A peculiar itch had been pestering Pan’s side for two days. It’s cause, he imagined, was some rare strain of an untreatable disease that he picked up either from the inhabitants of the city from a few days prior or from the countless varieties of vermin that inhabited the Fighting Spirit.

There were a lot of rats. And roaches. And more than a few termites. And, in some of the danker and darker biomes on board the ship, a strange luminescent green fungus that released an irritating powder whenever they got near. Captain Baha was quick to assure them that the incandescent organisms were harmless, but both of the farmers were wary of staying in the back areas of the cargo hold for longer than necessary.

If there was one thing Pan had learned about the maritime tradition in their journeys so far up the Tayang river, it was that sailors did not care much for hygiene or general body upkeep, nor for maintaining a healthy work environment. The way they carried themselves across the ship with an off-balance gait, their constant shortness of breath, and generally cold disposition all seemed to reflect that.

Under normal circumstances, the blazing sun above would have made it unbearably hot. The gentle squall passing by the ship, though, kept them at a pleasant temperature, and Pan was quite comfortable sitting on the main deck, between two barrels stacked against the handholds along the side of the ship. For the past two days they had been sailing north at a steady clip, occasionally stopping to offload goods at river side towns and villages. According to the captain, the rivers proximity to the mountains made it a poor location to build cities along. Huang Hoof was the exception, residing in one of the few relatively flat regions lining the Tayang.

Captain Baha ambled over to where Pan was sitting, and took a swig out of his flask. When he was done, he offered it to the farmer, who promptly took it for himself and took an even longer drink from it.

“Thirsty?” Baha asked.

Pan continued to gulp down the clean water, in need of refreshment.

Seeing that he wasn’t going to get an answer, the captain wordlessly waited for him to finish. Pan gave the flask back, already half empty, then stood up out of etiquette. Baha slung the flask around his neck once more and turned his gaze up the river.

Pan followed his eyes. “Something up ahead?”

“We’ll be passing through the Imperial Canal in an hour or so.”

“What’s the canal, and is that a bad thing?”

The captain shot him a strange look, then answered, “It’s a pony-made waterway, connecting the Tayang river in the south and Yangtze river in the north. Big enough to sail an ocean-going ship through, though hardly any of those ever go through there. In our case, it’s our route north, and it’s dangerous only if you two are found.”

“Found? Found by who?”

“The boarding party.” Baha coughed into his hoof. “We have a special pass that allows us free sailing up and down the river and across the border, but it doesn’t exempt us from searches. Neither of the two clans like smugglers.”

“What sorts of things do ponies smuggle?”

“Stolen goods, weapons, opiates, and ponies, amongst others.”

“Ponies?”

“Yep. Fugitives, for the most part. Hoping to make it out of Umala. Most just hop north to the borderlands and stay there. Others head to Ekso-Balto to the southeast, probably hoping that they can more easily blend in there. I’m no anthropologist, but I’m pretty sure that you Umalians are closely related to some of the folks living on the coastal countries of Ekso-Balto.”

Visualizing the map in his head, Pan struggled to recall where he had seen that strange name. He wanted to say it was another continent, but he couldn’t be sure. He made a mental note to confirm that la9ter when he had a chance, then, continuing the conversation, said, “Sounds to me like they have the right idea.”

Baha chuckled. “Probably. I don’t even need to leave my ship to see how much things suck around here, even compared to my home. Even we have electricity! You Umalians are practically still living in the stone age.”

Pan silently added ‘electricty’ to his list of mysteriess to investigate. Storing the thought, he asked, “And where exactly do you come from, captain?”

“Vogongrad.”

“Where’s that?”

Uncomfortably, Baha shuffled his hooves, preparing to make his leave. “Look, kid, I don’t think going through my history is the best use of our time...”

“Please?”

He reluctantly sighed. “Fine. Alright. Whatever. It’s a small country in Sylvertine east of here. It’s nothing special.”

“And what about the rest of the crew? You all have different accents, so obviously you’re not all from the same place.”

Noticeably exasperated, he said, “Hell, I don’t know. A few others from Vogongrad, I know that. Crab Walk over there is from Rondur. One or two of them might be from Menthros or Latz. I never ask, and I don’t care to know.”

“Isn’t that kind of weird, working with ponies that aren’t the same?”

Koi walked over to them from the other end of the deck, joining in on their discussion.

