The walls were grey, the air was humid, and she had seen three mice since she had seen sitting in the dingy cell. The only thing interrupting the sameness from the stone wall she had been staring at was a consistent dripping sound, water leaking into the jail. She had begun to count the time between each drop. One drop, two breaths, another drop. One drop, two breaths, another drop. The pattern repeated as Theo counted in her head. Drip. In for three beats, out for three. In for three beats, out for three. Drip. Again. In for three beats, out for three.

It was the only thing keeping her sane. The only thing keeping the numbness from turning into emotions she couldn't control. For the first hour she was in the cell, she was trying to piece together what had happened and how she had missed the signs but her mind kept blocking her path forward. Her thoughts were a loop, a constant thought of nothing except for: Ava was Avery Vaith, she had been lied to. It was frustrating going in the same circle, so she stared at the wall and attempted to drown out any sort of thought that entered her mind.

Before resorting to the wall, Theo had instinctually found herself praying to Riva, asking for guidance, but she stopped before she could ask for anything else. A burning sensation in her chest that could only be described as rage settled over her. Riva was a fucking god, she was supposed to know all. There could have been a million ways to warn Theo about Avery, to make Theo aware of who she was; but Riva had failed to do so.

Avery Vaith had been on her fucking ship for close to a length. Avery Vaith had been by her side, in a position of power, for far longer than she should have ever been. Avery Vaith had managed to get Theo to fall in love with her and Riva didn't even step in once. Another thought entered her head.

Neither did Xyra.

She shut her eyes tightly and felt a pang in her chest, it couldn't be true. Theo clutched the slides of her head, trying to recall what she had seen while getting arrested. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Did Xyra actually know? Or was it her head telling her that Xyra's nonchalance was because she knew it was coming? Theo's head once again blocked her from trying to make sense of things. No other memories were coming to her except for the look in Xyra's eyes when Theo glanced over at her earlier that morning.

Theo opened her eyes back up with a sigh. It was the only thing that brought some sort of relief to the immense pressure she felt in her chest. Her gaze was filled with cold, wet stone once again. Drip, two breaths. Drip, two breaths. The pattern was broken when Theo heard footsteps approach. She slowly allowed her head to turn to the side, looking out through the bars to see the guard that had silently been on duty guarding her cell being relieved. In his place came a familiar pirate, Yaer. He had been a deckhand at the same time as her stint as first mate on Barge's ship.

Yaer took over the wooden chair that the previous guard had been sitting in. Theo made brief eye contact with him then turned back to the wall, much preferring that than the sight of an old crewmate watching over her in a dingy cell. The energy had shifted though, from silent and calm to a bit more charged. She could feel the intrigue radiating from Yaer, even without looking she knew he was positioned slightly forward in his chair, observing Theo and waiting to ask. It was almost like what Ava would do. Except it wasn't Ava that did that, it was Avery. It was a calculated attempt to seem cute while extracting everything she could from Theo. The thought made her empty stomach flop around and she kicked herself for going there. She clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to shake off the feeling of heartbreak.

As Theo was undergoing a small crisis over the thought of the redhead, Yaer found it best to spark up a conversation. Theo had to stop herself from groaning as she heard the first sounds come out of his mouth.

"So, did you do it?" Yaer asked, there was no accusation in his tone, "Work with the Vaith girl and Lord Vaith?"

Theo turned her head slowly. She raised one eyebrow, "Are you asking me if I'm the rat?"

"Aye, are you?" Yaer clarified.

"Do you think I am?" Theo turned back to the wall.

"No, but the evidence is there and it's hard to ignore," he shrugged, whatever light armor he had clanked a bit.

"Fair enough," Theo reciprocated with her own shrug, as Yaer watched her watch the wall.

"That's all you have to say?" Yaer chuckled a bit even though there was no humor in the situation for her.

"I have a trial tomorrow," Theo answered, "I'll save my breath for then."

He dropped anything else he might have wanted to ask and she was grateful for it. But Yaer had officially broken her focus on the wall and the drips and no matter how hard she tried, Theo's mind kept landing on Xyra and Cooker. What was their involvement? Were both of them just as in the dark as her? She couldn't ignore the nagging feeling of anxiety over not knowing anything. After a few minutes, she turned back to face her guard.

"Do you know where they are?" Theo asked.

Yaer nodded, "Aye, separate cells in separate wings."

"Can you take me to speak with Xyra?" she tried her luck, giving Yaer large, sad eyes to get him to feel bad.

He paused to think about the request. A small frown set on his face as his forehead creased; thinking about the options at his disposal. After some consideration he stood up, taking the key ring off of his belt.
"I can't let you in her cell though, you have to speak with her through the bars," Yaer conceded and unlocked her cell.

Theo stood up, taking a moment to stretch out her back and crack the stiff joints that came with sitting in a cell for hours. Once she regained the use of her legs, she walked out of her enclosure. She could have tried to run or outsmart Yaer in an effort to escape but Theo was innocent and had nothing to run from. She kept her shackled hands in front of her, clasped, as she walked behind Yaer to where Xyra was. As they approached her cell, Theo could see Xyra hunched over and clutching her head. She was sitting on the small bench in the cell and her foot was tapping rapidly against the floor with dull thuds everytime her sole connected with the ground. She stood in front of the cell but Xyra didn't look up.

"You knew?" Theo found the words leaving her mouth before she had a chance to think about what to say first. The need to understand what was happening outweighed the need for a strategy to maneuver the conversation her way.

Xyra's head snapped up at the voice.

"Theo," Xyra stood up and walked over the bars, "how did you get ou-"

"Xyrabellis, did you know?" Theo interrupted, her voice betraying her with a shake. Theo clenched her fists together, trying to keep in stray tears she didn't even know were forming.

"Aye."

The feeling of a bucket of cold water being splashed on her was overwhelming. One word and her veins had turned to ice and her heart had begun to shatter from the frost spreading around it.

"How long have you known?" Theo asked.

"Theo, there is a far longer explanation," Xyra tried to reason, "she's not a rat. She's clean."

"How fucking long?" Theo pressed, taking a step closer to the bars, "How long did you know I was fucking the enemy? How long did you know we were harboring the very reason this war broke out on my fucking ship?!"

Xyra looked away as she sighed, "Since we left Corinspe."

Theo stared at Xyra, unmoving; statuesque. Xyra finally remade eye contact with Theo, staying silent rather than offering an explanation. Theo nodded slowly, processing the information. Processing wasn't the right word, however, because while Theo understood this as betrayal she had yet to feel the weight of that settle in.

"You had a duty to me that you admit abandoning," Theo clarified.

"Aye, I made the conscious decision to keep this from you," Xyra was stoic in her expression and tone, "but I only did so because I knew she wasn't a threat, she had no ties with her family anymore. She isn't their spy or a rat; I made sure of that. She wasn't a threat."

"Clearly, she still posed quite a threat seeing she landed us in here," Theo mused and stepped closer to the bars, "actually, no. You landed in here by failing to inform me we had the daughter of Umbar Vaith on our fucking ship."

"Theo, I had no idea her running away had caused this-"

"Did Cooker know?" Theo cut Xyra off before she could finish.

