by A A Warren
FRONTIER SPACE
Beyond Dominion border
A few days later…
The hours and days that passed after the Prince’s briefing were a blur for Talon. A force tube allowed the Star Claw to ascend from the depths of the giant gas planet, and once again enter deep space. Then, a rapid series of jumps ensued, to throw off any Dominion Patrols. Zobo was convinced a spy had infiltrated the ranks of the Prince’s guards, and he refused to trust the safety of his ship to chance.
While they drifted in deep space, Salena mostly kept to herself. Each star-path required a new set of coordinates to be generated. Powering the portal drive used a significant portion of the dark energy she wielded. The process left her exhausted, and she retired to her cabin when the ship’s computers worked to calculate the next destination point.
Avra used the down time to teach Talon the basics of piloting. Strapped into her seat, he grit his teeth as he slid the throttle lever forward. An alarm whined in his ear, and the holo display hovering before his eyes flashed red. He struggled to remember what the blinking numbers and symbols were trying to tell him.
He backed off on the main thrusters as he felt the deck plates rumble beneath his feet, but he was too late. The ship lurched forward, then jerked to a stop. The engines powered down with a low hum. They were drifting again, gently bobbing in the dark, endless sea of black.
Avra reached over his shoulder and flipped a few switches on the control panel. The alarm ceased its electronic whine, and the holo display returned to a soft blue.
“Not bad, Fledge, but did you see that red bar that was flashing?”
Talon nodded. “I flooded the thruster manifolds.” He leaned back in the pilot’s chair and folded his hands behind his head. “I thought this would be like the battle gliders I flew in the arena. But all these controls… How can one remember so many switches and lights?”
Avra laughed. “The Star Claw is about two wars old, you know. You think this old bird is complicated? Try sitting in the cockpit of a Dominion blood hawk. You have to be a certified mathematician to fly one of those things.”
Talon grunted and shook his head. “That doesn’t sound like flying to me.”
Avra patted his shoulder, then reset some controls on the panel. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. Besides, you know how long it takes most people to learn to fly a starship? Trust me, you’re a natural. Let’s try again, and this time make sure you—”
Another alarm wailed to life, cutting off her words. Talon lifted his hands from the controls, and glanced at the flashing displays. “What did I do now?” he muttered.
“Gravimetric distortion in our sector,” Avra snapped, glancing at the blinking holo display. “Multiple wormholes opening ahead of us. Not caused by a ship… black hole, collapsing star, something like that. Get up, I better—”
Another siren blared to life, as more readouts flashed in front of Talon's eyes. “Proximity alarm,” he shouted. “No time, hold on!”
Acting on instinct, he grabbed the controls, and threw the ship into a steep dive. Ahead of them, space seemed to ripple and warp. Strands of glowing energy shimmered in and out of existence, as gravity distorted the space around them.
The siren wailed louder. A trail of glowing rocks tumbled through the tears in space-time. They were everywhere, randomly popping in and out of existence… rubble from some far away collapsed planet, transported by the warp in space. Within seconds, the vast cluster of asteroids surrounded the Star Claw on all sides.
Talon felt the inertia press him back in his seat as he swung the ship between two of the larger fragments. The shield display blinked orange… smaller fragments of debris pelted the hull, wearing down their defenses. Avra grabbed the back of his pilot’s chair to steady herself. Talon kept his eyes on the front window as he worked the controls. The ship spiraled around another colossal chunk of spinning rock.
“Increase throttle,” Avra shouted. “You have to compensate for—”
“I know,” Talon snapped back. “The big ones have their own gravity.” The engines roared as he increased speed. He dipped the ship’s nose, avoiding another fragment. The jagged rock crashed into the larger asteroid beneath them. Glancing left and right, Talon darted the ship through a narrow gorge on the big rock’s surface. Fragments of ice and rubble exploded behind them.
The rock began to collapse around the ship. Cursing, Talon jerked up on the controls, and sent even more power to the thrusters. Avra gasped as the sudden burst of speed and course change tossed her sideways. She fell into Talon’s lap, as the ship streaked under another tumbling rock. With a deafening roar, they shot out of the asteroid field.
