Deathworlders Should Not Be Allowed To Date! 70

[Author's note] Sorry for the delay again, but this chapter was just too long to write in a single week.

Luna VI query: Set the source to the leaked files of the first reconnaissance operation of Irisa AND the translation logs of Princess Amara Auralyn.

Done!

Luna VI query: Narrate the circumstances of Amara’s return to Irisa.

***

Ryo’s perspective:

As they bathed on the soft evening blue light filtering through the single window of their large room in the Royal Palace of Caladris, Ryo watched with amusement as Elysira explored the possibilities of her newly restored tail. The limb moved from side to side, wrapping tentatively around his arm like a shy embrace. He noticed how she held back, her grip deliberately gentle, almost timid, and his heart ached with understanding.

The newly developed limb restoration procedure developed by the Martian medical team had been a long time coming, and the memory of her anxiety during those months of research and trials still lingered.

Ryo maintained his stoic expression as her tail continued its playful exploration, occasionally brushing against unexpected places that made him want to squirm. But he remained still, savoring this moment of pure joy they shared. Despite his best efforts to maintain his composed demeanor, his gaze softened as he looked at her—his Irisian partner that followed him everywhere. Her long hair cascaded like blue silk, and her orange eyes gleamed with happiness. Her claws, usually so precisely controlled, made small, excited tapping motions against the bedding. Her smooth skin that resisted radiation in ways that still mesmerized him after all this time.

When she caught him staring, traces of yellow bloomed across the sides of her neck like a sunset. Ryo shifted his attention to the crib beside them, where their weeks-old son slept peacefully. Little Kaden's skin had taken on the exact shade of his white bedding – a trait that never ceased to amaze Ryo.

The sight made his chest tighten as he reflected on how drastically his life had changed. What had begun as a year-long exploratory mission to Irisa had transformed into something permanent, changing his life forever. Just like this alien world had become more than just his deployment; it had slowly become his home.

"Amara is late," Elysira said as her tail unwound from his arm. She adjusted Kaden's blanket, her body remaining still on the bed where she sat. "It's unlike her to miss a chance to see him, even if it was just through a call. She's been asking about him all week."

Ryo's lips quirked in a slight smile. "The queen must be enjoying her Earth vacation too much to remember us," he remarked dryly, though they both knew Amara was anything but on vacation. It was just his way of complaining about the waiting even when it came to their friend who happened to be Irisian royalty.

As the wait dragged on, the thought of names brought a wider smile to his face. They had settled on "Kaden" after much deliberation, choosing something Ryo’s distant relatives could easily pronounce, as they had no contact with their immediate families. Unlike Nathan and Amara, who spent weeks searching for the perfect name to honor both cultures, only to scramble for a choice when their son arrived early.

Eventually, a translucent window materialized in the air before them, displaying Amara's name in elegant script. Ryo and Elysira exchanged a knowing look. The neural interface of the integrated system captured his intention instantly, and within moments, they found themselves in a group conversation, with Nathan's presence added by Amara soon after the connection was established.

Ryo's wry smile grew as he observed Nathan and Amara on the pristine beach—she in an elegant swimsuit that highlighted her blue skin, he in casual shorts and an open shirt, both perfectly at ease by Earth's ocean. His earlier quip about a vacation now felt less like a guess and more like an accidental truth.

Amara broke the silence first, her voice carrying some grace of royalty even when just among friends. "May I ask how is your tail, Elysira? "

Elysira visibly struggled to contain the yellow threatening to spread across her skin as she addressed her childhood friend. "The neural integration was challenging at first, and the synthetic tissue took weeks to fully bond..."

The three others waited patiently as she detailed her journey, sharing every triumph and setback. When she finally finished, Amara smoothly steered the conversation. "And how is little Kaden faring?"

This launched Elysira into another enthusiastic explanation while Ryo remained silent, content to let her speak for them both. The two women delved deep into discussions about hybrid development, with Ryo and Nathan relegated to amused spectators. Their conversation paused briefly when Amara reached into a pile of beach gear to lift Argor into view. Ryo couldn't help but notice the dramatic changes five months had brought—the older hybrid was already grasping at toys and looking energetic, occasionally letting out experimental sounds that nearly formed words.

The warm exchange took a serious turn when Elysira finally asked, "When are you returning to Irisa? It's been almost a full harvest."

The yellow faded from Amara's skin instantly. "We will certainly be back before the orbital fusion reactor is completed," she answered carefully. "I must be present to approve the human fleet's slow guided deorbiting of our planet."

