The dim lights of the ship flickered as the tension between Princess Veronica, Terry, and the Annunaki filled the room. Bewildered by the unexpected turn of events, they pressed the Annunaki for more answers.
“Before we go any further,” Terry said, his voice steady but with a note of urgency, “what can we refer to you as? Do you have a name?”
The Annunaki, standing tall and imposing, seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if searching for the right answer. “You can refer to me as…” he began, his voice deep and eerie.
But just as he was about to state his name, a bullet tore through the back of his skull. Time seemed to freeze as the Annunaki collapsed to the floor, blue plasmatic liquid oozing from the fatal wound. His once-brilliant eyes flickered to the back of his head.
“No!!!!” shouted Princess Veronica, rushing toward the fallen creature.
Terry’s heart raced as he whipped his head around to see Major Yohan Xerxes, the arrogant leader of the Royal Guard, lowering his weapon. The Royal Guard’s ship, positioned outside, unleashed a barrage of machine-gun-like blasts aimed at the Annunaki's vessel. The air crackled with energy as the ship shook violently, explosions rattling the interior.
“What have you done?!” Terry roared, running to the Annunaki's side as its life force slowly faded.
“Watch your tongue, mugu,” Xerxes sneered, using the derogatory term that the elites of the royal family often used to refer to the lower class. “Is that any way to treat the man who just saved your life?”
Princess Veronica knelt beside the dying Annunaki, her hands trembling as she tried to stop the blue fluid from spilling out. Terry, his face flushed with anger, spun around to face Xerxes. “You’ve most likely doomed us all! How the hell did you even get in here? I didn’t detect any signs of your presence on my radar.”
Xerxes grinned smugly. “Ahh, that’s all thanks to my brilliance,” he boasted. “Wyvern’s tracking system located your ship. We were sent here to retrieve you. Upon arrival, we saw this large hostile ship attacking your vessel, so we launched a stealth operation. We docked not too far from here, masked our ship and our gear by using jamming signals. That allowed me to slip in unnoticed.”
Terry rubbed his temples in frustration. “And what, exactly, made you think we were in any sort of danger?”
“Well…” Xerxes stammered, clearly unprepared for the question.
“Did you even bother to call? To check if we were fine?” Terry pressed.
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“I…”
Terry’s eyes narrowed. “You bribed the director, didn’t you? And now you’re going to collect a hefty payment for this so-called ‘rescue.’”
Xerxes' face contorted with anger. “How dare you accuse me of such—”
“Your incompetence isn’t needed right now,” Terry snapped. “For once in your life, think with your head, not your belly.”
Everyone knew the Royal Guard was a sham—its ranks filled through nepotism and bribes. Despite their expensive equipment, they were widely regarded as the most incompetent force in all of Wyvern.
Suddenly, their argument was cut short as a loud crash shook the ship. Beams of light burst from the Annunaki's vessel, slamming into Terry’s and the Royal guard’s ship. The entire structure groaned under the pressure, debris raining down around them.
“We need to get out of here, now,” said Princess Veronica, her voice tight with urgency.
“Right,” Terry replied, snapping into action.
Outside, the Royal Guard's ship launched mechanical tentacles that latched onto Terry’s vessel. With a series of deafening roars, the Royal Guard ship’s boosters engaged, pulling both ships at lightning speed away from the Annunaki’s craft. They shot into the dark void of space, leaving the alien ship behind.
Veronica stared out the window, her expression puzzled. “They’re not coming after us.”
“That’s strange,” Terry agreed. “Considering how advanced their technology seems, they could probably catch up to us or even destroy us with little effort.”
Xerxes chuckled, full of misplaced confidence. “Not surprising at all. After that display of might, it’s no wonder they fear the power of my vessel.”
Terry’s hands balled into fists, his fury rising. He couldn’t take it anymore. Without warning, he turned and punched Xerxes square in the jaw, sending the major staggering backward.
“You’ve doomed us all!” Terry shouted, his anger boiling over.
Xerxes, seething with rage, tried to strike back, but Terry deftly parried the blow and followed with a vicious uppercut. Blood sprayed from Xerxes’ mouth as he crumpled to the floor, gasping in pain.
“Stop, please!” Princess Veronica cried, grabbing Terry’s arm to pull him back. “I understand your frustrations. I’m angry too. But now is not the time to fight among ourselves. We need to figure out what we’re going to do with this body.” She pointed at the Annunaki’s lifeless form, still lying on the floor, its plasmatic liquid pooling beneath it.
Terry took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. “You’re right,” he muttered.
He turned back to Xerxes, who was now huddled on the ground, fearfully clutching his bleeding face. “You…” Terry growled, pointing at the major. “I’ll deal with you later.”
Veronica crossed her arms. “Where are we headed, Major?”
Xerxes wiped the blood from his mouth and shot her a venomous look. “The coordinates are set for the Royal Guard’s International Space Station,” he spat.
“Not anymore, they’re not,” Terry declared, walking toward the ship's control panel. “Tell your squadron to back off. I’m taking manual control of my ship.”
Terry flicked a series of holographic switches, overriding the autopilot. “I’m setting course for Earth,” he said coldly. “The Director General and the entire Wyvern assembly need to hear about this mess.”
The ship hummed as it shifted direction, its course now set for Earth. But Terry’s mind raced. The Annunaki had been their only link to answers—answers that had just died with him. And now, they were carrying his corpse into the unknown, uncertain of what consequences awaited them.