Starfire at Traitors Gate

by Christine Westhead

  "We haven't come to see Mr Blass," Starfire tried, "We've would like to see...."

  "Mr Blass has given strict instructions that he is not to be disturbed." Raan gave a weary sigh, grabbed the machine and shoved it aside. It hummed across the hall, cannoned off the opposite wall, bumped into a bronze statue of a naked cherub and addressed it with a voice that had risen an octave. "Mr Blass has given strict instructions…" Raan kicked it savagely as he walked by and silence descended. They both studied the high ornate doors and Starfire pressed the vid button. There was no answer so she tried again. There was still no answer.

  "They must be out," stated Raan.

  "Maybe they just don't want to see anyone," put in Starfire. "Could be they don't want to be disturbed like the robot said."

  "No, Lieutenant. Everyone answers a door in hotel rooms, there's nobody at home. We'll just have a quick look inside. Leave this to me," stated Raan in a businesslike tone. He pulled a small box from his tunic pocket and slid a thin probe from the side of it. He used this to gently remove the panel covering the automatic door controls. He aimed the back of the box at the exposed door lock controls and tapped his fingers over the screen at the front. Starfire leaned over his shoulder to look at the rapidly flashing numbers and symbols running across the screen. The symbol on the far left stopped spinning, then the next one to it, then the next until ten numbers and symbols finally flashed green. Raan stepped back with a satisfied grunt. "That should do it." The doors slid apart about three feet and Starfire silently applauded. Raan bowed from the waist in acknowledgement and stayed bent double as the barrel of an extremely large pistol appeared from the other side of the gap and came to rest on the tip of his nose. The gun moved back a little and motioned them inside. They sidled sideways through the gap, walked inside a little sheepishly and Starfire, deciding that attack was the best form of defence blurted out,

  "We did knock!" as if that excused breaking and entering. The owner of the gun was the tall Terrellian they had seen earlier in the cargo bay. He was still dressed in black, which made his colouring look even more pale to Raan's eyes. His hair was wispy and fair and his dark grey eyes were faintly mocking as he said softly,

  "Didn't you know that…"

  "Yeah, Mr Blass has given strict instructions that he is not to be disturbed," cut in Raan dryly. He did not like being made a fool of, particularly by a Terrellian - even one as menacing as this. The blaster was now pointing down at the carpet but it was held in a negligent grip that gave the distinct impression it could very quickly be raised to heart height if required.

  "It isn't Mr Blass we've come to see," began Starfire.

  "Then it is my loss, my dear." said an oily voice. An obese Aurian waddled in from a side door and waved Hal aside. "Introduce yourselves. I was most amused by your attempts to break into my rooms."

  "My name is Raan; Captain Raan of the Space Marines, and this is Lieutenant Starfire."

  "And you broke into my suite because…?"

  "We thought you were out," Raan looked down at the carpet and Starfire put her hand over her eyes in embarrassment. This wasn't going well at all.

  "Well, Captain Raan of the Space Marines," Blass spoke with spiteful glee and Starfire really wanted to smack that smug grin off his fat face, "the least I can do is hear what you have to say before I have you arrested and court martialled."

  "Our business is with him," Raan motioned his head towards Hal, not liking the Aurian's manner. To his further annoyance, Blass laughed out loud, wheezing and breathing heavily. His piggy head bobbed up and down and his chins wobbled. Perspiration beaded his face and neck at which he dabbed with a scented silk kerchief in a vain effort to stem the odious flow.

  "Really," began Starfire, "we have come to see Mr Hal."

  "My dear girl," Blass leered at Starfire in what he obviously considered to be a winning smile, "Hal is my protection. He is bought and paid for. Whatever it is you came to say, you will say in front of me. Now, what would the Aurian Marines want with a gunman?"

  "We came to hire Mr Hal." said Starfire firmly. Once again, Dolton Blass started to laugh, wiped his face with another kerchief and dropped it onto the floor without watching it fall.

  "I've already told you, Hal belongs to me until I see fit to fire him. He is not available for work. Goodbye."

