Tales of Talon Box Set

by A A Warren

  Utu examined the glowing curtain of energy overhead. “Interesting. The field appears to remove toxins and solid matter from the atmosphere.”

  “Yes,” Orvane panted. “That’s what a filtration field does.”

  They hurried onto the smaller platform and entered the bunker. Glowing energy coils lined the sloped metal walls. Each row of coils sat on either side of a rectangular maintenance panel. Orvane counted the serial numbers stenciled on the surface of the metal plates.

  “No… Not that one… here! Help me remove this panel.”

  Utu’s tentacles grasped the edge of the metal plate and pulled. The panel tore loose and clattered to the ground. Within the small cubby, a few power relays blinked in the darkness. A small bundle of red silk sat nestled behind the electronics. Orvane reached in and grabbed the tiny package.

  “This is it! We found it! Come, we must hurry. Have to leave before—”

  A volley of pulse bolts tore through the air, and slammed into an energy coil above them. The coil emitted a high-pitched whine and exploded, sending red hot shrapnel cascading around them. Heavy boots clanged across one of the catwalks… Someone was moving towards their position.

  “Your former crew appear to have found you,” the mech droned.

  Orvane peered around the corner of the bunker.

  The man in the spiked helmet marched towards him, swinging his heavy plasma rifle in a loose grip.

  “It’s Klaus!” he whimpered.

  “That is unfortunate,” Utu replied. “This unit requires all optical sensors to function properly.”

  “Orvane…” Klaus shouted as he stomped down the catwalk. “There’s nowhere left to run. Give up, or we’ll hunt you down like the vermin you are!” He aimed his rifle and fired again. The bolt struck the slanted wall just above Orvane’s head. He shrieked and ducked back inside the glowing enclosure.

  Utu regarded him with several unblinking photo-receptors. “Luckily, Talon has tracked us to these coordinates. He will arrive here shortly.”

  Orvane’s eyes opened comically wild, as another burst of pulse fire tore into the walls of the bunker. “What? That’s impossible.”

  The mech gave him a curious look. “Incorrect. The transponder of Talon’s ship is broadcasting a landing signal as we speak. He has docked on the level above us."

  Suddenly, a ring of windows higher up the tower exploded. The men stopped in their tracks, as shards of broken glass shattered against the catwalk.

  “What in blazes?” Klaus hissed. “Everyone, aim at—”

  Before the armored man could finish his sentence, a curved blade whistled through the air. The weapon pierced his helmet with a wet thunk. Klaus’ eyes rolled back in his head, as he toppled over and slammed into the catwalk.

  The other men swept their rifles back and forth, searching for a target. One of them knelt down and examined the weapon buried in Klaus’ skull. It was a curved, twin-bladed knife. A purple gem in the center hilt blinked at a rapid pace, and a high-pitched whine emitted from the weapon.

  “Get back!” The armored man shouted. The gang struggled to retreat along the narrow catwalk, as the piercing sound grew louder.

  KABOOM!

  The weapon exploded, tearing the catwalk in two. Several men flew off the edge and plummeted down the air shaft. Their screams echoed through the darkness as they fell into the depths of the tower. A few managed to scramble off the narrow walkway, and flee towards the outer ring of the structure.

  A muscular figure leapt down from the one of the broken windows and landed in their path.

  Talon stood before them, grinning at the surprised gang of outlaws.

  Hefting his axe, he triggered the activator switch. His crimson eye reflected the weapon’s fiery glow, as the plasma blade blazed to life.

  “You wish to hunt?” he snarled. “You’ll find me more adequate sport.”

  Raising the weapon over his head, he charged towards the startled men.

  Chapter Twenty

  The armored thugs opened fire, but they were too late… Talon was upon them.

  His plasma axe hummed and whined as it cut through the air. A barrage of pulse bolts screamed from the muzzle of the lead outlaw’s rifle, but he was stumbling backwards, moving away from the wall of muscle bearing down on him. His frantic retreat caused his shots to go wild. The stray pulse bolts burned scorch marks into the metal walls of the tower.

