by A A Warren
The beast swooped overhead. A frayed, torn leather cord dangled from its neck. Grabbing the hanging reigns, Talon grit his teeth as the beast yanked them both into the air. Suphara gasped as they soared over the army of machines. A barrage of glowing energy bolts streaked past them.
Decius shrieked, as one of the pulse blasts grazed its wing. The beast dipped lower in the air, but continued flying towards the Star Claw.
Tucking its wings in close, the huge creature barreled through the opening and flew into the vessel. Talon and Suphara struck the ramp and rolled across the deck plates. The razor-wing slammed into the far wall, leaving a dent in the dura-plas panel. It grunted in annoyance as it picked itself up and shuffled around in the airlock chamber.
Talon leapt to his feet, and slammed a glowing panel mounted near the entrance. As the ramp hummed closed, he pulled Suphara up. “Come on… we have to get to the bridge!”
He patted the razor-wing on the head as they hurried down the corridor. “Good boy,” he shouted. “I’ll feed you a whole zebrak when we’re clear of this mess!”
The dazed animal stumbled after them and whined, unable to fit down the narrow passageway.
Chapter Forty-Four
Orvane looked up in alarm as Talon staggered onto the bridge. The warrior’s torso was a mottled collage of bruises and lacerations. Dozens of bloody gashes cut across his chest, and a savage looking wound ran through his right shoulder. Injured as he was, he supported Suphara’s limp body with his left arm. The crystalline woman groaned as he dragged her to the navigation chair.
“By the gods!” Orvane exclaimed, climbing out of the pilot’s seat. “You hurt bad! Need medical attention!”
A chunk of falling debris struck the ship. The sudden motion caused Talon to stumble. “There’s no time for that now,” he snapped. “Utu! Give her room!”
The mech hovered out of the navigator’s station, as Talon laid the barely conscious woman onto the chair.
“There’s no way she can open portal now,” Orvane said, helping Talon strap her into the seat.
“Then this will be our final battle,” Talon muttered. He slid her arms into the portal drive sockets. Then he climbed into the pilot’s seat, and pushed forward on the throttle. The engines roared to life, and the ship sped towards the glowing blue barrier of the quantum gate.
Utu’s tentacles gripped a railing as the ship dodged more debris from the crumbling vault. “Talon, the Star Claw’s current velocity is insufficient.”
“I’m going as fast as I can,” Talon snapped. He glanced up, as the tactical display emitted a series of beeps and alarms. “For all the good it’s doing. That’s the Serpentar on our tail… Volonte’s warship is gaining on us!”
“That does not appear to be a primary concern at this time,” Utu replied.
The ship trembled as a volley of pulse blasts struck their rear shields. Talon muttered a silent curse, and pushed back his sweat soaked hair with one hand. “If being blown to atoms isn’t your primary concern, I don’t know what is!”
“The fact that the quantum gate is closing,” the mech replied in a calm, monotone voice.
Orvane pointed out the forward windows. “Utu is right… look!”
“Nitara’s nine hells!” Talon muttered. Sure enough, as they sped closer to the glowing blue portal, the colossal metal panels that shielded the gate slid towards each other. They were closing off the only escape route from the collapsing vault.
Talon tapped his console. “Utu, re-route all available power to the thrusters. Take it from shields and life support if you must! I don’t care—”
Suddenly, a massive white beam exploded through the murky haze ahead of the ship. It struck a falling spire, and the rock exploded into glowing particles. A blinding light filled the bridge. Talon swung the ship to the left barely avoiding the destructive energy pulse. Shards of crystal struck the forward the shields as they sped through the debris.
“What was that?” Orvane shouted.
“The Soul Vault's structural integrity has been compromised. Energy beams from the fail-safe devices have pierced the interior. When the vault collapses, it will destroy everything in this region of space.”
Talon gritted his teeth. “Then we best leave while we still can!”
Another beam pierced the glowing void ahead them. Then another…
Talon gripped the controls, spiraling the ship through the gaps in the crisscrossing pulses of energy. Behind them, the Serpentar continued its relentless pursuit, sending a barrage of pulse bolts screaming into their rear shields.
