Talon the Raider

by A A Warren

  Looking back, he saw Kev’s body whipping behind him. The man’s feet were dangling out the jagged hole. His eyes were wide and panicked. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came… all the air was rushing out into the void. A blast of cold assaulted Talon’s skin. He saw ice crystals form on Kev’s boots as they kicked and thrashed in the blackness.

  Kev’s body slipped back a few inches. Talon clamped down on the man’s wrist, but the blasting wind was too powerful, and the cold ate away at his strength. A black haze crept around his vision.

  Kev slipped another inch. He ceased thrashing, as the layer of frost crept up his legs. Angry purple bruises spread across the young man’s face… blood vessels rupturing from the sudden drop in pressure. His eyes bulged in their sockets as the delicate fluid inside expanded.

  Talon felt the man’s frozen fingers slip from his grasp… with a last silent scream, Kev’s body tumbled away from the ship, and spiraled into the darkness.

  He was gone.

  Gritting his teeth, Talon pulled against the axe. The muscles in his arm bulged as he fought against the rising wind. Inch by inch, he pulled himself closer to the emergency doors. Finally, his fingers grabbed the door frame. Using both arms, he pulled his body back in, and threw himself to the side. The rush of air pressed him against the half-closed door.

  The black haze grew stronger. He could barely see the bright yellow stripes of the emergency door, and the mangled chunk of metal that held it open. The white, sterile corridor became a maze of shadows, as the plummeting oxygen levels throttled his brain.

  Raising his axe with one arm, Talon triggered the blade. He bellowed a fierce war cry, driving the last whips of air from his oxygen-starved lungs. He swung the weapon down, striking the twisted hunk of metal jammed in the doorway.

  The fiery plasma blade sliced through the debris, and the shattered metal fragments jetted out into space. A buzzer sounded, and the emergency doors hummed to life. They slammed shut with a loud thunk, closing off the damaged section of corridor. The rushing air ceased, and Talon fell to the ground. He powered down the axe as he struck the floor. Crouching on all fours, his chest heaved as he gasped for breath. It took the life support systems a few seconds to restore oxygen levels in the damaged corridor. Amidst the distant explosions and groans of twisting metal, he heard the soft whir of fans, and the hiss of air pumping into the sealed passageway.

  After a few minutes, the haze that clouded his vision lifted. He rose to his feet and staggered down the listing corridor. He stopped to look out the long row of windows. It was impossible to see Kev’s body in the cluster of derelict ships and spinning debris outside. But he knew the young soldier was out there…. A frozen corpse drifting through space. Soon he would be ensnared by the gravity of the nearby azure sun.

  “May the Golden Stars receive you,” Talon muttered. He turned away from the window, and continued down the corridor.

  He followed several twisting passageways, avoiding the shouts and screams of injured crew members and enemy patrols. Finally, he stopped at a security door. A red light blinked above an ID Badge scanner.

  Talon paused. He tried to picture the deck plans he had memorized before Snow’s ill-conceived raid. He was fairly certain the door before him led to one of the ship’s secondary cargo bays. Which meant one of the vessel’s emergency transports was not far off.

  With his own vessel, the DNS Balteus, destroyed, his only chance to get off this ship was to find a lifeboat. Hopefully its life support system could keep him stable long enough to reach Dominion space. If he was found drifting anywhere near the site of this battle, he knew Consortium justice would be swift and merciless.

  Glancing at the wreckage surrounding him, he shook his head and uttered a grim laugh. Not that I blame them, he thought.

  Backtracking down a side passage, he found the body of a dead Consortium officer pinned beneath a fallen metal beam. The young woman’s green uniform was torn, and spotted with blood stains and burn marks. Her skin was pale, and a wave of long black hair fell across her lifeless, staring eyes.

  Talon knelt down beside her and brushed her hair back. He moved his hand across her face, closing her eyes. Her skin was cold to the touch.

  “Forgive me, my lady,” he said in a quiet voice. Reaching under the fallen beam, he grabbed the security badge clipped to her chest.

