Rhys made sure that all the weapons were charged and ready before leaving the Endeavour, just in case. He found himself eyeing the other people around the docks as he headed for the guild, paranoid thoughts whispering in the back of his mind.

The first problem he encountered was his lack of a medallion; the guards on the door wouldn’t let him in. Explaining the situation briefly, Rhys was allowed inside provisionally while they looked into the matter.

One guard escorted Rhys to a meeting room, telling him that an official would be with him shortly. Rhys thanked the guard and took a seat on the far side of the table, so he could keep an eye on the door.

Rhys found his mind wandering as he waited for the official. He couldn’t help but consider the many mistakes he’d made in the past weeks. Sometimes it almost felt like he’d made nothing but errors.

Perhaps the largest one was not investing in weapons for the Endeavour, though he wasn’t how much of a difference that would have made. Short of the kind of firepower the Daedalus had, the Endeavour wouldn’t be able to fend off pirates with weapons alone. In the end, the limiting factor he had was his crew; they could only do so much to defend themselves with so few people.

No, an increase in weaponry was warranted, but Rhys needed a better way to defend the Endeavour. For that matter, he needed to research what other captains did to keep their ships safe.

They’d been incredibly lucky that Goer had helped them escape. The strange pirate had clearly had his reasons, even if Rhys had no idea what they were, but that was unlikely to occur again.

"Captain Hunt?" A man asked, opening the door to the meeting room and walking inside as he spoke.

"Yes, that’s me," Rhys confirmed, sitting up straight in his chair.

"Ah, excellent. I’m Administrator Greaves. I run a lot of our day to day operations at the guild here in Arn Gol. It’s a pleasure to meet you," Greaves said, reaching out to shake Rhys’s hand with a smile. "Now, how about you tell me your story from the top? I understand it’s regarding pirates?"

"Yes, we were travelling back here from Arn Allinor with cargo for trade when we were attacked by a pirate ship…." Rhys began his explanation, skipping over certain parts and editing others as he went. Greaves asked a few pointed questions here and there about how certain events had occurred, focusing on Goer’s involvement as well. Rhys decided to not name Goer in his report, just in case it would somehow come back to hurt their rescuer.

"I see," Greaves said at length, sitting back in his chair with a thoughtful expression as Rhys finished his explanation. "You’ve given me a lot to think about, but I don’t understand the actions of the pirate that released you. Did he give no explanation for why he helped you?"

"None at all," Rhys said, deciding not to go into the details of some of what Goer had said. The talk of owing favours and debts might paint Rhys in a bad light.

"I see. Well, the timing here is quite fortuitous. A military task force has been deployed to the area for our safety, and they’re basing themselves in Arn Gol. You might have seen the ship on the way in, the Stormrunner?"

"The Stormrunner?" Rhys echoed, the name seeming familiar somehow.

"Yes, it’s a heavy cruiser acting as the flagship for the taskforce. A taskforce headed by Commodore Drake himself," Greaves said with a reassuring smile for Rhys. "The Commodore is on the spire at the moment. I’ll have word sent for him to meet us here; I have no doubt he will want to hear your story personally."

"Thank you," Rhys said gratefully as Greaves rose and left the room. He’d been somewhat worried that the guild would dismiss or ignore his experiences. The fact that Greaves was calling in the Commodore for him was relieving.

Drake was well-known throughout the Alliance. He had played a large part in several skirmishes with enemies of the Alliance and was heralded as one of the finest pirate hunters out there. Any pirates with Drake after them wouldn’t be long for this world.

Rhys relaxed into his chair as he waited patiently for what would no doubt be a new round of questions. He felt a lot better now things were happening. Hopefully, including the commodore would get things sorted in no time.

Greaves returned after a few minutes and spent the time recording Rhys’s statement on a piece of paper with a very practical looking silverpoint pen. Having his account be recorded like this drove home how seriously the guild was taking all of this.

"There, I think we have all of that down," Greaves said, checking over the piece of paper once more before signing the bottom to confirm. Taking the document with him, Greaves stepped back out of the room for a few minutes, returning with a wooden chit that he passed to Rhys.

"If you take this to the local artificer, they can get a new medallion made for you to match your ship's specifications. They’re guild certified and sponsored, so no cost to yourself."