The massive vessel charged forward. One of the destructive beams clipped its bow, shearing off a mangled fragment of sparking metal. But still the behemoth followed, like a relentless shark chasing down its prey.
“The gate is still closing,” Orvane shouted.
Talon eyed the shimmering portal. As he increased the throttle, another beam pierced the darkness, forcing him to veer off course.
Sparks erupted from the ceiling and the vessel shook. “This ship is taking heavy fire from the Serpentar,” Utu stated. “With our reduced shield power, we will not survive another direct hit.”
Talon ignored the mech. “Suphara,” he shouted. “Can you hear me?” Circling around the blinding energy beam, Talon straightened out the ship, and dove towards the gate.
Suphara stirred in her chair. She raised her head, and stared at him with half-open eyes. Her crystalline body lit up with a faint glow.
“I… I am here.”
Talon glanced over at her, as another bank of power relays exploded behind them. “Suphara, as soon as we get through the gate, we need to open a star-path. If we don’t jump out of here now… we’re not leaving.”
The woman nodded. “Understood.” Her body began to pulse with light… the energy inside her glowed brighter and brighter as they sped closer to the narrowing gate.
“Powering up… Portal Drive,” she said in a weak voice. “Preparing to… open…” Her head slumped against the chair.
“Suphara?” Talon shouted. “You have to wake up!”
The woman did not stir. Glancing out the window, Talon dodged around a fountain of crumbling rocks, falling from the collapsing structure above. Ahead of them, the metal walls slid closer together, narrowing the gate.
“The Serpentar is gaining on us,” Utu reported. Another volley of pulse bolts rocked the ship. “A direct hit from their forward weapons will collapse our shields.”
“Suphara?” Talon shouted. “Can you hear me?”
He turned and glanced at the unconscious woman. She shook and jostled in her chair as more falling debris impacted the ship. Talon grit his teeth, then took a breath.
“Avra?” he said in a soft voice. “Avra, are you in there? Suphara still needs your help. And so do I.”
“Me too!” Orvane said, picking himself up off the deck.
Ahead of them the glowing barrier of the gate had been reduced to a tiny sliver of light.
“You said there was no one you’d rather have by your side,” Talon said. “Please, join me in battle. One last time…”
Suphara gasped, and her head shot up. The light radiating through her crystalline body changed… it pulsed from blue to red, and her eyes glowed emerald green. The portal drive circuits blazed to life, as bolts of dark energy crackled across her body. A low hum filled the bridge.
“Portal Drive at maximum power,” she shouted. Her voice sounded like an echo, as if more than one person were speaking. “Preparing to open star-path.”
“Not yet,” Talon growled. “We have to clear the quantum gate. Stand by!”
The ship rumbled as another volley of pulse bolts tore into the hull. The blue rectangle of the gate rushed closer. It was growing smaller by the second… Talon glanced at his holo-display. There was just enough space left to fit.
“Here we go,” he snapped. He decreased the throttle, and the Star Claw plunged into the energy barrier. The bridge lights dimmed and flickered as
the ship pierced the shimmering veil. Orvane gasped… the holo-display mounted above the command chair sparked, then exploded. Glowing particles showered down from the ceiling.
Talon shielded his eyes with his hand, as the ship’s bow emerged from the gate. The light on the other side was blinding. It was like flying into a supernova… blazing white energy surrounded them. Talon could barely make out the swirling trails of fiery plasma and the molten remains of the Vault’s structure, as it disintegrated around them.
“Shields gone!” Orvane shouted. “Hull temperature rising!”
The groan of twisting metal echoed through the massive chamber, rising above the wail of energy.
“What in Nitara's name was that?” Talon shouted.
“The Serpentar,” Orvane exclaimed in an excited voice. “Look!” He tapped the controls, changing the view on Talon’s holo-display.
The massive warship behind them had failed to clear the gate. It was wedged in the glowing portal, and the metal walls tore into its bow. Trails of burning gas ventured from the ruptured hull, as the massive gates crushed inward. A series of explosions erupted along the top of the ship.
