Knowing that time was of the essence, Xara and Guy moved much quicker returning to the cathedral than they did leaving it. Thankfully, the firefights were occurring somewhere else on the station, and it seemed like the patrols had already made it through that area. Their route was surprisingly free of difficulty, and they were able to make it to the access tunnel leading into the power supply station.

As they entered the power supply station, Guy’s eyes landed on an unconscious Harmony on the floor. He immediately ran forward. Xara tried to grab him but missed.

“Be careful!” She hissed.

He ignored her and went straight to the body, grabbing her. As he did so, there was a shock of electricity, but it wasn’t enough to keep him from pulling her up. He brought her away from a tesla-coil-looking conduit that must have discharged the electricity that took her out and then brought her to an area that seemed safe. He lay her down and then immediately felt for her breath.

He didn’t feel anything. A feeling of dread came over him. Had the electric shock stopped her heart? If that was the case, how long had her heart stopped beating? She was still warm though, she had to be alive!

He grabbed her and tilted her head back. Then, his lips touched hers as he breathed into her mouth. Xara let out a small noise of surprise, but Guy ignored her as he ripped open Harmony’s shirt, exposing her naked chest. She wasn’t wearing a bra, so her modest chest and pink nipples were immediately on display.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Xara cried out. “This is hardly the time!”

Guy ignored her, feeling her sternum and then placing his hands how he had learned. He had done these kinds of CPR tests a few times in his life, so he knew the basic mechanics. He had no clue if such a thing would work on an alien, but he also wasn’t willing to give up. He had heard that CPR no longer involved the mouth, but he was old school and he figured it wouldn’t hurt. After pumping her chest, he began to breathe in her mouth again.

Xara was making movements like she wanted to stop him, but couldn’t. It was only after the second compression, when he put his lips on her again, that Harmony’s eyes popped open.

“Mmm!” She let out a cry.

Guy’s eyes focused on hers and he was so relieved that he forgot to bring his lips away. It was Xara who finally grabbed him and pulled him off of her. He let out a cry of relief.

“You’re alive.”

Harmony frowned, and then looked down to see her exposed chest. She covered it with the torn remains of her shirt and looked away, her cheeks turning pink.

“Pervert… nya…”

“You weren’t breathing. I was helping!” Guy cried out defensively.

“You mean you weren’t fondling her and kissing her while she was unconscious?” Xara asked.

“What kind of person do you take me for?” Guy snapped back.

“Well…”

“Don’t answer that…”

“Why are you here?” Harmony asked, her usually deadpan expression returning. “And why is she here, nya?”

“I heard that the power relay would knock you out, and I was worried about you, so I came.” Guy declared.

“W-worried…” She repeated. “Well, as you can see, I’m fine. The invasion?”

Guy bit his lip, sharing a look with Xara. Guy had used that reason because the next part would be a bit harder to explain. She was someone who believed in the Galactic Alliance. How could she accept that they wanted her dead?

“The… um… invasion has gone on without a hitch. It was good to see they didn’t just blow up the station.”

“They wouldn’t have done so with Galactic Alliance operatives on board. “Besides, space stations are expensive and difficult to build. Throwing away a resource like this, especially a station so deep outside Galactic Alliance territory, would be a waste. After this, the Galactic Alliance will be able to extend our influence farther than ever before.”

Her voice had just a bit of excitement, but it only made Guy feel even more uneasy. She was truly someone who believed in her government. Guy did not doubt that they would have happily blown up a station with their operatives on it. However, he also believed in money and convenience. Destroying such a valuable station would have been a waste, so it seemed like he didn’t need to worry about them doing such a thing. He still needed to explain all of this to Harmony.

“Harmony, we need to talk.”

“First, we need to connect with whoever is running the boarding party.” Harmony declared, standing up.

With her uniform torn in half exposing her upper half, she struggled to find a way to cover herself. Eventually, she settled for tying her shirt together. This covered her chest like a daisy duke top, exposing her stomach and giving her breasts some nice cleavage. Guy didn’t have a chance to admire it though, as he was trying to keep her from leaving the power relay.

“You’re talking about Commander Dirik? We saw him earlier.”

“He’s with the landing party?” Harmony asked in surprise and then smiled. “This is good. Most commanders remain on their ships, so I didn’t think he’d come himself. However, since he’s here, he’ll know my situation.”

She turned away, but Guy grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Commander Dirik wants you dead!”

“Wh-what?” Harmony blinked, looking genuinely surprised for once.

“There was an informant on the station who confronted the commander. We saw them shoot him down.”

“An informant…” she shook her head. “That’s… fine. If they were a criminal…”

Guy shook his head immediately, trying to stop her from arguing her way out of this. “Look, he said that he wanted you dead too. We heard him.”

Xara nodded in affirmation, but rather than look convinced, Harmony’s expression darkened. “Why should I believe you?”

“Harmony…”

“You… you’re both criminals!”

