Starfire at Traitors Gate

by Christine Westhead

  Shoes in hand, she scuttled across the clean white floor and out through the door. The walls were now bare plastiform, painted cream and the stairs were plain grey. They led down in a gentle spiral and came out into a vaulted chamber. The wall on her right was taken up with racks of wine bottles lying on their sides. Wooden crates filled with beer bottles were piled roof high against the far wall and there was a smaller alcove to the left which was fenced off with fancy iron bars and a wrought iron gate. Starfire crept up to it and peered inside. A damp, musty odour wafted from within and the only illumination came from a single, dim light hanging from the vaulted ceiling. There were more wine racks and bottles here, but they were covered in a thick layer of dust and she suspected Tamara kept his special stock behind the gate.

  "Hal?" she hissed. "Hal, are you there?" A low groan reached her ears. "Hal, stop pissing about and answer me."

  "Star…." the word came out more like a muffled croak and she stifled a whoop of joy. She carefully scanned the door of the cell but could see no sign of any defence systems.

  "I'm going to cut the lock. Standby," she whispered. The power was fading from her knife and it took her several minutes to burn through the thick bolt. She had to hurriedly hide behind some crates once when the wine waiter reappeared to take more bottles upstairs, then she was through. She slipped inside the small chamber and found Hal standing against the far wall. His wrists were tied to a hook above his head and ankles were tied together.

  "You look awful." she said, cheerfully. He lifted his head and stared at her, running a dry tongue over cracked lips. Starfire grabbed a bottle from one of the crates, opened it and dribbled some of the liquid into his mouth.

  "Take it easy," she chided, as he gulped down the liquid. "It's beer, not water. He sighed, and tilted his head back against the wall.

  "What the hell are you doing here?" he grunted.

  "Don't fall over yourself with gratitude! We decided we couldn't function as a tight unit without you," grinned Starfire. Her fingers worked steadily at his bonds, trying to untie the many knots in the cord. "Who tied you up? There must be a dozen knots here."

  "That fat, smelly woman," said Hal. "I walked into the house and half a dozen guards pulled guns on me. She brought me down here and had a little fun with me before threatening me with a nasty end and flouncing off. Between you and me, I don't think she likes me very much."

  "That's understandable when you know who she is," said Starfire, untying another knot in the nylon cord. "She's Dolton Blass's sister."

  "Oh ho!" said Hal.

  "There's something big planned for tonight," said Starfire. "I think you're the star prize." Hal looked down at her.

  "They don't know who you are, do they?"

  "No way. Besides that, they're so busy with this party they've forgotten all about me."

  "Are Raan and Erion here?"

  "And Del too," said Starfire. "They're on the outside and I'm on the inside."

  "You're all crazy," he muttered. Starfire prodded him with a long finger and he flinched.

  "You're not wounded are you?" asked Starfire, concerned. Hal shook his head but she sensed something was wrong and lifted one side of his open black shirt. She winced in sympathy at the mass of bruises and small burns across his body.

  "Orinne?" she asked.

  "Tamara," answered Hal. "He likes doing; she likes watching."

  "I bet he's pretty near the top of your payback list," she said gently, re-fastening the shirt.

  "The current leader," admitted Hal.

  "Oh I'm getting nowhere with this," muttered Starfire. She activated her dagger and carefully sliced the remaining cord where it hung over a rusty hook. The strands parted and Hal dropped his arms, feeling the pain of restored circulation as he circled his shoulders and clenched his fingers. Starfire went to work on the cords around his ankles and soon he was free.

  "Erion and Raan will be here soon," said Starfire. She opened her brooch and retrieved the little transceiver. "No signal down here. I'll try again when we get upstairs." Hal slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor.

  "Give me a minute," he sighed and stretched his arms out again.

  "Sure," answered Starfire. "I'll keep watch." She handed him the bottle of beer again and went to the door to peer out into the cellar.

  "Is there another way out of here?" she asked. "The way I came in leads to the kitchen and then there's stairs to the upper floors at the rear of the house. I'm guessing the other door leads into the dining room."