With a final shriek, the Serpentar’s bow tore loose, sheared off by the closing doors. The metal plates slammed shut, trapping the remains of the warship behind them.
Suphara’s body glowed even brighter, eclipsing the maelstrom beyond the windows. “Opening Star Path in 3…2…1…” A swirling blue portal pierced the sea of fire ahead of them.
“Victory or death, Avra,” Talon whispered. “May the Golden Stars receive you.”
The ship dove into the star-path, and blinked out of existence.
In its wake, the remains of the Zedrakon Soul Vault erupted into a ball of fire. A ring of energy shot out and tore through the heavens. Then, in a fraction of a second, the light collapsed upon itself. Soon, only a pinpoint of shadow remained... A dark wound, piercing the eternal void of spacetime itself.
Chapter Forty-Five
PLANET GESA
The Gyre, Wild Space
Two weeks later…
Marshal Waylan took another sip from his dented metal cup. He glanced at the clear bottle on his desk and frowned… it was almost empty. Only a thin film of amber liquid remained, clinging to the bottom of the heavy bottle.
Sighing, Waylan emptied the last few droplets into his cup. “Well,” he muttered to himself. “One crisis, one bottle. Guess that’s how it goes.”
As he brought the cup to his lips, a loud beep sounded from the doorway. The old man paused, and his wrinkled lips curled into a frown.
“Now what?” he grunted. “Maybe the Commander stopped by to paint another stripe on my—”
He froze, as he checked the view from the vidcams mounted above the entrance. A hulking figure wrapped in a dark cloak stood in the doorway. A glowing flash of light from the man’s eye nearly blinded the old security’s system optics. Waylan grinned.
“Well, I’ll be damned…” He pressed a button, and the door at the far end of the office slid open. A gust of wind whipped through the open portal, and the man stepped inside. A second figure, small as a child, trundled in behind him clutching a blanket around his head with short, furry fingers.
Waylan’s hand dipped below the desk, gripping the stock of the sawed-off pulse rifle he kept mounted there... just in case. The towering stranger removed his cloak and unwound his scarf. The old marshal rose from his chair and lowered his weapon. He let out a burst of laughter.
It was Talon who stood before him.
“Didn’t expect to see you back here, kid. Figured you’d cut and run after all the recent unpleasantness.” He held up the empty bottle and shrugged. “I’d offer you a drink, but…”
Talon grinned as he swaggered towards the desk. “Actually, I’m leaving tonight. Like I said before, I have pressing business in the Dominion. But first, there’s the matter of my bounty.”
Waylan set the bottle down and cocked his head, giving Talon a suspicious look. “Bounty? But Orvane was cleared of all charges. The whole thing was a setup, by—”
Waylan glanced down at the shorter figure. The small body thrashed and rolled on the floor, struggling to free itself from the tattered cloak. Orvane's glowing orange eyes peered up from within the folds of material. His thick, rubbery lips curled into a grin as he stood up. “Cleared! He said Orvane is cleared!”
Waylan raised his eyebrows. “This is Orvane Raygor?”
Talon chuckled. “I told you he was no killer. But innocent or not, you promised me a reward for his capture.”
The marshal sighed and shook his head. “First time I ever paid a bounty for an innocent man. But I suppose a deal’s a deal.” He tapped a few glowing squares on his wrist unit, and a series of holographic numbers appeared in the air.
Orvane gasped. “All that for me? I worth so much!”
“You were worth the same, dead or alive,” Talon grunted. “Count yourself lucky I’m a tolerant man.”
“And I suppose I should count myself lucky you didn’t bring that beast of yours with you as well,” Waylon said.
Talon grinned. “I set Decius free this morning. Released him on the other side of the Poison Sea. The wing rider gangs won’t be able to find him, or the rest of his flock, over there.” He glanced down at the transponder, watching the value of the bounty transfer into his account.
Waylan stroked the gray stubble on his chin as Talon slipped his transponder back into his cloak. “You know, I may be able to offer you a good deal more than that, son.”
