Tales of Talon Box Set

by A A Warren

  Vaki pounded his chest. “Why you panakita son of a—”

  Talon chuckled. “B’Turo didn’t teach me that one yet, I’m afraid.”

  Vaki glared at him for a moment. Then she slipped off her robe and let it fall to the ground behind her. Her pale flesh was naked, her cheeks and neck flushed pink. She grabbed his hand.

  “Come with me,” she said in a breathless voice. She dragged him into the bath chamber.

  “Vaki, what are you—”

  She shoved him backwards into the shower and hit the controls. He laughed as a spray of water doused his clothes and skin. The liquid beaded up on her flesh as the vibrational field kicked in, sending droplets of mist through the air.

  “This is where we left off,” she said. She pressed her damp flesh against him, and unbuckled the straps of his harness, letting it splash to the ground. “So this is where we start over. Understand?”

  Talon crushed her body against him as the liquid streamed through their hair. “I’ve been told I have a lot to learn,” he whispered into her ear. “Especially about women.”

  She gasped as his hands moved across her skin. “By the gods… You seem to be a quick study!” she whispered back.

  They laughed as they sank to the floor, losing themselves in pleasure as droplets of water rippled across their skin. Above them, the clear domed ceiling lit up with colors, as the ship plunged into the spiraling depths of the glowing nebula.

  BOOK 3: The adventure continues in Talon the Hunter. Stranded in a lawless region of space, Talon must put his deadly skills to use as a bounty hunter. But his target may be an enemy even he can’t defeat…

  Talon the Hunter is available now on Amazon at readerlinks.com/l/776928

  Talon the Hunter

  TALES OF TALON: BOOK 3

  Galactic Chronicles, Excerpt 1814-D

  The Tygon Dominion. The Consortium of Free Worlds. The Theocracy of Balag… These and other great powers rose from the ashes of the Star Cross Throne.

  But Wild Space, a vast frontier of unaligned systems, was abandoned by the new empires. In these lawless stars, countless kingdoms rose and fell over the ages. And criminal syndicates held the citizens in an iron grip of corruption.

  It was here, in the region known as The Gyre, that the warrior called Talon found himself stranded. But little did he know, a great darkness shrouded these forgotten worlds.

  And the lives of billions would soon rest upon his shoulders…

  Jord’n Tomas, Dominion Chronicler

  Chapter One

  THE GYRE, WILD SPACE

  Merchant Guild Trade Route

  22478-K

  The woman’s footsteps thundered down the darkened corridor. Her long blonde hair and blue silk loincloth trailed behind her as she sprinted around a corner. Overhead, a series of running lights flickered along the roof of the tiny passageway. The distant thunder of explosions echoed beyond the walls.

  “Hurry up, Dione!” The woman hissed. “Can’t you move any faster?”

  Behind her, a heavyset man in luxurious robes gasped for breath. He struggled to keep up with the sprinting woman, but the exertion left his face flushed, and circles of sweat soaked the armpits of his robes.

  “I’m no warrior, Kaliope!” Dione panted. “I’m going as fast as I—”

  ZARK!!!

  The blast of a pulse weapon cut off his complaints. With a terrified scream, the man threw himself to the deck. The woman, Kaliope, ducked low and let her boots slide across the smooth floor. Reaching over her back, she drew a curved metal bow from her battle harness. She spun around, as another volley of energy bolts tore into the wall next to her.

  Ignoring the shower of sparks, she drew her fingers back. A glowing energy bolt hovered in the center of the weapon, quivering in place as it grew in power. Releasing her fingers, the energy shaft leapt from the weapon and flew down the corridor. It struck a rifle-toting man, just as he rounded the corner behind them. He screamed as the glowing arrow pierced his battered chest plate.

  As he collapsed to the ground, Kaliope rushed back to help the quivering Dione to his feet. She glanced at the smoking corpse behind them. One half of the man’s head had been shaved clean, and a large tattoo decorated his pale skull… twin rings, one black, one white, intertwined in an infinite loop.

  She continued down the corridor, sweeping left and right with her energy bow as they passed a series of darkened alcoves.

