Deathworlders Should Not Be Allowed To Date! 61

Luna VI query: Set the source to the leaked files of the first reconnaissance operation of Irisa.

No problem!

Luna VI Query: How did Nathan discover Icarus’s findings?

***

Nathan sat on his bed in the hotel room, his eyes locked on the brand-new AC unit above the window—the only modern feature in an otherwise empty space.

He knew that a single mental command could offer countless augmented experiences to bring this boring room to life. Giant screens on every wall. A transparent glass floor in an underwater facility. A spaceship soaring through the stars. All of these and more were a single thought away from becoming his reality. Yet, even though his body was back on Earth, Nathan's mind was still firmly rooted in Irisa.

Perhaps part of him remained there since even Earth’s gravity was feeling unfamiliar after nearly a year away. He couldn’t quite identify what felt off. The scent in the air—a mix of familiarity and alienness—was a strong contender. The constant noise of human life was another. But it was the subtle, unshakable sensation of disconnection that truly unsettled him.

Returning to Earth felt less like coming home and more like moving back in with his parents after years of independence. It carried a familiar, deceptively comforting sense of normality, but something intangible had changed. The very spirit of the place seemed to have shifted while he was gone, becoming slightly different, less welcoming, now that he had returned.

Shaking his head and pushing the feeling aside, Nathan activated his neural interface and opened his contact list.

Unlike on Irisa, all his old friends’ names now had a green circle next to them, indicating they were a single message away. But Nathan barely glanced at those names. His focus was on the first name on the list—Amara, saved with a multicolored heart emoji.

As promised by his supperiors, her green status indicated he could still contact her. Perhaps this was a courtesy, or maybe it was a pretext to monitor their conversations after the incident he’d caused. Either way, the more he hesitated– weighing the risks of contacting her against the consequences of drawing the authorities' attention–the more irresistible her name became.

The drawbacks of contacting her were many, but right now, all he could think about was Argor’s search. The GU hadn’t updated him on Icarus’s progress in finding his son, and he’d only discovered the recent AI’s involvement through the news. A press conference revealed that Icarus had been deployed, and the GU claimed they were fully supporting the young Irisian queen in her rescue efforts, mentioning none of the details that mattered.

Nathan was furious. Why did he, Argor’s father, have to learn this through the media? Would it have been so hard to call or even send a message?

It all felt like a ploy to force him to contact Amara, and he hated being manipulated.

Sighing, he recomposed himself. If he’d once outsmarted the GU by encoding his database in plant DNA and smuggling it in a water bottle to retrieve with off-the-shelf equipment on Earth, then surely he could survive a conversation with Amara without incriminating himself. She had always been careful with her words, and as long as he kept his own in check and didn’t reveal that leaking the mission files to the media had been deliberate, he believed he’d be fine.

Fueled by spite for the GU’s tactics, Nathan finally made up his mind and initiated a fully immersive call to Amara. If they wanted to provoke him, he would gladly abuse their FTL communication bandwidth with Irisa.

The connection established almost instantly, and Nathan’s drab surroundings dissolved into a hyper-realistic illusion. He found himself in a room with glass walls on all sides, revealing a lush blue forest outside. It was not the Royal Palace but an unmistakably Irisian biome.

Amara stood among rows of active screens and unoccupied workstations, her gaze directed to something beyond the glass walls.

“You don’t want to see me anymore?” Nathan half-joked, hoping for a warmer reaction. It was the longest they’d been apart since their relationship had grown beyond friendship.

She turned to him, her neck and arms tinged with streaks of yellow that coexisted with steady gray. “If I were to leap into your arms, I would only face an ungrateful fall,” she said softly, her voice carrying a trace of sadness. “So, tell me, what is the point of looking at you?”

Her words reminded Nathan that, aside from teaching her the basic functions of her translator’s communication module, he hadn’t explained the immersion features of modern human technology.

Stepping closer, he reached for her neck, brushing her skin with a virtual touch. “This might be nothing more than an illusion,” he said, noticing the flicker of surprise in her eyes as her tail coiled around his arm, replying to the simulated touch sensation. “But that doesn’t make our feelings any less real.”

His words had the desired effect. Amara pressed her head against his chest, her yellow and gray hues intensifying. Fleeting black spots appeared and faded across her skin, betraying her emotional vulnerability.

Resting a comforting hand on her head, Nathan wished he could ruffle her hair. “What did Icarus conclude about the kidnapping?” he asked, his tone light but hopeful.

