Kastori Restorations (The Kastori Chronicles Book 4) by Stephen Allan Read Free Book Online Page A

her over as soon as he saw her, and Garrus gave her a broad smile. He quickly embraced Crystil as the two exchanged pleasantries.
    “Garrus arrived just a few minutes ago,” the emperor said. “He says all surviving humans in the area—a few thousand—are prepared to do whatever it takes to serve the mission.”
    “Excellent,” Crystil said, although, in the back of her mind, she felt that if humanity had dropped to just a few thousand, they had suffered far worse than she had imagined. “I brought with me about two dozen Kastori, former slaves of Typhos whom he abandoned. I trust all of them, Garrus, and so should you.”
    “If you command it, that works for me!” Garrus said, punctuated with a sharp, deep laugh.
    Crystil smiled but did some mental calculations quickly. She had no idea how many ships the Kastori could help build, but if they went by human speed alone, they could build one every three days. Of course, that assumed people worked the entire day and night, with someone manning every station at all times, and no mistakes happened. Add the Kastori, and it probably still comes out to one every three days. Really hope we have the time to build. Really hope Typhos doesn’t recover quickly.
    “We need to build as many fighters as we can for as long as Typhos lives. Cyrus and Celeste have a plan to bring him down, but he’s going to throw some ugly beasts our way, and we need to be ready. Garrus, I want you to help oversee the construction of these ships. I want us to work at a pace of one every three days. Can you make that happen?”
    Garrus’ eyes belied his beliefs. Crystil knew he thought it couldn’t happen. So she turned to the Emperor.
    “I just want to make sure, Emperor Orthran, if you approve. I know you said I’m in charge of the operation, but these are your people, and I just want to make sure I have permission—”
    “Permission?” the Emperor said with a warm smile. “Crystil, it is I who should be asking permission from you. Yes, you have permission. Garrus, I have faith you can pull this off.”
    He’s not going to refuse the Emperor. Not that he would refuse me, either.
    “Yes, Emperor. Yes, Crystil.”
    Crystil turned to the Kastori and commanded them to follow Garrus into the warehouse. She noted how much more relaxed the Kastori looked. She could not begin to imagine what it was like working for the short-tempered, violent psychopath that was Typhos.
    “Crystil,” Emperor Orthran said, and when Crystil turned to him, she was shocked to see the contrast. If the Kastori looked younger and fresher, then the years had aged the Emperor. “I have always appreciated your service to me. I know that you are our finest and our strongest. From this day until we defeat Typhos, I am in service to you.”
    What?
    “I am serious, Crystil. I am old, aged rapidly by what Typhos has done to me, and tired. Though I am not ill and not in any serious danger of dying, the end is closer than the beginning.”
    “Sir,” Crystil said, aghast at the notion. “I… I…”
    Crystil had no words in response to her leader. Leading Cyrus and Celeste on Anatolus against one monster was one thing. To lead all of humanity of Monda against the greatest evil in the universe, an evil that could spawn even more monsters… she honestly didn’t know if she could perform well in such a role. She was a soldier and a fighter, and she was incredibly useful in those positions. But as a commander, she had concerns from her performance guiding Cyrus and Celeste on Omega One that those skills were not as good as she had thought them to be. She had lost her temper, kept confidential secrets that didn’t need to be secrets, and had nearly pushed Cyrus away when they desperately needed him.
    “Consider it an order, if it will make you assume the duty faster,” Emperor Orthran said. “And your first job, as commander of this entire operation, is to tell me what to do.”
    “Sir?”
    Is this even real anymore? Is