Two Sides of the Same Coin

Chapter 17: Attack

"Are you ready, men? Today we're going to take back our planet. I wish you all the best of luck in this coming battle," Neil announced the next morning after all of the men gathered in the square.

My heart wouldn't stop racing. Today, I would hopefully meet my father and save this planet from total destruction. Today was going to be a long and dangerous day. I'll more than likely face more danger today than I ever have before.

"C'mon, dude. Why're you so nervous? You're finally going to meet your dad and save an entire planet. I mean, how cool is that?" Alexa exclaimed, trying to make light of the impending danger.

I just gave her a look that said, "Seriously? Is that even a question?".

"Alright. Alright. I was just trying to calm you down some. You look like a total wreck right now. Are they sure you're the long lost prince? You look like a disaster."

"Shut up. You don't look like a prince either," I retorted.

"Princess. Not prince. Besides, I totally look like royalty. It's a wonder I haven't been asked to be a model," Alexa sighed, faking arrogance.

Before I could comment, the army started to move so we followed in silence, wondering about what was to come. It was strange to march into battle, but it was even stranger to see Neil look so serious. Ever since I had known him, he was always cracking jokes or smiling. Now, he had the cold, hard face of a veteran.

After what seemed like hours, we arrived at the castle. Though it was a magnificent piece of architecture, it also looked as worn down as the rebel's town. That though made me somewhat sad since this place was once my home, but now, it was basically a shell of former glory. At least, that's what I told myself.

"You know what to do, men. May you survive this battle and return to your families once the planet is won," Neil announced bravely. "Now, charge!"

With an incredible battle cry, the rebel army charged at the castle gates. Soon after, cannons were fired, scattering the army. During the confusion, Alexa and I transformed into birds and flew over the castle walls. As we flew, I looked down to see the dirt in front of the castle turning red from the army's blood. That haunting image will be burned into my memory forever. Turning my head away from the carnage, I landed in the castle's courtyard with Alexa. After we were on the ground, we quickly transformed into ourselves. Thankfully, we had some guard uniforms on so we avoided suspicion.

"The dungeon is this way. C'mon," I whispered to Alexa as we snuck deeper into the castle.

Along the way, we ran into a few guards, probably because they were all fighting the rebel army. I just hoped things would stay this quiet because I was sure that if someone got a good look at us, they would realize that we weren't actually guards.

"And where do you think you two are going?" a deep voice boomed from behind us as we continued to the dungeon.

"W-we are going to... c-check on the prisoner... t-to make sure he isn't... e-escaping with one of the rebels, sir," I mumbled, coming up with an excuse.

"Is that so? If I remember correctly, I ordered everyone to their battle stations while I took care of the prisoner personally."

Crud! It's got to be the leader of the Xs. That's the only explanation. What do we do now?

"We figured there was no point in you wasting your time babysitting the prisoner. We offer our sincere apologies for our insolence," Alexa replied, bowing her head apologetically.

I followed in suit, hoping that it would be enough to fool our interrogator. As we stood there with our heads bowed, I heard footsteps coming our way. Suddenly, our heads were roughly jerked upward to face a very severe-faced man.

"I don't seem to recall either of your faces and I know for a fact that there are not any women in any of my squads. Tell me. Who are the two of you? Answer honestly. Unless of course, you want to be executed immediately," the man announced, sounding like the general he was.

Suddenly, Alexa's shot out and kicked the man in the gut. He bent over from the surprise attack, allowing both of us to break free.

"Run, Alex. I'll hold him off for you," Alexa shouted, clenching her fists like she was going to fight the leader of the Xs.

"I can't just leave you here! I-"

"Go. Now," she shouted again, cutting me off. "I'll catch up later. There's no point in both of us getting caught."

I was about to argue when Alexa turned to look at me. I could tell from the look on her face that she was going to back down an inch. Reluctantly, I ran, heading toward the dungeon again. A couple minutes later, I heard a bang and Alexa scream in pain. Still, I continued, tears streaming down my face.