Author's Note: This is the first Interlude of this series. It is titled "Heroes Never Rest." Interludes are essentially oneshots that take place between the main parts of the series to build upon certain aspects of the story, such as a specific alien or character rather than a planet like the main parts of the series intend to do.

This was inspired by a comment written by an ao3 guest called Soup on chapter 5 who asked if Bahrvad would teach Rook how to use his Tetramand form. Until that point, I had not planned on that. Bahrvad is not an OC but his character is not at all flushed out in the series so, since he is a significant character in my AU, I thought it was necessary to write this.


"Bahrvad?"

"Come in."

Pressing his palm against the heavy door, Rook pushed the door open and stepped into the training facility. A private one, not the kind he used during class. He was grateful for that. He didn't think these lessons with Xylene and Bahrvad would go as well if there were other students around. It was hard enough with just the three of them. Or two, rather.

"Where is Xylene?"

"It's just us today," Bahrvad responded, gesturing for Rook to sit. He obeyed, feeling a bit awkward as he did so. Bahrvad looked a bit silly sitting on the ground like this, with his Tetramand size and all. Rook felt even sillier sitting next to him. His head didn't even reach the guy's shoulder.

"How come?" Xylene, being the older and more experienced of the two, usually took charge during training. Not that Bahrvad wasn't just as capable. It was just a bit strange to have change after months of the same routine. "Is she busy?"

Bahrvad shook his head. "Not exactly. I just… We've decided it's time for you to start learning about your Tetramand form."

"Four Arms." Rook sat up a bit straighter. He liked Four Arms, and not just because it was the first of all his aliens to encounter face to face.

"That's right. I know you've been wanting to get started on this form."

Rook nodded. "I think he would be a very reliable alien."

"I think so too," Bahrvad told him, resting two of his four hands on his knees, "but before we start, I need to know that you understand that a Tetramand isn't just strength."

"What do you mean?" Rook asked, blinking a couple times. Tetramands were known for their strength. That was why they made such good warriors. He knew there was more to them than power but he doubted their skill in engine making or knowledge of their complex political system would be very useful to him.

"Tell me, what does being a Tetramand mean to you?"

Rook blanked. "Um…"

"Think about what you feel when you turn into Four Arms."

Rook frowned in thought, thinking back to that first time he'd transformed. He hadn't turned into Four Arms many times since then. Nothing noteworthy at least. And he hadn't spent much time in that form the first time either. He reached back in his memory, trying to recall what he'd felt. It was a good feeling, he remembered. Especially compared to some of his other aliens. Four Arms was simple in a way Terrorsaur and Juryrigg weren't. His powers were straightforward, unlike Antigravitesla and Archfiend. He was familiar, more so than Tidetail Wave or Wildvine.

It'd been a relief to transform into him but Rook knew Four Arm should be defined by more than the lack of fear he experienced when he turned into him. He was powerful. Physically, that is, and in a way none of his other aliens were. He'd never felt anything like that before. It felt… good. Exhilarating. Even when he wasn't using his strength, he knew it was there and he loved relishing in that knowledge.

But he knew that wasn't the answer Bahrvad wanted to hear. He searched and searched for another answer but his mind came up blank. He couldn't think of anything else and Bahrvad knew it.

"It's alright," Bahrvad assured him when it became clear Rook had just about given up. Rook tried not to duck in embarrassment. Brallada, Bahrvad was a Tetramand. He'd practically just told him he didn't think of him as anything more than a twelve foot tall stack of muscle. Bahrvad didn't seem offended though, which was a comfort. Rook didn't know if he could handle it if his mentor was upset with him. "I used to think the same thing. It's something we Tetramands value but to truly understand what it means to be a Tetramand, you need to look past our- your- strength."

Rook understood what he was getting at but the disconnect was still there. "I do not know how."

"I don't expect you to," Bahrvad said, not missing a beat. "How about I tell you how I learned what it means to be a Tetramand? Maybe you'll learn something from it."

Rook nodded, maybe a bit too eagerly but he couldn't help it. He didn't know anything about the Tetramand, save the fact he was a Plumber and worked with Xylene. He was more than curious to hear about his past.

Bahrvad looked amused by Rook's response but didn't comment. Voice steady as ever, he began his story.

