The North city is bustling with traffic. Gliders zig zag along multiple intertwining lanes, leaving colourful trails in their wake. The city is alive with Plutonians crowding the sidewalks. Families gathered in restaurants, having their meals together as they laugh and chat.

Couples saunter along the sidewalks, their smiles glowing under the neon lights from the billboards above. 

Only a select few know about the roiling undercurrents that are circulating amongst us. Last I heard, my father and Lazarus have been detained for questioning since those videos were leaked. I haven't caught sight of them since we got back to Pluto. 

Not that I want to. By now they would know I was a part of their downfall. I'm just surprised they haven't thrown me under the bus yet. The fact that I haven't been called in by the judicial team and the war council can only mean that they haven't admitted to my participation. 

Either that or someone has been covering for me. 

We arrive outside the lobby to the magnificent Rubauld hotel and my heart lurches as I look up at the towering building. Black, shiny stone makes up the entire facade and as I look up, I realise I can't see the end of it. This building is one of the tallest on Pluto, it reaches up into the sky, disappearing into hazy clouds we replicated from our previous world. 

I step outside in one of my most modest outfits and pull the shawl I'm wearing over my head. Attendants run over to lead my driver to one of the valet lots. One of them greets me and I nod curtly, pulling the cloth closer to hide my face. 

It feels like I'm about to meet my secret lover as I walk over to the concierge and tell them I'm expected in room 201. 

A Plutonian in a red striped suit, with the label 'manager' hanging over his breast pocket leads me to the back, past the set of the lifts in the foyer. We walk past the hotel lounge and the restaurants filled with decadently dressed guests and I keep my head down, trying to remain as unnoticeable as I can. 

There is a private lift just after the kitchens and the manager scans his key card before sending me in alone. I want to call out to him when the doors close in my face, wondering if I've made a mistake by coming here. 

There's a gun strapped to my inner thigh and a heated knife tucked neatly into the sole of each of my boots but I still find myself growing more and more nervous. 

A robotic voice announces that I've reached my designated floor and the doors slide open. I remain in place, debating if I should take a step forward. The lift doors don't close and I notice the screen signalling our floor goes blank. 

The lift has been deactivated. I take a tentative step outside, my boot landing on the soft plush carpets that line every floor of this hotel. 

One of General Aldric's many hotels. 

Room 201 looms before me, the gold lettering glittering under the dim lighting over head. I walk up to the door and take a steady breath before knocking twice. 

General Aldric greets me at the door himself and I resist the urge to look down, noticing that he is only half dressed. His beard is scruffy and unkept, eyes red rimmed like he's intoxicated. He's wearing black pants with no shirt, only a cloth robe that hangs open, revealing a torso I do not want to see. 

"Luna," He drawls, tilting his head as he stares at me. "What a sight for sore eyes." 

My skin crawls, fingers bunching into fists by my sides. I could take him on, especially in the state that he's in. This man is no threat to me, I think. "You wanted to see me." 

He moves to the side, making way for me. "Come in."

I scoot past him quickly, noticing how my arms brush against his chest. He must have moved closer and I dart forward, putting some space between us before we end up touching again. 

"Drink?" The general saunters to the bar that lines an entire wall of his suite. 

My jaw tightens and I grit my teeth. "Why did you want to see me here, General?"

There's a slight tremor in my voice and he notices. He looks at the diamond studded crystal glass in his hand and the swirling dark liquid he just poured into it. "Is this how you talk to someone protecting you from incarceration?" 

My heart plummets to my stomach and disintegrates into a pile of rubble. I grab hold of one of the chairs and sit down. He takes his time pouring me a glass while I glare at him from my seat.

"The chief judicial officers are gathering evidence to build a case against Lazarus and your father, as we speak." General Aldric puts a glass in front of me with the same black liquid he was drinking. It must be one of those narcotic/alcohol combinations from the club downstairs. I've seen them before. 

He sits down in front of me and I notice how fit he looks for his age. I look away uncomfortably, wondering for the hundredth time, why I got myself into this situation. 

"What's...what's going to happen to them?" I murmur and he nods at my drink. I have no choice but to bring it to my lips and take a sip. The liquid feels like dry ice trailing down my throat, making it numb.

"If everything goes our way, the two of them will be deported to our prison planet, Polaq. Doomed to live in exile for the rest of their lives." He sees the horror on my face and it makes him grin. "Extortion, mass murder, stealing humans from our database. These are all serious offences, don't you think Luna?"

Lazarus, exiled from Pluto? I can bear the thought of Lazarus being imprisoned here, or stripped of his position. But exile? The fear of loss threatens to consume me. I don't think I can survive not being on the same planet as the monster.

