After Vienna had left with the woman simply named Boss, Guy ended up walking the other way. He wanted to separate himself from them as much as possible. This would give them a better chance. He was about to bring a ton of drama onto his head, and the less that fell on them, the better. Dresdon knew of their connection, and Madame Priscilla would as well, but as long as the other families were ignorant, then they would probably be safe. He had no delusions after they were willing to use him so much, that they wouldn’t also happily use the girls as well.

At the very least, they had been warned and with the attack about to go down, they would have the best chance of getting out of this situation unharmed. As for Guy, he was just going to wing it and hope for the best. That was typically how he handled everything, and even in this situation where his life was on the line, he couldn’t see himself acting any different. He took a breath and peeked out into the wedding room from the opposite side. Good, it appeared that the girls were all sitting in the back. That meant they’d be near the entrance.

He didn’t know how far along the wedding had gone and he didn’t know when he was supposed to create this distraction for Harmony. They hadn’t discussed everything to that extent. He also felt complicated, since he was now helping Harmony bring down the shields after committing to stopping her. However, he saw no means of getting around this another way. At this point, he didn’t know who he was betraying and who he was helping, and he didn’t care.

Presuming that the attack was an inevitability, then once the shields were down, they’d start boarding the station and arresting everyone. The girls would make a break for the ship. As long as he was near Ferrin and Xara, then perhaps he could grab them and help them escape. Harmony could stay here and become a war hero, and Guy could reach the ship and escape with everyone else somehow. That was the best he had.

Even if he kept the shields up, this attack had been planned without knowing Harmony’s presence. In fact, wouldn’t a lack of shields mean they’d attack the station harder, leading to more collateral damage and the possible destruction of the entire station? The man on the other line hadn’t even sounded confident in Harmony’s success, so really if he didn’t help her, it wouldn’t make a difference, and might even make things worse.

Having finally come to that conclusion, he made his move. He slowly walked out from the back of the wedding, taking the middle aisle that the bride had walked up only a few minutes before. His legs felt stiff and his hair was rising, yet he continued his stride. It felt like he was walking to his execution. He had already died once. He didn’t want to die again.

About halfway to the front, he started to get the notice of those spectating. At first, people just thought he was lost or trying to find his seat at a bad time. One woman who he may or may not have spent the previous night with, it was hard to say, gave him a wave, trying to get him to take a spot next to her. He ignored the stranger. He didn’t want to say all alien women looked alike, but the previous night was a blur to him, so he couldn’t say if he was familiar with her or not.

The one thing he did know was that he had to get as close to Xara and Ferrin as he could manage. Xara was the first to notice him walking up. As soon as she saw him, her eyes popped and her mouth fell open. The priest, if that’s even what they called the wedding officiant, finally noticed and his long speech slipped.

At this point, voices across the entire wedding room started murmuring, some confused while others were irritated. His eyes instinctively noticed Madame Cherbyll, who was staring at him with an intense look. Then there was Madame Priscilla, who’s usually cool smile had turned stunned. However, after a moment, a grin formed on her face. As for Dresdon, his eyes rose, but then he quickly schooled his face.

The groom and bride turned as they noticed the wedding officiant had drifted off and was staring behind them. Ferrin’s face was covered in a veil just as it had been when they had played in the changing room. The vows weren’t complete yet, so he was technically still on time. As for the boy standing next to her, he looked to be a handsome man, tall with proud shoulders. Guy had hoped he was some fat, slovenly creature since he was there to tear apart their wedding.

He must have gotten his mother’s looks because his father was quite offensive-looking. He was squat and ugly, and Guy immediately understood why Madame Cherbyll carried on so many affairs.

“Who are you?” It was the groom who made this demand, sounding a bit mixed between angry and confused.

“My name is Guy.” Guy declared in a clear voice. “And I object to this wedding!”

His voice carried out across the wedding room like a wave, causing a rise of muttering and shocked noises. It lasted for a few moments until the groom spoke up once again.

“Excuse me? Who? What right do you have to interrupt my wedding?”

Guy cleared his throat. This was a distraction. Once the Galactic Alliance attacked, it didn’t matter what he did. Once the shield fell, they’d probably learn about it immediately. He just had to distract everyone as much as possible. As long as they kept their eyes on him for a few minutes, nothing else mattered.

“I’m a man in love!” Guy shouted. “And I can’t let this wedding go on without first professing my love.”

“Enough of this!” This voice came from Madame Cherbyll, who stood up and glared at Guy with a look of pure anger. “Silence!”

“I won’t be silenced!” Guy yelled back. “We shared a moment in that changing room. That’s right, we had sex!”

Gasps exploded out across the wedding avenue in waves. Madame Cherbyll’s face turned red.

“You shouldn’t spout lies!”

“I don’t spout lies. I spout… love?” Guy didn’t mean that to come out as a question, but he was just riding this by the edge of his pants now. “I’m in love, and I won’t allow the woman I love to be trapped in a loveless marriage. How can a wedding that supports such a travesty be allowed?”

“What are you saying? He must be drunk.” It was Xara who stepped forward, trying to help.

