Cembre looked around the room in amazement. Her pink skin shimmered in the pale light of the room. “Where are your guards?”
Sedom frowned. “Do I need them?”
“No, of course not. I do want to apologize about draining you. I didn't realize you were Narkoy. I should have warned you, but in all of the chaos...”
Sedom raised her hand to quiet the woman. “It's perfectly okay. I'd do it again... just don't tell my people. How is your crew?”
Cembre took a seat on the sofa, holding her hands around the cup of tea. “We lost three good men and two of the children. Other than that... we'll survive. We were in route to the Tudor system when we were boarded. The thirteen children we had on board were bound for orphanages on Carmintor.” She took a sip of her tea. “The Almon is in pieces. There's no way we can repair her. Our fate is in your hands.”
“It looks like you're stuck here with us,” Sedom joked. Cembre nodded. Her green eyes grew distant as she thought. “How did a Dellimex come to captain a rogue Marisheio transport ship?”
Cembre looked up into Sedom's eyes. “My mother was kidnapped and sold into slavery. My father, the Almon's original captain, bought her as a concubine. A year later I was born. We lived on the ship for years. My father was always kind to me, showed me how to properly run a ship. Times got rough, and the crew mutinied, killing my father. Somehow I regained control. We've been rogue ever since, taking jobs like transporting the orphans to help fight against the Marisheio's tyranny.”
“You have no connections with the Marisheio then?” Sedom asked.
Cembre shook her head. “Hardly. They don't care for slaves stealing their ships. If I were to choose a side, I'd go with the Dormin. They've been helping us out, giving us missions and paying our bills.”
Sedom took up the computer Danstu left, looking over the schematics of the Almon. “The Almon was a fair-sized ship. Any chance I can interest you in another command? Something a bit larger and maybe a little more powerful?”
Cembre's eyes widened. “Another ship? What do you have in mind, Chadon?”
Sedom stood, walking to her bookshelves. She removed another computer pad from inside a book and handed it to Cembre. “It's called the Assan. She’s a fairly large ship and definitely can hold her own in battle. I need a crew and a good captain. You already have a seasoned crew and I really need the added protection for this system. And… I heard you have quite a reputation with the Marisheio Empire. I think you’d be a good fit.”
Cembre's jaw gaped as she read over the information about the Assan. “You'd trust me with a ship like this?”
“Come work for me, pledge your allegiance to the Tasgool and she's yours to command. I'll try you out on a test run to Carmintor to deliver the children. I'll give you three days, with command protocols in place so I can keep tabs on you. If you're not back in three days, the ship will explode. I'll arrange to take you to the ship personally tomorrow morning.”
Cembre stood, nodding, unable to form words. “Chadon, you won't regret this.”
“You just keep those damn Marisheio off my planet. They've caused me enough hardship,” Sedom grumbled.
Garric poked his head from around the corner. “Chadon, sorry to interrupt, but Dranium wanted me to let you know levels four through nine are fully operational. Levels five and seven are ready for Cidele’s teams.”
Sedom stood, nodding. “Very well. Inform her to start immediately. We have twelve-hundred new faces that are going to need training and housing.”
“Assuming they want to stay,” Cembre mentioned.
Sedom grinned. “I suppose so. It’s better to be prepared. I’ll let those we rescued know they have an option.” Sedom stood with a burst of energy. “You know, I think I’ll go do that right now,” she mentioned.
“Would you mind if I join you? There are three men I met aboard the Elnek that I would like to recruit for my team,” Cembre mentioned.
Sedom waved her to join her. They walked down the stairs, Sedom noticing the two brothers Danstu had hired going through her firestones. She caused Cembre to pause as she went over to the two men.
“Did Danstu talk to you?” she asked the two men, startling them both at first. “About the six locked cabinets?” she clarified.
The taller of the two men bowed slightly. “The Chirisal mentioned they house your personal property and we are not to touch them,” he stated.
Sedom nodded, pleased by Danstu’s excuse. “Keep up the good work,” she said. She continued over to Cembre again. “Bookkeepers,” she mentioned, noticing Cembre’s amusement.
“It’s amazing how many types of people it takes to run an army,” Cembre mentioned.
“You’re telling me,” Sedom returned in an elongated huff.
They reached the ship bay near day’s end. The sun globe was at half-brightness. Within the ship port, Sedom and her security team, plus Cembre all paused to look around. Nearly a thousand people sat around on the floor. Several of the Tasgool and the citizens of Gathow were helping to pass out blankets and pillows. A food station had been set up near Sedom’s own ship. A long line of ex-slaves waited to get food.
Sedom strolled over to the food counter, seeing Cidele dishing out food. She barely acknowledged that Sedom was standing beside her.
“Is there a reason why we only have one station available for these people?” Sedom asked Cidele.
