Tales of Talon Box Set

by A A Warren

  “Avra, now!” Talon shouted. He yanked the controls to the left, darting between a narrow gap in the pipes. As he streaked back out into the cavernous hanger, he felt a jolt run through the hull.

  Avra’s voice crackled over the comm system. “The pod’s away!”

  On the tactical display, Suphara called up a rear view. A tiny white dot ejected from the stern of their ship, and fell to the ground.

  “Well done, sister,” she shouted. “Now brace yourself!” She turned to Talon and nodded. “Time to put those piloting skills of yours to the test.”

  Talon grinned as he pushed the throttle level up to maximum. The ship’s thrusters blazed to life, lighting up the room. The force of the sudden acceleration slammed his head into his seat. The vessel screamed forward, streaking back towards the entrance at maximum speed.

  He glanced down as his tactical display blared another warning. The enemy ships had slipped through the tanks and were on their tail. Their weapon systems were locking on, and his burst of speed had drained what little power remained from the shields.

  He swung the ship left and right, dodging the pulse bolts as they blazed through the dusty interior. Suphara gripped the arms of her chair tight. The crushing inertia of his evasive manners pushed her back into her seat.

  The rubble-filled entrance loomed closer. Talon grit his teeth, as a stray shot grazed the hull. Sparks exploded from his control panel. He ignored the damage and concentrated on the tiny gap in the rubble. It grew closer and closer, filling his view through the cockpit.

  Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted behind them. The entire building seemed to shift and move around the tiny ship. A cloud of dust billowed around the speeding vessel, blocking the view out the window.

  Beads of sweat dripped down Talon’s face as he felt a wave of heat rush over the ship. The rumble of falling debris echoed through the cockpit, drowning out the roar of the engines and the wailing alarms. Glancing at the holo-display, he lined up his course with the opening blasted through the hangar entrance.

  The ship suddenly dipped, as a falling beam struck the hull on the top side. A crack appeared in the cockpit window. Then another. Talon narrowed his eyes and adjusted course, compensating for the impacts jostling the ship.

  “We’re… almost… there…” Suphara grunted. The cloud of dust parted, revealing the opening in the rocks ahead.

  Suddenly she screamed, as another metal beam toppled directly in the ship’s flight path. Talon muttered a curse and twisted the control sticks. The ship spiraled upside down, darting over the obstacle. A brief explosion shook the hull… one of their pursuers had collided into the twisted metal, and burst into a fireball.

  A split second later, Talon’s ship sped through the narrow gap in the rocks. A plume of dust erupted behind him, as the building tumbled to the ground. The remaining enemy ship was trapped inside the rubble.

  He pulled up, swooping over the other buildings. Suphara took a deep breath, then exhaled. She turned and gave him a faint smile.

  “Perhaps Avra did not exaggerate your piloting abilities after all. I could not have done better myself.”

  Talon chuckled. “High praise coming from you. You think so little of Avra’s judgement?”

  The woman looked at him for a moment. “I know my words may seem harsh. But I have known many men who called themselves warriors. Some were honorable. Most were not. As Sorari sisters, Avra and I have trained to fight as one. We have shared our victories, as well our pain. And men… human men, with no honor, have caused her great pain.”

  Talon nodded. “I know some of her past. But that doesn’t mean all—”

  Before he could finish his words, the whine of pulse canons filled the air, and glowing bolts strafed across the hull. Suphara yelped as a blast of coolant gas burst from the roof of the cockpit. A series of orange lights glowed to life on Talon’s display… the ship’s fire suppression system had activated.

  “Iberon’s harem, he cursed. “The last ship… looks like it caught up with us!”

  “Talon,” Avra’s voice crackled over the comm system. “That was a close one! The port engine nearly burned out, but the coolant foam activated just in time.”

  “Aye,” he shouted back, throwing the ship into a series of evasive maneuvers. “But we won’t survive another hit. Any more tricks up your sleeve?”

  “Sorry. One pod, one trick. That’s all I got.”

