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Deathworlders Should Not Be Allowed To Date! 63
🕑 Added 2024-12-03 02:08:39 +0000 UTCLuna VI query: Set the source to the leaked files of the first reconnaissance operation of Irisa.
Sure!
Luna VI query: Tell me about the three-phase plan for Argor’s rescue.
***
As someone used to the harsh training of the Martian military, Ryo hadn’t expected life aboard an stealth Irisian ship to be particularly challenging. Yet, the endless travel through the void in search of Argor had been anything but smooth.
To begin with, communication was handled in a strange and inefficient way. Despite having a single comms officer, each clan member was allowed to send and receive private, encrypted messages from their respective clans. This practice, while obviously dangerous, wasn’t the worst of it. What truly grated on Ryo was how the Irisian soldiers huddled together in small, closed groups, hardly interacting beyond their cliques. This created an atmosphere that felt unwelcoming and alien—an experience made even stranger for a human like Ryo, who, despite being an introverted lone wolf, found the isolation a bit unsettling.
Another source of discomfort was the lack of proper resting spaces. Individual cabins would have been ideal, but on this stealth ship, personal space was almost nonexistent. When it was time to sleep, the Irisians would simply pick a spot on the cargo deck and wrap their tails around the ceiling rails, seemingly unbothered by hanging upside down for hours. This arrangement resulted in rows of Irisians hanging above, constantly sneaking glances at Ryo and the two other Martians who had joined Argor’s rescue mission. Officially, they had volunteered, but in reality, they were following Ivanov's orders and Ryo was the only volunteer.
Leaning against the hard wall with his head resting awkwardly on a wooden crate, Ryo tried to find some semblance of rest. He noticed movement among the crates, not from the sound of footsteps but from following the orange eyes of the Irisians above, who were tracking someone emerging from the bridge.
Moments later, a bulky Irisian stepped out from behind the crates, towering over Ryo. The figure wore nothing but a gun strapped to his back and stared down at Ryo with an imposing presence.
“Captain Dahala wants you on the bridge, human,” the Irisian said.
Ryo had grown accustomed to the typical brusqueness of some clan members, many of whom had never interacted with humans before. However, this one seemed particularly irksome, standing uncomfortably close—half a step away—despite being naked, ready to activate his camouflage at a moment’s notice. From Ryo’s seated position, his direct line of sight was unfortunately at crotch level, a sight he would rather have avoided.
Standing abruptly, Ryo restrained the urge to push the Irisian away, knowing that even a slight touch could be seen as an escalation. “What does she want? Doesn’t she know I already have Elysira?”
His voice was loud, drawing the attention of both Irisians and his fellow Martian soldiers, who exchanged worried glances.
“Don’t you dare compare that lowly servant of yours to a respectable clan heir like Dahala, human,” the Irisian said. “She needs your help with your tech.” He gestured toward the Irisian crowd with his tail, adding, “Your kind may not see it, but your words invite accidents.”
Elysira being called a lowly servant was nothing new to Ryo. She had told him about the mistreatment she’d endured from clan members and other servants long before he became a part of her world. Much of it stemmed from envy over her close relationship with Amara.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Ryo muttered, brushing past the bulky Irisian and heading for the bridge. He not look behind, something no Irisian would do, as they were naturally protective of their backs.
As he passed rows of Irisians hanging from the ceiling like bats, Ryo felt a creeping unease. Despite everything he’d seen their species do, this behavior still felt alien. He couldn’t help but feel relieved when Elysira had once mentioned her intention to wrap her tail around his leg while sleeping after regaining her limb. The idea of her hanging from the ceiling at night was an image he preferred not to entertain.
When Ryo arrived at the bridge, the hissing of the door behind him caught him off guard. Captain Dahala, of Elder Aiquor’s clan, didn’t strike him as the type to summon someone for a private conversation.
She was tall and lean, her height forcing Ryo to tilt his head back just to meet her gaze. Her long hair and delicate features gave her an almost ethereal appearance, like a blue elf. She wore the typical opaque clothing of her species and an AR visor over her eyes.
“Explain how to use this,” she said, holding up a plastic vial. Ryo immediately recognized it as the nanites from the integrated translator that humanity had offered the Irisians after their break with the Alliance.
“No secret,” Ryo replied, cutting straight to the point. “Two drops in each eye, and you’re good to go.” Remembering Elysira’s reaction when he’d given her the translator, he added, “You’ll see a floating window when it’s done—don’t panic.”
Without hesitation, Dahala removed her AR visor and applied the drops. As she remained silent, not opening the door for him to leave, Ryo realized she wanted him to stay in case something went wrong. After all, as a human, she might think he would be able to help in case something failed.
