Særún had heard that some of the other captains in this new alliance were having a conference aboard one of the other ships docked in the harbor. Hearing this, she and a couple of her officers disembarked from the Vild Ørn that had anchored slightly away from town and they took a karve into port. They drew a number of glances and stares when they arrived, wearing leathers and furs in the hot climate of Mina-Sakh.

The women approached the Vengeance, stopping at the edge of the gangplank. "Opmærksomhed kaptajn!" one of the officers called to the ship. "Særún Þórlindsdóttir of the Vild Ørn to come aboard."

Aghilas

Momin gave a chuckle, patting Aghilas on the shoulder. He was... an impressive specimen of a man, "The Hamsat is a fine looking ship.
More guns than the Vengeance from what I can see," he grinned, motioning at the long barrelled chase gun in the Vengeange's bow, "If you had one of those, she might be a perfect ship!"

From where Momin's arm rested on his shoulder, Aghilas' eyes followed Momin's gesture towards the long chase gun which he looked upon with longing. "Oh-ho! We've just got the little guys." He cast a glance back to the party of salty looking seamen accompanying him. "You see that lads? That there's a swivel gun!"

Coralie meanwhile laughed at the idea of putting hairs on her chest, "I certainly hope not!" she declared in mock horror, "My charm and sophistication are a weapon as sharp as any rapier! Hairs on my chest really wouldn't do at all!"

Aghilas attention was back on Coralie. "Chest hair's plenty charming Captain D'Ambois." He grinned and oftered a wink. "You just gotta wear 'em right!" He laughed.

She paused before asking, "So, Captain, have you been privateering before? The legality of a captured prize does mean you tend to get a bit more money but contesting the prize in a court of law can be annoying. Thankfully I believe that someone hired a lawyer for our little flotilla. He isn't with you is he, by any chance?"

Aghilas's laughter continued. "A lawyer? Ha! No. I hardly done a legal thing in my life. Certainly never legally pirated before!"

She paused before asking, "So, Captain, have you been privateering before? The legality of a captured prize does mean you tend to get a bit more money but contesting the prize in a court of law can be annoying. Thankfully I believe that someone hired a lawyer for our little flotilla. He isn't with you is he, by any chance?"

Astartus Nicolau/Stefano Bene

"I am not with him but I am the lawyer for your flotilla," Astartus said, stepping in. His outfit was certainly flashy in color and stands out.

"Stefano Bene at your service," he added with a bow and rolling his left arm in a showy matter. "Legal expert in the maritime laws of three countries, specifically Calaria, the Empire, and the Doel Union. Thought I show up and make my presence known to ensure that any and all 'business transactions' that we do in the future would have one more naval fleet off of our backs."

"Welcome aboard!" Coralie called to the others who were joining her in what had become a somewhat unplanned meeting. The calling set off her headache and the bright morning light didn't help either, "Would you all care to join me in my cabin?" she suggested, where at least it would be so bright...

The cabin was fairly small, with a cot in the corner and a table covered in charts, though there were enough chairs for everyone. Coralie sank into one gratefully, "Shall I get one of the men to bring some grog?" Momin suggested.

"Yes please, thank you," Coralie gave him a warm smile, before turning her attention to Stefano, "So reading this contract it looks like it's pretty standard. We take a ship. We are supposed to treat the crews like proper prisoners. We sail it back to a Doel Harbour and prove in court it was a legal capture then we get to keep it and the contents? Anything important I'm missing?"

She left time for Stefano to reply before declaring, "Well since there's a few of us. I think, working together, we can take a treasure galleon." It was a big ask. Definitely unrealistic. A Calarian galleon was far too big for a single vessel to contend with, and to make matters worse, they usually moved in convoys, often of upwards of 20 vessels. Coralie, however, looked confident, a little excited perhaps. Like she had a plan she was eager to share...

Cricket looked out the window as Coralie spoke with the others. She didn't understand what they were talking about, but at least they were paying attention to Coralie and not her.
She had never liked pirates, but she supposed being a thief was not much better.

"Welcome aboard!" Coralie called to the others who were joining her in what had become a somewhat unplanned meeting. The calling set off her headache and the bright morning light didn't help either, "Would you all care to join me in my cabin?" she suggested, where at least it would be so bright.

