Topic: Small Adventures of Aja and her crew

LadyAjaBird

Date: 2014-01-31 17:24 EST
Aja ducked as bullets flew overhead. This was supposed to be a quick job. Get in, check out the port, see if it had potential to be a major shipping depot and then get back to other things.

As it happened, it was a great location for a major shipping depot, but the local pirates wanted to control it and liked to use kidnapping and murder as a way to maintain their control.

Now, it wasn't often that someone got the drop on Rico, but it did happen once in a blue moon, and Aja would always find a way to bail his arse out of the situation.

She looked over at the crew members to the right, she motioned for them to start flanking the group firing on them, then turned and did the same with the left. She knew she didn"t have to give them much instruction, this crew had been working together for years and had the moves down cold.

"Ya know something.."  Aja hollered out to the shooters. "Yer really pissin me off and that is not good!"

"Surrender and we'll spare your life!"

"So ain't goin to happen!" she popped up and fired at the base of their hiding spot with the plasma pistol, they had chosen old wood, which was dry enough to catch fire with the plasma. "Ya surrender or I"ma gonna make ya inta BBQ!"

"If you want to see your first mate alive, I suggest you surrender."  she peeked over at the man holding Rico at gunpoint.  Well, wasn"t this just going swimmingly. She sighed a little and knew what she was going to have to do now. Rico wasn"t going to love this, but he"d be alive.

"What makes ya think yer gonna be able ta make it out of here if something happens ta him?" she called back pulling a small caliber weapon from its holster. She checked the ammo, then nodded as the plan fell into place.

"I don't think you?ll allow any harm to befall him." the pirate called back to her, she stood up and looked at him.

"Ya don't touch whut be mine." she aimed the small caliber weapon carefully and shot Rico in the leg. He stumbled stunning the pirate holding him and she fired her plasma weapon at the pirates head. He dropped to the ground making his men halt immediately. "Now. Ya see how I dealt with yer captain. Ya wanna live, yer all gonna drop yer weapons and mah men will come ta collect ya. Or...."  she grinned. "I take ya all down. One by one. It be up ta ya."

They considered that she just shot her own man and then dropped their weapons. Her crew came to collect the men and she rushed to Rico.

"Ya alright?"

"You SHOT me!"

"Yes." she answered while getting the proper medical supplies out. "But tis a flesh wound." she grinned while putting pressure on the wound. "Yer gonna live."

"You. Shot. Me." Rico repeated and stared at her.

"Oh geez." Aja pausing in her medical attention to look at him plainly. " I jist saved yer arse. How long ya gonna hold dis against me?"

"For at least a week."

"Fine." Aja sighed as she tied the gauze on, back on the ship, the medic would take care of the rest. "Come on. Let's get ya home."

"I'm not kidding."

"I know, Ricks." she was saying as she got them up and moving.

"You're not worried about that?"

"No." Aja said moving him towards the docks. "Cause yer jist happy I came fer ya."

"Yes."

"And I made sure I used small caliber."

"Thanks ever so." Rico grunted as he put too much pressure on the leg. "You know I hate you right now, right?"

"Yep." she said while another crew member came to help her get Rico to the ship. She smiled as he leaned on her a little more. "I love you too."



LadyAjaBird

Date: 2014-05-04 22:30 EST
"Hey boss, come check this out." Harlan called Aja over and pointed out a rather large brawl was breaking out near the docks.

"Mmm. A ruckus." she said and leaned on the railing. "And we didn't start it." she heard her guys laugh.

"We"re double timing it, so we can jet before it gets worse or carries this way." Blaine said as he passed.

"Wise notion." Aja said in reply without looking back, her copper eyes scanned the fight looking for possible causes. As her crew worked, she noted the source of the disagreement and then looked around.

Aja watched as the melee at the docks continued. When in new ports, she liked sitting back and watching, get a real feel for the place before she decided whether or not she would be doing much business there.

As she was surveying the scene when she noticed one girl, dodging through the fray, slipping ever so stealthily towards the edge. She smiled and headed down the ramp and along the edge of the fight and caught up with the girl.

"Nicely done." Aja said as she took the girl by the arm and spun her around to face her. "Not many can pull off something like this." Aja motioned back to the fight, the girls chin went up.

"Ya can't prove anything."