"You see, I came from a military family. Most Tetramands do, other professions are rare. It's a noble line and all young Tetramands look forward to the day they will claim honor on the battlefield. I did too but on my first campaign…"

Lllllllllllllll

This was not what he expected.

Battle was supposed to be glorious. Warlord Gar was a benevolent ruler. The war he waged was supposed to spread his grandeur and kindness. The empire gained more land and the new territory gained the protection of the Red Wind. It was supposed to be righteous and just. At least, that was what his father always told him as a boy.

But there was so much blood.

They were supposed to be helping the settlers of these new lands. Why were they resisting? Why was the Red Wind fleet attacking them for not accepting their aid? Bahrvad thought it was a bit foolish for these foreigners to fight such a powerful force but just because they were foolish didn't mean his people had the right to attack them.

He tried asking one of his higher ups but he got a blow to the face for the question so he shut his mouth from then on and kept fighting. It didn't get any easier.

This planet was sandy like Khoros but the earth was a faded blue instead of the crumbly yellow he was used to. The splatters of blood stood out starkly, staying on the surface rather than sinking into the ground. Every step through the now sticky battlefield came with a reminder that they were hurting people.

The smell made him sick. Even if Tetramands didn't have particularly strong senses of smell, the odor was just so overwhelming that he couldn't ignore it if he tried. And he did try. It was like death herself hovered around them, smothering the troops with her scent. Even when they moved, it followed. Eventually, Bahrvad stopped trying to hold his breath. If this was his punishment for the pain he caused, so be it. He deserved worse.

They kept pushing onward. They came upon more villages and attacked without warning. Homes were destroyed, men were wounded, and more blood was spilled and Bahrvad could do nothing but contribute to it. Was this his people's legacy? He'd thought they were… He didn't even know anymore. He didn't want to hurt people but what else could he do? Stopping to help would only earn him another punch. Maybe something even worse.

Oh, how he wanted to help. How easy would it be to just step away from the campaign and help that woman trapped under that rubble? Tetramands were so strong compared to these tiny people. It would really be no trouble. Or what about that injured man? He didn't have enough hands to take care of all his wounds but Bahrvad did. It would be easy to stop all that bleeding with four hands.

But a single glance in their direction would get confused looks from his fellow soldiers and glares from his superiors. So, he stopped looking. It was hard but maybe it was for the best. He could stomach battle if he couldn't see the victims. Only it wasn't really battle. This was nothing like what they'd trained for. They were just crushing people's homes. It was a massacre.

That was, at least, until the natives got help.

Suddenly, their strength wasn't enough. They were fighting people with blasters and armor. Not as strong as Tetramand blasters and armor, mind you, but it was still an upgrade from... whatever the natives were doing before. Now, the generals actually had to bark orders and the troops had to do more than throw mindless punches.

Bahrvad, being the newbie he was, was ordered to lead the charge and plow down this village's walls so the next wave could strike without having to drive their targets out of their homes. He tried not to think about the implications too much and just focused on the job at hand as he and his fellow soldiers ran onto the battlefield but once he came face to face with his first target, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

It was just- This was someone's home. He could see people moving inside. He didn't know what the natives to this planet were called but they were still people. And they were innocents. They hadn't threatened the Red Wing Empire. They weren't even soldiers. They were just people. Weak ones, at that. The Tetramands could hurt them so easily. They shouldn't be here.

The others didn't seem to share his hesitation. In fact, they seemed gleeful. Bahrvad didn't understand it. He didn't know these Tetramands all that well but he knew they were honorable men and women. What honor was there in destruction?

Before he knew what he was doing, he was moving.

"What are you doing?" a Tetramand growled at him. Bahrvad blinked and suddenly realized he'd caught someone's wrist set to plunge through the wall of a nearby building. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a family clinging to each other through the window. His eyes met those of one of the larger ones, presumably the parent to the young. His expression was unreadable but for a brief moment, Bahrvad felt a connection.

"What are you doing?" he shot back, turning his attention back on the Tetramand. "These are innocents!"

"And they're standing in the way of our campaign," the Tetramand growled. "Get out of my way."

"No. You're hurting them. This isn't the Tetramand way."

"Our way is our commander's word," the Tetramand responded as he began struggling against Bahrvad's grip. "Any Tetramand who fights it is a traitor!"

