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Part 3

Harper froze for a moment, and then stretched his back to remove a kink. He had been hunched over several different parts for a couple of hours and his sore body was beginning to protest. Doyle had finally left him alone, having fussed over his injuries for an age, to go and retrieve more of the repairs he needed to do and it had given him some peace and quiet that all too soon was destroyed again.

"Harper."

Harper immediately kicked the stool back and stood up, turning around abruptly.

"Marika!" he exclaimed with semi-joy. "Been so long, I almost forgot what you looked like."

"Cut the crap, are you done yet?" Marika asked, moving forward and into Harper's personal space.

"Not quite, it's taken me a little longer than I first thought, I needed to rest," Harper quickly explained. "My chest is playing up again, but no need to worry, it's clear for the most part now, got some of that fresh oxygen works a treat," he added, patting the area as if it further explain his words.

"Shut up, I'm tired of your voice and excuses," Marika ordered, looking past him towards his work.

"Shutting up," Harper was quick to accept, as Marika now moved past him to examine his work more closely.

"You've barely started!" she exclaimed.

"Now don't be silly, not that I'm suggesting you are but what you see as barely started, I see as half way through almost completed, and I'm the one who knows what he's doing so let me be and everything will be fixed on time," Harper stressed, trying to usher her away.

"You have four hours, I'm not taking any more crap from you Harper, not after your idiotic plans almost destroyed me and everything I have worked for, Gogol was the last straw, Harper, no more games, you hear me?" Marika demanded, and Harper nodded his head without comment, avoiding eye contact.

Harper then saw his cue to continue work, even with Marika still standing close and he focused on the part he was working on before she had arrived. His hands were shaking, and her close proximity was making it hard for Harper to concentrate. Moments later he tensed up and grimaced as Marika's hand came to rest heavily on his back, and his breathing instinctively quickened.

"Don't let me down," Marika hissed in his ear.

"Not planning to babe," Harper returned with a strained voice, between breaths.

Her hand continued to aggravate his back, causing him discomfort but Harper did nothing to stop her. Her slightly taller frame stood over him, making him feel nervous suddenly as she put her other hand on top of his.

"Don't ever forget who's in charge," Marika stated firmly. "And don't expect that trash you hang around with to protect you," she sneered. "Look up, Harper."

Harper tentatively looked up and saw Doyle was there, having returned, but flanked by four of Marika's men, with weapons raised she dared not move to help her friend.

"You've changed things to be like this Harper, with your ridiculous attempts to continue to undermine me," Marika said with authority. "You betray me one more time and I will hand you over and claim the reward that's on your head, you are not beyond being replaced."

"You're wrong," Harper found some strength by looking at Doyle, and then found his hair being grabbed from behind.

"I'm never wrong."

Harper yelped as Marika pushed him hard, causing more pain to his back as he fell forward onto the worktop, scattering the parts he'd been working on. With a smirk that Harper missed, Marika left the room gesturing to her guards to leave with her and Doyle was left to stand alone.

"Freaking bitch from hell!" Harper spat once Marika had left, now seeing his work scattered across the table and seeing some had fallen to the floor.

Doyle had hurried over and was already picking up the stray bits from the floor, and she put them on the desk for Harper, who was rapidly trying to compose himself.

"She's real mad at you," Doyle observed.

"Newsflash," Harper angrily returned.

"What did she do to you?" Doyle then asked.

"The same that any low life scum likes to do to me, sign their names across my back," Harper stressed with petulance, and he moved away. "I can't get that work done in four hours, its impossible!" he panicked now, swiftly changing the subject.

"Harper, we'll do as much as we can, least then she can see we've made the effort," Doyle suggested, but Harper was already shaking his head.

"Won't be good enough, Doyle, you heard her, she's ready to hand me over, I've freaking blown it!" Harper spoke with fear and anger. "I'm worth more as a reward than as a scientist," he added, and looked ready to lash out at something, but as he was about to swing to strike an object he pulled up and gasped in pain.

"Harper?" Doyle was by his side in seconds.

"Ow," Harper winced, and now looked nothing short of pathetic as his emotions caught up with him. "Damn back, why do they keep doing that to me?"

"Doing what?" Doyle asked.

"Hitting it, striking it, you name it, right across my back," Harper complained with more composure, or resignation now. "I really hate torture," he sighed.

"Let me see," Doyle requested.

"And why do people always want to see, man, you're just like Beka, you know that?" Harper snapped and moved away.

"Beka?" Doyle felt offended.

"I mean, the Beka I used to know, the one who gave a damn," Harper quickly corrected, now some distance away and looking ready to get back to work. Harper then stopped and saw Doyle still didn't understand, looking a little insulted. "There were these two times we were both on supply runs, Beka and I, and there was this guy, Tyrone, who crossed our paths and to cut two long stories short, both times he hurt me the same," he hesitated. "Let's just say he hurt me till my back was nothing more than shreds, ok? The guy got a strange kick out of it," Harper finished looking uncomfortable as he returned to his work and unable to look at Doyle.

"Where was Beka when he did this to you?"

"The first time, she was forced to leave the ship and the second time was locked up in another part of the ship," Harper remembered now, with distraction as he examined a piece of circuitry closely. "She couldn't have prevented it," he added quietly.

Doyle closed the space between them. "I'm afraid, Harper."

"Don't be," Harper answered.

"I don't know what I'll do if anything happens," Doyle frowned.

"You'll be ok, so don't get all silly on me, Doyle, please?" Harper requested with a sigh, then stopped his work. "We could maybe run?"

