Big Damn Project

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Jace Norton-Li strode into the old colonial outpost on Fastnesse Erd, past Norton-Li captains and guards and sailors.  They all stepped out of her way, pressing themselves flat against the wall, freezing as she walked by.  This, Jace knew, was a respectful gesture.  They all knew what she was about to do.

Jace made her way down a narrow, twisting set of stone steps, winding into the depths of the old fort.  At the end of the steps she arrived at the dungeon.  It was the kind of dungeon Burian Lake would have appreciated: stone, cold, damp, and rusty.  Everything about it said that, should one be locked in this dungeon, they would probably die there.  Flanked by two guards, Winston Ochoa sat in his cell.  Jace approached, and the guards stood up a little straighter.

“Leave us,” Jace said.  The guards nodded and left the dungeon.  When they were alone, Jace looked around, and pulled up a chair.  She sat down outside Winston’s cell.

Winston sat on a wooden bench, staring down at his hands.  Next to him, a plate of the remains of chicken feet sat, a requested meal.  Winston didn’t look at Jace.

For a moment, they sat in silence.  Distantly, Jace could hear the ocean, just past the errant voices that wandered down to the dungeon.  Her ears flicked back and forth, listening to the world around her.

“So what’s this, then?”  Winston finally said.  “Have you come to give me one last lecture?”

“No,” Jace said.  “But I’m curious.”

“Hmm,” Winston said.  “You want to know…” He didn’t finish.

“Why, yes.”

Winston leaned his head back and closed his eyes.  “I know you and I grew up in similar circumstances.  We were raised by the clan, our clans.  Everyone knew us, we knew everyone.  They were family.  And then I saw my entire family wiped out, my clan destroyed.

“I tried to move on.  I really did.  I had a new clan, and a few Ochoa I could call my own people, that they’d understand, and… It didn’t work.  It didn’t work.”

Jace shifted.  She frowned and leaned forward.

Winston took a deep breath before he continued.  “I tried, and all I could ever think about was how I saw my clan wiped from this planet.  Everyone I loved was gone.  That’s where we start to become different.”

Jace narrowed her eyes.  “I lost my entire family when I was five.  I probably would have died in a life raft if Sally and Jinbao hadn’t saved me.  Don’t tell me about losing everyone like I don’t know.”

Winston let out a short breath through his nose.  “Fine.  Whatever.  But I suspect you understand what I’m about to say.”  When he got no response from Jace, he said, “I wanted out.  My life had fallen apart and I wanted out.”

Jace sat back in her chair and crossed her arms tight over her chest.

“I didn’t go right away to the Molyneux, if you’re curious.  I went to her First, though I didn’t know it.”

“I don’t think that matters,” Jace said.  “You sold us out.”

“I made a deal,” Winston said.  “I thought I’d trade some minor information for a passport and be done with it.  But this guy, he knew way too much about us, and he traced me back to the Norton-Li and then somehow Burian Lake.  And before I knew it, I was in over my head.  I couldn’t back out, because they’d find me.  And if I tried to give them wrong information, well… they’d…”

“Yeah,” Jace said, raising her arm and showing him her cast.  “I have an idea.”

“So, there it is,” Winston said, giving a little wave with the back of his hand.  “I wanted out and I fucked up.”

“I get it,” Jace said.  “I really do.  But I’m still going to kill you.”

Winston closed his eyes.  He said nothing.

“Guards,” Jace said.  The guards came back.  They handcuffed Winston, and led him up the steps, into the fort.  Jace stepped out in front of them.  As they made their way through the halls of the fort, everyone stepped aside again, standing rigid, silent, watching Jace and Winston pass.  The only sound that could be heard were their footsteps.  No one dared breath, as if Winston would steal their breath away.  And then, distantly, Jace heard the call go out, a low, deep horn, a call to the fort.

The guards held Winston at the doors to the courtyard.  Outside, around the walls, members of the Norton-Li clan looked down into the courtyard, more and more arriving every minute.  When the walls could hold no more, the clan began to crowd the courtyard.  Guards held them back, leaving space in the middle.  Jace swept her eyes over the crowd.  Sally Norton and Li Jinbao stood directly across the courtyard from the doors, a position in the ceremony.  On the walls, tucked away in a corner, she spotted Roz and Liam Ochoa, but she couldn’t read their expressions from this far away.

Sally and Jinbao started forward across the courtyard.  The crowd fell completely silent.  The guards opened the doors to the courtyard and led Winston out.  They met Norton and Li in the middle.  The guards pushed Winston onto his knees and bound him by his ankles.  Then they stepped back.

“Let it be known,” Sally said to the clan, “that today we assemble to bear witness of the execution of Winston Ochoa, for the crime of treason.”

Jinbao repeated Norton in Merchant.

“Winston Ochoa has revealed the location of our island to a Molyneux, and has brought war to our people.”  She turned to him, and said, “Do you have any words for our records, Winston Ochoa?”

Winston, staring at the ground, only shook his head.

Sally looked up at Jace.  “Captain Jace, Winston’s captain, will oversee the execution.”

Jace came forward.  A guard handed Sally a wooden box.  Sally turned and held the box out for Jace.  It was ornate, hand carved, and in the corner she noticed a familiar mark accompanied by the initials, RM.  Sally opened the box, revealing an antique but very functional revolver.  Jace took the gun.  She slipped a bullet into the chamber.

Sally and Jinbao stepped back into the crowd, leaving Jace and Winston in the center of the courtyard, exposed.  Jace took a deep breath.  She circled behind Winston, readied the gun, and pushed the muzzle to the back of Winston’s head.  She pulled her jaw tight and squeezed the trigger.

Winston collapsed.  Jace drew the gun back to her side and stepped away from Winston.  The guards came forward and picked up Winston’s body.  Jinbao approached them.

“Let’s send him to Sterling,” Jinbao said to the guards.  “Let them see what they’ve done.”

Jace looked up at the walls.  The clan began to disperse.  Jace just wanted to sit down, to vomit, to hole up and never see the light of day again.  But she had to wait until everyone was gone.  She caught a glimpse of Roz and Liam, holding each other close, a familial hug in a time of loss.

Sally put her arm around Jace’s shoulders.  Jace closed her eyes and rested her head against her mother’s, and waited for the day to be over.

