by A A Warren
He flipped a row of switches on the console, firing up the lifter field generators. The slab-like vehicle rose up from the ground, and began to drift sideways across the loading bay. It struck another pile of cargo cubes, sending them tumbling to the ground. One of soldiers in the squad spun around, alerted by the loud noise.
“You there, park that vehicle and surrender! Now!” the armored man shouted.
"Iberon's harem," Talon said to himself. He pushed forward on the control stick. The loader lurched ahead, picking up speed as it flew toward the soldiers. The armored men opened fire with their rifles. The pulse beams tore glowing divots from the loader's blunt metal nose, but did little damage to the heavy-duty craft.
With a grim smile, Talon pulled back on a yellow handle mounted to the right side of the controls. The front of the craft split apart, revealing a forked metal claw. He twisted the lever to the left, and the claw extended forward. Its pincers ratcheted open, like the gaping jaws of some monstrous beast.
He ducked down below the controls, as more pulse-fire sizzled above the cockpit. A bolt struck the controls to his left. The panel exploded, sending a shower of sparks into the air. Talon threw himself to the floor of the craft, as flames leapt from the control console. Using his leg, he kicked the control stick forward. The loader groaned and picked up more speed, streaking faster towards the enemy ship.
The armored centurions scattered, as the heavy vehicle careened towards them. Talon felt the vehicle dip forward. He peered over the melted controls and saw one of the armored men, hanging from the tip of the cargo claw. The centurion wrapped his arms around the metal prong and hung on for dear life. He swung back and forth as the loader raced above the ground.
The attacking ship’s canons opened fire. Explosions rocked the cavern. Talon felt the loader shake and rattle, as the energy bolts slammed into the ground beneath its lifter field. The vehicle was a small target for the ship-based weapon. His enemies were having a hard time locking on to the vehicle as it sped across the bay
Another pair of bolts struck the ground. He felt a hot wind whipping through his hair. Something big roared overhead, drowning out the whine of the energy bolts. Looking up, he saw the last shuttle from the landing pad swooping above him. The tiny ship careened through the air, making a mad dash towards the cavern’s exit.
The attacker's canons swiveled away from him and took aim at the shuttle. Twin lances of energy cut through the air, tearing the fleeing craft into a cluster of metal fragments. The sparking debris slammed into the ground ahead of him. Talon grabbed the controls and swerved left. The vehicle groaned as it darted around a shard of burning metal skidding across the floor. Then he forced the vehicle to bank right. Another fragment of crumpled metal tumbled beneath him. It grazed the underside of the loader, sending him spinning through the air.
As he struggled to regain control, a third fragment of the shuttle crashed directly in his flight path. It rumbled towards him, rolling straight towards the clumsy loader.
He eased up on the thrusters, pulling out of the spin. But before he could dodge the massive chunk of debris, a shower off sparks exploded from the controls. Looking up, the saw one of the armored soldiers, balanced on the vehicle’s windshield.
The centurion on the cargo claw, Talon realized. He must have climbed aboard.
The man’s sword strike had missed Talon’s head by inches, and the blade was buried in the sparking control panel.
Looking past the centurion, Talon's eyes opened wide. The debris from the shuttle crash tumbled closer. Talon swung the control stick, but the vehicle wasn’t responding. The centurion's attack had damaged the steering system.
They were on a collision course.
With a grunt of exertion, the soldier wrenched his sword free. He raised it over his head for another strike. Talon slammed his fist down on a red button… A pair of maneuver flaps opened at the rear of the vehicle, slowing it down. The sudden deceleration threw the soldier backwards. He stumbled and lost his balance, rolling down the nose of the craft.
Talon closed the flaps, and the vehicle began picking up more speed. As it streaked towards the tumbling debris, he dove over the side of the loader. His back and shoulders stung from the impact as he rolled across the ground.
The runaway loader continued charging forward. It slammed into the shuttle’s debris, and flipped up into the air. The flying wreckage arced towards the attacker’s ship, like a stone thrown by a catapult.