"I don't need ta." Aja started leading the girl towards her ship. "I was jist sayin it was impressive. But it won't work fer long. So let"s get ya outta here before all that dies out and someone starts hunting for you."

"And yer gonna help me?" the girl asked moving with Aja.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I used ta be you." Aja said moving them along the edge. "Come on. Move yer arse, it's starting ta break up and we don't"t need da guy ya pissed off seein where ya go." she hustled them onboard and into her cabin. "So. Whut’s yer name?"

"Jinx." the girl replied.

"I doubt that, but I'll let it stand fer now." Aja sat at her desk. "I"m Aja. Are ya hungry?"

"Yeah. I could eat."  she answered and Aja picked up the phone on her desk, hitting the button for the galley. "Hey, send me up some sandwiches, fries...some onion rings if ya got "em, please. Yeah. Thanks." she hung up and looked across to Jinx  "They"ll be here in a moment. Hope ya like roast beef and cheese."

"Sounds alright." the girl was nervous. Aja knew why. Someone being nice for no apparent reason, usually meant the person wanted something. Aja chuckled slightly and picked up some papers.

"Relax, kid. I don"t want nothin." she said as she went back to work on them, mindful of her new guest.

"I'm just supposed ta trust ya?" the girl asked warily.

"No." Aja"s answer was lightly delivered, the message was conveyed clearly. "But ya will in time."

"Whut makes you so sure?"

"As I said. I used ta be you." Aja said as she leaned back into the chair slowly looking at the girl. "Eventually, you have to trust someone. Fer me, it was a guardian I had."

"And whut, now yer just payin it forward?"

"If I am," Aja asked with a slight smile. "how does that harm ya?"

"I.."  she started and faltered. "guess it doesn't."

"I got a second shot. I"m giving ya one." She said plainly. "The question is, are ya smart enough ta take it?" Aja then moved some papers about on her desk. She went back to taking care of business letting the girl think about what was said.

The girl got up and paced around the cabin, stopping once in a while to look at the various items on the walls. She jumped slightly when there was a knock on the door.

"Sandwiches." Aja said to her. "Come!" the door opened and her galley boy came in with a tray.

"Got yer lunch, Captain."

"On da table, Billy. Thanks, Kiddo." he nodded and put the tray on the table, then went about getting drinks out of the mini fridge for each of the ladies.

"Hi." he said shyly to Jinx. "Do you like soda" Cause I can get you juice if you want."

"Soda is fine." she answered him warily.

"Ok." Billy answered and set up the table,  then he went back out as quietly as he came in.

"I promise it's not poisoned." Aja said as she got up and moved to the table. "Come on, ya look like ya haven't had anything decent in a while." Aja motioned to the chair. The girl moved warily and sat down. She waited till Aja started eating before she followed suit. Aja didn't say anything, just ate in silence while the girl did the same.

"Boss.." Rico"s voice came before the door opened. Aja looked up as he stopped in the doorway when he saw the girl. "Sorry, didn"t know you had a guest. My apologies."

"It's alright, Ricks." Aja gave him a smile. "Make sure one of da boys prepares da quest cabin though. She"ll be joinin us back ta Arcadia."

"Yeah. I"ll see it done." Rico said. "You want to get underway?"

"Cargo loaded" Everything accounted for?" she asked picking up an onion ring while she watched Rico. She knew his curiousity was getting to him but ever the professional, he plundered ahead. 

"Yep. Four crates. Locked in."

"Alright, Ricks." she shoo’d him towards the door with a wave of her hand. "Start us home."

"Will do, Boss." Rico gave a nod and headed back out. Aja just nodded and kept eating.

"So, uh...that guy works fer ya?"

"He does."

"And ya said ya used ta be like me and now ya run a ship?" the girl talked with her mouthful, luckily for Aja she had raised three kids and could deal with it.

"I was and I do." Aja said as she picked up her soda, taking a sip looking over at Jinx as she thought this piece of information over.

"What"s Arcadia?"

"My home."

"But, yer a ...." Jinx looked at Aja in shock. "pirate...I thought they lived at sea."

"I used ta. Till I was about yer age and my guardian decided we needed an actual home." Aja explained. "So, we settled in Arcadia. It was nothing but a scrabble town with a run down ship port the only source of income fer da place." Aja picked up an onion ring. "A lot of hard work, time" Arcadia started ta become something. A true home fer us."

