Disclaimer: Kim Possible and all of the characters from the show belong to Disney Corporation. This is a work of fanfiction and not for profit. Dalron, Zahn, Kestal, Alexis, and Arrakis are original creations of mine. Other important original characters that make an appearance in this work will be named at the start of the chapter they appear in. Enjoy!
Steampunk Vision
The Search
"Target sighted, 11 o'clock," Ron Stoppable shouted from the crow's nest atop the main mast of The Dauntless.
Captain Kim Possible pulled out a spyglass from the leather pouch at her waist and zeroed in on the target. She smiled as the airship came into view below the clouds. The airship was simple and standard, boring. But that's how it was meant to look. Her information had been correct up until now, and that streak continued. She saw the disguised gun ports for what they were and under magnification the 'merchant crew' wore the uniforms of Imperial soldiers. So much for the disguise!
She closed the spyglass and put it back into her pouch. She spun around the deck toward her assembled crew and shouted, "Get to altitude! Ahead full! Battle stations, men! We'll drop from the clouds right on top of them! They'll never know what hit 'em!"
The boatswain[1] repeated her orders to the rest of the crew as they gave an anxious cheer for what was about to happen. Then they ran to their stations and drew their weapons in anticipation for the battle that was soon to come. Ron sailed down the main mast to his post on the deck while The Dauntless picked up speed. The wooden boards of the main deck rattled and hummed as the steam engine flared to life. The airship rose high into the clouds as it picked up speed on its quarry.
Kim felt the adrenaline rush just like the rest of the crew. The information trail had led her from Imperial post to Imperial post and then from ship to ship. What caught her eye was the fact that the Imperial frigates were all disguised as merchant vessels for added secrecy and protection. The Empire didn't need to do that, their mighty airships were more than a match for the foolish typical air raider and other "independents". The Empire was acting and moving in secret, not one of their strong suits. The information she'd bought had bore fruit thus far, and she resolved to get to the bottom of this one way or another.
The Dauntless pierced the layer of clouds obscuring the ship in a foggy mist that made clothing stick to skin. Kim heard the commotion below deck as the gun ports were opened and the cannons readied. Kim steadied herself as The Dauntless pitched downward on an attack vector. The clouds disappeared as the ship sliced through into the open air. Kim watched as the Imperial crew on the disguised airship scurried about in confusion. Kim smiled, they had taken them completely by surprise.
Kim drew her rapier as The Dauntless stopped directly above the other airship. "Board and attack," she called out.
The crew of The Dauntless issued their warcry as they let down the ropes and proceeded to complete Kim's orders. Kim grabbed a rope and repelled down to the ship below, eager to engage along with the rest of her crew. Her boots slammed onto the deck and she found herself facing off against a trio of surprised Imperial soldiers stuck in the process of drawing their blades. Kim's smile widened, it was time to get to work...
A few minutes later, the captain's cabin on board the Imperial frigate, Revenant
Being a Supplemental History Report on Matters of Interest to the Empire
To: His Excellency, Emperor Wayland Arrakis of the Most Honorable and Esteemed House Arrakis, Chosen of the Gods, and August Ruler of the Empire of Man
Classification Top Secret, for your eyes only
Destruction of this document is preferred after perusal.
Greetings, my Emperor, I hope this day finds you in good spirits for this report is the last to be prepared on the singular events that have troubled the Empire as of late. As you know the Empire is beset by enemies on all fronts, from the Undead Masters to the East to the Elven Nations to the West, but this supplemental focuses primarily on dangers from within. The preceding documents give in full detail all of the information we have gathered to date, but this report condenses that information in a concise way and details the overall threat to the Empire as well as our recommendations for action.
The Intelligence Bureau has redoubled their efforts to look inward, locating and identifying potential threats to the security and safety of the Empire. When taken as a whole, we have positively identified and eliminated four major terrorist groups, silenced over fifty demagogues, destroyed the chain of command of two illegal weapon smuggling organizations, and all of this within the past year. However, despite our successes there is still more that needs to be done. The Event in question to which I refer (see pages 236-312 of Report XII: Runehold, Causes and Consequences) has the potential to destabilize the security of the Empire of Man and the sanctity of your Rule.
As you are most-assuredly aware, Runehold is the second largest industrial machine next to our August Jewel, the capital. Intelligence has come to light after a thorough five week investigation and seven week interrogation of over twenty eye-witnesses to the Event. The destruction of the manufacturing plants, the main power plant, and the sabotage of the secondary power plant has nearly crippled production of the Wayland Class Battleships and the Dominant Class Heavy Cruisers that are so crucial to the overall war effort. We understand the implications and the major setback, but we can now, with full confidence, name the one man responsible for the attack.
James Possible.
The man has been a thorn in the Empire's side for many years. With this latest cowardly attack he has shown himself to be a man without honor and will be dealt with accordingly once he is in our possession. As you know, James Possible is the leader of the terrorist group The Freeman's League. The resources at his command are formidable but do not compare to the might of you and the well-trained and highly motivated men at your command. The Freeman's League is highly mobile, able to disappear from sight at a moment's notice. This has been the main difficulty in locating their bases of operation and in tracking down their leader, James Possible.
The organization of the Freeman's League is unknown but we can infer a few things. One, being highly mobile, the League must have willing accomplices throughout the lower classes in order to move about. Two, no man is an island, so he must have lieutenants that he trusts implicitly. Three, their tactics, while dishonorable, bear a striking resemblance to the tactics used by The Black Guns, our elite and deadly strikeforce group. Could there be a connection? Possibly. James Possible may have served a stint in the Black Guns, our researchers are pouring through the archives as I write this.
The danger of the Freeman's League to the security of the Empire is not to be underestimated. The attacks attributed to the Freeman's League have earned them the highest threat priority we can bestow. Over half of the resources available to the Intelligence Bureau are being utilized to uncover the structure of this organization and to bring their members to justice.
In order to understand the man at the League's center I have provided documents from what we were already able to glean from the archives. Thus far the archives have provided over four hundred pages of documents on this man but as your time is occupied by Imperial Affairs I have condensed all of the relevant information into this one report. Herein I will describe his priors and particulars, known associates, family members, and other miscellany that may prove crucial in bringing this man to justice and ending the threat of the Freeman's League once and for all.