  He returned to the scanner, and pressed the badge against the red light.

  “ENSIGN MURAKAMI… ACCESS GRANTED,” a computer’s voice replied. Its words sounded broken and distorted, but the mechanism still functioned. With a quiet hiss, the door slid open. Talon hurried through into the shadowy corridor beyond.

  Chapter Three

  Talon followed the passageway into a dark, cavernous chamber. Shadows cloaked the walls of the vast cargo bay. Spinning red emergency lights high above were the only illumination. Cargo pods and larger containers were strewn about the floor, heaved from their berths by the violent motion of the ship.

  Talon paused as another shockwave ran through the deck plates. The ship groaned and creaked. He glanced up… More cargo containers hung above him, swaying back and forth from cranes mounted to the roof.

  In the room's center, one of the larger containers had smashed open, and lay at an angle next to a pile of fallen ration packets. Talon stepped closer to the open continuer and peered into the dark interior. His crimson eye pulsed and glowed, reflecting the emergency lights above.

  A cool white fog drifted from the open container. Nestled inside, he was surprised to find a life pod. The six foot long tube had cracked open, and the preservative mist inside was spilling out into the air. The lights mounted on the pod's control panel blinked and glowed.

  Talon was familiar with the lifepod's controls… his first memory was awakening in such a device, in the blood pits of Saludin Six.

  The next thing he remembered was fighting for his life.

  According to the information on the blinking display, the pod was functional. Whoever had been inside must have awakened. They were still alive, and most likely nearby.

  Talon froze, as he felt the cold metal of a pistol barrel press against his neck. He heard the quiet hum of a pulse pistol charging its firing coils.

  “Ikkanugo kyltasi!” a woman’s voice hissed behind him.

  “I don’t speak Aoshun,” Talon grunted.

  “I said don’t move!” Her voice was hard as steel, but her words ended with a clipped, soft lisp. He recognized it as an Aoshun accent, the most common language spoken in the Consortium.

  Talon heard the echo of heavy boots, stomping towards them from the opposite side of the room. The woman’s clothes rustled as she pivoted towards the sound.

  “Who are you?” she whispered, switching to standard galactic. She jabbed the gun harder into his skin. “If you’re not with the Consortium, what are you doing onboard this ship?”

  She’s whispering, Talon thought. She doesn’t want anyone to hear…

  “Perhaps you’d like to wait and discuss it with your friends?” he asked, raising his voice slightly. The footsteps grew louder… Armored men were advancing on their position.

  The woman was silent, but Talon could hear her heavy breathing. He grinned. “No? Maybe you’re not with the Consortium either.”

  “Doro karat!” she hissed. “Shut up. The security pass on your belt… give it to me. Slowly.”

  As Talon reached down to his belt, another tremor coursed through the ship. The crash of debris echoed through the dark cargo bay, as more containers fell from above. Talon felt his feet shift as the ship tilted beneath them. The woman staggered, struggling to keep her balance. He felt the pressure on his neck lessen as her gun hand slipped away.

  When your enemy is off balance, attack! The words of his old battle instructor echoed in his mind, even as his muscles twitched and flexed, moving on pure instinct. He spun around to his left and threw his body backwards, knocking her weapon farther off target. Then he jerked his left elbow to the s
ide, driving it into the woman’s abdomen.

  As she gasped for breath, he stabbed his finger down on one of the life pod’s blinking buttons. A burst of coolant mist purged from the cylinder’s gas vents. Talon held his breath as the freezing gas stung his skin. The woman yelped, then bent over in a fit of coughing.

  Talon spun around, and tackled her to the ground. He grabbed the wrist of her gun hand and squeezed, shaking the small pistol from her grasp. Clamping his free hand over her mouth, he muffled her screams.

  His eyes darted around the cargo bay, making sure they had not been spotted. Then he examined the squirming woman pinned below him. She was slim and petite, but he could feel taut, lithe muscles beneath her leather jumpsuit. Her almond shaped eyes were a brown, and her hair was a jet black bob that swept just below her neck. A single braid hung down the side of her face. The braided hair was dyed a deep purple, and bound with pearls and metal filaments.

