Deathworlders Should Not Be Allowed To Date! 59

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

Done!

Luna VI query: Tell me the aftermath of the kidnapping.

Your request will generate an account from multiple points of view. Do you wish to proceed?

Luna VI query: Yes.

***

Ryo’s perspective:

With Elysira by his side, Ryo stood before the door leading to the private area of the Royal Palace. From beyond the door, Nathan's and Amara's voices echoed in a heated argument.

"Why are you considering asking the O'Neill conglomerate for help?" Nathan's voice was sharp. "Those guys will just tell you what you want to hear and make promises they can't fulfill."

"You speak as if Sally is doing everything she can to help our son!" Amara retorted. "Not a single ship to search for Argor, and no guarantee they will help rescue him if we find him in the Alliance's core worlds. It seems they do not even see him as a half-human!"

"She offered us half an hour of Icaros's processing power. Do you and your species have any idea what an AI running with the full output of a star can do? That's our best chance to get Argor back! We should focus all our efforts on collecting the data Sally requested. Maybe a single word from one of the mercenaries who interacted with other species will be the clue Icaros needs to piece together the kidnapping!"

"For the old mother's sake, Nathan. How can you place all your hopes on the output of a computer? You might think we are too primitive to understand your AIs, but only a fool puts all their faith in a single machine. How hard is it to understand that we need all the help we can get, even if that means some bad deals with the conglomerate?"

Ryo raised his hand to knock but paused mid-air, turning his head toward Elysira. She seemed to share his hesitation; their gazes locked as they waited. As the argument inside raged on without a moment's silence, hints of gray spread around her neck and arms. She leaned her head against his shoulder, letting her long hair flow along his arm and closing her eyes in a display of trust, her colors shifting softly as they stood silently, hoping for a break in the quarrel.

Tense seconds passed. Nathan insisted that Amara shouldn't rush into any deals, and the former princess replied even louder, asking if he'd prefer she did nothing.

When Ryo's patience waned and his arm muscles tensed, preparing to knock firmly, the door swung open. Nathan's tall figure stood before them, his expression stern. He stared at Ryo for a moment before Amara's voice called from behind him, "Where are you going?"

Nathan's mere presence demanded passage, and Ryo stepped aside. Without meeting their eyes, Nathan replied as he walked away, "Don't expect me tonight. I'm going to sleep in my tent and wait for Sally to contact me."

In the brief moment their gazes met, Ryo understood that the botanist needed time alone. He felt no resentment at Nathan's abrupt departure, though Elysira's grip on his arm tightened, her skin flickering between concerned hues.

Once Nathan's footsteps faded into the distance, Ryo and Elysira entered the private area of the palace. The dining room lay untouched since the previous day. Their cups still rested on the table, but Ryo's eyes were drawn to Aldrinch's place setting—left undisturbed, the arrangement of dishes and the blend of human and Irisian utensils exactly as they'd been.

Amara stood alone in a corner, making no effort to conceal the swirling gray and red tones on her skin. She wore the same outfit from the night before, the front of her opaque top still stained with Nathan's blood.

Before Ryo could speak, Elysira swiftly hugged Amara, a cultural gesture those two had absorbed from humanity. "How are you holding up, Amara?" she asked.

"Nathan... he should understand..." Amara's voice faltered. Elysira exchanged a concerned glance with Ryo before guiding Amara to a chair, ensuring her comfort and gently arranging her tail over the back.

"We overheard your argument," Elysira admitted once Amara was seated. She knelt to meet her friend's eyes, her skin shimmering with empathy. "It's not much, but Ryo might have good news for you."

Elysira looked at him, prompting him to share.

Ryo cleared his throat. "I spoke to Ivanov. He agreed to postpone the recovery of Elysira's tail so our doctors can work on something else."

"Something else?" Amara's voice was barely above a whisper, lacking her usual sharpness.

Noticing Elysira's expectant gaze, Ryo softened his tone. "The alien I killed on the roof—they are preparing to examine what's left of his brain. They're using Martian military tech to extract any information they can. We'll provide you with the data so you can forward it to Earth. Icaros might find something useful when it's combined with the other data."

