Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1)

by Shaun F. Messick

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  Celeste walked up the ramp of the assault vehicle that would carry herself and her squadron to Chast where they would attempt to rescue Bantyr, Kylee, and Sean. She sighed as she stepped onto the ramp. She knew that this mission was extremely dangerous. Chast was heavily guarded and every Gnol within its borders knew who Celeste was, and of her loyalty to the rebels. That's why she would stay behind on the outskirts of Chast, and Colonel Jantear would guide the assault vehicle, disguised as a Gnol craft, into her father's great city.

  Jantear and his men were already dressed in the standard issue black and red fatigues that the Gnols typically wore. The plan was simple. Jantear would lead his troops into the city, and from there they would enter the gates to the palace disguised as a squadron returning from the Gnol city of Ciminae to report to Lord Chast himself.

  A few weeks earlier, the rebels had stumbled upon an actual squadron of Gnol troops that were traveling from Ciminae to Chast. Colonel Jantear and his men ambushed them, killing everyone, taking their uniforms, and stealing their identification codes. As a result, they now had the codes that would get them into the city and the palace gates.

  The first part of the mission was straightforward. That was not what worried Celeste. She was worried about the second half. Once Jantear and his men made their way into the palace courtyard, Celeste - from her position outside the city walls - would guide Jantear and his troops to the various secret passageways she knew of in the palace. She even knew of one that would lead them directly to the brig.

  The difficulty in going through the secret passageways, however, was that her father never traveled within his palace via conventional means. He always traveled through the passageways. The thought of Jantear and his troops encountering her father within one of the passageways scared her to death. Sure, they would have him outnumbered, but she knew what her father was capable of.

  As Celeste stepped aboard the vehicle, all fifty troops stood and saluted. She saluted back and made her way to the front. She sat in the chair on Colonel Jantear's right and put on her headset. She heard Petey's voice. "All teams check in," said Petey.

  Celeste heard Jake first. "Red Team ready and awaiting orders to disembark."

  "Roger that, Red Leader," replied Petey.

  Then Celeste heard Adrian's voice. "Black Team is ready and awaiting further orders."

  "Roger that, Black Leader."

  "Blue Team is ready," said Scott.

  "Roger that, Blue Leader."

  Celeste paused before she spoke. She was lost in her thoughts about the mission and Jake. She wanted more than ever to stop this horrific war that her father had started and spend every waking moment with Jake. She didn't want to let him out of her sight.

  She felt someone touch her left arm. She looked up and saw Colonel Jantear staring at her with concern on his face. "Are you all right?" he asked.

  Celeste nodded and responded into her headset. "This is Yellow Leader. Yellow Team is ready to go."

  "Very well," Petey said. "Blue Leader, your team will launch first and provide cover fire for the Red and Black Teams, so they have a clear shot out of the atmosphere. We already know that the Gnols are already on the surface, waiting for us to open the hangar doors. General Hauler, make sure you get those Gnol hover tanks first. From our surface readouts, they've got them lined up around our parameter with their cannons pointing into the sky. They anticipate we're going to launch space fighters."

  "Roger that," replied Scott.

  "Good. Red Leader, you will launch second. Go at full speed to get out of range of those tanks."

  "You got it," Jake responded.

  "Black Leader, your squadron is to launch immediately after Red Team has left the hangar. The Wildcat 2s carry more firepower to inflict enough damage upon those Gnol space cruisers near the wormhole, so don't waste any firepower on the surface."

  "Roger that," Adrian said.

  "Yellow Leader, your team is to wait approximately five minutes after Black Team leaves before you launch. Hopefully, we will have created enough of a diversion that you can sneak past the battle. Ten Chaties will escort you far enough out of the battle area. After that, you're on your own."

  "Roger that," Celeste replied.

  "Very well, on my mark, Blue Team launch," Petey said with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

  Celeste looked up and saw the hangar doors slowly start to open. As the doors spread further and further apart, she could see the blue sky patched with white clouds. Out of the corner of her right eye, she saw the faint outlines of Terrest's two moons.

  "Blue Team, go!"

  Celeste watched as Scott's squadron lifted up off the hangar floor. As the mass of hover tanks, Chaties, and assault vehicle ascended above the hangar doors, she could see flashes of plasma blasts and explosions.

  "Red Team, go!"

  Celeste saw Jake's Wildcat lift off the floor first. She could make out the silhouette of the upper half of his body in his cockpit and longed to be with him. Once Jake's squadron reached the opening to the hangar, they shot off toward space like lightning bolts.

