Between the two suns of the meeting, Ava had nailed the dynamics of the members of the pirate council. There were four groups, two pertaining to the larger more established pirates and two belonging to less accomplished or newer pirates. Theo was in one group which Ava had dubbed 'Uncilo's coalition' they represented a large majority of the bigger captains. Then what she had dubbed 'the opposition' which was a grouping of big pirate names that rallied behind Fletching, which she had learned was called the morality brigade. They were a minority of the big names but still very vocal and could make an impact with their relentless drive to pick apart the other groups. They tore down suggestions, ridiculed their logic, and resorted to nasty name-calling at times. The other two groups were less vocal, representative of their lesser involvement with pirate politics but they followed the same dynamic as the bigger names. The majority of the smaller crews supported Theo and Uncilo's Coalition but came to frequent debate with the minority, supporters of the opposition.
And proof of her hypothesized model came to light when the agenda for proposals was set. Each of these four groups had submitted proposals to be heard. First up was the group Ava had labeled "Fletching Followers." Their proposal was admittedly boring but the ensuing debate was entertaining and Ava's stomach muscles were sore by the time Uncilo called for a break because of how hard she was trying to keep in her laughter. They had proposed to call pirates back to Corinspe, set out to form cities in neighboring islands, and grow the pirate stronghold. It was consequently blasted from all sides. It was a waste of money, time, resources, and the pirates didn't have the numbers to expand territory. It also did nothing to solve their current problem.
Upon return from the break called after the first proposal, the next group went. The supporters of the Uncilo coalition. Their proposal was more feasible but still not to the likings of most of the room if the debates were any indication. They suggested providing Corinspian money, a pool of gold made up of classifications of contributions from crews, to fund the expansion of a Corinspian Navy to protect the island. In addition, further, arm themselves and perhaps fund an expedition to find out more about hand cannons. They suggested to pull back the pirates, similar to how the previous group had, and hedge their bets that The Center would stop pursuing them soon. It seemed as if the two proposals left would be the only ones to be seriously considered. Ava still took detailed notes on reactions to the debate, in case it came up.
Uncilo predictably called a break after ceasing debate on the second proposal and Theo retreated to her usual room with the other captains in the coalition to provide last-minute adjustments to her speech based on Ava and Xyra's notes of the critiques of the previous proposals. If Ava was tired after the stressful meetings, she couldn't imagine how Xyra felt. Xyra managed to write all of her observations down, take Ava's and rewrite them in Aelizan, and write notes for Theo to read all at the same time. Her efforts kept Theo and the rest of the Uncilo coalition well informed. Ava, during the break, took an unhealthy amount of whatever it was that Cooker kept giving her and she was ready to go. She was aware that the constant drug usage would come back to bite her in the long run in terms of running out of energy and crashing but that would be a problem for another time. After the meeting, though, Ava never wanted anything up her nose again.
The meeting was called back into session and Theo didn't even bother to sit back down once it began. She stood with her feet shoulder length apart and with one arm behind her back. The other hand stayed at her side. She introduced herself and who she was speaking on behalf of and received a round of whoops from her Coalition and a few other Captains around. Without wasting time, she jumped into an elaborate speech about their proposed solution. Before getting to the meat of her argument though, she captured the attention of the pirates and stroked their egos by retelling anecdotes that showed their strength and resilience. Then she expertly switched the tone of her speech to highlight the grave injustices they were facing. The crowd was like wet sand under words, easily moldable. Even those on the Fletching's coalition enthusiastically nodded along to what she said and hollered their approval along with other pirates. Finally, Theo presented their plan.
Uncilo's coalition was proposing to use the Corinspian gold to fund a group of volunteer crews to go out on a three-cycle expedition to gather as much information on the situation at hand, formulate a plan of attack, and fight back against The Center. She suggested the expedition would focus on tracking down compromised leads, checking the port logs for a comprehensive list of ships that frequented the ports closest to the recorded pirate attacks, and try and search for evidence of a leak within the pirates. Meanwhile, a group back home could be assembling a formidable but small navy to combat large Eloxian warships. Modifying existing ships was the main suggestion to attaining that goal. Additionally, those who volunteered could stay back and train to fight if it came down to that. Ideally, at the end of the expedition, they would have enough information to lure The Center into a trap, secure a decisive victory over them, and incur costs so high that The Center was forced to give up the fight against piracy or face backlash from their constituents.
