Arrows

Originally created to enforce Silence, the Arrows are a highly trained group of lethal Psy assassins who operate in secret in the PsyNet. Members are those with the most dangerous abilities, mostly Tks, high level and combat Tps, and designation X.

General

Requirement: Intelligence, obedience, and high-gradient psychic abilities. Pass the personality and psychological tests.

The Arrows have a high concentration of rare and special skills. Next to high-level Gradient readings and a multitude of combat and martial art skills, these inculde a Tk-V (a Psy who can travel to a location of person in a microsecond), a Tk-C (a Psy who can move cells inside one's body), a Tk which can "mirror" and amplify powers by connecting to other Psy and channeling the power through himself, and F-Psy that can occasionally challenge Faith NightStar, and other non-disclosed talents.

While many of the Psy were dangerous, there were those with abilities so lethal that they were a danger to society. Their powerful and yet undisciplined minds needed to be tightly controlled. Many were the high gradient telekinetics, the travelers, the combat-grade telepathics, etc. These powerful children and youths often found themselves growing up in the Arrow Squad: the soldiers and police of their people.

Foremost, their loyalty was to themselves. In order to function as a cohesive group, they had to be able to trust each other totally. This is also reflected in the First Code of Arrows. The Arrow Squad was created with two goals: 1) Protect Silence and 2) Provide Psy with dangerous and unpredictable abilities a place to train in self-control and work to do with those extraordinary powers.

History

Although he was a young man by the time his parents, Arif and Catherine Adelaja, concocted the concept of Silence, Zaid Adelaja adhered to the Protocol as a firm believer in it. He believed it would ultimately save his race from madness, even though his own brothers, Tendaji and Naeem, who were the first graduates from the Protocol, killed themselves. A combat telepath of ferocious power, Zaid took part in covering up his parents’ other failed experiments, making them disappear into unmarked graves. For this, his mother called him her "Martial Arrow." He recruited others, loners with an inner darkness whose only loyalty was to Silence and its continuance, forming the Arrow squad.

For over a century, Arrows ensured no one criticized Silence, believing it to have saved them. Gradually, Arrows began to also hunt down and kill the worst sociopaths, at first to cover up the fact that Silence wasn’t fixing the insanity problems within the Psy race and then because they were the only ones who could protect the Psy. Crime data from before the squad was created shows the difference the Arrows have made.

Ming LeBon

Ming LeBon, an Arrow himself, was the leader for two decades until he began to use the Arrows as private assassins to gain power for himself. Under his "leadership" the Arrows killed and erased many people falsely thinking they were helping protect Silence and the PsyNet. Ming also was the major factor in starting the Arrows on a Jax regiment that eventually left many Arrows with brain damage so severe that they are unable to think for themselves. After outliving their usefulness to Ming, he would then have the Arrows killed. During his reign, Axl was considered Ming’s right-hand man despite his secret loyalty belonging to Aden. Secretly, a covert revolution built, or orchestrated by Aden, Axl, Vasic, Amin, Cristobel, and Zaira and senior arrow Edward

He taught them never to leave themselves defenseless.

Ousting Ming

Aden Kai’s parents Marjorie Kai and Naoshi Ayze were dedicated Arrows. They first plotted an eventual uprising against commander Ming LeBon about 30 years ago, when they became aware of Ming’s perfidy. The slowly building Arrow rebellion against Ming began before Aden was born, but he was one of the essential pieces of their plot. Marjorie and Naoshi were determined to use the arrow squad for its original purpose, to protect Silence. They conceived a son Aden Kai with special genetic manipulation and planted him in the squad at a young age. When Ming decided to kill them because they were too deeply respected by the squad, they faked their own death and over the years helped other Arrows defect when needed. They ended up living in Venice at the secret compound for defected arrows.

Gradually, Aden built up loyalty to him and to Vasic and the well-being of each Arrow. Ming and his minions and psycho puppets were left in the dark —- they never knew about the secret rebellion simmering away beneath the surface.

In book 8, Bonds of Justice, the rebels Aden and Vasic let it be known to Kaleb Krychek that they are not loyal to Ming anymore. By book ten, the word is out. Squad leadership is out of Ming’s hands. The Arrows fully divorce themselves from any relationship with Ming LeBon when they effectively "change the locks" to their base, allowing Ming no access.