Bahrvad felt the soldier's stance change but didn't realize what he was going until the Tetramand was heaving him off the ground and throwing him into the home behind him. Wood splintered upon impact, tiny pieces trying and failing to scrape up the thick skin on his back. He tried to get his feet on the ground, to keep himself from falling into these people's home and potentially crushing them under his weight, but he was moving too quickly to gain any control.

The family's screams in his ear hurt more than the fall did. They scrambled away, clambering over the remains of their home, and fled. The Tetramand soldier didn't go after them. Bahrvad would be a lot happier about that if it didn't mean he was now going after him. At least the family was safe for a few moments longer. Even if this Tetramand pounded him into the ground, at least he knew he'd finally made one good choice on this joyless planet.

Hands wrapped around the front strap of his armor, pulling him off the ground. Bahrvad met the Tetramand's eyes defiantly, ready to take whatever he dished out, but before the soldier could strike or Bahrvad could even think about wrestling free, a purple aura consumed them and suddenly the Tetramand's hand was being torn off Bahrvad's armor.

Bahrvad fell on his rear but didn't get up, too disoriented to make sense of what was happening. The Tetramand was snarling and struggling as some external power forced him backward. Stun blasts suddenly littered the soldier's red hide and in a matter of seconds, Bahrvad's attacker was unconscious on the ground. Bahrvad blinked, surprise flooding his system. He turned, looking for his savior before they disappeared, but it seemed she wasn't planning on abandoning him.

A mint green woman hovered before him, purple power radiating from her body. Telekinesis, no doubt. Bahrvad couldn't help but stare. To have the strength to overpower a Tetramand? Unthinkable.

"Are you alright?" the woman asked, landing on the ground to offer a hand. "You did a brave thing."

"Um, yeah. I'm okay," Bahrvad responded, snapping back to reality. He took her hand despite not really needing it and let her pull him to his feet. "Do-"

"Xylene!" a voice called from outside the ring of debris. "Come on! We need to move!"

"One moment!" the woman- Xylene- yelled back. "I may have found us an ally."

Bahrvad heard footsteps and three figures stepped into view, all wearing matching armor and all alien. He recognized one of them as a Piscciss Volann, with his gnarly teeth and signature bulb, but none of the others had any particularly noteworthy characteristics. He didn't think he'd seen a member of either species before. He wondered what they were doing here.

"A Tetramand?" the paler of the two undistinguished aliens asked. "Xylene, do you think this is a good idea?"

"Another soldier attacked him for defending a family," Xylene argued. "He has a good heart."

"Yeah, but is he willing to fight his own people?" the Piscciss Volann asked. "I mean, if he's here, he's a soldier, isn't he?"

"Resisting the Red Wind's will is a crime," Bahrvad spoke up, words spilling from his mouth before he could think. This was all happening so fast but if there was a chance here to get out of the army, he would take it. "The other soldier will tell my commander what I did. I can't go back. Please, whoever you are, take me with you. My people are hurting this planet. You're helping them, right? I don't have a lot of experience yet but I'm as strong as any Tetramand. Stronger even. I can help you if you'll let me."

The three men exchanged an uneasy glance. Bahrvad didn't blame them. He wouldn't trust a stranger he found in the middle of the battlefield in the middle of battle either. But, Xylene didn't share their hesitance.

"I'll keep an eye on him," Xylene promised. It seemed to appease the others somewhat. They each nodded in her direction before hurrying off. Bahrvad blinked after them. He didn't think defecting would be that easy. Still shocked, he turned to Xylene who merely smiled at him. "Come. The battle is far from over. There are still plenty more villagers who need our help."


"There are a lot of human Plumbers, right Max?" Bahrvad asked over the hologram communicator one lonely night. "How do you deal with members of your own species all the time?"

"Just like I would on Earth. Why? The other Tetramands giving you trouble?"

After he defected, Bahrvad would later learn that Xylene's friends were named Max, Patelliday, and Wat-Sen and that the four of them were part of an intergalactic law enforcement organization called the Plumbers.

He also learned that he liked fighting to protect others a lot more than fighting for the Red Wind's glory.

No more smashing homes. No more long days parading to the next battlefield. No more nights sleeping on beds scooped from sand. No more awful rations. No more turning away from those in need. No more longing for a better life.

