Just an image related to a scene that's going to be in the story I'm writing, I'm planning this for book two so it hasn't been written yet, but it will probably go something like this-. Kirney stepped out of the infirmary dressing room, she was currently in civilian clothing and not her MSA uniform, but that was fine, MSA dress was only what she wore on the job anyway. To be perfectly honest it was good just to be clothed again, she had spent far too much time naked in that regeneration tank with an oxygen mask strapped to her face. In total she had spent three weeks in the damn thing. 'I'm lucky to be alive' she reminded herself silently 'Jargin Lythrack beat me within an inch of my life,' her face twisted with grief as she remembered what else had happened in that battle 'and he killed my father.' She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see, hear, or sense her friend Katherine Russo coming until she felt a hand resting on her shoulder. She started, ready to defend herself, then relaxed as she realised who it was. "Penny for your thoughts," Katie quiped nonchalantly. "I wasn't strong enough to save him," Kirney replied "Jargin handed me my ass, and I couldn't even save the life of my father," she shook her head in frustration "he died from a fist through the stomach, that's an ugly way to go." "You did everything you could," Katie replied. "He got killed trying to give me a chance to get away, but I wouldn't go, I didn't want to leave him knowing that he'd die if I did, but he got killed anyway because i wasn't strong enough to save him," her eyes squeezed shut painfully, a single tear leaking out the corner of one as she struggled to fight back her grief "I feel like he died for nothing because it was only through dumb luck that I survived." 'Dumb luck and the aid of that angel like being who contacted me in my mind,' Kirney reminded herself 'he pulled me back from the brink of death, from what I'd heard the doctors were about to declare me dead when he sent me back.' "I feel like so many people died for nothing," Kirney added "despite all our efforts Earth is still under the control of the Empire now." "In time Earth will be liberated as will the entire galaxy," Katie assured her "and I believe that your power will be instrumental in this. Your father could sense this, and that, combined with the fact that you're his daughter gave him all the reason he needed to give his life to save you." "How could I be that important?" Kirney asked sadly "how do you know my father's life wasn't wasted," her father Ta'al Seryn'Zen, who had been a great warrior of the light, how could she know he hadn't died for nothing. "How could you not?" Katie replied "you're only twenty three years old, nowhere near your peak yet, but your power now is already five times that of your father when he was at his peak. Although you weren't able to take Jargin down, you were able to bloody his nose, and he's one of the most powerful super soldiers the Empire has at it's disposal." "Your power will be important too Katie," Kirney smirked. "Well, I'm a pretty strong Ki sensitive," Kate replied "but my power is nothing compared to yours, when you hit your peak the entire galaxy will know." "You think so?" Kirney asked. "Yup," Kate replied "anybody in the galaxy with the tiniest bit of Ki sensitivity will feel it, and they'll know that the Empire's days are numbered." In spite of the fact that she had a hard time imagining this happening, Kirney still felt better for the pep talk, she could always count on Katie for that. The two women were best friends, and Kirney suspected that they always would be. Image is pure poser with slight postwork, DAZ content used, as well as some content from other sources, and some of my own. Comments as always are welcome.