Rin started awake at the frantic cries of "Fire", already out of the bed and half-dressed before he should rightfully have been awake. Makoto managed one better, slipping out the door as Rin's hand sought and found his weapon.

"Fire within or without?" The answer was plain as soon as he stepped out the door of his cabin; Haruka was loose, and smoke was billowing out of Makoto's quarters in alarming quantities.

Son of a Bitch. "Mako, tell Nagisa he'd better catch that fucker before I do. "

"Yessir." Makoto was up the stairs and pelting across the deck before Rin could say more, not that there was much else for a first-mate to do. Not much for a captain either except to run back to his quarters and haul every available blanket out to the frantic erstwhile guards.

"You, soak this in water. You, help me beat this out and remember our freedom depends on it." Rin couldn't see their expressions, but he could feel the tension ratchet up another notch. Was he the only one that realized Seijuro was breathing down their necks? Another setback like this and they might as well toss themselves into the fire for tinder. The first man he had addressed stumbled clumsily up the stairs, feet pounding on the wood until Rin could no longer hear it. Thankfully the second was marginally more graceful, or at least as much as he needed to be.

Between the two of them they had reduced the already pitiful fire to a few merry embers by the time soaked rags arrived. Rin left the two to clean up after their foolishness; he could address their perilous lack of attention once he was sure his captive was secure.

Somehow he had expected the main deck to be teeming with life after the almost-crisis, but those few men that had bothered to pull themselves out of their hammocks were only standing around trying in vain to appear industrious. Discipline had lapsed in the good months; now that hard times had come about again it was plain he would have to revert to his old ways. No time like the presence.

"Where the hell are your crewmates?" Silence greeted him, followed by a babble of tongues that might as well have been Greek for all he could make of it.

Rin gestured to the man nearest him, flicking his head carelessly toward the entrance to crew-quarters. "Tell everyone still below decks we don't have enough rations for slackers; they can do without for a couple days." An almost palpable sigh of relief echoed through the few present, but Rin didn't give them a chance to bask in their escape for more than a few seconds. "I feel a pressing need for an exact inventory of our supplies. Divvy yourselves up and see to it. I want to know precisely how many herring we have to a crate. Mako will check your individual counts later, if they are not correct you can make up the difference out of your own rations."

Not as harsh as he could have made it, but the crew was already on edge and there was every chance he would be depending on their cooperation in the near future. They sullenly dispersed, casting each other glances that hinted at words they dare not speak. So long as those thoughts didn't cross their lips Rin knew he could still hold the ship without bloodshed.

"Nagisa! Rei!" Silence greeted him, but he had expected as much. Where could Haruka have hidden aboard ship? Could he have tossed himself overboard as soon as he made his escape? Unlikely. The current was treacherous this far from shore, and he had to know his odds of escape were greater if the Imperial navy overtook the ship, something that would become far more likely if he allowed a saboteur free-rein on the Samenoe. He didn't like how much closer that silhouette had come even in the time since he had bedded down.

"Captain!" Makoto's aborted shout led him where he needed to be, right back down to the cargo bay where Rei and Nitori were huddled above a veritable mess of rope and twine. Rei had wound the fibers about his hands and Nitori was patiently braiding it into something that resembled a- Oh. Oh no.

"The tiller line. Slashed. Rei has been working at it-"

"How long?" Rin growled.

"Long enough." Mako grimaced sympathetically, clambering to his feet. "Nagisa has Haruka in custody. He's hogtied on a bed in sickbay."

"There's one problem dealt with. Assuming there are no errant flames in sickbay. I want an account of what happened tonight. Rei, how much longer on this?"

"Half hour maybe sir."

"It's been hours then."

"Almost three."

"And you never once thought of informing me?"

"That was my decision." Nitori cut in, his graceful hands still patiently weaving the material without a break in concentration. "I overruled Rei's objections."

