I've always had a habit of asking too many questions, and now I'd gone and done it.

I bowed my head low. "I'm sorry, Mistress, I didn't mean it like that," I said quickly. I even held up my hands in supplication. "It's just... Well, I heard you two this morning, couldn't be helped. I don't mean to pry or spy or intrude at all, nothing like that. But... Well, my crime is curiousity." I chanced a look up. "And curiousity killed the cat, you know. I'mma die asking the wrong question one day, my mama always told me that."

In my whole monologue, the First Mate had said nothing, but she stared at me. I imagine she didn't know what the hell to make of my big mouth. Whether I was brave or just stupid – and for the record, I was just stupid. I wondered exactly what kind of hell it was I'd just brought on myself.

"I'm sorry, Mistress," I said again, hiding my face once more. "I really am. If you two are having problems, I understand. I just... I want to know what I can do to... To help you."

I waited for a moment, and then looked back up at her. She was still regarding me with that same look, doubtless questioning my sanity. And then she looked at her forms and sighed, closing her eyes.

"Alright, Doyle." She closed the book, resting her hand on it. "It does make sense that you know what's going on. And I suppose it's better than letting you draw your own conclusions." She looked up at me, and I'm sure I rearranged myself in my seat.

"The Captain and I..." she started, looking off to the side, likely trying to decide how to explain it. She met my eyes again. "I'm sure you've noticed that the Captain... Is very unusual."

I gave her a dubious look. "You mean, with the helm watch, or the being green bit?" I asked.

She gave a small laugh. "The green bit." I eased a bit, hearing the sweet sound.

My eyes moved to the map behind her. "Abigail said you guys are from another country? Another land? Something called. Merr-uh or something?"

She smiled sadly. "Merbia. And that's just St- the Captain. That's his terra – his country. I'm from another country, but... I was an orphan. So I took to the skies and lived outside of country borders."

I nodded. "Okay." I could keep up with that. I didn't know about the whole alien thing, but foreigners, I could wrap my head around that.

"We – the Captain and I – we were two members of a crew, a squadron called the Storm Hawks." She looked to me pointedly, and my eyes widened.

"You mean from that story?"

She nodded. "That's right."

"So... You're not the witch!" I said, awed by that revelation. I frowned. "Ooh, that's not good. That means she's still out there, evil and stuff."

Her face was twisted in laughter. "Yeah, Doyle, she's still out there," she chuckled. Her smile was warm and inviting. "Mind, I haven't seen her around these parts, so she likely went home." Her smile dropped in sadness. "That means there's likely a war going on back home that we're losing, if we haven't lost already."

War. Lost. I reminded myself that she was young, even if not for pirates. And if what she was saying was true... She wasn't really quite the pirate I thought she was.

"I'm... Sorry to hear that, Miss. Mistress," I corrected.

"It's fine, Doyle," she said quietly. "And... quite honestly, you don't have to call me 'Mistress' all the time. At least... not when it's just the two of us in here."

I nodded, smiling at the privelege. "Alright." I fought the reactive 'ma'am', and relished not having to translate it to 'Mistress' again. "So... Where is the rest of the Storm Hawks, then?"

She sighed. "That's the problem, I'm afraid," she said. "We can't find them."

I frowned. "Well, they can't be that hard to find. Not if they're green like the Captain." I had the decency to blush. "Or... pretty like you."

The First Mate smiled at me. "Pretty like me?"

I shrugged quickly. "Well, I think you're pretty. But then, I'm just a kid. I think everyone but my mama and gramma are pretty." I glanced to the side. "And if you already got a pirate Captain for a boyfriend, I don't stand much a chance, do I?"

Her smile was endearing – much like a lot of older ladies I told were pretty, they thought I was 'sweet' but shooed me off to do my mother's bidding. My heart fell. They never really took me seriously. Kid like me. I was nothing impressive.

"I think you have as much a chance as the next guy, Doyle," she said, that mischievous spark in her eye.

