Limitless seas book 2, p.9
Limitless Seas, Book 2, page 9
The Garbage Scow lived up to its name. The place was the key destination for those that wanted to get drunk as cheaply as they could and didn’t mind the possibility of a knife in their back as long as the discount booze kept flowing.
The stench inside wasn’t a pleasant one, and Larson waved away the server, dropping a few scales on her tray for the trouble. Battered tables and chairs were strewn about the open tavern, but in the back were several doors leading to private rooms. One such door opened, and a hooded man waved Larson over. Giving the tavern a final check, he didn’t see any immediate threats or anyone that was getting overly interested in his visit. Ibn loosed his scimitar in its sheath before following Larson toward the back of the tavern.
He wasn’t gentle when opening the door. If this was some kind of ham-fisted attempt at an ambush, he wasn’t going to fall for it. The door slammed into a body as it opened, and the hooded man gave out a large “oof” as he tumbled to the ground. Three men were seated at a table in the middle of the room, two of whom stood and drew swords before the man in the center waved them away.
“Sorry for the skullduggery, Captain Larson, but it was imperative that our meeting was secret,” Lord Buxton said as he lowered his hood to reveal himself.
“Theodore, you should be more careful where you stand. Let me help you up,” Ibn said. The hooded man who had been knocked over proved to be the Buxton lordling. The young man stumbled a bit, stunned from the blow, but he was recovering quickly.
“What exactly is this all about, Lord Buxton?” Larson asked.
“It’s about the life of my son, the lives of your crew, and perhaps the existence of Stratwall Harbor itself. We need your assistance, and I’m willing to pay well to secure it,” Buxton said.
“Being paid well is one of my favorite things. Tell me what’s going on,” Larson replied.
“I do not make accusations against my fellow lords lightly, but I have uncovered evidence that Lord Mox is conspiring with pirates,” Lord Buxton said.
Larson knew this already, and it was a revelation he was willing to keep quiet so long as Lord Mox didn’t cause him any trouble. Stratwall wasn’t some nation of laws and polite society; it was a wild and rough place held in check by the sea lords. With the attack earlier, one most certainly orchestrated by Mox, Larson was eager for some payback, especially if his payback also filled his coffers with coin.
Chapter 9
~
“If you have evidence, why approach me instead of just going to the other lords of the city?” Larson asked.
“I want to secure your services should the worst come to pass once I make my accusations. These things take some time to work through our legal process, and stripping a lord of his lands and titles is not done lightly. While my efforts are taking place, I’d like to ask you a favor,” Lord Buxton said.
“I’m listening.”
“I’d like to hide my son during this time, lest some ‘unfortunate’ accident befall him while Mox is under investigation. Your ship seems like the best place for him to disappear. To try and hide him anywhere in the harbor would surely lead to Mox knowing his whereabouts, given the likelihood of informants on my staff. Take him with you when you leave here and nobody will be the wiser.” Buxton gestured toward Theodore, who was at least smart enough to have changed out of his party finery and into simple clothing that should help him blend in.
“What’s in this for me and my crew? We’d be taking a huge risk if you’re asking us to choose a side in a political power struggle.” Larson was no fan of Mox and planned to repay him for his attack, but jumping tail-first into the middle of warring sea lords was not exactly conducive to living a long and happy life. If he was going to take a risk, he was going to get well paid for the task.
“I can help in several ways once Mox is removed. In the meantime, I can have your ships refurbished and ready for sea in less than a day once I authorize you to use the warship docks,” Buxton said. It was a good offer. Larson still wasn’t sure how much it would cost or how long his planned refit would take. Having the proper facilities would speed things up and improve the results.
“That’s a good start, but I’ll also need provisions for a long voyage and funds for my crew. While in drydock, I want access to the armory for both the ships and my crew, at the city’s expense.”
“I can’t authorize free rein at the armory, but I will give you a writ that enables withdrawals from the armory up to a modest amount. Provisioning your ships isn’t a problem, either. That’s something I can have taken care of tonight once I return to my manor. As far as a small payment to your crew, that’s not in the budget, and you’ll have to compensate them directly,” Buxton told him.