It wasn't like him to be self-sacrificing. For months after his capture, Nitori had ensured he was seldom the man taking punishments that should rightfully have been his. It had become something of a joke among the crew to guess at what ploy he might use next, and now he was falling willingly on the proverbial sword to protect a man that had been complicit in his capture. Perhaps they were bonding over their shared history as honored prisoners.

"Regardless of who made the decision, you're both paying for it equally. When you're finished here I expect a report of events as you understand them; I will also inform you of your penance then."

Rin thought he could see a flicker of surprise in Nitori's eyes, and Rei's hands paused in their rhythmic swaying for all of a second before their work began again. Rei cleared his throat gently, glancing up to catch Rin's eye before he could leave.

"Something else, there's a growing leak in the cargo hold. If we had pitch I could repair it, but as is the bilge pumps are working overtime. We're going to start taking on water soon- not enough to be a threat in the near future but…"

But with the way everything else was unfolding, it was probably only a matter of time before that too became a catastrophe.

"Makoto, walk with me." Rin swept out of the hold, Mako taking up his usual position at his side. Rin tried not to see the troubled lines on his brow or the frown pulling at his lips; If Mako was showing visible emotion then they were in dire straits indeed.

"It's only a matter of time now 'til the navy catches us up. Hours, perhaps. Do we make a run for shore or let them have it?"

"Either way they are taking it, but I always assumed it would be a cold day in hell before you surrendered this vessel. You always said another captain could walk the decks once he threw your rotting carcass overboard." Betrayal painted every word; Rin was not the first sailor that had ever offered Mako a place aboard his ship, but he was the only one with an offer that had actually tempted the man. Half of that had been his sheer devotion to the ship itself, a loyalty Makoto had been convinced would extend to the crew. He wasn't wrong.

"You mistake me. I'm not suggesting we abandon ship, I'm just saying that the Samenoe needs repairs and we both know a navy scouting vessel will have its fair share of supplies. Why not allow the emperor's finest to do our work for us, and when it's done we jump ship and sail off?"

"Seijuro will leave her here; he's hardly going to bother with a ship falling apart at the seams."

"She's taken a battering lately, but it's nothing a little time in a proper dock won't fix. She was once the best of her kind; Seijuro has to know that."

"He'd sooner burn her in the water than risk letting corsairs escape. You don't even have a plan for that yet, do you?"

"No, but I do know if he catches up and we don't surrender we're dead. And if we're dead then there is no chance of escape. Alive, our odds are considerably improved."

"How do you figure?" Mako murmured dryly.

"Two former imperial officers, one trigger happy weaponsmaster, a crazed surgeon with nothing to lose and a captain with everything to gain? Give us a seaworthy ship and we could rule the world."

Makoto paused, starting with surprise when he realized their walk had brought them to the door of the infirmary. His hand drifted out to rest against the wood, drawing comfort from its solidity. When he spoke his voice was hushed, but no less accusing. "You said that to me once before and I threw away everything I valued to follow you for that promise. Now we are drifting through hostile waters with imperial ships in our wake and the surety that our opportunities are crumpling beneath our feet."

"There isn't a ship on this ocean that doesn't know the color of our sails; there isn't a single naval vessel that doesn't have our likenesses pinned in its captain's stateroom. Besides, you said yourself that you sacrificed everything else, what more do you stand to lose? It's a madman's plan, but it's something to bear in mind if we run out of other options."

He rested a supporting hand against Makoto's shoulder and another over the door, "Personally, I'm hoping that a few hours work on the islander might yield up another idea. If he's not a native then he must know the waters, which means he'll know how to navigate the currents, what safe-harbors we can find… but I will leave that in your capable hands. My crew has forgotten they have a captain. I need to make my presence felt."

Makoto nodded slowly, unclenching his jaw with a visible effort. "I will not surrender this ship, not on a slim chance that we could commandeer her again. I will take whatever we need from the islander."

