Okay, been a bit since I last updated. Hope I didn't lose any readers, but sometimes things pile up. I feel determined to finish this chapter. And away we go...
Heart of Darkness...Dimming Hope
Both Piper and Stork stared up into the sky. They saw two Talons on their sky rides escorting a small cargo vessel. They were still a bit off in the distance, but they were getting closer and lower to the ground. It was obvious that they were preparing to to land. Piper and Stork quickly ducked back into the remains of The Condor.
Panic was already beginning to grip Stork. "We're dead!" He yelled as he began to retreat into the nearest corner of the bridge. "They're gonna land and blast us while we're defenseless, and then we'll be dead!"
Piper quickly rushed to Stork's side to try and calm the anxious Merb. "Stork calm down." She paused as she heard the sound of vehicles landing on the ground just next to their broken home. She knew there wasn't much time before the climbed up to enter through the smashed windshield of the bridge. She saw her staff laying just across the room under a slightly smashed chair. She knew the crystal would be worthless, but she could still hold her own own with just the staff.
She turned back the Stork. He won't be to useful in his current state, Piper thought to herself. She reached out and grabbed Stork by the shoulders, firm enough to stop his shaking but not not so hard as to hurt him. "Stork! I need you to go to the rear of The Condor and hide."
Stork looked straight at her, he stopped shaking for a second, but his eye twitch was still going. "But what about the Cyclonians?"
Piper took a breathe before explaining her plan. "I'll fight them, make them believe I'm the only one on board, then lead them away." She walked over to where her staff lay and quickly pulled it free of the wreckage. "Then when I'm far enough away, you sneak out and go to try and find Aerrow."
Stork eye stopped twitching as he now looked Piper straight in the eye, an almost resolve seemed to be show as he spoke. "What about you though? I'm not about to leave you behind to play the bait."
Piper let a smirk cross her face. "Have a little confidence in me. Talons don't stand a chance against me even on their best days." She turned back to the front as she heard sounds of grunting and scraping metal. The Cyclonians were coming. "Go hide Stork, I'll be fine."
Stork stood up and went to the half open entry way that led to the rear of the ship. He paused and turned back to Piper opening his mouth to speak. Piper just turned her back to him, focusing on the opening in front of her. "Now Stork." She said firmly, readying her staff.
Stork took one last quick look at her before heading through the door to the rear of the ship. Please Piper, Stork thought to himself as he moved, don't do anything stupid for my sake. Just stay safe.
Piper felt relief now that Stork was safe out of sight. She now focused all her attention on where the windshield used to be. She could hear the Cyclonians just outside now. She tensed all her muscles while taking in a slow breath, she pulled in as much air as she could and held it, then slowly let it out. A pair of hands reached up and grabbed the edge of the opening and Piper could hear a grunt as Talon started pulling himself up into view. Piper charged forward just as the Talon had gotten himself waist high onto the ledge. The Talon raised his head just in time to se Piper firmly place a kick directly to his jaw, sending him flying back to land a yard behind his companions on the main deck of the ship. Piper was standing in the light now and could see there was a total of six Talons.
One down, five to go. Piper thought to herself as she took in the situation around her. Gonna be tough, but I can manage.
She readied herself as the Talons were now scrambling to ready their weapons to fire at her. She quickly jumped down onto a Talon directly below her, using the force of her fall, she quickly swiped him across the face with her staff. He collapsed onto the deck, unconscious.
That's two. Piper smirked as she looked over to four remaining Talons. This might be easier than I thought.
That Talons aimed their energy staffs at her and began to open fire. Piper quickly began to dodge while moving towards the closest Talon. Energy blasts moving all around her Piper was striving to remain calm as she danced around the energy blasts. She knew that a moment of hesitation could mean the end for her. She closed the distance between herself and the Talon before her. He tried swinging his staff around to catch her across the face. But, Piper quickly jumped up and caught the staff under her arm while simultaneously swinging her own staff around to hit him on the neck. The Talon cried out in pain and let go of his staff. Piper quickly twirled away from the Talon, while keeping hold of both staffs. She quickly flipped the Talon's staff around and released an energy blast at the still dazed Talon, knocking him to the ground.
Three, Piper quickly noted to herself as she dashed out of the path of more energy blasts from the remaining conscious Talons. The Talons paused for a second to look at their downed comrades, then looked back at Piper. A nervous aura now radiated off them, and Piper picked up on it.
"You guys are making this too easy." Piper said, confidence poured out of her as she spoke. "Your lucky it's just me here, and not the rest of my squad, or you guys would all be out by now." A smile crossed her face as she began to twirl both her own staff and the one she had taken off the Talon. She put herself into a battle stance and prepared to charge again at the nervous Talons. "Did you guys really think you stood a chance?" Piper said as she readied herself for the next assault.
The three Talons stood in a line facing her, their staffs still at the ready. Their backs were to the front of the the hanger door just below the open bridge. It was then that Piper noticed the hole on the surface of the Hanger door just to the left of the Talons. It looked like the crash had sheered some of the bolts holding one of the cargo door panels in place. Piper's eyes widened as she realized what this meant. Oh GOD, Stork! She thought to herself in a quiet panic.
The middle Talon, who seemed to be the squad leader, noticed her sudden shift of emotion. He let out a slight laugh. "No, we weren't really meant to stop you, just be a long enough distraction."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
A loud yell of fear came from inside Condor. Something was suddenly thrown from the bridge down onto the deck a few feet behind Piper, it landed with a loud thud. It took a moment for Piper to make out the collapsed form of Stork.
"STORK!" Piper yelled out as she dropped both of her weapons and quickly made her way over to Stork's crumbled form. She quickly checked for a pulse as her own raced higher. She let out a small sigh as she found his, but he was heavily injured and she saw blood smeared across his face and his uniform torn at his shoulder revealing a heavy gash.
From the darkness of the bridge she heard an all to familiar laugh. "Oh, I hope i did break him." The sarcastic voice said as a figure now began to appear through the shattered windshield on the bridge. It hovered out into the light, the face hidden behind a cowl which now began to open. Piper already knew who it was before they had even hovered out into the light.
"Cyclonis." Piper said with as much anger in her voice as she could muster, but her voice came out weak from choking back tears that had begun to from in her eyes. She looked down at Stork, he was hurt and unconscious, and she felt responsible. I failed to keep you safe, I'm sorry. She put a hand on his shoulder and tried her best to keep hold of herself as she looked back up at Cyclonis, rage was building up inside her and it made her shake a little.
"Come, come now Piper." Cyconis said in her usual arrogant tone as she floated closer to Piper, landing on the deck just a few feet from Piper. "No need to get so angry. He's not dead." A small smirk crossed her face. "At least, not yet." She held out her staff, the purple crystal on the end glowing with Malicious intent. "Now, if you want to stay with the living a little longer, I suggest a peaceful surrender."
Cyclonis glanced over her shoulder at her remaining Talons, giving them a disapproving look. "Bind her and her little Merb pet. We must return quickly to The Citadel." She looked back at Piper. "No doubt we have other guests to entertain." She then looked off into the horizon, another dark smile crossing her face. "And more on the way."
She let out a small laugh as her Talons advanced on Piper and began to bind her wrists and tie up Stork.
All Piper could do was watch and hope that Aerrow and the rest were okay, and pray that they would stay that way. The day seemed to darken as she was pushed towards the small freighter. Her hope dying with the light.
Whew, feels good to get another chapter done. Hope to get some feed back soon so I know if there anything I can improve on. Til next time.