  Talon roared in fury as he swung his axe, severing the lead man’s rifle in two. Crouching on bent knees, he ducked beneath another volley of pulse fire and lashed out with the fiery blade. Two more enemies collapsed to the ground. The smell of melted armor and burning flesh rose from their smoking torsos.

  Talon leapt to his feet and pressed forward. A lone outlaw stood before him. The man jabbed with his rifle, slamming the stock into Talon’s gut. Gritting his teeth, the gladiator blocked another swing with the shaft of his axe. As he shunted the blow aside, a glowing blade erupted from the weapon’s tip… an energy bayonet shimmered at the end of the rifle’s muzzle.

  Talon leaned back, feeling the heat against his skin as the deadly blade swung millimeters away from his face. The outlaw grinned… a synth-skin bandage covered half his face. The blank, sterile mask hid most of his features. Rows of infected scars covered what skin was visible. A single, glowering eye peered out from the mass of scabs and lesions.

  “You’re not the only one who can wield a blade, fool!” the man hissed.

  “Perhaps not,” Talon growled. "But judging by your scars, you could use more practice.”

  The man snarled and leapt forward, stabbing with the glowing bayonet. Talon side-stepped the attack, letting the outlaw rush past him. He pivoted around and kicked the man in the back, sending him careening across the walkway.

  The outlaw stumbled and fell to the ground. But before Talon could press his attack, a pair of vibrations shook the gantry. Avra and Suphara landed in low crouches, each on one of the narrow catwalks leading to the center platform.

  Avra drew twin blades from her belt. With a snap of her wrists, the weapons flipped open to their full length. Across the shaft, Suphara gestured in the air. A crackling blade of dark energy appeared in her hands. Raising the glowing weapon, she glanced at Talon, then turned her gaze to the central platform. Narrowing her eyes, she spotted Orvane peering around the corner of the bunker.

  “Orvane Raygor!” she bellowed, pointing in his direction with her shimmering blade. “The Sorari demand a reckoning. Come out and face justice!”

  The tiny alien screamed and ducked back into the bunker. Suphara charged towards him, her footsteps clanging down the narrow catwalk. Avra matched her pace, sprinting towards the center platform as well.

  “Suphara, wait!” she shouted.

  Suddenly, a metal orb hummed out of the bunker, floating between the crystalline woman and the fleeing alien. Utu’s eye stalks turned in two directions, blinking at both Avra and Suphara.

  “Please,” the mech droned. “This unit believes there has been a misunderstanding. If you examine the data—”

  “Out of my way, machine!” Suphara slammed an elbow into the mech, sending Utu careening out of her way as she stormed towards the platform. Orvane yelped in terror, and scurried out the opposite side of the bunker, running as fast as he could.

  Talon ignored the wounded outlaw crawling away from him, as he watched the two women close in on the platform. “Avra, Suphara, hold!” he shouted. “Don’t kill him until—”

  The moment of distraction allowed the injured opponent to recover. He stumbled to his feet and fired his rifle. Talon winced, as the pulse bolt grazed his shoulder. He dropped to one knee, letting the next shot pass over his head. Glaring at the man with his crimson eye, he hurled the axe forward.

  The weapon spun through the air. The outlaw’s eyes opened wide with fear. He thrust up his rifle, trying to block the fiery blade. But the spinning plasma axe tore through the barrel. Sparks cascading from the weapon, as the bl
ade buried itself in the man’s chest with a wet hiss.

  The outlaw fell back, slamming into the catwalk with a metallic clang.

  Talon gestured with his armored hand. The axe flew back to him, as smoke hissed from the fallen corpse. He caught the weapon and hurried down another catwalk, rushing towards Avra.

  Orvane’s tiny legs pounded across the narrow metal walkway as he ran to a door on the opposite side of the shaft. But before he could reach the exit, a glowing forcefield appeared before him, blocking his path. He slammed into the barrier and howled in pain, as crackling bolts of energy danced across his skin.

  Avra and Suphara both skidded to a stop. Identical barriers shimmered in front of them as well.

  “What in blazes?” Suphara hissed. A glowing whirlpool of dark energy swirled over their heads. An armored figure emerged from the portal and floated above them. His cape billowing around him, as if blown by an unseen wind.