"So ya whut" Search for lost souls to help?"

"I don"t search, but I know them when I see ‘em." Aja answered. "And you, my little friend. Need some help." Aja took a bite out of her sandwich.

"Mmm." Jinx answer non committedly and kept eating herself. The two ate in silence as the ship got underway, the various noises overhead were familiar to Aja, but they seemed to make Jinx nervous. Aja could understand. New surroundings, seemingly no escape if things went south.

"No one here is gonna harm ya." she said idly, putting down her sandwich. "Ta prove dat, I"ll let ya keep da four weapons yer carryin on ya so ya feel safe." Aja noted the look of surprise on Jinx"s face. "But if ya assault my crew, I'll change mah mind."

"I'll leave them alone if dey leave me alone."

"They're good men." Aja said. "Yer safe here." Aja picked up her sandwich again. "I always was." she ate quietly as Jinx went back to thinking about things.

As they finished up eating, Aja set the plates on the tray and stood up.
"Well, come on. I"ll show ya where yer bunkin. Can take a shower. Get some rest."

"How long till we get ta yer home?"

"A half day."

"How is that possible?" Jinx asked as they moved across the deck to the guest quarters. "This is a large vessel."

"With modifications." Aja smiled. "Jist ya don"t worry about it today. Ya look whipped. So. Ya get cleaned up, get some rest. I"ll wake ya when we arrive." Aja opened the door to the guest quarters. "There's a lock. Fresh clothes in the closet. Everything you?ll need fer a shower."  Aja started to move away when Jinx called out.

"Aja?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime." Aja gave her a smile and headed to her office. Jinx watched her go for a moment then closed the door.



LadyAjaBird

Date: 2014-05-13 04:30 EST
It's Always Plan B—

"It's a cave." Aja said as she followed Jasper into the cave, looking around at the torch lit walls. "My friends don"t have a cave this big." The man named Jasper who was following her, sighed heavily upon hearing the nickname.

"Must everything be a joke to you?"

"Not everything, but most things tend to be."  Aja said while looking around the cave. "So, Swami. Just what are we searching for?"

"We're looking for the treasure." Jasper said. "And don’t call me Swami."

"Touchy." Aja quipped and then looked at him. "What treasure?"

"The one stolen from me."

"Oh, so this is a revenge deal?" Aja looked at Jasper and put a hand on her hip.

"Do not give me the nuclear stare."

"Jasper, I"m gonna give ya a boot to the arse."

"I knew you wouldn't come if I told you."

"Jasper...details. Now."

Aja looked around, she saw a small shimmer to the wall. She thought for a moment then dug around in her bag
and managed to find a flashlight...She aimed it at the walls, and flipped the switch over to a UV light. The cave wall lit up like a Christmas tree.

Jasper looked around at the walls.

"How did you?" he said looking around.

"I’m more observant than you are, Swami." she grinned as she looked around at the lines drawn on the walls. A language unlike anything she had seen before, but that didn"t mean she didn"t know it was a warning of some kind.  "What da hell is all dis jibberish?"

"That son of a bitch." Jasper swore while reading the wall. "He booby trapped this place."

"You can read this?" Aja motioned to the wall.

"Yes."

"So...what the hell does it say?"

"Bastard is taunting me."  Jasper said through clenched teeth.

"Square up, Jas. What did this guy take?"

"My collection of artwork."

"Paintings?"

"Yes."

"Yer a strange bloke, Jas." Aja patted his shoulder. "let's go find yer artwork." Aja started going into the cave.

"Aja, place is booby trapped."

"Yeah...treasure. Booby traps. Standard pirate procedure." She said while moving further onward. "Ya act like it"s my first rodeo."

"If I get you killed, I don"t want to see what Rico would do."

"No." Aja said while looking around. "Ya probably don't." she went ahead a little bit. "So, who is dis dude who took yer stuff?"

"Milton."

"Milton?" Aja said amused. "A dude named Millie outsmarted you?"

"Aja!" Jasper said exasperated.

"Ya got yer arse owned by some dude named Milton and yer mad at me cause I find that funny' Jas, ya really gotta get a better sense of humor."  Aja chuckled and then drew her plasma pistol. She shot at a cable going across the path, snapping it sending the arrows clattering against the opposing walls.

