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The ship is hers. A lot of people don’t get that at first. They think it’s her father’s, or her fiancee’s (urgh, how she hates that word), or just a commercial ship she happened to be upon when it was stolen. There are very few reasons why a woman may be alone upon a ships as large as this one.
Most would think her bait, standing there at the bow as she does.
Not quite the truth.
The ship is hers, a beauty called the Young Avenger, something she had built and outfitted for herself and a dozen others. Granted, she doesn’t have a dozen others, yet, but she’s gotten away from her father and the DuBois boy, and that’s really enough.
(It’s a pity the Shepherd boy ran off before she’d gotten it together. He and Cassandra Lang were the only ones Kate would have trusted to bring with her.)
She can run the ship herself with some difficulty, and she docks in a seedy little town and traps all the entryways before she disembarks. She finds a rundown tavern and gets herself some ale, and watches the people around her recognize her for who and what she is.
It’s a pleasant feeling, to be sure.
There’s a man at the bar, with hair far paler than his features suggest is suited for his age. It’s slicked back, and his arms are heavy with muscles like she hasn’t seen in years.
She knows those muscles.
She’s fought them.
“Hey, pretty boy.” She slides into the spot next to him and smirks. “Thought I’d never see you again.”
He blinks at her, and then a smile slowly curls across his face. “Lady Katherine Bishop. I haven’t seen you since that back-alley brawl.”
“If you had, I’d have known.” Kate gives him a lidded stare. “And now I find you here in a dirty little bar in the middle of a criminal haven. What the hell is a guy like you doing in a place like this?”
“I could ask the same of you.” He snorts.
“You could.” Kate smirks and tilts her head, slowly licking her lips. His eyes follow her tongue until it’s disappeared, then snap back up to her eyes, both suspicious and… oh yes, very interested. She grins internally and moves to slide her foot up his leg. “I could tell you all about it on my ship.”
They barely make it there.
o.o.o.o.o
“I have a crew.” He tells her the next morning. “They aren’t used to working together, but they’re strong and smart, and we need a ship to work on.”
“And you’re okay with piracy and smuggling stolen goods?” Kate asks as she slips into her leather corset. It isn’t a binding garment like the pieces she wore in court, but a lovely little thing designed to look innocent… and carry four different pistols in various spots.
“Some more than others, but yes. So long as we steal from those who have more than enough already, no one will complain.” He pauses in the middle of putting his pants on. “Not overly much, at least.”
“Tell me about them.”
“America is strong, and she’s very street smart, but not too good with books. She can fly up and down the rigging like a fairy, and I’ve seen her kick men through solid doors. David is very smart and a talented fighter, and he could easily handle most of your financial and navigational needs.”
“I’ll handle finances myself, thanks.”
“And Loki is… young. Barely more than a childhood pickpocket, really. A very talented liar and good at distractions, though.” Noh tosses her a missing boot.
“And you think they’ll be willing to take orders from me?”
“If I am, then yes.”
“… Welcome to the crew, Noh-Varr. Welcome aboard the Young Avenger, and congrats on being my first mate. Now go get those new crew members.”