Flying Free- voyages of The Maidens Liberty

[MWBailey]

"Couple or three things," Silas answered."I was wonderin' about that feller we picked up. should we try ta get him ta doin somethin' useful, like? He seems a bit odd, like he's not sure himself if he knows anything about anything. Main things, though, is if I kin check out the ship's guns and the like, that kinda thing. That and what you'll be wantin' me to be doing. I'm best with a gun or fightin', but I kin do other things too." He added, "I'm in Cabin three, by the way. A little small, but then I like 'em that way." 

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"we have a small armory, just behind the cargo hold, beneath the galley, near the infirmary. we have rifles, a few handguns, a sniper, a combogun- a hand help machine gun with underbarrel launcher, a few stanford smg's and a thermite auto cannon*. There are 4 broadside cannons in the lower deck behind the  underneath the corridor behind us, which the crewmen can handle, where I really want you in a fight, is manning the turrets atop, to which the ladder is just behind you. If we've got fighters around us, get straight up there."
He turned back round to the controls.
"as for the lad, just keep him there, we'll see whats what once he comes round. if we need to hire a doctor for the crew, then we will, in the meantime, just let him be"
                                                                                                                                                                                                             
the ship is laid out like serenity in firefly, entrance through the cargo hold, straight on is the armory, infirmary and lower deck. up the stairs in the cargo hold and other stairs throughout the ship is the upper deck, with the cockpit at the front, cabins and corridor behind, galley and engine room behind that. hope that sort've makes sense...
*autocannon- a steamy, pimped up vickers/maxim gun

[MWBailey]

Silas climbed up into the turret section and took a look around, getting a feel for the turret controls and the feel of the control seats.

[Fairley B. Strange]

Arani made his way back from the cargo hold, leaving the comatose form comfortably trussed atop the dubious mattress for his own safety.

Finding the doorway of the bridge and the Captain occupied with his charts, he knocked gently and entered.

"So your ship is The Liberty, Captain? It does seem rather lacking in passenger comforts, but I hope that means that opulence has been sacrificed for a turn of speed. Now, Captain, may I ask where we are bound? I have assignations booked on many of the floating isles, and am holding Letters-of-Passage for a number of the closed realms."

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

The Captain looked up from his charts.
"yeah, the liberty it is, and no. It's not for speed, I'm an outlaw. That means most of the time, I'm skint. We can't afford to indulge in luxuries, not enough gideons.  We need to keep aerium in the tanks,  food on the table and most importantly, rum in the store. This right here, is our last bottle, which the crew are not going to be pleased about..." he said, pulling up a clear glass cordial bottle full of a deep purple liquid.
"and this... they're going to be furious about..."" He uncorked the stopper, and took a long, deep drink.
"now we're bound for the next isle over, I need to drop off a shipment of goods to one of the black market barons over there. We are dropping it off directly to his private residence, a heavily fortified mansion. Me and Silas'll go straight in, meet him, and get out. no, tricks, no scams, by the book. this is one guy we do not want to mess with. If you got some business near there, I'd be happy to drop you off before we go to the meeting."
He took another great gulp from the bottle, leaving about a third of the bottle left.

[MWBailey]

Silas, satisfied that he knew how the turret guns worked and how to operate and manipulate them, then followed his nose to the armory, making a side trip to the galley and dining/living areas (taking careful note of the ample, if simple, food stores and the rather disheartening dearth of liquor. "Well, they got raisions, yeast, and sugar," he muttered. "might could make some slaphappy gin if need be - Though rum or Snorri's  Mead cider'd be better." he stepped into the broom closet, pulled out his own flask, and took a very tiny sip of the fiery, barely-drinkable contents (in truth, he kept it more as a firestarter than a beverage option). That'll have to do for a while, he thought.

He made iot back to the captain's location just in time to hear about the captains plans for the delivery. he cleared his throat, and said, "Sorry, Cap'n, couldn't help overhearin'. You want me goin' in fully armed? If it's who I think it is, he might have an extra card up 'is sleeve."

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"Yeah, I reckon he might, so small arms for me, for you, possibly your rifle, but we do not want to looks threatening. I want him to think he's in control. just make us look that we don't want trouble, but are prepared for it."
"we'll be there soon, so go get what weapons you will, once we're there, i'll drop the box off near by in the grounds, and we'll tell him once we have the gold in our hands"

[Fairley B. Strange]

Master Arani leaned past them to re-check the chart, then reached into the side of his robe to extract a small notebook bound in white leather.

