Sheila stood in the dark corridors of the fortress, her twin-sabers humming softly, casting a faint red and blue glow on the cold stone walls.
Gravik, still bound and weak, shuffled nervously behind her, his breathing ragged.
Without taking her eyes off the shadowy passage ahead, Sheila tapped her communicator and opened a secure channel back to Dr. Aron's medical center.
A small holographic projection flickered to life - Dr. Aron's worried face appearing almost instantly.
Dr. Aron: "Sheila! Are you alright? What happened?"
Before Sheila could answer, two small voices chimed in from the background - Darren and Maria peeking over their father's shoulder, their wide eyes filled with hope.
Darren: "Mom! Did you beat the bad guys?"
Maria: "Are you coming home now?"
Sheila smiled softly at the sight of her family, her heart warming for a brief moment.
Sheila: "Mission accomplished. The planet's been liberated."
Aron exhaled a long sigh of relief. His shoulders visibly relaxed, though the lines of concern on his face didn't fully disappear.
Dr. Aron: "Thank the stars... Sheila, you need to come back. You're injured - I need to treat those wounds."
The blood trickling down her arm, the deep gash across her side, and the faint bruises on her face were all sharp reminders of the brutal fight with Gravik.
But Sheila's expression remained calm, almost nonchalant, as if she had already accepted the pain as part of the mission.
Sheila: "I know, Aron... but I'm not done yet."
His jaw clenched.
Dr. Aron: "Sheila... no."
Darren and Maria's faces fell at her words.
Maria: "But Mom... you said you'd come back..."
Sheila's voice softened even more.
Sheila: "I will, sweetheart. I promise. I just need to finish one last thing here. After that, I'll head straight home."
She raised her hand, placing it gently over the hologram, as if she were reaching out to touch her children's faces.
Sheila: "Be good to your father, okay? I'll be back before you know it."
Dr. Aron's lips pressed into a thin line. He knew Sheila too well - she wasn't the type to leave a mission half-done, no matter how battered she was.
Dr. Aron: "Sheila... you're reckless."
She gave him a playful smile despite her wounds.
Sheila: "You knew that when you married me."
He shook his head, but his lips twitched into a small smile. The tension in his chest eased slightly - she was alive, and that was what mattered most.
Still... that uneasy feeling gnawed at him again. It was subtle, like an itch he couldn't quite scratch - a quiet whisper in the back of his mind.
Maybe it was just leftover fear from knowing Sheila had faced a Dark Void commander.
Or maybe...
No. He forced the thought aside.
Dr. Aron (sighing): "Just... be careful, Sheila. Please."
Sheila nodded.
Dr. Aron: "By the way who is it beside you."
Sheila: "Oh! It's just Gravick. He is helping me investigate...cuz...he is a coward."
Dr. Aron: "Well. You are crazy enough to be ironically using the same commander you beat for investigation. Anyways take care."
Sheila: "Yeah. Thank you."
The call ended. The hologram flickered out, and the corridor was once again bathed only in the soft red glow of her saber.
Gravik shifted uneasily.
Gravik: "Your husband seems... worried."
Sheila didn't answer him.
Instead, she tightened her grip on her weapon.
Sheila (calmly): "Let's keep moving."
After almost a week...
Outside Aron's Medical Centre, the environment echoed with the clash of weapons as Tim and Rei sparred - Tim's Solar Saber crackling while Rei's Lunar Crescent Hatchet danced through the air with sharp precision.
Tim, as usual, kept things lighthearted, throwing in jokes between attacks, while Rei remained laser-focused.
Dr. Aron stood at the sidelines, arms crossed but smiling faintly. Seeing Tim and Rei back on their feet - moving, fighting, and, in Tim's case, goofing off - was a relief. He had worked relentlessly to patch them up, and now they were back to full strength.
Just as Tim ducked under Rei's swing with an exaggerated "Whoa!" the sound of small footsteps approached.
Darren and Maria, their eyes wide, tugged on Dr. Aron's sleeve.
Darren: "Dad... is Mom coming back today?"
Maria: "It's been so long..."
Dr. Aron's smile faltered for a split second. The familiar sting of uncertainty crept in again - the same unease that had gnawed at him ever since Sheila had gone silent.
He wanted to reassure them. To say Yes, she'll be home today - but the words wouldn't come out.
Instead, he knelt down, placing a hand gently on each of their heads.
Dr. Aron: "She will... soon. She's a hero, remember?"
The kids nodded, though the worry in their eyes didn't fade.
The Next day Morning...
Dr. Aron was busy with his work when—
A sudden, harsh ringing sound echoed through the room - Dr. Aron's communicator.
But this wasn't the usual secure channel.
It was an unknown number.
His heart instantly dropped. His instincts screamed that something was wrong.
He rushed to answer the call.
Static buzzed for a moment... then a voice. A cold, smooth voice.
???: "Dr. Aron... I believe you've been waiting for news about your dear wife."
Dr. Aron's blood ran cold.
Before he could respond, a grainy image appeared on his communicator.
There she was.
Sheila.
Bound, bloodied, and unconscious.
The sight made Dr. Aron's heart pound violently against his chest. He gripped the device so tightly his knuckles went white.
Dr. Aron: "Sheila...!"
The voice chuckled softly.
???: "She's in my possession now. Don't do anything reckless, doctor... or you might not get to see her alive again."
The call cut off.
Silence.
Dr. Aron's mind spiraled - fear, rage, and helplessness all colliding at once.
That's when he spotted Rei standing in the other room, having overheard the last part of the call.
Her fists were clenched, her usual calm demeanor cracked by fury.
Rei: "Who was that?"
Dr. Aron swallowed hard.
Dr. Aron: "Sheila... they have her."
The weight of those words hit like a thunderclap.
Rei's expression darkened instantly.
Rei: "We need to wake up Tim."
Dr. Aron nodded.
Tim, however, was nowhere near as alert.
He was fast asleep on a couch in the next room, snoring softly.
Rei stormed over, grabbing his arm and shaking him.
Rei: "Tim. Wake up. Now."
Tim didn't budge.
In his dream, he was reaching for a massive, glowing Space Burger, dripping with galactic sauce and hovering just out of his grasp.
Tim (mumbling in his sleep): "Just... one more bite... burger..."
His hand, still half-asleep, suddenly fell right onto Rei's chest.
For a split second, silence.
Then-
Rei (face burning red): "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
Her hand shot forward, smacking Tim so hard across the head that he bolted upright, eyes wide in shock.
Tim: "Ow! The burger hit me back!"
His dazed expression slowly focused... on Rei's furious face.
His brain caught up just enough to realize what his hand had just done.
Tim: "Wait... uh... Burger...I..mean...Rei... I didn't mean-"
Too late.
Rei grabbed the nearest chair and, with a battle cry, chased Tim around the room.
Tim (dodging wildly): "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!"
Rei: "HOLD STILL, YOU IDIOT!"
Dr. Aron, despite the gravity of the situation, couldn't help but shake his head in surprise.
The commotion echoed through the medical center - a comedic storm in the middle of an approaching crisis.