His eyes had grown used to the darkness. He had spent countless hours in a confinement cell so dark that he couldn’t see his hands before him. But it didn’t bother him much. He was more concerned with staying alive. He needed water more than anything and would have done anything for a cup of water. But locked away in a prison, he wasn’t exactly in a place to make demands. He couldn’t help but wonder how much longer he would survive.

At least, he wouldn’t have to worry about paying off debts anymore if he died here. He laughed, thinking about how much his creditors would lose because he would be too dead to repay them.

While he was enjoying the thought of ripping off those he owed vast sums to, the thick metal prison door swung open. His eyes squinted shut from the bright light streaming through the doorway and interrupting the darkness of his cell. He struggled to force his eyes open and waited for almost thirty seconds for them to adjust to the brightness.

When he was finally able to see clearly, he first noticed the shadow of a tall, slender, most definitely human, woman outlined on the dirt floor. He slightly lifted his head off his cot, and he first caught a glimpse of the woman’s heeled boots, made of shiny black leather. He scanned over her figure, starting at her long legs and moving upwards to her wide hips and small waist. He continued until he stopped at her face. The darkness of the room kept the facial features of the woman hidden. Though he could only make out the shape of her body, he knew her. He couldn’t remember who exactly she was. But her presence was one he had certainly felt before, intimately so. Each curve of her body was familiar to him. Yet, he still struggled to remember who she was. He could have asked, but he doubted it would be long before she revealed herself to him.

The woman stepped closer and motioned for him to get up. “Hale, hurry. It won’t be long until they know I’m here.”

She knows my name, he thought, Who is she though?

He also knew her voice, her tone light but demanding all at the same time. By now, he knew who she was. There was only one woman he knew who by just her voice could attract his attention in such a way.

She stepped closer to where he lay, and the light revealed that her long, wavy hair was a deep red, confirming yet again who she was.

“Lorelei,” his hoarse voice whispered. “What are you doing here?”

Shaking her head, Lorelei answered, “I came to break you out of prison.”

“Why the hell would you want to do that? Last time I saw you, we almost killed each other.” Hale reminded her.

“Good times,” she sighed.

“I’ve never understood you.”

“Regardless of what happed last time, I’m still here to help you. So are you going to cooperate with me or not?”

Hale immediately rose to his feet. “Anything’s better than prison, especially solitary confinement. Not to mention that Rhin prisons are the worst yet.”

Lorelei crossed her arms. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes, okay, yes,” he responded sharply. “I accept your help. But don’t think for a moment that I trust you.”

“I know… you don’t trust anyone, right?” Lorelei said, sarcastically.

Hale didn’t appreciate her mocking him, but he was used to that from her. “That’s correct. Not even you. Sorry.”

“And I don’t trust you. At least we have something in common.”

“Yeah whatever. Can we get out of here. Talking means waisting time.”

“Then shut up.”

Hale clenched his teeth. “I hope you have a good plan.”

“It’s much better than any plan you could come up with. And, I even brought this for you.”

Lorelei handed him a weapon. Hale weighed it in his hands. He couldn’t see it very well because of the dark, but he could tell it was a medium sized pistol, semi-automatic, capable firing beams with a mid-power level. The pistol she gave him was common and not at all his preferred firearm. His complete silence while holding the weapon revealed to her exactly how he felt about it. He wasn’t about to complain to her though. He could still do great damage to anyone in his way with this basic weapon.

“I know you prefer something more powerful, but it’s all I could manage on such short notice,” Lorelei remarked.

“It’s fine. Better than nothing,” Hale said. “I’m just thankful you’re here.”

“There’s plenty of time for being thankful when we get to my ship,” Lorelei replied, smugly. “I have a very specific way you will be paying me back.”

“So that’s why you came to save me.”

Lorelei rolled her eyes. “Does it matter?”

“I mean, I can’t say I’m surprised. But, you must be quite desperate.”

“Not for you. Just your… abilities,” Lorelei countered.

He couldn’t stop his heart from beating a little faster, just thinking about what awaited him if they survived this. “I suppose I’m flattered as always.”

“We can work out the details on my ship. We have to move now! Follow me!” Lorelei pushed Hale outside the cell, and then almost immediately motioned for him to stop. Lorelei stepped quietly down the passageway lined will cell doors on each side, and then she stopped. Glancing down both the left passage and right, she was checking to see if anyone else was around. Both ways must have been clear because she motioned for Hale to come to her.

