This is the final story of The Temple Steps Alight as of this time. It has been an amazing adventure and I am so grateful for all of you with whom I have been honored to share it.
Next week, I'll be putting up on AO3(only) a sort of behind-the-scenes story that highlights some of the stuff that might have slipped through the cracks. Come check it out, and if you have questions I've never managed to address in the series, you might find your answers.
Starting in January 2016, I'll be moving onto other fandoms, mostly my more regular ones. But I'm not going to say this is the end of me and The Sentinel or me and Jonny Quest forever. Rather, it's almost inevitable I'll circle around again. It seems I always do. So keep a look-out, and hopefully I'll get to draw you back in either through one of my other fandoms or when I return.
Enjoy!
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
-Albert Schweitzer
-==OOO==-
15 years later
-==OOO==-
"My boy, when you invited me to this event, you did not say we would be facing a crowd worthy of the Coliseum at Rome!"
Blair laughed brightly. "It's your own fault, Eli. You're the one who wanted to remain in the dark about all this until now."
Doctor Eli Stoddard shook his head with a sigh. "And I maintain that it was the correct decision. It allowed me to slowly seek out individuals who might not otherwise have come forward. And," he gazed around at the bustle of people rushing about, "had I known all, I might never have been able to leave."
"Doctor Stoddard!"
The pair turned in time for a small crowd to descend upon them. But one hand in particular sought Eli's in a firm, warm grasp.
Eli smiled. "Hadji! Or, rather, I suppose it is Doctor Singh now, isn't it?"
Hadji's face was lit with warmth. "Technically, sir, it is 'Doctor Quest' now."
"Oh, is it really?" Eli asked shrewdly. As Hadji's advisor for more than one of his degrees, not to mention a student of human nature and behavior far longer than even his finest pupils, he had long known of the familial relationship whose truth had been so carefully guarded.
"No point in hiding it forever," Jonny shrugged comfortably at Hadji's side. "It was one thing when we were kids. Now, anybody wants to mess with Hadji to get to the family, it wouldn't matter if his name was Snagglepuss – they'll come no matter what."
"Snagglepuss? Really, Jonny?" Jessie rolled her eyes. But she also stepped forward to hug Eli. "It's good of you to come back, sir. It's been a long time."
"Yes it has, Doctor Bannon, and don't think I haven't followed your illustrious career too," he said. "Even the allure of the East Coast could not keep me from such an interesting occasion," Eli smiled as he embraced the girl. "And I know for a fact that it is you lot who secured my invitation, so I thank you for that."
"Mostly, that was Blair," Jonny told him. "He's the one who said you should be invited into the Tribe after all the work you've done for us in one capacity or another, especially now that you're actually retiring and we don't have to worry about the something-something ethics." Jonny grinned broadly and very narrowly avoided a poke from his brother.
"It's only fair," Blair pointed out, ignoring them. "It's kind of because of you that we're here at all. You and that trip to Borneo."
"Well, now that I am here officially," Eli looked around, "you must tell me everything."
"Where's Chris?" Jessie asked. "That's his job."
"Christian Reese," Hadji said. "I believe he worked with you as well for a time."
"Of course he did," Eli nodded. "It seems everyone who passed through the department at Rainier did at one point or another. A very clever young man, almost as clever as you," he tipped his head to Blair. "I am not surprised you recruited him."
"Oh, that wasn't me," Blair put his hands up. "That was his then-boyfriend, now-husband Eric. But once we got him here, he took to it like a fish to water. He's our intake officer – he gives the tour and helps new people settle in and get comfortable."
"We were going to call it an 'orientation officer,' but we couldn't stop snickering," Jonny tried to keep a straight face and failed. "He's also a really good litmus test. Anybody who balks at Chris mentioning his husband won't usually last the first couple of hours around here."
"And what do you do then?" Eli asked. "Surely you do not send Sentinels away?"
"Of course not," Hadji said firmly. "But we can make other arrangements. With the Tribe at its current size, Cascade is no longer the only training facility and refuge, merely the largest and most extensive. Those who are less comfortable here simply relocate."
"How big is the Tribe now?" Eli wanted to know.
"Big," Blair said happily. He started to lead the way through the milling crowd into the lodge.
Eli didn't miss that every person they passed greeted Blair and Hadji with almost overly-warm familiarity before turning to look at him carefully before their eyes shifted to Jonny. Not a one relaxed until Jonny Quest gave a slight nod and seemed to whisper something. Eli could feel their apprehension and mistrust.
Clearly Blair did not exaggerate the protective instincts of Sentinels, particularly with regards to Guides, he thought with interest.
Blair was still talking excitedly; if he was aware of the overt protectiveness being asserted all around him, he ignored it with grace. "When we started out, we speculated that there were probably somewhere in the neighborhood of six-thousand Sentinels in the world. That would be about the right proportion for the relatively rare genetics. But with some of the illicit breeding programs from years past plus an actual bloodline where it tended to breed true, we estimate there are probably two or three times that many. The Tribe itself numbers right around four thousand Sentinels and another almost three thousand non-Sentinels – that includes Guides and associated family members and kids and friends."
