LAND SENTINEL TERIK VUNA
It had been a week since Mordikye had stolen Adriana from Sala, and from me. We were back on Mooreah and dealing with the aftermath. I had come closer to solving the cargo mystery and found out it was an element called plutonium. But I did not know who Mordikye had received it from on Earth, or whom he sold it to. It was going to take some intergalactic investigations. There was much work to be done. But one thing was certain, I was going to marry Adriana Adams and because of this I could not be happier. We were in our living quarters just south of the castle on a Mooreah.
"I am very happy, Adriana," I said as I gave her a kiss that morning.
"So am I, Terik. I will be happier once we are wed and I am officially yours," she said to me. I liked hearing those words from her mouth. After almost losing her to Mordikye, I had learned to appreciate her more and more. She was too good to be true. Not only was she a beauty and set my passions on fire, but we had the same interest in the land.
"Sentinel! Sorry to bother your morning. It is an emergency!" Luqan burst into the living quarters. It was unlike her to be so brash and I knew that something very important must be happening, very dangerous.
"Luqan! What is it?!" I said running to her side.
"Scouts spotted a cargo ship over the Duton ravine. They are not Drackon cargo ships. We are unable to identify where they are from. But it is clear that they are taking large chunks of flagion into their cargo hold. The ravine is being plundered!"
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Adrianna sit down quickly as though the wind had been knocked out of her. I knew she loved that place and that must hurt her to know it was being destroyed. My anger was at a high-level because that place was special to me as well, especially after what she and I had done there.
I ran to the panel on the wall and opened a communication line to the military base and shouted, "This is Land Sentinel Vuna! I need a battalion of fifteen ships with as many warriors that can be spared sent to the Duton ravine! It is being plundered by an unknown race. Take hostile action is needed. Go now!"
"Yes sir, right away! Launching now!" The base master shouted back.
"Luqan! Get my ship ready!" I shouted at her.
"Yes!" She shouted as she ran out of my living quarters. I quickly dressed pulling on my boots while Adriana grabbed my arm. There was an enormous amount of fear in her eyes.
"Terik! They are there to steal large amounts of flagion!" She shouted.
"How do you know?" I asked her.
"Because I am the one that told them where to find it," she said as she began to cry. "I am so sorry, Terik. I didn't think they would come. When I told them my circumstances were different. Everything was different. I'm so sorry. I was excited about the discovery. The power that the flagion holds on Earth is unimaginable. I am a geologist and I was sent to find it here and promised that I would be able to study it on my return to Earth. But then everything changed, I met you and I fell in love with you. You must forgive me."
"How could you? You are not the woman I thought you were! You are a criminal! You are just as bad as Mordikye! Who are you? You have fooled me!"
"No, it is not like that, Terik. Please, you must believe me. I beg you to hear me out. The way it happened is not the way you think. I did not use you and manipulate you. I know it looks that way but…"
I cut her off. I was pissed. I was outraged. But most of all, I was hurt and my heart was broken. She had used me and I fell for it. I even put my life at risk for her, and she was playing me all along. But I had no time to deal with this when I had to stop the theft from happening. "Get out of my way. I have work to do," I said as I pushed her away. She fell to her knees and cried.
"Guards! Guard this woman and do not let her out of your sight until I return!" I shouted to the guards outside my living quarters as I left. It was unbelievable. How could I have been so blind? Now, looking back, it was obvious. She was so interested in taking samples when she could. It was a classic maneuver of a plundering scheme, but because it came wrapped in a beauty that captivated me, I did not see it. If it had been a male asking me to show him these areas and take samples I would've seen right through it, as scouting for a bigger robbery. But I was blinded by her scent. "Shit!" I shouted at myself. How could I have been so stupid?
When I arrived at the ravine the cargo ship was lowered to the ravine floor and the Drackon warriors had the crew at gunpoint.
"Who are you? Who sent to you?" I asked as I approached. I was boiling over with anger and I needed to take it out on someone.
No one answered my questions. I punched the first human male right across the face.
"Tell me who you are? Why are you here?" I shouted again.
"Sentinel! The navigation reads coordinates for Earth. It seems to be an earthship but it is crewed by outlaws from Riolb." A warrior said as he came out of the plundering cargo ship.
"I should have known. Take them all prisoner. Examine the cargo hold for how much damage they have done to the ravine. Report back to me," I said angrily. I was furious. How could she do this to me? How could she do this to my planet?
It was unforgivable. The wedding was off. She would be a prisoner.