"Yes, I do," I admit reluctantly. "And it's only a matter of time before Lazarus or my father drags me into the investigation." 

"That is true. Mondric, Lyra and I are overseeing the investigation. Your father did bring up your name multiple times, in fact he tried pinning a few things on you but you're lucky I have your back." 

My mouth turns sour thinking about how desperate General Grievous must be to sellout his only daughter just to save himself. 

"Lazarus has been silent though." General Aldric notes and I sit back in shock. 

"He didn't mention me?" I blurt out and I can bet the general sees through the pathetic girl inside of me. 

"Not once." He takes a long gulp and then put down the diamond laden glass. 

His words make me feel conflicted. There are so many reasons to hate Lazarus, to fault him for all the lies and secrets and yet somehow in this moment, I can't. 

I take another sip of my drink and the general watches me carefully.

"We're going to need you to testify against them. Right now they remain adamant that they were unaware of the death rate. That the test subjects only succumbed to seizures and death recently. Grievous also insists that the humans here were volunteers and they had approval from three war council members." 

General Aldric's expression turns sour. "Despite their misdemeanours, these two still have some pull over quite a few influential commanders. And that is where you come in. You are the only reliable witness we have. One who can confirm that they stole humans without prior approval and that none of the humans survived the brain reset." 

"What about the scientists?" 

"Dead, all of them. Either they were shot down by soldiers who can't confirm anything or they took suicide pills before they were arrested. As you can see, Luna. You are a pivotal part of this trial." 

I gulp softly. How am I supposed to stand up there and send my father and Lazarus into exile?

"And remember, I control how this case goes, my dear. Right now, what your father says about you has been deemed unfounded defamation. Tomorrow it could become the truth. The outcome lies in your hands." 

"Must it be exile?" I shrug helplessly. "This is my fiancé and father you're talking about." 

"If he's charged, you won't have a fiancé anymore." The general spits out angrily. "And they would be lucky to live in exile, no matter what the turbulent conditions may be." 

Another fear settles into my bones. What if Lazarus dies and I lose him forever?

"Why are you doing this to your own son?" I put my arms out across the table, palms facing the ceiling as I stare at him in exasperation. "We all know you two don't get along but isn't this too much." 

General Aldric's face darkens as he stares at me. "Don't pretend you don't see it. I know you all do." 

I frown in confusion, wondering what he means. "I don't follow." 

He leans forward, eyes redder than I've ever seen them and a vein pops out on his forehead. "Can't you tell he's impure? His hair is golden for stars sake!" 

"But your wife?" I stutter. I'm almost too stunned to speak. 

"She must be as well. He can't be mine," The general shakes his head manically. "Look at me. He looks nothing like me. She must have had him with someone else, a halfbreed or something." 

I can't believe I'm hearing this. It all sounds so absurd, especially since I've seen the paternity test Lazarus keeps in one of his bed drawers. General Aldric is clearly his father. 

"Lazarus is your son." I state as a matter of fact but it's as if he didn't hear me. 

He stands up and begins pacing the length of the table. "That thing is not mine. He does not look like me and he certainly does not act like me. He's impure, unlike Lucian and you. He doesn't deserve to be my son, neither does he deserve this luxurious life and a shot at leadership."

He waves his hands up in the air frantically, like he's ranting to the ceiling. "I've been trying to put him in his place for years but Xia only had one child. I swear that evil female did it on purpose only to punish me. Both of them, impurities and an abomination to our society. Can you imagine if an impure Plutonian took to leadership?" 

I'm too stunned to say anything. I'm now stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I disobey General Aldric, I'd be incriminated. If I testify against Lazarus, he'd be sent away forever. 

He stops pacing when he sees my stupefied expression and his shoulders slump. He sighs and then reaches out to a tablet lying on the bar top.  

"These are the details for the trial." He walks over and hands it to me but doesn't let go when I take hold of it. 

I tug and then look up at him.

"You know, whenever I look at you all I see is perfection. Perfect symmetry, perfect complexion, perfect figure and height, perfect tone of skin and hair. You are pure Plutonian at it's finest, it's baffling that Grievous is your father. You deserve everything I want to give you. Do as I say and I will make you and Lucian our future leaders, along with all the wealth and power you could dream of. I guarantee it." 

He's standing too close. I can smell the fresh scent clinging to his clothes and body. 

I nod quickly and try to get up. 

He pushes the tablet into my hands and plants a firm kiss on my lips before I can stop him. I'm about to grab my gun when he pulls away and walks into his room. 

"See you at the trial." He calls after me and I clutch the tablet tightly, wanting to smash it into pieces.