Hurt but unbroken

One of the most important skills of a soldier is the ability to cope with long periods of inactivity. Soldiers of the regular army were drilled, mercenaries wasted money on fun. Fortunately for everyone, Dilayla was different from her colleagues in this regard. Yes, she liked to drink and sometimes used the services of marquees, although she didn't have to very often, but she saved most of her money for ... not quite sure what, exactly ... Retirement? For a quiet life? She wasn't really sure what she could do outside of the fight. She could go to the temple of Iomadae, but she could always do that…. She was surprised to discover that she has no real purpose in life and just drifts where fate takes her. „I'm less than a leaf in the wind" she thought as she lay on her bunk and stared at the ceiling. The cabin was cramped. A two-story bed, narrow but comfortable, a micro bathroom, a cupboard. Not much, but it was a luxury compared to military barracks or sleeping in the open air. She spent most of her time in the common room or cargo hold anyway, going through their gear, though of course she couldn't see what Lady Cala and her "guardian" had brought with them. She must ask Arkan-tar about it, who should be interested in what the aristocrat took, or even talk to Bina, who should take care of it.

She shared a cabin with Wrongdak. She could have taken Rosie, but she was still stressed about being suspected of being her "sleeping bag friend." And besides, then Doctor Quin would be in the same cabin with Wrongdak. There would then be far too much of a resemblance that he would end up in multiple pieces in jars of formalin. The alien was a pleasant if silent companion. She wanted to ask him about his friends sometimes, but he still didn't trust her enough to fully open up. Looking at her traveling companions, she wasn't surprised. She herself did not trust them at all, and the Lord Admiral had in his eyes, or rather eye, a coldness that she had seen only in the eyes of the most ruthless commanders, and this did not bode well, although those around him made her uneasy. Lady Ka looked like either a psychopath or a drug addict, and she was probably both. Lady Sorowflame… who sane would be called that?

However, she herself was not a very good conversationalist. Most of her stories were about her more or less heroic deeds during the war, and it wasn't something that some one who was being forced to be a soldier wanted to hear about. So she decided to tell him about her childhood and the good old days. However, she quickly realized that sooner or later her story would lead to the grim end that his big brother gave her family. So they spent time together in the cabin in silence, although there was not much of it ...

Back in Saltmarsh, she exchanged credits for hard currency, and bought some weapons, meds, and ammunition. She didn't know how long they would be in the ravaged zone, or what technology they had there.

Before leaving, Bina gave them a document to sign. In it, "Rules of peaceful coexistence with my crew" were written. She read the text carefully, she was a mercenary and knew how many traps a contract could contain, but she absolutely did not expect it. Because they had to accept extremely unusual rules.

"Eti is not a cat and has nothing to do with cats. This is an indisputable fact."

"Lilka is an orc. It's an indisputable fact."

"Alatar is neither a small dragon nor a fat dragonkin"

"The Dragonkin Riders are a bullshit myth!"

"Eti doesn't purr. she growls"

"If Lilka says something is orcish, it is orcish even if it's jelly Skitermanders"

"We don't touch Alatar's nerdy stuff without asking"

"We don't touch Lilka's orc charms without asking.

"We don't touch maps and other Itel-owned equipment without asking"

"We do not touch Eti's weapons"

"We don't give Eti money"

"If one of the crew members takes some medicine, we don't investigate why"

"If any of the crew members are rude to you, let me know"

"We ignore the fact that Eti gives you new names, it's her quirk"

"Eti is an absolutely perfect, amazing and unique creature" (crossed out) "Eti be quiet!"

Wrongdak and Rosie read the document and signed it, eyeing the crew suspiciously. Lady Cala smiled understandingly. Miss Daisy laughed strangely. And Ysoka kept grumbling about not agreeing to it. Emily also got her copy signed by Wrondak. Dilayla thought for a moment. Had she not known who these young people were and how much they had been through, she would have snorted in amusement. But she understood that their quirks stemmed from how much their lives had hurt them. "They are hurt but not broken. Not broken by any means."