  “I’ve never seen that symbol before,” she muttered. “Who are these brigands? What are you hauling on this barge, Dione?”

  “I told you, I have no idea,” Dione replied, sputtering for breath as he continued his hurried shuffle. “My father deals in alien antiquities! I was only escorting this shipment to a dealer in the Gyre for—”

  As they raced down another corridor, Kaliope froze, then shoved Dione back. A squad of men wearing battered, mismatched armor advanced towards them. The corridor lights flickered on and off, cloaking their faces in shadow. As the lights flashed again, she caught a glimpse of the same two rings, tattooed on the sides of their shaved heads.

  The man in the lead pointed in her direction and raised his rifle.

  Uttering a wild battle cry, Kaliope charged towards them. She ran in a zig-zag pattern, weaving back and forth across the corridor. Pulling back on the invisible field generated by her bow, she sent twin glowing projectiles streaking towards the men.

  The glowing shafts found their mark. Two of the bandits gasped, clutching their chests as they fell to the ground. With a manic grin, Kaliope continued her mad dash, dodging left and right as a barrage of pulse bolts traced around her.

  Leaping up in the air, she clicked her heels together. As her body spun in a somersault, the grav-coils in her boots pulled her to the ceiling. She continued sprinting towards the armored men, racing upside down across the roof of the corridor. A curtain of weapons-fire screamed through the air beneath her, but she paid it no mind.

  Before her attackers could adjust their aim, two more fell before her glowing arrows. She stopped directly above them and clicked her heels again. The grav-coils in her boots shut down with a quiet hum. She dropped like a stone, landing on her feet in a low crouch. Her bow shimmered in the flickering lights overhead. Cryocite, a crystal honed to a razor’s edge, lined each of the weapon's curved limbs.

  Swinging the deadly bow in a wide arc, she slashed through the ankle of the nearest armed thug. The man fell to his knees, screaming as blood gushed from a severed tendon.

  She heard the whine of pulse-fire, close behind her. An energy bolt grazed her shoulder, and she exhaled in pain. Gritting her teeth, she spun around and slashed with her bow. The razor-sharp edge tore through the other man’s rifle. Sparks flew from the damaged weapon as she sliced the barrel clean off.

  He pulled the trigger again, but nothing happened. Dropping the useless rifle, he reached for a knife hanging from his belt. Kaliope slammed her bow into his face. With a loud crack, the impact crushed the cartilage in his nose. He stumbled back, squinting his eyes in pain.

  Before he could recover, Kaliope aimed her weapon. A glowing arrow leapt from the bow and tore through the man’s chest. She pivoted around, sending another bolt into the last man on the ground.

  For a moment, the corridor was silent. The woman took a deep breath, and adjusted the metal band that held her golden tresses in place.

  “It’s over, Dione. You can come out now,” she said.

  The merchant’s beady eyes peered around the corner. He stared at the woman holding the glowing energy bow. The corpses of the men lay about her on the floor, smoke drifting from their wounds.

  “I see why my father insisted on hiring you,” he gasped. “You were worth every chip he paid, and then some!”

  Before she could reply, another explosion thundered in the distance. The deck plates shook and rattled beneath their feet and the glow strips overhead flickered.

  The sound of armored boots marched toward them from the shadows.

/>   She grabbed Dione’s arm and pulled him back the way they came. “We cannot go that way… are those the only lifeboats?”

  “Yes! We’re trapped, there’s no other way off this—”

  “Get a hold of yourself,” she snapped. “Follow me!”

  She turned and raced down another corridor. Like the others, it was empty and abandoned, lit only by the incandescent flicker of the damaged glow strips overhead.

  “Where in blazes are all the crew?” Dione muttered as he hurried behind her. “My father hired dozens of security guards, mercenaries, servants… But I haven’t seen a living soul since—”

  “They’re dead,” Kaliope said, dragging him down yet another dark passageway. “Whoever these bandits are, they vented most of the upper decks into space when they made their initial assault. And we would have died along with the rest, if I hadn’t thrown you down that ventilation shaft.”

