Blood drips down the side of my face, like a snake slithering past my earlobe, down my cheeks and then my neck. I resist the urge to wipe the sensation away and close my eyes to control my breathing.

The alien's blood is putrid and stale even though freshly drawn when I severed one of their limbs to escape. Its smell lingers in my nose making me want to wash myself repeatedly but I'm currently suspended in the air, roughly twenty feet from the rocky surface below.

I tuck the documents I stole under my arm pit and loosen my arm that is currently holding my body weight. It's begun to grow stiff, I have a feeling I'm going to have to move quickly before my arm goes to sleep.

The armed guards are still looking for me, but their urgent voices are faraway. I doubt they'd find me here anytime soon. No one comes this way unless they're looking for a quick death.

I glance around one of the legendary caverns of Scythia, a planet of turbulent winds and equally tempestuous leaders. They've been planning a coup for a long time, an attack on one of Pluto's largest army bases in Taygetha.

I have all the details copied into a little chip nicely tucked into my waterproof breather suit pocket. They weren't too happy that a fourteen year old giddy little teenager had fooled them into thinking she didn't know a thing about computers.

You see that's the thing about male chauvinism, it exists in so many parts of the universe. In Scythia, the women aren't allowed to work, only nurture and foster their children so no one batted an eye when I wandered around the control centre while my General parents met with their leaders formally.

My pigtails have come undone and my face is now splattered in green blood. If the leaders who overlooked me saw me now... I have to stifle a smile just thinking about it.

A sound echoes across the hollow walls, like the wail of something old and dark and hungry. I swallow down my nerves and look around me, searching for the nearest exits.

I can't go back, the army officers will be waiting for me and since this is part of my training, no Plutonian officers will be there to help.

I look ahead at the sliver of light peaking from the ceiling. That seems like the only plausible route. Something moves in my periphery and my heart rate picks up.

There have been stories of the monsters that lurk in the caverns of Scythia, long bodied creatures with teeth so long and sharp, no one ever escapes them. That's why no one ever enters these caves.

Until now.

I tuck the documents securely and place my palm over the drive in my pocket for reassurance. Everything's intact so I release a cable tie and aim it at the wall across from me.

I check the tension of the wire before fastening a tiny magnetised pulley that will bring me to the other side. Once that's secure I release my hand, feeling the tiny pin and needle like sensation reverberate throughout my arm. I shake it out quickly and thrust myself forward.

I push forward and move fast, hoping to reach the hole in the wall before whatever creature lurks here does. My body is light, propelling me forward fast enough, I see the hole in the wall, the size large enough for me to run through.

I am so close I could reach out to it but then something long, black and sharp unfurls before me and with a flick of its finger cuts the wire in front of me like it was made of paper.

I fall to the ground, hard and fast, my heart in my throat. I don't look down, instead I shoot out another cable tie to the far wall, the jerking movement it causes nearly rips out my arm but it slows my fall just enough that I don't crash into tiny little pieces.

"My my you are a small one. Hardly enough to satisfy my hunger."

The words are spoken in basic Scythian but the voice is so old, it makes a chill run down my spine.

I release the cable tie and free my hands, taking a step back from the enormous dark shadow before me.

It rises to it's full height and it is only then that I realise why no one ever enters these caverns. A long black body that stretches off to cover all sides of my exit point and hands with claws so long, they double the length of my height.

When it speaks I see those sharp fangs glint in the sliver of light that escapes through the hole I was supposed to go through. There are so many fangs that I forget to breathe.

"You are not of the Scythias." The creature states and it rises slightly, peering down at me like the bug that I am.

I hold my chin up, the corner of my eyes desperately searching for a way out of this. I'm a trained assassin, been training since I could walk. I'm not going to let some mythical creature get the best of me just because I made the dumb choice of running into this cave.

"No, I'm not," I answer in Plutonian and the creature tilts its head to the side, curiously.

"Ahh, the colonisers," It answers back. "Parasitess." It drags on the word s, the sound so sharp it makes my skin crawl.

The creature draws nearer and I take a step back, my fingers tightening around the gun by my side. It only makes the monster grin, revealing it's deadly smile.

"That's not going to help you, parasite."

It smiles for only a second before lunging out for me, it's long spindly hands reaching out to grab my body but I move just as quickly. I shoot out at the rocks around us, and at its hands, earning an ear splitting scream from it.

I run away from the creature and dart around rocks falling from the ceiling above while desperately searching for another exit point. General Lyra always told me to look for corners, most of the breaks exist in corners.

I spot the sliver of light in a dark corner far ahead, tucked between two jagged edged rocks. The hole is so tiny, I doubt I'd be able to fit.

Behind me the creature is thrashing against the rain of rocks, growling in fury as it snakes towards me at a disconcerting speed.

Realising I have no choice, I run towards the corner, ducking before a larger piece of rock crashes into me. A long claw reaches out for me and I jump forwards, between the jagged edges of rock.

Gnashing teeth echo behind me and I push myself through the hole. Sure enough the gap is too small and I find myself stuck, sweat and alien blood dripping down my body. For the first time today I feel the fear of death and then the monster's laughter echoes from behind.

"Time to die, parasite." Such a slimy, sharp voice that grates my ears making my head throb.

I'm paralysed between the two slabs of rock and all I can do is blink when the claw reaches out for me. But in a twist of fate, the claw plunges through, pushing against the rocks and widening the space between them, giving me just enough room to slip through.

