Beyond the Ninth Star

Ch. 11 Callis

The man's desperate plea for help echoed through the room as we stood there, unsure of what to do. My dad stepped forward and raised his hand to signal for the man to calm down.

"Who are you?" my dad asked in a firm but gentle tone.

"I am Theron," the man replied, his voice shaking. "I am from R-222, and I am a member of the resistance against the Qoraxi. Please, you have to help us. They are killing our people, and we have nowhere to turn."

My dad exchanged a meaningful glance with my mom and she quickly conjured an ice key, which she used to unlock Theron's handcuffs. He visibly relaxed and expressed his gratitude towards us. Then, he proceeded to tell us his story: "I'm a Duplo, the original species from R-222. After the first Qoraxi attack about 2 years ago, I had to flee my home planet of Ferronia and I joined the resistance to fight against them. But, a few days ago, on my way back to Ferronia from Callis, I was captured by their surveillance team. They tortured me for information, and unfortunately, I couldn't hold out for long. I ended up divulging the location of our base in Callis. Thank god you intercepted us before we arrived there," he said with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

The man suddenly got full of hope, "But now that you're here, now that the almighty Azulrians are coming, we're saved! What's your plan? Are you their scout team? Where is the main army? The resistance will help you fight the Qoraxi!" he asked eagerly.

"Wait a minute," my dad interrupted, gesturing with his hands. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but Azulri is not coming. We're on our own and we're here only to refuel and resupply our ship."

Theron's hopeful expression dropped as soon as my dad's words registered in his mind. "Wait, what do you mean by you are by yourselves?" he asked with a hint of desperation in his voice.

"We are not here to help you fight against the Qoraxi," my dad explained, "we're just passing by and need to refuel our ship."

Theron pleaded, "You have to help us! Our lives have been a nightmare since the Qoraxi took over. They force everyone to work exhaustively in the palladium factories without proper equipment. Many end up getting extremely sick due to the high quantity of radioactive waste. They steal our valuables, demand taxes, and take all our food for their war efforts. People are dying on the streets, the children are starving. And if someone defies them, they carry out public executions to infuse fear in the rest of the people."

His words were filled with anger and frustration, and his eyes were pleading for help. My mom put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "We understand, but there's not much we can do. We're not equipped to fight the Qoraxi."

Theron hung his head, "I understand. I'm sorry for bothering you, I just thought maybe there was a chance for us to get some help."

"I will help you." I said, determined to make a difference. Theron immediately raised his head, looking at me hopefully.

"Amelia, you can't make that decision. It's impossible. We don't have the manpower to take back R-222 from the Qoraxi." My mother replied, her tone angry.

"She's right, Amelia. It's a dangerous mission and our priority is to keep you safe." My father added.

I understood their concerns, but I couldn't let the suffering of the people on R-222 continue. "I know it's risky, but we can't just ignore their plight. These people need our help. As the Princess of Azulri, I command you both to join me in the fight against the Qoraxi." I said in a serious and commanding tone, determined to do whatever it takes to bring peace back to R-222.

Despite their serious demeanor, there wasn't much of a reaction from my family. However, I was taken aback when Illu faced me and knelt down on one knee, saying, "If you wish to fight, I will join you, Princess." I could detect a small smirk on his face, perhaps he was doing it to provoke my dad, but I appreciated having a supporter in this situation.