empires, often at the risk of their own lives.
1-Ayden, the Good
I watch Haruki’s maneuvers closely as he brings the Nebula, our ship, down onto Gekkaria—a planet painted in shades ofviolet and ochre, where, hopefully, I’ll find the one who might become my new partner.
Haruki, our weapons master and instructor within the Intergalactic Confederation’s special unit, has been here before—just over a polar year ago. The boy who caught his attention back then wasn’t ready to leave his people, at least not yet. I, on the other hand, joined the training program as soon as I was old enough, raised as a ward of the Confederation.
On our way here, we made a brief stop to pick up Jason and Xenon at Space Base BN-22. With their parents’ approval, they’ve joined our unit. Life on a small interstellar station can be suffocating for young teens who see no real future in those confined corridors. Personal and professional growth opportunities are limited out there, and most of them feel trapped in an endless, monotonous routine. The lack of stimulation and direction pushes them to dream of escape—to seek out new horizons.
That’s what led Jason and Xenon to apply. They were already close friends—tight-knit and inseparable—and it was clear they were eager to break out of their cage. You could feel the excitement buzzing off them the moment they boarded, eyes lit up with anticipation. Keeping them as a duo in our unit felt like the natural move. Their bond brings fresh energy and promise to the group.
At the end of this recruitment journey, Haruki hopes to form around ten pairs for the mission he's overseeing: the Galactic SentinelsInitiative.
TheNebulalands smoothly on the cracked surface, kicking up a thick cloud of ochre dust. Other shuttles are lined up across the landing zone near the village entrance. Haruki explained that Gekkaria is an autonomous planet, inhabited by the Gekkaris—a quiet people who mostly live in the vastnorthern forests. They allowed the Confederation to establish a small colony in the desert region of their world for agricultural purposes. Our hydroponic methods in space bases can’t support large-scale crops, and diversifying our nutritional sources is crucial. On a planet like this, the possibilities are far greater.
“We’re here,” Haruki announces. “Ayden, you’re with me. The rest of you stay onboard and close the ramp once we’re on the ground.”
“What? Why?” Jason groans. “We wanna stretch our legs too! We’ve been locked up in this tin can for weeks! And why does Ayden get to go and not us?”
“Need I remind you that this town isn’t run by the Confederation?” Haruki replies firmly. “It’s home to autonomous humans, living in cooperation with the native Gekkaris. I don’t know either group personally. You’re not fully trained yet, and I won’t leave you to wander on your own in an unfamiliar environment, even if it seems peaceful enough. I gave your parents my word that you’d be safe until your next visit. I intend to keep it.”
He shoots them a sharp look, completely unfazed by their sulky expressions.
“Ayden’s coming with me because I believe the boy we’re meeting—Logan—might be a strong candidate to be his partner,” Haruki continues. “I want to see how they interact. I need to speak with him—and with his parents. You’ll wait patiently on the ship until we return. It could take several hours.”
I flash Jason a smug smile. He flips me off in return—a relic from ancient human culture that somehow survived across the centuries. Seems every generation of teens insists on keeping that charming little tradition alive.
Haruki runs through the final checks before heading down the boarding ramp. I follow quickly—just in case he changes hismind. I’ve been itching to get off the ship, and I don’t want to get stuck onboard again.
We step onto the dry, dusty ground, our boots crunching with every step. The air is dry and smells like sunbaked earth. A few wispy, cotton-like clouds drift lazily across a sky so turquoise it’s almost blinding under the intense sunlight.
As we enter the town, we pass only a handful of people. Most are sheltering from the midday heat, and those who are out barely glance at us. Travelers aren’t rare around here. People have other things to worry about.
Haruki says the Gekkaris only agreed to allow farming operations in this equatorial desert—nothing beyond that. Some of the residents from our Confederation outpost work the plantations a few miles north, where large greenhouses have been set up to grow fruit trees and other tall crops.
Haruki walks straight toward a building on the main street. The composite facade shows a few stylized fruits, making it clear this is a fresh produce shop.