James Possible: James was born in the skies on the Free Trading Freighter Azrealah forty seven years ago. The Possible Family has long plied the trade routes of the skies above as their calling in life and James was no exception. Born and raised in the Aether, as we call the skies above, he learned the ways of piracy, even though the free traders shirk at the title, preferring the term "Independent Merchant Captain", but the means are still the same. Upon reaching adulthood James Possible may have found himself with a troubled heart as he applied to join the Imperial Navy and was somehow accepted. The documents of that time claim that he served with distinction and valor. If the documents are to be believed he was a participant in the Battle of Jurrin's Gap, and earned an accommodation of Valor during the Elven siege of Kirkston, the accommodation itself was for helping to break the siege of the beleaguered town.
There is a seven year gap in the paperwork detailing the tenure of James Possible from this point forward. It is possible that he joined the Black Guns at this time and a team of researchers are coming through the archives to see if this hypothesis is valid. James Possible is next mentioned when he is discharged under court martial for failure to obey a direct order from his superior. Apparently his record in the Navy was stellar up until this point and because of his record he was not executed for his actions.
Reliable information on this man becomes spotty at best after his discharge from the Navy. However the Imperial Registry did locate a document in their records about this man. He purchased his own ship, a Galley Class airship called The Dauntless. How he was able to procure this ship still puzzles us at the Intelligence Bureau. The Dauntless was an aging, decommissioned warship scheduled for demolition. How he purchased the old war hulk is still not known, but all of the forms are filled out correctly and legal.
The Dauntless was given a new lease on life as a free trading vessel. Under the command of James Possible and an able crew he amassed a sizable fortune in a short span of years. All of the regrettably few documents of this time point to a legal profession and no sign of what was to come.
James was able to purchase a small island just beyond the borders of Imperial Rule, close to the hotbed of anarchist activity that is known as the Free City of Stormhaven. There it could be inferred that James raised a family with his wife Anne Possible. They had three children; the eldest was a girl, Kimberly Anne Possible, followed by two twin boys a few years later.
It is postulated by us in the Intelligence Bureau that living in such close proximity to Stormhaven may have affected James Possible's outlook on the Empire and may also have influenced his politics as well. Perhaps James was still bitter at his discharge from the Imperial Navy and sought revenge for imagined slights. We do not know, but we will endeavor to find out once he is back in our grasp.
It is around this time that James Possible turned from a life of honest work and profit to a life of piracy and dishonor. We have verified the documents detailing the cowardly and unprovoked attack on the Imperial Steamer Restless from The Dauntless. Luckily all hands met with little injury aside from hurt pride and the loss of its valuable cargo.
Thus began a decade long campaign of terror as James Possible added himself to the list of known pirates. His name resides alongside such despicable personages such as the Tattooed Brute, Dalron Mulimar Jr., the Elven Pirate King known only as Zahn, Korrukk the One-Eye, the bestial Trollkin, Thaddeus Thorne, the disgraced Imperial Admiral, and the horrifying Captain Mourn, the Undead Lord. There is some intelligence that suggests both Dalron and Zahn once served either with or alongside James Possible, but this information cannot be independently verified.
James Possible and The Dauntless attacked Imperial ship after Imperial ship; emboldened with each success James began raiding Imperial outposts on the fringes of Imperial lands. He gained the attention of the Imperial Navy with each attack but his knowledge of Imperial tactics gave him the advantage with each engagement and he slipped away every time the Navy attempted to intercept him.
For two years James Possible disappeared beyond the lands of the Empire only to return and cause the Event at Runehold. This was his most daring attack yet and you and I are both fully aware of the consequences of his cowardly attack. Yet, there is something amiss. It has been six months since the attack and James Possible has disappeared once again. The Dauntless, however, still flies the Aether under a new captain which I will get to shortly.
The question remains as to where James Possible disappeared to. Is he hiding inside Imperial Lands? We in the Intelligence Bureau think this is unlikely but we have shared all available intelligence with the local garrisons if in the off chance that he is found. The bounty on his capture has increased five-fold in order to further expedite the search. It is more likely that James Possible resides in the hands of one of our enemies; either the Elves or possibly he has made his way to the Deep South and to the strange cultures that reside there.
Even with his disappearance his presence is still felt in the Freeman's League. Our understanding of their internal structure is still in its infancy but it is rather apparent that James Possible still directs the efforts of the League either through proxy or directly. In the six months since his disappearance the Freeman's League has reared its despicable head throughout the Empire attacking ships, ports, supply lines, and Imperial garrisons. The frequency and tactics of these attacks suggest intimate coordination and planning in their implementation. The Navy, despite its overwhelming might is being stretched thin to safeguard politically sensitive targets.
James Possible is a dangerous man. In our estimation we number him the fourth out of the ten men deemed most dangerous to the Empire. By all accounts he is quite intelligent, has a keen grasp of Imperial tactics, and is a capable duelist and marksman. I would categorize his personal threat level to be Very High, and no Imperial Officer should attempt to engage him without backup. Extreme caution cannot be stated enough.
What little we know of James Possible extends to most of his confirmed acquaintances as well. Anne Possible, his wife, has disappeared with him as well as their twin boys. Little is known of her except that she too is an accomplished duelist, something unheard of for a woman! Next to nothing is known about their twin boys, not even their names at this point in time.
Drew Theodore Lipsky: One acquaintance we do know of puzzles us at the Intelligence Bureau. Drew Theodore Lipsky, once of now disgraced House Lipsky, was one of the few known Imperials to have served with James Possible. Drew Lipsky lived in wealth as befitting one of House Lipsky, once one of the great political houses of the Empire. The elders of the house used their political influence to get him a commission in the Imperial Navy when he was of age. Drew served three years with little distinction but gained respect from his superiors with his remarkable intelligence. It was this intelligence that saw Drew transfer out of the Navy proper and into their Special Projects branch.
Prior to his transfer Drew Lipsky and James Possible served together on the Battleship Sovereign's Might. It was during that time that we conjecture that they formed an uneasy friendship. Documents show that they were the same rank but James had more time in grade therefore he outranked Drew Lipsky. There is no documentation that shows James Possible ever pulling rank over Drew Lipsky. However personal writings recovered from Drew Lipsky's private journals show a jealousy on his part towards James Possible although no writings could be found to support these claims from other sources.
