by A A Warren
Talon leapt up and caught one of the spinning rings. It carried him into the air as Makor’s plasma blade sparked against the crystal walls. The weapon reflected back at the alien, and the re-directed beam slashed across his good arm.
Makor roared in pain, as Talon flew over him. Grabbing the ring with both hands, Talon swung his body forward and let go. He flipped through the air, landing behind the enraged alien. Talon rolled forward, grabbing the hilt of his axe as he tumbled across the floor.
He spun around and popped up to his feet. The blade of his axe hummed to life. The orange light bathed his face in a warm glow, and reflected off the facets of his crystal eye.
Makor spun around. “Weapon or not, you will die, human. Orex taught you everything he knew, but it still isn't enough to beat me.”
“He taught me one lesson you haven’t learned,” Talon said, taking a step towards Makor.
“And what would that be?” the alien hissed through his mask.
“Keep an eye on all your opponent’s weapons…”
Behind them, the third green circle blazed to life. The roar grew deafening as a burst of wind buffeted the chamber. Makor spun around… the green lights were spinning, matching the motion of the metal rings. Talon glanced up. He was standing under one of the rings. He hurled his axe straight up. The fiery plasma blade spun into the air. Sparks showered down on them as it tore through the metal ring.
The damaged section groaned, then came crashing to the floor. Raising his arm, Talon caught his axe. He powered down the blade and slid it into his harness. Then he leapt on to the fallen metal band and raced along its curved surface towards the top of the chamber.
Makor turned and followed, as the green circles merged into a single, blinding disk of light. The roar became a scream.
A massive bolt of green fire erupted from the beam mechanism, filling the crystal chamber. The spinning reflector panels focused the inferno into an unstoppable column of energy. It annihilated the collapsed ring, reducing it to floating black cinders.
Talon reached the top of the ring as it crumbled beneath them. He leapt up, catching hold of the hanging pipes with both hands. Makor was farther behind him, but the alien’s powerful legs and greater strength were enough to make the jump. As he leapt through the air, his plasma weapon reformed into a grasping fist. He caught a length of tube, and swung over the blazing green inferno below.
Smoke hissed from the thick black hose. The stench of burning rubber filled the air. Makor looked up, his yellow eyes bulging with surprise. His plasma fist burned through the soft material. A blast of steam filled the air as the hose melted. Makor dropped a few feet, grasping the length of severed tubing in his good hand.
Talon watched as the alien slipped down the hose. The injury to his arm had weakened his grip. He could not maintain his hold for long.
Makor glared up at Talon. “At least I will die with honor,” he snarled. He slid another few centimeters down the swaying hose.
“Orex spared your life,” Talon shouted over the nose below. “You repaid his mercy with treachery! If that’s what you call ‘honor’, then whatever fate awaits you now… you've earned it.”
Makor’s fingers slid off the hose. He plummeted towards the energy bolt. For a brief moment, Talon could hear his gurgling, high-pitched cry of terror. Then the blazing green inferno engulfed him, and the only sound was the roar of the beam.
Talon hung for a moment, panting for breath. Then he climbed up through the maze of pipes and hoses to the catwalks above.
Chapter Thirty
Vaki braced herself in the clear tube as another tremor ran through the chamber. The sound was muted inside her narrow prison, but she could see the floating weapons display spinning and tilting in the air. The hanging tapestries rippled as shock waves ran through the metal walls.
The metal clamps that held the tube groaned as their manipulator arms bent under the strain. Vaki's tube hung at a lopsided angle, tilting to the side. She could see the metal floor plates vibrating as the aftershocks of the quake continued.
Taking a deep breath, Vaki heaved her weight at the side of the tube. As she slammed into the curved wall, she heard a creak, and the cylinder swayed in the air. Gritting her teeth, she slammed her weight sideways again. She winced, as the bruises running along her legs and arms collided with the hard walls. But again, a loud creak sounded from the clamps. The tube dipped closer to the floor.
