The Cortii are mercenaries, for hire to anyone who can afford their services. From their beginnings in humanoid pre-history, they have grown and colonised to span every galaxy. Every government uses them; no single government can destroy them.
To the Councils that rule the Cortii, eleven lives are easily replaced.
For the newest unit in their ranks, those eleven lives were half their number. To their commander, they're a marker she has every intention of making good on, and while some of her unit's wounds are less visible, it doesn't mean they can't be lethal.