Once Drew Lipsky entered the Special Projects branch his intellect was put to use on developing the ill-conceived and ill-fated Aether Spatial Coordinate System, or the ASCS Project for short. In concept and theory the ASCS Project was a technical marvel. If it worked it would give all of the ships in the Navy the capability to appear anywhere in the Aether skies at a moment's notice, thus giving the Empire a decidedly larger advantage over the other race's ships, even though it must be said that our advantages and training far overwhelm any from the other races! I do not need to remind you that the ASCS device was built at great cost under the supervision of the lead designer, Drew Lipsky himself. Over budget and over schedule, the ASCS device was finally delivered at a cost of nearly twenty percent of that year's total GDP.
The device was outfitted to Scorn, a destroyer picked to test out the new device. In testing the ASCS was a complete failure, destroying the Scorn, all hands aboard, and a significant portion of the testing facility, Steelholme, the city where the testing took place, and shattered scores of miles of land surrounding the city.
Drew Lipsky was forced to resign his commission in shame. In order to recoup some of the monetary resources lost to the project House Lipsky was dissolved and all of their assets were absorbed by the Empire.
Drew Lipsky disappeared until resurfacing as a crew member on The Dauntless under its new captain. Not only is he a crew member, but circumstantial evidence suggests that he is the Second-in-Command, although this has not been verified as of yet.
Undoubtedly Drew Lipsky feels pain at the loss of his House. It is not a stretch of the imagination to think what a loss has done for his psyche. Obviously he blames the Empire for his failures and seeks revenge. This is the accepted postulation among the Intelligence Bureau. Physically Drew Lipsky is of average height and weight. He knows the basics of fencing and marksmanship, but he excels at neither according to our estimations. His real strength is his intelligence and his creativity and both are now focused on revenge. He is a dangerous man, to himself, to those around him, and to the Empire. We do not place him among the ten most dangerous men menacing the Empire but any Imperial Officer should proceed with caution when attempting to engage him. It is unknown if he is a member of the Freeman's League but his personal threat level is heightened by association to the League.
As stated previously it is not known if the pirates Dalron and Zahn are connected to the Freeman's League or James Possible, although there is intelligence to suggest such, for the purposes of this report I will omit my postulations until we have credible evidence that supports our claim or dismisses it. They are dangerous in their own right and all but the most experienced ship and crew should even think to engage them in combat and even then only with sufficient backup. Our suggestion would be that two task forces working in tandem should be sufficient to take one of them out of the Aether, but as resources and manpower are stretched thin it is recommended to avoid them at all costs.
With a significant portion of our available resources devoted to the capture of James Possible and the dissolution of the Freeman's League I must inform you of the rest. The following details The Dauntless, specific crew members of importance, and her new captain. The reason for this is twofold; one: The Dauntless is a known enemy of the Empire and thus deserves your attention given its recent history, and two: evidence suggests that the captain of The Dauntless is also searching for James Possible.
The Dauntless
The Dauntless is an old Galley Class warship fitted with an outdated Mark IV steam engine. The Galley Class served with distinction in its time but you must remember that the time of the Galley Class was just over one hundred years ago, before the time of our steel-clad ships that grant us the aerial superiority in the Aether that we have now. The Galley Class ship is an improved design over the older Carrack Class ships. The hull is still made of wood as most ship builders consider steel to be too cost-prohibitive even today. The Dauntless served with distinction and merit back in its day, but it is now a pirate vessel and marked for reoccupation, or failing that, destruction.
The features of the Galley Class are its strengths. Despite its age, the old Mark IV steam engine produces a lot of power despite its antiquity. The sails, rudders, and retractable wings aid its aerodynamic design and make it highly maneuverable, easily on par with all but the sleekest of our light frigates. Improvements to steam power efficiency have increased more than two-fold over the past hundred years, so even though The Dauntless is highly maneuverable it is slower than most of our current medium craft.
The cargo capacity is standard for a large ship such as The Dauntless. The cargo space provides enough space for consumables to last a ship at full complement for six months, less if that space is configured for more martial purposes. The main cargo hold is modular in design and several independent sections may be created for purposes other than cargo storage. Additional power requirements need to be met if science labs and foundries are to function. The Mark IV steam engine can provide the additional power but this makes the engine less reliable as more stress is added to the overall load.
The Dauntless was a warship and that it still remains. Two decks of heavy cannon adorn both broadsides. A third deck of medium cannon provides a boost to each broadside with speed and accuracy, sacrificing power in its stead. The heavy cannon are as much a threat today as they were over one hundred years ago. Only the largest of fortresses, carriers, and battleships have little to fear from these cannons due to the thickness of their armor plating, most other ships are still vulnerable. The medium cannon are effective against smaller merchant vessels and steamers, but little else. The Dauntless does not meet the power requirements nor does it have the space necessary to mount a beam cannon or the like.
In giving a final assessment as to the capabilities of The Dauntless she is highly maneuverable, and in firepower she is the equal to most of our medium cruisers and heavy frigates. However The Dauntless has a reputation for taking down bigger opponents in the Aether than her size and strength indicate. This is due to the savvy and tactics of her captain and the experience of her crew. Therefore she is classified as a high threat with a priority for her capture or destruction. All ships in Imperial lands have been given the same notification and warning as to her capabilities and the search for The Dauntless is active and on-going.
The Dauntless is but a ship and a ship is only as good as its captain and crew. Evidence and experience shows that even with a new captain in command The Dauntless is still a force to be reckoned with. This tells us that the crew is still well-versed in ship-to-ship and hand-to-hand combat. Almost every member of the crew is wanted for some infraction or another by the Empire. The most notorious and dangerous are given details.
Ron Stoppable: The Stoppable family is closely intertwined with the Possible Family. A Stoppable served with James Possible when he captained The Dauntless and another does so with the current captain. From what can be gleaned from the archives Ron Stoppable grew up on the same island James Possible raised his family. He serves as the chief lookout for The Dauntless. That is all of the reliable information that we have aside from an oil painting that is out of date (see figure 6-3: Ron Stoppable, in Report II: Potential Threats, read pages 212-245 for more information). The rest can be inferred from survivor accounts. He carries a saber emblazoned with the family crest of two white doves flying in opposite directions above three gears on a yellow background (see figure 6-1: Stoppable Family Crest, in Report II: Potential Threats, page 163). According to various survivor accounts he is well-versed in the blade and is quick at the draw with his clockwork revolver. He is agile and at home among the ropes of the raven's nest atop The Dauntless.