[g]

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When the Rose arrived at the tiny island of Isla Migel, Toby was waiting with a massive dinner, and wouldn’t allow Cait to leave before she ate.  The crew of the Rose boarded the Nina, meeting her Toby and Frankie in the cargo bay.  It was the first time Toby and Frankie had seen Cait in three years.  After a quick reunion, Toby ushered Cait, Billy, and Tre down into the crew quarters.  Martin followed close behind, leaving Frankie and Xiphos alone.

Frankie hugged Xiphos.  “Everything went okay?”

Xiphos hugged Frankie back.  “Yep.  Everything went okay.”  She gently pushed Frankie away and started down into the crew quarters.  Frankie stood by, hands behind her back, her tail twitching as Xiphos descended.

The dinner was a blur to Xiphos.  She spent most of her time stunned that Cait sat on her ship, in her booth in the tiny crew quarters.  She didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or elated.  But Cait seemed happy enough.  She sat in state, listening to her young former crew members talk about their adventures.

After dinner, her head spinning, Xiphos wandered up to the Nina’s bridge.  She sat down at the helm, folded her hands over her stomach, and stared out the front of the Nina.  She reached over to the helm and considered her route back to Adleshore.  She sighed, punching in the most direct route, paying little attention to the territories they’d pass through.  Then, with nothing else to do, she stood and started toward her quarters.

“I’m sorry to intrude.”

Xiphos turned around.  Cait stood just inside the bridge.  She looked around, her ears flicking in thought.  When Xiphos didn’t speak, Cait said, “We are getting ready to leave.  I thought I’d come say goodbye.”

Xiphos’s ears dropped.  She rubbed her arm, looking away from Cait.  “It’d be nice if we could… I mean…”

“Yes,” Cait said.  “It’d be nice to sail on the same ship all together again.  I cannot tell you how much I miss it.”  She stepped forward to look at the helm.  “And this brief time is simply not enough.”

“No,” Xiphos said quietly.

“If I had not given my word to Sally Norton, dear, I’d gladly stay.”

To this, Xiphos said nothing.  Cait peeked into Xiphos’s office.  She smiled.

“It looks like mine, your office.”

“There’s… very few options?”  Xiphos said.

Cait nodded.  “I would have liked to talk more about your captainship thus far.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” Xiphos said.  “I kind of didn’t want to talk about anything, really.”

“It happens, dear,” Cait said.  She placed a hand on Xiphos’s arm.  “But you should talk about it.”

Xiphos pulled her jaw tight.  “I dunno.  It’s just… I thought she was better than that.”

“Isn’t she?”

“No.  Well, yes, but… she was so sure.  She was going to kill that guy.  That’s not okay.”

“She’s done it before,” Cait said, matter-of-fact.

“But that’s self-defense!  That’s different.”  Xiphos crossed her arms.  “This guy was going to be unarmed.”

“He betrayed the Norton-Li,” Cait said.  “And the Norton-Li isn’t just family, it’s her life.  Before everything else, Jace is a pirate, and she has her own laws she must respect, just as we respect ours.”

Xiphos turned her head away, her headfur falling in front of her eyes.  “It doesn’t help.”

“It’s ugly,” Cait said.  “But do you not think Jace carries that burden with her?”

Xiphos looked up at Cait.  “Why are you doing this?”

“She made you happy,” Cait said.

“Well now she’s not,” Xiphos said.

Cait nodded.  Xiphos could feel herself tearing up and she tried to hide it from Cait.  Except that Cait aways knew these things.  She carefully hugged Xiphos.

“This sucks,” Xiphos said, sniffling.

Cait stroked her headfur.  “I know, dear.  It will pass, and you’ll come out of it stronger than you were.  Because that’s what you do.”  She kissed Xiphos on the top of her head.  “I’m afraid I must go.”

Xiphos stepped back.  “Yeah.”

Cait put her arm around Xiphos’s shoulders.  “Come.  Billy and Tre wish to say goodbye as well.”

In the cargo bay, Toby, Frankie, and Martin were saying their goodbyes to Billy and Tre.

“How did you even end up there?”  Billy asked.  Toby forced a laugh out, dropping his ears in embarrassment.

“I misunderstood what they wanted.  By the end of the day, though, I had been crowned leader of their island, and preparations were being made for a proper coronation.  If Hilda hadn’t been there to distract them enough for me to escape I might still be there.”

Billy only laughed.  He hugged Toby.  “You’re ridiculous.”

“You should hear some of his other stories,” Xiphos said, brightening.  “They’re worse than yours.”

“I hardly believe that,” Billy said.  He hugged Xiphos too.  “I wish we could stay, but we have to go be heroes.”

“Yeah, I heard that,” Xiphos said.  “Next time I’ll give you a proper tour of my boat.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Billy said.  He patted her back.  “See you next time, Captain.”

Xiphos blushed.  “You don’t have to call me that,” she said softly.

Billy only beamed and walked away.  Tre shifted his weight from foot to foot until Xiphos hugged him, and he followed Billy down the gangplank.

Cait took time to hug each of them, except Martin, who only smiled and shook Cait’s hand.  Then she said, “I expect to see all of you again.  When all of this is over I’ll contact you so we can properly meet again.  Toby, I expect you to hold Xiphos to that.”

“Hey, what?”  Xiphos said, her ears dropping.

“You hide when you’re unhappy, dear,” Cait said.  “Can I count on you to steer her towards us?”

“Of course,” Toby said.  “I’ll do my best.”

“And I expect you to get her out of trouble when she gets into it,” Cait said to Frankie.

Frankie smiled.  “Yes, sir!”

“There, now we’re all set.”  Cait gave Xiphos one last hug.  “Safe travels, dear.”

“You too, sir,” Xiphos said.

“It’s Cait, dear.  You and I are captains.”

Xiphos stammered.  Cait patted her on the shoulder.  “Goodbye, dear.”

For a moment, Xiphos just stood, staring at the hatch.  Then slowly, she crept to the hatch, stared out at the Rose as it pulled away, and then closed the Nina.  She sighed, her body visibly sagging, and she turned back to the crew quarters.

Toby slipped his hands into his pockets.  “How was Jace?”