Rin nodded his satisfaction, "I look forward to hearing what you come up with."

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Not ten minutes bound and his shoulders already ached mercilessly. Haruka shifted to restore blood flow to his arms, smiling grimly when the blond- Nagisa- began to circle him warily again. It had been a miscalculation trying to enter the infirmary; after the surgeon had brought him blankets, Haru thought his best odds had rested there. Who better to assist him than another temporary captive?

Only Nagisa had been in the bed against the far wall and he had roused as soon as the door opened. In no time at all Haruka had found himself looking down the barrel of one of those hated pistols. It wouldn't have happened if he'd tossed the damn things into the water when he had the chance, but he supposed he had the surgeon to thank for that too.

"Is your gunpowder not waterlogged?"

"If you slip your ropes we'll find out soon enough, won't we?" Nagisa settled on the edge of the bed, laying his pistol to rest across his knees.

"If you cut me loose, I could jump."

"Should've thought of that before you came after Nitori. He wouldn't have helped you; I think you're lucky you found me instead."

Haru had his own opinion on that score, but he wasn't about to betray the one man aboard ship that might listen to reason.

"Mako will be back soon. He's going to make you pay."

Tachibana Makoto, first mate; otherwise known as the man that had come charging in while Haru was still facing down that loaded pistol and nearly spooking Nagisa into shooting. Haruka already hated him on principal; only Rin could possibly challenge him in that arena.

As though the devil himself had heard his thoughts, the door opened gradually to reveal none other than his foe, perfectly nonchalant, entirely unfazed by the news that his ship was critically damaged. Haruka wondered if he would be so calm once he was turned over to an imperial interrogator. He hadn't met the man yet that could face that equably.

"Nagisa, Rin has something to discuss with you. He's either in the hold or in his cabin. Find him."

Haruka delighted in his captor's nervous swallow, the nigh imperceptible tremor in his fingertips that hinted he was not so reckless as he liked to pretend. Still, he didn't hesitate to leave, even tipping a wink when he was sure Haru would see it. That was hardly comforting.

"Will wonders never cease? I thought the boy had no sense of self-preservation to speak of." Makoto's tone was disconcertingly friendly, offering confidences and commiseration in equal measure. Haruka thought he recognized the gambit for what it was and offered not a word of agreement. Makoto only smiled, if that sly expression could rightly be called a smile; he sat on the edge that Nagisa had just left, slender fingers reaching out to play through Haru's hair until he couldn't resist the impulse to flinch.

Makoto yanked his head back roughly, forcing Haru to look him full in the face regardless of the pull in his tendons. "We found your attempt at sabotage. Repairs are underway even now, but as intended your escapades have cost us precious time. The Samezuka is gaining, and I am not the only crewman with personal reasons for wishing to evade it."

"Perhaps you should have considered that before making landfall." Haruka growled, willing his body to relax into the uncomfortable position.

"Alas for lost opportunities; I cannot undo the past."

"Be sure to tell me how the brig treats you. I hear they are hanging pirates in port-towns now."

"Do you? How?"

Haruka swallowed his words, comprehending Mako's plan with no more than those words. He spat viciously, pleased when saliva spattered against Makoto's skin; the man would be no more inclined to treat him kindly, but he had hardly been expecting fair treatment to begin with and it sounded like he would soon be safe aboard a legitimate vessel anyway.

Makoto released his hold, his hand drifted back to rub mock comforting circles between Haru's shoulder blades. "It is a small thing I ask; I only want to know how you received word of the goings-on around you. Did you not tell me yourself you had a vessel dry-docked nearby?"

"I lied."

"Of course, but if you hadn't where could you possibly keep it? The mechanics required for such a feat and the shallow water near shore, it couldn't be easy."

"If you know I will not answer, why do you ask?" He couldn't help but flinch when Mako's hand drifted down his spine, hesitating at the small of his back for a second too long before sweeping up to his neck and forcing his head down uncomfortably into the blanket. By the time he released his grip, Haru was panting for air, glaring murder at his captor.

