Plutonian

Chapter 71

I run as fast as my wobbly legs can carry me and then I notice Pollux has stopped not so far ahead. I stop once I reach him and study the contemplative look on his face. He surprisingly doesn't look as afraid as I feel right now.

The rest of our squad reaches us and when I look behind me I realize that the rebels have stopped following us. In fact, it seems like they've disappeared into thin air. There is no tall pink haired Elcian in sight and then I feel the ground shake beneath my feet again.

My head whips towards the palace and my eyes widen when I see the Space Splitter rise up in the air, looking untouched unlike the destroyed palace dome behind. The market place is quiet now, it's occupants having deserted their stalls the moment the first blast whipped through the air like a siren.

The hair at the back of my neck raises and I glance around me as I the feeling of being watched washes over me. My hand reaches for my gun and I curse at myself for forgetting about the rebels disarming us.

The six of us huddle closer together with our backs touching so that each of us is facing a side. I nearly jump out of my skin when I see Plutonian soldiers emerge from the shadows like apparitions and then I see some of them holding Taygetians and Elcians.

I recognize the Taygetian who asked me what I was and then I see the pink haired Elcian being dragged by another Plutonian officer.

The Space Splitter lands right in front of us, crushing some of the stalls and inns and it's ramp falls to the ground.

My entire body floods with relief when I see Lucian walk out unscathed with his head held high, all business like and authoritative.

"Good work team," He smiles at us proudly and the confused looks on my squad member's faces mirrors my own. It looks like Lucian didn't tell any of us the entire plan.

I didn't realize my body was shaking and my eyes were teary until he gave me a tight hug.

"Aria, what's wrong? Everything worked out fine, except maybe a few things but nothing too terrible," He says soothingly while he rubs my back.

I squeeze my eyes shut and nod my head even though he can't see me because my face is pressed up against his chest. A part of me is still frozen with the fear of Lucian being hurt by the bombs, I have to consciously tell myself that he holding me right now, therefore very much alive.

I hear the soldiers approaching and quickly push him away, feeling embarrassed.

"I'm fine. My eyes must have been sweating because I ran," I quickly wipe my tears and he squeezes my shoulders.

"If you say so," He teases me with a large grin on his face and my heart weakens at the sight.

I join my squad and we watch Lucian instruct the soldiers to bring the rebels onto the ship to be placed in holding cells. Once the commotion is sorted, we walk up the ramp and somehow end up in the control room.

I notice most of the officers are here instead of their quarters. Everyone is huddled in groups, most likely discussing what just happened.

Lucian joins us after a while and he sits down next to me, crossing his long legs under him. He is still wearing his Taygetian outfit like us. Pollux, Altair, Deneb and Sirius start taking out their accessories making up their disguises while we listen to Lucian explain about the bomb blasts in the palace.

"Sorry I had to keep you guys in the dark about my suspicions. I didn't want you to worry about my well being and compromise the mission," Lucian says. "I've been monitoring the Taygetian traders even before the attacks on their moons. There's been a lot of evidence that points to their involvement with the rebels and I had a hunch that they destroyed our moon bases as an excuse to get a high ranked official here."