Re: World-Marleybone

[Hannah Durante]

"Because they weren't naturally bloodthirsty killers."   Hannah muttered in response, believing his question had been geared toward her comment about the Polarian's cruelty probably surpassing his own.   What she had really meant to say was because the Polarians had not been insane, though for now she would be content to explain it as she had.  The deranged like Cahin were to be feared for sure, and she had little doubt he was capable of some horrible things...but at the same time that knowledge did not come as a surprise.  

While she could not anticipate what he would do or follow his thought process, she could count on him to be bloody, violent, sadistic.  There was just something far more intimidating to her about an enemy who was rational, fully in control of their thought processes and impulses, somebody who had emotion and compassion for more than just a single figure they had fixated on choosing to switch all of that off to be as cruel as possible.  It was always the worst kind of unexpected in her mind, and left the deepest sort of impact.

The buccaneer took some solace in the fact Cahin relaxed soon after her little tirade was over, as it seemed he had no intention of alerting his father.   She did arch a light brow however, with the last words he uttered before succumbing to sleep.  It was...funny almost, in a bitter sort of way, that she could only gain even the tiniest speck of respect from a man who was completely insane.  

"With any luck, it won't be...At least as far as you and I are concerned."

She wasn't entirely sure he had been talking about an anticipated confrontation, but with how he had spoken, and behaved in the face of any conflict whatsoever...she had at least a hunch that much had meant he wanted to fight, to maim, to aim to kill when he was fully recovered.   Which he would be able to indulge in she was certain, just not with her.   As much as a challenge would thrill her, one who did not seem to be quite as rabid about punishment as the rest of the Armada soldiers on this ship, it was more trouble than it was worth-  just like killing him would be, she reminded herself.

Still holding the shield out in front of her should anything go wrong, Hannah cautiously moved from the corner she had pressed herself in, glancing over her shoulder every few minutes just to make sure Cahin was actually asleep and not just wanting for a more amusing chance to shriek for his father.   Once confident he really had allowed himself to rest, she opened the door to the cabin just a crack; an effort to see what was going on, as well as where they currently were.

Immediately, her eyes were drawn to....what appeared to be one of the remaining dog officers tied to a stake.   The more she looked, the more she realized it was the one who had helped her, which sent a shockwave of guilt through her as it began to dawn on her what they had planned for him; her mind concocting all sorts of horrific images before the burning had even begun.   But, they wouldn't execute him so slowly....would they?  

She received her answer the second one of the clockworks moved a torch to light the wood underneath the stake.  They would.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses chuckled in cruel amusement, seating himself on a throne-like chair the Dragoons had set up for him as though he was watching a comedy. To his right stood, the Marine Captain Sentus Optimus; his left is the clockwork spy as well as officer Albinus Crassus... Almost like Kane's own court of gears, minus the mad genius and the jester, who was obviously Cahin Havos.

"This is for opposing the Armada,"the Armada Admiral laughed, the sound much similar to Cahin's when the jester was slaughtering his victims, "and for my son." Septimus had always worked hard to conceal this side, but now he couldn't help other than letting it out: he actually cared about some, and those who were foolish enough to hurt them would receive the full scale of his wrath.

"Ave Imperator Primus Caesarus!"Such were the words uttered by the clockworks around the deck as fire shot up toward the skies, painting dark shadows across the mask/face of the Armada troopers, as well as Ulysses' features.

The Admiral's head snapped to the side, attracted by the voice of the Dragoon officer Presidos Sentus.

"Lord Ulysses,"The Dragoon saluted him stiffly, mechanically, "we spy the Empire in the distance, and they would like to request an audience with you... Your orders, sir?"

"Allow them."Ulysses replied simply.


A moment later, a ship that was almost the size of the Isle of Fetch came to a halt next to the Interceptor: it was a Valencian galleon, except much more armored, even more so than Octavian's Armada ship, and equipped with a main gun that would have easily dwarfed the primary gun of the Beachhead, swivel guns on the sides, and at least 75 cannons.

Ulysses stood up from his throne to greet the new passenger. "Mentor! I welcome you, what wind blown you here?"

Cristobal Auditore de la Faiz, a tall man with rust colored locks and full mustache and beard smiled pleasantly. "I recently just finished a few new weapons, which I thought you would be interested. I also heard you might need some help in dealing with the Rebels, but it appeared that I am wrong." Compared to his apprentice, Cristobal was calm, collected, and sane, yet there was still an air of sinister power around him, an aura very similar to the one Bishop wielded, only three times as strong.

The Armada admiral gestured for the old Assassin to have a seat on a chair his Marines had set down, though before he could speak, Optimus stepped forward. "Sir, I hate to disturb you, but our little friend had in fact escaped."

Ulysses chuckled, "Tch, why do you worry so, captain? Take into consideration that we are in the middle of the skyway, as well as on a ship: she has nowhere to go! She would come out of hiding soon enough."

As if to taunt Hannah, the deck of the Empire was virtually crawling with clockworks, their types being Grenadiers, Royal Guards, as well as many, many Brutes*... Who knows how many more clockworks are hiding underneath the deck of the massive ship?

((Brutes-Developed from the Brute Assassins, Brute clockworks are about the size of Dragoons and much more armored, their "faces" being those of Crusader helmets. They are armed with halberds as well as large claymore swords.))

[Hannah Durante]

The more she watched this sadistic display of revenge, the more it became clear that very few fates could have been as terrible as the one the dog officer was enduring.   It was so horrible, so slow, and to make matters worse Ulysses was making a show out it; as if this was the most entertaining thing he had witnessed in a long while.  What a horrible way to die.....so much agony, as his enemies circled around jeering and reveling in every second of his misery.  She forced herself to look away, hoping the officer would perish soon for his own sake, attempting to ignore the horrible stench of his burning body as best she could.

Fortunately he expired not long after, bringing an end to at least that madness, though she knew his corpse would not be respected- if anything, they would toss it over the side of the ship into the abyss that was every skyway soon enough for what he had done, how much he had infuriated the admiral.   Human emotion, it seemed, did not only give this man potential points of weakness to strike at..but also the ability to engage in cruelty she wasn't sure even the clockworks were capable of.   And the way he had laughed at his victim....Like father like son, it seemed.

"..You have got to be kidding me."

She only spent a fraction of time focusing on what had just happened, because it was hard to ignore what happened next; the imposing ship that slowly made its way toward them, only to reveal it was in league with Ulysses and the Armada as those aboard it were welcome on this vessel with open arms, another capable-looking human and horrifying number of clockworks among them.  It quickly became clear from the way they interacted that the other human, the captain of the other ship she presumed, was close with the admiral.  Perhaps he was even another member of that assassin society her fellow Valencian had told her about once.

Fantastic, absolutely fantastic.    Hannah felt her chest tighten with panic at the sight of all the Armada soldiers swarming both ships, how vastly outnumbered she was here.   Escaping the mast was a hollow thrill now, because it hadn't mattered in the slightest.    She felt overwhelmed, taking several steps away from the door until she had collided with the wall on the opposite side of the room.  Her halberd fell to the floor with a clatter as she lost the strength to keep grasping onto it; her swarming, panicked thoughts and feelings crashing through her so strongly, she might have become numb with just another push.

This....this was a nightmare, one that just continued to get worse by the second.   She just wanted to wake up, to actually be dreaming, to not be in such a position.   But she knew this was reality, the ugly truth that was growing more clear by the second, no matter how much she wanted to deny it.    Now she really didn't know what to do- all her thoughts were of how awful this was, not a way to get out of it.  She had never before in her life faced this sort of obstacle, which she was feeling was more insurmountable with each passing second.  