"Children?" Eli asked.
"Sentinel senses tend to start to show right around puberty, though some are early birds," Blair thought of his own Sentinel fondly, "and some like our friend Ngama don't develop until much later. It seems to take a unique convergence of environmental, biological, and psychological factors to trigger the onset of Sentinel senses naturally. We haven't quite got it figured out yet."
"And before that onset," Jessie added, "there is no good way to know if a person is going to be a Sentinel or not. You can test their DNA, but just because someone is a carrier for the genetic traits doesn't mean they'll actually develop the senses."
"That is not quite true," Hadji said. "In certain circumstances, the children seem to invariably inherit the Sentinel abilities. Namely if both parents are Sentinels themselves, particularly if they experience Sentinel sickness."
"He's right," Jonny said. "Almost all the kids born here at the lodge to a pair of Sentinel parents have turned out to be Sentinels."
Jessie spoke up as she held the door for the others to enter the lodge. "But then you get a case like Ngama and Kaimi. One Sentinel and one Guide. And between their two kids, one is definitely a Guide and the other will probably turn out to be a Sentinel even though she hasn't gotten old enough yet. Layla's only six."
"How can you tell the other one will be a Guide?" Eli wanted to know.
"We can tell," Hadji told him with quiet certainty. "Deshonte is already a Guide. He just needs time to find it in himself."
There was a sudden roar from the crowd outside. "Don't worry," Jonny forestalled the question. "That's just the DC contingent arriving."
"You already met Howard," Blair said.
"Yes, a rather shrewd man with an intimidating ability to be unobtrusive," Eli said wryly. "He appeared in my office on my last day, uninvited, to inform me I would be attending this gathering and joining the Tribe. And he came with reams of paperwork and watched me like a hawk while I completed every tedious bit of it."
"That's Howitzer in a nutshell," Jonny agreed. "His team is based out of Washington DC now, so we don't see them very often. I mean, more than we see the internationals, but still."
"Only about a thousand of the Tribe live here at any one time, not counting those who have relocated into Cascade and its outlying areas," Hadji explained. "The rest are spread across the globe. Some work with Howard and his international task force under a little-known branch of the United Nations. Many simply come here long enough to attain mastery of their senses and return home to continue their lives unimpeded." His eyes flashed. "But those who accept a place in Tribe are Tribe always, no matter where they go or whether or not they choose to return or claim the affiliation."
"We're the Hogwarts of the Sentinel world," Blair agreed. "And actually it's a good analogy and I've used it many times on the kids to explain our secrets and how we have a separate society but they also have to accept and obey the laws of the outside world. Even if the DHS and the UN are slowly bringing the idea of Sentinels to the public consciousness through – what do they call it? 'Special Search and Rescue Elite Teams' or something? – it's a slow process and the kids need to be prepared to handle it."
"I'm pleased to hear you still teach," Eli said. "You always did belong at the front of a classroom, my boy."
"Well, I try to," Blair admitted, "but it's hard because I'm also kind of the senior Guide around here, and for every trained Guide there's at least fix or six Sentinels who need help – and that's worldwide, and a lot of the bonded pairs are out there s it's even worse here in Cascade where sometimes it's just me and Hadji and Kaimi and a few others – so I spend a lot of time being a Guide first and teaching last."
"You're still their favorite," Jessie told him.
Jonny was about to say something but instead his head turned upwards. They had clustered to one side of the main causeway by the stairs. "Incoming," Jonny said just as there was a pounding of feet.
"Uncle Henny's back!" cried a high, young voice. Jessie expertly reached out and snagged an arm as a dark-skinned blur went by.
"Where's your father?" she asked pointedly.
"He's coming. I wanted to see Uncle Henny and Aunt Mei-Mei first because they've been gone forever," the boy replied stubbornly, a mischievous smile hovering at the edges of an exaggerated pout.
"Two days is forever?" Jessie asked.
"Duh!" the boy rolled his eyes. Then, he looked up. "Is this your friend, Uncle Blair?"
"Yes," Blair smiled. "Doctor Eli Stoodard, meet Aster Bannon-Banks, Jessie and Daryl's oldest at a proud eight years old."
Eli met the hand stuck out politely with a smile and shook hands with the boy. "A pleasure. I've heard stories about you, young man. You have some very proud parents and uncles."
"Okay," Aster said, clearly not sure what else to say. He was saved by the arrival of the rest of the family.
"You know," Daryl said, loping down the steps easily with a precious burden bouncing on his shoulders, "the best part about being here is you never have to worry about somebody running off and getting lost without an adult catching them. I knew there was a reason we liked Sentinels!" he smiled brightly, eyeing his escapist eldest child.
"You seem to have grown an extra head, dear," Jessie told him.
"I's not a head! I's a Rachel!" cheered the little girl, her dark pigtails bobbing.
"That's right," Daryl told her. "And can you tell our friends how old you are?"
"Three!" Rachel cried. She stuck out a hand, letting go of her father's hair to extend four fingers, then, frowning, corrected herself and held up three proudly.
