Part 22

'Hey sleepy,' Beka fondly smiled as Harper slowly woke up, and blinked his eyes for a moment to gather his senses.

'Man, what was I drinking this time?' Harper asked as he squinted, shielding his eyes to the light of the room.

'A lethal combination of prescription drugs mixed with the Bantra plant toxins, I was told it gave you quite a kick, you scared us for a while,' Beka stated softly.

'That explains the floaty head,' Harper frowned and then looked at Beka. 'Bantra plant? Where am I?'

'Just concentrate on getting better,' Beka requested.

'No seriously, where am I?' Harper asked.

'In a field hospital, where you last were,' Beka half smiled but Harper still looked confused so with a frown she added more. 'Edenia?' She prompted a little unsure.

'Edenia?' Harper checked. 'How'd I end up back here?'

Beka sat up and checked Harper wasn't joking. 'What do you mean?'

'I thought,' Harper then paused mid-sentence and sighed. 'I was at the reunion, right? I must have made it, that's why you're here now. I did leave this place, right? What happened? Why don't I remember anything?' Harper frantically spoke as he pushed himself up to a sitting position.

'Harper, stay lying down,' Beka quickly encouraged.

'No, tell me what's going on, why are we here and why is this hospital here? What happened to me, I need to know!' Harper gestured around him.

'Just relax for a moment and let me think,' Beka requested. 'Do you remember the Andromeda?'

'Of course I do, I'm not dumb, five years is a long time to forget, don't you think?' Harper responded with annoyance and frustration. 'Why are you even asking that?'

'Your memories have chosen the worst time to return,' Beka sighed deeply, and let her head drop before she took a breath and faced him again. 'Look, Harper, you had an accident at the reunion, or rather a run in and you got hurt, received a blow to the head that caused you to lose your memories,' Beka explained.

'Crap, she did it, and they found me,' Harper whispered. 'I knew there was a chance, I knew it was a risk, but how'd they do it? She was supposed to protect me, we had a deal, I must have messed up again,' he stressed more to himself.

'Who found you?' Beka wanted to check.

'The Dragans, who else,' Harper spat. 'How did they find me?'

'Doyle,' Beka said.

'Man!' Harper snapped. 'Assholes, they made me do that, well she did, you know?' Harper explained, without explaining, with anger lacing his words. 'Made me, no, scrub that. They forced me to reprogram my own fricking masterpiece to betray me, to work against me.'

'Hang on a second, you did that to Doyle?' Beka checked.

'Yeah, kinda, well it might as well of been,' Harper brushed his hand through his hair. 'Made me explain to every last detail how to reprogram her, not that I put up much of a fight, I mean I couldn't,' he stressed with quickened breaths.

'Harper, what the hell is going on?' Beka asked. 'And who was supposed to protect you, was Doyle supposed to?' Beka added with confusion.

Harper didn't speak immediately, looking troubled and weaker by the second he couldn't look Beka in the eye as he spoke. 'No, not Doyle, she was innocent and I abused her trust,' he sighed heavily. 'Bottom line is they broke me, the Dragans finally got what they wanted from me, I couldn't fight them anymore,' he admitted before resting his forehead on his knees. 'Beka, I've messed up so bad I don't even want you to try and fix this, it can't be fixed, this is all my fault isn't it?'

'Harper, we're here, we are trying to help and no one is blaming you.'

'Don't help me, just help the Edenians please, try and make this better for them,' he pleaded. 'I brought this war to them, I tried to stop it but I just dug a deeper hole, got in with the wrong people in trying to fix the mess I started, got into a worse mess,' he sighed heavily. 'I'm right in thinking the Drago Kasov are here, they are taking control of Edenia, right?' Harper asked.

'Yeah, and the Commonwealth are here to try and stop them,' Beka confirmed.

'Good I guess, but don't help me, please, I don't deserve it,' Harper stressed. 'I got myself into this mess and I've got to take the fall for it, I thought I could fix things but I just made things worse haven't I?'

'To be honest, I don't know, Harper, I don't even know exactly what you're talking about or what you did when you were down here, we're hearing things, rumours, accusations, but you only had vague memories at best, Harper, we just don't know the exact mess you're in,' Beka admitted. 'All we do know is you're not well, and we are doing all we can to help and protect you,' she confirmed.

'Well stop, trust me Beka, I'm beyond help, don't waste any more time on me, just try and fix the mess I created here on Edenia,' Harper stressed with passion.

'Harper, it's more complicated than that,' Beka stated.