She paused, catching her breath. Her chest heaved up and down in the narrow, coffin-like prison. Finally, she made one more violent roll, slamming her weight into the side as hard as she could.
The metal creaked and groaned. Then she heard a loud snap. The tube ripped free from the clamp. It slammed into the metal floor, bouncing and jostling Vaki from the impact. A sickening dizziness filled her senses. The tube rolled across the quaking metal floor. It left a trail of torn hoses and sheared metal in its wake as it picked up speed. Bursts of steam and fluid sprayed from the torn hydraulics of the damaged clamps.
Vaki screamed. She felt her stomach flutter and leap into her chest. She was falling… the tube had rolled off the side of the platform.
Her head slammed forward, striking the clear lid hard enough to crack the transparent material. The cylinder continued rolling then slammed up against a wall and came to a stop. Vaki blinked several times and gasped for breath. She felt battered, exhausted and dizzy.
Finally, her senses sharpened. She slammed her knee up, striking the cracks that spread across the broken lid. Pain jangled through her nerves as her battered knee struck the hard curved wall. But she slammed it up again. And again…
CRASH!
The front of the tube shattered. Coughing, and dripping with sweat, Vaki scrambled out of the cylinder and crawled across the floor. She gasped. The chilled air whipped across her skin like a barrage of frozen knives. With the circular window above shattered, there was nothing to stop the bitter cold winds from sweeping into the room. The thermal controls could not compensate for the rapid drop in temperature.
Another quake rocked the room. Vaki braced herself against the wall as the room shook around her.
The planetary core, she thought. It’s getting more unstable by the minute!
But the people… Katara had locked them in their quarters!
Rubbing her shoulders for warmth, Vaki limped over to a glowing flight of stairs. She climbed back up to the main platform. The two other tubes still lay secure in their clamps. An elderly woman and a young boy, no older than fifteen, pounded on the glass.
Vaki glanced around the chamber. As the tremors subsided, she heard the weapons in the floating display shake and rattle. Her teeth chattered as another blast of cold air gusted into the room. She moved towards them, then paused, glancing left and right. Her eyes settled on the row of curves swords, hanging in the air.
She hobbled over to them, her eyes wide as she gazed upon the intricate designs etched into their scabbards. She plucked one from the lifter field. It felt heavy and substantial in her hands. She held it at eye level and exhaled. Gently, she traced her fingers over the symbols carved into the stained black Aoshun wood scabbard.
“The sword of the first Clan Lord,” she whispered to herself.
The long, curved saber was known as a sutava in the Aoshun tongue… a star blade. Vaki recognized the ancient symbols on the hilt from her history vids. This sword had been wielded by the man who had become the first Jotoru Emperor. The man who had freed the people from their ancient oppressors, and established the Consortium of Free Worlds.
She slid the blade from the smooth, warm wood. Ancient masters had forged the weapon from an unknown black ore, and she saw her face reflected in the dark metal. Crimson silk and glittering gems decorated the sword's hilt. Its pommel was a carved dragon’s claw. It reminded her of the tattoo that marked Talon’s chest.
Maybe Katara was right, she thought. Maybe it was destiny that brought us here…
The room shook again. As she caught
her balance, she heard a pounding noise, growing louder behind her. She spun around. The occupants of the other tubes were beating their fists on the transparent covers, their shouts and screams muted by the cylinder walls.
Vaki stood up straight. She marched over to the cylinders, and drew the ancient weapon from its scabbard. As the blade cleared the wooden sheath, a hum emanated from the orange hilt. With a loud hiss, a glowing crimson line of energy flowed up the edge of the blade, ending at the tip. Generators in the hilt projected a stabilized pulse beam along the cutting edge of the weapon.
Slinging the scabbard over her shoulder, Vaki gripped the weapon in both hands, and stood before the first tube. The woman inside cringed when she the saw the glowing blade.
