Dark Tide

[Tobias Stalt]

Closed to jdd2035

[Tobias Stalt]

Sailors hurried toward their ships in the mid-morning rush as gulls screeched overhead. Varying sizes of cargo moved across the docks as Tobias picked at his teeth, idly watching as Admiral Greyloft paced. "That foul creature has been a plague on my ships for three moons now," he grumbled. "I have exhausted several months worth of resources trying to sink it for good, but nothing we do seems to bugger it. I thought about asking the Alerians to lend us some of their machinery, but we need to do this for ourselves. Corone is already trying to maintain its soverignty in this new age. We hardly need to owe a favor to the Dark elves so soon after our civil war has ended."

With a half nod, Tobias feigned interest. "Right," he drawled. "Kill the sod. Get the reward. I'm not new to this kind of work, Admiral, I can handle myself." The mercenary allowed some of his annoyance to show as he hurried the briefing along.

"You expect me to entrust the lives of my men and good ships to one mercenary?" Greyloft eyed him skeptically, and Tobias simply shrugged. "The fact that you replied to the call for this job at all speaks for your sanity, or lack thereof," the older man quipped. "I at least expected a few good hands. This beast is hardly some man who's throat you can slit and be done with it."

"One ship," Tobias corrected.

"One ship," Greyloft allowed. "Still more than I am willing to part with. The Leviathan has already sunken a score, if not more in the last month. The shipwrights in Serenti are irate. They can't fill their orders in the time we are asking. Our coffers are drying out trying to undo the damage that's been done, and you're expecting me to squander money on you?"

With a long sigh, Tobias sat down. For all the jobs Tobias took, so few offered him a thrill. For a chance to see, let alone to slay a mythical beast at sea brought the man back to his youth. As a boy, Tobias pissed away his time with lessons on buying and selling. He learned trade routes and tax laws of other countries, and his father bred him to be the best merchant he could.

Tobias dreamed of adventure. "I understand your concern," Stalt gestured toward the sea. "The oceans themselves are unforgiving. Even without a massive creature trying to kill you, the Navy is fighting an everyday battle to stay alive against the forces of nature. What you want is to know your investment is a good one. You want to know that you'll get a delivery on what you're paying for. I completely understand the need to make safe bets, sir."

Greyloft sighed in frustration and looked Tobias over. "I appreciate that you understand." He turned to someone passing by, said a few words, then turned back to the strange man before him. "I can't go banking on things that won't pay out. I have enough financial issues as it is without dropping gold on a suicide mission."

"Then pay me when the job's done," Tobias said. The Admiral folded his hands behind his back, his expression unreadable. "Give me one ship with a decent crew, I'll sail out, and we'll put an end to your Sea Serpent problem. If I die, you lose another ship, but you have the gold intact. You can put that toward a replacement ship. You have nothing to lose."

"You're insane." Greyloft stared squarely into Stalt's eyes as the two men stood at odds. The salty breeze ran through Tobias' chestnut hair and he batted it down quickly. "Why are you so eager to do this? You have more to lose than gain, trying to be a hero."

"Because if I don't, I'll never get another chance to." Tobias folded his arms. "Tell me, old man," Greyloft snorted at the comment, but held back his retort. "When you were young, what did you want out of life? Did you always want to be in charge of the Navy, or did you have bigger dreams?"

"I certainly did not want to die," the Admiral grumbled. "But I understand. I admire your tenacity. If nothing else, I will remember you, Tobias Stalt. Let me put out the call. We'll see if there's a ship willing to grant you passage for this... undertaking."

[jdd2035]

A chorus of cheers broke out as the prominent shape of a ship sailed toward port. Though she was not officially part of the Republic Navy, the cheers were fore a trio of ships the first of which was a packet with its imperial jack flown upside down, and beneath that a pennant that belonged to the good ship Peregrine. (The packet was then followed by a snow and a cutter that also had the imperial jack flying upside down and under the Peregrine’s pennant.)

Everyone knew what the what the sight of the flags meant; it meant that the three ships were prizes that were taken from the Imperial navy a solid victory. The Peregrine was starting to build up something of a reputation of a skilled albeit a reluctant prize taking privateer ship for the Republic having sunk the Might of Corone and captured the rogue ship Mirage.

The man that stepped off the packet when it came into port and began to be processed by the prize agent was not the Captain but the Boatswain. A partial orc that went by the name of Grimand. Stepping off the packet the Boatswain nearly trotted to the Admiral tucked under one arm he had a log and various other pieces of paper some of which had Imperial seals on them. When it was the time for him to talk Grimand stated "Captain Jodin wishes you joy Admiral! The Peregrine has taken three prizes two Imperial merchant ships both low in the water." Grimand handed the Admiral the manifest for the two ships something that the Admiral would be fairly happy about as he got a nice portion of the prize money and didn't have to risk a thing. "We also were able to cut out an Imperial cutter a pretty little six carronade one; the Leftenant commanding her did not see fit to drown her secret papers which have all the private signals for the next few months. Or at-least until they figure out that you have them." Logan handed the rest of the logs and such to the Admiral.

The Admiral thumbed through the paperwork and looked back at Grimand "I have heard your Captain doesn't like cutting out actions or taking prizes."

Grimand smiled and replied "Well sir, he doesn't but he is also one that won't back down when attacked. The cutter thought that going yard arm to yardarm with her carronades would give her the favor but our Captain had the weather gage and was the better seaman. Not wasting an opportunity we took the two merchant ships it was escorting for good measure."

The Admiral nodded at the quick story "capitol a crack ship the Peregrine, and a weatherly Captain. He has my thanks and please tell him when the Peregrine gets in that I would have a word with him. I have a job for him and the Peregrine should he be interested." Logan nodded and gave his leave returning to the prizes. All three ships were being completely emptied of crew and prisoners. The prisoners were taken to the prisoners quarter and the prize crews started making their ways to the Taverns and brothels. It would be several hours later that Cain and the Peregrine would show up.