Xiphos looked back at Toby.  For the briefest of seconds, her eyes flicked away.  She said, “I’m going to go to sleep.  Frankie, can you get us sailing and on course?”

Frankie started to speak, but Xiphos turned away and trudged down to the crew quarters.  Frankie turned to Martin.  “What happened to Jace?”

Martin looked at her.  “What?”

“She’s not okay,” Frankie said.  “What happened?”

Martin simply said.  “Jace had to be a pirate.”  He ruffled Frankie’s headfur.  “Buenas noches.”  He descended the steps, leaving Frankie and Toby alone.

Toby sighed.  “I’ve been waiting for that for a while.”

Frankie only watched where Martin had been, her ears flicking in thought.  Then she turned to Toby and said, “I have to go get us home.  You should come with me.”  She took his hand.

Toby blushed.  “Okay.”

Frankie put the Nina on course, and snuggled up with Toby while they sailed their lonely course home.

[g]

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This had been planned to be a hopeful send off.  Cait watched as Tre checked the readouts on the docking ring in the cargo bay of the Rose.  The docking ring connected the Decline of Civilization through the floor of the cargo bay.  Cait folded her arms.  It had been years since this had happened, since the Decline shared its power and crew with the Rose, and too much had changed since then.  She exhaled through her nose, and her ears twitched.

One of the Ochoa pirates, the human, slipped past Cait and climbed down into the Decline.  A moment later, Jace and the other Ochoa followed.

“Hello, dear,” Cait said.  She reached out and touched Jace’s arm.

Jace nodded to the other Ochoa, who went to join the human in the Decline.

“Are we in a hurry?”  Cait asked.

Jace tightened her jaw.  “We’ve… out stayed our welcome.  It’s time.”

“Nonsense,” Cait said.

Jace folded her arms, hugging herself.  She started to speak, but faltered.  Her ears dropped against her head.

Cait raised her eyebrows.  “Is it true, then?”

Jace only nodded, dropping her eyes away.

“Well,” Cait said, “that changes nothing.  You know you are always welcome here.”

“Yeah,” Jace said.  “I appreciate it.  And I appreciate you stepping in as Burian while I was being held.”

Cait brightened.  “It was a pleasure, dear.  Sometimes it’s fun to step out of one’s comfort zone.  I’d ask how Nara took it, but…” Her eyes flicked down to Jace’s cast.

“You saved my life.  I owe you.”

“Simple favors between friends,” Cait said.  She dropped her voice.  “So what happens now?”

“I go back,” Jace said.  “And we prepare to fight.  Can we count on you?”

Cait nodded.  “I must take care of Xiphos first, then I will find you.”

“Right,” Jace said.  “I’ll be in touch, then.  I’m using the third book.”

“I look forward to hearing from you,” Cait said.  She hugged Jace.  “Safe travels, dear.  Say goodbye to your companions for us.”

“Will do,” Jace said.  “You too.”  She turned, letting out a deep sigh, and started towards the docking ring.  Billy hurried to intercept her.  They stood just outside of Cait’s hearing.  Billy gave her instructions, and handed her a few medicine bottles.  Then they shared a quick hug.  Cait looked away, giving them some privacy.  Martin watched the pirates leave from the walkway above the cargo bay.  But she didn’t see Xiphos.

Cait frowned.  She looked down to see Jace descend into the Decline, and Cait gave her one last wave.  Tre sealed the docking ring, and a moment later the Decline was away.  Cait turned back to the bridge.  She climbed the steps slowly to the quiet helm, and slid into the helm chair.  She started the Rose, all the while watching the Decline’s blip on the sonar speed away.

Heavy footsteps pounded up the steps from the crew quarters.  Cait didn’t turn around.  Instead she said, “Hello, dear.”

“Is she gone?”  Xiphos asked.

Cait turned to find Xiphos standing just inside the bridge.  She looked, to Cait’s surprise, ready to sail.

“Yes,” Cait said.  “And we should be leaving soon as well.”  Cait turned back to the controls and reviewed some of the readouts from the engines.  “How about you, dear?  How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Xiphos said.  “Just ready to get back to my ship.”

“Jace was important to you.  Something this sudden can’t have been easy.”

“It was very easy,” Xiphos said.

Cait turned back to Xiphos.  “You had to have known…”

“I’m aware that things happen,” Xiphos said firmly.  “But I can’t support cold-blooded murder.”

“It’s not that easy, dear,” Cait started, but Xiphos turned and left the bridge.

——

“I don’t know how she got in,” Agent Barnes said.  He sat in his office, directly in the hard stare of Captain Nara Molyneux. He set his hand down on the arm of his chair, hiding the trembling, and cleared his throat.  “Or how she got out of her cell, for that matter.”

“It concerns me, Agent Barnes,” Nara started, “that your prisoners just walk out of their cells.”

“I am concerned as well, Captain,” Barnes said.  “And I assure you the guard assigned to her has been interrogated and sacked.”

“And what did you learn, Agent Barnes?”

The fur on the back of Barnes’s neck stood on end.  The edge on her voice sliced right into his head.  “The guard has no memory of the captive, Frankie, leaving her cell.  He described a moment where she was there, then he turned away, and when he turned back, she was gone.”

“Does he remember how he got in the cell instead?”  Nara asked, narrowing her eyes.

“No, sir,” Barnes said.  “Nor does my assistant remember leaving her desk.”

“And what are you suggesting, Agent Barnes?”

Barnes sat back in his chair.  “I am telling you the truth, Captain.  This is what my people have told me.  I have not chosen them for their incompetence or their duplicitousness.”

“If what you say is true, Agent, then you seem to suggest this Frankie is some sort of wizard.”

“This is the information with which I have to work,” Barnes said.  He leaned forward.  “Look, Captain, I know this is unbelievable, but I experienced this too.  I can tell you every thing about that day except that my interactions with this girl.  Everything about that time are just brief flashes of something.”

“Hmm,” Nara said.  “There is a lot to think about here, Agent Barnes,” Nara said.

Barnes swallowed hard.  Nara had every ability to have him replaced.

“It sounds to me that we are dealing with something — someone — quite extraordinary.  You impounded their boat, yes?”

“Yes,” Barnes said.  “And it was released when they were.”

“I shall require the records of that boat, and its registration number,” Nara said.  “And quickly, Agent Barnes.  The longer we wait, the farther the,” she hesitated, “people get from us.”