"Who taught you that?" Blair asked her.
"Aster did! An' he also taught me this." She concentrated for a moment and then declared, "Happy Tribe Day!"
Eli laughed. "Is that what we're calling it?"
Aster shrugged. "We have to call it something, right?"
"It's probably better than whatever Race came up with," Jonny agreed good-naturedly.
It was then that Eli became aware of a third small presence in their midst. Another boy, clearly younger than Aster but older than Rachel had taken up a position beside Hadji, his small, dark head leaning against Hadji's thigh. He had the same look of his siblings, but there was something much more serious in his expression that Eli did not entirely comprehend.
"This is Sam and Sam is a Guide," Hadji said by way of explanation. "When large numbers of unfamiliar Sentinels arrive, he often feels slightly overwhelmed. We have learned he is most comfortable with his fellow Guides while he acclimates to the others."
Eli looked up at his former pupils. "Forgive me if I am mistaken, but I did not think…"
"We don't really know either," Daryl shrugged. "We know Sentinels tend to have Sentinel kids, but Guides seem to happen whenever they feel like it on their own."
"Benton speculated it has something to do with exposure to an active Guide," Blair said. "That it encourages the potential development of what makes our brains different. But we don't really know for sure."
"Come on, gang," Daryl said, jostling the little girl on his shoulders. "We came to say hi to Uncle Henri and make sure he didn't drive his wife crazy while she was trying to fly everybody home, right?"
"Right!" Aster grinned. And he was off like a rocket for the doors. Daryl gave a slight shrug and jogged after his son.
"Sam," Hadji said softly, "why don't you go find Kaimi and Deshonte? They'll be with Doctor Quest setting up in the amphitheater."
The boy nodded but reached up wordlessly. Hadji bent and pulled the boy into his arms, holding him close. Eli watched and even a lifetime of observing people couldn't quite tell him what transpired between them, only that something did, something he couldn't see. But Sam went from tense and unsteady to relaxed and pliant, utterly contented as he rested his cheek on Hadji's shoulder with a happy sigh. Was this what Blair had told him on the ride up about extra senses and some kind of quantum perception? Or else could it have something to do with the mysterious spirit animals that even Blair seemed hesitant to explain in detail?
"I believe," Hadji spoke after a moment, "I will escort him there myself. Sam is not the only Guide struggling to adjust to the press of so many souls and the others will begin to converge as well. Kaimi may have her hands full of distressed Guides and she should only try to anchor so many at once."
"That's fine," Blair told him. "Jim shouldn't be too far behind Henri and Meilin with the group they're bringing in from the airport, and then we'll have a real madhouse on our hands. You go handle things at that end. We'll keep watch back here."
A long look passed between Hadji and Blair, then Hadji and Jonny, before he set off with Sam securely installed at his side, hand-in-hand.
Eli glanced at Jonny. "If you need to go with him…" he offered.
Jonny shook his head. "No. For all intents and purposes I am with him, and even though Sam knows me, he'll feel better with fewer Sentinels around for now." But his head remained up and tipped very slightly. Eli shot a look to Blair who nodded.
"It's a Sentinel thing. They're always listening for us."
"Come on," Jessie invited. She began to move through the lodge down one long corridor, clearly a newer wing than much of the rest. "We'll hide out in the Bachelor Club until it's time."
Before Eli could ask, Blair snickered. "Simon and Joel turned one of the offices into a little spot where they could get away from all the Sentinels and Guides and kids for a while. There was a period there in our big recruitment push when we were seeing Sentinel sickness every other day and it made things kinda awkward around here. And it was even harder for the non-Sentinels because they never knew when they'd round a corner at the exact wrong time."
"Technically," Jessie tossed her head, "I'm not supposed to be allowed in there because I'm not a bachelor. But dad's out with Benton at the amphitheater and Simon and Joel are picking up the PI group downtown. So I'm claiming non-Sentinel rights." She turned a mock glare on Jonny and Blair. "You shouldn't be going in there at all. It breaks all the rules instead of just some of them."
Blair shrugged and winked at Jonny. "Never stopped us before."
-==OOO==-
"…So, the moral of the story is – don't try to keep secrets from Sentinels, especially the ones you are trying to ask to marry you!" Blair finished with a flourish.
Eli laughed. "I believe I met both Henri and Brian at a party at your home some years ago before I moved out east. Somehow I am not surprised they have managed such trouble in their lives."
"Well, Meilin's tough – she can handle Henri. And Brian's too busy running the PI business to do much that would get him in trouble. Plus, Emeline is just about the sweetest Sentinel of them all," Jessie said. "JJ is taking after her mom, and she brings her step-dad lunch every single day all summer long at the office."
"JJ is also trying worm her way into an internship next year," Jonny pointed out. "Can't imagine where she got that influence."
"I met Daryl while he was interning with Simon at the Cascade PD," Jessie explained.
"So, tell me how it all happened for you, my boy," Eli turned to Blair. "I was surprised to receive your email that you were leaving the police for good. I thought Jim Ellison would rather eat his badge than surrender it."
