"We should be in the Keloran Sector," answered Hal.
"Never heard of it," she muttered, giving the navi-com one last, hopeful smack. She glanced at the rest of her instruments, most of which either glowed red, or were not working at all.
"That crazy nut has ruined my ship."
"Hey, Madillion, this is Tranter. Can you manoeuvre?"
"Just about," said Starfire, stiffly.
"I'm cutting you free; follow me." There was a small jolt and the Madillion started to drift. Starfire used the ship's thrusters to propel it towards the mass of floating hulks that they neared. It was a ship's graveyard on a massive scale. They followed Tranter, who weaved slowly in and out between the wrecks until a large, battered looking station could be seen. It roughly resembled a sphere with docking arms and cranes jutting out from several points on it. "Dock at number three." He lit up an umbilical arm for them and Starfire headed for it, docking at the second attempt.
"Let's go meet this ship wrecker," she said, cutting the power and sliding the pilot seat back on its rails.
"I think you'll be in for a surprise," said Hal, quietly.
"After what we've been through I doubt anything would surprise me," said Erion. As she passed Hal, he caught her arm, making her wince.
"He's my friend, Lady Erion." She stopped and looked up at him, perplexed. Her father was titled but now he was dead, she inherited that title and the rights that went with it, but to give her credit, she had not given the matter any thought until now.
"I don't understand."
"You will," he said, softly. He looked at the others. "Any slight to him I'll take personally." He glared at them all in turn and pushed his way out of the section, leaving them all open mouthed.
"I swear he isn't right in the head," muttered Raan as he followed the tall gun man down the corridor.
Tranter was there to greet them at the hatch. He was shorter than Hal and dressed in a dirty old space suit with, covered in stick-on patches where it had ripped. Thick black hair framed a handsome, intelligent face, out of which twinkled two green eyes, flecked with copper. His skin was golden brown and immediately reflected his mixed parentage. Con Tranter was a Terrellian/Aurian half breed. Starfire stepped forward, appraising the man honestly and liking what she saw. He met her gaze without flinching and she held out her hand for him to take, Terrellian Style. He took her hand and shook it warmly, favouring her with a wicked grin. Starfire guessed that he had fought long and hard to get what he had, probably against more prejudice than she would ever have to face.
"You're a Terry!" he exclaimed to Starfire, looking her up and down. "Welcome to my station." Raan came next and Tranter grinned, "The celebrated Captain Raan! I've heard of you. Is it true you're the best Pan player this side of the galaxy?"
"Want to find out?" asked Raan with a grin, taking an immediate liking to the young man and surprised at himself for doing so. The joining of Terrellians with Aurians was socially unacceptable and frowned upon in the extreme, especially by the Terrellians. Any offspring, or 'Aurells' as they were called, were given a hard time of things as a result. Before meeting Hal and Starfire, Raan might have been less enthusiastic about Tranter. Now he shook him warmly by the hand, the strength of his grip taking Raan by surprise, for he looked slender underneath the bulky suit. Hal stepped forward, nodded quickly and didn't offer his hand. Tranter acknowledged the curt greeting, and turned to Erion, a cheeky grin creasing his features which made him look like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.
"Hello," she said simply, holding out a slender hand in Terrellian fashion. She rightly guessed there was far more to this man than met the eye.
"Hi," he smiled, turning to Hal. "Where did you find all these interesting people? It isn't like you to fraternise with the human race."
"Long story," answered the saturnine gunman, giving the firm impression that he was not going to go into further detail. Delta Ten had remained aboard Madillion and Erion raised her wrist link to speak to him.
"Keep scanning Del, and let me know if anything comes too close." Tranter leaned towards her.
"There's no need for that, honey. This place is well hidden, and anyway, I have my own auto scanners out there."
"Did you hear that, Del?" asked Erion, "you might as well join the party."
"Yes, Major," came back the answer. He emerged through the hatch to be greeted by Tranter, who studied him closely. Delta Ten lifted his palm and bowed his head in the Aurian fashion.
"Hi," said Tranter.