Ryo raised an eyebrow. Even now, he found it remarkable how the Irisians had accepted Earth's radical solution to save their world—turning it into a rogue planet with an artificial star. Though he understood that the looming threat of war with the Alliance had limited Earth's options for more elegant solutions.

"That's not an answer, Amara," Elysira pressed. "You might feel safe on Earth after everything, but you're still our queen. Your duties await."

Nathan spoke up for the first time, his voice protective of his now official wife. "Amara was raised with nothing but duties. She never had a real vacation in her life. She deserves these few months of freedom to make up for her lost youth."

"A difficult life as royalty," Ryo commented dryly, "is still better than what most humans and Irisians get."

An awkward silence descended, but months of friendship had made them immune to Ryo's bluntness. Amara smoothly changed course, "How are Khala and Yelara managing things?"

"The deorbiting procedures have everyone on edge," Elysira replied, her tail wrapping anxiously around Ryo's arm. "The common people are... uncertain." She paused meaningfully. "Your mother and Yelara are doing their best, but some matters require a queen's touch."

Ryo watched Elysira's expressions carefully, recognizing the deeper meaning beneath her words. She missed her friend dearly, and every carefully chosen phrase carried an underlying plea for Amara's return to Irisa. The subtle changes in her skin tone spoke volumes about emotions she wouldn't voice directly.

Amara paused, her tail unconsciously seeking comfort as it wrapped around Nathan's arm. "What about the human presence on Irisa?" she asked after a moment's hesitation. "How are they adapting to our world?"

A hint of red appeared around Elysira's neck at this obvious deflection, but she responded with unexpected directness. "What you really want to know is if there are any new couples forming," she stated, her orange eyes fixed steadily on her friend. "Am I not right?"

Nathan burst into laughter, leaning in to whisper to Amara. Her cheeks flashed white before deepening to red, and she swatted his face with her tail as he kept laughing. Feigning offense, she crossed her arms and turned away, though her tail soon found its way back, loosely wrapping around his arm.

Ryo and Elysira exchanged knowing looks, imagining what Nathan might have said, as Amara finally regained her composure. "Yes," she admitted, her usual commanding presence softened by curiosity. "That is what I wanted to know."

Elysira's surprise was evident—it was rare for her to gain the upper hand in their friendship dynamic, where Amara typically led their exchanges. "We have just over a hundred humans temporarily residing in Irisa now," she reported. "But only three confirmed couples—and only two human males with Irisian females. They're... being cautious about pregnancy possibilities for now."

A subtle wave of purple coursed over Amara's skin. "Only two?"

"Things haven't developed quite as you envisioned," Elysira's voice grew serious. "We've had... incidents. Four humans have been searched and arrested for being too touchy. Two clan women are in custody as well for their aggressive responses to rejection." Her tail tightened slightly around Ryo's arm as she continued. "Ryo handled the human arrests himself, and Yelara managed our side to prevent tension between our species, but..." She leaned forward, her expression grave. "This dream we have of a our kids not being alone—it's not progressing smoothly. We need you here to address these issues. These aren't matters that can be handled from a beach on Earth."

Amara went still, her usual animation frozen in thought as Nathan held her tail gently. Their playful moment from seconds ago had evaporated completely as Elysira's constant reminders of Amara's duties. The casual atmosphere of their beach setting now seemed jarring against the serious turn of their conversation.

Amara's composure finally returned, though her skin remained a complex swirl of colors. "I never imagined I would be both the first and the third," she said. "This is not good." She straightened her posture, a glimpse of her royal bearing returning. "Thank you for your honesty, Elysira. I will return this month, after concluding my business here on Earth."

Ryo and Elysira exchanged confused glances at her cryptic words about being "first and third" when their attention was suddenly drawn to a human woman storming into view behind the couple on the beach. She wore pristine clothes that seemed absurdly formal for the beach, her face set in that universal expression of someone absolutely certain they knew better than everyone else.

"Excuse me! We've been observing you for a full hour, how can you leave your baby exposed to this sun?" The woman's shrill voice carried clearly through the connection, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "This is completely unacceptable! That child needs to be under an umbrella immediately! I am a medical professional and—"

"Ma'am, with all due respect," Nathan tried to interrupt, but Amara was already responding, her tail twitching with irritation.

"As I have explained repeatedly to you humans, Earth's radiation poses no threat to Irisian hybrid," Amara stated, her royal patience wearing visibly thin. "Our skin naturally processes—"

"I don't care what you think your alien skin does!" The woman reached for Argor, causing both Nathan and Amara to lean away. "As a good mother, I have a responsibility—"

"The baby is perfectly healthy, a little radiation is good for him!" Nathan insisted, while Amara curled her tail protectively around their son, who seemed more interested in playing with a seashell than the ongoing drama.