  “Enough!” he shouted. “Orvane and the statue belong to My Lord!” The voice echoed through the tower. The hovering sorcerer glanced down at Avra, and she glared back into his featureless metal mask. A blinding glow emerged from the helmet’s visor… it was the only indication of anything at all within the armored containment suit.

  Suphara pounded on the forcefield, wincing as the energy arced across her crystal skin.

  Talon ran up behind Avra. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back from the glowing barrier. “Avra, careful. My eye… It senses dark energy. This is the work of a sorcerer!”

  The hovering figure gestured with his hands. Orvane gasped as the silk bundle he clutched flew out of his arms. The armored figure beckoned, drawing the mysterious package closer. The silk wrapping fluttered away, revealing the crystal statue underneath. It was another tabeki, carved from crimson bloodstone. It reflected the light in the tower, glowing the same color as Talon’s crystal eye.

  Talon glanced up at the cloaked figure. “Orvane has a price on his head,” he shouted. “A price I have claimed.”

  The figure’s visor glowed even brighter. He swept his burning gaze across all four of them, finally settling on Talon. “My name is Dulkar, fleshling. And as I said, this pathetic creature belongs to my master.”

  “Then let your master come and face me!”

  The light behind Dulkar’s visor flashed brighter. “Be careful what you wish for, warrior,” he hissed.

  KABOOM!

  Talon and Avra spun around as an explosion rumbled through the tower walls. The blast tore one of the heavy metal doors loose, and sent it careening against the walls of the shaft. As it plummeted into the abyss, a thick cloud of smoke billowed into the tower’s interior.

  Avra raised her blades and rolled her shoulders back. Talon hefted his blazing axe, and peered into the hazy air.

  A shadowy figure emerged from the smoke. Footsteps echoed through the tower as it marched towards them. Whoever it was, they were huge… towering almost a full meter over Talon’s considerable height.

  As the shadow loomed closer, Dulkar’s sinister laugh echoed through the shaft. The sorcerer gestured with his hands again, and more glowing symbols spun through the air. Orvane squealed as he levitated up into the column of purple light. His tiny legs and arms kicked and thrashed, to no avail.

  “Enough talk,” Suphara shouted. “The Sorari shall not be denied their vengeance!” Raising her blade, she slashed at the glowing forcefield. The concentrated dark energy that formed her weapon pierced the barrier, causing the field to waver and fade. But before it vanished, a shockwave rippled across the barrier’s glowing surface.

  The energy backlash erupted from the force wall, striking Suphara like a bolt of lightning. She flew backwards and struck the catwalk, crying out in pain. With a groan, she rolled over and her eyes fluttered closed.

  “Suphara!” Avra shouted.

  The crystal woman did not respond.

  Avra turned her attention to Talon, as he stepped towards the advancing figure. The warrior glanced up at Orvane. The little alien was spinning in the air, drifting closer to Dulkar’s hovering body.

  “I’ll handle this,” Talon muttered. “You help Suphara. The two of you have to get Orvane away from that sorcerer and recover the statue.”

  Avra gave him a concerned look. “Talon I—”

  “Greetings,” a gravely, mechanical voice called out from the haze. “I take it you are the bounty hunter who gave my men such trouble on Kharis? Impressive. I was beginning to think this sector consisted of nothing but cowardly thieves and withered old men.”

  Talon and Avra watched the figure walking towards him. “Brave words for a man who hides behind a sorcerer,” Talon shouted. “But if it’s battle you seek, you’ll find me a better opponent than the unarmed crew of a passenger liner!”

  He paused as the hulking brute emerged from the smoke. “Iberon’s harem,” he gasped. "What manner of creature are you?”

  The towering figure brushed aside his cloak, revealing a battered mechanical body. The armor plating across his chest and limbs was pitted with pulse-weapon burns. Streaks of grease and lubricant decorated his metal hide, like war paint.

  His joints creaked and clicked as he moved. Hundreds of hydraulic compensators and neural fiber bundles flexed with every step. He walked with a slow, confident gait that was almost human. But the tiny mechanical imperfections that remained gave his movements an unsettling, alien quality.

  “You… you’re a mech!” Talon gasped.