All the unknown people the arrows have secretly saved from Ming’s treachery over the years, and who respond when arrows need help, such as the M-psy veterinarian that healed Rabbit (Shield of Winter)

Post-Silence

After the fall of Silence, Ming LeBon and his minions are cast out by the Arrows, and they ally themselves with Kaleb Krychek, but remain their own entity. The squad looks to Aden Kai for leadership and Kaleb gives him full authority for creating new and better training procedures. They participate in an experiment with Sascha Duncan and ten newly awakening Empaths in hope of stopping the encroaching infection in the PsyNet. They sign the Trinity Accord and vow to protect empaths and the Net. Aden Kai strives to create a new training environment for young arrows and a feeling of family. He assigns older senior arrows some teaching tasks that connect them with the children. He builds an arrow community in a hidden valley. He assigns his parents, the oldest arrows, to help the more senior arrows adjust to the post-silence world.

Aden Kai cleaned the squad of all Ming’s puppets and any psycho Arrows without conscience.

Ruling Coalition

After the destruction of the Council, the Ruling Coalition was created to give the Psy race leadership. The Arrows are a mostly silent quarter of this coalition which also includes Anthony Kyriakus, Nikita Duncan, Kaleb Krychek, Ivy Jane, with Arrow Aden Kai to protect the empath.

Locations

Dinarides

Ming kept a location here where Arrows could be kept confined, monitored, and their abilities restricted.

Headquarters

Central Command is buried deep underground in a location inaccessible to anyone who doesn’t know the correct routes and codes. Even a teleporter requires a visual lock, and there are no images of their headquarters anywhere in the world, not in any database, not on the PsyNet, nowhere.

Central Command includes a medical bay, a technology and surveillance center, a weapons locker, as well as various training areas. It also includes prison cells, interrogation chambers, sensory-deprivation bunkers, etc.

Despite the subterranean nature of the squad’s base of operations, there's a sprawling green space full of trees, ferns, even a natural-seeming pool. They stole lighting technology developed by Sierra Tech to simulate sunlight and moonlight in sync with the world above.

Under Aden Kai's leadership, Nerida becomes the head of security for the compound. Tamar works there, too, as Aden’s information analyst and master of financial forensics.

Hidden Valley

Keeping their headquarters as a place of safe retreat when under attack, the Arrows began to live and train in a newly built community in their hidden valley. The location of the first Arrow training compound, over the following century, the squad quietly gained control of

“The squad owns acres and acres of land around the entire compound.” Cris’s clear voice broke into his memories, drew his attention to the map, though he already knew the location inside out. The squad’s ownership spanned the entire valley and the jagged snowcapped mountains that bordered it on either end. Those mountains curved in on both sides, creating a natural barrier against any force on foot. It was part of the reason Zaid Adelaja, the first Arrow, had chosen the location for the first training compound. As a result of over a century of quiet moves by the squad to gain control of all land in the vicinity, there were no other structures, roads, or even comm beacons for fifty miles in every direction beyond the mountains. (Shards of Hope)

In this valley they nurture the young cadets and child-trainees. They build this sunnyside-up campus and community with designs and prefabs from DarkRiver architects, complete with houses, a playground, playfields, sandboxes, picnic tables, trees, flowers, gardens, etc. They still use the subterranean HQ for operational work. (Shards of Hope)

The funding for this hidden valley community came from all the Arrows’ accumulated paychecks, which they never spent, and which eventually Zie Zen invested, transforming it into a gold mine for the squad.

Venice

Those who Ming overdosed on Jax were saved by Aden Kai, Vasic Zen, Zaira Neve, and Stefan Berg and smuggled through the Dinarides facility with the help of Keisha Bale. They defected to a secret compound in Venice, creating their own small psychic network. This group is still considered part of the squad and works in conjunction with them on unseen tasks. Zaira Neve is the leader here.

Their income came from diversified investments spread over time and geography.

Training

Under Ming LeBon’s leadership, training was harsh and torturous, in part because he feared that if he lost control of them, they'd seize control of the Net. Arrows begin training at a very young age, some at 3 or 4 years of age. They are removed from their guardians and given to the care of a training facility. Due to the children's dangerous gifts (and the sadistic pleasure of the power hungry), the training they receive is extensive and extremely abusive. Young Arrows often have their abilities leashed by a more experienced "trainer" and are then put in situations that are painful and/or deadly to teach them to control their emotions and the ability. Any speech other than what was necessary for training was discouraged.

Known training "techniques":

• Subjecting them to excruciating pain until their mind learns to block it out and they can calmly watch their arm broken
• Being placed in extreme temperatures without protection until the young Arrow can function without feeling the temperature or a punishment for showing emotion
• Being placed in a room with a bomb or another (innocent) person to practice controlling their deadly gifts.