  Talon narrowed his eyes… A towering rock spire rose before the two ships. It was just a hazy shadow in the dust-filled air, but it looked like a figure… a giant humanoid of some kind, reaching in the air. As they sped closer, the figure grew clearer. It was a colossal statue... A woman, carved from the canyon rocks, looking over the ruins of the city.

  The massive sculpture was pitted and worn, eaten away by the ravages of time. The woman wore armor of ancient design, and a helmet shaped like a skull. Her arms held up a jagged sword, a blade marked with rows of carved symbols.

  “Nitara,” Suphara whispered, peering out the window. “Goddess of Death, and Queen of the Haunted Stars.”

  “Avra, strap yourself in,” Talon said. “I have an idea, but it's going to get bumpy.”

  “You mean bumpier than flying through a collapsing building?”

  He grinned as he sped closer to the statue. “Victory or—”

  “Let’s just go with victory,” she said, cutting him off. The comm system went quiet.

  More energy bolts tore through the air around the ship. The glowing beams lit up the cockpit with bright flashes of light. Talon ignored them, aiming the vessel toward the statue’s sword arm.

  “Goddess of Death!” he shouted. “I bring fresh souls for your domain!”

  He swung the ship around the massive woman’s head. The tiny craft circled the monolithic figure, as the enemy ship fell into position behind them. A target lock blinked around his ship on the tactical display… they were lining up another shot.

  Racing around the statue, Talon dipped down, and swung under the figure’s arm. He tilted the ship at an angle and raced along the edge of stone carving. The ship lurched, as the tip of the wing gouged into the rock. He heard a loud metallic twang. Through the cockpit window, he saw a shard of burning metal tear away from the wing and spin through the dust-choked air.

  He dipped the bow down and sped away from the statue. Behind him, the impact sent a series of cracks rippling through the woman’s arm. The weakened rock crumbled away, unable to support the weight of the colossal stone arm. With a final thundering roar, the arm tore loose and fell away from the statue. The massive sword plummeted down, falling through the air as the other ship followed Talon’s flight path.

  At the last moment, the enemy swerved and tried to pull up, but it was too late. The stone sword slammed into its hull. The massive chunk of rock weighed hundreds of tons. The impact crumpled the roof of the ship and sent it careening to the ground. It struck the base of the statue and exploded, throwing shards of burning debris through the air.

  Talon leveled the ship out. Smoke still spewed from the damaged cockpit, and sparks leapt from a row of power relays behind his head. The ship was battered, but it had held together. He gave his control panel an affectionate pat. “Not bad for a pleasure craft,” he muttered.

  The door behind him hissed open, and Avra stepped into the cockpit, bracing herself against the door frame. “Well, that was fun.”

  Talon glanced back at her. “How bad is the damage?”

  She shrugged. “Could be worse. A few bad power relays. Oh, plus you unbalanced the port wing, and the fusion reactor’s running hot.”

  He grinned. “Nothing Utu can’t repair in a few hours, then.”

  Suphara unbuckled her harness, and slid out of the seat. “I’ll keep an eye on the reactor levels. The last thing we need is a meltdown in the middle of another fight.” She stepped towards the rear exit, as Avra lowered herself into the co-pilot’s chair.

  “And Avra?”

  The fiery
haired woman looked back. Suphara paused in the doorway, steadying herself with one arm.

  “Your… friend. He fights well… for a man, at least.” She turned and exited the cockpit, letting the door slide shut behind her. Avra turned and regarded Talon with a questioning look. “Well, well… someone made quite an impression.”

  Talon leveled out the ship, as they streaked over the rocky wasteland below. “We have more important things to worry about. Those ships were flown by skilled pilots. I doubt they were simple scavengers.”

  Avra activated the damage control systems and shut of the stream of venting gas behind them. “Whoever they were, it’s a safe bet they were tracking the transponder in your mech as well. And I’m betting they don’t want us to find him or Orvane.”

  Talon glared out the cockpit as he lowered their altitude, skimming across the desolate planet’s surface. “Then they will soon find themselves disappointed.”

  Avra nodded, and called up the tracking signal on the holo display. “We’re approaching the origin on the signal now. And Talon?”

