A/N: Welcome to the beginning of a new adventure. Enjoy.

Delivery

"Are you sure about this?"

"Don't worry," Shaad assured the giant powerhouse, "everything's gonna be fine. I told you, I had to knock out those people cause they didn't understand the plan. We don't have that problem, right?"

Kayden was unsure, too nervous to look the smaller swordsman in the eyes. He hesitated for a second before answering, his voice uncharacteristically shaky for a man his size. "Right. And my brother?"

"I told you, he's fine; I just got him watching over the rest of the people." Shaad could still see Kayden's unease in the tensed muscles of the young man's wide back. "I promise, no harm shall come to either you or your brother. I just need you to follow this Pose and steer the ship to that Marine Base so we can drop off the prisoners then we can be on our merry way. . . It'd be a hassle if I had to do everything myself." Shaad gave Kayden a solid pat and squeeze on the shoulder and left to go check on everyone else.

The citizens from the Slums were gathered below deck, most squeezed into kitchen and spilling out into the hallway and nearby dining area, though some of the older people chose to retire to the sleeping areas early. Shaad could hear them chattering amongst themselves as he approached, some casting evil or fearful glances in his direction when they thought he wasn't looking. He would've ignored it except that they're incessant murmuring was an annoyance to his acute hearing and if they remained disgruntled, they could prove an ever bigger annoyance based on sheer number alone. "Listen!" Shaad raised his voice to get the people's undivided attention. "You're all aware there was a scuffle above deck. That's been settled, but for convenience sake, it's best you all remain below deck." There was a collective groan at his suggestion, and Shaad could sense the brewing discontentment so he chose settle the passengers' air of tension with a few precise words in the form of a vague threat. "The Marines already know this ship has been commandeered by pirates. If they come back and catch you on deck, they'll assume you're with them and arrest you for piracy. This way, if they retake the ship, you'll simply be considered prisoners and released; either way you're free to go as soon as we reach land, so don't fret." Using their lack of knowledge over what occurred above deck, Shaad assuaged the group's frustrations until a better solution could be reached.

He then continued his rounds, walking to the main mast where Ray, Alexander, Bo, and Mino were tied up with Leon and members of the White Knights and rebel forces strewn unconscious around them. Mino was the only one conscious of the lot. Shaad restrained her without inflicting any injury, and would have left her untouched completely save for the fact that she didn't take the sight of him knocking out Alexander all that well at all. Shaad managed to keep Tala surprisingly docile, and it helped greatly that Mino's black mamba had already been locked away for the safety of the other guests aboard the ship. Shaad didn't yet know about her pet Yuda but it rarely reared it's head without being called upon, and he'd already had to tape her mouth shut to keep her quiet. The only other people conscious aboard the ship at the moment were Mage, Kaleb, and Rose. Mage knew better than to stand against Shaad while Rose strangely trusted him and rather quickly agreed to the plan as it was explained to her, and Kaleb would follow along so long as Rose went along with the plan. So, while Mage was nowhere to be found, Kaleb kept watch over the unconscious crew, with directions to report when they began to stir, while Rose tended to the wounded at a casual pace. With everyone knocked unconscious, doling out medical care was far less hectic, and it was probably the best thing for Leon who, were he not too injured to move, would refuse to stay still and let his injuries heal.

Shaad grew restless, and went to find Mage. Since he'd been trapped on that Calm Belt island for about six months, it would be helpful to know what'd been going on in the world, and information was part of Mage's job description, though the information provided tended to be limited in scope. Firstly, though, Shaad went back by the wheel to question Kayden about how long it would take to reach landfall, receiving an answer he didn't like much at all. "A month; are you sure? Can't we get there any faster?"

"As far as I remember," Kayden responded, "though with favorable winds and no setbacks, it's possible to arrive in just three weeks. But, as I said before, my memory of the cartography of the region may be mistaken.

Just as Shaad had pretty much expected, the information that Mage was able to give was more interesting than useful, though the fact that a new Admiral had been named in his absence was worth knowing, particularly considering who it was. Shaad could only hope not to run into him. But, a more immediate concern for the young pirate was getting some rest. He was growing tired in his boredom, so he went up to the crow's nest to sleep hoping nothing else would call for his immediate attention.

