Once the briefing is over we leave the control room and I follow Lucian to the set of lifts. He pulls me inside and much to my dismay, Lazarus and Luna walk in as well. I lean against the wall and stare blankly at the lift doors, thinking about what is expected of me in five cycles.
They want me to destroy half a planet. Half a civilization.
"Imagine all the bones you'll be burning to dust in a few days," Lazarus smirks at me and I turn to look at him. "The amazing Aria the Bone Breaker. You're about to become a legend."
He is smiling at me gleefully, like he'd just achieved the greatest thing ever.
"Lazarus," Lucian suddenly speaks in the coldest tone. "Speak to her again and I will not hesitate to punch you in the face."
Lazarus's eyes widen in surprise but he is quick to recover. "Brother, you're really going to hit me for a girl? Much less a human?"
"Don't test me," Lucian stares daggers at him and if looks could kill I am certain Lazarus would be buried ten feet under by now.
"Lucian, he's just kidding around. You know how he is," Luna says trying to diffuse the tension in the lift. She is holding on to Lazarus's arm, looking like she is trying to tame him.
"Is he really kidding, Luna? Does he ever?" Lucian snaps at her and Lazarus leans forward in shock.
"Comrade, what is your problem?" Lazarus frowns at Lucian looking like he'd never expected his younger childhood friend to ever talk to him like this.
"I'm serious. Stay away from her or you will be personally responsible for what I do next," Lucian points a finger in Lazarus's face and the older Plutonian just stares at his hand, flabbergasted.
The lift opens to the top floor and Lucian grabs my hand before walking out swiftly. The scowl on his face is still evident as he swings open the door and marches inside. He releases me and slams the door shut behind us, startling me.
I stare at Lucian cautiously while he paces back and forth across our bedroom floor with those long legs of his. He stops suddenly and then punches the wall. A loud crack reverberates throughout the room and I jump back.
"I'm sorry," He says suddenly with his hand resting against the wall. He releases his hand and then flexes his fingers and I stare at the small crack he created.
"You have nothing to be sorry for," I tell him in a shaky voice. I sit down on the bed, feeling exhausted and in dire need to lose myself in the comfort of those pillows. Sleep seems like the best escape right now.
Lucian turns towards me and leans against the wall.
"You know despite our differences, Lazarus never used to get on my nerves when we were growing up. Not as much as he does recently."
"Is it because of me?" I ask him and then gulp at the intensity of his gaze.
"He was always like this," Lucian crosses his arms over each other as he stares at me. "But I think being with you has opened my eyes to how brutal he really is. He is much worse than I pegged him to be and I'm beginning to think beyond redemption."
My palms sink into the soft sheets and I nod my head at his admission. I too believe that he is beyond saving, I don't think there is a good bone in Lazarus's entire body.
"How do you feel about pulling that lever?" Lucian asks me softly, almost tenderly.
I shrug my shoulders helplessly. "I have to do what I have to do, right?"
What else can I say? I know I will have to do the deed whether I like to or not. No matter how terrible it is for the Taygetians, I can't risk my loyalty being questioned. I need them to believe I am the perfect officer if I ever want to have a remote chance at saving Earth.
I don't even know how I am going to do it but I must do something before it is too late.
Lucian looks down and then he walks over to the bed. He detaches the pocket sized suit case from his suit, presses a button on it's side and the thing suddenly springs to it's original size. He pulls out our night wear and places mine next to me before heading into the shower.
He doesn't ask me to join him and I don't budge while I hear the shower running. I close my eyes imagining the water hitting his broad shoulders and running down the smooth skin of his chest and back.
My hands tingle slightly, longing to touch him but then I think about his report in the file GE-18. I squeeze my eyes shut and suddenly wish that I had never opened that file to begin with. It would have been much easier to hate Lazarus, Luna or one of the Generals.
Why didn't I just read one of theirs?
I must have dozed off because I jolt awake when Lucian walks out with a towel wrapped around his waist. I blink a few times wondering if I am dreaming as I stare at his toned, muscular chest and firm stomach. He runs a hand through his wet hair while he looks at me and then walks to the side of his bed where his clothes are.
I get up and rush inside the bathroom to bathe and get ready for bed. When I walk outside I see Lucian lying on the bed, facing the clear white ceiling above.
I lift up the blanket and tuck myself under the sheets. Lucian barely notices my shuffling around, he just stares at the ceiling above, unblinking.
"Thank you for defending me in the lift just now," I say finally and he blinks.
He sighs loudly. "You shouldn't thank me. It's my fault he treats you that way to begin with."
"Hey, give me some credit. I think he hates me for being one of the few who actually stands up to him too."
The corners of Lucian's lips lift ever so slightly. "That is probably true."
I tuck my hands under my pillow, feeling like I'm about to drift off to sleep again.
"I don't want you to pull that lever," Lucian suddenly says and my eyes open ever so slightly.
"I don't want to either," I murmur. "But I will if that is what it takes to prove my loyalty."
I notice Lucian's stark blue eyes focused on my face but my exhaustion takes over and I finally drift off into the blissful darkness.