“Is there not some emergency budget for threats to the city?” Larson asked.
“Of course, but while I can commission you to leave immediately to seek out pirates, which justifies what I’m doing for you, I, unfortunately, don’t have an immediate threat that I can document to justify additional funds.”
“I may be able to help with that,” Larson said. “We’ve been hired to scout a nearby island that may contain a portal to the Hypogean Realm. If that’s active, who knows what might try to come through? I have it marked on my map, and given the nature of the threat, I’m sure there will be some evidence that I can bring back to prove its existence.” If push came to shove, he might be able to talk Wrend out of his cursed map, which would at least show the sea lords there was a potential danger to Stratwall Harbor lurking nearby.
“Perfect. I’ll use that information to expedite the work and you can sail with the evening tide. Your ships will be repaired, upgraded, and well provisioned for the journey. In addition, a small stipend will be granted to compensate your crew for the limited notice. In return, you’ll agree to assist me should things go poorly with my accusations, and you will promise to keep Theodore safe,” Buxton summed up.
“Agreed, but I can’t guarantee Theodore’s safety. We’re privateers at sea, and anything can happen. I like the kid, but if it comes between saving him and saving my ship, the ship wins. I also don’t agree to any open offer of support if your little power play doesn’t work. I’ll do what I can, and as I mentioned, I have a score to settle with Mox, but I’ll not fight a war for you without a good and profitable reason to do so,” Larson said.
“My son’s safety is non—” Lord Buxton started to argue before Theodore interrupted him.
“Father, I’m willing to take the risk, just like any other crewman aboard the Sea Venom. I’ll carry my weight and do the family proud,” Theodore firmly said.
“Good job, Theo. We’ll make a sailor of you yet,” Larson said with a smile. He liked the kid, and despite being spoiled by his station in life, he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders.
“It seems that my son is more aware of the situation than his father. Very well, I understand you won’t place him in unnecessary danger, but you can make no guarantees of his safety,” Lord Buxton admitted, but Larson had no doubt that the good lord would make his life a short and hellish one should Theodore be lost.
“I do have one thing that might help your case,” Larson said. “This was found aboard the Lost Soul and seems to confirm your suspicions that Mox was working with the pirates.” He pulled the letter he had taken after the battle with Fontaine from his inventory. It wasn’t necessarily how he had wanted things to pan out, but his future was, for the moment, tied to Lord Buxton, and he wanted his side to have every bit of ammo they could get in the coming political fight.
“Very good. This will help indeed, Captain Larson. Thank you for this and for looking after Theodore. I shall take my leave and look forward to your return with news of another successful voyage. By the time the Sea Venom and Lost Soul sail back into Stratwall, this unpleasant business with Lord Mox should be on its way to being resolved and Jonathan can return home.” Buxton gave Larson a firm handshake before being led out by his man Bolan.
“Follow along, Theo. Don’t eyeball anyone on the way out.” Larson looked the kid over. Theodore had dressed the part of a sailor, but both he and his clothes were a bit too clean and well-kept to stand up to much scrutiny. Another problem was his boots. Instead of finding shoes that a sailor would wear, the young man was wearing expensive riding boots.
“Thank you, Captain, but I prefer to be called Theodore,” Theodore said.
“As of now, you’re a sailor under my command and I’ll call you what I wish. You’re going to be Theo, and while we’re at it, take off those boots. Ibn, see if you can trade them for something more appropriate for our newest recruit,” Larson said. Reluctantly, Theo pulled off his boots and handed them to Ibn, who made his way back into the bar. A few minutes later, he returned, carrying a tattered pair of shoes that were more appropriate for a poor sailor.
“The smell is diabolical. Surely my boots will be fine for a single voyage,” Theo said. The kid was right; the shoes were kind of rank, but that added to the illusion that the spoiled lordling was a real sailor.
