Tales of Talon Box Set

by A A Warren

  Who is she? What is she saying?

  He shook his head… Her words were like the lyrics of a half-remembered song. A dream that seemed to slip further through his fingers the harder he tried to grasp it.

  Another chunk of rock bounced off the pod’s clear panel.

  Lines of red light glowed to life inside the tube… A low hum reverberated through the pod. The hibernation field was activating. Soon he would be unable to move, frozen in stasis.

  Unable to escape.

  He pounded on the clear panel, as more rocks pelted the exterior of the pod. They sounded like the patter of rain on a metal roof. The pops and cracks grew louder. The pod shook, as a large boulder crashed into its side. The woman’s voice rose to a scream, then faded into the shadows.

  Bit by bit, the rocks covered the clear panel, blocking the light from outside. Soon, only a tiny, narrow beam pierced through the cracks of the rubble. Then that too was extinguished, leaving only the crimson glow of the humming stasis field.

  He felt his limbs go rigid. His eyes fluttered, then rolled into the back of his skull. He clenched his fists, struggling to fight the effects of the field. But his efforts were in vain. His body was no longer in his control.

  He could do nothing as the falling rocks buried his pod. He was alone, trapped… lost in a darkness as black and infinite as the cold depths of space.

  Talon shot up in bed, gasping for breath. His glowing red eye cast a dim light, and he could see clearly in the dark room. He looked up at the rocks that hung above him. They looked the same as always… Sharp fangs of stone, stalactites hanging in jagged rows overhead. They looked like waves…

  Waves, he thought. The oceans of Koral.

  With a touch of her hand, the woman sleeping beside him had transported him there. She had bridged unthinkable gulfs of space and time. She could call it dark energy or alien science, or whatever she liked. Talon knew sorcery when he saw it.

  Orex, his old battle trainer, had warned him about alien mystics… Those who could wield dark energy, a powerful force beyond human technology. Such beings were not allowed to fight in the arena themselves, but he had battled their monstrous creations from time to time.

  Years ago, when Orex had touched him through the bars of his cage in the blood pits, he had experienced… something. A vision, or a link of some kind. When Orex trained nearby, Talon could sense his motions, learn his fighting techniques. In the pits, every day was a battle for survival. Every match was fought to the death. His link to Orex gave him an edge. It had helped him survive.

  But never had he experienced anything like what he had felt when Salena’s hands touched his skin. He glanced over at her… in the afterglow of their lovemaking, she looked peaceful, beautiful. But it was not her beauty that fascinated him. She seemed to know things about him. Things that transcended the empty blackness of his lost memory. She said she sensed dark energy within him.

  She said she could grant him his freedom.

  But why?

  The question echoed through his mind. Why had she come for him? What was he to her, other than a night’s vigorous entertainment?

  A deep rumbling filled the room, pulling his attention away from the sleeping woman. His eyes darted around as the chamber shook and rattled. At first, he wondered if he was still dreaming. Then the rumbling grew louder. Tiny rock fragments fell from above, pelting his face. A stalactite hanging over the bed cracked and shifted.

  Talon leapt to his feet. Salena groaned as the noise roused her from her slumber. She sat up, clutching a sheet across her naked body.

  “Talon? What’s happening?” Her blue eyes glanced up at him through half-closed lashes.

  Grabbing her in his muscular arms, he yanked her up from the sheets. She yelped as he spun her body in the air, and backed away from the bed.

  A shower of dust and shards descended from above. Then the jagged rock fell away from the cavern roof, and plunged into the bed. Its razor-sharp tip pierced through the sheets and mattress, snapping the plastic slab beneath in two.

  “Earthquake,” Talon shouted as the rumbling continued. He set her down. She grabbed her clothes from the floor, and hurriedly slipped them on.

  The room shook and rattled again. More rumbling echoed from above.

  “It’s not an earthquake,” she hissed. “Those are explosions. We’re under attack!”

  Talon squinted at her with his normal eye. “Attack? Who would attack the arena?”

