"No, I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes going blank.

He inhaled.

Tasting the stale air in the tent, the stink of human sweat reminded Red of the Helion 7 prison complex. It was the smell of fear, adrenaline coursing through the body causing a reaction he was built to sense and react to. It was also the first indication that shit was about to go down.

The other indication was simply they'd removed Ember from the equation, and the panic he felt from her loss spurred on a sudden need to get her back at any cost.

He waited tensed, his body like a coiled spring, they waited, there wasn't fear now. Only the sureness that they had the upper hand. Some part of him knew that this wasn't what Ember would have wanted, another part of him said she could be a little more selfish every once in a while.

The path he needed to take to take down as many guards in the faster manner he could was laid out in front of him in nanoseconds. All he had to do was act. The FADR blew through his system giving a boost far superior to any normal adrenaline rush would have. His vision was tinged with red, he'd forgotten about that. The training academy had nicknamed FADR "berserker juice" for good reason.

Red inhaled again, energy surged through every fiber in that one breath.

Time slowed around him and for a few moments, everyone else seemed to move in slow motion.

Red's open palm was crunching through the first guard's nose faster than he could raise his gun. Blood, bone, and spittle flew across the room, splattering Andrea, who was slowly turning her head in surprise, opening her mouth in protest, as he moved past her.

Red didn't have to see the guard to know he wasn't going to get up again. The man never knew what hit him.

Red felt a brief moment of amusement as the other guard's gun slowly tipped up in his direction. Part of him wanted to let him get there, have some hope before he crushed it. That part struggled to claw its way outside of him and make these people suffer.

The barrel swung violently up towards the ceiling as Red snapped it back up with his palm, a hole forming in the tent when the trigger was pulled. He followed through his elbow popped into the man's lower jaw, dislocating it as Red spun into him, dropping the second man, simultaneously covering himself with blood. He watched as the man dropped to the floor his arms of their own accord tossing the long-barreled plasma rifle up into the air and Red stepped into it as if he'd just been handed his first hunting rifle from the adoring father he'd never had.

Dropping to his knee he spun towards the third guard lifting the barrel into his line of sight. The remaining guard already had his gun pointed at Red and he was slowly bearing down on the trigger. Red leaned to the left slightly as he watched the finger pull the trigger back. He felt the stinging singe into his skin as the plasma burst traveling at over 1500 meters per second left a red line across his upper arm.

He didn't even flinch, instead, his eyes flicked at Andrea who was just now starting to grasp what was happening around her, her jaw hanging open, two hands slowly going to cover her gaping mouth. Before she could give any kind of order Red pulled the trigger, feeling the burst as the rifle pushed back against his shoulder and watching as a small red hole opened up into the man's forehead and red gore splattered out of the back. The burst would have burned out half of his brain before he hit the ground. The guard dropped without a sound.

Red exhaled.

Dag was already free, the surprise in the room was palpable as the rest of the "guards" froze. The false adrenaline rush Red was feeling would wear off soon, but it would last long enough for his purposes. He hadn't used the systems inside of him in years. There had been no need after his first few months in Helion. No one messed with him anymore. He felt like he could burst as he snatched the governor from her cushion in one fluid motion hugging her none too gently to his chest. Her hand grasped his arm as she tried pulling away, but he was like iron, not caring if she was hurt, and past the point of decency. He pointed the gun at the last guard standing. Andrea finally let out a scream she'd been building up. The world sped up again.

Dag had knocked one of her guards unconscious and the other he had hoisted in the air off his feet with his augmented arm. Red had a bead on the remaining guard before he heard Dag yelling at him. It sounded like he was far away.

"Stop!" The guard froze, and Red froze, unsure if he was yelling at him or the men. His mental momentum was momentarily broken. He still felt giddy but that would wear off soon too. Other systems would take over and return him to normal clearing his systems so that the fight wouldn't leave him completely worn out and vulnerable. He gasped breathing hard. The red tinge went away, his gun still aimed at the last guard. Red slowed his breathing back to normal trying to get himself under control. 

The truth was, he very badly wanted to pull the trigger.

He wanted to hurt someone or something for the years taken away. And now that they were out, here was someone telling them they were taking over? He struggled for control over the swell of emotions that burst forth.

Don't take it with you. Ember's small voice penetrated the haze and he looked down. Killing the governor of New Caledonia wouldn't get those years back.

"Red," Dag's voice broke in. He looked over at his friend, who held a man up in the air against the wall. "If you kill her, we probably won't get off this rock alive."