"How do you do, sir," answered Del. Tranter studied Delta Ten closely and made to walk away. He stopped and turned back, his hand raised as if he was about to ask a question, then he seemed to change his mind and shrugged.
"Hey, I'm forgetting my manners. Are you guys hungry?"
"I could eat a wanga," answered Erion.
"Come on then; Jemmi loves entertaining." He strode off down the corridor, pointing out things of interest and the Madillion's crew trotted along behind like a school outing, trying to keep up. Half the lighting was out and pieces of spacecraft were everywhere. The odd dismantled robot blocked their path from time to time, and discarded computers were stacked floor to ceiling in odd corners, blocking the emergency hatchways. Tranter must have used recycling air filters, for although the place was littered with dirty, oily spacecraft parts, there was a slight scent of roses in the air. "Step into my office," said Tranter as they turned a corner and approached a large hatch. He waved his palm over the indent for that purpose and the door slid open. He motioned them all in first and they stepped forward to nod appreciatively at the furnishings.
The room was vast, with the back wall and half the ceiling made of a transparent material so that the sky was visible. This half of the room was taken up with a swimming pool and fountains, pale sand and ultra violet lights. Sun loungers dotted the poolside and on one of these, a long legged Aurian beauty lay, completely naked and face down. At their entrance, she looked up and smiled, tossed her long copper hair over her shoulder and stood up without shame, to tie a robe around her body.
"Hal." she said warmly, walking up to him with sensual grace to kiss him on both cheeks. She stood back to appraise the others while Tranter introduced them. Her gaze lingered on Raan's face and he favoured her with a broad smile.
"Could you cook us up something while we talk, honey?" asked Tranter.
"Sure," she smiled, undulating over to the main computer stack in the centre of a sunken seating area. She wafted a slender hand over the keyboard and spoke. "Dinner for seven right away, Rimek. Bring it straight in."
"Yes Madam," droned a low, metallic monotone voice. She joined the others on a semi circular couch that faced the pool, curling up at Tranter's side like a huge cat.
"There is no need to bring food for me," began Delta Ten, "I do not eat."
"I knew it!" Tranter leapt out of his seat, pointing in triumph. "You're a humanified machine; a robot!"
"That is correct." Delta Ten bowed his head in salute.
"How did you guess?" asked Erion, making a mental note to forbid Delta Ten to tell anyone else he was an android without clearing it with her first.
"I had an inkling something wasn't right when I met him. He looks real cute, but there's no warmth in the eyes. You get to learn a lot about judging folks when you're in the scrap spacer business. And when he didn't turn a hair when Jemmi stood up, I was pretty sure he was either gay or robotic." He looked at Del again. "You're good though; you'd fool most folks."
"He's an experimental model," explained Erion. "He has a positronic learning brain."
"Good for him!" muttered Tranter. "Now then, I want to know how you all ended up here." He rubbed his slender hands together with glee. "Tell me all about it." Slowly at first, starting at the beginning and missing out nothing, Erion told Tranter of the events that had led them to their present situation.
"Quite a tale," said Tranter, after Erion finished. He took a slow drag of his cigar. "So you're the old m
an's little girl."
"You knew my father?" Erion looked aghast.
"Sure, why wouldn't I?" Tranter looked at her in surprise and caught Hal's eye. "You going to take the Lady to see Thirty Seven?"
"Yeah."
"It isn't far then?" blurted Erion.
"No. Not far," said Hal, without expression. Tranter though, looked excited.
"You'll need a ship. That lemon of yours is pretty well busted up. I can't let you have the Rebel; it's voice operated. You can take Jemmi's hopper though. It'll get you there no problem."
"Can you fix up their ship?" asked Hal. Tranter pulled the sort of apologetic face any mechanic brings out when quoting a job to anxious owners.
"By the looks of it, your power converters have polarised for a start, then there's the whole ion assembly matrix. That means the fusion reactor won't be in sync with the…
"What does that mean?" snapped Starfire.
"Your ship is broken, honey."
"We gotta have a ship," stated Raan. "How much to get it combat ready?"
"It'll be extortionate." Tranter had the good grace to look sorry.