  She tossed him his leather breeches. “They’re not after the arena,” she said. “They want to destroy you. The legion of Sartarus… I didn’t think they’d get here so fast.”

  Talon pulled on his pants. “Sartarus? That’s the nobleman Omdura sold me to.”

  She touched his arm. Again, he felt an electric tingle run across his skin. But this time no visions clouded his mind. “There’s no time to explain,” she said as they locked eyes. “I said I’d grant you your freedom. The time has come for you to choose. Do you trust me?”

  Talon stared at her. After Omdura’s treachery, his trust was in short supply.

  “Omdura told me by Imperial Law, a slave can never be free.”

  “That’s true,” she said, as the room shuddered again. “But there are other ways. I won’t lie to you. If you follow me, there will be danger. But if we stay here, this room will be our tomb.”

  He grit his teeth, and nodded. “Not much choice then.”

  She smiled. "I thought you’d see it my way. You’ll need your weapons and armor.”

  The room shook again. Talon caught the woman as she stumbled towards him. He gestured towards the door. “They’re kept in the armory. I know the way, but the door to my quarters has a security lock. It won’t open from this side.”

  “Oh, we’ll see about that,” she said, a mischievous smile crossing her lips.

  She removed a jeweled bangle from her wrist. Snapping open the metal ornament, she revealed a small panel of blinking lights hidden inside. She ran over to the doorway, and touched the device to the wall, next to the metal slab that blocked the exit.

  It stuck to the panel like a magnet. A series of holograms projected from its surface. Colors and symbols flashed and hovered in the air. The image of a shimmering red circle appeared, a few inches from the wall.

  Another crack echoed from above. Talon looked up, as more dust fell into the room. An explosion thundered in the distance.

  “More sorcery?” he asked, as the tiny machine continued to blink and hum.

  “Hardly,” she said, her attention focused on the glowing symbols in the air. “But effective all the same.”

  She reached out and touched the holographic disk, spinning it back and forth like a dial. New symbols flickered and glowed with each turn of the virtual controls. Finally, the circle pulsed green. She pulled the device off the wall, and snapped it back around her wrist. The symbols blinked out and disappeared. The panel hissed open, belching mist into the room and outer hall.

  Talon grabbed her arm. "I don’t know how you did that, but let’s go!” He pulled her into the hall.

  Outside his chamber, the passageway was dark, lit only by a blinking orange light. A wailing alarm echoed through the complex. Talon paused… His eyes quickly adjusted, but he was unsure if Salena could see in the dim light.

  “Don’t wait for me, I’m fine,” she whispered. “We must hurry!”

  They charged down the narrow corridor together. Talon led her through the maze of twisting passages and forked tunnels. Finally, he came to a stop, and held up his hand. They pressed their backs against the rock walls, hiding in the shadows.

  The sound of men shouting echoed off the rocks. Booted footsteps pounded towards them.

  “Arena guards,” he whispered. “Access to the armory is forbidden, except before a match.”

  He turned to look at her. “Stay here, I’ll—”

  Salena was already moving into the corridor. Her eyes glowed with unearthly light.

  The first gu
ard raced around the corner, and trained his rifle at the alien woman. “Freeze,” he shouted. “Everyone, back to your—”

  Salena waved her hands through the air in a wide circle. A horrified scream clipped the guard’s words. He stepped back, firing blasts of energy into the darkness above.

  “Vermiraks!” he screamed. “Hundreds of them! This tunnel’s infested!”

  As he continued firing, a second guard raced up behind him.

  “What the hell are you doing?” the second guard shouted. “There’s nothing there! Stop shooting, or you'll collapse the tunnel!”

  The other guard kept firing. He emptied the energy cell of his rifle, then continued sweeping the empty weapon back and forth. His eyes stared up at the dark cavern roof, wide with dread and fear. His lips quivered, and beads of sweat rolled down his face.

  The other guard turned his head and saw Salena, her eyes glowing, arms circling in the air. Talon blinked, and shook his head as he watched the scene before him… A wave of distortion seemed to surround the beautiful woman. It was painful to look at, like a mirage rippling over blinding desert sands. A distant, high-pitched whine filled his ears.

