Chapter 21
Robin pulled his ship around coming out from beneath the VELANCE'R's protective bulk, 'Oh great,' he thought to himself as he looked at the display on his scanner, "Star, those are. . . . " he began.
". . . .VALNO'R class fighters," Star finished for him. "I never thought I would live to see this day; Tamaraneans fighting Tamaraneans," she added sadly.
"Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, break off and head for the Tower," Robin ordered, "Star you're my wing. Guard flight you are not to fire until fired upon, and then only to disable,"
"Robin my scanner shows ten ships out there," Cyborg argued.
"This is not the Titans fight," Robin shot back as the distance between himself and one of the renegade fighters dropped rapidly, "Starfire is staying because you know as well as I do that even if I ordered her to leave she wouldn't," he explained, "These are her people out here."
"Yeah I know it, but that doesn't mean I gotta like it. Raven, BB, lets head for home."
Robin sighed in relief as he watched the three ships turn and head away from them.
"Robin you wish for us to simply be targets for those wechena?" Mik'l asked.
"You are free to take evasive action, but you will not fire until they fire first." Robin insisted, then heard Mik'l mutter under his breath, "I know it's difficult shovaka," he said gently, "but do you really want to be the first Tamaranean to take hostile combat action against another in over a millennia?"
There was silence on the channel for a moment. "Thank you Robin, it is easy to see why you are the leader of the Titans. I am honored to be at your command," Mik'l said softly.
"Robin a ship has broken off and are heading for the VELANCE'R," Stev'n reported, "Looks like it is heading for the launch bays."
"Right," Robin said, "Mik'l you're in command out here, Koriand'r and I are going after that ship."
"Be cautious shalocfa, you are unfamiliar with our flight tactics," Mik'l warned.
"And you don't know what I can do," Robin replied in a deathly calm voice. "Starfire lets get that ship."
'Right behind you my love,' Star's voice said in his head, as Robin brought his ship up to full speed.
"Fighter making an attack run on the VELANCE'R this is princess Koriand'r, you will power down you weapons systems and break off your attack."
"Well he heard you," Robin said as the fighter quickly turned away from the flagship, and headed their way, "Weapons system on line, tracking system activated."
"Check," Star replied as she too activated her defensive systems, "Odd, his systems are armed, but he is not tracking me."
"Or me," Robin said as he watched the fighter closing rapidly. "What is he up to?" Suddenly an alarm went off in Robin's ship. "Star he's a decoy!" he shouted, as he jerked his ship up and to the left, breaking the missile lock from the ship behind him.
"Robin, he is maneuvering to get another shot," Star warned, as she watched Robin put his ship through a series of maneuvers, but was unable to shake the fighter pursuing him. She quickly brought her ship around as Robin flashed past her, and fell in behind the fighter. "You will power down your weapons systems and break off, or I will open fire," she warned the other pilot.
"Star take the shot, disable him!" Robin shouted as his ship rocked with a hit.
Starfire concentrated on getting her shot lined up to hit one of his engines. "I have a lock!" she announced when the tone filled her cockpit, and her finger tightened over her firing button. . . . . .and froze. "Robin, I can not," she said sadly, "Not one of my own people." Starfire heard Robin's sigh over the radio, then flinched as the fighter scored another hit on his ship.
"Let's see how close to the VELANCE'R he wants to get," Robin muttered as he took his ship into a gut wrenching maneuver that ended up putting him on a course to pass close to the flagship.
Keeping with her training, Starfire kept her ship on track and maintained a weapons lock on the fighter as best she could.
"Star do something, I can't shake him." Robin called as he jerked his ship to the right, narrowly avoiding a laser shot.
Realizing that Robin had simply said to do something, not necessarily for her to shoot, she brought her ship to full speed and flew between the fighter and Robin's ship. "That was something," she told him as she now found herself the one being chased.
"Right," Robin growled, as he quickly came about and suddenly found himself in a position to fire. "Star, when I count three, go hard left and up," he instructed as he prepped his weapons, "one. . . . .two. . . .three! Hard left!" he called out, and smiled as the fighter tried to follow Star's maneuver, and he got a lock tone, "He's out of it for a while," he said as his shot went true and savaged the armor over the port engine exhaust, and the glow from the engine died.
