Tales of Talon Box Set

by A A Warren

  Salena gasped as Avra shoved her backwards. She stumbled, then fell over into the pool. A splash of red liquid flew into the air.

  Avra raced along the edge of the pool towards the cargo pod. She dodged the falling rubble, and slid two more blades from her belt.

  “Avra, this place is falling down around us!” Talon shouted from the pool. Salena surfaced, and spat a red stream of water from her mouth. Aroyas tottered towards them, still clutching a bottle of wine in his trembling hands.

  Talon's eyes shot up, as a loud crack sounded above them. A jagged gash tore across the ceiling. “Move, old man!”

  Before Aroyas could answer, a massive fragment of glass crumbled from the roof. The shard fell on top of the old man, followed by a stream of rubble. The lights flickered, as more rocks and debris cascaded down, pelting the surface of the water.

  Salena stretched an arm towards him. “Aroyas!” she screamed. The man disappeared from sight, buried beneath the falling debris.

  Talon grabbed her arm. “He’s gone! There’s nothing we can do."

  Avra made it to the cargo pod and flicked her knives open. Raising her arms above her head, she prepared to stab the blades down into the container’s lid.

  ZARK!!!

  A bolt of energy tore through the room, striking her shoulder. She screamed, and fell to her knees. A trail of smoke streamed from the wound. Talon spun around. He spotted a crimson-armored centurion crouched on the stairs. The soldier aimed his rifle at the injured woman, preparing to take another shot.

  The soldier fired again, but his bolt went wide. It struck the container. Avra shielded her eyes from the sparks, and stabbed her blades down. They pierced the dura-plas lip of the pod. The handles began to blink. Avra fell to the ground, clutching her wounded arm.

  With a snarl of fury, Talon raised his axe. He triggered the blade and hurled the weapon at the centurion.

  The axe spun through the air, an orange blur piercing though the haze of dust that filled the chamber. It struck the soldier in the chest with a wet thud. The plasma blade cut though his armor, and buried itself in his chest.

  The man screamed as he tumbled from the stairs. He struck the surface of the pool with a loud splash. More shouting and footsteps echoed from above.

  “We have to leave,” Talon shouted. “There’s no more time!”

  Salena waded to the edge of the pool and grabbed Avra. She pulled the injured woman into the water, as Talon yanked his axe from the fallen centurion. He took a deep breath, then dove under the surface, using the burning axe as a torch. He turned and saw Salena following him, pulling Avra behind her.

  As they swam into the tube, a brilliant purple explosion filled the air above them. A shockwave rippled through the water. The remains of the ceiling collapsed above them. The falling debris sealed the pool under an avalanche of rocks. Talon’s glowing axe was the only light in the dark, cramped tunnel.

  They swam forward, bubbles seeping from their clenched lips.

  There was no turning back now.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The current was gentle at first. But as they swam through the dark, narrow pipe, the water battered against them with greater force. Talon felt his muscles ache and his lungs burn as he fought to move forward. The torrent of water pushing against him increased. It was like standing before the onslaught of a hurricane. His powerful muscles were unable to propel himself forward another meter.

  He held up the sizzling blade of his axe, illuminating the water in front of them. His eyes opened wide as he saw the cause of the powerful current fighting against them. A filtration pump blocked the center of the pipe. Its massive props filled the circumference of the tube. The spinning blades churned the water into a bubbling vortex, rushing towards them at high speed.

  Glancing back he saw Salena, struggling behind him in the turbulent water. In the faint glow of his axe, he could just make out Avra’s body, floating behind them. She looked unconscious, and a pale blue glow surrounded her face.

  Must be a life support spell, he thought. A protective bubble of dark energy, cast by Salena.

  Turning back to the spinning propellers, Talon rotated his body in the water. He was crouched before the churning blades, planting his feet against the sides of the pipe. Heart pounding, lungs heaving, he grit his teeth and grabbed the handle of his axe with both hands. He forced the sizzling blade forward, fighting the raging current with every fiber of muscle in his body.