"How did you even see that?"

"I’m gooooood." she said as she moved forward. "Whut"s so special about these pictures?"

"They're priceless."

"Ahhh yes...priceless."  Aja repeated.

"You don't believe in priceless?"

"Everything has a price. Sometimes it"s very high. But it"s got a price." Aja said as she again paused and looked up. "Step back." she again fired her weapon and a series of axes swung down, one swung with such force it snapped off and flew down the path. "Huh..." Aja said watching the ax clatter to a stop. "That one had some kick to it."  she moved forward again. "Millie really doesn't like you, does he?" Jasper just glared at her back but followed along.

"No."

"Whut did ya do ta "im?" she asked scanning the walls for signs of trouble.

"Beat him too many times at cards maybe."

"Millie"s a crappy poker player, eh?"

"He has his moments."  Jasper was saying as Aja reached back then and put a hand to his chest making him pause in speaking.

"Luck comes and goes." she said as she sprung a trap that dropped a section of floor ahead of them down. "Sometimes you need skills." Aja turned raising a brow at him with a grin. "Ya know whut I mean?" then she jumped over the hole and kept going along the cave tunnel.

"There's something seriously wrong with you." Jasper sighed and followed.

"People keep telling me that." she said lightly as she kept looking around the cave walls. "I just don't bother listening."

"Why not?"

"Cause, I got different concerns than other people do."

"That's always been abundantly clear."

"Then why did ya seem surprised?"

"I don"t. I’m not."

"Seemed like ya were."

"And ya like to argue." Jasper said watching her grin at him.

"With you? Yes."  she stopped again. "Bloody hell, Millie. Talk about over kill." she set off another trap. This time, darts that flew and harmless hit the wall. "He really dislikes you, Swami."

"Stop callin me Swami."

"Salami?"

"Stop it."

"Jas paws." she said while making her way down into the cave.

"I give up." Jasper sighed.

"Wise choice, Swami." she stopped again as they came to a right or left choice in the cave. "Which is Milli’s dominant hand?"

"Huh?"

"When you play cards, which hand is he holding his in Right or Left?"

"Right."  Jasper answered, Aja nodded and started towards the right fork of the cave.

"Ya know, dis could all be fer nuffin." Aja said while making her way through the cave. "He could still have the paintings with him and set all this up ta lead ya inta a trap."

"You really think so?"

"Hey, it's just a thought. I don"t know da guy. But it would be something I would do ta screw with someone."

"You're a special case."

"Ya callin me eat da paste special, Jas?"

"No."

"Relax, Swami." she laughed and set off another dart trap. "I’m jist givin ya a hard time."

"Why do you call me Swami anyway?"

"To mess with you."

"You need a hobby."

"I have several." she said clearing cobwebs away.

"You need another one."

"Don't let Rico hear you suggest that." she chuckled. "he"ll shoot ya. He thinks I have too many now."  They had come upon some swinging axes, Aja"s eyes followed them up and saw how they worked. She drew her weapon and fired into the gearbox, melting the gears and bringing the axes to a halt. Jasper shook his head.

"So. It's true what they say." He began as he followed her. "You"re really quite interesting."

"To some." She answered lightly. "Not so much to others." she shrugged as they reached a door. Rather than simply open it, she lit it on fire, disarming whatever awaited on the other side.

"You could've just opened it."

"And it could’ve been a trap, Swami." she kicked flaming bits of wood out of the way. "You really hadn't considered that?"  Aja asked completely puzzled she crouched down and looked through the hole now in the door. Seeing all was well, she kicked the hole bigger and stepped through it.

"You can't seem to take a compliment either."

"Pretty words, Swami. I’m still a pirate. We like da adventure." She winked at him then waved to the room holding many pieces of art. "And I hope this crap is yers."  she tugged out her navigational unit and discovered they weren't far from where the Breeze was docked. So while Jasper and his men organized the art work and treasure for transport, she explored the walls, finding the thinnest spot. Taking some explosive putty from her pack, she placed it along several points of the wall and then linked them together with the cord that would detonate it.

"What are you doing?"

"Makin a back door. Ya might wanna clear stuff away from here, Swami."  Jaspar and the men that came with did just that as they saw the way Aja was smiling. They moved all the artwork back away from the walls, Aja saw when they were done.

