1:2:9 Sanctuary (Part 3)

“Now isn’t that interesting.” The commander turned from her computer to Ace and Midpoint. “We’ve just had a complete computer failure in the airlock terminals but one computer seems to be unaffected and that computer is downloading a series of old legal documents and clothing schematics.”
Ace and Midpoint shook their head. “It’s not us.”
“If you wanted our files, you just had to wait. They go public in…” She checked the clock. “Not long now. Wow, time flies.” Her computer beeped at her. She checked the incoming message. “Even less now.” The commander held down her intercom button. “This is Commander Farkle. We are now entering the final stages of R-Day. Please report to your posts. All external doors need to be locked and reinforced and all sensitive technology should be secured. Our Celreagaire scouts have just informed us that we are expecting a hostile visit from the Military Guild; security personnel report to defensive stations. Use of lethal weaponry is prohibited, stun sticks and InCap rifles only. All civilians should report to their designated safe zones and all board members to my office. This is not a drill.” She walked over to the fabricator and made herself a drink before fabricating four familiar pistols. She drained the glass and carried the pistols over to her desk. “You’re welcome to stay here if you need to but try not to get in anyone’s way.”
There was a knock at the door. Two officers entered.
“Subcommanders Smith and Lawrence reporting as ordered Sir.” Lawrence saluted. “Subcommander Tracy is managing civilian security.”
“Excellent. I assume you have completed your tasks?”
“All ‘anachronistic’ tech has been secured in the holds. My troops are standing ready by the wall.”
“Thank you Lawrence. Smith, how are our physical defences?”
“Sir, I’m afraid to report in that department, we have a problem.” Smith began. “We’ve put the station on lockdown. Inner walls and defence stations have successfully deployed but the main airlock controls are not responding. It shouldn’t be too much of an issue but it’s still worrying.”
“Our logs say that you were the last one to access the airlock so what’s the problem?”
“That was when our guests first arrived. I’ve not been there since.” Smith realised as soon as he started what was going on.
“Your ID was checked in at the airlock around the time of the blackout.”
“I gave it to them.” Smith pointed to Ace and Midpoint. Commander Farkle and Subcommander Lawrence raised two of the pistols from the desk and levelled them at the clones’ helmets.
“I suggest you contact your officers.” Farkle’s tone was not unlike high grit sandpaper, deceptively abrasive.
“Now I don’t think there’s any need for that.” Ace spoke calmly. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly valid reason your airlock isn’t responding.”
“Tell your officers to lock the airlock.” Smith now had his pistol aimed at Ace too.
“May I?” Ace made a move to stand. With a nod from Farkle, they slowly rose from their seat. “Interesting… Projectile firearms relying on magnetic rail technology if my ears don’t deceive me. Looks like something you’d use Mid.” They remained perfectly calm. “I’m reaching for my communicator.” They took the device from their armour and placed it to their filter. “Curve, come in.”
“This is Curve.” The response came near instantly.
“What is the status of the airlock?”
“How many?” Curve cottoned on rather quickly.
“Three but that doesn’t matter. What’s going on with the airlock?”
“The Inquisitor is on their way. Magpie says they’re coming in quick. We’re keeping it open for now, but we should be able to lock it within the next five or so minutes.”
“Is that good enough for you?” Ace lowered their communicator and looked Commander Farkle dead in the eyes. She lowered her pistol in acknowledgement. “Get it locked as soon as they’re in.”
“Obviously.” Curve responded before the line went dead.
As good as Magpie’s eye was, and as good as his judgement of distance was, he couldn’t predict Lore. He watched as their speeder bikes disappeared and reappeared sporadically, blinking closer and closer to Sanctuary Point. The five minute estimate shrank exponentially with them arriving nearly three minutes ahead of schedule with frost-nipped faces. They entered the airlock; the door closed behind them. The temperature started to rise.
“That’s lovely.” The redness across Char’s face was rapidly recovering as she came to temperature.
“Better than being out there.” Lore lowered the fabric they had used to cover the lower half of their face and used it to clean the snow from their glasses. “Can finally see where I’m going.” They chuckled. Condensation quickly replaced the snow.
“Hey boss.” Curve’s voice came as a shock.
“Curve? Is everyone else here too?” Lore moved closer to one of the heating vents to warm their hands.
“Just me, Mags and Destiny. Ace and Mid went up to see the boss. You might want to get up there, before one of those idiots gets themselves hurt.”
“Well, you better open this airlock then.” Char banged the interior door
With the temperature equalised, the airlock doors parted with a hiss. Lore and Char ran through. Three large soldiers blocked their advance with their riot shields. They parted slightly to allow a fourth to come to the front. “Subcommander Tracy, Sanctuary Point Security. I think you had better come with me ‘Inquisitor’.”

