Mirror plot II.

[stuck_mynock]

When the morning comes, Atton's gone, but there are two rather ragged and thin looking pirates poking Will with their feet.

"Get up," one says (he's very shrill). "You're to report to the quartermaster, down on deck four."

Comments

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

While he's getting his food, one particularly eager pirate - about Will's age with fair hair and a small build - rushes for him from behind, trying to get an arm around his neck to choke him.

[will_scarlett]

Will hears the sound of his footsteps and sidesteps before slamming the kid into the food,

"Nice try, lad."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

Practically everyone in the room bursts into laughter. The pirate, going red, tries to swing at Will.

[will_scarlett]

So Will sighs and punches the kid in the stomach,

"'ave to learn to be faster."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

The pirate doubles over and drops to his knees. He won't, it seems, be getting up for a while.

For some of the other pirates, there's a vague air of approval. For others, it just seems to make them try to be more threatening.

[will_scarlett]

Will grew up on the streets of Nottingham, this is too familiar and goes to get his food.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

A couple of the pirates seem to communicate something to each other with looks and small nods, but they all keep their distance, for the moment.

Until, at least, a rather older pirate sits down next to Will.

"Evening. You're the captain's latest recruit, right?"

[will_scarlett]

"Aye, since I'm na dead."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

Shrug.

"Ray would've gone sooner or later. He wasn't a good pirate - he was good at killing, but not much else."

[will_scarlett]

"Wasna a terribly smart one then?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Not the brightest one, no."

[will_scarlett]

"'ow long ye been part o'the crew?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Longer than anybody else here, except the captain. Years, now."

[will_scarlett]

"Oh aye, what sort o'man is the captain?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"The crew like him, and they fear him, too. Always a good combination."

[will_scarlett]

"Aye, I can see that. Do ye know what 'e's lookin' for on this next planet?"

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"No clue. Usually we'd be heading somewhere to drop off this load of slaves, at this point."

[will_scarlett]

"Aye."

The slavery thing is hard but sadly Will can understand it, since it wasn't too long ago that England in his time had them and some serfs might as well be slaves.

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

The old pirate peers at Will, for a moment.

"It's lucrative, the slave trade. The captain might find it a bit distasteful, but he only really cares about money, and power. When I first arrived on the ship, he wasn't an entirely unkind person. But he's obsessive about power, and he's only become more so over time."

[will_scarlett]

"Gettin' it tends to do that to ye."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"I'll drink to that. It's one of the reasons why this ship has held together so long - It's big, and it's old, and scary, and it has a lot of firepower, but it's falling apart. It's ancient. It shouldn't still be flying. But the captain holds it together with the Force, because it shows people his power."

[will_scarlett]

"Oh aye, but if aught 'appens to 'im, will all fall 'part quickly."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

"Yep. Good way to keep the crew loyal, too - he'll happily fight anybody on the ship, and he's happy to be beaten, on the rare occasion that that happens. But if anybody kills him, we all die."

[will_scarlett]

"Aye, sounds like a good man to serve under."

[stuck-mynock.livejournal.com]

Shrug.

"He's good at what he does. But he doesn't particularly care about the crew."