HELIOS flipped open the file handed to him as he strode through the corridors of the ship, heading to meet the team the Marshal herself had handpicked for him. His eyes skimmed the first page: *"Pirate Ship; Epic Rank: Named."* He scratched his chin thoughtfully as the name Anderson Hall, a notorious pyrotechnic captain, stood out. Nodding, he flipped through the rest of the file, gathering the vital details as the *Retribution* sliced through space, drawing dangerously close to its target.
Yet, the further he read, the more inconsistencies leaped off the page. Details contradicted one another, facts clashed, and parts of the document were so erroneous they were nearly useless. Rage simmered in his chest. Who had the audacity to deliver such sloppy intel to the Marshal? On his ship, the responsible party would be thrown overboard without a second thought.
Despite the weight of his past failures, Helios had never let go of his iron discipline. It was that same relentless drive that had elevated him to the rank of Narvach. He'd fought for every scrap of respect, clawing his way up from the bottom. His father and his mother's neglect had forged him into someone who no longer relied on the universe's favor.
"Helios Charlemagne," came a serpentine hiss, curling in his mind. He stiffened. The voice was back, the one that had haunted him since that fateful day Felis had thrown him into the sea, leaving him to drown in isolation. Ever since that moment, something had shifted. That nightmare he'd had, awaking in a world covered in shadows never truly left him. In fact, Helios was starting to wonder if it had been a nightmare at all.
The voice had grown louder since then, more persistent, like a dark passenger lurking in the corners of his thoughts.
*"You cannot ignore me forever,"* the frosty whisper coiled through his mind again.
Helios steeled his resolve and focused on the mission at hand. He arrived at the ship's deck and glanced at the Marshal who was addressing the selected officials that were to accompany him on his mission. He gazed meaningfully at her and she smiled when she saw him; a genuine smile, Helios noticed.
"So have you read the entire file?" She demanded.
"Yes, I have, I just wanted to ask, who prepared this file?" He demanded, unable to keep it in. He felt like the Marshal wanted to sabotage him, but if she wanted to get rid of him, she didn't need to do anything this elaborate. His life was hanging in balance already.
"The council sent it through telegram, why?" She demanded.
"Have you read it?" Helios asked softly, trying to sound less frustrated than he actually was.
"No," she shook her head, then she sighed. "Let me guess, the details in there are misleading?"
He nodded, showing her some of the contradictions. A paragraph said the captain of the ship was a Cryptid and another claimed he was just a human cripple. "Okay, I think, this is the council trying to get back at me for what I did to save you," she gazed at the texts meaningfully then glanced up. "Someone get me Hevah!" She yelled. "Tell him to come with the Notary," she commanded and almost immediately multiple soldiers ran below deck fighting to obey her orders.
Helios noted that her subordinates didn't exactly fear her as much as they respected her. Back on Silent Sorrows, he commanded respect but it was drawn from a place of terror. His subordinates were kept in line with an ironhand, any step out of line resulted in punishment or his favorite, death.
He regretted it now, although he knew regret won't give him peace but he still apologized in his heart. He wanted atonement for his sin and he'd decided he would get it on this ship, even if he had to die serving. He owes his life to the Marshal and he would repay that debt as long as he lived.
"So nothing in this file can be trusted?" He demanded.
"Not really, maybe we should let the ship leave?" She sighed.
"No. I am going, since when does a Narvach need a file to determine details about a criminal," he said with a smile.
Irene glanced meaningfully at him then stretched her hand forward. "Meet your team then."
Four people stood before him, neither of them were dressed in the official uniform of a marine and they all looked weird and different. "Before you came along, these were my advisors on combat related matters. I called them the Tribunals.
Helios' eyes widened in disbelief. "The *Tribunals*?" he repeated, almost bowing instinctively before the four figures standing in front of him. Who hadn't heard of them? They were legends, war heroes whose names struck fear and awe across the realm. Ten years ago, during the war, they had single-handedly crippled the Pirate King Blacktide's forces, holding off an entire army for thirty minutes, just long enough to turn the tide at the palace grounds. That moment had changed everything.
Marshal Irene smiled, a glint in her eye. "How about some introductions?"
The figure to Helios' right stepped forward first, extending a hand the size of a small boulder. "Benjamin Ulr," he said, his voice as deep as a rumble of thunder. The man towered at nearly seven feet, his muscular frame complemented by fiery red hair and a beard that stretched to his chest. A massive battle-ax rested casually in his grip, its blade gleaming. His porcelain skin and ice-blue eyes suggested he hailed from the frozen lands.
Next was a smaller, more unassuming figure. "My name is Ade. Just Ade," he said quietly, clutching a rosary. His dark hair and brown eyes were unremarkable, and standing next to the giant Benjamin, he seemed even smaller. Ade flashed a serene smile. "God bless you," he murmured, his fingers gently brushing the beads like he was praying.
Before Helios could respond, a sharp voice cut through the air. "Oh, for fuck's sake, can we get this over with?" The third figure stepped forward—bald-headed with a thick black beard trailing under his chin and a scar stretching across his forehead like a crown. He was muscular but not hulking, his frame more wiry and dangerous. "Gash. No last name, don't need one. And let me make something clear, I told the Commander I don't like you. I still don't. Got that?" His cold gaze bore into Helios, who felt the weight of the disdain.
The final figure smiled, his eyes closed in an expression of calm. "I apologize for Gash's... rudeness," he said, his tone smooth and cultured. "My name is Han Wei." He shuffled a deck of cards in his hands, each motion fluid and precise. "Pick one," he offered. Helios complied, drawing a card with a figure hanging upside down by one ankle.
"The Hanged Man," Han Wei said softly, taking the card back. He opened his eyes, revealing iridescent, icy-blue iris that seemed to pierce straight through Helios' soul. The eyes were like crystals, glistening whenever they moved, it was so beautiful that he almost couldn't gaze away.
Helios straightened and nodded to them all, gathering his resolve. "I'm Helios Charlemagne. I look forward to working with you all." His voice carried more confidence than he felt.