Three ships waving the flag of the Sons of the Scorpion were surrounding a fourth. Aurelia didn’t recognize the flag on the ship being boarded, and Yusef shrugged as he handed back her spyglass. “Small time pirates, most likely.”<br/><br/>“Still, we might as well help them out. Sons are likely to take them for slaves or sacrifices,” Aurelia decided, turning the wheel two points off starboard.<br/><br/>“More of your self-destructive impulses for heroism?” Yusef teased, pulling himself closer with a strong grip on her hips.<br/><br/>Aurelia simpered. “Perhaps. And if the Sons happen to have cargo on board, well, that can payment for our rescue.”<br/><br/><hr class="bbc-hr bbc-hr--3"/><br/>“What planet is this?” Kaydia grumbled, catching a cutlass on her lightsaber before melting through the steel and searing off the hand wielding the blade. Most of their assailants were human, or near human, but there were several aliens she couldn’t identify. With red and black skin, horns growing from their skulls. They were similar to Iridonian’s but still off. After all, she never met an Iridonian with a tail before.<br/><br/>“Does it look as if I can access a nav sat right now?” Quentin countered, countering a blow from a pink skinned man with great horns that curled around his head. The force alerted them both to danger in the form of a crude iron projectile, 10 cm in diameter. She slowed its trajectory with the force, and Quentin sliced it in half with his burning white blade.<br/><br/>The other couple seemed to be handling themselves well, skilled with their primitive weapons. Still, the pirates that had boarded them had numbers, and for each that they cut down two more seemed to pop up. By now the foursome had been pushed towards the stern of the ship. Kaydia pushed several back with the force, sending them tumbling down curved stairs, but it was but a brief respite. Now two more ships had pulled up to join the fray,  waving red flags with black crowns on them.<br/><br/>“More pirates?” Kaydia snapped, “I’m getting about sick of pirates!”<br/><br/><hr class="bbc-hr bbc-hr--3"/><br/>"What in the hells?"<br/><br/>About half the bodies found on board had been killed the old fashion way, ran through on or cleaved in twain by a sword. The other half had similar injuries, but instead of blood, the bodies had been burned where blade met skin.  And even from the deck, she could see the glowing green and white straight blades wielded by the strangely dressed man and woman. Was that some sort of pyromancy?<br/><br/>Not that there was much time for Aurelia to question it, not as a body flew past her and into the mast. It wasn't any magic she'd seen before, but she bet the Sons were sorry they targeted a ship carrying a couple of wizards. They were certainly sorry now, pinned between Aurelia's crew storming the deck and the four on the stern. Unfortunately, the Sons didn't have the sense to surrender, and the ship was an abattoir by the time she and Yusef caught up the occupants of the ship.<br/><br/>"I am Captain Aurelia Seabourne, of the Silken Siren, and this is Captain Yusef al-Udan, of the al-Udan Mercenaries.”<br/><br/>There was a pair of redheads, though that was about all they had in common. One was dressed as expected of a pirate in the Jeweled Archipelago, in a green dress that flattered her figure and a bandana to tie back wild curls. She introduced herself as Red Jenny, wife of Captain Jack Sparrow.  The other wore a plain black outfit, fitted to her curves without hampering her movement. She still held her green glowing sword before her, meeting Aurelia with caution in her eyes. “Jedi Knight Kaydia, and my husband, Jedi Master Quentin.”<br/><br/>“Wait, knights? Like paladins? I thought you two were wizards?” Aurelia asked.<br/><br/>“I’m a knight, he is a master.”<br/><br/>“Well, I don’t call anyone master.”<br/><br/>“That’s not what you said last night,” Yusef pointed out.<br/><br/>“Hush you,” Aurelia said without any real heat. Without missing a beat, she was back to asking questions, “What did you do to make yourselves an enemy of the Sons of the Scorpions?"<br/><br/>“Existing, apparently,” The male wizard, Quentin, scoffed. He did something to the hilt, and the white blade of his weapon disappeared.<br/><br/>“Yeah, they hate that,” Yusef laughed.<br/><br/>“I am actually here to collect wicked souls for Davy Jones’s locker. Cursed to sail the sea with no rest until I retrieve 100,” Captain Jack explained, stepping carefully over the various body parts to the corpse of tattooed man wearing more cheap jewelry than was necessary for dozen lifetimes. “And this is number 35.”<br/><br/><br/>“Well, I don’t know what Davy Jone’s locker is, but if you need wicked 100 souls, stay in al-Nithiel for awhile. You’ll finish in no time,” Aurelia offered, laughing, “We’ve made it our personal mission to wipe out slavery, so you’re welcome to harvest their souls if you please.”<br/><br/>Fayette peaked her head in at that. “Or if you want a really wicked soul, you can head to the Northlands, and take down a bastard who is responsible for a hell of a lot of pain and suffering in the world. Matthias the Traitor.”