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she slid down against the wall into an insecure seated position, grasping her head between her hands as she tried to force herself to either calm down or come up with something brilliant or crazy.    But neither happened...She was just working herself up that much more, and her heartbeat, which had calmed down a while ago started to pick back up in speed.  Hell, she could feel the color draining from her face as her stomach burned and churned with anxiety she had not felt this powerful for quite some time.

No, no, no- Why is this happening? Why now? I don't deserve this!  What in the spiral could I have possibly done TO attract such rotten luck?!

Hannah mulled over her few options the best she could in this state.   She could remain hiding in here, but the admiral would storm in eventually, and if he found her lurking in here around his son....well, those rabid, protective instincts of him combined with the thrill of the death he had just cause could push him into doing some truly horrible things- and she would not put it past him to then proceed to ruin everything for her family.   He appeared to know what her greatest fears were, after all.    It also meant attempting to use Cahin as a hostage was out of the question as well- it would fail even more miserably than cowering in here would, as much as she hated to admit to that.   Maybe it would work for a few seconds, but they would never give in to her demands, or use the fact she did so as an excuse to hunt her down and slaughter her like some vermin if they did drop her off.

Her eyes shot open at that thought.    She was not vermin, or some common pirate thug the likes of which the Armada dealt with on a daily basis.   But she was hardly making a strong case for herself, holed up in some distant corner of the ship like a rat.   Shakily, she forced herself to grab back onto her halberd and stand, eyes narrowing at the door to the cabin as pride fought against survival instinct- and it was the former that won out.   No matter what fate had in store for her here, she could at the very least face it with what little dignity she had left- and she would.  Even if her common sense was screaming at her that she was only playing right into their hands, which she felt was unavoidable at the moment.

Slowly but surely she emerged from the cabin, taking those tentative few steps out onto the deck.   Her stomach lurched again, worse this time at what was waiting for her, but this was better than giving them more reasons to think so lowly of her.  

Come what may... the buccaneer thought to herself as she waited for whatever hell was to come; gaze locked on Ulysses and his mentor.   It has to be better than dying scared in a corner....or on a stake.

[Ulysses Septimus]

"See, Captain Optimus? I told you our little friend would come out if we wait."Ulysses drawled, one knee resting on the other as his "elites" held their places around his "throne", only now Cristobal's seat is in Bishop's place, almost completing the Admiral's version of Court of Gears.

Optimus, the Musketeer officer, merely replied, "I apologize for questioning you, Lord Ulysses."

The Admiral nodded once, then focused on Hannah. "Not so prideful now, are you?" Each word was smug, said with a tone that boasted of 'I got you now', "Ms. Devereaux, are you going to be wise for once and not fight? As this is obviously not in your favor."

He waved his hand, commanding his troops to throw the burnt body over the side, while never letting his eyes leave her.

If there was something Ulysses knew more than brutal killing, then that would be turning what his enemy feared against them, using their fear like a pressure point to force them into doing what he wanted.

At his right, Sentus Optimus stood there, unmoving, loyal, much like Rooke; Albinus leaned in at Ulysses' left, whispering some inaudible things to the Admiral, who nodded once again, issuing a quiet command back in Latin; Cristobal occupied the place Bishop would have been standing if it was Kane's court, pinching his chin, contemplating, thinking of the best weapons and tools of destruction; that leaves only one spot open.

The one where Phule would have been--the spot at the foot of his throne-like chair--reserved for none other than Cahin Havos.

Was this some sort of sign, that Ulysses would raise to a position far higher than the one he currently occupied now?

[Hannah Durante]

She swallowed hard, biting back every snappy word she could have possibly said. It was too foolish for even her to justify now, when there were soldiers in practically every nook and cranny of the ship; ones who would most certainly be happy to run her through, should their precious admiral command it. Besides, what could she say that would make a dent anyway? They had hardly listened to much of what she had said beforehand, and no matter what option she chose here, he would emerge the victor.

Even if she could have thought of a magnificent insult in the midst of the emotional maelstrom she was currently trapped within, her words still would have been worthless in the grand scheme of things. So, she chose to remain silent for the moment, while refusing to tear her gaze away from Ulysses's own; the only battle of wills she could convince herself to wage with the odds stacked against and crushing her. The only way she knew how to try and hide her fear from the likes of him...she most certainly did not want to give him the pleasure of seeing how truly terrifying this all was for her.

..Especially not as he began to taunt her, his words dripping with a smug satisfaction that made her body burn again, though this time with rage. She might have been able to take his taunting were the circumstances different, even ignore them, but since he had won here and worse yet was right...his gloating was hard for her not to be impacted by. Her ego was throbbing from all of this, nearly shattered by this point. Hannah actually had to bite her lip to keep herself from snapping at him the more his words dug deeper and deeper, incredibly resentful of his insults.

Wise choice...Wise choice, she had tried to make a wise choice, but they hadn't let her! It wasn't her fault Ulysses had decided to appoint himself Kane's right hand and swoop in to deliver punishment for even the most minor of infractions. She had been playing smart and safe, at least for a while. Though, he probably didn't think so- in fact, she suspected that in his fanaticism he considered her an idiot and much worse for what she had done.

Finally, she tore her gaze away; staring at the ground in resignation. Defeat. Her fingers slowly uncurled from around the staff of her weapon, letting the halberd fall to the ground again though this time she made no attempt to pick it back up. Shame flitted through her at how she was doing this, again, only this time...it was more sincere. There were no more grand escape plans, not yet, and Hannah was uncertain they would reemerge anytime soon. Especially not if the admiral poked and prodded at the most vulnerable sides of her, knew how to twist the loyalty she still felt for home, despite her fear of what the Armada was doing.

She would not say he had defeated her in words unless prodded to, her ego, however wounded, kept her stubborn about that much. But the words did not even need to be uttered, with how she had broken eye contact and released her weapon. A man like Ulysses would know what that meant, and she was sure her body language betrayed the fact she had given up right now.

"...So what now then, admiral?" She finally spoke up as she lifted her gaze to look at him once more, and couldn't help but make a very peculiar observation. He was...so much like Kane at the moment, that it made her skin prickle with goosebumps just thinking about it. It was almost as if he were a clone of the supreme commander- at least, what he had become over the decade following the Polarian war. She wondered if it meant something, some kind of omen; superstitious much like her parents. She also had to stop and ask herself which one of them was more unnerving to deal with.

[Ulysses Septimus]

"We shall keep our charted course--to Cadiz, obviously."Ulysses chuckled, tapping his long fingers on the armrest of his throne, light reflecting from the silver patterned volto mask he had put on only moments ago. "I, or more exactly, Lord Kane, wants to present you with an offer."

He chuckled mentally at that thought: the Supreme Commander was brilliant in thinking of that one, just plain genius!

Ulysses raised his left hand, uttering another command in Latin: this one for Sentus Optimus to pick up her weapons and put them back to where they were once kept.

The "Rooke" of Septimus' version of Court of Gears, nodded once and stepped forward to carry out his command.

"Mentor, I apologize for interrupting our conversation, now what exactly are the weapons?"He asked the engineer again without turning his crimson eyes away from the buccaneer, eyes that sneered in smug satisfaction.

"As I was going to say, Lord Ulysses."Cristobal placed his drafting compass away in the satchel at his side, "I had been reexamining the Hidden Blade; if modified properly, it can be given the properties of a rope dart as well as powered up crossbow..."

[Hannah Durante]

Of course they would. Hannah didn't know why she hadn't expected that to come flying out of his mouth in the first place. It wasn't enough to humiliate her here after all, oh no- he had to go all the way, to make sure she would face her worst fears head on, one by one...She wondered if he simply felt the need to drag at least one prisoner back home for interrogation and punishment, or knew that death was not what she feared most and wanted to see her squirm in the face of what she did.