  White-hot sparks danced though the pressurized water, as the energy blade made contact with the metal grill of the pump. A burst of bubbles exploded from Talon’s mouth. He ignored the pain in his chest, and forced the blade farther down. An implosion of white water swirled before him as the axe sliced through the pump's blades. The sudden reverse in pressure tore the machinery into pieces. Metal fragments spun in the violent water, then shot away from him, flying down the pipe into darkness.

  Talon felt the reversed current grab hold, yanking him forward as well. He barely had time to deactivate his axe before he too was spinning and rolling through the dark water.

  Tumbling forward, he shot through the pipe like a bullet. He felt his stomach lurch as he dropped down a bend in the tube. His head slammed against the curved metal wall of the narrow passageway. A red haze replaced the darkness that filled his vision.

  He saw a glimmer of motion through the shadows and bubbles ahead. It was a valve of some kind… The shimmering metal fangs of a circular iris, opening and closing, diverting water to different sections of the pipe system. There was nothing he could do to control his hurtling speed. No way to slow himself in the raging torrent of water that carried him forward. If the valve ahead closed while he was between those sharp metal curves, it would tear him in half and spit him out.

  He sped closer. The blades opened and closed. A metal clank echoed through the raging water.

  He kept his eyes open and clenched his jaw.

  Whatever happened, he would face it head on, as he had always done in the arena… he did not pray, nor did he bemoan his fate to the gods.

  Victory or death.

  The valve scissored open. He shot through, and tumbled down another section of pipe.

  His head broke the surface of the water. Gasping for breath, he shook his sopping hair out of his face. He glanced around, finally able to see his surroundings clearly. The pipe had dumped him into a large, concrete drainage trough. The current still bore him forward, but it was slowing. Rock walls curved above his head, and dim light shone from an opening in the distance. He heard the muted crash of falling water, somewhere beyond the tunnel.

  “Salena!” he shouted, his voice echoing off the rocks overhead. “Salena, are you alright? Do you have Avra?”

  He heard her splashing behind him. “I’m here,” she shouted back. “Avra is unconscious, but she’s alive!”

  The water around them grew shallow as the spillway widened. Talon felt his back scrape against the rough concrete. He staggered to his feet and turned around. Salena sputtered and gasped for air as she surfaced again behind him. Droplets of water streamed through her hair. Her thin garments clung to her flesh, and the crimson liquid gave her skin a dark purple sheen.

  Talon helped her hoist Avra out of the water. He slung the unconscious woman over his shoulder, and sloshed through the knee-deep water. They headed towards the light ahead of them. The rumbling of the waterfall grew louder as they approached the exit of the tunnel. The shallow water swept past their shins, then their ankles.

  Peering out the opening of the tunnel, Talon saw a chasm, plummeting down thousands of feet into darkness. To either side of them, more tunnels jutted from the side of the canyon. The giant pipes sent streams of water cascading down the rocks. A damp mist filled the air, and a cold breeze whipped through his dripping clothes and hair.

  A metal gangway was bolted to the rocks, a couple meters below the pipes. Talon’s feet clanged on the grating as he leapt down to the platform. Reaching up, he helped Salena lower
Avra to the ledge. Then he grabbed her waist and gently lifted her from the pipe.

  She fell against his chest, her long, wet hair whipping behind her in the wind. Her chest heaved, and he felt the curves of her body pressing against him through the thin fabric of her soaking clothes.

  “We made it!” she panted. “We’re alive!”

  Before he could answer, a thundering roar boomed from the canyon, drowning out the crashing water. A pair of spotlights beamed down on them, as a sleek, crimson ship swooped towards them.

  It was a Dominion blood hawk.

  Salena stepped away from him, but kept her hand on his arm. The ship hovered before them, only a few meters away. The muzzles of its forward cannons looked huge at this short range. Talon stared down their barrels, as the weapons pivoted in their mounts.

  He turned to Salena. She was hunched over, and her face looked pale in the harsh light. A shiver ran through her body as the wind picked up.

