Kayden walked over to the cryogenic freezing room, approached Abel’s cryo-pod, and input a code to unlock it from the bay and separate it into one unit. He went to his ship’s door and pressed the big button, and sighed. Briggs who’d spoken with him earlier was on the other side with two other Guardians and a serviceman with a dolly.

“Good to see you again, Guardian Kayden,” Briggs said. Kayden sighed as he reached up and shook Briggs’s hand with his metal one.

“It’s been quite some time, but I’m glad you decided to make the right choice,” Briggs said. Kayden grew silent.

“Abel Nightwing is in the freezer. He’s detached and ready for you,” Kayden said. Briggs looked to the band of misfits standing behind Kayden and raised a brow.

“These are the seven you spoke of?” he asked.

“Yeah, all counted and present,” Kayden said. Briggs cleared his throat and motioned for the two Guardians to escort them to the Citadel.

“They will start their training by midday and be fitted for their uniforms afterward. I trust you will stay for the ceremony?” Briggs asked, and Kayden forced a smile.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” he said grudgingly as he finally ended the handshake. The serviceman dragged the dolly into the freezer room and hoisted Abel onto it, and hauled him out. Kayden grabbed his guns and sword hilt and equipped them before leaving the ship with the other seven.

“Good luck, you guys,” Kayden said as they separated. Rio looked back and wanted to say something—at least to show gratitude of a simple thank you, but Kayden was gone. The seven were split up again into separate housing quarters, and they were fitted with gray and black uniforms. The Guardians wore all black to fit the color of their armor that was black and red. Every Guardian on the Citadel had a full-bodied armor except for Kayden. He was the only one wearing a leather jacket and shirt.

“When will you quit being so reckless and get your full suit of armor back?” Briggs asked as they walked off the ship. Kayden grinned.

“There was no mention of acquiring one in our deal, so I assume it won’t be a problem if I don’t,” Kayden said.

“Are you suicidal?” Briggs asked. A sparkle was found in Kayden’s eye as a moment of weakness took him, and he averted it. Briggs sighed.

“What happened on Earth was very tragic, both for you and your career, but we must move on. Our species lives for hundreds of thousands of years. Human love is a flicker in our lifespan, Kayden. Barely a flutter of a heartbeat,” Briggs said.

“Let’s keep it strictly to business, please, sir,” Kayden said as he stood at ease.

“You’ll be assigned a new list similar to what you’ve been receiving as bounties and a Squire. There is to be no argument about it,” Briggs said. Kayden grimaced.

“You’ll be happy to know Earth will be in your quadrant; I haven’t completely been thoughtless about your feelings in this matter,” Briggs said.

“Many dangerous aliens are running amuck since you’ve been a Guardian, recruiting has been at an all-time low since more jobs have opened up for Cyril people since the king opened up new avenues for us to work in…times have changed,” Briggs said.

“So that’s why you lifted the ban on me becoming a Guardian?” Kayden asked.

“I had no choice—you were one of the best we had…I couldn’t let a moment’s lapse in judgment destroy you, Kayden,” Briggs said passionately as he approached him and looked him square in the eye. Briggs reached in his pocket and pulled out a medal and fastened it on Kayden’s jacket, and he looked down at it.

“This is a medal of honor, for nine hundred years of service as a Guardian. Out of all the medals you’ve earned over those years, that is the only one I can honor you with legally but know that I’m fully aware of what medals you once wore,” Briggs said, and Kayden looked down.

“I don’t deserve such an honor, sir,” Kayden said softly.

“It’s my prerogative,” Briggs said sternly.

“You will be staying at the Citadel while we fetch you a Squire. They have been in short supply too as of late as some of our Guardians have been more careless in keeping tabs on theirs,” Briggs said. Kayden looked to him with concern.

“Worry not for the Squires-in-training you brought; they will be given to more respectable Guardians, more seasoned ones that have known the nature of the job for your peace of mind. I wouldn’t want to place you in the field with weight on your mind,” Briggs said.

“That’s kind of you, sir,” Kayden said.

“What drove you to want to recruit such rabble as Squires in the first place, sacrificing your freedom for a year and sending yourself back into action, Kayden Royal?” Briggs asked, and Kayden fell silent as he looked down.

“I thought of what Felicia might think of me, and what she would have me do. I couldn’t…just leave them to struggle on their own like they were, desperate for life and hungry for the Citadel knowing what kind of peace it once brought me,” Kayden said softly as he bared his soul. Briggs smiled.

“So, there is something left of the Kayden I once knew after all. You cared,” Briggs said. Kayden looked up to Briggs in silence, then away.

“She would have been proud of you, Kayden,” Briggs said in a softer tone as he grabbed Kayden’s shoulder.

“While you’re here, I’d like you to spend some time with our recruits in combat training. They could use expert advice as they are as green as they get,” Briggs said. Kayden sighed.

“Your old quarters will be offered to you on the 9th floor, for convenience. No one gets that close to the main barracks,” Briggs said as he handed Kayden a keycard.

“We’ll repair your ship and fashion it with Guardian level gear and equipment in the meantime of your stay. You will be here a month, so get used to being back in the Citadel. Church is still on Faronday at 08:00 in the Citadel. Don’t miss it. It’ll give you a chance to repent. Combat training takes place in the usual spot in the academy at 07:00,” Briggs said, and Kayden nodded.

“Dismissed,” Briggs said as he walked away and left Kayden to himself as he looked up and reminisced on his first days at the Citadel as a young Cyril a little over nine hundred years ago. He was sent to the academy as a child to train as a Guardian. He didn’t know his parents as well as he’d like to. He barely knew them long enough to enter the academy before they left for war. His parents died as Guardians in the second Vorpal war. Many Guardians at his time were also orphans of the same war.