Volume 46 - To Defend the Galaxy

## Chapter 541 - Arrest

"...What do you want with me?" Andromeda demands.

"It is as I said." Ares replies coldly. "You are under arrest for mass murder and being a general threat to the galaxy."

"All I want is to protect everyone, now..." Andromeda retorts.

"What you say you want changes nothing." Ares retorts back, before getting into a fighting position.

"Stay back, everyone." Andromeda says, as the others take a few steps back, Candice and Kasper trembling a bit as Andromeda manifested her Psychic Weapons.

She and Ares locked eyes, glaring at each other, before, in what seemed like an instant, Ares was in directly in front of her!

Andromeda, shocked, blocks a slash as quickly as she could, the Psychic Weapon she used to do so being cut in half by the blade. Ares is quick to slash again, Andromeda leaping back and to the side to dodge before tearing out a bench and table to throw at him.

The bench and table are sliced apart, as she just barely dodged decapitation by leaping back once again. Ares slashes the Psychic Weapons she was using to support herself in the air, causing her to fall, as she just barely manages to pull herself back from another slash.

Ares rushed at her for yet another, as she uprooted a tree to block with. The tree is sliced in half immediately, Andromeda throwing a hoverbike at the attacker. He slices the hoverbike in half without touching its battery or magnetic systems, before going to slice her limbs off.

She manages to dodge once again, and tries to slash at his neck, but he blocks and slashes apart that Psychic Weapon and rushes to attempt stabbing her in the forehead. She rolls to the side to dodge and slashes at his back, but he pulls the sword out of the wall and leaps above the Psychic Weapon, then swinging down.

Andromeda tried to block with the door of a car, but the door and weapons are slashed, as she is cut across the torso, yelling in agony as she fell backwards, magnetic cuffs clamping around her wrists and administering some kind of sedative.

"Anne!" Jack shouts, as Andromeda began to fade in and out of consciousness, feeling Ares grab her by the horn and lift her up.

"Soon, Andromeda, your execution will occur." Ares says bluntly, tossing her into something. "All of you...would do well to stay out of this, for your own good."

"We won't let you hurt her!" Candice shouts.

"That's not your choice." Ares retorts, just as everything goes black.

## Chapter 542 - Disorientation

Andromeda's eyes opened to the sight of a Huscil ceiling. She groaned in pain and held her head as she sat up, and noticed Huscil cuffs on her wrists and ankles!

"What...? WHAT?!" She roars, trying to no avial to break free, as the door to the cell opens, Ares and Sanjuro standing there. "You..."

"Me." Sanjuro replies. "Say, when *was* the last time we met?"

"As I state before, Andromeda." Ares interjects. "You are under arrest for all of the murders you committed, and the general threat you pose to the galaxy.

"I helped SAVE the galaxy, dammit!" Andromeda snarls.

"And now Arthur is dead." Ares replies.

"Please..." Andromeda pleads. "...let me see Jack again..."

"Weren't you intent on staying in a cell for the rest of your life only a little while ago?" Sanjuro asks mockingly. "I think we should make good on your desire, yes."

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Andromeda screams. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU BOTH!!!"

"How typical of a response..." Ares remarks. "...a regression indeed...or perhaps a reveal."

Andromeda glared at them both, before beginning to calm down, and then, she closes her eyes.

"...I just...want to protect them..." She whimpers.

"And you did!" Sanjuro responds. "And now all the other guys are dead, so..."

"There is no need for further extension to this pointless conversation." Ares states. "In a few days, Andromeda, you are going to be executed by the Custodian himself. All resistance to this fate is utterly futile, I can assure you of this fact."

"...N...no..." Andromeda breathes, beginning to tear up as she trembled. "...N...n-no..."

"Yes." Sanjuro responds. "So anyway, make yourself comfortable. We'll have someone else be keeping you company until this all blows over. Ta-ta!"

And then, both of them left the cell, and the door closed, leaving Andromeda to curl up into a fetal position and start crying hard.

She had started absolutely despising the idea of being a prisoner, wishing nothing but death and torment for those who imprisoned her and her friends.

Then, she fully realized how much of a monster she was, and had resigned herself to being a prisoner of Sciarhiel forever.

But now...now she had saved the galaxy, she had saved so many lives, so many families...she felt like she could be a hero, like she could turn her life around, like she could actually be a positive influence on this galaxy after all. She had thought she could live a long, happy life with Jack, the man who had once saved her.

She was wrong.

## Chapter 543 - Panic

"What was that?!" Jack shouts. "Why did he take Anne?!"

"That was Ares..." Kiyomasu answers immediately. "...of the Galactic Defense Force."

