Episode 1 - Winoah Island
Maggie watches as the lonely and unfamiliar ship began to approach the docks. A Jolly Roger flying high on the main mast meant only that this small ship belonged to some pirates making her small town of Winoah in the West Blue just another stop on their journey.
Only two men had left the ship since it docked, surely for even a small ship they'd have more than just two crew members. She watched as both men entered the nearby bar. "Surely they are up to no good, damn pirates" she thought to herself.
Maggie was a 19 year old girl who had lived in this small port town of Winoah since she was born. She had orange-red hair just a few inches short of her shoulders and light hazel eyes. She was taller than most other women in the town but at 5'8" that wasn't very impressive. Her mint colored jacket was a splash of colour on top of her white tank and dark grey pants. Maggie left her normal post on top a hill just outside of town and went down to the Warf to check out these new pirates.
Upon entering the bar the two were easy to spot. Two men: on the left a taller man, seemingly about her age maybe a year older. He had messy brown hair no longer than a few inches. He wore dark brown pants and black shoes, an untucked tan tee with red and green triangles around the collar. The man to his right looked about the same age and was probably an inch or two shorter than the first. His hair was much tidier, it was blonde and spiked towards the front, it was shorter than the first mans as well. He wore a black waistcoat with a red long sleeve shirt under, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He also wore black pants and some worn out work boots and work gloves. He clearly hadn't taken a shower in a while because his hair and clothes were littered with little specs of black dust. The two sat at the far right end of the bar, surprisingly quiet. Maggie approached the pirates from the right side of the bar ready to inform them of the mistake they've made.
"Do you two have any clue what type of town you're in" she asked without giving the pirates a chance to respond. "It's a Marine town. The Navy has an active base set up on the west side of town and they have zero tolerance for pirates in their town."
"This is a peaceful town and the navy intends to keep it that way" Maggie continued. "I suggest you both get back on that small boat I saw you dock this morning and head out to some other island in the West Blue."
The man on the left spoke up, he appeared to be the ship's captain. "We didn't come here to cause any trouble. We've been out at sea for a while now and just wanted a better meal, a few drink and a stationary bed for a night or two. Now we've already talked to the owners of this bar and worked out a deal to stay for a few nights. We've already paid them for the room and made them the same promise that we didn't come here to start trouble" the pirate took a pause the continued. "We can get you a drink if it would help the…" He was cut off as the doors to the bar slammed open.
A dozen marines flooded into the once quiet bar, all other patrons besides the three at the counter slipped out the front door behind the line of guns.
"We have been tipped that two pirates entered the town this morning and have been hiding in this bar causing a ruckus" said the seemingly head of this batch of navy soldiers. The two pirates looked over to Maggie with accusing faces while she just met them with a confused shrug, this wasn't her doing.
Both pirates turned back to the food taking a few more bites until the man on the left raised his hand and without turning around he called out to the head marine, "We're right here officer."
Maggie looked at the man confused, "was he really just going to turn himself and his friend in? No struggle at all? What kind of pirates are these two, idiots surely."
The dozen or so marines marched to the counter and pulled Maggie aside, surrounding the pirates and getting a better look at who these idiots were.
"Pfft, a couple of nobodies" the marine leader stated. "Looks to me like Mason and Lucas, the Star Pirates, pitiful. Neither one of these idiots are worth over 5 million beli." Maggie knew they were dumb but docking in a marine town with bounties like that, they were asking to get arrested.
Almost feeling bad for them Maggie spoke up. "These two haven't done anything wrong. It seems like they just needed some food and sleep. Besides with bounties like that are they really going to cause any trouble?"
The marine leader frowned, "Maggie I thought you of all people would like to see these two hung. A pirate is a pirate regardless of their potential to do harm, we have to protect the town from these scum."
The marines blocked Maggie out even more than before and head spoke to the pirate captain Mason. "You both are under arrest for the illegal act of piracy. I suggest you make this easy and not put up a fight. You will be taken to the Navy camp on the west side of town where you will sit and wait to stand trial 3 days from today."
Mason nodded to his crewmate Lucas which caused the marine soldiers to tense the fingers on their triggers even more than they had been before but both pirates simply raised their wrists to be arrested without putting up a fight.