"Very well then, I presume we will be landing at the Main Dock for your transaction? Then I shall be otherwise engaged. Actually, I believe the young lady's husband is one of the Isles' most reputable traders in spirits, so I might not merely pay the rent on my cabin, but perhaps remedy your liquor deficiency with something other than that grease-cleaner."

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"Oh, good, a cure for rum deficiency. We will be arriving at the dock, me and silas'll go up front, a few crew members'll come behind- back up. hang on, wait up, did you say you're going with someone married? never understood the Gigoli, for me, it's just my irresistible charm, no pay."

[MWBailey]

"Knew a street boss in Skogmatterheim* 'way back before the war, got all cut up in a bunch of fights so he couldn't perform 'is manly duties with 'is wife. He 'ired a man to do that fer 'im." Silas mentioned conversationally. "Happens a lot in th' rum parlor districts."

"So, I guess it's my regular kit, then," he added, and said, "Be right back," he said as he turned on his heel and started away to fetch his rifle.



------
*Tortuga-style criminal's mecca island where Silas grew up and learned to be a gunman/assassin.

[The Corsair]

He gasped awake, mind snapping inline with the world around him, turning it from 'dream' to 'reality'. For a second, there was panic, but then he remembered somehow that he was safe. Someone had... someone had helped him. He'd been...

The ship was nice enough, of not a little bare. There was a sturdiness to it, a sense that it would always be safe inside even if 'inside' was a twisted wreck. If the world ended, survivors would camp out in the ruins of this ship. It was haven and home. For him, that thought was soothing.

"Hello?" he called out, finding his voice stronger in his throat than he'd expected.

Off in the distance, he could hear the tiny bustle of people making plans. At least, he thought, no-one sounded angry.

[MWBailey]

Silas heard the query from the hold. He stepped into his berth and got the rifleand the rest of his effects, and then retraced his steps to teh hold gangway. slinging the rifle crosswise ove rhis shoulders nad down his back, he then put the gunbelt and bandolier on as he descended the ramp. "Ahoy, there." He alled out in a just slightly louderthan nomal voice. "You awake?" He stood back a bit; no telling what the fellow might actually be like awake, and finding himself strung up the way he was. Silas himselfhaqd many times severely injured an enemy guard severely even though he himself was chained to a wall; yiou just waited until they got nice an close, and...

"Don't Think I caught your name," he said. "and what's your biz, by the way? Capn's waitin' for me up bridgeways, so it'd be nice if'm you could tell me a quick 'n short, like."

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

Captain Rolston leaned over to the radio above him, and clicked the comm link button. "Attention, this is the Captain speaking. We will be docking at Turin in the next five minutes. I want the cargo ready to go by the time we dock, and a small posse waiting if things get hairy. That is all" He was uneasy. This deal was way too good to be true, he was being too reasonable for the amount of cargo he was buying. It was a trap. It had to be.

[MWBailey]

DAMN! "Well, you heard th' cap'n," he said. "Sorry, kid. looks like it'll have to wait." He leaned in closer, just close enough for his voice to carry conspiratorially, but not close enough to make himself vulnerable. "'less'n you can tell me somethin' useful right sharp..."

[The Corsair]

"I... uhhh... name."
Name... he thought to himself. It made him feel dizzy. What is my name?
A word came to his lips. Somewhere, his mind was telling him this was his name.
"T... Twenty-seven."
His eyes darted to his arm, hovering in the air before him. He hadn't noticed it before, but somehow he knew it was there. A brand of jet-blank ink, burned under the layers of his skin. A single number.
27

[MWBailey]

"Twenty-Seven? That's it?" Silas was a bit disappointed, but there were more than a few orphanages and merc camps that made people be the numbers they were given, so he supposed it could be allowed tio let lie. Well, I'll tell th' Cap'n you said your name, and you be thinkin' about where you came from, and where you'd be on your way to." He leaned back on his heels, and added. "Got to go, the cap'n am' the others'll be by soon, and we got ta deliver our cargo. You any good at  guard duty or such? Well, think about things awhile and we'll see." Silas turned to head out to the outer hold, where the package awaited...