Blair laughed. "That's what we thought, too! And Simon! At least Joel had the good sense to retire. Simon went almost five years running the Major Crimes department at the PD and trying to manage stuff here. It was impressive. The guy barely slept and racked up so many miles on his car you could have driven to the moon. But it helped," he said more seriously. "He ran a lot of interference for us, and he even helped bring a few members of the Tribe in as patrol officers."
"Not to mention the cadets," Jonny put in. "See, when Sentinels come here for training, there's a point where we kind of have to take the safeties off and see how it goes. So we got in the habit of sending them out in small groups with one Sentinel who had already learned the ropes to wander around Cascade. They were originally just supposed to explore the area and try to manage their senses in an unpredictable city environment."
"What we ended up with was a regular little force of vigilante peacekeepers," Blair finished. "They weren't sanctioned or anything, but there's not a lot of Sentinels in the world who will walk by a mugging or a home invasion or something without getting involved. And they were good – really good. They could break up a bar fight they heard from two streets over before it got out of hand. But when the police did get involved, Simon and Jim and I and Rafe and Brown had to keep them from getting too much attention."
"So that's why Cascade is no longer the most dangerous city in America," Eli said slyly. "How mysterious it is that suddenly criminals are found out and foiled so soon."
"Yeah, they hated that," Blair agreed. "Especially the big drug cartels and stuff. It turns out that having hundreds of Sentinels hanging around, and a lot of them straight out of the military, isn't good for business."
"It's better for bad guys to go somewhere that doesn't have the highest population density of Sentinels in the world," Jessie nodded.
"Anyway," Blair continued, "things went really well for a while there. But then stuff here started heating up. SELF went global and the Tribe went global and no matter how smart Jessie made the computers to keep us connected, we couldn't keep up with it all. So Simon put in his notice and set up here full-time. Not that he stopped doing investigative work."
"Simon founded the Seventh Street Private Investigation Agency," Jonny said. "The Seventh thing was mostly just code for us. Or a joke. Whatever."
"It gave him an outlet to keep being a cop with more flexible hours and a lot less politics while also giving him time to support the Tribe," Blair said. "He got a few of the Sentinels to help him staff it and pretty soon the rumors got out."
"It was like the opening to 'The A-Team,'" Jessie grinned. "Cops would tell each other 'If you have an unsolvable case, and if no one else can help, and if you can find them, the Seventh Street PIs can solve any crime.' It was pretty funny."
"Not for us," Blair cringed. "We were still in Major Crimes at the time. With a new captain. Who also didn't think it was very funny."
Eli raised an eyebrow. "Not good?"
"Definitely not good," Blair shook his head. "We never even got far enough to decide whether or not we should bring him into SELF, let alone the Tribe. He hated me from minute one and made no secret of the fact. We stuck it out for two very painful months."
"And what happened?" Eli asked.
"Well, uh, one day the captain called me into his office to tell me exactly what he thought of me when Jim was still at his desk," Blair said. "Before then, he'd only done it when Jim was in court and too far away to overhear, and I never really admitted how bad it was because I didn't want Jim to get upset. But by the time the guy was most of the way through calling me an 'insubordinate hack with delusions of my own importance who should be groveling on the street begging for scraps,' well, Jim was done. He turned in his shield so hard he left an inch-deep divot on the guy's desk."
"He's lucky Jim didn't put his face through a wall," Jonny growled.
Eli looked at the polite young man he had known in college and was surprised at the force of his anger. Note to self – do not threaten or insult a Guide in the presence of a Sentinel, he thought. Blair really wasn't kidding about that hyper-protectiveness.
"Anyway, we made tracks and went to work at the Seventh PI instead. And the guy got canned like four months later for conduct unbecoming an officer and maybe because Howard brought pressure – he's never admitted it but I have my sources," Blair said. "Henri and Brian co-captained the unit for a year or so after that, enough to bring in a few more Sentinels and get them spread out throughout the PD, and then they transitioned the unit to another captain and jumped ship, too."
"Would any of you ever consider going back?" Eli was curious.
Blair laughed. "No, probably not. Jim likes the PI business. A lot more freedom and control over our cases and our hours. And Henri and Brian have their families to think about, including their sisters who like seeing more of them around here. Besides, I'm not sure the current captain would take us, anyway."
"Yes he would!" Jessie rolled her eyes at him.
Eli tipped his head questioningly to Jonny who grinned. "The current captain is Daryl. He got promoted a couple of years ago. And with a team almost entirely made up of members of the Tribe, he's got the best close rate ever, even better than the record set by the Ellison-Sandburg team."
"But it probably won't be long before he follows Tribe precedent and steps down, too," Blair said. "He's too busy."
"Too worried, you mean," Jessie shook her head.
Eli simply waited.
"Besides running all the computer networks and tech for the Tribe and SELF, I'm also part of a strike force with Jonny and Hadji and Eric and a few others – plus my dad and Jim and Blair sometimes. Whenever Howard's team can't go into a situation for any reason, they send us. Daryl worries I'll get hurt."