"Those high and mighty space cops?" Falqo demands.

"They must have heard about Andromeda's past crimes during the situation with Phantom." Kiyomasu explains. "They didn't come for her earlier because they were too busy dealing with Arthur's zombie apocalypse."

"What are they going to do to her?" Shunsuke asks.

"...They're going to execute her." Kiyomasu answers flatly.

Everyone went silent for a moment, processing what Kiyomasu just said.

"They can't do that!" Candice yells. "I won't let them!"

"There has to be something we can do!" Jack also yells. "She helped save everyone, don't they know that?!"

"...They probably do know." Kiyomasu continues after a moment. "They just don't care."

"We need to tell Reuben about all this." Shunsuke says. "I'm sure he can do something about this."

"I'll contact him, now." Kiyomasu replies, before fiddling with his cane as it began to turn into a computer.

"What if it doesn't work...?" Kasper asks.

"Then we bust into their base and get Andromeda out ourselves." Falqo answers. "I'm not watching my niece get killed for crimes she was practically brainwashed to commit."

"What's the issue?" Reuben asks, a moment after the hologram of him was created.

"Andromeda's been captured." Kiyomasu explains to him. "By the Galactic Defense Force."

"...Oh." Reuben replies. "...I'll see what I can do about that. What was the reason given?"

"Remember that anger chip that was making her kill people?" Falqo rhetorically asks. "They wanna kill her for the things that chip made her do."

"...Then I'll just explain the situation to them." Reuben states. "Thank you for informing me of this, I'm not watching a new war hero be executed for crimes she was forced by Darkstar to commit."

The hologram vanishes, as everyone breathes a sigh of relief for a moment. For now, the problem seemed resolved.

## Chapter 544 - Tunnel Vision

"I've come to discuss your recent apphrension of Andromeda." Reuben says. "I would like to appeal that she helped the save the entire galaxy, all of us, from Arthur's plague. We owe her and her friends our lives and our services for that."

"Our decision is final." Ares retorts. "Andromeda is a mass murderer, who is far more dangerous than any of the threats your people have encountered over tyour entire species' history. She will be detained until the day comes for her to be executed. Do not continue to argue, our decision is the will of the people, the will of the galaxy."

Then, the holograms vanish.

"...Dammit..." Reuben whispers.

## Chapter 545 - Unfortunate Briefing

"What?!" Jack shouts. "What do you mean they won't let her go?!"

"Sadly, they have a point." Reuben remarks. "Even though there's no chance in Hell she'll do it again, she still did commit all those horrible crimes under the influence of Darkstar's chip. And now that Arthur isn't around to pose an immediate and obvious threat, Andromeda has become their top priority."

"We can't let them get away with this!" Jack yells. "If they're not going to let her go, then we need to go up there and bust her out ourselves!"

"Wonderful plan." Reuben responds. "Except that this is the *Galactic Defense Force*."

"What does that matter?" Falqo demands. "I'm not lettin' my niece get executed for crimes she was brainwashed into committing, especially when she has already done so much to protect the damn galaxy."

"You need to understand the situation." Reuben retorts. "They have technology that borders on being magic, their scout ships are capable of glassing entire continents, and they no-doubt have some of their leading officers guarding Andromeda as we speak. We're not going to free her just by rushing in without a plan!"

"Then I can help you form such a plan." Kiyomasu replies from a doorway.

## Chapter 546 - The Plan

"Kiyomasu!" Jack shouts.

"I think I have what it takes to help Andromeda." Kiyomasu replies. "If you'll all give me time to explain."

"You have thirty minutes." Reuben retorts, crossing his arms.

"Alright." Kiyomasu responds with a nod. "I have connections in the Galactic Council, though not the Defense Force. I've been running an interstellar orphanage program for all kinds of species, so I know the ins and outs of the residential areas. One of these areas is close to the prison Andromeda is likely being held in as we speak. I can help you navigate your way to the GDF's headquarters."

"What should we expect?" Shunsuke asks.

"That's a good question." Kiyomasu quickly answers. "We'll have to expect the most heavily armed forces in the galaxy, on top of each of the GDF's leading officers. Ares is going to be the biggest challenge, though he's not actually the strongest of them all."

"So how do we beat Ares?" Reuben demands.

"We avoid him." Kiyomasu says. "He's skilled in all forms of combat, so stopping him from using his Psychic Weapons will not mean much of anything in the long run."

"We'll need a map." Reuben states. "Can you provide one?"

"Of course." Kiyomasu replies with another nod.

"We'll need to hope everything is working out fine..." Kasper remarks, looking up into the night sky above.