  "I've been here before: I reckon I can get us to the back hall," said Hal. "We've got to get some weapons first. That little stick knife of yours won't be enough."

  "It's about had it anyway." Starfire pressed the activate button, but instead of an electronic hum and a slim, blue beam, it went 'fittzz' and a pale, flickering stub of light dribbled from the dangerous end. Starfire swivelled the hilt upright and it looked like she was holding a candle. "Thought so," she began, "needs a recharge." She pocketed the hilt and wandered quietly about the cellar, looking inside crates and peering on shelves. "Apart from smashing a bottle and holding it by the neck end, I can't see anything here that will make a weapon."

  "Come on," said Hal trying to rise with a groan. "We'll no doubt find something. Time to go." He accepted a hand up from Starfire and looked down at her with a grin playing around his mouth.

  "What?" she demanded.

  "Your hair," Hal held back a smirk with difficulty, "it looks really stupid."

  "Frag off!" she shoved him roughly aside and led the way up to the stairs.

  - - - o0o - - -

  "Now that's what you call a house," said Erion in amazement as she dropped back to the ground.

  "Yeah," answered Raan, "looks like a great big cake. By the sound of it, their party is well under way too." Faint strains of genteel dance music filtered out into the warm night, together with the odd burst of polite laughter. They stood huddled in the shade of a tall, leafy tree on the wrong side of a high wall at the side of Tamara's pink castle.

  "Come on, let's get back to the car," began Erion. "We look too suspicious lurking under the trees. Hopefully, it won't be too long before we hear from Starfire." Twenty minutes later, she called them.

  "I'm with Hal. He's okay but we have no weapons. We're going to sneak up through the kitchen to the back hall. We'll keep in touch."

  "Right. We're going in the front door," said Erion. "We'll back you up if you should need it. Good luck." Erion, Raan and Delta Ten walked around to the front of the house, through the main open gates and headed up the drive. The evening air was warm and heavy with the scent of local blooms and a few birds called to each other in the distance. Erion and Raan were dressed to the height of Aurian fashion, wearing highly embroidered silks and dark brocades. Erion's deep blue skirt was heavy and wide, trailing behind her and Raan wore a matching waistcoat with silver buttons. They looked just like the sort of fashionable couple that would be invited to such a grand occasion and they stepped out with the haughty pride and bad manners of the super rich with Delta Ten walking two paces behind, dressed as a servant. They stopped at the bottom of a long, wide flight of marble steps that swept up false lawns to a large pillared veranda at the front of the house. A huge, red tinted moon hung low in the sky and cast a pale pink glow over the garden and every window was ablaze with light, along with several spot lights and up-lit garden features.

  "Sneaking through the garden is out of the question," said Raan. "You can probably see the grounds from space."

  "Even if we did manage to get to the door, how do we get past them?" Erion motioned with her head. Two house robots wearing embroidered tabards, sat on plinths either side of the steps. One was holding a computer pad in its claw.

  "Easy," said Raan. "Robot's are stupid. Present company excepted of course. What we need is a diversion." He put an arm around Erion and Del and drew them into a huddle. When they stepped back, Delta Ten walked smartly up the steps while Erion and
Raan stayed out of sight behind a large bush.

  "Good evening," said Delta Ten politely. The two robots nodded politely and zoomed towards him.

  "Welcome," began the one on the left, raising its computer pad, "may I see your invitation?"

  "That is what I would like to discuss with you," began Del. "I have lost my invitation, therefore I cannot prove to you that I have been invited. However, I know I have been invited because I was sent an invitation."

  "A problem indeed," said the second robot.

  "One of you must verify that I am speaking the truth and the other must remain here with me to ensure that I do not gain entry to the house under false pretences."

  "That course of action is acceptable," said the first and hovered off towards the house. Raan and Erion were already on the veranda, drinks in hand when it passed by them on its way to the entrance hall. They watched it go past and followed it through the square hall and into the ballroom.

  "I don't think we're going to get Starfire and Hal out of here unnoticed," said Raan, looking around the long ball room. Over fifty people either stood around making small talk or danced to the string quintet playing on a dais to their left.

  "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," said Erion, helping herself to a drink from a passing Terrellian waitress.

