EXT. AMIDST – UPPER DECK. EARLY MORNING.
TERRIN and the CAPTAIN stand side by side, overseeing the [transportation] of several wooden crates and barrels down into the cargo bay of Amidst through the hatch and stairwell. The ship isn’t in the best condition – its hull is battered and its sails are dirty – but the damage is superficial. Nothing suggests that the ship isn’t fit to fly.
Terrin fingers the cuffs of his jacket as he scans the deck. Several workers are scurrying about, but he is looking for somebody else.
Barely a count past sun-up and you’re fidgeting.
Terrin glances over, startled. He holds his arms by his side.
I expected at least some of them to be here.
They’ll get here in their own good time. Your mother was the same, back when she was freelancing.
Terrin answers him with a glance before moving to the side of the ship, leaning slightly over to watch the people passing below. He squints at a familiar figure, then whips his head around to look at the captain.
I thought you could use seeing a familiar face.
Lielas swings himself up the last rung of the ladder as the captain finishes speaking. He sidles up to Terrin.
What he means is he paid double to convince me to do a stint of freelance.
Why aren’t you busy with the company?
Ah, they don’t mind what I do in my spare time. I’m a little sore about losing the first leave I’ve been granted in over a year, but if the pay’s this good…
He claps a hand on Terrin’s shoulder.
Besides, it’s good to have contact with the outside world. Most of us shut our doors when the fighting hit the capital, so it’s been the same customers for a while now. Not to mention working with the same crew can get wearing. Change keeps me on my toes.
He glances over his shoulder to see if anybody else is approaching the ship.
That, and I’m curious about your pilot.
(frowning) You’re not piloting?
No, I’ve spent too long watching for the company to do anything else. I’m attached to that lookout post.
(looking between Lielas and the captain)
Who’s piloting, then? Are they with the military?
He looks across at Lielas.
(quiet) The military must have had something to do with it. I can’t see that guy on a merchant ship of his own accord.
Behind Lielas, a young woman arrives, her uniform marking her out as military. Terrin watches as the captain goes to greet her.
LIELAS
We got partnered once, a few years back. He didn’t seem a serious sort. He’s good at what he does, though. I guess that’s what we-
He breaks off and turns to follow Terrin’s gaze.
What we need. Go do your thing, kid.
Terrin smiles and gives him a light shove as he passes.
When you first knew me, maybe.
He crosses the deck to stand beside the captain. He holds out a hand to the young woman, bowing his head as he does so.
TERRIN
Terrin Kuitar. First mate.
The young woman looks surprised for a moment. She recovers with a bright smile.
IMARI
Imari Estean. Navigator. Lieutenant Gricen will be here shortly. Other matters caught her attention on the way.
TERRIN
You’re with the military?
TERRIN
Not at all. It’s just part of my job to know.
Am I to assume you’re our first mate, then?
Terrin turns to find a young pilot hauling himself onto the deck, long coat flapping behind him. He strides across to them, grinning, and bends to kiss Imari’s hand.
Miss Estean. Glad to see you changed your mind after all.
I’m still with the military, Jack. And you’d do well to learn your place, particularly in front of your captain.
He shoots her a glance before nodding to the captain and Terrin.
Good to have you onboard.
I assume you’re familiar with our navigator, Miss Estean. Over there’s Lielas Carindor, our scout. And my name’s Terrin.
Jack shakes his hand and nods towards the manning stations.
Is it all right if I get acquainted?
He doesn’t wait for an answer before moving across the deck, crouching down and inspecting the various mechanisms.
She nods to him, slightly bowed, and follows Jack across the deck. She leans against one of the shelves, pointedly not looking at Jack.
This is a military mission, Jack. I understand you can’t take anything seriously, but I’m in a position to make something of myself. All I ask is that you don’t cock this up for me.
Jack glances up, still crouched on the floor.
Why bother? The military’s doing a fine job of cocking itself up, don’t you think?
You can’t tell me you’re happy with the way things are.
No. But I’m doing my bit to fix them, which is more than can be said of people like you.
Why should I be doing my bit for a war that has nothing to do with me?
Because it’s your country, Jack. You’re supposed to have some semblance of loyalty.
I didn’t ask to be born in some crumbling town, any more than anybody asked to be born anywhere. It’s stupid to fight for things beyond your control.
Those are the only things worth fighting for. I hope you know they can hurt you as well in the sky as they can on land, Jack. When you’ve got no ship to sail, nowhere to keep on running, I hope you remember how little you cared for our war.
She turns and walks back over to Terrin and the Captain. Jack watches her leave.
EXT. AMIDST – UPPER DECK, EARLY AFTERNOON.
Terrin and Imari stand alone on their part of the deck, smiling as they converse. He leans against the [bow] of the ship, elbows resting behind him. She is still wary of everything going on in the port, glancing around in a similar manner to his earlier, watching out for someone.
