Page 43 of Galactic Sentinels, Vol. 1 (Chronicles of Pherebos #1)
“You little bitch!” she snarls, lunging at me. “Noviosk was brilliant! He didn’t waste time with outdated ideals like those Confederation fools. He was smarter, stronger, more ambitious, morecharismatic! Hebelongedhere! A real leader!”
Her hands close around my neck.
Hilda is taller, stronger, and furious. No matter how hard I struggle, I can’t break free. I try to push her off, but she’s got me pinned against the wall, cutting off my air. Her grip tightens. My vision blurs. I can’t breathe.
Then—she jerks back with a cry, clutching her hip. Blood seeps through her fingers .
There’s a deep, angry scratch across her side—Wingo’s claws.
“If this creature thinks I’m going to let her hurt my Human, she’s got another thing coming. Faith of Wingo!”
“Stupid bug!” Hilda growls, turning toward him.
I slump to the floor, coughing, one hand at my throat, gasping for air.
Hilda, now completely unhinged, pulls a pistoblaster from somewhere. I thought weapons were forbidden on board—only allowed for missions in hostile environments…
With a sneer, she aims it at Wingo.
In a last-ditch effort, I throw myself at her, knocking her arm aside just as she fires.
“Thanks! Got another idea?” Wingo asks. “Because that was hot!”
“ No, unfortunately! Are you sure Pherebos is coming ?”
“Positive!” he confirms—just as the door bursts open and a squad of guards floods in, weapons raised and aimed directly at the deputy governor.
They disarm Hilda in seconds. I let out a deep, shaky breath—Wingo does too, right beside me.
“You idiots! I’m not the one you should be arresting!” she screams, pointing at me. “It’sher! She’s a wanted murderer on Jaga-18! She attacked me when I recognized her! I’m the deputy governor of Jaga-18—check my credentials!”
“Nice try,” Onorio says, stepping into the room with a smirk. He nods to the guards. “Unfortunately for you, the panic button was triggered. We got the whole thing—audio and video. Your confession, your threats, and your attempt to murder someone.”
“The panic button?” Hilda asks, caught off guard.
“Yeah,” Onorio replies. “They’re installed on all major ships and stations.
Silent, but they send a direct feed to the command console.
Audio, video—the whole scene. Whether it’s a medical emergency, a mechanical failure, or, in this case, stopping a murder and exposing a traitor to the Confederation. ”
Nestled in the protective cocoon of Pherebos’s arms—he’s finally here—I watch with quiet satisfaction as the guards slap restraint cuffs on Hilda and lead her away.
That leaves just Onorio, Wingo, Pherebos, and me.
“Well,” Onorio says, “I think we owe you one. We’ve been trying to unmask her for a while. You were right to hit that alarm.”
“It wasn’t me—it was Wingo!” I say, pointing proudly at my friend.
“So… you’re telling me your pet triggered the alarm?” Onorio asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah,” Pherebos says with a small smile. “I raised him when he was a kid. Taught him a few things. He knows that in an emergency, he can press the green button next to the switch.”
Wingo mutters under his breath—maybe to himself, maybe to Pherebos.
“Remarkable,”Onorio comments, clearly impressed .
“And why don’t you tell him I beat you at chess?” Wingo grumbles.
Pherebos just smiles faintly.
“Ileana,” Onorio says, turning serious, “we also heard what that woman said about the governor.”
Please, let this nightmare be over. Let justice finally be served.
“She was right,” I say quietly. “The governor killed my sister—and the guard she was dating. He claimed I did it out of jealousy.”
“That’s what we gathered. There’ll be a full investigation. Everything was recorded from the moment the alarm was triggered. Is there anything else we should know?”
“He also admitted to killing my mother on BN-35… and to orchestrating the accident that killed the former base administrator, Mourad, and his son, Rayan. I don’t have proof—he just bragged about it after shooting my sister.”
“I’m shocked,” Onorio says, visibly shaken. “Someone in his position should’ve been thoroughly vetted. The Confederation doesn’t usually make mistakes like this.”
“You mean,” Pherebos cuts in, “the Confederation wouldn’t appoint an assassin as base administrator? Or a traitor as governor of a terraformed world? Sounds like the recruitment process needs a serious overhaul.”
“Well said.”
“Pherebos, don’t take it out on Onorio,” I say gently. “He didn’t approve Henri’s appointment. And let’s be honest—Henri was doing this for years without anyone catching on.”
“I’m sorry for the pain that man caused you,” Onorio says sincerely.
“And his assistant,” I add. “By the way, when she came in, she was talking to someone on her tablet. I don’t know if that’s useful to you.”
“Andhisassistant,” Onorio echoes, looking troubled. “We’ll look into it. Ileana, in the name of the Confederation, and in light of the injustice you’ve suffered, I’d like to offer you the chance to choose where you want to live. We’ll take you there.”
“For now,” Pherebos interjects firmly, “I’m taking my companion to rest. She’s been attacked and needs peace.”
I glance at him, confused. His face is closed off, his tone sharp. He looks… angry.
But what could Onorio have said to upset him so much?