Private Welcome back to the fire Pt.2

[Zori Galea]

Zori's grip was tight now. Her arms locked around Sommer's waist like chains draped in silk.

The crowd was frozen. The sky had turned blood-red. The waves beyond the yacht crashed upward — unnaturally high, like gravity was breaking.

"You don't want to go back," Zori hissed in her ear. "You go back and the world eats you alive again. You go back and he never says it again."

 

[Sommer Dai]

Sommer's voice trembled.

"That's the point. He said it once. That was real enough!"

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael's voice broke through like a thunderclap.

"Sommer—NOW!"

 

[Sommer Dai]

The entire world glitched.

The sky shattered like glass. The yacht split down the middle. People turned into ash and flame and vanished.

 

[Zori Galea]

"NOoooooooo!" Zori shrieked, reaching for her face.

 

[Sommer Dai]

Sommer took one last look at her and whispered:

"You made me feel seen.
But I'd rather feel free."

Then—


The light hit.

The neuro-spike fired. A high-pitched shriek tore through the chamber as the light surged from the coil into the medical rig where Sommer lay. Her body arched, her mouth tearing the tape free with a strangled cry.

Then—

She gasped.

Sat upright.

Eyes wide.

Alive.

 

[Arq*]

Arq jumped back. "Holy kriffing Sithspawn!"

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael dropped to his knees beside her, gripping her shoulders. "Sommer—hey, hey—can you hear me?"

 

[Sommer Dai]

Her eyes flicked to his.

Tears already there.

"I..I...almost stayed.. I wanted to stay," she whispered.

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael exhaled, forehead resting lightly against hers. "But you didn't."


Behind them, alarms began to scream. Lights flickered again.

 

[Arq*]

Arq already had his blaster out. "Save the reunion. Time to move."

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael shook his head in disbelief turning quickly to Arq. "You've had that thing this WHOLE TIME?!" ,

Before turning back to Sommer.

"Can you walk?"

 

[Sommer Dai]

She looked at him.

"I can fight."

 

[Kaelon Virex]

The blast door groaned open like a dying beast.

Kael raised his blaster first, backing through the threshold with Sommer under one arm. Arq limped behind, covering the rear, bruised but high on adrenaline. Sirens split the air, red lights strobed, the floor trembled beneath boots and broken systems.

 

[Zori Galea]

But just beyond the hangar archway—

She waited.

Standing still.

Perfect.

Undamaged.

The crimson saber was gone — hidden again beneath her obsidian robes — but her eyes were the same. Burning, disappointed, hungry.

"You never learn," she said softly. Not angry. Almost… tired.
"You pull your cousin from the depths, Kael. You drag her back to a life that eats her alive. You carry her out like a prize. But none of you ever really learn."

She tilted her head. "This galaxy doesn't love you. I did."

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael stepped forward. His hand trembled, but he raised the blaster anyway.

"We learned something," he said. "You're not untouchable."

 

[Zori Galea]

Zori smirked.

"Neither are you."

Her fingers twitched — the beginning of a Force snap—

 

[C.E.R.A.]

But the hangar's rear skylight exploded downward in a shower of reinforced transparisteel.

And from the smoke and flame…

C.E.R.A. descended.

Polished chrome. Angular armor. Blue-glow eyes gleaming. The cybernetic reconnaissance unit fired twin bursts from its forearm cannons—

THOOM-THOOM!

 

[Zori Galea]

Zori's shoulder jerked violently as two energy bolts slammed into her from behind, catching her entirely off guard. She staggered forward, robe smoking, eyes blazing in fury.

"You kriffing—!" she roared, spinning.

 

[C.E.R.A.]

But C.E.R.A. was already landing between her and the trio, stance locked, targeting systems active. Its synthesized voice echoed with iron resolve:

"Target Zori Galea. Status: Obstruction to Asset Extraction."
"Mission Priority: Protect Sommer Dai. Initiate Route Omega."