"Thank you, that means a lot," Rhys said, taking the chit eagerly. He’d wondered how he was going to get a new medallion set up. He could likely do it himself if he needed to. It was just a question of sourcing the proper materials and making sure they fit the specifications correctly. The guild sorting it for him was a lot more than he’d been expecting.

"Not a problem; we like to make sure we look after our captains," Greaves said before pausing as the door behind him opened, and three men came inside.

Two of the newcomers wore military uniforms and carried rifles at the ready, their gaze sweeping the room as they stepped inside and took up positions in the interior. Past them, Rhys could see another rifle-armed marine take up position opposite the doorway, situated so she could watch the approach to the room.

The final newcomer was a tall man with a slender build and dark brown eyes. His dark hair was cut short and was speckled with grey at the temples, matching the lines on his face. The right side of his face was covered in a large burn and was missing part of his cheek and ear, giving him a fearsome countenance.

"Commodore Drake, thank you for joining us," Greaves said, rising to his feet and shaking the commodore’s hand enthusiastically.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Administrator," Drake said in a strong voice, his gaze not leaving Rhys. "Now, what have we covered so far?"

"Well, we’ve gone through the basic story of what Captain Hunt encountered, and I’ve filed the relevant report to be processed." Greaves rattled off, looking away from Drake as he sat back down. Strangely, Rhys saw a flicker of annoyance on Drake’s face as Greaves mentioned the report.

"Yes, very good, thank you, Administrator. However, do you mind if I speak to Captain Hunt alone for a few moments?" Drake asked, looking pointedly at the seat that Greaves was in.

"Oh, no, not at all. I will go and ask someone to bring us some refreshments," Greaves said, rising quickly to his feet and pulling the chair out for Commodore Drake before giving Rhys a comforting smile and leaving the room.

"Corporal, secure the room until we’re done," Drake said casually as he sat down.

"Aye, aye, Commodore," the marine on the left snapped as they braced to attention, and the two of them stepped outside and shut the door behind them.

"There we go. Now, first of all, may I congratulate you on somehow surviving your experience with the Kou-nak," Drake said, speaking somewhat slowly as the burnt flesh on the side of his face interfered with the way he moved his mouth.

"Thank you, Commodore," Rhys said, a wave of tension passing through him as Drake regarded him levelly. He didn’t like this at all.

"I would be interested in purchasing the Endeavour from you; the pirates must have a grudge against it now, so it would be ideal for baiting them into an attack. I’d be willing to pay handsomely for it, of course. Shall we say, eighty-five gold sovereigns for it?" Drake paused for a moment to let the number sink in before continuing. "My men could be in possession of the Endeavour within the hour if you agree. You could have the money in half that time."

"That’s an enticing offer, Commodore," Rhys said, licking his lips uncertainly as he struggled with what to do. Eighty-five gold sovereigns was a staggering number. A gold sovereign was one hundred normal sovereigns, so Drake was actually offering eight thousand five hundred sovereigns.

It took Rhys a moment for it actually kick in how much money was being offered. Basically, Drake had just offered to buy the Endeavour as though it was brand new.

A basic merchant vessel, like the Endeavour, was somewhere between eight and one hundred gold sovereigns, the kind of money that Rhys could only dream about.

Rhys might not have been a ship’s captain for long, but he’d dealt with enough people trying to sell things back to him to know that someone offering so much money for nothing wanted something. He was starting to hope that Administrator Greaves would come back sooner rather than later.

"I don’t doubt it. Consider it an apology for the issue with the pirates on behalf of the Alliance." Drake said, leaning forward as he maintained eye contact with Rhys.

Rhys took a moment to consider the offer, to really consider what was being laid out in front of him here. There was a chance here to walk away from all this, to leave Zaxx behind and start afresh. With the money from Commodore Drake, Rhys could buy a newish ship that was a few years old and stock it with goods and crew alike. He’d even have money left over to allow him to buy larger amounts of cargo and set himself up to make much larger profits.

It was so tempting, the allure of a simple life, free from all the complications that Zaxxrthryn had brought with him, free from odd bounties being posted with pirates for Rhys’s capture.

"I’m sorry, Commodore, I can’t take your deal," Rhys said, shaking his head at himself as he turned down the best deal of his life. He just couldn’t do it. He’d been through so much with Zaxx and the Endeavour. So much in such a short space of time. The Endeavour was his ship, he knew it like the back of his hand already, and with Zaxx’s help, it had the potential to grow drastically.