"I only want to be fair. These are questions I intend to ask you once I am through here; you should have time to consider your answer."

"I don't understand."

His unspoken question went unanswered while Makoto's fingers drifted over the dips and hollows of his throat. "Here, we can exchange information. I will teach you something of yourself and perhaps then you won't be so reluctant to confide in me."

Both hands drifted down the sore muscles of his back, pressing in and circling in a manner that would have been soothing but for the man behind him.

"Do you know why your skin is still twitching?" Makoto snorted when Haru jerked violently at the unexpected voice, continuing the stimulation without pause. "You don't need to answer. I can tell you. I'm sure our surgeon could explain it far better than I, but ask any man that has lived without the benefit of law and he will tell you that Humans are natural predators. Even our bodies are constructed that way; run your tongue along your teeth if you do not believe me, scratch your nails along a hard surface."

Haruka shut his eyes, trying in vain to ignore Makoto's words. "We make very poor prey. Everything about a man is designed for offense, for attacking and rending and pursuit. We are not built to be defensible; our bodies are covered in vulnerabilities that are easily exploited." Haru struggled to breath when a warm palm clamped too tightly about his throat.

"Your throat is obvious, I think, but very few take the time to consider the back for more than the obvious reasons."

"And what would those be?"

Makoto smiled as he answered; Haruka was left with the impression that he had just lost a key struggle in the battle between them. "Low visibility. Peripheral vision is poor in this area, see how your eyes strain to watch me? It will give you a headache soon. Can you guess any other reason?"

Haruka clenched his teeth, biting back the urge to speak. Silence was the only response that guaranteed him safety.

Makoto pressed roughly into the curve of his back, moving slightly to the right. "Your kidneys are right here, and entirely unprotected. If I struck you, I could easily kill you. It's not a pleasant way to die, I once watched a man piss blood for days before death took him."

"And where would you have witnessed something like that?" He had to know something of who he was dealing with, even if he first had to surrender ground to secure it.

"I thought you had guessed it by now, but remember that this isn't the time for questions. Once I have finished speaking, you may." Haruka flailed when Mako's hand dipped lower than before, pressing softly on the protrusion of bone just above his ass. "This bone here has always been something of a mystery. Our surgeon couldn't tell you its purpose, but I know my colleagues always said it causes excruciating pain when fractured. It's very slow to heal."

Fingers danced up his vertebra, counting them mutely, "One of the crew even fractured his spine last winter. We didn't have a surgeon then, but I don't suppose it mattered. He couldn't get a breath after his rib cut into his lung. Rin thought it was kinder to cut his throat."

"If you are trying to convince me that your crew are savages, you are succeeding admirably."

Mako ignored him, still talking as though lost in his memories, "Rin said it was a mercy, but I always thought he might have rushed a bit. Rin doesn't like to keep useless things around for long, and if you cannot contribute to the wellbeing of this ship then you are a burden."

The implication was obvious, but Haruka didn't have long to think on it before Mako pressed viciously into the hollow of his throat once more, only releasing him once spots had begun to dance in his vision. "Are you still with me?"

"Yes." Haruka hissed. Makoto would not have long to enjoy the navy's hospitality. The moment he was free he would personally ensure this man was fathoms deep on the path to hell.

"Good. Can you hazard a guess at who I might be?"

"Besides a walking corpse?"

"Every man is that. It is how we occupy our time until death comes that determines our measure."

"I'm sure you're all too ready to tell me."

"If you will. Who I am, Nanase Haruka, is the former chief of intelligence for the imperial navy. You might have heard of me."

With a twist of watery fear and fury in his gut, Haruka realized that he had.

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A.N. I would apologize for the chapter title, but I couldn't resist. Therefore title comes from "Light my Fire" by The Doors.