Scrapper

«I advise you to finish this show, captain.» Lyssa’s voice sounded. «As your body had not yet fully recovered.»

«Shut up, Lyssa!» a sudden rage took over Serena, and the woman pushed through the rising aching in her muscles, forcing Pher to retreat again and again, until he jumped back and hit the wall.

Growling and attacking, Serena offered him no respite, aiming at his body again and again, barely missing her hits, as the man too was an experienced fighter in hand-to-hand combat. In a short moment of her distraction by a sharp pain in her broken arm, he managed to unarm her, throwing her blade aside, but that was all he could do, as the woman jumped to him, slamming her forehead into his face.

A pained scream flew out from his mouth, but before he could slide down the wall, Serena hissed and grabbed his clothes, throwing him aside.

Hunter jolted up, noticing the woman swaying from this. But Pher remained on the floor, groaning and bloodied from the short, but intense scuffle he had with the captain of the ship.

Serena walked over and picked up her blade, watching Pher closely, then sheathed her weapon and returned to her meal, feeling her hands trembling from adrenaline.

Though breathing heavily, she didn’t take her eyes off Pher, who lay on the floor, barely moving and groaning from pain. Serena tried grasping the glass with her drink, but almost dropped it, when her trembling fingers slid on the surface.

She took her time, slowing down her breathing and calming herself, before she understood that she was no longer hungry. Enraged at this, she threw her tray off the table and stormed out of the dining area, leaving the three men.

Chapter 5. Memories

Hunter took his time finding Serena. When he approached her, she was sitting in the captain’s seat on the bridge and watching the stars outside – silent and distant.

«Can I join you?» Hunter asked, feeling conflicted if he should even be there or not.

«You’re free to roam the ship, Hunter. Whether you want my company or not is entirely up to you.» Serena replied, sounding different than on the day before.

She felt more confident, more collected, stronger and… more lost than when he met her. The man sat down on the first pilot’s seat and took a few moments to gather his thoughts, deciding on what to talk about with the woman, who went through so much and he knew nothing about.

«I’m sorry.» Hunter finally said, turning to look at Serena.

He noticed her frown and meet his gaze.

«What are you sorry for?» she asked, her tone indifferent, but hiding a hint of aching somewhere deep inside.

«I should have stopped him. Pher is an asshole.»

Serena smirked, and Hunter noted how her eyes softened.

«Don’t be sorry for someone else’s stupidity. I saw Cipher stopping you. He did the right thing.» the woman answered. «If you’d interfere, you could have been caught in the moment and punched as well.»

«Can I ask… how is it that yesterday you were so frail, and today…»

«Muscle memory.» Serena chuckled. «Though, I must admit, I am in no condition to fight a Laithorian right now. I’m a disgrace to my family name.»