When oceans rage

[Undyne]

The quest done from here on is "A Little Peace and Quiet", posted below (personal reminder).

[spoiler] Requirements: Cannot be affiliated with: The Empire, the Imperial Navy, or the Liberation Front
Difficulty: Moderate (5000-10,000 words dependent on writing quality)
Reward:  Living space on Cinnabar Island or the surrounding archipelago (may be used for a Base), +300 OM

Location: Cinnabar Island

Overview – Character must travel to Cinnabar Island’s main settlement.  They will receive a task from the council that is aimed at improving the island.  Tasks can vary from the mundane to the dramatic, but writers should be aware of possible bounties for anti-Imperial acts.

Cinnabar Island has, for a long time at least, been a sanctuary for the (metaphorical) flotsam and jetsam of the Omniverse.  Ever since the physic prime Mewtwo arrived at the island, its population and central settlement have continued to expand.  Cinnabar’s expansion has not been without ‘growing pains.’  The somewhat recent exodus of Wartortle and his followers shattered the idyllic atmosphere of the island, and the halfhearted blockade by the Empire has had an effect on both the economy and moral.

As a result, Mewtwo’s closest advisors (the de factor rulers of the island) have become open to recruiting help from the outside world, despite such actions being shunned earlier in the island’s history.  Interesting individuals need only travel to Cinnabar Island, find the main settlement, and present their case to the leadership (a collection of Pokemon who serve as Mewtwo’s inner circle).  The council will give them a task they feel matches most with the individual’s abilities or personality.   These tasks run the gamut from land clearance to sabotaging the Imperial Navy’s blockade (be aware of bounties!)

Because Cinnabar Island is far from the most lucrative place in the Omniverse, the leaders can offer the only thing they have to give—a plot of land and acceptance into the melting pot that is Cinnabar.

Quest Stipulations – Character must perform a task for the leadership of Cinnabar Island.  This may range from something trivial (cleaning up new farm land or helping to build new homes) to something more involved (smuggling in luxury goods or sabotaging a blockade) [/spoiler]

How it was that this far out there were inhabited islands Sabrina did not understand, at least not until she actually got on it. Even imperial soldiers that were this far out into the ocean of the Vasty Deep wanted to sit back and enjoy a good drink once in a while, it appeared, though they weren't the only ones. What had started as an outpost had evolved into a little self-sufficient town with civilians living there as much as imperial troops coming through. There were also tourists wanting to explore the far reaches of the Vasty Deep, as far as they could go before things actually got dangerous, and locals from nearby islands that wanted not to stay isolated from the rest of the verse and used the town to hear about the events. A stranger docking at the port and coming on land for a drink was such an everyday occurence that nobody even turned their heads when Sabrina arrived.

An imperial outpost... must be a pretty big one, Sabrina thought to herself as she stepped out of her vessel and overlooked the docks. There were some three dozen ships docked, all bearing the Imperial Navy flag - several schooners and brigs, a handful of frigates and two massive Men-O'-War. The combined firepower of this armada was probably enough to wipe an island from the face of the earth. She shuddered at the thought of getting on the business end of its cannons. One of the ships caught her attention more than the others, however: a large brig outfitted with no cannons, large snow-white sails bearing an insignia that she felt like she'd seen before and overall a very high-quality design. Even from afar she could see that the wood was finer than that of any other ship on the docks, that the door to the captain's quarters was gilded and that the front was decorated by a gallion figure that belonged into an art exhibition. This was not a battleship, not the ship of merchants or travelers, not even a flagship to transport the fleet admirals in. It was a ship suited for nobility. But who could it be? Someone important, in any case - the quality of the ship and the number of guards that she could see when she passed it by left no doubt to that. It was thus a good idea to go out of her way to get a little info. Chances are that they were restocking before continuing on their trip, but an armada of such size would not stay for long, thus she needed to hurry. The inns right by the portside were stuffed beyond capacity, but she found one where she could slip in and mingle among the crowd.

As she stepped forward to the counter and waited her turn, she listened in as inconspicuously as she could. Most people were playing dice and card games, having drinking contests, exchanging gossip or simply chattering. But she would not have been a good spy for Team Rocket had she not been able to listen to a pair of Officier Jennys talking in the middle of a crowd and blending out all the background noise. It did not take long for her targets to reveal themselves: a pair of naval officiers, somewhat inebriated, feeling pretty safe in an inn filled mostly with their own men. Even a disciplined imperial navy officier's tongue loosened after one too many glasses of good stuff.

"Ya seen the redcoat anywhere?"

"Heard he went right for the Golden Quill."

"The Golden Quill? You serious? That place takes up my whole month's pay just for one night!"

"Cause you're just a rear admiral. The redcoat's a damn diplomat! One of the God-Emperor's handpicked, they say."

"Entrusted with the diplomatic relationships with Cinnibar, yeahyeah. I know. So what of it, it's not like he ever lifted a finger to fight. Like he ever earned his spot."

"Keep your voice down if you don't want to get punished, damnit! This guy isn't like you and I... his work could make or break the relationships with Cinnibar. If he slips up he's a goner... heard that this Mewtwo guy doesn't play around if you get him angered. Rips you limb from limb with his psycho-powers."

"So what? We face danger like that every day too! We fight to keep the Empire safe!"

"We're the Navy... we fight with steel. We fight if he fails. His job is to prevent fights from happening at all. He fights with words. If we fight there's bloodshed, no matter who wins. He fights so that no imperial blood gets spilled. Besides, he earned his spot. Heard he graduated with top grades from the Coruscant University and went straight to the embassy in Costa del Sol to further his career."

"And all that justifies his fatty paycheck at the end of the month?"

"Looks like so. Now shut up and get the server's attention, my mug's empty."

"Will do... by the way, you had any progress with the admiral?"

"Nope. Still won't tell us why we're staying here and waiting for green light."

"You think it's got something to do with Cinnibar? Ya know, if the fight with words fails, we come in with the steel?"

"I wouldn't exclude it..."

"Right. OI! Can we get another two glasses over here?!"


Sabrina had heard enough. When the two officiers were busy drinking again, though she doubted that they had noticed her in the first place, she slid back out of the inn and leapt into her submarine. She exited the dock acting inconspicuous, leaving the submarine at sea level, then submerged herself once she was a bit out just in case that anyone decided to call her back for a checkup. The info that she had would be a huge step towards gaining the Cinnibarians's trust. She could not let it go to waste by being late... her next stop had to be Cinnibar, with as much time as possible before that diplomat arrived.

1.008 words written.