"I'm sorry," Amara turned back to the virtual window, her skin red in exasperation. "We need to handle this... situation. We will talk soon."

The connection ended, leaving Ryo and Elysira alone in their room once more. Elysira's eyes widened as realization struck. "The first and the third?" She turned to Ryo, yellow blooming across her skin with excitement. "Could it mean they..."

The implications of Amara's words were not forgotten—she and Nathan had been the first human-Irisian couple, and now perhaps the soon to be parents of their second child. The evening light continued to paint their room in soft blue hues as they considered this new possibility as their own hybrid son slept peacefully beside them, blissfully unaware of the complex world he had been born into.

Nathan perspective:

Nathan couldn't help but smile as they made their way up the wooden boardwalk from the beach, watching Amara cradle Argor against her chest. Her short hair took the late afternoon sunlight, making the subtle blue and black undertones shimmer. She walked close to him, her height reaching just to his chin, her tail occasionally brushing against his leg as they moved. Even after all this time, he still found himself amazed by her graceful stride—every movement precise, sometimes reminding him of a cat.

"I cannot believe the audacity," Amara said. "Does she think I would allow any harm to come to our son?"

Nathan chuckled, reaching over to brush a few grains of sand from her shoulder. "You should have seen her face when you blended with the sand and disappeared with Argor, I thought she was going to pass out."

"It is not funny, Nathan." But her skin flickered with traces of yellow that betrayed her amusement. "I am quite certain she is writing a strongly worded message to someone from the GU as we speak."

"Oh, definitely. 'To whom it may concern, I witnessed an alien queen committing the heinous crime of allowing her baby to enjoy the beach.'" He affected an exaggerated official tone that made Argor gurgle with laughter.

Amara's tail flicked playfully at his arm. "I hope do not sound like that when I write official correspondence."

"No, you're much scarier. 'I, Queen Amara, third of my lineage and rightful ruler of Irisa, hereby declare that Earth Karens shall mind their own business.'"

"That is marginally better," she conceded, adjusting Argor as they turned onto the palm-lined street leading to their rental. "Though I would use more sophisticated vocabulary to question her intelligence in a subtle way."

"Of course you would. That's why you're the queen and I'm just the guy who makes you shy while we talk to our friends."

"I still have not forgiven you," she said softly, her tail wrapping around his wrist as they approached their temporary home—a modern beach house set back from the road. "Why did you have to whisper in my ear that I am like a succubus who wants to corrupt the pure Irisian girls with my interspecies ideas."

Still pretending to be offended, Amara found a comfortable spot for Argor to rest while Nathan collapsed onto the sofa, wincing slightly. Despite his care, Earth's sun had still managed to redden his skin. He missed the specialized nanites the GU gave him during the mission—one of many privileges he lost when he returned to Earth.

Amara soon joined him on the sofa, her tail draping lazily across his legs. "Find us something to watch?" she suggested, and Nathan complied, letting the quiet afternoon drift by lazily. Their peaceful moment was interrupted when a floating window materialized before them, Sally's name prominently displayed in the center.

They exchanged worried looks before accepting the connection. Sally appeared, looking distinctly out of place with her pink-rimmed glasses and silver hair. She didn't bother with pleasantries. "The security department needs you both on a military vessel. Immediately."

Nathan's confusion must have shown on his face, but Amara spoke first. "This is not a good time. Argor has just fallen asleep, and we cannot leave him unattended."

"Oh, sweetie, don't worry about that," Sally replied with her characteristic dismissive attitude. "Nathan's parents are already on their way to watch him."

The couple shared a brief look, and Nathan felt Amara's tail tighten around his wrist—her subtle way of communicating confusion without betraying it through her skin color.

Nathan considered refusing Sally outright, weighing their options, but eventually settled on probing Amara's opinion. "Would you be comfortable leaving Argor with my parents?"

She took a moment before responding. "I would," she said, then turned to Sally with steel in her voice. "But we will not go anywhere without you explaining why."

A flicker of bitterness crossed Sally's face before she sighed. "One of the rescued individuals from the Alliance underground facility, an Unnel, isn't cooperating with our investigation. We think you two might be able to help."

"You previously stated that a posthumous memory extraction from Senator Eelzails's brain would be sufficient," Amara pointed out sharply. "Why are you questioning rescued survivors?"