Amara's ears twitched slightly, but Ryo couldn't tell if she fully grasped his words. She asked quietly, "What about your leg? How are you walking after being shot?"

"Oh, this?" Ryo lifted his right leg, pulling up his pant leg to reveal a red mark between his knee and ankle. "Mars might not have fast-healing tech like your hus—" he hesitated, "—like Nathan does, but a day is enough to heal a scratch like this."

"I see," she replied, her gaze drifting away as she lost interest.

Elysira gave Ryo a meaningful look, her skin reflecting shades of concern. Unsure of what to say, he spoke candidly. "You should get some rest. There's nothing you can do right now."

"How can everyone expect me to do nothing? I am the queen, and my son—"

"Listen," Ryo interrupted firmly. "Nathan is right. Seeking help from the conglomerate will only bring trouble to you and your people."

Amara stared at him, her skin flashing with indignation. Before she could protest, Elysira gently interjected, "I agree with them, Amara. You're exhausted. Rest before making any decisions." She placed a comforting hand on Amara's shoulder. "There's nothing any of us can do at this moment."

A heavy silence settled over the room as Amara's skin cycled through colors—white, green, and finally settling into a muted gray. She rose slowly, stepping away from Elysira. In a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "I should find Nathan.... perhaps apologize."

She moved toward the door, but Ryo stepped forward, blocking her path. "He needs some time alone. Don't worry; he'll come back."

"I—"

He gently but firmly cut her off. "Elysira will stay with you tonight. I'll contact Ivanov and see if he can provide real weapons and have ships on standby. In the meantime, gather your people and compile all the information the woman from Earth requested."

Without waiting for a response, Ryo turned and left, leaving Elysira to comfort her friend. A bitter taste lingered in his mouth. He had fought two battles on Irisa and had been defeated twice. First, he'd failed to prevent Elysira from losing her tail; now, his friend's son had been taken right under his watch. He had not yet made up his mind, but if they ever found the culprit, he might volunteer for the mission—be it rescue or retribution.

Nathan's perspective:

Another sleepless night loomed as Nathan sat alone in his tent, the memories of Argor's kidnapping deeply haunting him. The previous night had been spent with Caladris's highest leadership, desperately trying to piece together what had happened. Now, isolated and restless, he abandoned any hope of sleep once again.

Stepping out of his tent, Nathan was greeted by the blue hues of dawn painting the distant clouds. The crisp air bit at his skin, but he ignored the chill, leaving his jacket behind. He settled onto a nearby rock, his mind instinctively accessing his neural interface to pull up a cascade of images he'd revisited countless times throughout the night.

With a thought, a slideshow began, overlaying his vision and obscuring the first rays of blue light. The first photo was of him and Amara standing before a mirror. Emerald rings encircled her eyes—a sign that at the time he didn't even recognized as pregnancy. He recalled his disbelief, the smile on his face that of a man amused by what he thought was an overreaction to a mere change in eye color.

He envied that naive version of himself. The challenges they faced back then paled in comparison to the current crisis. The slideshow advanced to a blurry image of them in a park, young Cinara by their side with her skin glowing yellow. A child had taken the photo, hence the lack of focus. Nathan sighed, a bittersweet smile tugging at his lips.

The next image, captured in the palace antechamber, hit harder—Amara, now queen, standing in her ceremonial dress with Argor cradled in her arms. They seemed carefree, the tip of her tail playfully curled around his neck to draw them closer for the photo. Overwhelmed, Nathan closed his eyes and dismissed the interface, just as he had numerous times before.

He sat in silence until the dawn's blue light warmed his skin, triggering a radiation warning in his peripheral vision. The alert snapped him back to reality. Clenching his fists, he stood abruptly.

"To hell with all of this! Amara is right—we have to do something!"

Driven by a moment of determination, Nathan jogged away from the tent, leaving everything behind. As he made his way across Caladris's dome, his gaze fixed on the massive breach—the very hole through which the kidnappers had escaped with his son. The sight intensified his resolve.

Reaching the elevator was easy, but as he descended into the city, he noticed the Irisians' reactions. They glanced at him with subtle shifts to gray, a sign of pity he recognized all too well. Uncomfortable but undeterred, he ignored the gazes and pressed toward the Royal Palace.

