"The police are here." I said to the guard. "You have no escape!"
"I still have a hostage." he replied.
That would of course work... I hadn't really thought that through.
"There is nothing you will gain. Stop resisting." I said.
He pulled Nuan back just as she tried to escape again.
"But you have a lot to lose." he said and laughed. "You do, don't you? Who else could have so many things to lose at once?"
"Stand back!"
This last command wasn't mine, it was from someone just behind me. An electric pulse traveled through air and hit Nuan first, and then the guard behind her, holding her hostage. At first, they suffered a small shock and were separated - the typical effects of an electric stun gun were visible. After that, a stronger pulse hit the now-isolated guard and got him unconscious.
"Target down!"
I looked behind me. There were a few people behind me, but they were not Republic police officers as I expected. They were Talossan government guards, and with them, a man in white shirt - governor of Talossa Colony: Frans Jalmari. He saw me looking at him in visible shock.
"I am sorry this has not been the sort of visit you asked for. Just believe me when I say that this is not my doing. Right now, we are not safe here. Please come with me, I will explain everything." he said.
"I am not going anywhere." I said. "What is the meaning of this, governor?"
"I have nothing to do with this!" he repeated loudly. "We have to go before the police arrives!"
"If you are innocent, why fear the police?" I asked. "Governor, you will wait here. The rest of the story, you can tell to the court."
Just before he could answer me, a loud whistling sound came from outside. Half a second later, a deafening explosion followed. I instinctively crouched and protected my head with my arms. The floor was shaken, and debris went flying around.
When I got back up, I saw that one side of the ministry had completely collapsed.
"The police won't do any good. Let's go!" said Frans and tried to pull me by grabbing my right arm.
"Wait!" I said. "Nuan!"
She was still trying to recover from the effects of the weak stun gun pulse. I couldn't wait for her, I picked her up and placed her on my back. At least she could hold on by herself.
"Go, go, go!" the Talossan guards guided us out of the ministry... at least what's left of it.
A few seconds after we got out, I heard another whistle. A bomb the size of a small bed hit the building, and the building leaned to one side.
"What the-"
"We have no time, come!" Frans pulled me away from the building.
A shuttle quickly came and started hovering in front of us. The guards made a corridor by standing on our each side.
"Jump in!" said the governor, and he jumped into the shuttle first. Then, I boarded the shuttle with Nuan, and after us, the guards. The shuttle suddenly accelerated while closing it's doors, and got away from the scene.
"Okay..." I said, catching my breath. "Now, explain. What the hell is going on?"
"Long story short..." said Frans. "...the new Talossan government doesn't like you. Actually, not you as in YOU, but the Republic."
"But if th- wait, WHAT?" I was confused. "The new WHAT!?"
"I, unfortunately, fell out of power." said the governor. "Apparently, my ideas didn't represent the majority of Talossan people."
"What does that even mean? And what does this have to do with the Republic guards!?" I asked.
"INCOMING!" the shuttle pilot suddenly yelled before getting the shuttle into a high-g turn. The shuttle tilted 90 degrees first in roll, and then the pitch axis, and the main engines activated to full thrust. The passengers got smashed into the walls first, and finally, their seats.
"Evaded." the pilot announced after flying in weird orientations for a while.
"Stay low if you don't have the means to fight back!" I instructed the pilot.
"Aye, sir. We don't have any armament." he said.
"So, what was I saying?" said Frans. "Oh, yes. Professor Yamamari of Talossa University of Natural Sciences has taken over, by a coup. Others would like to call this a revolution, because he apparently has the support of the majority."
"When did this happen?" I asked.
"Just now." he said. "Just after I left Talossa to pay you a visit."
"This complicates things even more." I sighed.
"I am grateful to you." Frans said. "It was just luck, I know; but if you did not call me then to come to Olympus City, I could've been arrested back there, or even worse..."
"Don't mention it." Nuan joined the conversation, with an unamused tone. She was finally coming back to her normal state. "Oh, damn!"
"What is it, Nuan?" I asked.
"My Vineura got fried up." she said. "That shock pulse..."
"That's really what you care about now?" I asked her. She frowned and looked away.
"So, what about the Republic guards? Why would they attack us, for Talossa's sake?" I asked.
"I don't know." said Frans. "Bribery? Trickery?"
"No way." I said. "They are being monitored all time, we would catch the signs of corruption; which, of course, means a good jail time and a permanent banishment from any important state service."
"Then, as I said, I do not know as of now." he repeated.
"Sir." the pilot interrupted. "This bastard won't get off of our six."
"What is the Republic police and navy doing, sitting around?!" I said. "Call reinforcements!"
"I tried, sir." said the co-pilot. "We are being jammed."
"It is impossible that the navy had not detected any trouble yet." I said. "Pilot, get us out of here. Make a flyby near Pavonis orbital shipyards in Mars orbit."
"We are a bit short on propellant, but we can do it." he said.
The shuttle's main engines increased to full thrust once more, and we began rising up into the upper Martian atmosphere.