Lucian contacts me through the pocket sized communicator he gave me previously. Even as I slip out of my house, I know I'm being watched. It's going to be hard to escape Lazarus's and my father's scrutiny after tonight so I don't bother hiding. 

One of our drivers take me to Lucian's house and I notice there are a few other official gliders parked by the driveway. 

I notice Cyscus - Lucian's faithful attendant - waiting by the entrance. He greets me politely whilst I shrug out of my coat and hand it to him. 

"I thought this was a casual meeting?" I ask him surreptitiously and catch him looking past my shoulders at the gate. I resist the urge to turn around, knowing full well that I've been followed. 

I walk through the mandatory scanners that adorn Lucian's doors, an intricate system of spyware used to detect bugs. The two beeps signal that I'm in the clear once I pass the threshold. 

"All clean," Cyscus says. "Although we did catch sight of a drone by your glider."

It must be Lazarus's. Bold of him to plant one on my ride.

"Would you get rid of it for me?" I ask Cyscus sweetly and he blushes. 

"Consider it done. The guests are down that way." He points to the corridor at the far left. 

Chatter echoes from down the hallway. I recognise the path to Lucian's training rooms. The metal door slides open to reveal Lucian, his father General Mondric and General Aldric, all sweaty and red faced from exertion. 

"Luna!" Lucian's face lights up the moment he sees me and the two generals turn my way. 

A quick sweep of Lucian's training centre tells me we're the only ones here. I wonder what's the occasion. 

I skip down the metal stairs, hearing them creak under the pressure. Lucian should really get these redone. The centre is divided into numerous segments, there's the simulation rooms, the gym room and the training ring. All three Plutonians are gathered there, the Generals leaning against the rope barriers casually while they watch me.

"Get up here and let's go a round." Lazarus's father challenges me. 

Not what I had in mind but the thought of a sparring session after the day I've had sounds rather appealing. 

"Pleasant day, Generals." I climb up onto the bouncy surface that makes up the floor of the sparring ring and lift the heavy rope over my head. "Lucian."

Lucian nods my way, grinning cheekily. "It's certainly pleasant now." 

His father hits him playfully by the arm but Lucian flinches instinctively. If General Mondric notices this, he doesn't show. 

The moment grows awkward between us and I choose this time to turn my attention to General Aldric, my soon to be father in law if my marriage to Lazarus ever happens. Right now, the chances are growing slimmer by the minute. 

Though, the ring still weighs heavy on my finger, a silent reminder of whom I belong to. 

"Would you like to change attire?" General Aldric asks me and I shake my head. 

"I'm good." I smile and he returns it, his grin so deceptively charming, it's obvious where Lazarus gets it from. 

We both get into our defensive stances, forearms up to protect our faces, legs spread a hip's width apart for more stability. I hop on my feet, trying to gain some momentum when the general comes charging at me. 

Lucian and his father watch on as I swerve, avoiding a jab that would have immobilised my upper body. I move quickly, so quick that the general is panting after what feels like a few minutes. 

"Come now, stop playing with this old man. Show me what you got!" General Aldric hollers when we pause for a minute and I wait for him to catch a breath. 

"You sure?" I tease, wiping the sweat on my cheek with the back of my hand. Blood is pumping in my veins, my muscles tense with exertion. It's the most exhilarating feeling. I always feel like I'm on top of the world during combat training, the resultant endorphins better than any drug available on the market. 

"Give me what you got." Lazarus's father calls, gesturing for me to make the first move. 

I saunter forward making it appear like I'm taking things easily, these males always underestimate me when I do this. He smiles in satisfaction, thinking I'm about to make the classic mistake of an upper hook jab that aims for the throat. 

It's a rookie move that most over confident Plutonians make. I pretend I'm about to do just that and when he reaches out to block me, I shift out of his way, bending and turning in the opposite direction. I move like fluid, leg darting out to break his footing, hand catching his arm to twist it behind his back as he falls. 

We're on top of each other and I press a finger to a pressure point by his neck. One jab and he'd be out cold. 

General Aldric is huffing and puffing as he taps out reluctantly. I have him locked under me, there's no chance of escape. 

Lucian and General Mondric are silent, watching our exchange with interest. 

"I'd forgotten how well trained you are, Luna." General Aldric admits when I stand up. I offer to help him but he's too proud to let me. He grunts softly, getting up slowly on one knee and then pushes himself to his feet. "My stars, that was tiring."

"She certainly did a number on you." General Mondric pats him on the back and his friend scowls but the mood is playful and lighthearted. It is so unlike how it was back home with my father. I suddenly feel a longing to stay, to hide behind these friendly faces till I figure what to do next. 

But the mood changes almost immediately. 

The recording of our sparring session plays softly over speakers in the training room and General Mondric whispers to his son. "You scanned the area for spyware? Any planted cameras?" 

"Swept the place clean before everyone arrived. Cyscus is on stand by, his drones are on the move, scouting the hallways and rooms as we speak." Lucian says. 

Echoes of Lucian and his father training reverberate through out the room. It sounds like we are still training which is probably what they intended in case we were being spied on. Of course all of these would be unnecessary with my static interference device but these Plutonians don't know about those. 

"Good. Good." General Aldric murmurs, his eyes trained on me. "Let's have a chat." 