“Which way?” he whispered, standing beside her.

“Right would be fastest, but that hall passes one of the central offices. What do you think?”

“We’ll be really quiet,” Hale said. “I think that the longer we stay here, the more security guards we will have to put up with.”

“Okay,” she replied with uncertainty. “After we pass the office, we will take a left and then an elevator up two floors.”

“Whatever you say. You’re the one with a plan.”

Hale took the lead down the right hallway. His pace was on the verge of sprinting, but she kept up with him. Lorelei was probably perfectly content with staying behind him. She wasn’t one to refuse a human shield. And Hale would hate to see her flawless skin be marred with scars. He didn’t mind scars because he had too many of them to be worried about receiving more. Besides, women seemed to like them.

After walking about fifty meters more down the passage, they approached the office doorway. Hale stopped abruptly 9 meters from the entrance to the office and put his ear on the wall to listen in. He wanted to know how many security officers were inside. The walls enclosing the office were soundproof, unsurprisingly. He pulled his ear away and was ready to walk past the office. But before he took a step forward, the office door whirred open and a guard in uniform stepped out. The guard was staring at small projection device in his hands as he left the office. The guard was watching a sports game, and luckily for Hale, that meant the guard wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings.

Hale and Lorelei stood deathly still against the wall and prayed he wouldn’t notice them. The guard began walking down the hallway and eventually passed them, but then he changed his mind. The guard turned around and stepped towards Hale and Lorelei again. Still focusing on the small screen in his hands, the guard didn’t notice them this time either.

Hale felt that he could relax his tense shoulders and take a breath. However, he should have waited to breathe. The faint noise caused by him exhaling was somehow heard by the guard. Then the guard looked up and saw Hale’s bright blue prison uniform.

Two shots were fired. Luckily, the guard missed. Hale didn’t.

Before the guard’s body hit the floor, the alarms were triggered. Any gunfire would no doubt set off alarms.

“RUN!!!” Lorelei shouted.

Together they sprinted down the hallway. Security guards came from every door in the hallway and blasted their guns at Hale and Lorelei as they ran.

Nearing the end of the hall, Lorelei grabbed Hale’s hand and took a sharp left down another passageway. This action saved their lives by helping them dodge enemy fire. Hale, while running, turned around and shot two guards behind them.

Lorelei pointed her gun forwards. “The elevator, Hale!”

They came to a sudden halt in front of the elevator, and Hale smashed the elevator switch. While waiting for it to come down, Hale and Lorelei were blasting the security guards from both directions.

As soon as the doors were open, they leaped into the elevator and fired shots to keep their enemies back until the doors closed.

Alone in the elevator, they had time to take a breath and refocus.

“So much for disabling the surveillance system,” Lorelei mused.

“How many?” Hale panted.

She glared at him. “Five down. You?”

“Seven” Hale grinned.

When elevator stopped and the doors opened, Hale shot the first two guards approaching them in a matter of seconds.

“Where now?” Hale asked, staring at the dead men at his feet. Unsurprisingly, more security guards began coming towards them.

Lorelei dodged enemy blasts. “You see those doors.” She shot back three times.

“Yeah,” Hale shouted, taking out a few guards.

“Run to them now!”

Hale and Lorelei dashed in sync to the exit doors at the end of the passage. Reaching them, Hale opened and then slammed the doors behind them.

The exit led them to a balcony from which guards probably used to watch the prisoners below. To Hale, this balcony appeared to be a dead end. But obviously not to Lorelei. She didn’t look the least bit concerned.

“I think you made a mistake,” he said, looking around for an escape route.

Lorelei stepped back to the doors. “Get ready to jump.” She sprinted forward, leaping over the balcony railing.

“What?!” Hale shouted. He watched her push herself over the railing and fall. How could she expect him to follow her?

He had hesitated for too long. The security guards were beating furiously on the doors. It wouldn’t be long before they broke through. As much as he didn’t trust her, he would have to in this case. Hale leaped off the balcony. Within a mere two seconds, he hit something. Something very hard and very cold. He opened his eyes and saw shiny black metal. He looked further and recognized the shape of the object he was on. He had landed on a small cruiser. Lorelei’s cruiser.

Hale crawled a few meters on his hands and knees to a hatch and pulled it open. “Lorelei?” Hale called down the entrance.

“Come in,” her voice echoed back.