"Which is stupid, because you still shoot better than him and can take him two falls out of three in the dojo," Jonny put in with a grin.
"I know!"
"So, what's it like being a paramilitary force keeping peace and saving the world?" Eli turned to Blair, his face broad with a smile. Which didn't also mean he wasn't completely serious about the question in spite of its facetiousness.
"Honestly? It's still weird," Blair admitted. "Not that I do as much as these guys," he gestured at Jonny and Jessie. "Jim's really tied to Cascade, and with the number of Sentinels here that feeling is even stronger than it used to be. It's not easy for him to leave for long periods of time. Jonny and Hadji do most of the globetrotting work for the Tribe."
Suddenly Jonny flinched.
"What is it?" Jessie asked.
"Yasmin's here. And she and JJ have apparently learned to shriek in ranges only dogs and Sentinels can hear." He grimaced. "They're apologizing now. I think Hasna might be on her way to strangle them."
"They were born just a few weeks apart and they're basically sisters," Blair explained. "And now they're teenagers who live on opposite coasts, since Yasmin opted to move to DC with her mom when Hasna went to work for Howard. They were the first babies in the Tribe and now they're seventeen." He sighed. "God, I feel old."
Eli chuckled. "It happens, my boy. But you still have your youthful outlook and vigor, which does not surprise me at all. You have always been like a perpetual motion machine, self-sustaining and ever energized."
Blair nodded but didn't say anything, allowing Jessie and Jonny to add their own commentary and swing into another story to entertain Eli. He was busy with his own thoughts for a moment.
This job, this Tribe needs energy and wisdom, and yeah, I've still got a lot of that going for me, but that doesn't mean the time hasn't come for something new for us all. If not for me, then definitely for Jim.
-==OOO==-
Benton looked out over the massive crowd. "I think this is the largest single gathering of Sentinels we've ever had," he commented quietly.
Beside him, Race nodded. "Good thing we built the room big."
It had been an addition in the most recent round of building at the lodge – they had converted one of the largest storage bunkers to a huge public forum, big enough to seat several thousand people on the simple benches. It had plain walls and cement above and was cold and grey to the touch, but it was also secure and carried sound well. The bunker had originally been underground beneath what later became the second dormitory, so there was virtually nothing from outside that filtered down into the amphitheater. Additionally, it was now self-contained and reinforced very like the first emergency bunker under the lodge and could shelter most of the local Tribe in case of an attack.
But today it was filled with light and laughter. The stage at the far end had several chairs upon it, and a dark blue curtain hanging from the ceiling to the floor against the back wall made the whole setup look quite dramatic and official. The space hummed with energy as the Sentinels and other members of the Tribe slowly made their way in and claimed their seats. A few were special – the members of the much-expanded Council would be sitting in the chairs on the stage, and the new initiates to the Tribe, including Doctor Stoddard, were in the first row up front.
Race reached out and closed a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Benton laughed. "No. But that doesn't mean it's any less the time to do it."
Race nodded and then drew out his phone, tapping a quick message. The reply came back almost at once. "Jim says that's the last of them except for Galina's group on the perimeter, and Joel will give them the details as soon as we're done here."
Benton took a deep breath. "All right then." And he rose and walked to the center of the stage. Silence fell as the Sentinels looked up.
"Welcome!" Benton began, his voice booming in the echoing place. He needed no microphone – the Sentinels could hear him easily from the back and those who were not Sentinels or were not fully trained had chosen seats closer to the front. "Welcome to Cascade and welcome home to everyone of the Tribe of Seven Stars!"
There was a small cheer of approval, quickly distracted as the sound of the door locking was heard. Heads swiveled to see Jim there with Blair, securing the room from the inside.
"This is a unique day in our history," Benton continued as Jim saluted the current captain of the Sentinel guards, a fierce young woman named Marianne, and left her by the door while he made his way down the aisle with the same powerful grace he'd always carried. Blair trotted beside him, smiling. "We have gathered many times in the last fifteen years. Sometimes to mourn, other times to celebrate. And sometimes we must decide, as a family, as a Tribe, to choose a way forward."
He paused. "As some of you know, today we will again make that choice."
Jim reached the stage and climbed up, giving his Guide a hand. They moved to stand beside Benton.
"The time has come," Benton said, feeling his chest tighten, "for me to step down as the head of SELF."
There was a collective cry of surprise, and Simon, from behind the three arrayed on the stage, bellowed for quiet, resulting in some laughter before the din faded. He'd always not-so-secretly enjoyed doing that, and he was one of the few who could get everybody to stop talking by his sheer presence.
"Benton isn't leaving us," Blair said firmly into the sudden tension. "But he's stepping down from SELF. Not the Council. Not the Tribe." Then, shaking his head with a small smile, "Geez, guys. Chill out."
That provoked more laughter.
"The Tribe is something that you don't leave," Jim added. "But SELF is a public organization in a relationship with the UN and it needs someone who has the ability to wander the world forging deals and intervening in an official capacity."
