Chapter 15: Secret Enemies
Retas
I stared at the clothes that Night had given me the other day. It was scratchy, nothing like the suits I was used to wearing outside and during combat. Although it did help me get rid of my old clothes. Day and the others didn't pick on the fact the fabric was like that of their invaders. If they had caught on, they would've begun to ask questions about who I was and where I really came from.
Life in the cavern was pretty mundane while I allowed my injury to heal. Whatever Day gave me, it worked wonders as my wound as now entirely fixed.
"Hey, feeling better?" Day asked as she knelt down and offered me a bowl.
I nodded as I took the vegetable soup. Well, it would've been one if not for the fried worms in it. Not that I didn't like eating worms. Having grown up in a poor family, I had to do so from time to time. Especially during the winter when food was super scarce. Titanos's main planet, Titania was a large world, but most of it was covered by giant ice caps.
The area where we lived, known as the Temperate Zone, was a narrow strip of land between the two frigid polar caps. Its expanse varied season from season. During summer in the north, most northerners would migrate south and vice versa. The equatorial lands were the only completely ice free parts. Resources were scarce, and people had to adapt to survive.
One way was by making its people nomads. As such, my family was rather rare for braving the cold as we remained stationary. But it wasn't a entire bad decision by my parents. Titanos had historically been a very war-torn world, with people fighting for those ice-free lands. Theft was also common. Only the smart and strong survived in such a world. The late king had known that very well. Through ingenuity and strength, he managed to unite our fractured world and seize the cosmos. The technology he found frozen in ice during his youth had helped immensely with that.
Despite its harsh conditions, there was an undeniable beauty to Titania. The glaciers that stretched out in the polar regions were stunning, their blue ice glistening in the sun. The skies were a brilliant azure, and at night, they would be filled with the most extraordinary display of stars and galaxies. It was a sight that never failed to take my breath away.
The local flora and fauna were adapted to the extreme conditions, from the sturdy Titanian moss that blanketed the tundra to the hardy worms that thrived beneath the ice, providing a valuable source of nutrition for its inhabitants.
Life on Titania was not easy, but it was our home, and in its own stark, desolate way, it was beautiful. If we could capture some of the worlds of Retra and obtain more of their technology, we could hopefully make it more habitable. But it would be very tough. It was because of them that we could take over the rest of Titanos, go and take Uto, and invade Soleon. But we would soon find that tech or stuff more advanced be used against us.
If only I could've joined the mission to take Planet Orginal. According to our scouts, it would be the easiest known inhabited Retran world to take.
"You sure seem pensive," Day said, sitting beside me. "Something on your mind?"
I stared back at the soup and ate some. It was pretty good. Spicy, actually. In Titanos, we didn't really have spicy food.
"No, just reflecting a bit," I replied, meeting her curious gaze with a small smile. "The soup is good. It's been a while since I've had something spicy."
Day chuckled, her eyes twinkling in the dimly lit cavern. "Well, we try to make the best with what we have. Sometimes, a bit of spice can make even the simplest meal feel like a feast."
She really was something. Her world had been taken over by my people, yet she still held on to hope. While she was technically my enemy, I couldn't help but admire her.
"That said, I was thinking, since you're better now, do you think you could help me hunt? We've only had vegetables, fruits, and bugs for the past couple of months. Also, we need to get new furs. The weather will start to change soon.
I wondered how winters were on this planet. This location was tropical, so I doubt they were as harsh as mine. Even in Titania, the habitable stripe wasn't this lush. And not even this hot and moist.
I nodded, appreciating the change of pace her request offered. "Sure, I'd be happy to help. Hunting was a part of my survival training back home."
The surprise in Day's eyes made me realize I had revealed a bit more than I intended to. "Survival training?" she echoed, her eyebrows raised.
I quickly recovered, "Yeah, where I come from, it's sort of a rite of passage. Everyone has to learn how to fend for themselves." Technically, it wasn't a lie. Dad had taught me how to hunt before I enlisted in the space force.
Day seemed satisfied with the answer and nodded, "That's interesting. Here, we just learn from necessity. But I suppose having structured training could be beneficial."
"Actually, it was for us too."
She stood up, stretching her arms above her head. "We should get going soon. It's better to hunt in the early morning when the animals are just starting their day."
I agreed, finishing off the last of my soup. Despite our different origins and technically being enemies, in this cave, in this moment, we were simply two beings trying to survive. And somehow, that was enough to bridge the gap between us.
As we prepared to head out for the hunt, I couldn't help but feel a sense of purpose. It was strange, being on this alien planet, helping the people my own kind had invaded. Yet, it felt right. Maybe I could get them to trust me, to trust Titanos, like how my older sister had wanted and Xilonem had hoped. I knew it might've been naive to think it would work, especially as I had already lied, but not all wars had to be won with beams.