He found himself growing closer to this ragtag team of Plumbers than he ever thought he could with anyone. Tetramands, as much as they relied on each other, weren't the most emotive beings. They didn't form bonds like humans or Piscciss Volanns did. Bahrvad wondered how they survived without it.

To him, it felt like paradise. He never wanted to leave this life behind. And that was what brought him to the Plumber Academy. He wanted to be a Plumber like Xylene and he was willing to spend a few years stationed to do it. Only, it didn't feel like paradise anymore.

"They keep- I don't know." Bahrvad's second set of fingers tapped against the table around his tablet, just out of the camera's range. He didn't want Max to see how nervous he was calling him like this. "After you guys got me enrolled here, I thought I'd be ready to talk to other Tetramands again. They're not Red Wind soldiers. They're Plumbers. I thought they'd be like me but…"

"But what?"

"They're not. Some of them are okay, I guess, but they're still Tetramands. You know, always trying to show they're the strongest. I'd think a few engineers would have joined the Plumbers but everyone's warrior class. They can tell who I am."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm older than them. And I've got battle scars." Not from the campaign but still scars. They showed the world that he wasn't fresh from the home into the Academy. He'd been a warrior beforehand. "A couple of them have asked which warlord I served. They're always looking at me like they know I defected."

"There's no shame in what you did, Bahrvad," Max told him, image flickering for a brief moment. "What you did was brave. You saved a lot of lives. That's something you should be proud of."

"And I am," Bahrvad insisted. Did Max think otherwise? "I really am. I just… I guess I wanted to fit in with the other Tetramands. I love my people but I feel like I've abandoned them. I thought if I made friends here with the other Tetramands I'd feel better but talking to them just makes me feel worse."

"Maybe that's a sign you need to look at yourself beyond your connection to your people."

Bahrvad's face scrunched. "But if I'm not a Tetramand, what am I?"

"A Plumber."

"I'm not a Plumber yet. I'm just a student."

"You're a student then," Max told him, strong features shifting into a smile. "And before that, you were my team's lovable rookie. You're still my friend. I promise if you asked the others, they'd say the same."

"Maybe. But I don't know if I'm ready to leave behind all that. I lived my whole life on Khoros. I can't just forget that. It's part of who I am."

"And that doesn't need to change completely. You don't have to forget it. You just need to stop looking back. Things have changed for you, Bahrvad. You can't deny that. But if you're going to keep moving forward, you need to embrace the change."

Bahrvad was silent for a moment. What Max was saying made sense. He supposed he hadn't been doing a very good job leaning into all these new things around him as he could've been. He could afford to step out of his comfort zone a bit.

Max gave Bahrvad a knowing look. "Do you have any friends there? Or hobbies? A favorite class?"

Did he? There was that Galvan and that Galvanic Mechamorph down the hall. Weird pair. The other Galvans and Galvanic Mechamorphs didn't seem to like them much. Maybe that was why they were always gravitating toward each other when they had to work in groups. As for hobbies… Huh, he hadn't really spent a lot of time outside of class or the training room. Was that a bad thing? Tetramands didn't do much besides fight for fun. Maybe he could ask his roommate for suggestions. He was always reading. Maybe he could recommend a book? Bahrvad couldn't remember the last time he'd read anything other than a textbook, though his history book was pretty interesting.

Max didn't press him for an answer, as if he could tell Bahrvad was contemplating his words. "Good luck with your classes, sport. You're still planning on coming to Patty's homeworld during your break, right? And Xylene still wants to mentor you when you graduate. You'll be back on the field with us before you know it. Try to make the best of your time there while you can."

"I will Max," Bahrvad told him and he meant it.


He did actually visit Patteliday's homeworld when the semester ended. It was nice to see his old friends again. Really helped remind him why he'd joined the Academy in the first place. Made it a lot easier to embrace his place there.

When he graduated, there was another young Plumber on the team already. Devin was his name, Max's trainee. An Osmosian. He and Bahrvad hit it off. Their friendship came easy, far easier than any Bahrvad had before.

It felt like too soon when he and Max returned to Earth. Humans weren't a space-bound species. They liked the comfort and routine that came with having a home. Once the lust for adventure died, they wanted "normal" lives. Whatever that meant. He'd never been to Earth. He wasn't sure if he wanted to.

