Redemption (Rated T) - A Pirate/Fleet RP

[Speck]

Speck listened to Cyborg's reasoning, gathering her thoughts. Finally, she spoke:

"Look. As I see it, we can't kill him, if he claims that he's just going to come back. We could torture him and imprison him on an island somewhere, but he would probably just find some way to escape. In fact, imprisoning him anywhere, even if we gave him to the knights to deal with, would result in escape.

"If we make an alliance with him, he can't necessarily be trusted," the lemon-loving pirate turned to face Cyborg, "That's the price you pay for switching your allegiances on a whim: the more you do it, the less people can trust you. Trust is a funny thing. It's much easier to lose than it is to gain; kind of like money. How do we know that you wouldn't betray us like everyone else, if you became our ally? I like to know our options before we hold the vote."

She didn't necessarily feel like she needed to lecture him. It just came out. As a former ninja, Speck had already had to deal with the issue of trust. Although most of the ninjas she had known had retired, there were still pirates aboard the Weewoo who remembered the dojo when it had been at its peak. The Pirate-Ninja relationship had always been strained, at best. It's hard to forget a tradition like that.

[Kat]

Kat sighed as she listened to Cyborg's speech. Her fingers twitched toward her wand, but she thought better of it; everyone had a right to speak their mind. Besides, it was bad form to attack someone while they were trying to save themselves, especially not during a trial.

"So you're saying you disregard our rules, then? Why did you become a pirate in the first place, if you were just going to break them? The rules, I mean," asked Kat formally, drawing herself up to full height and trying to sound as civil as possible. "All guilds, and I'm sure the mercenaries would fall under that category, have rules to keep things in order. If everyone in the guild shifted alliances when I snap my fingers, it would be utter chaos.

"And well, I was a pirate first, but I didn't have to ditch my crew when I wanted to join the knight and mage guilds, y'know."

[Ikkin]

"Of course. The conference room is right over here," Fraze said, showing Ikkin to a nearby room. Two guards stood by the door, one at each side. Ikkin wondered whether that was just a formality of Spacefleet, or whether the guards were there because they didn't trust her. In either case, they didn't really respond as she passed by, so she decided to put them out of her mind and follow Fraze over to some kind of machine.

"If there's anything you would like to drink, tell the machine and it should be able to make it for you."

Ikkin had to admit that was rather impressive - she knew about several types of magic that could act similarly, but, this was clearly done without any magic at all. She asked the machine for a hot chocolate, and it obliged, providing her with a very large foam cup of it with whipped cream on the top. Ikkin took a sip, with a bit of trepidation - she didn't really trust any kind of mass-production gadget - but, it was actually surprisingly good.

"Please, sit anywhere," Fraze added, gesturing to the large oval table as she turned towards him. Ikkin nodded and sat down in a chair opposite Fraze. "As a gesture of good faith, he continued, "we've decided to make some of Spacefleet's library available to the Mages. This includes the culture and history of a number of alien races, the NTWF's own history as observed by Spacefleet, and some of our declassified technical publications. In addition to this, we are willing to offer some of our civilian technology to the planet, especially farming equipment that would make agriculture much easier."

Ikkin wasn't entirely sure how to respond to this at first. She'd come on behalf of the Pirates, not the Mages - Cap'n Hunty had been worried about the safety of her ship, and wanted to make sure the Spacefleet wouldn't be a threat.

However, the misconception could actually work out to her favor; the Mages were probably in a better bargaining position than the Pirates, but shared a lot of the same interests due to the overlap in membership. Besides, information and technology could always be useful.

Before she could respond, Fraze continued. "In return, Spacefleet is very interested in the Mages' magic. We would like the opportunity to study your magic, in order to understand it and possibly replicate it.

"We are aware of the concerns of many that Spacefleet is primarily a military institution. I would like to say now that the 'Fleet does not wish to gain access to combative magic, but rather magic that is useful for peaceful purposes."

So, the idea was to trade civilian technology for civilian magic, Ikkin thought. That was rather reassuring; an expanding Spacefleet military could mean nothing good for the rest of the NTWF.

"That sounds like a fair trade," Ikkin said. "However, I'd like to ask that each Mage be able to make the decision to take part in your studies for his or herself. I wouldn't be comfortable making such a decision for others. I myself will allow you to study my own magic, though I'm not entirely sure how much of a use you would have for it, considering that it focuses mainly on combat.

"I'm sure that some of my fellow Mages will be glad to help, if asked. However, many of our members are worried about Spacefleet's enormous amount of power, and I'm not certain that a simple claim of peaceful intentions would be enough to stave off those fears. After all, magic isn't solely comprised of spells that can only be used for specific circumstances; in its more general form, even low-level magic could easily be turned to combat purposes.

