The Last Narkoy: Gathow: Book 2 by Elizabeth Price (good e books to read .txt) 📗

There was no sense sitting there, looking like a fool, when all she really needed was to see how it was done.

“Chadon, tell me again why you’re coming?” Danstu asked from the backseat.

Sedom turned back to him. “You need a Narkoy to enter the base,” she mentioned. “A lot of the security protocols are still under my Grandmother’s command. I have to physically alter them before I can make any adjustments.”

“You’re in rather high demand, aren’t you, Sedom?” Cidele joked.

“I would gladly share the responsibility, but unfortunately Narkoy blood is in limited supply,” Sedom spoke distant. “Set your coordinates to the furthest moon.” She tapped in a set of coordinates into the computer. “Okay, this is easier than I thought, there’s just no stick and no weapons.”

Qilo pointed to a section on the controls. “Minimal weapons. This is only a short-range ship. How large is the other cargo ship?”

“The Corin? Big,” she exclaimed.

“As large as the Oslo?” Qilo questioned in amusement.

“The Oslo? Seriously? I thought the Oslo was only a myth,” Danstu asked from the back seat.

Sedom shrugged dismissively. “No and yes. The Oslo can house a crew of fifteen-thousand. The Corin can transport maybe one thousand. She’s basically a fancy cargo ship, but she’ll get the job done,” Sedom returned monotone.

“Fif-- we have a ship that large?” Danstu asked amused.

“No, I do,” Sedom returned cryptically. She turned to Danstu, scratching her ear with two extended fingers as if to motion to him without Qilo knowing.

Danstu mouthed “two?” and Sedom gave him a quick wink.

“The Oslo will be my next priority. There’re too many rumors circling around about it. Besides, I’d rather the Braum didn’t steal it from me.”

Within minutes, the ship neared an opening in the moon’s surface. The opening resembled more of a crater than an entrance to a sub base. As the ship grew closer, the speakers crackled to life. “This is Sorrel, gatekeeper of Nogoana. State your clearance.”

Sedom tapped the com on the ship’s dash. “Chadon Sortec, Sedom. You’re expecting us,” she called out.

“Welcome, Chadon. Prepare to provide blood verification to gain entry,” the voice called back.

A small finger-sized drawer opened on the dash of the ship’s console. Sedom slipped her finger within it and a blue light scanned over it.

“Proceed,” the computer returned.

“Who is Sorrel?” Cidele asked Danstu from the back seat.

“The main computer of Gathow,” Sedom called back to Cidele while she removed her finger from the drawer. “You’ll run into him from time to time, usually in situations like this,” she mentioned. “Think of him as a digital Zion… just more deadly.”

The main doors opened to the base, allowing the ship to glide inside. Two large clamps reached up, taking hold of their ship. Slowly the ship was lowered to the surface. Zion and Rosanheer’s ship glided to a stop next to their ship.

The only difference between the bay in Gathow and the sub basis was that this bay housed nine large cargo ships. Each ship had the ability to transport a thousand people.

“There’s only one level here,” Sedom called to the group as they exited their ship.

Qilo stepped out of the much smaller ship, gazing up at the large cargo ships in wonderment. “You weren’t kidding,” he said in awe to Sedom.

Sedom stood beside him, looking up at a ship which towered nearly three-hundred feet above her. “This isn’t anything. You should see what else we have,” she whispered to Qilo.

“Like the Oslo?” Danstu questioned from behind her.

“Do you think you can handle the Corin?” Sedom pointed to the ship in front of them.

Qilo’s eyes brightened. “With pleasure.”

Danstu came up behind them, his eyes wide with surprise. “You weren’t joking. And here I thought all the ships we had were in Gathow,” he mentioned.

Sedom giggled to herself. “Not even close. We have about twenty other bases, this size or larger. My people built them throughout this section of the galaxy. I received reports from eight of them just this morning. I have Garric searching for them all.”

“Why would the Narkoy need so many ships five-hundred years ago?” Danstu questioned.

Sedom shrugged. She walked away leaving Danstu standing next to Qilo. “Invasion army?” Zion questioned low. Qilo and Rosanheer nodded.

“There’s more history involving the Marisheio and the Narkoy than any of us will ever know about. You have to have a lot of hate inside in order to destroy an entire species,” Rosanheer mentioned.

Danstu glanced over to Sedom, who was speaking with Cidele. “Do you think she knows?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Qilo grunted back. “We better head out. As it is, we’re going to cut it short getting back here in time. I’d rather not blow up,” he admitted. Danstu agreed.

Sedom gave Cidele a hug. “Be careful and keep an eye on Danstu for me. He’s working too hard and I’m afraid this job is going to break him,” she mentioned.

Cidele hugged her back. “I will. This is exciting. I haven’t been off of Matrador in a long time.” She grew close to Sedom’s ear. “You’re not really going to blow us up if we’re late, are you?”

Sedom grew close to her ear. “Don’t be late,” she warned. She tucked a necklace into Cidele’s hand along with a pistol. “If you need me, I’ll be there one way or another,” Sedom whispered to her.

Cidele nodded, grinning. “I’ll keep them in line,” she said with a wink.

Sedom remained for a while as she watched her friend’s three ships taxi out of the ship port. She wasn’t certain which she felt more concern for, her ships or her friends.

As she turned to her own ship, the holographic image of Sorrel appeared, still dressed in his dark brown robes. “You really need to update your program. Maybe get some new clothing to look more modern,” she