Chapter 45
It can't be. There has to be some mistake.
Commander Axis told me the memory devices we stole left behind residue indicative of explosives. The self imploding types that could swallow up entire ships. But how?
The memory devices were tweaked in our labs. When did they become bombs?
I immediately think of General Lyra having dinner with her family at The Marquee. The streets are bustling as I rush to that private fine dining restaurant on the top most floor. The place has been cleared for the Generals and Lucian, it takes a moment for security to let me through.
All three Plutonians are surprised when I walk up to join them.
"May I?" I take the seat next to Lucian, before anyone can offer me one. He looks ecstatic to see me but General Lyra doesn't share the enthusiasm. Her smile is flat and insincere as she acknowledges me.
"Ahh Luna, my apologies. We should have invited you as well, seeing as you're about to be family." General Mondric beams at me happily as he clasps his hands together. "Lucian shared the good news with us today. I look forward to the upcoming nuptials once trials are over."
General Lyra remains silent the entire time, I have to resist the urge to look at her to gauge her reaction. I didn't tell her about my engagement to her son. I haven't had the chance to. The general hates surprises like these and I know she would not appreciate hearing this from someone else.
"Thank you, General. It means the stars to have your approval." I nod at both of his parents trying to remain as calm as I can be.
Lucian places a hand on my thigh and strokes my skin affectionately. I take his hand in mine and squeeze it. My other hand remains on the table, my pinky and ring finger overlapped as a signal that I need to speak to General Lyra in private.
"Lucian mentioned you were going to Taygetha?"
General Mondric cuts some cooked sea food, dips it in sauce and then chews on it. His wife answers for him. "They leave tonight, after dinner."
I stare at her, trying to read the micro expressions on her face like she taught me to. Her stare is neutral, lips and chin relaxed, jaw not tense. Does she know about the explosives?
She can't know. She would be panicking if she did. I have to tell her when we have the chance.
"I understand the officers still think you're engaged to Lazarus?" General Mondric suddenly leans in, looking concerned.
I nod, noticing how Lucian's hand stiffens at the statement. I squeeze back reassuringly before answering his father.
"That is true. Once this trial is over I will announce the break up. After things have cooled down," I pause and smile at Lucian. "We can make it official."
Lucian smiles back but it isn't as bright as before. His hand slips out of mine and he takes a sip of wine.
"Please excuse me, I need to touch up my face." General Lyra says after a while. She turns to me and nods, "Luna could you help me?"
"You look perfect to me darling," Her husband raises his eyebrows. "What's there to adjust?"
She pats him on the arm, her smile endearing. My panic spikes watching their sweet exchange. If anything happened to General Mondric, General Lyra would never forgive me.
"You wouldn't understand, my love." She squeezes his arm and he kisses her hand before she pulls away.
I try not to appear too eager as I jump up to follow her. I can hear the two males joking about how we have to adjust our make up in pairs but soon their chatter is drowned out by the music in the ladies room.
Soft static fills the air as the general adjusts her outfit.
"Tell me, what is so urgent that you had to interrupt my farewell dinner with my husband." Her tone is clipped. The general is annoyed with me, she's been this way since I got involved with the experiments.
I clutch the edge of the clear stone sink, my hand a distorted image through the roughly cut design.
"I'm sorry I never mentioned my engagement to Lucian before."
The general laughs like she knows I'm stalling. She leans forward and runs a finger under her eyebrows, adjusting the colour there. "Trust me Luna, you're not ready for an engagement, much less leadership."
Her words throw me off and I take a step back as if she pushed me. "Is anyone ever truly ready?"
She still doesn't look at me, she's now running a finger along her hair line. The bright neon blue lights on the walls illuminate her face perfectly. The general is a striking female, with sharp, feline features and an unrelenting gaze that is impossible to read. It's no wonder her husband is enamoured with her.
"I only meant that you are not ready," She says more slowly this time, like she's talking to a child. It irks me.
I clutch the sink tighter, everything I wanted to tell her dissolves in my throat. I can't admit another mistake, maybe I should stop running to her for help every time I screw up. Maybe that's what she means.
"You'll only be ready once you can anticipate everyone else's motives, their hidden agendas, their actions. Right now all I see is a child, relying on others to help her out whenever she messes up." She stands up and crosses her arms over each other. Her sleeves hang low, dangling with small stars along the hem.
"Now tell me, what is it you really came here to say." She finally faces me and my jaw is clenched so tightly, it's hard to open my mouth.
It feels like the general just slapped me with her words.
I release the sink and stand up straighter. "I just wanted to check if the memory machines have been tweaked successfully."
She smirks and I have the sinking feeling that she knows I'm lying.
"Unfortunately no. Not yet but we have managed to program them to erase memory. I trust you know that, seeing as you took two of them."
I bite my lip, not knowing how to reply to that. So she knows I stole from the lab. I wait for the implication but she doesn't say anything else.
"I needed them before the agreed timeline." My voice is low as I think of General Aldric.
She waves me off with a hand. "I trust you know what you're doing, Luna. If there isn't anything else, then I'd like to get back to dinner with my husband and son."