Theo stood tall and looked untouchable as she delivered the proposal with eloquence and composure. Even Ava found herself distracted by her command and focused away from her task for a few moments. Theo kept one hand behind her back the entire time and the other one was used expressively as her movement matched the cadence and tone of her voice. As she spoke she used her free hand to slowly undo the buttons on her velvet coat. She removed her hand from her back and brought both of them forward to rest on the table in front of her.
"So tell me, Captains of this council: Are we willing to pull our crews out of the water and succumb to their intimidation? Are we willing to cower behind the protection of the reef and hope those scum don't come after us here?"
The room filled with a low hum of 'no' and grumbling pirates at the suggestion of cowardice.
"Nay!" Theo slammed her fist on the table, "We are not toys that the Center can play with. So we are not to stand idly by, we are to brave the seas in search for the key to bringing them down and when we do, they will not look to the pirates as their pawns for reelection any longer! Generations of pirates to come will be safe because of the bravery we will display here and now."
Cheers, whistles, and pounding on the table was loud and clear. Ava may have been biased but it was the best proposal yet. If she was a captain, she would vote for it. The enthusiasm and positivity in the air came to an abrupt halt when Fletching stood up, his chair screeching the stone behind him as he stood up. Quiet replaced the noise and Fletching's throat clearing could be heard from Ava's seat, across the room.
"While you do have a way with words, Captain Theo, I'm afraid you just expertly served every person here a pile of bullshit," Captain Fletching said, a grin on his face, and some officers and even captain's booed him. Fletching held his hand up and continued, "There is no reason in spending our gold to chase after something unattainable. Even if we do manage to figure out a way to trap them, they are more powerful than us, nothing we do will cause them to bat an eye. There is no reason to attack not when it has never been attempted before."
"If I may?" Cooker spoke up and Uncilo nodded his approval, Cooker also stood, "There is precedent for this kind of proposal. There is a clear pattern throughout our history-"
"Here we go again, Theo's lackey, always trying to bias the conversation in her favor. Convenient to have a man on the inside to rig this shit for you, isn't it Captain?" Firinz spoke up from his seat next to a standing Fletching. Never throwing his full weight into debates, just sitting on the sidelines to jab.
"Firinz just shut the fuck and let her speak. You will have your turn to speak about your shit plan in a bit," Captain Owl said from his spot next to Theo.
"Thank you," Cooker nodded toward Owl's direction, "as I was saying, those pirates that didn't fight back during reclassifications were usually targeted in the following one as well. When pirates have fought back in the past, the Center eased persecution for around four to five classifications after. Historically when we fight back, they turn to other sources for political gain."
"My previous objections still stand," Fletching still made his position known.
"And your objections have been noted by the captains here today. Now, Captain Fletching, I will ask that you sit down and allow for debate to continue," Uncilo called upon Fletching to return to his seat.
Fletching obeyed and sat down but not before throwing a glare in the direction of Uncilo's coalition. Debate resumed but not much new was said. The only way in which the proposal was picked apart was on the basis of Fletchings' already noted objections. There were mixed reactions to it but the majority of the room seemed on board, a smaller number seemed like they could be convinced and an even smaller number was outwardly hostile to the proposal. Instead of going into a break, Fletching insisted their proposal be heard prior to a break and Uncilo agreed to the request; much to the displeasure of Theo and the others around her. Ava mirrored their feelings too, she hated seeing him get what he wanted.
Fletching stood up and attempted to command the same attention that Theo did but fell short, a probably common occurrence in his life. With almost the same cadence and pacing as Theo, he launched into an explanation of what he, Firinz, and the others in their group had proposed.
"Fellow pirates, our solution does not require us to drain our funds or fight in a battle we cannot win. Our solution is to carry on devoid of one. We do not need a solution. We need not to rally behind one group of people and hope they can save us," Fletching extended his hand towards Theo, "They would have us risk our lives in search of information we will never find when in two lengths this will all be over."
"As opposed to asking them to risk their lives by not doing anything?" Theo heckled from her chair, fist clenched around her mug tightly.
"Captain Theo, you were given ample time to speak. Let Captain Fletching continue," Uncilo called her out and Ava could see Theo's shoulder tense at the command from authority but she paid attention.
"Those who are afraid of The Center can stay here. No one is being forced to continue to pirate, Corinpse is a safe haven for a reason. But we are pirates, not cowards, and you will find me on the water until the day I take my last breath. I have no willingness to stay here in fear and I have no inclination to fund a senseless expedition. We have not found a good solution yet because there is none. There is no need to jump to conclusions and make rash decisions when we can wait it out."