Not paying him any mind, Baha responded, “Nationality doesn’t mean jack shit when it comes to making a living. But I wouldn’t expect people like you, who’ve never been outside your own country, to get that.”

Koi raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say a word.

“We were talking about my crew,” Baha explained.

“Ah. I was wondering.”

He turned back to Pan, and asked, “You boys said you were heading up to Equestria, right?”

Koi shifted uncomfortably, and Pan answered, “Yeah.”

“Well, then you better get used to people being different. Based on rumor alone, you’re going to be seeing some... weird stuff.”

“Weird stuff?”

“I’m not really sure how to explain it. Equestrians are just different, that’s all I know. A bit odd in their thinking and beliefs. Irrational, some say. Unrealistic idealists and optimists, maybe.”

There was a brief lull in the conversation, and they each looked off into space. To the east, sheer cliffs studded the landscape less than a mile from the banks. The west, by comparison, was relatively flat and densely wooded. Morning fog still clung to the precipices off the starboard side.

A cloud passed under the sun, draining the color from the surroundings. Pan blinked a few times to refocus his vision, and Baha took another drink from his flask. Koi opened his mouth to say something, but was immediately interrupted.

“Patrol boat incoming, Captain!” a shout came from the crow’s nest. “Bearing full armaments! Not sure if they’ll board, though!”

Instantly, the deck burst into motion, and the sailors that had been lounging about rallied around Baha.

The captain forcefully shoved the farmers with his hooves towards the hatch leading to the lower storage room. “Get in the compartment! Now!” he barked, then ran to his cabin at the rear end of the ship.

Wordlessly, Pan and Koi slipped down into the dark interior, nearly tripping down the dark, damp stairwell, and walked to the far end of the hull. Then, after lifting a floor panel behind some crates, ducked into a hole that only barely fit the two of them together. They dropped the panel back into place, and to an observer, it seemed as if the two farmers had vanished. A short while later, they heard hoofsteps, and then a barrel being dragged and set on top of their only exit.

“Don’t move and stay quiet. This will be over with in a few minutes,” the captain whispered, then promptly faded away.

Taking that advice to heart, Pan clutched his bracelet close to his heart, and counted his breaths in time with the gentle rocking of the boat.

Baha burst into his modest cabin and clamored for a chest sitting near the door. He popped it open and rooted through, pulling out a thick piece of parchment and a cylindrical metal rod. Exhibiting the peculiar capacity for manual dexterity that earth ponies seemed capable of, he grabbed the device with his tail and tucked it into his knotted mane, hidden and invisible. Then, taking the document in his mouth, stepped back out onto the deck.

Soon after, the first mate stepped up to his side, giving him the run-down. “Standard size patrol boat, flying Jade Lotus colors. Think they’re going to stop us?”

Instinctively, Captain Baha looked up to the top of the main sail of the Fighting Spirit where the flags were. Reassured that they were properly displaying the plain green square that showed they were international sailors, he dropped the paper and answered, “We’re still a ways from the canal. There would be no reason for them to stop us.” Subtly gulping, he added, “Odds are, they’re heading back to Huang Hoof to dock and resupply.”

“Aye, sir,” the first mate agreed. “But in the case that they do...”

Baha shot him a glare for the subtle contradiction, then said, “Standard procedure. I don’t want to risk being caught with our... goods. Ready the rifles for firing, but don’t display them.” He looked out across the water, squinting to keep the reflecting light out of his eyes. “They’re still a few minutes off, so we should have enough time to dust off the steel and prep it.”

The first mate nodded. “Will that be all, sir?”

“Yes, Tripper, that will be all.” He bent down and picked the paper up in his mouth once again, then stepped back and waited for Tripper to issue the orders.

“Alright, swabbies, listen up!” Tripper boomed. All eyes fell on the first mate, and he gave the commands. “The cap’ wants the rifles up top and ready to go, but under cover! No one fires until the caps’ signal! If they board, prep your blades! Again, no one strikes until the cap’ signals! And for the love of Celestia, Luna, Azigon the canine warlord and the damn cat that took Crab Walk’s hoof over there--”

“How many times do I got to say it wasn’t no damn cat! It was a giant salamander!”

“--Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that, Crab Walk! Anyways, like I was saying...” The first coughed for effect. “If they board, keep them the fuck away from the compartment. If they find those damn farmers, it’s not just them that’ll get their heads lopped off and entrails strung out.”