"And I would like to dedicate myself more completely to the Tribe and to the education of the new Sentinels," Benton said. "My true place is here among you. You need another who can play the politics that define SELF."
"But you get to vote on our candidate," Blair said. "We know who we want, but this impacts all of us. You have to agree."
"Standard procedure," Jim said. "Raise your hand if you have an objection."
Benton turned to one portion of the crowd and held out a hand. "Sorry to put you up like a slab of beef, but you know how they are."
Lai Gardner laughed and rose. "If I didn't know how they are, I wouldn't be fit for this job!"
As she made her way onto the stage, Benton started listing off her accomplishments – her degrees, her work with Howard, her time in the diplomatic corps, and her strong connection to the members of the Tribe based in Cascade. Some people listened. Most people just applauded.
When Lai stood front and center and faced the Tribe, she held up her hands for silence. "I'm glad some of you seem to agree with this. You should know that I take our work very seriously. And it's good for me to be able to go where you cannot. But I'm not going to do this alone. I'm not even going to try. I'm going to want help from as many of you as I can get."
"You got it, sister!" Jessie cheered from her seat with the Council. Lai grinned at her.
"So," Benton said. "Now's the time. We need the vote. Can we confirm Lai Gardner as the head of SELF going forward?"
There was a long moment of stillness while Jim scanned the room. "Only a handful of dissenting voters," he announced. "Unless someone wants to challenge the appointment, I'm confirming the vote." No one called out.
Jim turned to her. "Lai Gardner, you are now the head of SELF. Serve us well, Tribe sister."
Lai hugged Jim, then Blair, then Benton while the Tribe cheered.
A few people began to rise to leave as Benton stepped back and Lai left the stage, but Jim called out, "Wait! There's one more thing to do today."
Blair moved to stand by the seat reserved for him with the Council, leaving Jim alone before the Tribe. Only because he was looking for it did Blair catch the almost invisible glance that darted between Benton, Race, Simon and Joel – the only others who knew of what was about to come next. As Blair had said, keeping secrets from Sentinels wasn't easy, but there had been good reasons not to bring this even before the wider Council or Tribe.
"First, does anyone here wish to challenge me for leadership of the Tribe?" Jim asked.
Nobody did. Blair wasn't surprised. In fifteen years, Jim had only been challenged a handful of times, and he'd never lost. It wasn't like poor Jonny, who had been challenged for his post as second-in-command of the Tribe at least twice a year since The Epic Zindig. Fortunately, no matter what form of challenge his opponent chose – combat, sensory test, or Sixth/Seventh power – he had never failed to succeed. Blair privately thought it was possible Jonny might have lost a few of those contests were it not for Hadji, who swore he never interfered, but he couldn't help being there.
And that was really what set them apart. Not just Jonny and Hadji, but all six of the Sentinels and Guides who had been on that hill on the day they took down a nuclear power plant in meltdown were different from the rest. They had been nicknamed the Core of the Tribe, and it wasn't just because they were almost always in the middle of whatever the Tribe was handling, from teaching to thwarting international terrorism. They were also the three strongest Guides and the three strongest Sentinels, and four of the six were founding members of the Tribe and SELF.
But beyond just that, the six of them shared another, more amorphous connection. The overlap of their spirits that had persisted in the immediate aftermath of The Epic Zindig had never quite dissipated. It didn't show up in normal interactions, but in times of great danger or need, the six of them might be drawn back into one another's minds and souls when they worked with their Sixth and Seventh senses. It also, perhaps unsurprisingly, cropped up when they were completely focused elsewhere – the six were not allowed to play on the same team for basketball or any other sport anymore because the unconscious awareness could emerge into a flawless oneness of action without anyone even intending to invoke it.
It wasn't precisely what it had been that night on the hill, however. Then, they had merged completely into one being. Now, on the rare occasions it happened, it was a deep sense for one another more akin to that which was otherwise normal within a Sentinel-Guide bond. The Guides felt it more keenly and could even communicate across it if they were not otherwise distracted without even needing to fall into meditation, but it was there for them all. Echoes of familiarity and Knowing that remained dormant but when needed – and sometimes that closeness had saved their lives and many, many others just as it had with the nuclear plant.
Besides that, the only other lasting consequence from the experience was Hadji's continued psychic dependence on his Sentinel, which would almost certainly be with him for the rest of his life. It had not troubled Hadji even when he was forced to put himself at risk if his Sentinel was occupied; never had he been lost no matter the provocation, and in evading that fate he had achieved even greater command of his inborn Seventh sense. Hadji's spiritual powers were still unmatched and sometimes resulted in rather unusual surprises, including Hadji being the first to know when a potential Guide was near, even identifying Deshote Waihee and Sam Bannon-Banks as Guides while they had been in the womb.
And that's why, Blair thought to himself. Hadji was wrong all those years ago. It's not that we're 'where' we always need to be. It's that we're 'what' we need to be.
Since no one had challenged him, Jim crossed his arms. "If you won't do it, then I will."
He turned suddenly to where the Council sat on the stage. "Jonny Quest. I challenge you for leadership of the Tribe."
