The Last Narkoy_OSLO

by Elizabeth Price

  “She’s in position now,” Ryn called back.

  Sedom grew closer to the Cassaus, but her eyes were on the guards on either side of her. She honed in on the guard on the left of Santurra, her eyes slits. The Cassaus slipped the metal over Sedom’s neck, but immediately after Sedom turned and lunged at the guard. With a hard right hook, she sent to the guard flying to his back.

  “Save the Cassaus!” someone called.

  Sedom was pulled away from the guard kicking a screaming. Thick red mucus poured from her lips. She tried to wipe it away, unsure where it came from.

  “Poison!” someone screamed.

  An air syringe touched the back of Sedom’s neck. Instantly the world faded.

  “Phase one complete,” Ryn called out. Suddenly the command center erupted with cheers.

  Danstu sunk back into a seat near the science station, holding his head in his hands. He washed his hands over his face, revealing an enormous grin.

  .

  TWENTY

  When she woke, it was to the sight of a dark room and shadowy arms passing over her. She felt hands around her shoulders, guiding her body to the ground.

  “What?” she gulped, the taste of metal mixed with sugar clouding her throat. She attempted to inhale, finding her lungs couldn’t bring in any air. “I can’t breathe.”

  She felt lips close to her ear. “Chadon, we need you to remain silent. Have no fear, you’re with friends,” a woman’s voice whispered in Celibec. She vaguely recalled hearing her voice somewhere before. It was the woman who met her in Lord Wyice’s room.

  Sedom nodded. A thick strap was forced over her forehead, attached to a collar, keeping her from moving.

  “You have a head injury from your collar. We’re keeping you immobile,” the woman explained

  “Inhale, Chadon. This will help relax your muscles,” a man’s voice said.

  She did, smelling something sweet. Moments later, her eyes closed and she was able to breathe in deeply, yet she could still hear what was happening around her.

  “The bone in her arm has been crushed. Don’t touch it,” a man’s voice she recognized whispered.

  “Orion?” Sedom mouthed.

  “There’s no way we’ll be able to smuggle her out of here on a cot. The guards will see us,” another familiar voice spoke. “I’m taking her.”

  “How?” the woman asked.

  “Zion? Is that you?” Sedom squeaked.

  “Strap her around me. I’ll carry her out under my jacket. They’ll never expect it. Hurry!” Zion insisted.

  “You can’t carry her out like that. She’s injured,” someone else argued.

  “She’s small. It will work. Just be careful with her arm. Use a rope to tie her body to mine,” Zion argued back.

  Sedom felt her body lifted from the ground and tied with a rope. Her good arm was held around his stomach while her injured arm tucked against her. Her body was lifted into the air, her legs dangling. The rope cinched her to Zion’s body. Carefully, a jacket was placed around her and Zion. Someone tucked her legs inside the jacket and around his waist.

  “I’m sorry, Chadon, but this is going to get bumpy. Try not to make any noise,” Zion whispered.

  She rested her head against his back, her cheek fitting perfectly between his massive shoulder blades. “It’s good to hear your voice,” she said low and gulping.

  “Yours too, Sortec,” he whispered.

  “Quiet. Guards are coming. We have to move!” Jeina whispered. “Go. I’ll handle it.” She shooed them in the opposite direction then raced off, subduing the guards with talk of interviewing them about Sortec.

  Ryn rushed ahead, clearing the path. He waved the group of three to follow close. The sound of Lord Wyice’s voice echoed in the room. The group paused.

  “Quarantine? She’s my property!” Lord Wyice yelled.

  “There are rules,” the man argued.

  “Lord Wyice, Syrok attacked the Cassaus. We need her permission,” Jeina mentioned.

  Ryn poked his head from around the corner to see Lord Wyice arguing with the guard and Jeina.

  “Go,” Ryn whispered, motioning for Zion and Orion to hurry ahead.

  Lord Wyice nodded, his breathing erratic. “Fine. Then let me see her,” he demanded. The guard shook his head. “She is my property. I have a right to see her,” he insisted.

  “This way, Lord Wyice,” the guard returned as if under a hypnotic spell.

