Chromium

14.1

First draft

That night Dia felt the urgent need to get wasted. Apparently, she wasn't the only one. The Galley - some sort of pub that looked like an old distillery - was packed full. Many pirates were drinking, playing cards and singing songs, their loud voices resembling the wail of a Banshee.

Dia observed them with disgust. The VIP room on the upper floor offered her the perfect view on the deck below, and it was private, far from the rabble shouting downstairs.

She titled the glass, squinting her eyes at the sight of the amber liquid, the mass-produced gut-rot the imperials passed as whiskey. That, of course, didn't stop her from shoving that poison down her throat. She exhaled, then coughed as the bitter liquid went down.

A small smile played on her lips when she remembered the strange look the bartender at the counter had given her. She was well aware that there was much better stuff available and she'd always hated whiskey, but knowing that something hadn't changed and she still hated it, was strangely reassuring.

The fact alone that she was able to drink was odd. Her body was like a puzzle, and apparently, no one - Sarah included - was able to explain how it worked exactly. Dia grimaced. Then she took another swing of her drink, well aware it was pointless to think about it.

She was on her third glass when she saw someone climbing the stairs.

"Rodriguez." She waved her hand at the Merc.

Rodriguez' eyes slid to her, and she cracked a grin, but her heart wasn't in it. "Sweetheart."

"How is Willis doing?" She asked while Rodriguez took a seat.

The merc's smile faded into a grimace. "He is fine, all things considered. But I think it's best if I keep him away from Reyes."

Dia bobbed her head in silent agreement.

Rodriguez raked her finger back through her black hair. "He outdid himself this time. He managed to piss off both the captain and the first officer."

"It's not all his fault." Dia said, feeling the urge to defend him. "Reyes behaved like an asshole."

Rodriguez shook his head. "You don't contradict someone like Reyes before his crew. But enough of this." She said, propping her elbow on the table and her chin in her palm. Then she smiled at her. "What about you? How are you holding up?"

Dia smiled back, but there was an edge of carefully hidden regret behind her eyes. 

"You feel guilty." Rodriguez said, reading her like an open book.

Dia spoke, and her voice came out rough and quavering. "I kept repeating myself that there was nothing I could do, but..."

"But you don't believe it." Rodriguez looked at her with sympathy. "Listen, Dia, probably you don't want to hear this, but...those guys were trying to kill us."

"I know, Rodriguez, I know. It's just that..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

Rodriguez took her hand into hers and smiled encouragingly. "Look on the bright side, Sweetheart. Many of them managed to survive..." Her smile slipped. "...though the fact that Fanning saved them is pretty hard to swallow."

Dia lifted her eyebrows. "You know Fanning?"

The Merc suppressed a grimace. "Unfortunately, I do. He is a real piece of work. He almost started a war a few years back."

Dia opened her eyes wide. "A war? What are you talking about?"

Rodriguez answered the question with another question. "Do you know about Tara III?"