As Talon rolled to his feet, he saw the heavy vehicle slam into the top of the enemy ship. The impact crumpled the top mounted cannon. The ship’s thin, spidery landing gears bent and snapped off. Sparks flew from the underbody as the hull crashed to the ground. The wreckage of the loader fell back, landing at a sloped angle against the side of the damaged vessel.
The remaining squad members charged towards him. Staring at their crimson shadows through his glowing red eye, he took a deep breath. He reached over his shoulder, but his grasping fingers found only empty air… His pulse rifle was gone! He realized it must have fallen loose during the battle on the loader.
Growling with rage, he drew his twin blades.
The soldiers in the lead raised their weapons and opened fire. Bolts of energy sizzled past him, leaving black burn marks on the metal floor.
“Come at me you cowards!” he shouted. “Rifles or no, I’ll take at least one of you into the haunted stars with me!”
The squad marched closer, aiming their rifles. Talon knew there was little chance they would miss at this range. He raised his blades and crouched low, preparing to charge.
Suddenly, a curtain of energy beams rained down on the soldiers. The lead men fell before the glowing barrage, their armor pierced with smoking holes.
The roar of engines filled the bay. Talon looked over this shoulder… the hulking freighter had lifted off. It flew over him and hovered near the cavern entrance, above the wreckage of the attacker’s ship.
Salena perched on the open landing ramp. She took aim with her pistol, blasting the soldiers on the ground with pinpoint accuracy.
‘What are you waiting for?” she shouted. “Do you want your freedom or not?”
Grinning like a madman, Talon turned to the cargo ship and ran. His muscular legs clanged across the metal landing pad as he sprinted forward. He reached the wreckage of the loader and kept running, charging up its sloped surface like a ramp.
The cargo ship hovered overhead. Talon hit the top of the wreckage and threw himself into the air. His legs kicked at empty space as he flew towards the ship. Glowing weapon fire exploded around his hurtling body.
He crashed onto the ramp next to Salena and rolled forward.
The woman sent a few more shots towards the soldiers, then slammed her fist into a control panel to her left. The ramp hummed and began to close. Leaping to his feet, Talon looked out through the closing gap. His red eye flared… he saw one of the soldiers aiming his rifle at them. Time seemed to slow, as if everything was moving in slow motion.
“Salena, look out!” He was moving before she could even react to his warning. He grabbed her and yanked her aside. An energy bolt slammed into the wall, leaving a scorched, smoking hole where her head had been.
She looked up at him as the ramp thunked closed.
“You saved my life,” she said, her voice a low pant.
Talon shrugged. “We’re in this together now.”
She smiled, and grabbed his hand. “I’ll have to thank you properly later. Follow me.”
Chapter Seven
Salena led him through a dark, twisting passage. Blinking lights and control panels cast a soft glow over the cramped, battered corridor. The hull plates were filthy and rusted, and the ship looked as if it had been patched together from scrap metal. Talon felt the deck vibrate beneath his feet. They were moving through the shield, and rocketing away from the surface.
A pair of doors slid open, and they ran into the massive cargo hold. Talon glanced around as Salena led h
im towards a maintenance hatch in the floor. He saw only shadows in the dark, cavernous chamber… the ship’s hold was empty.
“What was this ship hauling?” he asked.
She tapped a code into a small panel. The circular hatch retracted open, revealing a ladder that led down into another corridor.
“Like me, the Star Claw has her secrets. Follow me!”
She climbed into the hatch and slid down the ladder. Talon followed. As it closed above him, Salena pulled him through the new corridor. This one was shaped like a tube, and was in much better condition than the upper decks. As they rounded a corner, a sudden impact jolted the ship. Salena gasped, as she stumbled into the side of the tunnel. Talon braced himself and remained standing.
“Canon fire… the fleet is moving to intercept us,” she said as she regained her balance.
“So much for escape," Talon muttered. "There’s no way this boat can outrun a Dominion war ship.”
"We'll see about that," she replied.
He followed her to another hatch. It hissed open, revealing the cramped but modern bridge of a starship.