As an extremely strong Telepath, Walker Lauren, was once an Arrow Trainer. He is known for being a good teacher and for teaching his charges how to control their telepathic abilities with kindness. He also subtly taught them to hide certain aspects of their abilities. He was one of Aden's teachers.

Jax

Jax is a Psy drug created to turn Arrows into the coldest of killing machines. Ming dosed all members with it to ensure unquestioning obedience to the most horrific orders, flat-lining the conscience, creating a killer mindset. Ming lied to the squad about why they needed jax and overdosed them, resetting the brains in some and permanently erasing their personality, including Alejandro.

Of the entire Squad, Aden Kai is the only one to never have been on Jax because it would have made him incapable of judging the effects of the drug on other Arrows, which was one of his duties. Instead, Ming relied on Aden’s psychological profile of being a rule follower to keep him in line.

Judd Lauren caught onto the lie and began pretending the drug was diminishing his abilities, so it was discontinued for several with abilities similar to his Tk-Cell. Aden Kai was in charge of monitoring the squad's response to Jax, but he - and Vasic Zen - also worked to deceive Ming about Jax, to save the squad members.

Culture

The First Code of Arrows

"To be an Arrow is to be an island, devoid of attachments that create vulnerability."

"The Protection of Silence is the mandate of every Arrow. Execution of those who would challenge the protocol will, at times, be necessary. Do not hesitate to take terminal action, for in so doing you protect our people from annihilation."

"Intelligence and the capacity for independent thought are prerequisites for entry into the Squad. An Arrow is a finely honed instrument capable of handling situations beyond the skill set of even the most well-trained black-ops soldier."

"An Arrow trusts no one but a member of the squad. Any Arrow who breaches this rule must be placed under immediate probation and given corrective training."

The First Code of Arrows was revised after the fall of Silence and the founding of the Empathic Collective.

"To be an Arrow has always been to protect our people. That mandate now requires the protection of designation E. As of this update, the empaths are the squad's top priority - any threat to an E is to be swiftly mitigated."

Death

Under Ming's rule, all Arrow deaths were investigated by a pathologist outside of the squad and the bodies of dead Arrows simply disappeared with no graves or memorials. Now, with Aden in charge, Arrows are cremated and their ashes buried in a simple graveyard situated at the foot of the mountains on one end of the valley.

Former Arrows & Arrow-Trained

Every Arrow is shaped by their lethal abilities, making normal lives impossible. They all understand each other and what those abilities require of them, which is the core of their loyalty to each other. That loyalty means that even if a Psy wasn't taken for the Squad or was trained by them, but never became one, they are still considered Arrows, as are former members.

Unbreakable Rule

Before Aden Kai assumed leadership, there was only one unbreakable rule: Never leave another Arrow behind. This ensured loyalty and the cohesion required in a military unit.

Members

This is a list of all Arrows known by name. There were never more than 200; by late 2080 there were 160, but since then some unknown number were weeded out or killed after Ming was ousted.

Leaders

Kaleb Krychek

In book 8, Bonds of Justice, the rebel arrows decide that the time is fast approaching to kick Ming out. Squad leadership quietly passes from LeBon in book eight and into Aden Kai’s hands, allied tentatively with Kaleb Krychek.

Aden Kai and Vasic Zen sneak into Kaleb’s house to leave a package as a message and invitation. Kaleb accepts the invitation. Aden aligns the Arrows with Kaleb after a "courtship period". They follow Kaleb's lead, however, it’s made very clear that, should Kaleb's goals ever turn against the squad or the empaths or the PsyNet, the Arrows will turn on him.

Aden Kai

The Arrow Squad remains allied with Kaleb Krychek but they follow the lead of a fellow Arrow, Aden Kai. Aden is the son of two Arrows, the first to see Ming for what he is. Aden’s parents brought him into the training facility as a child, groomed to be a sleeper, a spy, a covert rebel. While he has some telepathic abilities, his official job is as field medic. Aden is a strategic thinker and is completely loyal to each member of the squad. Under Aden's watch and care, the Arrows were subtly taken of of Jax and also actively worked against Ming. Several Arrows also defected from the PsyNet to save them from being killed under Ming's rule.