Doyle considered his idea and then shook her head. "She's probably already tipped them off that you might," she sighed, the Tech Police and Marika had a very good working relationship that had always kept Harper in his place, Marika had protected him from them for three years and she wouldn't hesitate to ensure that good relations with the authorities continued by handing them Harper the moment he stepped out of line.

"I'm going to see Marika, I have to try and talk my way around her again, this is ridiculous," Harper decided.

"No, Harper," Doyle grabbed hold of his arm.

"What choice do I have?"

"Marika wants that, Harper, she wants you to beg her to forgive you so you agree to more dangerous things, and give her more control," Doyle stressed.

Harper's expression showed that he was already fully aware of that. "What choice do I have?" he repeated.

Doyle glanced down and saw the bandages around Harper's wrists that partly answered his question, before she looked him in the eye. "Maybe things won't be so bad if the Tech Police capture you?" she suggested. "They can only imprison you, and they can't hurt you as bad as she does, surely?"

"You want to run?" Harper checked, a smile creeping across his face.

Just as Harper was accepting that Doyle had made a decision, he spun around knowing that two of the creatures that acted as Marika's army were stood at the door. There appearance meant only one thing, Marika wanted to see Harper.

"Don't go, Harper," Doyle had fear in her voice.

"I'll just go see what she wants," Harper suggested.

"She knows," Doyle glanced around the room. "This workshop must be bugged, we should stick together."

"Then we'll both go," Harper stated and waiting for Doyle to step alongside him they walked to the guards.

The guards immediately put a hand out to stop Doyle, and grabbed Harper, shoving him forward.

"Hey!" Doyle argued, as she was prevented from leaving the workshop.

"Must only be me she wants to see," Harper called back, whilst being forced to walk by one of the guards who had clamped his hand on Harper's shoulder.

Doyle backed away so the guard left to follow his friend, who still manhandled Harper. Feeling frustrated, Doyle turned and wished she had the strength and power to help her friend. Now that she considered it, she did feel a presence in the room and within seconds she had found the tiny listening device in one of the parts she had only just brought into the lab when she had picked up the parts to be repaired. Cursing herself, Doyle knew she could do more, but she didn't know how even though more and more she began to believe that she could take them all on, and get Harper out of there if she truly wanted.

The Maru rocked and an explosion of sparks covered the cockpit as Beka expertly steered the Maru over low ground, being chased by a series of smaller land craft.

"This is a crazy plan, Beka," Rhade called out over the noise. "But I think it's going to work!"

"That's the plan!" Beka enthused as she focused on flying her ship. "Now for the big finish!" she smiled as she pulled the craft up and slowed rapidly down. Below the Maru the pursuing land craft quickly became the pursued as Beka dipped back down. "Fire on targets!"

Rhade complied, taking out the last remaining craft and both occupants of the Maru cheered emphatically at their success.

"We did it!" Beka then spoke with joy.

"Beka, this is Dylan, the tech police have just announced their surrender and disbandment, ground crew success, how about you guys?" Dylan asked, his voice carrying the air of achievement.

"All clear, destroyed," Beka returned, glancing at Rhade with a smile.

"Meet at the bar, celebrations are already in full swing," Dylan signed off.

"I've been here nine months and never realised such a simple act as turning renegade on authorities could achieve so much for the mood of the place," Rhade remarked.

"We all needed this," Beka agreed. "Strike one for the good guys."

"Why did you do this?" Rhade then asked.

"I just thought the ban on tech would hinder us, and our attempts to leave, why chance it?" Beka answered defensively, as she steered the Maru towards the celebrations in town.

"Did you do it for Harper?"

"Harper?" Beka asked. "No."

"You sure?"

"Rhade, what is your point?" Beka returned tiredly, as she landed the Maru. "Yeah, so it could benefit Harper but I'm thinking long term, maybe you should try it once you can get past thinking of your next drink," Beka stated as she unfastened the harness securing her to the pilot's chair and left to join the celebrations.

Doyle had heard the explosions and noise and headed directly to Marika's offices. She no longer cared for her own safety, things were going down, and she sensed it was bad so she was going to get Harper out of there; it was like a natural instinct for her to want Harper safe.

Storming into the cavern of the caves that Marika called her own, Doyle was surprised to see mayhem around her. Finally she spotted Marika and she moved to confront her.

"Where's Harper!"

Marika turned, and her confusion was clear. "I assumed he was with you."

"You sent two of your army to bring him to you," Doyle reminded her.

"Last time I saw him was when I was pushing him into his desk," Marika responded. "I wanted those repairs finished so why would I have ordered him to come see me so soon?" she glanced at the time. "He still has a couple of hours to go before deadline."

"He's been gone for nearly an hour!" Doyle stressed angrily, not convinced by Marika's words. "So where is he?"

"Right now I have more important things to worry about," Marika returned. "Those friends of Harper's have rallied the people to overthrow the tech police."

"That would be good, right?" Doyle checked, unsure.

"On Seefra One, maybe, but I have it on good authority that those who remain, and haven't surrendered are on their way here to expose us, and try and win back some of their authority and respect," Marika had genuine fear in her voice and they all looked around when another explosion rocked the foundations. "In fact I think they are already here."

"We have to find Harper, if they find him first it could undermine everything," Doyle warned, and was surprised to have Marika's support as she gestured to Doyle to move.

"Let's go talk to the guards," Marika stated. "As much as you can talk to creatures who can only listen," she added with haste.

TBC