Bahrvad knew Xylene missed them too. He could tell she missed Max differently than he missed Devin but he never brought it up.

After their humans left, the team kind of… flitted out. They said they worked better in pairs but Bahrvad thought it was more than that. Patteliday and Wat-Sen wanted to stick with the same old routine but Xylene needed change and Bahrvad would never leave his old mentor to face it alone. It made sense they split up. Sometimes Bahrvad wondered if he should've tried harder to keep the team together. They were like family to him. He tried not to think about it much. They had a good run. It was better they ended it on their own terms.

Besides, he never would've grown into the man he was now if not given the opportunity to change. His insecurities faded. In battle, he was often the agent others turned to when the situation turned dire. He got promoted to Magister. And when the Magistrata summoned him and Xylene for a mission assignment one day, he wasn't even surprised.

"You two are some of the best field agents I've seen in all my time with the Plumbers," she told them right off the bat. Bahrvad's lips twitched but he didn't smile, humbly accepting the praise. Whether it was true or not, he didn't know but it meant a lot to hear. "You two are the only ones I trust with this mission. You two have the option to reject it but, for all our sakes, I hope you do not."

Xylene and Bahrvad exchanged a surprised glance. The option to reject a mission? That was rare. Orders were orders. What did it mean about the mission to have the choice not to take it?

"This is going to be a long-term mission. Possibly for life," the Magistrata explained. Bahrvad then understood. Except… also not really. Thankfully, the Magistrata wasn't one for suspense and didn't leave them hanging for long. She crossed the room in a few quick strides, retrieving some kind of metal contraption, and passed it to Xylene. "This is the Omnimatrix. Have you heard of it?"

Both shook their heads. Bahrvad tried not to seem too obvious as he eyed the container. To him, it just looked like a hunk of metal. He knew, of course, the important thing was inside but he couldn't begin to guess what it could be. It didn't seem that big. He could fit the whole sphere in one palm no problem.

"The Omnitrix is… You know a Galvan named Azmuth, yes?"

"Yes." Knew of him, that is. Bahrvad had never met the Galvan. His old Galvanic Mechamorph buddy from the Academy had introduced him to a guard at the lab Azmuth worked in but that was the closest he'd gotten. He knew he was brilliant though. He'd heard plenty about his inventions. "He created the Ascalon, the weapon that destroyed the Incursean Homeworld."

"That he did." The Magistrata remained stiff, betraying nothing. Bahrvad wondered if he looked just as emotionless or if she could sense his impatience. "After creating the Ascalon, Azmuth attempted to redeem himself by creating a tool for learning, rather than one of destruction."

"Let me guess," Xylene interjected. "It didn't work."

To Bahrvad's surprise, the Magistrata shook her head. "Not quite. In fact, it worked better than Azmuth could ever dream. So well that scientists and warlords from every system began looking for it in hopes of weaponizing it. Now, Azmuth fears the Omnimatrix could be an even more dangerous weapon than Ascalon."

Xylene raised an eyebrow as she looked at the sphere in her hand. She didn't betray her thoughts but Bahrvad could tell what she was thinking. How could this thing be more dangerous than the blade that destroyed an entire planet? "And you share that fear?"

"I do. You see, the Omnitrix is a library of DNA and has the power to transform its wielder into a member of nearly any species in the known universe."

Xylene couldn't keep pretending to be calm anymore. In her surprise, the container slipped from her fingers. She caught it quickly with her telekinesis but there was no denying it happened.

"That includes Chronosapiens, To'kustars, Galileans, Celestialsapiens, and even more dangerous species."

Now it was Bahrvad's turn to lose his cool. "Celestialsapiens? Wha- How?"

The Magistrata merely shrugged.

"We should destroy this device," Xylene said, staring at the container with newfound anger. "What was Azmuth thinking making a device like this? How could he think this wouldn't be weaponized?"

"He wanted someone to know what it felt like to take a hundred steps in another species' feet. He thought it could be used to promote friendly relations between planets. But Azmuth wasn't an idiot. It has plenty of failsafes in case it fell into the wrong hands. The Omnitrix can't be destroyed and it won't bond with just anyone. It'll damage anyone whose DNA isn't compatible. But, that doesn't mean we can let the people who are looking for it get their hands on it. Azmuth is brilliant but there are a lot more brilliant minds who might be able to figure out how to replicate it or override the safety precautions."