“Drunk on love!” I shot her a look. “Can’t you see? I love her from the first moment I touched her naked body. The smell of her, the taste of her, I love every part of her. That’s why… if anyone is getting married, it will be us!”

Every announcement let out more cries of shock and amazement. Guy barely even grasped what he was saying. He wasn’t the kind of guy who made pronouncements of love, so it all sounded hollow in his ears. How did such a thing go anyway?

“You’re making a scene!” Xara hissed, but suddenly Ferrin reached out and touched her arm.

“No, let him speak. I want to hear what he has to say.”

“Ferrin!” The groom’s mouth fell open.

Guy smiled, puffing out his chest. He had really done it. He didn’t know what it was, but it was done. He just needed to take it home.

“I won’t leave here without my bride. I don’t care about propriety. I don’t care about the four families or your power dynamics. The heart wants what the heart wants. A person who doesn’t follow their heart is a fool, and I would be a fool. If this wedding continued, wouldn’t this make fools of us all? If I allowed this wedding to continue, I’d be the biggest fool of them all! So, I don’t care what happens to me after this, but I will follow my heart!”

“Guy…” Xara was looking at Guy with a strange look.

In fact, he was getting a lot of looks from many women, including those from a certain spaceship. It should be known that women were particularly easy during weddings. The feeling of watching another woman find love naturally stroked their romantic sides. The only thing that did that more was a grand and selfless romantic gesture, one that even put your life on the line for the one you loved. More than one girl wished that Guy had been speaking to her, but Guy’s eyes were firmly locked on Ferrin.

“You know that Mr. Cherbyll isn’t the guy you want,” Guy said. “You know that he can’t make you happy. You’ve known this all along. So, please, just once… damn the consequences. Take what is right in front of you, and throw aside that pig.”

Ferrin’s eyes lowered uncertainly for a second, and then a rise of determination built in them. Her grip on Xara’s arm tightened.

“Y-you’re right…” She spoke in a quiet voice. “You’re right!”

“Ferrin!” Her groom gasped.

“Okay! You win!” A voice cried out. “I can’t hide it anymore. You’re the greatest lover I’ve ever had.”

Everyone turned to Madame Cherbyll, who had just cried out.

“W-wife?” Mr. Cherbyll’s eyes widened.

Madame Cherbyll dodged his hand and then quickly shuffled out of her spot, her heels clicking with each step. When she reached Guy, she threw her arms around him.

“Wh-what?”

“I originally just wanted to use you as a toy, but after our passionate time together in the changing room, and the way you confidently told me I’m yours… I realized that I don’t care about some powerful family. I want a powerful man instead!” She pulled away her veil, revealing her face, and then she kissed the stunned Guy roughly.

If people had been shocked and stunned before, this time they exploded with shock. Madame Cherbyll, one of the most powerful women on the station, had just abandoned her husband to kiss a random man. Those who knew about her species knew that kissing him with her mouth was as obscene as a woman mounting a man right in the middle of the aisle. The moans from her lips as he stimulated her mouth clitoris were extremely lewd.

“How dare you?” A roar came out, finally breaking through the rumble of the crowd, and causing Madame Cherbyll to pull away from Guy.

Guy was in a daze, while streams of liquid connected his face with her puffy pink lips.

“It’s over between us, Gargelmel.” She declared. “I’ve decided on another man.”

“You think you can get away with cheating on me?” Gargelmel shrieked.

“You forget yourself.” Her expression darkened. “You forget which side married into who. Did you forget you married into my family?”

The shocked expression on his face seemed to suggest that he had forgotten. “E-even so! I’ve been building up my power in the Cherbyll family for decades.”

Madame Cherbyll lifted her hand and snapped her finger. All of the guards belonging to the Cherbyll household lifted their guns and pointed them at the guy. His mouth flapped several times.

“You were a marriage of convenience… but the benefits of said marriage ended ten years after our marriage began. That’s why I started cheating on you. You were just an ugly nuisance. Thankfully, I’ve upgraded to a better model. Oh, and just so you know… our son isn’t yours!”

“Oh… this is fun!” Someone’s voice came from the back, clapping briefly.

The gasps spread across the wedding room. More drama was folding. Guy was still in Madame Cherbyll’s arms while she defiantly glared at her husband. His expression turned extremely dark.

“Oh yeah… well our son isn’t yours either!”

There were more gasps.

“Wh-what?” Madame Cherbyll cried out.

“Hehe… you think I didn’t know when a baby wasn’t mine? It’s not even my species! That’s why I had your baby thrown out an airlock! We replaced it with another driscillon, and you were so self-absorbed you never noticed.”

“I-I’m adopted?” The groom’s eyes widened.

“You bastard…” Her expression darkened. “Throw this pig out an airlock!”

“You bitch! This isn’t the last of me! I’ll show you!” Mr. Cherbyll shouted as he was dragged from the wedding.

When he had finally disappeared out the door, screaming and spitting the whole time, Madame Cherbyll turned to the bride and groom.