  "Now wait just a minute," snarled Raan. He stepped towards the fat man but was brought up short by Hal's pistol, which was now aimed at his chest in an unwavering grip. Blass snapped his pudgy fingers and motioned Hal forward without looking at him. Hal lowered the gun slightly and spoke in a quiet, offworlder drawl.

  "It's like the man says, I'm not for hire." Starfire tried to drag up a winning smile for Blass.

  "Isn't there way you'll let him go? Our commanding officer has empowered us to offer any sum you would care to name."

  "I won't release Hal from his contract at any price. He's my protection. I need him."

  "So does General Dubois," countered Starfire.

  "Dubois?" cut in Hal, showing emotion for the first time. "Dorian Dubois?" Starfire and Raan exchanged a glance. While they knew the General must have a first name, neither of them knew what it might be.

  "Sure," lied Raan. "That's his name all right."

  "Dolton, I owe this man a life debt," began Hal quietly. "I must honour it."

  "I've paid your fee. You will stay and protect me. Now do as I say and throw these people out."

  "You can have your fifty thousand back," stated Hal flatly. "With interest. I know a good man who'll do the job."

  "I don't want another man, Hal. I want the best and you're it." Blass started to whine like a petulant child. "My life is under constant threat and I need you here." His expression hardened and he raised his voice and snarled menacingly. "If you walk out on me I'll make sure you never work in this sector again." An uncomfortable silence filled the room and Raan coughed,

  "Well, er, look if Mr Blass changes his mind, you'll find us in the officer's lounge, Level Eight."

  "I won't," yelped Blass. "Just get out before I call security." It was clear Hal wasn't going to say anything else as he had already turned away. Starfire and Raan looked at each other and sidled back out of the apartment doors.

  "I thought that went well," said Starfire, brightly.

  "How can you say that went well, Lieutenant? We didn't hire the guy and got thrown out!"

  "Dolton Blass was so angry he forgot to have us arrested for breaking and entering. That's gotta be a good thing."

  "What do we do now?" sighed Raan as they sat in the aircar on their way back to the base. "The General won't be too happy about this." Starfire shrugged.

  "We tried our best," she began, "the man just isn't available. You'll just have to tell the General."

  "Hang on there, Lieutenant, he asked us both to find him."

  "He gave you the message, and you're the senior officer."

  "Don't you try that rank thing on me, Lieutenant, it won't work."

  "Aren't I supposed to say the rank thing to you, Captain?" she countered. They were still bickering about it as they stepped out of the aircar and straight into the officer's lounge. The room was laid out like a restaurant and most of the tables were occupied by off duty marines. There were several comfy chairs arranged in small groups, where people were reading or watching personal vids. A gradual hush spread out from the aircar and every head turned their way. A few faces showed sympathy but most expressions ranged from interest to contempt. Starfire carried on walking into the large room with Raan by her side. Most of these people were known to him and a few he considered friends. As he met their gaze, their faces lowered and wouldn't look him in the eye. Raan hissed out of the side of his mouth, "What the hell is everyone looking at?"

  "Me," answered Starfire, "with you." One of the younger Ensigns, a little the worse for drink, leaned across the table and said in a stage whisper to his three drinking partners,

  "Commander Nikal isn't even cold yet and she's got
herself in with another..." which was as far as he got, that being the length of time it took Raan to charge across the room and grab the startled young man by his jacket. Cards and drinks went flying as Raan hauled the boy out of his seat and bunched a fist under his nose.

  "Now you apologise to the Lieutenant, you little crud or I'll knock your head off your shoulders." Another of the young marines reached for Raan, meaning to spin him around, but Starfire got there first, caught the raised hand and bent it round behind the ensign's back. He howled in pain as Starfire thrust him towards another two, who were just rising out of their seats. One of them staggered upright and swung a punch at Starfire, but she deflected it with ease and sent him flying with a swift uppercut to his jaw. All three of them went down in a tangled heap and Raan threw the first young man on top of them with a contemptuous heave. He glared around the room and shouted angrily,

  "What the hell is wrong with you people? She's a marine, just like us!"

  "Forget it, Captain," Starfire laid a hand on his sleeve. "It won't make any difference." Raan turned away in disgust. "Does this happen often?" he asked.

