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[h1]FLASHBACK Sola 26: Part 1[/h1][h3]Takes place between [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/187747-roses-and-daggers/ic?page=88#post-5589774]this post[/url] and [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5588349]this post[/url][/h3]

[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220927/23fb834f443fddf069b302a80ffae13a.png[/img]
[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220927/713c9ea7f90a3bccf2680492bc93671a.png[/img]
[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220928/bcf4c8fb894d886cf1f86d12d903935e.png[/img]

[color=1E90FF][b]Time[/b]: [/color]Early Morning
[color=1E90FF][b]Location[/b]: [/color] Coastal Regions south of Sorian / North of Felipina
[color=1E90FF][b]Interactions[/b]: [/color]
[color=1E90FF][b]Mentions[/b]: [/color] 
[color=1E90FF][b]Attire[/b]: [hider]
[url=https://i.postimg.cc/8z5xjhFf/b73aac48-9c15-4c53-9289-37731ac8aace.png](Placeholder until I get a better reference image)[/url]
Roughspun, blue trousers
A shoulder belt and waist belt carrying his equipment
Two swords and two pistols, one on either side
A woven, conical hat wide enough to shade his entire face
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[color=B0E0E6][i]“Captain?”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk awoke with a start. He snapped his eyelids open. Blinding light, stabbing his irises and painting his world a painful white, made him immediately regret that decision. 

[color=B0E0E6][i]“There’s someone asking for you, Captain.”[/i][/color]

Groaning, he hauled a hand up to shield his eyes from the glare. So leaden were his muscles that even an action so simple felt like an arduous chore. It was as if he had spent the past few days bedridden, and was only now starting to move again. [color=1E90FF][i]“Wait, Azwan,”[/i][/color] he said groggily, his voice hoarse. Colourful, blurry spirals wriggled across his vision, the sort one got from staring at the sun for too long. He blinked several times to rid himself of them. Sunlight peeked through the narrow gaps between his fingers. It was bright. A little [i]too[/i] bright. [color=1E90FF][i]“By the Mother, how long was I out?”[/i][/color]

Azwan hesitated a moment. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Thereabouts an hour, Captain.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“A whole damn hour?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk exclaimed, his voice cracking, and shot upright. Still addled by sleep, his head swam from the sudden motion. He let out another groan. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his brows with a thumb and index finger, and drew in a deep breath. Briney ocean air wafted up his nose. The slow rustle of breaking waves filled his ears. Far overhead, seabirds cawed and squawked. The swirling eddies within his skull calmed, then stilled. [color=1E90FF][i]“Should’ve kicked me awake before even a quarter of that,”[/i][/color] he grumbled and looked up. Azwan’s broad face, well-defined features, and impeccably shaved head looked back at him.

He cleared his throat and tugged at the collars of his tunics. [color=B0E0E6][i]“I-I thought you needed the rest, Captain,”[/i][/color] he said sheepishly, his words trailing off into a mumble towards the end. 

A sudden yawn took the place of whatever response Sjan-dehk had thought up. [color=1E90FF][i]“Suppose you’re right,”[/i][/color] he mumbled. And if he had to be perfectly honest, Azwan [i]was[/i] absolutely right. Sjan-dehk was in dire need of rest. He had barely slept last night; events simply hadn’t allowed for much of it. For one, returning from the skirmish took far more time than expected – shifting winds pitted [i]Sada Kurau[/i] against stiff headwinds for a vast majority of the trip – and so too did his duties ashore. Between changing his ship’s place of berth from the piers to the harbour’s bay, overseeing her repairs and end-of-day routines, and writing daily reports, he was left with just over three hours of sleep before he had to rise again. 

And for two, it wasn’t as if he had been sleeping well in the first place. But at least he could be glad that he had been granted respite from the confusing dreams that had been plaguing him, last night. It was also his fault that he had such an early start to the day, he had to admit. After all, it was [i]his[/i] idea to return to the site of the skirmish at daybreak.

He cleared his throat. [color=1E90FF][i]“Suppose you’re right,”[/i][/color] he repeated, louder and clearer this time, and turned to look towards the sea. Just in front of him, a line of men from his crew waded through the shallows with trousers rolled up to their knees, and sleeves to their elbows. They picked through debris – little more than charred splinters and tattered rags – drifting in with the flowing tides. Farther away, [i]Sada Kurau[/i] waited, svelte form silhouetted against a bright, early morning sky, and flags fluttering in a gentle breeze. Her sails were furled and her yardarms brought to her deck, but Sjan-dehk knew that her crew were keeping a vigilant watch for any dangers, and were ready to prepare her for sail at a moment’s notice. 

Everyone was hard at work. Work that came about from [i]his[/i] orders. And what was he doing? Taking a nap on the beach. Ridiculous. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“But I’m not the one sweating my arse off or wetting my feet,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk continued, sweeping his hat off of the ground beside him before standing up with a grunt. He brushed sand from his clothes, then hopped in place a few times to shake it free from his equipment. [color=1E90FF][i]“And besides,”[/i][/color] he went on, placing the hat securely atop his head and securing its chinstraps. [color=1E90FF][i]“A good Captain shouldn’t rest before their crew, eh?”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“As you say, Captain,”[/i][/color] Azwan replied. He cleared his throat. [color=B0E0E6][i]“My apologies, Cap–”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“No need,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk cut him off with a wave. [color=1E90FF][i]“If anyone should apologise, it’s me. Shouldn’t have been a grumpy cunt to you. Sorry about that.”[/i][/color] Azwan flushed and started to say something, but Sjan-dehk cut him off again. [color=1E90FF][i]“Mother alone knows all of us could do with more rest, but you know what they say. We rest only when we’re done.”[/i][/color]

Azwan nodded slowly. [color=B0E0E6][i]“And…When will that be, Captain?”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Mother alone knows,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk replied with a grin. He clapped Azwan on the shoulder. [color=1E90FF][i]“Anyway, let’s go see whoever’s asking for me before they die of old age. Lead the way, First Officer.”[/i][/color]

Setting off at a measured pace, the pair marched up the beach, following the water’s edge. There wasn’t a need to rush; Sjan-dehk was certain of it. That Azwan had taken the time to personally rouse him, and that he had done so in such a gentle manner, was proof enough that whatever the situation was, it was neither dangerous nor urgent. Along the way, they passed more of [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s crew. A few, like the ones earlier, were sifting through flotsam. The rest brought hammers and chisels to larger pieces of wreckage that had beached themselves on hidden reefs and rocks. They chipped away at fire-blackened surfaces, revealing the unblemished wood underneath. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“What are they doing?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk pointed to the latter group.