“Right,” Barnes said.  He reached over to his intercom.  “Christine, can you get me the records of the boat we impounded a few weeks ago.  You know the one.”  He looked up at Nara.  “What are you going to do with this boat?”

“Find them,” Nara said.  “What I do with them is none of your business.”

[g]

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Captain Nara Molyneux stood on the bridge of the Fido, looking out over the bay in Sterling, Lat.  Before her, a dozen Latanian Navy destroyer subs arranged themselves on the docks.  Two dozen more were on their way.  She studied the map of Pirate Barbarros, delivered to her by Winston Ochoa.  The bay and the docks didn’t seem to be a problem, but the stronghold from where Winston said Norton and Li ran their clan posed a significant issue.  She stood with her hands on her hips, staring down at the map, her ears flicking in thought.

She made a list of who she wanted to be on the invasion team.  She left Robert Saint-Jean on the list.  Nara frowned.  She wasn’t fooling herself.  It had been nearly ten days since Robert left to dispose of the pirate.  Winston Ochoa hadn’t said anything either.  And on top of that, the boat Robert had taken with him had washed up at a Lat outpost a few days before.  But Robert was her First, and he deserved to be considered…

Nara stood up straight.  Things were underway, and the pieces would fit together without her.  She strode behind her desk and pressed the button on her intercom.  “Get me Admiral Bradford.  I need to speak to him about some last minute details.”

Her secretary connected the Relay to La Patrolo central office.  While the Admiral was being summoned, Nara said, “Also, please locate an Agent Barnes in our SWAT devision.  I need to make an appointment to speak to him in person.”

—-

Toby and Frankie sat on the dock of a little neutral island they had fled to after their encounter with La Patrolo.  It was a peaceful island, with a well-populated village, and plenty of fresh food.  Toby and Frankie ventured out soon after they landed.  It wasn’t long before Toby found a vendor selling fishing poles, and he was quick to try his hand catching fish of his own.  Frankie was happy to get up just before dawn to go fishing with him.

Frankie cast her line into the water in a beautiful arc.  “Is this how it normally goes?”  Frankie asked, pulling her line in slowly.

Toby shrugged.  “Most of the time, yeah.  It’s supposed to be a quiet thing, I guess.  It’s all about patience.”

Frankie nodded.  She looked over at him, and then back at the cooler behind him.  “So that’s why-”

“Yes, I’m impatient,” Toby said, his ears dropping against his head.  “That’s why I haven’t caught anything and you have.”

Frankie turned back to the water.  She said nothing, and didn’t feel the need to.  She hadn’t said it, but she was enjoying her Toby time.  If Xiphos hadn’t been away in a potentially life or death situation, she’d wish her captain would stay away a little while longer.

Toby sighed.  He pulled his line in, set his fishing pole on the dock, and sat back. Frankie could feel it, Toby just looking at her.  She smiled softly.  She didn’t mind, though she was curious about what he was thinking.  She kicked her feet over the side of the dock and looked out at the sky.  She thought about the day they spent together on the beach.  She didn’t want to admit how many times she pictured Toby without his shirt.  And though Frankie didn’t want to admit it, she wondered what he had thought of her.

Frankie turned back to look at Toby, smiling softly. Toby looked up at her.

“Hey,” Toby said.

“Are we done?” Frankie asked.

“Not if you don’t want to be,” Toby said.

Frankie turned back to the water.  She pulled her line in and sat her fishing pole down on the dock too.  She lay back against Toby, looking up at the sky.  “I’m okay staying here for a while.

Toby froze.  Frankie felt it, a quick jolt that shot through Toby.  Her eyes began to wander across the sky, and she started a silent countdown in her head.  Five… four… three… two…

Toby sat up.  “We should get these back to the Nina,” he said a little too quickly.  He stood, and helped Frankie up.  She noted his hand lingering too long.  Frankie gathered her things.  She sighed.  That move had been a gamble.  Things had been going well, so she tried to make a move and Toby pushed her away.

They walked side by side back to the Nina.  They talked, mostly about nothing, but talked all the same.  Frankie couldn’t shake it, the feeling that she had screwed things up.  She was wallowing, she realized, and Frankie hated herself for it.

Frankie stood up straight.  She made up her mind in that instant.  She decided to finally Observe Toby.

“So what are we going to do with these fish?”  Frankie asked.

“Well…” Toby started, suddenly brightening.  Everything changed, and the feeling was contagious.  Frankie couldn’t help but smile.  “It’s a white fish, so I figure I’ll make some fish and chips.”

Frankie beamed.  “I loved fish and chips.”

Toby laughed.  “I know…”

Frankie felt that one hit.  Everything he had just said told her how excited he was to cook her something she liked.  He was trying to hide it, but there was so much affection in that little two word sentence.

“You’ve never made them before,” Frankie said.  “I can’t wait to try them.”

Toby blushed.  He looked away.  “I can’t wait to make them for you…” He trailed off as he finished the sentence.

Frankie almost stumbled.  What Toby had said had come from a place of love.  He said it and meant it.  She started to shake, but pushed the the shaking back, composing herself again.  She beamed the whole way back to the Nina, not at all minding the silence between them.

They unloaded their catch in the kitchen of the Nina.  Toby put the fish in the fridge while Frankie hid away the produce in their proper places.  Then, when Toby was finished, Frankie pulled him into a long hug.

Toby stammered.  And at first, he was happy to hug her back, but slowly he pulled back.  He didn’t look at her.

“Are you okay?”  Frankie asked, her smile fading.

“I should go… take care of…” Toby said, edging towards the bridge.  Her looked at her, turned, and ascended up to the bridge.

Frankie sighed.  She went to her quarters to wash up.

A little bit later, Frankie heard Toby in the kitchen.  She carefully joined him.

“Hey,” Toby said.  He looked at her, giving her a small smile, and then returned to cleaning potatoes.

Frankie watched him for a moment, and then said, “Can I talk to you?”

Toby looked up at her.  He put the potatoes down.  “Yeah, what’s going on?”

“Are you afraid of me?”  Frankie asked.

“What?”  Toby asked.  He looked genuinely offended.

“I think you’re afraid of me,” Frankie said.

