Pirates Have Rules
Posted on 31 Oct 2022 @ 11:13pm by Lieutenant Bayre Da'Razi
Mission:
M3 - Into the Deep
Location: Risa
Timeline: MD5 2200 Hrs
856 words - 1.7 OF Standard Post Measure
It was Maelon, the most personally organized brother, who remarked over the edge of his pink umbrella that planning a few days on Risa for the six of them had given him a far greater understanding of the work that had gone into planning the battle of Andreyma. Kerelian history, something he studied along with law, had become a hobby for him. Because it was an interest he did not share with his brothers, he added, mostly for Arev's benefit since he had failed history, a quick synopsis of one of the more famous battles in their shared history. In those days, there were two centers of civilization, Versengen and Desolis, While they lived on separate land masses, they shared waterways and, because the available resources differed from one to the other, there was significant trade between the two.
Arev, who had been through this with his brother before, fixed Maelon with a glare as he pulled the umbrella out of his drink and dumped it in the small pile accumulating at the center of the table. "Desolis," he said with the injured tone of someone who had to deal with this all the time, "started stealing our minerals because they were too cheap to pay a reasonable rate ..."
"Define reasonable," Anson retorted. His career as a xenobiologist lent him a different perspective on those years and, truth be told, he did enjoy a good debate. "Huge tracts of forest and farmland had burned after a long drought. They needed what we had to offer and rather than give aid as we should have ..."
"Both sides were at fault since neither was willing to negotiate in good faith," Kelson said. As a diplomatic officer, he spent a lot of his time looking at problems from different aspects and he could be relied upon, in these situations, to take the middle ground. "Both sides had been husbanding grievances for years. They were looking for trouble."
"Talks broke down and they fought. For years. The battle of Andreyma marked the beginning of the end and brought about the great unification," Maelon said. "And all of that was easier to do than get the six of us together in one place." He took a sip and frowned at the glass. "You know, I think this is actually getting better."
Anson nodded his agreement as he too dumped the pink umbrella onto the table. "Apparently, quantity is required."
"To tradition," Kelson said as he raised his glass. "First night in a new place we go with the house specials." He stared down into the depths of the frothy drink and added, "even the unfortunate ones."
"And to Maelon," Bayre added, "for picking Risa where pretty much everything is special." He was sprawled in front of the fire and rose on one elbow so that he could raise his own glass without spilling the contents. He didn't generally care for sweet drinks and certainly not for ones that came with tiny umbrellas. He made a mental note to research the reason and origin, figuring it to be an import since umbrellas didn't figure greatly into a population that lived in a weather-controlled environment.
"Maleon," Aleran said as he looked up from where he'd been arranging the umbrellas and picked up his own glass, "can always be relied upon to pick the most civilized of locales." His glance slid sideways as he studied Maelon. "I think he's forgotten his pirate roots, lads."
Five sets of gray eyes turned toward the oldest of the Da'Razi sextuplets, all with varying shades of speculation lurking in their depths.
"He might have a point," Arev said. "Be there something in the bylaws lads about forgetting our roots?"
"I do recall," Bayre said as he placed his drink up on the mantle, out of harm's way, so to speak, "that we did include an amendment to that effect. There are rules to these sorts of outings and forgetting our proper places in the pirate hierarchy does come with a price."
Before long, everyone's drink had found a safe out of the way spot. Bayre grinned at his brothers and they, one by one, turned toward the oldest, though it was only by minutes, and roared in harmonized unity. "Ye need a proper dunkin'"
"You'll have to catch me first," Maelon yelled. He was up and out of the room within seconds with his brothers in hot pursuit. Too late he realized he was heading directly for the pool behind the villa and tried to turn, only to be caught by Bayre and Arev who started dragging him toward the water. He held fast, refusing to let go, and so they jumped, taking the well-dressed Arbiter with them, into the water. Not to be left behind, the other three jumped as well.
When the maid came, the next morning, she discovered the remains of Maelon's punishment. Clothes and drinks strewn everywhere and two data PADDs, snuck in by Bayre and Kelson, floating in the center of the pool because, after all, there were rules that were meant to be followed. Arr.