  "Not so much now I'm a lieutenant, Sir," began Starfire, blowing on her sore knuckles, "I'm used to it." They made their way to the bar, ignoring the cold stares from most of the younger troopers. Time passed and there was still no sign of Hal. Raan looked at his wrist link for the twentieth time. It showed 19:45. He finished his drink, stood up and sighed.

  "It looks like this Hal guy isn't going to show. Somebody has to tell the old man; I guess it might as well be me." When Starfire showed no sign of weakening, he glared at her and made his way to the aircar with Starfire rushing to keep up.

  They hesitated outside the door of the General's private quarters then Raan pressed the vid button and stepped back. The General's face appeared on the tiny screen and he smiled warmly.

  "Ah, Captain Raan, Lieutenant Starfire, please come in." The door opened with a hiss and they walked inside. Even though the Aurian Marines were invited guests of the Terrellians, the quarters that had been allocated to the rank and file were small and cramped to say the least. The whole population of the planet lived underground in a complex arrangement of tunnels and underground cities so space was the most cherished commodity of the planet. They didn't rate offworlders as worthy recipients of their most valued resource so Starfire and Raan found themselves sharing a huge billet hall with dozens of their comrades, just below the surface.

  Depth was also a symbol of wealth and status and in a tactical slur by the Steel City Council, the officers of the stationed marines, the General among them, were given apartments with windows above ground, hastily converted from warehouses or generator rooms on the surface. The Terrellians viewed this arrangement as a calculated insult to their Aurian visitors, and the happy recipients viewed their spacious apartments as a bonus. As neither side mixed socially, communicated through official channels and only discussed military or business matters, each party saw the others as the idiots and everyone was content.

  The general had a suite of rooms, tastefully furnished in different shades of oatmeal and the man himself rose from a much used chrome and beige chair to greet them. Starfire and Raan, who had never been in command staff quarters before, exchanged a glance. Proper furniture, a window, a separate bathroom and a carpet! They were impressed. The General poured out two drinks and walked towards them. He looked so pleased to see them that Starfire couldn't bear it.

  "Sir," she blurted, "Mister Hal..." but the words stuck in her throat. Raan decided to bail her out.

  "Hal couldn't come, General," he finished, trying to look sorry. The General gazed past them as a sardonic voice from the door said,

  "I wouldn't say that." They spun round to see the Terrellian gunman lounging in the doorway.

  "Come in, Hal, come in," beamed Dubois, handing him Raan's drink. "I knew you wouldn't let me down."

  Chapter 3

  Hal pushed between Starfire and Raan to shake the General's hand Terrellian style and accept a black cheroot, which Dubois lit for him, oblivious to the glares aimed at his back by the pair.

  "Now," smiled the General, "I would like you to meet two other people before I explain why I have asked you here. If you would follow me please…" He led the way through an archway into a small dining room. It contained a small, round table and eight chairs, two of which were occupied. A tall, athletic looking Aurian man stood to attention, almost vibrating with military bearing, and Raan exchanged another glance with Starfire. This must be the General's son. He had handsome, almost classical features, flawless, honey coloured skin, deep amber eyes and was dressed in the uniform of a Major in the Space Marines.

  "Please meet Del," began the General. The Major nodded stiffly to Hal, saluted Raan and Starfire and sat down again without a word. "And this," Admiral Dubois motioned to the young woman who lounged sideways on her chrome chair, dangling a long and shapely leg over its arm. "….this is Erion." The woman was tall, slim and would have been beautiful if she hadn't been wearing far too much make up. She wore a cheap satin blouse, tied at the waist in a knot and a garish short net skirt that did nothing at all to hide her legs. Her wrists and neck sparkled with cheap metal jewellery and she chewed on a green hive root with concentrated relish and a slightly open mouth. Her thick, copper hair had been tinted with gold, hung past her shoulders and was adorned with more tinny jewellery, feathers and baubles. Raan, who considered himself the expert in these matters, had her pegged as a cheap entertainer of some sort. She stopped lazily swinging her leg, raised a bored looking face to them both and barely raised a finger in greeting, making it very apparent that she didn't really care if they acknowledged her or not. The General motioned for them to be seated around the table and the girl swung her leg back over the arm of the chair and sat facing them as if it was a supreme effort.