"Can you wait for the money?" asked Erion "I have some owing that should just about cover the deposit."
"I have some savings," added Starfire.
"I haven't," said Raan, peering down at his feet. He looked up suddenly, his eyes gleaming, "Hey! How about if I play you for it."
"Pan?" asked Tranter quickly. "One game, winner takes all. I like it!"
"How about if I play you for it," said Erion, shyly. She looked demurely up at Tranter, her amber eyes glowing warmly.
"You play pan?" asked Tranter.
"Why wouldn't I?" she countered.
"Major.." began Raan, as if to deliver a warning.
"Shut it, Captain," snapped Erion. "I know what I'm doing."
"But, on Serrell," he began.
"You were just lucky Captain, that's all." She smiled warmly, brimming with apparent confidence. "I can take him. I really can. Trust me." Raan looked at his boots and mumbled an unintelligible reply. He had the attitude of someone who really knew his commanding officer was about to make a huge mistake but lacked the courage to challenge her authority.
"I thought you told me Erion won that game on Serrell," murmured Hal out of the side of his mouth.
"She did, and by a mile," Starfire whispered back. Someone was about to get shaken down and Starfire had to admit she'd never seen it done better.
"Okay, Lady, you got yourself a game," said Tranter. "We'll start off even. If I win, you owe me a million credits. If you win, I fix up your ship for free."
"My hand on it, sir," she said. They touched palms, the bargain sealed. The hatch slid open and a gleaming, steel hover trolley entered, carrying several covered meals. It stopped by the table, its many spindly, steel arms lifting off the serving dishes and setting the table in front of them. It put Starfire in mind of a big, oblong spider and she took an instant dislike to it.
"This is our robo butler," explained Tranter. "Rimek, say hello."
"How do you do?" stated the trolley. It had a low, grating, metallic voice that droned on in a horrible monotone.
"We're all fine," answered Tranter. "Have you brought wine?"
"I took the liberty of bringing the twenty-nine, Sir." said the trolley. There was no inflection in the grating monotone. It was as if the makers had spent all their resources on the trolley's features and had nothing left for a voice modulation unit. Starfire had heard rubbish dispensers with warmer tones than this.
"Perfect, Rimek," answered Tranter. "After we've eaten, the lady and I will be going to play a little Pan. Bring in the card table will you?"
"Certainly, Sir." The hover trolley glided out on a cushion of air and Starfire leaned across to Raan and whispered in is ear,
"Am I the only one who finds that trolley really creepy?" They ate their meal with relish, washing it down with fine wine and finishing with cigars. Rimek returned carrying the card table on its back and used its spindly, telescopic hands to positioned it in front of them. It placed a new pack of cards in the centre of the table and stacked an identical pile of chips in front of Tranter and Erion. It cleared the used plates from the dining table withdrew on a silent cushion of air.
Erion and Tranter adjusted their seats until they faced each other. He passed her the cards to shuffle, which she did, seeming neither awkward nor professional. Tranter watched her carefully. The game of Pan was more of a game of bluff than chance and much depended on the players giving nothing of their feelings away. The first two hands were a testing ground, Erion winning one and Tranter the other. Raan watched with a wry grin. He was skilled at the game himself but had been soundly beaten due to the fact of underestimating the young woman. Somehow, he didn't think Tranter would make the same mistake and he settled himself down to watch the game.
Starfire did not play Pan. Terrellians as a rule did not take unnecessary risks, which included gambling of any sort. She knew the rules of the game as a matter of course, but she soon grew bored and her gaze swept the room. Hal and Jemmi were engrossed in conversation and there was no sign of Delta Ten. They had all been given the freedom to treat the base as their own, so she motioned to Raan that she was going for a walk. He nodded, then turned his attention back to the game. As soon as Starfire stepped through the door, she called Delta Ten on her wrist com link. He answered at once and met her at an air lock hatch.
"Did you check out Tranter?" she asked.
"As far as I can tell, Con Tranter is what he appears to be," stated the android. "I have been in direct communication with his computers. They confirm all he says. He is a space ship engineer and his order books are full for the next two years. He has already instructed his robots to ready the Madillion for repairs."