Cautiously, Hale dropped down the hatch and went inside the ship. He landed in the bridge and behind Lorelei, sitting in the pilot seat. Hale took the seat beside her.

“Strap in now!” Lorelei ordered.

Hale obeyed with a reluctant sigh.

Moments after she started up the ship’s engines, the prison defense system picked up on their location and began firing the laser canons at them from the rooftops. Lorelei pulled the ship up over the prison, while still being bombarded by laser fire.

The ship was rapidly taking on heavy damage. Shooting a glare at Lorelei, Hale slammed his fist on the control panel, turning on the energy shields.

“It’s about time,” Lorelei snapped.

“That should have been the first thing you did!” Hale retorted.

Lorelei pulled down on the yoke to send the ship vertically through the Rhin atmosphere. Her decided rate of acceleration magnified the gravitational force so intensely that it was difficult to breathe or move. Reaching the outermost layer of the atmosphere, the pressure lowered, and Hale and Lorelei could breathe once again.

“Next time, don’t accelerate so quickly. Gradually, Lorelei, gradually.”

“I was panicking, Hale. I’m not as used to escaping from prison as you are,” Lorelei scoffed.

Hale shrugged. “You could have killed us.”

From the viewport, the planet Rhin seemed much smaller. It hung in space, a golden sphere, a known haven...although only for the lawful. It could be hell for people like them.

“What were you doing on Rhin?” Lorelei asked. “It’s kind of an odd planet for you to visit. It’s out in the middle of nowhere. And the Rhin despise…well… criminals.”

“I know, but I had a target there. The amount I would have been paid if my target was eliminated would have covered almost a tenth of my debt alone.” Hale replied. “It was well worth the risk.”

“The Rhin take crime very seriously,” Lorelei said.

Hale scoffed. “I would know that better than you, wouldn’t I?”

The planet Rhin was visibly divided along its equator. One half was dark and cold; the other was warm and dotted with bright lights. Rhin was also divided in another way. The citizens and rulers lived on the welcoming side. The cold half belonged to the prisons.

“Rhin has the second largest prison in the entire galaxy? Was it really worth it? You would have been dead by tomorrow if I didn’t save you,” Lorelei said.

Before Hale could respond, the cruiser’s radar began to beep continually, indicating danger. He checked the radar and found that a squad of Rhin fighter pilots were pursuing them.

“They aren’t going to leave us alone are they?” Lorelei groaned.

“Put in the coordinates. Now would be a good time to make the jump, Lorelei,” Hale said. “We do want to escape, you know.”

The squad of Rhin ships focused their lasers directly upon the rear engines. As expected, the energy shield protected the cruiser from most of the blasts, but not all.

“Hurry up! The shield’s down to forty-seven percent!” Hale exclaimed.

“I’m trying!!!” Lorelei hissed.

Quickly, she yanked a lever between the pilot and copilot seats, and then she hit the accelerator. The energy shield power meter steadily decreased as the cruiser accelerated. Lorelei was waiting for the hyperdrive to start working.

The shields were down to a mere 21%, and Lorelei was still accelerating.

“Tell me when it gets down to five percent,” she told Hale.

He watched the meter fall lower and lower. It was happening faster than he expected it would. The shields on this ship weren’t exactly great. Within the next minute, Hale called out 5%, and Lorelei hit the hyperdrive switch, making the jump to light speed. Like the stars, the squad of Rhin fighter pilots disappeared behind them.

Lorelei sighed and turned on the cruiser’s autopilot. She seemed thoroughly exhausted as she leaned back in the seat with her eyes closed.

“You could have let me drive,” Hale said.

“Shut up. I’m trying to enjoy the no-laser-canon silence right now,” she replied.

“Hmm… fine. Let me know when you’re ready to talk.”

“We almost died back there? Doesn’t that stress you out even just a little?” Lorelei asked, exasperated.

“Nope. What stressed me out was your steering. You really need to work on that.”

Lorelei pointed to the hallway behind them. “Why don’t you give yourself a tour. I need a minute to myself.”

She seemed upset, and she wasn’t joking around. Since he didn’t want to face her anger, Hale decided to listen. He stood up from his seat and took a moment to appreciate the high ceiling of her ship. Not every ship was this spacious. Beneath his feet was marble tile covering the floor of the bridge and the small hall behind them. Hale stepped down the hall with only two doors, one on each side of the hall. The door on the right led to a bathroom with a shower. Walking further down the hall, Hale entered a bedroom with soft carpet and a large viewport, although shielded by a protective covering at the time. In the center of the room was the bed, low to the ground and rather large for only one person.

