“Stand back up.” Laura’s blade impaled the floor, no easy feat for any other than her, as Bonnie spit blood and a tooth out. She was only nine, but in the life of a crew such as Laura’s, that might as well have been an adult asking for a fight.

“Aaaaahhh!!” Bonnie shouted, running at her mother with a dagger in her hands, Laura pulling the blade out and blocking each attack from the small child with ease, before kicking her roughly in the chest and sending her flying across the deck once more.

“Ooo….felt that one.” One of the crew said, watching as they worked their posts, the mother and daughter practicing on the main deck of the ship.

“Again.” Laura said, Bonnie breathing hard, but scrambling to her feet like she always did. She always left these sessions with bruises, bloodied and beaten, but always determined.

“Rrrraaaahhh!” Bonnie lunged forwards once more.

“Always watch your flank, even if it’s with only one eye.” Laura stated firmly, Bonnie watching the ground carefully, the smoke and ash that swirled around her coiled and lashed like a living, breathing creature.

From the side, her mother soared across the ground, sword cutting through the air like a song being sung, as Bonnie pulled back just in time to nearly lose her nose. But as she dodged the blade, a grenade bounced from the smoke, sending her flying forwards as heat, smoke, and metal cut along her skin, her body slamming into the wall like a ragdoll.

Bonnie fell to the floor, knocked unconscious for a split second, before regaining her senses in time to block the blade that came sailing at her from the smoke.

“Teach your body to move on instinct, and even when you’re unconscious, it will protect you.” Laura’s voice whispered from the mists, before it materialized from the ash as her hand soared for Bonnie’s head.

Bonnie glided under it, using her head in the most literally manner and headbutting her mother in the gut. Laura’s foot slide to the floor as the blow struck her in full, before a knee came up, the more experienced woman rolling into the hit and kicking Bonnie directly in the face.

The smaller woman could barely handle the hit, knocked fully unconscious as blood streaked down her face. The last thing she saw was the surgeon headed over to collect her as always, the crews passing money between each other as they watched the spectacle unfold.

When she awoke once more, Laura sat beside her, peeling a fruit as the surgeon finished repairing her skin and damaged eye, Bonnie hissing in pain now that her senses were returning.

“And?” Laura asked softly, holding out some of the fruit to her daughter as she took some for herself.

“I need to improve my footing.” Bonnie takes the fruit, her mother nodding slightly as the two talk.

“We’ll be going to speak with Captain Redrun.” Laura says, her tone offering for Bonnie to accompany her.

“Speak, or kill?” Bonnie asks, perfectly aware of how her mother operates by now.

“That depends on how he greets us.” Laura smiles as she pats the head of her fully grown daughter.

The two laugh between each other, relaxing once more as they wait for Bonnie to heal in full.