Gomo Corvino, was terrified. All he wanted was a safe secure position with some modest comforts. His minor position as a clerk in one of the noble merchant houses had seemed to offer that. Facts, figures, account books, those he was happy with. Then politics had raised its viperous head and enfolded him in it's coils. All from sharing some friendly conversation in a pub with a stranger, some gossip. What followed was pressure for more information, and threats to reveal him to his employers and lose him his job. After he provided what was asked, more threats and more demands followed. He would be a traitor to the state and jailed or worse if he refused, he was now a creature of the Secret Police. His employers were good people and his guilt was eating him up, but he feared the State even more. He was told to bring the house accounts and all correspondence from the last three months to the Primus Specialus at the fortress, while the family was at the Doge's ball, and the servants were granted the evening off to celebrate. He was so afraid these days, afraid the family or his coworkers would discover him, afraid of the shadowy figures who gave him his orders, afraid of the regular police catching him with stolen papers, and afraid of the Resistance discovering he was an informant.
As he approached the fortress, he heard a sound behind him, looked and screamed, falling to the pavement in great disorder, his hat falling over his face. Kenneth was standing over him and seized his chance while the guinea pig was blinded. He bent, pulled all the papers out of the portfolio and stuck them in his coat. In exchange, he shoved in some scrolls of Aquilan poetry one of the crew had given him, covering a little "surprise" Gracie had made up for him. "Pardon, pardon, excuzzi," Kenneth said, while helping the little guy to his feet and putting his hat back where it belonged. "The night is dark, I did not see you there," Kenneth bowed to the clerk, who was still panting from fear.

After encountering the Guinea Pig, Kenneth knew his plan exactly. He ran and climbed up a nearby rooftop just as the fortress exploded and the chaotic cries of the resistance began! "Viva la Valencia!" He shouted from his rooftop, he didn't know if it was the exactly language they spoke here but he felt satisfied saying it. He then took another swing of his rope and began heading back to the ship. But before Kenneth could even make it, a hand grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him inside a house...

Kenneth looked in breathless shock at the being who pulled him into the house. She was wearing a silken bodice and skirt/ underskirt combo in the Padovan style but, in eye shattering shades of orange and purple. There was lace, lots of red lace. The hot pink dyed ostrich feathers tufting behind and over her head in a high collar made her black fur look even blacker, glossy and soothing in comparison. She wore a huge red chrysanthemum over one ear, and had shockingly red lipstick. The gorilla greeted him in a Monquistan accent. "Good evening, bold pirate. I am Senora Cervantez, assistant to the economic undersecretary of the Monquistan Consul. Though I do occasionally tend to matters of trade, in truth, my duties usually lie in other areas. It is useful in my line of work to contact many kinds of people, favors are sometimes traded with the Resistance in exchange for ... considerations. You are one of these favors. You will stay with me for short time, small pirate. Also, Gortez sends his regards." She pulled him to a settee, arm around his shoulders, a powerful, hugely muscled arm in sheer lime green chiffon. "There is nothing to say we might not have an enjoyable visit with each other. Turkish Delight?" She offered him a box of some kind of candies.

Meanwhile, at the Padovan Docks, another ship's crew was unloading trade goods. "Captain, the silks are unloaded," Said the first mate Egg Shen, "but the spices may present a problem. It is so wet here, and ah, we both know that if the spices get wet they lose their, ah, 'flavor.'" This crew was also helping the resistance, mainly by smuggling in spark powder mixed with exotic spices. Donna Finch looked around. The stone docks were covered in puddles. She sighed. "Use some of the spare canvas to wrap the barrels. Have Emmett gather a few crewmwmbers and take them to that grocer our 'friend' mentioned." "Aye, captain. And the silk?" The silk was wrapped around tiny grenades used by ninja pigs. "That goes to a Signor Ponetti, a barkeeper, I think. Egg, I want you to deliver those silks personally." She leaned in close, "And bring the fabric back, alright? I'd like to try and sell it to one of the tailors here. They say genuine Moo Shu silk goes for a pretty penny here." Their conversation was interrupted by a distant rumble. Nanu Nanu the watermole yelled down from the crow's nest, "Big boom from the inland! I thinking this means our deal is off!" Donna agreed. "Get everything back on board! this place'll be crawling with clockworks any minute now!"