Minutes passed, and Ryo noticed Dahala’s eyes darting from side to side. Confident she’d successfully connected to the neural interface, he turned to leave.
“Wait!” she ordered, blocking his path with her tail. “You must stay. A ship from Earth will contact us soon, and they requested your presence on the call. They will use the translators.”
Ryo’s eyes widened, his mind racing. Why was Earth suddenly involved? Ivanov had assured him they wouldn’t interfere in the rescue mission. His thoughts spiraled as he considered various possibilities. An all-out war with the Alliance seemed unlikely; such urgency wouldn’t leave time for Dahala to change translators. The more plausible explanation was a political shift on Earth, perhaps linked to Nathan or the leaks to the press Amara had vaguely hinted at.
Ryo gave Dahala a silent nod before unceremoniously taking a seat, ignoring the absence of a viewport to gaze at the stars. This was a stealth ship, after all. Dahala, however, seemed mildly bothered by his casual demeanor. Her eyes glued on him as faint red streaks flashed on her neck, perhaps a deliberate dysplay of her irritation.
The tension was briefly interrupted by an incoming call from Earth. Ryo's attention immediately shifted to the virtual screen, which displayed an unfamiliar name: Staff Sergeant Thomas. The call came through an encrypted channel with Earth's logo, confirming that this was about official business.
Dahala's reaction was instant and vivid. Her eyes widened as her body was conquered by a wave of purple, the integrated system seamlessly interpreting her intention and accepting the call on her behalf. Ryo, having long since turned off that feature, joined the call himself with a mental comand.
On the virtual screen appeared Thomas, a lean man with slicked-back hair that gave him an intellectual air. Without preamble, he addressed the group as soon as all participants were visible.
"Good day," Thomas spoke first with a calm, professional tone. "I'm Staff Sergeant Tomas, speaking on behalf of Earth's High Command. I'm here to discuss Earth's recent involvement in your current mission. I’ll be brief for now, but I assure, Earth is fully committed to save Argor."
Thomas gaze shifted slightly, as if gathering his thoughts. "We already deployed a swarm of micro-drone ships in this stellar system. During their reconnaissance, they detected what appears to be a fake asteroid."
Pausing for emphasis, he then turned his focus to Dahala. "Captain Dahala, with your permission, I'd like to include the entire Irisian fleet in this meeting. What I have to share next will require extensive coordination and cooperation across multiple teams."
Dahala replied tersely, "I have no reason refuse."
"Perfect." He leaned slightly forward, his tone growing more serious. "Hold on a minute while I invite everyone."
Although strange given that this was a unified fleet under Amara's leadership, Ryo himself knew why Thomas had asked permission before putting all Irisian captains in a single group call. This was because humanity understood the Irisian much better now, their secrecy and tight connections within the clans being widely available information.
"Alright, I believe everyone is here." As Thomas spoke, rows and rows of Irisians captains appeared on the side, each in it's own virtual screen. Ryo survayed most of them with a quick glance, and the only thing in common among them was the fact that most of them were female, either a legacy of their matriarchal society or some genetic influenced personality trait of their species.
Thomas begun the meeting, a playful smile briefly breaking through his otherwise serious demeanor. "You know," he said, his tone suddenly light, "I think this might be the most well-dressed meeting of people who don't always were clothes in public."
There was a brief, awkward silence, followed by a few traces of yellow, but Thomas quickly shifted back to his professional tone. "Now, for the serious part. Earth has decided against performing any sort of active scan on the asteroid. We don't want to alert whoever—or whatever—might be inside. But we do have another way of getting information."
He reached down and lifted a tiny machine, no larger than a small spider, into the palm of his hand. Its metallic limbs flexed as thin as a hair strand. "This," Thomas explained, holding it up for everyone to see, "is one of our infiltration drones. It’s capable of attaching itself to a spaceship and hiding in the smallest crevices of its hull, undetected."
Through the virtual screen, Ryo caught glimpses of the Irisians’ reactions. Their bodies shifted to light purple colors, the patterns looking less a sign of fear and more like one of skepticism.
As the little machine skittered across Thomas’s palm, he continued speaking. "These droneships of ours are already monitoring the asteroid. They've detected faint traces of ships entering and leaving the area. If any vessel ventures into the asteroid, they'll be greeted by a swarm of these little guys, ready to infest every inch of their hull."
The Irisians' eyes widened, their shades of purple deepening. A few glanced at one another, their postures stiff with unease, as though they wanted to interrupt Thomas with questions. But he gave them no opportunity, pushing forward with his explanation. "Those drones-"
Ryo, unphased by the Irisians’ surprise, leaned forward and interjected in a blunt tone. "And what’s phase two if it’s confirmed Argor is inside the asteroid?"