Xyra didn't answer. She clammed up and looked towards the wall of her cell, biting her inner lip as her face curdled like she had smelled something sour.

"Answer me."

"You know the answer to that," Xyra looked back at Theo, "she grew up with the fucking girl."

"I want to hear you say it!" Theo lost the last but of decorum and patience she was holding onto. She felt feral, hitting the bars in front of her as she yelled.

"Cooker is the one that told me," Xyra whispered, still looking away.

"How long did she know?"

"You are only hurting yourself at this point Theo, we can speak about this when all of this is solved. I promise there is an explanation once you are willing to hear it," Xyra tried to rationalize.

"How fucking long!" Theo repeated the question she had posed many times in the conversation.

"I'm not clear on the details but two cycles, maybe three after she came on board."

Theo couldn't handle the influx of raw emotions, hearing that not just one of her closest friends betrayed her but two. Theo could think of nothing better to do than let out a yell, so she did. And as the noise left her lips she turned around and punched the cold, rough stone behind her. The pain shot up her arm and she could see blood on her knuckles in the dim light from a torch down the hall. Theo pressed her forehead into the wall, staying with her back towards Xyra; physically unable to bring herself to turn back around and face her.

"Who else?"

"No one else knows," Xyra answered.

"Don't lie to me Xyra, it will make whatever happens to you worse than it will be," Theo threatened but it felt dirty, it felt wrong to even do so.

"I am not lying to you, Captain, I did not want to bring anyone else into the lie and that is why I told no one else. I made sure it was contained," Xyra argued in her own defense.

Theo shook her head and scoffed. There were so many things she wanted to say, lots of curses came to mind, endless insults and jabs. But she knew that lashing out at Xyra wouldn't do much. She knew that Xyra would think that Theo was just being mean out of emotion and dismiss what was said. She knew that the most effective way to fuck with Xyra was to just walk away, to not acknowledge anything she had said last.

Theo turned around to Yaer, being careful not to face Xyra or make eye contact with her. She nodded towards him and he began to walk, having her follow. Their footsteps echoed throughout the hallway as they made their way back to her cell. Xyra had realized that Theo wasn't coming back or continuing their conversation and Theo heard her call out.

"Theo!"

Theo didn't answer, she just continued to walk forward. It would have been easy to overpower the guard that was with her, especially when his back was to her. But like before, she was not planning on escaping. A Corinspian jailbreak had never been planned, they had never prepared for one, they had never considered it a possibility. Even if her crew had been thinking of doing so, someone on the ship would have had the wisdom to call it off. In the unlikely circumstance that they would be able to break out, dozens of ships on them before they could even leave the bay.

Whatever was to happen, Theo was just going to let it be. They still had evidence against Fletching. She still had people on the outside that knew she was innocent. She wasn't so sure her name would be fully cleared or that anyone would believe she had no involvement with harboring a noble fugitive but at the very least, she would not be held responsible for the war against pirates. Fletching would take the fall for that if it was the last thing she did.

The guard opened her cell and Theo made no fuss as she walked back in.

"Thank you for not trying to pull a Captain Theo on me," Yaer said, "I will see about getting you some dinner."

Theo rested against the wall and all of the numbness that was there was gone. Her headspace was clear now. While the numbness was gone, the disbelief was still there. How was it true? How was it real? How had she been so oblivious? She did what she had been trying to do all sun but with the new clarity. Thinking back to the signs she had missed was easier now, she had more answered. She thought back to Avery's time on their ship. Xyra had said that she had made sure that Avery wasn't doing anything suspect but was she just lying too? Where they all covering for each other?

Was the lie still going? Had this been planned beforehand? Had Avery sought out their ship and recruited Xyra and Cooker? Or worse, had they been secretly working for The Center for quite some time? There was no evidence of that. That was a reach, but Theo was paranoid. She calmed herself from spiraling by taking slow, calm breaths. Instead, she pointed herself in the direction of evidence.

It was obsessive, the way she sat for hours combing through every memory she had of the past length. She should have seen it right away, a redhead from Elox, who spent the summers in Aubermasse, promised to Hoffstater, extremely sheltered, boarding her ship at the same time that Avery Vaith had just died. It was ridiculous that Theo was so dull as to not catch it; so trusting. So careless. But then again, she had often relied on her two best friends to catch what she missed, and they had failed her too.

Everything started to make sense. Cycles of confusion over Xyra's behavior became clear. Cycles of worry over the reason that Cooker was spiraling had become clear. Avery ending things between them made sense. But it only made sense if Ava—Avery-- wasn't the rat, it only made sense if Avery truly did like Theo and didn't want to hurt her. Theo found herself inclined to believe both Avery and Xyra. It might have been just a coincidence that the Vaith ended up on her ship. But again, paranoia shook that security out of her mind.

Maybe Avery wasn't a nox and it had reached a point in her little play pretend mission where she couldn't take it anymore. With the realization that she had been lied to for so long came the fear that everything she had understood to be true was not. Theo bumped her head against the wall, doing so multiple times hoping it would make her feel better. It didn't. Food came but she was too in her head to even notice the plate next to her. Theo was at the beginning of night long spiral over the past.

She barely slept, the gray wall was her friend and she made sure to give it all her attention. When her body forced her to finally get some rest, she was drifting in and out of consciousness. Morning couldn't come soon enough and yet once it did, Theo wanted it to have never arrived. She had been so caught up with the Avery situation she hadn't even thought about how she would present her defense. There was nothing she could do to prove that she had no idea about Avery and that she was not involved with The Center, all she could do was use the opportunity of her final defense before the trial ended to provide the real evidence against Fletching. Even then, the fight was far from over. She still needed to ensure Fletching's conviction.

Yaer had been gone for hours and her new guard was not as nice. Theo didn't know his name but she had seen him in the same circles of Fletching's crew and his other supporters, so Theo was sure that his rudeness came from his belief that she was some sort of traitor. He woke her from her semi-sleeping state by banging on the metal bars next to her with his sword, unpleasant sounds of clanging reverberated throughout the hall. Her eyes opened to the man and two other guards. They dragged her out of her cell, barely giving her a proper chance to stand up and walk by herself. She made sure to give them a hard time for that, fuck those guys, she wanted Yaer back. The fight only lasted a bit, she stopped dragging her feet and putting her dead weight on the guards escorting her but only because it cost more energy than just walking and Theo had no energy left.

Her mouth was dry, her hair was a mess and her clothes were damp from sweat caused by the humidity in the cells. She felt like shit, inside and out. She was escorted up several flights of stairs and down long hallways until she arrived at the enormous doors that opened to the large meeting hall she knew well. The stares were on her as the doors open and she was walked in. People surrounded her on all sides and the silence in the room reflected the tension at her arrival. Some had their noses turned up at her, pessimists towards the question of her loyalty; believing her to be a traitor and the person that allowed their friends to be murdered. Others looked on in disbelief as if they couldn't believe that Theo had actually done what they said she did. Her friends, who she caught short glimpses of seemed to be furious but not towards her, perhaps towards the fact that she was even in the position of defending herself against bogus claims.