  She looked exhausted. He knew there was little hope she could summon enough dark energy to disable the ship… And even if she could, she would never be able to power up their portal drive afterwards. They would be trapped in this system. Easy pickings for the Dominion fleet.

  “I don’t suppose this Sartarus takes prisoners?” he shouted.

  She shook her head. “He does. But it’s not a fate I would wish on anyone.”

  “Glory to the dead,” Talon snarled to himself.

  He raised his arm, preparing to trigger the axe and hurl it at the ship. He knew there was no way such an attack could penetrate the fighter’s shields… It was a futile gesture of defiance, but it was all that was left to him.

  Suddenly the canyon lit up with flashes of light. Canon-fire strafed down from the skies, striking the Dominion fighter. Energy bolts crackled across the ship's hull. The fighter rocked in the air as another bolt slammed into its stern. Then with a loud groan, it listed sideways, and spiraled through the air.

  Talon threw his body over Salena, as the spinning ship collided with the steep walls of the canyon. Rocks and debris pelted them from above, and a fire-ball erupted into the dark sky. The remains of the fighter plummeted into the dark depths below.

  More lights beamed down from above. Talon shielded his eyes as another ship lowered into view. He recognized the sloped, angular wing, and the domed cockpit instantly…

  “It’s the Star Claw!” he shouted.

  “Zobo,” Salena gasped. “He found us!”

  Talon lifted her to her feet, as the ship hovered before them. The ramp lowered, and extended towards the gangway.

  Zobo stood in the entrance, holding one of the ramp’s struts. He held out his hand, and helped Salena cross over into the ship.

  Talon lifted Avra in his arms, and carried her onto the ramp. He turned to Zobo as the ramp hummed closed behind them.

  "Good timing, old man."

  “I leave you three alone for a few minutes, and look at the trouble you get into,” Zobo growled. His nose wrinkled, and he sniffed the air. “What is that smell?”

  “All I know is, there’s a reason they’re pumping that water out instead of in,” Talon replied.

  The ramp thudded closed behind them.

  Salena directed Talon to a hover stretcher. He laid Avra on the floating plank, and she pushed it down the narrow corridor. “I’ll get her to the med unit in sickbay,” Salena called back over her shoulder. “That should keep her stable until we can jump out of the system.”

  Talon slapped Zobo on the back and grinned. “Many thanks, my friend. I owe you a drink.”

  Zobo nodded as they made their way to the bridge. “Don’t thank me yet. There’s more fighters inbound, only a few minutes out. And sensors show two capital ships moving in. But I’ll still take you up on that drink…”

  Suddenly, the ship shook and rattled. A high-pitched alarm wailed, and the corridor lights flickered.

  Talon braced his arm against the low, curved roof as the ship shuddered again.

  “Iberon's Harem… what was that?” he shouted.

  Zobo snarled. “Remember when I said those fighters were a few minutes away?”

  Talon narrowed his eyes as another impact vibrated through the hull. “I remember.”

  Zobo hurried down the corridor towards the bridge. “Well, looks like they got here early!”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The bridge off the Star Claw shook as more canon-fire thudded into the ship. Talon glanced up with alarm. Crackling energy bolts danced over the clear panels of the cockpit… The shields were overloading, causing feedback across the hull.

  Zobo’s command chair hummed as he tilted back into combat mode. Staring up at the tactical display, his furry fingers darted over the controls in his chair. “Three blood hawks,” he growled. “Coming in fast.”

  “You’re flying straight and level,” Talon shouted as another impact rattled the ship. “We’re easy prey out here, might as well be standing still!”

  “Until Avra gets back in the chair, this is the best I an do, Fledge! I can’t adjust the shields, run damage control, and track the sensor array… Not while I’m pulling evasive maneuvers!”

  “Fine," Talon muttered. "If you can’t save our hides, let’s see what a fledge can do.”

  He lowered himself into Avra’s piloting chair, and buckled the harness across his chest.

  Zobo leaned over in his chair, and gave Talon a quizzical glance. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Talon gripped the control sticks in his hands. “Avra showed me how to fly the ship before we opened the star-path here.”