Fletching took his seat and debate immediately began. There was so much clamor over the speech that Uncilo had to stand up and slam his cane on the table to capture everyone's attention. From then on, civility followed and the pirates were able to debate with minimal interruptions. The room was definitely shifting to a more tense mood now and that tension grew the closer they were to establishing that the last two proposals heard would be the ones being voted on. Fletching received less support than Theo did immediately following his speech but as his proposal was debated, it started to attract more backing. The debate became more pointed and more aggressive as those supporting Theo's proposal were vocal against the current one on the floor and supporters for Fletching were just as abrasive and vocal.
The night reached its most heated point when Fletching was asked a question about his view on when the fund should be used, if not for at a time when threats were present from all sides.
"I believe that when there is the proper level of risk and our losses are higher than we can take, it will be needed. But we are not at that point," Fletching answered the question, which had been somewhat rhetorical in the first place.
"Tens of dozens have already died," Theo deadpanned. Speaking up for the first time since Uncilo had told her to stop speaking.
"The inexperience of lesser crews at sailing and maneuvering away from enemy threats should not warrant spending money from the fund which we all worked hard to accumulate," Fletching countered, "not when this will be over in less than two lengths anyway."
"But it will not be over in two lengths," Theo shook her head, "There is evidence that has already been given that shows that when we lack decisive action they are more inclined to keep coming after us. The only way to ensure our safety in two lengths is to fight back now. Find the best way to exploit their weakness and show them we are not to be threatened."
"Gentleman at the table," Fletching said with a scoff and a shake of his head, addressing the room at large and ignoring Theo, "in my time as a pirate I have never been more concerned than with the level of traitorous behavior we are witnessing under our very noses. What is more concerning is that this very traitor is being regarded as a leader."
"What are you suggesting, Fletching?" Theo asked and pushed her chair back standing up, sensing where Fletching was going. Another attempt to tarnish her image and place blame on her.
Fletching ignored Theo and didn't even meet her glare, which was predator-like. He continued with an almost sick smile on his face, "Is it not but a traitor that would suggest to lure us into battle with such a powerful force? How can you all be blinded to the fact that she is going to string us along until the moment is right and then lead us into an ambush? With the greatest rallying behind her, they will be led to their deaths, and who stands to gain from the death of the most important pirates? None other than the person who has spent her entire career priming herself to take over as Head of the Council."
"Lies and shameless fear-mongering!" Theo yelled and slammed her hand down in front of her, "You are scum of the earth, Fletching. Accusing me of treason with no proof is low, even for vermin like you."
"Captain Theo, I seemed to have struck a nerve," Fletching chuckled, "my apologies, I was just pointing out some obvious facts."
"Facts assume the presence of truth, you fucking lowlife, two-face, little pricked, bilge-bathing bastard," Theo spat and Ava swore Theo's hand inched closer and closer to the mug next to her hand, ready to throw it.
"That is enough!" Uncilo stood slowly, the events from the past suns wearing on him. He spoke in a stern and scolding tone, "We will get nowhere else with debate. I am dismissing the meeting for three hours. Upon returning, we vote."
Next to Ava, Xyra was fuming. Her rigid demeanor had not eased up since Fletching started to talk. When Theo started to debate, Xyra was at the edge of her seat. And when Theo had nothing to say to Fletching except to release a string of insults, Xyra was practically falling out of her chair. Ava couldn't tell if she was mad at Fletching, his accusations, or the way in which Theo handled it. Ava knew they worked very hard to curate Theo's image and an unhinged Theo giving in to taunting was not a good look. Others were quite on board with her outburst and it earned her a round of laughs and a few claps, but Theo was not in a laughing mood. Ava could practically see steam coming out of her ears.
Uncilo had barely said he was calling for a break when Theo started briskly walking away from her spot at the table and towards the exit. Ava watched as Xyra shot up to her feet and Cooker did the same from her spot a few dozen feet away. Xyra flashed Ava a 'let's go' look and Ava didn't need to be glared at twice. She kept her pace fast as she followed. Theo had already stomped into the room before the others had gotten there. When they arrived, Cooker stopped them before they could get inside.
"Should we give her a minute?" Cooker asked.
"Might be wise," Xyra nodded and crossed her arms, staring at the door in wait.
"Don't get upset with her when we get in there," Cooker tried to reason with Xyra, "she'll already be beating herself up about whatever you have to say to her."
