Jammers Summary: Chapter 1, Turn 13

----------- = Meanwhile, elsewhere...
*********** = Later...

Kain lends a hand as the Whirlwind pulls away from the dock, though he lets those with more experience do most of the work. "First time I've ever, ah, been able to aid with a ship leavin' port," he smiles. With Talus on the helm, Kain takes to his bunk, so he can get some rest before his shift is to begin.

As the Whirlwind leaves Finagle, Deigatt takes up position at the catapult, giving the weapon a quick readiness inspection, and then standing stiffly and staring vigilantly out into the stars.

A few hours later, now rested from the taxing spell, Holland heads up the to the top deck and returns the darts to Leera, "I was unable to determine their usage, I apologize." She smiles and says "That's all right..." Everyone slowly returns to the routine of shipboard life underway. Holland finds the pantry now stocked with plenty of fresh scavver meat, night scavver being considered a wildspace delicacy. The galley becomes the gathering point for those wishing to socialize.

During the third shift on the first day, Deigatt approaches Raken in the galley (rather crowded at the moment). "Mate Raken," the minotaur says in his deep voice. "Have the humans selected a captain yet, helse his this vessel still a body with no head?"

"Not to my knowledge, my friend," Raken replies without turning from the stars he is watching. "Nor has battle stations been chosen. The only thing that has been decided is a shift rotation." He turns to looks at the large minotaur. "Let's hope that we don't run into trouble." He lets out a chuckle. "First voyage as a unit, and we already have powerful enemies. Not a good beginning. Lets hope that Celestrian smiles upon us and grants a safe voyage. So, where do you think we should head after we leave Bral? I hear Spiral is lovely this time of year, though I also hear Ironpiece is a friendly port."

"Since we're all here," Grigree says as he steps into the conversation, "why don't we figure it out now?" The hadozee looks around at everybody during his pause.

"Radick and Billy," he looks over at the two, "are both experienced with our catapult. Unless they complain, and until we get someone else trained, they should be by it when we hit trouble." Grigree moves over to the spell casters. "You wizards, and priests, should be on deck to help out with whatever is needed. Before we board, help take out their crew in any way you can." He steps back to address everyone. "Once we're engaged, we do whatever is necessary to win. How's that for a start?"

Talus nods in agreement from where he sits enjoying Holland's cooking. After swallowing that mouthful he comments, "If we come to a battle I may be on the helm. If not, the chances are that I won't have any spells ready, but if I do they will only be short range, suitable for boarding actions." The half-elf continues with a slight grin, "Otherwise I will be left to defending the ship with my dagger," patting the ruby hilted dagger sheathed on his belt. "I am not much of a warrior, and I have no experience ballista or catapults, so I don't know what else I could do."

Billy listens to Grigree's plan and agrees.

Holland looks a bit unsure but hesitantly speaks up, "I have thought about battle-tactics and have come up with some basic positions, not unlike what Grigree has already mentioned but it puts names to places."

"What I have thought about is, upon alert of a ship or some other nasty: Ballista: Billy/Kain Catapult: Nilaroo/Grigree/Radick Forecastle: Holland/Leera Deck: Deigatt/Talus/Italapate/Raken

Upon boarding: Ballista: Billy/Kain Forecastle: Leera/Holland Missile Support: Nilaroo Boarding Party: Deigatt/Italapate/Talus/Raken/Radick/Grigree."

Holland says, "I thought that it would be good to have another person stay with Nilaroo as missile support but I don't know which of you have and can use a bow. The locations of the Helmsmen are if they are not on the helm at the time."

Looking a little red around his collar Holland finishes, "That is my suggestion, I would also suggest that, once we decide upon positions, we have battle-drills over the next few days on our return trip to the Rock. We need to work together smoothly. What do you all think?"

Italapate finally speaks up, "I think that I would just be killed if I joined a standard boarding party. I can use a bow, I will join missile support. I can also check out the battle from a distance and can think of some way to disrupt the bad guys..."