  Her skin had the smooth, youthful look common to Aoshuns, making it difficult to guess her age. But Aoshun or not, she didn’t seem to be with the Consortium…

  “Don’t scream,” he whispered. “The Kujita will hear.”

  The woman glared at him, her eyes wrinkling and squinting in fury. But she ceased her thrashing.

  “I will not hurt you,” Talon continued, keeping his voice low. “This ship has been attacked, and it won't hold together much longer. Kujita warriors are heading this way. Unless you want them to kill us, or turn us both over to the Consortium, we have to work together. Do you understand?”

  The woman’s expression softened. She nodded.

  Talon removed his hand. He glanced up as the ship rattled again.

  “Come on.” He lifted the woman to her feet, and pulled her behind a fallen container. The clanking footsteps moved closer. He heard voices, chattering over comm speakers.

  “Can you understand what they’re saying?” he asked.

  The woman listened for a moment. “Yes. They’re looking for me. I took out their advance guard before you got here." She shot him a sideways glance. “They’re also looking for a tall man with a red eye, and a green tattoo on his chest.”

  Talon smiled down at her. “I’ll bet they are. Call me Talon.”

  “My name is Vaki. You said this ship was under attack?”

  He nodded. “Aye, Dominion privateers. Merchant marines turned to piracy.”

  The woman sighed. “Just my luck. And how do you know all this?”

  He smiled again.

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh. You’re one of the pirates aren’t you? You know, you’re supposed to plunder the cargo bay before you blow the ship to pieces.”

  “I’m new at this,” he muttered, peering around the corner of the metal container.

  Piercing the smoky haze in the distance, a squad of six armored Kujita Warriors marched towards them. The emergency light’s crimson glare reflected off the polished ebony plates of their armor. They swept their rifles left and right as they moved around the maze of fallen containers.

  “What about you?” he muttered. “You were hiding in that life pod, weren’t you? Are you a stowaway?”

  She bit her lip, but said nothing.

  Talon glanced back at her. “I’m right, aren’t I? Well, six Kujita are heading our way, and I doubt they’ll be happy to see either of us. My understanding is the Consortium thinks even less of stowaways than pirates.”

  “They both eat into profits,” Vaki whispered.

  Talon hefted his axe. “That doesn’t leave us much choice then.”

  The woman grabbed his arm. “Are you crazy? You want to take on six Kujita with a plasma axe? Don’t you have any real weapons?”

  “I lost my pulse rifle when the rear section tore away. Besides, do you have a better idea?”

  She flashed him a quick smile. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  Chapter Four

  The Kujita’s squad leader held up his fist, and the armored men marching behind him ceased their advance.

  “I saw something,” the leader muttered, his voice disrupted and amplified by the helmet’s comm system. “Over there.” He pointed towards a fallen metal container that had rolled on its side. The rectangular box was about twenty meters long, and its twin doors hung open, a black maw in the dim red, flashing red emergency lights.

  One of the Kujita activated the scanner on his wrist unit. The tiny holo-display projected the image of a slim, orange figure, crouching in the darkness behind the container. The rest of the projection showed only a swirling mass of blue, hovering in the air above the blinking device.

  "Got one bogey on the thermal-scan," he said in a low voice.

  The leader signaled with his fingers. Two of the warriors raised their rifles and stalked towards the container. The other three remained in position behind their leader.

  Suddenly, the orange blob moved on the screen. A woman called out from behind the container.

  “I captured one of the raiders! I’m coming out, don’t shoot!”

  She stepped into view, as the two warriors moved past the container's entrance. A cloud of frozen mist drifted out of the black opening, but they kept their attention focused on the girl. She was Aoshun, short and petite with dark hair. A long purple braid hung down one side of her face.

  “Name, Rank and IDENT number, now!” one of them shouted.

  “Ensign Araggi, IDENT number 11563.”

  “She held up a security badge. The warrior snatched it from her hands and examined the markings on the small white strip of plastic.