He didn’t need her to answer in full; the presence of yellow in her colors told him there was still hope.

“It failed to solve the kidnapping completely,” she admitted, her voice edged with tension, though less strained than in their last conversation. “But in just fifty minutes, Icarus narrowed Argor’s location to a single star system, a place without life presence according to our maps.”

She lifted her head, meeting his gaze. Her colors shifted to a vibrant red, the black spots vanishing entirely. “That is enough for us. The imperial fleet is already assembled!”

Amara didn’t wait for Nathan to reply. She pulled him along with her tail as if his avatar were more than just a sophisticated illusion. He didn’t break her perception, following her out of curiosity.

His eyes widened as they approached the glass walls. The room was a raised control tower, standing above an open field in the heart of a forest. Despite its remote location, the field below was filled with frenetic activity, resembling a hive of hornets. Irisians moved cargo and massive missiles toward a line of stationed ships, while others hovered above, testing their impressive camouflage as they appeared and disappeared into thin air.

Nathan’s gaze fell to the fourteen elders below the tower, where rows of strong, determined Irisians approached. Armed with weapons strapped to their backs, they bowed one by one to the elders, receiving individual instructions before making their way to the ships, and joining the others. Once aboard, they coiled their tails securely around the rails, ready for takeoff.

“Amara, this is—”

“A rescue operation,” she interrupted, her tail pointing toward one of the missile-laden ships. “And those?” She paused, her tone sharp. “Those are for after the rescue.”

Nathan couldn't help but notice that Amara didn’t sound entirely like herself. It took only a few seconds of pondering and recalling his year spent in Irisa for him to piece together the puzzle. Like him, Amara harbored a deep hatred for the kidnappers. But unlike him, she had far more means of taking action, making it all too easy for her thoughts to spiral into dark places.

The elders, their pride wounded after Aldrich's death, were also aligned with Amara. This made the idea of dragging their species into a war with the Alliance more than just a remote possibility.

"Amara," Nathan said, reaching an arm over her shoulders. "Do you really think it’s a good idea to risk a war against the Alliance?"

She turned to him, surprise flashing in her eyes, but Nathan pressed on. "I hate them too. I’d love to see the culprits burn, but think about the aftermath. Irisa is finally on the brink of salvation, and this could start another era of suffering."

Amara's expression hardened, her teeth crowding the front of her mouth as though preparing for an argument. "They invaded Irisa, powered their way through Caladris Dome, killed Aldrich, and took Argor from his crib." Her skin flushed red with anger, her fury now directed squarely at Nathan. "If that is not an act of war, then tell me what is?"

One look into her blazing eyes told Nathan no moral argument would sway her. He knew Amara too well—reason alone wouldn’t convince her, and pushing too hard could make her shut him out completely.

Not wanting to argue for the sake of aliens he’d rather see burn anyway, Nathan switched tactics.

"I’m not saying anything if your people decide to go to war, Amara," he said in a calm voice, moving closer despite the anger radiating from her. "I’ll even offer my support. All I ask is that you think long and hard before giving any orders you can’t take back. Just imagine what advice Aldrich would give you if he were here."

It wasn’t immediate, but the red in Amara’s skin slowly faded, her red colors giving way to gray. The sky above them shifted as clouds drifted past in silence. After a long pause, Amara stepped closer and whispered a few barely audible words, "I missed you."

Nathan smiled, his tone playful. "Of course you did."

Amara didn’t join in his levity. Instead, she closed her eyes and leaned into the illusion of his presence, leaving Nathan to realize just how exhausted she truly was. It dawned on him how he had found her—alone in the control tower. While the elders gathered with their clans to prepare for battle, Amara had been isolated, bearing the weight of responsibility entirely on her own.

"Hey, Amara, where are Yelara, Elysira, and Ryo?" he asked.

"Yelara is in Caladris, maintaining communication with the new humans who landed from the space station." Amara’s tail motioned toward a ship below, her gaze following it. "Ryo and Elysira are there. He volunteered to join the rescue mission with a few other Martians. Elysira allowed it."

Nathan’s eyes widened. "Why aren’t you there with them?"

A hint of gray tinged her skin, hesitation slipping into her voice. "I... I did not want to take away their moment alone. They have done so much for us that I fail to find words to express my gratitude..."