'No, it's not, it really isn't, Beka,' Harper looked at his friend. 'I know what I have to do, I have to finish what I started and I have to do it alone,' he stated firmly. 'I betrayed them and I don't deserve anything less, all I can do is try to help them but I can't see how if the Dragans are already here,' Harper stressed with sadness and then he tensed up, holding himself.

'Harper?' Beka stood up with concern.

'I need my medicine,' Harper gasped.

'No, no you don't,' Beka stressed.

'I need it,' Harper stressed. 'It's not an option, you don't understand.'

'Harper, listen to me, you are not giving up and you are not going to take the fall for just one mistake,' Beka stressed. 'I do understand about the medicine, I understand it completely and you do not need it, you just think you do because Asa has made it that way!'

'You really don't understand,' Harper complained as he held himself tightly, struggling with the need. 'This isn't just a mistake I didn't account for, I knew what I was doing from the first instance, I knew full well about what the consequences would be if I failed but I did it anyway!'

'And you were drunk a lot of the time too, Harper, that's hardly of sound mind,' Beka remembered.

'No excuse,' Harper responded. 'I was still sober enough to what I was doing was wrong, I only turned to drink after I'd taken the first few steps, Beka, I just didn't fight, I just broke, and I still hear myself telling them all they wanted to know just to save my own worthless skin, it's pathetic,' Harper then looked up at Beka. 'I've been real dumb, Beka, mess up like you probably always feared I would, admit it, you knew I would do this one day, it's been your biggest fear,' he frowned sadly. 'You just don't know how badly I've messed up this time, you don't know the half of it,' Harper looked genuinely lost as he looked away.

'Look, let me get Dylan, now you have your memories back I know we both have a lot of questions that might make this fight easier,' Beka stated as she moved to the door.

'Beka,' Harper called after her. 'Sorry.'

'Don't Harper,' Beka returned.

'I went away to make things easier for you, when I knew I was in too deep, not to drag you down with me,' Harper offered sadly. 'Its all coming back to me now, the past few weeks, I shouldn't have brought you back here, I shouldn't have been such a fricking idiot!'

'Harper, listen to me,' Beka stood by the doorway. 'I'm here because I want to be here, I want to help and I don't care what you're punishing yourself for, I'm not giving up on you that easily.'

'You're here because I trapped you here, Beka, I was the one who raised the shield so no one could leave, I was weak and stupid, you can't make excuses for me this time Beka, I messed up and I deserve what's coming to me,' Harper stated firmly, his emotions rising.

'And what is that exactly?' Beka questioned.

Harper frowned. 'I'd rather Asa be the one to end it, but really do I have a say, seems I'm fair game for anyone at the moment.'

'No one is going to kill you for this, Harper, I won't let them,' Beka stressed but only saw Harper half smile in response. 'I mean it, Seamus, if you die for this, I'll never forgive myself, you made a mistake and I've heard enough to know you've tried to correct it and I want to help you, don't give up on me,' she added defiantly, staring at Harper until he looked away and then she quickly left to get a message to Dylan.

Harper sat back on the cot and looked upwards, his head felt like a jumbled mess but he was glad he could finally remember things again, recalling his frustrations at not being able to remember his past and relying on his gut. With a churning gut he recalled defying Asa and he knew he would pay for that, the look on Asa's face had said it all and the back hand that followed was not a surprise. Harper brought his hands up to his face and tried to relax, but deep down he knew his time was coming, especially now he couldn't hide behind the memory loss, he had to finally stand up and be counted for what he had become, a traitor and a coward.

Harper looked up as he heard the sounds of a scuffle outside, he quickly detached himself from the monitors and got to his feet, needing to steady himself before he could move. The door opened and four of Asa's guards walked in.

'I'm ready to go now,' Harper simply said, but they still roughly grabbed hold of him, pushing him face down on the cot to secure his wrists behind his back.

'What is going on?' the doctor demanded rushing into the room.

'I'm being transferred,' Harper shrugged when the guards didn't answer.

'Harper, this isn't for the best,' the doctor warned. 'If this was above board then Commonwealth soldiers wouldn't be passed out on the floor outside, Harper stay here, stay with us, you're Commonwealth.'

'I was, and I can't,' Harper simply said.

'At least let me check you are fit enough to be moved,' the doctor asked.

'He's just buying time, guys, if you want to get me out of here you should hurry before the back up arrives,' Harper advised and found himself roughly hauled away.

'Harper!' the doctor called, but knew it was a hopeless cause.

