NINETEEN
"THE SHIPS were full of explosives, not with military equipment," sabi ni Aze. Umiling siya. "There's no way the information was false. It should be full of military equipment."
"Someone must've sabotaged the mission then," kalamado namang sabi ni Alas. "The whole team was killed."
"We have to clean the organization. There's a possible mole, we have to investigate every member," Allux suggested.
"There's a rumor spreading around that the newly assigned Commander of the second division was the one who sabotaged the mission so he can be the Lieutenant General," sabi naman ni Azie habang nakatingin sa laptop niya.
"There's no proof for those rumors," sagot ni Ali.
"Kahit na Mommy, the fact that a rumor like that emerged, I'm sure the person who spread it has a basis," Allux argued. "Just remove the Commander. Just to be sure."
"The organization doesn't work that way, Allux," Ali said.
"We own the organization, we can just do whatever we want!"
"If we're gonna break the rules we established, how are we different from those illegal organizations then, Allux?" medyo galit na sabi ni Ali. "You were taught to control your emotions so it wouldn't cloud your judgment, where is it?"
Kumunot ang noo ni Allux sa sabi ng ina. "Excuse me," sabi niya at mabilis na umalis ng kwarto. Nadatnan niya sa labas si Thanara kasama ang magkakapatid na Mondecores. Pagkatpos ng meeting na ito ay pupuntahan na nila ang lamay ni Raven.
Thanara doesn't know what to feel. Bumalik nga nang buo ang katawan ng tatay niya dahil hindi ito nasama sa pagsabog pero wala naman na itong buhay.
"It's Tito Raven we're talking about here Mom. Thanara's Father just died because the mission was possibly sabotaged, there's a possible mole in the organization. We just lost a family member. I know that we should value our rules but what if our hunches are true but never proven? We're just gonna let it slide and keep someone suspicious inside?" tanong ni Azie.
"MAKEN, always needing solid proofs to take action. Rouyale was like that before too. An accident had to happen first before it loosened its grip from the rules. Our organizations are above the governments of our respective countries for a reason. We don't follow laws but the orders of our leaders who take action based on their rational thinking. What does your hunch tell you to do, General?" tanong ni Aciel habang kalmadong nakatingin kay Ali.
"MAKEN is yours to command Ali, what do you think is the best course of action?" Jiro asked.
"We'll have an organization-wide investigation, especially on the suspicious members."
Unsatisfied with Ali's answer, nagpaalam na agad si Aciel para umalis sa kwarto. Sumunod naman ang magkapatid na Toloesi kaya umalis na rin si Aace at Azie.
"Be careful Ali. You know what happened to Rouyale before," sabi ni Zye. In her eyes are a visible sadness of what happened 18 years ago.
After a thorough investigation, Harry Bush, the one who replaced Raven, wasn't proven to be the one who leaked information but someone else from the second division. There was no evidence to judge him guilty.
For a couple of months, Thanara spent everyday training to be better as preparation for joining MAKEN's first division. She spent almost five years there until she finally convinced Ali to move her to the second division where she immediately climbed the ranks. She tried to investigate her Father's death too, secretly, but just like the commanding family, she couldn't find anything. There were only rumors, nothing more. The Commander is clean.
