Earth Is Mine

The Sympathizer

General Lyra sips on her self made concoction of herbal tea - rhye flower meant for soothing the nerves and petals of a pine needle, only the rarest kind used for memory. She never thought she would enjoy this forced exile and isolation but everyday has brought on a new kind of surprise.

Yesterday she learned that rhye flowers thrived in a humid atmosphere, whereas the needle flowers needed to be thoroughly dried in order to bloom to their full sizes.

Lucian has been very accommodating when it came to the nursery she requested to be set up in her back yard. The temperature controlled zones allow her to experiment with the different atmospheres and most days are spent there, growing and nurturing plants.

The general finds it the most peaceful way to deal with her otherwise empty days. She couldn't recall the last time she'd had so much time to herself. Now all she has are her memories.

Memories of her glory days where she used to make a difference. The days where a single decision could result in the loss of life or saving them. Now the only lives she deals with are her plants.

The thought leaves a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. This was not the way she'd planned to spend her days in retirement. In fact, she'd never planned to retire at all.

If only Lucian had not fallen in love with that human. If only she hadn't given him the idea to stay with her in the first place.

If only she had made the decision to end Aria's life at thirteen years old instead of saving her after she was punished in the South. Immediately her mind drifts to Luna V, the person responsible for that single, unilateral decision that caused such drastic changes to such long term plans.

The war had been inevitable, a ploy cast into play for decades. A wedge deliberately driven between leaders for years, timed precisely before planet X's estimated collision with Pluto. General Lyra takes another sip, remembering those secret meetings she used to follow her mother to before she started leading them herself

Another unique pattern she'd never questioned before. Why was the organisation always lead by women? Why did her mother pass leadership to her, leading her to train the only female she deemed worthy of the position.

These days all the general can think of is the past. What went wrong? What had lead to the Plutonian's abandoning their original plan of colonising Earth and settling on Axon.

Most of the time she thought of Aria the Bone Breaker. That one human had changed the course of the history her ancestors had so carefully curated but then again, Aria isn't the one who has taken over as Sole General after Lucian finished his term.

Luna has.

This causes an uneasiness in the general's chest, sometimes it feels so real she has to rub some ointment over it. Sometimes she finds it hard to sleep, the feeling of being watched becoming stronger as the days go by.

Her entire estate is laden with cameras and motion sensors. The general is a prisoner, of this she has no doubt. Lucian has been clear about it since she was brought here but ever since Luna took over, she's had this gnawing feeling that she isn't only being watched for security.

The general's hand shakes slightly when she hears a knock on the front door, announcing the arrival of a guest. Her grandchildren aren't scheduled to visit her today.

Cassie Rose and Lucian XI come by twice every week. It is the only time the general ever feels safe, with the battalion of officers always accompanying them when they drop by for play time. We follow the seven day week here on Axon, just like we did on Pluto and her grandkids always brighten up her lonely days on Wednesdays and Fridays, like clockwork.