Oro Sorkin sat in his usual uncomfortable chair, listening to his colleagues scurrying and conferring among themselves. They discussed current shipment status updates, threats, and updating arrival times to the Electric Callboy. Indeed, running a critical convoy on behalf of one's world was an arduous task at the best of times.

  Which was why Oro appreciated not being able to see any of it.

  Hmm… It's interesting how one can detach themselves from the unimportant aspects of life when senses no longer function, he marvelled, sitting with his back tall against his chair, elbows propped up, fingers interlinked. Oro listened to the voices around him as footsteps moved around him. They would call him if needed, or if he interceded. Everything seemed under control, especially considering the location they were going.

  Oro smiled. The Electric Callboy was a place most Aphrions never wanted to associate with, a floating base which moved around the galaxy, never staying in one place. It was currently located somewhere near Gaiu and Gungin.

  At least I won't have to see it. Oro appreciated that, knowing the vermin they were going to be trading with. Lowlifes. Scum. Those who ended up on the Electric Callboy were the beings his kind would rather avoid. Rumours suggested the pretence of heavy music and party-like atmosphere was all a ruse to hide illegal activity. That didn't surprise Oro.

  It had to be done, especially for a race that was deluding itself into thinking it wasn't dying.

  Oro stiffened before forcing himself to relax. It didn't matter. Things were going according to plan. They just needed to continue leading the convoy of four ships, and everything would work out all right.

  At least, that's what Oro hoped.

  Everything was running smoothly. That was the thing with being blind. Others believed you didn't pay as much as attention to things. However, the opposite was true. Beings left you alone more often, believing you were far less capable. They revealed aspects of their deepest inner workings they were sure they had under lock and key.

  But Oro sensed it all, and he smiled. His master had told him all this. Everything said had been correct.

  You believe your disability to be a weakness. No, it's now your greatest strength. Disability exposes weakness in others. It makes them regard you as a lesser being. Less intelligent. Less capable. Give them this illusion, while occasionally surprising them with moments of complete genius. They will not know how to treat you, so they will elevate you. Driven by guilt, they will elevate you to be an equal. However, one can bring others down to their level. This is the beauty of ignorance towards disability…

  'Oro?' a voice spoke alongside him, snapping Oro back towards reality. There had been no sound of footsteps, nor slight vibrations which showed approach. Oro recognised the voice, relaxing.

  'Yes, Karius?' he said. Oro imagined a young Aphrion standing alongside him, sleek of build, with obsidian skin and white eyes, which would make them appear blind. However, Karius was not blind. A sentinel could afford to be blind, a guard less so. He would wear a black robe with ancient golden text etched across it, coupled with an ornate blade.

  'You wanted me to alert you when the other captains conferred with one another,' the young Aphrion said.

  'Indeed. I assume they're doing so.'

  'Well, yes,' Karius said, speaking as though frowning, or at least somewhat confused. 'The monitors have flagged something, something they seem especially concerned with.'

  'And you believe this worth my attention?' Oro asked, curious.

  'Yes,' Karius said, resolve growing in his voice. Oro smiled.

  'What is it?' he asked.

  'A ship's tailing the convoy.'

  'You mean the one which started following us as soon as we passed Gaiu?' Oro asked, knowing it would give Karius pause. A part of him always enjoyed doing this, taking advantage of others' ignorance, though with Karius it wasn't because of some sense of superiority. He was a simple man.

  'Yes, sir,' Karius responded. 'It appears to have spent time behind each ship, but the captains are concerned with the fact that it's remained behind this ship the longest.'

  'It knows I'm here,' Oro said.

  'The same conclusion I would draw, sir,' Karius said. 'Should I address them under your command, tell them to send a few scouts to investigate?'

  'No,' Oro said, becoming contemplative. 'I wish to see what it does.'

  'Is that…' Karius began, before appearing to interrupt himself, falling into silence.