  “You mean we… we’re the only—”

  “No one’s coming to our rescue,” she said, halting next to a security door. “At least, no one on this ship.”

  Kaliope tapped a glowing keypad on the wall. A pair of heavy armored doors rumbled open. She pulled Dione into the vestibule that lay beyond. Four glow spheres hovered in the air, casting a dim orange light throughout the square room. Rows of ivory statues lined the walls, and ornate silk tapestries fluttered from the ceiling.

  At the far end of the chamber, a giant metal vault loomed over them. The circular slab of metal was set deep into the wall, and its surface was armor plated.

  “A storage vault!” Dione gasped. “Why did you bring us here?”

  The sound of footsteps grew closer. Uttering a silent curse, Kaliope shoved Dione behind her and aimed her bow. She sent a barrage of glowing bolts into the darkness. Screams echoed through the shadows of the corridor.

  “Your father gave me the code for the outer doors, but only a member of the Merchant’s Guild can open the main vault,” she shouted over her shoulder. “And right now, that means you!”

  “But even if we open the vault, what—”

  “I sent a distress call to the Order of the Blue Star. If we can seal ourselves in the vault, we may be able to hold out until they arrive!”

  A barrage of pulse bolts struck the floor near her feet. Glancing towards the entrance, she narrowed her eyes… A trio of men in leather flight suits and scavenged armor emerged from the shadows.

  Leaping over the glowing holes in the deck plates, she charged towards the new attackers. She fired a bolt into one then ducked low, dodging their return fire. Sliding across the floor, she popped to her feet between the two men, spinning her bow in a spiral pattern. Blood erupted from the two bandits and spattered the walls. A pulse rifle clattered on the floor, as her razor-sharp weapon slashed through the men’s hands.

  One of the outlaws held up his gushing stumps and screamed, as Kaliope kicked the other man backwards. She drew back on the bow, firing a glowing shaft through his skull. Then she spun around, swinging the weapon in a wide arc.

  The bow’s shimmering edge tore a gash in the remaining bandit's neck. He collapsed to the ground, twitching and gurgling.

  Kaliope glanced back at Dione.

  “Hurry up,” she shouted. “Enter the code!”

  Dione drew back his sleeves and frantically tapped his wrist unit. “I… I can’t remember which code it is! There are dozens of vaults on the ship!”

  More pulse bolts erupted from the darkness beyond the chamber. Dione ducked as a glow sphere exploded behind him.

  Kaliope whirled around. Backing towards him, she returned fire with her bow. “Try them all, then,” she shouted.

  Beads of sweat dripped down Dione’s face as he entered another code on the holo-display. The screen flashed red, and a jarring beep emitted from the speaker. “Curses! I could have sworn that was it!”

  “Dione, we’re running out of time! Find it, before—”

  BOOM!

  An explosion thundered through the deck above them. Dust and debris rained down, and the floor shook beneath their feet. Kaliope glanced up… something had torn a jagged hole in the roof. She aimed her bow straight up, and another shimmering bolt appeared in the weapon. But before she could fire, a glowing purple energy field shimmered around her body, freezing her in place.

  A figure hovered down from the dark, mangled opening. He wore ornate armor, covered with ancient symbols and markings. His faceplate was a smooth, mirrored dome. A thin viewing slit was its only feature, and a violet glow burned bright within the shiny helmet. The glowing slit regarded the terrified merchant with cold dispassion.

  Dione gasped and stumbled backwards. He tripped over a pile of debris and fell to the ground. Kaliope struggled to aim her bow, but she could not move... she was trapped within the glowing prison.

  “What… What sorcery is this?” she hissed, struggling to spit out the words.

  “Sorcery…” a voice called out. A man emerged from the shadows at the room’s entrance. He stepped forward into the dim light of the glow spheres. “Dark energy, magic… Trickery. No way for a brave warrior such as yourself to die.”

  The man marched towards them. He was huge, towering over Kaliope and the mysterious armored figure. A dark, tattered cloak draped from his shoulders, hiding his body as he strode across the deck.

  He stepped in front of Kaliope and peered down at her. The hood of his garment masked his face in shadows, hiding his features. But his eyes were two pinpoints of crimson light, peering out from the darkness.