  "You may say what you wish here, off the record and in complete secrecy. My quarters have been checked for listening devices. My food dispenser is at your disposal. Please ask for anything you like." Five minutes later, Starfire and Raan looked at the fresh food on their plates and then looked at each other. Used to Marine ration bars and reconstituted paste, this looked like the real thing and they tucked in with a barely concealed relish. Not much was said until the coffee, which was handed around by the bored looking dancer, was drunk and the cigarillos lit. The smoky steam was real enough, but what was sucked into their lungs was a perfectly harmless compound that delivered a mild stimulant or a mild sedative, depending on the colour of the band around it. It was the preferred method of recreational drug platform in the galaxy and the vapour carried drugs, perfume, even food in some cases. A gold band denoted stimulant and they all lit up, apart from Erion and Del.

  "I'd like to start by putting everyone in the picture here. As you all know, Terrell has a class B sister planet orbiting this sun. It is called Serrell and is known to be uninhabitable. What you probably won't know, is that a little over two hundred years ago, a party of settlers was sent to colonise Serrell."

  "Serrell?" gasped Starfire. "The blue planet?" just to be sure.

  "Exactly, Lieutenant." For some reason, the planet Serrell had a dark blue tinge to it at certain times of the year. It gave rise to colloquial remarks about a 'Blue Sunrise' or people just called the planet 'Blue' instead of Serrell.

  "Why haven't we heard about this, Sir?" asked Starfire.

  "Because you have all been lied to, Lieutenant." The General took another drag on his cigar and flicked the ash onto a little china dish. "Contrary to what you have all been led to believe, Serrell has a breathable atmosphere and was quite habitable at the time of the Great Civil War." Starfire's mouth dropped open and she and Hal shared a look.

  The General continued, "Now, there was no clear winner after all the bombs had fallen, and as you know, the surface of planet Terrell was burnt out and uninhabitable. The survivors realised they would have to forget their differences and pull together for the first time in over fifty y
ears if they wanted to survive. They began to co-ordinate their tunnels and shelters and had to share supplies and services. By the time the underground culture was fully established, the ruling forces of both sides had buried the hatchet and formed the Senate. The newly formed Senate liked their money and power and did not want to weaken their position here by allowing a mass exodus to planet Serrell. There were not enough healthy survivors to populate and thrive on both planets so they put about the story of a poisonous atmosphere on Serrell to discourage any thoughts of leaving. Then, of course, they needed to keep their citizens ostracised, frightened and underground so they could perpetuate the lie and maintain control."

  There were a few surprised glances over the table at this remark. Starfire and Hal exchanged another glance. It looked like they had been ruled by a greedy, selfish Senate and the population of a whole planet had been manipulated for generations. Perhaps if there had been other inhabited planets in the Terrellian system, the survivors could have gone there, or at the very least, been put in the picture as to the corruption of the ruling, unelected Senate. Alas, the little system contained one star, orbited by Terrell and Serrell, and a bunch of other uninteresting balls of rock. It was small, isolated and insular. No wonder the rest of the galaxy treated them with scorn.

  The General continued. "It was the Science Council who decided that the colonisation of Serrell would be feasible and they pushed a motion through the Senate for an expedition to their sister planet. The Senate was against this from the start, but this was at the time of the great 'flu epidemic; people were dying like flies, public opinion was wavering and the Senate had lost too many members to oppose the motion." The General took a sip of coffee and continued. "It was that, or accept help from the Aurian medical disaster teams. The ruling Council definitely did not want Aurians coming to Terrell to expose the truth. They agreed, with great reluctance, but only on the condition that they chose the participants themselves. Apart from a few eager, but naïve scientists, most of the chosen colonists were anti-Senate and malcontents. Many of them were part of the 'Terrellians Back Outside' party, who were gaining popularity at that time or people the Senate wanted out of the way. At any rate, they preferred to take their chances on Serrell rather than spend their lives in the rehabilitation units."