  "There's Tamara," whispered Raan, his mouth close to her ear.

  "I see him," she whispered back. "I know that man standing next to him. He's top brass in the Galactic Police."

  "Will he recognise you?"

  "I don't think so. He gave a talk at the academy on crowd control. I was right at the back." She sensed Raan stiffen slightly. "What is it?"

  "Look what's on the table," Raan motioned with his head to the centre of a large table piled high with food and drink. She nodded, grimly as she recognised the black gun belt and the huge pistol nestled inside its contoured holster. The rig was arranged on a stand like a trophy.

  "I see it. Which way is Starfire?" asked Erion. "The sooner we're out of here the better I'll like it."

  "East, if Del's map is correct."

  "Come on," Erion placed her drink on a passing tray and led Raan onto the dance floor. "Head towards that table!" They waltzed gently round in an easterly direction. "Oh no," she muttered. "That old git Kraith has just walked in."

  "Damn it!" said Raan. "What do we do now?" The problem was taken out of his hands as the double doors to the kitchen swung open with a bang and the chef staggered backwards into the ball room with his arms waving like a windmill and a cleaver sticking out of his chest. He tripped over his own feet, fell on his back and slid across the dance floor until he was stopped by a table leg. He was closely followed by Starfire and Hal, carrying gleaming kitchen knives. Starfire still wore the little jacket and the mini skirt but the skimpy shoes had gone and she now wore a sturdy pair of Marine issue boots that she had obviously appropraited. They skidded to a halt as the music stopped and silence slowly descended. Starfire glared at Hal.

  "This isn't the back hall!" she hissed accusingly, as fifty guests looked their way in horror.

  "Hal!" yelled Raan. He scooped the holster from the table and threw it across the room. Hal dropped his knife, leapt into the air and caught it, one hand snatching out the pistol to fire at the Galactic Police Commander who was the first to react. Hit in the side, he dropped his half drawn gun and slammed against Tamara who also had a gun in his hand, spoiling his aim. Erion and Raan delved under their clothing, brought out hand guns and fired into the air. Already on the event horizon of complete panic, guests, waiters and the band screamed in terror and milled around in confusion while some dived to the floor and others ran for the exits.

  "Tamara!" shouted Hal. He shot the big man through the chest as he was correcting his aim. Tamara's shot missed Hal by inches and hit a hapless guest who slid to the floor.

  "No!" screamed Orinne. She picked up her husband's fallen pistol and started to shoot at staff and guests alike in her fury. Raan and Erion shot her at the same time and she hurtled backwards to collide with one of the buffet tables. It collapsed with a crash and covered Orinne in broken crockery, cake and trifle.

  "Hello, Marta," purred Starfire as she confronted the open mouthed woman, "remember me?" The tall woman began to snarl an insult but Starfire didn't have time for verbal banter. She bunched a hard little fist and whipped it under the skinny woman's jaw in a perfect uppercut. Marta shot backwards and ended up lying motionless on the floor.

  "Way to go, friend," said a young voice speaking Terrellian. Starfire spun around to see two smiling waitresses.

  "Go on, we'll take it from here," said the other one, giving the groaning Marta a far from gentle kick.

  "Luck be with you," Starfire called out a Terrellian greeting and rushed off to catch up with her friends.

  "Come on!" yelled Raan, firing at a hover bot. He and Erion were briefly halted by a guard, who stared open mouthed as Erion smiled at him, pulled a cord on the waistband of her fancy skirt and stepped out of it as it slipped to the ground. She wore tight trousers and Marine issue boots underneath it, which wasn't what he expected to see, and it gave Erion a few seconds advantage. She leaned sideways at the waist, shot out a leg and kicked the guard in the solar plexus. Raan chopped him on the back of the neck as his breath gushed forth and he doubled over, and the luckless guard fell to the floor, his weapon still in the process of being drawn. They made for the hall and main doors beyond, firing at guards as they went. The whine of a closely passing laser bolt between them stopped Raan and Erion in their tracks and they slowly turned to face Kraith.

