Starfire and the Space Dragons: A Grennig Crew Adenture

by Christine Westhead

  “Aurian, please,” demanded Raan, raising his hand for attention.

  “The paleopallium is the part of the brain that controls emotions, Captain, and the archipallium controls self-preservation.”

  “Oh,” Erion nodded sagely, but Raan still shook his head.

  “No, still not with you.”

  “I gave Adrianna greater intelligence,” said Lear. “I wanted her to be self-sufficient after I was gone. But her emotions were not capable of processing properly so I heightened her self-preservation skills instead. She learnt how to alter her pheromones to control me as well as you. Don’t you see, Captain? What drove my poor little Adrianna was heighted self-preservation. She wanted you as her protector and husband and she unconsciously did everything in her power to ensure it happened.” He tottered over to Del. “And you sir, are you a hybrid too?”

  “I am an android,” said Del, simply. Professor Lear took Del’s arm.

  “Well, android, please let me repair the damage my granddaughter has done.”

  “We might as well all go to engineering,” said Raan, taking Delta Ten’s other arm. “We’re all stuck here until you get your eyesight back and fix our engines anyway.”

  “Does it hurt, Del?” asked Erion. Delta Ten lay back in a re-positionable chair in the main computer room. The top of his skull was hinged back and Professor Lear delved about inside his head. Erion and Raan watched from behind a glass screen and the old man was wearing hospital scrubs. Gleaming, steel instruments were standing ready in a small rack and a roll of plastiskin was in a kidney bowl on the arm of the chair. The air smelt distinctly of hospitals and disinfectant.

  “I am incapable of feeling pain as you perceive it, Major,” answered Delta Ten. “However, if I had to give it a name I would say that I feel incomplete. It is not a pleasant sensation.”

  “What Delta Ten did not have time to tell you, Captain, is that it was his brain that was damaged by my granddaughter, not his vision. His eyes are undamaged, but his ability to process what they see is compromised.” He stuck another, small silver instrument inside Delta Ten’s head. ”I am connecting your sensory inputs to your optical nerve endings now, android,” said Lear. “You will soon regain your sight.” Delta Ten blinked. “Yes,” he continued, “I can see the lubricating fluid going to your eye sockets. There is movement of the eyes.” He touched somewhere inside Del’s head with a little welding torch. Bright blue light flared and there was a slight smell of burning.”

  “My sight is now restored,” said Delta Ten, blinking. “My thanks to you, Professor Lear. Should you wish to stop, I can repair myself fully now that I have vision.”

  “It is the least I can do, Delta Ten. Now please remain still while I close your skull casing.”

  “That looks so gross,” muttered Raan from behind the screen.

  “Your face is now fully repaired,” said Professor Lear. “I just need to lay the plastiskin over your forearm and you are as good as new.”

  “Thank you, Professor.” Delta Ten scanned the room as if seeing it for the first time. It was something that a human would have done if their sight had been restored and Erion was impressed with the complexity of the android.

  “Your breathing is laboured Professor Lear,” said Delta Ten. “Would you like to rest?”

  “No, android. I must finish this myself. It is my fault all this happened and I must be the one to put it right.” He rolled the plastiskin over the inside of Delta Ten’s forearm and pressed it into place. He trimmed off the excess with a scalpel as if it was a pastry lid over a pie and stood back to survey his work. The skin graft took and the edges of the wound slowly disappeared.

  “It is flawless, Professor,” said Delta Ten, rotating and flexing his arm. “It is as new.”

  “Then my work is finished,” the old man’s eyes fluttered and he fell forward onto Delta Ten’s lap. The android caught him and looked up at Erion and Raan.

  “He is dead,” he stated.

  Chapter 7

  “Sorry about this, Vin, Kitty,” said Tabbert. “I’ll let you both go when we get to the bungalow, but this has got to look right. I need those natives to take the load off my prisoners.” They walked inside and met Meg and Mrs Tabbert looking on, worriedly.

  “Whatever are you doing, Tab?” asked his wife.

  “Just trying to keep the natives happy, dear,” answered Tabbert. “They seemed to go a little crazy out there so I had to diffuse the situation.” He turned to Starfire. “Let’s get these things off you, Kitty.” Starfire lifted up her hands, but as Tabbert leaned down to remove the cuffs, Meg stepped forward.

