Cain was sitting at a table scribbling something on a few pieces of blank paper with a bit of charcoal from the fire place. It was more or less ideas that he had developed over his life on the sea. "Bluff on top of the water, sharp below you are going to be one fast girl and you're going to fight like a crazed leopard seal." He was not so steeped in thought and his sketch that he did not notice a young lad about seven or eight he though come into the inn where he was sitting presently.

The lad was pink in the cheeks and had curly hair about the color of the charcoal a dull dirty dark grey. But he presented himself well wearing breeches, a white shirt with a light blue waist coat and loafers the kind that had a coin inserted in the toe but presently had wooden buttons in stead. Waiting a few moments for Cain to notice him the lad finally said "Excuse me. Would you happen to be the Captain of the Peregrine? One Captain Cain Jodin?"

Cain snapped out of his present state of mind and shook of the 'huh? what?' look from his face and looked to the young lad and replied "Yes, I'm Captain Jodin how may I help you?"

The young lad smiled "Oh I am here on behalf of your prize agent Mr. Bondon. He has asked that you meet him at his office at your earliest convenience."

Now for those who are not in the know. A prize agent is a man or woman that has both the business and legal acumen to be able to take a captured enemy ship and sell both it and its cargo. The prize agent gets a percentage of the prize money as does the ship and her crew. It is all legal and both Privateers (such as Cain and the Peregrine) National Navies both can enjoy the fruits of such endeavors. Neutral captains and ship owners
Cain for a moment looked puzzled "I'm sorry but I didn't know I even had a prize agent."

The young lad beamed at Cain and said "this prize agent is the agent for most of the Republic's Navy and since you have just been given a marque it was assumed that you would have need of one."

Now Cain he always thought of himself as a merchant he had a very excellent rout that took him around the island of Corone and even to a few parts of the main land. It was quite smooth sailing for the most part the occasional uppity pirate wannabe, the typical storm but nothing much more than that and he was making steady money, his ship was making steady money and his crew was making steady money and the occasional unique or valuable item added in as a bonus. It was nice and steady and his crew was very happy about it. If it weren't for the damnable civil war, the Empire and all of it's taxes and over reach Cain would still be just a regular merchant captain. Shaking his head Cain said "forgive me but I do not need a prize agent thank you. I am just a merchant captain."

The young lad still beaming at Cain replied "Begging your pardon sir but the prize agent says that you being a merchant captain you should be kingly interested in what he would like to talk to you about."

All right Cain took the bait and followed the bright smiling young lad out of the inn and to the prize agents office.
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As it turned out the prize agent was the lads father and bore a striking resemblance with the boy but with a bit of a healthier, robust fat build his naming being Mr. Porter and after all the pleasantries and introductions Mr. Porter spoke in earnest "Captain Jodin, may I call you Cain? Sir I have taken the trouble to find you and invite you to my office to tell you about an extraordinary opportunity for a ship and Captain like yours. You see there is a very complex situation that a man with your budding talents and situation can easily take advantage of."

Cain smiled he enjoyed the word play and all that but there was only so much cloak and dagger that one guy can take "Will you please tell me what it is?"

Mr. Porter smiled pleasantly at Cain and explained "Yes, the Meritocracy of Raiaera has developed a fast new ship especially in open water built especially to transport goods and people. Unfortunately my informants have told me that it has been taken by a crew of pirates and is hunting along our spice and silk trade lanes. Now the Republic doesn't want to chase her because they don't have the ships and don't want an incident. That's where you come in being a Privateer you can legally take that ship as a prize which the Meritocracy will reward you handsomely for. All of the cargo within the captured ship you can sell to me and fetch another handsome reward. Not only that but by capturing this ship will make your own trad rout all that much safer one less pirate in the world and all."

Cain liked this opportunity he would still rather just be a merchant but he liked this opportunity "Well what's the ships name?"

Mr. Porter smiled and said "It's the Mirage."