Post by Aubs on Nov 3, 2013 20:56:55 GMT -5
The cool sea air was wafting over the deck of their ship. Beside him stood his ever faithful yet estranged First Mate Justin. His friend stood a bit shorter than himself, dressed in his usual black peat coat and blue jeans. His tan cowboy boots were poking out just beneath the cuff of his pants, and the bottom of his yellow sash was sticking below the fringe of his well-worn coat, the jolly roger of the crew visible just barely. That low riding hat he had become known for was covering his haunted eyes, while the bandoleer across his chest gave him yet another eerie trait. “It’s almost time Captain, are you ready?”
“I hope so, we only have one chance at this Justin.”
“Don’t worry Aubrey, if anyone is crazy enough to make this work, it’s us.”
SPLASH
Arms slashing out in front of him, Captain Aubrey Meador of the fledgling White-Wing Pirates jumped out of his bed with a start. Breathing heavily the scene came to him slowly as things blurred into place. He was in his room, the former captain’s quarters of the ship they had stolen, the Flight, made by their own Sean Simpson. And before him stood the one and only Justin Weeks, his Marine turned traitor first mate who looked much less impressive than he had just moments before in the dream Aubrey had been having. Our hero tried to swat at his friend once more as his voice came back to him, hoarse at first.
“What, what do you want that was so important?”
Needless to say he was less than impressed with the answer he received…
Now fully dressed Mr. Meador stood outside on the main deck of his ship. The sun was high enough that it was near midday and the air was fresh enough to mean that they were well at sea by now. Their Navigator assured them that it would not be far between this island and the last. Little did they know how valuable that would be for them. A few of Aubrey’s esteemed crew were present also, most notably the man standing next to him, once again Justin. Donner “The Cannon” Vark was also a few feet away, fiddling with one of the new cannons that had been fitted onto the ship before the left Saisho a day or so before. Donner was still a bit sore from their adventure there but his mind was working at normal pace from the looks of the adjustments he was making to the bore sights on the impressive weapon. Marius “Cross” Ozera sat on his little perch as well, right at the bow of the ship looking out at the water’s vast reach in front of them. Marius had been with Aubrey since the beginning of his pirate adventure only a month or so ago, but in that small amount of time he had proven himself to be a man of immense skill and character. Where the others were our hero had only guesses, like Ren at his wheel and Kallie still napping. But for now he had more than enough story to cover as the crew past the time between this island and the next, that is to say what time they had before Aubrey sprung the next piece of his master plan on them. It wasn’t the brightest idea he had ever had but it did seem like something his unique crew would enjoy.
“So Justin, just what they hell happened with Babet, all I saw was an explosion.”
Unknown to our little crew of misfits, the scene was changing around them quickly. The report had gone up to the Vice Admiral in command of part of the Peace Route that the White-Wings had attempted to take over Enko no Saisho by inciting a rebellion amongst the marines and slaughtering citizens. By all accounts it was a disaster, sinister and terrible (and horribly embarrassing for the Marines). The Wings didn’t know that they had been blamed for the event, meaning they didn’t know just what was coming for them. You see, the Peace Route was supposed to be impenetrable. For all of the safeguards that protected the world that were based on this route, from blockades to many marine islands, World Government research facilities and famous kingdoms completely loyal to the government, there was also the combined arms of the Marine bases to account for. Three of those bases, specifically from the islands of Saisho, Arabara and Veldesh were all overstocked with Marines whose mission it was to protect the beginning of the Peace Route, all within a day or two of eachother. This strategy, called the Net was a quickly deployed blockade of ships meant to stop all sea-traffic until the threat had passed. Before long a line of ships full of Marines would seal off the way forward and screen every ship that sought to pass. And this plan had just been activated, for the first time in years. The Wings needed to slip past it before all of the pieces were set. However, Aubrey had other plans.
They didn’t know who was in charge of Babet, and they didn’t know why they wanted to take over that island. So, as far as he was concerned someone was out there pushing around the people, and he wasn’t going to have it. But as he had always planned, in order to bring the people to arms they would need a symbol, or at least a martyr. That’s where Aubrey came in, and his next move would have to be bold enough that the attention really turned onto him. He would play the distraction of a lifetime, and it would work, it just had to.