"Eelzails was a rumi," Sally explained, frustration evident in her voice. "Multiple brains. Even Icarus is struggling to reconstruct the damaged areas after the Unnel severely compromised his nervous system by pulling his antennae apart."

"Why us specifically?" Nathan interrupted, clearly uncomfortable with Sally's graphic description. "What makes us more convincing to an Unnel than anyone else?"

Sally adjusted her glasses, turning her attention to him. "He claims to have valuable information but will only speak with the Irisian queen in person." Her eyes shifted to Amara. "He's expecting Khala, but he remembers Amara from her childhood visit to his planet. He should accept her as the current queen."

The mention triggered a memory in Nathan's mind—a conversation from before their journey to the Ebon Range. Amara had mentioned receiving that small ship—the same one she'd used when confronting Elysira over her supposed betrayal—as a gift from the Unnel during that very visit.

Amara also remembered something, her whole body turning purple as she momentarily lost control of her emotions—a rare occurrence for her. "I agree to this," she said quickly, her tail gripping Nathan's wrist with surprising strength.

Sally's expression softened slightly. "A ship will arrive to transport you to the Unnel. Wait for it."

The window dissolved, leaving them alone in their interrupted afternoon.

"Do you know what this is about?" Nathan asked, studying her colors.

"I do not," Amara replied, her orange eyes distant with memory. "But I remember the Unnel fondly, before the Alliance tricked them into destroying their own civilization in a civil war. I want to see this individual."

No more words were exchanged as the couple prepared to leave. Barely five minutes later, they noticed a massive ship descending onto the beach, the vessel's landing systems stirring up swirling clouds of sand. Nathan rested a hand on Amara's back, guiding her outside, where they saw Emily and Noah already approaching their temporary home.

Amara skipped the usual pleasantries. "Argor is sleeping in his crib inside," she said quickly. "He has eaten enough and should sleep all night after his day at the beach."

Emily acknowledged her words, and after exchanging brief words with his parents, Nathan followed Amara to the ship. They found no crew aboard, just a single robotic attendant that guided them to their seats—comfortable but utilitarian, much like the rest of the ship's interior.

The journey was remarkably short—mere minutes between takeoff and landing. The robot led them outside where Sally waited alone, though several of her staff lingered near a nearby vehicle.

"We're at a military facility on the African continent," Sally stated without preamble. "The exact location will remain undisclosed, given your tendency to share classified information with the public."

"Good evening to you too, Sally," Nathan replied dryly, accepting the criticism without argument.

"Where do we go from here?" Amara interjected, her tail swishing in a dysplay of impatience.

Sally merely pointed at the vehicle. Soon they found themselves descending through a tunnel into the mountain's heart. Nathan noted the irony of entering a underground facility after rescuing the Unnel from one, but kept the observation to himself, saving it for when he could share it privately with Amara.

The tunnel journey ended as they emerged into something unexpected—a vast garden enclosed within the mountain itself. Nathan's breath caught as he took in the alien flora surrounding them. Luminescent vines crawled up support columns, and some strange leaves grew from nearby shub.

In that moment, Nathan understood—this was the perfect environment for the rescued survivors. A peaceful, living sanctuary to heal from trauma, far removed from the sterile cells they'd been rescued from.

The vehicle stopped, and Sally stepped out first, pointing to a narrow path between the alien trees. "You'll find the Unnel there."

Amara's demeanor toward Sally remained cool as she pulled Nathan along, only turning back to ask, "Is there something specific I should inquire about?"

"Just talk normally and extract what you can, sweetheart" Sally replied. Then, either as a power move or genuine admission, added, "We record everything anyway, so no need for a report."

Amara said nothing more as they followed the verdant path. Despite the sudden mission they were given, Nathan found himself fascinated by the surrounding plants, none of which resembled anything from Earth or Irisa. He slowed to examine unusual leaves that seemed to fold inward at his approach.

"Not now," Amara said firmly, pulling him along with both arm and tail.

They emerged into a clearing where the Unnel sat upon a rock—and Nathan's breath froze. The being before them stood a head taller than him, covered in thick brown fur that made it resemble a yeti from Earth's mythology, though it was not white. As the second sentient non human species Nathan had ever encountered, he couldn't help but compare this moment to his first meeting with Amara. Where she had struck him with her exotic beauty, the furred Unnel inspired no such response.

Nathan deliberately cleared his throat to announce their presence—and immediately regretted it when Amara's tail whipped against his back, her orange eyes flashing with annoyance. Every fiber of her being seemed to revolt against deliberately revealing their presence to an unknown entity, a deeply ingrained instinct of her predatory species.

