The silence in Dr. Aron's medical center felt heavier now. The hum of the machines, the soft beeping of monitors - all of it seemed distant as Tim and Rei stared out the window, the Resistance fleet now just a memory against the endless sky.
Tim tapped his fingers impatiently on the side of the bed. "Sheila's strong... she's gonna wipe the floor with that Gravik guy."
Rei nodded slowly. "Yeah... but something still feels off."
Dr. Aron didn't say a word, his back turned to them as he double-checked their vitals - though his hands lingered a little longer on the screens than necessary. His mind was elsewhere.
The feeling gnawed at him - like a faint echo before a storm.
Finally, Tim broke the silence. "Hey, Doc... you okay?"
Aron flinched slightly, caught off guard. "I'm fine."
Tim narrowed his eyes. "You don't look fine."
Rei added softly, "It's Sheila, isn't it?"
Dr. Aron's jaw tightened. "...She's been on countless missions. I trust her. She's a warrior."
But even he didn't believe his own words right now.
Just then-
The communicator on Aron's desk beeped.
Jeromy's voice crackled through the speaker. "Dr. Aron, this is Jeromy. Do you copy?"
Aron grabbed the communicator instantly. "I'm here."
Tim and Rei perked up, sensing it wasn't about Sheila just yet.
Jeromy's tone was steady but firm. "I relayed the news about Tim and Rei's victory over Deadbeat to Heatsun."
Tim smirked. "Bet they're throwing a party right now."
Jeromy chuckled lightly hearing him. "Close enough."
Heatsun's base buzzed with a rare sense of celebration.
Jim, standing beside his parents Heatsun and Moonsalt, were grinning. "Tim and Rei really did it..."
Moonsalt smiled softly. "They've grown so much."
Henry crossed his arms, a proud smile creeping onto his face. "Tim's always been a fighter - stubborn as ever."
Marie added, "And Rei... she's finally found her true path."
Jim, however, seemed to drift into thought. His usual excitement dimmed for a moment.
Heatsun noticed. "Jim... something wrong?"
Jim blinked and shook his head. "No, it's just... Tim and Rei are incredible, but I haven't done nearly as much."
Moonsalt frowned gently. "That's not true."
Jim shrugged. "Compared to them, what have I really done? They fought Cannibal Deadbeat - I just helped Edward with a few missions."
Heatsun placed a hand on Jim's shoulder. "Son... those 'few missions' were critical."
Moonsalt nodded. "You helped Edward liberate planets under Dark Void's dictatorship."
Henry added, "The missions you were part of, saved lives. Don't downplay your own efforts."
Jim bit his lip, but their words didn't fully break his doubt.
He thought back to those battles - the constant fights.
Jim clenched his fist. "I just... owe Edward a lot. He believed in me when no one else did."
Moonsalt's voice softened. "Edward didn't fight those battles alone, Jim. You stood by his side - as his equal."
Jim didn't answer, but the words settled in his heart.
Just then-
Jeromy's voice buzzed through the communicator again. "Heatsun, Moonsalt, Jim - I'll keep you updated on Tim and Rei's recovery. But there's something else... Sheila's leading a mission to Planet Dales."
Heatsun's expression grew serious. "Dales? That's a high-risk target."
Moonsalt's gaze darkened. "Which commander is stationed there?"
"Commander Gravik," Jeromy replied. "Sheila said he's strong, but not as dangerous as Deadbeat."
Jim's eyes narrowed. "Still... Dales has been under Dark Void's grip for a long time. They won't give it up easily."
The atmosphere shifted from celebration to concern.
Henry's jaw tightened. "Sheila's tough, but we need to be ready in case something goes wrong."
Jim's fists tightened at his sides. "I want to be there if it does."
Marie placed a hand on his shoulder. "We all do, Jim."
The communicator crackled again, Jeromy's voice more serious now. "I'll monitor the situation closely. I'll relay any updates the moment we get them."
_ _ _
Back in the medical center, Tim and Rei exchanged a glance.
Tim muttered, "I hate just sitting here while everyone's fighting."
Rei closed her eyes briefly. "We'll be back on our feet soon."
Dr. Aron didn't speak, his mind still clouded by that unshakable feeling of unease as Sheila led her troops into the unknown.