  'Wise?' Oro asked, half smiling before he made a point of turning his head in the direction where Karius would be standing. The young man would be cringing.

  'I… just don't want to risk anything,' Karius admitted. Oro flicked a nod in approval.

  'A fine sentiment,' he said. 'I believe you'll become a fine sentinel one day.'

  'I doubt I'll rise that high, sir,' Karius replied, always humble.

  'This is the very reason you will,' Oro said. 'Because you listen, and you treat everyone with respect. Let me impart a little wisdom I learned a couple of years ago. Look beyond your initial impression of everything. Train yourself to regard a deepness within others and all situations. There are motives for everything. Scales of power which shift with each passing second. See beyond the appearances of those closest to you. Who are they really? What are their dreams? Fears? Always look deeper, and see…'

  A pause emerged, a sign Karius was considering every word. It reflected the man Karius was.

  And how impressionable he was. A simple idea could lead to many possibilities if followed with subtle steps. A minute's worth of conversation, and Oro knew he had just set up the future for the young guard standing alongside him.

  After all, his own master had done the same with him.

  'Thank you, sir,' Karius said, his tone reverent. 'I shall take on your wisdom.'

  'Good,' Oro said, before he sensed soft vibrations emerge from up ahead, turning his head. Someone was approaching.

  'Captain Admara is approaching, sir,' Karius said.

  'Her expression?'

  'Unreadable, sir.'

  'So there's been a development,' Oro said, as he crossed one of his robed legs over the other, further observing the vibrations and the approaching sound of the footsteps. There was always a tension to Captain Admara's steps. It wasn't easy being captain, especially spending so much time with the Gorkans. Only those who kept their heads long enough rose to become sentinel.

  Then Captain Admara's steps stopped. She stood before him.

  'Sentinel Sorkin,' she said, her tone professional, 'I hadn't believed this worth your time, but there's a ship that's been tailing the convoy since we passed Gaiu. They have fixed on this ship the longest, and… We've just received a transmission.'

  'Oh, and what does this ship look like?'

  'That's the thing. Our records don't match with it. It is a custom job. Single pilot, long, sleek nose, with extended back and wings. It's black with slashes of red.'

  'And the transmission bears an insignia?' Oro asked. This drew the longest period of silence, which answered the question itself. Still, Oro waited.

  'A horizontal blade, lined with red too, sir…' Captain Admara answered, speaking as though it haunted her. That was understandable.

  It answered why the captain was here.

  'Interesting…' Oro said, allowing some tension to emerge in his voice.

  'Sir?' Karius asked.

  'Silence, Karius!' Captain Admara snapped, her tone laced with admonishment. 'Let the sentinel think.'

  'Captain.' Oro spoke, knowing it would draw her attention. 'Karius evidently does not understand, so rather than chastise him, an explanation is in order.'

  'Yes, Sentinel…' Captain Admara replied, her tone apologetic. Oro allowed silence to emerge then, waiting for her to speak. She needed this. If she was going to replace him as sentinel, then she needed to learn how to lean away from her training, communicate more delicately. She tried too hard to impress. It was obvious in her tone. Even if she felt punished, she needed this valuable learning experience.

  'The insignia is linked to an organisation known as the Shadow Sect, though their existence is questionable,' she said. 'I sense this is a falsehood to make us respond in a certain way.'

  'More detail, Captain. You're skirting around the main issue with this,' Oro said. Another pause followed before Captain Admara took in a breath.

  'They're said to be an organisation of covert agents and assassins. Apart from that, not much is known about them, hence I doubt it is truly them.'

  'Could they be interested in us travelling to the Electric Callboy, I wonder?' Oro said, more throwing the possibility out there.

  'Sir, you don't actually think—' Captain Admara said, before stopping herself, as though realising what she had been about to do. She took in a breath while Oro allowed her to relax.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  'This information points towards such a conclusion, does it not?' he asked, before deciding Captain Admara had undergone enough of an education for one day. 'You have my permission. Play the transmission for everyone on this bridge to hear. We will not hide this from them.'