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Master Hai-shuun believes that they’re worth salvaging, Captain,”[/i][/color] Azwan replied. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Waste wood for fires or material for non-essential repairs, I believe.”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk nodded, then shrugged. Hai-shuun was [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s Master Carpenter, not him. If he believed that he could do something with these debris, then Sjan-dehk wasn’t going to argue. [color=1E90FF][i]“And the stuff floating about?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk went on to ask. [color=1E90FF][i]“Anyone fish out anything interesting?”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“A few waterlogged ledgers, Captain,”[/i][/color] Azwan said, sounding almost apologetic. [color=B0E0E6][i]“But nothing else.”[/i][/color]

That came as neither a surprise nor a disappointment to Sjan-dehk. Even when he had first thought up the plan to search the wrecks of last night’s enemies for clues – be it about the missing privateer, or perhaps a reason for those three ships to be skulking around the coast in the first place – he had already known that he wouldn’t get much out of [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s two victims. Both had, after all, exploded in a rather spectacular manner, and the resulting flames would have surely burnt what remained to the keel. Waterlogged ledgers were already far more than what he had expected to recover. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“That’s good,”[/i][/color] he said. [color=1E90FF][i]“Separate the pages before drying them, if possible. If not, leave it until we’re back aboard [/i]Sada Kurau[i]. Either Dai-sehk or Mursi should know what to do.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Aye, Captain. Underst–”[/i][/color]

A yell from the shallows drew their attention. They turned, just in time to see a man leap away from what appeared to be a degloved section of a ship’s hull – the exterior strakes had been torn away, leaving the rib-like framing underneath exposed. [color=1E90FF][i]“What’s going on?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk shouted.

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Bloody crabs, Captain!”[/i][/color] The man shouted back. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Cunt damn near sliced off my toe!”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk chuckled and shook his head. Nothing to be worried about, then. [color=1E90FF][i]“Well, get out of the water and see to your wounds if you’ve any,”[/i][/color] he called out. [color=1E90FF][i]“And someone recover his tools. Master Hai-shuun would have you lot dredge up the entire seabed to find them, otherwise.”[/i][/color]

The man nodded, and with the support of another sailor, waddled onto the beach, much to the amusement of their fellows. Getting injured by a sea creature was part-and-parcel of life as a Jafin. Still, Sjan-dehk and Azwan stayed around to make sure that the wound wasn’t serious – it was nought but a cut that looked far worse than it actually was – and to ensure that the man was properly seen to, before moving on. 

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Not too far, now, Captain,”[/i][/color] Azwan said. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Apologies for the long walk, Captain. He walked right straight into our sentries at the edge of the security cordon.”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk sighed. [color=1E90FF][i]“It’s fine, Azwan. No need to apologise. Just means the cordon’s doing its job.”[/i][/color]

They were nearing the edge of the beach. Patches of grass chequered the sand here, growing in lushness and denseness the farther away they were from Azwan and he, until they became a strip of grass sitting in front of a small copse of palm trees. [color=B0E0E6][i]“He’s just over there, Captain, in the shade.”[/i][/color] The First Officer pointed towards, and into the treeline, just as they themselves passed under the thin, tapered shadow of a wreck’s bowsprit. Shorn ropes hung from the wooden pole, like strips of flesh clinging to bone. Beneath it, the keel sat half-buried in the sand. Barnacles, molluscs, and other marine growth mottled her bow with dark greys and pale greens.

Cynric and [i]Recompense[/i] had done a fine job of disabling their opponent without annihilating them outright, although they had still punished her terribly. Much of the wreck’s starboard flank beneath the waterline had been shot away, and where there should be a rudder, sat only a splintered stub. Seawater flooded through these new openings, pushed in by the ebbing and flowing tides, and anchored her firmly against the rocks and mud of the shoals. Shouts and calls echoed from within her exposed bowels, accompanied by sounds of tools against wood and metal.

[color=1E90FF][i]“Any luck with this one?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk jerked his head towards the wreck.

Azwan shook his head. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Nothing yet either, Captain.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Nothing?”[/i][/color] Now [i]that[/i] was a disappointing surprise. A curious one, too. Surely, if the crew could find ledgers amidst flotsam, then this markedly intact carcass should be a treasure trove of salvage. They should have found some small items of import, at the very least. 

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Aye, Captain.”[/i][/color] A tinge of shame tinged Azwan’s words. [color=B0E0E6][i]“I have the crew sweeping her decks again, to be safe. Master Hai-shuun and the carpenters are taking apart her interior to search for hidden compartments and stashes, Captain.”[/i][/color] He paused and coughed into a fist. [color=B0E0E6][i]“If I may, Captain–”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“You know you don’t have to ask, Azwan,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said. [color=1E90FF][i]“I wouldn’t have you around if I didn’t want your opinion on things. Just speak your thoughts openly and plainly.”[/i][/color]

That seemed to catch Azwan off-guard, and the First Officer remained silent for a moment longer. [color=B0E0E6][i]“As you say, Captain,”[/i][/color] he said hesitantly. [color=B0E0E6][i]“I was just wondering if it might be possible that her crew threw her cargo overboard to lighten her. She couldn’t have remained afloat for long, otherwise, not with her lower hull shot through like that. Tidal action could’ve washed away whatever got left behind, Captain. She’s probably laid here for hours before we arrived.”[/i][/color]

He paused again. [color=B0E0E6][i]“But that’s just my theory, Captain.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“It’s a good theory,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk remarked, nodding. There were some problems with it, of course – for one, any wave strong enough to do as Azwan suggested would have also been strong enough to either smash the wreck into pieces, or drag it out to sea – but it was still a plausible explanation as to why the crew were unable to recover anything of note from the wreck. And if nothing else, it was at least something Sjan-dehk could discuss with his First Officer. But, before he could share his opinions, the two of them stepped under the cooling shade of palm fronds, joining another group of men already loitering there. 