With a smirk the head marine said "See not all of you pirates are as dumb as you look. We didn't really want to cause a fuss in this nice bar anyways." Mason responded with "neither did we."
Maggie soon realized what had just happened. These two weren't simply admitting defeat, they were keeping the promise they had just made to her and the one they had previously made to the bar owners. They didn't intend to be the cause of any trouble.
Mason and Lucas were escorted out of the bar in wooden wrist shackles by the dozen marines. They would be taken to the Navy prison and held until their trial in 3 days.
The bar owner resurfaced from the back room, a good friend of Maggie since she was a small girl. "You know for pirates those two were probably the most polite customers I've had all week. They came in, paid for three days' worth of food and drink in advance as well as paying for two nights in one of our guest rooms with the promise of not making a scene. Polite to all of the workers as well."
"These pirates were no danger to anyone in this town and now in a few days they would surely be hung" Maggie thought, and that didn't sit well with her at all.
After being stripped of their weapons and other belongings Mason and Lucas were taken to a jail cell on the third floor of the Navy building. Once the final guard had left Lucas looked toward his captain and asked "so how long are we going to wait?" Mason responded with "We'll give her two days, after that on the third day we can get going." "Do you really think she's going to do anything" Lucas questioned.
"Clearly she dislikes pirates" Mason responded, "but I could tell by the way she talked to those marines and defended us that she hold some kind of grudge against them as well. Now all we have to do is convince her just how bad the marines really are and we'll have our third crew member" Mason said with a chuckle.
"I don't know how you can be so sure of these things Mason, we don't even know if she'd be of any use on a pirate ship."
"You just leave all that up to me but for now we just have to wait and see what happens."
The initial day of their arrest had finished and the next day had passed as well. Today was their last day of waiting before making their move. It was early afternoon and the guards were just bringing the pirates their second meal. Being the only pirates in custody the guards tended to tease the two helpless pirates. Shortly into this guards speech on how pathetic the captain and his first mate were a window behind him shattered and he fell against the bars unconscious.
Lucas scrambled for the man's keys as Mason just laughed at his own self enjoyment that he had been right. Lucas inspected the body and found the guard had been struck by a rubber bullet in the back of the head knocking him out but not necessarily killing him.
Lucas and Mason took advantage of their situation made their escape. They headed down the flight of stairs from the third to the second floor and again from the second floor to ground level. They opted to leave their weapons and make a hasty escape but were met by a figure at the door. A shorter person with a red scarf wrapped around their head only revealing their eyes. They had 4 pistons one on each hip holstered and one in either hand.
The figure handed them each a pistol and then drew the remaining two from their holstered state. They proceeded to shoot a lone marine who had come up behind the two pirates. Another rubber bullet and another non-lethal shot.
The Navy base was already small and was lightly manned at the time because of pirate problems on a neighboring island making their escape almost too easy. The figure took down a handful more guards on their way to the gate where they found no other line of opposition. A successful escape and so many questions.
"So Maggie, What took you so long" Mason asked with a hint of I knew it in his voice.
"Don't act like you knew I would come save you two" Maggie responded.
Lucas interjected, "regardless of if we knew or not how about we keep moving. The marines will be after us again and we need a plan to get out of here without causing any more trouble."
"While you two were busy being locked up in jail I took the liberty of moving your ship to a small cove just outside of town before the marines could get to it. The entrance to the cove is too small for most navy ships, I'll take you to it."
A bigger smile found its way on to Mason's face, He knew he was right about her.
After reaching the ship and many thank-yous later Mason had to ask something else of their new friend Maggie.
"We will not be able to sail tonight, the weather and seas are about to get rough. We are also short on food and water. Maggie his is some money, walk away with it if you want but we can't go back into town. We need you to bring us back at least enough supplies to get us to the next island."
Maggie looked at the Pirate captain confused. A pirate was asking her for help AND giving her money to do so. Regardless of her conflicted feelings towards pirates she agreed to help. After a short trek back to Winoah she entered the same bar where the pirates had been captured a few days prior. Maggie called for the bar owners, she knew them by name. They were an older couple with only a grandson.
"Chuck, Sharry, I need help getting some food and drink supplies." The couple emerged from the back room of the bar willing to help.