She wasn't sure what to take from what he said next, her eyes at first widening in shock before they narrowed in suspicion. An offer? From Kane? Surely, this was some kind of trick or a sick joke- they had insisted punishment was all that had awaited her before, so what could possibly have changed in such a short span of time? Unless, that had been planned all along, and Ulysses had simply neglected to inform her of it to cruelly watch her panic.

"..An offer?" She ventured warily, not sure whether that was a good or bad thing. Although, she had to admit the idea intrigued her, even if she did feel unsettled by what it could possibly involve. "What kind of offer?"

She anticipated him to refuse to answer for now, which would only make her mind run wild with all sorts of scenarios- positive and negative. As she considered the possibility however, she was grateful Tomas had not also been taken prisoner for another reason. Because she knew, deep down, if she was put on the spot, or her weaknesses manipulated just right....She would leap at whatever offer was given her. Or cling to in, in some desperate bid to return to as much of her normal life she could.

So much for liberating my weapons, she sourly thought to herself as one of Ulysses's apparent high court members not only took the halberd, but made it a point to yank the shield off the arm it had been strapped to; forcing her to look at what remained of the restraint they had used on her early- the iron cuff itself still firmly attached to her wrist. She gawked at it for a moment, fearing that it too was an ill omen of things to come, before she let that hand fall by her side. Anything to avoid looking at it.

Hannah was surprised to find that they didn't usher her to a cramped, dirty holding cell immediately, instead letting her just stand there, even as Ulysses and his mentor began to talk about weapons, probably ones to use against the resistance and any who stood in Kane's way. It was intimidating though the way the admiral just stared, those eyes of his still gleaming smugly. She had not taken much notice of them in their past encounters, but now she could not help but focus on them. It felt....oddly uncomfortable, like they were burning a hole right through her very soul, and set against the elegant mask he was currently wearing...She couldn't be as upset as she wanted to be, instead wishing he would look somewhere else. It was almost as if he was trying to tear her down that much further by a look alone, and she couldn't say she liked the sensation.

To help alleviate some of it though, she turned her attention to the older man in anticipation of what sort of weapon he would present the admiral. She couldn't say she knew a whole lot about the capability of the hidden blade, more than was obvious from their title, but what he was suggesting didn't sound good for anybody who opposed the Armada, or even merely Ulysses. He was going to be a walking incarnation of death and destruction all in the name of Valencians promised 'golden age' at this point.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses finally tore his eyes away, since Cristobal had snapped his fingers and summoned a white robed Assassin from the other ship. Said new arrival currently carried what seemed to be a box around the size used to hold a flintlock pistol, maybe just a little bigger.

He kneeled before Ulysses' throne, presenting the box to the Admiral, after opening the latch.

Septimus reached out, pulling what appeared to be an elaborately made plate arm bracer, marked with the "A" shaped symbol inside the gear that was the mark of the Valencian Assassins.

He turned the bracer over in his hands, revealing a rectangular case bound to the bracer's underside. After a light pull at a hidden spring, a blade shot out of the case, glinting wickedly in the light.

Ulysses smiled, though saying nothing: he aimed it at the deck underneath his feet and pressed the button.

SHINK.

The blade shot from its sheath, connected now only to the bracer by a length of fine metal cable on the end.

"Fabulous, this will become useful, I sense."Ulysses smiled, pressing the button again to retract the blade. "Thank you, Mentor."

"Anytime,"Cristobal chuckled a little, only to stop when he suddenly focused on the door of the Captain's Cabin.

It was Cahin, apparently he had recovered enough to join them.

"Hello daddy."He giggled, sounding almost entirely like his usual demented self again.

"Cahin, my dear son."Ulysses extended his hand once more, "why don't you come over here and join me?"

[Hannah Durante]

((this post is such yuck, I apologize.))

He had completely passed over answering her, as expected, unwilling to alleviate anything here. It stood to reason she supposed, considering the fact she was a prisoner and not an equal, although..if this offer truly did exist, perhaps at the very least she would not face the former as badly as some people did. Of course, the fact she was still alive already attributed to that much. She was still not in an ideal position though, and was completely torn on whether she wanted the ride back to Cadiz to drag on so she had more time to mentally brace herself for anything that was to come, or if she just wanted to get all of this over with and not obsess over it all longer than was necessary, lest it tear her apart before they even arrived in Valencia.

It was a relief when the admiral's attention became occupied by the new weapon his allies had brought aboard. Both because that steely, smug gaze of his was no longer taunting her, and the demonstration of whatever lay inside the small box he was presented with would help her distract herself. Not enough to make a huge difference, but at this point she didn't care- she had to calm down somewhat, no matter how impossible a task it seemed with the knowledge of where they were going.

The demonstration was intriguing anyway, though she truly felt sorry for anybody who willingly stood in the way of this brotherhood of killers, or tried to play hero when it came to them. They had so many resources at their disposal, so many tools and weapons and soldiers who gleefully used them to brutally dispatch their enemies. She wouldn't allow herself to admit it, but she was...well, sort of impressed. Even as a soldier, she had not encountered the brotherhood before she had run into Ulysses, nor had she even really paid attention to the fact they existed.

Her focus, much like Cristobal's, drifted the second that eerily demented voice pierced the air and she slid several feet away from her original position, not content until she had put quite a wide berth between them. It didn't really matter, he wouldn't have done anything when his father was calling him, but it made her feel a twinge safer to be as far away from the jester as possible without her weapons. She did wonder how he had recovered so quickly, at least enough to come out and join them, from a severe wound like that. Was there no advantage these soldiers didn't hold?

Hannah sighed and slid herself into a seated position against the side of the ship, knowing they wouldn't care what she did- she wouldn't attack them out of the blue and she couldn't get off the ship; pulling her knees up to her stomach insecurely as her mind started to go in panicked circles again. This was going to be a long ride...

She couldn't help but watch the father-son reunion as it did, a nagging voice in her mind reminding her of how familiar this all looked...right down to the positions. Did Kane know about this little setup, she wondered? It was almost exactly the same as his own, except for one.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Cahin embraced his father, then took his position on where Phule would have been, one dagger in his grip, his frame rocking slightly back and forth while he muttered to himself, occasionally giggling.

Now, with each one of his "elites" in their respective places, Ulysses faced his rather impressive looking clockwork crew, snapping off another command in Latin: basically just one for them to all return to their original posts.

"Mentor,"Septimus turned, facing Cristobal, "if you wouldn't mind: how is the Order faring during my absence?"

"We are prospering even more than before, Grandmaster."The older Assassin replied, "the branch in Cool Ranch had recently discovered a new gold deposit in Cooper's Roost; in Mooshu we had received a shipment of weapons as well as ores to craft armor with; Monquista's branch also expanded their influence to the Inner Court; and finally, the HQ in Krokotopia also believe they had found the location of another map piece."

"Excellent, excellent."Ulysses grinned, "at this rate, the Resistance would stand no chance against us.. They will be crushed, and Lord Kane shall at last rule supreme!"

"Daddy, does that mean you will be even more powerful than you are now?"Cahin looked up from his position at the foot of Ulysses' throne, half leaning against one of the Admiral's legs.

The Assassin smiled, "Yes, my son, I will become the second greatest persona, I sense, once the Grand Design had been carried out."

"Daddy, you are already a god, how is that possible?"

"I assure you it is possible, Cahin,"Ulysses patted his shoulder, as the jester had completely rested his weigh against his leg, "by me supporting the power of the Supreme Commander..."

"I don't understand, daddy."

"Once the Grand Design is complete, you will."