“Harmony, listen…”

“No! You listen!” She lifted something in her hand, and it was only at that moment Guy realized that she had somehow acquired a gun that had been at her belt and was now pointing it at the two of us. “I finally have the opportunity to return home. I won’t allow you to mess it up.”

“Seriously? After everything?” Guy was more surprised than hurt.

Women were deceptive and dangerous in the best of times. Ferrin was a perfect example of that. At one moment, she seemed like a sweet and innocent girl. The next moment, she was a raving lunatic. Madame Priscilla as well, although it wasn’t much of a secret that she was a bit crazy. However, for some reason, Guy hadn’t expected Harmony to do such a thing.

Harmony looked hesitant for a second, but her resolve quickly formed on her face and she nodded. “Hands up. You’re both under arrest.”

“I helped you.” Guy stated. “You made promises.”

“Yeah? Well, you shouldn’t have trusted me, nya.” Harmony declared coldly. “I said, hands up!”

Xara put her hands up. “Oh, go back and save her, you said. This will be fine… you said.”

“I didn’t see it going this way,” Guy spoke back, raising his own hands.

“I will tell them what you did for the Galactic Alliance. Assuredly, once they learn of your deeds, you can be returned to your planet,” Harmony responded.

“I don’t think it’s going to work that way,” Guy warned.

“Whatever, just get walking!”

Guy and Xara didn’t have any choice but to walk out. He knew Harmony was being ridiculous, but with a literal gun to his back, he could only keep moving. If he tried to overpower her, he didn’t doubt that she’d fire, and one of them would end up getting hurt. The three continued out of the maintenance hallway and back into the main area. As if to insult the ease with which they were able to reach Harmony, they immediately stumbled into a group of soldiers.

It was a group of five men. He couldn’t see what their appearances were, as they all wore black armor which included helmets that covered their heads. They were also holding rifles much larger than the weapon Harmony had. If they attacked, there was little question about which way the battle would lean.

The leader immediately raised his gun, but he didn’t fire. The man looked our group over, noticing that Harmony had her gun up behind us. She was using us as a human shield. Had she been wrong, they would have been shot and she might have had a chance to run. Guy tensed, planning to leap to the side, grabbing Xara with him at any moment. He couldn’t protect Harmony if things went down, and at that exact moment, he wasn’t feeling particularly protective of her.

After having done so much to protect her, he was feeling completely betrayed. Of course, he had originally been planning on betraying her by telling the wedding party of their attack. However, many things happened and it didn’t turn out that way. As far as Harmony knew, he had done everything she asked from beginning to end. If he had the chance, he would pay her back for this. That wasn’t to say he’d kill her, but he’d come up with a way to put her in her place.

“Harmony X0123322.” She declared. “I’ve arrived with prisoners.”

“Harmony… this is the one?” The leader asked, lifting a radio. “We found a cathari… she has two prisoners… I’m sending their signatures now.”

The man held out a baton and waved it over us. A red line crossed over us, and there were three distinct beeps. Harmony acted as if this was normal, but Guy was as tense as he had ever been. As soon as the man raised his gun, everything would go down. Guy reckoned he had only a few split seconds to choose between life and death. If Guy made the wrong move, then they all would die.

Guy watched the man’s trigger finger closely. Time seemed to stretch as he waited for the command to fire.

“Commander Dirik says bring them immediately to him.” A voice responded.

Guy nearly collapsed on the spot. This was not the orders he had been given earlier. He could hear Xara exhale next to him. She had been just as wound up. Maybe he wanted to execute her himself? Something about all of this seemed off. Guy spared a glance at Harmony, who merely cocked her eyebrow as if to tell him, “what now?”. Guy closed his mouth, but he still didn’t trust any of it.

“Where is command right now?”

“They’re in the personal shuttle dock, preparing to depart back to the ship. Escort them there immediately.”

“As you command.”

The man ended the conversation and then made a gesture. “Move.”

Harmony stepped to the side and then gestured with her gun to move Xara and Guy on. She was acting like she was still escorting them, except the other guys had their guns up behind her. So even as she held her gun to their backs, five armed men held their rifles to hers. She was being escorted just like her two prisoners. Was she being intentionally obtuse?

Guy decided that she was beyond help and only proceeded to go where he was lead. They walked for a bit longer, heading back in the direction of the docks, however, instead of going to a seedy area of the station, they ended up traveling a posher route. The floors were carpeted and there was fine art on the walls. They eventually came out into a dock area that resembled more of a first-class airport waiting area than a place for offloading supplies.

As soon as Guy entered the room, several men came from the sides. They popped collars onto Guy’s neck and Xara’s neck. Another went for Harmony, and for the first time she let out a noise, lifting her gun. One of the men snatched the gun and twisted it from her hand, and she was collared immediately.

“What’s the big idea, nya?”

“It’s nothing personal.” A voice caught our attention. “I’m just deciding if you can be trusted.”

The three of us all glanced at the source of the voice. The waiting room had several master windows that gave a clear view of the area outside the station. The cruiser that they came on could be seen in the distance, which the radio had said was their destination. Well, that was assuming they weren’t executed immediately. Commander Dirik was standing in front of that window, his hands behind his back as he looked across the stars.