"I am not upset with her," Xyra stated.
"Tell that to your face," Cooker pointed out and Xyra's scowl aimed at the door worsened.
"Maybe you should go in first," Xyra offered, and without another word Cooker slipped into the room.
The door shut behind Cooker and revealed an untouched room, the vase from the night before was back in it's rightful spot and nothing seemed to be broken. Theo had not let her frustration be taken out on the room, at least not this time around. Theo was sitting on the couch, elbows on her knees and head in her hands. She looked up at the door opening and was relieved to find only Cooker.
"She pissed?"
"She'll be fine," Cooker said and walked to the couch opposite Theo. She sat down and crossed one leg over the other, "how about you?"
"I hope my dagger is the reason he takes his last breath," Theo said through gritted teeth, she was still trying to calm herself down. She had been awake for most of the night, slept poorly, and had already been poked by Fletching too many times.
Theo shouldn't have let him get to her the way he did but she had and now she needed to pull herself together. Fletching knew precisely what fired Theo up and he never hesitated to draw out the anger in her. Out of the close to two hundred people in the room, she knew most of them hadn't minded her outburst. In fact, she had gotten a few slaps on the back on the way out. Fighting back when Fletching was being a certified dick was something people admired. Beyond that, though, were the pirates that believed that pirate meetings should be conducted with decorum, big-name pirates on both sides of the aisle. Those pirates held petty intercaptain arguments in disdain, having come from a generation of relatively civil relations between crews. Some on her side would look down on her as immature for snapping the way she did and question giving her room to lead the majority that backed Uncilo. Those on the other side would be turned further away from the vote. Overall, it was a shitty look for Theo.
"You need to calm down," Cooker put it bluntly.
"I know," Theo said with a frown on her face. She slumped back on the couch and began to pick at the armrest.
She wished she could sit there and wallow in her situation. Theo wanted to be able to throw a tantrum when accused of treason. She had given her entire life to Corinspe and pirating; to be accused of being the one behind the murders of her comrades was something Theo didn't think Fletching could pull off. She knew he was the rat. Working with him for years, she had caught onto his lies and manipulations. He was a master at it, expertly weaving falsehoods all while maintaining an inhuman calm; rarely did he break.
Theo had already been victim to his tactics once, her rightful crew ripped from under her. He had spread lies about Theo, claimed she had been in her old Captain's ear. Claimed she had corrupted him to a point that he left the ship and the crew to her upon his death. And upon those accusations, she reacted the same way. Four lengths apart, no difference. She was livid, he had bested her once again. Theo would bet her entire fortune on Fletching being the traitor. A burning in her gut told her so but she could not very well throw the accusation back at Fletching. That would cost her her career.
Fletching had already provoked an uprising out of her and planted seeds of doubt in people's heads. Her pointing a finger back at him would just implicate her as guilty in the minds of others. Pirates were not logical. Fletching had made the first move which had made him more correct in their minds. Anything she did would be looked at as being on the defensive. Her best bet was to compose herself and act like it never happened.
"I think you made a solid argument," Cooker said and began to take something out of her pocket, "we've got a solid chance at securing the vote. Your outburst can be justified. Laugh it off. You were accused of treason, how else were you supposed to react?"
Cooker coached Theo on the damage control approach that should be taken. It was what Theo was already thinking of doing and probably what Xyra would have suggested too. It's like they were one hive mind at times. Cooker spread her special powder on the table between them.
"You tell whoever you are talking to that it is something of the past, Fletching will be Fletching. Why give any more thought to ludicrous claims?" Cooker leaned down and took a large sniff and dragged her nose along the wooden table.
"We need to all be on the message, then. Everyone whipping votes needs to be pushing the same sentiment," Theo said and looked towards the door, "Where are they?"
"Xy was giving both you and her some time to cool down. Ava's lost as always so she's following Xy's lead," Cooker said and then put her fingers under her tongue and whistled loudly.
Moments later, the officers in question stepped through the door. Xyra's face was sour, to put it nicely. Theo would have laughed but that would have easily tipped Xyra over the edge. It was just sometimes a funny sight to see Xyra's attempt to hold back when she really needed to say something and Theo couldn't help her amusement. Xyra stood behind Cooker's couch looking down at Theo across from her. Her arms were crossed and her brow furrowed.
Theo pulled the table in front of her closer and got onto her knees, preparing to finally take Cooker up on her offer of drugs. Before that though, she held out one finger towards Xyra, "You get to say one thing. One!"