“Put them on. Don’t worry. After a while, you won’t notice the stench,” Larson assured his new crewman.
“Aye, sir.” Theo squinted in disgust, and he pulled on the reeking shoes. Once appropriately attired, the trio left the Garbage Scow and made their way back to the ships. He told Ibn to keep Theo hidden in Larson’s cabin until they set sail. Several of the crew knew the kid from their previous voyage, and he didn’t want word of his passenger to make it into town. Once they were underway, there was no risk until they returned to port. Hopefully, by then, Lord Mox would be stripped of his power and either be dead or rotting in a cell somewhere for conspiring with pirates.
“Officers call in my quarters, and see if that Imperium sergeant is aboard. If he is, bring him as well,” Larson ordered. Tarley was on duty as the officer of the watch, but it would take a minute or two to rouse Shada and Bug Bartholomew. It was a delicate task, waking up a large and potentially hungry ogre.
“Sorry for disturbing your sleep, but we’ve got an opportunity that requires our quick action,” Larson said once his officers had gathered in his office. “First, the carriage sent to pick us up turned out to be an attempted assassination. Lord Mox is, of course, denying everything, but it’s pretty obvious he’s the one who ordered the hit. Buxton and some of the other sea lords suspect that Mox is working with the pirates, and they are going to try and shut him down.” He gave the officers a minute to absorb what he was telling them.
“Well, it seems that these Free Isles have politics to rival the Imperium,” Wrend commented with a derisive chuckle.
“I’m not concerned about the Imperium,” Larson said. “I’m concerned about keeping our crew alive and our ships above water. To do that, we’ll need to set sail as soon as possible. Lord Buxton has entrusted his son to our care.” Larson gestured toward Theodore. “Theo here is going to be joining us as a crewman on our next voyage. We need to keep his presence a secret until we set sail. In return for us hiding Theo, Lord Buxton will see to it that we’re provisioned at Stratwall Harbor’s expense and that our ships will get access to the warship drydock in the morning.”
“How long in the drydock do we get?” Tarley asked.
“Not sure, but I wouldn’t count on more than a day. I want you to work with Bug Bartholomew to organize work teams. Let’s get the hull scoured clean and patch up any damage or weak areas on the ships. In addition, we’ll get some limited access to the city armory. I don’t know what they have in the way of siege weapons, but I do know that Bug Bartholomew can probably make something better than they have stored away. Let’s focus on grabbing as many weapons for our crew as we can. Shada, you’ll lead the armory team.”
“While I agree that personal weapons are a priority, if we can secure a siege weapon or two, it will make my job easier. I can repurpose an existing ballista much quicker than I can build one from scratch,” Bug offered.
“Good enough. We’ll keep an eye out for anything we can snag in the armory. Now, how are we sitting for crew? It looked like we had a good response from our recruitment efforts, but I doubt we found everyone we needed in the short time we’ve been in port,” Larson asked. Tarley gave the rundown for each ship. The limited crew was split among the two vessels under their command. As the officers gave their reports, the system filled in the data for Larson.
Ship’s Complement for the Sea Venom:
Crew: 23/70. The average crew level is 2.
Crew Morale: 81%. The new crew is still being integrated onto each vessel and none are happy to have their shore leave cut short.
Specialized Crew: 4/11. Your specialized crew consists of 4 marines with an average level of 3.
Officers: 5/5
Larson, level 3 privateer captain
Tarley, level 3 first mate, unknown second class. Note that this officer is currently assigned to captain the Lost Soul. All the benefits of his class will be applied to that particular ship.
Shada, level 3 ship’s surgeon, level 2 shaman, level 3 Imperium soldier
Ibn Hasma, level 1 Fang of the Serpent, level 5 dervish
Bug Bartholomew, level 1 ship’s engineer, unknown second class, unknown third class
Passengers: 11. A squad of Imperium soldiers is currently housed aboard the Sea Venom.
Provisions: The ship has a 3-day supply of food and a full month’s supply of water at the current occupancy level.
