Earth Is Mine

Chapter 37

I look up at the happy Plutonian medical officer who has his hands outstretched in the air in triumph. Joon, Luna, General Lyra and my squad members are here as well. 

We remain frozen in shock for a few seconds and then all of us rush to the doors eager to meet Lucian, only to be stopped by the medical officer.

"Keep it short. We don't want to stress him," He warns and I push him aside to rush in.

My eyes fall on Lucian's tired face as he leans against a pillow. The room here is huge with computer screens plastered over the walls on one end and medical equipment filling up the other side.

It makes him look so small under the covers.

He smiles at us, his eyes meeting mine quickly but he still looks so weak and pale. He sits up slowly and I rush to his side.

"Lucian, you're awake," I say, tears spilling from my eyes.

"Evidently," He jokes, his voice hoarse and soft. He reaches out a hand, grabbing mine softly. "Are you, okay? Did Lazarus hurt you?"

"He's gone. He's never going to hurt us again," I say between tears and Lucian stares at me in surprise.

"He's dead?" I notice he looks slightly conflicted.

"He's as dead as dead can be," Remulus says, his smile wide now that his leader is awake.

Lucian sighs and slumps agains his pillow. "Wow."

"Took you long enough," Luna says, her voice shaky. "We've been worried sick."

"And what about the empire? How are the soldiers?" Lucian forces himself up, his eyes wide with concern. "We need to start looking for a new home. We need to draft agreements, we need to honour our promises to all the planets under us." 

"Calm down. You just woke up," I say, soaking in every inch of this workaholic Plutonian who has my heart in the palm of his hand. I can't explain how happy I am to see him breathing, see him talking. It makes my heart swell, I feel like my chest could burst any moment in pure happiness. 

I hand him a cup of oxygen infused liquid and he takes a sip quickly.  

"We have plenty of time to go over those agreements," General Lyra says. "And we can settle on Earth in the mean time. After all it is our planet." 

Joon stiffens next to me but the Plutonians around us seem unfazed by her words. 

"No," Lucian says firmly. "Earth belongs to the humans. It's belonged to them ever since we left our Plutonians there and they formed their own species. I gave them my word before the war and I'm not going back on it."

He smiles at me and I squeeze his hand in gratitude but the mood in the room shifts slightly. It feels almost tense, the air oddly stifling. General Lyra stares at our interlinked hands, her eyes dark but then she steps back. 

"Nothing is set in stone yet. We still need to a planet to move to." She concedes reluctantly.

"Okay, come on. Sole General Lucian needs to rest," The medical officer interrupts, his timing could not have been more perfect. He chases us out of the room and we stand around idly, all of us elated but sombre at the same time. 

Lucian waking up has ended the waiting period catapulting all of us back to reality. Now the Plutonians need to find a new home because Earth is no longer an option.

I suddenly realise that I am also done with this war too which leads me to wonder where that leads me and Joon.

Cat, Rachel and the others are already on Earth. Which just leaves us two.