Xyra did not waste a beat, as if she had been cramming all of the words behind her teeth, she immediately launched into her argument "Theo we have worked so fucking hard to get here. Actually, that doesn't even begin to cover the mountains we have trekked to get you where you are. You are sitting at the figurative head of the fucking table now and you are willing to gamble it away for some childish name-calling?"
"He accused me of treason!" Theo shot back, throwing her arms up in exasperation. She told herself she would take whatever Xyra said and not argue but there they were.
"He accused me of treason," Xyra mocked, "so what? You think any of the elders fucking care what comes out of Fletching's mouth? No! Only yours. You are young and you are a woman and those are two things they despise. They are willing to use anything if it means they get to knock you down a peg. So I don't give a fuck what he accuses you of or says you do, you don't fucking give in!"
"It's not fair!" Theo gripped the table and let out a guttural, angry grunt. She tried to reign in it but couldn't, she had gotten in control of her emotions once Cooker had come in but now she was back at the beginning.
"And you knew it wasn't going to be fair when you took on the responsibility of becoming a captain. You knew Corinspe. You knew what that room was like. You knew Fletching would never stop coming for you," Xyra was yelling back at this point Theo would be lying if she said she hadn't missed Xyra giving a fuck.
For the past few cycles, since Bari's death, she had been nonchalant about things at best and dismissive at worst. Theo was beginning to fear for Xyra's mental state. Besides the outburst with Morgana, there hadn't been much argument or protest about much coming from Xyra. While Theo was unhappy at the situation and stood by the fact that it was unfair, in a twisted way Xyra yelling at her was invigorating. Theo was at her strongest when she had Xyra and Cooker pushing her and guiding her.
"Fine, Xy. Whatever," Theo leaned over the table and indulged, for the first time, in some of Cooker's offerings. They had less than three hours to go whip the vote and she needed all the energy she could get. Once she was done, she sniffled a bit and sat back on the floor, "Cooker and I already agreed on the narrative."
Cooker turned back to look at Xyra and launched into the same spiel that was given to Theo. Theo sat back and took in the two minutes of peace she had. Theo could not wait until the sun was over. She just wanted to go to sleep and after sleep, she wanted to wake up and not be needed or observed or judged for a few suns. Theo wanted nothing else but to fade into unimportance if only just to enjoy a moment of serenity.
After a moment, as Cooker was winding down with her instructions, Theo stood up. She walked over to Xyra who wordlessly handed her several pieces of paper while still listening to Cooker. Theo glanced over the pages, the notes on the captain's attitudes. A comprehensive list to help her assert who to cajole into voting for her proposition and who she could just check-in with briefly. The others that helped craft the proposal would be out doing their own whipping but she was the face of this piece and she needed to put her weight behind it. Before she left she turned around,
"Xyrabellis, I advise that the first thing you do is go speak to Fletching's quartermaster about his behavior because the next time he accuses me I will have no choice but to challenge him to a fight."
She turned back around and opened the door quickly as to not give Xyra a chance to combat her on it. With a smile on her face and the incredible ability to act as if she didn't want to murder Fletching, Theo left the room.
----------
If Theo had an innate, supernatural ability, it would have been her power with words. Not to brag but Theo thought she had done a pretty solid job of making everyone forget all about her immature outburst earlier. She spoke to every single captain that was present for the meeting, the undecided ones, the ones that had already decided in her favor, and even those she knew she had no chance in hell with. Under the guise of securing the vote, she found herself attempting to put herself back in the good graces of those that had taken the outburst badly and solidifying the connection between those that already supported her.
Most of the conversations she had with other captains followed the same format. They spoke about the current situation and then Theo would lobby for their vote. If their vote was secure, Theo spent a short time catching up with the person and checking-in with them. During every talk, Theo's name-calling was eventually brought up, she would say what she needed to say to make it seem like the result of an accusation that could not go unanswered. To some that valued their ego and courage, she played it off as an outburst caused by unimaginable lies aimed to undercut her very position on the island and that such an affront could only be met with that sort of reaction. To those that valued decorum and Corinspian unity, she played it off as a genuine reaction to being accused of betraying her home, her family.