"I need to get some supplies out to the cove just outside of town. I know I can buy the food from you here but I'll need help moving it too."
Chuck was a wise old man and wouldn't be fooled, He immediately asked who all of this was for unaware of the events at the Navy base just hours before.
"The two pirates arrested here a few days ago escaped, they need food and water before he can sail in the morning" Maggie responded.
Chuck eyed her for a moment but saw no joke on her face. After a quick pause and a sigh he responded, "Of course we'll help dear. Those pirates already paid for three days' worth of food and drink and only ate a meals worth."
Gathering the supplies had taken some time and the sky had started to darken. Word of the pirates escape had started going around town, fueling the town's thoughts towards pirates. Word of an unidentified person who helped in the escape also passed over the lips of the towns people. Chuck looked onto Maggie now knowing what she had done.
"Maggie you know as well as I do that when the marksman division of the marines come back tonight he's going to know right away who it was. I'd hope he would be better than to turn you in but he's changed Maggie, you may be in some trouble."
Maggie continued on silently knowing what Chuck had said was very true. Things were about to change and they may start to change very quickly very soon.
Mason and Lucas were readying the sails clearing the deck when Maggie and Chuck arrived. The two pirates greeted them with a wave and a smile and help haul the barrels of foodstuffs onto the ship. Maggie questioned why they were readying the sails if they weren't sailing until the morning.
"There's going to a break in the weather a few hours from now, we have decided to leave then and give the navy as little time to recover as possible" the captain responded.
Mason had still made no notion of his intents to get Maggie to join their crew. Lucas wondered what he has been waiting for. After transferring all of the goods below deck Chuck and Maggie set back towards Winoah with a solemn goodbye to the pirates.
Three quarters of the way into town Sharry flagged down Maggie and her husband with a look of concern on her face.
"The marksman division returned just moments ago and now Maggie your name is popping up all over town. Everyone is looking for you, they think you helped those two pirates escape" Sharry said still catching her breath.
"I did help them escape Mrs. Sharry" Maggie replied. "They meant no trouble in our own and we locked them away and sentenced them to death."
Mrs. Sharry looked on in fear realizing what would now happen to Maggie if she tried to go back to town.
"Maggie you need to leave dear. Once the marines find you, you will be executed just the same as the pirates you saved."
Maggie looked the old women in the eyes knowing she was right. "Chuck, Sharry, you are both right and my only way out of here is about to leave. When my parents find their way back home to Winoah please tell them what happened and if either of you see that damn boy, tell him that this is all his and the marines fault."
"Don't worry dear, we'll take care of everything" Sharry assured.
"Now get going before the pirate set sail without you" Chuck chimed in.
Maggie was running back down the now increasingly familiar trail to the cove where she last saw Mason and Lucas.
"You never even tried to ask her to join our crew" Lucas complained. "How can you possibly expect to gain and new members when you just let them run off and say goodbye for the last time."
"I told you, I know what I'm doing, no just finish tying down that sail already and we'll be set to leave" Mason answered.
Breaking through the tree line Maggie could see the sails of the Star Pirates' ship and the familiar faces of Mason and Lucas on board, she had made it in time.
Lucas couldn't seem to pick his jaw up off the floor after seeing Maggie emerge from the trees. Mason had nearly fallen off of the railing he perched himself on from laughter at his first mate and excitement from this whole event.
Maggie looked upon the two men with determined eyes. "I need to join your crew! Please! I want to sail under your flag and sail far away from here!"
Lucas and Mason both looked at each other and flashed a quick grin.
"I was starting to think you weren't coming back. I didn't want to sail out of here without a crew mate after all. Now hurry up and grab a bunk because we're heading out" Mason yelled with a chuckle and a satisfied smile on his face.
Disclaimer: Just as a little disclaimer this is my first fic and I am not typically a writer so my skills as a writer are shaky at best. Something to note with this story, the entire story will not be told from Maggie's pov. I did that in this chapter as a way to introduce both her as a character and as a way to introduce the reader to the crew as well. This fic is from the perspective of the whole crew and not one character in particular. I don't know how often I will be updating this story, it may end up as just a test but I have at least one more chapter written. Ideas and criticism of the story or characters is always welcome. Thank you.