A new plan

After the three of them had thoroughly cleaned themselves, Vanessa had pulled up new buckets of cold water through the window, they clothed themselves. Both girls only threw a loose shirt over each and then stated they would fetch undergarment from Vanessa's cabin.

Jay had by then pulled up his pants again and simply buttoned his shirt as there was no reason to wear armor anymore.

Seeing the girls off with a short peck from both, Jay resumed to searching through the big room. He already knew about which skills he had integrated over the last courses of events, so checking them was something he could do later as well.

With the desk and the two wardrobes already cleared, Jay first opened the only unlocked crate. In there he found numerous scrolls and a sheets of paper that looked like plans. Analyze told him his first thought was spot on and those were formulas for enchantments, plans for weapons and armors and even recipes.

After storing all inside his inventory, Jay went to the next crate. Following two horribly missed tries he went to test another lock which opened on the second try.

This one had again scrolls inside, but they were magic ones and not those to teach something.

Checking on them, he learned there had mostly been only two different enchantments: one for enhancing strength and the other for stamina. The effect was a measly five points, but Jay stored them anyways.

Just as he was about to open yet another chest, Jay heard the door to the cabin open and looked back over his shoulder.

Arya came walking in first, wearing a light yellow dress and some unfitting boots. She did smile though and directly walked over to him.

Vanessa followed her suite, but contrary to the blonde, she wore a tight brown leather pant combined with the shirt she already had on.

While Arya stopped in front of the desk and asked how Jay's search was faring, the other beauty walked until next to Jay and snatched his lock picking tool and turned around to the desk.

As she pressed a hidden button on it, Jay got surprised when a secret drawer slid open. Vanessa took a key ring from it and shoved it into his hand that he still held like when his lock picking tool got pulled from it.

"I told you I can help. Those should be all keys to the locks. If you are looking for something specific, just ask me…" V.

With this she left the space behind the desk and walked over to the bed and began pulling off the blanket. To his surprise, Arya walked over as well and helped her clean and tidy the bed.

Happy the girls seemed to get along a bit better, Jay went back on checking the crates.

Inside he found all kinds of items and equipment.

While in the smaller one he only found gems like moss agates and shadow-gems, even two more slave scrolls, the big catch was the crate he previously couldn't open:

It held quite some gold and a couple of small pouches that Jay analyzed as item bags, as well as a rare cape and two more armors like the one Vanessa had worn.

Taking one of the black leather armors and the rest inside the crate, Jay went to the hidden drawer and looked what else was inside. He found a sealed letter inside and a silver ring.

As he inspected it and learned it was enchanted with a slight health boost, Jay saw Vanessa eye it intensely.

Not thinking about it twice he flipped it over to her and the moment she caught it, he stated it seemed to be dear to her. Vanessa only nodded and explained it was from her mother as she put it on her finger.

Turning to the last wooden box next to a small book-shelve and opening it, Jay found a pretty good but low level short-sword inside, as well as a backpack.

It was nothing more than a big drop shaped leather bag with two straps for wearing it, as well as some more to affix equipment and a small pouch sewn on the side. He was about to leave it there but when he used (Analyze) he learned it was a spatial bag as well.

As there was no book on the shelve catching his eyes and his time was sparse anyways, the backpack was the last item Jay took from there. Done with all he wanted to do, he told the girls it was time to go. Both of them nodded to that and the three left for the main deck.

There they walked over to the dead crew and Jay searched them for anything of worth.

While he was reluctant to ask something like this from Arya, it felt even more wrong to do so with Vanessa as those were her former comrades.

The young women though didn't even ask and took care of the ones Jay had already checked by simply throwing them over board. As Jay was done quite some time later later, the last deck he checked and cleared all by himself being the forecastle deck, they met in the middle of then then clear main deck.

It was time to finally leave this cave.

"Hey, Vanessa! Isn't there a different way out of this cave, other than the way through the mines or the sea-gate?" J.

"Though it did only get finished a few days ago, there really is one. If you're all set then I'll lead you there…" J.

