The Celestial Code

Chapter Three

Dessa's hand instinctively went for the gun on her belt. She had it in her hand and pointed at the gold Celest's head before they could threaten her.

"Put it down," she snarled. "Drop your weapon!"

The gold Celest's lips turned up at the corners. "You first."

"Do it now! I won't ask again. This place will be swarmed with soldiers in a matter of minutes."

Probably not true, but he didn't need to know that. He was gold skinned, his hair a shade paler, but instead of wearing the half-silver, half-gold uniform all Celest soldiers wore, he had on all black. A stealth spy then. They were high ranking and special operations. Very dangerous, incredibly powerful and highly trained.

Dessa was screwed if she didn't do something soon.

"Put your weapon down. You're surrounded," the Celest barked.

Dessa gave a humorless smile. "You're in our base, pal. I think it's the other way around."

The Celest cocked his head in an almost animalistic way, his eyes an unnerving shade of gold and almost statue-like. "You sure about that?"

Just then, alarm bells went off. Dessa flinched at the sound of gunfire going off. How in the hell had the Celests gotten past their defenses undetected? This base had been captured and defended almost since Dessa had landed on Avere. Shouts and screams rang through the walls of the barracks, but no one came running in. Why would they? Everyone was either in the mess hall or having rec time. Thank the gods that they all carried their weapons on them at all times.

"Drop it," the Celest said again, his voice cold and deadly. "We'll have this place in a matter of minutes anyway. Drop it now or you get a bullet in the arm."

"Why not just kill me?" Dessa sneared. "That's all you Celests are good for."

His smile was reptilian as he gave her a once over. "You are Dessa Vale, are you not? I have special orders to bring you in. A Vale will be an excellent catch."

Dessa's blood ran cold. How did they know? Who had leaked the intel that she was there?

No one was coming to her rescue. They all were defending this base. Dessa squared her shoulders and stared him down. She was supposed to go home tomorrow. This hell was supposed to be other.

"I won't surrender. I'd rather die than be taken," Dessa said said evenly.

It would kill her family. She wasn't sure if her father would survive losing a wife and a daughter within five years. Telechus would be heartbroken. But Dessa knew what happened to prisoners. She had seen them "rescued" from the Celests hands and they never came back the same.

Dessa wouldn't let that happen to her. She really would rather die.

"Shoot then or I will," Dessa snarled.

The Celest said nothing, did nothing. So Dessa did.

She fired.

He fired.

He went down, howling in pain as gold blood gushed from his chest.

Dessa almost smiled, relief almost flooding her system until she felt something else flood her body instead. Pain and adrenaline pumping through her. Her hands shook so hard that her gun hit the ground when she glanced down and found blood spilling from her leg. The shock of being shot faded, replaced with an excruciating pain that left her screaming and crumbling to the ground.

Someone shouted in a different language and Dessa glanced up, fear pounding through her when she saw another black clad Celest, this one silver, running into the room. Another came up behind that one and fell to the golden one's side, feeling for a pulse.