Thomas stopped, flashing a grin. "Thank you for volunteering for this mission on behalf of Mars, Ryo." He looked amused at the interruption. "If the big shots of our worlds are learning to get along, I think we should too, don’t you?"
Ryo opened his mouth to retort, but Thomas pressed on before he could speak. "Phase two," Thomas continued, his tone sharpening, "would be to locate an entrance to the asteroid. Luckily, Earth brought something special to this system—a giant automated factory ship. It can produce personalized robots on a massive scale within minutes. Whatever we need, it can build."
Thomas’s gaze wandered slowly across the virtual room, lingering on each Irisian captain. He seemed to study their expressions carefully before speaking again. "Your stealth ships are not bad," he admitted. "Not to mention your instinct for noise and positioning is far superior to ours. Combine that with your experience as mercenary operations, and you’re essential to this plan."
He leaned slightly closer to the screen. "That’s why we need your cooperation. Our ships will coordinate with yours, and the automation factory will supply whatever you need. Together, we can transport resources to the asteroid and prepare for infiltration. If we align our tactics and methodologies, we might even be able to dig a discreet tunnel into the asteroid itself and make our own entrance."
Ryo’s gaze scanned the Irisians. Among the light purples of doubt, he spotted flashes of yellow, more curiosity than happiness. Some captains were exchanging looks, their eyes shaper than before. As a soldier, Ryo could read the room. The morale wasn’t bad. If anything, it was steady—something that would undoubtedly improve their odds of success.
Thomas gave a slight pause, his eyes locking with Ryo’s. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he spoke. “And if everything goes as planned, you won’t need to join phase three. You’ll just get a free ride to this isolated system and back to Irisa.”
Ryo’s expression didn’t shift much, but his eyebrow arched slightly. Before he could respond, Thomas continued. “Phase three would be the rescue itself,” he said, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “It’s the most delicate part. We can’t risk a hostage situation. If everything goes as we hope, the robots we’ve infiltrated will neutralize all threats instantly. No need for an assault team.”
To Thomas’s surprise, Ryo gave a small nod of approval. “That’s the better outcome,” he said bluntly. “An assault team always makes things messy.”
Thomas chuckled, clearly appreciating the comment. “Agreed,” he said. “But it’s still better if you and the other Martians prepare to act, just in case things don’t go as smoothly.”
Ryo nodded again, this time with less resistance. The meeting then shifted to logistics, with Captain Dahala and Thomas delving into the intricate details of coordination. It didn’t take long for Ryo to grow bored. The ten-hour operation timeline was set, but as more captains joined in, the planning dragged on. By the time the meeting ended, Ryo was ready to leave but found himself alone with Dahala.
He hesitated for a moment, giving her the chance to say anything if she wanted. As he waited, she whispered in a low voice, “That one was quite good-looking, wasn’t he?” Her eyes darted about, navigating through what Ryo guessed were virtual menus.
Being in no position to judge her, Ryo just stared, processing her words before sighing. He didn’t say anything about her comment but couldn’t help wondering if the integrated system had picked up her surface thoughts and saved a screenshot of Thomas for her. He decided not to linger on the matter. “I’m leaving,” he said simply, opening the bridge’s door himself and making his way back to the cargo deck.
As he stepped in, he was greeted by the same scene as before–a room filled with Irisians hanging from their tails on the ceiling. The familiar bulky Irisian from earlier blocked his path almost immediately.
“Why did it take you so long in there, human?” the Irisian questioned.
“You sure would like to know,” Ryo replied, his tone as flat as ever.
He moved to walk past the Irisian, but a tail slithered out to block his path. “If you think Dahala is like that lowly servant of yours—”
Ryo gently pushed the tail aside, his movements slow and soothing, his voice calm. “You’re right. I’m sure she’s a saint.”
The bulky Irisian paused, visibly disarmed by Ryo’s lack of aggression, and let him pass without further resistance. Soon, Ryo was back in his resting place, leaning against the cold metal walls with only his jacket as a buffer against the chill. His gaze drifted to the long case holding his .50-cal BMG. A small sigh escaped his mouth before he closed his eyes, ignoring the Irisians above him.
Sleep came slowly, accompanied by a lingering readiness that followed him into his dreams. Even in rest, his instincts stayed sharp—just in case.
***
This was an account based on the three-phase plan for Argor’s rescue. The previous narrative is based on the events of the tenth month of the exploratory mission of Irisa. According to your current settings, no queries will be suggested.
