He turned his head toward the entrance to his left upon hearing the doors slide open. Celeste, still dressed in her green fatigues, walked in. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail. The dim light flickered off the two small diamonds in her ears as she smiled.
Even in his foul mood, he couldn’t resist the urge to smile back. Her smile was breathtaking. The more he got to know Celeste, the more his love grew for her, and this gave him comfort. He knew he was no match for Celeste intellectually or physically. He wondered what she even saw in him.
Celeste seemed to sense what he was thinking, even though his Mind Inhibitors were in place. She made her way next to him, pulled up a chair, and sat across from him as she grabbed his hand. “Something’s troubling you?”
He nodded. It was no use denying how he felt when Celeste asked him. “Sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
Lowering his head, he replied, “I’m sorry that I haven’t been myself lately. And … I’m sorry that I haven’t even mentioned our wedding.”
She touched him under the chin and raised his head. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about, Jake. There is too much to do. I know that. The wedding can wait. Right now, we need to concentrate on how we are going to get to Gnolom. The others should be here shortly to go over the plans.”
He nodded. He had not only been expecting Celeste, but had been expecting Kylee, Runa, Scott, and Nichelle to arrive as well to go over the plans for their mission. Scott wanted to meet in the mess hall in the middle of the night because he wanted this mission to remain classified from what remained of the Terrestrian rebel force.
“I don’t think it can wait, Celeste.”
“The mission?”
“No, I don’t think the wedding can wait. I love you so much. You have taught me what it means to be courageous and noble. You have also taught me unconditional love. You are the most amazing woman I have ever met.”
She smiled, caressing his cheek with her hand. “You’re not bad yourself.”
He managed a small smile.
“You’re afraid something will happen to me on this mission, aren’t you?” she asked.
Again, Jake nodded as he grabbed the hand that caressed his cheek and kissed it. “I am. That’s why I think we should get married before we leave.”
The smile on Celeste’s face grew. “I thought you wanted to wait?”
“I wanted to, but considering the turn this war has taken, I’m afraid we may not have much time.”
Celeste leaned in closer and grabbed his face with both of her hands.
Jake melted. His stomach churned. He reached up and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand as well.
“Well, in that case,” said Celeste, “General Hauler better marry us.”
The small grin on Jake’s face grew, causing his facial muscles to ache. He leaned in and gave her a passionate kiss. She returned the favor with a kiss that told him that she would be proud to be his wife.
After what seemed like a lifetime of kissing, they were startled out of their embrace as the door to the mess hall slid open.
* * * * *
“Oh . . . sorry to disturb you two love birds.”
Celeste quickly turned away from Jake’s kiss and met the sparkling brown eyes of her dearest friend, Nichelle Kreuk.
Embarrassed, she gave Nichelle a shy smile and backed her seat away from Jake.
Nichelle, dressed in a black t-shirt with green fatigue bottoms, walked into the mess hall, followed by Nateal Runa, Kylee, and Scott Hauler. She grinned at Celeste with a childlike playfulness. “You need to watch yourself, your Highness. It is the tradition of a Gnol princess to wait until her wedding night for such things.”
Runa snickered as he sat down next to Jake on the other side of the table, Kylee next to him.
Celeste then looked at Jake. He seemed to be taken aback with Nichelle’s comment as well.
“Very funny, Nick,” Jake responded, calling Nichelle by the nickname he had affectionately given her, a name she didn’t particularly care for. “She doesn’t need to wait long. We have changed our wedding plans.”
Scott, who stood next to the table, interjected, “Changed them?”
Jake looked at his commanding officer and stood up. “General, Celeste and I have decided to get married before we leave for Gnolom.”
“I thought you wanted to wait until things calmed down?” Kylee asked.
“That was the plan, but I don’t think that I can wait any longer to marry the most beautiful, intelligent, and powerful woman in the galaxy,” he answered, looking with passion at Celeste.