Theo was escorted through the room and into the middle of the circle of Captains, forced into a chair that was in the middle of everyone. She took in her audience. To her left, she could see familiar figures. Tuni sat in a chair at the table with Iona and Navi behind her. Theo straightened a bit at the sight, they were at the meeting. They hadn't abandoned her. That either meant they were set on her conviction, not believing she didn't know about Ava or they were there to present to evidence for her defense.

"We will begin this meeting with Captain Theo's trial," a voice spoke, it wasn't Uncilo it was the person they had chosen to be the guide through the trials. Theo recognized him as the person who usually dealt with rule keeping on the Pirate Council, "Captain Theo, you are accused of bringing danger to Corinspe by bringing a Vaith onto these shores and are accused of working with said Vaith to undermine the pirate underworld for your own gain. How do you plead?"

"You will find that I did not know of my quartermaster's true identity and even if I had, she and by extension, I had no involvement with Umbar Vaith and his quest to destroy the underworld," Theo spoke, finding herself not only defending herself but also Avery. After hours of thinking, Theo had come to the conclusion that Avery was working for no one but herself, "Is she a liar? Sure. Is she a rat? Not at all."

"Captain Theo, you may only respond to your charges," the rule-keeper noted.

"Then let it be known that I am neither a liar or a rat and I claim innocence against every claim made towards me," Theo corrected.

"The events are clear, she attacked Aubermause under Umbar's command and was given Avery Vaith as a prize. Using her alleged death, Vaith unleashed hell on all of us leaving Theo to benefit from his protection," Fletching stood up in his chair, not even waiting a few minutes into the trial to begin with his ministrations. He had narrated almost exactly what he had done. Yet, none of his followers seemed to question how he came to those conclusions with no evidence, "Why? Was it for Uncilo's position? Was it for glory? Was it just to see if you could?"

Theo clenched her jaw and kept telling herself to not blow up. To stay calm. To not let him get the best of her. Tuni was there, so were some of her other officers. She had solid evidence that was near impossible to forge. Fletching's effort to sink her was only going to make him look desperate and malicious when the truth came to light. He was digging himself a hole the more he came after her, she just had to keep quiet and hope his outbursts would reflect on him negatively when he was exposed. The farther he pushed that Theo was the rat, the easier her name would be cleared once Fletching was out of the picture. But Theo didn't have to say anything for their chances of success to slim down, Tuni did that for her.

"That is a slanderous accusation that has no truth to it!" Tuni stood up from her chair, her small frame making quite some racket, "My captain had no knowledge of any plot to work with The Center and was not aware of the true nature of who was on our ship."

"The time for the defense of the accused will come, ma'am," the meeting's notetaker interrupted before the rule keeper could.

"I have evidence pointing to who was really working with The Center," Tuni shouted, holding up a folder, "let me present it and the whole trial will be over."

"Please refrain from interrupting, Captain," Uncilo regarded Tuni, who technically was the Captain of the Scorned Woman in the absence of everyone else, "there will be ample time to present evidence in defense of the accused at a later point in this trial."

Theo had tried to get Tuni to sit down after her first statement, to not show their cards but it hadn't worked. Whatever subtle hand motions and faces Theo was making her way did not work and Tuni had plainly admitted to having evidence against the rat. Theo whipped her head back over to Fletching detected a hint of concern on his face, which was what Theo was afraid of. They were fucked the second Uncilo called for a break. Fletching couldn't be certain that Tuni had damning evidence on him but if he so much as suspected it, Tuni would be missing by the time the break ended. Theo didn't put cold-blooded murder past him anymore, not if it was what it took to get him off without a scratch.

Theo was going to have to speed the trial up. They didn't have time for Fletching to present whatever story he concocted, and she didn't have time for her defense. All of that would take far too long and require multiple breaks, perhaps even a recess for the evening. Any period of time they weren't in the meeting, they were in trouble. The evidence had no guarantee to stay intact and in their possession for any longer than the current session of the meeting lasted. Theo steeled herself, trying to prepare for what she was going to do. It wasn't what they had planned.

"Captain Fletching," Uncilo spoke for the first time since calling the meeting to a start, "as the person behind these accusations, you must now present your evidence."

Theo's heart was beating and she felt her empty stomach do flips, her shoulders were in knots and she was not ready for what she needed to do yet she stood up anyway. Theo cleared her throat and stayed standing, waiting to be acknowledged.

Fletching, who had just left his seat and made his way onto the floor, scoffed, "Sit down."

Theo said nothing, she just flashed him a smile. His lips turned down into a frown and she could tell he huffed out a breath when he was ignored.

"Tell her to take her seat," Fletching complained.

"Sit down so that the evidence against you can be presented," Uncilo complied with the request.

Theo broke her gaze away from Fletching and slowly turned around, facing Uncilo and his posse that had been behind her the whole time. She said nothing, waiting to be addressed.

"Captain Theo," Uncilo repeated, "please, sit down."

Theo wasn't going to begin her plan without a bit of fun, if she was to die she wanted to go out being a nuisance, "By the rules of the island, would I not be stripped of my title of captain under the eyes of pirate law?"

"Out of respect for your position and contribution to this island, you retain your title until proven guilty," Uncilo replied, his calm demeanor not reacting to Theo's antics.

"How fair," Theo chuckled and held her hands up, "yet, you do not mind chaining me to shackles in front of all my comrades."

"You are considered dangerous," Uncilo argued, still unfazed, "your reputation precedes you."

"I believe I have you and your training to thank for that," Theo bowed, "training which I intend to put to good use."

"Theo, sit," Uncilo commanded, his voice rising a little to scold her the way he did when she was young.

It didn't work on her anymore though, she was defiant.

"Trials are boring, how about we add some spice?" Theo smirked a bit.

"Guards, escort Captain Theo out of the room and bring her back when she is ready to participate without interrupting," Uncilo called.

"I call for a trial by combat!" Theo exclaimed before any guard could make their move to grab her.

There was a collective noise of surprise. Some gasped, others murmured, others whistled. But Theo was only focused on the person in charge. Uncilo looked afraid, and for the first time since arriving on the island, she watched him lose control over the tight grip he had on his emotions. Theo smirked, whatever his plan was to help her in his own fucked up way was ruined. Now, he had to watch as Theo willingly entered herself into a deathmatch because he refused to do the logical thing and advocate for her. She sent a wink his way and turned around as his face fell into one of indignance over being out of control of the situation. Theo locked eyes with Fletching once again.

"Now, Captain Fletching," Theo smirked then shrugged, "you may either accept my challenge or withdraw your accusation."

"Or, I may call for someone to fight in my place," Fletching rebutted.

"In the event that the accusation is for a crime that results in death or hanging, only the person willing to champion the claim is able to accept the challenge." Theo recited, "you are the person championing the claim. The claim is that I am a rat working for the Center which earns me the great honor of being hung if I am found guilty. Therefore, you cannot call for someone to fight in your place, you bloody coward."

Fletching just looked around, trying to search for an out or a way around it but it was either he relinquished his accusation, or he fought.

"Take these off, boys," Theo held her hands out towards the guards.

No one knew what to do, everyone was looking towards Uncilo and Fletching who were both dumbfounded that Theo would take the risk.