Talon peered up at the old man, his crimson eye gleaming within the shadows of his hooded cloak. “Oh? And what would that be for?”
The marshal’s withered, pale hand slid across the counter. “You did good out there, you know. Saved a lot of lives. Including mine! The Gyre could use a man like you.”
He lifted his hand, revealing a small metal pin. A blue gem, carved in the shape of a four-pointed star, sat atop a shimmering bar of gold.
It was a marshal’s badge.
Talon picked up the trinket and held it to the light. The badge sparkled in the dim radiance of the glow spheres. For a moment, he was silent, as he stared at the glittering gem.
Waylan sighed. “You said it yourself, son. I’m getting too old for this job. Maybe I was wrong about Orvane, but something tells me I was right about you. You should stay on, as my deputy. Take over this desk when I retire.”
Orvane tugged on Talon’s leg. “Well?”
Talon looked at the marshal, then threw his head back and laughed.
Waylan furrowed his brow. “Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for.”
“I mean no offense, Marshal. But from where I stand, your desk looks a bit too much like a cage. And I’ve been a slave long enough.”
Waylan slammed his armored glove onto the desk. “Now listen here, kid! The people of the Gyre may not have a fancy kingdom or a benevolent Emperor like your precious Dominion. But by the gods, they deserve justice as well. They need someone to fight for them.”
Talon glanced down at Orvane. He tossed the alien the badge. “And they shall have someone. What say you, Orvane?”
The marshal leaned over the counter, frowning as he watched Orvane polish the badge, then pin it to his tunic. The alien’s wide eyes admired the sparkling blue gem, as it glittered in the light from glow spheres.
“You want me to deputize that little runt?” Waylan asked, arching a bushy gray eyebrow.
Talon glared at the man. “Judge him not by his size. Orvane risked his life to stop Volonte. If not for him, Gesa would be a pile of burning rubble."
He turned and walked across the dusty floor, heading for the exit. “And as I said, I must be on my way.”
He stopped at the door and looked back at the unlikely pair. “Farewell, Marshal… Orvane. I leave the people of the Gyre in your good hands.”
The door slid open, and another gust of wind blasted into the room. Orvane squinted as dust and sand swirled th
rough the air. He held up a hand to protect his eyes. Behind him, the marshal coughed, as his stringy gray hair whipped across his face.
The old man tapped a button on his console, and the door closed with a hiss. The building's flimsy walls muted the howling wind to a low moan.
Talon was gone.
Orvane looked up at the marshal and blinked. “I get gun now?”
Waylan shook his head, then turned and shuffled to the back of the tiny cubicle. “First thing’s fist. Let’s get you fitted for armor. Can’t have my new deputy getting shot up on his first day.”
The little alien grinned. He jumped up, grabbed the counter, and pulled himself over. Then he scurried after the limping marshal, following the old man into the shadows.
Talon sighed… a cocoon of liquid warmth seemed to embrace his body. His muscles felt languid and relaxed, and his skin still tingled from the exertions of pleasure.
He felt a smooth, warm hand slide across his chest. Strands of crimson hair flowed across his shoulder. Avra lay next to him. A soft light bathed their entwined limbs. Shards of violet crystal surrounded them, sparkling in the reflected glow. The glittering landscape stretched out as far as the eye could see… it was vast and beautiful, a welcome change from the devastated vistas that had haunted his dreams as of late.
He turned and stared into Avra’s sparkling green eyes. She peered up at him through half-closed lashes. Her lips parted with desire.
“By the gods… I had no idea,” she breathed. “No idea such feelings were possible. I’ve never felt such pleasure…”
“Nor I,” Talon said with a grin. “I don’t even know where we are right now.”
Avra threw a long leg over his body and straddled him. She laughed as she peered down at his surprised face with a sultry gaze.
“Who cares where we are? I just don’t want this to end.”
Suddenly, her expression sharpened. Her voice took on a suspicious tone. “Wait a minute… Is this a dark energy bond? Like the one you share with Salena? This isn’t… you don’t do this with her, do you?”