The Unnel rose in a huff, its massive frame unfolding to its full height. The movement appeared aggressive enough that Nathan and Amara instinctively drew closer together, their shoulders touching as they held their ground.

Seconds stretched into uncomfortable silence as the Unnel simply stared. Nathan confirmed it had a translator with a single thought, when suddenly the creature spoke. Its voice was surprisingly gentle for its size, like distant thunder wrapped in velvet.

"Fear?" A low rumble of amusement followed. "To inspire such a reaction from two category four deathworlders... I am flattered."

"Well," Nathan offered, deciding against explaining that humans didn't use Alliance classification standards, "your size and muscles are a bit intimidating."

The Unnel's movements slowed, almost lethargic, as it absorbed Nathan's words without enthusiasm. Turning away, it settled back onto its rock, its broad, furred back facing them—a quiet display of trust that struck Nathan as profoundly different from any Irisian he'd encountered. The alien's body language made him consider a culture distinct from both human and Irisian norms.

"Size means little in combat," the Unnel spoke over its shoulder. "My body density is far lower than yours, my bones naturally more fragile. Even Earth's gravity exhausts me, despite how much muscle mass I have recovered since my rescue."

Nathan found himself seeing past the creature's intimidating appearance, beginning to recognize the vulnerability in its posture. But before he could reconcile this gentle giant with the being who had been rescued rescue together with Argor, Amara's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Impressive indeed, how much strength you have regained since killing Senator Eelzails," she said, taking a step ahead. "May I know your name?"

Nathan noticed the Unnel's massive frame go rigid at the sound of Amara's voice. "I am Gonok," the creature rumbled, "but I will speak no further to a Shadowling." He paused, correcting himself. "The only Shadowling I would speak to is your Queen, and she never leaves that hellish world of yours."

The sudden hostility caught Nathan off guard, a trace of protective anger rising at this harsh treatment of his wife. But Amara spoke before he could intervene.

"Why do you harbor such strong dislike for our species?" Her voice remained calm and diplomatic.

"All Shadowlings are mercenaries who can't be trusted," Gonok shot back immediately. "You would sell your own mothers for credits, inflict harm on other species at the Alliance's behest as long as payment was promised."

The realization hit Nathan like a physical blow—Gonok must have spent so long imprisoned as a test subject that he had no idea the Irisians had severed ties with the Alliance. Humanity must have kept him in the dark, hoping to leverage his information before finally resorting to bringing Amara here when their strategy failed.

A hint of green appeared around Amara's neck. "We had our reasons for what we did," she said carefully. "But the mercenary work is in our past. The Irisians you remember are not who we are today."

Gonok shifted on his makeshift seat with visible effort, turning to face Amara directly. "One cannot change their very nature. Just as my kind inevitably comes to blows during mating season, your species cannot change its backstabbing nature. You will never forge true friendships outside your kind—you distrust everything."

Nathan struggled to understand the source of such misconceptions, letting his heart override his head. "I can vouch for her."

A scoffing sound emerged from Gonok. "Humans have the opposite problem. You rescued every prisoner and brought them to your planet without even attempting to classify who could be trusted." His massive head tilted. "Your vouching means nothing—unless you would take her home and sleep with your door open."

Nathan and Amara exchanged a long look before Nathan burst into laughter. Even Amara couldn't contain herself, yellow flooding her entire neck.

Gonok stared at them in apparent shock, his fur bristling slightly in confusion.

Nathan playfully wrapped his arms around Amara from behind, running his fingers through her hair. "I've already passed your test—I bring her home every day, don't I? Guess you'll just have to trust my word now."

When Gonok remained frozen in silence, Amara stepped forward. "I am who you requested—Amara Auralyn, current queen of Irisa, Khala's daughter, and the first Irisian to take a human as her chosen. I visited your homeworld as a child. Your species gifted me with a small ship that I still possess today."

Time passed again and Gonok's fur inflated as he processed this, making him appear even larger. "I... I remember you, and I am tempted to believe you," he finally said, his voice unexpectedly shy. "But I must hear more before I can trust this is not deception."

Amara readily agreed, launching into a comprehensive explanation of everything since humanity's exploratory mission to Irisa began. She spoke openly of everything he asked—about herself, about Nathan, about how her species had always despised the Alliance but worked with them only out of desperate need for saving their dying world.

In the end, she unashamedly detailed how her relationship with Nathan led to Argor, and how Argor's kidnapping had been Gonok's salvation. "If not for our son being taken," she concluded, "you would still be in that glass cage, and your fate would be unknown to the galaxy."

