Jim had just finished doing the dishes when Tiana set a tray with two plates of food in front of him.
"Bring these up to the captain and Mr. Smith," she instructed. "They're in her office."
Jim nodded. "Sure."
He picked up the tray and made his way up to Kida's office. Her door was open when got there and he heard Kida talking bitterly to John.
"...it just isn't right," Kida was saying. "It's hard enough for me to get respect as a woman, so you can imagine what I have to deal with as a woman captain with a gay first mate."
Jim cleared his throat and Kida looked up at him.
"Oh, Jim, come in. Just set the tray on my desk." She turned back to face John. "Isn't there any woman you like?"
"No."
Kida picked up her plate of food, but didn't make an attempt to eat it. "Look, John, you know I don't care what your preference is; it's just that I'm trying really hard to make a name for myself and I just keep hitting one obstacle after another."
"Ma'am, no disrespect; but John can't change his sexuality anymore than you can change your gender," Jim interjected. "But, think about it: if you were to come out on top, you'd really put all those other men in their place. You'd show them they were wrong."
Kida gave him a tired look. "That's not the point, kid. It's not just about coming out on top; it's about being respected and feared. Who's going to fear a captain who can't even keep her own crew in line?"
"Pardon my intrusion, Captain." A young man with short black hair and blue eyes hurried into the office and went straight to Kida's desk. He set a couple of scrolls down on the desk. "But, I have to show you this."
"Of course, Eric; what is it?" Kida asked, leaning over her desk. "Have you found the nearest port?"
Eric pointed at a larger map. "We're here and Port Isle is here. However," he pointed at another scroll, "we're about to hit a major storm. I highly recommend we dock at this little island here," he pointed at the large map again, "until it passes."
"Nonsense, Eric. We'll stay on course to Port Isle," Kida said. "We don't need any detours."
Eric looked worried. "But, Captain-"
"It's final," Kida snapped. "John, get the crew in position. Eric, I want you at the helm. Take us to port."
Eric frowned. "Aye, Captain." He gathered his stuff and then he and John walked out of the office.
"I don't need you right now, Jim." Kida waved her hand dismissively.
Jim nodded and left. He went back down to the kitchen to see if Tiana needed anything, but she wasn't down there. He sat down at one of the tables and leaned back against the wall.
Jim was only down in the kitchen a few minutes when the ship started rocking back and forth. Jim gripped the table and frowned. Eric hadn't been kidding about the storm. He ran up to the deck, but couldn't see much. Rain was coming down hard and small waves were crashing up against the ship. Everyone was running around the deck trying to secure everything as quickly as possible, but the wind was so strong it was making it hard to move. A wave hit the left side of the ship, causing it to tilt to the right. Jim grabbed the railing to keep from falling over, but the deck was slippery and he fell anyway. Above him he could see Eric struggling to keep the helm steady. Kida hurried up to the deck and looked around. She, too, saw Eric struggling and was about to go up to him, when a huge wave suddenly towered over he ship. Everyone looked up at it in horror, then began gravitating to anything they could hold onto. The wave slammed down on the ship and everyone was briefly under water.
They had just enough time to take in air before another wave crashed over the ship. This one knocked Eric down and washed him over the edge of ship.
"Man overboard!" someone shouted.
Kida immediately grabbed the helm and kept it steady. Jim managed to get a look over the edge, but he didn't see Eric anywhere. His search was cut short, however, when two large waves rose up on either side of the ship. They both hit the ship at the same time; one came straight down, while the other hit the deck horizontality. The water swirled around them and they were under water much longer than last time. The railing Jim was holding onto snapped and he was instantly thrown across the deck. He reached out for anything he could grab, but there was nothing. He was approaching the edge of the ship, when a strong arm wrapped around him and pulled him back. He was instantly pinned under someone and pressed against some part of the ship. Though, since the deck was still under water, Jim was disoriented and had no idea what part of the ship he was on. The ship jerked to the side and all the water spilled back over the side.
Jim took a deep breath and sighed in relief. It was then that he realized John was the one who saved him. Jim was about to thank him when a large snap came from above them. He looked up to see one of the masts had broken and was now falling over. John gripped Jim by the arm and they hurried out of the way. One of the female sailors scaled the mast next to it and threw a rope around the broken mast. She started pulling on the rope while the rest of the crew pushed up on the mast. She tied the rope around the other mast and the broken mast stayed in place.
"Well, done, Mulan!" Kida called out.
Everyone's relief was short lived, however, when the choppy water started whipping the ship back and forth. Kida lost control of the helm was thrown to the side.
"Land ho!"
Jim turned to see they were being pushed at full speed towards a fast-approaching island. Kida stumbled to her feet, but couldn't get to the helm in time. Jim gripped the edge of the boat and John placed himself protectively over Jim as they braced for impact.