I dart ahead, the piercing scream behind me making my bones rattle. The monster's claw reaches out for me but freezes under the sunlight around us and quickly retracts itself. I roll on to the sand, breathing heavily, exhaustion seeping into my every bone and joint.

I click onto my communicator device and General Lyra's is quick to answer. She's been my mentor from the time I turned twelve, after my parents filed for a separation and were too busy with their own lives to concentrate on mine.

"Well done, I was wondering if we had to send in a team to extract you, but you never said the safe word."

"If I said the safe word, I would have failed the mission." I answer back between gasps of air.

"Better to fail than die." The General says in a clipped tone.

"Shall we agree to disagree?" I joke, a smile stretching across my face because I can only imagine how annoyed she must look right now.

"Stay where you are, we're coming to get you."

The training centre is busy with young Plutonians rushing about to get to their sessions. Some of them look my way as I walk by, slathered in green blood and a torn up breather suit.

I see Lucian's glider parked by our regular training room and smile, a wave of comfort washing over me. His presence always works like a tranquilliser on my nerves. I glance at the space next to his and notice Lazarus hasn't arrived yet.

It is all I can think about when I walk into our training room to view our scores.

As the Trinity, we have our own training facilities and our state of the art training centre is no exception. A customised gymnasium to cater to our every individual need, simulation rooms and a large combat ring exclusive for the three of us.

The score board floats in the middle of the room and I see my name at the top. Lucian and Lazarus's have tied below me and I want to laugh, they always tie despite bickering all the time.

Lucian's handsome face lights up the moment he sees me but then he frowns when he takes in my outfit and bloodied face.

"Luna, are you alright?" He rushes up to me and inspects my face for injuries.

"My blood's not green, Lucian." I slap his hand away playfully making him chuckle. He runs his fingers through his hair looking shy.

"Where is Lazarus?" General Lyra murmurs impatiently and just then the doors burst open.

My heart skips a beat, I swear I feel it every single time he's near and I have barely enough courage to look up at him. The most beautiful Plutonian, person, creature, whatever. I've never seen anyone quite like him and the burst of energy he exudes whenever he enters a room always leaves me breathless.

"Sorry got caught up with something," He winks at General Lyra and she frowns at him.

"Luna, always my favourite," He pats my head like a pet and it makes my stomach sink.

"And Lucian, my least." He nods at Lucian who scowls at him.

He then looks up at the score board and bites down on those beautiful lips of his. It makes my heart clench, the crush I have for him so consuming it makes me swallow. Ever since I matured as a girl, ever since I started admiring the opposite sex, my thoughts have been consumed with him.

His golden hair, his turquoise blue eyes, his arms and his chest....I better stop before they notice me drooling.

"Congratulations Luna. You beat us again." There's a wistfulness in his tone and I try to ignore it.

"Lazarus, you executed your mission the quickest but there was too much unnecessary blood shed, hence the lower score. Lucian on the other hand, used too much time to avoid blood loss. Your weaknesses are literally the opposite of each other." General Lyra hands us a sheet each, consisting of skills we need to brush up on.

"Luna executed both equally, minus the last reckless part. That being said you were the best." The General looks at me proudly. "You three are dismissed for the day. Luna, you may follow me."

"Finally," Lazarus murmurs and he is the first to leave. I see a few girls already waiting for him outside our centre and my chest constricts painfully when one of them holds his hand. At seventeen, he's the oldest amongst the Trinity and he started having girlfriends since he turned sixteen.

I'm not proud to admit I've read up on every one of their profiles, just out of curiosity.

"I'll see you later, Luna?" Lucian asks me, referring to the dinner the generals usually have together.

"See you then." I say but I can't stop thinking about Lazarus and his new love interest.

Lucian's face lights up and he rushes off leaving me alone with General Lyra.

"I have something interesting to share with you." She says.

I follow her to the SyStem, the building that serves as the powerhouse of the entire planet. The place where every officer is inducted into when they join the all powerful Plutonian army.

"There's a human who was punished in the South today. She was supposed to be executed in thirty seconds but our officers made a mistake and pulled her up after twenty."

"Most would be dead after twenty," I reply but the General's silence peaks my curiosity.

We walk into the control rooms that give us an overview of the medical centre. I see a team of medical officers hunched over a young girls body. She's shaking and coughing, her long black hair fanned around her head like a dark crown.

"She's alive," I murmur in surprise.

"Number seven two zero three. Executed for spreading rebellious thoughts." General Lyra folds her arms over her chest. "What should we do with her?"

I turn to her with wide eyes. "You're asking me?"

"I want to know what you would do." The General says simply.

My gaze falls on the thrashing girl in the medical room, the one who should have been dead by now. Her skin is warm, cream coloured, almost brown. She's fighting for her life, small limbs shaking to keep herself warm.

"How old is she?" I ask.

"Thirteen."

Only one year younger than I am. Such strength, such resilience from someone so young. "She's amazing."

General Lyra raises an eyebrow.

"I would keep her alive. She clearly deserves to live after surviving the South. We just need to monitor her for those rebellious thoughts." I answer. I draw a breath waiting for the general to decide if my opinion is worth the consideration.

Her silence makes me swallow hard and I pull my shoulders in when she speaks, ready to accept her criticism.

"I agree. Such a resilient human might prove useful in the future." General Lyra smiles at me looking proud. "Especially us."

She puts a hand on my shoulder. "I think you're ready, Luna. I think it's time I told you about the Sympathizers."

Guysss, welcome back to the world of Plutonians. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Did you expect the last part? any guess on who the human was? :) Updates every Monday (unless something comes up) See you then :)