Beth sat at the bar next to a cousin of hers, or was it an Uncle. She could never quite remember the relation. Hell half the time she was lucky if she remembered the name. There were too many of them, some weren't actually related either. He was cracking a joke about a cabin boy and a donkey. It wasn't funny, none of this cousin's... No definitely an Uncle, jokes were funny. Beth gave him a laugh though at the punch line. Got to humor the family, they'd keep her secret and she'd do favors here and there. This Uncle's favor had been easy, come for a drink. She preferred bars that weren't so... seedy. Beth had made him swear to call her Dave, and she dawned her boy clothes. There was no way she was going to hang out at a bar where she might finally get a flight out of this humid hell hole in her dress. She'd burn the dress if it didn't have its uses at times. Beth's hands unconsciously played with one of her navigator's tools. One of the older ones. A bit rarer and seen about never. Since compasses had come into favor no one wanted to do the math anymore. That was Beth's strong point. She could do it all in her head, faster than most. Could hardly read, but she was the best navigator in the skies. Had started beating out old salts before she had moved up from a simple grunt. She grinned at that memory. The first time she had saved the ship from going way too far out of the way. The door opened and Beth glanced open, loosing the memory as some merchant looking man came in. It was hard to work for merchants. What was he doing in this bar though? Uncle whatever his name was, patted her on the shoulder. "Dave," Good he wasn't drunk enough to forget that. "How long ya stayin' the lady wants ta know?" "Till I can catch a new boat." She gave her uncle a grin and looked up half praying for a lift out of this hell hole.

Beth had felt the strangers eyes asses her. She grinned at the joke about the drink. "It ain't much drink." She added, in her roughed voice, long damaged from yelling in the top masts down. "I was, but my ship decided to leave without me. Been crashin' at my uncle here's place." She nodded to the well intoxicated man beside her. There was no point gettin' into why she had been left, unless asked. Then she'd tell the truth. The navigator was pissed that her corrections, which he hadn't admitted were right, were in fact right, and they had ended up a couple hundred miles further south than desired. They eventually got up to Florida and the ship had left about five minutes before Beth had made up to the dock. It had technically been her Uncle who had delayed her, but she wasn't late, and that pissed her off the most. Beth pocketed the tool and held out her hand to the stranger. "I'm Dave Wakefield, Navigator." She decided adding the title would be the best way to make sure she didn't get put in a shit job again.

Beth could tell there was a story there. One she'd have to hear eventually. Most of her stories were safe to tell, only a couple revealed her secret. "I'd love one." Beth nodded, keeping her excitement of getting on a new ship under control. "Though I do have to say, ain't that the point of a mop? Bein' wet?" Her uncle elbowed her, and gave his distress at having "Dave" leave. "Your aunt will be upset if ya don't give her a goodbye." Then to Barakat he said. "Ya made a good choice here with Dave, he's a smart kid. Never saw no one do math like he can." Beth would have to make a point to remember this uncle's name next time she heard it. He was good at remembering Dave's. That made her feel a bit guilty. Beth rolled her eyes. "Ya mind Captain? If I go say bye to my aunt?"

Beth gave her family goodbyes. Finally learned her Uncle George's name, gave him a tight hug. Made sure her bag was packed, the dress that Aunt Linda had given her buried deep. Damn she hated dresses. She was back at the El Marees with two hours to spare. Beth had a tendency to act like she belonged, whether she did or not. This was no different. Of course she did belong here. She wasn't too worried about pissin' off the 'mop', especially since she knew she could navigate circles around him. Beth wasn't in the slightest bit worried about flying up that high either. Pirates usually did that, and she had been on a couple of those boats, preferred merchant though. Only the Captain hadn't given her where they were going. That meant two things, he didn't want anyone to know, or he didn't know himself. She knew she could figure out the best flight path in a matter of minutes once they had a place to go, so no sweat there for her either. Now to deal with the 'mop' and his friends. Beth took a deep breath and stepped on-board.

"Pleasure ta meetcha Hinschel." Beth gave the first mate a head nod and followed Captain Barakat. Once out of ear shot she said, "I see the mop." She shook her head smiling more to herself. Then her eyes took in the maps and lit up. She dropped her clothing bag and pulled out a smaller bag. This had a notebook, an almanac, an old tattered map with a lot of strange symbols on it, and the rest of her usual tools. "You said Hephaestus. I've been there. It's cold." She seemed less to be talking to Amir, and more to the maps themselves. After a few notes and checking the almanac, she free hand drew a curved line between the keys and Hephaestus. "Okay, that'll get us there the fastest, using the least amount of fuel, accounting for the cold and of course considering the altitude you wanna fly at." Beth smiled at her line, made a slight mark along the line of it with her pencil, "That's where we'll hit a good wind in our headin' that we'll wanna ride the rest of the way. It should take us about ten hours."

