Having found the right place in the same terminal, Osoka remembered the way, then, hiding in some stinking garbage dump, changed her clothes from tunics to assault overalls, trousers worn out, put on a breastplate, fixed mine shields on her shins. Then she took the details out of the bag and assembled a helmet out of them. As a matter of fact, the helmet as such remained a mask with a characteristic slanted visor and breathing device, part of the hood - its large pieces were cut out under the horns - and two plates on the back of the head to keep the construction. She laid down her weapon and hung it on her shoulder. Now it was possible to roll up the bag at least four times, which Osoka did with the help of buckles. Waiting for the moment when there were no passers-by on the street, she got out because of the garbage cans and confidently walked to the cantina, where the mercenaries and award-winning hunters gathered.
The first three days were idle. If she had a ship, Osoka would have taken some of the quests that were abundantly displayed on the holographic panels inside the cantina and flew to do it. Most of all, she loved the tasks of searching for something or capturing someone alive, as they say, and hunting, and animals do not need to kill. In addition, it was customary to pay for the trouble of transporting the caught animals separately... It did not make sense for a horseless soldier to take such contracts - the costs were high, and the probability of the failure of the task due to the fact that there was no ship of passage on time increased many times. The only viable option now was to join some team performing a large order. That's why she was sitting against the wall, pulling another cocktail through the tube and covering her eyes under the mask, catching the scraps of conversations. Osoka learned this technique in the days of the fall, and could, if necessary, sort out the conversation she needed at least at the opposite wall, no matter how quietly the participants spoke. So far, nothing interesting has come up.
On the fourth day, entering the pub, Osoka ran her eyes across the audience at the counter... and her lips split up in a wide smile. She would have known this woman twenty years later. A strip of lilac hair, chipped into a funny tail-antenna, two pairs of bone horns on the sides, a third pair above the ears and a fourth, very tiny - on the forehead, expressive, slightly melancholic brown eyes, thin strips of tattoos. Sugi, one of the prettiest - in the sense of "positive" - award-winning hunters! Osoka wanted to rush to an old acquaintance, to embrace him, but the girl restrained herself. The hunter talked to some subject, very similar to the mines, if there are representatives of this race, to such an extent hung with energy weapons. Let them finish the conversation. Osoka was going to pass by and sit at a table, but Sugi noticed with the edge of her eye that someone had entered the hall. She turned to see the newcomer. And then a little unexpected happened.
- Su'kui, Ad'iqa! Tiyon'vai tae gare? - Sugi asked Sugi, clearly addressing the togrout. Osoka knew many languages, and Mandalore was among those she not only understood, but could also speak. So she answered immediately:
- Kalevala, she added, as any mando would have done if she had heard such a slightly indulgent form of address from a stranger.
- Nii Setа. Sugi apologized readily. - Looking for a job?
- Lek. Osoka nodded. - How did you find out?
- But Mr. Hopplo told me," nodded the marriage to the gothal bartender.
- And..
- You didn't come up boy. Sugi said to the armed to the teeth. - I'm sorry.
- Do you think this stuff is better than me? - he smirked badly. - And if we find out about it in a fight?
- I won't fight you, Di'kut, Osoka said rattling over the mines. - I'll just come after you. And I'll order another drink.
- Both of you, Sugi raised Sugi's voice. - I make the decision, and I made it. Tiyon gar gai?
- Hones. Osoka replied. Pretending to be a mercenary, she used that alias, and sooner or later she'd be called hey, Honey, sit down and eat. - What kind of work?
- Let's sit down and I'll tell you about it, she was carried away to a table in the corner.
Here Osoka found out the details of the upcoming task. As she had expected, the work was relatively clean. They were hired by the Sartan Corporation to free one of the orbital stations in the Trogan system. The station was built and owned by the corporation, but was captured by a pirate gang a few days ago. According to the employer, the pirates were twenty to twenty-five souls, so three standard mercenary teams were hired to clean up the station. She named Sugi and the amount of payment. Not bad, although a decent ship is not enough.
- I hope everything is okay? - She asked.
- That's it, Osoka said. - I didn't doubt it. You do have a reputation. Everybody knows Sugi won't offer any bad things.
The clout smiled. At that time, a green-skinned mercenary with a characteristic triangular head and large smoky eyes without pupils approached them. He leaned on Osoka, Sugi said:
- Commander, we are gathered.