[Hannah Durante]

Though it hardly seemed smart in most occasions, Hannah decided to eavesdrop on the conversation going on between Ulysses and those who had not drifted away from his throne to man various posts on the ship. She was fortunately able to hear the voices of the two men from her current position, likely because neither of them seemed too concerned about discussing these matters at a normal volume.

Not that she could blame them, for that one. Honestly, there was no reason to be paranoid talking about what they were here of all places, and she had a sneaking suspicion they wouldn't have been afraid to talk about it even if there had been more threatening enemies out and about. From what she was hearing, the Armada was inching even closer toward total victory by the day; something she had not doubted was within their power from everything she had seen, though it was still startling to her it was all happening so fast.

Her mind immediately went to those allies, friends she had met and made. What would happen to them, she wondered, if things kept proceeding at such a rapid pace that the Armada would be blindsiding the entire spiral in only a few, short weeks? She could trust Tomas to play things safely and be smart, but he was also a highly compassionate young man, one she could see reluctantly eventually joining the resistance if it meant protecting those who could not defend themselves from the clockwork's wrath and did not deserve it. Kestrel she feared for due to her magical abilities, which from what she had learned were necessary in her current state..but were also considered illegal. Kane had always seemed paranoid, for lack of a better word, about the properties and possibilities of magic in the hands of those he did not trust or could not control.

And Bailey...oh, Bailey...she would be in trouble for certain, being a Marleybonean lieutenant who now had a personal vendetta against the clockworks and a death she was hellbent on avenging by smashing up as many of their lot as possible. Hannah feared for her fate the absolute worst, because while the others might be able to convinced to stand back and not get in the way...the same, she knew, would never hold true for Bailey. Not with the seething hatred she now had for their kind, due to the loss of one of her best friends.

The buccaneer jerked her head upward to stare at the admiral once more as he answered the jester's almost bewildered question, with an answer she found shocking as well- though not for the same reasons as Cahin. He...was in position to become the second? There would be two of them.... What exactly did that mean? What jurisdiction would Ulysses hold, how much power would he have then? And what new position would Kane hold, she wondered, that he would be so willing to grant the kind of courtesy she had never expected from the commander, as he had rarely struck her as the sort willing to share power, when things had turned.

But somewhere, deep down, she knew. Or at least, had a hunch of what this might mean- Kane as the self-appointed god of the entire spiral, while the admiral was granted his former, esteemed post...the supreme commander of the only military they would allow to exist, once everything was said and done. It was...the completion of his transformation, she supposed, and the disturbing notion that Kane had more or less groomed Ulysses for this purpose crossed her mind. He was very clever after all, too smart for the spiral's own good...who was to say he had not been carefully manipulating Ulysses, pushing and pulling him into practically becoming his twin. Somebody he could trust....with little regard to whatever the admiral's original personality had been.

Septimus hardly seemed bothered by any of that though, if anything he was clearly happy with his slot in life. But, she could not say whether Kane had just inspired that much confidence in him like the brilliant tactician he had always been, or if the man had been broken in some way and was too far gone, too programmed to feel nothing more than unwavering obedience and inspiration.

She would not put it past the elites. After all, living soldiers like her had been 'programmed' too, toward certain loyalties and duties. Her own threatened to overwhelm and consume her on a frequent basis and they were different than his, as things had not been like they were now ten years ago. If her own held so much power even now, she could only imagine what his must have been like..

A cold chill took hold of her spine as she dwelled on it and it brought up other disquieting notions, though she forced them all down for now. There was something she needed to ask, because if he felt generous enough to answer her, it made a great deal of difference for those she considered friends.

"Admiral.." She forced herself to spit out as respectfully as she could at the moment, no matter how much her ego protested it; feeling the humiliation of acknowledging being 'lesser' to him piercing her deeply. "How close to completion is the Grand Design?"

It was incredibly sensitive information, but she did not want a specific date now, and she did not think he knew the exact moment Kane would pull it off anyway. She just wanted to know if they were nearing the hour, or it was a long while away. Nothing about it, though she was not blind to the fact it had been building for years now. 'The grand design' was obviously whatever the machine had been designed for, as the soldiers had always been quick to assure them that it would usher in a new golden age of peace and prosperity for their homeland. At what cost though, as she could remember those giant circular blades...the ones that looked big enough to destroy entire cities, if Kane, or from what she was hearing even Ulysses, so willed it.

If it was soon, that would not bode well for her friends...and if it was, if there really was an offer, she would have to see what she could do in order to attempt sparing their lives. Whatever the cost of that might be...for herself or them.

[Ulysses Septimus]

"Whenever Lord Kane wishes."Ulysses smiled wickedly, "like how the Krokotopians would have said 'Just need to put down the capstone on the pyramid.'" Well that was more like half true, actually, because they still lacked the one important piece that would complete the Machine.

Cahin giggled, his head now resting on Ulysses' thigh though he said nothing.

The Admiral craned his neck, "Mentor, what else did you bring?"

Cristobal gave a little wave, "The Wrist Bow, Spring Razor, as well as Telescope Blade."

Three Assassins, bearing a chest upon their shoulders, marched into sight, stopping before the throne of Ulysses.

The Engineer pulled a chain of keys from his satchel, unlocking the chest with a click. Inside, on a bed of red satin, are three things, three tools of death and destruction.

Ulysses reached out, taking the folded blade and flicked it through the air. A wicked looking sword laid in the Admiral's grip a few seconds later, the edge glinting a tinge of green to show it was poisoned.

He set the extended blade down, picking up the miniature crossbow, examining it. "Hmm."Ulysses pulled down the sleeve of his right arm, revealing a bracer very much similar to the one Cristobal had brought to him.

Unhooking the case with the Hidden Blade which he set on his lap, Septimus slide the wristbow onto the bracer. "Interesting... This shall prove to be a good instrument for death to the enemies of the Supreme Commander... You never fail to live up your name as the Royal Engineer, Mentor."

"I am merely doing my part in helping with the carrying out of the Grand Design."Cristobal examined the drafting compass in his hands, his voice calm and sane as well. The older Assassin was never insane, like Ulysses is, he actually chose to be cruel and inventive.

The Admiral unclipped the wristbow, snapping his Hidden Blade back on and retracted the folding blade, which he gave to Cahin, who gave a happy laugh and danced off, obviously to think of more ways to cruelly kill more victims with his new toy.

[Hannah Durante]

She huffed slightly at the answer, but however cruelly vague it was, Ulysses had still said enough for her to understand the Armada was that much closer to fulfilling their objective. An intimidating thought indeed, if they were truly as close as the admiral was implying. There was always the possibility he was lying just to get a rise out of her and Kane was still a ways away from getting anywhere near ready to launch whatever his grand design entailed, but she couldn't exactly say she had a lot of hope that was the case.

The machine had been built over a period of many years after all, and was still under construction from what she had seen and heard. Kane and his legions were so incredibly patient, she wouldn't be surprised if it was just about done and ready to fulfill whatever its role in this master plan was though waiting for the best possible time to strike. As much as she still worried for her friends and planned on trying to find some way to save them, she felt at least minorly comforted by the fact that, should she face any kind of punishment, she would at least be 'safe' from that madness.

Her gaze drifted briefly to Cahin, noting that he and his father were...very, very close with the way the jester fondly giggled and pressed himself against the other man. She got the sense he was vying for Ulysses's attention amidst all of this, and now that he had gotten it seemed more content than she would have expected somebody as deranged as him capable of feeling. The way he was going about it also begged the question of just how close they really were, because to her it seemed less like a father-son bond..and more like affection of a very different kind, at least from the jester.