"Fire in da hole." she said and pushed the button, the explosion blew chunks of rock sailing out to the waters below and she grinned going over to it and looked out at the dazzling blue sea. "Ahhh. Hello friend." her quiet whisper was lost on the wind as she signaled for her ship. That grin was firmly in place as she turned around to see them all watching her. "What?"

"It's going to be quite a shame when I kill you." Jasper said the smile dropping from his face.

"Yeah...I suppose if dat were ta happen it would be but…. " Aja stepped backwards out of the rock hole and into the waters below. Damn double crossing son of a no good...And she was wearing her favorite boots too. Damn it. Now they were all wet and soggy and would take a good day to dry out. She"d shoot him for that alone if she felt like messing with him that way, but no. She knew what she had to do. Plan B. It was always plan B.

She got out of shooting range, and up onto some rocks. She took a moment before she dug into her ever present bag to find the communication device and signaled her ship on what moves to take. Jasper wouldn’t be going too far. The crew would see to that.

A speed boat made its way over and several canisters of sleeping gas were fired into the hole she made. Anything that was alive and awake, wouldn’t be awake now. She made her way down the rocks and to the vessel. Jumping in, she grinned seeing what she had asked for.

The well trained crew swung into action and the vault was accessed, quickly cleared of all valuables and vacated all while Jasper"s crew slept. Aja pinned a note to his coat and blew a kiss as she once again exited the vault through the hole in the wall. This time onto the awaiting speed boat now currently filled with the paintings and treasures Jaspar sought as his own.

They were sailing out of the harbor by the time Jasper woke up. She looked at him through the telescope, shaking his fist at the silhouette of the Breeze as she sailed further away from the shore line, loaded with the treasure.

"How did you know?" Rico asked as he quietly stepped up next to her.

"Jasper is greedy." she replied simply. "And I knew what happened to the last person he duped into helping him acquire a lot of treasure."

"He will one day come for you." Rico said.

"Did you do as I asked?"

"Yes."

"Well, it will be quite a while until I have to worry about that happening." she grinned at Rico. "Won't it?"

"He will eventually repair his ship, Aja."

"Eventually." She grinned. "But not today." She dropped the scope and smiled. "Steer us fer home, would ya please, Ricks."

"Aye aye, Captain."

Weeks later, Aja would be standing in the hallway of Riverview clinic waiting for Mami and Anya, as it was their weekly lunch day. Idly, she lightly polished the corner of the frame of the newest piece of art to adorn the walls of one of the corridors.

"You never did say from where such a lovely piece of artwork came from, Sestra moya."

"From an art lover who felt he needed to share such beauty with the world." Aja smiled at Anya's skeptical look. "I’m completely starving. Whut be fer lunch?" Aja skip stepped past the painting and towards the cafe courtyard. While Anya took another look at the beautiful art hanging there now before following her pirate friend to the cafe.



LadyAjaBird

Date: 2014-05-22 21:27 EST
Differences

Aja leaned against the doorframe of a backroom of an out of the way pirate cove and smirked listening to another captain give orders to his men.

"Ya miserable, good fer nuffin cowards. Let"s get a move on." he turned on his heel and started for the door, pausing as he saw Aja standing there. "What r ya lookin at wench?"

"Not much." she smiled a little as he huffed and glanced at her watch. "Ain't ya gonna be late fer somethin?"

"Aye." he said as he eyed her up slowly. He knew who she was, most pirates did. Aja wasn"t some wallflower, word got around that you didn"t mess with the Breeze or its captain. She might look small and easily killed, but had proven over and over that she was anything but.

Some details of the battles were left to speculation because she's the only one who had lived through them and she wasn't talking. Not even to those closest to her. 

The man lingered one moment longer then shuffled along. Aja watched him go and came off the door, turning to go back into the room and oversaw some of her men who were hanging out there, playing cards. Rico and Harlan were razzing each other about the current hand, a conversation that Aja had heard before. Words changed, but the general attitude was the same.

"Ya bloody cheated on dat hand." Harlan guffed at Rico.

"I didn’t. Ya dealt the hand, Harlan." Rico grinned and laid his cards out on the table. "Lady luck has a crush on me tonight."

"Aye. Dat she does." Harlan conceded and the men at the table laughed. Aja just smiled watching them all together. She turned back around, a silent sentry at the door. Taking on guard duty of sorts. They watched her back, she was watching theirs.  Letting them have their fun. To relax and enjoy their time off the blue.