I chance a look at Lucian, realising this must be why I've been called here. 

We sit by the floor, all of us cross legged like we are about to engage in a group meditation. 

"Refreshments?" Lucian offers but his father waves him off brusquely. Lucian's face darkens for a second and I wonder if General Aldric can sense the tension between the two or if it's just me. Maybe I'm biased because I know General Mondric abuses his son. 

Anger flashes through me as I stare at the general, who seems so harmless on the surface. I watch how Lucian subtly shifts further away from his father. His defensive position making me wonder just how afraid of his father he is. 

"So tell us, Luna. We know you've been down there." General Aldric says, shifting my attention away from the father and son. 

"Where?" I wonder out loud even though it's clear what he means by 'there.'

"Don't be coy, girl," General Mondric quips, his tone urgent. "It's only a matter of time before your fiancé comes bounding down the driveway. We don't have time to dilly dally." 

"Father, she has no obligation to share if she doesn't want to." Lucian smiles at me reassuringly. "General Aldric is under the impression that you know more than we do, hence we called for an impromptu discussion."

"Purely off the books," General Aldric adds. "Just a casual conversation to gauge if we are all on the same page." 

"And you trust me enough to have this conversation?" I lift my ring finger, showing them the large engagement ring that reflects the lights above. 

"There must be some pressure there. I've read your parents reports on backing for leadership. Clearly this was a forced alliance between you two." Lazarus's father raises his eyebrow in question and I remain silent. 

He's not entirely wrong but neither is he right. 

"I know of your little trip to Earth two cycles ago. My son tries his best to be inconspicuous and sometimes he gets away with it," The general pauses, grinning devilishly. "Sometimes he doesn't."

"We want a union between you and Lucian, you know this," General Mondric says. "It surprised me when the engagement was announced and then all this news about the fake experiments. They're moving against us and they think us fools for not knowing." 

General Mondric has always disliked my father, it shows blatantly on his face but his gaze softens the longer he stares at me. 

"We have always seen you as one of ours, Luna. Especially Lyra." I notice his receding hairline as he speaks and how the blue in his eyes has faded. It used to be sharp and clear like Lucians but now it appears dull. Could he be on some drug or medication?

"Thank you. You have raised me to be the Plutonian that I am." I admit. General Lyra was more of a mother to me than mine ever was. Growing up, I spent more time sharing meals with Lucian's family than my own.

"Which is why we trust you to keep this between us." The general says but there's a niggling feeling that gnaws at me. It seems too easy, why would they trust me so easily when I would never do the same. 

"There have been no successful experiments, have there?" Lucian voices, ending all the skirting around the conversation. "Let me show you something." 

He puts his communicator on the floor and activates it's holographic screen. Broken images of maimed humans and dead bodies are displayed to me. He's showing me the human quarters at Lazarus's lab on Earth, I remember the same walls and bunk beds from Ron's feed. 

I don't know how but they have managed to get a leaked report on the conversion rate from human to Plutonian. The success rate is high at a mounting ninety percent but none of the Plutonians have been functional. 

"You've been there," General Aldric states, it's not a question. I've been caught and they know it, I'm only here because they want me on their side. 

I'm now a double agent, triple if I count being a Sympathizer. General Lyra would have a field day if she knew this or maybe she does. Nothing escapes that female. 

"Yes, I have and it is like you say. They didn't show me the quarters, I suppose I haven't earned their utmost trust yet. But I did see a human die from seizures and one of their staff admitted that most of them end up that way." 

General Aldric smiles. "Once the War Council finds out, Lazarus's shot at leadership is as good as dead." 

I frown briefly, wondering why his own father would rejoice at his failure. It's always been this way with him.

I listen in as the generals discuss. Lucian remains silent as well, it's an unspoken rule that when the generals talk no one should interfere. They're planning to expose the fraud only after the rest of the humans are brought in which goes completely against my need for urgency. 

If we follow this pace, Ron will be as good as dead. 

General Mondric gets up shortly after to wash up and to my surprise General Aldric asks for a moment alone with me. Lucian nods, following his father to the changing rooms next door and my fingers dig into the soft floors as I wait for the general to speak. 

"I know of your involvement with the humans. The ones you stole from here." He says softly, fingers grazing the mat between us.

My breath catches in my throat and it feels like my airways have constricted to a point where breathing becomes impossible. 

He leans forward, much too close for comfort as he whispers into my ear. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." 

His palm grazes my arm, sending shivers across my skin. I want to recoil as he looks at me, his lips almost touching mine. 

"You'd be in a lot of trouble if this got out. You know that right?" 

I feel his breath on my face but I'm too paralysed to move. I can only nod after a few long seconds. 

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Let's keep it that way, alright? No word about today, to anyone." 

I nod again and he smiles in return. To my horror, the general kisses my cheek, dangerously close to my mouth. He moves away just as Lucian walks in. 

"General Aldric, your attendant is waiting for you. The bath is ready." 

"Good. Good." He pats my back before getting up to join Lucian and it feels like he burned my skin. I touch my cheek, suddenly feeling dirty all over. 

"You, okay?" Lucian calls out to me and I quickly nod. 

"All good," I smile widely at both him and General Aldric, even though inside my panic is threatening to swallow me whole.