Luther meets with Captains – MORNING

Captain Addison, Captain Shaw and Captain Singh are all gathered on the docks, alongside Cuthbert, and a tall black wolf, whom we find out later is Admiral Grayson Reed.

Captain Shaw – “This is unbearable.  I will not wait on that lowbred son of a bitch a minute longer.  I’m about finished with this improper, irresponsible behavior-“

Captain Singh – “ ‘Improper’ and ‘Irresponsible’ aren’t harsh enough words.  That cur is a stain on His Majesty’s Armada.”
He says to Captain Singh, trying to speak without Cuthbert hearing

Captain Shaw – “We aren't that fortunate.  A stain can be removed.”

Captain Singh – “What, precisely, says he can’t be removed?”

Captain Addison – sneers
“Keep your voice down, or his bloody watchdog will hear you.”

Captain Shaw – “Aye, that’s mutinous talk.”

Captain Singh – “We should have mutinied at the Colony.  We never would have lost Serwich under my command.”

Captain Addison – looks slightly uncertain
“The Cathazra forces massing in the jungle numbered-“

Captain Singh – “They would have had to come at us head on, with our full force, and the fort to fall back into if necessary.”

Cuthbert – interjects, startling them all
“The Stockade was never meant to withstand a prolonged siege, and we couldn’t possibly have harbored even half the colonists inside.  Retreat was the only option.  And why precisely do you assume we even knew the total size of the Elekk’s forces?   Clearly, your time on the Dark Continent has not taught you how well they hide their true numbers.  Perhaps if you all had as much field experience as Admiral Denholme and I-“

Captain Singh – “Taking to the field personally should not be a leader’s priority.  That’s the prerogative of braggarts and glory hounds.”

Cuthbert – “I refuse to see bravery or heroism as a necessity for only the lower ranks.”

Captain Singh – gives a nasty grin
“Heroism?  Is that what our fearless leader’s plan was?  Look at us.  Beset upon by the Cathazra, docking on this speck of an island. Our fleet’s scattered in two pieces-“

Cuthbert – “So long as the half with the Colonists is safe, we have done our duty.  The Colonists' ships were never meant for combat, anyway.”

Captain Singh – “My duty is to my men, as well as those Colonists.  Denholme split our force down the middle and enraged those creatures.  Now they’re dogging us across the sea, and we’re outnumbered.  And we lost the colony!”

Grayson – “Funny how history tends to repeat itself for you gentlemen, eh?”

Captain Singh – “Shut your maw, drunkard!”

Captain Shaw – “Why is that scum even here?  Privateers at official war meetings?  Insufferable!” 
In the background, we see Grayson giving a feral smirk, as he drinks from his flask

Voice from offscreen – “ ‘Official War Meetings’?  Sounds like something I should be involved in.”

Cuthbert – glances over
“Good to see you finally chose to join us, sir.”  

Luther doesn’t bother stepping down from his horse. . . he just sits back in his saddle, and gestures at Grayson with a hand.  The Privateer smirks and tosses him his flask, which Luther deftly catches, before taking a quick drink.  He appears precisely as he was on the beach. . . disheveled and dressed down.  Clearly he only just came from there.  Captain Singh in particular does not look pleased to see him.

Captain Singh – “A fleet Admiral should always be on call for his Captains and all subordinates.  These disappearing acts are completely irresponsible.”

Luther – “My second knows where to find me if necessary.  And I’m on-time for this meeting.”  
He glances at the sunrise
“. . . moderately on-time, anyway.”

Captain Singh – “Might I point out, sir, that the rank you have ‘earned’ inherits with it a certain set of expectations, and decorum, with which you represent His Highness, and the honor of the entire Armad-“

Luther – “So there was a war meeting, I heard.  Unless I’m mistaken.  Aren’t we at war?  Johannes?”

Cuthbert – “Indeed we are, sir.”
Cuthbert hands a map up to him, which Luther unfolds, looking it over.  
Behind him, Grayson looks amused
“Two of our teams reported back today.  The third is still out, but we expect them back soon.  They had the furthest to trek, and we received word via carrier bird they were tracking a three-person Immar force taking an unusual route through the jungle.”

Luther – narrows his eyes
“That is unusual.  The Huudari clans never move in small groups, especially not the armed ones.  Not unless they're trying to avoid notice.”

Grayson – “Especially not through Shanivaar jungle in the Monsoon season.  These forests are treacherous.”

Captain Singh – “Alright, why in the hell is he here?  I must have this answered.”

Grayson – “In case you hadn’t noticed, that’s MY burnt-out shell of a ship floating derelict in the tides on the north shore, Captain.  It didn’t get that way on its’ own.  It sunk protecting your rear, while you fled to the safety of this miserable port.”

Captain Singh – “It sunk because you let a drake fire-bomb it, and because Carvecians can’t build their boats worth a damn!”

Grayson snarls and goes to deck Captain Singh, but Cuthbert gets between the two of them.

Cuthbert – “ENOUGH!  THIS is why our men fight!  The both of you need to stop being such children, and lead by EXAMPLE!  We have enemies a-plenty as it is without making enemies of one another!”

Captain Singh – “I never agreed to this ludicrous alliance!  Hiring Privateers!”
He snarls at Luther  
“When the Crown finds out how much coin you paid out to these blaggards, Denholme. . . only to lose the colony anyway. . . you’ll be stripped of your rank and locked in the stocks for life!” 

Luther – will not look up from the map he’s holding, clearly only barely paying attention to the ranting canine
“Well that will have meant I got us all home alive, so I’ll still call that a win.”

