The Plumber spacecraft drifted through the endless dark of space, its silver hull glinting under distant starlight. Inside, the faint hum of the engines echoed softly through the cabin. Ben sat quietly, staring out at the stars, while Gwen stood beside him. Magister Patelliday leaned against the console, and Magister Labrid kept his hands steady on the controls.
"I'm sorry, Ben. Gwen." Patelliday's voice broke the silence. "Your grandpa didn't make it onto the ship. You know he's been sick lately."
Ben's eyes lowered. "Yeah, I know. Ever since he got out of the Null Void… his health's been getting worse." His voice carried a weight of sadness.
"Well," Patelliday said, folding his arms, "don't dwell on it for now. We need to focus on what's happening. Whatever's pretending to be you, Ben—it could be anything. A shapeshifter, maybe even an Anodite[1]. I've encountered strange things in my years as a Plumber, but this… this is something different. We'll need proof to clear your name."
Gwen looked up. "Anodite? What's that?"
Patelliday raised an eyebrow. "You don't know? I figured, with your obsession with mana and magic, you'd already heard of them."
Ben smirked, his tone teasing. "Guess she's not as smart as she acts."
Gwen shot him a glare. "At least I act smart."
Gwen shot him a half-annoyed look. "Okay, fine, I don't. So enlighten me."
Patelliday chuckled softly. "Anodites are beings made of pure mana. They can manipulate energy like it's second nature. They can even shape their essence to mimic others—change form, disguise themselves. That's why I suspected one might be behind this. They're common in Andromeda, but rare in the Milky Way."
Gwen's eyes widened. "That's… actually kind of amazing."
"Yeah," Ben muttered. "Until one decides to ruin your life."
"So, what about the omnitrix symbol??"
From the pilot's seat, Magister Labrid spoke without turning around. "The Omnitrix could be replicated too—through mana, or by using an external projection device. It wouldn't work properly, but it'd look real enough to fool someone."
Patelliday nodded. "That's why we can't jump to conclusions yet."
"I'm not gonna say you're innocent or guilty," Labrid added. "As a Plumber, I stay neutral until the facts line up."
Ben managed a small grin. "Glad to hear that."
"Alright, kids," Labrid from the pilot seat said suddenly, tightening his belt. "Strap in. We're entering the wormhole. Things might get… a little unstable."
Ben glanced up, eyes lighting with excitement. "Wait—you're using wormhole travel? That's against the rules of Space Sector 2!"
"Normally, yes," Patelliday replied, smiling faintly. "But we got special clearance. Let's just say the higher-ups were eager to cooperate when they heard your name."
"Who are these higher-ups, exactly?" Ben asked.
"That's not a question for today, kid," Labrid, turning toward the viewport.
The ship lurched forward. Outside, space folded upon itself, a golden, spiderweb-like tunnel stretching infinitely. The craft plunged in, light bending and dancing across its surface. For a moment, everything was silent, then the stars began to twist and blur as they raced through the wormhole.
Three hours later, they burst through the other end, leaving behind a trail of shimmering light.
Before them stretched the Andromeda Galaxy, vast, luminous, and alive with color. The Plumber Headquarters floated ahead like a fortress carved from starlight.
They had arrived.
(Arrival at Andromeda HQ).....
The Plumber Headquarters drifted serenely in the vacuum of space, its massive form glinting in the light of distant starlight. As the spacecraft approached, the HQ's ceiling began to open, revealing a massive metal landing platform that glowed with blue power cables. The ship descended gently, engines whining softly before coming to rest at last with a hiss of released pressure.
The ramp down, and Ben, Gwen, Magister Patelliday, and Magister Labrid stepped out — initial footprints onto the Plumber Headquarters of the Andromeda Galaxy. The atmosphere was thin but invigorating, tinged with a gentle hum of alien technology.
"Ugh, wormholes always make me get motion sickness," Ben muttered, rubbing his forehead. His hair was still a bit rumpled from the bumpy ride. "Can't we just teleport?"
"Quit complaining about everything," Gwen replied, crossing her arms. "Teleporters function on the same wormhole principle, and moreover, they're range-limited."
