by A A Warren
Talon stood up. “Then we make best possible speed for Kharis. I’ll be in my quarters. Set us down in the city terminal first. We need to restock supplies for the journey. And I need to make some alterations to the cargo bay.”
The mech regarded him with three curious glowing eyes. “Alterations? This unit does not believe the cargo bay requires any—”
Talon pointed out the window. The razor-wing hovered in the ship’s path, playfully swooping and diving around the ship.
“Apparently, we have a new guest to accommodate.”
Chapter Eight
Where are you, my warrior? I cannot hear you. I cannot… feel you. Something has weakened our bond. Everything feels… so… cold…
Talon’s eyes snapped open. He was hovering in the air, several meters above a gray, lifeless planet. A thick fog of ash and haze obscured the horizon. The wind howled in his ears and clawed at his skin. It was cold, freezing… He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
This isn’t real, he thought. It’s a vision, a memory you shared with Salena…
He opened his eyes. Spreading his arms, he willed his body to lower itself to the surface. He descended through the wind and clouds. A few moments later, the brittle, crumbling ground crunched beneath his boots. He squinted, as the wind kicked up a plume of dust and sand. In the distance, he could make out dark, gnarled shaped through the haze… buildings. Or what was left of them, anyway.
This place felt familiar to him... he sensed he had been here before. Once, long ago, Salena had used their bond to show him a vision... her homeworld, after it had suffered annihilation by an ancient war. Was this that same desolate wasteland?
Why, he wondered. Why has she brought me here again?
He kicked at the sand beneath his boot. He felt something solid, buried in the rubble. Kneeling down, he brushed way the loose rocks and pebbles. The wind blew away the loose sand and tiny chips of stone. Slowly, the thing hidden beneath the sand came into view.
A blackened skull leered up at him. He picked up the dry, brittle bones and stared into its empty eye sockets. The wind howled again, and he looked up… it sounded different this time. It sounded like a voice. Someone was calling to him.
Talon dropped the charred skull back to the ground. He set off towards the distant ruins, walking at a slow, steady pace. The wind picked up again, and whispered in his ear. It sounded like a woman, singing far away. Words he could not quite understand… a tune he could not make out.
After a while, he realized the buildings were not getting any closer. No matter how far he traveled, they hung just out of reach, obscured by the gloom and ash-filled air.
A thunderclap echoed through the rocks. Talon narrowed his eyes. The sound came not from the clouds in the sky, but from over a rocky hill to the east. The thunder tore through the air again. Talon covered his ears. The noise was deafening, and the wind rose to high-pitched shriek.
He turned and jogged up the hill, moving as fast as his powerful legs could carry him. Panting for breath, he navigated over the treacherous, uneven terrain. His feet skidded over loose rubble, as he leapt across a dark crevasse that cut through the hillside. He heard the patter of rocks as they slid and fell into the endless shadows.
Finally, he crested the hill. The haze was even thicker on the other side of the slope. He could barely see even a few meters ahead of him. The explosive thunder shook the ground once more. Talon fell to his knees, clutching his ears in agony.
Gritting his teeth, he shook his head to clear the dizzying pain and forced himself to stand. He pushed forward, moving through the thick, noxious fog.
“Salena?” he called out. His voice echoed off the rocks, reverberating around him from all sides as he pushed through the mist. “Why did you bring me here? Why do you wish to show me this place again?”
The wind answered, faint but clear. Talon… Talon, I cannot see you!
Talon felt his pulse quicken. The voice… it was her! Salena! The bond was not broken. Not yet…
“Salena, I am here!” He moved towards the sound of her voice… or at least where he thought it originated. It was impossible to be sure in the fog.
This place, the Gyre… it affects dark energy. It weakens… the bond.
The mists parted. Talon descended into a narrow valley, a wedge cutting through the barren, rocky ground. It twisted and turned through the rocks, following a serpentine path.
