We follow him across the bluffs toward the yard, into flatland desolace and sunless gloom. Gilly nods to Bahto, who nods back with a grunt and begins walking. 'Gilly's didn't take at first, but time wears ya down.' I think the plan is more a quiet reappropriation of goods, Bahto.' 'I'm not looking to have a shootout with an entire base. But you will need to know my name if we find battle.' 'Name's Gilgamesh, or Gilly.'īahr'Toran considers for a moment and nods. 'You're my skull-cracker.' I point to my Ghost. 'You are Katabasis.' The Cabal is speaking to me.

A congested Cabal shipyard glows in the distance against the crest of dark riding the horizon. We disembark onto prickly milk-rich soil, turning away from the sun as the deep green sky slowly bleeds out. 'Right.' My shoulders slump forward, head resting in my hands, as the Thresher touches down. 'All Cabal ships belong to Calus,' the Centurion growls. 'But normally they would… because it's a Legion ship, and you've set me up to commit thievery?' You're saying they won't notice this ship taking off?' I ask. Ships come and go without stories recorded. 'The Legion is stirred by Caiatl's rousing, Human…' I recognize the tinge of malice in her address. 'What does it matter? Calus saw fit to give you a ship, Katabasis.' My Ghost, Gilgamesh, glares at me. 'They would die,' grumbles the Centurion. To be honest, I'm surprised they haven't tried to storm the Leviathan.' I prod first: 'I can't imagine hiding a ship from the Legion was easy on Nessus. Seems news of my command had rendered a number of the crew indignant. He'd been assigned to make sure none of the other Cabal try to kill me. To my right, a craggy Cabal Centurion, complete with demolition satchels and Projection Rifle, adjusts the connectors on his pressure suit. Her eye hasn't left me since she boarded. A Psion officer named Qinziq sits across from me. Most of the seats in the drop-hold are empty. Calus's words ring in my ears over the storm-rush of reentry: 'The ship is yours to claim.' Our disheveled Thresher rattles through lean Nessian atmosphere. The words seep experience into your open mind… This page is blighted with mold and the imprint of a memory…

Lore and lust book 2