She saw him in the corner. Covertly watching, noting the subtle ways she did things. She knew him well. An old adversary, sometimes ally depending on the needs of the moment. His intent' Never to kill her, he needed what she had in her head. He knew that. So did she, not that she let it for a moment make her trust that one day he wouldn’t attempt doing away with her. She nodded her head to him slightly.

He continued to watch her, as she watched him and the rest of the occupants of the inn. He knew her well. She was very aware of who was where, which pirates posed a threat, which could be ignored. Drunken pirates stumbled past, if they paused before her, she sent them along their way. He admired the restraint she had learned over time. No more was she quick to anger, this changed things in how future dealings with them would go.

She was a child of magic, wonder and love. Raised in the harshest of places, lessons learned in that place taught her the basest of human nature, the worst of it. She was rescued in time, taught by the wisest of advisors.

His brother. Tanner. Who never believed in the way of life their parents did, the one of power, war and strife. Tanner believed in balance, harmony and fairness. He believed leaders did not only possess power but compassion. His brother, wise beyond his years, who was called foolish. Who took her out of that life, taught her what he believed. She had learned well. Even finding her blood family, which restored upon her power she was unaware of. He was sure of it. Or Tanner had taught her so well, she knew that bragging about ones abilities would be folly.

The adage of "those who don't know speak, those who know don't speak". Tanner had learned the lessons of silence. Restraint. Something he himself never could. He lacked patience, the inner calm required to achieve such goals. He thought of them as weakness. In his elder years, as his time here wore thin, he knew it was strength. And yet, could not bring himself to do as he knew he should. Seek her assistance. Her mercy and grace. To earn a small measure of forgiveness before his time was fully up. Pride it seemed, held a steely grip upon his soul.

Again, he caught her gaze, as she studied him off and on. She had that way about her, she had since she was a child, to look into you, see you as you were, not as you pretended to be...It kept her alive a good many times. She was likely unaware of this gift, seeing it as instinct.

She held his own gaze for a small fraction of time. Until her attention was diverted to the room behind her.

"What are you watching?"

"Just keepin an eye on things, Ricks. Doing fer ya all as you all have done fer me."

"No one would dare start trouble here."

"Perhaps not." She said lightly. "But I take no chances with you all. You’ve earned your fun. All of you. I shall not have it disturbed here."

"You need to learn of this thing called rest." Rico patted her shoulder.

"Tried dat." she smirked. "Didn't go well."

"Cause you're stubborn and a workaholic."

"It's kept you and the men healthy, alive and doing well."  Aja replied with a grin.

"I won't begrudge you that." he leaned in the door frame with her. "I still want Aja hazard pay."

"Funny boy."

"I learned it by watching you." he smiled at her broadly. She just chuckled and shook her head. Her eyes caught a glimpse of movement from the corner, he was leaving. She let him go in peace.  If Rico noticed anything, he didn"t say anything.



LadyAjaBird

Date: 2014-08-21 23:15 EST
St Rochelle Adventures with Cal & Aja

At a St.Rochelle dock, the day found Aja, Cal and her crew picking up supplies and making deliveries. Cal normally didn"t accompany her on such trips, but the last time the Breeze ported at St. Rochelle, the crew and her encountered would be looters, which her crew fended off easily enough but Cal wanted in on the fun. Thus far, he"d been disappointed that no one seemed to be brave enough to come near the Breeze.

"I ain’t a dumb man, but I’ve never understood people who blindly follow fools." Cal spoke after watching some people near the docks. What he saw to prompt such an observation, Aja didn’t know. She glanced up and over to the group gathered down the dock, a man stood clearly the one in charge, instructing his people around like she’d seen many men before do. "Why do you suppose guys like that get so many followers?"

"Sheep people." Aja replied while she moved supplies around to the locations they needed to go to get to their final destinations. "They need something, anything to believe in."  She tossed a wrench into the toolbox.

"And those that follow you?" Cal asked setting a board off to the side. "Are they also sheep?"

"I'd like ta think they know I ain't gonna ask 'em ta walk fire if I ain't willing ta do it myself." she hefted a box up and set it on a nearby cart.