"Anything else you can tell me about him?" asked Starfire. She had already worked out that Delta Ten, like Hal, did not readily impart information that had not been requested.
"There have been several encoded messages to Auria from Con Tranter in the past three months. The transmissions were in code but the recipient of the messages was a High Commissioner of the Aurian Federation Council."
"Damn it!" snapped Starfire, "I really liked the guy. I wonder what he's up to. Do you think he intends to turn us in?" she asked, forgetting for a moment that she conversed with a logical machine.
"I am unable to formulate a progressive conclusion at this time," stated Delta Ten, as if such a thing would be sacrilegious.
"Make an educated guess then," urged Starfire.
"I cannot say on the given information," answered Del, stiffly. Starfire gave up.
"Have it your own way then. I'm going back to see how Erion is doing. Keep digging, see what you can find out. Oh, and don't tell anyone what you're up to till you've checked with me."
Going by the troubled look on Tranter's face, he was not having things all his own way. Although a large pile of chips was by his right hand, Erion's pile was greater by far. Raan caught her eye and gave her a broad wink. Starfire crossed the room to the pool, settled herself on a lounger, gazed up into the starlit sky and listened to the stilted conversation that arose from the card table.
"I see your ten thousand, and raise twenty." That was Erion.
"Your twenty, and twenty more." Tranter sounded confident. Starfire allowed herself to drift, then smiled and turned towards Raan as he touched her arm and drew up a lounger to lie beside her.
"This is some place," he said, raising a hand to the star lit sky. "We could almost be outside."
"Yeah," agreed Starfire. Something in her voice made Raan look sideways at her.
"Still get the jitters outside?" Raan was referring to her Terrellian agoraphobic roots.
"No, not really," she answered. "I just don't see what all this fuss about the great outdoors is about."
"That's because you have no romance in your soul." He motioned to the sky with his cigar. "Nothing could be more romantic than a star lit night
, a sandy beach, a beautiful girl and a… argh!" Starfire pushed him off his lounger and he rolled to his feet with the grace of a dancer. "As I said Lieutenant, you have no romance in your soul."
"What do you think of Tranter?" Starfire changed the subject.
"I like him. I don't exactly trust him yet, but he'd make a good Marine."
"Yeah, that's about what I thought too."
"Star, are you all right?" Raan turned over, lay on his front and closed his eyes. "You need a rest kid, that's your trouble. You worry too much." A yell rent the air and Raan gave a visible start, rolled off his lounger again and stood up with Starfire by his side, gun in hand. It was Erion, screaming for joy.
"I did it! I won!" Their thoughts forgotten, Raan and Starfire rushed towards the gleeful young woman. Raan reached her first and picked her up, planting huge kiss on her lips.
"You're all sandy!" she chastised. He placed her gently on the ground and they both stepped away from each other, clearly embarrassed at the spontaneous contact. Hal rushed forward, gun drawn and ready as Raan yelled in delight,
"Hey, Hal we gotta ship."
"Hooray for our side," he muttered darkly, sliding the big gun back into its holster.
"He's another one who should lighten up. Maybe it's a 'Terry' thing?" mused Raan.
"If anything, I should be the one to worry," said Tranter. He took Erion's hand. "I have never been beaten by a more worthy or beautiful opponent." He led her to the couch. "A drink before we retire? Rimek!"
"Here sir," answered the hover trolley. It cracked open a new bottle with one metal claw and filled half a dozen glasses that were sitting on its back.
"And what do you say, tin man?" Tranter clearly addressed Delta Ten but it was Starfire who spoke.
"He means you, Del."
"It seems a fair deal, Lieutenant," Delta Ten addressed Starfire. "The average price for a ship refit of this magnitude would be well under a million credits. Unless Mr Tranter is dishonest or incompetent we will not have to find further payment."
"That satisfy you?" Tranter deliberately ignored the slant on his character.
"It does," answered Erion. "Mr Tranter, we have a deal." They touched palms on it and took a drink. Hal caught Tranter's eye and motioned him aside.
Starfire at Traitors Gate Page 14