"Either I die, or I live and walk free," Theo reasoned and shook her chains, "so there is no longer a reason for these."

"You can still be accused by others, you can be tried more than once," Fletching finally found his loophole, trying to convince Theo out of it, "you fight me and survive, you still have to fight every other accuser. You're not getting off that easily."

"If I fight you and survive, I doubt there is anyone else willing to make the accusation. And if you reject my challenge and I walk, what makes you think someone else is willing to take on the crusade you don't even have the guts to back up," Theo shook her shackles again, "out, please. As you can imagine, these are quite uncomfortable."

"I formally request a brief pause in the meeting so I can speak with my crew and return with an answer," Fletching turned to Uncilo.

Theo cleared her throat, "Article 32 of the pirate charter, the one that specifies the rules for a combat trial, states in subsection 5 that the meeting is not to be recessed or adjourned until the challenge is declined or the fight is over."

"Captain Theo, by calling on that rule to be honored you are also tying yourself to the rule in subsection 6," Uncilo reminded her.

"I will only be able to use weapons in this room and if none are provided to me, I must use an improvised weapon," Theo recited, "I know every article and subsection in the charter, I am aware of what invoking subsection 5 will mean. Now, for the love of all that is divine and good, unshackle me please and make this coward decide what he is going to do."

Uncilo nodded and two guards stepped forward, Theo held Fletching's gaze as she was unshackled. She hadn't won quite yet, there was still a lot of work to be done to prove her innocence. Fletching would have to be beaten; Avery would need to be cleared of suspicion, and along with that she would have to be cleared of knowing anything about the Vaith's presence on her ships.

She shook out her hands and stretched her arms as she stared Fletching down with a grin, "So, what's the choice? Cowards' way out?"

"Fuck you, burniat," Fletching spat out, calling her a witch.

"Captain Fletching, what's your answer?" Uncilo asked, taking full control of the meeting instead of delegating to the notetaker.

"I accept," Fletching's fist was clenched as he uttered the words.

So, he chose the hard way out. Theo wasn't nervous even though she should have been, but nerves would do her no favors. Theo nodded in Fletching's direction with a smirk before turning towards Tuni. Theo walked over to her and all three of her crew crowded around Tuni's chair, leaning in to speak to Theo as she approached.

"We stuck to the plan," Navi reported, "whisper campaign has been going on since last night."

"If he wins, you can't let him get away with this," Theo whispered and looked at the three of them, "you keep this evidence close to your chest. No one is to leave the sight of Uncilo and the guards until it is presented. Give it to Xyra to present it during her defense. She is the one that needs to make the accusation in case Fletching calls for a trial by combat, Xyra's the only other one of us that can fight him."

"You can't fail, Theo," Navi shook her head and reached out to grip Theo's forearm, "you're our fucking captain, mate, we can't do this without you."

Tuni took it further than Navi, she cupped Theo's face and brought her closer, "Channel your rage into productive action. Don't let frustration get the best of you. You know how to fight, you know how to take him down."

"You sound just like Mor," Theo leaned in further and kissed Tuni on the cheek, "I see you are wearing one of my coats. Would you care to keep it? You just have to trade me your daggers. I would say that is a pretty good deal."

Tuni released Theo's cheeks and pulled out four small, thin, throwing knives, "You are lucky I brought these."

"I have never seen you without them," Theo chuckled and pocketed them before turning to Iona, "Come on, I know you got some good things to give me."

Iona tried to be serious but Theo caused her to smile, "I brought these hoping you wouldn't need to use them but-"

Iona pulled her sleeve up and pulled off a golden bracer, metal spidering and weaving over itself as the design made the gold protective, yet stylish. After the bracer, she was handed a short sword.

"I tried to get your falchion back from the jail and they wouldn't let me take it. Said anything confiscated from your person needed to stay with them. This was the best I could do," Iona explained.

"I, you are a fucking miracle worker," Theo stared down at the bracer she had put over her left forearm.

Theo was about to turn away when Navi grabbed her arm again, "Theo, did she know?"

Theo looked at Navi's wide eyes and her heart broke just a little as she nodded, "Aye. She did."

Navi let go of Theo's arm and shook her head, a look of sadness washing over her. If there was anyone who knew how Theo felt, it was Navi. Theo had to turn her head away from them, unable to look at Navi for fear that the emotions would spread.

"Let the accuser and the accused come to the center with the weapons they have procured," Uncilo called out, "let us turn to Rejvi for the rules of combat."

Theo drowned him out, the rules were known to her. A fight to the death with no outside interference. Only the weapons on hand were to be used. No one could leave the ring that the Captain's seating made once the fight had been started. The winner of the fight won the trial. Theo took the time walking to the center of the makeshift ring to ready herself. She would have no fear, no hesitation, and have nothing on her mind but a hunger for victory. She had to pull out a part of her that she reserved for business, that she reserved for the scum of scum. The monster she was so afraid of losing control of was once again being called to the forefront.

Her face had gone from a cocky smirk, teasing and joking, to an angry one. Her brow furrowed and her mouth was set into a tight line. Theo had pocketed the throwing knives and twisted the short sword around in her hand.

Fletching walked over with his falchion in hand, staring Theo down in an intimidation tactic. She didn't let it affect her, throwing in a wink and smirk to throw him off his game a bit. She couldn't tell if it had worked, Fletching only narrowed his eyes. The fight started in a blink. The rule-keepr had entered the same ring as them and called the beginning of it within a minute, Theo wasn't prepared. But there was never a time where she would be prepared to fight to the death, no matter times she had had to do it. The fight was called and Theo wasted no time in pulling out one of the knives from her pocket while Fletching was still lying in wait and making his plan. Theo had no time to waste, she adjusted her grip on the weapon and before Fletching could realize what was happening, she flung it out of her hand.

Time slowed and it was almost graceful watching the knife soar through the air and find its rightful home. Piercing Fletching's hand, the knife stuck out of it as he screamed in pain and dropped his sword. Theo went on the offensive, running forward and bringing her sword down just as Fletching pulled another one from his side; a spare. Their swords collided in the air as he blocked her attack. Fletching used his leg to kick Theo in the stomach. She fell back a few steps and he took that chance to swing down on her, making his own attack for the first time. Theo might have been in a world of hurt had Iona not brought her what she had. Theo caught his sword in the air with her bracer.

Not expecting the defensive move, he was frozen in shocked confusion as to why Theo's arm didn't come clean off. That was Theo's chance, perhaps the only one she would get. Their faces met and Theo smirked. With his arm in the air, mid-swing Theo slid her short sword into his chest, watching his eyes widen at the feeling of her blade piercing his heart. All of the anticipation and lengths of rivalry only for it to end in mere seconds. His sword clattered to the ground, and he stumbled back as Theo let go of the hilt of the blade. He fell to the ground and Theo wasted no time in getting on top of him, his lungs still taking in shallow breaths. She grabbed his collar and pulled his face up to meet her fist. One, two, three punches. Theo was about to get carried away, about to start punching until his face was covered in his own blood when she remembered that there wouldn't be long-term satisfaction in that. To satisfy her own twisted desire, she stopped while he was still alive sparing his last moments to lean in and whisper.

