It's been three months since my encounter with Matt and his secret group of rebels. It's also been three months since I last saw the vastness of outer space. 

Everyday since our excursion to Cixin has been a monotony of lessons, fitness training's and fixing up space crafts that need repairs. I wasn't allowed on missions till I passed my assessments but after all those grueling sessions, I now know how to operate a space craft and grow food on board.

I learnt how to cultivate algae and grow them in aerobic environments and I learnt how to fix up a generic space ship from scratch. 

Despite all this invaluable information, it still irked me to no end that I was stuck here on the ground and it doesn't help that Lucian has been some what distant ever since I gave my speech to the humans. 

Okay, maybe I have been the distant one after I found out that it was him who ordered the execution of the humans. I just can't figure him out.

Through out my time in the army base, I've met Plutonian's who avoid humans, tolerate us or just use us for their gain. 

They are so entitled and they all act like every other species in the galaxy owes them for their 'benevolent' presence.

Lucian is the only one whom I've seen being emphatic and kind to the Cixin representatives and he is one of the only Plutonian's who treats Remulus like an equal among st his squad members. I used to think Plutonian's only discriminated against humans but it slowly became apparent that the half breeds weren't treated the same either. 

Remulus had told me once that if he wasn't in Lucian's squad he would never have been promoted to a second rank Commander. 

I've just finished a long day of mechanics and am now on the way to meet Cassandra at the medical facility in the human quarters. Apparently she has some big news she can't wait to share with me, so I told her I would meet her there after my usual visits to Rosie.

I walk through the smooth glass doors and head towards the lifts. Rosie is still in a coma, so she's still being monitored in an intensive care unit. Once I'm outside, I take off my shoes and wash my hands. 

I walk in and am surprised to see the unit crowded with people. 

Matt, Joon, Jade, Josephine and a few others I don't recognize stand around her bed. They turn around and I see Matt's face strewn with tears. It is only then that I notice Rosie is sitting up and leaning against the bed rest. 

My heart jumps to my throat as our eyes meet. Rosie's left eye is half shut, the wound over that eye has scarred so badly that the medical staff said she may never be able to fully open it again. There is a jagged scar that stretches from her left cheek, runs over her eyelids and disappears into her dark hair. 

I can barely look at her without feeling torn with guilt. My vision blurs with tears and I nearly choke in relief once I reach her bed side. 

"Aria," Rosie says, her voice ruff from the lack of use.

"You're awake," I state the obvious in a voice thick with emotion. Looking at her, I realize a bond has formed between us after our last match. I can't explain how I will do anything for this girl who sacrificed her life for mine.

Rosie smiles at me, her left cheek barely lifts from the effort. "Can you guys give us a minute?"

Mike and the rest leave us right after she has spoken and I walk to her side. 

"How have you been?" She asks me and this time I can't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. 

"Are you seriously asking me that? I should be asking you that question."

She inspects the side of my head with her good eye and then rests her head against the pillow. "I'm sorry for hitting you in the head so hard. I needed to knock you out so that you wouldn't get punished."

"Why? Why did you do that?" I stutter incoherently. 

She gives me a weak smile in return. "I don't know what came over me. I guess I just didn't want them to win for once."

Her statement seeps through my skin and hits me right in the heart. I know exactly what she means. 

She lifts her hand and I squeeze it, wanting to confirm that her being awake is real. 

"They've always tried to pit people against each other. They will never change, Aria. But we have. You should have seen the way our kind fought for us. They risked their lives for you and me. I never expected it," She whispers softly and I see tears brimming in her eyes now. 

My shoulders fall in defeat, I wonder if she knows about them being killed because of that.

"I always knew you were different," She says quietly and then closes her eye looking tired. 

"You should rest," I say. I suddenly panic as I wonder if she will be forced to fight again now that she is awake. She doesn't look like she's in any condition for the pits.

"Yeah, I feel dizzy. I'm going to take a short nap." Rosie says with her eye still closed. She releases my hold and I inform Matt and the rest. They watch over her while I rush off to meet Cassandra who is making my communicator buzz frantically.

I wipe the tears with the sleeves of my uniform and head towards the entrance where Cassandra said she would be. 

Seeing Rosie like that causes a whirlwind of emotions to swirl in my chest. Her words ring in my head over and over again like a faulty speaker. 

They will never change. 

I think about Lucian and if our relationship means anything to him. Can I make him treat the humans better? I wish I could. I wish it was us against the world instead of me against him. 

It's funny how I despise him some moments and then long for him the next. There are nights where I hope to fall asleep in his arms and then there are nights where I want to run away from everything.

Lucian has been so busy with work, he barely confides in me anymore. It feels like he is slipping through my fingers but every now again I would catch him staring at me before we fall asleep. His gaze is always so unreadable, I have no idea what is going on in that head of his.

My thoughts are so consumed with Lucian that I don't notice Cassandra running straight for me. She crashes into me, nearly knocking us both off our feet. 

"Aria, I have the best news in the universe!" 