Xylene's face twisted into a frown. "And where's Azmuth now?"

"In hiding," the Magistrata answered. "We've… been unable to contact him. If you take this mission, your priority will be to keep the Omnitrix safe but finding Azmuth is also a priority."

"You've been saying a lot of if statements about this mission," Bahrvad spoke up, shifting his weight onto his heels. "Is there a reason we wouldn't want to take this mission?"

The Magistrata, professional as ever, didn't even pause. "This mission must be conducted with the utmost secrecy. That means no one can know your location. Not your old teammates, not your friends, not your families, not your home planets."

That made Bahrvad think twice. He couldn't… What did that even mean? No, he wasn't naive. He knew exactly what it meant. No contact at all. Not with his old Academy friends, not with Max, not with Patty, not with Wat-Sen, not with Devin...

"I know how strongly Uxorites and Tetramands are connected to their people," the Magistrata said when neither responded. Bahrvad realized she thought his hesitation was about the latter rather than the former. Huh. His worries went for his friends before his kin back on Khoros. When had his friends become his family? That was a strange to think about. "Both your species are looking for the Omnitrix and that means you can't risk any kind of contact. Since we do not know how long this mission may be, you may never set foot on Khoros or Ringa Morr again."

"Won't be an issue," Bahrvad responded, a smile tugging at his lips. He looked to Xylene, sensing lingering hesitation in her. "I'm on board but I won't go without you. It's your call."

Bahrvad could see the conflict on her face. What about, he didn't know. Max, maybe? He was pretty sure they'd ended... whatever they were doing on good terms. Her people, perhaps? But he wasn't pretty sure they didn't feel the bonds of blood like Tetramands did. Maybe the weight was just too much? Probably not. Xylene was a strong one under pressure.

"I'm worried about you," Xylene told him, surprising the Tetramand. She was considering refusing the mission because of him? "I've been living this life for a long time. This mission will change everything for you. You might be throwing away your chance for a normal life. Are you sure that's something you want to do?"

Bahrvad forced himself to think about it for a moment but he didn't hesitate. "I'm sure. This is something I want to do."

"Very well," Xylene resigned and turned to the Magistrata. "We'll take the mission."


"Did you ever return to Khoros?"

"Once. When you were here at the Academy, actually."

"How did it go?"

Bahrvad shrugged. "It wasn't home anymore."

Rook frowned at the response but Bahrvad didn't seem unhappy.

"The Red Wind wasn't exactly happy with me being there anyway. I fought a number of units over the years. There isn't really any lost love between us. Besides," Bahrvad continued, "I made peace with it a long time ago. My home is in the stars and my family is whoever I want it to be."

Rook nodded along. "Poetic."

"Maybe but it's the truth." He cleared his throat. "So, what did you learn from that story? I told you for a reason."

Rook's hand rested against his chin as his brow furrowed in thought. There was a lot to the story. It was Bahrvad's story, the whole thing. He wanted him to understand what it meant to be a Tetramand… But he hadn't talked about Khoros at all. The Red Wind, a bit, but Rook was sure that wasn't what it meant to be a Tetramand.

"You are not defined by your blood," Rook said eventually. "Or your power. You found yourself by looking beyond and that is how you became the Tetramand you are today."

Bahrvad nodded approvingly. "Not exactly what I was going for but it's your interpretation that matters. You're right. You can't let yourself be dependent on Four Arms' strength. You have this strength that causes so many Tetramands to lose their way. When you transform, you're still yourself above all else. As a Tetramand, you need to remember that. That's what I need you to know. To be a true Tetramand, you must understand your strength can be a burden and overcome it. You can use it to help or hurt and you need mastery over yourself to have mastery over it."

Rook nodded slowly. It was a corny lesson, maybe, but it rang true. Like Bahrvad, defining himself beyond his life and role on his home planet was a struggle. A necessary one but no less impossible. At least now he had the words to express the feeling.

"I think… I think I understand now."

"Good. Now, let's get started. You have a long way to go before you can call yourself a Tetramand warrior."