Three of them were from [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s crew. They were armed with rifles, and held the weapons vertically, with hands wrapped around barrels and stocks resting on the sandy dirt by their feet. A sword-like bayonet extended from underneath each of their rifles’ muzzles, slender blades polished to a sheen. Steel helmets hung from their waistbelts, conical shapes making them look like small shields. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Captain’s on deck,”[/i][/color] one of the sentries, a tall youth with skin tanned dark, announced loudly upon seeing Sjan-dehk and Azwan. The other two immediately stood to attention, holding their rifles flush against their legs.

[color=1E90FF][i]“At ease,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said almost immediately. His attention was drawn towards the fourth man sitting on a boulder in the middle of the sentries. An old, battered bucket sat between the man’s legs, which were clad in trousers that had more patches than it did its original brown cloth. A vest of a similar colour draped from the man’s shoulders, open in front to reveal a scarred chest. The man looked up at Sjan-dehk, his wrinkled brows furrowed and eyes squinting.

[color=F0E68C]“You the captain here?”[/color] He asked, rubbing his hand along a jaw covered in scraggly grey hair.

Sjan-dehk held up a hand, signalling the man to wait. He then looked at each of the sentries in turn. [color=1E90FF][i]“Good work, you three. I’ll take it from here. You can go ahead and return to your duties…”[/i][/color] Trailing off, he turned to Azwan with an inquiring look. [color=1E90FF][i]“Unless you have something for them?”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“No, Captain.”[/i][/color] Azwan shook his head. [color=B0E0E6][i]“You heard the Captain,”[/i][/color] he said to the sentries. [color=B0E0E6][i]“To your posts.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Aye, First Officer, Captain,”[/i][/color] the same tall youth from before said, holding a fist to his chest and bowing his head to Azwan, then to Sjan-dehk. The other two sentries similarly saluted both officers before all three of them marched away, heading further inland. Sjan-dehk waited for them to leave the copse. Then, he finally turned his attention back to the man.

[color=1E90FF]“Yes, I am Captain here,”[/color] he said, replying to his question at last. [color=1E90FF]“You ask for me. Why?”[/color]

The man snorted and wriggled a finger into his nose. [color=F0E68C]“You sure know how to make an old man wait. By the Gods, I thought I’d see them before seeing you, Captain.”[/color] He slapped his hands on his knees and let out a long breath. [color=F0E68C]“Look, I’ll get to the quick of it. Save us both time and trouble, eh? How long are you and your boys going to muck around here? It’s been nigh on two hours since you lot showed up, I’ll have you know, and the morning’s not getting any longer. There’s crabbing to be done, and it can’t be done once afternoon comes around, I’ll have you know.”[/color]

[color=1E90FF]“Why not?”[/color] Sjan-dehk asked without even thinking.

[color=F0E68C]“Well, it’s not bloody natural, is it?”[/color] The incredulous look on the man’s face, and his tone, made it seem as if that were the most obvious thing in the world. Sjan-dehk didn’t think so – he couldn’t even see the barest hints of logic behind it – but neither did he have the time or desire to pursue the matter. 

[color=1E90FF]“We are still working,”[/color] Sjan-dehk said. [color=1E90FF]“Will need more time. If you want to go find crabs, I will tell my crew to let you. They will not stop you. But you do not want that, then I apologise. Find other beach.”[/color]

[color=F0E68C]“I’ll catch piss-fucking-all with you lot stomping through the shallows,”[/color] the man grumbled. He looked away, a pensive look on his well-creased face as he chewed on his lip. Then, his shoulders sagged as he sighed and shook his head. [color=F0E68C]“Ah, Gods damn it. No use arguing with you lot. I may be an old bastard, but I’m sure as shite in a sty not a stupid one. Give a man a privateer’s flag and suddenly he thinks he’s got the biggest prick in all Caesonia.”[/color] He grabbed the bucket by the handle and stood up.

Sjan-dehk didn’t understand what he had said at the end, and so he offered a simple, [color=1E90FF]“I apologise.”[/color]

[color=F0E68C]“Bah, you can take that damn apology and–”[/color] The man cut himself off abruptly. [color=F0E68C]“Ah, it is what it is. No point getting upset over things now. Besides, I’m not the daft idiot wasting his and his crew’s time. Whatever it is that you’re after, Captain, it’s long gone by now.”[/color] He started to walk away from Sjan-dehk and Azwan. [color=F0E68C]“I’m sure as shite that those cunts from earlier left nothing in that wreck of yours. Went through the whole thing like soldiers through a whorehouse, they did.”[/color]

[color=1E90FF]“Wait,”[/color] Sjan-dehk called after him. The man stopped and turned, his impatience clear on his face. [color=1E90FF]“You say there were other people here? Before us? They also search this wreck?”[/color]

[color=F0E68C]“Yes, yes, and yes,”[/color] the man replied brusquely with arms crossed over his chest. Sjan-dehk fixed him with a stern glare. He glared back. Sjan-dehk then glanced at Azwan. The First Officer responded with a single nod and stepped into the man’s path. For a moment, the latter looked between the two Viserjantans. Then, he relented, but not before coughing up a glob of phlegm and spitting it on the ground. [color=F0E68C]“Gods damn it, fine, I’ll tell you everything I know. The two of you can drop this ‘tough cunts’ bullshit.”[/color]

