Dhaz Wins Big Bazooka

Yuri Pelosh pulled Dhaz into the version of family pride that happens on a stage. The old Pelosh show game was called Big Bazooka. The rules were simple enough for a homecoming crowd: step up, blast a target as hard as possible in one action, and let the number decide the story. Yuri went first and hit for fifty-one damage, a clean reminder that his old Centrum Security Forces reputation had not come from nowhere. Then he handed Dhaz a pistol called the Pelosh. The weapon was a family joke, a legacy object, and a loaded public expectation all at once. On most shots, it was modest. On a critical hit, it became absurd. Dhaz fired, crit, and dealt sixty-nine damage. The crowd loved it. Yuri loved it too, but his explanation made the moment harder. He framed Dhaz as lucky, as if Dhaz carried luck-weaving powers that actually belonged to Andrea. The public cheered a version of Dhaz assembled from family mythology, mistaken projection, and a very lucky shot. Dhaz got the applause. He also got the weight of being celebrated for something that was not quite him.