I pull her outside because there are people staring at us and she is so hyper, she doesn't notice how much attention she has attracted.

"What is it?" 

"I'm pregnant," She smiles the widest smile and her beautiful green eyes are filled with happiness. 

Now it's my turn to keep my feet steady. My eyes instinctively fall to her belly.

"You can't see it yet," She hits my shoulder and then we hug again. I've never seen her look so happy and it melts my heart to see my friend like this.

"I swear I'm going to be a better mother than mine ever was," She says quietly and I nod my head into her shoulder. 

"I believe that."

"I want you to be the God mother," She pulls back and looks at me seriously. 

"Umm, okay," I reply although I really don't know if I'll be any good. "When are you due?"

"It's been four weeks now so I should be due in about eight months," She rubs her belly unconsciously and I force a smile to my face.

I don't want to think about whether I'll still be here when the time comes. 

Our conversation is interrupted when my communicator device suddenly rings and my eyes widen when I see that it is Remulus calling me.

"Where are you?" He doesn't wait for me to speak and there is an urgency in his voice that alarms me.

"At the human quarters. Why?" 

"Your initiation is over, so you're required to attend our briefing today. It's starting in ten minutes. Something not so great has happened so don't be late."

***

I rush to the command center and to the Grey area where the briefing will be carried out. Remulus is waiting for me by the lifts and he leads me to the room where the meeting will commence.

"What happened?" I ask him but he remains uncharacteristically silent. We walk into the room and I'm surprised to see it filled with more than just Lucian's squad. There must be at least twenty other Plutonian's seated around the long table that fills the room. 

I take a seat at the back, behind Remulus and Lucian walks in soon after, followed by Luna and Lazarus. 

My chest fills with worry when I see that Lucian looks more pale than usual. He takes a seat at the head of the table, next to Luna and Lazarus. His eyes meet mine for a second and I notice some confusion before he quickly looks away.

Everyone shoots up in their seats when Luna's parents walk in and I quickly follow suit. They take a seat next to Lazarus and the dozens of Plutonian's that escorted them in fill up the empty spaces in the room.

"Let's begin by briefing the officers," Luna's father, General Grievous says and Lazarus starts speaking in an authoritative tone. 

"Today at twelve past the shift of the axis, General Lyra's ship disappeared on our radar when passing through the Serpentine Constellation. Her teams trackers have all been disabled which could only mean that they are dead but we have no signal or indication of General Lyra's well being." 

His voice is serious although I can't help but notice that his eyes are filled with a malicious glee as he speaks.

I've only recently gotten familiar with the Generals names but with only three generals remaining and the two present here being Luna's parents, it suddenly dawns on me that the missing general is Lucian's mother. 

My eyes immediately shoot to his face and I grip the table so hard when I see him looking down. I wonder if this is something Lazarus planned, just like how he admitted to killing Lucian's father along with his own parents.

The thought makes me want to throttle Lazarus with my bare hands.

"The Serpentine Constellations a deadly place. The odds do not look good. It may not seem wise to send a team to their death just to determine if General Lyra survived." Luna's mothers words shock me and Luna looks at her in surprise as well. 

"So we don't do anything?" Luna asks angrily. "Can't we send in a drone?"

"Our drones don't work that way and no one has crashed into that constellation and survived. It doesn't make sense to risk our soldiers lives like that." Lazarus is quick to agree.

"I will go." Lucian speaks finally and the room falls silent. 

"Where PG Lucian goes, we go," Lucian's team announces in unison and I join in. 

"Well if you insist," General Grievous leans back and crosses his arms over each other looking satisfied. He doesn't seem bothered in the least that Lucian just volunteered himself for a mission that could cost his life. 

He didn't even volunteer back up. 

I look at Lazarus and the smug look on his face makes me wonder if Luna's parents are on his side and against Lucian.

Only Luna looks horrified. She casts a wary look at Lucian but the icy expression on his face leaves little room for confrontation.

Our team stands up and so do I but I freeze when Lucian speaks. 

"Aria, you may remain seated. This mission doesn't involve you," Lucian instructs and my face burns in humiliation and anger. 

I remain standing in defiance. There's no way I'm letting him go on that deadly mission by himself. 

Lazarus seems to notice me for the first time and he smiles wickedly. 

"Take the human with you, Lucian. You can send her in first. Losing a human wont cost us anything," He says and if looks could kill Lucian would have buried him there and then.

"He's right. Use the human. Our precious Plutonian soldiers are scarce enough as it is," General Grievous waves his hand without even looking at me. 

His command is the final word and the meeting is soon over. 

"We leave now. We stick together and you must all follow my every instruction. No one's going in first as a sacrifice," Lucian looks at me when he says this. "We go in as a team and we leave as a team. Got it?"

He looks at me worriedly as I nod my head and then we leave the building and head to the hangar. 

Heyy guys. The teams going on a deadly mission to find Lucian's mother. What do you guys think happened and do you think she's still alive? Also Rosie's finally awake yayy