Sjan-dehk walked around to join Azwan. [color=1E90FF]“You were here earlier, you say. Why? What did you see?”[/color]

[color=F0E68C]“Gods help me, would it kill you to slow down?”[/color] The man glowered at Sjan-dehk, but nevertheless went on with his story. [color=F0E68C]“To answer your first question, the crabbing hour starts early, I’ll have you know. I’m out here everyday before first light. That’s when it's best to catch the little bastards in their burrows. On a good day, I can easily fill two of these things, if I had another to fill.”[/color] He hefted the bucket. [color=F0E68C]“Any road, to answer your second question, what I saw was what I’m seeing now. Daft idiots picking through shite washed up on the beach like pigeons with bread. Only difference is that you lot are privateers, and they were pirates.”[/color]

[color=1E90FF]“How do you know?”[/color] Sjan-dehk asked. [color=1E90FF]“That they are pirates?”[/color]

The man laughed derisively. [color=F0E68C]“How could I not bloody know? Pirates these days like to fly their bloody flags all the damn time, as if they want to be found. They’re nothing like the ones I fought back in my day, I’ll have you know. No, back then, hunting pirates took actual skill. You had to learn how to spot them on sight and even by fucking smell, sometimes. You privateers these days have it easy, and yet somehow the lot of you still find ways to muck everything up more often than not.”[/color]

[color=1E90FF]“How many were there? How many ships?”[/color] Sjan-dehk pressed on with his questions.

[color=F0E68C]“I don’t know, maybe thirty? Forty?”[/color] The man shrugged. [color=F0E68C]“I wasn’t bloody counting, I’ll have you know. But I did see their ships. Two sloops-of-war, maybe eighteen guns each. That should put their strength at a high of maybe two hundred, and a low of maybe a hundred-and-fifty.”[/color]

[color=1E90FF]“And…You watch them all the time? Until they leave?”[/color]

[color=F0E68C]“Are you bloody thick? Of course not. I don’t plan on dying to fucking pirates, I’ll have you know. I left when it was clear that they weren’t going to leave anytime soon.”[/color]

Sjan-dehk nodded slowly. [color=1E90FF]“What else did you see?”[/color]

The man shrugged again. [color=F0E68C]“They were looking for something, just like you lot, but I don’t think they found it, whatever it was.”[/color] Sjan-dehk urged him to elaborate with an expectant look. [color=F0E68C]“They were arguing, there was some shouting, and it was clear that those cunts were upsets. There was a fight or two, but it was amateur nonsense. Nothing like the brawls the pirates back in my day used to have, I’ll have you know. Looked like a bunch of bloody noblegirls pulling each other’s hair.”[/color]

[color=1E90FF]“And…Which way did they go, you think?”[/color]

[color=F0E68C]“Well, unless they planned to turn themselves in for being some of the worst pirates to ever sail Aquana’s bountiful bosom, I don’t think they’d go north to Sorian.”[/color]

[color=1E90FF]“South, then?”[/color] Sjan-dehk asked. 

[color=F0E68C]“Or east. How should I know?”[/color] The man scowled. [color=F0E68C]“Now, can I bloody go?”[/color]

[color=1E90FF]“Wait a while,”[/color] Sjan-dehk replied. He turned to Azwan. [color=1E90FF][i]“Did you understand all that?”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“I understood enough, Captain,”[/i][/color] the First Officer replied. [color=B0E0E6][i]“What are your orders?”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Before that, why don’t you tell me what you make of this, First Officer?”[/i][/color]

Azwan looked at Sjan-dehk, his features creased in puzzlement, as if he hadn’t quite understood what had been asked of him. When his Captain said nothing, and merely met his gaze with a raised brow, however, he cleared his throat and spoke. [color=B0E0E6][i]“I don’t think he’s lying,”[/i][/color] he began, uncertainty in his voice. [color=B0E0E6][i]“The crew did find crabs in the shallows, so his reason for coming here makes sense, I think. And his story about pirates salvaging the wreck would explain why our crew couldn’t find anything.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Good. And what do you suppose we should do?”[/i][/color]

Azwan furrowed his brows. [color=B0E0E6][i]“I-I wouldn’t tell you what to do, Captain, but I think we should sail south. They wouldn't have gone north, and it might be best if we assumed that they didn't find anything and continued southwards on their search. If they went eastwards, they would've sailed into open water and could've ended up anyway, Captain."[/i][/color] He grimaced. [color=B0E0E6][i]"But they have quite a headstart, Captain. I'm not sure if [/i]Sada Kurau[i] can catch them."[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk considered his words for a moment before nodding and flashing him a grin. [color=1E90FF][i]“Very well done, Azwan. Speak with confidence in future, eh? You've a damn fine Captain's mind. We just need to get you the proper demeanour and you'll be set to haunt the seas on your own ship."[/i][/color] He turned to look at the beach, at his crew still picking through flotsam and debris. They were strung out in a long, ragged line all along the coast, with most gathered around, or on the wreck of [i]Recompense[/i]'s victim. [color=1E90FF][i]“How long do you need to get them back to [/i]Sada Kurau[i]?”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“An hour at most, Captain,”[/i][/color] Azwan replied. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Maybe three-quarters of that, if the tides are in our favour.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“An hour is good,”[/i][/color] he said. [color=1E90FF][i]“Organise that, if you please. I'll finish up here and return to [/i]Sada Kurau[i] ahead of you to get her ready for sail. Once everyone’s back aboard, we will weigh anchor. I want us to get moving in an hour’s time, at the very least. Quarter past that, at most. You’re right about their headstart, but [/i]Sada Kurau[i] won’t let them slip away that easily. At the very least, let’s see if we can’t find out where they went.”[/i][/color]

Azwan nodded. [color=B0E0E6][i]"Aye, Captain,"[/i][/color] he replied, the excitement showing through just those two words, and in the purpose in his steps as he marched away from the copse and back onto the beach.