  He guided Lord Wyice back to one of the cages, only to find the cage door was open and Sedom was missing.

  “Where is she?” Lord Wyice yelled.

  Jeina gasped when she saw Sedom’s empty cage. “I don’t know, Lord, but I will get to the bottom of this.” She hurried out before he could ask anything more of her. By the time she was able to meet at the rendezvous coordinates, the transport was gone.

  ___

  Zion rushed Sedom on board the Untulla, not bothering to wait for his comrades. Inside the ship, he released his jacket and the rope as Orion helped guide Sedom onto a white sofa.

  Dr. Orion knelt to Sedom, taking her cheeks in hand. “I can’t believe it worked. We had a few close moments, but,” he said astounded as he checked her vital signs.

  Rokaa ran on board, his eyes madly searching for Sedom. Shortly after his arrival, Rosanheer and Ryn hurried on board, both heaving for breath.

  Rokaa tapped the intercom next to the door as the main door slid shut. “Get us out of here,” he ordered.

  “Wait!” Jeina called, slipping inside just as the door slid closed. “Permission to join you, Marnet,” she asked panting for breath. She leaned over, resting her hands on her knees while her breath returned to her.

  Rokaa turned to Zion in question, mainly asking what his orders were. Danstu never mentioned that he should bring anyone else back with them.

  Zion grabbed Jeina, pulling her off to the side. “What are you doing, woman? You know you can’t return with us. They’ll brand you a traitor,” he said.

  “You’re joking, right? After today the Cassaus will undoubtedly have a bounty on my head. Regardless, my place is with you,” she stated boldly.

  He moved aside a stray hair from her sweaty cheek. “Me or the Tasgool?” he asked to clarify what her real intentions were. He knew she liked him, but was it enough to turn her back on her people and her cause?

  She stepped up on her tiptoes, kissing him tenderly. “Both,” she whispered. They parted, looking deeply into each other’s eyes. “My place is with you,” she whispered, though everyone heard from the silence in the room. She stepped back, holding her wrists in front of her. “I surrender as a prisoner of war. Take me into your custody. I will go willingly and will not resist.”

  Rosanheer paused to watch as he walked into the room from the cockpit. “Are you going to frisk her or just beat her into submission?”

  Rokaa cleared his throat, uneasy over where the conversation was heading. “Would you all mind if we just get the hell out of here?”

  “Well, I’m glad some good came from this mission,” Orion muttered as he ordered some ice from the food replicator. His hands still shook as he pulled a tray of ice away from the machine.

  All around them the walls of the ship shimmied as the engines roared. Everyone quickly took up seats, preparing for the ship to take off. Rokaa crawled into the seat beside Sedom, taking her hand while the doctor examined her.

  “How is she?” he asked.

  “Nothing that won’t heal,” the doctor returned distantly. “I need that decrypting computer to get this collar off her,” he called over to Rosanheer as he removed a tracking pod from her left arm.

  Sedom’s eyes fluttered open, seeing the blurred image of Rokaa in front of her. “Rokaa?” she gulped with dry lips.

  Rokaa held her hand tighter. “I’m here,” he soothed.

  “Yes, I see that. But… why?” she questioned.

  “It’s a long story, Chadon,” Rosanheer spoke from over Rokaa’s shoulder. “Good to have
you back with us.”

  “We were concerned you wouldn’t recognize us,” Rokaa admitted.

  Sedom gulped dryly. “Lord… Wyice commanded my memories returned. Hoped… I was me,” she chuckled. As she did she cried out, clutching her arm where Orion removed the pod. “One… in my thigh too,” she gulped, pointing to her left thigh.

  Rokaa held her hand as Orion removed the second tracking pod. She cried out as it was lifted from her flesh.

  Orion handed the tracking pods to Rosanheer who took them to the bridge to be disposed of.

  “Chadon, what did they give you to dull the pain?” Orion questioned.

  She shook her head back and forth, trying to force her brain to recall what Waar called the crystals he gave her. “Uh… Avarian and something called Childrio,” she seethed. She reached into her pocket, handing Rokaa the pill case Waar had given her. “Complements of Waar Hiylenveer.”