Red nodded. It was an excuse he could live with. It pushed back any protests he still had over just slaughtering every person in this tent.

Besides, he and Dag might have better augs, but they weren't immune to bullets. They still had two boys on the ship in stasis to worry about. He shoved Andrea away from him, stepping back to stand next to Dag as she stumbled to her knees.

Any semblance she had of control was gone. She looked up at him from her knees, eyes red and cheeks streaked with tears, her white hair suddenly adrift over her shoulders, eyes opened wide.

Her reaction made Red laugh on the inside even as he held her gaze with a placid expression. He heard Lars's voice inside his head for a moment. Everyone assumes they know what you are capable of by how you look. It's always their biggest mistake. I mean I look like a garbage can and yet here I am a 2nd on The Aphelion, discussing philosophy and religion with my Captain... The AI's voice faded as Red blinked away the memory.

Lars was right, in a way. The settlers had seriously underestimated them from the get go. The last guard had wet himself, trembling where he stood, a darkening stain spreading out in front of his pants his hands raised in surrender.

"Go outside, Patrick." Andrea's voice shook as she spoke to her last remaining guard. "Bring back the Vesper."

Beside him, Dag slowly lowered the other guard. He was little more than a teenager, barely coming into manhood. Red noted his shaking limbs and dismissed him. He collapsed to the floor as he stared as his governor laid low.

The guard who pissed himself started to leave when Red grabbed his arm. He let out a gasp as Red dragged him back looking him in the eye, ignoring the fresh stink of urine coming off the man in waves. "If she dies, I will come for you first. Nod if you understand."

The man gave several nods and Red released him watching as he fled through the flaps.

He turned to Andrea, the old woman was shaken but she was a true leader, gathering herself back together. Any other time he would have admired this characteristic Today he was just trying not to get them killed.

"Ember comes with us. Alive." Red paused realizing he should probably send her a message. Damn, I really am rusty.

Ember you need to get out and give us a hand. This kind of show requires a bit of muscle or capability...I'm not as armed as you are.

Seriously?

Move your ass!

"Military," Andrea confirmed. "I thought so, I was not sure how much of the truth you were telling. Your visible augs should have more than confirmed it for me. But anyone could have gotten them on the black market after the purge."

"You seriously didn't think I was in prison just for my augmented junk, did you?" It was out before Red could stop himself.

Dag snickered from his right and then had the decency to look horrified. Red tightened his grip on the gun, frowning. Andrea's eyes widened for a moment. Red couldn't help it. The number of those imprisoned for that reason alone was enough fodder for crude jokes for generations. The sex industry was probably one of the few industries alone that kept up technologically with weapons development.

"Red," Dag's voice brought him back. "Be easy, these are simple people. Not fighters. Survivors, just like us."

"I didn't want to do this." He sighed. Inwardly he knew that was a lie. He wanted to lash out at something. Anything would do. He'd just killed three people in one breath. And still...

There was an echo in his mind when he had brought Ember out to the prison yard in his arms. I don't want to do this. Whispered words over Ember, over a plan that he helped put in motion. He started to feel sick, but he wasn't sure why. Ember, hurry up.

"But you did," Andrea said. She glanced at the men around her. Leadership was a heavy responsibility. She felt it, it made her look even older and frailer than she was currently. It was something to be admired, except for the fact that she'd put a death sentence on one of his...

He stopped. One of his what? Crew? What was Ember to him? She saved his life, bartering hers in the process and he wasn't about to let her die for it. He owed her.

"The point is," Red continued, "Ember got us out. I promised her when I was lugging her over my shoulder that I'd get her to New Elysium." His voice dropped to a whisper, just so that Andrea was the only one that could hear him. "Ember's brother founded New Elysium. I've met him. You don't want to go there and tell him just as we were escaping you sentenced her to death?"

Andrea's eyes widened. The blood drained from her face. "That means..."

Red grabbed her shirt, dragging the old woman to his face so close they were nose to nose. In the past, he would never have treated anyone this way let alone an old woman. But now...

"Don't." Red's voice was cold. "Don't give me a reason to shoot someone else today." His eyes narrowed as she took him in.

"But—"

"Or do give me a reason to shoot someone else today." His eyes narrowed as she took him in. He didn't need anyone else talking about where Ember came from.

He stepped back holding his hands up just as Ember stepped into the tent. Her timing suggested she'd escaped on her own. So did her filthy appearance.

She halted at the sight of him and stared. "Red, there's blood---! What happened?"

Without thinking he walked forward and reached out, he felt a surprisingly strong urge to pull her into an embrace. Reality set in and he hesitated his fingers brushing her sleeve before he yanked his hand back.