  The machine’s glowing eyes focused on the warrior with an intense stare, like the barrels of twin pulse rifles. The metal plates of his mouth twisted into an approximation of a grin as he spread his arms wide. “Have you never faced a mech in combat before?”

  “I’ve sent my share to the scrap heap,” Talon replied. “But I’ve never seen a machine like you.”

  “Few have. And even fewer have lived to tell of it.” The mech’s rumbling voice echoed through the cavernous shaft. “My name is Volonte Er’Gosi. And like you, I am a relic of a forgotten time. That mark on your chest… You are No’varran, yes?”

  Talon lowered his axe in surprise. Avra rested a hand on his shoulder, and whispered into his ear. “Talon, how could he know about—”

  Talon shrugged her hand away and stepped forward. “What do you know of the No’varran?” he shouted back.

  The mech rolled its bulky shoulders, like a boxer preparing for a bout. “The No’varran were not the only tribe of R’Kur. My people, the Zedrakon, were once the favored children of the Great Dragon God. Until he turned his back on us. Shunned us for the likes of you… His human pets.”

  The mech crouched in a combat stance. His right hand retracted into his forearm with a loud click, and was replaced by the barrel of a pulse cannon. A long metal blade slid out above his left wrist. Volonte raised the gleaming weapon in a jaunty salute.

  “I have faced many of your kind over the eons. Impress me, No’varran. And in return, I shall grant you an honorable death.”

  Talon did not take his eyes off his opponent. “Go,” he muttered to Avra.

  “Are you sure?” she whispered.

  “Now!”

  She turned and sprinted towards the column of energy in the center of the platform. As she ran, Talon swung his axe in a circle, until the weapon was a blur of fiery orange light.

  “Victory or death!” he bellowed. Then he sprinted down the catwalk towards Volonte.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Avra raced towards the central platform, watching as Orvane rose higher into the air. A tendril of violet energy emerged from the floating sorcerer’s arm, and coiled around the helpless alien’s neck. He coughed and gagged as it drew tighter, choking the life from him.

  “Let him go, sorcerer!” Avra cried. She raised one of her blades, but hesitated… She skidded to a stop on the catwalks as Dulkar’s arm guided the energy tentacle, shifting Orvane into her line of fire. In his other hand, the sorcerer held the crimson statue up to the light… It refracted t
he dim glow of the tower into a prism of crimson beams.

  “This insignificant lump of flesh has served its purpose,” Dulkar replied. “By monitoring Blue Star hyper-transmissions we were able to locate the coward, and retrieve the property he stole from us.”

  “So you framed him for the attack on the merchant liner?” Avra shouted.

  Dulkar tilted his head, glaring down at her through the glowing slit in his helmet. “Of course. Altering a holo-vid is a trivial matter for one skilled in manipulating dark energy.”

  His body rippled and shimmered in the air. The domed faceplate of his armor seemed to melt and then reform, taking on the appearance of Orvane. Then it shifted again, and Avra found herself staring back at her own reflection. “Do you honestly believe this pathetic creature could kill anyone, let alone one of your trained assassins?”

  Avra’s green eyes narrowed in fury as she glared up at the floating sorcerer. “Then you killed Kaliope as well!”

  Once again his face warped and melted, as the sorcerer returned to his normal appearance. “Her life and death were meaningless, fleshing. You will all burn to ash, long before my energy dissipates from the universe.”

  A second trail of energy erupted from his arm. Before Avra could even move, it looped around her neck and drew tight. She choked and gasped, as the glowing tentacle lifted her into the air. Her fingers clawed at the crackling noose, but she could not free herself from its burning grasp.

  “Much better,” Dulkar muttered. “I could barely hear myself think.”

  He examined the statue in his other hand. The sculpture began to pulse and glow, until it was blinding to look at. Then the blinding light receded, and the statue was gone. In its place, a metal sphere hovered above his palm.

  Suddenly, a crackling hum tore through the air. A blade of blue energy slashed through both tendrils, sending Avra and Orvane plummeting to the ground. As they slammed into the catwalk, Suphara flipped through the air, landing on her feet between them and the sorcerer.