Celeste returned his smile. “And I can’t wait to marry the most courageous, handsome, and talented man in the galaxy.”
“Ah … I think I’m going to cry. This is too romantic,” Runa said, dripping with sarcasm.
Kylee elbowed him in the ribs, and Celeste smirked at him.
By this time, Nichelle made her way around the table and took a seat next to Kylee. Jake turned and looked at Scott. “And, General, we would like you to marry us before our mission to Gnolom.”
Scott seemed taken aback. “M-me? You want me to marry you?”
Jake took a few steps toward the general of the Terrestrian military and placed his hand on Scott’s right shoulder. “Yes, Scott. Despite our differences, you are the closest father figure I have, with my dad missing. You were with my dad on the first mission to Mars, and you have been one of his closest friends all of these years. It’s only appropriate that you marry us.”
Scott reached out, and the two men shook hands. “It will be an honor, Jake.”
Jake returned his handshake with a large smile of his own.
Celeste stood and gave Scott a hug. “Thank you, Scott. Getting married now seems right. Something tells me that it’s right.”
Scott, usually brazen, tried to control his emotions. But his face said everything about the burden he carried now. He managed to crack a small smile. “Thank you, Celeste.”
She returned his smile and sat back down.
Still standing, the smile on Scott’s face turned downward. He was serious now. “Okay, we have a job to get ready for. I called you here in the middle of the night because I want this mission classified. I don’t want anyone else to know besides Anyta and Petey.”
He then turned his attention toward Nateal Runa. “Commander Runa, have you managed to locate a ship capable of taking you to Gnolom?”
“We have. It is a partially destroyed battle cruiser that happened to be damaged in the battle against the Gnols prior to their entrance into the wormhole. It crash-landed into the Arctic Ocean near the north pole of Terrest.
“Were there any survivors?” Kylee asked.
“No, all of the Gnols on board drowned. I am prepping a team now, led by Peter Sanchez, to recover the sunken ship. Luckily for us, it didn’t sink all the way to the bottom. It is lodged on a large glacier under thirty meters of water.”
“How are we going to retrieve the ship?” Jake questioned. “We don’t have the manpower, not to mention the equipment to recover such a large ship.”
Celeste saw the hopelessness in her fiancé’s eyes. It was hard for her to see. Jake always seemed to revert to his pessimistic side. She placed her hand on his. It seemed to comfort him a little.
“Nichelle?” Runa asked, turning his attention toward her.
Nichelle leaned on the table and looked at Jake. “During my time in Chast with my father, I have managed to learn many of the secret technologies he and Koroan have been working on. One of these new inventions is a tractor beam, capable of bringing large warships down from space. They were developing this as a defense system for Chast. Their plan was to establish several tractor beam stations throughout the city. If an attack were to occur, the beams would bring the ships down before they would even have a chance for their attack or bombing runs.”
Celeste was impressed. She wasn’t even aware of such technology. “How far were they into creating
a prototype?”
“They were in the pre-production phase of the project before you and I escaped Chast. After that, I don’t know how much more they were able to develop the project. But Runa was able to steal the plans the last time he was able to hack into Koroan’s computer network.”
“The computer geniuses within Chast are on to me now,” Runa affirmed. “But from the schematics of the prototype, I believe we can develop a strong enough tractor beam, outfitted onto a shuttle that will be capable of bringing that cruiser out of the water.”
“How long will it take to develop the prototype?” Scott asked.
“Maybe a few days, a week tops,” Runa answered.
“Good. In the meantime, Jake, you and Celeste figure out who will be on your team and develop plans for the mission. I want a report in two days.”
* * * * *
The White House, Washington, D.C. . . .
Adrian was finding it difficult to breathe. His ribs were sore and his vision blurry as he tried to regain consciousness. He could tell that his head rested in someone’s lap, probably his older brother’s. A blurry figure knelt next to him, holding his hand. From the feel of the hand, he deduced that it was probably Ashley, doing her best to comfort him. Another hazy figure stood behind Ashley, most likely Adam.