He displays a surprising lack of fear and yet survivor accounts tell that he becomes weak-willed when the battle turns against him. This information could be valuable if proven true. As reliable information is sketchy at best we in the Intelligence Bureau err on the side of caution and Ron Stoppable receives a high threat rating. Proceed with caution when attempting to engage this man.
Drew Theodore Lipsky: See above for information pertaining to the First Mate of The Dauntless.
Motor Ed: This bear of a man is the chief engineer of The Dauntless and is more lethal with a wrench and a screwdriver than he is with a cutlass and a pistol. The archives tell very little of this man other than he has worked on steam engines for most of his life and is a virtuoso with all things mechanical. The only document that can be verified from the archives tells of a 'Motorhead' graduating from the prestigious and exclusive Steamworks Academy at the top of his class, even turning down a professorship to teach there. Could this 'Motorhead' be referring to Motor Ed? Overall his threat level is medium given his penchant for engineering and maintenance work. However working on steam engines is labor intensive and the man must be strong indeed to keep an old Mark IV engine running with his own hands. I would advise caution against him.
Yori: Next to nothing is known about the young woman known only as Yori. The only thing that can be gleaned with certainty is that she hails from lands far to the South. She carries weapons that are exotic in nature and her style of fighting is unique. Then again, what can you expect from a barbaric culture that lets their women carry weapons and fight? This only reinforces the notion and drive in all of us that you, our Emperor, must prevail against the enemies of the Empire! The Empire stands with you in defiance of the barbarians and the creatures set against us! Yori receives a very high threat rating die to her unique assortment of weapons and her fighting style. It is recommended that nothing less than a score of armed warriors attempt to engage her in battle. Remember men that she is a warrior and not like the women we know of in our beloved Empire. Proceed against her with extreme caution!
Shego: Regrettably we know next to nothing about the woman known only as Shego. All that we do know is that she is an associate or perhaps an underling of Drew Theodore Lipsky. Her capabilities are at this time unknown. The threat level given to Shego is necessarily high given that she is a virtual enigma to us in the Intelligence Bureau. A team of researchers is currently working around the clock in order to uncover her past, but so far our efforts have met nothing but frustration.
The last portion of this report will detail what we know about the current captain of The Dauntless along with personal observations of mine that should prove enlightening.
Kimberly Anne Possible: Kimberly Anne Possible is the current captain of The Dauntless. Reliable survivor accounts and battle reports have confirmed this as fact. Not only is she a woman but the matter is further confounded by the fact that she has yet to reach two decades of life! How a woman is able to command a crew of cutthroat pirates is beyond my ken to reason, but the fact still remains. She is as crafty as her father and just as dangerous. She has displayed her father's knack for a keen grasp of tactics and the loss of the frigates Everlore and Thornwrought are directly attributed to her. I understand that this information is far too fantastic to be believed but facts are facts and facts are our livelihood in the Intelligence Bureau. The sabotage of the light cruiser Gorgon's Wrath and the destruction of the prototype Interdictor Dracma's Glory fall on her shoulders as well. The attack on the Imperial garrison at Durnham's Rest, the prison outbreak on Skull Island, and the interception and subsequent release of the Dark Elf Priestess, Kestal D'lil Sylvannen can all be attributed to her and her crew. In six months Kimberly Possible has made a name for herself in the southern Imperial lands, creating chaos and havoc in every Imperial port The Dauntless has appeared near. Efforts to intercept her and The Dauntless have met with frustration as the ship disappeared in a fog bank or some other seeming stroke of luck that borders on nigh impossibility.
Kimberly Possible carries her father's sword, a rapier with a basket hilt that bears the Possible family crest, a stylized red dragon breathing flame on a white background above three turning gears. Despite her age and her being a woman she must be classified as a master duelist, obviously learning the style from her father and possibly her mother Anne Possible as well. She is quick with a pistol and an accurate shootist from many accounts, but uses grapple guns modified to fire nets that entangle and subdue rather than standard ammunition. It has been postulated that the guns are an invention of Drew Lipsky at her request as she shows an aversion to violence despite her chosen profession. This is obviously a weakness that can be exploited to our advantage. I will elaborate more on this in my ruminations below.
Like her father Kimberly Possible has declared war against the Empire. Like countless others before her she will fall, such is the might and right of the Empire. We have no evidence to suggest that she is associated with the Freeman's League but when word of her exploits reaches the right ears it will not be long before she is contacted by them. We have not yet reached a consensus on if she will join the League or not. One train of thought says that she will and they will use her and The Dauntless as a rallying cry to garner more support from persons sympathetic to their cause. Another hypothesis is that she will deny them and continue her doomed crusade against the Empire on her own terms.
Both postulations have its merits and time will tell which one is the truth. If she joins the League she will be hampered by missions that will distract her from her chosen path. But in the end this will make her stronger and provide her with more resources, thus making her even more difficult to deal with in the long term. If she does not join she will be free to advance her own agenda relying on her wits and skill. However without the resources of the Freeman's League she will be easier to deal with and can be dispatched at our leisure once her whereabouts become known.
The threat level given for Kimberly Possible is very high. One should look past her birthing as a woman and treat her like her father. She has shown remarkable intelligence for a woman and commands a crew of veteran pirates. Any and all ships are encouraged to engage The Dauntless on first sight since the ship has a knack for appearing and disappearing quickly, but reports for aid are required to be sent immediately! Above all the others Kimberly Possible is perhaps the easiest to underestimate because of her birth. This is a costly mistake and one that can only be made once. Look past her physical appearance and you will see a committed, confident, and extremely competent individual. The warnings that are given for James Possible also apply for Kimberly Possible.
I end this report with some observations and conjectures based on the data collected thus far. The threat from within is just as dire as that posed from outside forces. The world is a dark, dangerous place for humanity. Not since the Great Sundering over one hundred and sixty thousand years ago has Man faced so many challenges to his rightful dominance. James Possible is one such threat. The Freeman's League is another. Sadly they represent only the barest fraction of the threat from within our own Empire, but with each success the court of public opinion sways closer in their favor. We in the Intelligence Bureau understand the potential for disaster and we will not fail the Empire in the performance of our duties!