“Stand back,” Vaki shouted. She hoped the speakers in the tube would carry her warning. Then she slashed the blade down, slicing off the locking mechanism on the side of the tube.
The woman leapt out of the cylindrical prison and fell to the floor sobbing.
“By the gods, thank you, thank you!” she cried. Vaki helped her to her feet. Then she pivoted and swung the weapon once more. The blade left a trail of glowing, molten metal as it tore through the second lock.
The other woman opened the tube and grabbed the terrified little girl, cradling the sobbing child in her arms. Vaki smiled as the woman showered the child’s grime-streaked face with a barrage of kisses.
Suddenly, the room shook again. A droning hum filled the air as the smaller lifter fields lost power. The hanging weapons clattered to the ground, and the suit of Kujita armor toppled over with a loud crash.
Vaki grabbed the woman’s shoulder. “We have to get out of here! This planet is tearing itself apart, there’s not much time. The workers’ quarters… do you know where they are?”
The woman nodded. “Yes, but there will be guards. Katara will send her men… they will come looking for you.”
Vaki held the sacred blade before her, admiring the weapon’s exquisite craftsmanship. It felt like a part of her, like she had been born to wield it. And to repair its legacy…
She spun the sword through the air, creating a blinding circle of light. Then she slid it into its scabbard.
“Let them come,” she said. Her lips curled into a grim smile.
Chapter Thirty-One
Alarm klaxons wailed through the circular command center of the Toho mining colony. Red warning lights blazed, casting a crimson glow over the scattered security guards and technicians. A group of engineers in jumpsuits clustered around a glowing holo-display, as readouts and diagnostic alerts hovered throughout the room.
The command center perched at the top of a three-legged tower, stretching thousands of meters into the sky. Its transparent view panels afforded a three-hundred and sixty degree view of the snow-swept wasteland surrounding the complex. One of the guards turned his head as a glow outside the window caught his eye. He lowered his rifle and stepped over to the clear portal.
“By gods!” he whispered. Outside in the distance, a web of orange cracks ruptured the jagged, blue-white ice. Molten rock crawled from the tears in the earth, and a hazy cloud of steam masked the distant horizon. The brilliant trails of lava seemed to creep across the frozen ground in slow motion, but he knew that was an illusion. The distance of the lava trails made it appear slow, but in reality it was streaming from the earth at speeds a human could not hope to outrun.
A blue light blinked to life over the main doors, signaling that the secure lift platform had arrived. The interlocking trapezoid doors hissed open. Katara strode into the chamber, clad in her flowing cape and battle armor. The crimson lights overhead cast blood red highlights on her golden crown.
A pair of guards flanked her as she entered the room. They wore scavenged Kujita armor, and they clanked their neural-lances on the ground as the woman stepped forward.
“Desimo ar emirsu!” they shouted in unison. “Bow before your queen!”
The frantic personnel dragged themselves away from the holo-displays and dropped to their knees, bowing their heads low.
Katara waved her hand as she stood in front of the largest screen.
“Arise. Status report. Why are we—”
The room shuddered. Metal groaned as the support pylons of the tower creaked and swayed. The shockwave threw several of the engineers to the ground. Katara stumbled, but one of her honor guards stepped forward and grabbed her arm, helping her maintain her balance.
The thundering tremor subsided, but another quickly followed. Katara gripped the nearest console as one of the view panels shattered. The guard watching the distant lava flows screamed and fell backwards. Glittery, jagged shards impaled his face and arms.
“What is the meaning of this?” the queen shouted. “The planetary core was not supposed to degrade so quickly! You said we would have more time!”
An older engineer with bushy eyebrows and a bald head gave her another quick bow. His eyes were wide with panic and fear as he stood and faced her. “My Queen, the core is collapsing faster than we expected. But there's more… Something is impacting on our shield, underground. Something huge!”
Katara narrowed her eyes and glanced up at the holo-display. A glowing schematic of the mining colony rotated in the air. A domed shield, extending below the frozen surface of the planet, surrounded the complex. A series of concentric ripples indicated physical collisions against the shield, concentrated near the ore-slicer bays.