“Salena, where are you?” he shouted. “I thought you were dead… lost in the Crimson Maw. But I have heard your voice, felt your presence.”
I am not dead. But I am cold… It is so very cold here.
Talon stopped short… something blocked the way out of the gorge. Something impossible.
“Iberon’s harem…” he whispered.
As the tendrils of mist cleared, he saw a man standing before him… a man with a tattoo of a green claw that snaked across his chest. A glowing crimson eye stared back at him. The rest of the man’s face was hidden in shadow, but Talon knew who it was.
He reached out… his fingers brushed against a cold, hard surface. A shimmering mirror blocked the rocky passageway. He was staring at his own reflection.
As he touched the mirror, the image dimmed… the barrier became translucent. He could see a shadowy figure on the other side. It was a woman. She reached up and touched the same spot on the barrier.
“Salena, is that you?” he shouted.
Her eyes glowed to life, a brilliant blue. He watched as mystic symbols swirled around her fingers. The mirror rippled like liquid mercury. Her pale, lavender hand pushed through. He grabbed it in his own.
“It is you!” As he touched her, he felt a shock of electricity run through his nerves.
She spoke again, and this time, her voice was crystal clear.
Talon, I see danger! A great darkness is coming! Be careful… you must—
Thunder raged again, even louder than before. Talon fell to his knees. He covered his ears and roared in pain. Again he heard an echo. But it was not his voice that repeated in his mind… it was hers. Salena was screaming with him.
The mirror shattered. The sky fell down around him. As the pain in his head became unbearable, a blinding blue light surrounded him, blocking out the mist and the rocks, and everything else.
The dream, or vision, or whatever it was, vanished. Everything contracted into a brilliant pinpoint of exquisite pain, burning inside his skull.
Talon gasped as he shot up in bed. A cold sweat dotted his forehead, and his hair was plastered to his scalp. He glanced around the dark cabin, as the taut, coiled muscles in his arms flexed and relaxed. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was… His cramped quarters, aboard his ship, the Poniard.
He grunted and rubbed his temples… A throbbing ache radiated from his crystal eye. “Another blasted dream,” he muttered to himself.
No, he thought. Not a dream. A message. The bond…
A great darkness is coming…
An electronic chime interrupted his melancholy thoughts. He sighed and rolled into a sitting position on the hard mattress. “Go ahead,” he called out.
“This unit wishes to alert you that we are approaching planet Kharis now,” Utu replied through the speaker.
Talon stood up and stretched. His arms could nearly touch the ceiling of the tiny chamber. There were no windows in his quarters, but a holo-screen on the wall displayed an image of the Tana system. A tiny, glowing orange dot marked their position around the planet Kharis.
“It’s about time,” Talon muttered, as he grabbed his breeches from the floor, and slipped them on. “I think my winged friend in the cargo hold could have flown me here faster.”
“This unit doubts the accuracy of that statement,” Utu replied. “The razor-wing’s lungs would hemorrhage upon leaving the atmosphere of—”
Talon removed his battle harness and weapons from a small closet. “I spoke in jest, mech.”
“Ah. This unit is not programmed to respond to
humor.”
“So I’ve noticed. I assume the dark energy cell is still offline?”
“Correct. Interference from the cosmic fountain requires maximum efficiency from any dark energy source. The damage to this ship’s cell will render it unable to generate a long distance star-path until it is repaired.”
Talon remembered Salena’s words in the vision. This place… the Gyre… it affects dark energy…
The cosmic fountain was a black hole, centered within the star systems of the Gyre. The power of its spinning gravitational forces shot a jet of plasma and ionized gas into space. The glowing plume was visible from light years away, and emitted a constant barrage of energy and radiation.
A side effect of this stellar phenomena was the disruption of dark energy. It affected Consortium technology, as well as alien navigators’ biological abilities. The disruption rendered interstellar travel in the area a slow, tedious affair.
Talon buckled his harness over his chest. “Very well. How soon till we land?”