I didn’t realise we’d have so many medics onboard.
Better too many than too few. The captain usually tries to make sure we have one medic for every engineer, just in case. And we will be flying through enemy territory.
I don’t intend on navigating us anywhere that will be overtly dangerous. And we do have a consignment of soldiers with us.
More to guard the army’s investment rather than the crew, though, aren’t they?
The crew are just as much the army’s investment.
Well, don’t tell them that.
Not all. But a few consider the ship to be their primary loyalty, or at least the rest of the crew. And that doesn’t include the army. A lot of us are in this business because we have no place left on land.
What you mean is I should be aware of split loyalties.
You should be aware of everybody on the ship. If not as a navigator, then as your lieutenant’s right hand.
You’d do better to tell her that.
She nods to the port below, and Terrin hurriedly stands up straight, bowing to the lieutenant as she climbs aboard.
(glancing him up and down)
I assume you’re not the captain.
IMARI
This is Terrin Kuitar, the first mate.
And incapable of introducing himself. Where might I find the captain?
He’s dealing with matters down in the engineering room. If you’ll wait, I can go and fetch him.
Celia nods at him, and Terrin disappears down the stairwell to be replaced by the captain a few moments later. He strides over, hand outstretched.
Celia takes it and shakes it firmly.
Lieutenant Gricen. Welcome aboard.
Much obliged to find a working carrier willing to cross the border. Your crew appear rather young.
Young and able-bodied, Lieutenant. Some of the older crew weren’t quite feeling up to making the journey.
I hope there’ll be no such insubordination from the remaining crew.
With respect, Lieutenant, it’s hardly insubordination. The crew of Amidst changes on a regular basis, according to the work involved.
Terrin did mention that he was the only constant.
Makes sense to keep your second in command close.
He looks the greenest of the lot. Have you been working together long?
Long enough. I’d trust him with the life of anyone onboard. He’s second in command for a reason.
I’m sure. I hope you aren’t factoring the military into that line of command.
You’ll pull in behind him, and I’ll have no complaints about it. Merchant ship, merchant rules. Your lot’s not in charge here. Taken a long time to build up the trust of this crew.
As long as the crew are capable and capably led, there shouldn’t be any problems.
Lieutenant, if I might talk to you about charting our route..?
She looks up hopefully, holding out a pen to her and gesturing inside.
The lieutenant doesn’t look pleased with the interruption.
I’ve charted us through the Briggs Encampment, to the north-east, but the weather reports are making me reconsider.
Imari leads her towards the upper quarters, holding the door open as Celia passes.
EXT. AMIDST – UPPER DECK, LATE AFTERNOON.
Jack strides across the deck and catches the attention of the captain, who is talking with Terrin.
If we don’t set sail soon, it’ll be dark before we reach next port.
Are we still waiting on the navigator?
Miss Estean talked me through the first part of the route earlier. With your permission, Captain, we could set off immediately.
Understood. Do what needs to be done.
Get the rest of the ship moving.
Terrin nods to the captain and heads towards the stairwell to alert engineering. Lielas calls down to him from the lookout post as he passes underneath.
Looks like. Jack says he knows the course, and we need to make next port before dark.
Might get dark before then. Small storm coming in from the east, I reckon.
Just a small one? We’ll be fine.
He grins up at Lielas before disappearing down the stairwell.
EXT. AMIDST – UPPER DECK, EARLY EVENING.
The sky is dark, and pelting the deck with heavy rain. Thunder rumbles in the distance.
Lielas is working the ropes for the steam hatches, completely drenched but grinning. He calls out as Terrin passes below.
Terrin matches his grin and yells straight back.
You call this a small one?
He continues across the deck until he’s close enough to the manning stations that Jack can hear him. He yells across the wind.
Jack moves from one station to the other, his focus on redirecting the sails and weights rather than Terrin.
That’s one bloody word for it. Where’s Imari?
Inside with the lieutenant, I think.
Their conversation is interrupted by another rumble of thunder, and a gust of wind that blows one of the sails completely out of line. The ship pitches sideways nearly forty-five degrees.
Jack rushes to adjust the weights and reset the balance before turning to Terrin.
Check there’s no damage down below.
Terrin nods and hurries down the hatch. Jack tugs on the rope-bell to signal Lielas.
Shut the steam lids, we’ve got more than enough wind to keep us going. I’m taking her lower, else we’ll never get through this storm.
D’you need me down there?
If you know what you’re doing, it might help.
Lielas ties the hatches closed and slides down the main rope instead of bothering with the ladder. He crouches below the manning stations and begins adjusting the weights.
I can manage this. Focus on steering us out of this storm.
Jack moves to take care of the wheel as the ship descends.
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