She liked these weird kids. They reminded her of herself. They were shaped by war and loss like the one she experienced. "At least I had a place to go back to. They are alone in this cold universe at the mercy of the gods…" she thought as she sat on a chair and watched them play some board game. Lilka, with glasses on her nose, looked bizarre, but also charming, she read the instructions aloud, because everyone remembered the rules differently. For the last half hour they had been arguing and shouting instead of playing. Rosie watched them confused, her glasses unable to cope with a group of shouting teenagers. When no one was looking, Eti tried to move the pawns with her tail, but as soon as someone noticed...

„I am not cheating. It's just that my tail and this pawn ended up in exactly the same place, and I refuse to let my tail's freedom be limited by a soulless piece of plastic, so it has been moved to a place that only by chance is favorable to me, but you of course you have to make contrived and absolutely baseless accusations because you can't accept losing." said the feline girl in this strange monotonous voice, while gently moving another pawn. Itel and Alatar looked at her with narrowed eyes, and Lilka continued to read the instructions aloud. Rosie was moving the pawn back to its place. Dilayla smiled at the sight. Now they were almost normal kids, albeit quite unruly. But she saw their morning "Prayers"

"Teeth for Offense"

"Tongue for a Lie"

"Hand for Punch"

"Eyes for an Eye"

"Heart for Betrayal"

Then she realized how much they had been hurt by the world and life. Itel, Alatar and Lilka, like most children of war like them, tried to hide their fear and pain behind a mask of bravado and aggressiveness. And Eti, that was another story. The girl, judging by her accent, came from the same place as Bina, which was the planet Atrax, which was, as far as she knew, in the same system as Kesler, which was the home of the other three young people, which was destroyed by the swarm. But sometimes her Absalom accent kicked in, like a moment ago when she was arguing about a moved pawn. In addition, Wrongdak claimed that she resembled his friend, if she understood correctly. She didn't want to be nosy, so she didn't question the white-skinned alien, but from the context she inferred that she might have come from Etheria… Did that apply to this girl as well? It just didn't make sense… How could she hide such important information among such a close-knit group? Unless they were all somehow connected to that planet and fulfilling some important mission for its authorities. A mission unsettlingly similar to the one they were on... If so, they're lost... Shouldn't she tell the others? She looked at Miss Daisy. The woman was writing down something while looking at what was displayed on her screen, but she was also listening to the kids' conversation all the time. „I'm not sure I should warn people like them" she thought with a wry smile. The crew of this ship definitely didn't look like sneaky spies or conspirators... Wrongdak could be wrong, after all, he himself said that he was a very young clone, and the education that this Horde Prime had given them didn't make life in society any easier. There were only two more problems. The feline girl, Eti, had a goddamn artifact prosthetic, and the captain of the ship looked like Lady Ka, which she wouldn't have cared much about if the woman in the half-mask didn't look like a fucker. People like her were dangerous as opponents, because they were absolutely unpredictable, but also as allies, because they didn't care that because their wonderful ideas, outsiders or allies would get hurt. "I'm just a trigger, do I have to deal with solving mysteries? Why wasn't bloody Verthani in my place? Or Mean Ysoka?"

Miss Daisy, meanwhile, went over to the game table, looked at the board, and took Rosie's piece and moved it. Itel stood up and looked at the situation on the board and said in disbelief.

„It's a good move... you actually reversed the situation on the board..."

The grim elf nodded and said.

"It's largely thanks to Miss Rosie." I just took advantage of an opportunity she may have missed.

"You didn't look like the kind who could…play games," Dragonkin asked in surprise. Miss Daisy smiled… nostalgically.

„Yes, although I know mainly the old ones, although I have learned a few in the meantime. For my previous employer, playing strategy games was one of the few distractions he allowed himself."

This time the kids looked at her with some appreciation, although the green-haired elf seemed a bit suspicious.

„Do you know the game of river kings ..." Eti asked curiously. Miss Daisy nodded.

„Yes, although it was called a bit differently here... Princesses of rivers or control of waterways when I played with my employer. I also know a mandala, go... clash..." she mentioned the names of subsequent games so ancient that the place where they were created was no longer known.

