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Captain Sartel was mad at himself. He needed to sober up fast, or he was going to slip up, which he had almost done by bumping into one of the displays that honored Koroan Chast. He could see Celeste from his position in the temple, but was grateful that he was about one hundred yards away so that she couldn't see him. He supposed that she didn't suspect that he was spying on her.
Just fifteen minutes before, Sartel and Dorange had made their way back into the palace courtyard and managed to sneak back into the temple room without Celeste even noticing. Dorange didn't want Celeste to suspect that he had suspected her being in the temple room at this hour, so he made his way up to his quarters via a secret passageway on the other side of the temple room that Sartel hadn't even known was there.
Sartel found a well-hidden spot underneath a display and began to record. He was proud of himself because he was able to get a clear recording of Celeste replacing her robe with a heavy coat, and hiding the robe behind the goddess of light statue. He continued to record her until she was out of view.
When he couldn't see her anymore, he crawled out from underneath the display and stood. That's when he felt as if he was going to pass out. He stumbled and bumped into the display, caught himself on the small gold table, and caught the small gold statue of Koroan Chast before it crashed onto the marble floor.
And now, Sartel stood at the large gold and glass doors waiting for the gate to shut as Celeste sped off. He shook his head. What a time for a mission like this, he thought.
As soon as the gate closed, he exited the temple room and ran to his own black Chati.
Once inside the craft, Sartel shook his head to try to get rid of the cobwebs from his night of drinking and maneuvered the Chati to the gate. He saw Major Dent step out of his guard post and hold his hand up. "Hurry up, you old fool," he said under his breath.
Sartel stopped and opened his canopy.
"Captain Sartel. How was your meeting with General Gar?"
"It went well, sir."
"Good," Dent said as he stepped closer to the Chati. "As a superior officer, I am curious as to why you and General Gar would have an important meeting at this hour?"
Sartel glared at Major Dent. "I am sorry, sir. That's classified information. I can't tell you."
Dent looked disappointed. Sartel knew that Dent was going to keep pushing for information because he felt out of the loop. The only reason he was a major was because of his age. "Sorry, sir. But, if you don't mind opening the gate, I have a mission that I've got to do."
Dent now looked more upset, opened his mouth, shut it, shook his head, and walked to the guard post.
Once the gate opened, Sartel took off at nearly full speed. He went in the direction he knew Celeste was going.
After Sartel exited Chast's city walls, he spotted the lights of Celeste's Chati going over a hill, heading northwest toward Talead. Sartel quickly shut off his own lights, and pushed on the accelerator to narrow the gap.
Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1) Page 40