Traitors, Adventures, and Pirates

by Poppy green

Chapter Eleven

The group of ponies had gathered around the table in the stateroom onboard the Cystal Palace. The group consisted of Poppy, Captain Compass, and the three other original crewmembers. The captain had gathered them together to discuss what was to happen on their trip into pirate territory. Some of the information Poppy already knew and so she sat quietly as the captain explained the plan to the three other ponies.

“I have decided to go and rescue our missing crew. Now I know that we were all hoping for help from the Empire but that appears unlikely to happen anytime soon.” The captain explained. “Rather than waiting I have hired a crew and have had Mrs. Poppy sign orders to give us the authority to set out to do what is needed to bring the crew home.”

Poppy looked around the table at each of those present. She noticed that while the two crew ponies looked on with loyalty to the captain and would never contradict his orders the doctor was stunned, his eyes had become wide at the news. Being the only other officer on board besides the captain, his opinion meant a lot and he made sure his voice was heard when the time for questions came up.

“Now are there any questions.” The captain asked and it did not take long for the doctor to pounce.

Poppy watched as the doctor began to voice his concern.

“Captain how can you be ok with this? We should wait until the Empire at least gives us orders and besides how can one ship even this one dream of getting our crew back all on its own?”

The captain turned to the doctor with a hint of annoyance in his voice as he answered the doctor's question. “As I said doctor, we do have orders. The ones Mrs. Poppy signed are perfectly legal. As for how I intend to rescue the crew I am working on a plan and hope to have it done by the time we set sail.”

The doctors was clearly not convinced by the captain's explanation but said nothing more and so the captain ordered the group dismissed all except Poppy and the doctor. When the two crewmembers were gone the captain got up and grabbed the bottle of Wild Pegasus from the cabinet where he had set it at the start of the expedition. The group each took a turn from the bottle before the captain explained what each of them was to do until it was time to depart. After receiving their order Poppy and the doctor left the stateroom together. Just outside the stateroom the doctor stopped in front of Poppy. Using his body to block her path he looked behind her checking to see if the stateroom door had been closed. When he had confirmed that it was, he gestured for her to follow him with a tilt of his head. She said nothing but followed behind as the doctor led her through the corridor. As Poppy followed behind him alarm bells in her head were going off again. She could not help but think what now. He led her to the ship's surgery. The room was large with many different pieces of medical equipment scattered throughout the space. In back of the room was an examination table where the doctor was gesturing for her to sit. Poppy took the seat and watched as the doctor stuck his head back out into the hallway checking in both directions before closing the door and sliding a little lock into place. Poppy suddenly felt a bit scared of what the doctor was up to. His secretiveness bothered her greatly and just as she was about to confront him, he began to speak.

“Mrs. Poppy have you noticed anything strange with the captain?” He asked. His voice was hushed as he whispered into her ear.

Her concerns about the captain came rushing back again as yet another officer was expressing their concerns about him. Poppy decided to take a cautious approach as she asked the doctor what he meant.
He responded to her question his voice nervous. Poppy figured that he was not sure if he could trust her and was gambling on it.

“Mrs. Poppy I am going to trust you not to speak a word of what I am going to tell you to anyone.” Poppy nodded and told him she promised.

“Okay.” He said before taking one more breath and saying what he needed to.

“Just before we set sail from Portmareland Commander True North told me that he suspected that Captain Compass was working for the pirates.” He said before turning around in his chair and reaching into his desk and pulling out a key. He then proceeded to get up and walk over to a glass cabinet.

Poppy could see some vials and prescription bottles in the cabinet and wondered why the doctor was opening it. She watched as he pushed all these aside and instead grabbed a lockbox. Taking the box out and placing it before them both. He used a key that he kept around his neck. The contents of the box turned out to contain several files and charts. Pulling out the contents Poppy watched as he spread them out on a surgical table.

“This is the evidence that the commander believed showed how the captain is colluding with the pirates. He told me to hold onto them in case anything happened to him.”

Poppy examined the files. The first one she grabbed was one she recognized. The file was the intelligence report that she had seen the commander looking at when she found him in the ship's galley at the start of the expedition. The document had notes written all over it. Studying the document Poppy could not tell much without knowing more about navel procedures but from the commander's notes on the margins he was clearly concerned by some of the captain's orders. Most of the notes appeared to show that the commander believed the captain was intentionally ordering the Crystal Palace to areas where the pirates had already left.

Poppy decided that the doctor seemed to believe that the commander was right and so she decided that she could trust him enough to tell him everything.