The wailing alarms ceased. The debris field drifted behind them. The asteroids tumbled through space, disappearing in their wake.
They were clear.
Avra looked up at him in shock.
“How… how did you do that? You flew the ship. You navigated an asteroid field!”
He lifted his hands from the controls and stared at them. “I don’t know… it just felt… it felt like I knew what to do.”
“You’ve done this before,” she said in a breathy voice, her green eyes peering into his black and crimson stare. “You must have.”
“I’ve been told that before.” He lowered his hands to her, cradling her body in his lap. “My old battle trainer said that when he saw me fight, he thought I’d been training all my life. But I have no memory of any training… No memory of flying. No memories of life at all, before I awoke in the blood pits.”
Her arms snaked around his neck as she sat up. “A man without a past. Maybe you’re lucky. Most of us have memories we’d rather forget.”
The door to the bridge hissed open. Salena stumbled into the cockpit, dressed in a sheer, colorful silk robe. Her hair was piled up in a messy bun, and she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “Did I just hear the proximity alarm go off? I thought I—”
Avra shoved Talon’s arm aside, and leapt from his embrace. “It was nothing,” she muttered. She yanked off her headband, and pulled back her long, fiery hair. “Teaching the fledge some basic maneuvers, that’s all.”
Salena tilted her head, as her glowing blue eyes regarded the panting woman. “Avra, you’re blushing!”
Talon stood up, and scratched his neck. “Salena, its not what—”
“Wait… did I interrupt your human courtship ritual?”
“No,” Avra snapped. “I told you, I was just—”
Salena gasped and covered her mouth as she giggled. Her cheeks tinted rose and her nose wrinkled, as she grinned with child-like glee. “I knew it! As soon as you fixed his plasma axe, I knew it! ‘Basic maneuvers’, eh? Oh my!”
Avra shook her head, and stormed off the bridge. “That’s enough lessons for today. I’ll be in my quarters. Wake me when we get to Bakala.”
Talon watched her go, then turned to Salena. “I’m sorry, we just… It felt right.”
Salena squinted her eyes and gave him a strange look. “Talon, you don’t think I’m jealous do you?”
He returned his quizzical stare. “Are you not?”
She laughed again. “Oh, my warrior… you do have much to learn. I enjoyed our time together, but you must understand, my people are different from humans. We do not experience jealousy over such trivial things. Even with a lifespan as long as mine, our time as physical beings in this universe is brief. Pleasure is to be savored in all its forms. The bonds we value are far more powerful than mere physical coupling.”
Talon exhaled, then nodded. “Good. I thought, perhaps… I thought you might be upset with me.”
Salena laughed again, then settled into her navigation chair. “As I told you Talon, I am very old. I have had many lovers in my life. You are hardly my first.” She sighed. “Not even my first human,” she added.
Talon rubbed his neck again, then gave her a brief, awkward bow. “Yes. Of course. I think I’d best get some rest before we arrive.” He headed for the exit.
“Talon,” Salena called after him. He stopped, and turned back to face her. She smiled. “I just want you to know, the bond we share, the link between us… It is very rare, even among my own people. That connection is very special to me indeed.”
Talon nodded. “For me as well. I’ve never felt anything quite like it.”
Her smile grew wider, and her eyes sparkled in the dim light. “Nor I, my warrior. But for what it’s worth, I think you and Avra make a good match. If you feel the same, you should let her know.”
Talon shrugged, then gave her a sheepish grin. “Perhaps. We shall see.”
He turned and left the bridge. The door hissed closed behind him, leaving him alone in the dark, humming corridors of the ship. He marched towards the sleeping quarters, his footsteps echoing off the metal deck plates.
He paused outside Avra’s door, mulling over the events that had transpired.
“Iberon’s harem,” he muttered to himself.
He turned and stormed off towards his own quarters, disappearing into the shadowy depths of the narrow metal passageway.