"Okay, okay…" Ben sighed, still holding his head.
Standing next to the landing pad was a gray-silver-haired woman of significant stature, she was completely blue in color. Her armor gleamed in the light of the HQ — and next to her stood a Plumber officer whose polished metal head reflected everything around him. She had a serene face, but a keen one — the kind of face that could silence a room.
"Nice to meet you, Commander Verya," both Magisters said in unison, straightening their posture with military precision.
"Ben, Gwen," Patelliday said nervously, his voice trembling just a bit. "You should greet the commander. She's the one in charge here."
But before they could move, Verya's voice echoed across the deck.
"Don't worry," she said, her tone confident and cool. "I'll greet the great Ben Tennyson myself."
"Wait, Commander—" Labrid tried to speak, but she was already walking toward them, her boots clinking lightly against the metallic floor. Her gaze fixed on Ben, unreadable yet intense. Even the hum of the engines seemed to quiet in her presence.
"You're Ben Tennyson, right?" she said finally, stopping before him. "Nice to meet you."
She extended her gloved hand for a handshake.
Ben did not move. He just stood there, rigid and awkward, his mind gone blank with exhaustion and the suffocating weight.
A couple of frozen seconds later, Gwen stepped in, donning a polite smile as she shook the commander's hand instead.
"Ahaha, sorry," she said, gazing at Ben. "My cousin's not feeling quite well with the wormhole travel. But good to meet you."
Verya's gaze darted briefly to Ben, and came back to Gwen. A faint smile toyed at the edge of her mouth — though one would have to be nearly certain that it was laughter or disapproval to be sure.
"Oh, such a beautiful young lady," Verya said, her voice suddenly softening as her gaze turned to Gwen. "You must be Gwen. I heard you were coming along with Ben."She smiled faintly. "Your grandfather and I went on several missions together in the past. By the way, I'm Commander Verya — the one in charge of this headquarters."
But her smile didn't last long. In an instant, her expression hardened, her tone turning sharp as steel."But you know what?" she said, her eyes narrowing. "No one ignores me here. The moment you set foot inside this base, you follow my command. You hear that, Tennyson?"
Ben didn't respond. He simply stared at her, his silence almost mocking.Verya clenched her fist. The moment Ben saw that motion, he instinctively stepped back — fast.
"You insane or something?!" Ben snapped, his voice edged with panic as his hand hovered over the Omnitrix, ready to activate it at any second.
Verya's lips curled into a grin. "Oh, I'm impressed. For a fifteen-year-old human child, your reflexes are quite something. No wonder you helped stop the Highbreed invasion on Earth five years before it even began. Truly worthy of being Max Tennyson's grandson."She turned to Gwen. "And you too — I've heard plenty about you, Gwen. The girl who can control mana."
Ben glared. "Stop playing games and just say what you want."
"I just want you to obey me," Verya replied calmly, stepping closer. "And answer my question, Tennyson."
Her tone dropped cold."Manny — he was one of your allies during the Highbreed invasion, wasn't he? Fought beside you and helped save the Milky Way?"
Ben's eyes narrowed. "Yes."
"Then why did you kill him?"
The words struck like a blade. Gwen gasped. Both Magister Labrid and Patelliday moved forward to intervene, but the metallic Plumber officer — the cybernetic one — raised a mechanical hand to stop them.
"I think it's better if the Magisters don't interfere," he said in a calm, metallic tone.
Ben clenched his fists. "I didn't kill him! I wasn't even here at that time. How could I be in the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way at the same time? Just use your head!"
"I don't want to hear excuses from a kid wearing the most dangerous weapon in the universe," Verya said coldly.
"It's not a weapon!" Ben shot back.
"Stop with that Galvan nonsense," she hissed. "It is a weapon. And if this case goes against you, I'll make sure it's destroyed — along with you."
The cybernetic Plumber shifted nervously. "Commander Verya… maybe we should continue this discussion inside the HQ. There's still much to cover."
Verya took a deep breath, her sharp gaze lingering on Ben before she turned away. Without another word, she strode toward the entrance, her metallic boots echoing across the landing pad. The others followed.