The cabin was fairly small, with a cot in the corner and a table covered in charts, though there were enough chairs for everyone. Coralie sank into one gratefully, "Shall I get one of the men to bring some grog?" Momin suggested.

"Yes please, thank you," Coralie gave him a warm smile, before turning her attention to Stefano, "So reading this contract it looks like it's pretty standard. We take a ship. We are supposed to treat the crews like proper prisoners. We sail it back to a Doel Harbour and prove in court it was a legal capture then we get to keep it and the contents? Anything important I'm missing?"

She left time for Stefano to reply before declaring, "Well since there's a few of us. I think, working together, we can take a treasure galleon." It was a big ask. Definitely unrealistic. A Calarian galleon was far too big for a single vessel to contend with, and to make matters worse, they usually moved in convoys, often of upwards of 20 vessels. Coralie, however, looked confident, a little excited perhaps. Like she had a plan she was eager to share.

Aghilas gave Cricket some distance, ignoring the girl as seemed her preference focusing on the conversation at hand.

"Pirate-lawyers and treasure galleons eh? Now I've seen it all." The large man laughed, contemplating perhaps that Calarian galleon hulls were nearly twice as thick as basically anything else afloat, to better withstand the 32 pound guns big warships carried; guns that could shred any of their little flotilla vessels like they were made of paper with a single broadside. He laughed again, louder this time. "Sure! Why not? We got the Vengeance, the al-Marid, an entire boatload of shield-maidens. Count me the hell in on whatever this plan involves."

It may occur to some present that Aghilas may, in fact, still be drunk.

Coralie flashed a roguish grin, spreading out one of her charts, "On our own that thing would mince our little ships, but together we have a chance."

"The treasure fleet itself is more or less impossible to take on. It sets off from here -" she tapped a port on the Western coast of Calarian territory, "-with three galleons and some escorts. Then it winds its way between their other island and mainland ports, picking up more galleons as it goes, before setting off out to sea. The galleons are obviously a major prize so they stay in port, loading up with precious minerals and other goods, until the fleet arrives.

"We, however, are going to play a longer game and set up here on the island of New Posud well ahead of the fleet arriving, when their guard is down and they aren't looking for suspicious people. In aid of that, on our way out of the circle sea we will load up with a consignment of muskets and Quinian woolen clothing. Muskets will be easy to sell but Quinian woolens? Who wants those on a tropical island!? That will give us an excuse to stay in town while the galleon loads up. When the ship looks fully loaded we start a ruckus in town. A big ruckus! Maybe set fire to something, start a riot, whatever we can to make the galleon crew worry about the ship's safety and put out to sea, along with the startled flock of merchants, which is to say, us! Once we're safely outside of the harbour, beyond the harbour chain and range of the fortress guns, we board the galleon and sail it to the nearest Doel Port before the authorities at New Posud have worked out what is going on."

She paused, looking between the Captains, "So, what do you think?"

Aghilas

"What I think? Huh..." Aghilas contemplated the plan a moment. "I think there'll be a good sized garrison in town. They'll have the sailors and marines from them galleons backing them too. Whoever does the 'distracting' best have their wits about them and a good exit plan. Then there's the galleon itself. We'll need calm seas to board a beast like that, and that'll mean them 32 pound lower gun decks may have something to say about the matter." Aghilas thumbed his beard, looking at the map he seemed to contemplated the situation gravely before nodding to himself. "It might be done though."

He smiled and chuckled then. "Then there's the small matter that the al-Marid is what you might call a 'known quantity'. Even on the Calarian Main, there's bound to be some fellers in that harbour we had run-ins with before. Not a lot of xebecs in the Calarian Main, and not many look like the al-Marid. Doubt there's many like the Vild Ørn neither."

"Yes, except if they think we're merchants fleeing the town with them," Coralie countered. You don't need to hoist the Union flag until the last moment.

"Probably more xebecs out there than there are polacres," Coralie chuckled at the comment about the al-Marid, "We can buy a new figurehead and paint a new name on the side. Besides, even if someone recognises the al-Marid, we can always say your Xebec is from the same shipyard or it is the al-Marid and you bought it at an auction. No way to prove that isn't true - take a while for news to reach the Main. I, on the other hand, am relying on the fact I'm just not that well known."

She smirked, glancing between the Captains, "Though if we pull this off I wager I will be."