Tripper stood there for a moment, looking over the crew. For the most part, the seemed mostly still. Realizing this was a problem, he barked, “Well? What are you waiting for? You’ve only got a few minutes!” As the crew broke into commotion, he turned back to Baha. “Was that good?”

Baha, in turn, smiled. “Perfect.”

The two stood back, standing against the front wall of Baha’s cabin, taking in the spectacle of hollering and jostling, and breathing in the faint aroma of panic. Even faster than they had expected, the action came to a standstill, and the crew waited idly for new orders. All of their rifles had been assembled from below decks, were ready to fire, and hidden under tarpaulins. Most of the movable gear on the deck was rearranged into rows that one could easily hide behind and fire from, and would force any boarders through narrow chokes if they wanted to reach the cabin and stairwell to below decks.

There was no more orders, however, so the only thing they could do was wait. Baha stepped out onto the main deck and walked to the prow. His first mate followed close behind, with the rolled up parchment in his mouth.

“Thirty seconds until they pass us,” Tripper murmured through the paper.

“Let’s hope that’s exactly what they do. Pass us.”

He ran a hoof through his mane, to ensure that his pistol was still snug and secure, then returned his attention to the Jade Lotus vessel, flying the traditional flag of the clan: a four-petalled turquoise flower over white. Though the ship was typical enough to encounter on the river, they still gave even the most seasoned seastallions the shivers.

Much like the Fighting Spirit, the patrol boat was a two-masted junk with a flat deck. Unlike the Fighting Spirit, the patrol boat prominently displayed a plethora of cannons and more than enough iron plating to take a beating. Add to that a crew made of giants and an unearthly metallic silver paint, and it was more than enough to make the captain gulp.

Please don’t stop please don’t stop please stop please don’t stop--

Grappling hooks latched onto the railings of the Fighting Spirit, gnawing at the polished wood and startling a few of the crew who had been sitting near the edges.

Dammit.

The ships were slowly pulled closer together, and they reached a complete standstill in the middle of the river. Baha walked down to the middle of the deck, nodding to his crew to keep them relaxed. Then, turning to their guests, gave his best smile and waved.

“Hello there, sailors of the great Jade Lotus Clan! What can the crew of the Fighting Spirit and I do for you?” he greeted across the water.

A gangway extended from the patrol boat to theirs, and a party started to walk across. All of them, he noted with apprehension, were fully armed and armored with spears, blades, a few muskets that easily outclassed their own, and enough steel plate mail that they actually made the boat sink into the water even further.

From the boarding party a charcoal grey stallion split off and approached Baha while the others dispersed across the deck, keeping watch on the sailors and scanning the surroundings for danger. Baha quickly deduced that the grey stallion must have been the captain of the other ship, given his more flamboyant headwear: A large, blue peacock feather planted in the rim of his helmet.

“You’re the captain of this pathetic tub?” he growled.

“That I am,” Baha chimed. “Can I help you?”

The other captain gestured up at the green flag on the main mast. “You have authorization to be displaying that free trade flag?”

“Sure do,” Baha said, then nodded at the first mate behind him, who in turn dropped the parchment at the hooves of the patrol boat captain.

He snatched up the scroll, then unraveled it. His eyes darted back and forth across the page, and every so often he’d mutter something to himself, give the slightest huff, then imperceptibly furrow his brow. Finally, he snorted and shoved the trading license back to the first mate. Tripper quickly ran back to Baha’s cabin to replace the license and keep it out of harms way.

“Alright, seems you’re clear to pass the waterway up ahead, not like it matters what I say.”

Baha wanted to hug and kiss him, but refrained and tried to hide his reaction.

“But, that doesn’t mean I still can’t search you for contraband. Open up that hatch. Let’s take a look at what you got down below.”

“Ah, certainly! Though I can assure that you’ll be wasting your valuable time!” Baha jubilantly exclaimed, trying his best to hide the fact that he was breaking out into a sweat. Nearly tripping over his own hooves, he stumbled over to the hatch and hoisted it open. “After you,” he said, addressing the Umalian captain and gesturing into the stairwell.

The captain gave Baha a critical glare, then ducked down into the stairway. Baha slipped in behind him, and then the rest of the Jade Lotus soldiers.

“Watch your step,” Baha warned, though he didn’t actually mean it.

Mindful of the blades strapped to the hooves of the ponies surrounding him, Baha stepped to the side as soon as they reached the hold, hoping to stay out of the way.