Clear, sloped windows covered the front of the control center. Looking out into space, Talon gasped… The stars seemed brighter and more numerous than he had ever seen. Streaks of color and light, canon-fire from the larger vessels, crisscrossed around them. In the distance, massive battleships lumbered into position, preparing to cut off their escape.
A squadron of fighters screamed overhead, pelting their shields with weapon fire. Talon followed them with his eyes as they swooped past. He recognized the sleek design of the attacking ships at a glance. Their swept-back wings and crimson hulls had earned them a moniker famous throughout the galaxy… Dominion blood hawks.
The bridge seated four, with a few auxiliary benches for passengers mounted to the bulkheads. A raised chair overlooked the forward pilot and gunner stations. With an electric hum, the chair spun around. Talon found himself staring into the face of a hulking, humanoid wolf. The creature had a long, fur-covered snout. Longer black and tan fur swept back over his head, parting to reveal a pair of pointy, tufted ears.
The alien tilted his head and gazed at him through slitted yellow eyes. “So this is who all the fuss was about? A puny human gladiator with a green tattoo?”
Talon puffed out his chest. “You’re an Akaelan, eh? I’ve fought your kind in the arena before.”
The alien snarled. “If that were true, you wouldn’t be alive to tell the tale.”
Talon shrugged. “Akaelans fight well, but they bleed the same as anyone.”
The creature snarled louder. His black lips curled back, revealing a row of pointed fangs. Then a strange, rumbling growl emitted from his snout. Talon’s muscles tensed, and he took a step back.
“Don’t mind Captain Zobo.” A woman in the front pilot’s seat turned to face him. She was human, with green eyes and sharp yet pretty features. Her fiery red hair was done up in a series of braids, and swept down across the right side of her face. A golden headband with an elaborate, knotted design kept the mass of crimson tresses out of her eyes. “That’s the sound he makes when he laughs.”
“Have a seat, Fledge.” The wolf-like creature gave him a wink, then spun around to face the cockpit windows. “This is going to be a bumpy ride. Avra, its time for the Star Claw to spread her wings. Salena, prepare to open a star-path.”
Avra, the red-haired woman, tapped a sequence on her control panel. “About time. Detaching outer shell.”
The ship shook again, as canon-fire streaked across the bow. Talon heard a loud thunk, and the ship seemed to pick up speed. Looking out the windows, he saw two huge metal fragments, drifting away from them.
“The cargo container,” he said. “It was just a shell?”
“The Star Claw is no freighter, Fledge,” Zobo snarled. “You’re standing on the bridge of an ALB-1000 Sidegunner. She may be older than those blood hawks out there, but she’s tough and battle-tested.”
As Avra maneuvered the nimble ship behind one of the tumbling metal shells, Salena climbed into the seat next to her. She slid her arms into a pair of sockets mounted alongside her chair. Holo-displays blinked to life in front of her eyes. They projected a glowing sphere, highlighting the nearby star systems in the region.
“Powering up portal drive,” she said in a trance-like, monotone voice. “Generating star-path coordinates.”
The empty, tumbling cargo shell exploded in front of them. As the glowing metal fragments pelted the cockpit windows, the ship trembled and vibrated. Another blood hawk swooped towards them, guns blazing.
Zobo’s chair tilted backwards, allowing him to peer at a combat display mounted above him. “Avra, buy her some time! Fledge, sit the hell down before we have to pull some serious Gs!”
“Why does he keep calling me that?” Talon demanded, as he stumbled towards a chair mounted to the side of the bridge.”
“Fledge, short for fledgling. This is your first time in space,” Avra called back.
Talon pulled the shock harness over his shoulders, and buckled himself into place. The ship shook again, then yawned left, pulling into a tight, banked turn.
“I’ve been in space many times, I—” Talon began. The rapid motion of the ship’s turn cut him off, as his head slammed into the padded bulkhead behind him.
“Ever been in space combat?” Zobo shouted.
“No.”
“Then watch and learn, Fledge!”