As of the writing of this report the whereabouts of James Possible, his wife, and his twin sons are still unknown. I have studied the man's past exhaustively and focused many a restless night pouring over battle reports and survivor accounts to glean insight into his strategies. I have come to the conclusion that he has gone into hiding away from Imperial lands. But the arm of the Empire is long, and he cannot hide forever. It is my belief that he sulks in the Elven lands to the West as their kind has no great love for the Empire. Another possible route to explore is the lands to the South and the xenophobic clans of humans that reside there. This seems the less likely scenario due to the reason given in the preceding sentence, but it is still a possibility.
The Freeman's League represents the antithesis of the Empire. The law is strong because the military is strong. The military is strong because our enemies are strong and far outnumber the Empire of Man, and it is only by a sheer act of providence that the enemies of the Empire are fractured, disjointed, and often at war with each other. The Freeman's League represents an enemy unified under a cause and this is their greatest threat to the Empire. Efforts have been redoubled to capture and detain any and all persons suspected of associating with the League. To that end The Great Wall has been reactivated specifically for this purpose. The reputation of The Great Wall alone should be enough to quell all but the most rebellious of spirits.
This Kimberly Possible individual both concerns and intrigues me. The new captain of The Dauntless has caused plenty of trouble for the Empire since appearing six months ago. But there is more than what appears on the surface. The attack on the Everlore and Thornwrought led directly to the sabotage of Gorgon's Wrath and the destruction of Dracma's Glory. She is resourceful and intelligent. She was gathering intelligence in order to choose her next target. But you must look beyond her attacks. Do not take them at face value for there is more that I uncovered.
I am utterly convinced that Kimberly Possible is searching for her father. All of the evidence I have found point to this fact. It is not coincidence that James Possible and The Dauntless had engaged in battle with Gorgon's Wrath, only to repeat their history several years later. The destruction of Dracma's Glory also destroyed the testing facilities on that remote island. Again, years ago, James Possible did the same thing destroying several prototype weapons systems under development there years ago. Coincidence? Or is it a pattern?
Durnham's Rest. Skull Island. The pattern repeats itself. What makes this even more intriguing is the fact that Durnham's Rest was a repository for reports and knowledge for the prisoners held on Skull Island. The archives there also referenced James Possible which is why I think she attacked there. I believe she did the same at Skull Island in the hopes that her father was there and that she attempted to break him out.
The rescued political prisoners and other dissidents had to have given Kimberly Possible the information about the Dark Elf Priestess. She had to track her down for the same reason we did: the Priestess was a known associate to James Possible and may have known his whereabouts. The Intelligence Bureau is still trying to track her down since Kimberly Possible rescued her from our grasp. To add to our frustration the Dark Elf Priestess was taken from us before our interrogators had a chance to get any information from her. Sadly it is a certainty that the Dark Elf Priestess shared what information she had with Kimberly Possible concerning her father and possibly about the Freeman's League.
Every attack led by Kimberly Possible has brought her closer to her true goal: her father. She appears to be of the belief that we either have him in custody or know where he is located. This is exploitable information that we can use to trap her and her crew. I will leave the details for her capture to you and your staff.
Another aspect of her demeanor we can exploit is her reliance on non-lethal weapons. I am unsure if she uses them from a misguided sense of honor or perhaps she abhors bloodshed. In either case, this is valuable information. Her crew may not be held to her own standards but when she is engaged by our troops we can use this information against her. Our standard armors are heavy and bulky. We can outfit strike teams with lighter, more maneuverable armor prior to an engagement with her. They can be further augmented with stun lances if we want to take her alive. If a final solution is warranted the strike teams can be outfitted with the X-VII Tactical System, a heavy rifle that shoots a mass projectile across distances that are comparable to our heaviest long range assault cannons! The load can be split between two troopers since they will not be weighed down by so much armor. The decision is yours to make, my Emperor.
I have been studying this girl for months and have devoted to her the same intensity and focus that I have given previously to her father. I believe I am beginning to gain an understanding of Kimberly Possible, the person. She is skilled and capable like her father. She is a natural born leader, also taking from her father. Yet she uses non-lethal means to accomplish her goals. Her father had no such compunctions. Does this make her weak? No, I say, this makes her both resourceful and dangerous. The natural tendency is to dismiss her outright because she is a woman. She is a duelist and a marksman and our troops must not lower their guard when they encounter her.
I shall continue to pour over the archives and battle reports as they come to me at my desk in an effort to more fully understand our adversaries. I hope you find this condensed supplemental useful in broadening your understanding of but a fraction of the internal enemies that we face every day. The glory of the Empire demands that we do not fail!
By your Command, my Emperor!
Alexis Van Saint
Sector-Chief Intelligence Officer
Internal Affairs Division
Registry Number: 310-310-756521-D
Kim Possible carefully folded the pages of the Intelligence report and placed them back into the long envelope with the Imperial Seal. She looked around the captain's quarters of the Imperial frigate from her sitting position at the captain's desk. The desk had already been looted and the only thing of importance was the Intelligence Report she had just read. The rest of the captain's quarters had been sacked but there was nothing else of value to be found.
Kim stood up from the desk and stared at the closed envelope with a frown. She knew that she was being actively hunted by agents of the Empire, but she had no idea how thorough their intelligence gathering capabilities were. In some respects their conclusions were completely off the mark, but in other more personal cases, they were close enough to the truth to make her very uneasy. She suspected all along that her father was in the clutches of the Empire somewhere but the report declared otherwise. But she knew better that to trust anything that came from the Empire! The report itself may have been an attempt to misdirect her from finding her father, but she had run out of leads to track down. The report mentioned the Elven Lands to the West and the Deep South. It also mentioned two individuals that may have served with her father for a time. She heard the tales of their exploits like everyone else had and didn't relish coming face to face with either of them.