About five hours later, shortly after the sun had set, Shaad was awoken by something incessantly poking his forehead. He first was able to sleep through it, but ten straight minutes of the same thing slowly broke through even his dreary haze. His first thought was that it was Tala, but he noticed the subject in question was softer and blunt, a far cry from Tala's sharp beak. Shaad gradually came to. The sounds of the world returning to his ears followed by vision steadily getting clearer as the rest of his senses flared to life. Prior to fully opening his eyes, he grabbed hold of the nuisance and tiredly, but firmly, called out, "What the hell's your problem, kid?" Looking the young Kaleb square in the eyes as he said it.

"I'm bored." the young teenager replied, almost whining.

Shaad released the boy's finger and replaced his fedora over his eyes to resume sleeping, frustrated by the hindrance. "There's quite a few vicious criminals in the ship's hold; I'm sure they'd be happy to play with you." Kaleb got up with an audible huff making his displeasure quite apparent. "Don't even think about it." Shaad commanded as Kaleb stood over him, foot raised and ready to stomp on his face.

Kaleb proceeded to stomp away, but before he got out of shouting range, Shaad called out to get his attention. "Wait! Are any of the crew up yet?"

"No! And keeping an eye on them is getting more boring than watching paint dry. I tried spending time with Rose, but she locked me out."

'Hm, I really need to get better at holding back; Ray's abilities threw me off.' Shaad thought to himself before replying to Kaleb's answer. "Tell your brother I'll take the wheel for the night. The lot of you can do whatever; I'm enough for overnight duty."

Already noticing how lazy Shaad was, Kaleb was a bit surprised by the declaration, but wasn't about to question a gift as he said 'OK' and dropped out of the crow's nest.

The ship was calm as it sailed along the smooth waters, the shining stars the only illumination in the dark night. Everyone else had long since turned in for the night, leaving the deck empty except for Shaad himself and those tied around the main mast. Per Bo's orders, Mage remained a ghost to all those who didn't already know of his presence aboard the ship, but with no one to notice, he approached silently from behind Shaad.

"So what's the situation" Shaad asked without turning around.

For a second, Mage remained quiet, but even without a sound, Shaad was fully aware of his presence and he knew it. "It's just as you expected."

"Haa, things just can't be easy. Did you bring what I asked for?"

"Yes," Mage answered, handing Shaad a bucket. "Why do you need a bucket of ice water anyway?"

"To make things easy."

Mage didn't understand the cryptic message, but decided to let it be, knowing Shaad wasn't one for deep, meaningful statements.

With Mage gone, Shaad was once again virtually alone on the ship's deck. Locking the wheel, he stepped away and casually strolled a lap around the main mast, taking in the different faces of the restrained crew as they slept. He stopped and crouched in front of Mino, gazing upon her with soft eyes. He gently cradled her chin in his palm, removing the gag from her mouth and ever so slightly loosing her bindings before casting a scornful glance at Alexander. 'If you ever hurt her-' he thought as he rose to full height, hefting the bucket and dousing Bo with its contents. The icy water provided a rude awakening, splashing over him with a shocking chill, drenching his skin,clothes, and hair, as the ice snaked into any available crevice.

It took every bit of self control Bo possessed to not exclaim in shock, his mind immediately working to figure out what happened and why as he steadied his breathing. He was raising his head to look Shaad in the eyes when he realized he was tied to the mast with his hands securely behind his back. The glare he then directed at the brazen hitchhiker could have killed a lesser person, and he spoke in a low, cold tone. "Why am I tied up on my own ship?"

"Have you forgotten already?" Shaad spoke as if having a pleasant conversation between old friends, but kept his voice contained so as not to wake the others. "The Marines have my friend, they want their ship back, and they'd like the pirates - along with the kidnapped Prince - turned over to them unharmed."

"So you're just going to give in to their demands?"