  “Practicing a few basic maneuvers isn’t the same as flying a combat mission, boy!”

  Talon took a deep breath. He flipped a series of glowing switches, routing the pilot controls from Zobo’s station to his chair.

  “I can do this, Zobo… I think I’ve done it before. Avra even said so.”

  “You think? But, you don’t know the—”

  Talon pulled on the control sticks, sending the ship into a spiraling dive. Glowing pulse bolts screamed past the windows, missing the ship by a few meters.

  Zobo yelped in surprise as the ship dove under a curved arch of rock. The lead blood hawk fired, but the shots went wild and slammed into the rocks. As Talon pulled up, the archway collapsed behind him. A hail of rocks tumbled through the air.

  The lead pursuer dipped down, as the falling debris slammed into the fighter's nose. The ship went into an uncontrolled spin, and struck the side of the canyon. It disintegrated in an explosive ball of fire. The other two ships veered off to either side, skirting through the falling rocks.

  Talon pulled up and shot toward the energy dome covering the colony. The two remaining blood hawks screamed after him.

  Zobo raised a single furry brow over his yellow eyes. “By the gods… maybe you can do this, Fledge!”

  Talon grinned. He banked the ship left, as more weapons’ fire lit up the dark sky.

  “If I do, you have to promise not to call me fledge any more.”

  Zobo turned back to his display. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Increase power to your main thrusters… They’re closing the energy shield!”

  Talon ran his fingers over a colored panel, diverting power from secondary systems to the main engines. He increased the throttle, and they leapt forward. They raced towards the rectangular opening in the energy dome. Talon narrowed his eyes, as he saw the opening glowing smaller and smaller… A pair of towering metal gates hovered in the opening, supported by anti-gravity rails. Each slab of metal was plastered with warning symbols, and red lights blinked along their edges. They were drifting towards each other, closing off the gap in the shield dome.

  Weapons’ fire sparked off the ship’s hull, and the craft was buffeted by the impact. A warning light flashed on Talon’s holographic display, and an alert beeped in his ears.

  “Those blood hawks are closing in,” Talon shouted. “They have us in their sights!”

  “L
et me worry about them,” Zobo growled. “You just get us though that shield!”

  Zobo’s chair rotated backwards, and he activated the ship’s secondary guns. Talon felt a thud as the turret weapons lowered into place, then spun towards the rear of the ship. On his display, he saw the enemy fighters dart left and right. The nimble ships evaded the energy barrage Zobo had fired in their direction.

  Ahead of them, the opening between the gates grew even smaller. Talon narrowed his eyes and focused on his heads-up display... There were only a few meters of clearance on either side of the ship. The gap was growing narrower by the second. More energy bolts crackled around their shields. Cursing, Talon juked the ship left and right, evading the enemy fire as best he could. He increased thrusters to maximum power, siphoning energy from anywhere he could.

  On the tactical display, he saw a line of Zobo’s weapons’ fire strafing towards one of the fighters. It veered to the right, but the pilot was too slow… The barrage of pulse bolts struck the tiny craft, shearing off its left wing. The ship spun off course and disappeared from the display.

  The glowing shield wall loomed closer. The gap was still closing. A proximity alarm wailed through the bridge.

  “Brace yourself,” Talon shouted. “It’s going to be close…”

  “I can live with close,” Zobo called back, as he triggered another burst from the rear-facing guns. The last blood hawk swung left and right, evading the pulse bolts but losing valuable speed.

  Beads of sweat dripped down Talon’s forehead. He glanced one more time at the display… the proximity warnings were flashing red.

  This damned ship is too wide, he thought. We’re not going to fit!

  As the two gates slid closer, Talon eyed the sensor readings… Horizontally, the ship was too wide to fit through the narrow opening. But vertically…

  Talon adjusted his speed, and spun the craft ninety degrees on its axis. The view out the windows rolled to the side as he stood the ship on its wingtips. There were only millimeters to spare between the top and bottom of the energy field.