Chapter Eleven
BAKALA COLONY
Outer Reaches, Tygon Dominion
Several days later…
Talon stood on the Star Claw’s bridge, and looked out the clear cockpit windows. Below them, gleaming silver towers protruded from the dark, craggy rocks of an asteroid the size of a small moon. The buildings reflected the rays of the distant crimson sun, shimmering beneath a series of energy domes. Their blinking neon lights cast colorful shadows across the planetoid’s jagged surface.
Far off in the distance, between Bakala and its burning red sun, a belt of debris stretched across the dark gulf. Even at this distance, Talon could make out tumbling rocks, mangled equipment, and twisted hulks of wreckage… A graveyard of dead ships, trapped in a perpetual orbit by the star’s intense gravity.
Avra pushed back her red hair, and made a quick adjustment to the ship’s approach vector. “Bakala Control, this is Independent Vessel Alpha Dawn." Her words crackled over the ship’s comm system. "Registration ID 113-779-SFA, requesting clearance to dock.”
The glowing forcefield of the colony's hanger bay grew closer in the cockpit. Avra kept her eyes locked on her holo display. She turned off the transmitter. “I built a scrambler into our ID transponder,” she said in a cool, detached voice. “They won't be able to match us to the Star Claw’s registry. Don’t worry, the shield code will work.”
“It better, child,” Zobo growled. “Or we’ll hit that docking bay screen like a bug on a windshield.”
Talon glanced down at Avra, but she did not return his gaze. She had kept her distance from him since the night on the bridge. He knew little about women and courtship, but he sensed she was embarrassed… Salena had caught them enjoying an intimate moment. He felt vaguely annoyed with himself… Both for not speaking to her later that night, and for allowing such trivial concerns to occupy his thoughts.
A cool, smooth hand touched his shoulder. He turned and saw that Salena had joined them on the bridge. He hadn’t noticed her walk up behind him.
“You said you wished to see the cities of the Dominion,” she said in a breathy voice. “Well here we are. Welcome to Bakala Colony, one of the most wicked and decadent cities in the region.”
“This floating garbage dump barely counts as a city,” Avra scoffed. “More like a giant bordello.”
“I’ve visited some cities before,” Talon said, staring at the vista before them. “But I’ve never seen anything outside my quarters, or the arena. These buildings… they’re massive!”
Zobo chuckled. “Bah, nothing here but casinos and cheap hotels. If it’s grand buildings you want, wait till you see the capital on Tal Adar.”
Salena smiled. “He will see them, Zobo. When he’s ready.”
Avra shrugged. The ship began to slide through an opening in the glowing blue screen that protected the hanger bay. She let her hands drop from the controls, and she stood up. “Well, ready or not, Station Control has taken over landing protocols. No turning back now. Bakala, here we come.”
The crowd of bodies moving through the narrow streets of Bakala was like nothing Talon had ever seen. Hundreds of life forms from all corners of the galaxy pushed and shoved past him as they made their way towards a blinking crosswalk sign. To his left, a street vender served honey roasted spice beetles to a pair of reptilian Gekari. A hover taxi screeched to a halt in the street behind the stall. A Malthurian blob heaved its quivering bulk into the rear seat, arguing with the driver in a series of loud, wet gurgles.
In the stagnant air beneath the curved dome, an insectile Kyt’Kan swooped on shimmering wings, flying alongside the blur of a hover-rail train. The train’s long, narrow line of cars screamed along above a thin magnetic guide rail, tearing through the air at incredible speeds.
Floating platforms of neon lights and massive vid screens hung above them. The signs blared advertisements in dozens of languages. For Talon, the sights and sounds were overwhelming… an audiovisual cacophony that only the most seasoned traveler could comprehend.
“I’ve never seen anything like this!” Talon gasped, craning his head to take in the buildings towering on either side of them. He followed Salena, Avra and Zobo as they stepped through the grid-locked traffic at an intersection. The four of them moved towards the lift tube of the nearest hover rail station.
Zobo sniffed the air, and wrinkled his snout in disgust. “Never smelled anything like it either, I bet. The oxygen recyclers can’t clean out the stench fast enough.”