She waits for me to speak but I only shake my head. She's right, I need to fix my own mistakes instead of running to everyone else. The flight hasn't taken off yet. All I need to do is find those devices and intercept before they make it on the ship.
"No," I say sordidly. "That's all."
Her lips form a thin line and she nods. "Alright then."
We walk back to the dining area and I quickly excuse myself, telling them I need to meet my mother.
Instead, I head to Lazarus's prison cell. Unlike the previous cycles, he's in his room today. The walls are clear and he's sitting on the small white bed by the wall. Looking at him makes my chest ache with longing.
"Luna." His eyes shine under the moons light. "Don't worry, it's done."
I walk up to him and he holds my waist, gently pulling me down to sit next to him. My skin brushes against his and my stomach churns. I've never experienced this reaction with Lucian, or anyone else.
"Lazarus," I look at him and we are so close. It reminds me of all the times he has pinned me to any surface available just so he can have his way with me.
I shake my head, being this close to him is not good for my mental clarity. "I need to check those machines just once before the flight takes off. There's a circuit that needs to be adjusted for it to work perfectly."
"It's too late, Luna. They're on the ship already." His gaze lowers to my lips and he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. His touch feels like fire on my skin. I shiver and look up at him.
"It's not too late. They haven't left yet." I whisper and he looks just as distracted with me. He touches my cheek, his gaze filled with longing. "Stop looking at me like that, Lazarus."
"I'm so broken, Luna. I'm filled with so much hate, so much savagery. I'm a monster. I don't expect a Plutonian like you to ever love me. I know you're engaged to Lucian, but that doesn't stop me from obsessing over you." He cups my cheek and pulls me in for a kiss but I quickly stop him.
Even though it takes all of my resolve to do so.
I hold his hand that touches my skin, forcing him to focus. "Then help me. Tell me where those machines are."
He leans back, his stare piercing. "They are in the StarWhisperer, amongst the storage where the engines are located."
I lean in and kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you."
Lazarus holds on to my shoulders tightly, like he doesn't want to let go. After a few seconds he finally does and I feel him sigh in defeat.
"Thank you for this. If we can erase his memory, maybe my father will finally love me, or at least treat us better." He smiles like it's a joke but I notice his voice shakes.
I nod, feeling impossibility guilty because I don't even know if they work at this point.
"I'll keep you informed." I turn to leave but he grabs my hand.
"Please stay safe. I love you, Luna. I would burn down this planet if anything happened to you."
I swallow the lump in my throat as my chest aches even more. I leave before I say anything stupid and rush to the hangar like he instructed.
The StarWhisperer is one of the larger ships located in the private hangar. The base is bustling with Plutonians even at this time. Every officer has been aching to fly since the approval for missions to commence was issued this morning.
There's a line in front of the gates to the private hangar. I rush to the front in hopes to be let through.
"No one is allowed in yet. We need to wait for clearance." The guard announces without looking up from his tablet.
"We're just maintenance!" One Plutonian berates from behind me.
"I need to go in." I say lowly and the guard glances up at me. He recognises me and yet he doesn't budge.
"I'm sorry, PG Luna. Direct orders from the Generals."
I swallow hard, wondering how I can make it to the Star Whisperer in time and how was Lazarus able to sneak them in when the gates are so heavily guarded. There must be a way.
"PG Luna." Someone whispers and I whip around to see one of Lazarus's squad members. He nods for me to follow and I do, hoping Lazarus sent him to assist me.
He takes a left, leading me to one of the training rooms.
"We need to get in, I need to find a way." I say once we're inside but instead he turns and lunges at me. I dart out of his way just in time and he whips around to look at me. Something stings my arm and I look down at it. Blood is dripping from where he scratched me.
I stare at the needle in his hand, feeling confused. Lazarus was supposed to help me.
"You can't go in. It's too late." The officer says and I hear Lazarus's message loud and clear. The words he couldn't tell me in person.
I take a step back, feeling the drug take effect. The wound on my arm starts to burn.
"They're faulty!" I exclaim in frustration. The officer tries to grab me but I grab his arm with the needle and twist it out of his grip. I simultaneously trip him and hit the pressure point in his neck, knocking him unconscious.
I sway slightly, feeling a wave of dizziness but force myself to run along the perimeter of the private hangar, hoping to find a way in. It becomes harder and harder as my vision blurs and head sways.
There's some movement up ahead and I catch Plutonians walking in. Could the gate be open now? I grip the bars, fighting against unconsciousness. Every step feels heavier than the next and it feels like the ground is shifting under my boots.
It takes all my effort to open my eyes as I grip the wire. I watch as one of the ship's ramps slide open and General Aldric and his wife walk in. Then General Mondric, followed by their squads and guards. I want to warn them, to scream out for them to stop but my body has stopped functioning.
I slide to the floor and squeeze the barbed wire until my palm bleeds. Finally, some feeling returns to me and I open my mouth to scream at them.
Just then a hand covers my mouth and pulls me back. My body shuts down soon after.
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