Cidele continued to hand out plates of food as people walked by. “We don’t have the manpower. The only people who aren’t working to help these… survivors are our maintenance team and my team who are hard at work trying to clean new units,” she explained low behind her charming smile.
Sedom took a step back, feeling to her wrist com. She turned to Tremble, who was behind her and asked, “how do you work these again?” she asked.
Tremble held up her own com to demonstrate. “Who do you want me to call?” she asked.
“Dranium,” Sedom returned.
“You’re kind of new to this, aren’t you?” Cembre asked.
Tremble handed Sedom her com. “He’s waiting,” she said.
Sedom took the wrist com, scowling. “Show me next time. I need to know how to work them,” she grumbled. She turned her attention to the com watch. “This is Sortec. I need you and your men to come to ship bay one and help serve meals to the survivors. We’re a little short-handed.”
“Okay, Chadon we’re… on our… way,” Dranium returned.
“And yes,” Sedom replied to Cembre as she handed Tremble back her band. She continued through the crowd, walking by the people in the room. She was surprised when she saw no children and that most of the slaves were men.
“Why only men?” she asked Cembre, who she felt standing beside her.
“Women are a distraction,” Cembre explained. “There are a few women and children, but they’re in your infirmary,” she added.
“Oh, I see,” Sedom muttered. She stepped in the middle of the group, holding her hands up for everyone to take notice. “May I have your attention!” she called out. She continued to call out several more times until the ship bay quieted. Suddenly, over a thousand eyes were on her. “Welcome to Gathow. For those who don’t know me, I am Sedom Sortec, Chadon of the Narkoy,” she began, instantly causing gasps to echo out throughout the ship bay.
“I am pleased to inform you that you are all free people. You have been liberated,” she called out. The room remained in a hush. It wasn’t exactly what Sedom thought their responses would be. “If you choose, in the weeks to come, we will help you return to your home planets and to your loved ones. Or… you may remain here, within Gathow, and help us free all of our brothers and sisters still in bondage. Everyone has unique talents that could all greatly assist in our cause and we are in short supply of help. There will be stations set up tomorrow to help accommodate your needs. I do apologize that I cannot offer you all better accommodations this evening, but I promise you better accommodations are in the works. For now, eat well and attempt a good ni
ght’s sleep.”
She turned to Cembre, waving to the group. “The floor is yours now,” she whispered, although with is quiet as the room was, she could have yelled and her voice would have carried the same.
“Chadon,” a booming deep voice called out. Sedom turned to see a hulking Dormin man standing away from the crowd. “What planet are we on?” he asked.
“Matrador,” Sedom called back. Finally, she could hear several gasps of excitement. “But I warn those of you who are from this world. It isn’t the same planet that you left. Many of the cities here have been destroyed. There has been much devastation. Do not expect to find what you left behind,” she warned.
Another, a Crehail man, stood. “The city of Vici?” he asked.
Sedom shook her head. “The Marisheio took it over some time ago, killed all who lived there and turned it into a military base. That is why I reopened Gathow and that is why I need all of your help.”
The hulking man who spoke first walked over to Sedom. Tremble stepped up behind Sedom, keeping a close eye on the man. He offered his hand to Sedom. “Chadon, I am Borik Ornool, Braum of the Isle of Humal.”
Sedom’s face brightened as she accepted the man’s hand. “And cousin to the Braum Jasper Daveric. They’ve been looking for you,” she mentioned. “I’ll get you home as soon as I can.” She turned back to the group. “I’ll get you all home, as soon as I can.”
TWENTY-FIVE
Two Weeks Later
Raindrops gathered on the window as Sedom’s transport ship flew into the sky. She tapped her finger against the glass, thinking back to the first ride she ever took on a space ship. It was the last time she saw her family alive and healthy. As Gathow’s ship port grew smaller and smaller, she couldn’t help but feel a stone of dread in her stomach. Was she making a mistake leaving Danstu behind to govern her city?
“Chadon, I need the coordinates,” called a young pilot from the controls. She tapped in a sequence of numbers into the computer, sending the information to the cockpit.
Beside her sat Zion and Rosanheer. She took both of the men’s hands, squeezing them softly. They both turned to her, a look of amusement at her outward sign of affection towards them. This was her new family, as crazy as they all seemed. Every one of them served a place in her life and nothing would ever take that away from her, never again.
“Where are we heading to first, Chadon?” asked another young man, the doctor named Orion. He was seated across from Sedom and looking quite excited to be included on an adventure.
“Carmintor to drop off the Braum,” she motioned to Jasper’s cousin, who sat near the back of the ship, reading a book. “Then we’ll borrow a smaller Marisheio vessel the Dormin acquired and cross the border into Cha’laan. From there, we’ll reach the Oslo within a few days.”
“If everything goes as planned,” Tremble added.
“Which it seldom does,” Zion grumbled.
Sedom smacked his thigh. “Think positive. Look at how far we’ve come.”
The Last Narkoy: Gathow: Book 2 Page 32