"I want to apologize for lying to you. I told you that my dagger through your heart would be what killed you and as you might have seen," Theo twisted the short sword with a snarl on her face, "I veered off the plan a bit."

A grunt escaped his lips as the blade twisted deeper into his chest. Theo pulled away from his ear to look him in the face. Fletching's breath was slowing down as the life was quickly draining from his eyes, his mouth unable to form words.

"You made my life such hell for lengths, just to give me the most pathetic fight of my life," Theo pulled him up by the collar and looked him in the eye, "I will make sure your reputation of being a rat will extend for generations. And I will make sure everyone knows how easily you died at the hands of a pirate captain half your age, after continous failed attempts to sink her."

Fletching struggled for one last breath before his body gave out, dead eyes staring ahead as the light faded from them. Theo climbed off of him and spun around in a circle, addressing the room. She held her bloodied hands out, calling for another challenge.

"Unless anyone has any other claims, I believe I have no accusations to my name," there was only shocked silence as a response. Theo scoffed, "a bunch of fucking lackeys, going along with whatever he had to say."

Theo finished her moment of victory and reveling in the shock and awe of everyone quite quickly. She turned to Tuni and began to march over, holding a hand out.

"The papers, dear," Theo said as the entire room watched her in silence. Tuni handed the folder full of evidence over to Theo who walked it to one of the guards, "can you make sure this gets to our beloved Captain Uncilo?"

The guard looked confused but complied with the request. Once the folder reached him, Uncilo reached down from the elevated stand he was sitting on, in the corner of the room and took the papers.

"This is evidence against the deceased Captain Fletching, finding him guilty of collaborating with The Center against our very own people. He tried to cover his tracks by blaming me. It was merely a coincidence that the Vaith girl was on my ship. I don't know how he found out but it was his lucky break," Theo explained, "that evidence should clear my name but while you lot mull over what to do next, I will be meeting with my crew to inform them that I am alright. Despite the effort to see me hanging."

Theo made her way out of the ring and towards the door, hopping over the table of a Captain she didn't quite know to get there. She reached the door and pushed the heavy wood outwards, opening the way. Uncilo handed the pages to the person next to him as he stood up from his chair.

"The meeting is not in recess!" Uncilo called out.

"Like I give a fuck!" Theo yelled without looking back and walked out of the door.

-----

Theo was standing on her ship waiting to address her crew, Tuni had informed her that the recess had been called for one hour so they would have to get things done quickly. While the drama of leaving was a bonus, she had rushed out of the room for a practical reason. The issue of bringing someone to the island that had a connection to The Center, like a Vaith, was still a crime. Her lack of knowledge towards the subject would allow her to avoid punishment but there was still the issue of holding the trial for Xyra and Cooker, who did have knowledge of harboring a Vaith.

The next item on the pirate's agenda was to bring in Xyra and Cooker for their own trials and for Theo to act as a witness to have their names cleared. With Fletching dead and barely anyone willing to enforce the accusations, it would be over quickly. However, Theo would have to get up on the stand and lie for them in order to get them out of jail and out of trouble. That wasn't something she was willing to do without the approval of her crew. While her connection to her friends through the life they had spent together should have pushed her to lie for them no matter what, she was feeling a little less tied to that obligation, a little angrier than before, and a little less sad.

She was alone at the front of the mess room, the officers that usually took to either of her sides were currently in prison. In front of her, a sea of pirates that belonged to her crew. The two ship's crew barely fit in one place but they had managed to make it work.

"I'll be honest when I say I don't quite know where to begin with everything," Theo pushed her hair out of her face and pulled it back as she tied it up, "As you all saw in a not so subtle interaction, I was arrested yestersun under the accusation that I was working with Umbar Vaith and that I had knowledge of harboring Avery Vaith amongst our crew."

Theo paused for a second to see if there were any questions or any responses, everyone was just staring at her with wide eyes.

"Fletching made up both of those accusations and it brings me comfort to know that while I was in jail, you were doing the work that had been planned. You believed me when I said I hadn't known and I had no role in this plot against our own people," Theo flashed everyone a smile, but it didn't even reach her cheeks, "Unfortunately, Fletching was not lying about our old quartermaster. Turns out, Avery Vaith is indeed who we all knew as Red."

Gasps and murmurs spread throughout the room, but it was more subdued than she had been expecting, perhaps because Avery had admitted to it herself the morning before. It was the confirmation of the fact that was shocking instead of the fact itself.

"As a captain, I have failed you for not being able to see that before. It was hidden from me, and I didn't have the means or the wherewithal to root out what was really going on," Theo shook her head, "not that my track record is great but I do not believe she had anything to do with The Center's conspiracy against us. I believe she did not comprise any of you and that any actions she took that harmed us were accidental."

"How can you be sure?" Rita asked, "she fooled us all, how can we be sure she's telling the truth about not being a spy?"

"She's not the one who told me she was innocent in all of this," Theo cleared her throat, "Xyra did."

The murmurs grew and confusion spread.

"Both Xyra and Cooker were aware of who she really was."

Theo let the information settle for a bit. Her eyes couldn't help but trail over to Navi, who was looking at the floor shaking her head. She saw Morgana put a hand on her shoulder and give it a squeeze, but Navi just shrugged it off. Theo turned back to the group at large.

"Cooker has known the longest, I am not quite sure how long though and Xyra has known since the last time we were in Corinspe," Theo let the news drop and the room erupted into questions and insults. Theo crossed her arms and waited until things calmed down before she addressed everyone again, "Now, the reason I am saying this in here and not at their trials is because I need to know how you all would prefer to proceed with this."

"What are the options?" Oceane asked, Theo didn't see any hint of negative emotions on her face, but Theo had learned in the time since she had lost her father and home that Oceane knew how to put on a brave demeanor. Ava had been her friend until Ava became Avery. It must have hurt Oceane too.

"I get called back to the meeting to testify for or against their release," Theo explained, "I can get up in front of all the pirates and lie. I can say that Xyra and Cooker had nothing to do with it and we can deal with this as an internal matter. Or, I can tell the truth."

"What happens then?" Tuni asked.

Theo shrugged, "The stay in jail for however many lengths Uncilo and the Council decide is proper punishment. Unless, of course, Miss Vaith's identity does cause the island larger problems in the future. In that case, their punishment can be adjusted as the Council sees fit. Exile, hanging, drowning."

"Well, fucking lie then!" Navi snapped out of her bubble, "is that even a question?"

"Aye, Nav it is a question," Theo nodded, "one that is being put up to a vote. When the recess comes to an end, am I admitting the truth or am I lying? If I lie, that means that this conversation and their transgressions to our crew is never spoken with anyone outside of who is in this room."

"Do we know why they kept it from us?" Iona asked.

"No, I didn't have the chance to speak with Xyra for that long. I only know what I've told you."

"What do you think we should do?" Iona spoke up again.

"As always, I will not vote unless it comes to a tie," Theo reminded Iona.

"I didn't ask if you were voting, I asked what you think we should do," Iona pushed back.