I beamed. "That's awful nice, miss," I said. Well, I didn't have to call her Mistress, but I could call her something else, couldn't I? "But you could have anyone, you wouldn't pick me." But I wasn't going to listen to her try and compliment me. Folks just did that to be nice, and we weren't supposed to be focusing on me. Though I was happy to see her happy again. "But I'm glad to see you happy again," I told her.

She blinked, surprised. And then she grinned. "Why, yes, yes I am. I am happy again, thank you." She chuckled at me, shaking her head. Doubtless having no idea what to do with me. Didn't blame her, I hardly knew what to do with myself.

"But anyway," I said, getting back on topic. "This visitor guy got something to do with your war back home?" I asked. If I got her talking, I wanted to find out as much as I could before she felt I knew enough. Or the Captain showed up to boss me around some more.

Her face shuffled. "Yes and no," she said. "The thing is... most of our crew is missing. We don't know if they're even still alive, or if they are, where they are. We've spent years looking for them, and haven't found a soul. Only stories. We want to find out who's been leaving them behind."

Only stories. I blinked. "You mean the bird watchers, ma'am?"

She nodded, tapping a finger. "Got it in one, Doyle. The bird watchers. Someone out there is telling our story. I sincerely doubt it's Cyclonis – that's the witch. And wait – did you think I was the witch?"

Her eyes were scrutinising, but I think she was more amused than offended.

I blushed, and looked away. I scratched the back of my head. "Sorry, miss. I just figured, if you were interested, you were lookin' for the Storm Hawks. Which, I suppose you are, but I figured they'd be together. Which would make you the witch. Which made sense, seemin' as the Captain resembled a toad. I figured, if you turn folks into toads all the time, wouldn't be too far off you turned a toad into a man."

She outright guffawed. It took her a minute as she just laughed and laughed, and my embarrassment melted away into fondness. It was real nice to hear her laugh, and she seemed to be enjoying the joke, too. When she finally got to a point where she could speak again, she was wiping a tear from her eye.

"Oh wow..." she said. "Ehe... I'm going to have to tell Stork that one..." And then she realised what she said and sobered a bit. Not a lot, but enough that she went from beaming to just smiling softly. "Stork," she said deliberately, and her smile widened. She closed her eyes. "God, I love to say his name. Stork, Stork, Stork," she said, saying it long and clear, emphasising the 'St' and 'k' sounds. It sounded funny, to be honest, but if it made her happy, I'd let her.

"Stork is... the Captain, ma'am?" I asked.

And then she sobered again. She was suddenly serious. "You mustn't use the name, Doyle," she said. "The Captain... has been through a lot of bullshit. A lot of real, not nice things. He's got a dark past, and we must do our best not to remind him of it." She straightened in her seat. "And we mustn't question him. He's the Captain, and he knows what he's doing." She cleared her throat. I realised that I'd gone and asked the wrong question again. She opened her book once more. "As for the visitor... That's his business. Not mine. He has his own ways of doing things, and it's not my place to question him."

I wondered if that's what the Captain had meant earlier by 'remember our place'. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat as I realised that the First Mate was just as trapped here as the rest of the crew.

It was silent for a moment, and I knew now that the heaviness that was Officer Country wasn't because it was Officer Country... but because of the Captain. My mind went back to what Mary had said, during my first shift aboard. 'It's a very tough job, navigator. Mostly, because the Captain is almost always on the bridge, and... Well, quite honestly, he terrifies a lot of people.' I regarded the First Mate, and felt sympathy for her. She kept her head down on her report, and I guessed that you couldn't get any more blood once somebody turned to stone.

"I'll be going, Mistress," I said, standing. "Maybe I'll help Abigail with the project."

She nodded, not looking up. "Carry on, Doyle."

I exited the office, and closed the hatch behind me. I slipped around the back, avoiding the bridge. But as I made to cross the hall, I glanced that way.

I couldn't see them, but I could just picture the two, black-jacketed persons sipping on Cookie's hurriedly made tea and swapping meaningless dialogue that no one was meant to understand. There was indeed a game afoot, but it was purely of the Captain's manufacturing. I scowled, but said nothing as I continued on to the workplace, to see what I could do to help Abigail.