No matter how different the mission had felt in her head, the first seconds Roschni saw it play out exactly as usual. The first pirates on deck opened fire on the sailors on the other side to intimidate the crew and scatter their positions. They utilised fear as a weapon, lowering the morale of their targets to stifle any resistance early. Roschni still hung on the railing, watching the events play out from higher ground. Nixon's ship had already lost two men in the opening assault, and several were wounded.<br/><br/>“We need Nixon!” One of the pirates roared across the deck. “Surrender the woman or resist and die!”<br/><br/>That was a lie of course, every single person on the boat would bite a bullet. It was made very clear to the pirates that the military didn't want any survivors running their mouths. Not until they had what they came for. Roschni watched carefully as the events on the ship unfolded, as more pirates boarded and combed the ship. Roschni, as well as others remaining on their own ship, were in support roles. They could see from a higher angle and provide cover fire, making sure the pirates could blitz through the open parts of the ship. So far it was no different from their routine.<br/><br/>However, the soldiers wouldn't surrender so easily. “Around the corner!” Roschni yelled, as she spotted one of the men she had kept an eye on loading a gun. She opened fire and the man dove for cover. Roschni heard Dhipin  ordering two men to go around the ship, so she kept the man in her visor; pinning him down for the inevitable pincer attack.<br/><br/>It took her minutes of hard focus and concentration. Roschni sweat just from keeping up the threat. The men who attempted to circle the deck took longer than expected. She heard gunfire; they met resistance. “They took Al!” She heard one of the pirates yell, at which point it was clear that not only had the soldiers put up resistance; it was their intent to fight to the death.<br/><br/>More casualties fell, two pirates were killed, one hit in his leg, and four soldiers were wasted, before Roschni's target finally attempted to move. Her heart jumped when she saw him rush out of cover and in the moment she sprayed a salvo trailing his movements. The man fell flat on his face, which made for an easy killing shot. She saw Dhipin on his other side, together with Daaruk, her other brother. For a second she was relieved to see them alive. Daaruk kicked the man's gun away and Diphin knelled down next to the fallen soldier. Roschni saw her younger brother's lips move, but from the distance and noise she couldn't make out what he was saying. Whatever it was, though, the soldier didn't give him the answer he wanted. Diphin's expression turned into a frown, and he reached for the man's own gun. He put it to the man's head, and even if Roschni could see her brother hesitate, the sound of the gunshot pierced her ears. Her chest suddenly felt hollow and cold, as she looked at Diphin, with an emotion-less grin on his face. She whispered to herself; “Didi, you grow up too fast.”<br/><br/>“They've retreated! Deck's clear!” Daaruk shouted, to which the captain gave order to comb the hold and cabins. Roschni saw Daaruk pull Diphin along with him below deck. She hoped he would be okay. Diphin mimicked the expressions of the others, but she knew that deep inside he was the softest and most vulnerable of them all. Much unlike the man that approached Roschni from behind.<br/><br/>“Roschni, I need you to clear the captain's cabin!” The captain commanded, “We're smoking out the lot in the hold, but we need boot above deck.” He said, as he grabbed her forearm and pulled her up. The captain's eye was close to hers, his other one covered by a patch, just like the pirates of old. He was a large man, closest of the whole crew to his thirties, but his head was already balding. “Hurry up if you want your cut.” He barked at the girl, before jumping ships.<br/><br/>Roschni pulled her arm away from the man, but only after her second try he let her go. It was a reminder of who was in charge. Roschni shot him a venomous glare, but she obeyed, climbing over the railing and jumping on the boat that carried Nixon. She followed the captain in tow. For him to go separate from the rest of the crew with only Roschni as back-up had her on alert. That man was onto something.<br/><br/>“She's not in the hold?” Roschni asked briskly. The captain turned around, rolling his one eye.<br/><br/>“Of course not.” He swatted away her question. “Do you idiots think that's any kind of place to keep a bloated top dog? They're far too full of their selves to even set foot down there. I can't believe the rest of you lot are this stupid. They're holding up the rest of the soldiers, that's what their job is.”<br/><br/>Roschni groaned. This was what their leading man used her brothers for, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. They all needed the prize their contractor had promised them, so she followed him silently. Both Roschni and the captain held their heads low to sneak under the windows and held their breaths, as they made their way to the cabin's doorstep. Their footsteps covered by the sounds of the fight that played out below deck. Roschni worried for Diphin and Daaruk's lives every time she heard a gunshot.<br/><br/>“Focus.” The captain whispered agitatedly, as he forcefully pulled Roschni along her wrist. “She's in here.” He said, soundlessly knocking on the cabin, before pulling out a green, metallic tube out of his pocket and pushing it into Roschni's hands. It was frightening how the man always came up with surprises, more than once the crew had wondered how deep the captain's bag of tricks was.<br/><br/>“This is a smoke grenade, we'll use it to lure them out. They wouldn't have left her to be another red shirt, who knows how many men are in here.” The captain explained in a low voice, “You ram the window and I'll get the door. I'll comprehend her and you shoot anyone that isn't me or Nixon that leaves this door, understand?”<br/><br/>Roschni nodded, feeling shivers running from the cold steel in her hand all the way to her shoulder. The captain bound a scarf around his face, covering his mouth and nose. Roschni swallowed her nerves and silently counted to three. One... Sweat found it's way to her brow. Two... She slowly got up, as the captain gestured her to hurry... Three! With the back of her rifle, Roschni smashed in the glass and lobbed in the grenade. Gray smoke erupted from the cylinder and Roschni ducked under the window. She heard the captain crash through the door and storm inside, and seconds later guns blazing. Roschni only hoped it would be over soon...