Holland replies, "Having at least two people using bows would be preferable. That is not a problem. That would change the boarding party to be: Deigatt, Talus, Raken, Radick, Grigree, though I am not sure if Talus would like to be on the boarding party either."

"Maybe Talus could watch the boarders backs, to make sure we don't get jumped," Grigree adds. "The wizards may be lost in their art and not see everything around them. Or maybe he could throw knives, or we could teach him to use a crossbow."

Radick adds, "Why don't you move Italapate..."

Deigatt's big brown eyes roll back in his furry head as he roars in frustration: "I don't know how you humans could even start a civilization, much less travel through space! Hall you do his bicker! Just select a captain hand let him make the decisions!"

Grigree looks over at Deigatt and says, "Okay, you're the captain. If we don't like the plan you come up with, we throw you overboard." He finishes with a smile.

Holland looks at Deigatt and shakes his head, "No one apparently wants to be Captain, but to insure we don't offend your sensibilities lets make this short."

"I propose the following positions:

Initial Battle Positions: Ballista: Talus/Deigatt Catapult: Nilaroo/Italapate/Raken Forecastle: Holland/Leera (taking the place of the current helmsman if needed) Deck: Kain/Billy/Grigree/Radick

Holland looks around the group, "Is this acceptable?"

Billy looks up at the argument and says, "What Holland suggests is all right, otherwise, I'm stumped!" He crosses his arms on his chest and sets his feet shoulder width apart, and to your amazement starts turning into a tree stump!

"Sheesh," Grigree mumbles as he stares wide-eyed at the spot where a halfling used to be. "Everybody's doin' tricks these days."

"So it seems," Kain laughs quietly, peeking his head into the galley doorway as Billy undergoes his change. "Was ah, wondering where everyone disappeared to...just stopped in to get a drink of water, nothing much going on topside." Quickly apprised of the situation, Kain says, "Ah, though I don't really know much about that ballista, I'll do hmm...my best. I'm... well, a fairly quick study." Finishing his water, Kain takes leave of everyone and returns to his watch on the main deck.

"Why does everybody want me on the catapult crew?" Grigree asks. "I barely know which way the stones come out! Since I've spent most of my life in the ratlines, I think I'd be of more use on deck." He pauses a bit to take a breath, and continues more slowly. "Deigatt, our strong warrior, could take my place by the catapult. Radick has offered to teach me the ways of our heavy weapons, so I'll be able replace one of the crew after I've had practice. Until then, I'm worth more on deck." The hint of a smile comes back to his face as he says, "Hope our captain takes that into account."

Holland rubs his temples, an action that he has been doing frequently as of late, and says, "You would only be on duty at the catapult while we were a distance from approaching ships. The catapult needs three to operate and as far as I know, no one else knows how to use it either, though I may be wrong. Once we closed the distance you would be on deck, because the catapult would be useless. Of course, the best way to learn something is by doing it."

"This is what teamwork is all about, compromise and doing what is good for the team. But if you really feel strongly about being on deck instead of the catapult..." Holland's voice trails off.

"If we're all to do our part, to the best of our abilities," Grigree emphasizes, "for the benefit of the team, then I belong on the ropes." He looks around again. "I'm all for everybody being cross-trained, but until we're all good at everything we should stick to what we're good at or help out where there's room. Is that okay, Cap'n?" Grigree asks Holland.

Holland jerks back as if he had been burned and hurriedly says, "I am just making suggestions, in no way, shape or form am I trying to assert myself as Captain.." Holland looks over to the Post-Captain for support, but seeing her grinning and whittling away at a scavver bone he looks back at Grigree and while rubbing his temples says, "You, of course, are right," Holland looks at Deigatt and Raken and asks, "Would one of you be willing to initially man the catapult? If so, we can have resolution on this subject."