When all was said and done, she felt positive about her handling of the situation. It was a small blunder that she had managed to clean up relatively well. It partly went over so easily because Theo was not known for those kinds of behaviors. But now that she had given in to Fletching's taunts, she wouldn't be afforded a second chance. Corinspian politics were rough and while she would never have been an outcast from her current group, the responsibilities given to her could be easily taken away. Theo had a reputation to uphold and the more she was seen as weak, irresponsible, immature, or unable to handle pressure, the bigger target she and her crew would become. Xyra had been right, her detractors would take any chance they could to take down the woman that infiltrated the ranks of a man's world.
Uncilo, damn his commitment to fairness, had set the vote needed to enact a solution to 70. Any less, he claimed, would not constitute the adequate amount needed to come to a consensus of this magnitude. A vote of 70 in favor was a lot more difficult to obtain than a simple majority of 51. To make matters worse, Uncilo had only announced it an hour before the vote was to happen. A few of the first mates or quartermasters from different crews had gone to Uncilo and requested an extension on the vote, Xyra amongst the ones leading the charge. They got an additional two hours and Theo couldn't have been more grateful. She had to account for almost twenty votes she wasn't expecting to need to whip and it was already difficult enough to get the 51 that were originally required.
With 70 votes needed, Theo's concern was no longer with Fletching's solution winning over theirs. He was barely able to come up with what she had estimated to be his 40 votes. The concern then became about having no proposal pass and having to do the whole thing over again. Another night of proposal drafting, another sun of meetings, another vote. Not attaining a majority was already a thing that commonly happened, now Uncilo had made it worse. Maybe Ava was correct in hating him, Theo certainly did at the moment.
Her proposal failing had dire implications. No proposal could be heard twice which meant that Theo would have to radically alter their plan and that simply was not an option. She, and many others, accurately believed that taking the riskier option in the short run would save them in the long-run. There was historical evidence backing them up. Failing was not an option.
If it did, Theo would have to spend her own funds to go in search of answers herself but that wasn't something that she could let happen. She had pulled Cooker into a room at some point in the haze of the five-hour break and requested more of her lolly. Reenergized by the almost aromatic orange powder, she got back to work. By the time was called on their break, Theo had calculated she had garnered at least 72 favorable votes. The problem was Fletching was right on her tail, speaking to as many people as he could, most likely trying to sabotage whatever progress Theo had made but she had no way of telling what he was saying. Once the break was announced to have come to an end it was all out of her control.
When the vote began, it was hard to sit still. One by one, the pirates went down the table casting their votes. Theo's hand slightly shook as she kept a tally in front of her. The lack of sleep and being hyper-alert from the lolly was a combination her body wasn't too happy with. She tapped her free hand nervously on her thigh but schooled her expression to convey calm. When it was her turn to vote, she predictably did so in favor of her own proposition. The time it took to go through the vote was excruciating. She could feel every nerve inside her body buzzing with nervous energy, waiting for the result. As she marked down the last vote on her paper and looked over the total, her stomach dropped. She scanned the paper over again and it showed the same result. sixty-nine votes in favor of her proposal.
Maybe she had marked something wrong. She remembered as they were going through the table, two people had flipped but she had managed to secure seventy-two votes beforehand. Which meant her tally was supposed to add up to an even 70. Maybe she had missed a tally mark somewhere along the line. She glanced back at Xyra at the same time that Xyra was looking up from her own tally. With a slight shake to her head, Xyra had informed Theo that her tally was under 70 too. Theo turned around and sent a silent prayer to Riva that by some miracle both Theo and Xyra had miscounted and their proposal could pass.
Cooker stood up after getting handed a folded up piece of paper from the man next to her, the one that had counted the votes. Unfolding the piece of paper, she read out loud, "With a vote of 69 to 32, no proposal can be adopted at this time."
Theo felt like her head was going to implode. Just the thought of another sun of the same thing to most likely not come up with another solution was painful. Now that Fletching had done the ridiculous thing of having his proposal be a non-proposal he had eliminated the chance that doing nothing could be a feasible plan of action. So they would be forced to choose something that would be less than ideal because some idiot had flipped their vote. The downside to it being a council, not a monarchy, selfish people often ruined it for everyone.
"Very well, the votes have spoken," Uncilo cleared his throat, "we will resume tomorrow. Any proposal wanting to be made should be ready to be brought to the floor once we resume in the aftermorning."
Theo couldn't just let the meeting end and get stuck with some subpar and dangerous plan. She stood up, not aggressively that time, "Captain Uncilo, I am not calling into question your decision for raising the votes needed to adopt a resolution but falling one short of what was required and simply tossing the proposal to the side would be doing a disservice to the large majority of people that saw our solution as hope."