“Of course not,” Toby said, his voice breaking.  “You’re like my best friend.  We’re so close.  Why do you think I’m afraid of you?”

Frankie frowned.  “I mean…” She looked around the kitchen, then said, “I’ll show you.”  She leaned forward and gently kissed Toby.  Toby pulled back.

“See,” Frankie said, feeling her face flush.  “You’re afraid of me.”

Toby looked away.  Frankie watched Toby twitch, his jaw tightening. He dropped his eyes.  “I just…” He tried to speak further, but couldn’t.

“Why?”  Frankie asked.  “You like me.  I’m certain of it.  So what is stopping you?”

Toby just closed his eyes.  He whimpered, low and quiet in his throat.  Frankie took him by the hand and led him to the couch.  They sat facing one another, though Toby couldn’t bring himself to look at Frankie.

“So you’re afraid of me…” Frankie started.

“No!”  Toby said, his eyes darting up to Frankie.

“No, you are,” she said.  “But I think I understand why.”

“I don’t… I don’t know how to handle…” Toby search for the right word.  “It.”

“The rape,” Frankie said.

Toby jumped.  Frankie gently stroked his hand.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Toby said softly.

“Toby,” Frankie said, leaning forward.  “I know you.  You’re kind and sweet and gentle and… patient, and you’re brave!  I’ve seen you stand up to people twice your size to protect someone.  You did that for me.”  She squeezed his hand.  “You’re brilliant.  You have a really nice touch, and… and you smell wonderful.  And you’re pretty.”

“I’m not pretty,” Toby said, sulking.

“You are very pretty,” Frankie said.  She sat back, letting her eyes wander away for a moment.  “And why do you think you’ll hurt me?  I know that you’re not going to make me do something I don’t want to do.  Yes, I’ve been injured, and I’ll probably carry this injury with me the rest of my life.  But I’m not broken.  Very much the opposite.  I’m ready to move on, Toby, and you’re the person I want to move on with.”

Toby took her hand in his, but he frowned slightly.  “Would you still feel this way about me if I hadn’t grown like I had in the two years we didn’t see each other?”

“Yes,” Frankie said, raising her voice.  “I came back to work with Xiphos knowing you’d be there too.  That you may or may not have had a growth spurt wasn’t on my mind.”

“What?” Toby asked.  “How’d you know I’d be there?”

Frankie smiled.  “You and Xiphos are in love,” she said.  “There’s nowhere else you’d ever want to be.”

Toby said, “It’s not what you think…”

“It’s exactly what I think,” Frankie said.  “And it’s sweet.”

Toby let out a little laugh.

“So I didn’t know you had changed.  And really, the important parts hadn’t.  You’re the same person.  There’s just… a few bonuses now.”  She blushed.

Toby laughed again, dropping his eyes away.  “You really like me?”

“YES,” Frankie said.  “I don’t know how else to say it.”

Toby looked Frankie in the eyes.  Slowly, he leaned forward, pulling Frankie into his arms, and he kissed her softly.  He pulled back and said, “I’m sorry it took me this long.”

“It’s okay,” Frankie said softly.  “I am too.”  She nuzzled into his neck.  Toby let out a soft laugh and kissed the top of her head.

“And I’m sorry,” Toby started, “if I upset you.  You know, when Fink was here.”

“I didn’t say anything when I should have,” Frankie said.

Toby hugged her close.  Frankie giggled a little and kissed Toby again.

“You’re my favorite person,” she said.

“You’re my favorite person too,” Toby said.  He squeezed her once more.  “Come on, I have a dinner to make for you.”

Frankie helped with dinner when she could, though Toby was more than happy to make everything himself.  Frankie was happy to eat what he made her, which was, as always beautiful and delicious.  They talked about Yr, about Anchorhead and about Traveling.  When they finished dinner and cleaned up they returned to the couch.  Toby held Frankie in his arms, and they kissed again, slow, tentative kisses.  Toby laid back, taking Frankie with him.  They kissed until they were too tired to continue.  Frankie lay her head on Toby’s chest, and they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

[g]

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Roz was first on the beach.  That didn’t surprise Xiphos.  From what she had seen, Roz was that intense.  Sbe jumped down onto the sand, her sawed off shotgun at the ready, and looked around.  She waved Martin down, and started to walk along the beach.  Liam followed everyone, closing up the Decline, keeping an eye on their party’s back.

Martin pushed forward until he walked next to Roz.  “What are we looking for?”

“The ship Jace was on came here,” she said, not looking at Martin.  “If we find the boat, we find Jace.”

“Ah,” Martin said.  “Okay.”  He fell back behind her.

Xiphos watched Martin.  He carried a gun with him, in a holster on his hip.  But he looked happy, bright and cheerful as always.  She didn’t understand.

“Martin,” Xiphos said.

“Hmm?”  He turned to her and gave her a smile.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

“It is an adventure, no?”  Martin said, almost sweetly.

“No,” Xiphos said.  “This is important.  I’d-“ she dropped her eyes away.  “I’d appreciate it if you took this seriously.”

“Yes, of course,” Martin said, his face growing serious.  “Game face.  Rawr.”

Xiphos sighed.  She glanced behind her at Liam.  He carried a hefty-looking rifle, and scanned the jungle that encroached on the beach.  Xiphos shuddered.  She was the only one without a gun.  She knew she’d be useless with one, so she opted out.  Still, the firepower around her didn’t make her feel anymore comfortable.

Martin cried out, and when Xiphos looked up, Roz had started into a run down the beach.  Martin followed.  Xiphos started to run, but Liam caught her by the arm.

“Wait,” he said.  “Look.”

Xiphos looked down the beach.  A small boat sat beached at the waterline.  It didn’t appear to be functioning.  Roz and Martin made it to the boat and started to poke around its hull.

“I’d rather not rush into this,” Liam said.  “There’s a reason she lost an eye and I didn’t.”

Xiphos nodded.  She watched Roz climb up into the boat, Martin following swiftly, and for a moment they were completely out of sight.  They emerged a short time later.  Liam slowly approached, and Xiphos crept after him.

“No one’s inside,” Roz said, coming to meet them half way.  A steady gust of wind started up and played through her headfur.  “The boat’s on standby, which means someone might be close.”

“So where did they go?”  Xiphos asked.