  'Yes… sir,' Captain Admara said, before stepping away.

  'Sentinel Sorkin has ordered the transmission to be played,' she said. She handled the command well, even if the others couldn't sense the insecurity behind it. Hushed voices followed her command, showing Oro that everyone in the Command Centre had been listening to their exchange. That would explain why Captain Admara had been tenser than usual.

  But Oro had expected that, which was why he'd done it.

  'Shhh…' The transmission began, followed by cracking and sudden breaks. That was for effect. It was too intentional, a perfected imperfection. Oro had known such devices to be used before.

  'Aphrion convoy…' A voice emerged, layered with vocal distortion. 'I have identified the ship that harbours the sentinel known as Oro Sorkin. As for the rest of you, you have been marked by the Shadow Sect…'

  At once, alarms erupted from the consoles in the Command Centre before Oro's fellow Aphrions chattered in panic.

  'Sir, they've locked on to—'

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  Explosions erupted behind them, but not from their own ship. At once, Oro understood what had happened. He only needed the others to confirm it.

  'Sir, they've taken down the other three ships!' one Aphrion said. 'Blown out of space!'

  A frantic scramble followed, while Captain Admara struggled to speak over the wave of panic. Taking in an intentional breath to calm himself, Oro rose to his feet.

  'Silence!' he declared, somehow stopping the entire room, as he sensed the gazes of everyone turning to him, the alarms of the consoles still blaring. To punctuate the silence, Oro took his time in sitting back in his chair, resuming the same posture. The message was obvious.

  Keep control. Panic was for those already dead.

  'They are here for me,' he said, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone. 'However, the fact this ship remains untouched is enough to suggest they will not take us down yet. This presents us with a simple choice. I order you all to evacuate. Captain Admara, you will act as my replacement to facilitate this. Explain to our council of the circumstances around our failure. This had been planned, evidently…'

  'But sir!' Karius said. 'I can't abandon you. You're my charge!'

  'It is a command, not a request,' Oro said. 'You will all obey. Leave. Get out of here. I shall confront the one piloting this ship. Once they've seen you depart, no doubt they'll board and come find me. I shall see what the Shadow Sect intends for me. However, my life is not worth everyone else's. I am a blind old man. Leave me…'

  Silence met him.

  #

  I travel beyond the path of reason, don't I? Shakiri Ravia wondered, as she watched the four large Aphrion ships explode before her, asking a voice no longer there. A voice she missed so much.

  A voice she had destroyed.

  Take me back… Please, take me back…

  She squeezed her ship's steering levers, despising every part of her being. Self-hatred and rage filled her, yet there was no quenching of this. This was her punishment.

  This was what it meant to complete your training with the Shadow Sect.

  She had wanted this. Power. Meaning. A reason to justify her existence. Yet, this seemed far beyond that. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Even when she sensed Eden trying to reassure her, something felt hollow. Veilis had given her this chance, this opportunity.

  But why had it cost him? Why had she been willing to pay that price?

  No, it's not true. I didn't want to. But… the hate… the corruption. I had to do it. We can change this universe. We can save it. All I had to pay was him. All I had to pay was…

  'Everything I had ever wanted…' Shakiri whispered aloud, knowing she had only realised that when it was done.

  So she proceeded, knowing no other recourse remained. Her next target was somewhere within the ship. A brief intermission before she returned to her chosen mission.

  Oro Sorkin.

  #

  All that remained was the sound of soft beeping from the monitors surrounding him, coupled with the near constant hum of the ship itself. These were the kinds of sounds most never heard.

  But that didn't mean they didn't exist. Oh yes, there was much to love and appreciate. Just look beyond your perception. After all, perception is flawed. So much dictated it. General disposition. Experiences. Influences of others.

  And trauma, perhaps most of all.