“Trusted, nya.” Harmony breathed. “I’m loyal to the Galactic Alliance. I brought down the shield and I captured prisoners!”

“Yes.” The cathari man responded, turning around. “The only reason you’re alive right now is because of those prisoners. You’ve done me a great service.”

“Then, what’s the big idea, nya?”

He made a face. “I see you haven’t learned proper speech. Nya? So, unsophisticated.”

Harmony’s face flushed, but she didn’t argue back, instead, lowering her head. He didn’t pay her any mind, instead turning to Xara.

“Xara Dresdon. I’ve already captured your father. She didn’t respond to that. Perhaps, she’ll surrender once she learns we have you?”

“You bastard!” A voice shouted, and a man being held by three others tried to step forward.

The collar around his neck turned red, and he let out a cry as he collapsed to the ground, his body shaking like he was being electrocuted.

“Father!” Xara cried out.

She took a step forward, only for her collar to also turn red. She collapsed with a cry as well, but hers only lasted a moment, leaving her gasping for breath. When Dresdon finally recovered, he looked up, but not at Xara or Dirik. His eyes fell on me.

“Useless! You were supposed to get her on the prison ship!”

Guy winced. “I trusted the wrong pussy.”

Harmony shifted behind him but didn’t say anything.

Commander Dirik laughed. “Oh, yes, the prison ship. They’re still waiting for a lost crew member. They’re not going to be able to hold much longer. I wonder if that woman will still flee knowing her sister is caught now.”

“S-sister?” Xara frowned. “What are you talking about? My sister is in jail!”

Her eyes looked at Dresdon, who glanced away. Commander Dirik let out a laugh.

“Why do you think I’m here? Of course, taking this station is an achievement, but nothing close to apprehending the leader of the great rebellion. We figured it was only a matter of time before she’d return to family, so we took the opportunity to set this trap for her.” Dirik lifted some kind of transceiver and clicked a button. “Broadcast on all frequencies. Prisoner #B-055. I have your father and your sister with me. Surrender now, or I will execute them both. You have a minute to give your answer.”

He clicked it again, a small grin on his face. After thirty seconds, the radio blasted back.

“Commander!”

“Is she surrendering?” He asked smugly.

“We need help! Oh, my ga-” There was an explosion, much more powerful than any of the attacks from before.

Everyone was thrown to the ground as the station rumbled. A few moments later, the window looking out revealed the prison ship. Guy had only seen it once from the outside, but it was unmistakable. They had managed to launch and were now on a course fleeing the station. The girls had made it after all. Guy let out a small sigh of relief. He might end up dead or imprisoned, but at least he didn’t cause them to get captured.

“That bitch!” Commander Dirik screamed. “Catch them! Catch them.”

“Sir, we can’t! They destroyed all the docks. We can’t launch any ships until the debris is cleared.”

They had apparently to set off some kind of explosion, taking out the docks in the process. The Galactic Alliance had used the docks to quickly board and take over the station, but it was that same fact that was used to trap them on the station.

Commander Dirik’s expression darkened, and his eyes ended up falling on Xara, who was still on her knees. “Fine… she gave her answer. Then I’ll give my response.”

“You better not touch her!” Dresdon shouted, the collar going off causing him to convulse on the floor.

It seemed to trigger when someone had a rebellious thought. As Guy was thinking this, he was shoved down next to Xara as Dirik made a gesture.

“Girl, you wish to prove your worth? Fine. Kill these two immediately.” He made another gesture, and one of the men handed Harmony a rifle.

“Wh-what?”

“Did I nya?” He snapped. “Execute these criminals.”

“Ah…s-sir…” Harmony’s face became pale. “I have no problem executing the girl. However, this guy helped me escape. He also helped me bring down the shield. He’s not completely useless. We can allow him to live.”

Commander Dirik sneered, and then lifted some kind of device in his palm. To Guy’s surprise, a holographic image appeared. It was an image of him. Specifically, it was him shooting at the bugs, killing them all. The image showed him gunning a few, and then it quickly changed to a profile picture. There was text scrolling up and down it that he couldn’t read. Harmony’s mouth fell open.

“This creature is a mass murderer. He’s a criminal of the Galactic Alliance, the same as any of them. He was originally coded as believed deceased, but his body wasn’t recovered. It wasn’t until you brought him to us and his signature was scanned that it was determined he was still alive. He’s considered extremely dangerous, execute on sight.”

“G-Guy…” She looked down at me, shaking her head like she couldn’t believe it. “How could you?”

“They tried to hurt who I cared about,” I responded simply. “If anyone tried to hurt my friends, I would act in kind.”

“Enough of this.” Commander Dirik waved his hand. “You’re a soldier. You shouldn’t have even needed such an explanation. This is an order, and also your last chance. Eliminate the targets.”

“D-don’t… bastard!” Dresdon spat through clenched teeth, his body still shaking.

Harmony lifted the gun. It was the end of the line.