And as the Resistance fleet approached Planet Dales - a dark storm gathered on the horizon.
The dark skies of Planet Dales loomed over them like a suffocating shroud.
Jagged mountains lined the horizon, and rivers of blackened water cut through the desolate landscape. The air was thick - not just with smoke and ash, but with a sinister energy.
In the lead spaceship, Sheila stood tall at the command console, her long, black coat billowing slightly as the ship's engines roared. Her steely eyes never wavered.
Resistance Pilot: "Commander Sheila - we're closing in on the planet's atmosphere. No signs of Gravik yet."
Sheila's jaw tightened. "He's here. He's just waiting."
She turned to the troops - a battalion of over 300 Resistance fighters - all strapped in and ready for battle. Each soldier wore the mark of the Resistance on their uniforms - a glowing silver crest of a rising sun and crescent moon - the symbol of hope against Dark Void's tyranny.
Sheila's voice cut through the rumbling engines. "Listen up - we're not here for glory. We're here to take back this planet from Dark Void's grip. Gravik thinks he owns Dales - but we're about to remind him whose light shines brighter."
The troops roared in unison. " For the Resistance!"
The fleet broke through the atmosphere, and immediately - the ambush began.
Black sleek fighter ships - marked with the twisted insignia of Dark Void - descended from the clouds, firing beams of crimson energy.
The sky lit up with explosions as Resistance ships engaged in an intense aerial battle.
Sheila's voice thundered through the comms. "Deploy the drop units - we're hitting their stronghold head-on!"
The hangar doors opened, and the Resistance troops launched from their ships in hover-pods, descending like a storm.
Sheila grabbed her twin plasma sabers from her belt - their red and blue blades humming to life - and leapt from her ship, leading the charge.
The battlefield erupted the moment they landed.
The monstrous soldiers of Dark Void were already waiting - towering creatures with obsidian armor and glowing purple veins, each standing at least 8 feet tall.
Their strength rivaled that of a typical Dark Void commander - brutal, relentless, and without mercy.
The largest of them snarled. "The Resistance dares enter Gravik's domain? You will all die here."
Sheila didn't flinch. "I've heard that before. Let's see if you can back it up."
The battle roared to life.
Resistance soldiers fired plasma rounds and energy blasts, cutting down the first wave of Dark Void's forces.
The monstrous soldiers charged like a wall of death, their sheer strength shaking the ground with each step.
The air crackled with every clash - blaster fire, sword strikes, and explosions.
And then - Sheila moved.
She was a blur.
Her blue part of the plasma saber slashed cleanly through a soldier's armor, severing his arm in a single motion.
With a flick of her wrist, the red part of the saber spun and impaled another creature straight through the chest.
Two more charged at her - but she backflipped over them, landing gracefully and cutting both down with a dual strike.
Her combat style was fluid yet brutal - every motion efficient, every attack lethal.
That's when a hulking beast - almost twice her size - roared and swung a massive axe at her.
Sheila dodged with barely an inch to spare. The axe smashed into the ground, leaving a deep crater.
In an instant - she grabbed his arm, twisted it, and sliced off his head in one clean move.
Her strength wasn't just physical - it was strategic.
She was a force of nature, blending speed, power, and precision into every attack.
One of her captains, Commander Varn, fought beside her - clearly struggling to keep up.
Varn (panting): "Commander Sheila - these creatures... their strength is unreal!"
Sheila didn't even glance back, cutting down another beast. "Then stop holding back."
She grabbed a beast by the throat, lifted him effortlessly, and threw him into a cluster of enemies - sending them flying like ragdolls.
The battlefield was a blur of chaos - but wherever Sheila fought, the Resistance pushed forward.
The monstrous soldiers of Dark Void, despite their strength, were beginning to break.
Sheila wiped blood from her cheek, her sabers humming softly.
She spoke into her communicator. "We're pushing toward Gravik's main fortress. Hold the perimeter - no one gets in or out."
Her mind was sharp - focused - but a whisper of unease still lingered deep within her.
Why did this mission feel different?
_ _ _
As the last of the monstrous soldiers fell - their roars silenced - Sheila gazed at the towering obsidian fortress ahead.
The stronghold of Commander Gravik.
A cold wind howled, and the battlefield fell into an eerie quiet.
Sheila narrowed her eyes.