Upon arrival, the security staff turned shades of white—a display of shame for failing to prevent the kidnapping. Unsure how to respond, Nathan simply continued until he stood before the sentinels guarding the private area. For a moment, he feared Amara might have barred him from entry, but the guards bowed respectfully, concealing their claws and allowing him passage without question.

Inside, the clatter of glass and metal echoed through the walls. Nathan nearly spoke everything he had in his mind, but hesitated when he looked ahead and saw Elysira instead of Amara. She was tidying up alone, the emerald rings around her eyes no longer hidden.

"Amara, is she-"

"Waiting for you in Argor's room since she woke," Elysira replied evenly. Her opaque garments and flowing hair betrayed nothing of her emotions.

"Uh... thank you." Interaction with Elysira was always awkward; they barely knew each other.

As he moved past, she added softly, "She misses you, even if she won't say it."

He nodded and pressed forward, each step punctuated by the sharp, grating crunch of glass shards beneath his boots, echoing through the otherwise silent corridor. The sound felt almost accusatory, a reminder of the chaos and shattered peace that had engulfed their lives.

Entering Argor's room, Nathan's eyes immediately found Amara. She stood by the shattered window, her gaze fixed not on the serene private garden but on the gaping hole in Caladris's dome. In her hands, she clutched a stuffed animal tightly.

"I—"

"You were right yesterday," she interrupted, her voice regaining its familiar edge. "But I hate that you left me waiting all night."

"I should have—"

"We should have focused on providing Sally with what she asked for. As queen, I should be meeting with the elders, assessing our nuclear capabilities, and mobilizing our stealth ships." She turned to face him, her claws digging into the plush toy. "Aldrinch would be ashamed of how I nearly compromised us out of false hope."

"Amara, please listen." He stepped closer, speaking quickly to prevent another interruption. "You were right too. We can't just sit here and do nothing. I've made a decision." Gently, he reached out to touch her head, his voice softening. "I'm going back to Earth."

Her eyes widened, skin flushing a deep purple as her tail pushed his hand away. "Are you leaving me?"

"No, of course not." He hastened to explain. "I believe Sally isn't doing everything she can to help us. With my reliance on them for communication, my hands are tied. But if I return to Earth and go public—tell our story to the media—we might get more help." He brushed her tail aside, resting his hand on her head once more. "I'll come back as soon as people start listening."

This time, she allowed his touch, leaning into his chest. Her skin shifted to a somber gray. "You can't do that; they'll punish you." She looked up, eyes filled with worry. "The deal with Sally to keep our existence hidden from Earth's news... If you reveal us, we might lose their support in saving Irisa."

"They might retaliate, but it won't be severe," he sighed. "They might not even do anything against you if I refuse the synchronization and make it clear you weren't involved, I can claim I panicked after being shot and abandoned the mission."

"What about your contract? And all the times you said you could not refuse the synchronization under any circumstances?" Her skin deepened to a darker purple, her understanding of human laws catching him off guard.

He exhaled slowly. He hadn't planned on revealing this part. "I'll hire a lawyer as soon as I arrive and challenge the nondisclosure agreement in court. I might not win against the government, but at worst, they'll imprison me for a few years for yelling our story to the public."

Her skin was now conquered by purple, a deep, troubled hue. She opened her mouth to protest, but Nathan gently pressed a finger to her lips and stopped her.

"Even if all I gain is a few more precious minutes with Icaros to search for Argor, it'll be worth it, Amara," he murmured, a faint smile softening his face. "Just promise me that when I return—whether it's in days or years—I won't find you with another human or Irisian as your chosen."

She gazed at him, her eyes wide and filled with sadness, and her body rippled with fleeting black spots as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him with a fierce, desperate strength. For a moment, he felt certain she was agreeing, that her silence and closeness held her answer. But then her grip eased, and her voice emerged, sharp and unyielding.

"I am the queen now, and you are my chosen." A subtle, almost unnoticeable, hint of yellow appeared along the sides of her neck as she looked up at him, her eyes flashing. "If you take too long to return, do not be surprised if I come and retrieve you myself, just as I will do with Argor."

***

This was an account based on the aftermath of the kidnapping. 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.