"You have the autonomy to do as you please. Do not decide based on what I think," Theo replied.

"But you are our captain, we look to you for guidance," Skins stepped in from the back.

"I am far too close to this situation to be able to give you an unbiased answer," Theo shook her head, trying her best to stay out of it. To keep her emotions buried down instead of letting them come to the surface.

"Which is exactly why we want to know what you think," Tuni agreed.

"I think this matter should be dealt with internally," Theo broke, "I think that it does us no good to have two of our pirates, who are women, to be left to the whims of the men on this island. I think that since Xyra and Cooker have seemed to harm no one but our crew by keeping this a secret, it is not an issue that anyone but us should be able to deliberate on. I think that we should be able to hold our own trial, in which we are in control of the questions we ask and the justice we receive from it. I think if the Council is willing to believe a man like Fletching over people who have done nothing to harm the island, we shouldn't leave Xyra and Cooker's lives in their hands."

"Then you lie," Navi repeated, "that's my vote."

"Your position has been noted," Theo nodded, "I will give everyone ten minutes to discuss before a vote."

"We don't need time to decide, the answer is obvious," Morgana backed Navi, "we lie."

"Aye, my vote is for lying!" a voice from the back, "we are pirates after all."

Theo looked around the room, "Any objections to moving into a vote?"

The room was quiet.

"Very well, anyone that wants the truth to be told in that meeting, raise your hand," Theo said, "I understand this isn't anonymous, but we have little time."

No one raised their hands, not a single person.

"All in favor of lying and dealing with this matter internally?"

Most hands in the room shot up. Theo noticed that Tuni didn't vote, her arms crossed, and her brow furrowed.

Theo nodded, "The crew has spoken. Xyra and Cooker will be in our brig by tonight. Our own trial will commence in the morning. Please refrain from any celebrations and parties until our ship matters are handled."

Theo stood up from the table she was leaning against.

"Navi, Iona, and Tuni," Theo pointed at them, "If you would care to join me again, I will gladly have you sit behind me as my officers."

"What about Red?" Oceane asked before Theo could get up and leave with the chosen officers.

"What about her?" Theo raised an eyebrow.

"What are we going to do about her?"

"I don't see how that is our concern," Theo spoke and it earned her some nods.

"She is a part of this crew," Oceane frowned at Theo's statement.

"She is a Vaith and a liar, neither of which we tolerate on this ship," Theo coolly put.

"They will kill her, T. You can't do that," Oceane cried out, her face cracking to show her sadness.

"Or use her as a bargaining chip," Skins mentioned.

"Need I remind everyone that the reason this whole war started was because she decided it was too hard to be a noble and ran away," Theo tried to keep her voice calm but her tone was louder than anticipated, "I saw my friends' heads hanging from their own ships not even four cycles ago because she decided it was a good decision to start a new life without concern for the consequences."

The room went quiet.

"Avery Vaith and what she's done is not an internal matter. She has affected almost every single person on this island, and it is only fair that she is dealt with the way it had been planned," Theo stated, "Are there any objections to that?"

Theo knew that even if people had any, they wouldn't speak up. She had made her position known and she figured everyone would be far too afraid of her possible reaction to question that. Theo had never made use of her position in that way before and it felt wrong but the anger she felt justified her actions at that moment. Avery would have nothing to do with them or their crew any longer, effective the moment she was remanded into Corinspian custody. She dismissed everyone and readied herself for the long walk back and what awaited her at the meeting.

-----

Theo was tapping her finger against the arm of her chair as the keeper of the agenda began to read out what was happening. Captain Owl had caught her on her way back to the meeting and had already filled her in on what was to happen. Apparently, her evidence was enough to convince the Council to push past the need for a trial for a deceased Fletching and all his co-conspirators and had them arrested for treason. Trials were only held for suspected treason, not a confirmed act of it. A deal had been struck that they would be spared from a death sentence if they cooperated with being questioned.

All of the deliberation and deals, to her dismay, had happened without her present. Others were there, it was by no means a conversation that was done behind closed doors. But it was one that, according to Uncilo, didn't require an official slot on the agenda. Which was bullshit, they once needed to have a whole section on the agenda regarding a vote on whether food would be allowed in during meetings. Yet, for some reason, arresting and holding a public trial for several of the involved members of treason was not considered important enough.

The agenda would be Xyra and Cooker's trial, followed by a public questioning of Avery Vaith to determine whether or not she had a role in Lord Vaith and Fletching's plans. Theo was not ready for any of it to begin. Yet, her anxiety grew with every second that the meeting dragged on without starting the trial. Eventually, Theo's head snapped over to the doors as they were opened. Xyra and Cooker were walked in, each in their own bindings. They were walked to the middle of the room, the same as she had been.

"I find it a bit ridiculous that they are still shackled and walked in here like cattle when you have no grounds to hold them on. Their accuser is dead," Theo stood up from her chair. The appearance of support had to still be there. If Theo wasn't angry at them, this is what she would do, "I frankly don't understand why we need to have a trial either. Like I said, their accuser is dead."

"Captain Theo, you will have time for your defense once the charges have been read," Uncilo spoke.

"Going back to my statement, Captain Uncilo, why are their charges being read if there is no accusation left on the table?"

"Fletching did not withdraw his accusations, he died before he could," Uncilo spoke, "given this unique situation, The Council has decided to move forward with a trial. Now, Captain Theo, sit down."

Theo obeyed and took her seat once again.

"Xyra and Cooker from the crew of the Scorned Woman are accused of knowingly bringing a threat into the island of Corinspe and threatening our safety and way of life," the charges were read out, "Are you guilty of these crimes?"

Theo had to make sure that they didn't screw things up for themselves; the two on trail were not privy to the conversation that was had on the ship and thus didn't know what to plead. Theo needed to make sure they knew. She stood up again, "Like I said before, they are not guilty. Now, can we get a move on? There are far more important matters we need to discuss, like Fletching and his role in all of this."

Theo caught Xyra's eye and gave a small nod, an indication that they were not to plead guilty. Xyra looked straight forward again and then waited for a few seconds before turning her head and whisper something to Cooker.

"Captain Theo, I will have you ejected from this meeting and which will render you unable to participate if you continue to interrupt," Uncilo raised his voice,

Theo bowed in an apology and sat back down.

"Repeat the question" Uncilo commanded, and he was obeyed. The question was posed again, were they guilty?

"I am not guilty of these crimes," Xyra answered.

"Me neither," Cooker tacked on, "but as someone who has been forced to write the records for these meetings, it has always been my dream to continue to babble on at a quite difficult pace and say a bunch of nonsense in order to force that record keeper to write everything I'm saying, as mandated by the charter."

"Cooker-" Uncilo attempted to speak up.

"It is my right to respond however I please and that I be given the floor directly after my charges are read to me. Is it not? I would know, you had me memorize the damned rules. So, do not cut me off!" Cooker turned her face to look directly at Uncilo and the joking facade dropped, she was seething with anger. She maintained the stare for a few seconds, "Now, I want it on record that everyone should suck my big giant dick and all of you fuckers are uglier than a monkey's ass."

Cooker paused for a second and took a deep breath, "Alright that's all. It feels good to get off my chest."