***
Everyone gathers in the control room once we are ten light years away from Taygeta. I stand next to Remulus who is looking as tense as I feel. His shoulders are squared and the muscles of his arms are flexed, they stand out more than ever under his black, fitted uniform.
The Generals and the Trinity walk into the room and Lucian catches my eye immediately. He looks at me in concern and then arranges himself with the other leaders in the center of the room.
"Pleasant day," Lazarus announces looking excited and everyone responds to his greeting.
"Officer Aria and Commander Remulus kindly make your way to the dashboard," General Ursa instructs.
Our squad stares at us apprehensively as I follow Remulus down a few steps and walk over to the dashboard of controls at the front of the room.
A Plutonian officer gestures to a small red lever and my hands shake slightly as I stare at it.
Such a small insignificant looking thing is about to bring about the destruction of half a planet.
"Once the lever has been pulled send out a broadcast to all of our other planets and Plutonians in the galaxy. Tell them Taygeta is under a fire storm and that we will help them since we are already on the way for a diplomatic visit," General Grievous says and I watch a few Plutonian officers rush to the computers on the sides of the room and type into them furiously. "Let the universe know how helpful and benevolent we are."
"Ready for instruction," A Plutonian behind a computer screen replies and General Grievous nods his head in satisfaction.
"We must also alert our remaining Plutonian officers on Taygeta to immediately start putting the fires out once they start," General Lyra says as she looks out the window into outer space.
"Yes, everything must look organic and natural," General Grievous agrees.
I look out the window as well and see a few light dots far ahead that are becoming bigger and bigger by the second. We are nearing the constellation.
"Pull the lever now," General Grievous brings his fingers together and stares at us expectantly.
Remulus swallows hard and puts his hand on the lever but the General quickly stops him.
"Let the girl hold it. You may guide her but she has to pull it."
He releases his hold and casts me a cautious glance. I lick my dry lips and stare at him while my hand lifts slightly. It hovers over the lever and I can feel my body begin to shake incessantly.
I thought I would be able to do this but now all I can think of is half of the Taygetian's running around screaming for help as they burn to death. I don't even know what they look like but that doesn't stop me from dreading this.
"Come on. We don't have all day." I hear Lazarus's voice and my fingers graze the lever ever so slightly. My eyes fills with tears as my hand closes halfheartedly around it's handle.
"Stop!"
I freeze suddenly when a loud voice booms around us and immediately release the handle.
I look up and see Lucian marching up to me with the most ferocious expression on his face. He pushes my hand away and then pulls the lever down himself. Everyone stares at him in shock, including myself and I see General Grievous frown at him.
"That was not--" He speaks but Lucian cuts him off immediately.
"Our inductions never included burning down half a planet. You know that as well as I do," Lucian seethes with anger, his voice is low but somehow loud enough for everyone to hear.
General Grievous stares at Lucian in shock, his eyes as wide as saucers as he looks at the young Plutonian who just told him off in front of everyone here.
Lazarus steps forward to speak but Lucian raises a hand in his direction making Lazarus stop in his tracks. All of them are staring at Lucian like he has just grown an extra head.
"I think it's high time we followed protocol and treated all our soldiers fairly. I'm not going to ask if you agree because I don't care if you don't," Lucian stands tall and he emanates so much anger and authority that no one dares speak up.
"And we are not going to wait. We're going to go in and put out the fires the moment we are near enough," He announces and then he looks at General Grievous. "It should seem organic and natural, right?"
Lazarus seems too stunned to speak and General Grievous shuts his mouth, looking slightly embarrassed.
I look around at all the officers in the room and can't help but notice that some of them actually look happy, even the ones from Lazarus and General Grievous's squads.
General Ursa opens her mouth to speak but Lucian cuts her off before she can even form a syllable.
"Send out the broadcast now. Alert our officers on the ground to begin putting out the fires immediately and to save as many young-lings and female Taygetians as they can. Alert the Taygetians to vacate their homes and head to the fireproof common halls we've built for them. Prepare our coolant thrusters for use and use them the moment we are in close range with the fires," Lucian instructs in a loud voice and the officers stare at him and then at the Generals, looking confused and afraid.
"Well you heard your leader. What are you waiting for?" General Lyra barks and everyone immediately scurries around to carry out Lucian's orders. She joins her son in the center, looking surprised and proud.
Lucian folds his arms behind him and turns around to face the nearing planet Taygeta. General Grievous huffs loudly and then he marches out of the control room in anger with General Ursa and Lazarus close behind.
I notice Luna doesn't follow them, she joins Lucian and his mother at the front of the control room, looking more satisfied than I thought she would be.
I stare at Lucian as he looks out into the bright horizon, the brilliant yellow light from Taygeta illuminates his entire face and I see his eyes focused, his jaw taut with tension and his arms flexed, as if ready to take on anything or anyone.
It is the first time I see him as the leader he said he always wanted to be.
Woo, I'm sweating after Lucian took charge like that haha kidding. Anyway hope you enjoyed and let me know if you expected him to interfere with Aria pulling the lever :) :)