Ship’s Armaments: The ship has a single ballista mounted in the bow and a hardpoint for a second weapon on the quarterdeck.
Crew Armaments: Below average. Adding new crew and shifting some of the existing weapons to the Lost Soul has lowered the overall availability of quality weapons, causing some of the crew to be armed with older, castoff weapons.
Crew Armor: Negligible. The already limited armor selections aboard have been further diminished with the addition of more crew.
Marine Armaments: Good. The best weapons and armor have been distributed to your most capable fighters.
Marine Armor: Average. The armor supply is more limited than your weapons cache, resulting in a lowering of your marine armor rating after adding fresh recruits.
Average Crew Health: 97%. Your crew is healthy and well-fed, though some of the recruits have lingering ailments that should resolve quickly under the care of your ship’s surgeon.
Ship’s Complement for the Lost Soul:
Crew: 19/70. The average crew level is 2.
Crew Morale: 77%. The new crew is still being integrated onto each vessel and none are happy to have their leave cut short.
Specialized Crew: 4/11. Your specialized crew consists of 4 marines with an average level of 3.
Passengers: 10. A squad of Imperium soldiers is currently housed aboard the Lost Soul.
Officers: The Lost Soul is currently commanded by your first mate, Tarley. Tarley has an unknown second class that synergizes with his ability to command this vessel. The effectiveness of this unknown class is limited unless Tarley is given formal command of the Lost Soul.
Samir: While not officially one of your officers, Samir has been assigned by Ibn to head the marine detachment aboard the Lost Soul. Due to First Mate Tarley’s unknown second class, Samir can operate under his command limit, allowing the marine to provide class benefits to his marines.
Provisions: The ship has a 3-day supply of food and a full month’s supply of water at the current occupancy level.
Ship’s Armaments: The ship is currently unarmed but has a siege weapon hardpoint in the bow. A second hardpoint may be constructed on the quarterdeck.
Crew Armaments: Below average. Adding new crew and shifting some of the existing weapons between the 2 vessels has lowered the overall availability of quality weapons, causing some of the crew to be armed with older, castoff weapons.
Crew Armor: Negligible. The already limited armor selections aboard have been further diminished with the addition of more crew.
Marine Armaments: Good. The best weapons and armor have been distributed to your most capable fighters.
Marine Armor: Average. The armor supply is more limited than your weapons cache, resulting in a lowering of your marine armor rating after the addition of recruits.
Average Crew Health: 97%. Your crew is healthy and well-fed, though some of the recruits have lingering ailments that should resolve quickly with regular meals and care. Your ship’s surgeon, Shada, is assigned to the Sea Venom but can provide limited support to the Lost Soul if the ships are close enough for her to transfer back and forth using a ship’s boat.
Larson excused the officers, letting them get about their tasks. They had done a good job in his absence, shuffling crew, gear, and supplies between the two vessels, but despite the recruits, he was still well below the optimal crew rating for each ship. Another day or two of recruiting would have gone a long way to rectifying the situation, but they would make do with what they had. Access to the city armory should at least alleviate some of their equipment deficiencies, but there was a lot of work to do in a short time, and Larson was once again pleased that his new body didn’t need much in the way of sleep.
Chapter 10
~
“Captain, some supply carts have arrived, but there’s some guy demanding to speak to you before he lets us unload them,” one of the crew called out while knocking on the cabin door.
“I’ll be right there.” Larson motioned for Theo to stay out of sight when he opened the door to his cabin. If it hadn’t been too much of a risk, he would have rather stuffed the kid aboard the Lost Soul and made him Tarley’s problem, but the risk of moving him between the two ships without anyone seeing him was too great.
The morning sun was just beginning to peek over the eastern horizon, and Larson could hear his crew finishing up their breakfast and moving to unload the five cargo wagons parked at the end of the dock. It looked like each wagon was loaded to the gills with supplies, and while the supplies were a welcome sight, the man in charge of delivering them was not. It was yet another overdressed and self-important functionary holding various documents and haranguing the crew queuing up to unload the wagons.