Theo couldn't help but smile at the display even through the fury she felt at Cooker. It was a good show. But, Cooker was also using an opportunity to follow the rules and look good in front of the elders, as was their plan before all of this, as a way to get a quick joke out. An irresponsible move from an immature, secret-keeping shit face. Theo clenched her fist and tried to keep focused, to keep distracted from other thoughts of betrayal and anger.

"Is there anyone that would come forward to continue to hold the accusation against these two pirates?" Uncilo called out, "Is there any evidence you have against them? If so, come forward."

No one moved. No one spoke.

"Is there anyone willing to come to the defense of these two?"

Theo stood up, "I would."

"Who are you testifying on behalf of?"

"Both of them"

"Go ahead," Uncilo nodded.

"As Miss Vaith indicated at the moment to her arrest, none of us had any idea of her true identity," Theo projected her voice, "given as there was no evidence of their knowledge to begin with and the accuser is dead with no one else willing to come forward, I would like it seen to that my first mate and advisor be promptly removed from their cuffs and given their freedom."

"You have no evidence in their favor?" Uncilo asked.

"Just as there is no evidence against them, there is none in their favor. The concept of knowing something is abstract. There is no way to get evidence for or against it," Theo shrugged, "It is a pretty simple thing to understand, Captain Uncilo."

Next to her, Blue laughed, and Theo bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

Uncilo visibly sighed and nodded, "Remove their bindings. If anyone has any objections speak now or they are released from the accusations."

No one spoke and he gave the order to have them unchained from their shackles. As the guards were removing them from their chains, Uncilo called for other guards to go collect Avery. He gave everyone a five-minute break. Theo stood up, wanting to stretch her legs and get out of sight so no one would come to her with questions. She began to walk outside of the meeting hall, but she wasn't alone. Hot on her heels were both Xyra and Cooker.

"Oi!" Cooker called out but Theo ignored her and kept walking, "whatever, it's nice to see you alive and well too."

The voice was getting further away as she walked, and she could tell that Cooker had abandoned trying to keep up. But there was another pair of footsteps right behind her. Glancing over her shoulder she could see Xyra looming behind her.

"T," Xyra tried to call Theo's attention but she was ignored as Theo kept walking. Xyra sighed as they continued to walk before speaking up again, "Theo, thank you for covering for us..."

Theo turned around with a deep-set frown, trying to choke back tears that threatened to start forming at the mere presence of Xyra, "I didn't do it for you. I did it for the sake of the crew and the pride of our growing fleet. How is this going to look for us in the long run if we have two of our highest-ranking members in Corinspian jail?"

Xyra nodded, "I understand. Does not change my statement. Thank you."

"Fuck. You," Theo enunciated and turned back around and walked away, this time, Xyra didn't follow.
-------

Ava couldn't quite wrap her head around the suddenness with which her life had completely changed. She was sitting in a cold, damp cell. Her shirt was ripped from a guard being cruel and wanting to get a quick release of anger out. When she was tossed in the cell, she had fallen forward and with her arms tied behind her, her face took the brunt of the damage. With the most uncomfortable position she had ever been in, she could do nothing else but cry for practically the entire time she was there.

She had kept thinking about Theo's face when finding out the truth. The scene played in her head repeatedly. Theo's demeanor, her reaction, her expression; all of it was ingrained in her brain. She had gotten Cooker and Xyra in trouble. She had jeopardized everything. She didn't know what to do. Would they kill her? Would they give her back to her crew? She was at a loss. She thought maybe someone would have appeared in the time she had been sitting there but no one had come. If there had been an escape, she had not been a part of it.

Every minute that passed, reality set in more. There was a profound feeling of guilt and sadness inside of her. She was grieving, mourning for a life lost that could have been incredible; had she only come forward. The worst possible scenario had happened. She should have come clean, she should have told the fucking truth. Fucking Cooker. But it wasn't even just Cooker's fault she had every chance to and kept putting it off.

After being up for hours thinking of what she could have done differently, her eyelids pricked with sleep as the tears she had shed helped lull her into a restless sleep. It was dark where she was being kept. She was shut in on all sides and the door to her cell had the small window inside of it shut. There was no way to tell how much time had passed and every time Ava woke up, she felt disoriented. More tears would fall and she would give in to sleep once again. It went on like that for hours until the jingling of keys outside her door woke her with a start.

A group of guards came in and grabbed her. Thankfully, her bindings were removed from behind her back and she was able to loosen her sore shoulders. Her hands were brought in front of her and her tied together there before the chain holding her shackles was yanked and she was forced to begin walking, stumbling forward as she did. It was a long walk up to where the trial was being held, she wasn't sure if it was the nerves or the lack of food but Ava had worked up a sweat by the time enormous wooden doors opened up to reveal hundreds of pirates gathered in a room.

The last time she had been there, she had been one of them. She had been given a seat at the table. And now, she was being escorted to the center of the room as all eyes were on her. Ava scanned the crowd as she was walked. She had no idea what had happened in the time since she had been locked up. Was she first? Had Theo been punished? Who would represent The Scorned Woman? Her questions were answered as her gaze fell upon Theo, relief washed over her. Xyra, Navi, Tuni, and Iona were behind her, making up the officers. Cooker was absent and Ava's stomach revolted; had Ava compromised her safety?

As she looked in the direction of her crew, she locked eyes with Theo but the look they shared was anything but reassuring to Ava. It was a cold, dead stare that followed her all the way until she was pushed into a chair. Ava broke eye contact and looked down at the ground. Unlike the others on her crew, she had no idea what was to come or the rules she had to abide by during the trial, fear seeped into her veins, and she really wished she had paid attention when Xyra had told her they needed to start training Ava on Corinspian policies.

Things began faster than she had thought, she wasn't ready, but it her trial was upon her. The man who seemed to oversee the running of the meeting pulled out a paper and read from it, "Your chargers are conspiracy against Corinspe, conspiracy against pirates, and trespassing on our island. Are you guilty of these crimes?"

"No," Ava said but her voice was scratchy, and it wasn't quite as loud and sure as she wanted it to sound. What she wanted to project was confidence and the statement instead came out like a meek chirp.

"To which one?" the man asked.

"All of them. I knew nothing of what Lord Vaith did and I am not trespassing," Ava said, finding a bit of the strength she had wanted to show before, "I am a pirate."

"You are a Vaith!" a yell from behind her emerged from one of the captains that she couldn't see, and the back of her head was hit with a heavy object.

Disorder broke out in the room as Ava cried out in pain and tried to touch her head but she couldn't reach. She couldn't see what had hit her and Ava curled in on herself, trying to duck out of the way of any other projectiles. Uncilo slammed his cane in the ground below him and bellowed out an order for the person to be escorted out. Voices were still chattering all around her and she caught eyes with the older man who had thrown something at her. She kept his gaze and found pure hatred in his eyes.

"If there is any evidence anyone has to the validity of the accusations against Avery Vaith, please step forward," Uncilo took over the meeting, probably not trusting the other man to keep order.

No one answered the request for evidence and Ava's chest felt a little lighter, maybe things would be alright.