"She's a psycho," Ben muttered under his breath.
"I don't think you should say that," Gwen replied softly. "I've read her record — she's one of the greatest Plumbers alive. She's no joke, Ben."
"Yeah, whatever," Ben mumbled. "She kinda looks like a Tetramand[2]… but different."
Labrid, walking beside them, spoke up. "That's because she is one — a Tetramand from the Andromeda Galaxy. Here, their kind evolved differently. Two arms instead of four, pale blue skin instead of red, and far greater intelligence than their Milky Way cousins."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Higher intellect? Yeah, I don't think so."
(The Shadows of Andromeda HQ)....
As the squad marched along, the headquarters fully came into sight — a huge, breathtaking complex that stretched out over the metallic horizon. Dozens of spires of glowing energy rose high above, and plasma conduits pulsed along the walls like glowing veins. Hundreds — possibly a thousand — Plumbers were busy walking around, walking in every direction, their voices and footsteps echoing off the massive installation.
Ben whistled low. "Not gonna lie… this place is actually pretty cool," he said, eyes wide with wonder.
"Yeah," Gwen said, gazing around the immense hall. "Definitely bigger than our Earth HQ."
But the moment the workers saw Ben, the mood shifted. The chatter stopped. Tools were set down. The entire hangar grew quiet. Everyone stared — some in curiosity, others in suspicion. The air grew thick and awkward.
The cybernetic officer stepped forward. "Do not let it concern you, Master Tennyson," he said in a quiet, robotic tone.
"Thanks," Ben muttered, massaging the back of his neck.
The Plumber's glowing eyes toned down a little. "Because from here on in… it's only gonna get worse."
"Well, whatever," Ben said, trying to shake off the tension. "So what's your name, anyway?"
"I don't really have one," the robot replied. "Humans have a tendency to call me 'Hey,' 'Yo,' 'Robot,' 'Cyborg'—though lately I've been called 'Metal Head.' I think that. suitable."
Ben blinked. "Cool name. Really rolls off the tongue."
"Thank you," Metal Head said seriously.
They continued down the hallway, branching into a stark white corridor lit by hovering energy panels. At the other end, thick glass walls looked in upon the medical wing.
Ben and Gwen came to a halt.
Inside the room behind the glass was a torn, dead body — remnants of armor and flesh partly repaired by cybernetic grafts. The nameplate on the table read MANNY ARMSTRONG.
Gwen's hands trembled. Her stomach contracted — and, unable to stop herself, she turned away and vomited.
Labrid and Patelliday stood silently behind them, faces pale, powerless to do anything.
"What the heck is wrong with you people?" Ben shouted, his voice cracking with rage. "At least cover the body! Give him some respect!"
Verya was unmoved. "Manny was a Tetramand like me," she said coldly. "Here, death in battle is an honor. You need to see it — to realize the gravity of this case."
Gwen's voice shook. "We get it. Now come on, let's go. Manny was my friend. This… this isn't right."
"This is only the beginning, children," Verya said, walking toward the next corridor.
They followed her into another room, again separated by reinforced glass. Inside, a young woman — ZEnisa — was cowering on the ground, scratching at her own skin with bloodied nails.
"Leave me be! Alone!" she yelled over and over again, her voice cracked and hoarse.
Her eyes were vacant — as if she was trapped somewhere far inside her own mind.
Gwen stepped back in horror. Even Ben was silent.
Magister Labrid ended the silence by speaking gently. "You mentioned there were four members in the Sentinels. What about the others?"
Verya had not had time to reply before a voice from behind them chimed in.
"You mean… us?"
Out of the shadows came two figures — Darkstar and Lubris, the final two members of the Sentinel Unit.
TO BE CONTINUED....!?
[1] Now I have high hopes that you at least know this—come on, if you’ve watched the original Ben 10 series, you should know what an Anodite is! If not, just Google it. 👏👌
[2] Now, don’t tell me you don’t know what a Tetramand is—I’ve been reminding you for the past two chapters. If not, go look it up on Google. 👏👌