Sjan-dehk turned back to the man. [color=1E90FF]“Apologies,”[/color] he said. [color=1E90FF]“We will go now. Give us one hour, please.”[/color]

The man scratched his jaw. [color=F0E68C]“Gods help me, you’re going out hunting for them, aren’t you?”[/color] Although his well-creased face didn't show it, the disbelief in his words were palpable, and the glint in his dull eyes betrayed his approval. Sjan-dehk's eyes similarly showed his surprise, but before he could say anything, the man cut him off with a harrumph and a wave of his hand. [color=F0E68C]"Before you start thinking all sorts of nonsense, I didn't understand a damn thing between the two of you, but I've sailed long enough to know the look sailors get when they're...When we're about to go looking for a fight, and I swear by Triumpheus' shiny arse, the two of you aren't even trying to bloody hide it."[/color]

A smile graced his cracked lips, the first since Sjan-dehk had met him. He wiped a hand on his trousers before extending it. [color=F0E68C]"Captain Maxwylle Trellawney. Captain of the [i]Duke of Montague[/i], Royal Caesonian Navy, as was."[/color] Sjan-dehk accepted it and gave it a firm shake. [color=F0E68C]"Sorry about earlier, Captain. It's not often...Well, it hasn't been the case that anyone would do anything about pirates like these, not in recent days. I've not seen hide or tail of a serious privateer or even the Gods-damned navy in bloody ages, I'll have you know. It'd take a raid on Sorian itself to get them to do anything, I'll bet both my wrinkled balls on that."[/color] He stepped back and looked Sjan-dehk up and down, almost as how a senior officer would with a new recruit. [color=F0E68C]"But Gods help me, it pleases my old Captain's heart to find a bloody lunatic who'd go chasing after pirates hours after they've fucked off. Brings me back to the good old days when I was the one on the hunt, I'll have you know."[/color]

[color=1E90FF]"That is what we should do, yes?"[/color] Sjan-dehk replied plainly. All this praise for doing what he saw as an obligation was, in truth, making him quite uncomfortable. 

[color=F0E68C]"I fucking wish that was the case, but no, it bloody isn't,"[/color] Maxwylle countered with a snort. [color=F0E68C]"Not been for a long time, now, so you can stop with that Gods-damned humility, take the Gods-damned compliment, and be on your Gods-damned way. You'll want to head south."[/color] The lackadaisical tone from earlier was gone, as was his slovenly mannerisms. Sjan-dehk could easily imagine him at the head of a planning table, giving instructions to junior officers. [color=F0E68C]"My eyes aren't what they used to be, but I'll scoop them both out myself with a spoon if those pirating cunts aren't sailing old [i]Windward[/i]-class sloops. They were built tough, but they were too damn slow to be of any use, so the navy sold the bloody lot. An eastward course would have them sailing in reaches, and the [i]Windward[/i]s never were good at that, so if these pirates have anything between their ears, they'll be going south to take advantage of the morning southerlies. They wouldn't have gotten far, so I'd bet my cock that you can catch them. But if it comes to a fight, don't bloody try to outlast them. Their hulls are thicker than your average noble's skull. Just out-sail them and you'll be grand."[/color]

Sjan-dehk blinked and nodded slowly. That was far more information than what he had expected, or could have asked for. [color=1E90FF]"You have my thanks,"[/color] he said, hoping that such simple words, spoken when such halting speech and clumsy pronunciation, would still be able to convey the full extent of his gratitude. Such knowledge could only come from someone with a wealth of experience sailing and fighting upon the seas, and could easily mean the difference between success or failure, or even between a premature visit to the Abyss-Keeper and seeing another sunset. [color=1E90FF]"We will make good use of this, I promise."[/color]

[color=F0E68C]"If you want to thank me, just send one of them down to the bottom for old Trellawney, eh?"[/color] Maxwylle grinned and clapped Sjan-dehk on the shoulder. [color=F0E68C]"Stay safe out there and good hunting."[/color]

Sjan-dehk chuckled. [color=1E90FF]"Only one?"[/color] He asked. Tipping his hat towards the older man, he grinned and said, [color=1E90FF]"You ask too little. I will send two."[/color]

[hr]
It didn’t take much effort for [i]Sada Kurau[/i] to track the pirates. The scattered trail of flotsam her prey had left in their wakes made following their southerly course a task far easier done than said, as did the terror they had visited upon the coast along the way.

Standing on his ship’s quarterdeck, Sjan-dehk’s lips were drawn into a grim line, and his brows creased in unease, as he gazed across the narrow stretch of water separating [i]Sada Kurau[/i] from shore, and at a small hamlet sprawled upon the rocky beach. Even without a spyglass, it was clear that the settlement had been attacked recently, and terribly so. Smoke curled in wisps from torched buildings. Some remained standing as half-destroyed ruins, whilst others had been reduced to little more than heaps of charred timber. People shambled aimlessly through the debris, their faces blank, their movements slow. A handful picked through debris. Others wept over corpses left on the ground. None of them seemed to care about [i]Sada Kurau[/i].

Sjan-dehk tightened his grip on her gunwale, his jaw set. The pirates had come through here, there wasn’t any doubt about that, and it hadn’t been long since they left, if the darkness of the smoke and the lingering embers in the ruins were anything to go by. [i]Sada Kurau[/i] couldn’t be more than two hours behind them. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“Still two hours too late,”[/i][/color] he muttered angrily beneath his breath. Deep in his heart, he knew that it couldn’t have been possible for him to have caught the pirates here. They had too much of a lead, and as quick as [i]Sada Kurau[/i] was, she wasn’t one of those arcane vessels that existed in myths. That she had managed to get here in as little time as she had taken was miraculous enough.

