Orphan Planet is an excellent sci-fi novella, written by Madeehah Reza and published by Luna Press Publishing. A thought-provoking tale about a young girl that must watch over an inhabited planet, a mission that also hides a secret that will slowly be uncovered, while, at the same time, we, as readers, develop a bond with Elif, making the ending even more emotionally impactful.

Elif is the warden of Maoria-1, a planet of interest for the remnants of humanity, seafaring through the space looking for a home; however, Elif is the only inhabitant of this planet, a young girl whose sole companion is VASH, the AI from the ship, which prepares her for her role. Elif reports regularly her progress to her superior, learning skills that will be useful for her; but she feels that not everything is shared, a mission that never evolves, and finding signs that somebody was before on the planet. Once she grows, she will discover the real reason behind her presence on this planet.

In the first of the two parts Reza has divided this story, the reader is totally invited to create a bond with Elif; she's just a young character that is having to deal with a mission bigger than her. There are moments of rebellion and anger, but we also see how she develops problem-solving skills and independence, as a result that her only interactions are with VASH and the Commander Aremu, a distant figure but that sometimes expresses humanity towards Elif. 
In the second part, not only we find that there's something off in this mission, also opening this narrative outside of the planet; the plot darkens as the reasons behind Elif's situation are revealed, leading us towards an emotionally impactful ending, in which the reader might disagree with Elif's choice, but can understand after spending all this time with the character.

The pacing is excellent, with a first part that feels slower, used to build around Elif and her mission, how she develops in this kind of environment, and a second part that in comparison is darker, and explores complicated questions around morality, asking the reader to deeply think.

Orphan Planet is an excellent and thought-provoking sci-fi novella, a debut that puts Madeehah Reza as a name to watch in the genre; it is short, but it hits deep in the feelings. Can't recommend it enough.