Jay nodded and thanked her to that, then the three of them walked over to the side of the Juggernaut. Looking down form the railing, Jay saw a pier right next to the ships hull and a footbridge leading to the far side of the cave.

There was no exit or passage to make out in the distance, but as Vanessa began to climb down a rope ladder, Jay followed her.

Arya was the last in line and as Jay looked up to her while climbing down, he got a nice glimpse on the purple string she wore under the dress.

Down on the pier Vanessa again took the lead and proceeded towards the footbridge and then along a small path leading up a slope. The Juggernaut got out of sight behind some rocky spikes in between, until they reached a small plateau.

To the right they saw the stern of the giant ship in the bay like cave and to the left was an open wooden door leading into a dark tunnel.

"Previously it was no more than a crouching tunnel for air circulation and emergencies. But this passage was planned to use as our new supply route once we were done with our plans..." V.

"With what plans?" A.

"You though my bastard father wouldn't have betrayed Millshire? Think twice!" V.

"Hey, calm down you two… Do you know where it leads?" J.

"Sorry, I guess I was too ignorant for such things until now, but we'll see it soon…" V.

As Vanessa was about to step forward, Jay held her back grabbing her shoulder, took out one of the torches he had stored and lit it. The shine only illuminated a few yards inside where he didn't spot anything out of the ordinary.

The flame moving wildly and the notable air current indicated there really was and exit further down the passage.

"About what you said… I know that your father wanted to join the Bloodsails with the Juggernaut, right? Can you tell me more?" J.

"I was with him during some of the negotiations, though not all. They are a conglomeration of pirate crews that operate in the southern seas. My father told his plan was to join them with the Juggernaut and get the rights from them to plunder the northern trade-routes along Arathi Kingdom's shores. Until today, none of the crews under their banner had dared to take it.

He had stated that this would strike at the Kingdoms economy that is already hard pressed and would cause the least collateral damage. But I doubt that was all he had in mind…" A.

"Why is that?" J.

"The Juggernaut. In the time it took to plan and construct it, as well as for the resources necessary, he could have built a small fleet, enough to take care of one or two battleships from Arathor's marine.

My bet goes on him planning to take over the Bloodsails and lead them into war, but it's just a wild guess. As if I would still believe him caring for more victims…" A.

"Do you know where their base is?" J.

"Not exactly as they had sent and emissary, but it's at the continents southern cape. There was a scheduled meeting at Yojamba island once the Juggernaut was finished though. Why?" V.

"I take it there was a price for the route, right? Do you know the conditions?" J.

"I think I don't like where this conversation is going…" A.

"One thousand gold bars was the last I heard, and some commodities from the Kingdom got demanded. That was the reason we hid here in the mines and hoarded so much gold." V.

Jay though back at the vault where he plundered more than double the amount of gold needed. There had been no need to hoard that much more other than the man's own greed.

One thing Vanessa mentioned got Jay irritated though, even more as he thought back at the shipwreck he had visited some time ago.

"What about the marine from Arathor, didn't your father fear any retaliation? Or if an open war to the sea was his aim, did he really think he could win?" J.

"I don't know for sure, but the marine is no longer what it once was. The biggest ship they once had went missing years ago and since then they concentrated more on the north. Not that there was any threat from the south to begin with, but the peace treaty with Lordath isn't that trusted it seems. By now, most of the western fleet should be at other continents.

But why are you so interested in this?" V.

"Well, that's because I'm thinking about leaving you here to do just what your father had planned to do…" J.

Dumbfounded and in sheer disbelief both of the women looked at Jay to his answer. It was clear to him that Vanessa hadn't thought to ever be released, but for Arya he was not sure if it was because of him thinking about releasing the former or having her use the Juggernaut.

But he was sure to learn about that some seconds later and so he did.

"You're... really?… for real?" V.

"Are you a total idiot? You're really going to let them attack the kingdom?" A.

"Hey, let me clarify something here!