"Ahh...and the people that usually lead the sheep, aren't willing to do that." he commented as he followed her lead on stacking the boxes up on the cart.

"Generally not."  she let out as another box joined the ever growing pile.

"I don't think I'm a sheep person." Cal remarked after a moment of introspection.

"Nah." Aja started and gave him a grin. "Yer a wolf."  the grin grew into a genuine smirk. "Ya eat da sheep." that made the tall man laugh. Cal wasn't prone to a lot of moments of goofing around, Aja however seemed to be able to garner a true smile from the man from time to time.

"The big, bad wolf?" he asked amused as he deposited the last box on the pile.

"Sure...but I ain't grandma." Aja laughed. "So don't go gettin any ideas, Wolfboy." Aja had no more than gotten that out when she noted a man running full speed down the dock, he tossed a lit bundle of dynamite into the cart, which Cal immediately grabbed and was in the process of pitching it overhand, off to the water while Aja took off after the man.

They neared the end of the dock, the man made a sharp left. Aja parkoured over the pylons and jumped at the fleeing man, tackling him on the dock as her plasma pistol was drawn and stuck to the man"s forehead.

"Ya got less than a minute ta make yer peace with God" or ya tell me who hired ya. Yer choice." she snarled, the man trembled and a shaky arm was raised pointing to a ship way down the dock, in the direction he had come from. Cal"s eagle eyes saw the point and he started down the dock in that direction. Aja let the man up. "Today’s yer lucky day...I"m lettin ya live. Dis time...I see yer sorry hide again, I won't be so nice." he only nodded and ran off towards the main pier and Aja turned to jog back to assist Cal in whatever trouble he was bound to locate and start taking care of.

Water exploded upwards where the dynamite had landed in the harbor, the occupants of the docks immediately stopped what they were doing to ascertain what was happening. Another water explosion happened further out in the harbor as another bundle of dynamite meant for the Breeze was dealt with.

Cal scanned the three ships occupying the spaces along the end of the dock. One had more activity on it than the other two and he moved to that one seeing the handing out of weapons happening on its deck. He increased speed, and used stacks of crates to run up and use as a launching pad to access the vessel's railings. Three smoke bombs sailed in a high arc over his head and clattered to the deck, scattering around obstructing the view of the crew onboard.

Aja, Sabbo and Hayden joined Cal in the assault of the pirates that tired to have them blown to bits. Aja ran along the railing and flew forward, somersaulting midair to come down on a pair of crew members going to defend their captain. Their necks snapped upon meeting the staircase, but she didn’t slow down.

Sabbo, Cal and Hayden swiftly did away with any that would follow them, leaving Aja with the Captain. The smoke confused the crew, they blindly struck out into the smoke, sometimes connecting with their own crew members before one of the trio would take them out soundlessly.

Aja wasted no time in her pursuit of the captain, hurdling the wheel on the quarterdeck, she took him down in a smooth aerial assault. The captain fought his way to his feet, drawing a sword as he did. Aja was undaunted. She ran right at the man, wrapping an arm around his waist and taking them both over the rail of the quarterdeck and into the harbor. She let go before hitting the water, drew a dagger and made with an underwater assault upon the man, cutting his legs, coming around and up behind him.

"Last mistake yer ever goin ta make." she said before running the blade across his throat. She let go, letting him sink into the harbor depths and swam back to the ship, making her way up the rudder back to the quarterdeck. She found Cal, Sabbo and Hayden waiting for her.

"Nice day for a swim, Boss?" Hayden asked making her smirk. She shook her arms and sighed.

"I need a shower." her nose wrinkled as she now noticed how wretched the harbor water made her clothes smell and her with them. "Get da boys, have "em check dis here vessel over. We’ll either take her back ta ‘Cadia or we"ll make one of da locals her captain." she said as she tried wringing the nasty smelling water from her hair.

"You good?" Cal asked as she came closer, he turned to join her in the descent from the quarterdeck.

"Yep. You?" the return question was asked as she noticed the blood dripping from his sword that hung down at his side.

"Yep." Cal answered back as they stepped over the fallen heading towards the gangway to the docks.

"Damn sheep people." Aja smirked as they made their way down the gangway. "Now I gotta go change clothes."

"Nothin but trouble." Cal commented with a small wry smile.

"Ya said it, Wolfie." she gave him a wink and they went back to the Breeze and their previous activities.