She wasn't entirely certain how to feel about that either, so she was grateful when yet another distraction came- yet another round of weapons were being distributed to the admiral for use against his enemies. As if he needed any more weapons than he already had. Just how well-off was this society the other man had come from? Kane must have been incredibly generous with the payment they received indeed, for all of this to have been possible. Yet another reason she thought the resistance was mostly wasted effort, and would never actually join their ranks- they were doomed to failure, and their methods were too sloppy to really work. In her mind, there were only very few ways to push Kane off the path of total madness and tyranny....and she wasn't even sure how possible those were anymore.

She grimaced a little at the way Cristobal spoke, so coldly yet controlled. He was unlike his pupil and Cahin in that way, even if the admiral could control his impulses better than his son. There was an aura of malice that just seemed to waft off of him, though she probably should have expected as much from a man who had taught Valencia's best assassin so well that the student held him in such high regard. He was very intelligent too, she could tell that from the weapons he was showing off alone- a dangerous combination, with his kind of personality. Hannah was glad neither of them knew much of anything about the other, he was not the sort of enemy she wanted...quite frankly she could not afford any more right now.

....I hope those foolish enough to try and do much work for the resistance are prepared for this sort of thing she thought to herself in some amount of pity. Otherwise, these dogs will not be the only slaughter these men wage with their advanced weaponry.

She knew what the truth there likely was however, as she snorted and muttered to herself.

"Those poor fools don't stand a chance. They haven't made a dent in years, so what hope is there now?"

[Ulysses Septimus]

"Mentor, how does this function?"Ulysses picked up the Spring Razor, which looked a lot like an innocent bundle of wires. Though, he didn't question the fact it was probably built to be a tool of extremely painful demise for their foes.

The older Assassin took the gadget from his apprentice, a dark smile carving his features. "This.. Is a proximity mine modification, basically: whenever a target is foolish enough to approach, this will explode with shrapnel as well as razor wire.. Immediately destroying the target... Or it could be programmed to latch onto a foe, using its wires like arms to bury itself into the victim's chest."

"A slow, painful demise indeed."The Admiral's eyes narrowed at the little doomsday device, more in anticipation than anything. Anticipation to use the device on his enemies.

Cristobal chuckled, "Summarized well: that is exactly what the Spring Razor is made to be."

He very carefully placed the proximity mine back inside the chest. "I will send a shipment of them from Krokotopia to Valencia if you so wish, Lord Ulysses."

"I will be forever grateful if you do, Mentor."

The Engineer chuckled, "Then it is confirmed... And I have been looking at the blueprints for the Beachhead: there are improvements that could be made for the station to become ten times stronger then before... Maybe even indestructible."

He reached into his satchel, drawing a scroll from it that he spread open on the table. It was the original blueprints for the Beachhead which Bishop made, though marked with handwriting in the margins and various drawings.

"See there? If we add in this decompressor, we can prevent overheating from the lack of hydraulics."Cristobal explained.

[Hannah Durante]

((Haha I feel like I say this a lot, but sorry this post tanks, for some reason it was still hard to put in decent words.  Urf I desperately need some caffeine, I am just too groggy today.  I promise she will def react more to those things we talked about on skype. xP))
-----

Apparently even the wealth of shiny, new weapons the admiral's mentor had previously provided had not been enough.   Hannah couldn't fathom why in the spiral Ulysses needed more instruments of torture and death when he was so well stocked on those sorts of things already, but it certainly didn't bode well- especially not with the applications of this new little toy that she was overhearing.

Had she not been afraid some of the people she had grown to like would some day find themselves at the receiving end of this proximity mine's bloody capabilities, she might have been more impressed than she was worried. The kind of violence the Armada could wage with a shipment of these things would be astounding, as well as terrifying.

The bloodthirsty, almost sadistic nature of these two men invoked flashes of memory. A time when she had been like them to a degree, though perhaps not as cruel save for against pirates, and that had all been for incredibly personal reasons, matched along with a young, hot-blooded, impressionable soldier's great desire to prove her worth in service for her country; having felt the need to do and agree to anything to do so when the military had changed hands, in some desperate desire not to be seen as lesser and replaced. A bittersweet thought now, since she wished she could go back in time and smack some sense into her teenage self for having ever been so naive to have not let replacement just happen following the war's end in the first place, for everything she had done and brought about because of that foolish stubbornness.

A pang of guilt rushed through her the more she thought about it, wondering if she had ever been quite as bad as them..and afraid of the answer her mind provided. She wondered if either of her fellow human Valencians ever felt bad about what they had done and continued to do, if there was ever a time they questioned what was asked of them or the methods used. Or, if she was entirely alone in that matter, which the buccaneer presumed was the unfortunate case. They had not seemed sympathetic to her plight upon arresting her after all, which likely meant they did not understand or share those feelings of doubt and guilt in the least. She blamed the pirates, not the innocent citizens of other kingdoms like Marleybone, for that.

Speaking of Marleybone....

Hannah listened all the more intently as the engineer mentioned the station called Beachhead- that unmistakable and intimidating structure she had heard had been drug into Westminster skyway by the clockworks during the very beginning of the war. If they wanted to make it that much stronger than the imposing thing already seemed, that could only mean that they intended to hit the Royal Navy with as much force as they could while making it impossible for the machine to be reached and destroyed. For Bailey's own sake, she hoped the lieutenant would not take it upon herself to try and make it to this weapon station. If what this older man was saying were true, she could only see that ending in tragedy.

The information Cristobal was delivering about the decompressor was tucked away in her mind, in case it would prove useful later, though she seriously doubted it. While she would know this little secret as well, it wasn't as if she would be able to convince herself to share it with the Marleyboneans even if she could have escaped. That would most certainly be seen as high treason against the Valencian crown and powers, which wasn't something she wished to get herself involved in. Especially not with the strike already against her.

Though, the dogs were smart and ingenious as well, so if they could manage to show enough military might or cleverness to slip into the war machine despite its fearsome defenses....hopefully for their civilians, it would also mean one of them could figure out a way to at the very least weaken its power, if not outright cripple it.

[Ulysses Septimus]

((XD that is okay, and I hope you get the soda you need soon... And here's my monster sized, crappy post))
------------------------
"Mentor, however, I must mention, what if the saboteurs actually manage to destroy the Beachhead?"Ulysses scanned over the blueprint, noting the changes the Auditore origined Assassin made, "Even with all the modifications you made?"

"Then the Empire will take care of them."A short, simple answer from Cristobal, yet answering everything there is. He gestured to the massive battlecruiser, to the titanic main gun, "See that? That will take over the job if they succeed." Then he quickly added, "It takes 8 Brutes in total to man the main cannon: each of the Brutes possess the strength of two Dragoons... Thus, it should be easy to calculate how exactly how powerful this is, shouldn't it? Considering how strong the Dragoons already are."

Well, considering how the Dragoons are the first strongest type of common Armada warrior, the very thought of the Brutes being even stronger than they are should be a scary thought to any sane human being around the area, and to any who dares to question the power of the Armada. This thought brought a smile to Ulysses face, at how much damage the Brutes could cause against the enemies of Kane.

The Admiral leaned back in his golden, throne-like chair. "Good..."

Cristobal rolled up the scroll, placing it back inside his satchel. "But that is impossible, don't you not think? It's impossible in the first place to destroy the Beachhead, once one gave it even a tiny thought... Bishop didn't install a proper alarm system, nor did he give any thought about the need for security: so, what if we station a squadron of Brutes throughout the station's crucial points, as well as install a system of alarms that could summon every single soldier there is in the station when saboteurs are found?"

Ulysses didn't reply, the silence had spoken for him. The results were too obvious, far too obviously so.

"I would say that this plan is fail proof, Mentor."He finally said, "if it wasn't for the fact that if I do so, the so-called heroes would find a way to worm their way around it..."

"Wise words, Lord Ulysses, that is why I am fully prepared to stay up through the night to make backup plans."


