[SpringsSong]

Xyshari. Lana.

"And just HOW in Ashla's name did you manage to get a ship, ra svet?"

Xyshari asked this as they walked along the coastline to the harbor. The blonde Sith woman merely laughed, shaking her head.

"I have my methods, my love," she said, turning slightly to tap the Cathar on the nose. The Cathar's reaction was something of instinct: her nose twitched slightly, and she made a soft snuffling noise as she shook her head suddenly, letting out a sharp mew.

"Do we really have to go with the charade of the Red Hulls again, though?" Xyshari asked. "I didn't have much time to prepare something of a cover."

[SpringsSong]

"See, that's where Theron and I had you... mostly covered," Lana said. "Any rival crews that crossed you, you challenged in combat. Once they were cut down, you made an example of them by eating them," she explained, although Xyshari could see her visibly gag at the explanation.

"And... your original idea?" she asked.

"Oh, the Howling Tempests?" she asked. "They were easily supposed to be as violent as the Red Hulls, just without the cannibalism," she said.

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"And I suppose I had to be a pirate because of what a notorious pirate port Rishi was?" Xyshari asked as they neared the ship. Both of them paused to look at the ship, tilting their heads curiously.

"I... guess this is the kind of ship they meant," Lana finally said after a few moments. Xyshari gave a visible shudder.

"You know I hate water, ra svet," she said with a small whine in the back of her throat.

[SpringsSong]

"Yes, well... I'll be here with you the whole time, my love," Lana said, and Xyshari offered a small smile as she purred, nuzzling against Lana for a moment.

"That makes me feel a bit better," Xyshari said, the purr persisting as she looked around. "Well, I suppose we should get aboard and familiarize ourselves with this vessel if we're to help this pirate look for this beast of hers, shouldn't we?"

"Indeed we should... Captain," Lana said, giving Xyshari's hand a small squeeze.

[SpringsSong]

"See, that's one reason why you should've forwarded something to me about my role," Xyshari said. "None of the others knew to call me captain - and they didn't pick up on it at all," she said. "They refused to call me 'captain' - and Nadia wouldn't stop calling me 'master', which meant I definitely had to leave her on the ship - I... enough of my people end up in slavery anyways," she said.

"Oh, that's right," Lana said, frowning slightly. She would look around, heading towards the ship.

[SpringsSong]

After what felt like an eternity, they had reached the deck of the ship. Xyshari had been particularly silent, looking around and familiarizing herself with the items on deck. After a few moments, she sighed and shook her head.

"I don't understand what any of this is," she said, motioning to a pile of rope sitting there on the deck, and then at the anchor, and at the masts. "There's nothing like this on any of the ships we had back home."

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"Well, then, I suppose we'll just have to figure out what all of this is, then, won't we?" Lana said, looking around and rubbing her hands together. "Well, I'm assuming this here," she said, pointing to the anchor, "is what would normally keep the ship docked. Like when we dock our ships at the fleets in space," she said.

"And this..." Xyshari said, pointing up at the masts, "...must be to... catch the wind, I guess. I've seen sails similar to these on ships on planets where seafaring is a hobby. There... were stories of such ships on Cathar."

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"I would have loved to see those," Lana said. "I'm sure you would have, too."

"Yes..." Xyshari said absentmindedly, tracing a rope from the deck to one of the poles of the dock. "This... looks like it's holding the ship in place, in place of the anchor. I think... it is called a mooring," she said, although she sounded uncertain.

"Either way, we'll either need to drop the anchor and untie that, or be quick enough to jump back on the ship when we get ready to set out," Lana said.

[SpringsSong]

"I could easily make the jump," Xyshari said confidently, nodding. However, a few minutes later, Xyshari would stop, her ears would swivel behind her, where she could pick up the sound of someone running towards the ship. She closed her eyes, and Lana stopped moving, noticing that her wife had also stopped.

"...we've got company," Xyshari finally announced, nodding. "Someone familiar."

"Theron?"

"Unless I'm mistaken," Xyshari said, turning around to look at the dock. Sure enough, the human male was running towards the ship, waving at them as though signalling for them to wait.

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"Looks like I caught you two just in time," Theron called out, panting as he stopped at the gangplank. "I was half expecting you two to already be underway."

"Come to join the Red Hulls on this expedition, then?" Lana asked, a playful gleam flashing across her face. Theron paused, looking from Lana to Xyshari with an unspoken question, and then, his expression fell.

"Tell me we're not dealing with pirates."

"Not in the way you're thinking, Theron," Lana said.

[Wild Pet Found]

[SpringsSong]

"Not in the way I'm thinking," Theron said. "Then in what way, exactly?"

"Well, you see, there was this pair of pirate captains at this port that were looking for some help tracking down one of two very different local fauna," Lana said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Right. And I'm to believe that the Commander was all too eager to dig up that persona that we created when we were trying to lure her to Rishi before all the madness with Zakuul?" Theron asked.

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"Now, you know which of those personas I came up with, and that's not the persona you chose to use for her, Theron," Lana said, folding her arms. "That aside, it serves its purpose now. We've been loaned a ship for the purposes of this expedition."

"Yes, hunting the Beast of Rewhister," Xyshari said, jumping off of the ship to undo the mooring. "Get that plank, will you, Theron? And be quick about it!" she said.

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"Wait. We're hunting a sea monster?" Theron asked, moving to grab the plank Xyshari had indicated. Once the mooring was free, she leaped aboard the ship and began to examine the lines attached to the masts. After a few moments, she nodded, and turned to Lana.

"The sails, I think they're called, need to be dropped. Care to give me a hand up top?" she asked.

"Of course, my love," Lana said, and Xyshari grinned as she crouched low to the ground and then leaped up.

[SpringsSong]

"Yeah, show off that you guys can jump much higher than any normal person, why don't you," Theron muttered, looking around the deck. After a few moments, he hollered up, "What should I do, then?"

"Make sure the rudder's set, and the anchor secured. Last thing we need is to get underway and then get pulled to a sudden stop because the anchor slipped free just as we hit a good headwind," Xyshari called down.

[SpringsSong]

While Theron busied himself with checking the rudder and the anchor, Xyshari and Lana tended to the sails. As she released one of the ropes holding the sails secure, Xyshari hummed and stopped, making sure to keep her footing.

"What's on your mind, love?" Lana asked, gingerly (who knew she had such a manner?) making her way over to the Cathar.

"Hannlya would've fit perfectly in this role," Xyshari commented. "She's the one that was basically a pirate."