The captain of the patrol clicked his tongue, and the rest of the boarding party scattered through the relatively cramped interior, scanning over the countless crates and barrels that were piled together and slotted into each other.

At this point, Captain Baha wasn’t sure if he was sweating because of the how muggy the hold was, or how close the troops were to finding their stowaways under the barrel that the other captain was now standing in front of. He fought with all of his willpower to resist the urge to take action, and remained firmly planted in place. His disingenuous smile hadn’t yet receded, and he didn’t plan on dropping it until the Umalians were far, far away. Or until he was imprisoned and executed for smuggling.

The Jade Lotus captain’s feather brushed against the barrel as he sniffed it, trying to determine what was inside. He raised his right hoof into the air, and made an exaggerated flicking motion with it. A mechanism was triggered and a curved blade shot out of the thin cylindrical sheath strapped to his leg. Bracing the barrel with his other hoof, he stabbed into the top of the barrel, and pried off the lid.

He spat onto the wood floor, and yanked his blade out of the lid then replaced it back on the barrel, satisfied that the dried spices he found were entirely harmless. Holding the sheath up to his chest to trigger a release, he twitched his hoof again, and the blade slid back into the holster. He swept his eyes around the room one final time, then clicked his tongue once more. The other soldiers stopped what they were doing and followed the leader as he headed back up the stairwell, shooting Baha a dirty look as he did so.

The captain, in turn, followed them up, eager to show them off his ship. Once again in the pleasant daylight, Baha asked to the plumed officer, “I take it everything was in order?”

Rolling his eyes, the other captain responded, “Unfortunately, yes.”

Baha forcefully laughed, then said, “If that is all, then I’m sure we can both agree that we have places to be and we have to be there at certain times.”

The Jade Lotus captain muttered an ‘aye’, then set off across the gangway once again. Soon enough, the grappling hooks detached, the platform was pulled back, the anchors were pulled, and the two vessels went on their way.

Collectively, the entire crew of the Fighting Spirit sighed in relief. Baha’s legs were shaking so hard he was forced to sit down.

Tripper walked up to him, and asked, “Should we stow the guns, sir?”

Struggling to form a coherent answer, Baha answered, “...no. We’re coming up on the canal pretty quick. We might have gotten lucky with that boat, but there’s no need to press our chances.”

“Aye, sir.” Tripper saluted, then descended below decks to free their two high-value goods from their cramped prison.

Idly, Baha ran a hoof over the wood railings of his boat, ignoring the splinters getting caught in his fetlocks. Though he hated to admit it, the vessels days were numbered. The blockades at the mouths of the river prevented them from leaving the country by ship, and sooner or later they’d have to abandon the Fighting Spirit and hike it across the border to Equestria. If the routine searches by the clan navies weren’t hint enough, the increasing prevalence of foreign mercenaries in the cities were a sure sign that there was trouble brewing on their little peninsula. Add to that the living evidence of the farmers as testament to how awful things were on land, and he saw little reason to stay. Umala was a dead land; any profit he made could easily disappear before he could bat an eye.

“We’ve gotta get out of this damn country,” he whispered to himself.

The crew continued to work, either not noticing or completely ignoring their captain’s despondency. By matter of course, the captain took to watching the clouds drift by, hoping and praying for a bit of guidance from up above. He had a sinking feeling no one was listening.

The Imperial Canal went by many names, including the ‘Imperial Pass’ and ‘Imperial Waterway’, but regardless of titling, there was no denying that it certainly gave off an imperial vibe. To call it the largest construction effort in the nations history would be an understatement; by most ponies reckonings, it was one of the most impressive feats of engineering in the world. Two separate rivers, both with their headwaters in the Umalian Range, were joined together by a massive channel over a hundred leagues long, and, more impressively, it was done completely by earth ponies.

How the earth ponies managed to create such an immense construct was beyond Baha’s comprehension, but he was grateful. The Imperial Canal was the only relatively safe way to cross between north and south Umala, assuming one had the clearance to do so. Such clearance was almost exclusively granted to foreign merchants, much like the captain.

Regardless, he still felt sick to his stomach as they approached the checkpoint, even considering that they had passed inspection hardly an hour prior.

The Fighting Spirit docked at one of the open piers, and then they waited. If their luck hadn’t already run out, then it was certainly on its last reserves. An hour later, the inspection ship still hadn’t visited them. The sailors were getting restless.