But that didn’t stop Sjan-dehk from admonishing himself. [color=1E90FF][i]“Too fucking late,”[/i][/color] he grumbled.

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Did you say something, Captain?”[/i][/color] Azwan asked from behind.

Sjan-dehk shook his head. [color=1E90FF][i]“Just talking to myself. Nothing to worry about.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Master Dai-sehk would disagree, I think,”[/i][/color] Azwan said and joined Sjan-dehk at the gunwale. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“He disagrees with many things,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk replied with a mirthless chuckle. [color=1E90FF][i]“I suppose that’s what makes him such a good surgeon.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“As you say, Captain.”[/i][/color]

For a moment, neither man said anything more. The two of them simply looked at the ruined hamlet, at the sobering sight of its wrecked buildings and shell-shocked people. Azwan shifted uncomfortably, his face as grim as Sjan-dehk’s, but with shades of grief and reminiscence in his features. After what felt like eons, he finally spoke. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Master Hai-shuun has examined the flotsam we fished out of the water, Captain.”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk nodded. [color=1E90FF][i]“Good. What does he think?”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Pieces of crates and barrels, planks that he believes are used for repair work,”[/i][/color] Azwan replied. Sjan-dehk threw him a sidelong glance with a raised brow. The First Officer cleared his throat and went on in a voice that was markedly less confident. [color=B0E0E6][i]“I-It looks like they’re jettisoning rubbish and supplies they believe to be unnecessary, Captain. Might be that they’re making space for plunder, or trying to increase speed.”[/i][/color] Again, Sjan-dehk said nothing and simply looked at Azwan. [color=B0E0E6][i]“I would continue along the coast, Captain,”[/i][/color] the First Officer concluded. [color=B0E0E6][i]“W-with our speed, we might be able to catch them, still.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Well done,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said, nodding and patting Azwan on the back. [color=1E90FF][i]“We’ll make a damn fine captain out of you, yet. But for now, bring us three points to larboard handsomely and make distance between us and shore. We’ll continue tracing the coast at full sail.”[/i][/color] He looked at the hamlet again, and his face turned grim once more. He chewed on his lip. [color=1E90FF][i]“And have the crew beaten to quarters. Everyone at their stations, guns loaded and ready to fire at a moment’s notice. Have lookouts search the coast for any signs of our friends, but I want them to keep an eye on the horizon as well, just to be safe.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Aye, Captain.” Azwan nodded. Then, he turned towards the hamlet as well. “What about them, Captain?”[/i][/color]

That was one question Sjan-dehk had hoped he wouldn’t have to answer. He chewed on his lip, his brows furrowed in thought. More than anything, he wanted to send his crew ashore to help those people in some way or other, even if it was just to give them what little [i]Sada Kurau[/i] could afford to give. But there he knew that there wasn’t any time for such altruism. Every moment spent here, and not on the chase, was another moment the pirates had to slip away. And letting them escape could very well mean allowing other hamlets or villages or settlements to suffer a similar fate. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“Who’s the duty scribe this morning?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk asked.

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Yayansha, Captain. I think he’s below decks, completing this morning’s logs. Shall I call for him?”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk shook his head. [color=1E90FF][i]“No, no need. Belay my earlier orders. I will handle things on deck. You instead will go to my quarters, get the maps of local waters, and bring them to Yayansha. From here on out, I want every attacked settlement we come across, as well as this one–”[/i][/color] he pointed to the hamlet [color=1E90FF][i]“–to be marked on our maps and added to the log with both absolute and relative positions, and details of the attack. That means what we see, what we believed happened, and what we did, if we did anything at all. Find Adnash, he’s good at drawing maps, and have him make copies of everything Yayansha makes. We’ll give those to the privateers when we return to Sorian. See if they can be convinced to send anyone to lend a hand.”[/i][/color]

Azwan nodded. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Aye, Captain. Yayansha to annotate our maps, Adnash to make copies of them.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Let’s get this–”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk began, but something caught his eye. Or rather, some[i]one[/i] – a young woman on the beach. Her threadbare dress was tattered at the hem, and her hands were dark with blood. She stood over a mangled corpse, tears cutting rivulets down a face dusted with dirt and grime. Red, puffy eyes, blue irises, and a despairing gaze looked towards [i]Sada Kurau[/i]. Sjan-dehk met it for only a moment, felt it pierce him to his soul, before he couldn’t hold it any longer. He averted his eyes.

[color=1E90FF][i]“I’d give them what we could if we had the time.”[/i][/color] His voice was low, and tinted with shame. Whether those words were aimed at himself, at Azwan, or even at [i]Sada Kurau[/i], he didn’t know. They just had to be said.

[color=B0E0E6][i]“I know, Captain. We all do.”[/i][/color] The First Officer cleared his throat and awkwardly patted his shoulder. [color=B0E0E6][i]“We’ll do our duties, Captain, and catch those pirates before they can do this again.”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk drew in a deep breath and nodded. [color=1E90FF][i]“Aye, we certainly will,”[/i][/color] he said firmly. When he looked back at the beach, the woman was gone, but the body was still there. Sjan-dehk straightened his back, pressed his fist to his chest, and gave them – the body, the woman, and the hamlet – a quick bow of his head. [color=1E90FF][i]“The Mother knows her own, even if they know not her. May she bring them peace.”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk wasn't a devout man by any stretch of the imagination, but he only had such words – meaningless as they were – to offer.

Then, he turned to Azwan. [color=1E90FF][i]“To our duties, First Officer.”[/i][/color]

[i]Sada Kurau[/i] passed three more settlements after leaving the hamlet. With each, it became more and more evident that the pirates’ patience was wearing dangerously thin. They no longer razed buildings – that took far too much time for too little reward, Sjan-dehk figured – and instead vented their frustrations on hapless villagers. The coast was lined with corpses. Most appeared to have been shot, but there were more than a few who swung from trees and makeshift gallows. Men and women; the young and the old; the pirates had spared no one. And from what Sjan-dehk could see through a spyglass, for some, death had been but the last of a series of depravities visited upon them. 