  “I wouldn’t take the cuffs off them just yet, Tab.” He looked up, quickly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “They’re holding something over Mike. He’s not here willingly.”

  “No, that’s not true!” Starfire glared at Meg. “Go ask him if you don’t believe us.”

  “Benty, go get my gun,” snapped Commander Tabbert.

  “Tab?”

  “Now, please Benty. “Don’t argue.” When her normally mild mannered husband took that tone with her, Bentina Tabbert knew he was serious. She had taken a liking to Starfire and didn’t know what to do.

  “Now, Meg, tell me what all this is about.”

  “Her name isn’t Kitty, Commander Tabbert, she’s Lieutenant Tehr Starfire, a pilot in the Space Marines. She’s a deserter and a traitor and now she’s on the run.”

  “And who are you, Mister quiet guy?” Bentina looked at Tabbert as if she was seeing him for the first time. Gone was her laid back, genial husband and he had been replaced by a hard faced Marine.

  “His name is Hal, Commander. He’s wanted all over the galaxy. They’re both in the Rebel Alliance now. I don’t know what they’ve got over Micah, but I want them both gone before he gets up.” Tabbert aimed his gun at Hal and Starfire, not so much as a weapon, more of a pointing device and it wasn’t a threatening gesture.

  “Is what she said the truth?” Starfire shook her head.

  “I don’t know why she’s saying this.”

  “How about this for proof,” Meg disappeared into her room and came back with two gun belts. One was a standard, khaki webbing, Marine issue gunbelt with a plain, brass clasp and a forward facing holster. Inside it was a standard, Marine issue sonic pistol.

  The other gunbelt was made of heavy, black, polished leather. It shone like black glass and had a solid, silver buckle. Nestled in the contoured holster was a dark grey, steel, laser pistol.

  She handed both belts to Commander Tabbert, who put them on the coffee table, well away from Starfire and Hal. The holster had two, thin straps at the bottom with a silver interlocking tab that would tie it securely to its wearer’s thigh and Tabbert could instantly see that this was no ordinary rig. He slid the steel weapon from its holster with ease and held it up to the light to inspect it. The gun was perfectly balanced with a contoured, knurled hand grip that would not slip even if its holder’s hand was covered in sweat or blood. The metal had a satin finish and Tabbert moved it up and down a few times and tested its comfortable weight. It felt good in his hand and seemed to aim itself but the grip was a bit large for him, more suited to someone with longer fingers. He slid the big gun back into its holster and looked down at Hal’s hands.

  “When I go to my office over there, am I going to find out that Megan Carter is right and there is no such person as Vin Laddil,” he looked Hal in the eye, “or am I going to find out that you really are Mr Laddil? Just an ordinary handyman who happens to own a ten thousand credit, custom made, laser bolt hand gun and holster?” He glared at Hal. “You got gunfighter’s hands, Terrellian. What are you really doing here, mister?” Hal shook his head.

  “I can’t tell you that, Commander,” said Hal, quietly. “All I will say is that this has nothing to do with the Aurian Marines or the Federation.” Meg drew her gun, pointing it Hal.

  “He’s a hired gunman, Commander. For all we know he’s here to
kill Micah. Now move!” she snapped, motioning with the gun. Had Hal been armed, she would have been dead on the floor at that moment.

  “How did you find out?” he asked, softly.

  “I still have friends in the Marines, Terrellian. They checked all the video footage in Steel City and found you talking to a man and woman in the Steelers Café. It took a while but they tracked him down. He sure hates your guts, doesn’t he? He gave you up without a second thought once we told him you would be tortured and killed. And you,” she turned to Starfire, “you have ‘pilot’ written right through you like a stick of rock. It was all you could do to stop yourself yanking Toola out of the pilot seat and taking over the Constellation yourself. Once I had Hal pegged, it was easy to figure out who you were.” Still keeping her gun trained on Hal, she put a little bit of urgency in her voice. “We have to get them out of here, Commander,” she said. “You have no idea how dangerous this guy is. Do you honestly think Micah Jones would knowingly consort with Rebel scum like this?”