“I’m not sure what’s worse; the lack of breeze, or that feeling that we’re gonna die pretty soon,” a crew member moaned, then spat into the water. A soft plunk! was heard seconds later.

Even the captain was giving the afternoon sun anxious glances, unsure of the fate that awaited them. With no other options, were forced to sit tight and wait for the inspection warship to search them.

Baha looked to the south, eyeing the monstrous ship in the distance. In many ways, it resembled his own, with the flat deck and square sails. If one were to take the Fighting Spirit and add two masts and an exorbitant amount of cannons, then took the whole thing and scaled it up by several factors, then that would be the monstrosity that was currently anchored a short distance from a small fishing vessel that was moored to the shoreline of the canal. Between that boat and the second one of similar design to the north, he guessed it would be twenty minutes until it was their turn to face the gauntlet.

“Something bothering you, cap?” Tripper asked, coming up along his side near the prow.

The captain nodded. “Aye.”

“You’re not worried about the inspection, are you?”

“No, it’s not that. I was thinking about the near-future.”

“How near are we talking?”

“Right after we drop the farmers off.”

“What has you worried about whatever will happen after we drop the farmers off?”

Slightly grimacing, Baha said, “We need to get out of Umala, and fast. Once we get the money from them, we need to leave. Whether by land or by sea, it doesn’t matter, but I’m not planning on sticking around any longer than necessary.”

Tripper looked down to the wooden floor beams, trying to shield his eyes from the mid-afternoon sun hanging over his right. “Something got you spooked?”

Baha dryly laughed. “Don’t be stupid, Tripper--take a look around.” Pointing with a hoof, he said, “Look over there, on the far banks. Those battery emplacements weren’t there last time we came through. And you can see dozens of trenches dug into that hillside behind; no doubt there’s more that we can’t see. Not to mention that there seems to be twice the amount of ships on patrol as there was a month or two ago. And there, north a ways, in the distance, where the river gets narrow and shallow. The Imperial Road, and that bridge. Notice anything in the water?”

The first mate squinted, following where the captain was gesturing. “Are those... artificial reefs sticking out the water? And more ships than I can count, to boot.”

“That’s right. And I know those weren’t there last time.”

“What’re you trying to get at, sir?”

Exasperated, the captain explained, “What the hell do you think? This place has more fortifications than you could spit at. One wrong move here, and you’d have an entire fleet of warships on your ass, and the whole Jade Lotus army. And we’ve both seen how many mercenaries have been hanging around the dockyards in the cities. And the exact same thing is going on up north a bit on the Red Dragon side of the road.; you can see it from here. Artillery, barriers in the water, ground works, as far as I can see.” He glowered. “This place is a war zone, or it will be pretty soon, and I don’t intend on being on this river when it does.”

Nervously gulping, Tripper’s eyes twitched, considering the scenario. The evidence literally before their eyes certainly pointed to the captain being right. “So what do we do?”

Reluctantly sighing, the captains shoulders dropped. “Unless for some reason trying to sail past those fire boats patrolling the waters near the mouth of the river up north, I’m thinking we sell the boat, or ditch it, and head north on hoof. Either way, we’re leaving this shithole.”

Tripper nodded in agreement, though every instinct of his went against abandoning the boat. “I get why we should do that, but the crew won’t like this, sir. They love the ship; we all do. Even if it is to save our own hides, it’s still the same regardless of how you look at it: we’re abandoning home. And of course I’m sure you have a fair amount of attachment to her as well.”

“I can’t deny that. But sometimes life doesn’t give you a choice.” Baha turned his head to face his first mate. “Sometimes, you got to be willing to lose what you love for the sake of seeing another day.”

“Aye, sir.” It was hard to tell in the light, but it seemed that Tripper was shedding tears. The first mate looked away and put a hoof to his eyes, and said, “Ah, damn, sir. Seems I got a bug in my eye.”

Baha wearily grinned to himself, amused by the first mates poor attempt to save face. All truth be told, though, he was feeling a bit teary as well. He coughed, then stood up straight. “Tripper, relay a message to the crew: We’ll have a little family gathering here on the deck just before sundown, assuming we pass inspection and are in Red Dragon waters.” The first mate started to walk away, and Baja quickly added, “And Tripper?”

The first mate turned around.

“Hurry it up,” he said, gesturing to the warship lumbering in their direction.

“Aye, cap’n.” Tripper saluted, sniffed, then stepped away from the prow and roused the sailors who were lounging about, sprawled between crates and packages, waiting for inspection.

