Every man on the bridge laughed.
“Anyway,” she continued, “as I was saying, Commander Dagon, I came down here to train with your men, but all of them keep wussing out and refuse to spar with me. They’re all too afraid you’ll kick their asses if they try to kick mine. But I really need to get some practice time in. Would you please tell them it’s okay to fight me?”
Shaking his head, Dagon headed for the door. “Tell her I’m on my way, Maarev.”
As he left, he heard Galen whisper, “Bring up video of GTR4.”
“I’m already on it,” Rahmik responded.
When Dagon reached the corridor outside Group Training Room 4, he found it packed with soldiers vying for a position that would allow them to see inside. A single scowl snapped them to attention and sent them scattering to other rooms.
Dagon entered the large training room and closed the door. Seventeen men occupied the benches along the walls, leaving a gap between them and Eliana, who frowned as she watched the melee in the middle.
Maarev once more battled Liden and Efren in the center of the room, but this time none were camouflaged.
Dagon skirted the edge of the training mat and sat beside Eliana. His arm brushed her shoulder. His thigh pressed against hers as he leaned back, knees comfortably splayed, boots planted on the floor. He could’ve left some room between them but just didn’t want to.
She didn’t seem to mind as she glanced up at him.
He arched a brow. “Learning again?”
“No.” She sent Maarev a dark look. “I’ve already learned everything I wanted to from observing. To learn the rest, I need to spar, but everyone is too chicken to take me on.”
Although Dagon suspected his translator wasn’t defining chicken accurately, he believed he gleaned her meaning. “You’re a great deal smaller than us… and smaller than Segonian women… with less musculature. They’re afraid they’ll hurt you.”
Now she arched a brow. “And that you’ll kick their asses if they do?”
“Yes.” It was a valid concern, though he opted not to say as much.
“Then tell them you won’t.”
He hesitated. He couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t react badly if one of his men hurt her. The soldier in him understood her need to train and prepare as best she could for any battles that might lie ahead, but the man—the nonsoldier part of him—was so drawn to her. He cared more for her every day and couldn’t bear the thought of her getting injured.
She placed a small hand on his where it rested on his thigh and gave it a squeeze. “We’re only a couple of days away from the escape pod. I need to familiarize myself with whatever passes for hand-to-hand combat out here before we find it. I need to be prepared. For anything.”
Dagon saw again the sorrow in her pretty brown eyes and wanted to spare her more in the future, so he quashed his protective instincts. For now.
“Halt,” he commanded.
The soldiers ceased fighting and faced him.
“Maarev, Liden, have a seat,” Dagon ordered. “Efren will battle Eliana now.”
Every man in the room sat up straighter.
Reaching beneath the bench, Eliana drew out a training sword with a dulled blade.
Dagon stayed her. “Let’s start with staffs.”
Shrugging, she rose and headed to the center of the room. “Okay.”
Brohko jumped up and handed her a wooden staff.
Eliana thanked him and gave the staff a twirl as Maarev and Liden retreated to the benches. “Maarev and Liden don’t have to leave. I can fight all three at once.”
A few soldiers laughed in disbelief.
Eliana ignored them.
Recalling the way she had swung her katana, Dagon was inclined to believe she spoke the truth. But he would proceed with caution nevertheless. “One will do for now.”
Efren took the staff a fellow soldier handed him.
Eliana studied him thoughtfully. “You aren’t going to get your shorts in a bunch if I win, are you?”
He blinked. “I don’t know what that means.”
“You aren’t going to be upset, are you? If I win?”
“No. Will you be upset when I defeat you?”
She grinned. “Not gonna happen, my friend.”
He chuckled. “We shall see. Let us begin.”
The words had no sooner left his lips than Eliana struck.
Surprise lit Efren’s face as he blocked her strike. And the one that followed. And the next and the next. She had good form, a sharp gaze that seemed to miss nothing, and was swift on her feet. A true warrior, as Dagon had expected.
She shook her head. “You’re just playing defense. Play offense. Come on. Try to hit me.”
Dagon silently agreed. Efren was simply reacting to her strikes instead of attempting any of his own.
Until Eliana swept his feet out from under him and landed him on his ass.
“I’m serious,” she stated. “Hit me.”
Efren glanced at Dagon as he rose.
Dagon ignored the nervous flutter in his stomach. “Do as she says.”
Efren altered his fighting technique accordingly, blocking Eliana’s swings and attempting a few of his own.
But Eliana fended off every blow and once more landed him on his ass. “I’ve watched you fight, Efren. I know you’re better than this.” Frustration painted her features as she shook her head. “Quit drekking around. I get that you don’t want to hurt me. But Gathendiens will. You pussyfooting around isn’t going to prepare me for that. Come and get me, damn it.”
Imagining Eliana coming up against Gathendien soldiers unprepared must’ve changed Efren’s mind about taking it easy on her, because he began to fight in earnest then.
And what a fight it was.
Dagon leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees as he watched Efren do his damnedest to take Eliana down. Cheers erupted from the other soldiers, many of them for Eliana. One would think Efren would have the advantage since he was a lot taller and had a much longer reach. But Eliana was fast and skilled and—
Efren caught her across the back and sent her sprawling to the floor.
Every man gasped.
Dagon rose, his heart in his throat.
Efren stared down at her in horror.
It had been a hard blow.
Eliana laughed. Rolling over onto her back, which must hurt like srul, she held up a hand.
Efren swiftly clasped it and pulled her to her feet.
As soon as she stood, she smiled and clapped him on the back with her free hand. “I let you get that one in so you—and everyone else here—would see I won’t shatter.” She sent Dagon a meaningful look.
He sat back down, his heart still pounding in his chest.
She didn’t walk stiffly or wince when she bent to retrieve her fallen staff. “Okay.” Facing Efren again, she twirled the staff. “Now that that’s out of the way, give me all you’ve got.”
His eyes alight with admiration, Efren did as ordered and swung. Cheers once more erupted as the two engaged in fierce, single-minded combat. Dagon had fought Efren many times in the past and could tell the soldier held nothing back. Yet time and again Eliana emerged the victor.
She helped Efren up after felling him once more. “Now Maarev and Liden.”
Maarev and Liden glanced at each other. Maarev jerked his head toward the center of the room.