Nathan observed the shock in Gonok's posture, even though this alien's expressions were hard to read. If Nathan had to guess, the story seemed to shatter Gonok worldview, especially evident in how his massive fists clenched whenever Amara described the Alliance's mistreatment of her species and her certainty of their involvement in Argor's kidnapping.

The tension finally drained from Gonok's massive frame when Amara's explanations were over. "I believe you. You are the current queen of Irisa," he said, shifting on his rock as his large brown eyes alternated between Nathan and Amara. "Though accepting that seems almost trivial compared to believing that the two of you are a couple with a hybrid child."

Nathan, so accustomed to seeing Amara as simply Amara, found it difficult to empathize with that statement, even though his logical mind recognized its truth.

"A couple with a hybrid kid and another one on the way, actually," he said, fully aware of the recording devices. "Though that's a secret even my parents don't know yet—so keep that to yourself."

Gonok's eyes changed somehow, settling on Amara's belly despite there being no visible signs even Nathan could detect. "If you would share such personal information with me," he said slowly, "it would only be fair to share what I have been keeping for the Irisian queen."

Amara's tail pressed against Nathan's wrist in what he recognized as appreciation for the way he handled the conversation, just as Gonok began to speak. "What I have kept secret is highly relevant to the Irisian Queen," the Unnel explained. "I planned to tell this to Khala even before learning your species had abandoned their mercenary ways and had undergone a royal succession."

Amara's eyes widened, her gaze pressing him for more—an uncharacteristic display of curiosity that broke through her usual subtle elegance.

Gonok turned to her, his voice suddenly gentle, a glaring contrast to his early harshness towards her. "This comes from the moment of my capture, when I was taken from my world to that hidden prison." His voice trembled slightly. "It was a group of Shadowling mercenaries—I mean, Irisians—who captured me and handed me to those weird scientists."

Purple spread across Amara's entire body, hints of gray appearing on her skin as she learned of her species' role in Gonok's capture. But the Unnel continued despite her distress.

"What matters most to the Irisian Queen is what I saw as I lost consciousness after being drugged," he said, his sadness heavy in his voice. "I witnessed the team of Irisian mercenaries who captured me being killed by the main guns of an Alliance vessel—a Rumi-owned ship."

He seemed to struggle with each word. "The only thing that kept me alive through my imprisonment was the hope of telling how terribly your mercenaries were being treated to the Irisian Queen, perhaps being the hero who prevented your species from working with the Alliance again." A nearly maniacal laugh escaped him. "All a meaningless fantasy now that your kind has already cut ties with them. All my years of suffering in that tiny prison were for nothing."

Nathan felt his chest tighten as Amara's tail wrapped around his arm with almost painful force. They exchanged a long look, the weight of Gonok's confession a burden they now shared.

"I cannot comprehend the extent of your suffering," Amara finally broke the silence, her voice thick with emotion. "But I hate the Alliance with every fiber of my being. If you still desire revenge for what was done to you, I have a proposal."

Nathan's surprise at her sudden offer was matched only by his amazement when Gonok agreed to listen. What followed was a long conversation, a lesson in diplomacy that resulted in an agreement Nathan could barely believe. As Amara finally locked arms with him to leave, he found himself still processing what had transpired, yet undeniably proud of his wife. Even after all this time, she could still surprise him with her ability to forge connections and react accordingly in every unique situation, turning an enemy into an ally with nothing but a long conversation.

Amara's perspective:

Three days after their meeting with Gonok, Amara watched with amusement as Nathan struggled with their Earth luggage, while she simply held Argor in her arms. The ship that had brought them back to what she now thought of as their planet, not just hers, powered down behind them.

A flicker of anxiety surged in her core at returning to the place where Argor had been kidnapped, but the sight of Caladris dome—now repaired and shinning with newly installed surfsce-to-air defensive weapons—helped ease her concerns.

"Forget the luggage," she ordered Nathan, stepping close to caress his face with her tail. She then whispered in his ear, "Now that we are back home, I can resume being your sugar mommy."

Nathan laughed awkwardly, but quickly abandoned the bags. She handed Argor to him with a smile. "Take him to Elysira, then return to me. We have a busy day ahead."

"Sure thing," Nathan replied with that casual tone of his.

Once he left with Argor, Amara rushed to the Royal Palace with her guards carrying her luggage, ignoring the whispers that followed her steps—both those expressing relief at their queen's return and the muttered comments about how it was "about time" she came back.