  “All right, Meg. At least if they’re in the guardhouse, they’re safely away from here and I can check up on them.”

  “Why are you doing this?” asked Starfire, really annoyed that her suspicions had been proved right about Meg and she hadn’t actually told anyone about them.

  “I have to protect Micah,” she said, simply. “You’re trouble, plain and simple. You would have dragged him into something dangerous and it’s my job to protect him from harm.” She looked at Hal. “You would have done the same.”

  “No, he wouldn’t,” said Starfire, bitterly.

  “What are you going to do with them, Tab?” asked Mrs Tabbert. She liked Starfire and something about this situation had an air of spite about it. Somehow, she knew that this was personal and the Meg had other reasons for turning the Terrellians in.

  “Don’t get involved, dear,” said Tabbert. “This is Marine business. Anyway, Mike and Toola will be here any second and we don’t want them upset.” He looked very stern. “Don’t say a word to Mike about this. If there is some sort of problem, we don’t want him worrying about it.”

  “All right, Tab.”

  “Coming down to the jail with me?” Tabbert asked Meg. She smiled sweetly at Mrs Tabbert.

  “No, I think I’ll stay here,” she said. “You know, be ready for anything Mike wants me to do. He doesn’t like it when I’m not around.” Commander Tabbert caught his wife’s eye.

  “I mean it, Benty. Not one word.” Tabbert pulled Starfire over to Hal and chained their cuffs together. “Come on, let’s go over to the guardhouse. He picked up both gunbelts and walked carefully behind them all the way, keeping his gun trained on Hal.

  It didn’t take them long to reach the main office and Captain Reddy looked up in surprise as Hal and Starfire were herded in.

  “Put ‘em in a cell, would you, Captain?” Tabbert sat down in a chair behind the desk and ran his hand through his greying hair. Hal looked back.

  “You know we’re not the bad guys here, don’t you?”

  “I’ll know who you are in a minute, Vin, Hal or whatever your name is.”

  “If you run that check, we’ll be tortured and killed by the end of the week.”

  “Look, you don’t understand,” said Tabbert. “I have to turn you in. If you’re wanted by the Galactic Police like Megan said, I won’t have a choice.”

  “Listen, Commander,” began Starfire suddenly, “what would happen to your prisoners if they all escaped from this compound?”

  “Eh?” asked Tabbert, taken aback by the change in topic. He saw she was serious and continued. “We would have to recapture them, by force if necessary.”

  “Are any of them dangerous?” Starfire looked so earnest that Tabbert answered her automatically.

  “Look, we got over a hundred and fifty prisoners here. I should say over ninety five percent of them are innocent, let alone not dangerous.”

  “Will you trust me, Commander, when I say I can help them all get away?”

  “Frag it, I don’t know,” he looked torn between his desire to help the unfortunate men and his orders. Benty Tabbert walked into the office.

  “I trust them, Tab. I trust Micah and I trust them. I don’t trust that Megan woman. There’s something off about her.”

  “Look, Commander, if I can prove that I really can save all your prisoners, will you hold off turning us in?” Tabbert sighed.

  “All right. I have no idea why I’m doing this,” he said warily, “but whatever you do, I won’t put my own men in danger in any way.”

  “Don’t worry, “began Starfire. “You and your men will be safe from danger and blameless. I know what I’m doing.”

  “You do?” Hal caught her eye.

  “I do. Now everyone, hold on to something,” she said, hoping she was right. “Five, four, three, two, one!” The ground shook for three or four seconds and then stopped.

  “Did you do that?” Bentina Tabbert looked very impressed.

  “Again!” snapped Tabbert. He wasn’t as gullible as his wife.

  “Untie us, then,” Starfire held out her hands. Tabbert unclipped the chain and cuffs. Starfire lifted her wrist in front of his face. He looked at the plain, flat, silver bangle on her left wrist and realised that Hal wore one as well. “This is a comlink,” said Starfire. “You count down the next one, Commander. Whenever you like.” Tabbert looked at Captain Reddy and shrugged. The worst that could happen was nothing.