"Screw that." Nathan made a decision on the spot, tugging at her arm as though his avatar had physical presence. "Hurry up, Amara."

It took her a moment to catch his wavelength, but soon they were descending the tower stairs and crossing the ships' staging area. Amara’s presence caused a stir—elders exchanged whispers, and soldiers bowed in unison, hiding their claws in a show of deference.

Nathan chuckled when Amara spoke aloud to him, startling a group of carriers who froze mid-task. Realizing her mistake, Amara quickly closed her mouth, remembering that most Irisians lacked translators like hers.

They approached the pile of wooden containers Amara had pointed from the tower, and when Amara locked eyes with Ryo and Elysira, the couple immediately ceased their quiet conversation, their attention shifting to her. Nathan wasted no time sending a group chat request, making his presence known when they accepted.

"How is he here?" Elysira blurted out as she joined the chat, clearly unfamiliar with her translator’s full capabilities.

"I’m not," Nathan explained shortly, his gaze flickering to Elysira’s protruding belly, partially hidden beneath her Martian Army jacket.

Elysira seemed ready to ask more questions, but Ryo placed a hand on her shoulder, taking over the conversation. "Come to check out the ass-kicking we’re packing?"

"We came here to thank you," Nathan said, placing a hand on Amara’s back and including her in his words. "You’ve both done so much for Argor and us. I was too angry to thank you properly last time, but I won’t make that mistake again."

Amara added, her gaze fixed on Elysira, "I am sorry for letting him join the rescue team." She glanced at the ground, green streaks appearing on her neck. "I might not be worthy of your friendship."

Elysira’s expression softened. "Amara..."

Before she could say more, Ryo pulled her back slightly. "You idiots are talking like I’m about to die," he said, shifting his focus to Nathan. "And you can quit thanking me. I’m not doing this for you. I can’t just sit around when those bastards take the queen’s son." He glanced at Amara. "If they’re not even afraid of her, then whose kids are they taking next?"

Nathan and Amara exchanged uncertain looks, neither sure how to respond. Seeing the faint purple tinge on Amara’s skin, Nathan changed the subject. "Uh... What kind of guns are you taking with you?"

"There are some proper pistols and even more outdated equipment." There was a hint of a smile on Ryo's face at the change of subject.

 He reached for the black handle of a long, rectangular case, hidden among the wooden containers. When he lifted it from the grong, it appeared to be a hard-shell aluminum case, clearly built to protect a long firearm inside.

"Fifty-cal BMG," Ryo said, grinning as he held the case, his wide smile revealing his delight at merely holding it. The weight seemed to bear down on his body, but he didn’t care. "Not the nano suit and decomposition grenades I asked for, but much better than the plastic toys they gave us for this mission." Unusually talkative, he added, "I even got some fancy ammunition."

"I see." Far from being a gun enthusiast, Nathan forced a smile, pretending he understood the source of Ryo’s happiness.

When Ryo noticed Nathan struggling to follow, he extended a hand for a virtual handshake and said, "I’ll bring your son back."

Nathan reached out for the handshake, and even though half a galaxy separated them, it still felt like the handshake of someone who meant business.

Ryo then turned his attention to Elysira, unbuckling his belt holster with the plastic gun secured to it. Gently, he wrapped the belt around her waist, placing it just below her belly. "I won’t need this anymore. You can keep it."

That was all he said to her before turning his back and walking inside one of the Irisian ships, the long case in his left hand. He joined the group of Martians without offering any display of affection or even a word of goodbye to Elysira. It bothered Nathan slightly, but a single glance at the faint yellow tones on Elysira’s skin told him they were just different from himself and Amara.

As the clouds above slowly drifted toward the horizon, Nathan, Amara, and Elysira stood in silence, watching the last of the ships being loaded with personnel and ammunition. Elysira’s skin grew increasingly gray when the ship’s hatch closed, and even more so as the fleet took off, blending into the sky once the ships rose above the treeline.

Moments later, a series of sonic booms echoed through the air, followed by dozens of holes tearing through the clouds in quick succession.

Nathan turned to Amara, but before he could say anything, the connection abruptly failed, and he found himself back in his hotel room. His heart was heavy but hopeful, trusting that his newfound Martian friend would fulfill his promise.

***

This was an account based on how Nathan discovered Icarus’s findings. The previous narrative is based on the events of the eleventh month of the exploratory mission of Irisa. According to your current settings, no queries will be suggested.