Once the time for refreshments and idle chatter are over we head back to the meeting room and  I sit with my squad while we listen to the commanders and generals discuss other agendas. The more I listen to them, the more hopeless I feel about the future of humans on Pluto.

They don't discuss the fights anymore but there are other more morbid things like bringing in more humans by the end of the year and encouraging more humans to join as paramours. The longer I hear them speak, the more annoyed I become. 

I am so engrossed in their discussion that I don't realize that the entire room is staring my way until Remulus nudges me in the side. 

I jolt upright when I see Commander Bardotta staring at me pointedly. 

"Please excuse us for our next topic, officer Aria. This discussion is purely for Plutonians. Commander Remulus, you are excused as well." 

I frown in confusion wondering why a human and half breed aren't allowed to hear the next part of their discussion. Remulus stands up and I follow him. 

"You may wait outside," Lucian instructs us and I look at him but he doesn't meet my eyes. 

Once the door shuts behind us I quickly turn to Remulus, who is leaning by the wall and whistling to himself casually like this is the most normal thing.

"Why did we have to leave?" I huff in disappointment. 

"It's normal. Some discussions only involve Plutonians," He glances at me and smiles when he sees the irritation on my face. "You'll get used to it."

"But what could be so private? It's not like they didn't discuss the humans in front of me or you."

"Who knows what they're talking about - galaxy domination, conquering another planet," He waves his hand in the air and smiles half-heartedly. "Should be something along those lines."

I turn away and lean against the wall as well. Curiosity eats away at me as I wonder what they could possibly have to hide from Remulus and I. It must be either something we would not like or information they don't trust us with. 

My frown deepens significantly and I cross my arms over each other. I stare at the grey wall in front of me and try to listen in but hear nothing through the sealed doors. 

"Frown any deeper and those lines will become a permanent feature on your forehead," Remulus states and I quickly raise my eyebrows to relax my forehead. 

"Aren't you curious at all?" I ask him. "I mean it isn't so surprising that I would be kicked out of the meeting but why you?"

Remulus places a hand over his chest looking hurt. "Kicked out? You make it sound so harsh. They do that once in a while. It's kind of normal. I wouldn't think too much about it. The only annoying part is waiting around and doing nothing."

"Does your squad tell you what they talk about after? Does PG Lucian?" I ask him hopefully but he shakes his head. 

"Nope. There are some secrets the Plutonians will never share with us. It's just the way it is."

"Doesn't that bother you?" I can't help but wonder out loud and Remulus casts me a cautious glance. 

"Not in the least. And I wouldn't ever think that out loud if I were you," He says. "Come here."

He pulls me closer to him and then whispers softly. I notice his lips barely move, it just looks like he is breathing rapidly. 

"Look at the upper four corners of the walls at the end. Don't make it too obvious. Just keep your eyes peeled. They don't always stay hidden."

I follow his instructions and look at the four corners of the wall at the end of the corridor we are in. I stare at one specific corner for so long that my eyes almost water. I don't see anything and I'm about to retort when I see a small green dot blink back at me. 

It happened so fast that it felt imagined but I know I saw it. It must be a camera. It must be why Lucian looked up at the four corners in his spa room. It also must be how Lucian knew about my interactions with Rosie, Leslie and most probably everyone else.

I remember him telling me about the central command center which can only be accessed by the generals and the Trinity. Something crawls beneath my skin as I realize that not only Lucian can monitor me but Lazarus too.

The eyes are everywhere.

The thing is so tiny, virtually invisible. I wonder how many there are. I wonder how many have been watching me, recording my every action.

"Can they hear us?" I whisper. 

"Not our whispers but if we speak at a normal tone then yes they can," Remulus whispers back and I nod at him gratefully, thankful that he disclosed something so crucial to me.

"Why though? Is it for security reasons?"

"There are cameras that the Plutonian patrol can access but there are many more that only the Generals and the Trinity use. Most of them are in the human and slave quarters. I help oversee their maintenance sometimes."

Something about that statement puzzles me immensely. Why would they want to monitor a bunch of helpless human beings so closely. It makes no sense and I can't help but feel like I am missing something. 

"Why?" I sigh in frustration. 

"I know I find that weird as well. It's funny because when things actually do happen, like when the humans rebel and fight or when a human falls sick and dies, they don't actually interfere until much later. It's almost as if they want to see what happens and how far the humans will go. I heard that even when the officer starting beating up Ruthless Rosie during your match and the humans got involved in the riot, the Plutonians only got involved much later. Almost like they were instructed to wait."

"That is weird. Are they observing us for some reason? But why?" 