You ok?"

She nodded, she was filthy, covered in dirt from her face to her shoes. Her skin looked ashen in some places covered in dust. He noted the faint smell of char in the air.

"You shocked someone?" Red felt one moment of disbelief.

"Yeah, well you made it sound like an emergency." She looked around the tent, noting the four downed guards, and the fifth just sitting on the ground. "What happened?"

"Red happened." Dag leaned in, he wiped the sweat off of his forehead. Red had almost forgotten he was there when Ember walked in. When Red looked at him he was crossing himself as he stared at the bodies on the floor. It wasn't the first time they'd seen dead bodies together either.

He assessed Dag from head to toe. He had a scratch on his chest from a fingernail but nothing serious. Dag towered over him.

"Now what? We can't just waltz out of here."

"I need to be reconnected soon." Ember looked at Red as she spoke, completely ignoring Andrea who was still sitting on her knees observing the trio. Outside the tent, a crowd was gathering.

"You will be," Andrea spoke from the other side of Red. Her eyes were locked on Ember with an expression that Red couldn't read. He moved in front of Ember, blocking her from the old woman's view.

He understood what she wanted from them even before she voiced it. He also knew that Ember would say yes, even if he didn't want to do it. And he knew he'd go along with it if Ember asked him to because for some god-forsaken reason he melted in her presence.

"Ember, call the ship here. We're taking on passengers."

Andrea nodded at him. Like he hadn't just killed three of her people. He understood the governor's decision even if she hadn't spoken it out loud just yet. It was going to be an uneasy truce.

Ember smiled at him. Even beneath that grime, it was a sunbeam. He hated himself as he felt the corner of his lip turn up before he looked away. 

"It's not that easy." Andrea countered. "I'm going to have to convince them. I doubt all would go."

"Why wouldn't they?" Ember asked, Red focused his attention back on her. Noting she had no scratches, probably hadn't encountered any resistance after she'd shocked the first person.

"They won't want to travel with murderers."

Red lifted an eyebrow. "I take care of my people. That's all." He turned to Ember. "Do you still want to take them?"

Ember hesitated and part of him hoped she would say know even though he knew that wasn't going to happen. This was the second group of people to try and take her life. At least the settlers of New Caledonia wanted to give her a trial first, even if it was biased from the start.

She nodded and Red swore internally even as he nodded back.

Dag clapped a hand on his shoulder. He alone was not fooled by Red's seemingly easy acceptance. "It's the right thing to do."

Red's jaw tightened and he kept the gun in his hand.

Red turned to Andrea and held out a hand pulling the older woman roughly to her feet.

"So, go, convince them."

He sighed closing his eyes. It was something of a victory. "It's the right thing to do, Red."

"I know, I don't have to like though," Red snapped back at Dag. He looked around, blood splattered everywhere. Shit, I really fucking did this.

"Hey, next time, maybe just knock them out?" Red closed his eyes. Dag was his friend and at one point one of the few people holding him together. He wanted to argue but he was mentally too worn out to argue. He should have felt something a bit more victorious but all he felt was tired. He wanted to crawl into his bed on The Ember and sleep for days.

Ember stared at him openly.

"You don't have any injuries?" She said coming closer. He found himself looking away again, his eyes tracing the bullet holes and blood patterns as his mind recreated the scene.

He shook his head as he dared a glance at her and his mind started analyzing everything from her tone to her posture. Voice lowered, shaking hands, this scene bothers her but she's trying not to let it show.

"None of it's his," Dag offered. "Red, I don't want to do another Karnak. You got me?"

"Me either," he said. Karnak station had blown to smithereens with all souls on board lost. He had pushed it out of his mind, still not sure just how they'd managed it. Dag despite his cheery disposition, had not.

The ground began to shake outside as the rumbling of a ship pulling up over the site could be heard. The crowd outside screamed as they panicked running away from the tent.

Andrea stared at him again, her blue eyes piercing through him. That's right old woman. I am a fucking monster. She finally nodded and walked out of the tent. He didn't envy her job, convincing her people to get on their ship. She'd gotten three people killed and Red fully blamed her. He'd warned her what would happen.

But that's not how they would see it.

He'd go plug Ember in and then they'd talk because well...a game plan or something would be nice. She could be a bit more selfish, not just put herself on the line for him repeatedly. When he dared looked over at her she was staring at the dead New Caledonians and his heart sank inside.

Shame washed over him. What if she hated him after this? He closed his eyes.

Why do you care? What the hell are you thinking?