  She listened for Jake's voice in her headset. She could hear screams and orders being spattered all over the place as the battle began. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer to the God Jake and Adrian had told her so much about for their safety.

  "Black Team, go!"

  Adrian's squadron slowly approached the hangar doors and then shot off just as Jake's squadron had done previously. Again, she prayed for both Jake's and Adrian's safety.

  "Okay, Yellow Leader, wait until I give you the order to launch," said Petey.

  "Roger that," replied Celeste, as she looked to her left. Colonel Jantear sat in his chair with a mixed look of fear and determination on his face. His knuckles were beginning to turn white as he squeezed harder and harder upon the controls of the vehicle.

  Celeste turned her head to look at the forty-three young men and seven young women who were willing to risk their lives for people they didn't even know personally. As she scanned their faces, some had looks of sheer dread, while others were wiping the tears from their eyes and trying to control their emotions as the fear of entering their first battle began to set in. There were other soldiers, however, that looked brave - at least on the outside - as their jaws were clenched tight and their eyes were full of rage.

  Celeste looked above the soldiers and saw the man who would command the gun turret on the top of the vehicle. He clutched the cannon tight and Celeste hoped that he wouldn't fire prematurely. He looked down, made eye contact with her, and nodded.

  She returned the nod, turned back in her chair, and looked out of the hangar. There were explosions all over the place. She could also see red plasma blasts scattered throughout the sky. The sky was no longer blue. Instead, it had turned to a pale orange as the battle commenced.

  "Yellow Team, go!" Petey ordered.

  Celeste saw Jantear clutch the controls tighter as he slowly ascended to the opening of the hangar. Celeste looked first to her right and then to her left. She could see the ten Chaties that would escort them out of the battle.

  As the assault vehicle ascended out of the hangar, she looked around. All over the battlefield, there were burning vehicles, and rebel and Gnol troops were scattered throughout, firing at will. Even though there was destruction all around, she still felt good because she could still hear the voices in her headset of Jake, Adrian, and Scott giving orders.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Celeste saw Jantear push the throttle of the vehicle to full speed. As he did, she felt her body press against the back of her seat, and the assault vehicle darted off toward Chast.

  As the vehicle sped through the mess of Gnol and rebel vehicles and troops, Celeste could feel the impact of plasma and missile fire upon their own vehicle. She was grateful that the vehicle was heavily armed, and the fact that they could return their own fire with the soldier in the gun turret. In fact, she could hear the movement of the tur
ret as the young soldier returned fire.

  Suddenly, Celeste heard screams and two bright fireballs explode to her right. She looked and saw that two of the five Chaties on her right had been hit. "This is Yellow Leader! Two Chaties down! I repeat, two Chaties down!"

  "Roger that," Petey replied. "Maintain your course. You're almost out of the surface battle."

  "Roger, th-"

  Celeste turned around as she heard a loud explosion from the top of the vehicle. She looked up and saw the body of the brave young soldier go limp. She saw blood dripping down his arm and onto the turret floor.

  Celeste turned away. She returned to look as she saw two other troops open the hatchway to the gun turret and slowly remove the young soldier's body. One soldier gently laid his body on the floor of the vehicle as another young female soldier retrieved a blanket from the back and covered his body.

  Celeste regained her composure and shot a look to one of the soldiers that removed the dead soldier's body. "Corporal, take over the gun turret."

  The soldier climbed the ladder and secured himself into the turret.

  As Celeste turned back to face the battle outside, she heard Petey in her headset. "Yellow Leader, report!"

  "Our turret commander was killed. We have someone else manning the gun."

  "Very well."

  Celeste looked at Colonel Jantear. "How are you doing?"

  Jantear's jaw was clenched tight, and he had a look of fierce determination on his face. Without looking at Celeste, he said, "She's keeping together, but I don't know how much longer she'll withstand this barrage of plasma fire."

  Celeste looked out of the front windshield. She could see the gigantic grove of pine trees rapidly approaching. She knew that soon they would be out of the surface battle and onto Chast.

  Celeste heard the static within her headset and the voice of one of the Chati pilots that was escorting them. "Yellow Leader, come in, Yellow Leader."

  "This is Yellow Leader."

  "You're safe. For some reason, the Gnols have decided not to follow you and have stopped firing upon us. We're going back to help Blue Leader. You're on your own from here. Good luck!"

  Celeste glanced at Jantear before she responded. For some odd reason, he didn't look surprised that they weren't being pursued. She turned back to look out of the windshield and said, "Thank you, Captain. And, good luck to you."

  As the eight remaining Chaties turned around and returned to the battle, Celeste heard the voice of Jake within her headset. "Dad! Dad! No!"