Arya, of course I wasn't thinking of letting her attack the Kingdom, not do I think she ever would. Contrary to her father she has no real grudge against Arathor but only against the ones responsible for her mothers death, right?" J.

"Y-yes, you're right…" V.

"And if they would plunder around the neighboring Kingdoms south of here, it would be beneficial to Arathi Kingdom and even more Westfield, right?

This would be two hits with one stone, and a connection to the far south additionally to a ship like this are not really a downside…" J.

"Well, that's true I guess…" A.

"Vanessa, even if I'll let you go, that doesn't mean I'd set you free. Not that I could do so anyways, so you'll remain a slave of mine.

But that is only if Arya agrees to this…" J.

"She'd probably only get hung if we brought her with us and sold her out.

As a fellow slave it's not my right say anything against your idea, so do as you please…" A.

"Fine, then even though I'd love to share more time with the two of you, this will be good bye for now.

Sail south and get in contact with the pirates. Once we are done on our part, I hope that Arya will support you at least a bit..." J.

"Humpf! But only because it's you..." A.

"I don't know what to say… I mean, thank you for my life and trusting me that much, but… how the hell am I supposed to sail the ship all by myself, let alone finish it???" V.

"Calm down please… There is a female gunner stuffed into one of the big cannons on the Juggernaut. She is completely nuts, but maybe you can get her to help you… And you'll find your Navigator locked up in the storage cave." J.

"Why doesn't it surprise me you left a woman alive?..." A.

"That's far from enough…" V.

"Naturally! I'll send some more capable people later on, and you can hire more later on as well. I guess Arya could send some of the corrupt guards to help as well?

At least those are easy disposable once done…" J.

"Hey, Don't you thinks that's going a bit too far?" A.

"Then what do you think the military officials will do with them once they learn what happened? This way they can live a bit longer and at least do something productive…" J.

"Hearimg this, I'm glad to not being your enemy anymore…" V.

For Vanessa to pay off the Bloodsails and hire crew members, Jay gave back over thousand gold bars. It shocked both of the women when the bars appeared out of nowhere, even though they had already learned Jay had some kind of storage magic.

As they commented him giving it back was good and all, they at the same time asked how Vanessa was supposed to get them back onto the Juggernaut.

Jay only threw her a small pouch over as an answer.

Vanessa checked the pouch the moment she got her hands on it and looked at Jay dumbfounded. That of course was because it had been an item bag he gave her.

Inside he even had stored some things that might come in handy for her like the strange gun he found, a handgun gun he recently had found whilst looking throug his inventory, some gold or another item bag.

To her question why he was giving this to her, he stated to simply see this as an investment. Vanessa understood his intentions for her to get stronger and accepted those gifts gratefully.

Though Arya looked a bit envious after he had given Vanessa so much, she didn't complain in the slightest. The two of them were about to leave her behind anyways.

About to finish their last planning for a while, Vanessa guessed they would take at least another month to finish the Juggernaut, even if the necessary materials were already stocked.

Jay and Arya should have send their reinforcements and orders through the mine until then.

To that Jay even hinted she should send someone to break down the connection to the mines a sooner than that as the royal army might come to inspect the mine in the not to far future.

He would possibly send more personnel down the passage he would use with Arya next. And there might as well be some survivors in the mines she could make use of as crew members, so he advised one last check...

Just as they turned to leave, Vanessa asked how or where she could contact him after they started to run wild and made some profit. She stated he surely wanted his share to what Jay answered he would let her know later on and was anticipating to meed her again.

After taking a step into the dark passage, Jay once again turned around to face Vanessa who had followed up close.

Giving her a last kiss on her lips he whispered his last order into her ear after excusing for it. It was to never betray him and not get herself killed. To this she blushed a bit and commented she really was lucky for him to have come down there into the mines.

Getting a cheeky grin on her face, Vanessa then whispered to him that she wanted some physical compensation when they meet again, and depending on how much time passes until then it maybe a lot…

It was exactly at the moment when they said their goodbyes for real that the black haired beauties name and title changed to Captain Vanessa van Claven.