"Captain Theo, your objections have been noted but I am unsure of what else you are aiming for beyond recognition that the vote did not go in your favor," Captain Uncilo provided.
"Let me amend my proposal and put it to a vote right now. There is no logical way forward from here, we have already heard the only proposals that make any logical or fiscal sense and I urge you for the sake of the longevity of Corinspe, allow me to amend the proposal and put it to a vote," Theo reasoned and she saw Uncilo almost smile at her maneuver.
"I will allow it but you must present your amendment now and there will be no break before moving into a vote," Uncilo granted.
Fletching stood up, finally breaking from his peaceful smile and showing a bit of indignancy, "That is wildly unfair!"
"Captain Fletching, when the request from your quartermaster came to me halfway through the scheduled break to raise the number of votes required, I complied. He presented these requests to me on an altruistic basis, that any proposal that should pass should do so with the approval of more than a simple majority. Upon seeing the results for your proposal I am inclined to believe that this rule was proposed for the mere purposes of depriving the opposition of the win when you found out you could not achieve a simple majority," Uncilo stood up slowly and held both of his hands on his cane, "If I do not allow Captain Theo to amend her proposal, that would be wildly unfair. Seeing that under normal circumstances the proposal would have had an unquestionable majority, I will be allowing her request."
Captain Fletching said nothing else, just flared his nostrils and took his seat once again. Theo would very much have liked to outwardly celebrate and jump around in glee but she managed to suppress her urges. Uncilo stayed standing and surveyed the room in search for any more objections. As soon as he confirmed there was nothing else to be said, he sat down and motioned for Theo to begin.
Theo kept a smile on her face even though her heart was racing. She was flying by the seat of her pants. There was no alternate plan or solution. This was it. With no plan, she quickly thought of a way to get an amended version of her proposal to pass. They had requested over a dozen volunteer crews to search for answers and 45,000 gold from the Corinspe's fund; enough to pay each crew that agreed to embark on the mission 3,000 gold. Those were the two main concerns that those opposing the proposal had, if her previous interactions with them were any indication, so switching that part up would make her goal of one extra vote attainable. She wasted no time before launching into her speech, having sped through the thought process.
"After talking with some of you, I have realized that the fear of too many of us going out in search of answers is strong. Understandably, if a lot of us go then we are more likely to call attention to ourselves and maybe even tip off the rat if they haven't been already. I also know there are concerns about the amount of gold that is being asked for from Corinspe's funds," Theo tried to soften the tone of her voice. She made it inviting, welcoming, sympathetic to their concerns, "I would be remiss if I did not listen to your concerns and I think after addressing them, we can still save this proposal."
Theo took a risk and stepped away from her seat and began to walk along the table, arms behind her back. Pirates didn't really venture from their seats but she needed to command the room, "We had requested that fifteen crews volunteer so that we may have enough to send three ships to each continent in search of answers. Before their journey, they were to be equipped with 3,000 gold but I have listened to you all and I understand that this seems like an exaggerated response. So I will propose something simpler. More feasible."
Theo stopped about halfway across the room. She stood behind two random lesser named pirates, one of which she had remembered did not vote in her favor. She placed her hands on the backs of their chairs and looked ahead to the captains on the other side of the table.
"Five crews, one for each continent. They receive 1,500 gold each on departure and in three cycles when they return to report their findings, they will receive another 1,500 gold," Theo proposed with a smile, speaking slowly to allow the captains to capture what she was saying, "I will provide half of that from my ships' fund so that the burden on the Corinspian bank is not overwhelming. The Scorned Woman will also volunteer alongside these five crews and renounce any form of compensation."
Theo moved on from that spot and began to circle the table once again, glancing over to Xyra who was now on the other side of the room. The slightly annoyed look on Xyra's face that was paired with a smirk said it all, she couldn't believe Theo had once again managed to pull something like this off. Which meant one thing, she was pulling it off.
"I know there are accusations that have been made against me recently, it is not the first time my character has been attacked nor will it be my last but the truth is that I could never imagine doing anything to hurt any of my brothers or the island I call home. When I exit this meeting, whether this has been voted on or not, I will go out in search of the truth. I am committed to the preservation of our culture and our dignity and my crew and I are willing to put our lives down on the line for it. But there is only a small amount one crew can do navigating through the endless Baethean waters. Do not leave me stranded out there, gentlemen. For the only way to keep ourselves a unified front is to actually unify."