"We would feel much more comfortable as a whole if Spacefleet could enter into a formal agreement not to use spacecraft as weapons when dealing with conflict planetside. In return, we would like to extend a peaceful alliance and offer the Fleet a special room for research in Mage Manor. The Manor itself should provide interesting for your studies, I believe. I would also like to suggest a joint research project, which should allow both your studies of magic and our use of technology to go more smoothly. After all, when studying something you don't understand, it's always best to work with someone more experienced, right?"

[Omni]

Brian was pinned against the wall by the guards. "If you really need to know know… erngh! Me and some other scientists would like to use his suit during a test, for safety reasons. Oof! Let go!"

[Cyborg]

" My secret to cheating death, is right here." Cyborg said as he pointed to his nine pointed star necklace he wore everywhere. " Now Speck I know trust is a big issue, and I'm not trusted here, but if you can give me a chance, which is all I ask, I will prove to you I am a valueable asset to this crew."

He paused to stare straight at Kat. " Kat the reason why I joined, is because my father was once a pirate, and not only was it once his dream when he as young it has been my dream, so my initial membership was for my father, do you know where he is now? He's dead, he's no longer with us." Cyborg said with once again little or no emotion. " Now yes the mercenaries had rules, and yes I betrayed them, but it was in a solo undercover mission that helped bring about the downfall of that enemy."

" You don't know I won't betray you, but I know I won't. Now speaking of the trust issue, Speck, weren't you a former ninja? The sworn enemies of the pirates. I know you are trusted now, but still. So what's the verdict on all of this?" Cyborg asked with the same look and expression he had used since Keng left.

[Jina]

Wow, these guys really know how to get to the heart of a problem. Jina had only experienced trials a few times before, but they were normally so steeped in rules and tradition that it took forever to get anywhere. But here, people were just speaking their mind until nothing more could be said.

"So what's the verdict on all of this?"

Already? Aww, I was hoping for more. Although if the Pirates couldn't make up their mind, it might still drag on a little longer... She would just have to hope.

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]"You're not supposed to tell us your weakness."

The necklace was his escape from death. With a stony face, Rider took it from the merc. She gripped her knife with her other hand, waiting for the merc's resistance. [/glow]

[Cyborg]

"You shouldn't have done that Rider, you don't want to make me angry. I have learned to tap into my magic and my own powers even more. I am now like my brother, my power grows when I am angered, now unless you give me back the necklace this instance, I will have to show you what I am capable of at full power." Cyborg said getting angered and as he was growing angrier and angrier his eyes began to glow a brilliant emerald green and the same glow surrounded his paws.

[Speck]

" You don't know I won't betray you, but I know I won't. Now speaking of the trust issue, Speck, weren't you a former ninja? The sworn enemies of the pirates. I know you are trusted now, but still. So what's the verdict on all of this?"

One side of her mouth twitched. She strode up to the cougra, face-to-face, not daring to touch him in fear she might lash out.

"My past is not on trial here today," She hissed, "You'd best watch where you tread, boy."

The urge to spit at his feet was but a distant thought. Her eyes glanced at the nine-pointed star charm that Rider had taken away. She turned her attention back to Cyborg, "You've had your chances. You've made your choices."

Her black flats creaked on the deck as she walked away from the cougra. She did not notice his glowing eyes, though she felt the pressure of a strong magic. She spoke to her fellow crew mates now, "I say we clap him in irons and send him down to say hi to all the little fishies. Maybe the blarf, too. Anyone second that?"

[Cyborg]

Cyborg ripped the necklace out of Rider's hands and replaced it around his neck. '' Now I suggest you keep your hands away from my necklace. Speck, clap me in irons, wow original. I hope you know, even if you clap me in irons, that doesn't mean you will succed in drowning me.''

[Shadaras]

Pathos looked at Brian, squirming there on the wall, and shook his head. "Might I suggest waiting until after he comes out?" he asked, rather amused. "You'll get better results that way." Really, what sort of impression did the kid (as he had decided to think of Brian, though Brian was certainly full-grown) want to give Fraze? Bursting into an important meeting wasn't the best kind to give, after all.

Glancing at the door, Pathos frowned. He didn't want to be anywhere near the phoenix when it came out. There would be too many temptations if he was. "What sort of experiment do you want his suit for?" he asked, not turning back to look at Brian. "Depending on the specific reasons why you want his suit, I might serves in its place." He hadn't told many people about the implants and genetic differences between him and most of those in the 'fleet, but the medics knew, and some of the scientist/engineers. And going with Brian would get him away from that phoenix, which was the real reason why he'd offered.

[Speck]

Cyborg ripped the necklace out of Rider's hands and replaced it around his neck. '' Now I suggest you keep your hands away from my necklace. Speck, clap me in irons, wow original. I hope you know, even if you clap me in irons, that doesn't mean you will succed in drowning me.''