"Robin, you have another one behind you!" Star cried as she saw another fighter pull in behind him, and take a shot.
"I know Star," Robin replied as he struggled with his controls, "He took out one of my thrusters," he announced, "You're going to have to disable him. I'll do my best to keep his attention on me while you line it up."
"But. . . ." Star started to say, but cut off as the fighter scored another hit on Robin's ship, "I will just disable him," she assured herself as she brought her ship in behind the fighter. Just as she got a weapons lock tone she saw Robin's ship vanish in a blossom of orange flame by the side of the VELANCE'R, "Robin!" she cried, and didn't see that her sight had moved from the right side engine to dead center of the fighter as her finger pressed the firing stud. A moment later the fighter also vanished in a ball of flame.
"Robin do you read me?" she called, "Respond please," she begged tearfully. There was a few bursts of static on the channel, then silence, "Robin, oh X'Hal!" she sobbed, and took her ship over by where Robin's had last been seen.
"All ships engaged in combat, this is Strike Commander Kim'r from the Grand Ruler's flagship VELANCE'R," Kim'r's voice said over the radio, "Cease hostilities at once. All fighters not assigned to the flagship will clear the defensive perimeter at once or be considered hostile and destroyed." she announced.
Starfire glanced at her scanner and saw four fighters quickly move away from the flagship.
"All ships check in," Kim'r called, and Star heard all five of Robin's Guard ships check in, "Titan four here," she reported, "Titan one is. . . ." she started, but couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Koriand'r?" Kim'r's vice asked, the signal stronger because she was using a discreet channel.
"He was being chased by a fighter, and last I saw was a ball of flame where his ship was," Star explained tearfully, "X'Hal Kim'r . . . ." she started, but trailed off when she thought she heard something, "Kim'r your sensors are better and stronger than mine. Do you find anything out there?" Star asked, "It would be a little left of straight ahead of my present position."
"I am picking up an object, about thirty klexos from you in that area," Kim'r reported a moment later. "Odd, I am now picking up energy readings as well."
In her cockpit, Starfire took a steadying breath, and calmed her mind as best she could, 'Gentha'fa, are you there?' she thought.
'Kori?' Robin's mental voice replied so softly that Star barely picked it up, "Controls out, engines off line last I was able to check.'
"Kim'r, that is Titan one!" Star said happily, "His engines are out and he's barely conscious, but he's alive!"
"Princess, return to the landing bay," Kim'r ordered, "Mik'l and I will stand by out here with Robin, and bring him in when he's able."
"I will not!" Star replied vehemently, "I will wait here with him. You and the others may do as you wish."
"Highness I am not going to argue with you. . . ." Kim'r began, and Star cut her off.
". . . .Good then I will wait for your return with craft to tow him in."
Kim'r opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it, and called for rescue ships to tow Robin back into the landing bay.
'Kori, what happened to the ship that was after me?' Robin asked, his mental voice stronger, 'Kori?' he called when he got no reply.
'I. . . .killed.'
A short while later Robin's ship was being towed into the landing bay of the VELANCE'R, and for the last few minutes neither Kim'r with her radio, or Robin telepathically, could get any reply from Starfire. Unfortunately Kim'r didn't know of Robin's lack of response from her.
Robin waited impatiently for the repair people outside his ship to open his canopy. He was now fully conscious and chomping at the bit to get to Starfire. What he was getting from her mind worried him deeply. 'Kori don't do this to yourself," he thought to her, but got only images of her firing and the fighter exploding,
"X'Hal Robin I have not seen flying like that. . . ." Kim'r began when Robins canopy opened, but trailed off when she saw him scrambling out of his seat, an odd device in his hand.
Robin looked at the deck, and saw nothing but warriors eager to congratulate him on his flying skill. He clambered out of his cockpit, and fired his grapnel so it latched onto some piping above Starfire's ship, and he quickly swung over to it. Tapping the access code into the pad beside her canopy, Robin opened it, finding exactly what he was afraid he would.
Starfire was still strapped into her seat, her hands with a white knuckle grip on her steering controls. What worried Robin the most was her facial expression. Her eyes were wide open, and her face set in an expression of shocked disbelief and anguish. Another thing that scared him was that she wasn't responding to the outside world.
