The Rookie Pirates (Parts 1-6)

05. Making Friends

After her encounter with Mr Mayor, or Dom, as she should now call him, Jessica returned to the tavern. Live music was playing loudly, and Kirk's crew was already drunk and playing poker, and some had started bar fights with the locals. Jessica sat down at the bar next to Kirk, lost in her little world and thinking about Mr Mayor.

Kirk eyed her; she always returned at this time every day after disappearing. However, this time, Kirk noticed that Jessica had returned lost in thought, as she bit down on her varnished nails and hummed silently to herself. Jessica looked like she was in love. He wondered where she had disappeared to, not that he cared.

"I've been watching you disappear at the same time every day. Where do you go?" he grunted.

Jessica snapped out of her lingering thoughts about Dom. She smirked as she looked over at Kirk and considered his question.

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment that you care for my well being or a suggestion that you're perving on me," she teased the captain.

Kirk felt the blood rushing to his cheeks in both anger and embarrassment.

"In your dreams," he growled.

Having been irked, he started to ignore her. He knew he shouldn't have asked her. His silence did not last long, and after a lot of drinking, he ended up chatting away to the girl. He found out a lot about her. Her name was Jessica Red; she didn't have any family or any she wanted to talk about and was seventeen years old. She didn't say where she originally came from, but she did mention that she took to the seas at fifteen but lost her boat in a storm and washed up on Harvest Island. The next thing she knew, she found herself living on the island for the next two years and working at the tavern. She went out to sea in search of someone important to her but wouldn't say who. Not that Kirk cared too much.

After talking some more, now about himself to her, a blank look fell across Jessica's face as she thought genuinely to herself. She jumped out of her stoic expression, scaring Kirk in the process.

"I almost forget to tell you!" She grinned, a sparkle in her eyes. "The navy is going to ambush you in here when they arrive."

She had said that in way too excited of a voice for Kirk's liking.

"And it only crossed your mind to tell me now?" he groaned.

Kirk presumed Jessica had found out this information from the Mayor.

"Anything else I should know about?" Kirk asked, not expecting her to answer.

"The navy ship is carrying a passenger, a merchant carrying some expensive cargo."

Kirk perked up. "What sort of cargo?"

"Jewels worth up to 20 million joules. However, they're locked away in a sea-crystal box and can only be opened with the key the merchant carries on him at all times. Help me steal the jewels, and I'll split the takings with you fifty-fifty. I know a broker at Northport who can exchange the jewels for cash in hand. It's tax-free."

Kirk smirked, liking the idea of a split margin of fifty percent of the loot.

"I'll help you out as long as you help me deal with the navy when they arrive."

Kirk knew she could fight; he had seen her get into a couple of pub brawls, always winning with her sneaky, cat-like approach, and that was without her sword. Kirk offered her his hand, and she took it with a broad grin on her face.

"You have yourself a deal, Captain."

Behind the bar, Elena smirked to herself as she watched Jessica become acquainted with Captain Ruben Kirk. It brought a smile to her face to see her friend smile for once. It was the first time Elena had seen Jessica look happy, and she was glad she was making friends.