**********
Celeste finished dressing, placed Gyrale's battle helmet on, and lowered the tinted visor. She punched the security code to unlock the door. The door slid open, and there stood Nichelle with a panicked look on her face, accompanied by Dorange and her father's high priest.
"Oh, Private ? we were just about to enter," Dorange said.
Celeste didn't say a word. She stood motionless, trying to think of what to do.
Dorange gave her a strange look and stepped forward. "I know you do not want me to report you as insubordinate," he said.
Celeste's eyes darted back and forth between Dorange and Vlamer. She didn't know what to do. She knew that she could possibly take Dorange. However, Vlamer was a different matter. Even though she had grown extremely powerful in her abilities, she wasn't confident enough to challenge him.
"Well ? Private!" Dorange yelled. "When a superior officer and our lord's high priest are in your presence, what should you do?"
Celeste suddenly realized what Dorange was saying. She immediately stood at attention and saluted. Dorange saluted back as Vlamer stepped forward and moved Dorange out of the way. Vlamer stood within inches of Celeste's face as he eyed her up and down. "Take off your helmet, Private," he ordered.
Celeste thought about throwing Vlamer to the side, grabbing Nichelle, and escaping to her room across the hall, but she knew with Vlamer's strength and power that wasn't possible.
"Now, Private!" Vlamer demanded.
Celeste jumped back into her mother's room from the sheer volume of Vlamer's voice. As she did so, Vlamer followed. He noticed Gyrale's body on the floor and immediately raised his arms. Celeste tried to run around him, but couldn't. He had succeeded in holding her in place. Celeste felt paralyzed.
Vlamer continued to hold Celeste in place as he stepped forward. He grabbed her with his right hand and, with his left, pulled off the battle helmet. "I have to say, Celeste, I am impressed. It seems that you are gaining more strength in your abilities."
Celeste didn't say a word. She met Vlamer's gaze and just stared. Vlamer called out, "Dorange!"
"Yes, Your Eminence," Dorange said, stepping forward.
"Inform Lord Chast that his daughter has attempted an escape, but we now have her in custody."
"As you wish," said Dorange, backing away. Celeste watched Dorange back out of the open doorway. He stood next to Nichelle as he flipped open his communicator. As soon as he did, Nichelle frantically grabbed the gun hidden in her boot. She pulled the gun out and hit Dorange's hand that held his communicator. The communicator fell to the floor.
Vlamer turned around and saw what had happened. His daughter held the gun between Dorange's eyes. Dorange looked like a frightened animal. "Nichelle, what are you doing?"
"Let Celeste go, Father."
Vlamer looked shocked, which was just the distraction Celeste needed. Celeste grabbed Vlamer's arm and twisted. Because Nichelle took Vlamer off guard, he wasn't prepared. He tried to resist.
Celeste twisted and jerked Vlamer's arm, causing him to flip and land on his back. Celeste darted for Dorange and the door. Just as she was about to reach Dorange, she felt her legs give out. She fell, hitting her head on the hard, marble floor. She looked up and saw Dorange snatch the gun from Nichelle. He then grabbed her and held the gun to her head. "Surrender, Celeste, or Nichelle will die."
"No!" yelled Vlamer as he grabbed Celeste by the left leg. Celeste turned her head and saw Vlamer raise his right arm. The gun flew from Dorange's grip to the back of the room. Vlamer looked at Celeste with fire in his eyes. He placed his other hand on the same leg and flung Celeste into the wall. Pictures fell, and pieces of the wall splintered all around her.
As Celeste fell to the floor, she felt a painful gash open down her left arm. She resisted the temptation to grab it and focused her attention back to Vlamer. He approached her, seething in anger. "You will die now, Celeste," he said as he clenched his fist and threw a massive punch toward her face.
As Vlamer's fist approached, Celeste closed her eyes and focused. She quickly raised her right hand and pushed. She opened her eyes and saw Vlamer's body fly to the back of the room. His body smashed into the same brick wall into which she had thrown Gyrale.
Out of the corner of her eye, Celeste saw Dorange grab his weapon from his belt. She raised her other hand. She mentally grabbed Dorange and flung him across the hall. He crashed through the door to her room.
Nichelle rushed for Celeste and tried to help her up.
"Look out!" Celeste shrieked.
Nichelle turned around. Her father grabbed her under the chin and lifted her up. "How dare you, Nichelle," he said. "You have brought shame to me. For that ? you will die along with your friend."
Without hesitation or guilt, Vlamer hurled his daughter into the wall that separated Ciminae's room from the corridor. Nichelle hit the marble and wooden wall headfirst. The force of Vlamer's throw caused her body to crash through the wall and hit the wall on the other side of the corridor. Celeste shuddered with dread as she watched in horror. She saw Nichelle's body go limp and knew there was no way she could have survived.
Before Celeste could focus her attention back to Vlamer, he clutched her by the throat and lifted. She tried to kick at him, but he was far enough away that her kicks were futile. She gasped for breath as Vlamer squeezed. He took her to Ciminae's bed and slammed her down beside her mother's body.
As Celeste struggled, Vlamer let a sinister smile spread across his face. "Now, it is here, beside your mother, where you shall die."
Celeste saw the anger in Vlamer's eyes, and as he squeezed the life out of her, she wondered what had changed him and her father from loving, caring fathers to power-hungry, evil monsters. Vlamer squeezed tighter, and Celeste felt her strength begin to fail.
Celeste's vision went blurry, and her head began to feel light. She tried to struggle but couldn't. She closed her eyes and felt the tears stream out. This was it. In a matter of seconds, she would be with her mother in the afterlife. She opened her eyes again and looked at the ceiling. She could see her mother.
Ciminae was there, floating near the ceiling and smiling at her. She opened her mouth and said, "Remember ? the source of your father's power." And then, she disappeared.
Celeste closed her eyes and let her body relax. She resigned herself to being reunited with her mother. Just as she was about to pass into unconsciousness, she heard what sounded like a blast from a plasma gun. She quickly opened her eyes and saw Vlamer, wide eyed. His grip relaxed, and he let go of her throat. Celeste felt the oxygen rush into her lungs as she coughed and took in deep breaths.
Vlamer stumbled away from Celeste, grabbing at his back. He fell back into a chair and looked toward his assassin. Celeste looked as well. There stood Nichelle with Dorange's weapon raised. Her head was split open, bleeding profusely. Her nose was smashed as well, and tears rolled from her eyes. She fell to the floor in a bloodied and sobbing heap.
Celeste rushed to her. She embraced Nichelle and gently lifted her from the floor. "Come. We don't have much time."
Nichelle glanced at her father as Celeste ran to the door. Celeste made it to the door and turned around. Nichelle slowly walked toward her father. Vlamer was still breathing and he looked at his daughter. Nichelle stopped just out of his reach, stared at him for a few seconds, then quickly turned around and ran toward Celeste.
The two friends rushed across the corridor to Celeste's room where they could escape through a secret passageway Koroan had built within the palace that would take them outside of the city walls. As they approached Celeste's broken door, Dorange groggily began to move his head back and forth. Celeste knelt down on one knee and grabbed him by the throat. She reached behind each one of his ears and pulled out his inhibitors. His eyes widened as soon as he realized what she was doing.
He tried to struggle, but Celeste was too strong for him, as a result of his head injury. A flood of thoughts rushed into her head; thoughts that s
he particularly didn't want to know, others that revealed his true identity, and others that suddenly were of vital importance to the rebel cause.
She broke her link with Dorange's mind and looked at Nichelle. "We have to get to the second rebel base now!"