  The guard stepped forward, raising his rifle.

  “Alien witch!” he snarled.

  Before he could fire, Talon roared, and leapt from the shadows. He slapped the man’s rifle aside. The guard pulled the trigger, but the gladiator’s charge surprised him. He missed, sending a pulse of energy into the walls of the tunnel. Talon felt chips of rock slash across his face. He ignored the pain, and wrapped his thick arms around the man’s torso.

  The guard beat at his back with the butt of the pulse rifle, but his feeble blows did nothing to slow Talon’s onslaught. Roaring a battle cry, he hefted the man into the air. The guard screamed, as he slammed into a sharp stalactite hanging above them. The shard of rock pierced a joint in his armor, and tore into his flesh.

  Talon grunted, and lifted the man higher, impaling him further on the rock shard. Blood dripped from the guard's gaping mouth. Talon lowered the body, and tossed it into a crumpled heap on the ground.

  Salena lowered her head. Her eyes ceased glowing, and her arms fell to her side. The transfixed guard stared at her for a second, then turned and bolted away. He disappeared, screaming into the darkness.

  With a soft moan, she collapsed to the ground. Talon ran to her side.

  “Salena, are you alright?”

  She grabbed his arm, and pulled herself to her feet. Looking up, she flashed him a grim smile. “My abilities have their limits. I’ve been pushing myself for days now, searching for you. I'll need rest soon, but I’m fine.”

  He nodded. “The armory is just ahead. Hopefully the rest of Omdura’s guards will have their hands full with whoever is attacking us.”

  They raced on down the tunnel.

  “Once they decimate the surface, Sartarus will send his shock troops down here to find your body,” she panted. “We must make haste!”

  “You still haven’t told me why this nobleman wants me dead,” Talon shouted, as they reached the pair of armored doors. A red hexagon pattern covered both doors, a universal security symbol.

  “All in good time!” Salena said, panting. "I told you I’d explain later, and I will.” She snapped off her bangle and attached it to the door.

  The tunnel shook, as another explosion echoed above.

  “Later?” Talon growled. “As in, later when we’re both crushed under tons of rock?”

  “Only if you keep distracting me,” she snapped, as she again worked the holographic controls. More symbols flashed and flickered through the air. “This is a high security door. It’s going to take me a bit longer.”

  Talon looked up as the ceiling rumbled again. “Wouldn’t it be faster to use your magic?”

  “I need to conserve my energy. Trust me, we’ll need it to get off this rock.”

  Talon heard shouting from down the hall as more guards marched towards their position. It sounded like an entire squadron. The tunnel shook again, sending more rocks falling to the ground.

  “Salena…”

  Finally, the device beeped. The circle turned green, and the doors slid open. The rumbling around them grew louder. A haze of dust and grit floated down from above, filling the air.

  Talon grabbed her and dove through the doors. Behind them, an avalanche of rock and debris roared down, filling the corridor as the tunnel collapsed. The distant shouting of the arena guards turned to screams. They were pulverized, crushed beneath the falling rocks.

  Coughing and sputtering in the dust-filled air, Talon staggered to his feet. He helped Salena stand, then brushed a thin layer of crushed rock from his shoulders.

  Salena tapped a jewel mounted to her forearm… it pulsed with a faint inner glow, lighting up the room. Racks of weaponry surrounded them… Force pikes, cryocite blades, pulse rifles… The rows of deadly instruments stretched into the shadowed corners of the room.

  Talon’s eyes grew wide as he stared at the arsenal.

  Salena glanced at him and laughed. “You look like a young boy on Solstice morning. Eager to open his presents.”

  Talon tore off his tattered shirt, and grabbed a battle harness off a rack. He strapped the armored plates to his body.

  “Laugh if you wish, woman,” he replied. “But I’ve held up my end of the bargain. We made it to the armory.”

