The Discussion
The meeting was not held immediately.
That surprised Raghu.
If Aegis wanted answers, he expected them to demand them.
Instead, Elara gave them a time.
A place.
And left.
"That's it?"
Vedant stared at the closed door.
"That's it."
Nathan seemed unsurprised.
Vedant frowned.
"They just invite us to a meeting?"
Ayush looked up from his notes.
"Aegis doesn't seem like the kind of faction that rushes things."
"Sounds exhausting."
Karsh chuckled softly.
For once, nobody disagreed.
The meeting took place that evening.
Aegis territory occupied one of the quieter sectors of Coach One.
Not isolated.
Not hidden.
Simply calm.
The moment they entered, Raghu noticed the difference.
People moved with purpose.
Not urgency.
Conversations happened quietly.
Training occurred without shouting.
Nothing felt forced.
Yet everything felt intentional.
The atmosphere reminded him of something.
The Ancient.
Not because it was similar.
Because it shared a belief.
Every action mattered.
Elara greeted them near the entrance.
"You came."
Vedant looked around.
"You expected otherwise?"
"No."
A pause.
"I wanted confirmation."
That sounded very Aegis.
She led them deeper into the district.
Unlike the other areas of Coach One, there were no visible power displays.
No grand arenas.
No bustling trade centers.
No hidden observers.
Just people.
Working.
Training.
Discussing.
Watching.
Always watching.
The realization followed Raghu all the way to the meeting chamber.
It wasn't a chamber.
It was a circle.
A simple open room with seats arranged around a central platform.
No elevated position.
No obvious leader's chair.
Interesting.
Several people were already present.
Some older.
Some younger.
All observing.
And one man sitting quietly near the center.
He wasn't physically impressive.
Not like Torren.
He wasn't mysterious.
Not like the unseen observers.
Yet the room subtly oriented around him.
Raghu noticed immediately.
Influence.
The room moved around this man without needing instructions.
That alone made him important.
Elara stopped.
"Cassian Voss."
The man opened his eyes.
And smiled.
Not warmly.
Not coldly.
Respectfully.
"Welcome."
His voice was calm.
Measured.
The sort of voice people listened to because it never wasted words.
The five took their seats.
For a moment nobody spoke.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
It felt deliberate.
Finally Cassian leaned forward.
"I'll save everyone time."
That immediately caught Vedant's attention.
Cassian's smile widened slightly.
"We don't care whether you're forming a faction."
Silence.
That wasn't what anyone expected.
Even Ayush looked surprised.
Cassian continued.
"We care why Coach One believes you are."
The distinction hit immediately.
Raghu glanced at Ayush.
Ayush had the same realization.
This wasn't about them.
It was about influence.
The rumor itself had become a force.
Cassian folded his hands.
"Most groups arrive."
A pause.
"Then disappear."
Another.
"Most survivors adapt to Coach One."
His eyes settled briefly on Raghu.
"You are changing it."
No accusation.
No admiration.
Observation.
Exactly the sort of statement Aegis would make.
Nathan spoke first.
"We haven't done anything."
Cassian nodded.
"That's what concerns us."
The room fell silent.
Because everyone understood what he meant.
Influence without action.
A story spreading faster than reality.
That was dangerous.
Especially in a place built around perception.
Ayush finally leaned forward.
"Then why invite us?"
Cassian looked pleased.
Because that was apparently the correct question.
"Aegis studies systems."
A pause.
"And Coach One is changing."
Raghu felt something tighten in the room.
Not tension.
Attention.
Every person present focused on Cassian.
The same subtle alignment he'd noticed earlier.
Influence.
Again.
Cassian reached beneath the table and placed a thin metal tablet in the center of the circle.
Old.
Worn.
Used.
"A record."
Nobody touched it.
Cassian continued.
"Thirty-two years ago."
A pause.
"Another group arrived."
The room grew quieter.
"Five survivors."
Vedant stopped smiling.
Ayush sat up.
Nathan frowned.
Karsh exchanged a glance with Raghu.
The similarities were immediate.
Too immediate.
Cassian's gaze moved across all five of them.
"They were called many things."
A pause.
"History remembers them as the Fourth Banner."
Silence.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
The room suddenly felt much smaller.
Because for the first time since arriving in Coach One—
The rumor surrounding them had a predecessor.
A history.
And histories carried consequences.
Cassian rested a hand on the tablet.
"The Fourth Banner changed Coach One."
Another pause.
"Then vanished."
No one spoke.
Not because they didn't have questions.
Because they had too many.
Cassian watched them carefully.
And for the first time since the meeting began—
His expression became difficult to read.
"Tell me."
His voice remained calm.
Measured.
Yet somehow heavier than before.
"Do you know what happened to them?"
Raghu felt the fragments stir.
Just once.
Just enough to be noticed.
And for the first time since entering Aegis territory—
Cassian Voss looked genuinely interested.