“So they tried to kill you.” The Engineer had a very dark look on her face.
“And thank god they’re shit at assassination!” The Captain had been given some proper pain medication and it had not yet knocked her out.
“They did miss us by quite a bit,” added the Navigatrix.
“And then they just… gave up and ran away?” The Bosun had taken a skeptical tack. “If I had the high ground like that, two targets literally sitting ducks in a raft right below me, I’d shoot till I finished the job.”
“Well maybe they haven’t taken quite the same career path as you–”
“No,” the Bosun said firmly, “I’d put good money on them having the exact same career as I did. You see that kid with a knife?”
The Engineer growled. “I’ve been working overtime trying to help them and they pull this stunt?”
The Captain leaned over to her and shook her fist. “They’re lucky they didn’t try and come at me face to face.”
“Captain, I think you’re the lucky one.” The Bosun stood up. “If that kid meant to kill any of us, I think they’d just do it business-like with the kitchen knife.”
The Navigatrix had to agree. But not out loud.
“Whatever they were doing, it didn’t help us get out of there faster.” She stood up. “And I’m as worried about them showing up as I am about whatever was in the water.”
The Engineer gave her side-eye. “You sure you two weren’t sharing a little stress dream?”
The Captain spluttered and attempted to drunkenly explain the glow, the tendrils, the noise, but it was clear they weren’t taking her seriously.
“You must agree we should set a watch, at least?” All the Navigatrix wanted, suddenly, was a nap, and some pills for her own bruises.
They were able to agree on that, and the Engineer agreed to set up perimeter alarms and get their remaining camouflage screen working on one of the tents. She and the Bosun lifted in the Captain, and the Navigatrix grabbed her own bedroll and squeezed in beside the pallet.
She pulled on her sleep mask and was so, so close to properly drifting off when she felt the Captain shifting around, and a fumbling hand tapped her on the arm.
“Nav?”
“Hmm?”
“Couldn’ve asked for a better rescue, y’know.”
She smiled, just a little. “I do know.”