#highordinal

“Do we still have audio?” Kayn asked.

“We do sir, but I’m hearing nothing.”

“Get through that firewall now.”

“Yes, sir.” 

Kayn watched as the Cadet typed furiously at his station, glancing up to the monitor as a progress bar popped up and began slowly increasing. 20 percent. 40 percent. 70 percent. Another minute passed before it fully reached one hundred and the screen showed the inside of the transport ships bridge. The Captain gasped, as did many of their crew as they looked to the screen.

The door was jammed open and bodies lying in pools of blood could be seen on the other side. A figure stood in the middle of the carnage, blades retracting into his hands. The creature looked over its shoulder, it’s bright neon eyes locked with the Ordinal. Kayn felt his body tense, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Then the figure turned around fully and strode towards the Captains chair. 

“...Shieda.” The man finally said, a twisted smile curled onto his lips. “We have missed you.”

Kayn grimaced, the sound of the others voice mixed with those who he had slain; their essence melted down into ora which he knew he consumed. His jaw clenched shut, rendering him unable to respond. 

The Slayer raised a brow. “Why do you not speak, Shieda? Are you not glad to see us again?” 

“Not in the slightest.” Kayn growled before standing straighter. “Illegally boarding a Demaxian transport ship, murdering it’s crew and stealing it’s cargo are all serious offenses that are punishable by death, Zed.” His heart sank as the words left his mouth. 

Zed. His-... No. Not anymore.

Zed gave him a pitying look. “Our poor lost child. Why don’t you leave that Empire and join us, Shieda? We could be reunited- we could be a family again.”

“I disowned you the moment you turned into that monster.” The Ordinal hissed. His crew looked to him with worry and confusion. They knew not who this strange man was nor have they ever seen their Ordinal show such emotion. 

The other scoffed, crossing his arms. “We are not a monster- we are Zed. We are a god among men.”

“You are nothing but a selfish deadbeat and a coward-”

“Yet we are still your father.” Zed clicked his tongue, “There is still so much you have yet to learn, Kayn. Come home. We will teach you.” He held out his hand toward the monitor, his image flickering in and out as the ships communications struggled to hold. 

A part of him wanted to be that little boy again- the child who had run away from his broken and pitiful life, stumbling upon a new home in Ionan. A kind and gracious Templar who had embraced him in a warmth he had not felt in so long and opened his home to him. That was the father Kayn remembered. Not this beast. Yet still his heart wavered and he found himself contemplating: What if I do want to go home?

He shook his head, disgusted that he could think of such a thing. He did not need Zed anymore, for he had his own family to take care of. So what if his heart would shatter when his blade found his father’s heart? He couldn’t waste his time chasing a past long gone, he needed to be here in the present. 

Now firm and resolute, Kayn clenched his fist. He took a deep inhale before glaring once more into the others eyes. “No. I have nothing else to learn from you.”

“A pity.” Zed frowned, a hint of disappointment in his tone. The ex-templar lowered his hand and turned around, beginning to make his way out of the room. “Till next we meet, Shieda.” The darkness swirled around him, golden flecks of ora spinning with the shadows that consumed him. And then he was gone. 

The monitor flickered out and Kayn could do nothing but stare at the blank screen. His captain plotted a course to the transport without her asking and she began to order their crew in place of their Ordinal. 

. . .

The images they saw through the feed were worse in person. Men lay in their own filth, some ripped to shreds while others were littered with gaping holes. Kayn walked through the ship, collecting any identification badges from the bodies before moving to the next. It was a slow trudge to the main bridge where Zed had been, and wherever they went there was another body to find. 

Kayn spotted the captain on this ship, slumped over in his chair. He walked to the body and began to rummage through his jacket before procuring his ID. As the Ordinal turned away he felt a sudden grip on his arm. 

He looked over his shoulder to the presumed to be corpse, eyes widening when he saw the man staring up at him. Kayn turned around fully, hauling the captain up to get a better look at his wounds. One large piercing through his chest, just missing his heart. Kayn shouted for the medic he brought on board, placing his own hand upon the wound to keep it from bleeding out anymore. 

“Ordinal… Kayn…” The captains breaths were short and ragged.

“That’s enough, you’re expending energy. We can talk later.”

“Weh’le.” The captain sputtered. 

Kayn raised a brow. “What did you say?”

“He said something about… Weh’le... The mines.”

The Ordinal would have inquired further if it had not been for the medic who finally arrived and shooed him away. Not that he needed to know, he had already put two and two together. Weh’le, a planet yet to be under Empire control and the home of many insurgents, possessed some of the galaxy's richest ora mines. The only reason the Empire hadn’t made a move on the area was due to an increase of extra-terrestrial monsters that flocked to the planet. It was just too dangerous to go, and even if it weren’t they didn’t have the manpower for a full expedition. 

Kayn sighed, deciding to return back to his ship while his crew continued to search the other. His captain nodded at him as he entered the main bridge. “Ordinal.”

“Captain.” He greeted in return.

“A transmission was requested by the Empire.” They both looked at one another. “...It’s the Emperor.”

“Yes,” Kayn rubbed his temple. “Of course it is. We were supposed to arrive hours ago… Captain, take the call for me. I need to start on the report.”