Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1)

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  Celeste paced back and forth in her room. She was impatient. She had to get to the base to warn Adrian that her father knew the location of the base and planned to attack in two days. She couldn't risk sending an encrypted message through her computer or communicator. She knew with the intelligence teams her father had within the building that such a message would be intercepted. No, she had to go in person.

  She stopped and looked at herself in her mirror and adjusted her robe so that the black fatigues she wore underneath would not show. She wanted her father to think that she was going to retire for the evening.

  The annoying beeping sound signaled, which indicated that someone was outside her bedroom door. She quickly sat in the chair in front of the mirror, grabbed her hairbrush, and began brushing her hair. "Come in," she said.

  Her bedroom door slid open, and Koroan, still adorned in his robe and cape, walked in. "Ah, there she is - my beautiful daughter."

  "Hello, Father," Celeste said as she turned back to face the mirror and began to stroke her hair again.

  Koroan stood behind Celeste and placed his hands on her shoulders. They just looked at each other for a few seconds in the mirror before either one of them spoke.

  Celeste was the first to break the silence. "Father, why would you believe Dorange's accusation about me being a spy?"

  Koroan gave her a rare genuine smile. She was a little relieved that he seemed to be in one of his unfailing moods, but his moods changed so much that it was hard to tell. "Yes, that is what I wanted to speak with you about," he said.

  She turned and looked up at her father. As she looked at him, she yearned for the days before he was corrupt and maddened with power - the days when she was a little girl on Gnolom, and her father was a respectable farmer and warrior in the Girtheal tribe. But those days were gone.

  Even though she had witnessed violence and bloodshed at a young age, her father was different. He had been kind and gentle, the total opposite from the Gnol he was now. Did she still love her father? Of course, she did; he was her father. Nonetheless, she had witnessed his tyranny against the Terrestrians and even her own people. She would never be able to forgive him for that.

  "What are you thinking about, my dear?" Koroan asked.

  Celeste stood and walked past him. She took another few steps, turned around, and looked him square in the eyes. "I will be honest with you, Father. I do not like the Gnol you have become," she said, holding his gaze and her composure. It was a bold statement.

  Koroan's smile turned downward into a frown, and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Celeste, I have been patient with you. I have noticed your sympathy toward the Terrestrian slaves in our possession and have granted you a lot of freedom. I even trusted you when you told me that you were not the spy Dorange accused you of being. But, ?" Koroan paused as he walked closer to Celeste. He grabbed her by the arms and squeezed. Celeste winced in pain, " ? but do not ever make a statement like that toward me again."

  He squeezed a little harder until Celeste apologized. "S-sorry, Father."

  Koroan let go and switched personalities again. "Good. Now, let me answer your first question."

  Celeste didn't say anything. She just nodded. She had to be careful. If she made any more bold statements like that, which she often did, she could risk giving herself away.

  Koroan continued. "I was suspicious of Dorange's accusations because Lieutenant Vier was able to block some of my mind probe when he was tortured to death."

  Celeste hid her emotion. She had trusted and learned to love Malk like a brother.

  "And as you know, Celeste, there are only four Gnols that possess the ability to block mind probes."

  "Yes, Father, but have you considered that fact that with nearly two and a half million Gnols on Terrest, there just might be another Gnol with the ability to block mind probes?"

  Koroan gave Celeste another suspicious look and then changed it immediately to a smile. "Perhaps, but as lord and ruler of our civilization, I would know if that were true."

  Celeste managed a yawn and said, "Yes, Father. Now, if you do not mind, I would like to go to the first floor temple, worship our goddess of light and you as well, and then retire to bed. It has been a long day."

  Koroan seemed pleased that Celeste would pay homage to the goddess and especially him, which Celeste had known he would delight in. "Yes, my dear. I will leave you alone now to do so. I will see you in the morning. I want to have breakfast with you so that we can discuss this matter further," he said as he walked out of Celeste's room with the door sliding shut behind him.

  Now, Celeste felt pressed for time. She looked at her digital clock on the nightstand next to her bed. The clock read 11:16 p.m. The rebel base was three hundred miles away. As a result, she would have to act fast if she was going to be back in the morning for breakfast with her father.