The shocked silence that washed through the room was staggering.
Then, before Jonny could move, Hadji swept to his feet. "If you plan to challenge my Sentinel, I have the right to know why." He paused and smiled a little. "And to issue a challenge of my own, of course."
"That part's your business," Jim flapped a hand at Blair who was already moving to stand at Jim's shoulder as Hadji approached them.
"The Tribe needs a change," Jim told him simply. "It's time. My territory is Cascade and always has been. But the Tribe isn't just in Cascade. The territory isn't just Cascade. It's the whole world now. The Tribe needs someone who can think globally and can be comfortable in every land in which we live. And I'm not that guy."
"That has never been reason for you stand down before," Hadji pointed out reasonably.
"Right now, Jonny's about my age when I became head of the Tribe, and he's proven himself," Jim replied. "And I'm not as strong as I used to be anymore, either."
There was a loud explosion of booing which Jim cut off with a dire, trademark Ellison glare.
"It's true," he said. "I'll still keep my boots on the ground here, but I'm not the guy you want flying off halfway around the world with no notice to argue in Mandarin Chinese about how to shut down terrorists. The Tribe is getting bigger and bigger. It needs to have a leader who can handle that."
Jim looked past Hadji to where Jonny sat as if glued to his chair. "It needs you, Quest. It always needed you – we both know that. Now it's time for you to step up, kiddo."
Jonny rose shakily. "I…don't want to fight you, Jim," he managed.
"Tough," Jim smiled grimly. "I challenged you. I get to pick the method and I choose straight-up combat."
"Give us a moment, please," Hadji said. He turned away and put his hands on his brothers' shoulders. Then he closed his eyes and tipped forward until their foreheads met.
Blair and Jim exchanged amused glances.
We didn't tell him, but damn if Hadji didn't play right along anyway, Blair thought to himself. He knew Jonny would need that explanation, would need to hear it from Jim. And the Tribe needed it, too. And I'd bet everything I've got that he knows that. Maybe he Knew it would happen this way before we did. I hope Jonny can do it. The Tribe needs Hadji's power and wisdom and foresight almost more than they need Jonny to lead it. And they Know it, too.
The Tribe was actually fairly quiet, which told Blair they were definitely doing the right thing at the right time. There could have been a brawl or a riot. But no – they were waiting to see what Jonny would decide. The Sentinels have learned to listen to their own Seventh senses, and know that sometimes things must happen when it is time for them to happen. And we can all tell that it's time for this.
Besides, Blair glanced at Jim, if Jonny can beat Jim in combat here, in front of everyone, no one will try to challenge him again for a while. They already know he and Hadji are the undisputed powerhouse with the stuff other than one-on-one combat and wouldn't go after him on those levels. But just like the throwbacks they are, the Sentinels need to see him fight to be sure he can protect them all.
Jonny and Hadji separated and stepped to face Jim and Blair shoulder-to-shoulder.
Jonny took a deep breath. "I accept your challenge, Jim."
"But I challenge you first, Blair Sandburg," Hadji said evenly. "As is my right as Guide."
"You have that right," Blair nodded. "Name the challenge."
"Unanchored spirit combat."
There was an actual gasp from the crowd, the loudest being Benton.
"Are you nuts?" Blair demanded. "Hadji, you could die! Or worse!"
"Perhaps," Hadji smiled a little. "And yet it must be done."
Jonny glanced at his Guide, and while Blair was near enough to see the worry in his eyes, he also perceived the confidence and understanding. Jonny didn't have to like it to accept his brother's choice.
He needs to prove to the Tribe that he's superior, too, Blair realized. That he isn't less of a Guide because of what happened. Oh, Hadj. You don't need to prove it anyway. They all know what you can do. But they need to be sure and so do you. He glanced up. And Jim and Jonny understand that part, too.
"Okay," he nodded. "Let's do this."
There was a small commotion as all the Guides in the room stood from wherever they had been sitting and approached. People shuffled back to make room and the Guides of the Tribe formed a crowd at the edge of the stage. Kaimi rose from her seat with the Council and stood between Blair and Hadji.
"We stand as witnesses," she said. "Strength and fate be with you both."
Blair extended his hands and accepted Hadji's and they closed their eyes, every Guide in the room falling into meditation with them.
After watching anxiously for a few minutes, Jonny looked to Jim. "Are you sure you want this?" It wasn't the question of a scared boy or even an unwilling equal. It was the question of a man ensuring that another was prepared for the path they had chosen.
Jim nodded at him. "I'm sure. I'm ready and so are you." He looked to the Guides. "And they've been ready for this for a long time."
"And the Tribe?" Jonny asked.
"You'll know soon enough. But my money's on you, kid. You can handle them."
As quickly as it had begun, all the Guides shivered simultaneously. Jim and Jonny couldn't help but lunge for their Guides as the pair went limp and stumbled. But there was no denying their relief when both Blair and Hadji opened their eyes and smiled to assure their Sentinels they were all right.
"It is over," Kaimi declared. "Hadji has proven the stronger."