"My guess is as good as yours. Or maybe we're over thinking this and they just react slowly." He shrugs his shoulders at me and I scoff out loud.

I will never in a million years believe that.

The meeting finishes after awhile. Remulus and I join our squad once they exit the room and we wait for Lucian. I see him talking to Commander Bardotta and his daughter again with General Lyra by his side. 

The hope in that Plutonian's girls face makes me feel nauseous and I suddenly want to leave immediately. 

Remulus seems to notice this and he squeezes my shoulder, I suppose in an attempt to make me feel better but it doesn't. Everything about today only reinforces how I will never amount to anything here, I will always be treated as someone on the outside, an outcast and potential threat and I doubt anything can change that, not even Lucian.

He makes his way towards us after what feels like forever, leaving General Lyra, the Commander and his daughter who is staring at Lucian with lovesick puppy dog eyes. He smiles at me but I feel so angry, I just can't reciprocate. 

It is already the end of the day by now, so we leave the command center and separate once we are outside the army base. 

Lucian's glider is already waiting and we get into the back. I scoot over to one end and look out the window but I can feel Lucian's gaze on me the whole time. We don't speak to each other during the ride home and I catch Phillius glancing at us curiously through his mirror ever so often. 

Once we are in Lucian's room, I head to his bathroom to wash up but he pulls me back, stopping me.

"Are you angry with me because of the commander's daughter?" He eyes me worriedly. "You know I'm not going to marry her, right?" 

I sigh and pull my hand out of his hold. "You can't avoid marriage forever, Lucian. And it's not just that. It's everything that happened today."

"I know the human's rebelling isn't your fault, Aria. It's not right for them to blame you. You have been an exemplary officer so far," He smiles at me softly and it's nice to know that he supports me. 

But what difference does that make?

"Random humans don't deserve to be forced into the pits, Lucian. It's not fair for them to suffer for something others did." My voice wavers slightly, threatening to break under all the emotion. "You need the commanders votes."

Lucian's face darkens considerably when I say this. "So you want me to marry his daughter?"

"If that is what it takes," I reply in a small voice. 

His eyes widen in disbelief and he takes a step back looking like I'd just punched him in the gut. "Then what about us?"

"What about us? Lucian, I'm human and you are the Trinity. There's no future for us and you know it. I will never be able to give you the power you want."

"Don't say that. I don't care about the power, not if I have to lose those I care about in the process. Don't give up on us so easily, Aria. This power play and the commanders forcing me into marriage is nothing new. I've dealt with it before and I will do it again," Lucian walks up to me and wraps his arms around me in a possessive hug. 

I breathe in his scent and the fact that I am so addicted to it fills me with pain. "Lucian, you can't fight this."

"I will handle it, Aria. Just don't worry about it," He reassures me but it only worries me even more. What could he do that would appease the Plutonians? The only thing they would like is a more severe punishment.

"Please don't do something violent, Lucian. Don't make me hate you," I plead to him.

"I have no choice. If I don't execute the rebellious humans then innocent ones will die in the pits instead."

"You would kill all those humans just so you can escape marriage?" I nearly choke as the realization sinks in. I shiver in his hold and push against him, forcing him to release me.

I take a step back and see him looking at me with the coldest expression. 

"I don't care about them. I don't care about the commanders, the humans, everyone. I only care about you." His eyes narrow at me and the intensity of his gaze frightens me. 

"I will never forgive you if you kill them," I say truthfully. "That can't be your answer to everything. If killing humans is what it takes to keep us together then I don't want this. I can't have that body count on my conscience. It will ruin us, Lucian."

The hurt on Lucian's face is so evident, it makes me feel like the most horrible person on the planet. 

"So you're saying you want me to marry that girl? For those votes, to save those humans? And then what happens to us? Are you planning on becoming my mistress?" His voice drips with bitter sarcasm and his hands shake by his sides in anger.

"I will leave and serve you as an officer only. Maybe you wont want me anymore either," My voice cracks slightly and my eyes brim with tears. This feels worse than any punch I've received on the pits. The look of betrayal on Lucian's face is like a knife to my heart, treacherously slow and agonizing.

"And what if I don't allow it?" Lucian's voice is deadly cold and devoid of emotion. "What if I told you I'm never letting you go, no matter whom I have to kill or marry?" 

I stare up at him in shock while he gives me the most lethal glare. He then storms out of the room in anger, slamming the door behind him and then I crumble to the floor wondering what I am going to do now.

Ahhh what a tense ending. Who's side are you on? Lucian's or Aria's. Also why do you think the Plutonians have been observing the humans?