“It seems like the Cherbyll family will be going through a power structure change. I allowed that man to pretend he was in charge for long enough. It’s time I took control and kept my man in his proper place…” She stroked Guy’s chest and holding him tightly as she glanced at him with a lewd look. “In my bedroom!”

“M-Madame Cherbyll…” Ferrin stepped forward. “Since you have spoken from your heart, I feel I must as well. I’m not in love with your son.”

“I see…” Madame Cherbyll’s eyes narrowed, but after a second, she laughed. “Well, it’s not like he’s mine anyway. Tell me who you love?”

“Ah… about that.” Ferrin blushed. “The thing is… Guy…”

“Guy!” Her eyes flashed. “You love my man?”

Guy was only starting to recover from his daze. When did he suddenly become Cherbyll’s one and only? He had said a bunch of nonsense, but had it been so successful? He had just used the words love and heart a bunch.

“It’s complicated! I don’t love Guy at all, but… I think they might… oh, screw it!” she turned around and grabbed Xara. “Xara, I’m gay. And I’m in love with you!”

“Eh? Mmm!” Before Xara could react, Ferrin planted her blue lips onto Xara.

Another wave of excitement and surprise shot through the crowd. Xara recovered quickly though, and she pushed Ferrin away from her. Xara backed up a step, holding up her hands. Her eyes went to Guy for a second, perhaps looking for help.

“Oh, hoh… I see, so the little daughter of the Dresdon family likes my man too.” Madame Cherbyll chuckled. “That is a problem.”

“I-I don’t,” Xara responded, her voice sounding slightly weak.

“It doesn’t have to be!” Ferrin declared. “This is a wedding, right? Why don’t we finish it? I can marry Xara. I’m sure once she’s tasted a woman, she won’t want any stinky guy anymore.”

“Wh-what are you saying?” Xara cried out.

“Interesting offer…” Madame Cherbyll nodded. “Perhaps I will marry my man too, that way we can start our honeymoon tonight!”

“Marriage?” Guy squealed.

“Wait just one second! Who said you can marry my daughter?” The person who had finally exploded was none other than Mr. Dresdon.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Dresdon. I’ll take good care of your daughter.” Ferrin’s voice sounded earnest, if not a bit crazed.

“I’m not into girls though!” Xara cried.

“Wh-what are you saying?” Ferrin asked tearfully, trying to grab Xara again. “Don’t you remember our wonderful night together?”

“What night? Huh? That? We were teenagers. I accidentally sniffed your pheromones and we made out. That was it!”

“Ever since then… I’ve known that my heart belongs to you. Don’t worry, once you’ve huffed enough of my scent, you’ll be ready for anything!”

“St-stay away!”

“Get away from my daughter!” Dresdon growled.

“Would you rather Guy played with your daughter instead?” Madame Cherbyll shot.

“G-Guy?” Xara stopped pushing Ferrin away for a second, which allowed her to grab on.

Seeing his daughter’s reaction, Dresdon’s face went red. “You…”

“H-hey… we had a deal!” Guy shouted. “You said you wanted the wedding broken up. The wedding is broken, right?”

“I said break up the couple, not sell my daughter!”

“An agreement?” Madame Cherbyll’s frowned. “What are you saying?”

“Hahahahahaahaha!”

As the conversation was spiraling out of control, a burst of laughter caught everyone’s attention, turning them to the front of the room. It was the groom, who had thrown his head back and laughed. Madame Cherbyll made a face.

“Oh? You’re still here? You’re not even my son. You should have known when to get lost.” Madame Cherbyll waved dismissively.

“I suppose it’s good that we’re not related. It would have made the times you fucked me far more awkward.” The groom declared, eliciting a few gasps from the crowd.

Madame Cherbyll seemed unmoved. “I told you… I was teaching you, dear. If you’re hung up on me, that’s truly sad. I’m not your mother though, so there is nothing between us anyway.”

“That’s true…” he chuckled, nodding his head. “There is nothing between us. I’ve also known I was adopted a long time ago. Your husband had stolen me from my mother, killed my father, and then had my mother repeatedly until she killed herself. Yes… I’ve known this for a long time now.”

“What? Were you expecting apologies? That man will be dead shortly. If you hurry, you can probably watch him being jettisoned out of an airlock.”

“No… I don’t just hate him… I hate all of you. I hate this whole place. I hate every single one of you. I knew a time would come when the truth came out. It was always that man’s intention to reveal the truth of me. Then he’d off me, kill you, and supplant the Cherbyll family with his heir. That’s why I took matters into my own hands.

“You’re all corrupted. You’re all evil. The only one I had thought was pure was Ferrin. That’s why I agreed to marry her. If I made her my family, I was hoping to keep her safe before it all happened.” He shot Ferrin a glare as she still tried to get her hands on a resisting Xara. “However, it seems like even she was warped and demented by you perverted monsters.”

“Oh, no…” Guy got a bad feeling about this.

“That’s why I cut a deal with the Galactic Alliance.” He laughed, this time his words causing everyone present to stiffen. “And your time is up!”

As if he had timed it perfectly, the power cut out at that moment. The attack had begun.