Night fell faster than anyone had anticipated: Cahin had retreated into Ulysses' cabin, Cristobal to the other ship, leaving the Armada Admiral and his troopers on deck. Though soon, even Ulysses retreated into his cabin, leaving Hannah alone with the clockworks, who patrolled the decks of the two ships like the loyal soldiers of Valencia were supposed to.

[Hannah Durante]

((I love how we are competing over length. XD BRING THE MONSTER POSTS ON, I SAY. This one might still be a little eh though as well, I'm not sure where my head is today. And oh any lurkers in this thread uh there are quite possibly going to be slashy implications in some of the next few posts because we feel cracky, so please avoid reading if that bothers you!))
----

As if the mounting threat Beachhead posed wasn't bad enough, there was this new revelation to consider; the fact that this other ship, the Empire, was just as dangerous. Maybe even worse, from the way Cristobal talked about his devices and plans in comparison to Bishop's, who was intelligent enough if he was the brains behind the massive structure looming in the distance.

Come to think of it, she had only glimpsed the engineer's ship when he had come seeking an audience. Enough to know that it had been large, much like Ulysses's own, but...she hadn't even noticed the ship's main gun then. She'd been too caught up in her own emotions and fears, as she still was, to have even cared about paying attention to every detail it had to offer. Now though, she was definitely curious.

"Merda..."

...and rather stunned by the massive gun that she could make out, once she actually looked over the other ship properly. No wonder the engineer was so smug, should the dogs or any of their allies actually involved in the war crush past the mounting odds stacked against them. They would still have to deal with this even if they made it that far, and with these two actually aware of and respectful of the threat Marleyboneans could pose, well, it was just getting worse for Marleybone by the second. Hopefully they would not use it though, or if they did...she would not have to bear witness to the utter destruction a titanic cannon like that could cause.

If that was not enough, they were even discussing amping up the security at Beachhead, to make it that much more difficult to infiltrate than it already looked from all the way over here. The Armada was dead serious in this war, that much was clear. They did not seem to just want to defeat the dogs, but crush them while they were at it. It made her wish the Admiralty and nobility would just see the futility of putting up this struggle, the bloody costs it would bring, and surrender. Maybe then the clockworks would actually start exercising some amount of mercy on them as well.

Maybe.

The rest of the conversations between the two men she tuned out, but it didn't last much longer before night fell and things on the ship began to settle into a more normal routine. The admiral had retreated to his own quarters after his son, and the engineer had moved over to the other ship not long after. It was almost peaceful, quiet when they had left, save for the sounds of the clockwork soldiers moving about the deck every so often. Hannah sighed as she looked out over the side of the ship and the gorgeous night sky of Marleybone, feeling her stomach tighten with apprehension at the never-ending sounds of mortar shells and cannons exploding. At night, it was easy to see where all the fighting was currently going on, though it was hard to tell who had the upper hand in that battle.

Hannah didn't know how she was going to get any sleep, with everything that had gone on and what she had overheard. Or, with all the clockwork soldiers patrolling the ship. They would probably leave her alone so long as she didn't make a threat out of herself, but she couldn't say that was a comforting enough thought to convince herself to even try and sleep just yet, no matter the fact she was sure she would be needing every bit of strength she could latch onto.

So, she opted to move around the deck herself, just for a little while, hoping they would not pay much heed to the actions at all. Fortunately enough they didn't seem to care, as nobody questioned her immediately. She explored what she could safely on the main level, before stopping all of the sudden, her eyes locking on a familiar figure amidst the other patrols. It was that clockwork, the one who she completely blamed her position on.

"Just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you." She grumbled to herself as she glowered at him, believing she was doing so enough out of earshot only she could hear. "Well I hope you're happy with yourself, but I suppose not. Your sort of models can't feel anything, can they?"

Sound logic amongst emotions, Hannah personally felt, though she shrunk back as one of the numerous soldiers turned its gaze in her direction. Apparently, she hadn't been quite as quiet about that as she had thought. Or, they just had that great of hearing..but what else was new? Pretending she had said nothing and had found something quite interesting in another corner, the buccaneer moved closer to where the cabins were, probably a much safer distance from the patrols possibly overhearing anything she said. So long as she didn't seem like she was going to do anything funny, that was.

Though speaking of funny...

Hannah scrunched her nose thoughtfully as she heard an interesting sound that she swore was coming from Ulysses's cabin. She leaned up against the nearest part of the outside of the cabin as she narrowed her eyes in concentration; focusing on it, intrigued, trying to determine what in the spiral that could have possibly been. Another secret meeting about a doomsday weapon? Or, something else? It was hard to tell at the moment, but if she listened harder, for just a little longer, she would get some idea.

[Ulysses Septimus]

((XD it's alright... AND TO THE LURKERS, THIS WILL CONTAIN SOME HEAVILY IMPLIED THINGS, SO DON'T READ IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE SLASH))
----------------------------

"Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre?"That was Ulysses voice, a little muffled thanks to the wood and metal door, followed by a dull thud like a body hitting the wall. "Te amo..."

Another voice spoke, hissing in the same language, "Te amo etiam, pater."

A low chuckle, "Quare non indicatis mihi scire quantum putascharissimo filius?" The voice was unmistakably Ulysses, even when husky and low, lustful, even.

That when that voice became familiar. "Gladly, daddy."

Thud.

A low, suppressed groan, along with a low, "Atque utinam pereant, et sic bono!"



Who knows how long later, Albinus Crassus, the Musketeer Hannah had seen earlier, stepped up to the cabin's door and knocked on it. "Lord Ulysses?"

A string of low Latin cursing, followed by footsteps.

Septimus opened the door just enough to step through, like he didn't want anyone to see what had happened inside; dressed in only his white shirt, black leather belt with the cogwheel buckle, sable trousers and boots, his locks were also unkempt, unlike his usual appearance.

"Albinus,"Ulysses' voice had an obvious tone of irritation, "what brings you here."

"Lord, I bring information from our spy in Skull Island-- Servus Decimus Secondus."Albinus replied, stiffly. "Those fools are planning an assault on Cadiz."

"What?!"

[Hannah Durante]

((YES BEWARE YOU PEOPLE MWUAHAH. ...Apparently caffeine just makes me crazy instead of a halfway decent poster. xD))
----

At first she could only make out the muffled sounds of voices, as if the figures inside the cabin were both hushed and in a corner of the room too far away from where she was to hear properly. But then, only after a minute or so of listening they got louder, closer.

Her focus intensified as they did, determined to catch on to as much as she could in case some new horror was headed their way..only to discover they were speaking in one of Valencia's primary languages. Naturally, the one she had never bothered to truly learn even when that chance had come, leaving her just as confused to what was going on as ever. Clever. Though, she didn't understand why he was being so careful now, when he had freely spoken of important things in her presence only hours before.

What could have possibly been so different this time around? She felt aggravated by the revelation she wouldn't be able to understand what was going on if she listened to the words alone. Unless of course, she was able to gleam anything from the tones of the two men's voices- something the buccaneer prided herself on being fairly good at, although it was much easier when she could hear more, and combine the sound of somebody's voice with their body language. A man like Ulysses was probably aware enough of that sort of thing to alter his, but at the moment she didn't think he was aware of how close she really was- just playing it safe, out of some form of paranoia. She knew that feeling well enough.

Still she listened, arching a brow when she heard a fair amount of movement going on in there, a she heard the voice was that unmistakably Ulysses's sound...No, it couldn't be that. The more she thought about what she was hearing, the lustful tones, the buccaneer's mind saw fit to suggest that perhaps whatever was going on in the cabin she did not wish to know about, that it was better not to know the affairs of deranged men behind closed doors. But another told her she was being silly, they were probably just...getting excited over killing people, if there was any lust to be had. Or, she was hearing things in her compromised emotional state.