In her private area of the palace, the dining table where they'd sat the night of the kidnapping brought Aldrinch's memory rushing back. Though the mess had long since been cleaned, the memory remained impossible to avoid. She drew strength from knowing her rushed return to Irisa would help her strike back at the Alliance.

Straightening her posture, she ignored Argor’s empty room and moved toward her own chambers, where she took her sweet time to change clothes and reorganize her hair strands, which had fallen into disarray during her two days of travel with Nathan.

When he finally returned alone, she threw a formal suit at him. "Wear this. You will be appearing in public with me."

"Is this really necessary?" he laughed. "We're back on your planet—people literally walk around naked here. A suit seems excessive."

She remained firm. "My speech will echo on Earth. The other humans need to see you as presentable."

He sighed but changed quickly under her crossed-armed stare, trading his casual clothes for the crisp suit. When he finished, she approached to fix his tie, her claws never catching the fabric.

His amused look earned a quick response. "What? Your mother taught me a few tricks."

Nathan smiled and reached for her hair, but her tail blocked his hand. "Do not dare," she protested. "I just fixed my strands."

He complied, but manteined his smile as they walked the busy palace corridors together. Their presence drew countless stares—both for Nathan's unusual attire and their recent return from Earth.

They arrived at the familiar antechamber where Nathan had once waited before she officially was recognized as queen, its narrow corridor leading to the raised platform in the main hall. Amara was slightly surprised to find Gonok already there with his massive frame comically compressed onto a small sofa, his brown fur and rough appearance even more striking against the elegant Irisian architecture.

"Are you both ready to address all my kind?" she asked, looking between Nathan and Gonok.

"As you wish, my queen," Nathan replied playfully.

Gonok's massive head turned toward her. "In all my years of imprisonment, with nothing but thoughts for company, I never imagined being on this hellish planet. But I will do as agreed."

His description of Irisa as "hellish" bothered her slightly. Nathan, despite everything they'd endured in the Ebon Range, had never spoken of her world with such disdain. Still, she reminded herself that it would be unreasonable to expect Gonok to shed years of prejudice in a single day.

Taking Nathan's arm, she stepped toward the corridor that would lead them to the raised platform, where the elders and clan people awaited her announcement. She didn't need to look back to know Gonok would follow—they all had too much at stake now.

Amara and Nathan emerged side by side into the main hall, where ancient stone pillars soared upward until they disappeared into ceiling. The vast chamber was filled with her people, their skin colors shifting in subtle waves as different emotions manifested through the crowd.

Her gaze swept the assembly, noting familiar faces, but lingered on Khala and Yelara in the front row. Her mother's presence among the common crowd fascinated her. This display of humility was something Amara could never have imagined before going to Earth. When their eyes met, an unspoken understanding passed between them—every concession her mother had made was an attempt to rebuild trust. In that brief moment, Amara decided to give her mother another chance, though she quickly forgot Khala as she remembered the Unnel behind them.

She tightened her grip on Nathan's arm as Gonok's massive form emerged from curtains. A wave of gasps and whispers swept through the normally reserved crowd of Irisians. Amara fought the urge to look back at the towering figure, but instead she waited for the commotion to settle.

"My stay on Earth has come to an end," she began, "and you must wonder why an Unnel stands in our ancient hall. I promise you understanding will come momentarily." She paused, letting her words settle. She then used her tail gestured for Gonok to step forward. "Share your story with us."

Gonok moved forward with visible reluctance, fearful of the hundreds of oranges eyes pointing at him like knives. As he passed Amara, she caught his whispered words, meant for himself bur captured by her, "So many of them..."

Despite his towering frame, fear threaded through his voice. Yet once he began, his tale unfolded, telling them about the Irisians mercenaries that had captured him only to be killed as payment for their services to the Alliance.

Even the Irisians, typically wary of the unfamiliar and harder to move than humans, found themselves captured by his words as he proceeded with his years of imprisonment.

When Gonok finished and returned through the curtains under a blanket of respectful silence, Amara stepped forward again. "For years, the Alliance not only exploited our labor, but deliberately murdered our mercenaries after they captured subjects for that horrific research facility, silencing them forever."

A wave of red spread through the crowd like wildfire. Amara suppressed her own emotions, maintaining the composed demeanor expected of a queen. After a short pause, she continued, "Recent talks with humanity have moved us toward a deathworlder alliance. However, there is one crucial area where humans admit their limitations—something they must rely on other species to accomplish."

