Victualia was a Port town in Sumatra controlled by the Dutch East Indies Company. The town however attracted more than just Dutch, it was a popular port for all sailors and pirates do to the lack of law enforcement in the town itself, most of the guards were located in the fortress in the northern part of town. The other guards stood waiting in watch towers around the bay, their only purpose was to make sure no one was invading and they never interfered with all the nefarious activities going on about them (except to make sure they were getting paid not to get involved)
Claus and maverick had been living there for a few years, and they had connections with a certain rodent named Sven Heeren. Sven was a rat a giant Sumatran rat, who was lucky enough to be able to live a life of luxury no other rat could. He had worked long and hard throughout his youth for the Dutch East Indies company and now occupied a prominent position in the company, he was second in command of Victuallia, a position other rodents could only dream of. Unfortunately for Sven he was quite familiar with Claus and Maverick, both were his top (and only) Permanent privateers. When the company was in danger Sven made sure to send out Claus and Maverick (along with a crew)
While Claus and Maverick occupied the lowest possible positions other than prisoner in the ships they served their purpose was to spy on the crews and make sure that in the end the company and Sven got what they wanted. He also sent them on different missions; usually collecting goods from a smuggling and sending messages or money to various ne'er do wells. They were Svens eyes and ears and his bridge to the port town's underworld. Over the years Heeren has come to owe the two many favors, so of course they went to Heeren.
Since it was Heeren who owned the ship, the ship was the Black Vixen which was once an English ship before Dutch privateers captured it. Claus and Maverick had spent many a voyage aboard this ship and knew her better than anyone else, they had been through thick and thin with this ship and have shared it with many different crew members, but in the end when the loot was split up and the crew dispersed it was always Claus and Maverick left aboard the Black Vixen, their ship.
Claus and Maverick sauntered across the busy port town straight for Heeren's mansion, which was located in the gated section of Victualia, right next to the Dutch East Indies office building. Maverick flipped a coin to the bulldog guarding the entrance.
"Thank you there Maverick" said the Bulldog "Go right ahead in"
The bulldog was hired to keep the riff raff away from Victualia's aristocrats, but he would take bribes from time to time, especially from the pair of petty privateers who usually tipped him well. Claus knocked on the door to Heeren's mansion, Sven's butler, a portly tapir, opened the door. If the butler hadn't seen Sven and these two doing business before he would have sent them off. But since he recognized them he informed them that Mr. Heeren was in the office discussing something important.
This did not detour Claus and Maverick in the least, if they had any class they would have left and come back later when Sven was done, but since they didn't they marched straight over to the office. They knew exactly where Heeren would be. Heeren had started his career as a navigator and perfected his art throughout his rise to power, he was an excellent cartography and could locate where his ship was in a flash just by looking at a map. He was also skilled at astronomy and would often challenge himself by using the stars to guide him instead of a compass.
Since navigation was Heeren's game, Claus and Maverick headed for what was called The Dome. The Dome was a large round room with a large dome overhead with windows covering half of the wall. The windows overlooked the rocky cliffs and the ocean below and provided a beautiful sight to anyone lucky enough to be there. The rest of the wall was covered in charts and maps and bookcases, with a large world map on the far wall. In the center of the room was a large dais that depicted yet another world map, small model ships were scattered about the map and used by Heeren to plot out ship courses.
Heeren's desk was located right in front of the dais with the windows directly behind him. When Claus and Maverick barged into the room Sven was discussing something with what Claus and Maverick assumed his business associates. Heeren stood up immediately.
"This isn't a good time" Heeren announced to the pair "Whatever it is you'll need to come back later"
"But Sven we've just got this-" started Claus.
Sven grimaced, he knew his associates would be wondering who these two were, and of course Mr Heeren hated when they addressed him by his first name. Sven raised his paw to silence Claus, then turned to his associates.
"I'm terribly sorry for this, he is-er- my uh…brother"
"Your brother?" asked one of the associates, a tall ibex.
"The family doesn't like to talk about him"
"I aint your brother you great bleedin' ponce!"
"He's a bit daft in the head" said Sven wiggling his finger next to his forehead.
"Daft in the head! Bit daft yourself you scurvy slugfloggin'pillock!"
"Makes up his own words, if you gentlemen would excuse me for second"
Sven bent over and hissed into Claus's ear.
"Go to the hallway a servant will serve you drinks, this is very important to my position, if I lose my position you lose your ship understand"
Claus nodded, he was a bit shaken up. He wasn't used to Sven being so agitated. Claus and Maverick left the room allowing Sven to carry out his business. The two pirates entered the office later when the two associates had left.
"What do you two want this time?" asked Sven relieved that their interruption hadn't affected the meeting.
"We found this treasure map!" exclaimed Claus holding the tattered piece of paper up to Sven.
"Again?"
"This time it's a legimatite-"
"Legitimate"
"-A legitimate map"
"That's the same thing you said about the last five maps you've brought me."
"Yeah but its from a legitimatitit-"
"Legitimate"
"A legitimate source!"
"Who?" said Sven with a groan.
"A crazy old mink!"
"A crazy old mink? That doesn't sound very –"
"But he was all wash'd up on the shore an' Gottfried saw'im an' everthin'!"
"Claus how does that make anyone legitimate?"
"What Claus means" interrupted Maverick "Is that we could tell 'e wasn't lyin' to us, when you've been a pirate enough times you can tell if someone be lyin' to you"
"What about all those merchants that sold you treasure maps?"
"When you've been a pirate enough times you can tell, right off the back, if someone be tellin' you truth!"
"Look you two, I have business to attend to, apparently a French ship, the Adroit, attacked one of our vessels south of the Philippines."
"So?"
"So that ship had some valuables and some important heirlooms to the company's founder."
"How's that important?"
"It's symbolically important, it's a personal insult to the company!"
"Tell you what Sven" began Maverick "If we help you out on this, do you think we could make a quick stop after retrieving the treasure, to retrieve an even bigger treasure?"
"I think that can be arranged, but I want you two to find the best crew you can"
"Don't worry, we've dealt with mutinous crews before, we can handle them for you!"
"No, as a high officer in this company I will be joining you, there will be no need for such, just find the most qualified crew you can."
"Good crew got it, so which route will we be takin' ?"
"The Adroit left eastward from where they attacked, and since then our scouts have reported that they've been attacked by pirates at least twice, there ship won't be in any good fighting condition and should be relatively easy to take. They have crossed through the straights of Magellan and by now are in the south Atlantic, they should be moving very slowly by now.
We'll be catch up with them by going westward, past Cape Horn and cutting them off. I've sailed by there before"
"Got it, we'll get the crew, have the ship ready we'll leave tonight!"