Home sweet home

"She really knew how to use it. It was shorter than I would have preferred but it still got the job done and had so much energy too! After we finished I was so tired I was out like a light!" You woke to hear Gwen saying as you felt the van slow down. Indicating you would soon be at your destination. "It taught me a lot about how technique could make up for size. I think that'll be a good lesson for the new trainees." She said, "But enough about knife training, I want to hear all about how you managed to get that little cutie back there." You kept your eyes closed to continue mimic sleep.

"Helga had sparred with Mira in a few skirmishes, she'd noticed that while Mira was good at large scale control she fell short when it came to paying attention to the details." Lily explained, you made sure to memorize the name Helga for when you got back, "The Directorate's formations were top notch as usual but they had quite a few rookies mixed in. So, we went with the old possum strategy. Astrid and I got to be a breaker team. We hit em like a wrecking ball and ruined their cohesion and then it was all just mopping up from there." Lily paused, as if savoring the memory, "Helga was a bit mad that Mira got away, but she was so pleased with winning that she let me, and the other breakers pick out a **** each. And here we are." That seemed to refer both to the end of the story and arrival at your destination as the van finally stopped.

You made a show of waking up and looking around. Out the windows you could see that you were in the courtyard of a rather nice sized building. Its architecture was obviously intending to replicate with walls that resembled an old palisade, at first glance you thought they were made of wood but the way the light of the midday sun caught them told you it was synthetic. The rest of the buildings were the same way, a combination of old designs made with new materials. Considering the braziers alight by the large front door you figured that was a good thing. As Lily exited from the vehicle she was suddenly mobbed by a group of children of various ages, who had obviously been waiting in place to ambush her. Looking at them you could see they all bore a resemblance to either her or Gwen.

"Come on little ones get off, we've got a guest." The speaker was a young woman who seemed just a few years older than you, she looked almost exactly like Lily except with Gwen's hair and eyes, telling you that she must have been the result of the marriage rather than the battlefield. Trailing behind her was another who looked your age, this one resembling Gwen more than Lily.

"Adi, Violet, this is Shandra she's going to be with us for the next few months." Gwen introduced, indicating Adi as the older one and Violet the younger. "Would you two please show her to her room so that she can get unpacked? She's had a long trip." She asked wading into the fray to try and get Lily unburied.

"Sure, we'll get mom's stuff inside too." Adi said, reaching into the van and pulling out Lily's equipment before leading you away from the reunion and into the building proper. A few minutes later you were settled in a room just one door down from Lily and Gwen's with a door providing you access to their room. You got your own armor situated on a provided rack before going in to help Adi and Violet unpack Lily's in a similar fashion.

"It'll be good to have you here. Training hasn't been the same since the last marked went back to the Centauri Alliance. It’s hard to make the newer recruits understand that our enemies fight different than us if they can't ever see it." Violet said as she packed put clothing in the dresser. "You're just in time too. We're getting in a new class tomorrow, so make sure you get plenty of rest tonight. Mom likes to make them hit the ground running." With that Violet finished up and took her leave.

That left you alone with Adi. As you focused on finishing up on putting Lily's armor away you caught her glancing at you numerous times. When you finished and were about to leave she called you back and asked you something. Something you'd suspected was coming since you'd entered the home.