Alexa was too immersed in the thrill of battle to realize that her comrades were in dire straits.

With a gleeful smile, too out of place on her blood-splattered face, she charged towards the remaining foe in the central dock, the one with the pockmarked face and the studded club.

She swung her weapon in long arcs, her hands a bit closer to the head, using it more like a battle axe than a polearm.

Each time the roar of her attacks passed by the enemy weapon was chipped or he took a step backwards, barely avoiding it. 

-COME ON! COME ON! DON’T GET SHY NOW!- She bellowed as her powerful arms tensed up with each swing.

-WEREN’T YOU ATTACKING PEOPLE HAPPILY UNTIL NOW!?- She asked, mocking the criminal as he was back-stepping with each attack.

The criminal couldn’t reply to her taunts, as the pressure of her attacks seemed like a wall pushing him back. He attempted to side-step her, but each time he tried, she allowed her weapon shaft to slide under her grip, returning to being used as a polearm, increasing her range and blocking any exits.

He kept looking around, realizing that he either dropped his weapon and jumped to latch one to one of the transport barges used to take goods to the lake and the Mudhole or he jumped directly into the river. 

Neither option seemed to be good, yet Alexa chose for him, as he realized that he couldn’t back away any longer, trapped at the end of the pier. 

Before he could react to the fact that his heel wasn’t supported by anything below, the Captain of the City Guard performed a sweeping move with the butt end of her weapon’s shaft attempting to knock the criminal down.

Showing surprising agility, which in reality shouldn’t be as surprising considering he managed to evade multiple attacks from her, he jumped over the sweep, yet that was exactly what Alexa was aiming at, as she was already moving when he did that.

She followed the circular motion of her sweep attack, she spun her whole body and performed a crushing back-spin kick, hitting her opponent right in the gut while he was mid-air, launching him off the pier and into the river, which he dove into doubled over in pain.

With a satisfied smile on her face, she leaned her weapon against her shoulder and shook off dust from her leather covered palm, watching the bubbles coming out to the surface until they stopped.

Her victory was short lived, as her keen instincts reacted to an incoming attack; maybe she caught a glimpse in the corner of her eye on the reflection of the axe-head of her polearm or maybe she heard the creaking of wood to her side, whatever it was it saved her from falling into the water as she ducked and a large hook passed over her.

The last of the criminals she managed to spot initially, who was in the last pier, furthest from the administrative building, had used one of the barges as a short-cut crossing over to the center pier and cornered Alexa between herself and the water.

The remaining goon was a young woman with a gruff appearance, pale skin, short messy reddish blonde hair, a single dark blue eye, freckles all over her skin, short in stature but wide of frame.

Her most notable trait was a grotesque scar that went from the left side of her nose and reached deep into her hairline, where her ear should be, she was missing an eye as well and the lowest end of the cicatrized wound exposed a couple of her teeth, as it reached her upper lip.

She was carrying another weapon that once upon a time used to be a nautic implement of the Paho, which give more than enough evidence for Alexa to guess most of the crew hired by the Serico Sisters was Paho, not usual for them as they usually hired locals.

The weapon was known as a Laudoi, this heavy chain had a large curved hook at the end, usually employed for securing another ship to allow ease of boarding.

The scarred criminal wielded it with much more proficiency than her comrades did their own.

Alexa silently thanked Herod Praesul, the former Captain of the Guard, who many times had drilled all the guards on different weapons and combat styles of foreigners, as many who reached Rigel were either mercenaries for merchants or people looking for new waters for their crimes.

She even competed against Callis and Bellator to see who could remember the most weapons and related countries, with the loser paying the bar tab.

But remembering this wasn’t just nostalgia triggered by the weapon, but also quite important for her, as she also remembered the lessons of Captain Praesul, a true weapon master and a brilliant tactician.

“The better trained an opponent is, the more they act on instinct, what their body does naturally. Taking advantage of an enemy strength and turning it into a weakness is better than merely targeting an obvious weakness, as even the most obtuse of warriors will know what their weaknesses are and will have a counterplay in mind.”

With that in mind, Alexa hatched up a scheme that could prove to be disastrous if it failed, but she had faith it could work.

-You’re done for, you huge hapka.- The Paho woman insulted Alexa in her native tongue. Alexa didn’t understand the curse, but the intention was clear.

-That’s a very good point, but what about this?- Alexa replied, lobbing her weapon sideways in an arc directly at her opponent.

-CATCH!- She shouted with all the authority she could muster, her voice snapping like whip.

Alexa wasn’t the sharpest knife, but she had enough experience to know these grunts had at least some experience as mercenaries and as undisciplined as some groups tend to be, all knew how to react to orders, that added to her clear proficiency with her weapon, one which needs coordinations and reflexes, everything seemed to pile up in the Captain’s favor.

-Wha…- The woman asked, flabbergasted as she, unintentionally, caught Alexa’s weapon. 

She looked down at the halberd in her hands and that was more than enough time for the Captain of the Guard to close the distance with her long strides.

The criminal attempted to use this newfound weapon to push against the incoming Alexa, but she had caught it in an awkward position and was also weighed down by her own weapon.

The Captain of the Guard swerved under the makeshift attack and grabbed the shaft of her weapon, standing behind her opponent.

With herculean strength she pulled towards her, breaking the enemy’s grip and placing the middle of her weapon’s shaft under the criminal’s chin.

-What are you doing you daft bit…- The scarred mercenary attempted to ask before she felt a powerful tug.

Alexa dropped to her back and performed a picture perfect german suplex, dragging her enemy by the chin, keeping it up, apart from her chest, so her head would receive the full impact of the movement.

The disgusting belching sound of shattered bones piercing flesh echoed across the pier, as Alexa managed to break her enemies neck in one single move.

The Captain of the Guard stood up, picking her weapon off the corpse of her enemy and spat on the downed foe.

-You’re the only hapka here…- She said with a smile, but it wavered for a second as she realized she didn’t know what that meant.

-Whatever that is.- She added before scanning the surroundings searching for her next target.