Baha, for his part, put on a straight face. Even for a seasoned sailor like himself, a search by a Jade Lotus warship was still a terrifying prospect. The afternoon sky was turning into a hazy orange, and the crew, as per standard procedure, busted out the rifles and blades. Sunlight gleamed off their metal surfaces, and to the inexperienced eye the sailors were an intimidating gang ready to kill. What Baha knew of them, though, left him weary of their potential future.

Koi, who had been sitting near the hatch to the lower level, lumbered his way to the captain, weaving through the maze of crates with surprising finesse.

The captain, not bothering to look at him, said, “Yeah?”

“Just looking to talk.”

Baha eased up slightly, then leaned his head towards the golden stallion. His eyes, however, refused to meet the farmer, and remained fixed on the warship gradually making its way towards them. “I’m all ears.”

“I’ll confess, I haven’t been entirely honest about myself.”

Genuine curiosity welled up in the Vogon, but he maintained a neutral stance. “How so?”

“I can’t speak on Pan’s behalf, but for me personally, I’m not quite the stupid peasant that one might guess.”

The captain frowned. “Well, you fooled me in that case.”

Koi cocked his head. “Was that sarcasm?”

“Nope,” Baha truthfully answered. “I honestly haven’t given you two much thought. In case you were unaware, Umala isn’t exactly known for a healthy population of intellectuals.” He randomly waved a hoof through the air. “So if you’re a smart fella, then by all means, good for you. What of it?”

“Well, I was thinking...” Koi leaned against the railing and looked Baha in the eye, forcing the smaller stallion to turn his gaze to meet him. “It’s obvious to me that being a sailor in Umala isn’t the greatest living. You have a boat. You have international clearance. Why don’t you leave here and try your luck somewhere less dangerous?”

The captain sighed uneasily, and hung his head over the rail. “I would if I could.”

Puzzled, Koi asked, “Something stopping you?”

Baha turned his eyes upwards, staring off into space. “Two years ago, the clans closed off either end of the river. Some bullshit about ‘maintaining diplomatic ties with each other, and ensuring the happiness of the people’. Me and my crew were unlucky enough to be on this river when that happened. If we try to leave by water, they’ll throw fireballs onto our ship and ram us, which I’d rather avoid. And, actually, if you don’t mind me asking you a question...”

“Go ahead.”

“What the hell is up with the Jade Lotus and Red Dragon clans? I haven’t been able to get a good answer out of anyone in all the time we’ve been stranded on this damn river.”

Koi ran a hoof through his mane, pondering the question. “I only know the story they tell everyone to believe.”

“Better than nothing. Go ahead.”

“A long time ago, Umala was under the rule of an emperor. I suppose some folks didn’t like him, so they started a revolt. Red Dragon and Jade Lotus were two of the leaders of that revolution, and when they finally freed the country, they decided to split it evenly between themselves to rule over.”

“So why are they fighting?”

Koi shrugged. “They’ve been fighting since well before I was born. I don’t really know.”

“Hmph. Well it’s damn foolish. It’s not good for a country to be divided like this; it weakens the whole thing. Last I heard, they’re upholding an armistice, but the amount of warships sailing these waters seems to suggest otherwise.”

“These things tend to be more complicated then what the officials tell you.”

“It’s still true, though; If Umala was united, they have enough resources to potentially rival some of the big names, like Hästi or Prance. Maybe even Equestria, given enough time..”

“I’ve been out of the loop for too long to make an educated comment.”

“Out of the loop? ”

“I wasn’t always a farmer,” Koi admitted in a strained voice. Once again, he ran a hoof through his mane.

“What did you do before?”

“I guess you could say I traveled the country.”

Baha gave him an inquisitive look, but Koi was stone-faced. His answer had been intentionally vague, and the captain got the feeling he wasn’t going to get a much better story out of him anytime soon. He looked over the shoulder of Koi, and his face drained of color. “That warship is on its way. you and your friend with the money better get back in that compartment. They’ll be here in a few minutes.”

Nodding, Koi slid away, heading to the hatch and grabbing Pan along the way. Moments later, Tripper returned to his side. “Crew’s heard about the meeting. Nothing to do but wait and hope they don’t find the compartment.”

Prodding his mane with his tail, Baha was satisfied to feel the heft of the single-shot pistol tucked away out of sight. Then, he placed a reassuring hoof on the shoulder of the young stallion. “Aye. Now we wait.”