Lore held their hands behind their back. They hadn’t been cuffed yet but they didn’t want to give their captors a reason to. The room they were escorted to had three rather annoyed looking people with pistols drawn and two familiar helmets. Ace and Midpoint flinched towards Lore but with a subtle nod, Lore steadied them.
“Inquisitor. We’ve been expecting you.”
“I can see.” Lore tried to get a better look at the weapons in front of them and the room around them to help to gauge just how confident they should be. In the corner, they saw something familiar. The fabricator was exactly the same as the one Tolan had in their lab. A plan was forming in their head. Subcommander Tracy took the last pistol from the desk
“Just a formality. Not every day the most infamous ex-Inquisitor visits now is it.” Farkle waved Lore and Char over to Ace and Midpoint. “And you’ve got an alien in tow…” She shook her head. “Oh how the mighty have fallen.”
Lore froze. In a mix of anxiety and extreme planning, Lore froze. They examined every centimetre of their surroundings again. They shuffled backwards slightly. Not enough to really make a difference but enough to notice.
Char looked to Lore and sighed quietly before painting a look of disgust across her face. “So they’ve fallen because they’re with an alien? Wow. Look at you, spying on your own, hoarding technology in your ‘utopia’ while there’s a rampant police state in your front garden. You’re the last group who get to judge who someone gets to spend their time with.”
“Their? A gobby alien on your hip and you’re a null now too.” Farkle spat on Char’s shoes.
“You filthy Schick Kopen.” Char lunged at her. Three out of four of the pistols trained on her fired. Three steel rods penetrated her lower abdomen, forcing her to the floor.
“A rabid gobby alien. And now she’s bleeding over my carpet.” Farkle nudged Char’s body with her foot.
Lore was gobsmacked. They bent down and put their finger into Char’s hand. She tugged it twice. The action triggered something in their subconscious telling them it was alright. “Well, that escalated quickly.” Somehow, their plan going to plan. The unexpected advantage filled them with confidence. “Not telling you how to do your job but, if you were in the mood for criticism, I’d recommend not shooting any aliens until you knew where they came from.”  Lore knelt down and collected the three steel dowels. They rattled them around in their hand before pocketing them. The whole time, they were focussed on their assailants pistols. Three out of the four appeared to be off. They knelt down once more and chuckled. “I thought I recognised that fabricator. I’m guessing it made your guns. Did you know that it’s based on technology from her planet. Quatarrian Human hybrid tech. Excellent at making perfect replicas, warts and all.” Lore couldn’t stop themselves laughing.
“Will you please be quiet!” Smith put his pistol to Lore’s chest. Lore looked down. Lore was silent. A slight smile crossed their face. “A map. We came for a map. And I think,” Lore looked to Ace, Ace nodded. “We got what we came for.” Lore returned their hands to behind their back and moved them closer together. They tapped their Breacher thrice before holding the activation key.
“You want us to believe you came for a map?” Farkle chuckled herself. Unbeknownst to her, Ace had been watching her pistol. The lights on the side had joined Smith’s and turned off. Ace signalled to Lore.
Lore simply nodded. “Now, Char, I think we should get out of here before Undulia arrives. What do you think?” Lore lowered their hand to their side, hovering it over Char’s body. To the surprise of almost all present, she got up and grabbed it. She made sure not to accidentally touch Lore’s Breacher.
“Sounds like a plan.” She groaned. It took the Commander and her Subcommanders a moment to collect themselves.
“And why would we let you leave?” Farkle looked to her Subcommanders to see if they were seeing the audacity before her. There was a twinge of fear in her tone.
“Because unlike you, our weapons work.” Lore looked over their shoulder and tapped their Breacher. They and Char were transported behind Ace and Midpoint who were both ready for Lore’s dramatic reveal with their guns drawn. “Now, I really don’t want to hurt you, perhaps bruise your ego but not hurt. So, you’re going to let us leave and forget we were here. Just pretend I’m any other Inquisitor and I’ll pretend you didn’t shoot my friend.” Lore paused. “Deal?” The cable connecting Ace and Midpoint’s guns to their sides started to glow.
“Deal.” The four of them voted unanimously.
“Fantastic.” The clones holstered their weapons. “Right then, we’ll be off.” The clones led the way. Lore was almost out of the door but they couldn’t help themselves. “If you’re going to do this sort of thing again, word of advice, don’t use experimental weaponry that you can’t recharge.”

Lore, Char and the Clones regrouped with the others by the airlock. Given that she had just been shot thrice at point blank range, Char was moving rather well but Lore could tell that the wound was giving her grief. “Why’d you do that?”
“I saw that you were stalling for time. I thought I’d get you some.” Char gave a pained smile as she finished descending the steps.
“What sort of relationship must Lore and Char have where you getting shot is a valid diversion tactic?” Lore was checking Char’s torso for any remaining damage. Incredibly, the surface of her skin was healed and unbroken.
“Not the best kind that’s for sure.” Char patted Lore’s shoulder.
“Don’t you ever do that again… Not without me asking you to at least.” Lore smiled. “And you can refuse which is totally understandable.” They added quickly.
“Obviously. As long as it isn’t Tempora based, it’ll be fine though so don’t worry if I do it reflexively. I’ve been forced to adopt some bad old habits.”
They had made it back to the airlock. Curve and Destiny were waiting outside of the control room for them. “Glad to see you made it out alive.” Char scoffed. “But now we have another problem. Undulia.”