Zahn settled in the Island of Sal Sagev where he owned the Raven's Nest Inn and Tavern as well as the Zahn Vineyards which had a sterling reputation for its wines. Sal Sagev was a Free City, beyond the Imperial-controlled lands, so The Dauntless would be relatively safe from Imperial interference once it made port. She pursed her lips in thought as she remembered the stories of the Elf. The tales said that before he became an air pirate he was an assassin with an almost uncontrollable temper. Tales also told of the dark blade he kept at his waist, Darksong, a blade black as night with silver runes of power adorning both sides of the blade. The name of the blade came from when it was unsheathed; a noise akin to a chorus of demons parodying an angelic choir unnerved even the most hard-hearted of opponents! Yet, the Elf had settled down, married, had three kids, and opened up the Raven's Nest Inn and Tavern. The former assassin and air pirate had gone respectable even going so far as being elected mayor of Sal Sagev! Still, a dangerous Elf armed with a magical blade and who knew what else did not appeal to Kim, especially if he did serve with his father as an air pirate. Most air pirates were rivals, and she didn't want to bring more trouble down on herself and her crew.
Dalron Mulimar Jr. was famous before he was even born. Both of his parents were famed adventurers and explorers. They had a son and soon after his father disappeared, never to be seen again. Dalron Jr. was raised by his mother until she fell ill from a wasting mental disease and died. Caretakers sent the young Dalron Jr. far to the South Lands to the Monastery of the Celestial Crane to be trained in their ways. The stories differed but he ended up leaving the Monastery covered from head to foot in stylized tribal tattoos. He made his way from island to island and from adventure to adventure eventually gaining his own air ship and he joined the ranks of the air pirates. Sometime later he settled in the Free City of Rhendarin, an island city close to the borders of the South Lands. It was common knowledge that he quit being an air pirate then and there and became a bouncer for the Destiny of Fate Inn and Tavern, an establishment that rivaled The Raven's Nest in reputation, quality, and fierceness. Dalron Jr. was said to be a giant of a man, heavily muscled, and eschewed all weapons save for his fists and feet. Kim shook her head and sighed, he was another tough guy type that she didn't really want to deal with if she didn't have to.
Still...her options were closing quickly. She resisted the urge to take the envelope and the report back with her because then the Empire would know that she was on to at least one of their schemes and she needed to stay a step ahead of them if she was to find her father. She grabbed her black, plumed, large tricorn hat and placed it back on her head. She adjusted it as she stared at herself in the captain's mirror. Her outfit was typical for an air pirate. Her breeches were loose, her long boots were steel tipped and black, her white blouse was loose fitting to provide better mobility and her bandoleer she wore across her chest had three pistols armed and ready. Her father's rapier was sheathed at her side and she smoothed out a large wrinkle on the right side of her leg with a gloved hand, her long red hair fell to her right side as she leaned over. Now that her 'look' was perfect, she left the captain's quarters for the main deck.
She opened the heavy steel door and left the musty darkness to the twilight of the evening sky. Her crew had the crew of the Imperial frigate Revenant bound and tied around the deck. Kim smiled proudly at the work of her crew as she stared across the bow to her ship, The Dauntless, and marveled that she didn't receive more than a scratch in the heady battle!
"Captain on deck," the boatswain announced.
Her crew snapped to attention and she raised her hand to the boatswain and he yelled, "At ease!"
Her crew complied automatically. "Report," she declared.
"Captain," the boatswain replied with a smile, "the Revenant is ours and ripe for the taking!"
Kim returned the smile to the burly man beside her. His name was Iramus, and he was swarthy, dark, and as salty as they came. He was also one of the few remaining crewmen who had served on The Dauntless with her father. Kim nodded, "Good. Men! She's yours! Strip her bare but work on the double-quick, we leave in five!"
Her crew gave a rousing cheer of approval and proceeded to follow her order to the letter. Kim paced around the deck as she looked at the bound Imperial crew. She stopped in front of the ship's captain, a tall, thin man dressed in the gaudy russet-red uniform of the Imperial Navy. Many heavy medals and accommodations adorned his coat and he scowled in contempt as she stopped in front of him.
"The Empire will not forget this slight upon its honor," he spat hatefully.
"I've heard that before," she said more to herself than to him.
"The Empire will not stop until you are brought to justice," he seethed.
Kim placed one steel tipped boot on the man's chest. "I don't care," she shot back in a carefully measured voice, "All I care about is finding my father! You'd just better be glad that I'm the one in charge here, the others would have you all tossed to the Aether!"
The Imperial captain gulped audibly and the look of fear that spread across his face made Kim smile. "When the others arrive tell them that I will find him! Tell them that if they know what's good for them they'll stay away from The Dauntless!"
She applied pressure to his chest and that caused him to fall backwards. Kim straightened up and walked across the deck to the boarding plank. She waited but she didn't have to wait long before her crew came up from below with all of the swag and booty they could carry. She smiled at each one as they scampered across the boarding plank back to The Dauntless. Their excited faces told her plain that the score was bigger than they'd thought! The boatswain was the last of her crew to leave and she followed behind him. The boarding plank retracted and the grapple irons disengaged with a loud, sharp hiss! The Dauntless swerved to the right and sped away as fast as her steam engine could push them. The Dauntless was deep into a sea of thick storm clouds and by the time a trio of large Imperial cruisers arrived on the scene to help The Dauntless and her crew were long gone.
After Kim was sure that they made their getaway she helped the quartermaster with the inventory of the score deep in the cargo hold. The shares were divided as the quartermaster declared the amount per share. The crew cheered as the haul was more than twice what they had thought! The quartermaster divided the shares and distributed them to the crew according to rank and time in service. Kim declined her multiple shares and gave them back to the quartermaster with the explicit condition that the money and goods would be sold once they reached port to help maintain The Dauntless.
With one ritual out of the way another began. The quartermaster passed around the barrels of ale and wine that the crew 'liberated' which brought another rousing cheer from the assembled crew. Kim slipped away from the rowdy festivities and walked to the captain's quarters.
The captain's quarters had everything a captain needed to unwind from a long day of flying through the Aether. The quarters were referred to by the crew as the 'loft' due to the amount of space given to the captain of the ship. Kim thought the room was too big for her but the crew insisted when they elected her for the job. She placed her tricorn hat on its hanger next to the door and sighed tiredly. The day had been long for her and her crew. She unlaced her boots and kicked them off. She sat down gingerly at the chair next to the long table that had a worn and faded map of the known world on it. The chair was mildly comfortable but the internal cushioning was worn out. Kim learned over the table and stared at the huge map. Her shoulders slumped forward and she held her forehead in her hand as anger and frustration started to overcome her. The size of the known world was epic in scope, and the realization taunted her that her parents could literally be anywhere! It would take several lifetimes to search every nook and cranny on the map, and that was the known world, more than half of the rest of the world remained unexplored.