  “What are you doing out of uniform, Ensign?” he demanded.

  “I was on a rest cycle when the raiders attacked. I figured they might head for the secondary cargo bay. Less security. I got the drop on one of these hakusekkers… he’s back here. Help me secure him before he wakes up.”

  She turned and stepped towards the rear of the container. Two Kujita followed behind her, and one grabbed her shoulder. “Stay here. I’ll confirm the—”

  Before he could finish his sentence, a war cry bellowed from the open metal container and echoed through the cargo bay. An orange glow lit up the container. Talon charged out of the glowing mist, his skin covered with a pale layer of ice and frost.

  The other warrior spun towards him, but before he could fire, the blazing plasma axe sliced down, severing the barrel off his rifle. Sparks leapt from the damaged weapon, as Talon slammed the axe's shaft into the surprised warrior’s face. The blow struck his helmet with a loud crack, and he stumbled backwards.

  Even as Talon attacked, Vaki sprang into motion. Reaching back, her hands clamped onto the forearm of the warrior who had grabbed her shoulder. The man tried to raise his rifle, but the weapon was heavy, and his armor slowed his reaction. With a quick twist of her waist, she flipped the armored man over her back. As he crashed into the ground, she slammed her foot down on the barrel of his rifle, pinning it to his chest. A slim pistol appeared in her hand.

  With a loud whine, the pistol fired. A glowing red hole appeared in the man’s helmet.

  She pivoted, and fired again, striking the other warrior in his shoulder. He staggered backwards, throwing up his rifle in a defensive block as Talon lunged towards him.

  Talon swung the axe high over his head, then drove it down in a straight arc. Sparks flew from the remains of the man’s damaged rifle, as the burning orange blade tore clean through the weapon, and sunk into his helmet.

  Talon kicked the smoking body to the ground. It slumped over and lay motionless on the deck. A barrage of pulse bolts exploded around him, sending sparks flying from the side of the container.

  “Take cover, bulaka!” Vaki shouted. She darted behind another container, scooping up the Kujita’s pulse rifle from the ground.

  Talon ducked behind his own container. He could see her, crouched a few meters away. “What does that mean?”

  “Figure it out!” She tossed him the rifle. He snatched it from the air, checked the power indicator, then pulled back the ch
arging slide.

  Vaki leaned around the corner of her container and returned fire with her pistol. Her bright pulse bolts lit up the cargo bay in brief, glowing flashes. Talon saw the remaining four warriors, ducking behind fallen debris as they advanced closer.

  He opened fire, sending another glowing barrage streaking through the dark chamber. The Kujita ducked behind cover, as another shockwave ran through the ship. Talon heard an ominous creaking and clanking above them. He peered up and saw more containers, hanging from massive loading cranes mounted to the roof.

  The Kujita returned fire. Vaki ducked as sparks showered from the edge of the container she was hiding behind. “We can’t stay here forever,” she shouted. “Sooner or later they’ll call for reinforcements. They've got enough firepower to melt these containers to slag!”

  The ship shuddered again, and Talon took a step back, the motion throwing him off balance.

  “Assuming the ship doesn’t explode first!” she added.

  Talon raised his rifle and sent a blast towards the Kujita’s position. “I need you to draw their fire!” he shouted to her, as a concentrated barrage of pulse bolts thudded into his container. The metal over his shoulder glowed and bubbled. He knew his cover wouldn’t last long.

  Vaki narrowed her eyes and bit her lip. She nodded. “Alright, go!”

  Talon darted left as Vaki returned fire. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as she stepped out into the gap between the containers, drawing the Kujita’s aim. He grinned as she dropped to the ground and rolled behind the other container, glowing bolts streaking through the space where she had stood.

  Talon charged towards another container, near the edge of the room. Taking a deep breath, he leapt into the air, and grabbed the edge of the metal box. He winced as his body struck the side with a loud clang. Grunting, he pulled himself up onto the roof of the rectangular box. More pulse bolts streaked past him and struck the wall with a sizzling explosion. The Kujita had heard the noise, and were targeting his position.