  He glanced over at her. Her emerald stare met his dark, brooding gaze head on.

  “Don’t forget, Suphara and I are here on a mission. Orvane spilled Sorari blood. You’ll be the one who's disappointed if you think you can get between me and my target.”

  Talon stared at her for a moment, then turned away. They flew on in silence, moving closer to the blinking dot on the screen.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Orvane huffed and puffed as he ascended the metal ladder. He had been climbing for what seemed like hours, and the little alien struggled to make it up each rung. He paused, his chest heaving up and down as he glanced down the ladder. It descended for hundreds of meters down a long metal silo, then disappeared in the shadows of the lower levels.

  A quiet humming filled the narrow metal tube. Utu hovered next to Orvane, its tentacles hanging limp from its spherical body. The mech’s eye stalks rotated up, glowing in the dim light of the maintenance shaft.

  "This unit estimates you must ascend fifty meters to reach Subsection G. If you continue climbing at your present speed, you should reach your destination in—”

  “No more climbing!” Orvane sputtered. “I thought you could interface with lift system? Take elevator up tower!”

  “The lift tubes at ground level have been deactivated. Most likely to prevent unauthorized access to critical filtration systems.”

  “That is where we must go,” Orvane gasped. “Filtration systems. Gulvane and I hide things there, long ago.”

  Utu floated higher in the shaft. “The filtration systems are near the upper levels of the tower. To access them, you must reach the Section G lift tubes.”

  “OK, OK,” the alien gasped. His round, glowing eyes blinked, and he resumed pulling his body up the ladder. “I keep climbing.”

  “This unit assumes, of course, that the Section G lift tubes are operational. If not, you will have to climb the rest of the way.”

  “Noooooo!”

  After another hour of climbing, they reached the upper levels of the tower. The ladder led to a small, recessed alcove in the wall. Utu hovered into the dark, cramped space, and examined the security panel of a circular maintenance hatch set in the wall. Several mag-clamps protruded from the wall, holding the giant metal slab in place.

  “These security systems are quite outdated,” the mech droned. “This unit is surprised they have not been upgraded.”

  “No money here, no resources. If it work, no need to fix,” the alien muttered. “Can you open door? Or was climbing all for nothing?”

  One of the mech’s tentacles plugged into the locking mechanism. A series of wheels emerged from the socket. They clicked and whirled around the metal appendage. A panel of lights above the security panel glowed green, and the metal hatch groaned.

  A series of loud pops echoed through the dark shaft. One by one, the clamps sprang open. The hatch swung aside, and Orvane staggered through.

  Utu retracted his tentacle and hovered after him. On the other side, a dark corridor curved off in either direction. The air was thick with dust. Piles of machine parts and other refuse lay stacked against the walls. The distant humming and clanking of machinery echoed through the rusting metal interior.

  A low moan filled the corridor… The wind ruffled Orvane’s fur, and lifted a plastic sheet covering bins of scrap metal and mangled machinery.

  “Lift car this way,” the alien said. He started off down the corridor, but paused when Utu rested a tentacle on his shoulder.

  “One moment,” the mech said. “This unit detects movement outside the tower. A ship is approaching.”

  "They have to climb up, like us!” The alien said. “We can beat them to the top if we hurry."

  “That is inaccurate. There is a docking station on this level. Whoever is approaching may simply land, and then—”

  An explosion shook the corridor. The walls rattled, and panels of loose metal crashed to the ground. Orvane howled in terror. He stumbled across the floor, as a cloud of smoke billowed through the corridor. Shadowy figures marched towards them through the haze.

  “There he is,” a voice shouted. “It’s Orvane, the traitor!”

  The little alien picked himself up off the floor. “Volonte’s men! Quick, we run!”

  Utu’s lifter field hummed louder, as the mech hovered after the fleeing alien. “This unit cannot run."

  “Then float faster!”

  ZARK! ZARK!

  The men racing after them opened fire. Glowing pulse bolts streaked through the smoke. Orvane and Utu rushed around a bend in the corridor, as the energy beams ricocheted off the wall behind them.