"I’m sorry to hear that. Are you sure I can’t change your mind?" Commodore Drake asked him as he leant forward and rested his elbows on the table. "I could pull a few strings and get you a brand new ship with enough money to live comfortably for some time."

"Why do you want the Endeavour so badly?" Rhys asked, shaking his head to decline the Commodore’s offer. He’d made his mind up; he was going to work his way up with the Endeavour. He knew they could do it.

"I think you know why I want that ship," Drake said, giving Rhys a hard look as he settled back into his chair. "Unfortunately, that administrator took your details down and filed a report. Too many people are aware of the situation now; my hands are tied."

A chill went down Rhys’s spine as Drake’s words registered, and he stared in shock at the Commodore. "I don’t understand."

"Oh, I’m sure you do, Captain Hunt. You took something of mine, something that I bought and paid for. The presence of the inquisition protected you in Arn Allinor, and the report to the guild here will keep you alive for now, but tell me, how long do you think you can survive now that we know that you have it?"

"I don’t have anything," Rhys stammered, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way out of this. He’d idly wondered if the military had been involved in this, but to think that a war hero like Drake was behind it was a shock.

"Don’t lie to me!" Drake bellowed, bolting to his feet and slamming his hand down on the table. "I got the report from a contact at the inquisition. The core wasn’t found, so someone took it. I’ve spent these last weeks chasing down every single person involved in that whole abyss-damned mess. Then, one day, Forsythe tells me about a young artificer who’s taken command of a ship with no core, despite having no records of buying one himself. Tell me, what’s it like, the thing inside the core?" Drake’s anger disappeared as suddenly as it had come as he leaned in, a mad gleam in his eyes.

"You can’t touch me. The guild would realise," Rhys stated, somehow getting the statement out despite the terror roaring through him. Something in the back of his mind was urging him to run, to escape, but he knew he wouldn't get out if he tried.

"True, but I want that core, and I want it badly. So, these are our options," Drake said in a calmer voice, sitting down once more. "Option one, you take the money, and you sail off into the sunset on a new ship, alive and unharmed. Option two, you flee from the spire, and my people hunt you down and kill you. Option three, you try to get help from the guild or from someone else, and you force my hand. In that case, I kill you and everyone else on the spire, call it a pirate attack and trade my reputation for what I want." Drake laid out each option in the same calm voice, but Rhys could still see the madness in his eyes.

Rhys felt panic start to set in as Drake threatened to murder everyone on the spire to get what he wanted. What could he do in the face of such power?

"I see the realisation in your eyes, Captain. I’m a patient man, however, so I will give you one day to make your choice. Flee and die, or come back to the guild tomorrow and sign over ownership to me. Understood?"

"Yes," Rhys said numbly, nodding his head as he tried to comprehend how thoroughly his world had just been shattered.

Drake looked at Rhys with something similar to contempt and shook his head. "Imagine what I could have done with the core if it had been delivered promptly. Captain, you’re holding the Alliance back from a new era of growth. I suggest you get on board or get out of my way. Administrator Greaves will be back shortly. Please, tell him about this conversation, test my resolve." Drake all but bared his teeth at Rhys before opening the door and nodding to the marines outside.

The original two marines came back inside and took up their positions once more, while Drake returned to his chair and smoothed his expression back into a professional mask.

Greaves returned a minute later, giving Rhys a friendly smile as he took his seat and completely missed the tense silence of the room.

"Administrator, I think that Captain Hunt has something to say," Drake said once Greaves was seated, waving a hand toward Rhys before fixing him with a dead-eyed stare.

"Oh, is there something to add to my report?" Greaves asked, turning to Rhys with a questioning expression.

"No!" Rhys said, fear making him all but yell the answer. Settling down, Rhys clenched his fists under the table and did his best to calm himself. "Nothing, thank you."

"Fantastic, well, I’ll be in port until the end of tomorrow, Administrator. At that point, we’ll begin military operations, one way or another." Drake gave Rhys a pointed look as he rose to his feet and gestured to the marines. "Thank you for your help, Captain Hunt. My men will escort you back to your ship."

Rhys left the building in a state of shock, barely even noticing the pair of marines that guided him back to the Endeavour and waited outside to make sure he went in. All he could think was that he had no choice but to do what he was told; Drake had simply too much control, too much power.