Roz shrugged.  “They have to be around somewhere.  That boat hasn’t been here long.”

Xiphos’s eyes flicked over Roz’s shoulder, and for the first time she noticed Martin wandering in a small circle between them and the boat, looking at the sand.  Xiphos trotted to meet him.

“These come from the boat,” Martin said when Xiphos arrived.  He stopped her with a careful hand, and pointed to a set of footprints.  “Two of them.  One stops here.”  He moved and pointed to a spot where the sand flattened out.  “Someone fell, maybe attacked.  And then one set ran off into the jungle.”  He traced the route with his finger.

“What happened to the other set?”  Liam asked.

“They were met,” Martin said.  “Look.”  He pointed to a trail of footprints that led away from the struggle.  Sun reflected off a bright metallic object.  Far up the beach, another boat had parked. Martin focused attention back on the footsteps.  “They go that way.”  He pointed to another entrance to the jungle.

Xiphos frowned.  “So Jace is in the jungle, as are two people that probably want her dead.”

“It seems that way,” Liam said.

“What do we-“ Xiphos started.  Roz suddenly darted up the solitary path of footprints and disappeared into the jungle.  “Shit!”

“Goddammit,” Liam said.  He ran after her.

“Shit shit,” Xiphos said.  Before she could think, Martin grabbed her hand and pulled her into the jungle with him.

“This is ridiculous!”  She shouted.

“We stay together,” Martin said.  “Or not at all.”

Ahead of them, Xiphos could see Liam attempting to follow a well-worn path.  She didn’t know if Roz had run that way, but his guess was as good as anyone’s.  The path split the jungle, though the trees were too dense to see on either side.  Xiphos struggled to keep her footing, and every time she stumbled Martin picked her back up.

They pulled around a bend in the path and Martin suddenly stopped.  Xiphos fell forward, letting out a shriek, but Martin caught her and stood her up on her feet.  Roz and Liam looked at them, standing side by side and facing each other, hands on their hips.

“Could you keep it down?”  Roz hissed.

“What are we even doing?”  Xiphos asked.  “You’re the one darting off into fuck knows what!”

“The trail stopped,” Roz said.  She waved her hand around her.  “This clearing is pretty much the end.”

“Maybe she doubled back?”  Martin said.

“To where?”  Roz said.  “It’s not like there’s other paths in this jungle.”

“Maybe-“ Liam started

A gunshot rang out around them.  A tree behind them buckled, showing them with splinters and chunks of bark.  Xiphos covered her head, and managed to suppress her scream.  Roz fired back into the jungle from where she thought the gunshot had come from.  Liam leveled his gun.  Martin gently grabbed Xiphos by the arm.  Xiphos jumped.

“Behind me, capitan,” he said, suddenly growing grim. Xiphos nodded, and she stood in the middle of Liam, Roz, and Martin.  They all faced out, their guns at the ready.

Another gunshot rang out.  Xiphos heard the buzz as the bullet grazed her ear.  She stifled another scream, only letting out a whimper.  Liam fired back. Something in the jungle rustled, and Martin aimed carefully, leading his pistol across its path.  He squeezed off a single shot and the rustling stopped.  Martin waved Xiphos back.  He crept forward, his gun at the ready.  Xiphos stood up straight, leaning forward as Martin neared the edge of the jungle.

The jungle seemed to split open.  Xiphos fell back.  Before she hit the ground, she was pulled back up.

Liam and Roz raised their guns at Xiphos.

“Whoa! Hey!”  Xiphos said.  “What-?”  She looked up at Martin, standing at the edge of the clearing.  She lunged forward, but was pulled back by her neck.

Robert held Xiphos by the neck.  He put his gun against her head.  “None of you move.  It takes less than a second.”

“WHAT?”  Xiphos said.  “Come on!”

“Where is she?”  Robert asked.

“We were hoping you knew,” Liam said.

“Funny,” Robert said.  He tightened his grip around Xiphos’s neck.  “Now, again, tell me where Norton-Li is.”

“Capitan, I want to hurt him,” Martin said, narrowing his eyes.

“Me too,” Xiphos wheezed.

Robert jabbed Xiphos’s head with the gun.  “I am not joking around.”

“Okay, so,” Xiphos said.  “New plan.  Maybe we should all put our guns down so I don’t die.”

Roz cocked her shotgun.

“That’s the opposite of what I just said!”  Xiphos said.  She was shaking, and she hated herself for it.

“We can’t let him kill Jace,” Roz said.

“Yeah, not going to happen,” Liam said.  Roz and Liam both looked at one another, and slowly started to move apart.

“Capitan…” Martin said, the edge in his voice rising.

“I know,” Xiphos said.  “I’m just- Everyone chill the fuck out!”

“Hush,” Robert said.  “I’m going to count to three, and then I’m pulling the trigger.”

Liam cocked his gun.

“One,” Robert said.

“Oh gods,” Xiphos whispered.  “Oh gods oh gods oh gods.”  She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Two,” Robert said.

Another gunshot rang out in the jungle.  Xiphos fell to the ground.  Martin rushed forward and cradled her in his arms.  Roz and Liam slowly lowered their guns, looking at one another.  In front of them, Robert sank to his knees, and then collapsed into a heap.

The jungle parted again, and Jace stepped out.  Leaved stuck in her dreadlocks.  Mud spattered her clothes and fur.  She lowered her still-smoking gun, and then rushed forward.  She carefully took Xiphos from Martin.  She could feel Xiphos shaking in her arms.

“What are you doing here?”  Jace said.

Xiphos opened her eyes enough to look up at Jace.  She threw her arms around Jace’s neck and hugged her close.

“You were in trouble,” Xiphos said softly.  “And I couldn’t let you die.”

“I told you never to worry about me,” Jace said.  She kissed the top of Xiphos’s head.  “All the same, I’m glad you’re here.”

She looked up.  “Winston’s still out there.  I saw him skulking around with Robert.”

Roz and Liam knelled over Robert’s body and began to search him.  “Maybe,” Liam said, “he’ll go away.”

Jace rolled her eyes.  “No.  He was sent to clean up what this guy couldn’t.  He reports to Nara Molyneux, and she wouldn’t let him off that easily.”