Where are you, she thought to herself as she struggled against the feelings of despair and futility. What have you gotten yourselves into? Why did you leave me? What do you expect me to do? Kim raised her head and stared at the chair on the other side of the table, there her father's coat hung across the back. It was the typical fashion for airship captains to wear but she never felt like she earned the right to wear her father's coat. Her crew implored her to wear it as it was the badge of office along with the hat, but she refused them outright. Besides, it belonged to her father, a great airship pirate, not her.
Her thoughts turned deeper and darker as she stared off into space, her eyes focused on one of the many timepieces that adorned the long shelf on the wall, and then moved to another. The timepieces ticked off the seconds in perfect synchronization as they were made to do. Her mother was a passionate collector of them. Her thoughts turned to her mother and her mood worsened. Mercifully there was a sharp knock on her door that shook her from her dark musings. Before she gave the command to enter the door flung open and Shego stepped in.
"Shego," Kim said as she tried to mask the depression in her voice, "What is it now?"
"Nothin' to worry your pretty head over, pumpkin. You weren't down in the hold with the rest of the crew so I thought you'd be here."
Kim straightened herself up in the chair and affixed her gaze on Shego. "Yep, here I am, in my cabin where the captain's supposed to be. But that doesn't explain why you came barging in here."
Shego ignored Kim's tone as she closed the door behind her and walked closer toward Kim. She walked past a table and quietly turned on the Victrola. An orchestral tune issued forth accompanied by a woman's beautiful voice. Kim watched her intently as Shego slowly made her way around the room. The raven-haired woman finally stopped in front of her and placed her hands on her hips, she wore the usual smirk on her face that Kim both detested and found intriguing at the same time.
"I came to talk," she said.
"About what?"
"You know exactly what about," Shego said accusingly, her emerald eyes flashed with brilliance amid the dancing candles placed throughout the room.
Kim sighed, "Go ahead then, ask away."
"Why do we keep doing this? All we're doing is pissin' off the Empire, which, I remind you, is the strongest nation in the known world. Not a smart move. The scores from their ships have been fair at best and you and I both know we could be doing so much more, an' gettin' a lot richer at it to boot. We have enough gold to keep this old bucket of bolts working, barely. We've been lucky so far but sooner or later our luck's gonna run out."
Kim leaned back in her chair, "I know," she said.
"Have you found anything yet? Did you get any proof that they're even still alive?"
"No," Kim muttered darkly.
Shego bent her elbow, which raised her hand close to her face. She clenched her hand into a fist and activated The Glow. A shimmering aura of green plasma appeared around her fist. Shego turned her head downward slightly and met Kim's gaze. It was a subtle intimidation tactic that Shego used which worked great on Drakken, her former boss, and almost everyone else but not Kim. "So when are you going to stop this foolishness and move on? We get into enough trouble as it is, we don't need the might of the Imperial Navy dogging us at every step," Shego said angrily.
"They already do," Kim answered, "And please turn that thing off before something catches on fire."
Shego deactivated the plasma aura around her fist and lowered it back to her side. "You're not even listening, are you? We've been on this wild chase for six months and what have we got to show for it?"
Shego waited for Kim to answer. Kim felt the onset of a headache coming on and she rubbed her temples as they started to throb. They've had this conversation before and it always turned into an argument.
"Look, Shego," Kim said as she squinted her eyes and grimaced from the headache, "I've told you this before: if you don't want to be here you're free to leave, I won't stop you."
"And where would we go," Shego shot back as she edged nearer to Kim, "All of us are wanted throughout the Empire because of our association with you!"
"There's the Free Cities," Kim offered for the hundredth time, "You got your pick with Stormhaven, Rhendarin, Sal Sagev, and a bunch of others. They're all far enough away from Imperial lands that you shouldn't have to worry about them too much. Besides, both Stormhaven and Rhendarin are always looking for someone with your...talents."
Shego raised an eyebrow as she caught Kim's pause. "And what exactly do you mean by that," she asked in an accusatory tone.
Kim shook her head and raised her hands in surrender, her headache was getting worse by the minute. "I didn't mean anything, Shego. You're reading into something that isn't there. I meant that both cities have need for strong warriors like you. I haven't heard of anyone else having powers like you do, and you'd be able to name your own price doing what you do best."
"And what is that?"
The corner of Kim's lips curled into a small smirk despite the throbbing in her head, "Aside from making a great first impression? You're quick with a blade and you know how to use it. You have that...Glow...or whatever you call it, but you don't use it as a crutch. You're smart, crafty, and you've got that perfect womanly attitude that charms all the dandies."
"You're bein' sarcastic now," Shego said with a hint of a smile on her face, "And here I thought you were telling the truth."
"I am for the most part," Kim offered as an olive branch to further diffuse the tension between them, "You know how much I respect your abilities, Shego. It took everything I had and then some to beat you."
Shego winced at Kim's last sentence, "Mmm...you had to go there, didn't you? Go on pumpkin, rub it in some more, while you're at it you can still twist the knife a little more into my back before you shove it on through the rest of the way. Go ahead, I can take it."
"I'm just saying," Kim said as she shrugged her shoulders somewhat apologetically, "I know what you can do-"
"Some of what I can do," Shego corrected.
"Okay, some of what you can do," Kim continued, "and let me say that you are very good at what you do. I've watched you take on a full Imperial guard patrol singlehandedly and you came out without even a scratch!"
Shego shrugged, "They were drunk. Hell, Doctor D probably could've taken 'em down by himself!"
"Really?"
"Hell no," Shego exclaimed with a laugh.
Kim returned the smile and like that the tension in the air dissipated along with her headache. Their laughter died followed by a strangely comfortable silence for a time. The comfort level dropped considerably as Shego edged closer to Kim. She was so close that Kim could feel the unnatural heat radiating from her body. Her mouth suddenly went dry as Shego's body filled her entire vision. Shego placed a hand on the armrest of Kim's chair and stooped lower until her nose almost touched Kim's. Kim had to forcibly recline her chair and she felt her face burn in embarrassment. Shego's smirk took on a whole new meaning as she spoke.
"What's the matter, princess? Is it hot in here or is it just me?"
