I really wanted to keep the Data Terminal on and livestream Older Sister the whole time. That would probably put a lot of pressure on Tula Zo and make our negotiations much smoother. But I decided against it in the end—Older Sister said she was busy cooking. In her mind, preparing food for that ditzy fox and making snacks for Little Pao Pao were obviously far more important than the fate of the entire Merova People. Their lives did not even measure up to a plate of shredded pork with sweet bean sauce in her hands...
"Let's not talk about the Extermination Order for now, or discuss when the Empire Army will attack," I said, sitting across from Tula Zo and looking at the pale old man before me. My instincts told me this whole Merova affair was even more complicated than we had expected. There might be some hidden truth involved—probably not enough to make Sandora revoke the Extermination Order, but perhaps enough to change the course of events somewhat. I was still wondering how to begin. "What exactly is this Resistance Organization? You led these natives in rebelling against your own people? Don't rush. Take your time. I'm seriously confused right now..."
Tula Zo's lips trembled twice. He seemed hesitant, but he was clearly different from the two Merova prisoners we had captured earlier—he was probably not a diehard anti-Empire radical. And seeing Older Sister's image just now had obviously shocked him deeply. So it did not take much effort before Tula Zo spoke. "This Resistance Organization was established thousands of years ago. I founded it myself because... I had completely broken with Barrian."
I suddenly realized that my first priority was to match all these new names to the right people, so I turned to Pandora. "Who