The group gathered out of site of the door. "We're nearly there," Aeyris whispered to them. "Most of those people are unarmed, so we'll just rush on. Shoot anyone who gets in the way, but don't waste time chasing them down. Someone will escape to raise the alarm within two seconds of us passing that door whatever we do. Set weapons to full power, and hit anyone carrying a weapon. Arrachachak, blast the hangar door as soon as you see it."
As they rushed out into the corridor people started shouting, some running off either way, others attempting to block the attackers. After five of them had been shot the rest turned and ran, yelling for help. The pirates were running now, two of them carrying Kirrik between their shoulders, who was still not in a good enough state to keep up with this pace.
The rush continued. A few more people who tried to stop them were killed for their efforts. They passed through two doors without any serious opposition, but a pair of soldiers met them around a corner. Laser fire shot out in each direction, and the soldiers did not last long in its face, but they managed to hit one of the attackers. A woman of about Marchero's age caught a blast that sent her crashing into the man behind her. Two pairs of hands hauled her upright, her face grimacing in pain at the wound in her side.
When they passed through a third door Aeyris' followers found themselves in an empty passage. They paused to examine the wounded woman, but she had already died. She was gently lowered to the floor, and then they hurried onward.
The room passage opened into a vast hall. Trucks loaded with miscellaneous equipment stood scattered around it, and a number of people and robots were running around, sprinting in and out of other entrances. On the far wall was a huge pair of doors, in front of which were eight heavily armed and protected soldiers. Accompanying them were two guard robots.
Two of the soldiers remained at the door, the rest of them rushed out to meet the attackers. Another flurry of laser fire, and the advancing soldiers were down, as well as five more pirates. The rest of the people there disappeared as fast as they could. Long range shots between the remaining two guards and the pirates were largely fruitless. They ducked back through the doorway as the robots also opened fire with frightening high-speed blasts. Another attacker, the insectoid, was injured, loosing an arm. It appeared to take no discomfort from the injury, though, and with another limb was firing back.
Some bolts caught the robots, with no effect. A slight shimmering distortion around them indicated shielding.
"Arrachachak!" Aeyris yelled. The giant had braced himself against a wall, and was trying to aim his cumbersome weapon. A hideous screech, almost a bang, as it went off. The blast missed the robot, blasting a portion of the wall out. The human guard nearest to the impact was flung aside, where he lay twitching on the floor. The robot shuddered, but continued firing.
"Hurry up!" Marchero yelled at him. "Fire again!"
"Just keep shooting yourself, and leave the cannon to Arrachachak," one of the pirates snarled at her.
It was ten seconds before the cannon had cooled down. The next blast caught a robot straight on, obliterating it. So did the third, taking out the final guard with it. Aeyris himself took a glancing hit in his left leg.
When the cannon hit the doors they buckled under the strain, but stayed in one piece. It took two more shots to open a hole in it, but as soon as it did they left their cover and ran for it, Kirrik and Aeyris being helped along, and Arrachachak wincing at the effort after the bruising jolts he had received each time he had operated the pulse laser.
They all made it through the door, some picking up nasty burns from the cooling, twisted metal. As Arrachachak ducked through the gap dozens of soldiers appeared in the hall behind them. Arrachachak took several steps back from the door, and loosed his cannon upwards. Without anything to brace against he was hurled to the floor, smashing the power pack on his back. From above, though, came a pile of twisted metal as the cranes and gantries that had been torn free from the shot crashed down to block the door.
They were in the hangar, fourteen of the twenty-one who had started. No other people could be seen, only service robots who were oblivious to anything that did not directly concern them. And in the centre of the hangar sat the new Constrictor.
"Over to you," Aeyris told Kirrik. His voice was steady but his face was pale and his leg bloody.
"Over to me what?"
"Where's the door? How does it open? It was your idea to come here, so I hope you had an idea about how to get in."
Kirrik looked up at the grey metallic mass. "Around the other side," he told them. They walked around to the far side of the ship. One of the pirates glanced back at the mess surrounding the hangar's entrance.
"Can't see or hear any sign of anyone trying to break through," he pointed out.