All The Stars to Sail

Chapter 1: Blue Coats and Yellow Dresses

At last they were in sight of their home port; for a period of 2 weeks the R.L.S Legacy had been crawling home on half power, it's hulls, rigging, and fixtures displaying numerous signs of the eventful tour they had just completed. The crew themselves were in a similar state but, at the cry of "Land ho!", all who could came up on deck to catch a glimpse of the glittering ring station of Port Montressor. On the poop deck, which commanded the best view of the approaching station, the captain and the first mate paused a moment to take in their first view of the station since leaving it all those months ago; both breathed a quiet but quite definite sigh of relief at the sight. "We achieved our purpose, Mr. Arrow". The large man beside her nodded. "That we did, Captain." "The crew were unceasing in the performance of their duty." "That they were, Captain." "Rather unfortunately both of these fine accomplishments mean that our ship is near to scuppered as it is possible for one ship to be." "That it is, Captain." "...you know, you don't have to agree with me -all- the time." "No, Captain."

The unusually dexterous ears of Amelia, Captain of the Legacy, flicked up as she regarded her fist officer with a bemused expression. "One of these days I will trip you up, Mr. Arrow. However, we have other concerns before us. Kindly see to the docking arrangements while I retrieve the necessary papers for the Admiralty." Arrow saluted promptly, which Amelia returned, before turning and making her way down toward her cabin as, behind her, Arrow was already busily setting himself the task of ordering everyone about.

The Legacy, for all its' battered appearance made a good account of itself as it slid with surprising smoothness alongside it's dock. The crew swung into action, tossing ropes to the waiting dock workers, as a few ratings who happened to be passing at the time cheered their arrival. Amelia gathered up the last of the documents she'd been examining, stacked them neatly and slid them carefully into a large leather folio before donning her coat and hat and striding out into the hive of activity that always characterized a ship upon entering or leaving port. Arrow was smack in the center of it, his large head moving this way and that, as he barked instructions to the crew swirling around him as around a rock in a riverbed...which he rather resembled.

Amelia gripped the railing in one hand as she leaned forward and bellowed. "Mr. Arrow!" The man spun around to face her, neatly avoiding any collision with the mass of people around him. "Yes, Captain!" "I am going ashore! You have the ship!" "Aye, Captain!" Arrow saluted again and spun around to address several of the crew directly in his line of sight. "Extended the gangplank!" The sailors leaped into action, grabbing hold of the plank, and sliding it down toward the hard stone that composed the quayside. Amelia strode briskly down the steps, pausing to salute her ship's flag, and then all but skated down the gangplank to the ground. She was brought up short by who she saw standing there, waiting for her.

At the bottom of the gangplank stood a well built older man, clad in a uniform similar to Amelia's but with more pronounced indicators of rank, and beside him stood a young woman barely into her 20s clad in a bright yellow dress, white boots with black accents, and a gray colored safari hat with a wide band of lavender cloth wrapped around it. They made for a rather bizarre contrast and Amelia almost lost her footing as they met her eyes, but fortunately she recovered herself in time and came swiftly to attention before saluting the older man. "Admiral Rollins, sir. It's a pleasure to see you again, as always." The admiral saluted back, smiled, and extended a hand that Amelia took. "It is a pleasure to see you and the Legacy home again safely."

The admiral's head tilted up to study the battered hull curving above them. "It seems that you have had a rather rough time of it on your patrol." Amelia nodded, shifting the folio she carried, as she spoke. "It was not always smooth sailing out there, sir, but the ship and crew held up well. I was about to deliver my report to that effect to the Admiralty."