Night fell heavy over the port. The Stormrider's deck gleamed with JP's new light-grid, turning the ship into a floating lighthouse. Sailors lounged under the glow, laughing and swapping stories.
JP, however, sat hunched over his notes, sketching refinements. The pulse shooter had burned out one barrel too quickly, the shock nets overloaded if thrown too deep, and the enchanted binoculars still screamed "monster" at dolphins.
Lyra plopped down beside him with her usual elegance and an expression sharp enough to slice rope.
"You gave them everything," she said flatly.
JP glanced up, startled. "Not everything. I held back the rail gun plans. And the portable generator. And—"
"JP." She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Every time you hand out your inventions, you make yourself more valuable. Valuable men don't live long."
"Come on, Lyra. This isn't the Guild—"
"It's worse. Merchants with ships kill quieter than officials with papers."
Her words made his pen freeze. For a heartbeat, only the waves spoke. Then JP forced a grin. "So what you're saying is… I should invent faster."
Lyra groaned, pinching her nose. "You're impossible."
The banter was cut short by a sailor's panicked shout:
"Captain! Lights on the water—fast approach!"
The crew scrambled. Lanterns bobbed at the edges of the sea mist, revealing the outline of another ship—sleek, armed, and flying no colors.
Pirates. Or worse: rival merchant hirelings.
Veynar bellowed orders while the crew prepared the nets. JP jumped to his feet, heart pounding. "Guess it's showtime!"
The Messy Fight Begins
Arrows rained across the deck. Lyra blurred into motion, slicing shafts out of the air with her daggers. JP grabbed the pulse shooter, aimed shakily, and fired.
ZAP! A pirate shrieked as lightning burst across his weapon. The sailors cheered.
"Not dead weight after all!" one shouted.
"Don't jinx it!" JP yelled back.
The pirates tried boarding. JP pointed frantically. "Nets—NOW!"
The shock nets hit the water, and a sizzling CRACK lit up the night. Half the enemy rowboats flipped, tossing pirates into glowing waves.
"Efficient seafood genocide, part two," Lyra muttered, landing beside him with a smirk.
"Hey, that's branding!" JP protested.
Prototype Chaos
Veynar roared, swinging his new lightning baton like a madman. JP fumbled with the enchanted binoculars, trying to spot the enemy captain—only to yell, "SEA MONSTER!" before realizing it was just a very ugly pirate.
Lyra laughed so hard she nearly missed parrying a blade.
"Not funny!" JP shouted, firing another pulse shot that fizzled into smoke. He winced. "Okay, maybe funny."
Finally, with a surge of coordinated effort—Lyra's blades, Veynar's crackling baton, and JP's improvised zaps—the enemy ship retreated into the mist, leaving smoking debris on the waves.
The sailors erupted in cheers. JP collapsed against the railing, chest heaving.
Lyra crouched beside him, eyes glinting in the glow of the light-grid. "Still think giving away your toys was smart?"
JP grinned, exhausted. "Of course. Now I get free testers."
She groaned, shoving him lightly on the shoulder. But beneath her exasperation, there was the faintest smile.