But first he would have to survive the knives coming from him, many he didn’t even know about. Pirates didn’t come onto the Peace Route, so the fact that his little band was made them the perfect scapegoats for the darkness that was only hiding in the corners of this place. Even if they were really just small fish in a big sea, the White-Wings were now in the middle of a churning storm that had been waiting for something to attack for years.
And Aubrey only wanted to make it worse.
“I hope so, we only have one chance at this Justin.”
“Don’t worry Aubrey, if anyone is crazy enough to make this work, it’s us.”
SPLASH
Arms slashing out in front of him, Captain Aubrey Meador of the fledgling White-Wing Pirates jumped out of his bed with a start. Breathing heavily the scene came to him slowly as things blurred into place. He was in his room, the former captain’s quarters of the ship they had stolen, the Flight, made by their own Sean Simpson. And before him stood the one and only Justin Weeks, his Marine turned traitor first mate who looked much less impressive than he had just moments before in the dream Aubrey had been having. Our hero tried to swat at his friend once more as his voice came back to him, hoarse at first.
“What, what do you want that was so important?”
Needless to say he was less than impressed with the answer he received…
Now fully dressed Mr. Meador stood outside on the main deck of his ship. The sun was high enough that it was near midday and the air was fresh enough to mean that they were well at sea by now. Their Navigator assured them that it would not be far between this island and the last. Little did they know how valuable that would be for them. A few of Aubrey’s esteemed crew were present also, most notably the man standing next to him, once again Justin. Donner “The Cannon” Vark was also a few feet away, fiddling with one of the new cannons that had been fitted onto the ship before the left Saisho a day or so before. Donner was still a bit sore from their adventure there but his mind was working at normal pace from the looks of the adjustments he was making to the bore sights on the impressive weapon. Marius “Cross” Ozera sat on his little perch as well, right at the bow of the ship looking out at the water’s vast reach in front of them. Marius had been with Aubrey since the beginning of his pirate adventure only a month or so ago, but in that small amount of time he had proven himself to be a man of immense skill and character. Where the others were our hero had only guesses, like Ren at his wheel and Kallie still napping. But for now he had more than enough story to cover as the crew past the time between this island and the next, that is to say what time they had before Aubrey sprung the next piece of his master plan on them. It wasn’t the brightest idea he had ever had but it did seem like something his unique crew would enjoy.
“So Justin, just what they hell happened with Babet, all I saw was an explosion.”
Unknown to our little crew of misfits, the scene was changing around them quickly. The report had gone up to the Vice Admiral in command of part of the Peace Route that the White-Wings had attempted to take over Enko no Saisho by inciting a rebellion amongst the marines and slaughtering citizens. By all accounts it was a disaster, sinister and terrible (and horribly embarrassing for the Marines). The Wings didn’t know that they had been blamed for the event, meaning they didn’t know just what was coming for them. You see, the Peace Route was supposed to be impenetrable. For all of the safeguards that protected the world that were based on this route, from blockades to many marine islands, World Government research facilities and famous kingdoms completely loyal to the government, there was also the combined arms of the Marine bases to account for. Three of those bases, specifically from the islands of Saisho, Arabara and Veldesh were all overstocked with Marines whose mission it was to protect the beginning of the Peace Route, all within a day or two of eachother. This strategy, called the Net was a quickly deployed blockade of ships meant to stop all sea-traffic until the threat had passed. Before long a line of ships full of Marines would seal off the way forward and screen every ship that sought to pass. And this plan had just been activated, for the first time in years. The Wings needed to slip past it before all of the pieces were set. However, Aubrey had other plans.
They didn’t know who was in charge of Babet, and they didn’t know why they wanted to take over that island. So, as far as he was concerned someone was out there pushing around the people, and he wasn’t going to have it. But as he had always planned, in order to bring the people to arms they would need a symbol, or at least a martyr. That’s where Aubrey came in, and his next move would have to be bold enough that the attention really turned onto him. He would play the distraction of a lifetime, and it would work, it just had to.
But first he would have to survive the knives coming from him, many he didn’t even know about. Pirates didn’t come onto the Peace Route, so the fact that his little band was made them the perfect scapegoats for the darkness that was only hiding in the corners of this place. Even if they were really just small fish in a big sea, the White-Wings were now in the middle of a churning storm that had been waiting for something to attack for years.
And Aubrey only wanted to make it worse.