Cantral The Entra

Let your doubts guide you.

Fendan rises from the grey sofa, a few shades lighter than my darker than average skin. "Can I accompany you to breakfast?" He smiles.

"You're going to eat breakfast in the canteen?" I say in mock horror. "Are you unwell, do you need to borrow my unit?"

"Enough," Fendan snaps, but there's a sparkle in his blue eyes and a smile.

We walk together through the corridors of Prime, the mothership, and through the windows I see her swarm, millions of Battle Cruisers. They appear small from this perspective, but they're not, they're monstrosities in their own right. Vast ships the size of cities.

I look in vain for Fendan's fleet, but I don't see his formidable army of Battle Cruisers. Did he arrive without them? Has he left them to their missions and simply returned to Prime to be present for my ceremony like he said? It's improbable, unlikely, completely out of character. Maybe Haroc commanded it.

"I dreamt of planet Detrie last night... my first kill." I watch Fendan for a reaction. "The first time I Renewed a person's Energy," I correct.

He's quiet, his face serious, and for a time just the gentle tap of our feet breaks the silence. "An apt dream for a day such as today," he says calmly, skimming past my mistake and entra dip their heads as we pass, for Fendan, not me.

We step into a lift and Fendan taps the codes for the canteen upon a touchscreen. We're alone now. For five years the events after Detrie have, intermittently, clouded my thoughts and made me question the competence of our Emperor, Haroc. I don't know if it's the dream or the fact I'm an adult, but I feel ready to speak about it now, ready to ease my guilt.

"I'm sorry, for what I did that day..." I look away, down at my black boots. "Was he very angry with you?"

"Are you?" Fendan laughs, his fingers tap over the touchscreen and the lift stops. "Was he very angry?" He laughs, again. "Haroc took you to Detrie to show you what we do, it was a lesson. So, what did you learn?"

"I learnt that entra command power, that we are the biggest force the universe has ever seen." A screen on the wall flashes blue, a lighter shade than my uniform, more Fendan's skin colour. Apparently, the lift is not pleased we stopped. "I learnt that no one could resist us. I learnt... we cannot even resist ourselves."

"You learnt," Fendan corrects, "that every action has consequences and sometimes those consequences are dealt to others."

Fendan rolls his sleeve up. Embedded into his forearm is a small touchscreen. I watch, intrigued by this unknown piece of tech. Words fill the screen, but one specifically grabs my attention, "Release". One by one Fendan plucks his four fingers from his hand and within the stumps are holes lined with blue metal. He holds up his hand to show me. This was the consequence of my actions on Detrie.

"Haroc did this?" I ask, but I'm not surprised.

Fendan nods and replaces his robotic fingers. "You learnt that if you are to resist Haroc you must be subtle. Clever. From today onwards you are no longer under my charge, you must forge a place for yourself... you have a choice, will you pick the path of ease or chaos?"

"To me all pathways are chaotic."

Fendan taps the screen and the lift jolts upwards. "Yes. But there is predictable chaos and true chaos, the downfall of all you know."

I frown. "What are you saying to me?"

"I'm just curious of what type of entra you will choose to be." He watches me as the lift doors slide open. "Let us speak no more about it, for today is a day of celebration."

We step across the corridor and the door to the canteen parts for us. A wall of chatter slaps me in the face, loud and raucous, obnoxious. Shouts and bangs tangle around the canteen and fall into my ears, there's a fight in the corner, the sounds of entra in their natural habitat.