  Nearly everyone in the room’s eyes widened in panic. “Ah, hell,” Zion grumbled. He smacked his own knee, standing to look out of one of the viewports.

  “I can work around it depending on how much she took,” Orion explained as he read over her vitals on his medical scanner. “Well…” he exhaled.

  “What is he talking about?” Sedom asked in a panic.

  Rokaa held her hand tighter. “Don’t worry about it. The doc will fix you up good as new.”

  “Uh, Commander, can I have a word?” Orion asked Zion, motioning to the hall.

  Zion followed Orion out into the hall. Even when standing in the hallway, they could still feel everyone’s eyes on them as they spoke.

  “Sir, I can’t do anything until the drugs have left her system. If I even give her a mild sedative, it’s apt to cause a heart attack. I recommend casting her arm until we return to Gathow,” Orion explained low.

  “In your opinion, do you believe they’ll be any lasting effects of the drugs in her system?” Zion asked low, his back turned so the group couldn’t see his lips.

  Orion peeked around Zion back to Sedom. Her body was already showing signs of her addiction from the look of her trembling hand. “Once either drug is introduced into the system, the victim is pretty much addicted for life.”

  Zion inhaled deeply, nodding. “Do what you can for now. If you need to, use the extra she brought with her. The damage is already done,” he ordered. He turned back to the group who were waiting anxiously for any information about what they were talking about.

  “Could we have a moment alone with the Chadon?” Zion called out.

  Rokaa turned to Sedom, concern clouding his eyes. She patted his hand, telling him she would be alright. Systematically, everyone left the room, all with expressions of frustration and disappointment.

  The room cleared. Orion and Zion took seats on both sides of Sedom.

  “I knew the drugs weren’t a good idea,” she chuckled. She raised her trembling hand to her eyes, disgusted by the sight of it.

  Orion opened the pill case, counting the number of crystals inside. “Twenty-eight. It will buy us a little time.”

  “Time for what?” Sedom questioned. “Zion?”

  “Averian is highly addictive,” Zion began.

  “Your arm is badly damaged. I can’t mend it without surgery, but—“ Orion continued.

  “But the drugs won’t work with those you need to use for your operation,” she surmised. “Okay, so now what?”

  Zion took the pill case, handing her another crystal. “Cast it and continue to keep you numb,” he said.

  Sedom closed her eyes, hiding the swelling frustration that was building inside her soul. A voice in the back of her head kept telling her she had no choice, Lord Wyice insisted she take them, but she knew better.

  She opened her lips, allowing Zion to place the crystal on her tongue. Almost instantly she felt better. Her eyes closed as she watched an array of colorful lights dance behind her eyelids. Soon, she was asleep once again.

  When Sedom woke, her head was resting on Rokaa’s lap. He was petting her hair softly as he was speaking to someone to his left. She looked up into his golden eyes, blinking to clear the fog from her memory.

  He turned to her and smiled reassuringly when he noticed she was awake. “Slowly now,” he urged as he guided her to sit against the back of the sofa. “You’re still heavily sedated.” He pressed his cool hand to her cheek. “Can you tell me your name?” he asked.

  She rose from her seat, her head and arm throbbing in pain. She reached to her neck, finding a large bandage where her collar once attached to her brainstem. “What?” She paused, looking around. “Um… Sedom,” she gulped hard, “Sedom Sortec,” she returned dryly.

  She was in a large sitting room with several white sofas. Above her was a large domed window and beyond a landscape of stars. Around her sat many faces who she recognized but didn’t quite remember their names.

  “Where and I?” she asked in a daze. “Why are you here, Rokaa? Am I a prisoner of the Rook?”

  “You’re on my ship. We’re on a course back to Matador. The Untella is flying under the Tasgool’s command, and… I’m in a lot of trouble with my government,” he explained.

  Dr. Orion sat beside her and proceeded to shine a light into her eyes. The light caused her to flinch. “I removed the collar. It will take some time to adjust. Your mind may remain foggy while your memory recovers. Your arm will need surgery when we return. Right now I have it cast in plastic so you can’t move it. I don’t want you moving it at all,” he ordered.

