Page 105 of Alien Prince

“It’s risky,” I say, meeting her gaze, “but you’re right. We’ll need a precise strike, something they won’t see coming.”

She smiles faintly, her determination shining in her eyes. “Then we’d better make sure it works.”

The days that follow are a whirlwind of preparation. Together, we pour over maps, coordinate with my trusted advisors, and plan every detail of the operation.

Emily’s insight proves invaluable. She notices patterns I’ve missed and suggests strategies that allow us to confuse or outmaneuver or outsmart our enemy. Earthling strategies if I have to guess. War ones. She’s so very knowledge on such a variety of topics that every conversation is a delight. Through it all, her unwavering resolve bolsters my own.

Our partnership isn’t without challenges. There are moments of tension when we disagree over tactics or risks, but each argument only strengthens our bond, forcing us to trust each other more deeply.

One evening, as we finalize the plans for the assault on Nyran’s stronghold, I catch her watching me.

“What is it?” I ask, setting down the report in my hands.

She hesitates then smiles softly. “I was just thinking about how far we’ve come. How far I’ve come. Back on Earth… I wasn’t like I am here. It’s like I was only a seed, and I’ve blossomed since coming here.”

I reach for her hand, my thumb brushing over her knuckles. “You’ve proven yourself more than I ever could have imagined,” I say, my voice low. “This kingdom is stronger because of you. I am stronger because of you.”

Her cheeks flush, but she doesn’t look away. “We’re stronger together,” she says.

She’s not wrong.

The night of the operation arrives, the air thick with anticipation.

Emily and I lead the charge, coordinating with our forces as they execute the plan we’ve worked so hard to perfect. The rebels are caught off guard, their supply lines severed and their leadership isolated.

It’s not an easy fight. The rebels are desperate, their resistance fierce, but step by step, we dismantle their defenses, pushing closer to the heart of their stronghold.

At one point, Emily and I find ourselves back-to-back, fending off attackers in a narrow corridor. She asked for lessons on how to use our blasters, and considering she knew how to use guns back on Earth, she picked it up quickly.

The sight of her fighting with such ferocity fills me with both pride and awe.

When we finally breach the central chamber, Nyran is waiting. His sneer falters when he sees Emily by my side, her presence a testament to the strength he sought to undermine.

“This ends now,” I say, my voice cold as steel.

Nyran’s defiance crumbles under the weight of our forces, and with his capture, the rebellion’s momentum shatters.

After the stronghold has been emptied, the rebels captured and transported toward the dungeon by trusted guards, Emily and I stand together on the ridge overlooking the battlefield.

“We did it,” she says softly, her voice filled with both relief and disbelief.

I turn to her, my chest swelling with emotion. “You did it,” I say, my hand finding hers. “This victory is as much yours as it is mine.”

She looks up at me, her eyes shining. “This is just the beginning,” she says, her voice steady but filled with hope.

I nod, pulling her close. “The beginning for us.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Emily

Although Nyran has been captured, there are still other rebels, and there are more and more battles, far more than I would’ve liked.

A week later, the battlefield is chaos—a cacophony of shouts, clashing weapons, and the eerie hum of Erythosian energy shields. Smoke curls through the air, thick and acrid, as I crouch behind a crumbled section of wall, clutching one of the alien blasters in my hands.

Kael’s forces are holding the line but just barely. The biggest issue is that the rebels aren’t fighting us with the traditional weapons of this planet. Instead, they’re using scavenged technology from a vessel, and it’s tipped the balance in their favor. If we don’t disable their weapons soon, this battle—and everything we’ve worked for—will be lost.

I glance at the small array of components I’ve cobbled together: wires scavenged from Kael’s palace, a power cell from an old communicator, and a transmitter unit I salvaged from a rebel outpost. It’s crude, barely functional, but if my calculations are correct, it’ll be enough.

---