After admitting their feelings, Naomi's voice grew heavy as she revealed something shocking.
Naomi: "After my father died... my Planet Arcis became unbearable. It was never a peaceful planet to begin with. Outlaws ruled the streets, and corruption spread like a disease. My father always did his best to protect me from it. He said I was safest under his protection. But he also warned me - if anything ever happened to him, I had to leave."
Jim listened in silence, his heart sinking with each word.
Naomi: "When the news of his death reached Arcis, I knew I couldn't stay. The outlaws saw it as a victory - the one man who stood against them was gone. Even though my father placed Celestic Justice's elite guards around our home, they could only hold them back for so long. The moment the guards were recalled, I would have been their next target. So, I escaped with my lab-ship that I especially prepared for that day."
Her fists clenched, her knuckles turning white.
Naomi: "But I wasn't the only one they wanted. My friends... they lived near me and I had always ensured to keep some elite guards to ensure there security. And while I had a way out, they didn't as they didn't have a spaceship. The outlaws likely saw them as an opportunity for revenge - revenge for all the times my father stopped their crimes."
Jim felt a sharp pang of guilt. He had fought so many battles, striving for unity and peace. But the world wasn't fixed overnight. The suffering continued in places like Arcis.
Naomi: "I tried, Jim. I really tried to convince them to leave with me by bringing my ship nearer to them. But the outlaws moved faster. I had no way left but to focus on my own escape, but my friends... they were trapped."
Tears welled up in her eyes as her voice cracked.
Naomi: "I wanted to save them. I wanted to be strong enough. But I wasn't. And now I'm here, in Soluna - a planet where Solar and Lunar people live in harmony. It's everything my father dreamed of. But I can't forget them. My friends are still suffering because I wasn't brave enough to fight back."
She lowered her head, her red hair falling over her face. Jim reached out instinctively, his hands trembling slightly as he gently lifted her chin.
Jim: "Naomi... it wasn't your fault."
Naomi: "But I ran away."
Jim: "You survived. Your father would have wanted that. And you didn't abandon your friends - you did everything you could."
Naomi shook her head.
Naomi: "But it wasn't enough. And now, I can't stand the thought of them suffering. I found a place of peace, Jim. Soluna is that place. But how can I live here knowing they're still trapped back there?"
Jim's expression darkened. He understood the weight of regret all too well.
His own guilt still haunted him - for the soldiers he lost, for Edward's sacrifice, for the lives destroyed in Goblin's war.
But something in Naomi's words struck a chord. Her desperation to save her friends reminded him of why he fought in the first place - not just for the dream of unity, but to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.
Jim: "Naomi, you don't have to carry that regret alone."
She blinked, startled by the conviction in his voice.
Jim: "Your father fought for a reason - to make the universe a better place. And if there's even a chance to save your friends, I'll help you."
Naomi: "You will?"
Jim: "Of course I will. I've spent so much time believing that pushing people away would protect them. But I was wrong. The only way we win - the only way we stop people like those outlaws - is by standing together."
Naomi's eyes softened, the warmth in his words wrapping around her like a comforting embrace.
Naomi: "Thank you, Jim."
He gave her a small, reassuring nod.
Jim: "And I'm not the only one who will help. Tim, Rei, my parents - they won't stand by while people suffer. They'll also want to figure out a way to free your friends."
For the first time in what felt like forever, Naomi felt a glimmer of hope.
Naomi: "Then... I'll trust you. I'll trust all of you."
Jim smiled faintly, though the determination in his eyes burned bright.
Jim: "We'll bring them home, Naomi. I promise."
Later that day, Jim gathered Heatsun, Moonsalt, Tim, Rei, and Jeromy in the meeting chamber of Heatsun's base. Naomi sat by Jim's side, though her hands remained tightly clenched. The burden of her friends' suffering weighed heavily on her, but Jim's presence gave her strength.
Everyone listened intently as Naomi explained the situation on Arcis - how the outlaws had taken control, and how her friends were likely imprisoned or worse.
Tim frowned, his hands resting on the table. "Arcis was always a volatile planet. Edward worked tirelessly to suppress crime, but without his presence, it's no surprise the outlaws retaliated."
Rei's expression darkened. "And now they're using Naomi's friends as a means of revenge. Typical cowardice."
"It's worse than that," Naomi added, her voice trembling. "They hated my father. He represented justice, something they couldn't stand. I'm afraid they'll go to any lengths to make an example of my friends."
Jim's fists tightened. "Then we have no time to waste."
Tim grinned. "Then it's settled. We'll launch a rescue mission."
"And I'll be in charge of infiltration," Jim said firmly, his gaze unwavering. "This is personal for both Naomi and me. I won't let her friends suffer any longer."
Naomi was surprised but grateful. "Jim... are you sure?"
He gave her a soft nod. "I made a promise. And I intend to keep it."
Heatsun smiled, his pride evident. "Then we stand with you, son."
Moonsalt nodded in agreement. "We'll do whatever it takes to bring them home safely."
Jim felt a renewed sense of determination. The weight of his past regrets didn't vanish, but now he had a purpose - a reason to fight that wasn't rooted in guilt or self-punishment.
"We leave Tommorow," he declared. "Arcis will know that justice hasn't died. And we'll bring Naomi's friends back."
Naomi's heart swelled with gratitude. For the first time in a long while, she felt the hope that her father once spoke of - a hope that, with people like Jim by her side, anything was possible.