*** Draco City, Dragon'taan ***
"Very well," Kyle told Fawn, "But listen to me when I say this - there is a stark difference between vengeance and justice. Take it from me, vengeance never brings the peace you think it will. I've been down that road before - and it only ends in blood and suffering. It is stated in my family's legend that 'when the dragon prince saw the ashes of what had been his domain, he let loose a fury that shook the stars; the many worlds of his enemy burned and died, the darkness that consumed his home becoming a mere shadow of the power it once held - from the death of one world, came the deaths of many.' A lesson about the folly of vengeance."
"We need to move, before Reece realizes something's up," Mathayus suggested.
*** CSS Resplendent Fervor, Star Forge system ***
"Affirmative," Andrew would say over the radio. "Be advised, we have Sangheili reinforcements inbound - and someone must have called a favor, because we have Imperial Alliance warships inbound, as well. Watch your targets."
"Blaine," Zuko called out to Blaine. "We haven't heard the last of Nazar - his ship has reversed course, and is inbound - with another fleet of vessels. It seems the Star Forge is too important to let fall."
*** Flagship Chimera, In Transit to Belsavis ***
"Tell you... don't tell you... what difference does it make?" Kyle said, his eyes watery and tears streaming. "I can still hear them..." It was painfully clear he was coming undone in Gypsie's arms. "I can still... hear them, screaming in terror as they're burned alive. Murdered... by the wrath of someone they provoked... a creature they didn't understand. One who couldn't control his rage or his power, one who was abused, used, and tormented... such actions always create a monster... and it's only a matter of time before that monster goes on to attack others or turns around and bites them back..." He buried his face in Gypsie's shoulder, sobbing. "Mother... Grandfather... both my brothers... three hundred years, and I can still hear their screams in my head... I still wonder if they could have seen the truth, before it was too late." Just saying so made Kyle slam his eyes shut and sob harder as he remembered the screams of that night... the night when a dragon's rage murdered his family, set fire to his home...
... and set him free.