[LB] The Stowaway (CV, KA Refresh 02)

Rich

Captain Vance,

Help me out here. How long ago was it when you first met Kale Arkam? How long had you had The Owl? Not long, right?

Regardless, you're at Nightport, just dropped off some cargo or other, went out drinking with the rest of the crew. Snargle didn't return with you to The Owl, claiming he had someone to call upon. Where's Eli, your First Mate?

You're stumbling into The Owl, a bit tipsy, but it's never wise to get completely trashed on Nightport, so you've got your wits about you. Something.... doesn't feel right, Cyrus. Something on your ship seems off.

Kale Arkam,

Which of the dock gangs are chasing you? What are they going to do to you this time? Did Tansy point you towards The Owl, or is this purely dumb luck? And hey, I won't tell the captain, but I'm curious. Where are you hiding on the ship?

What do you do?

davidjay

He won't be able ta spy me up here on the steam output drive ledge. Shouldn't be able.

That's for certain the guy though. Same one that saved my greasy bacon in the Leaky Cog the other night. Guess handin over most a my hard-earned shinies off to Tansy fer the info was worth it.

If it weren't fer him, the Rusty Sharks woulda chummed me, without a doubt. Looks like he mighta taken a lick or two in the fallout, but I'd bet he's seen worse. Hope he's had his tetanus shots though.

Now as long as he don't look up till we're safe in the Blue...

toddnicholas

Cyrus stumbles onto The Owl, half singing, half bellowing an old sky-pirate shanty. He's got a half drunk bottle in one hand and he pauses periodically to take big swigs of it. Something has been in the back of his mind all night, though: Eli didn't come with. Eli ALWAYS comes with. The man has never missed an opportunity to drink, ever.

Cryus is making all kinds of big noise, yelling out loudly "ELI, MY BOY, THERE'S STILL SOME LEFT! I KNOW YOU'LL WANT TO SLIT IT WITH ME, RIGHT?" But Cyrus knows what's up. He's been sold out. As he stumbles onto The Owl, he sees Eli sitting at the table in the mess room. Lights off. Eli's just a shadow.

Cyrus stares at him for a hard second and says "What are they giving you? Doesn't have to be this way, friend..."

Before Eli can say anything, though, two Imperial guards emerge from the shadows, guns drawn. Cyrus throws the bottle to Eli and goes for his two guns...

Rich

Kale,

You see this, of course. Even though you're hidden, you heard the captain, heard his betrayal. What do you do?

davidjay

Aw, squids. Leave it to the thrice damned brass-beaters to bungle my genius escape afore it even lifts from the dirt. Surely the fellow can handle hisself against that wind-drinker, Eli or whatever, specially with those guns and his eyes an all. Though, he looks he's wadin a bit plus it's not quite a fair fight no more what with the brass-beaters comin up behind im.

They're almost right under me at the moment. Though, if I do somethin, I'd kiss my hidin spot goodbye. Then again, won't do much to hide while my potential hero is gettin clobbered and/or shot to death.

These pipes're rustin away anyway. I pry the vent screen open with my trusty shiv then I give the secondary steam coil a generous kick. That serves the double purpose of clangin loud enough to distract all four of the chappos down yonder and rippin the metal apart at the seam. I notice that one fellow's eyes again and get lost in em so's I forget to jump and end up crashing down with the pipe I just freed.

Good thing about all those brass plates all them Imperials love to wear an polish so much? They heat up real well--specially when you point a secondary steam vent right at em. Nope, those two won't be a problem in this fight at least.

Bad thing about gettin distracted and ridin a secondary steam coil down to the ground? It hurts like the deep hells when you bang into the ground like a sack of week old cloud-carp. Nope, won't be runnin with that leg for a couple days.

From the ground I look up at my potential hero.

Ugh ... looked like you could use some help?

Rich

Captain Vance,

Some stranger just fell (or jumped?) out of nowhere and took out those two Imps. Eli's distracted, but his pistol is still out. He'll shoot you any second now?

What do you do?

(this is a flashback, so I'm not calling for rolls)

toddnicholas

As this new fella drops the two Imperials, the bottle is still arcing through the air towards Eli. Cyrus has his two pistols turned on him, and shoots the bottle as it hovers just over his head. Glass and whiskey splash into Eli's face, distracting him just long enough for Cyrus to dash over, slide across the table on his side, and get a gun to Eli's throat.

"We had some good times, friend, so I'm gonna give you a choice. This boat is bout to have a job opening. Whether that's because tha previous occupant of tha position quit to pursue other career options far, far away from The Owl and its crew OR because tha previous occupant had his head blown clean off because he's a damn traitor is up to you. Either way, you ain't ne'er gonna cross my path again."

Eli gulped loudly, dropped his gun, and slipped out of The Owl. As soon as his feet hit the street below, he began running, the echo of his footsteps slowly fading. After a short silence, and without turning around to look at the new fella, Cyrus holstered his guns and said "Not sure if I owe ya for yer help, there, or if I should shoot ya for tresspassin' where ya don't belong. While I'm debatin' it in me head, why don't ya introduce yerself."

Rich

"Whoah, Cyrus!" Eli says as he drops his pistol on the oak table where he was sitting. The same oak table where you shared many a meal with him. Many a meal. "I'll... take the former. No need to kill me. No need. I'll drag those Imps out and you can be out of here before anyone's the wiser."

As long as you let him, he'll do just that.

davidjay

I struggle a bit and stand up--keepin my eye on the captain-type fellow. I smile polite, with teeth, like Tansy was always tellin me and Drabbler.

Name's Kale, sir. No, not "Kale-Sir." What I mean's "Kale Arkam." At your service an all that.

I put my hand out for a shake and notice them shooters and put my hands up instead.

That is if you'll have me. Dinnit mean no tresspassin. I jus got myself a bit briny an I was lookin for a way into the sky. I saw that you held your own against that gang of Rusty Sharks couple nights back and figured my sail would look good on your mast--as they say.

I should be lookin at the guns, but I'm lookin in them eyes again. Somethin about em makes me less fearful than I might've been. I put my hands down and limp back over to the fallen debris.

Noticed these coils were all barnacled up. Sure, my kickin finally broke em, but a halfway decent thunderstorm woulda done the same. I spent half my life in the steam labyrinths under Nightport. I know a thing or two or ten about fixin an maintainin steam drives. I can earn my ride, no problem.

I look back up at him and give him, this time with a genuine smile.

I've even been under the employ of Pirate King hisself. I've worked on dozens a boats just like this one.

I leave out the fact that I never actually went up in one.

Looks like yer no big fan of brass-beaters. I'll betcha a bottle of Indigo I can have this baby runnin faster and quieter by the time ya drop me off to safety.

toddnicholas

Cyrus stares at the intruder for a good, hard minute, then shrugs his shoulders, holsters his guns and says "Seems like a fair way to work off the debt ya' owe me fer boarding this here boat without permission. Name's Cyrus, but you can call me Captain Vance. If yer as good as ya say, go take a look at the aft engine. She makes the weird clickin' noise and we've been goin' slower ever since it started. Eli couldn't figure it out. You can, I don't shoot ya. Sound fair? Keep it up and I might even pay you someday."

Cyrus turns around dramatically, then looks back over his shoulder at Kale and says "And, yeah. Thanks again. That was big of ya, back there."

davidjay

I watch the big damn hero, mine own Captain, walk away then turn around and start off toward the aft engine.

I smile so big while I scrape off the rust and barnacles that my mouth ends up hurtin longer than my leg does.

Rich

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