Talon eyed a row of street vendors on the sidewalk. The tiny stalls sold an array of noodle bowls, spiced vegetables and other food items. The smell of spiced meat sizzling on a grill wafted through the air.
“What are you talking about? That smell’s amazing!” Talon began to peel off, and head towards the nearest vendor's stall. Zobo grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back.
“Stay away from the street food, son. You just got over your space sickness. Last thing you need is to turn your stomach inside out again.”
Salena smiled, and drew her cloak tighter around her body. She quickened her pace towards the station. “Talon, keep your wits about you. We’re not here as tourists. We have a job to do.”
As they passed by, Talon noticed a trio of men seated at one of the stalls. Their bodies were draped in cheap plastic cloaks. Dark, beady eyes peered up at him from beneath the poncho hoods. Their skin had the pale, sallow complexion of men who spent their lives inside starships, or colonies like this Bakala. Men who had little exposure to sunlight and fresh air… Miners, perhaps, or dock workers.
Whoever they were, the men’s eyes followed Talon and the others through the crowd of pedestrians. Talon stopped and turned to face them, glaring back at them with a challenging stare. Two of the men averted their eyes, glancing down at their food. The third held his gaze, regarding him with wide, unblinking eyes.
Finally, the man broke eye contact. He slid his chips over the counter and left the stall. The others followed. Talon watched as they ambled away into the throng.
Salena approached him from behind and touched his arm. “Is something wrong?”
Talon shook his head. “I don’t think so. Some men were watching us.”
“Watching us? Were they armed?”
“I don't know. But when you've fought in the arena as long as I have, you learn to spot an enemy. They’re gone now. Probably just dock hands, looking to pick a fight."
They resumed their pace towards the lift tubes and caught up with the others. Salena gave him a concerned glance. “Are you sure?”
He shrugged. “We’ll see. Now, tell me again about this man we’re looking for. What’s his connection to Sartarus?”
Salena held out her wrist display, and let Talon see the screen. It showed an older man, with leathery, wrinkled skin. A salt and pepper beard and a pair of angry red scars decorated his grizzled face.
“Sinc
e Sartarus acquired those pylons, dozens of archeologists and anthropologists have turned up dead. Others have simply gone missing. I suspect they were working for Sartarus, helping him translate those ancient symbols. Possibly locating the components he needed to build the weapon. Now that he has what he needs, he’s eliminating anyone who could reveal his plans.”
Talon eyed the face on the screen. Something about the man looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place him. Salena lowered her arm, and the four pushed through the crowed entrance to the lift platform.
“So this man is one of the missing scientists?” Talon asked.
Salena lowered her voice. “Karl Aroyas is more of a tomb raider than a scientist. He’s wanted on nine systems for grave robbing, smuggling, and exporting sacred artifacts. But some of his goods turned up on the black market. They bare the same symbol as the pylons, and your tattoo… the eye of R'Kur. My spies say he’s been hiding here on Bakala, living under an assumed name. He may be the only man alive who can help us figure out what we’re dealing with.”
“If he’s hiding, what makes you think he’ll be willing to talk to us?”
Salena flashed him her enigmatic smile. “Greed, of course. He believes I’m a buyer of antiquities. A spoiled noble woman, stuffing her mansion with the priceless relics of long dead worlds.”
“HALT!” an electronic voice blared above them. A metal sphere, about the size of a man’s head, hovered into view. The other people on the platform backed off, moving away from Talon and Salena. An array of red beams emitted from a lens on the front of the sphere. The light traversed up and down Talon’s body, and the sphere emitted a high-pitched, droning hum.
“SUBJECT CONFIRMED,” the voice from the sphere stated. “FIRST NAME TALON. LAST NAME: NONE. DOMINION SLAVE LICENSE 0091178B. PROPERTY OF RUFA OMDURA. NO TRANSIT LICENSE ON FILE. ALERT: TRAVEL IS NOT AUTHORIZED.”
Talon clenched his fists, causing the muscles in his arms to ripple and bulge. His skin flushed red with anger, as he thought back to his previous owner’s treachery. The hovering mech emitted a quiet beep, and floated back a few inches.
