The pirate crew

Maris just left her home with the Light of Cian, her new ship. Now she's on her way to her first stop, the Pirate Island.
She hopes to get to know a lot of talented people to join her on her journey to the outside world as her crew members.

Another important reason she chose this place is that it's pretty close to her home, so getting there won't be difficult.

Navigating such a modern ship is really easy. The energy will last for days, even if you don't take the automatic energy recovery systems into account.

But after only a few hours she already reaches the Pirate Island in the late afternoon and docks at the port.
She only has to pay a few bucks in order to stay here.
The ship should be safe here. Without the key, nobody should be able to get inside or use the ship.

So when she's ready, she leaves her ship and starts to explore the island.
It's already getting dark.

As she leaves the port area, she already finds herself in a wonky alleyway. It feels like she's in the middle of a town already.
But as she's walking around on the island, she's really getting scared as she she moves away from her ship.

The people who are standing around in every corner really seem dangerous.
Many of them have scars, are dirty or have swords and guns.
And almost everybody seems to be drunk.

Maris wonders if it's really such a good idea for a young woman like her to walk around at a place like this on her own, especially at a time like this.
She really starts to feel uncomfortable.

So she decides to go back to her ship for now and goes to bed.
But the next day she will definitely explore this island.

At a place like this, there must also be strong fighters to protect her. And probably a lot of other skilled people who would be fitting for her crew.
That's the reason why she chose to visit this place.

Inside her ship she has a great night without any disturbances. She didn't notice any of the pirates, who were drinking all night.
So the next day she's ready for adventures on this island.

In the morning after having a peaceful breakfast, she leaves her ship and starts to explore the Pirate Island again.

As she's walking through the streets, she observes the people carefully.
She tries to ignore the drunk people, who are still sleeping on the streets.
Most of these people don't really seem suitable for her crew.
If they don't look rowdy and unruly, they just look inexperienced and weak.

As she's looking at all the different kinds of people, Maris already imagines a perfect first crew member.
He would be a skilled and level-headed young man with a thirst for adventure and a strong sense of loyalty.

She continues her search, her eyes scanning the faces of the pirates she encounters.
Despite the rough surroundings and the danger that might still lurk around every corner, Maris remains focused on her goal.
She's confident that she would find the right person to join her crew.

Finally, after what felt like hours of searching, Maris notices a man leaning against a tavern wall.
He might have the qualities she's looking for.
He's calm and collected, with a glint in his eye that suggests a thirst for adventure, as if he's just waiting for her to take him with her.

Maris approaches him, her heart pounding with anticipation.

Hello there...!
I'm Maris, and I'm looking for a crew.
What's your name?

The man looks at her with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Nice to meet you, Maris. I'm Jack.
So since you're looking for a crew, I guess you're a captain with your own ship, right?

Yeah, I am!

Maris is already excited.

You look like a smart and strong young woman.
I've been looking for a captain like you.
I'm sure, the time with a captain like you will be fun.

Oh, really? That's great!
What kind of skills do you have?

I'm a skilled navigator and have experience in sword fighting.
I'm also good at fixing things on the ship.

That sounds perfect!
That's exactly what I need. I couldn't fix things on my own.
And I need somebody who can protect me.
And even if I'm a navigator myself it's useful to have a second one when going on longer journeys.
I'd love to have you on my crew.

Thank you, Maris.
I feel honored by that.
I'd be glad to become a part of your crew.

We should get to know each other better first, but I already have a good feeling about you, Jack.
I'll also be glad to call you my first crew member.

Oh, so you're really just starting to put together a crew.
Interesting.
I have some friends who might be interested as well.

Maris is really excited by the thought of getting more crew members so easily.

That would be great! The more the merrier, right?

Jack nods in agreement and leads Maris into the tavern just next to them.
As they enter, Maris feels a little intimidated by all these rough guys sitting at the tables.
But Jack remains calm, and his composure makes Maris feel more confident herself.

Wait here for a moment, Maris. I'll go fetch my friends.

Jack smiles back at Maris as he approaches a group of pirates at the other end of the tavern.
They must be engaged in a heated discussion, but when Jack arrives, they clearly change their mood.

Maris watches as Jack gestures to her, and they all nod in agreement.
A few moments later Jack returns to Maris, accompanied by three of his friends.

Maris, this is Edward, my former sword fighting rival and a master of strategy.

Jack gestures toward a tall, muscular man with a scar on his cheek.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Edward.

Maris extends her hand to him. Edward nods and shakes her hand firmly.

And this is Anne, a talented navigator and a skilled sailor.

She's a woman with short, curly hair and a wide smile.

It's so nice to meet you.
I'm Anne.

Maris already feels a sense of relief that she won't be the only woman on the crew.

And this is Robert, a skilled engineer, able to repair a ship.

Robert, a man with glasses and a friendly smile, nods at Maris.

It's an honor to meet you, Robert.

Maris is really grateful for the diverse skills her crew would possess, not realizing that these skills aren't actually that helpful to her.

The pleasure is all ours, Captain!

His voice is gruff but sincere.

Maris smiles, excited about the upcoming journey. She can't believe she got such a great crew that easily.

Thank you all for joining me.
I can't wait to see what adventures we'll have together.

Well, Captain, we've got a lot of work ahead of us.
We'll follow you wherever you want to go.
Let's get started. Lead us to your ship!

Yeah, right...

They leave the tavern together and walk along the streets heading for the port.
Maris already starts to feels slightly concerned when she thinks about bringing a group of strangers onto her ship.