Finally, in Book 14, Shards of Hope, the squad decides to remain collaboratively allied with Krychek but to follow only another arrow, Aden Kai. “While the squad remained allied with the cardinal, they were no longer accepting any leadership but that from within their own ranks.” (SoH)

• Aden Kai - a mid-gradient squad medic who becomes the squad commander, the only Arrow who was born into the squad.
  • Aden’s five closest rebels: Vasic, Zaira, Amin, Axl, Cristobel

• Tamar - Aden’s analyst, works at Arrow Command Center HQ (surveillance, data, financials). She’s a civilian, age 24, psy but never managed to be Silent
• Vasic Zen - a natural-born teleporter, he becomes Aden’s second in command
• Zaira Neve - a combat telepath bonded with Aden Kai
• Amin — a variant form of telepathy, involved with Cristobel (SoH)
• Axl Rye - age 43, a senior Arrow Gradient 9.7 telepath. Aden’s inside man, pretending allegiance to Ming LeBon. “He has always been mine —— I needed eyes and ears in Ming’s camp.” (Alpha Night) With vivid blue eyes, Axl may have a thing for Aden’s analyst, Tamar, possibly.
• Cristobel Rodriquez - late 30's, patient and meticulous marksmanship trainer. She never used pain as a punishment or teaching tool. Loves Amin.
• Abbot Storm — tk married to Jaya Laila Storm
• Alejandro - overdosed with Jax, he imprinted on Zaira Neve
• Ella
• Ethan Night —
• Gutierrez - went undercover in Pure Psy
• Irena, 45, a senior arrow
• Mariko
• Majorie Kai, Aden's mother (with Naoshi, the two oldest arrows in the squad)
• Mica, lieutenant under Zaira Neve at Venetian compound
• Naoshi Ayze, Aden's father
• Nerida, head of security — combat tk, 5'4", loves Yuri
• Sione - has an unstable ability
• Suhana - went undercover in Pure Psy
• Yuri, age 47, mentor — older senior Arrow, injured in Wolf Rain, healed but on light duty.

Medical

• Aden Kai — medic for the squad out in field operations
• Keisha Bale - M-Psy who works with the Arrows
• Samuel Rain — robotics engineer who built Vasic Zen’s gauntlet
• Dr. Edgard Bashir — neurosurgeon who worked with Rain to remove gauntlet

Trainees

• Beatrice Gault - 17, Arrow trainee, used by Blake, mentored by Zaira
• Carolina — six year old Arrow trainee, 9.3 tp natural combat telepath
• Pip, 3 years old
• Tavish, 7 year old Arrow trainee, tk, adopted by Vasic Zen and Ivy Jane (Allegiance of Honor)

Former and Honorary Arrows

• Stefan Berg - 9.7 telekinetic, he’s not officially an Arrow anymore but still takes classes, spars with them, helps Arrows defect.
• William - Forgotten child, tk-cell, 7 year-old when Judd Lauren begins to tutor him in Blaze of Memory. He’s not an Arrow but Judd, Aden, and Vasic watch over him like an Arrow. He’s related to Devraj Santos.
• Kaleb Krychek — never became an Arrow because Santano Enrique kept him, but otherwise would have been placed in Arrow academy. Now he defers much to Aden Kai
• Edward - 46, one of the oldest active Arrows, a trainer. “One of the foundation pieces of the squad and of the rebellion.” He committed suicide after the fall of Silence because he couldn’t adjust (SoH)
• Judd Lauren - defected, was presumed dead but is still counted as an Arrow. Is teaching William, a child, how to control his tk-cell ability (Blaze of Memory)
• Sienna Lauren — was trained by Ming privately, but defected before joining the squad. She helps Arrow juveniles adjust, post-Silence.
• Walker Lauren - former teacher of young Arrows, protected the children, taught them to shield and telepathy tricks, helped hide Aden's secret mirror ability. Currently he’s been teaching the adult Arrows how to work with their children and train them with care. He is considered an honorary Arrow
• Zie Zen — honorary Arrow because he transformed their saved-up salaries into a vast fortune
• Zaid Adelaja - combat tp. The first Arrow over a century ago, he bought the huge valley property and ensured arrows got a good salary. Alice Eldridge’s friend?

Disgraced

• Ming LeBon — as a Senior Arrow, he led the squad, disgracing himself and losing their allegiance
• Patton — he trained Vasic, the only other Tk-V Vasic had ever met. Patton doled out many of the worst punishments, his years on Jax having erased any empathic center he may have once had. He became so dependent on instruction that he was useless in the field. An unfortunate error in his Jax regime, had been the note on the medical file Vasic had hacked into when he was old enough.(Shield of Winter)
• Dr Marr — worked for Ming, implanted Ethan with a remote controlled tracking and torture emitting device that could also kill. Before he could do the same to other children, Ethan snapped his neck.
• Blake Straton - psychopath murderer, beat young Beatrice, hunted by the squad, killed by an outsider, but buried in Arrow Valley to teach the concept of “family is forever” (Shards of Hope)