"Mate Holland's suggestion happears sufficient," Deigatt bellows in his softest voice. "Hit will lessen some hof the chaos that characterized hour last battle, hat least. My only concern his that he hand the human woman har halone hon the forecastle during the battle. Given their emotional hinvolvement, I would be more comfortable with someone more hobjective hon the forecastle to watch over her hand make sure she does not try hagain to deceive hus with her magicks."

Holland gives Deigatt a very confused and puzzled look, "Perhaps I did not understand you correctly. You said, 'Given their emotional involvement'? You must know something that I don't, because I did not know that we were emotionally involved other than, of course, the comradeship that everyone onboard shares. As for Leera deceiving us, you probably should stop beating that horse...it is quite dead."

"But Mate Holland," Deigatt replies, clearly confused. "Did you not come to hapologize hon her behalf hafter her great deceit? Hand did you not without hesitation hargue hon her behalf hafter Mate Two-Thumbs hand I suggested haccomodations for her hillusions? Hand do you not now compare her to a noble steed to deflect my concerns habout her potential for future treachery? Hit his very clear that you have claimed this human woman for your own, even though you refuse to take responsibility for her actions has a honorable husband would."

Italapate grins. "Hi don't think hi hunderstood ha single word hof that...."

Grigree smiles and lets out a long sigh, shaking his head.

Holland shakes his head, a wry smirk coming to his lips and says, "Deigatt, it is times like these that reinforce to me how different your culture is from mine. Think what you will... everyone is entitled to an opinion... no matter how false it is." Holland's eyes unfocus as he stares at the wall recalling something that was told to him years ago. His lips move slightly and faint sounds can be heard of his recollection, "'Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it'."

"You har speaking hin hidioms that I do not hunderstand, Mate Holland," Deigatt replies. "There his much habout humans that I still do not hunderstand, this his happarent. Hand there his much habout humans that I don't believe I want to hunderstand. However, hit happears that you do not want the human woman. Hin light hof her behavior, I call such a decision wise. I remain convinced that she his a danger to hus hall, but I ham just a minotaur from a distant sphere where humans har more... hum... useful. I will resume my post hat the catapult hand study hits workings."

Holland stands, stretches for a moment and says, "It appears that we have the positions agreed upon:

Initial Battle Positions: Ballista: Talus/Deigatt Catapult: Nilaroo/Italapate/Raken Forecastle: Holland/Leera (taking the place of the current helmsman if needed) Deck: Kain/Billy/Grigree/Radick

"Boarding will have to be a by the seat of our pants thing, but in general spell casters should remain on the forecastle or sterncastle, where we can throw our spells the best. Nilaroo, Deigatt, and Radick would seem the best equipped for boarding, supported by the rest of us as best we can." Holland concludes, "I need to go study my spells but I suggest that during our return trip we have drills just like we did aboard the Flowfish, in order to get things running smoothly." Holland then still working kinks out of his muscles from sitting so long leaves the room headed to the Helmsmen room.

When everyone seems to come to a consensus, the tree stump quickly retakes shape into Billy. "At the rate the arguments were going, I thought I would end up a permanent fixture of the galley!" Billy smiles at all, "Well, off to my duties!" He turns and, whistling a merry tune, returns topside. Once topside he goes up to Kain "Kain, why don't you walk with me?", they are soon engrossed in conversation.

Back in the galley... "I ham not haccustomed to the disorganization that his running this vessel," Deigatt says to Raken and Grigree after the discussion. "For many long years hon Geb I lived the strict regimen hof military training, hand now I find myself floating hin the sea hof night with none to rely hon. This his not a way hof living to my liking."

"This isn't the military, Deigatt. You should rely on all off us, just like we rely on you." Grigree says.

Deigatt's heavy sigh sounds like a bear's growl. "My mentor Parthan," he continues as he looks from Raken to the stars around, "he told me hof a race hof powerful creatures called 'Hillithids.' Perhaps hif I ham relieved hof my duties in Bral, then I should seek hout these creatures hand learn from them what I ham wanting to know."