Speck stopped, turning to glare at Cyborg, "You are not in a position to threaten us. You are not in a position to talk back. I suggested you watch where you tread. Use your words wisely."

It was taking most of her self restraint to stay away from him now. In fact, it was taking most of her self restraint to stay above deck, to listen to this traitor. Something in her personality had changed since the war. Perhaps it was a lingering frustration of the last part of the war. She had wanted to defend her crew mates, her ship, her captain-- not crouch over a bucket for an undefinable time. Or perhaps it was a sliver of her former possessor's short-temper, a sliver of a memory, still clinging to her mind and soul.

Her fists were tight, her knuckles where white. The pirate took a deep breath.

[Kat]

"In short, you were only thinking of yourself," Kat concluded. "I joined the pirates...and the mages...and the knights...by my own free will."

When Rider took the star necklace from Cyborg, and his eyes and paws began to glow - definitely a bad omen. Kat began to reconsider keeping her wand out of this, and a soft purple light started surrounding her fingers, her head...her entire body. She was ready at any moment...

But then, the necklace was back with its rightful owner, and the glow ebbed away from her. Of course, that didn't mean she was in a better mood now.

"As a mage, I know a thousand different ways to take that necklace from you, now that you were so kind as to tell all of us while you're on trial," said Kat, still keeping her voice conversational and even.

She reached out and gripped Speck's shoulder. Tension was starting to build - in fact, eventually Kat would also have to restrain her crew mates...and soon, herself.

[Huntress]

"Alright, that's enough." Hunty's voice cut into the general commotion like a whiplash.

Pirates aren't cut out for trialling. They have little to nothing to do with ceremonies and rules, and when they do trial, it's a makeshift thing. Therefore the captain wasn't bothered much by the fact that nearly all of the crewmembers present were taking the position of judge, jury, and bailiff one after another. It spared her the words, at least. But she had to draw a line between trialling and simple mobbing, and she wanted a word in now anyway.

She stepped forward, to face Cyborg from a yard's length, and eyed him sternly.

"You're a coward," she said, and ripped the necklace in question from the kougra's neck. "Or maybe an idiot. As it is now, you're acting like a coward."

She took a few steps back again, to her former position by the railing, and slipped the necklace down her corset. For once, she was glad for the bruises her ribs had gotten in the previous war. It'd mostly healed by now, but she still had the habit of keeping the corset slightly more loose than usual. Clothing-wise it was only a matter of convenience anyway, the wide leather piece was actually, by definition, a tool belt.

"A coward," she continued, scowling. "Look at yourself. You talk about trust, and wanting to get back into the crew, and be a valuable asset, but right then you don't even have the guts to face your fate like a man." She paused. "Tomcat. Whichever. You try to wiggle out any way you can. You try to save your own hide with magic tricks, threatening, insulting..."

"....generally acting like a pirate," Bloody Mary said wryly.

Hunty gave him a sideways glance. "There's a difference between being a captive pirate and a mutineer prisoner. When a pirate is captured by the enemy, by all means, do what you can, I prefer you lot alive and ticking. But when a pirate is among pirates, there's the code of honor he has to stick to." He looked at Cyborg. "Well, should stick to. But you, judging by your actions alone, are not a pirate. You don't act like one. You don't even understand what it means to stick up for others, to go through thick and thin with others, to place blind trust in others... you say that you're willing to do that, yes, but then you turn it right around by attacking us. How do you expect to gain that trust? You, a mutineer and an enemy? Why should we trust you when all you give us are empty words and clear threats? When you don't give a single sign of good will and go all mad-glowy instead?"

She cast a look around the deck, at the grim sea of faces that spoke for themselves.

"If I, due to some unknown brain disease," she said, "would decide to say something like 'kay, what the heck, welcome back aboard, the rum's in the galley' right now, I'd get a mutiny on spot. The crew won't take you back. And that's something that won't change in one little favor. So I really don't have anything left to decide here, do I now?"

Something flashed in her eyes as she crossed her hands on her chest.

"We've fed you and kept a roof above your head for a month. We're not a soup kitchen, so it's high time to end it now. As captain of the White Weewoo, for crimes committed as a pirate against fellow pirates, I sentence you to death."

Her eyes flashed again, this time in the direction of the crew, as a clear warning. Cyborg may have been a mutineer and criminal and generally a nuisance, but they hadn't gone through all the trouble of trialling to have the kougra mobbed.

"He mutinied against me, guys. I'll carry this one out myself."

[Cyborg]

Cyborg started to laugh, but more of an insane laugh, as his eyes and paws still glowed. " I warned you, I did, not to touch my necklace, I told you I was a valuable asset, but now you disrespect me, and steal my necklace. I have held back from doing this too long, and now I will show you the real power of earth magic!!!" he yelled as the earth below them began to shake very violently, and all around them giant rock pillars rose swiftly.