“Hang on, he’s coming back around!” Avra twisted the controls. The ship plunged into a steep dive. Talon felt like his stomach was about to leap into his throat. He heard a series of thumps above his head… more energy bolts, ricocheting off the hull.
“Shields at sixty percent and holding,” Avra called out.
A loud beeping noise sounded, and a red triangle glowed next to her controls.
“Main gun powering up, sir!” Avra’s lips curled into a wicked smile.
Zobo tilted his chair to face her. “Are you waiting for a formal invitation? Fire when ready!”
Talon heard a low hum rise from Avra's control station. The deck plates vibrated beneath his feet. The vibrations grew stronger, building through the hull. Avra pulled out of the dive, flipped them into a corkscrew, and swung behind the sleek enemy fighter. She darted the ship left and right, lining up the target in a glowing set of crosshairs.
A red square appeared around the target sight. It blinked for a few seconds, then turned solid as she locked on.
“Gotcha,” she whispered.
ZARRRRKKK! An enormous energy bolt launched from a canon running along right side of the ship. Stronger and more powerful than the other bolts flying around them, the beam struck the blood hawk in the rear engine pod. The ship disintegrated, blowing apart in a cloud of metal fragments and super-heated gas.
“Target destroyed,” she shouted back. A series of tiny red lights blinked behind her target sight. “Reinforcements heading our way! They’re locking on…”
“Salena?” Zobo asked patiently.
“Portal drive at full power. Course plotted. Opening star-path in 3… 2… 1…”
Talon’s eyes grew wide, as he saw a bright blue glow fill the cockpit windows. Outside the ship, floating in the black depths of space, he saw a series of glowing sigils. The alien symbols were formed from solid blue light, and they were enormous. Each one was at least a hundred meters tall. As the ship screamed towards them, the symbols began to shift and move, forming a cross. A pinpoint of light, brighter than any star, opened where the glowing lines intersected. It grew larger and larger, until the vortex engulfed everything in view.
“Orion’s blazing bow,” Talon muttered to himself.
Zobo spun around and smiled. “Don’t worry, Fledge. Entering the star-path is no problem.”
The wolfish alien uttered his snarling laugh, and winked. “Coming out in one piece… now that’s the tricky part!” He spun around and faced the blue light that filled the cockpit windows.
Talon held his breath as the ship dove into the glowing maelstrom.
Chapter Eight
With a hiss of air, and gusting clouds of steam, the lift doors slid open. A pair of Dominion centurions flanking the doors stepped aside. They uncrossed their lances, allowing Commander Ecotyl to exit the lift. As he passed the guards, he shot a disdainful glance at the flowing black cloaks and symbols that adorned their armor. The non-standard markings and attire marked them as clerics of Daizon. They were part of the inner circle of religious fanatics Lord Sartarus chose to surround himself with.
Why the High General had allowed this madman to control a portion of his fleet was beyond Ecotyl’s understanding. In his limited dealings with the man, he had found Sartarus to show little interest in military affairs.
The weapon, he reminded himself. Sartarus controls that… thing. Whatever it is, its destructive power nearly consumed a planet within a matter of hours.
Ecotyl marched across a long, narrow gantry. Hover platforms on either side of him supported massive, towering stone statues. The enormous carved figures floated effortlessly on either side of the catwalk, although the commander knew each one weighed hundred of tons.
Relics, he thought. Religious artifacts, icons of the man’s heretical faith…
Beneath them, a wide, gaping shaft delved into the bowls of the gargantuan battleship. The platform at the other end of the catwalk was meant to be used for troop assemblies. Sartarus had claimed it as his chapel, a place of meditation and worship. He demanded that his monstrous relics be placed there.
Ecotyl’s footsteps clanged across the gantry as he crossed over into the vast, circular chamber. Massive, angled windows stretched from floor to ceiling of the enormous room. The cold, black depths of space hung beyond the transparent panels. An occasional cloud of burning gas briefly flashed in the void… Dominion fighters intercepting ships fleeing from the arena's devastated planet.