  Sedom glanced down at her arm, which was encased in a firm plastic. Her other hand flew to her neck. “The collar… is gone?” she gulped. “I started to remember when Tausi short-circuited my first collar. That’s when I saw you in the arena with Lord Wyice and Santurra. And then Lord Wyice put that other collar on me and I…” she paused, turning back to Rokaa, “I forgot everything again. But Waar… Waar returned the note you had given me.”

  “Lord Wyice’s assistant?” Zion questioned from behind the sofa. He rested his hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn to him.

  She patted his hand to tell him she was okay.

  “Our little trick worked. We managed to get you off of Clovucutte,” Rokaa said.

  “Too bad you pack a hell of a punch,” Rosanheer joked from a seat to her left. She jumped hearing him speak. She looked over at him as he massaged his jaw. A deep welt still bruised his jaw. To her horror, his face was still a mess of bruises. Then she turned to Orion, noticing his new burns.

  “You? One of the Cassaus’ guards?” she questioned.

  “It’s a long story, Sortec. All you need to know is we’re going home,” Zion spoke as he took a seat on the sofa.

  Sedom shook her head with mad intensity. “No! We must find the Oslo,” she insisted.

  Ryn hurried into the room, hearing Sedom’s voice. “She’s awake?” he asked, hurrying over to Sedom. “Chadon, it’s an honor to serve you. I’m commander Ryn Hallis,” he introduced.

  Sedom stared at him in question. She decided to ask who he was later. She fell from the sofa, practically crawling over to Zion, begging on her knees. “We can’t jeopardize the mission. We need to find the Oslo.”

  Zion helped Sedom to stand. “Sortec, you’ve been through enough. We need to get you home. We’ll regroup and devise another plan.”

  “Not without the Oslo!” she demanded.

  “What is the Oslo?” Rokaa asked Zion.

  “You’re going to find out,” Zion grumbled. He pulled a computer pad out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Rokaa. “Tell your captain to set this course.”

  Rokaa took the computer, examining it. “This is suicide. There’s no way I’m--”

  “This is the Chadon’s orders. You will follow them,” Zion warned.

  Rokaa took Sedom by the shoulder, looking into her eyes. “If the Marisheio destroy my ship, you owe me a new one,” he warned. She agreed.

  “Um, Chadon, if you could spare a moment. There’s someone who really
wants to speak with you,” Jeina mentioned as she peeked around the corner into the room.

  Sedom nodded, walking over to the woman. “You joined us?” she asked amused.

  Jeina shyly nodded. “Hopefully that doesn’t displease you, Chadon,” she said with a bow.

  Sedom grew closer to Jeina, whispering softly into her ear. “Do you see that man in there?” she asked, motioning to Rokaa. Jeina nodded. “He’s royalty. I’m not. I’m a leader. You can salute me, but never bow to me,” she warned.

  “Yes, Chadon,” Jeina returned humbled.

  TWENTY-ONE

  Danstu paced nervously in his office. His eyes darted back and forth from the door, to the com and back to his window. It had been nearly twelve hours since the operation and he hadn’t heard a word. In the back of his mind, he kept running through scenarios. What if he had to take command of Gathow and the Tasgool? Was that even legal? Did he want to? Could he fill--

  “Chisarel, incoming message from the Untella.”

  He practically jumped over his desk to reach his com. “Patch them through,” he ordered eagerly. He drummed his fingers six times while he waited. The screen flashed. “Zion, give me some good news?”

  An image of Sedom appeared on the screen, smiling with an awkward, embarrassed grin. “Chisarel.”

  Danstu sunk back into his chair, closing his eyes to hide his relief. “Sedom… Chadon, sorry. Thank the heavens. Are you alright?” he asked.

  “Beaten-up, but I’ll survive. I’m a little wiser from my experiences, I suppose. I need to know if you have removed me from command functions,” she asked.

  “Yes, do to the situation—”

  She held up her hand, causing him to pause. “That’s all I need to know. We are in route to our original mission. I will need you to reinstate my commands authorization to all ship computers only. With luck, we will return to neutral space by the end of the day tomorrow,” she ordered.

  “I’ll see to it right away, Chadon,” Danstu returned.

  “Has the second part of our mission been successful?” she asked, hiding her tears behind her smile.