Again, he tried to breathe. He cringed in pain, holding his ribs.
Someone spoke to him, but it was hard for Adrian to make out. It sounded as if someone was speaking to him underwater.
Once more, he heard the muffled voice. This time, he understood. “Relax, Adrian.”
He then heard Ashley. “Daddy, what did that Gnol do to him?”
“I-I don’t know. I couldn’t bear to watch.”
Ashley stifled her sniffles, trying not to cry. “Is he going to be okay?”
Adrian managed to get the words out before Kevin could answer. “I-I’ll be okay.” Recoiling in pain, he managed to sit himself up against the wall of the cell. His vision was also beginning to return. “He was in my head. I-it was excruciating.”
“What do you mean he was in your head?” Adam questioned.
“A Gnol torture technique Celeste told me about. Using his telekinetic ability, he entered my subconscious mind. It was like we were in battle … just the two of us. But it was a battle he controlled. There was nothing I could do.”
Kevin was about to speak, but the door to the holding cell flew open. Four Gnols walked in, each one holding a black hood. A Gnol grabbed each one of the prisoners, shoving the hood over each one of their heads. Ashley squealed. Adam and Kevin struggled to get free, but the strength of each Gnol was too overpowering. Adrian resigned to his apprehension.
The Gnols dragged them to the elevator. Adrian felt the elevator ascend upward. The doors opened, and they were dragged through the halls to another room. He heard the door to the room open. The Gnol dragging him threw him into the room. With the hood on, he couldn’t see. Consequently, his face crashed nose first into the carpeted floor. Blood spewed from his nose.
He heard the thud of his family members being thrown into the room as well. The sound of one crashing through a table rang through his ears. Two strong hands grabbed him by the arms, pulling him up into a kneeling position as blood continued to pour from his nose.
The Gnol pulled the hood from his head. Adrian squinted from the brightly lit room as his eyes adjusted. He turned his head to his right. Kneeling next to him was Ashley, then Adam, and then Kevin – bloodied from the collision with the coffee table in the middle of the Oval Office. All three were staring straight ahead, their eyes wild with fear.
He turned his head, looking forward. His eyes caught the midsection of a Gnol dressed in the customary all-black Gnol dress uniform. His eyes scanned upward, meeting the eyes of Dorange, who had nearly tortured him to death hours earlier.
Dorange leered at Adrian with a sinister joy. Another Gnol, a few inches taller than Dorange, stepped forward. His hands were placed behind his back. His presence was terrifying. His face was cold and his eyes were narrow and dark. The goateed Gnol showed no emotion whatsoever. He simply stared at Adrian in disdain.
Something in the pit of Adrian’s stomach started to churn as he began to realize who stood before him. The Gnol seemingly read his mind and gave Adrian a baleful smile.
Without holding his arms out in front of him, Koroan levitated Adrian from the soft floor of the Oval Office, blood dripping onto its plush surface. He levitated Adrian toward him, within a few inches of his face. Adrian felt the heat and the stench of his breath as he spoke.
“So, Adrian Palmer, the human who has led the pitiful resistance on Terrest all of these years. We finally meet.”
Adrian didn’t respond. He continued to stare into the dark eyes of Koroan Chast. He also tried to control his thoughts because he knew that the emperor of the Gnols was reading his mind, as well as his family’s thoughts.
Koroan examined Adrian with his eyes as he would an animal being examined prior to its butchering. “I have to say, General Palmer, I never would have imagined a human such as yourself leading a rebellion that has lasted … what, over fifteen years now?”
Adrian maintained his silence.
Koroan furrowed his eyebrows now in obvious anger. “Even though I can read every little thought in that pitiful thing in your head, I demand an answer. After all, I am your god.”
Adrian couldn’t control the thought that popped into his head. You are not my God.
