One: Reassignment

Accepting Mia's help up Geoof said, "Don't quite know what's in the chest. Hadn't gotten a chance to open it before the ship blew." He dusts himself off, making sure there are no flames. Gonna have to get new clothes it looks like, He thinks.

Walking with Mia to join the others he adds, "I figure there might be some evidence in here that the lieutenant would want to see."

Melanie rubs her head as she stares at where the ship had once been. The smouldering wreckage proves it had existed, but it is still hard for her to believe that one fired bolt could cause an entire boat to be destroyed so easily. There had been other factors, yes, but it boiled down to that one bolt.

With a shake of her head, Melanie says, "That was a pretty exciting first mission, huh? I don't think they can blame us too much. We did all we could. Let's go report and see what they say."

"Brilliant, just brilliant," Saphira murmured to herself, dropped the unconcious sailor's legs. "It just has to be fire, right..." With a slight sigh she shifted on her feet, putting her slingshot back into her belt and one hand on her sword.

"I guess you're right, Melanie. We should definetely report back... and I hope they don't blame us. Cause I seriously didn't cause that explosion," Saf eventually said to the others, glancing around with a frown. Her normal mischievous and cheerful look was gone, even from her eyes.

"They can't, we didn't have time to react, and there was too much Alchemist fire on the floor of the hold" said Mia putting a hand on Saf Shoulder "Don't worry Saf, we will explain"

She didn't like the somber mode on the halfling, and frowning she hoisted the Captin to his feet and going to the unconscious sailor, she slapped him a couple of times with her uncovered hand, and not too hard. She wanted him to wake up, not to break his jaw. "Wake up, sailor" she said in a cold voice

"Good, thanks," Saphira smiles at Mia, though it doesn't quite reach her worried dark eyes. She follows Mia over to the other Sailor, folding her arms and trying to look intimidating. She didn't really suceed, though.

The callbox proved unnecessary: Within two minutes of the thunderous explosion that had destroyed the Herring and sent it to the bottom, Lieutenant Parnassus, flanked by two of his men, came rushing on to the scene. He glanced around, taking a few moments to catch his breath and get his bearings, taking note of the flaming scraps of ship scattered across the pier and in the water.

He put a hand up to his head and tugged on his brown hair in disbelief. "All right, now who wants to tell me what the Hells happened here?"

"Sir! I will let my comrades explain this, as they are better with words than I am. But I do want to provide this." Melanie removes the scrap of fabric to hand to the Lieutenant. She says to the rest of the group, "I found that below the deck. Maybe it'll help identify the people involved in this." That taken care of, Melanie waits for someone else, most likely Geoff or Mia, to tell the tale.

Dendara, still somewhat shocked from the sudden departure from the ship and the resulting explosion, snaps to attention as the lieutenant arrives.

"Sir! The crewmen of the ship attacked us after we sought to search the ship. After disarming the crew, we proceeded to do as ordered. The ship was rigged with some kind of explosive. Swords Mia and Melanie inspected the hold and were able to warn us in time to escape the vessel."

She seems intent on keeping her report simple, and avoiding overspeaking as to anything the others had discovered when they had investigated the respective areas of the ship. She saw the box that Geoff was holding, and had surmised that some kind of explosive had been planted in the hull, but she left those details to those better suited to express them.

Seeing the arrival of the lieutenant Geoff snaps to attention. "What Dendara says is correct sir. I had Mia and Melanie search to cargo hold while Dendara and Sephara remained on deck to guard the prisoners. I proceded to search the captain's quarters for any other evidence."

Producing the chest he hands it out to the captain then removes the keys from around his neck. "I found this in there and these were taken from the captain sir."

After the lieutenant took the chest and keys Geoff fell back in line with the others.

The lieutenant harrumphed. "I don't suppose you could be more specific about the kind of incendiary? Hell's bells, I give you an assignment to check out a ship, and you burn it down." He held off from making further disparaging remarks so he could examine the handkerchief that Melanie had given to him.

Instantly, his scorn turned into a snarl of hatred, but thankfully, not one directed at them. He squeezed it tight in his fist and walked over to the captain of the ship, slapping him hard. "You bastard. You've been working for the Iron Feathers Syndicate?"

"The who?" The distraught captain stammered.
Lieutenant Parnassus shoved the handkerchief in his face. "My people found this on your ship. You see that emblem of a metal feather? That's the Iron Feathers symbol! What were you hauling for them?!"

"That was part of our agreement, no questions asked." The captain hastily explained. "But...but your Patrol officers said they found gnomish blasting powder in the hold."

"You sorry sack of...!" The lieutenant swore. Growling, he snapped his fingers to the two officers who had come along with him. "Get this sorry excuse of a captain out of my sight, and to a holding cell. His only surviving crewman, too."

"But my chest!"
"Is now Gatekeeper property, and evidence in an ongoing investigation." Parnassus cut him off, and the man was dragged off crying foul.

The lieutenant took a few moments to compose himself, then looked to the five rookie officers. "Well. You five don't believe in half-assing anything, do you? If that bastard was smuggling blasting powder, there's no telling what else might have gotten in already. And we had our hands full enough with the Iron Feathers before this."