  “Okay then,” he felt a bit of a fool, but counted down, “Five, four, three, two, one!” The whole of the compound shuddered again right on cue and Hal grinned. He realised what was happening and guessed Starfire’s plan.

  “We need to get everyone else away from the compound for this to work,” she began. “Do the prisoners have a spokesman?”

  “Carly,” said Commander Tabbert. “Jon Carly.”

  “Go get him,” said Hal. Tabbert looked around at his wife and she nodded, encouragingly. Captain Reddy was back within minutes with an Aurian man of middle age. His face looked delicate, but his hands were calloused and worn. He took in the scene at the office, but didn’t speak.

  “Jon Carly,” said Starfire, “there is going to be an earthquake soon. A hole will open up in the compound. You must all pretend to fall down it and keep on running. Don’t stop. Friends will be waiting and you will be looked after.”

  “Commander?” he looked at Tabbert, but Starfire said,

  “Go or stay, it’s all the same to us, but we will be with you. You will be free of the Federation’s influence until the Rebel Alliance can come and get you.” Jon Carly gazed steadily at Starfire and made his decision. He nodded. Hal, always quick on the uptake, said,

  “Commander, do you think you could you ask Mike to sing again now?”

  “Call me ‘Tab’,” he said absently and thought for a second. “All I can do is ask the guy. But won’t he be asking about you two?”

  “Something tells me Little Miss Viper has a story all worked out about that,” put in Benty.

  “All right,” Tabbert was back in command again. “This Megan woman has something against you, Hal, I don’t know what it is, but I figure if she doesn’t hear that you’ve been banged up in a cell, she’ll go over my head and call it in herself.”

  “Just tell her what she wants to hear, Tab,” said Hal. “Set up this concert for the prisoners.” He raised his own wrist and spoke. “Centre of the compound okay?” A faint voice on his comlink said

  “Yes, Hal.”

  “Right,” I’ll let you know when.” Hal cut the link. “Captain,” he turned to Reddy, “Would you be up for a little jail break?”

  “I think I know where you’re going with this,” said Tabbert with a grin. It looked like he might be able to help all his prisoners after all.

  “I do not usually sing in the morning,” said Micah Jones in his booming voice, “my throat is not prepared, but for today, for your poor prisoners, yes I suppose so.” Tabbert had told him and To
ola about the plan to bring in the Galactic Police. Everyone knew what that meant and the soft hearted Toola looked particularly upset.

  “Thank you, Mike, I really appreciate it.”

  “Tab, have you seen Vin and Kitty this morning? We were to breakfast together but they are not here. I thought perhaps you might have seen them.”

  “Oh, Mike, I forgot,” Megan Carter came in with a slim, flexi comp pad and showed it to Micah Jones. “Vin had some sort of message and left for Terrell early this morning. They went on a shuttle first thing. He asked me to give you this.” Micah Jones took the flexi and studied it, closely. It was nothing more than a goodbye note; short and to the point. It stated that they had received news from other friends and they had to leave as soon as possible.

  “I don’t understand,” Micah looked puzzled. “We were going to take them to their meeting place tomorrow. There is no way they would leave without saying goodbye.”

  “Maybe they didn’t want to wake you, Mike,” began Megan, “Or maybe they had to leave in a real hurry. You know the kind of business they’re in.”

  “Yes,” mused Micah. He didn’t sound convinced.

  Just before lunch, a smiling Meg helped set up the stage with Toola. Not once did she look across the compound to the little cell block, although she must have wanted a peek at the prisoners. Hal and Starfire, wearing their gunbelts, stood with Captain Reddy and the Tabberts, just inside the outer office. Hal was briefing Reddy.

  “Just come out of the door, hold onto the frame, aim your gun at me and stand real still,” he said. The ground will be heaving about out there and I’ll be keeping it tight so don’t move. It’ll look real bad but I’ll just nick you,” he grinned, savagely. “You’ll be able to say you got shot in the line of duty. Mrs Tabbert?”

  “Yes, dear?”

  “Bandage him up good and tight. If you don’t want any comebacks, it’s gotta look like he got shot real bad, trying to stop us from getting away.”

  “It’s about that time,” said Starfire to Commander Tabbert. He took his wife’s arm.