"Kim'r, Mik'l clear the deck, now!" he ordered over the sound of the other warriors voices.
"Shalocfa, you can not be serious," Mik'l said, "These warriors wish to congratulate you on your flying ability."
"Commander I said clear this deck right now!" Robin practically shouted, just as Kim'r reached his side.
"Do as he says!" she snapped when she saw Starfire. "Guard, clear this deck!" she bellowed over the other voices, and Robin's Guard was joined by five other warriors and quickly told the other warriors to leave
Robin watched as Kim'r and Mik'l were the last to leave, and he heard the door close and seal. "Kori, come on, let's get you out of there." he said softly as he gently pulled Star's hands from her controls. Robin was slightly relieved when he saw that she wasn't limp, but was simply lacking the will of her own to move.
"Kori, you've got to snap out of this," he said softly, but firmly. Silence. Kori, come on, you're stronger than this," he added, giving her shoulders a gentle shake.
"I. . . . .killed. . . . .that. . . . .pilot." Star said softly, her voice devoid of emotion, "I simply sighted on his ship, pushed a button, and he is gone." she was silent for a moment, and Robin saw tears slowly working their way down her cheeks. "And he can never come back. I. . . "
Robin watched as her mouth seemed to be trying to form words, but nothing was coming out. He was relieved to see that her eyes suddenly focused on him, and he took her hands in his. "Kori?"
"Gentha'fa!" Star cried then let Robin pull her close to him, his arms going around her as she cried, "I thought he had killed you, but that does not justify that I murdered him," she managed to get out between sobs.
"Kori, he left you no choice," Robin soothed, "You didn't murder him he was an enemy in combat," he continued, "You did what you had to, what you were trained to do." Robin was surprised when Star suddenly shoved him away.
"He was NOT and enemy he was a Tamaranean!" she shouted at him, "I am the future ruler of these people! I am supposed to lead them and protect them. Doing things in their best interest!"
"Good Kori, let it out. You can get through this," he said softly, and was surprised further when Star took a swing at him.
"Who are you to tell me what to do!" she demanded, throwing a flurry of punches at Robin which he easily blocked.
"Your shalocfa, the one who loves you above all else." he replied softly, lowering his hands.
"X'Hal what am I becoming!" she gasped, as her face mirrored the shocked realization that she had lashed out at Robin.
"No Kori, not that. Never that." Robin said as the image of Starfire at the controls of her ship, smiling evilly as she shot down fighter after fighter, laughing manically. He moved over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, "There is no way you could ever become that," he told her.
"How can you be so sure?" Star asked, "I was raised n the same environment as my sister, and if you are correct, she has killed."
"Because of how much this is bothering you my love," Robin replied, "Your sense of honor and loyalty are the strongest I've ever seen, and they won't let you become the monster you're thinking of."
Star looked up at him her emerald eyes pleading. "I do not wish to become a monster," she said softly. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I cannot get the image out of my head. I keep seeing it happening over and over again."
Robin slid his arms around her, pulling her close, "I wish there were some magic words I could say to you to make this easier on you, my love," he said softly as he held her, feeling her shaking with silent sobs. "But there aren't, there never has been."
They stood there for a few moments then Robin took his communicator out. "Raven, come in."
"Robin for Azar's sake what is going on?" Raven asked when she answered.
"I'll explain later. Are you alone?"
"Cyborg and Beast Boy are here with me."
"Can you get somewhere so we can talk privately?
There was a moment's silence then Raven came back on line, "Okay what's up?"
"Can you come to where I am?"
"Sure open the door and I'll walk in."
Robin's brow creased in confusion, "Why aren't you at the Tower?"
"Like your situation, it's complicated."
"You can teleport to where I am, right?"
"Of course," Raven replied, and a moment later she was standing beside them, "Starfire? What's happened?"
"I'll explain later," Robin said, "I want you to teleport us to the Tower. I agree with Galfore that it's not safe here, and this is the only way I can think of that can't be interfered with."
Raven nodded, and closed her eyes. "Azarath . . .Metrion. . . . .Zynthos." she chanted and a raven shaped shadow enveloped them then phased through the floor.