To see such devastation, and to know that the perpetrators were [i]just[/i] beyond reach, weighed heavily upon Sjan-dehk’s shoulders. How many more would have to suffer? How many more had to [i]die[/i] before he could finally catch up to the pirates? These questions were familiar to him. He had asked them before, and thus he knew that they served only to demoralise him, to infect his spirit with hopelessness. 

And yet, he clung onto them, for he also knew that those same questions, and that same weight, was what galvanised him. It was what pushed him. No matter how many the pirates killed, no matter how far or how speedily they sailed, [i]Sada Kurau[/i] would catch them, and she would punish them dearly. There could be no other way. Sjan-dehk took in the despair, and tempered it with his resolve, until it transformed into tranquil, righteous fury. And he knew his crew did the same, for by the time [i]Sada Kurau[/i] found her quarries, a steely, solemn silence had descended upon her decks, interrupted only by the most necessary calls. 

The two pirate vessels sat in a line, almost bow-to-stern, and just off the coast of a village that appeared to be on the cusp of being a town. The main road running from square to shore was paved, and a majority of its buildings were built from stone and tile. Its population, however, was still small enough for the pirates to corral everyone in the square. At least, Sjan-dehk couldn’t see movement elsewhere in the village through his spyglass. [color=1E90FF][i]“They outnumber us,”[/i][/color] he said matter-of-factly.

[color=B0E0E6][i]“We shoot faster, Captain, and straighter,”[/i][/color] Mursi replied from beside him. The Master of Arms stood with a smoking pipe cradled in one hand, and the other on the gunwale. His head of black hair was in a mess, as it usually was, and his clothes were stained with gun oil and lubricant, as they usually were. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“That, we do,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk muttered. He continued watching the events in the square. An argument seemed to be developing between an elderly man and one of the pirates. The two gesticulated wildly to each other, whilst armed men walked down a line of kneeling villagers, stopping at random. [color=1E90FF][i]“Looks like they’re asking questions,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk continued. The argument became more heated, until the pirate drew a pistol. [color=1E90FF][i]“Don’t do it, you bastard.”[/i][/color]

The old man stepped back, his hands raised in front of him, but it was no use. A single shot, a small puff of smoke, and he fell where he stood like a collapsed sail. [color=1E90FF][i]“Fuck,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk spat, lowering the spyglass. He had seen enough. [color=1E90FF][i]“Well, they either don’t see us, or they don’t think of us as a threat.”[/i][/color] He shook his head, then pointed at the two ships. [color=1E90FF][i]“We’ll prove them wrong. I want those bastards gone. We’ll sail in and rake them with our starboard battery, then loop around and hit them with the larboard. Mursi, what do our guns have in their chambers?”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Solid shot, Captain.”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk nodded. [color=1E90FF][i]“Hit them with that first, but reload the larboard battery with explosive shells. No matter what happens, we must eliminate them with those two passes. Otherwise, it’ll get messy.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“It’ll be done, Captain,”[/i][/color] Mursi said and marched off to the gun deck.

[color=1E90FF][i]“Azwan,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk called out and turned to the First Officer, who stood on his other side. [color=1E90FF][i]“Have all senior officers gathered on the quarterdeck, latest by the end of our second volley. And tell Kai-dahn that he can bring his Seaborne up on deck. I want them ready for an amphibious assault as soon as possible.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“We’re going ashore, Captain?”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Aye. Taking out their ships won’t stop them from wrecking this place. It’ll probably just make them angrier savages.”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk stepped away from the gunwale. [color=1E90FF][i]“We’ll finish this properly, and that means taking the fight to those bastards. By push of bayonet, as the army likes to say.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“As you say, Captain,”[/i][/color] Azwan said and hurried off to carry out his orders. 

Maxwylle hadn’t been exaggerating when he said that the pirates’ ships were durable. [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s initial volley, although accurate, did little damage to them. Her solid, iron cannonballs couldn’t punch through the thick planks which armoured their hulls. The shots either embedded themselves into the wood, or bounced off due to the steep sloping of their tumblehome designs. But, whether because of shock, or a lack of crew aboard, neither ship returned fire, allowing [i]Sada Kurau[/i] to take her time meandering into position to deliver her second volley. No matter how strong a hull, or how thick the wood, they were nothing before the sheer destructive power of explosive shells. Resounding blasts echoed through the air as gaping holes were torn into the ships’ sides. 

So confident was Sjan-dehk of [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s victory that he started discussing the upcoming landings with his crew in the midst of all the cannon fire. He, and the other senior officers, crowded around a small table on the quarterdeck, their eyes drawn to a hastily scribbled diagram of the village.

[color=1E90FF][i]“Excuse the shite drawing,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said. [color=1E90FF][i]“But it’s the best I can do on short notice. Anyway, before I get too deep into things, I’ll outline our roles for this operation. I’ll be leading the first wave of Seaborne, along with Wahkyara. Kai-dahn, Azwan, the two of you have the second wave. Dai-sehk, you’ll go with them with your physicians and healers– I mean, healer. Hai-shuun, Avek, third wave. If we need a fourth, it’ll have to be Mursi and Sai-keh, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Sahm-tehn, the ship will be yours. Sohn-dahn, your boys will be on standby in case we need more hands for any non-combat duties. Everyone clear?”[/i][/color]