"And nobody's really surprised," Blair groused as he leaned on Jim and made his way back to his chair. "Geez. Thought he'd go easy on me after all this time."
"He kick your ass?" Jim asked.
"Kicking implies we fought," Blair replied, rubbing his head. "Pretty much he just stood there and pummeled me by will alone."
Beside them, Jonny huffed a laugh. "Show-off," he said fondly to his brother.
"Jonny," Hadji caught his Sentinel's hand. Their eyes met and something indefinable passed between them. "You know the significance of this moment. You Know it. Now go and embrace it."
Jonny swallowed but nodded.
And Jim straightened up after leaving his Guide in the capable hands of the Council to walk with Jonny back out onto the open part of the stage.
"I'm not going to hold back, either, kid," Jim told him.
Jonny rolled his shoulders. "I know. I'd hate it if you did. And it wouldn't mean anything."
"Hypothetically speaking, if you do win, who do you think will be your second-in-command?" Jim wanted to know.
"If he's up for it, I'd vote for Ngama, personally," Jonny answered, beginning to circle his opponent. "He practically runs the place when I'm away anyway, he's got better senses than me in a lot of ways, and everybody likes him and Kaimi."
Jim smiled. "That's what I was hoping you'd say. Good pick, Quest. If you can handle the next few minutes, you'll be good at this. You're already ready."
"It means a lot that you think so," Jonny told him.
And then Jim moved to strike.
Jonny dodged to one side, pivoting on the ball of one foot and unbelievably grateful Jim had insisted the affair was casual and for everyone to wear jeans to this particular get-together. Jonny had always hated fighting in dress-shoes.
Fifteen years hadn't slowed Jim by much, and he adjusted with the speed of his jaguar to double back on his opponent, bringing up knee. But Jonny expected that and kept pivoting, slipping the blow and putting himself partly behind Jim.
Jonny didn't waste time on finesse. He grabbed for Jim's arm and executed a perfect throw.
But Jim didn't stay down where he crashed to the stage – he was back up and charging Jonny without even stopping for a breath.
Jonny settled into a boxing stance and exchanged a few even blows and blocks with Jim, neither making much progress beyond reading the other and reacting.
I can't beat him by a sensory trick, Jonny told himself. That wouldn't mean anything, either. I have to beat him fair and square.
Jim got inside his guard and landed a stunning blow to his side, driving half the air from Jonny's lungs as he folded around the pain and rolled away. But he came up in a crouch that allowed him to catch Jim unawares and he swept at Jim's legs, bringing the taller man down once more.
Jonny got back up and tried to shake off the bracing pain in his side. Jim was up again, but approaching more cautiously.
And then Jonny's senses suddenly blazed. For an instant, like a lightning strike, he was hyper aware of certain things in the room – of his Guide, of Eric, of Ngama, of Race and Jessie. If it hadn't happened so many times that Jonny was almost accustomed to the strange hijacking of his body, he might have missed Jim's inbound kick.
Hadji's trying to tell me something. It was only Hadji who could touch his brother's mind and senses that way.
As Jonny returned with a kick of his own, he felt the idea filter to him as if left behind by his Guide's spirit.
Jim's still a cop and a Ranger first. And I'm not. Time to try something unconventional and new.
Jonny shifted his stance to one he'd learned from Meilin, who had over the years mastered several different forms of martial arts. But even as Jim positioned himself to counter it, Jonny was ready.
When Jim launched a perfect roundhouse kick, Jonny turned his stance into a mid-air spinning flip, slicing through the air away from Jim's blow and coming down on his weaker side.
Jonny brought him down with a flawless phoenix strike.
As Jim hit the ground, Jonny could hear a bellow. He thought at first it was Jim's jaguar.
But Jim flopped to the stage, sweat dripping down his face and laughing. "Not bad, kid," he chuckled, breathing heavily.
Jonny looked around. The Tribe was on their feet and they were cheering for him. For him.
Jim got to his feet and met Jonny's eyes. "The watch is yours, Sentinel. I yield to you, Jonny Quest."
Jonny felt his throat unstick. "The watch is mine, Jim. Strength and victory to you all your days, Sentinel." He held out a numb hand and Jim shook it.
Blair and Hadji approached, both looking more themselves, Hadji with a small, proud smile. Blair pounded Jim on the back. He could feel the relief and pride thundering through his partner, the raw joy for what had come to pass at last.
"Will any challenge Jonny and I for leadership now?" Hadji called to the crowd.
"After seeing that? Are you nuts?" yelled a voice that sounded suspiciously like Hasna.
Jonny grabbed Hadji's hand and faced the Tribe. He was sweating and shaking a little, and he hurt from the fight, but he'd also never felt so elated. Or so right with the world. I guess this is what you always mean, my brother, he glanced over. This is exactly what and where we are supposed to be.
Hadji nodded to him and Jonny heard a reply at the depth of his soul. As long as we are together.
Jonny grinned and faced the Tribe. "Can you accept us to lead the Tribe until such time as we are both defeated by challengers?"
The roar was all approval.