  “In my day, the Sorari Sisterhood did not exist,” he said in a rumbling voice. “But the women of my clan fought as you do. They were fierce warriors.”

  “Who are you?” she gasped.

  A sigh emanated from the man’s shadowed face. “That, I’m afraid, is a long story. And as you said… we are running out of time. But you may call me… Volonte.”

  His armored fist slipped into his cloak. The rasp of metal clanged through the air… the sound of a sword being drawn. The man raised the blade into the light. The weapon seemed to be attached directly to his thick, armored gauntlet.

  Kaliope glared back at him and grit her teeth. Her arm quivered and shook. The bow shifted towards him, moving just a few millimeters.

  The man shook his head. “Your will is strong… I could have used a warrior like you. Such a waste.”

  He thrust the blade forward. The glowing energy barrier crackled, then shattered, like an amethyst mirror breaking into crystal fragments. The sword pierced Kaliope's chest. She slumped to the ground, wincing in pain.

  The man kneeled beside her and ran his fingers through her golden hair. “You die as you fought… with honor.” His glowing eyes peered up at Dione. “Which is more than I can say for most of the souls on board this ship.”

  Kaliope reached up and grabbed his cloak. She pulled his head down and met his glowing stare head on. “My… sisters… will avenge me.”

  Her head dropped, and her eyes fluttered closed.

  Volonte released her, letting her body fall to the deck with a thud.

  He lumbered to his feet. “Dulkar, summon the tinkerer, Orvane. Have him bring one of the tabeki statues. The time has finally come to set our plan in motion.

  Dulkar bowed. “Of course, My Lord. I shall alert your men.”

  Volonte turned to Dione. “Now… open this vault. Or I assure you, your passing shall be far more painful than hers.”

  The merchant took another step back, his eyes wide with terror. “I… I think I know the code. Just let me try… One more time.”

  His quivering fingers tapped another series of characters on the glowing keyboard of his wrist unit. The screen turned green, and a pleasant chime filled the air. The enormous metal door behind him rumbled open.

  The blade retracted into Volonte’s gauntlet with a loud clank. The hulking figure strode past Dione, and entered the dimly lit vault that lay beyond the massive door. He walked past rows of gold sculptures, and metal urns
overflowing with all manner of precious gems. But he paid no mind to the wealth and treasure surrounding him. Instead, he focused his gaze on a stone sarcophagus, leaning on a stand at the end of the room.

  Ornate runes and markings covered the slab of rock. Its features were chipped and cracked, worn away by time and the elements.

  A squad of men swept into the outer chamber, and herded Dione after the two armored figures. The merchant stumbled through the shadowy rows of artifacts, staring in awe at the sea of treasure that filled the vault.

  “Take whatever you wish,” Dione pleaded. “I swear, I won’t report any of this. Just take what you want and go!”

  Volonte ignored Dione’s whimpering. He examined the ancient coffin for a moment, running his gloved fingers over the features of its carved surface. A humanoid figure adorned the lid. Two muscular arms crossed over its broad, scaled chest. One hand clutched a scepter of some kind. The other held a small animal in an open palm… a coiled, snake-like reptile, with two feathered wings. A dull, milky red opal sat nestled between the two symbols.

  “My father purchased that from a Dominion scavenger,” Dione stuttered. “You’re welcome to it. No one has been able to open it. Even our energy lances were unable to penetrate—”

  “Silence,” Volonte growled. He slid off a glove, and held his hand over the oval gem. A crimson beam of light emitted from his palm. It struck the opal, and the stone lit up, glowing with an inner fire. A jet of green vapor hissed from beneath the ancient coffin’s lid.

  Volonte grasped the stone slab and heaved it aside. Dione gasped… the lid had to weigh hundreds of kilograms. And he could swear he heard the clicking and whirring of servo-motors beneath the brute’s cloak.

  The lid crashed to the ground and shattered, breaking into fragments of chalky white stone. A faint light emerged from within the coffin. Volonte yanked out reams of old, rotting linen, and tossed the coarse fabric on the floor.