“Doctor, I found a warning after the pirates had attacked us. It said beware the captain and I think it was left by the commander.” The doctor's face darkened.

“I had thought the commander was barking up the wrong tree, but this seems to confirm it.”

A noise from the hallway and a knock at the door caused both ponies to jump. Poppy felt her heart nearly leap right out of her chest. The doctor looked equally panicked as there was another knock on the door. The doctor quickly gathered up the files and placed them back into a folder. He was about to place them in the strong box but stopped. He instead shoved the files into Poppy's chest.

“Quickly take these.” He said. Just as a third knock at the door sounded. Poppy nodded, grabbing the files from him.

Poppy had no place to hide the files so instead she stood behind the door as the doctor answered it. On the other side of the door the doctor found Seargent Storm Surge. “Excuse me doctor but I was looking for the captain he wanted my help in recruiting some of the locals to join the rescue mission.” He said.

“It's quite alright sergeant let me show you where his cabin is.”

The two stallions left the doctor's office leaving Poppy alone in the room. After waiting until their voices had grown quite Poppy then snuck out of the surgery and made her way to her own cabin. Once back to her cabin Poppy lifted the mattress off her bed and slid the folder from underneath. She would look at the files later.

Just before sunset Captain Compass and Seargent Storm Surge gathered the newly recruited members of the crew. Poppy was with the captain and the sergeant as he addressed the new crew from the quarter deck.

“While I know most of you have never been in the navy and don’t care much about what this mission means but I am still glad that you agreed to join us. After a few days of training here in port we will set sail to the pirate fortress and rescue my crew.” When the captain had ended his speech, he dismissed every creature to find a bunk and settled in.

That night, as everyone onboard had turned in for the night Poppy was awake and had pulled the files and other notes from under her bed. Gathering the files up she placed them into her saddle bags. Once she had secured the saddle bags around her barrel Poppy peeked out into the hallway outside her cabin. The hall was lit by newly installed lanterns. Checking both ways to make sure no one so her Poppy snuck out. Poppy left the Crystal Palace and the base. Poppy made her way to Smooth Silks home which was near the center of Dear Hollow. The singer lived in a small flat that Poppy now looked up to its windows on the third floor. Poppy entered the building and climbed up to the third floor. Knocking on the door she waited for an answer. After a few moments without an answer Poppy knocked again. This time she heard a commotion on the other side.

“Who is it?” Said a voice on the other side of the door.

“It's me Poppy can I come in? It's important.” Poppy pleaded.

The door opened and Poppy found a slightly disheveled Smooth Silk on the other side.

“What wrong Poppy its 2Am in the morning?”

“I need a place to go over some things and I can't do it on the Crystal Palace.”

The door opened and Smooth Silk invited Poppy in.

Smooth Silks flat was well furnished living space which is where Poppy settled herself down on one of the couches. Laying the documents down Poppy began to read through Commander Norths notes. The notes were well detailed with dates and times of when the Crystal Palace had received intelligence on the movements of the pirates and what the captain's orders had been however the most damning piece of evidence that the commander had discovered was that several tops secrete merchant deliveries full of weapons for the dear had been intercepted. The convoys had been kept classified to only her majesty and a handful of captains and their first officers. All these convoys had been intercepted by the Storm King Pirates. The Commander had discovered that the captain had sent a message to a notorious criminal in the Crystal Empire who was known for being a black market weapons dealer. While the Commanders notes admitted this was not direct proof of the captain's involvement It was enough for him to believe that the captain was involved.

One thing that bugged Poppy was that if the captain was working with the pirates why he was going on this rescue mission. The hour was getting late, and Poppy knew she would not find out anything more tonight so instead she took out her journal and began writing down the day's events.

Day 10
Captain Compass has hired a small crew of mostly ponies but also a few griffins. I have been mostly staying out of the way. I have made occasional appearances on deck to check on the activities and to meet the new crew. The new crew appears to be capable, and Captain Compass has said we should be ready to set sail by tomorrow. I have my reservations about the captain but without seeing anything myself I will reserve judgement for now.

When she had finished her notes, Poppy looked up and found Smooth Silk sleep across from her. Poppy watched as the mare slept, she had been up for hours reading across from her and had even made Poppy a cup of coffee shortly after arriving. Poppy got up and grabbed one of the throws from the back of the couch and draped it over the mare. Poppy laid down on the opposite couch and fell asleep to a view of Smooth Silk.