Hannah had just about latched onto any of those last options as the definite possibility, until she heard Cahin's voice. Speaking in a language she most certainly could understand, and in such a way she quickly felt an uncomfortable, embarrassed heat rising from the pit of her stomach and crawling up her neck into her face. They were...no, but he was....what was even going on here?!

Startled and a little disturbed at the notion of what she might have been overhearing, the buccaneer tore herself away from the wall and took quite a few steps away from the cabin, until she was sure she wouldn't hear anything of the sort anymore. ..Maybe she really should have tried to have found some way to sleep. It was too late now though, and that sure wasn't helping. If that jester was actually his son, then....suddenly, the clockworks were looking far more rational and less disturbing by the second.

She tried to forget about it as much as she could, actually grateful when Albinus came by, if only because his interruption meant certain activities had ceased for now, and she could pretend that they hadn't happened. Able to see the admiral from her new position, Hannah made sure to look away when he opened the door to answer the musketeer and she caught a glimpse of how unkempt he looked, the annoyance in his voice. There was no way she wanted to make it all the more embarrassing and awkward by letting Ulysses see that she knew anything at all about what had just happened.

Instead she looked anywhere else, occupying herself with whatever she could. Until Albinus delivered the message, and she herself could hardly believe what she was hearing either. She looked back at the both of them as she heard that. Somebody was actually stupid enough to try staging such a suicidal assault on the very seat of the Armada's power? Well, that might work in Marleybone's favor then, if the admiral was determined to show the ones responsible for this plan the error of their way. Neither she or they would do well of course, but she hardly cared about pirates of all things and....she couldn't say that she had never seen punishment, payment, eventually coming.

As long as they were forced to leave Marleybone alone for the moment, her friends now had a much better chance.

[Ulysses Septimus]

"However, Lord Ulysses,"Albinus continued, unfazed, "Secondus had sent a written copy of the plan, detailing what path they will take, as well as who exactly is involved."He held up a long case, "It seems... The Admiralty of Marleybone has a large part in it."

Septimus' face darkned, "Fools... Impudent worms..."He took the case from Albinus with his left hand... Or what was left of it, as in place of the fleshly limb was the mechanical skeleton of a hand, with metal for bones, gears for joints, and wire for veins, made even more intricate by the mechanism of the Hidden Blade attached to it.

Opening the case, Ulysses unfurled the roll of parchment, eyes scanning down the rows of hastily written notes scribbled in the edge of a map, all of them in Latin. His scowl then changed alarmingly fast to a devilish smile, humming, "Excellent, this shall prove to be of great use... They will never expect for us to know this... Albinus!" 

The Musketeer straighted, "Yes my lord?"

"I want you to take one of the vessels and return to Valencia, inform General Rooke as well as Lord Kane of this, along with my fellow Assassin brothers of the Valencia branch. Tell them to prepare for the assault."

"What about you, Lord?"

"I will personally deal with them here."Ulysses' lips twitched, "my other brothers will help with the pirates.... Those fools will pay for this."

[Hannah Durante]

The second she heard that Marleybone's admiralty had any part in this plan at all, Hannah felt like her heart had stopped beating. The dogs had grown desperate it seemed, enough to accept the help of pirates in this dark hour, despite the fact the Royal Navy had never liked their kind either. A grave mistake, from what she was seeing and hearing here.

Her thoughts went straight to Bailey. There was no way her friend would be able to stay out of all of this, with her role as a lieutenant within the army or the fact the musketeer was one of Nelson's top, favored students. Hannah could see it now- the younger human woman would leap at the chance to prove herself to the other dogs, to show them she was every bit as capable as they were when it came to defending their country; a sentiment she knew all too well, considering the fact that had been her past, but it had also led her into the trouble she was in now, she knew the horrible mistakes that could be made in such a mindset, with such hot-blooded determination.

That was why she had tried to warn Bailey, to push her away from the danger the Armada brought, given her warning after warning, all trying to help. In vain, it seemed. Not that there was anything that could have been done about this war, she knew...but she still felt so helpless to protect her friend at the moment. She was stuck between two duties, and it made her sick.

As did Ulysses's mechanical arm, when she caught sight of that thin, inhuman appendage reaching out to take hold of the case from the musketeer. She could feel her skin crawl as she glanced at it, prickling with goosebumps at the memories it brought up regarding her father and what she had seen happen to mangled limbs during the great war. Looking away was all she could do to keep from shuddering, as if what she were seeing was a contagious disease that would spread if she didn't. There was more to it than just that though, but she quickly diverted her mind by focusing on the topic she deemed more important at the moment.

"...Why in need of so many warriors?" She soon found herself speaking up, even though she very well knew her participation in this conversation was unwelcome. "You've already hurt the Royal Navy, haven't you? That...mentor of yours has claimed his ship's weapons are even worse than that horrible thing you towed into the skyway. Why focus any more on anybody but the pirates? "

It was her greatest concern now, that the admiral would not be happy until Marleybone had been decimated- and the death toll for civilians, were that to happen would be...catastrophic. Not to mention the fact Bailey would have quite a hard time surviving such an onslaught, if the guns could tear the ships apart and she served on the front lines of this assault. Stealth and infiltration were things the musketeer was good at, so she knew, in her gut, the other human would be a part of this desperate brigade.

[Ulysses Septimus]

"Because all who oppose the might of Lord Kane must pay."Ulysses held up his left 'hand', curling it into a fist like he was crushing an insect. "Impudent worms must be taught a lesson: that an insect cannot match up to the power of a god no matter what." He didn't care if it meant he would be breaking the Creed: he liked being the leader of the Assassins for the reason he could bend the rules to fit the situation as he deemed.

He turned to Albinus, "I would like for you to leave right this moment, if you can, Albinus."

"As how you command."The Musketeer saluted him, climbing onto an Armada skiff that had pulled up next to the frigate that was Ulysses' ship. 

The Admiral returned his salute, "Bon voyage, spymaster."

His Hidden Blade unsheathed with a twitch from his mechanical limb, glinting wickedly in the moonlight. "Perhaps... I should unleash the power of the Empire..."Ulysses mused to himself, "devastating the what pathetic resistance they still have... Then order a landing assault on the Isle of Dogs itself... Hmm, that would be interesting!" A dark laugh tore itself out of his throat, not much different than the one Cahin made when he brutally slaughtered his victims.

"I think you should totally do that, daddy!"Cahin stepped from the Admiral's cabin, light reflecting off his grinning mask, his garbs organized to fit snugly over his thin frame while his daggers were strapped to his side. "It will be fun! Please, daddy, pretty please?" He tugged on Ulysses' right arm, resting his head against the human Armada Admiral's shoulder.

A chuckle from Ulysses, "Alright, alright, if that makes you happy."

[Hannah Durante]

"..No, you can't!"

The words that tore their way out of Hannah's throat surprised even her. Instead of being a weak and quivering thing, or those thoughts caged completely in her mind, her emotions on the matter erupted into a rather loud outburst; her voice practically cracking from the combination of rage and desperation she now felt more powerful than ever. She had feared as much of an answer from Ulysses, and his son sure wasn't helping anything.

Hannah didn't even care about the musketeer that had left the scene, at least not at the moment. While he was going to fetch more clockworks and killers to bring to the scene eventually, she also recalled that Ulysses had indicated most of them would be diverted to dealing with the pirates- so he was the one earning her undivided attention, the way he spoke about crushing others...as if they were insects. A mind set that truly terrified her, especially because she knew the power it held over mortals like them; barely having escaped it herself.