  He nodded to a clear case mounted on the far wall, past a row of pole arms. “There’s a case of pulse pistols over there. Small arms, not too much kick.”

  Salena nodded and walked over to the case. The glow from her jeweled armband cast shifting shadows through the hazy, dust-filled air.

  She lifted the clear lid, and selected a slim pistol. Talon slid a pair of scimitars into the scabbards that hung at his side. He grabbed a heavy pulse rifle, and slammed an energy cell into the base. Red lights along the weapon’s barrel glowed to life, showing the rifle was fully charged.

  “So what was your plan to get out of here?” he demanded. “I assume you have a ship waiting?”

  She flashed him another mischievous smile. “Have I let you down yet?”

  Talon said nothing.

  She sighed. “You were in a much better mood last night, my warrior. Of course I have a ship. It’s not in the main hanger though. Too many guards there. It’s posing as a supply freighter, in the arena’s loading bay.”

  She turned and shone her light on the collapsed entrance to the armory. A wall of crumbled rocks and debris filled the opening between the two doors.

  “Now we just have to get there. I suppose nothing in here can help us tunnel through all that rock?”

  Talon shook his head, and paced over to the eastern wall of the chamber. He grabbed a rack of staves that stood flush against the wall. Grunting with exertion, he pulled the long, heavy shelves away from the rock face. The metal creaked and groaned. Then the rack toppled over and crashed to the ground. The staves scattered across the floor as Salena hurried over to him. A smaller, black rod rolled up against her feet. She picked it up, and examined the controls on the hilt.

  “Wait a minute. Isn’t this your plasma axe?” she asked.

  “Leave it,” Talon called back. “It has an inhibitor chip. It only works inside the arena.”

  She slung the rod across her back. “Oh, there are ways around that. A warrior needs his favorite weapon. Well, second favorite, anyway.”

  Talon glanced down at her, then looked back at the rocks. On the wall behind the rack, an air shaft cut into the stone. Talon gripped the vent’s cover, and wrenched it from the wall. The dark opening was just wide enough for him to fit through. The tiny ventilation shaft snaked off into the darkness.

  “How did you know that was there?” she asked.

  “I tried to escape through here once before, many years ago.” He stared into the darkness, then looked down at her. "Rufa caught me. His guards whipped me for days.”

  She placed a hand on his arm.

  “I
meant what I said, Talon. Soon this place will be a distant memory. Omdura, the guards, all of it… Lead the way forward.”

  He pulled himself into the cramped air shaft and maneuvered his body around. Reaching down for her, he took her slim hands into his massive fists. He pulled her up behind him, and they scurried forward down the shaft.

  “Make sure you follow me. If you get lost, stop and call for help. One wrong turn in here, and you’ll wind up in the exhaust port of the fusion furnace. Burn you to a cinder in a microsecond.”

  Talon glanced back at her. In the dim light, he could see her grinning behind him.

  “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll stay right behind you,” she said. “Who could resist such a lovely view?”

  Talon shook his head. “Don’t you ever tire of making jokes?”

  “Who said I was joking?” she replied, followed by a seductive laugh that echoed through the narrow shaft.

  They crawled forward into the darkness.

  Chapter Six

  The shaft terminated at another air vent, looking out over a vast, dark landing platform. Massive glow spheres cast pools of light across the deck plates below. Technicians scurried across the floor, as more rocks and dust fell from the cavern roof.

  An energy field shimmered over the cavern’s gaping opening. The glowing shield kept the loading dock pressurized with breathable air. The barrier was semi-permeable, allowing ships to pass through, take off and land. Through its flickering blue glow, Talon could see the desolate planet’s surface, stretching off into the horizon. The arena’s planetoid was a lifeless rock, located in the distant outer reaches of Dominion space. Above the bleak landscape, distant streaks of stars and wispy clouds of nebula painted the black canvas of the sky.

  Talon peered through the slats of the circular vent. A few shuttles hovered above the landing pad. The air beneath them rippled from the distortion of their lifter fields. One by one, they streaked out of the cavern, desperate to escape whatever was attacking the base.