"If anyone has any evidence against these accusations and wishes to defend Avery Vaith, please step forward now.

Ava looked over to Theo, who instead of standing up leaned further back in her chair. When it was clear that Theo had no intentions of standing up to present Ava's defense, a small commotion began behind her. Ava watched as murmurs were exchanged between the officers and Xyra leaned forward to whisper something in Theo's ear. Theo held a hand up, dismissing Xyra and cutting her off. Theo kept looking ahead with as cold of an expression as she could muster, just like how she carried herself when dealing with outsiders that threatened her ship. Any sense of being alright had vanished and a weight dropped on Ava's stomach. Watching Theo act the way she did was one of her worst nightmares.

"Seeing as there is no one willing to present evidence on either side, we will move into questioning as a way to glean what we need to know to have a fair trial," Uncilo ordered.

Ava remembered what Xyra had said when she was first confronted with her lie, she knew things. She was valuable. She needed to make herself worth keeping alive and around. She needed to prove her allegiance and to rid herself of all charges. She didn't know what trespassing meant but she assumed that it had something to do with non pirates stepping foot on Corinspe. She needed to prove she was a pirate.

The floor was opened for questions and the notetaker began to take a list of everyone that wished to speak to Ava. Almost every hand in the room went up and it was a torturous 20 minutes of waiting for all of their names to be written down before the first person was called upon to present their questions. The first few were easy.

"Where are you from?"

"Aubermase but I have spent time in The Center and other cities around Baethos," Ava answered honestly.

"How old are you?"

"My 17th commencement anniversary was a few cycles ago," Ava whispered, remembering that at some point she was on the open ocean, sailing for so many suns she had forgotten her ment until it was a cycle later. She had told no one out of fear that someone would make the connection somehow that Avery's birthday and her own were the same.

Some of the questions were more invasive than others. She was asked about her previous relationships and in the spirit of transparency, she had mentioned being promised to Hoffstater. Which lea to questions about her sex life. Which lead to questions about what her preferences were. Uncilo cut off that line of questioning quickly, stating that only things relevant to the accusations were allowed to be asked and Ava thanked him internally.

"Did you have any knowledge of your father and what he did to people? Were you aware of the shit he's put people through?" a captain to her right asked.

"No," Ava shook her head, "No, I never knew anything about what he did or why he did things. I was lied to all my life about the reality of this world. I was fed a falsity, I know that now."

"If you didn't know about the weight of your last name, if you didn't think your family was bad, why did you hide it?" he asked a follow-up question.

Ava frowned a bit, remembering the reason at first was a selfish one. It was out of fear of being used for money or because of her noble status, "When I first left home, I thought I would be treated differently because I was a noble. Then, I began to figure out what my last name meant to people, and I was scared that this would be the reception to the truth. So I kept lying."

The man sat down without acknowledging her answer, just like everyone had before too. Then, the questions ceased, and people began to stand up only to place blame on her last name. Uncilo didn't stop it, he let it continue. Ava sat there for what might have been 30 minutes, listening to story after story of what her father had done, what her brothers had done, what The Council had ordered the army to do. It was horror story after horror story and Ava had tears flowing down her face the entire time. A broken, I'm sorry was repeated for every person that told their story. She didn't have the power to change any of it, and everyone knew that, but they finally had an audience with a Vaith and they wanted to air out their grievances. Eventually, Uncilo had decided it was enough and asked for the conversation to revert back to questioning Ava.

It was Blue who stood up with a question, "Can you tell us anything about your father? Any weaknesses or things we can use against The Center?"

"Aye," Ava nodded and looked in Blue's direction, where he stood next to Theo. She once again recalled the conversation with Xyra when she was first discovered, the things she was asked, "I can tell you everything I can remember about routes we took to travel, how many guards are at the Aubermasse estate, the room my father sleeps in, what time him and my mother go to bed. I can give you everything I know."

The answer didn't seem to satisfy him, "Willing to turn on her family the way she was willing to turn on us. Once a spy, always a spy."

It was a trick question, no answer she gave would have been enough. For the first time, she allowed her emotions to the forefront and relinquished a calm and apologetic demeanor, "I am not with them! I never was! I am not a spy, I am not what you think I am. I have killed Eloxian soldiers with my own two hands and I will continue to do so. I hate my last name! I am innocent!"

"Yet your crew will not testify for you," Blue continued with his barrage.

Ava shook her head and tried to think of a way to get herself out of the corner Blue had backed her into. It hit her, suddenly.

"Exactly. They won't testify. That is how you know I'm innocent," Ava reasoned.

"The fuck kind of logic is that?" Blue scoffed.

"If they knew I was involved; if they knew I had been a rat working for my father they would have testified against me. They would never simply sit silent if I had actually done what I'm accused of," Ava said and the room seemed to receive that well, "They haven't defended me but can you blame them? They chose to stay silent out of emotion, because they are rightfully hurt, they've refused to come to my defense but that does not mean I am not innocent."

"Very well," Blue nodded, still looking unconvinced, "I have no more questions, Captain Uncilo."

Blue sat down and the notetaker stood up.

"There is no one else in line to speak," he informed everyone.

"Then, I call the questioning to an end. Does anyone wish to champion the accusation that Avery Vaith had a role in the Center's plot against us?"

Everyone stayed silent.

"Seeing no one willing to step forward to back these accusations, her charges for conspiracy are dropped. We move onto the charge of trespassing," Uncilo explained, and Ava felt like she could breathe a bit easier, "Under the guarantee of The Scorned Woman's captain that you will not cause us further harm and you will keep our tenets as you agreed to when you were instated to the island, you may be relieved of that charge as well."

All heads, including Ava's, turned to Theo.

Theo stood up and cleared her throat, "I cannot guarantee that she will not cause further harm."

Theo's shoulder was pulled back almost immediately, her body was turned around and she met a circle of faces.

"Theo, what the fuck?!" Xyra asked, and Theo rolled her eyes before going to turn back.

She was stopped by yet another hand grabbing her arm.

"She's almost free. You know that this is a miracle, right?" Iona said, being firm in her tone for a rare moment.

"Captain, this isn't what we agreed to this on the ship. The crew votes her in, only we can vote her out, and she's not out. She's still a pirate and a part of our crew and we need to protect her," Navi said and Theo didn't believe what she was hearing.

"I'd expect you of all people to want to see her stay in a cell," Theo scoffed.

"She has got nothing to do with what her father has done," Navi shook her head, "don't weaponize my past for your vendetta."

"Fuck you," Theo turned her head to look straight at Tuni. The healer didn't say anything, she just searched Theo's face. Tuni nodded her head, giving Theo the validation she needed. Theo turned back around pulling her arm away from Xyra's grip, "my statement stands."

"Captain Theo, if you fail to advocate on her behalf, she is guilty of trespassing and will be imprisoned or exiled," Uncilo reminded her as if she didn't know the rules.

Ava's head snapped between Uncilo and Theo. The shock was clear on Ava's face and after a few moments, her eyebrows furrowed together as she gave Theo a pleading look. Their eyes locked and Theo stared straight back at the redhead.

"I am aware," Theo didn't break eye contact with Ava, "my statement stands."