  Oro raised his hands towards his eyes, covering them. Of course, it changed nothing, only that he felt the coldness of his hands touching his face. Smiling, Oro allowed his hands to drop, closing his eyes to a darkness that always came.

  As a single tear ran down his face.

  Footsteps approached, almost silent. Oro allowed his smile to fade, knowing as he wiped his face.

  'Did you allow the others to escape?' he asked, settling back in his seat.

  'Yes,' a female voice answered. 'You did them a kindness.'

  'They were good beings,' Oro replied. 'Death should never be pointless.'

  'Almost sounds noble of you…' the voice replied, before complete silence emerged. Oro hardly made out any breathing.

  Then he sensed her standing right alongside him.

  'If only they knew who you were, and how you set all of this up, Veilis,' she said, right into his ear. Oro paused.

  Before he grinned.

  'Of course…' he remarked, allowing his voice to return to normal. 'Who would ever suspect a blind old man of infiltration?'

  'But to what end?' the woman asked. 'You do nothing without reason.'

  'Ah, all shall become clear soon, my apprentice,' Veilis said, before he sensed her bristling.

  'Oh, I'm sorry,' Veilis said. 'Still a little raw, are we?'

  Veilis felt a blade rest against his throat.

  'Don't you dare mock me…' the voice said, wanting to end his life. That gave Veilis another reason to smile.

  'You won't kill me, Shakiri,' he said. 'For although you despise me, you also have reached the point of no return. You believe in my vision, and what I seek to accomplish.'

  'But why go this far?' Shakiri asked. 'A transmission—'

  'Only would've allowed me to hear your voice,' Veilis interrupted, before sensing a slight quiver of the blade against his throat. She was wilting already. 'In the wake of your initiation and first mission, I wished to gain an insight into your current capacity. It is not a simple task which I have set for you, Shakiri.'

  The blade quivered again before moving away from his throat. Her breathing became more ragged, emotional. He could feel her shaking.

  'After what you made me do, now you care about my mental state?' Shakiri asked, incredulous. Veilis sighed.

  'My child, it will only get worse. It always gets worse, the pain… the regret. Already, I know you question everything you've done, everything you've thought. Perhaps even your belief in our dream is wilting. A natural progression, but alas, we do what we must. We shall save this universe, Shakiri, but blood must spill. This is only the beginning. That is why you performed that task as part of your initiation. To perform necessity, one must kill the part of themselves they treasure most…'

  Silence met him.

  'How did you know?' Shakiri asked, her tone almost haunted.

  'Because my initiation was the same,' Veilis said, recalling his tears before she arrived. 'The difference is while yours was physical, symbolic, mine was something far deeper. I had to kill an ideal I once treasured. Even now it hurts me so… But, this is what it means to become part of the Shadow Sect, Shakiri Ravia. Now, we must continue forward…'

  Her breathing seemed to relax. She was listening. She was ready to be pointed at her next target.

  'You failed to collect Osiris's Odian,' he said.

  'I was… prevented, by—' Shakiri said, before Veilis raised his hand, silencing her.

  'He has bonded to a new host,' Veilis said. 'Ironically, Salkon has fallen to Ero Kalid's loyal apprentice, Galko Bastille. He now travels to Gaiu, having already convinced the Odian of Sutr to join his cause. You shall intercept him there. Bring him down. Then, we shall move to other targets. Your actions here weren't just for me to check up on you. I have other machinations which required this. You will harm me, almost to the point of death. Then, you will send me out in a lonely escape pod and destroy this ship. My heroic and impossible return will further endear me within the Aphrion Council, which should then promote me to join the delegation that deals with Gorkas. From there, further pieces shall align…'

  'Yes, Veilis…' Shakiri said, before Veilis heard the slight whooshing sound of her blade. That gave him cause to smile as he awaited the pain.

  'Remember my first lesson, Shakiri,' he said. 'Life is worthless, including your own. Once you understand that, no one can own you…'