Farrel Sea

[Graybeard]

[OOC: OK, this isn't the most esthetically pleasing way of doing a reboot, but we have to do what we have to do. Don't worry about Grope and the other trolls; when you have an 800-year life span, you get good at waiting... /OOC:]

The Seeadler crewman with the most egg salad on his sort-of-uniform came off the bridge and stood before Lucas. "I am sorry, sir, but we must do a mission abort. The ship took so much damage from the explosion that it is not seaworthy. We must return to our port."

Some arguing ensued, but not that much, and the ship came about, as Lucas and the other passengers wondered what they were going to do with their brand new, and still very groggy, troll "cargo."

[OOC: So go ahead and interact as appropriate, and we'll merge this back into the livelier Rinkaiel thread in a while; it'll take a couple of days of game time to get back there, so there's still time for Jamie, Marcus, etc., to make trouble...]

[Sareth]

[OOC]I couldn't help but notice that Jamie was listed as Trouble Maker numero uno there... Wonder why that is? *laughs* I'm going to be a bit slow for the next week as I finish up all my projects for my first semester as a Master's Candidate, but after that I'm on break, and likely to be bored. Trouble may indeed be the word of the day...[/OOC]

[Graybeard]

[OOC: OK, to prepare to merge this back into the Rinkaiel thread, a little behind-the-scenes action:]

"They're going back north," Gryffyd reported, in his curiously liquid accent.

"What's their E.T.A.?" Elke asked, her heart not entirely in the question. Someone had suggested she nibble on salty crackers to combat the morning sickness. They weren't working very well.

"About three days," the Seeadler man gurgled. "Something damaged their ship, so that the return trip will be slower than the outbound. Our information on what happened is incomplete. There will need to be some investigations when they get back to Rinkaiel."

Mr. Stagpoole interrupted, something he rarely did. "That's worrisome. There are free-lance pirates operating on the east coast, some by boat, some by airship, some by both. I've had run-ins with them in the past." He did not elaborate. "They'd never take on a fully functional Seeadler ship, of course, but a damaged one ... I don't know."

"I suspect they can take care of themselves," Gryffyd answered. "In any event, there's not much we can do for them. We will want to send a punitive expedition against anyone who tries to attack them, though."

That voice spoke, for the first time in the conference call, and of course, everyone listened. "That is your business, and it need not concern the Committee, as long as the possible Terror of the North, Man in the Middle and Wizard out of the West arrive safely. The real question is: has enough been learned about the Terror of the North candidate for us to move forward?" That question hung in midair as they turned to other business, nobody wanting to take the risk of answering it.

---------

"Ship ahoy!" the lookout called down from the crow's nest, startling Jamie out of her torpor.

[OOC: Enough of a hook to get Jamie and company back in the picture? ]

[Sareth]

I snapped to attention mentally. The call warning of a ship was a nice way of breaking up the monotony of changing diapers, wondering if and when my sea sickness would return, and waiting for a somnolescent troll to wake up in the hold and go ape. I stood and stared up into the rigging. "Which way?"

"Four points off the starboard bow!"

I scowled. "Someone translate that for me?"

"Thataway!"

"Thanks!" I stared out in the direction indicated and, as I watched, I could see sails begin to form on the horizon, growing in size and definition rapidly. I turned to one of the crewmen on deck. "So, innocents, or trouble?"

The man snorted. "Here? Moving that fast? The only thing innocent in these waters is your daughter."

"She's not m... Wait... So that means they're fair game?"

"Or that we are."

I smiled. "Awesome..."

[Graybeard]

The other ship was still an impressively long distance away when there was a flash from somewhere toward its bow. A moment later, something large splashed into the water directly ahead of the Seeadler vessel, followed by a dull booomm coming from the direction of the other ship.

[Sareth]

"Ooooooooh," I commented. "That's not good, is it?"

Next to me one of the sailors nodded. "Yeah. We haven't got that kind of range."

"But you have some sort of defenses, right?"

"Sure," the man replied. "We're normally fast enough that we can keep out of their range with good handling."

"Normally?"

The ship gave a lurch remarkably similar to a drunken sailor on shore leave.

"Right... Well, in that case, I guess we had better go with plan B."

"Plan B?"

"Get closer."

[Graybeard]

The cannonball, or shell, or whatever it was, wasn't followed immediately by more fire. Instead, an inexplicably powerful (magically amplified?) voice rolled across the water. "Ahoy the ship! Heave to and prepare to be boarded!"

[Sareth]

"Awwwww, how nice of them! They *want* to get close!" I thought for a moment. "If we act nice and compliant, most of them will get ready to board instead of playing with whatever it was that caused that boom, right? A single cannon crew or magic user... Perfect."

I dashed down below decks to retrieve my rifle. Returning above decks, I thought a moment, then began climbing the rigging. Once they were close enough for me to be confident I could aim in spite of the rocking of the vessel...

"Jamie." Mother's voice came up from my feet.

I glanced down to see my mother, also holding a rifle, climbing beneath me. "Mother."

Mother smiled.

[Graybeard]

"This could be trouble, sir," the Seeadler henchman informed Gryffyd. "The ship going after your special outfit is more than they can handle, according to the messages we have received. We don't know who the pirates are; no outfit we're familiar with."

"Very well," the modified man gurgled. "I'll have to call in a favor. Thanks for your report; you are dismissed." As soon as the other man left, Gryffyd used a certain communication device in his aquarium-office.

-------

A remarkably short time later, far to the southeast, an airship lifted from its moorings.

[OOC: Looks like it's just Jamie, Jasmine and Nera out there now -- where'd Marcus go? -- so here's the rescue party to get them back to Rinkaiel to join the fun.]

[Sareth]

"In the stories," I commented as I climbed, "the pirates always are noble rogues who harm no one while making witty quips and winning the hearts of the girls."

Mother let that one settle for a moment, then quietly replied, "This isn't a story."

I found a good place to secure myself into the rigging, with some convenient propping points for the rifle. I took careful aim, taking note that the range was still too long to open fire yet, and glanced down to where mother was doing the same. "I know."

"Awful lot of them over there," Mother commented.

"Well, at least there will be a few less."

Mother nodded. "In the stories, some dashing hero comes along and rescues the women from their would-be ravishers."

I let that one settle for a moment, then quietly replied, "This isn't a story."