Chapter Ten- Homecoming

The sun had almost reached the tops of the trees and Samus was getting worried. She tried not to show it, but when a girl gets to pacing for half an hour straight, one can usually tell that she's worried. Especially when she's fretting the whole time. Outloud.

"They should've been back by now. It doesn't take that long to check on three movements and come back."

"Maybe they're still tracking the Pirates." Rundas suggested, shuffling up the Uno deck.

"They would've sent Torina back with a message then!" Samus argued, kicking at a stone with her orange boot.

"Samus Aran, calm down." Sergeant Verrum said as she passed his seat, which was facing the wall.

Samus stopped and sighed. "I'm sorry, guys. I guess I'm over stretching it-"

"Now, get excited again, because they're coming toward us!" Verrum took off right after he finished his sentence.

Ghor and Gandrayda appeared in the gate made by the Federation fighter, supporting Torina between them.

Samus took off after Verrum, bulling him into the ground.

Torina took her eyes of the ground, saw the two on the ground and smiled weakly. She took another shaky step, and let go of Ghor and Gandrayda.

"What on earth happened?" Samus asked, grabbing Verrum by the helmet as he tried to stand up.

"It was amazing!" Gandrayda exclaimed.

"Tory had her sword out, and-" Ghor tried to explain.

"And all of a sudden, it began to glow-" Gandrayda interrupted letting Torina sit down on a rock near Samus.

"And then, Tory opened her eyes and-" Ghor interrupted sitting down himself.

"And- WHOOSH!" Gandrayda motioned with her arms.

"The rubble was all cleared out-"

"But Torina was on the floor-"

"She was totally conked out-"

"So we would've got here sooner if she would've woken up!" Gandrayda gave Torina 'the look' which Tory shrugged off.

"You guys didn't even tell her what you were doing while I was clearing us out."

Ghor and Gandrayda both blushed furiously.

"Uh-huh." Samus stood up. "Like we totally can't tell. Glad to see you're alive Torina."

"Anything for old friends." She smiled, allowing Verrum to help her on her feet again. "And besides it's not like those two were going to do anything." Torina motioned with her head back to Ghor and Gandrayda as she and Samus walked slowly back to Sam's ship.

"Are they really finally together?" Samus nodded to Ghor and Gandrayda as they passed.

Torina nodded.

"Well?"

Torina shook her head. "It was too embarrassing."

"Oh. Well… How did you get them out? They weren't exactly very clear." Samus asked, catching Torina right after she tripped.

"We got caught in a room chasing the Pirates. The beam over the door caved in on us, and… Ghor and Gandrayda got… interested in something else. After I zoned them out, I kind of fell asleep, but somehow I was still awake. It was very bright, and I saw this woman come toward me, and she had my sword in her hand. I found myself following her move with my sword."

"Wait, your sword was in both your hands and hers?" Samus asked as they stepped onto her ships elevator.

"Hers was more of a shadow, but somehow… yes. And then she and I swung it like a baseball bat. Then I was on the floor, and I was terribly weak. It felt horrible." Torina said settling into the seat behind Samus's.

"Have you seen her before?" Samus asked, starting up the engines.

"Back home, we had statues and paintings. We were all taught who she was and that we all owed her our lives."

"But who is she, Torina?" Samus asked, maneuvering her ship among the others.

"I think it was Taol."

"Who's that?" Samus asked again, leaving the atmosphere.

"She founded our town. She gave us life. She taught us how to survive. Back in the early days of civilization."

The engines ignited, sending every ship into light speed.

"Back in the Age of Fear."