Beka ran, not caring for her own safety as she blindly ran through the streets until she saw a clutch of guards, and then her friend between them.

'Harper!' Beka cried out, and she saw Harper instinctively turn before being hurried along. 'Harper!' she called again as she got closer.

As she got nearer she saw some of the local Edenians pick up stuff from the ground and hurl it at her friend in anger, and Beka could only watch as rocks and rotten food hit Harper and the guards did little to protect him.

'Stop this!' Beka yelled at the locals but they just laughed at her, and she heard curse words aimed at her, she was an outsider as well and soon she felt objects flying past her as she finally caught up with the guards dragging Harper towards the palace.

'Alien, move on,' the lead guard warned.

'Where are you taking him?' Beka asked, glancing around hoping to see some of the back up she'd requested arriving but there was no sign.

'The palace where he belongs,' the guard answered undeterred.

'Harper, fight this, you can't give yourself up to Asa, he's using you!' Beka stressed.

'Beka, let me go,' Harper simply requested. 'Remember what I said.'

Beka rushed forward and physically grabbed hold of Harper, managing for a few moments to struggle against the guards. 'Harper, we'll never see you again if you go inside that palace, you know that right?' she stressed with concern. 'Remember what I said and keep remembering!' she stressed with force.

'I got to accept this, Beka,' Harper stressed, his emotions threatening. 'Asa will look after me, he won't make me suffer.'

'Don't speak like that Harper, please, I need you,' Beka pleaded, as she physically pushed Harper in her hold hoping to shake some sense into him. 'This isn't what you deserve, not by a long shot, fight this!'

'This is exactly what I deserve, Beka!' Harper yelled back at her, stunning her for a moment with his conviction. 'I did this because of Earth, because I stopped caring, I just stopped giving a damn, so this is my fault and I deserve to pay the price for being an idiot, for not realising Earth was never that important anyway!'

'Harper,' Beka could only speak as she saw the defeat in his eyes. 'All we've done is try to help you through the pain of Earth; we were always there for you.'

'I was blind,' Harper simply said. 'All I kept seeing was my home exploding before my eyes and nothing else mattered, until it was too late,' Harper glanced away for a moment. 'I'm sorry, but I did this, and I betrayed everyone who ever meant anything to me, Beka, just promise me one thing, find Trance and tell her I'm sorry.'

'Trance?' Beka questioned.

'Our Trance, my Trance, tell her I'm sorry but don't let her ever forgive me,' Harper stressed.

Beka was finally torn away from Harper and she saw the regret in his eyes as they teared up, but the guards pushed him forward and he duly got back into step. 'Harper!' Beka yelled one last time and then saw a troop of Commonwealth soldiers arrive and block the path of the guards.

'Release him!' Rhade demanded as he stepped forward. 'We are allies and this in direct conflict with our agreed alliance.

'You will step aside and let us continue,' the guard spoke up.

'I don't think so,' Rhade cockily returned, but as he gestured to his men to move in he heard the sound of weapons and looked around to see they were surrounded by Asa's guards. Beka glanced at Rhade with surprise and then realised they were outnumbered and outflanked.

'Step aside, or we'll open fire,' the guard half smiled.

'This could seriously jeopardise our allegiance, think about what you are doing,' Rhade offered his surrender as he spoke, then gestured to his men to stand aside.

'Things are going to change around here,' the guard simply announced.

'Harper,' Rhade spoke up and noticed Harper kept his eyes to the ground. 'For goodness sake, Harper, fight this, don't just walk into certain death!'

Harper glanced up at Rhade, making eye contact. 'Look after Beka for me,' he simply said before he was pushed forward and the team walked through the gates of the palace.

'What did he say?' Beka asked as she hurried over.

'Nothing important, I can't believe he's just walked in there, under his own steam,' Rhade fumed. 'Always knew he was an idiot underneath it all,' he seethed.

'Rhade,' Beka then spoke up. 'What's odd about this picture?' she gestured to the palace guards still observing them from their positions.

Rhade narrowed his eyes. 'The fact they are suddenly armed?'

'Those are Dragan weapons,' Beka said with some fear in her voice.

'Asa's dumb, but he's not stupid,' Rhade offered. 'Is he?' he checked.

'We did get him pretty angry,' Beka conceded.

'Enough to jump sides? It was just over Harper, it wasn't like we killed his first born or anything!' Rhade fumed. 'Was it really enough to do any kind of business with the Dragans?' Rhade questioned. 'We need to find Dylan, this is not looking good.'

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TBC