"It's you," Kim answered huskily, her eyes matching Shego's for a moment declaring what they both wanted, but then Kim averted her eyes and took an unsteady breath.
Shego, undaunted, pressed even closer, so close she was practically in Kim's lap. "You know, I've been itching for a proper rematch," Shego said slowly in a low, lustful voice, "You haven't seen everything I can do...yet!"
Kim cleared her throat and she raised her head so her eyes met Shego's. "Shego, why do you do this," she asked breathlessly.
"Because I can," Shego replied in the same lustful voice, her emerald eyes glittered with desire and mirth.
The plasma-powered pirate's black-painted lips barely brushed by Kim's sending a jolt of...something quite pleasant...down the red-head's spine. She felt Shego's hot breath at her ear and her nostrils were filled with the wonderful and impossibly expensive perfume Shego always wore, sending the flustered captain further down the realm of impossibility.
Kim was about to protest, to tell the woman to stop, but fate intervened when the door to her cabin knocked loudly and forcefully.
"Kim Possible! There is a matter that demands your immediate attention," Drakken's gravel-like voice echoed from the other side of the door.
Kim felt Shego's body sigh in frustration, she was that close to her! Slowly, reluctantly, Shego moved away from Kim and walked over to the door of the cabin. "We'll have to continue this discussion at a later time," Shego grumbled with utter disappointment in her voice, not even bothering to mask it this time.
"Sh-Shego," Kim stammered weakly.
Shego turned back around, "Yes?"
Kim tried to focus on the pirate's beautiful face but was having difficulty with the task. Words formed in her brain but ran into each other and were a garbled mess by the time they reached her mouth. She stayed silent until she was able to gather herself. Shego waited patiently with that damned smirk on her face. Finally Kim collected herself.
"Why don't you have dinner with me tonight and we can...resume this discussion?"
The smirk on Shego's face died! She hadn't expected Kim to reciprocate! Caught on the spot, the pirate shifted her weight from one boot to the other as her mind raced to answer her captain.
"Uh...s-sure," she stammered.
"Good," Kim answered with a sweet smile, her composure back in full, "I'll be waiting."
Kim took a small measure of satisfaction at Shego's surprised expression as the pirate nodded dumbly and opened the door. She regained her composure quickly as she met Drakken who waited impatiently outside.
"Hey, Doctor D," Shego said nonchalantly, "She's all yours."
"Shego," Drakken said quizzically, "What are you doing here?"
Shego shook her head dismissively, "The captain and I were having a...discussion."
Shego left without saying another word. Drakken watched her as she left and scratched his scalp in confusion.
"Come in Drakken," Kim called from inside her cabin.
The words of the captain shook the confusion from him and he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
Kim had risen from her chair to clear her mind and the onslaught of emotions that coursed through her. She didn't know what she was getting herself into with Shego, but the flirting had escalated to a point where a confrontation was inevitable. Kim approached the problem like everything else, she attacked it head on. Her thoughts were interrupted by Drakken clearing his throat. She turned around to face him.
"Yes? You said you had a matter that deserves my attention so what is it?"
Drakken stiffened as he took a deep breath. A former member of Imperial nobility, he still kept the air of nobility around him in his mannerisms and appearance. Despite the blue hue of his skin he did look the part, Kim thought, even down to his well-kept lamb chops.
"I've poured over several of the documents we...liberated...from the Revenant. I found references to Sal Sagev and Rhendarin, just like you suspected."
Kim pursed her lips in thought and frowned, "So it is true! The Empire's watching the others as well, I knew it!"
"Your assessment is correct," Drakken said with a single bobbing nod of his head, "Whomever you got your information from is well connected in the upper echelons of the Imperial Hierarchy. It will not be long before the free cities will feel the crushing weight of Imperial Rule, I fear."
"I do as well," Kim said as she turned around to face the large mirror on the wall. She took a moment to stare at herself in the mirror before continuing, "Have you been able to find anything concrete? Is there anything we can use to substantiate our claims?"
"I believe I have," Drakken said as he walked over to Kim to stare in the mirror with her, "Two documents list names and places. One document is for Rhendarin while the other is for Sal Sagev. If we track down these operatives we may find more evidence to incriminate them, especially if we catch them in the act."
"Good," Kim said appreciatively as she turned to face Drakken with a smile, "You did real good, Drakken, I'm impressed."
"I hate the Empire more than you do," he said darkly, "It is my sole mission in life to see the Emperor fall along with his Empire! I will be there to see it happen!"
Kim shared Drakken's emphatic declaration, the Empire's reach was extending out in all directions at an accelerating rate, absorbing small towns and villages under its banner in the name of protection. But Kim and Drakken both knew that the name of the game was exploitation and oppression. Humanity never got along well with the other races, let alone itself. The Empire was the poster child for that line of thinking.
"Sadly I was unable to discern the whereabouts of your parents," Drakken said.
"Then it's either Rhendarin or Sal Sagev," Kim said, "There are no other leads to follow."
"Yes," Drakken said with a scowl, "I know of two that traveled with your father for a time. One lives in each city but they are dangerous men! If you indeed wish to talk to them, do so with the utmost care!"
"Didn't you serve with them along with my dad?"
Drakken shook his head, "No. I served with James Possible back in our Imperial days, not later."
That was the reason why he was here in the first place, Drakken was the only other connection she had to her missing family. "Where do you think we should head to first," she asked.
"Drakken shrugged, "It does not matter, either place is dangerous to the likes of us. But if I had a preference I would suggest Sal Sagev based on the fact that their alchemical supplies are excellent and the wine is unequaled."
"Sal Sagev it is then," Kim said, "Tell the helmsman to set a course and get us going, I want to get through this as quickly as possible."
Drakken bowed regally, "As you wish," he said then turned to leave.
"Drakken," Kim called out as he reached for the door.
He stopped and turned, "Yes?"
"Thank you for this," she said quietly, "You don't know how much I miss them."
Drakken's blue face turned distant as he spoke, "I had a family as well, Kim Possible. The Emperor and his Empire took all of that away from me. And not just I, most of the crew have suffered the same fate as you or I…some have suffered far worse. If we don't put a stop to this, how many more families will suffer the same fate as we?"
Drakken opened the door and walked out, closing the door behind him and left Kim to his last thought.
[1] Also spelled bosun, bos'n, bo's'n, and bo'sun. All are pronounced 'bosun'.