Admittedly Beth was surprised Hinschel thought her route was a good one. She internally laughed at what Hinschel would have said if he knew "Dave" was actually a girl. Beth did an amazing job of keeping the humor out of her eyes. She wondered what the exchange between Captain and first mate was. Not the first time a reference to going over board had been made. In her years on a boats plenty good men had gone overboard, and of course a few men were disposed of that way too. Beth was certain she had missed that certain doom by chance alone. Beth wasn't surprised by Amir's revelation. "Noted." She said with a small nod. "I'm going to drop my bag off in the quarters." It was her least favorite part of living on a ship. The hardest time to keep her identity to herself. That of course was to say, she always slept with clothing on, and had to be extremely careful going to bathroom, changing, and just about 70% of life on a ship. This had lead to a few discoveries over the years. Most when she had first started developing. That being said the poor nutrition, and level of physical activity, that Beth had had most of her life had kept her from becoming too well endowed, as well as made her monthly events much rarer than monthly. Her greatest wish was to one day have her own quarters. A place where she could be comfortable without fear of discovery. That or of course be on a ship that didn't care. One that wouldn't ostracize her or leave her at the next port. She hooked the smaller bag around her waist, opposite of her cutlass, and then held the larger bag over her back. Her worldly possessions, other than clothes, all fit in the smaller bag, or secreted somewhere around her body. Just as Beth got to door to leave the map room she paused, "Just so ya know. I have a big family, they're spread out all over the place, and they like me. Like Uncle George does. Most of 'em ship cargo like yours, or work the ports. I ain't sayin' it to show off, but it's mighty helpful at times. My family that is." She let it hang in the air. It was 1 part warning that her family was always there to take her in, and never did appreciate her being abandoned, and 1 part offer of the family tree. The warning was disguised though, and would only become apparent truly as a warning if she were discovered.

Beth made her way following Amir's directions. If Wakefield and Siobhan had met that night the Captain never heard the tale of what happened. Wakefield had fallen asleep, thankful for a bed and a small room. Not having to sleep with the whole crew made keeping her secret easier. The ship had taken off from the Keys at about midnight, and Beth had fallen asleep almost as the ship left port. It was only to the commotion of early dawn that she woke up hearing the cry of "Pirates." Beth jumped out of bed and had her boots and bag on and was up on deck in a matter of seconds. Two pirate ships circled El Marees like vultures. The activity on deck showed that the skeleton crew knew they were screwed. There wasn't enough men on board to fight of boarders and in the skies one well placed cannon would take down a whole ship, which of course ruined cargo and made it impossible to retrieve, so that was a rare tactic. Beth pulled something out of her bag and checked the altitude of the ship. "We could have been a bit higher." She frowned and climbed up to the Helm in one swift movement. Just as Beth was about to ask what the plan was ropes carrying several armed men swung over from the other two ships.

"Aye capt'n." Wakefield drew her cutlass, prepared to fight. Back to her captain Wakefield fought well, picking up a pistol off of a fallen pirate and shooting one of his comrades as he jumped over to the El Marees. It didn't matter though there was more than twice as many pirates as there were men on the El Marees. They were soon overtaken, swarmed. Wakefield had a pistol being held pointing at her heart. "All right gents I've got two choices for ya. Join my crew or go overboard." A pair of heavy boots hit the deck followed by the booming voice. One voice that to Wakefield sounded just a little bit familiar. She edged around trying to get a good look at the man behind the voice.

Wakefield finally got a clear view of the captain of the two ships. It clicked in her head as to why she recognized the voice. Her family was huge, and some of them she didn't know well if at all, but this hulk of a man she knew well. It was one of her mother's brothers. He was only a year older than Beth's mother. He had visited a few times in Beth's youth. Now she had to figure out how to make herself known, but keep her identity secret. Beth frowned, glanced at her captain, she couldn't afford to let the whole crew find out she was female... though with Siobhan on board Beth was a bit less worried about being found out. Enough times had happened that she knew she had to prove herself first. Uncle Peter didn't know that she had taken Dan's identity though, unless her mother had told Peter at some point. Beth could only hope. "Uncle Peter it is Dan." Wakefield stepped through the couple of people blocking her from view of her uncle. Who raised an eyebrow a bit surprised at the sudden appearance of a "nephew". He frowned suspiciously at her. "Last I heard -" He started. "Rumors of my death were a bit exaggerated." Beth quickly cut him off. Curses he didn't know. Beth would have to have a quick private chat with him. The older man stood unsure for a moment. "So you're on this boat?" He finally said breaking the eerie silence. "Aye Uncle." Beth nodded. The old man started laughing. "Will ya join my crew?" He asked after a moment. Beth paused, it be easy, a quick switch and she'd be practically secure for life. She had seen in the past how some crews responded to nepotism. And a life as a pirate had never been what Beth wanted. "Nay Uncle." She responded. "Then what shall I do with you?" Peter asked her. "Let us go, or throw me over with the rest." Beth's response was at the ready. "I can't throw you over, your mother would have my hide." He shakes his head. "Not that my men will appreciate it much. How about we just take your shipment from ya." "Ya might as well throw me over if ya gonna do that Uncle." The old man grinned again. "Right ya are. Ya ma raised ya right." Peter turned to Amir. "Seems ya hired yourself the right crew here." He slammed his hand onto Beth's shoulder, she winced but held herself up right. "Dan if ya ever lackin' a ship find me." The old man nodded back to Beth.