“We can begin our descent as soon as this unit requests clearance from the Voosloo port authority.”
Talon narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment. “Negative. If this fugitive is as dangerous as Waylan says, he’ll have bribed the local officials, no doubt. I don’t want him knowing I’m coming. Set us down beyond the city limits. I’ll find my transport into Voosloo.
“This unit shall comply.” There was a beep, as the mech terminated the conversation. Talon sighed, and magnified the image on the holo-screen. The city of Voosloo came into view. Talon eyed the screen, examining the motley sprawl of stone arches and towers, weathered by eons of wind and sand. A maze of narrows streets and alleys lay in the shadow of gleaming modern walkways and hover train pylons. The claustrophobic labyrinth snaked between the ancient, colossal buildings.
The city was old, predating the Star Cross Throne and human colonization of the region. The origins of whoever had originally built it remained a mystery.
Old city… old shadows, Talon thought.
A great darkness is coming…
He felt the ship rumble as Utu initiated their descent through the atmosphere. He slid his twin sabers into his belt, then forced the dark thoughts from his mind. There was work to be done. And if Orvane was as dangerous as the Marshal said, Talon knew he would need to stay focused on the task at hand.
The meaning of Salena’s cryptic message, if indeed it meant anything, would have to wait.
Chapter Nine
PLANET KHARIS
Tana System, The Gyre
A few hours later…
Talon shouldered his way through the crowd as he adjusted the scarf that covered his glowing crimson eye. Towering over most of the cloaked figures in the street, he had a reasonably clear view of the pedestrians scurrying across the winding walkway. But the relentless wind filled the air with sand and grit, and he had to squint to keep his eyes clear.
Luckily, Talon noticed most of the locals were dressed similar to him, all covering their mouths to avoid breathing in the reddish dust that swept across the street. It allowed him to conceal his face without drawing attention to himself. He hunched his back, trying tried to blend in as best he could. He moved with the crowd across the battered metal path. The walkway snaked around a towering stone temple of some kind. A statue of an armored warrior stood atop the domed structure, rising hundreds of meters into the night sky. An elaborate spiked helmet of ancient design covered the sculpture’s face, and it thrust a long spear up towards the soft, luminous circle of the planet’s full moon.
Merchants clogged the walking streets around the temple. Their tents and huts lined the walkway, and they hawked their wares with loud cries in a variety of tongues. The ancient stone structures blocked the wind, allowing the aroma of cooking meat and strange alien spices to fill the air. Light from hovering glow spheres reflected off trays of glittering crystals, and bolts of woven metal textiles.
Talon wandered through the bazaar, and ducked into a nearby tent. He pretended to examine an amphibious Anolari merchant’s stall of hand-crafted leather battle harnesses, as he surveyed the crowd with a wary eye.
The alien noticed him examining her wares and shuffled over to his side. Her long purple tongue tasted the air, as she gave him a deep bow. Her bulging eyes flicked up and down as the pink frill around her neck extended, revealing a colorful fan of iridescent skin.
“Greetingsss, warrior,” she hissed. “These are of the finesssst quality. Touch, feel… Soft and supple as a dancing girl’s skin, yet they fit all standard weapon attachmentsss.”
She gently took his hand in hers and rubbed his fingers across the leather. Talon nodded in approval. “Very nice. But I’m afraid I’m just looking, for now.”
The merchant gave him a disappointed growl. “We are not a musssseum, human. You look, then you buy. If not, pleasssse make room for new cussstomers.” She collapsed her frill and hurried over to another group of patrons entering the tent.
Talon lifted the transponder to his mouth. “Utu, are you sure your readings are correct?” he muttered into the device. “I’ve been wandering around this bazaar for hours, but I’ve seen no sign of Orvane or the stolen trinket.”
