Oh good, this one’s going to be trouble.

“First thing, Mir, in future you’ll reply to me immediately when I ask you a question. Secondly, are you missing half your brain? It’s insanity to have long, loose hair in combat. It’ll get in your face and blind you any time you try to turn quickly—which is exactly the time when you want your vision clear.”

The girl had turned sheet white, and her lips were clenched. She no longer tried to meet Mitzi’s eyes but stared at the floor with such intense hatred that Mitzi wouldn’t have been surprised if it had crushed the kid’s parents.

“Use this.” Mitzi plucked a hair tie out of her pocket and flicked it at Mir. It hit the girl’s chest and bounced onto the seat beside her, where Mir pointedly ignored it.

Fine. Be that way.

Mitzi turned to the third person on the left hand side of the room—another girl, a couple of years older but still too young to be much use on the battlefield. Her strawberry-blond hair was cut in a short crop, and her delicate, graceful face didn’t instil Mitzi with much confidence. The pretty ones always expect to be looked after.

“Skye,” the girl said in a clear, loud voice before Mitzi had even opened her mouth. “It’s an honour to serve on your crew, Captain.”

Mitzi raised an eyebrow. Huh. Maybe I was wrong.

“You looking forward to killing some Cymics, Skye?”

The girl hesitated for half a second. “Not especially, Captain, but I’m prepared.”

Mitzi nodded slowly, feeling half a smile creep over her face. “Good answer. Welcome to the crew, Skye.”

She pivoted on her boots to face the other side of the room. A man, a grin plastered over his angular face, was waiting for her. “Unlike my delightful companion, I am very much looking forward to blasting some Cymics. The bastards have a lot to answer for.”

Terrific. Mitzi massaged the bridge of her nose. The man in front of her was in his early twenties and probably had some sort of training, which, judging by his posture, was basic at best. “You forgot your name, genius.”

“Adam, Cap. And don’t worry. I’ve been through some pretty comprehensive combat training.” He flashed her a wink. “You can rely on me.”

“Yeah, no, I’m completely certain I can’t. Though I’m glad at least someone on this team has some training. All eight minutes of it.”

Adam opened his mouth as Mitzi turned away, and she held up a hand to silence him. “Don’t talk unless I talk to you. Understood, hot shot?”

His charismatic smile had turned into a scowl. “Yes, Captain.”

If she’d had more time, Mitzi would have reprimanded him for the scorn he’d enveloped her title in, but they had less than three hours until they reached their destination and a lot of ground to cover. Besides, this job was basically a punishment in its own right. Five minutes on a Cymic-controlled planet should deflate his ego pretty quick.