He waited for the chorus of acknowledgements to end before drawing everyone’s attention to the drawing, pointing out a few details. [color=1E90FF][i]“From what I can see, the village, town, whatever it is, isn’t too complex. Single main street down the center, two poorly-defined avenues along the flanks, all converging on the square. There’s a few multi-floor buildings in the centre, but elsewhere, it’s all simple houses and such. On the right, we’ve fields, and on the left, jetties.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“How many enemies are we facing, Captain?”[/i][/color] Kai-dahn asked. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“A hundred-and-fifty, maybe two hundred,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk replied, quoting Maxwylle’s numbers. [color=1E90FF][i]“I’m assuming that they’ve disembarked most of their crew, if not all of them. Can’t imagine why their ships didn’t even try to return fire, otherwise.”[/i][/color]

Kai-dahn’s visage darkened. [color=B0E0E6][i]“Then that main street will be a problem. It’s too wide for us to advance down safely, not with us outnumbered so heavily, Captain. Our flanks would either be too weak, or entirely open to enemy attack.”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk nodded. [color=1E90FF][i]“I agree. That’s why we’re not going down the centre.”[/i][/color] He tapped both avenues in turn, then the scraggly line representing the beach. [color=1E90FF][i]“After Wahkyara and I land, I’ll take Detachment One down the right. Wahkyara will swing left with Detachment Two and secure the jetties and secure the ships, just in case there’s still any pirate left aboard with ideas of joining the fight. The both of us will advance as far as we can. Give us some room to breathe. Then, when the second wave lands, Kai-dahn, you will link up with Wahkyara, and Azwan, you will join me on the right.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“That leaves the centre open, however.”[/i][/color] Kai-dahn furrowed his brow. [color=B0E0E6][i]“They can storm through and cut the both of you off from the second wave, or worse, envelope both Detachments, Captain.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Yes, but we have [/i]Sada Kurau[i].”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk looked at Sahm-tehn. [color=1E90FF][i]“You’ll use her guns to dissuade anyone trying to come down the main street. Doesn’t matter if you don’t hit anyone. Just make it clear that it’ll be a terrible idea for them to even try.”[/i][/color]

Sahm-tehn’s thin lips twisted into a frown. [color=B0E0E6][i]“That street goes straight to the square, Captain. I imagine you don’t intend for us to fire explosive, shrapnel, or canister, but even a solid shot can ricochet off the ground and crush the people we’re trying to save. I don’t imagine you want that, Captain.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“No, I don’t,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said and turned to Mursi. [color=1E90FF][i]“I was hoping you might have a solution.”[/i][/color]

Mursi chewed on his lip a moment, tapping his fingers on the table, before nodding. [color=B0E0E6][i]“We can remove fuses from shrapnel shells and empty them out, Captain. We’ll be left with a hollow iron shot that should shatter on impact with the ground, but still be hard enough to kill a man.”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk grinned at him. [color=1E90FF][i]“Thank you. You just saved me from looking like a fucking idiot.”[/i][/color] He drew a circle around one of the buildings near the middle of the street with his finger. [color=1E90FF][i]“But to be safe, we’ll have this as our limit of cannon fire. It’s a house with a blue roof, you can’t miss it.”[/i][/color] He turned to Sahm-tehn again. [color=1E90FF][i]“But before you fire on the street, we’ll need [/i]Sada Kurau[i] to cover the first wave’s landing. I doubt they’re stupid enough to come out into the open or even try to mount a serious shore defence when it’s clear that we’ve got artillery superiority, but let’s play it safe. Give them full broadsides, and do whatever you must to keep them away from the beach.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Aye, will do, Captain,”[/i][/color] Sahm-tehn replied.

[color=1E90FF][i]“At the end of it, no matter which wave you are, we’ll all regroup in the square,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said, pointing to a few rectangles on the diagram that were larger than most. [color=1E90FF][i]“There’s a big, long building that has a tower thing sticking from its roof. If you get turned around, use that to get yourself orientated. Based on what I’ve seen of local arms, firepower will be our greatest advantage. We can shoot faster, straighter, and hit from a lot farther than them. And so, we’ll all be going in with longarms, myself included. Mursi, see to it that we all have rifles.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Already done, Captain.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Good. Oh, Kai-dahn, I’ll brief Wahkyara myself on the specifics of the landing. Send him to me before we start loading the boats.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Aye, Captain.”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk stood back upright and stepped back from the table. He looked at everyone present in turn, and they similarly looked at him. There were many emotions on their faces. Anticipation, nervousness, a touch of excitement, even, on Kai-dahn’s. But none showed fear. Sjan-dehk knew they felt it, however, just as he did. But that was normal. Nobody was truly unafraid whilst standing on the cusp of battle. [color=1E90FF][i]“We’ll be fighting on Caesonian land for the first time, today,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said. [color=1E90FF][i]“But we’ve all done this many times before. In Kai-dahn’s case, I’m sure this should be your hundredth.”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“Hundred-and-tenth, Captain.”[/i][/color]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Of course you’d be the sort to keep count.”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk shook his head with a chuckle. Calls echoing from the main deck told him that Sada Kurau had fired her final guns. [color=1E90FF][i]“But anyway,”[/i][/color] he continued, his voice and face serious. [color=1E90FF][i]“We’ve all seen what these pirate bastards have done. We know that they deserve whatever terror we’re about to unleash on them. And we sure as the Abyss know their type. Scum who believe that they’re to be feared because they can brutalise those who can’t fight back.”[/i][/color]

He paused to watch his officers nod in agreement. [color=1E90FF][i]“So let’s show them the error of their ways. If they want to be seen as a fearsome threat, then we shall treat them like one. We’ll fight them as how we fight any of our greatest foes, and crush them like how we’ve crushed everyone else before. After all, only three things from the sea are unstoppable. One is a tsunami. Two is a typhoon–”[/i][/color]

[color=B0E0E6][i]“And three is a Jafin!”[/i][/color] Avek finished heartily, his boisterous laugh echoing across the ship.

[color=1E90FF][i]“Exactly.”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk grinned. [color=1E90FF][i]“Now, shall we?”[/i][/color]