"And you know how to play When the Horde Comes?" Lilka interjected. Miss Daisy looked at her in surprise.

„No, but I can learn. I also have a feeling that my former employer would like it." she said in a thoughtful voice.

"What are you up to?" thought Dilayla, looking at the dark sorceress.

She was even more disturbed by what happened the next day. They were in the training room where Itel and Lilka were practicing fencing. The Solarian was extremely agile, and the red-haired girl attacked with a fury worthy of an orc of ancient legend, not one of those modern half-slaves. Dilayla liked to come here. As a kid, she was on the youth boxing team. Her first girlfriend was also member. They even won a local championship. She was so proud of herself then… now she could bludgeon someone to death with little effort, and in power armor she could tear apart a tank. "How much I've changed since then, how much innocence we've all lost." She thought, realizing how much she was like those kids. "Only I got my revenge, They will have to wait a little longer. Whoever Horde Prime was, he was but one mortal being, and the Swarm is pure hunger, no one and nothing will satiate it."

Itel deftly parried Lilka's next attacks, until finally the pissed redhead growled and grabbed her wrist, but then the elf cut her. The pseudo-ork girl screamed and dragged the elf to the floor, and the two girls began to struggle. Bina, who was standing in the corner of the room, approached them and began to separate them.

"Calm down, or you'll end up in Mr. Ilemshaw's infirmary!" she screamed.

"I don't think there's any reason to intervene. Previous incidents of this type, and I must say there have been many, have never resulted in any significant injury." Said a voice coming from the boom camera. It was Mr. Ilemshaw, a strange fish-like creature that lived in a large aquarium in the laboratory, cybernetically connected to the ship's various systems. He was weird and a little unsettling, but since she'd woken up with her cybernetic prosthetics, she found all the doctors unsettling.

„There were many of them, you say, it's so funy". Bina said coldly, staring at the camera and wagging her finger. At this time, the girls got up and, as if nothing had happened, talked about the fight, going to the training equipment. Then Lady Cala entered the Training Room and Dilayla's mood dropped. "The last person I want to see" Unfortunately, the lovely aristocrat spent a lot of time training. "Somewhere she must have gotten fit enough to run from the city to the observatory in less than two hours." Miss Daisy followed her like a shadow. Rosie, who was training by the punching bag, greeted the two women happily, but Eti, standing at the virtual shooting range, took off her goggles and stared murderously at the aristocrat. The girl has a nose, you have to give her that, thought Dilayla, smiling coldly. Lilka and Itel broke away from their exercises and bowed to Lady Cala and her guardian.

„I can never get over what a great training room you have created. It surpasses ours in Castle Grayskull in every way." said the aristocrat, smiling warmly. Itel nodded, pretending she didn't care, but it was clear that her ego was boosted by the noblewoman's praise.

„Do you have any plans for training session today?" said the solarian, Eti almost smiled and said.

„I propose to be a living target."

The aristocrat ostentatiously ignored her and turned to the green-haired Elf.

"I'd love to train with you if it's not a problem and your captain agrees." Lady Cala asked, and Bina thought for a moment. The aristocrat began to put on training clothes, and then Dilayla approached the captain and asked her.

"You're not afraid that it might end badly.

„It will end badly for sure... But what are you asking about?" replied the woman with burgundy hair and laughed unhappily.

„Well, training with the wonderful Lady Cala." The mercenary answered, a bit surprised.

"Oh, it's happened to her twice already, and nothing bad has come of Itel isn't offended by losing and doesn't get paranoid. I've known this kids for five years, you can even say half of my life, they even liked you. Especially Rosie became friends with my gang. That's the only thing that can cause problems."

Dilayla raised eyebrow.

„What do you mean."

Bina sighed heavily.

„Alatar "likes" Itel. Itel "likes", Eti, and I have a feeling Eti is starting to "like" Rosie." the captain of the ship explained to the mercenary. The way she said likes made it clear what kind of relationship she meant. "Such shoes. I need to talk to Rosie. This girl may not realize what a feline girl might want from her. At best, it can be an embarrassingly awkward situation ... But Eti was so ... specific that it could have ended badly."