Roz nodded.  “Well, there’s four of us and Xiphos-“

“Hey!”  Xiphos said.

“We should be able to find him.”  Roz continued.

Jace stood and helped Xiphos up.  “Then we go now.”

“Wait wait wait,” Xiphos said.  “These guys have a thing for the dramatic, right?”

“Yeah?”  Jace said.

“Then I know where to find him,” Xiphos said.

[g]

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A hundred miles east of New Douglas and Lat TSA was Lowhohst.  A long, thin island, its meager population of fishermen gathered at the southernmost coast.  Local legend tells of spirits that wander the northern island, and so when Robert Saint-Jean landed his little boat, he was greeted only by a few birds and a stone path that snaked into the dense jungle.

Robert opened the hatch on the little boat and for a moment stood at it, looking out over the deserted beach.  Waves lapped on the pristine white sand.  Robert took a deep breath, feeling the cool northern ocean breeze on his face.  On the horizon light shone off a tiny fishing boat.  He wasn’t sure if they saw him, but he wasn’t concerned.  His business would be brief.

Robert turned back into the boat’s cabin.  He opened the small compartment in the back.  Inside, Jace was out cold.  Robert prepared a syringe, flicked it twice, and slowly pushed the needle into Jace’s arm.  He pushed the plunger down. Jace’s eyes flickered open.  Robert stood back.  She looked up at him, tightening her jaw.

“We’ve reached our destination,” Robert said.

Jace only stared.

Robert nodded at the splint on her arm.  “I patched you up, as I promised.  Now, I’d like you to give me the information I want.  When I have that, you are free to go.  There’s a village on the south side of the island.  I’m sure you could find a ferry home.”

Jace said nothing.

Robert raised his eyebrows.  He stepped away from the little compartment.  He opened a cabinet and took out two tea cups.  He scooped tea into a pot and poured hot water from an electric boiler.  He waited while the tea steeped, knowing that eventually Jace would have to smell its familiar scent.  When he returned to her, Jace watched the tea cups.  Robert set the cups down.

“I’d like to share my tea with you, but to do so I’ll have to undo your restraints.  Can I trust you to behave civilly?”

Jace squared her jaw again.  “Yes,” she said, her voice hoarse.  “For Molyneux Tea.”

Robert nodded.  He unfastened Jace’s restraints and then backed away, his hand finding the gun on his hip.  Jace stretched and stood.  She wobbled and caught herself against the wall of the compartment.  She struggled to take a step, and little by little, she made her way to a chair Robert had set out for her.  She sat, and Robert gave her a cup of tea.  Jace took a long sip.  She closed her eyes, savoring the flavor, and leaned back in her chair.

“The privileges of working with the Molyneux,” Robert said.  He took a sip from his own cup.  “But I think you know that.”

Jace looked over her teacup at Robert.

“You alluded to familiarity with the Family,” Robert said slowly.

“Why do you want to know about them?”  Jace asked.

“Call me curious,” Robert said.

Jace considered this.  “You’ve been in La Patrolo for quite some time.  What do you know about pirate life?”

“I…” Robert started.  “I understand there are clans.”

“And that’s it,” Jace said.  “Yes, there are clans.  My clan was my family.  Did you know that?”

Robert’s eyes flicked away for the briefest of seconds.

“The clans are basically families, often hundreds strong, though most of us aren’t related.  And the clans don’t always get along.  Winston Ochoa, of the Ochoas, saw most of his clan killed by others in territorial disputes.”

Robert sighed.  “I know about the disputes-“

“I’m telling you this because you need to understand that ours is a difficult life, and that we are used to war.  All of us at one point or another have done battle.  We are all expected to face this reality with bravery.  I say that because I want you to know that when I say all of us — every single clan — fears the Family Molyneux.  They are our single biggest predator.”

Robert raised his eyebrows.  “Impressive.”

“You’re playing with fire,” Jace said.  “The Molyneux put up a face of refinement and civility, but deep down they’re all ambition.  Bloodthirsty, desperate, savage ambition.”

“Noted,” Robert said.

Jace closed her eyes and sipped her tea.  “Then what itch are you trying to scratch?”

“You sailed with Caitheryn.  You must know what happened to Burian Lake.”

“I told you already,” Jace said.  “Burian’s dead.  I buried him myself.  The question you should be asking is why the Family was so interested in the Kraken Depths.”

Robert leaned forward.  “What were they looking for?”

“So you’ve had your suspicions?”  Jace said, cracking a smile.

“They had a salvage operation set up three years ago, then it inexplicably disappeared.  I had thought they had figured out how bad an idea it was and called it a day.”

“They found what they were looking for,” Jace said.  “Shanda and Chou.”

“Chou…” Robert said distantly.  “What became of him?”

“I told you,” Jace said.  “He died in the Kraken Depths like Burian.  I suspect Shanda killed him, but I can’t prove that.”

Robert looked as though he was taking mental notes.

“You want a tip?”  Jace asked.  “Figure out why the investigation of the disappearance of Captain Logan Vu was called off.”

“You think something was found?”  Robert said.

Jace leaned back in her chair.  She finished her tea.  “I’ve told  you all I know.”

“Yes,” Robert said.  “We had an agreement.”  He stood and strode to the open hatch of his boat.  He looked around the beach.  They were still alone.  The little fishing boat had since puttered back to its dock.  Robert extended the boat’s gangplank.  He turned back to Jace.  “Come.”

Jace followed Robert on to the beach.

“You’ll find the village through the jungle.  The path should lead the way.  I expect it’s, two, maybe three miles away.”

Jace nodded.

“There is one more thing, Captain,” Robert said.  “You know that I can’t have you captured again.  Questions will be asked.”  He slowly slid his hand down to his holstered gun.

“That would explain why we were followed, huh?”  Jace asked, turning around.

Robert spun around.  Not more than half a mile off shore, a sub surfaced.  He narrowed his eyes.  He should have known.  He turned back to Jace.

Jace threw a punch across Robert’s jaw.  Robert wobbled and collapsed into the sand.  Jace flexed her fist and thought about how much she missed her bare knuckle boxing days.  Then she took Robert’s gun and fled into the jungle.

[g]

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After it had all been set up, Xiphos stood back from the table in the Decline’s galley and looked at all the food.  She placed her hands on her hips, satisfied that the Decline had never seen a spread like that before.  It wasn’t long afterwards that Roz and Liam stuck their heads in from the helm.  Xiphos waved them in.