"I can't in good conscience just let my friend remain in Marine custody, and I'd be a fool to try and fight two Vice Admirals, one of which I know would require my undivided attention. What do you think? Of course I'm not gonna just give them what they want."

Bo was confused by the answer. From what he heard, Shaad's answer and reasoning didn't add up. But, Shaad's mind sometimes seemed like a place not even Shaad himself could accurately navigate, so he simply asked, "Then what's your plan? Why are we tied up?"

Shaad's expression brightened and he raised a finger to Bo like he'd just asked the million beli question. "You see, Hammer called ahead to inform the Marine base that I'd be dropping by with a group of marines to hand over the pirates, and he gave me an Eternal Pose to the island. So, we're going to the base and they'll get their prisoners."

"Wait; what?" Bo was clearly confused by Shaad's scattered explanation of his plan, but Shaad couldn't be bothered to clarify the finer points at the moment.

"Listen, we can't talk freely and there's plenty of time before we reach the base. I just need you to convince Ray to help keep order during the trip. I'm no babysitter."

"Fine; Ray would help out these people no matter the situation, anyway. That's just the type of person he is."

"Good to know. . . And, good night." Shaad said before slamming the bottom of the bucket into the side of Bo's skull, knocking the captain unconscious again.

When Bo came to the next day, Ray was no longer tied up next to him and his wet clothes had been replaced with a dry alternative. To the best of his abilities, considering their current predicament, he calmed a frantic Alexander and an irate Mino, relieved that Leon was at least getting the much needed rest to recover from his injuries. It would still be a while before their resident monster was at full capacity, but on the few occasions where Leon was better than 80%, his presence and power were a great benefit.

With Ray basically running the operations of the ship and Kayden manning the helm, Shaad was left to do whatever he pleased, though he at least took time to make it look like he was in charge and merely using Ray. At the time of the day when the bustle of the ship was at its peak with the able bodied men moving to and fro to counter the strong winds pushing against the ship while Ray remained below deck preparing food for everyone, Shaad approached the trio of Bo, Alexander, and Mino with Rose in tow. Rose looked ashamed and guilty, partially cowering behind Shaad, for leaving them like that even though she wholly believed Shaad to be a kind hearted individual.

Bo's expression, though, said it was okay and helped ease her troubled thoughts. That expression instantly changed as he looked from the innocent Rose to the questionable Shaad. "To what do I owe the honor?" Bo sarcastically stated, essentially spitting the words like poison.

Shaad's face was one of disappointment as he returned Bo's icy stare. "In the face of someone far superior to yourself, you should act more humbly." Shaad advised. The ensuing staredown contained such veiled animosity between the two that it isolated them from the rest of the world for a moment. But, Shaad's expression soon softened, being replaced by a genuine smile before he continued. "But, neither of us are like that I guess. I like that about you; careful it doesn't get you and those close to you killed." His words were accompanied by a foreboding glance to those with Bo, including the unconscious Leon at his feet.

"I swear he's bi-polar sometimes." Alexander muttered, mostly to himself, but loud enough that Mino barely heard him and Shaad's ears picked up on the slight as well.

"No, just uncommitted to a mood." Shaad corrected. "I do actually have reason for coming to you all, though. First, Rose, about how much longer will Leon be out?"

"He's stable, and considering he's already been out for going on three days now, I'd say another two days at most."

"Second, I will be going to the Marine base to turn in the prisoners with the squad of marines as agreed on with Hammer. But, those prisoners won't be you, and the marines won't be the ones sent here from Hammer's ship. I doubt there sitting in the brig thinking of ways to help me right now." Shaad grinned at the thought, but quickly got himself back on point. "You'll all be disguised as marines and we're finally gonna do some spring cleaning with that trash in the ship's cells. I'll take care of the Marine watchdogs when the time comes, but this plan relies almost entirely on Rose still having her Marine identification. Do you?"

"I do."

"Good. Now, I just need to get Mino to say those words." Shaad commented with a smirk and a wink to the mermaid, easing the budding tension of the moment.

Bo ignored the one sided flirting, intervening with an authoritative tone. "That plan works, but I'm going to need a favor." Shaad simply gave a wolfish grin in return.