"That is all I have to say. I will stop talking now," Theo started to make her way back to her seat. She held a controlled smile on her face, hopeful but not cocky. As she passed by Fletching she patted his back, "I'm sure he's never been happier to hear anything else."
The laughter that filled the air was a break in the tension that had been thick in the air all sun. It was also the little ego boost Theo needed to pick her up from the potential loss they could still face. Theo managed to get to her seat and give a bow before sitting, yielding the speaking rights to whoever wanted it.
"I will not allow for discussion or debate. We will go straight into a vote," Uncilo said then deferred over to the one who had taken the previous vote.
Theo had known there wouldn't be any room for greasing elbows during a break but she had at least hoped that discussion would occur. She decided to look at the bright side, Fletching wouldn't get a chance to speak. Theo didn't keep a tally this time she just waited and waited. It was only a few minutes but that time seemed longer than the one before. When the vote was drawing to a close, Theo leaned back a bit in her chair and Xyra got the hint and leaned forward.
"What are we at?" Theo whispered.
"You didn't keep track?" Xyra asked and Theo shook her head, no, "that's too bad."
Xyra patted Theo on the shoulder and Theo couldn't see but she knew there was an evil grin on her face. Theo turned her head slightly so Xyra could hear more clearly, "I will kill you in your sleep."
Theo rocked forward in her chair and came to rest back in her position just as the last vote was cast. Another minute passed before Cooker stood up. Cooker unfolded the paper slowly, and her eyes did a quick glance over the words on the page. Her face to any outside observer would have looked normal but Theo saw that Cooker's eyes had lit up. Theo read Cooker before Cooker could read the paper out loud. Once she did, it confirmed Theo's assumption.
"In a vote of seventy-six to twenty-five, the amended proposal to fund an expedition for information on the war on pirates has been approved."
Theo was met with slaps and shoulder grabs from everyone in her immediate vicinity. She watched with a large grin on her face as some of the room jumped up in celebration, most of them having come together under one cause. Owl, Blue, and other captains that helped draft the proposal came down on her in celebration as she was pinned to her chair from all sides. She laughed at the sudden attention and tried to wiggle away all the while happy that she hadn't pissed anybody off with her new proposal. It was a risk but it paid off.
Theo heard Uncilo begin to call the meeting to a close and she shooed the people around her away. She was not done yet. As people began to get up and gather their belongings to get some rest before the island's nightlife began, she stood up on her chair and whistled loudly, "Gentlemen, Captains, please find me if you are interested in joining the expedition! There is much to discuss still!"
Some paid her statement no mind as they continued to gather their things. However, all she needed was four more crews and there were over a hundred of them at the island. They were bound to find some. Besides, there were about nine captains in the group behind the proposal. The hardest part was done, it was smooth sailing at least for the rest of the night.
Theo stepped down from the chair and turned around to find Cooker, Xyra, and Ava all standing side by side, looking at her with identical smiles. Theo laughed at the display, her crisis wall disarming and her heart allowing warmth back inside. She opened her arms and all three of them crashed into her. Theo stumbled back until she crashed against the table, the only thing that had prevented her from falling. After almost causing her to bash her skull open, Ava and Cooker backed away but Xyra stayed. She grabbed Theo's face between her hands and leaned down to bring their foreheads together.
"Good job, kid," Xyra smiled and patting Theo on the cheek gently, "yuur mehani"
I'm proud of you.
Theo had to remind herself of where she was. If there weren't hundreds of people around her, she would have immediately burst out into tears. There was so much pent-up pressure in her chest from the past cycles and it was the first time she felt at peace. The feeling wouldn't last long but everything seemed okay for just that little bit. Xyra was somewhat back to being herself, there was a solution to the threat that had been looming over them for months, and she was in Corinspe. She took a deep breath and let herself be in the moment before pulling her head back and slightly headbutting Xyra who pulled away with a frown and stepped on Theo's toes.
Theo gasped and shoved Xyra with a laugh and Xyra reciprocated with pinching Theo's arm. Cooker stepped in quickly and pushed them apart but they just started pinching her. Cooker was sidestepping the pinches as she backed away when she backed straight into Uncilo. Cooker sprang forward and profusely apologized but Uncilo just shook his head with a smile. He expressed his congratulations but kept it short and succinct, he would save the more in detailed thoughts for a time when they were alone. Uncilo walked away and Theo finally turned back to the room at large to a surprising sight. Half the room was still there, waiting expectantly for her to lead the charge on what came next.