Although the shields of this ship weren’t high quality, he had to admit the rest of the ship was.

After a few minutes, Hale walked back to the bridge where Lorelei was still sitting. He sat down in the copilot seat next to her. Her eyes were closed, and he wondered if she were asleep. Her face was covered by her long red hair. Hale carefully moved her hair away from her face and placed it behind her ear.

She smiled and opened her hazel eyes. “What are you doing?”

Hale smirked. “Nothing at the moment. I thought you were asleep.”

“No, I’m just tired. Thanks for giving me a moment to recollect my sanity.”

“It’s the least I could do. Thank you for getting me out of jail. I don’t think I would have been able to escape alone that time,” he said.

“Don’t mention it.”

“Why did you risk your life for mine? We didn’t part ways on good terms last time,” Hale recalled.

“I really needed to see you again,” Lorelei whispered.

“Seriously?”

“Well, we never truly leave each other on good terms,” Lorelei began. “And I couldn’t leave you on Rhin after hearing how they torture the prisoners.”

“I’m alive thanks to you,” Hale said.

Lorelei pulled Hale out of his chair, forcing him to stand up. She put her arms around his neck and kept her lips barely a centimeter away from his. “Maybe my intentions weren’t completely selfless...”

Roughly five hours later, Hale staggered back to the bridge. He leaned against the pilot chair and looked through the viewport. Lorelei’s cruiser had just exited hyperspace and was heading towards another ship, one over one hundred times larger than Lorelei’s. Hale knew exactly who that ship ahead belonged to. And it wasn’t someone he liked in the least bit.

Curses seethed through his teeth. He pulled at his hair. He couldn’t believe Lorelei would take him here. Hale tried to hold back his building rage. But the flames inside were too intense to be contained. The rage flowed directly through his palms and left as real flames.

One of his hands touched the the top of the leather pilot chair and caught it on fire. His outburst caught him completely by surprise. Lorelei would be coming any moment now. Hale forced himself to cool down. He focused, froze over his palms, and cooled the chair down. Just in time too. After the flames had disappeared, he heard the tapping of Lorelei’s heels on the marble flooring. Hale turned around, attempting to hide the burned chair with his body.

Lorelei looked strangely at him. “What are you doing?”

“I’d like to ask you the same thing,” he said angrily.

She raised her eyebrows, stunned at his tone. “Okay. What happened? You seemed really happy with me ten minutes ago.”

Hale pointed to the ship in the viewport. “You know that I can’t stand Coran! Why would you bring me anywhere near him?!” His voice echoed harshly through the cruiser.

“Don’t talk to me like that! Not after all I have done for you!” Lorelei shouted. “Just let me explain!”

Hale scoffed. “Lorelei, you’re good. You fool me every time.”

“I should slap you right now. Don’t act like you’re above me. You know very well you’ve done so much worse to me.”

“But to bring me to Coran. You know why I hate him so much. I just thought that, for once, maybe you weren’t trying to get back at me. But what other reason would you bring me to Coran’s?” Hale asked.

“Can’t you be thankful your alive. Isn’t that enough? Coran is the only one who’s going to give you another ship.”

“Why would he do that? He and I keep a lightyears distance away. For a good reason,” Hale said.

“He’s going to give you this ship because... because he’s my boyfriend.” Lorelei frowned slightly, knowing how Hale would react.

Hale paused to think. She must be kidding.

“I’m serious, Hale. I have decided for a while that I want someone stable.”

Hale laughed mockingly. “Coran’s stable?”

“Not that it’s your business, but he can offer me much more than any other guy, even you.”

“That’s just a nice way of saying he’s loaded. Does he know that you’re not very loyal?”

“The question is does he care?” Lorelei said complacently. “He knows how I am, Hale. We’ve come to an agreement about that.”

“I didn’t think he was your type.”

Lorelei sat in the pilot chair and clutched the steering yoke. “I have more than one type of guy that I like.”

Forcing himself to breathe, he relaxed a bit. Lorelei wasn’t for him to worry about. Not anymore. He had let her go a long time ago. He sat down beside her in silence, not having anything else to say.

“Oh, I brought you some normal clothing. It’s in the bedroom. That way you won’t have to wear the prisoner uniform,” Lorelei said.

“Thanks.”