“What is this?”  Liam asked.  He carefully approached the table, looking over the containers of food Toby had sent them.

“My chef prepared this for you,” Xiphos said.  “Said that you’d appreciate it.  I don’t know how he’s become so knowledgable about pirates, but there we are.”

“He had a good idea there,” Roz said, not taking her eyes off the food.

Xiphos motioned to the table.  “Seriously, it’s yours.  Well, ours.  We’re hungry too.”

Roz and Liam looked at the table, and then back to Xiphos, and then carefully started to take food from the table.  Martin stood next to Xiphos, hands on his hips, and he watched the pirates take to the food.

“It’s nice, no?”  Martin said, his eyes almost gleaming.

Xiphos nodded.  She waited until the pirates had taken their fill of the food, and then stepped in to fill her plate.  When she looked up, the Ochoas had hidden themselves back at the helm, eating in silence.

“Well, so much for that,” Xiphos said.  She looked back to Martin, who turned away from the table with his food and headed immediately to the helm.  The Ochoas both looked up at him, freezing in place, and glared at Martin standoffishly.  Martin only smiled and started asking questions.  Xiphos let out a little laugh  and leaned against the open hatch to the helm.  She ate her food and watched the Ochoas warm up to Martin.

After a while, Xiphos wandered away from the helm.  She padded back to Jace’s quarters and climbed into bed.  She pulled her shoes off and lay back in the bed, and for a moment she just stared at the low ceiling.

Xiphos heard her coming before she knocked.  When she sat up, Roz stood outside of Jace’s quarters.

“Your body guard is awfully friendly,” Roz said.

“Did he hit on you?”  Xiphos asked, cracking a smile.

“No,” Roz said, “but he got things out of Liam I had never heard before.  Wanted to know what it was like.  To be one of us, I mean.”

“He likes people,” Xiphos said.

Roz made an interested sound in her throat.  For a moment, she stood at the hatch, her arms crossed over her chest, and she waited.  Finally, she said, “We found a ship.”

Xiphos’s ears perked.  “Molyneux?”

“La Patrolo.  But Nara Molyneux is its captain.”

Xiphos frowned.

“I know,” Roz said.  “But the good news is our spotters said a smaller boat split off from it yesterday.  We think that Jace is on that boat.”

“How long until we reach it?”

“A couple hours,” Roz said.  “So rest up, and we’ll prepare when we’re about forty-five minutes out.  They’ll probably see us coming then.”

“Okay,” Xiphos said.  “Thanks for letting me know.”  She looked away, fidgeting, waiting for Roz to take the hint.  But when she looked up again, Roz remained at the hatch.

“What happens when you do get her back?”  Roz asked.

“What?”

“Martin wanted to know all about us, but how much do you know?”

“Enough,” Xiphos said, narrowing her eyes.  She could feel things escalating, and her heart started to race.

“Do you think when you get her back, you’ll just sail off into the sunset together?”

“Something like that,” Xiphos said.

Roz tilted her head.  “We’re at war.  When we get Jace back, she’ll be back to help the clan right away.  That’s her duty.  And that duty doesn’t have any room for you.  So I don’t know what you think will happen, but you are not part of that.  Not at all.”  Roz unfolded her arms and left the hatch.

Xiphos sat stunned for a moment.  Her jaw trembled.  She clenched her fists, shaking slightly.  She didn’t want to admit how deep Roz had just cut her.

Martin came in from the gallery carrying a plate.  He sat down next to her and handed her a plate.

“I found some cake with the other food,” he said.  “It’s good.”  He cheerfully took a bite of his cake.  “I like these pirates.  They’re nice, no?”

Xiphos looked up at Martin, pulling her jaw tight.

“No?”  Martin said.

Xiphos sighed.  She looked down at her cake.  Martin shifted, carefully setting his plate on his lap, and put his arm around Xiphos.  He pulled her into a side-hug.  Xiphos took a tentative bite of her cake.  There was that, at least.

——

Cait Molyneux sat at the helm of the Rose, looking out over the ocean.  The sun had just started to rise, and she sipped her tea.  She absorbed the quiet moment before her ship inevitably came to life.

Tre stirred in her quarters.  A moment later he staggered out to the bridge, his mane disheveled, his eyes barely opened.  When he saw Cait he changed course, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek.  Cait closed her eyes and leaned back, sliding her hand up through is mane and behind his neck.

“Good morning, dear,” she said.  “There’s tea in the kitchen.”

Tre kissed her neck.  He left her alone for the kitchen.

Cait sat in the glow of his presence for moment.  She inhaled the scent of her tea and let out a contented sigh.

Behind her, footsteps clanged up from the crew quarters.  Billy entered the bridge, pulling on a pair of suspenders.

“Any word?”  He asked, looking over the Relay computer.

“Just this,” Cait said.  She handed him a print out.  “It appears Toby and Frankie were arrested yesterday.”

Billy hmm’d as he read the arrest notice.  “What for?”

“Toby appears to have an arrest record.  Something about colluding with pirates.”

“When he was seventeen,” Billy said.  “That should have been sealed.  And at any rate he was cleared of the charges.  So why was he arrested?”

Cait sipped her tea.  “Why indeed.”

“Should we go after him?”

Cait looked up at Billy.  “It’s a trap, dear.  And Toby’s the bate.

Billy frowned.  “Hmm.

“I wouldn’t be concerned, though.  Frankie’s with him.”

“So the next question is, then, where is Xiphos?”

The Relay computer beeped, and spit out a printout.  Billy tore it off and read it.

“Contacts?”  Cait asked.

“Yes,” Billy said.  He read over the paper carefully, and then handed it to Cait.

“What ever is she up to?”  Cait asked.

“I’d wager,” Billy started, “that Jace is on that boat.”

“Right,” Cait said.  “So we go after that boat.”

“Is it safe?”

“Of course not,” Cait said.  “This is Nara, dear.  It’ll be best for us to be late to this party.  I’ll plot a course immediately.”  She poked coordinates into the helm.

“I’ll inform Sally,” Billy said.

“Good,” Cait said.  “We’ll need the reinforcements.”

[g]

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