The calm, monotone voice of the mech emitted from a micro receiver in his ear. “This unit is programmed to perform starship repair and maintenance, not forensic analysis. Never the less, sensors detect readings consistent with the radiation emitted by trilosium crystal. According to the marshal’s report, the ship Orvane attacked was carrying large quantities of it. The readings indicate he is most likely in the area.”
Talon adjusted his scarf as he pushed through the flaps of the tent and reentered the bustling street. He wrapped the fabric around his face like a bandage, taking care to hide his crimson eye.
“Aye, so you say. But this Orvane no doubt wishes to avoid being found. I could wander around down here for days without catching sight of him.”
"The signal seems strongest approximately twenty five meters from your current position. It is worth noting, the owner of a business establishment near those coordinates has a criminal record with the local authorities. Trafficking in stolen goods.”
“A local fence… exactly who Orvane would need to pawn any treasure from the raid. Well done, mech!”
“This unit is pleased to assist you. Now, there are still repairs to be made to the power conduits, so if you have no further—”
“Don’t forget to feed Decius,” Talon said with a grin. “There are frozen Zebrak carcasses in the airlock. Give him some meat, and fill the water trough in his pen.”
“Decius? This unit is not familiar with—”
“The razor-wing,” Talon said, as he ducked down a narrow alley between two crumbing stone buildings. “I named him Decius.”
“This unit will comply,” Utu said. Somehow, the mech’s flat, emotionless voice conveyed resentment better than most humans could. There was a beep as it ended the transmission.
Peering through the shadows, Talon saw a moonlit building across the walkway. He glanced at his transponder, confirming the location matched the coordinates Utu had sent him.
Blinking holographic signs floated above the tiny domed structure. He could not read the language, but he recognized the symbols… The building was one of numerous markets that dotted the city. They sold food, water, salvaged air filters, and other sundries to the local citizens.
Talon remained hidden in the shadows, watching as a tall, cloaked man lumbered out the door of the establishment and entered the street. The crowd was sparse here, and the streets darker than the bazaar’s… a pair of glow spheres hovered above a bridge that passed over a lower walkway. One of the floating orbs was cracked, and it bathed the metal walkway in a dim, flickering light.
As the man shuffled past the alley way, he hefted a leather pack over his shoulder. He walked with a slight limp, favoring his right leg. Talon ducked back and waited for the man to move past his position. He was about to
follow, when more movement caught his eye. Remaining hidden, he saw a group of three more men creep past the alley. They wore dark black robes, and stalked like shadows through the dim light.
Talon narrowed his eyes. The men didn’t move like local traders or merchants. They walked with a swift, measured stride. Peering out from beneath their hoods, their eyes darted left and right, scanning the street for threats. They kept their hands low, near their belts.
Ready to draw weapons, Talon thought.
Years of fighting in arenas across the galaxy had taught him to size up possible opponents. He was certain these were thugs, or hired muscle… men accustomed of violence. And he suspected the man they were following was Orvane.
Rival bounty hunters, he thought. Come to claim the price on the outlaw’s head for themselves.
He waited for them to pass by. As their footsteps faded into the distance, he exited the alley and pursued them into the shadows.
Talon held the shaft of his axe in one hand as he traversed across the bridge. Another walkway ran beneath him, and he could hear the noise of the crowd below. A few sky taxis darted between the elevated paths, their lights leaving bright neon trails in the dust-filled air. Their lifter fields hummed liked insects as they flitted off into the distance.
On Talon’s level, the street was nearly empty. The towering statues that topped the larger buildings loomed overhead, casting long shadows across the bridge.
Talon passed beneath a curved arch. The walkway led to a town square, a platform held above the ground by more colossal statues. The shops and dwellings surrounding the empty patch of stone were closed and dark. The wind howled like a banshee through the narrow gaps between the buildings, sending Talon’s cloak fluttering behind him.
He heard shouting… then a scream, coming from one of the darkened alleys that branched off from the square. Gripping his axe in both hands, he charged across the stones, his footsteps echoing through the shadows.