Grayson – “You’d all be dead right now if my boats hadn’t joined your fleet at Serwich.”

Captain Singh – “I will NOT be talked down to by a Privateer, let alone a Colonist!”

Grayson – “Last I heard, we weren’t Colonists anymore.  Didn’t you lose that war, too?”

Captain Singh – “You MISERABLE CUR!”

Luther – interrupts them all
“If you men are all quite finished, would you care to know the location of the Cathazra fleet?”

Everyone looks up at him, at once.

Captain Singh – “You cannot possibly know that.  None of the scouting teams have caught sight of it, and Cathazra ships’ keels are shallow enough to skirt nearly all the reefs along Shanivaar.”

Luther – “Which is precisely why they’d choose a location with the densest reef growth stretching far out to sea, so that we cannot possibly bring our galleons within canon range if we were to, say, plan a night raid.”

Captain Shaw – “By that logic, the entire south side of the island is a possibility.”

Luther – “Indeed it is.  But look.”
He hands the map back to Cuthbert, who stretches it out
“The scouts I sent out were gathering topographical information.”

Captain Shaw – looks frustrated
“. . .and?  What do the land features matter?  They’ll drop anchor in the shallows, so almost any beach will do.  And they won’t be planning for defensible terrain.  Even if they aren’t aware of the Huudari’s policy of neutrality, if they were going to fight us here, they’d take the offense.  They outnumber us three to one.”

Luther – “If they were going to come for us here, they would have already.  I’m quite convinced they’re well aware of the political situation here.  They’re waiting us out.”

Captain Singh – “That’s beside the point.  You sent out our scouts to go sight-seeing?  We need to be looking for our enemy, so we know where they dock, and have some chance of escaping here alive!”

Luther – “Look at the damned map, Singh.  Can you honestly not see it?”
There is a moment of silence
“Good God, how did any of you earn your rank?  The bluffs.  Southeast coast.  Right where the beach crooks into that small bay.”

Cuthbert – stares for a moment, his jaw falling open
“How did we miss that?”

Luther – “Don’t feel bad, Johannes.  We didn’t know the bluffs were there.  These islands are woefully uncharted.  That’s why I sent out the scouts.”

Captain Shaw – “Why in the hell would they be docked there?  Bay or no, the bluffs mean the coastline’s barely a strip, with their backs against a wall.  That’s idiocy.”

Luther – “You’re not thinking as they do.  The Cathazras’ first line of defense are their eyes in the sky.  And the drakes always favor high terrain over forest canopies.  They can’t extend their wings in a canopy, and they can’t fly if they can’t sun themselves.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve got your back to a wall if your soldiers see the enemy coming from a mile away.  Besides. . . we can’t approach them from the sea. . . not with the reefs.  The only way we could come at them is from the forests. In which case, the bluffs only help them.  Have you ever attempted to volley crossbows down an inward-facing, sheer drop?”

Captain Shaw – “I don’t know, Denholme.  I was never an infantryman.”
He says with a glare

Luther – “That’s a shame.”
Said, of course, with a grin

Captain Singh – “All of that aside, there are bluffs along the Southwest coast, as well.  How do we know they aren’t docking there?  This isn’t something we can afford to guess at.”

Luther – “I’m not guessing.  They are docked at the southeast bluffs.  I would bet my life on it.”

Captain Singh – “You’re betting ALL of our lives on it.”

Cuthbert – “. . . no, he’s not.  He’s right.”

Luther - “Cathazra are most vulnerable in the morning, after a night spent cold.  They will want their force to be positioned east-facing, to catch the first rays of the sun.  Otherwise the beach will be in the shade of the bluffs for the first half of the day.  Those bluffs are the only high terrain on the southeastern side of the island.  That is where they’re encamped.”

The group falls silent at that, and Luther straightens up in his saddle.

Luther – “So. . .we’re done, then?  Because I’m famished.”

Cuthbert – “Yes, sir.  Thank you.  That’s all we needed you for.”

Luther – “Right.  Enjoy your morning, gentlemen.”
He starts heading out on his horse, but motions at Grayson, who begins to follow him

Cuthbert – regards the rest of the Captains
“THAT is why that man is your Admiral.  I’ll consider any more back talk as insubordination.  Is that understood?”

Grayson – “So. . .you haven’t been coming by as much for our drinkin’ games.  Out sampling the local wares?”

Luther – “A gentleman never tells.”

Grayson – “You ain’t a gentleman, Luther.”

Luther – “I should hardly be receiving a lecture in civility from a pirate.”

Grayson – “Maybe the fact that you’re receiving a lecture in civility from a pirate ought to tell you something.  And the proper vernacular is ‘Privateer’, just so you know.”

Luther – “How’d the dropoff go?”

Grayson – glances up at him
“. . . fairly well, I’d say.  That was an awful hefty sum for a bribe. . . even for a Hyena.  Sure your treasurers won’t miss it?”

Luther – “They can hang me when I get them all home.  Coin’s no good if you’re not around to spend it.”

Grayson – “The Harkalla weren’t gonna come cheap, anyway.  Apparently they’ve got the lion’s share of this island.  The little clan, the, uh. . . Immar?  Got an informant in there right cheap.  Anything goes down in either clan, you’ll know.”

Luther – “Good.  I want an open line of discussion with this whole island.”

Grayson – “Gotta get your paws in everyone’s business.  Especially if you’re sittin’ your ass in their back yard.”
He grins at him
“Quite ‘privateer’ of you, Admiral.”

Luther – “Privateer tactics always suited me better, anyway.”