  “How far to the lift?” The frantic alien shouted.

  “The lift car is approximately fifteen meters ahead of us," Utu replied. A stray pulse bolt struck one of the mech’s tentacles. The sparking limb flew away from Utu’s body and skidded across the floor. Orvane ducked, as another glowing bolt flew over his head.

  “Look,” he shouted, pointing ahead. “There’s a hatch. We can shut them in!”

  He sprinted through the circular opening. Utu followed, and inserted one of its remaining tentacles in the control port. As the dials of the lock clicked and whirred, the horde of men charged into view.

  The man in the lead wore a black dura-plas helmet, covered with sharp, gleaming spikes. He aimed his rifle at the quivering alien.

  “Death to traitors!” he bellowed. His rifle barked twice, and a pair of pulse bolts streaked through the hatch, barely missing Orvane. They struck the far wall, sending a shower of sparks cascading to the floor.

  The door beeped and slid shut. Orvane glanced back. Through the crack of the open hatchway, he could see the men charging closer. The eyes of the leader glared with rage beneath his helmet.

  Then the metal slab clanged shut. The mag-locks clamped down, sealing it in place. The muted roar of pulse weapons echoed from the other side of the hatch.

  “The one with the scary helmet… His name is Klaus,” Orvane panted. “Of all Volonte’s men, he’s the worst. He likes to rip the optical sensors out of mechs, just for fun!”

  “That would undesirable,” Utu replied. “But this barrier will not detain them for long.” The mech’s glowing eye stalks examined the hatch. The thudding impact of pulse fire on the other side grew louder.

  Orvane grabbed one of the Utu’s tentacles. “We must hurry. Come!”

  The continued racing down the corridor. The curved passage led to an archway lined with flickering lights. Orvane rushed through, then shrieked. He skidded to a stop, just before toppling over the edge of a tiny balcony. The square platform overlooked a massive circular shaft that plunged deep into the tower’s interior. The whine of high-speed fans rose up from the darkness, and a stiff breeze ruffled his fur as he peered down into the shadows.

  Utu floated next to him. “This unit has sealed the hatch and summoned a lift car. It should arrive momentarily.”

/>   A clanking, grinding sound echoed near the side of the platform. A small metal cage rose up the wall behind them and jerked to a stop. The cage doors made a grating sound as they swung open. The little alien peered inside the empty lift car.

  “You sure this thing safe?" he asked. "Sounds old. Very old.”

  The mech’s eye stalks peered down at the alien. Its sparking, severed tentacle made a flailing gesture in the air… It almost looked like a shrug.

  “This unit cannot say for sure.”

  The sound of pulse fire on the other side of the hatch grew louder. The metal plate began to glow.

  Orvane glance from the hatch to the lift car. “No choice. We must go up!”

  He scurried into the car, and the mech followed. His pudgy hands grabbed the door and pulled it shut. With a whoosh of air and steam, the lift car shot up the wall, rising high into the tower.

  A few minutes later, the elevator hissed to a stop. The door screeched open, and the two occupants staggered onto a circular catwalk that ran along the outer edge of the tower. Directly in front of the lift car’s exit, a gantry crossed the gaping black chasm. The walkway led to a circular platform, suspended in the center of the tower. Three more identical catwalks led from opposite sides of the tower, and met at the central platform.

  A wedge-shaped bunker sat atop the platform. A narrow fin of metal rose up from the roof of the squat structure, towering fifty meters into the air. Delicate wind vanes and antenna studded the aileron’s surface. More catwalks circled around the wedge, high overhead. And above them, a blazing filtration field crackled and hummed. A ring of massive energy projector units mounted on tracks generated the powerful field. Occasionally, it would crackle and pop, as the tower’s filtration system sucked in debris from outside. The energy barrier instantly vaporized the tiny particles of rock and dust.

  Orvane pointed up as he hurried forward onto the gantry. His footsteps clanged across the narrow, wobbling walkway. “Look,” he said. “That’s the filtration field. We’re almost there!”