The Second Book of the Alienbutt Saga. The Rise of Mr Fluffy. Part 20.

Three dreadnoughts and seven cruisers jumped out of light speed above the planet AV23. Immediately they moved into position in orbit and began firing at targets on the planet, taking out known defensive positions. Commander Kali sat in the command chair of the lead dreadnought watching the barrage aimed planet-side.
“Commander, the estate security shields are disabled as Commander Snoodgrass promised,” her technical officer informed her after completing a scan of the planet’s surface.
“Send down the away team and make sure you keep scanning the system for any sign of Federation ships. Now let’s hope Snoodgrass’s spy Whiff is as good as he claims and this runs to plan. I don’t want a stand-up battle with any relief fleet.”
“Commander, we have five battle cruisers moving from orbit around the planets moon, E.T.A. four minutes,” reported a young ensign seated at the weapons console.
“The general left something for us to play with, how thoughtful. Order Cyborgpirate to lead the cruisers and engage. Best to let him play while we await the away team; all fighters on standby,” she replied calmly. “Now could I have a nice cuppa tea while we wait?”

The away team materialised outside the main building on General Jee’s estates. Killashandra quickly looked around, taking stock of her surroundings. In the distance a column of smoke rose into the sky where the Fo’c’sle ships had targeted other buildings on the estate. The other ten members of the team had spread into a defensive circle waiting for her orders. She walked over to her number two, Ponnfarr.
“Let’s leave a couple out here. The rest of us will enter the building and search for Grommit and this spy.”
Ponnfarr nodded and got up from his crouching position. Killashandra cursed inwardly, as now she would have to start looking up at the squad of towering soldiers again. It was difficult to give orders when she was on a level with their armpits. As they approached the doorway to the house they heard gunfire and explosions from inside. Two of the soldiers raced forward and quickly placed small charges on the door. The away team all moved to either side of the doorway as the charges went off, removing the doors from the frame; before the dust and smoke cleared they raced through. Flipping down a screen on their helmets they moved through the dust-filled and smoky interior using infrared to pierce the haze of smoke and dust. Checking a small screen on her wrist as she turned around, Killashandra picked up two life readings off down a corridor to the left. Using hand signals she indicated the way the team should go.

Grommit and Morgan lay behind a small wall of a fountain in an enclosed garden forecourt. The robotic infantry had them pinned down, and it would not be long before they started to outflank them. Morgan had picked up an assault rifle each from the armoury and the two had fought a running battle with the robots as they came up from the underground chamber, but now their luck had run out.
“So was there more to your plan than just getting us topside?” Grommit asked as she placed the final clip into her rifle.
“Your friends were supposed to be here to meet us.” Morgan rose up over the wall and fired her rifle, hitting a robot that fell over backwards, its head ripped apart. “On the bright side the sun’s out, so stop bitching and let’s work on our tans while we wait for them. Sung knows you could do with a bit of sun. You're really pale and a bit of colour will make you look less like you just got busted out of a prison cell,” she continued, ducking back down as the robots returned fire, causing shards of stone to shower over them from the wall behind them.
“Sunbathing? Without any sunblock?” Grommit gasped in disgust as she rolled to her right and took out a robot that was moving to get around the side of them. “Do you know how bad that ages the skin, and pale skin is the look to have this season,” she said with a grin as she rolled back behind the wall. “It's called prisoner chic.”

“Stop yer bloody beauty tips and get ya heads down!” shouted a voice from the balcony above, before a sustained volley of gunfire erupted, cutting into the advancing robot. As the echoes of the gunfire began to fade two figures jumped over the balcony to land lightly beside the two women. Ponnfarr stood in the pool of the fountain and reached into a pouch on his belt. With a fluid motion he threw a small object that burst into blue light as it flew in a spinning arc to slice through the remaining robots.
“Years out of the arena but I still got the moves. The undefeated champion of Heeter racing to your rescue, ladies,” he said as the glowing object flew back to his hand, its light turning out as he caught it.
“You want a ride home?” asked the other who had jumped down with a grin.
“What took you so long, Killashandra?” Grommit asked as she began to get to her feet, then saw movement from behind her friend as one of the robot infantry rose up. It was damaged, but still operational. Alerted by Grommit’s warning glance Killashandra spun around and leapt at the robot. With one hand she reached up and grabbed the top of the robot’s chest plate and pulled herself up to stare eye to robotic eye with the robot. She rammed her helmeted head twice into the robotic eye. The metallic body began to topple backwards, and as it did, she pulled out her handgun and fired into the gap between the chest plate and neck. Jumping clear she stared down at the now ruined robot.
“These helmets would come in handy down on Hardstool on a Friday night. I wonder how our champion here would fair in a real bust-up without his fancy toys.” Raising her wrist to speak into her wrist-com she grinned at Grommit. “Killashandra to Kali, we got twelve to beam up.”
Ponnfarr, still standing in the fountain, shrugged. “Why have toys if you don't play with them?”

To be continued.
All images are mine.