She surveyed the crowd, letting the tension build. "Humanity cannot yet engage the Alliance in direct warfare." Before minds could jump to conclusions about human cowardice, she pressed on. "Their artificial intelligence, Icarus, has predicted overwhelming odds of victory—but only if they wait for the Alliance to strike first."

"This may sound absurd," she acknowledged, "trusting such a momentous decision to a machine. Yet consider—Icarus is no ordinary contraption. It is a consciousness wrought by human hands, powered by the full radiance of a star, and it calculates more variables in the passing of a single breath than there are molecules in our atmosphere. Indeed, it can simulate countless potential conflicts at once, account for every maneuver, every resource allocation, every conceivable betrayal or alliance. In the intricate realm of interstellar warfare, Icarus perceives patterns we can hardly begin to fathom."

Purple dominated the assembled Irisians like waves in a stormy sea as their skin betrayed their unease at the concept she had just introduced. Even Nathan's grip tightened on her tail, the implications of her words something that Amara herself had only begun to grasp

"This is why humanity will not initiate conflict, even though there are those among them who burn for battle," Amara continued, her voice projecting a calm sense of defeat. "They must trust in calculations beyond our comprehension, predictions that span centuries of potential consequences."

She let the words settle, feeling the hopelessness spread through the crowd like a gray tide across their skin. The moment stretched, before she broke it with words sharp as glass: "But Icarus's warning is only intended for humanity."

Her tail curled with satisfaction as understanding began to dawn across the assembled faces. "Other species are free to strike at the Alliance as they please. And humanity?" A predatory smile touched her lips. "They can give us their weapons—their real weapons, not the toys the Alliance once gave us. The humans even have a name for such an arrangement." She savored the word. "A proxy war."

Waves of light purple swept through the crowd, and Amara didn't miss the subtle traces of red—though whether it indicated resistance or enthusiasm for her vision of the future, she couldn't easily determine.

She addressed their hesitation directly. "Irisa will not engage in all-out war," she assured them. "What I propose is a coalition—beginning with the Irisians, humans, and Unnel. We will help Gonok return to his homeworld and unite the survivors of their civil wars, revealing how the Alliance orchestrated their destruction. From there, we expand. The Unnel will spread the truth about the Alliance to other deathworlds, while we Irisians protect them from the shadows, ensuring their safety. All while humanity's fleet shields our homeworlds, waiting for the Alliance to cross that final line."

Red spread through the crowd like a disease now, clear whispers of war and vengeance filling the air. Amara added, more to herself than anyone, "As long as there is a significant human population here, Irisa will be safe."

Yet doubt some doubt escaped though her voice—was she right to commit her species to such a long-term conflict?

Nathan must have sensed her uncertainty about steering her people toward extended warfare. He leaned close, shielding his lips with one hand as he whispered, "Is this all just a convoluted excuse to corrupt pure Irisian girls with interspecies ideas?"

Mortification flooded through her. Her tail whipped against him as she struggled to maintain her composure, fighting to keep her skin from betraying her reaction to the crowd. Finally, realizing she'd already said everything essential, she simply grabbed Nathan's arm and pulled him behind the curtains.

Safe from view, she let white and red bloom across her skin as she pouted. "Sometimes I truly cannot tell if you deliberately try to embarrass me in public or not."

Nathan just ruffled her carefully arranged strands. "At least you're not worrying about the future anymore, right?"

The truth of his observation only made her protests weaker, and they returned to the antechamber still playfully bickering about his behavior.

At the sight of Gonok still perched on his too-small sofa, Amara crossed her arms, letting her tail sway freely behind her. Her gaze moved from Nathan to the puzzled Unnel before she declared with absolute certainty, "Think what you will, but I know that despite the current scarcity of couples, I will not need to intervene or corrupt anyone for a hybrid population to emerge." Her were eyes fixed on Nathan as she delivered her final assessment, "You humans are that predictable."

***

This was an account based on the circumstance of Amara’s return to Irisa. The previous narrative is based on the events after Irisa's exploratory mission. According to your current settings, no queries will be suggested.

[Author's note] This chapter wraps up the main plot, but the story will continue for at least another month and a half, leading to an epilogue and a few extras that I think you'll find quite interesting. These include one from Icarus's POV, another exploring further details about Irisa's ancient past as a rogue planet, the conclusion of Zara's storyline, and finally, a glimpse into the future, set ten years later.

Stay tuned if you'd like early access. Soon, I'll also share a link here on Patreon for a Discord server, where you'll find the first five chapters of my new story. Thank you all for your incredible support—I hope you've found this journey and its conclusion as satisfying as I have.