"And who, admiral, will this teach to respect the power of a god?!" She continued frantically, unable to stop herself as she had felt something snap at all the mental images of Marleybone's innocents being slaughtered in an instant. "Do you really think his goals are to murder every possible member of what was once our greatest ally?! What sort of honor will that bring him? Tell me that!"

She was breathing heavily now, glowering at the admiral, straight in those blood-red eyes of his. The fact Cahin was there didn't even register at the second, she was too worked up by the threat of tearing Marleybone and the Isle of dog, where most of the civilians had been evacuated, apart.

Suddenly though, it dawned on her what she was doing; that she had started shouting at somebody whose rank far outstripped her own- and not only that, taken several aggressive steps toward him. Those old fears and at least a bit of clarity returned to her, and she quickly shuffled back, lest Ulysses or his son stab her right then and there.

"...You're only going to help the resistance." She added on, trying desperately to control her voice at the least though it was painfully obvious how upset, how much more scared she was becoming by the second. Hannah regretted the fact she had erupted like that, but...she hadn't been able to stop herself, things had been bottling in for far too long and she lacked control over her own impulses in situations like these.

"If you slaughter all those innocents like that in a show of force, you will intimidate people, make no mistake...but you will make them see Kane as a bloodthirsty tyrant, you will create more resistance that way than you would otherwise. Is that what you want? More people to get in the way?"

shut up shut up SHUT UP her mind kept telling herself over and over, that she was going to get in serious, painful trouble for being so mouthy. But she couldn't, she was determined to try and spare anybody she could from an awful fate. It wasn't the civilian's fault war had erupted, after all.

"Can you not simply be satisfied crushing the Royal Navy and....the Admiralty? Is that not enough?"

Now her voice had softened and lowered somewhat, though not nearly enough to make what she'd just done forgiveable. Merda, this was awful! She could feel her body trembling from the combination of anger and fear that was consuming her. Worse yet, she was without any weapons at the moment, so if either of them decided to strike out at her for insubordination of any kind...well, she would be in a whole lot of trouble.

[Ulysses Septimus]

The Admiral's grin stretched even further, "Hmm, good reasoning... I think I have a better idea now!" He certainly wouldn't want any more trouble for his dear master Kane, nope, that would be foolish and just plain looking for trouble: it sent a chill down his spine to even think about creating any more of the Resistance, to think of how wrathful Kane would become.

Thus, instead of everyone receiving it, he would direct the power of the Empire toward the ones responsible, tear them apart if needed... Then the fear factor would take over from then.

"I will bring you some new playmates instead, actually."He hummed softly to Cahin, "will that be enough, amor mei?"

"Even better, daddy! Thank you!"The jester giggled, his weigh resting against the Armada Admiral, one gloved hand wondering over his chest for a moment before pulling back to rest against Ulysses' arm.

"Then it is settled."Ulysses smiled lovingly, then turned to Hannah, his red eyes almost glinting with malice, "I won't harm the civilians any more than needed... But those ones responsible, especially the ones who thought of the assault on Cadiz... They will not have a pleasant end, I can guarantee that."

The Admiral walked calmly past her, with Cahin still clinging onto him, and back into his cabin.

He was a little disappointed that there wouldn't be bloodshed, or at least not the amount he liked, but the thought of those victims he could bring down into the dungeons of the Interceptor brought another devilish grin to his face, at the thought of all the pain he could reap, all the blood he would be able to spill and how his enemies would be soon trembling before his feet in morbid fear.

Delicious, and absolutely beautiful.

[Hannah Durante]

((okay i lied in a previous post. THIS is my worst post ever lol!)


Still panting, Hannah glowered at the admiral some more, half-expecting him to go back on what he was saying now any second. When several minutes passed without him insulting and laughing at her following his agreement, the buccaneer felt obligated to believe it had been sincere, however unlikely that seemed.

Fortunately, at least for the majority of the innocents on the isle of dogs, she had chosen her ammo wisely. Hannah offered a fairly half-hearted token of 'thanks' to the supreme commander of Valencia's military in her mind, for being such an object of Ulysses's obsessions that her words held any weight at all.

But she wasn't close to being able to relax even so, no, not yet. There would still be deaths, victims drug aboard the ship for Cahin and Ulysses's torturing pleasure, from what she was understanding. She only hoped any of the dogs she had ever grown to respect and like during the course of the Polarian war, like Nelson, weren't among these 'playmates' the admiral intended to provide for the jester. Hannah wasn't sure she could bear the sight of that particular privateer being drug on board to be murdered...especially if he saw she was here as well, and got the wrong idea. He was smart though from what she remembered of him, so hopefully he would be able to slip away from the Armada's grasp, to go somewhere safe. Hopefully the same would ring true for Bailey as well.

She shot Cahin a sneer of disgust at the way he and his father interacted, how thrilled they both appeared to be at the thought of bringing their enemies onboard only to do horribly unspeakable things to them. It was hypocritical she knew, given her own past, but...that was part of the reason it bothered her here. Another part was she just didn't trust either one of these two, and with what she'd heard earlier...it didn't seem they had any limits. Hannah prayed Cahin was not truly the admiral's son, as she briefly reflected upon that.

She did not adjust her expression when Ulysses's own warm, loving gaze turned cold and cruel, practically hateful, when he looked away from the harlequin to her. If he had decided not to overreact to her emotional outburst and approach that calmly, then he probably wouldn't care to do anything about an ugly little sneer. Maybe it would even encourage him on some level, if he enjoyed seeing people upset.

"But of course." She returned, this time forcing her voice to remain even. "I have little doubt you will see to it they are punished what constitutes as...properly, in your mind. At least you have enough integrity left to leave the innocent alone, though.."

She wasn't so sure about that one, but she would say it anyway; feign respect, even though the admiral would be able to tell she did not really respect him properly from the look in her own eyes. It didn't matter to her though, as long as he kept to his word, as long as all this wanton destruction the Armada had been causing was lessened and they...returned.

Please get out of there Nelson, you'll be one of their prime targets, I'm sure of it she thought to herself as the admiral coolly walked past her, with Cahin draping off of his arms. Because if you don't....I don't even want to think about what those two might decide to do to you.

Once the two had retreated into their cabin, Hannah finally heaved in some amount of relief; a powerful exhalation, as she had been holding it for quite some time. A tingling sensation spread throughout her entire body, and she sunk to her knees on the deck of the ship, trying to calm her breathing at least a little bit. That....oh, that had been too close, too much. It had ended as 'well' as it could have, but still she wasn't sure how much more of this sort of thing she could take before she would be pushed over the edge into completely breaking. She couldn't believe she was thinking this, but the sooner they got away from Marleybone and back home, the better.

The only problem was, it would not be soon if the admiral wanted to give his son enough time to play with whatever victims he would have sought out. Unless...he planned on rounding several Marleyboneans up and having them tortured, then killed, all the way back to Valencia.

Hannah shuddered at the thought, now that nobody was around to see it, likewise at the idea of what those two were likely returning to back in their cabin room. This time, she would take her chances around the clockworks, no matter how uncomfortable it was.

How in the spiral did it all come to this? she lamented to herself as she found a spot to lay down and curl up insecurely in, staring up at what of Marleybone's sky she could see. Where did it all go wrong?

She wasn't sure how to answer those questions, so she just laid there obsessing over them, until finally she couldn't fight this day's draining nature any more and surrendered to her own exhaustion. At least in sleep she would be safe, far away from all of this, for a little while.

When Hannah awoke, she wasn't sure how long she had been out, only that it had been several hours at least as the sun was out and shining. The clockwork patrols were still going, though that hardly surprised her- these machines could go on forever if they were ordered to. Groggily, the buccaneer forced herself up into a seated position, looking around the ship for any sign of those two, and what they had planned for those they felt needed to be punished.

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