  "I took you for young, spoilt children," he spat. "Apparently, I underestimated you. Now is the time to put that right!" He aimed the gun at Raan's head and his finger tightened on the trigger. "Why are you smiling?" he snarled. "You are about to die." He stiffened suddenly and arched his back, trying to reach the hilt of a large kitchen knife that thudded between his skinny shoulder blades. He crumpled at the knees and fell forward to land on his face with a soft splat on the marble floor.

  "Try and sell me into slavery will you…." muttered Starfire as she bent down to take the gun from his claw-like hand. Feeling better with a proper weapon in her hand, she smiled at Raan and Erion "Hiyah," she said, brightly.

  "Come on," Hal brushed past them, buckling on his gun belt and heading for the veranda. He covered them as they dashed down the steps, then Raan turned at the bottom to cover Hal as he joined them.

  "This way!" Raan motioned with his gun around the corner and they ran into a dark side street. The lighting had been disabled and their darkened hovercar waited for them up a small alley that led to the side of Tamara's grounds.

  "Where's Del?" asked Starfire as she slid into the back with Erion.

  "Gone back for the ship," she answered as Raan powered up the car. It rose with a hum on a cushion of air and headed into the street.

  "But it's miles away," said Starfire.

  "He can run really fast!" pointed out Erion. Several Galactic Police and a couple of off duty Marines barred their way but Raan headed straight for them. Two were knocked aside and Hal wounded another before they shot by them and into the main road.

  "They'll soon have the G Police out looking for us," said Starfire.

  "Del took us off the grid," explained Raan. "They can't track us."

  "And we're not going back to the cargo bay," put in Erion. "We're headed out of the city. That way we should avoid any patrols."

  "What, like that?" asked Starfire, pointing in front of them. An armoured Galactic Police car squatted in the centre of the road, all of its searchlights pointed in their direction. A wicked little ion cannon was mounted on its roof. That too was aimed at them. Raan stopped the car but left it hovering a foot above the ground.

  "Leave the vehicle and come towards the truck with your hands raised or you will be destroyed," a voice boomed out of a loudspeaker. "You have twenty seconds to comply. There will be no further warnings."

 
"For frag's sake," sighed Raan, desperately looking for an escape route.

  "I'll try for the cannon," said Hal softly. He lowered the window, leaned his wrist on the sill and took careful aim at the little cannon's black bore."

  "It's probably shielded," said Erion. Hal ignored her and fired. The armoured vehicle exploded and lifted high into the air, opening out like a flower. It turned slowly over and landed on its roof with another thunderous explosion thirty feet away, scattering burning fuel across the road in a river of fire.

  "Fraggin' hell!" exclaimed Starfire. "What is your gun loaded with?" Hal shook his head in disbelief and peered up the barrel. The starlit sky darkened for a split second as the Grennig roared overhead at zero height. It hovered over a nearby field, which lit up brilliantly as Delta Ten switched on the downward pointing landing floods. Smoke still dribbled out of its forward missile launcher as he turned the huge ship towards them and lowered its front ramp. Raan powered up the car, aimed it towards the ship and crashed through a wooden fence to get into the field. He drove straight up the ramp on full power, shot into the small hold and hit the brakes to make the car skid to a halt sideways on against the bulkhead. The ramp started to close immediately and they felt the ship rise before the hatch rumbled shut with a metallic clang. The Grennig suddenly lurched sideways with a bang and they all realised they were under fire.

  "More armoured cars have closed in on our position," said Del's voice over the comlink as the ship was hit again. Starfire was off at a sprint for the aircar door. She slapped her hand on it, ran in and shouted,

  "Pilot section!" The door closed and the aircar shot upward. She rushed inside, yelled "Move!" to Delta Ten, and slid into her chair. The android shifted quickly aside and took his place at the science station. "Well done, Del," she gasped. "Buckle up!" Her hand slapped a crystal on the console in front of her and an automatic harness quickly snaked up from her pilot seat and over her shoulders to cross in front of her chest. "Hold on!" she yelled over her shoulder towards the stairs and lifted the ship's nose as hard as she could. She powered up and gunned the rear drive engines to force the little bomber straight up into the sky like a missile.