She laughed charmingly, for a gorilla. "You misunderstand me, charming Kenneth. Keeping you here is the favor I am repaying to the Resistance. You do not have a choice in the matter." She chuckled as his hand reached towards a weapon. "Really? There is no need for hostility. Your Captain Calamity has been working for the Resistance. With the explosion at the fortress, and ... other... plans they have advanced, this city is about to become . difficult .. for your captain and your crew mates. The Resistance asked me to collect any of her crew I find, in this place of safety and await your Captain. I believe you will be sailing very soon." Kenneth relaxed, and thought his Captain would need someone to watch her back on a fast trip to the docks, with all the disorder on the streets.
Senora Cervantez leaned towards him, "As to payment, I am always in the market for reliable agents and information. Marleybone is not the only empire with a secret service you know. You travel widely and meet ... interesting ... people, in unusual circumstances. If you discover anything Gortez might be interested in, visit a restaurant called Miguel's, there are many located throughout the spiral, and are easy to find, Look for the Golden Bananas sign. Order a hot pineapple fruit pie. Someone there will listen and pay you, and possibly have another job for you."
Kenneth listened with interest, "What if someone else orders the same fruit pie?"
"Strangely, only water moles ever do. They are given a pineapple fruit pie." She gasped, "Is that the necklace of St Bonobo?"

Kenneth slowly began to wander the streets by rooftop, hidden from sight. He breathed slowly, preparing for another leap to the rooftop across. He ran and pushed his feet off the ground, but instead of flying across the rooftop. His feet slid and he hit the ground, hard. He felt two rough, furry hands grab him by shoulders and then it all went black....
When Kenneth woke he spotted two wharf rats in the corners of the room, weapons ready. He then noticed that they had him tied to a chair very, very tightly.
" 'Ello there, Mr Maxwell" Speaks a gruff voice from behind, he closes his eyes and feels the footsteps slowly approaching him. He opened them and could make out the silhouette of a dog in front of him, the only thing clearly visible was the cutlass on the dog's belt. The dog stepped forward, a bandana tied around his head. "You have been a naughty boy, Maxwell. Very naughty I says" He says aggressively, his hand basically glued to his weapon.
"How'd you find me?" Kenneth snaps, attempting to break free from the rope. "Easy, we just followed yer trail. Set up camp near that ol' prison you was in and once you got out, we followed yer new 'captain'." One of the wharf rats replies.
"Speaking o' her. What happened to you, Maxwell? Taking orders from a lady now. Prison musta changed you clearly" He says with a laugh at the end, the wharf rats chiming in.
"Done gone soft, Ken? Letting a lady walk all over you like a wooden plank." The other wharf rat says.
"You don't understand, I owe my life to the girl. She saved me from that dark abyss they call a prison back there"
"Well, then maybe she oughta come save your sorry life again, Ken." Says the dog, unsheathing his sword and cutting the rope.
"Or maybe you could prove your still as tough as nails, eh?" The dog cuts Kenneth free and hands him a rusty pipe from one of the walls.
"Bring it " Kenneth growls, gripping his pipe hard.

Following Lt. Springer down the street, they could hear loud angry shouts ahead. Turning a corner, there were townspeople milling in the dark street, a few were still in festival masks and fine clothes, but most were in work clothes, some dusted with white material. They approached the next intersection with care. It turned out to be a large market square with prosperous looking bakeries and numerous market stalls filled with baked goods. Some of the bakers were busy with their work, getting ready for the next day's baking, but most of the tradesmen were listening to a unicorn in the middle of the square shouting about the Doge, flour taxes, and clockworks.
"Are you sure Kenneth came this way?" Calamity asked Lt. Springer.
"Yes, ma'am. By the smell of it, he swung through on his rope, cutting by that corner of the square, I imagine this square was empty when he passed though it and took hardly any time for him to cross, swinging by the way he was."
"Very well. Lead on, but try to keep us out of the crowd if you can." They continued winding their way through the outskirts of the crowd, noticing the unicorn speaker had been joined by an officious yet short unicorn from the Doge's government, who was busy shouting threats at the other unicorn and those listening to him. This doesn't sound good, Calamity was thinking, as the official seemed to be working himself up to some action. Just at that moment, a pie came sailing out of the back of the crowd to hit the annoying government unicorn.
"Mr. Springer! Explain yourself!"
"Sorry, Ma'am. He insulted the Queen. I couldn't let that insult stand."
On the stone platform, the government unicorn was smearing day-old pie out of his wild eyes and screaming, "Arrest them! Arrest them ALL!" The other unicorn dove off the platform and into the crowd to escape, as clockworks marched into the entrances of the square.
Calamity grabbed more of the day-old pies they were next to, screamed "Attack!", and lobbed them at clockworks.