The girls stood in the ring. Both had holographic weapons attached to their training suits so that they emulated weight, and the vests themselves reacted to the blows they received, inducing slight pain. A very ingenious and useful device. Itel was armed with an equivalent of her Solarian blade, and Lady Cala carried a epee. The first exchange of blows was lightning fast. After the elf's aggressive attack, the noblewoman made a feint, winning the round. It was then up to Itel to adopt a defensive strategy, but the extremely fast attacks pierced the solarian's veil. Lady Cala then asked Lilka to join the fight as well. The red-haired warrior gladly agreed and this time the fight lasted a bit longer. But when Itel almost collided with Lilka, the aristocrat launched two lightning attacks and won for the third time. Only the last clash was more even and several times each side was close to losing. Finally, Lady Cala fell for Itel's feint and got hit. The elf, all wet from the effort, smiled triumphantly.

„She's good". Bina said they are looking at Lady Cali. Dilayla shook her head.

"No, she's the absolute best swordswoman I've ever seen, and I trained in the Order of the Eclipse, so I've seen some really great fighters."

"You wanted to be a hellknight?" You don't look like that. asked the surprised captain.

„No, they took us in, me and my sister, after thedammed Horde ravaged Minitar. They really aren't as bad as they say. The lictor saved us and adopted Asindesa di Vir, she is also from our planet ... – „But he covered her, not me or my sister" she thought bitterly. "Back to Lady Cali, she wins easily, but she loses by a hair, so you know.

"Are you suggesting she let herself be defeated?" Bina asked, and the mercenary answered her with a nod.

„Lady Cala... Can I train with you too?" Rosie asked, blushing.

"Of course not, Sparkle Hand. Then you'll smell like her and I won't be able to stand you." Eti said indignantly.

"There really is something going on" thought the mercenary anxiously.

„Of course... How do you fight?" asked Lady Cala, smiling warmly.

„I can fight hand-to-hand, and I think I'm pretty good at it." Rosie signed.

„You're awesome, Sparkle hand. You'll kick her noble ass. „ said Eti, and the white-haired girl blushed.

„Maybe. In hand-to-hand combat, I'm a bit worse. said the Aristocrat. Rosie took off her glasses and gloves so they wouldn't get damaged and faced Lady Cali, who assumed a combative stance. Aristocrat landed a few lightning strikes, which, however, were blocked and Rosie countered, which pushed Cala almost to the mat. The noblewoman was surprised by such resistance, but before she could do anything, the white-haired girl attacked her. Rosie's hands began to glow brightly. Dilayla had never expected such aggression from an intern. Nobleborn tried to kick Rosie, but Rosie grabbed her and knocked her to the mat. Lady Cala freed her leg by bending the knee at a very strange angle and began furiously attacking the white-haired girl with great force, whose eyes began to glow with a strange inner glow. Some of Lady Cala's punches, like splayed sideways strikes aimed at the throat, could kill. Dilayla was already moving towards the combatants to stop the clash, but then Rosie hit the noble so powerfully that she flew to the other end of the room and slammed into the wall. For a moment the intern looked like she was about to lunge at Lady Cali and finish her off with one mighty blow, but then she shook her head and realized what she had done. Terrified, with tears in her eyes, she ran to the noble and tried to ask in sign language, but she had no gloves, so no one understood her. Dilayla herself approached the wounded woman, expecting the worst. The others in the training room did the same, though Miss Daisy did not look frightened. Lady Cala, however, immediately began to rise, and for a moment it seemed to the mercenary that a grimace of indescribable fury appeared on the face of the aristocrat, but after a moment it disappeared, replaced by a painful smile.

„Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll just need a day or two to rest in my cabin." She patted Rosie head. The girl was rubbing her red eyes now. Eti put her hand on her shoulder, the living and biological one, and almost smiled reassuringly.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the infirmary? The hit looked really scary." Mr. Ilemshaw asked.

„No, I'm fine. Those bearing the mark of Grayskull are not so easy to break." she smiled at the boom camera.

„It is not easy to break you. indeed „. said Miss Daisy