Grigree stares in shock for a few moments. "You want to look for illithids?" Another pause as he composes himself. "They'll suck your brains out before you can take a breath!" The hadozee's black eye glance up to Deigatt's horns. "Well, maybe several breaths. What kind of information could you possibly be looking for that will make you seek out the illithid?"

Italapate merely looks at the minotaur, his eyes wide for a moment. He says, simply, "Yikes...." then looks away again, shaking his head.

Deigatt turns to Grigree with interest. "You have met these hillithids? Hand they har dangerous to you? I certainly mean no threat to them, has hit his only knowledge that I seek."

"Not just to me," Grigree replies. "They have the power to take over your mind, and they eat brains for food. I hear rumors of illithid that actually deal with others without trying to eat them, but I've never seen one being social-like. It's not whether you're a threat to them. It's whether you're a good meal."

"Oh, they can be social. Dealing with them is like playing with scavver; they probe your defenses, then go in for the kill, literal or figuratively. Worst part is that they're far more intelligent than most arch-wizards, and twice as deadly. I don't trust them, even the very few that work along side of humans rather than behind the whip they use to herd their slaves," Raken says with a grim look on his face, indicating his seriousness in the subject. "If you don't want to wind up as a mindless slave, give them a wide berth; if that's not possible, put a pike in their chest. Its safer that way."

Deigatt looks upset, "Perhaps suggesting I look to them was some kind hof joke my mentor had with me. I'm beginning to see that deceit hand humiliation har primary components hof human hinteraction. But this his not the kind hof knowledge I want to find."

"Aye, humans can be a quirky lot," Grigree says with a smile, looking at those present to show that he was kidding.

"Parthan told me halso hof the Harcane. Do you know hof these? Do you think them halso dangerous?" Deigatt says.

"Arcane are blue humanoids that would sell their homeworld for the right price. Some say they already have... They're not dangerous, and easy to deal with if you've got the gold. Well, easier than illithid at least. I've seen a few, but never had any dealings with them. Maybe one you," he looks around at the gathered crowd, "can tell him more?" Grigree asks.

"Bloody arms dealers," Raken responds. "They have a lot for sale, most of which is likely stolen. As far as I know, they won't deal in slaves, but that doesn't mean they won't deal with slave traders. Money is all they care for, nothing else. I've heard of them selling to both sides of a war, even escalating it just to sell more blasted helms and magical items. 'Bout the only people they DON'T deal with are the neogi, and that's only because they, somehow, have their own supply of helms. No one really knows how they get them..." He lets the words trail off, gives a shudder, and returns to watching the stars through the porthole.

With that everyone again returns to the standard shipboard routine. During the next five days at random times a bell rings incessantly, indicating the standard spelljamming signal for battle-positions, throughout the ship.

The first time the signal is sounded things do not run very uniformly but that is to be expected for the first time. Things improve with each drill, though not dramatically.

At the fourth drill Talus gives Holland a sour look as he takes his position, noting that there is no enemy in sight. The half-elf is plainly unhappy at leaving his warm bed for little.

For the fifth drill the half-elf is the last on deck. Taking a long look around to find it is another drill, Talus walks over to Holland. "Holland, let me tell you a story. There was once a village deep in orc territory, they survived the constant attacks by having a strong wall around the town, and by having someone in a lookout tower to call the alarm. A lazy human boy named Tom ended up as a watchman, mainly because no one else wanted anything to do with him. After a couple of days Tom became bored and sounded the alarm. He then watched with glee as the villages outside dropped whatever they were doing and ran for the safety of the walls. They were most upset when they found it was a prank, but they let Tom off with a warning. When Tom did it a couple of days later they beat him. And a couple of days later when the alarm sounded, they generally ignored it, figuring that it was Tom up to his tricks. Instead the attacking orcs destroyed the town and Tom ended up in an orcs cookpot."

Talus gives Holland a penetrating look, "Do you get the message?" The half-elf then turns and heads back to his half eaten dinner.