Her eyes grew wide. “No…” she hissed.
Another engineer glanced up from his display. “Seismic patterns are consistent with the dorokuma! I’m reading multiple vibration signatures… there’s at least six of them! Maybe more! I don’t know how long—”
Another shockwave pounded the complex. The engineer flew out of his chair and struck the floor. Katara sucked in her breath as the tower shifted beneath her feet.
“Where is Makor?” she demanded. “Has he made contact yet?”
“Negative, but we—”
“Detaro!” she cursed. The crowd in the control room blanched at her muttered swear. The frantic engineers scurried around the enraged queen, doing their best to avoid eye contact. Suddenly, a new warning sounded in the control room. A high-pitched whine filled the air, and a cluster of glowing red dots blinked to life on the orbital display network.
A security officer examined the glowing consoles before her. “Star-path opening in the system, my Queen. Multiple ships inbound.”
“Who are they?” Katara demanded as the rumbling again subsided.
"Scanning IDENT codes now,” the woman replied, as her fingers darted over the console. She glanced over her shoulder at Katara. "My Queen, they're Toho Clan vessels. They’re transmitting the royal security code. That means—"
“I know what it means,” the queen snapped. "The Crown Prince has arrived.”
“Shall I open a channel through the jamming field?”
“Not yet.” Katara spun around and beckoned to a security officer. “You… come here.”
The man jogged over to her and stood at attention. “Yes, my Queen!”
“Transfer the remaining gestation pods to my private transport,” she said in a low voice. “Station guards at the workers’ quarters. No other ships are cleared for take-off.”
The man squinted and tilted his head. “But my Queen… surely we must sound the evacuation? According to the engineers, the planet has only— Urgghg!”
The man’s words turned to a gurgle of pain, as Katara's fanged tentacles pierced his skull. Twin geysers of blood fountained from his head. Then the writhing blue tendrils shot back out, spattering the floor with crimson droplets. They retreated down Katara’s throat. The queen hissed as her gaping jaw snapped shut.
Her cape whirled behind her as she grabbed the cowering female security officer from her chair and hoisted her into the air. The woman’s feet kicked and flailed in the air. She gazed down at the queen in terror
Katara wide eyes were solid white, each dark orb cover
ed by a pale, milky membrane.
“You heard my command.” Her voice echoed through the room, as if amplified by a thousand speakers. “Now you will obey... or die,” she hissed.
“Y-Yes, my Queen,” the woman stammered.
Katara dropped her. The security officer crashed to the floor and scrambled to her feet. She rushed to the exit doors. The queen turned to her armored guards. “Go with her… Make sure she does as I command. I will meet you at my transport.”
As the men marched after the terrified woman, Katara turned and glared at the communications officer.
“Now… open a channel to my husband.”
PLANET NEROS
Consortium of Free Worlds
Medium Orbit
Through the curved panoramic view ports of the Toho Ship, the crew gazed down at the pale blue and white ball of ice, floating in space. Its skies were hazy with cloud and vapor, obscuring the frozen ground below. Despite Nero’s frigid environment, the holo-display readouts showed a massive increase in surface temperature. Blazing red and orange trails etched across the thermal scans of the surface, like blood flowing from hundreds of fatal wounds.
A shadowy figure emerged from the dark corridor that led to the bridge. His crimson cape flowed behind him, and his polished back leather boots made a clicking nose as he climbed the stairs to the command platform. Sharp, handsome features peered out from his tan, chilled face. Only the thin scar on his cheek marred his striking features.
The pair of Kujita warriors guarding the bridge raised their swords and clicked their heels as they stood at attention. “Desimo ar emirsu. Glory to the crown prince!”
The Captain stood on the command deck, gazing out the windows at the view of Neros. He pivoted and bowed, as Mutaro Toho, The Crown Prince, approached the railing. The two men surveyed the bridge below.