A brilliant fire
![sYobHe8.png](https://i.imgur.com/sYobHe8.png)
![HAIuSyi.png](https://i.imgur.com/HAIuSyi.png)
Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers
Valery held her hands close to the flame she had conjured, letting its warmth push back the relentless cold that gnawed at their bodies. The flickering light cast long shadows over Everest and Reina, their expressions both weary and lost in thought. She had seen it before — the way battle changed a person, how it etched something permanent into the soul.
Everest's soft, breathy murmur barely reached her ears.
"Daddy."
Valery's fiery gaze lifted from the flames, settling on the young Echani with quiet understanding. A fresh wound had formed in her heart, one she might not even fully comprehend yet, but it was there. Everest wiped her face quickly, as if she could erase the moment, but Valery wasn't fooled. She had felt the weight of grief before — had drowned in it and clawed her way out more times than she could count.
Before she could say anything, Reina spoke up, her blunt words cutting through the moment like a cold wind.
"...He's not here. Why would you need him? You have people here, now, who can help you."
Valery's gaze flickered toward Reina, and for a moment, she saw past the words to the deeper truth beneath them. Reina wasn't being cruel — she simply didn't understand what it meant to have a father to turn to for warmth, for safety.
A gentle smile touched Valery's lips as she reached out, lightly brushing Everest's shoulder. "It's okay," she murmured, offering quiet reassurance. "You're allowed to miss him." She squeezed lightly before pulling her hand away, her warmth now a steady presence rather than an overwhelming force. "And Reina is right about one thing — you're not alone."
Her gaze flicked toward the girl with the harpoon, her expression kind but measured. "But some problems can't be fixed with a weapon, laser or not."
A sharp gust of wind cut through the street, carrying something else with it — a presence. No, multiple. Valery's senses flared, locking onto the familiar, unmistakable thread of her son through the Force. Aris. And—
Her heart clenched.
Aadihr.
Her head snapped toward the distant figures just as a familiar voice rang out through the storm.
In the distance, through the thick haze of frost and battle, two figures emerged. Aris, glowing like a beacon, his body radiating intense heat as he cut through the encroaching darkness. His staff had shifted into a blade, firelight reflecting off its surface as the spawn turned toward him, drawn to his warmth. He was leading them away, keeping them distracted, doing exactly what she had trained him to do.
He was safe.
Relief surged through her, so overwhelming that it took all her restraint not to rush toward him and pull him into her arms. But now wasn't the time.
Instead, her gaze shifted to Aadihr — and her breath caught in her throat.
He was struggling. His steps were uneven. His movements sluggish. And then, just as he tried to speak again, his legs buckled, and he collapsed.
No.
Valery surged forward without hesitation, her instincts overriding everything else. She dropped to one knee beside him, her hands moving instantly to his chest. Even through the thick fur of his robes, she could feel the warmth of his blood seeping out into the cold. The wound beneath was deep, dangerously close to vital organs, and already freezing at the edges.
"Aadihr—stay with me," she ordered, pressing a firm hand against the wound, sending a pulse of the Force into him to slow the bleeding.
Her fiery gaze snapped to Everest and Reina. "Help me," she said quickly, her voice steady but urgent. "We need to stop the bleeding and get him to shelter. Now."