Koroan clenched his teeth. He began to seethe with rage. He lifted his left arm toward Adrian’s family and clenched his fist. Suddenly, Kevin, Ashley, and Adam grabbed their throats, struggling for air. He continued to stare at Adrian with an evil smile. “Speak or they die.”
Adrian darted his eyes from his family back into Koroan’s ice-cold stare. He clenched his own bloodstained teeth. “You are not my God!”
Koroan squeezed his fist tighter. Ashley and Adam fell to the floor, unconscious. Kevin continued to struggle.
Adrian’s concern for his family overcame any insolence he had toward Koroan Chast. He was exhausted beyond comprehension. His strength and faith were nearly gone. “Let them go and you can do whatever you want with me.”
Koroan smiled and released his fist.
* * * * *
Kevin fell forward, gasping for air. His throat burned and ached after nearly being crushed to death by an invisible force. Glancing over toward his children, he could see that they were unconscious but alive. With tear-filled eyes, he looked up at the monster that had invisibly inflicted so much pain on his family.
Koroan paid no attention to him and took a few steps away from Adrian. Koroan continued to hold Adrian in midair with his telekinetic ability. He moved Adrian into a midair, lying position. Adrian trembled with fear.
Adrian struggled to move, but it was futile. His body was stiff as a board, with his arms frozen at his side, in front of the President’s desk. Koroan moved in front of Kevin with his back to him. Kevin leaned to the side to get a better look at what Koroan was doing to his brother – tears streaming down his face.
Koroan placed his left hand just above Adrian forehead, his fingers extended. He then placed his right hand just above Adrian’s chest in the same manner.
Adrian’s body began to tremble even more. He let out a slow moan, which then turned into a shrill scream. Koroan pulled his right arm upward a few inches causing Adrian’s body to tremble as if he was in electric shock.
Kevin turned his head. He couldn’t bear to watch. He knew that Koroan was now in his brother’s mind.
Adrian screamed again, his body convulsing with every telekinetic shock Koroan Chast gave him.
Drops of Kevin’s tears fell to the floor. His own body began convulsing as if he could feel Adrian’s pain. In the turmoil, he said a silent prayer.
Finally, after about an hour of unspeakable torture, Koroan stopped. Adrian’s body fell to the floor in a bloodied, sweating mass. Blood seeped from different areas of
his body. The pressure of whatever Koroan did to him forced open wounds throughout his entire body.
As Koroan stepped toward Dorange, Kevin rushed over to Adrian. The two Gnols ignored him.
Choking back the tears, Kevin tried to speak to his brother. “A-Adrian.”
Adrian was motionless.
Kevin turned and looked at Koroan, who had the evil smile still on his face. “What did you do to him?”
Koroan ignored Kevin, turned around, and looked at his general. “Dorange.”
“My Lord?”
“Adrian Palmer will not live much longer. Therefore, I want a public execution for these wretched humans at noon tomorrow. Make sure you gather every human slave in the area to observe the power of their new god.”
* * * * *
A few hours later, Arlington Cemetery . . .
Koroan wandered through the cemetery known to the humans as Arlington. The night was pitch black, the single moon of Earth hidden from the thick blanket of smoke and ash from the Gnol attacks around the planet. But Koroan’s vision was clear. His powers were increasing, sharpening his senses.
Despite the emptiness he felt inside for choosing power over all those he loved, he seemed to enjoy the moment. After all, his forces were in the process of successfully conquering Earth, and his enemy for over fifteen years was about to be executed. He felt a sense of ease and peace for the first time since his first meeting with the goddess of light.
The thought of the goddess brought another smile to his face. She was the one whom he trusted now more than ever. Moreover, she had come through in all that she had promised him on that fateful day when he and Vlamer Kreuk found her on Gnolom. Now, he was about to meet her master, the god whom she served.
Worlds Without End: Aftermath (Book 2) Page 8
