"Let's go," decreed Zip. Joe removed one end of a black wire and
touched it to another terminal. The door slid open.
Outside was a scene that none of the Starmen had expected. Two pirates,
dressed in their gray and black uniforms, were seated opposite one
another at a small table on the far side of the corridor. The one on
the right was a well-muscled, large man with dark hair, weighing well
over 200 pounds; the other was blond, of medium build. He was leaning
on his elbow, pondering his next move in a board game. When the door
slid open, they both looked up, utter surprise written over their faces.
Both the Starmen and the pirates froze for a split second, then both
sides moved at once. Mark charged for the big man and Joe for the
blond. Simultaneously the huge pirate bellowed and threw the table
toward the charging Starmen, scattering the game pieces. Mark stopped
the flying table without slowing his pace and slammed it hard back at
the pirates, legs first. The blond man managed to evade the table, but
the big pirate took two table legs on his left thigh and upper chest.
He groaned, and the laser pistol he had been drawing was caught behind
the table. Mark quickly threw the table upside-down to his left,
reached with both hands for the pirate's right arm, and pulled the man
quickly down and toward himself.
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