The entire square of bakers erupted into action. Unicorns were running, guinea pigs rolling and diving to the sides, pies were flying. The entire square erupted into an enormous pie and pastry fight. There was even a baker hippo lady throwing bacclava with one hand and swinging an huge rolling pin at clockworks's heads with the other. Calamity was careful to aim her pies at the joints in the clockworks near her. It was beginning to have an effect. The gummy pastries were getting stuck in the gears, and the clockworks were running slower and slower. Lt. Springer and Mustang Sally were able to cut the clockworks' springs and wires with ease with their swords while munching on pastries with their free hands. All over the square, the animals were beginning to laugh at the clockworks and a festival air begin to spread. The pies continued to fly through the air, though now at any being who happened to be close by. Nurse Quinn defended her captain from a triple layer strawberry shortcake by blocking it with a jelly roll pan. "Thanks, Quinn. Let's get out of here!" Her sticky, pastry covered crew exited the square, back on the trail of Kenneth Maxwell.
In years to come, events of that night, and the weeks to follow, were celebrated by holding the annual Great Padovan Pie Fight Festival and the annual reenactment of the pie fight.

Donna Finch had left her first mate in charge of reloading the smuggled goods, while she snuck down an alley with a small crate under her arm.she was almost to Signor Ponetti's taproom, when she heard a commotion a street over. A plump guinea pig baker ran past her yelling "Power to the Pastries!" I don't even want to guess at what that means, she thought to herself. She reached the end of the alley, and dodging a pair of clockworks, went inside the tavern. The place was deserted, not overly odd for the wee hours of the morning. "Signor!" she called. A rather harried unicorn came out from behind the counter.
"Is it raining?" he asked. Donna gave the countersign, "No, but it will tomorrow night, after the circus plays Sinfonia."
"I'm glad you made it. Several of the resistance's plots have been moving ahead of schedule. We're very short on supplies," he informed her.
"Well, I need to hightail it myself. If the armada catches wind my ship's in town, they'll be after half my crew. However, I did have an agreement. I brought what I could carry." She handed him the crate, which contained several packets of ammunition. "There's a cave three miles east of the docks. I'll leave more there."
"Here is your pay, Captain. I thank you. Now, go! before it is to late for you to flee!" At that, Donna nodded a farewell and went out the door. this time, she decided on a route that would take her through the baker's quarter, figuring it ought to be quiet. when she arrived, a massive food fight was in progress. Just my luck. She looked around, and not seeing any threats other than a few clockworks discovering the averse effects of too many danishes, ran through the ruckus, dodging and ducking all kinds of baked goods. She spotted one enterprising baker using a large wooden spoon to lob sticky dough and stale rolls at all who dared approach him. about midway through the square, a connoisseur of cake nailed her with a cheesecake. "This is utterly ridiculous!" she shouted.

Calamity and her crew thought they heard a cry for help down a side tunnel and checked it out, in case it was Kenneth. It wasn't. Just a couple of people in fancy clothes and masks, in a lair, with a gondola, and a pipe organ. Strange city, Padova.

ooc: I don't mind at all. I welcome another voice to the story. This seems to be a long dark night, with much going on in the very late night hours. I didn't know whose ship the poor guinea pig would wind up on. I thought it could be Calamity's or Donna's ship. I'm glad the poor little guy found a berth on your ship. I hope to run into you in Mooshu, if I can ever get out of Padova's sewers.

Esperanza turned and spoke to "Launcetto".
"One moment, Mr. Launcetto, while I confer with my firstmate."
She grabbed the Crab by his arm and dragged him to one side.
"Explain yourself, Latro. Just when did you notice this?" she said.
"I was told a few minutes before we got this passenger, I was coming to tell you. Salty Ned told me that Clyde had a mind to try his luck at the casino."
"Great Moodah!" She shouted aloud. "That town is about to be covered in Armada forces, they will sweep the town and arrest strangers. They will then start questioning everyone! They won't rest until they have the guilty party or a convenient scapegoat!"
"Orders for you and crew are as follows: stay on board, pull the ship from the docks, if the Armada boards the vessel cooperate; show the ship's registry." she headed to her cabin, "I will need to change clothes before I leave."
"Take me with you, Cap'n." implored Birgus.
"No, I need you here and I'll travel faster alone." she said "Take care of the crew and ship, I'll be back soon, and then we'll leave Padova."
She went into the her cabin changed clothes and came back on deck. She was wearing a grey velvet coat, black silk shirt with a black stock, gloves and black satin breeches and soft leather riding boots. She was also armed with a sabre, what was not seen was the multiple daggers, concealed in her sleeves and boots, also a few smoke and flare bombs hidden in her coat. On her head was a tricorne adorned with gold trim. Covering this understated sartorial glory was a black hooded cloak.