25

'Father,' said Kenji, the moment he stepped out of the lightening pod that had brought him back home. 'We need to talk!'

'Come inside first,' said his father sternly, ushering him into the tall building until they reached the topmost observatory where most of their research was held. 'Now, my son, what is it that is troubling you so much?'

'Father, I...' Kenji sighed and sat down. 'Look, the thing is, humans aren't as bad as we initially thought they were. I tried to tell you this last time, but I couldn't quite say it then—'

'Is this about that Eiri girl again?'

'Her name is Airi! And no, it's not just her, it's just that—'

His father held up his hand. 'I get it, it is about her... what should I do? How do you manage to fail everything I tell you to do so perfectly, Xiennan?'

Kenji stared at his father, feeling rather hurt.

'I told you to stay away from her,' continued his father exasperatedly. 'Filling your head with moonsand, that's what she's doing!'

'No!' said Kenji indignantly. 'I agree with whatever she said. She is right, and she is kind and good, and if you only met her, you would think the same, I'm sure of it!'

His father glared at him, and his golden eyes turned almost white as he opened and closed his mouth, wondering what to say. 'Xiennan,' he said at last. 'If you like that girl so much, go ahead and bring her here. I allow it. Will that please you? If you get to bring her here, will you complete your mission without any further mistakes?'

Kenji stared at his father in surprise. He hadn't expected him to say something like this. 'Father, I know you mean well,' he said softly. 'But I don't think she would ever be happy here. She would be happier on her own planet — on Earth. And that's what I wanted to talk to you about... not Airi, but about humans in general. This attack that we're planning, is it really right? There are so many who will suffer due to our presence... how can we let that happen?'

His father clicked his tongue and sat next to his son. 'Don't drag your personal likes and dislikes in an important mission like this, Xiennan! I always thought you had a human temperament, and I was right! Earth agreed with you considerably, didn't it? And of all girls, you went and liked a human girl... fine! I don't care! But to interfere with your mission due to your own preferences is unacceptable!'

'Father! It's not about what I like! It's about what is right! In what way is an attack on innocent people acceptable?'

'Innocent people? They're humans, Xiennan!'

'Yeah, so? Why do you hate them so much? Is it really me dragging personal likes and dislikes in all this, or is it you?'

'Mind your tone, son!' said his father, springing up, his eyes now entirely white with rage.

Kenji looked at him fearfully. He had never seen his father like this before. 'What did I say? I only asked you a question, Father!'

'In this mission,' said his father, drinking a glass of water hurriedly, 'I'm not your father, but your commander. And this attack will go through, no questions asked!'

'Why?' said Kenji, crossing his arms. 'And what is my "mission", anyway?'

'To colonise human beings and rule over their planet!'

'You told me it was to understand them!'

'That was just a part of it, you fool!'

'Well, I'm not going to be a part of this!'

'Your mission was sabotage from the beginning, Xiennan!' said his father in cold fury.

'No, Father; my mission was love from the beginning, and it still is!' said Kenji earnestly.

'Love?' spat out his father, as though he hated the very word.

'Yes, love! Peace! Harmony!' said Kenji. 'Do these words mean nothing to you anymore? Isn't this what it means to be a Xeljari?'

'Where are you getting all this from?' said his father, staring at him in surprise. 'How can Airi make you think this? She doesn't even know what our planet and our people are like!'

'Well, she herself is what a real Xeljari should be like!' said Kenji. 'But she calls it "humanity"! Father, we aren't as different as you think!'

'Different? I'll show you different!' said his father, walking towards the machinery where the imagery of Earth was stored, but Kenji ran and blocked his way.

'You've done this many times, Father! You'll show me disturbing images of war, and tell me that that is the truth about humans. You'll show me violence, hate, chaos, and tell me that is all that humans amount to. That's what you are about to do, aren't you?'

His father looked at him, rather taken aback.

'But if we launch an attack on humans, we'll be just as bad, just as evil,' continued Kenji. 'How will we differentiate ourselves after such an act?'

'It's not the same thing!' said his father.

'It is!'

There was a long pause and neither of them spoke or moved.

'You've changed, Xiennan,' said his father after a while. 'I never expected you to go this far... I never thought... but you have changed. I can hardly recognise my own son in this... in this person in front of me... this human in front of me!'

'Father! I'm the same person!' said Kenji indignantly. 'If you feel I'm so wrong, why can't you explain why you want to attack humans so badly; why you hate them so much?'

'Enough! This wild behaviour is unsightly and I've had enough of it!' said his father. 'If what you said just now is your final stance on all this, then it's better if you stay here instead of going to Earth again!'

'Father, that's not fair!' protested Kenji, but his father shot him a piercing glare.

'What I said is the final word! I'll make sure I instruct everyone in the facility not to let you go back! Now return home yourself and stay out of my sight! I don't want to even look at you for the next few days!'

Kenji's eyes glowed brightly with indignation as he watched his father walk off before he could say a word more. Why was he so cold, so detached? Why did he never listen to his own son? Why did he always treat him as though he was a failure, a mistake?

He sighed as he exited the building and walked home. Perhaps the last bit was justified — he was a failure. He hadn't been able to convince his father to stop the attack, nor had he been able to change his mind even a little about humans. What would Airi think? She had said that even failing for the right cause was glorious and honourable, but he felt far from the two right now. He felt dejected and useless.

'Hey, Xiennan!' called out a friendly voice.

Kenji turned around. It was Xvie.

'What is it?' he said, as Xvie caught up with him and began to walk alongside him.

'Oh, just thought we could walk home together!' said Xvie. 'Nice evening, isn't it?'

Xvie was only five years older than him, and the two of them had grown up together. Kenji had always considered him a good and trustworthy friend. So he wasn't surprised when he saw him making excuses to talk to him; he knew he was concerned and wanted him to feel better.

'Look, there's nothing you can do about what's happening with me,' sighed Kenji.

'But, what's happening?' said Xvie, turning around once cautiously before whispering, 'Is it about your father again? He seemed strange today! He's always been too hard on you, in my opinion!'

'No, it's about war,' said Kenji. 'With humans! It's all so wrong, and he just can't see it!'

'But, aren't they really cruel and evil?' said Xvie thoughtfully. 'That's what we've always been told!'

'Well, it's not true! There's so much good in their world, in their people!'

'I don't know... all those scary emotions...'

'Emotions aren't scary! They're beautiful!' said Kenji passionately. 'Let me tell you, when I got out of that pod and looked up at the blue sky...'

He began to narrate everything that had happened to him on Earth, and how he had met Airi, and how his views on humans had been challenged again and again until he had come to realise that his own people were the ones making a fatal mistake.

'You're right, Xiennan,' said Xvie, who was still in awe of all that he had heard just now. 'Humans seem kind of nice, after all...'

'Exactly! And it's not fair to attack them or hate them!'

'We've got to convince your father — it's really too bad that he's the one who's got the most power around here...'

'He's not even listening to me! And now he's banned me from going back to Earth!'

Xvie looked at his friend in distress. 'That's a really big problem...'

'It certainly is...'

'But...' said Xvie, a hint of a smile on his face. 'It's nothing we can't overcome...'