Holland shakes his head and says, "Remind me to tell you the story about the village who were not prepared for an orc attack sometime. Perhaps after that you will understand."

Each crew member spends their free time during the rest of the trip to Bral differently.

Holland spends a majority of his time, when not on the helm, learning new spells. He finds the time each day to make sure that something is cooking in the galley for everyone to savor and spends a little time alternating between the helm-room, supervising the Helmsman and giving advice, and the main deck, either watching the stars or lending a hand.

Italapate is unusually quiet for the entire voyage. At one point, in the middle of the trip, he tells Radick and Holland he will miss his turn on the helm for personal reasons.

Finding a quiet area of the ship, out of the way from traffic as much as is possible on such a smallish vessel, Italapate begins to set up a ceremony. He paints his face with dyes from his pouch. He sets, in a kitchen pot, a small, contained fire, Coyote's gift to his people. He chants, and rocks in rhythm, gesturing over a greenish mash, obviously a plant substance. Finally, he eats the mash, and slips mentally into another world.....after 30 minutes or so he gets up and walks below decks, an uncharacteristically pensive look on his face.

As the six days progress, Kain follows a fairly set routine. A while before the beginning of the third shift, Kain wakes, and goes to bother Talus on the helm. His time on duty is spent either working on the lines, or looking for trouble. Before sleeping again, Kain is careful to set aside some time for quiet thought, making more sketches in his tome.

Leera spends most of her time on the way back to Bral studying her spellbook.

Billy spends his time on duty working quickly, but efficiently, humming all the while. (Learning from his mistakes, his crossbow is always within reach.) When not on duty, he spends his time eating the good food that Holland prepares, loitering on deck or relaxing in his bunk.

During his shifts Radick spends a good deal of time hanging out with Grigree and speaking of various journeys prior to this one. When it comes time to work, Radick is very diligent about his tasks and performs them without complaint or issue. Radick is very hesitant to deal with Kain too closely, although he himself can not explain why, even when Grigree questions him on it.

When off duty Radick takes some time to enjoy Holland's cooking, and takes it upon himself to see that the bed pans are emptied. Radick makes sure to sleep during Holland's shift at the helm, so that he can speak with him during part of the next shift. The entire crew notices that ever since the repairs were being performed and Radick had spoken to Grigree, his entire attitude has changed back to his earlier one. He is more friendly and not so distant in his encounters with the members of the crew.

And so the journey continues uneventfully, the Whirlwind following the Flowfish about 15,000 yards back. The stars go by, the planets continue to orbit, and after six days the huge, building covered potato-like asteroid that is the Rock heaves into view. The pickets are crossed with a minimum of fuss, and its not long before the Whirlwind is docked behind the Flowfish on the docks.

Captain Wilhelmina watches the Flowfish dock with all the anxiety of an anxious mother, then watches your own procedure with a critical eye. Italapate is on the helm, and he manages to slide the eelship into her berth with only a slight dip or three.

"Gather up all your gear and come with me to the House Moune offices," the captain says, shouldering her rucksack, "Those who choose to leave will get their pay there, those interested in Lady Moune's offer will have a chance to speak with her." She turns to Nilaroo, "You are more then welcome to come along as well. House Moune can certainly use a shipwright as skilled as you."

Stopping only to give a series of short instructions to Lt. Sabbagh (including posting several sailors from the Flowfish as guards for the Whirlwind) Capt. Wilhelmina leads you up the winding, steep stairs from the dock level and through the mercurial, crowded streets of the Rock. The group passes down Low Street then cut across Dock Street to get on Grand Street, one of the larger and more crowded thoroughfares of the city. It's still several blocks then until the corner of Traders' Way, where the Moune offices stand.

Once inside the large building Captain Wilhelmina motions the party to a guards waiting room. As everyone sets their gear to the floor one of the guards announces that it will be a few moments before Lady Tarilia Moune will be ready to see them. It is, in fact, nearly a full hour before a guard in chain and a tabard with the House colors leads the party back towards Lady Tarilia's office.