Expedition Open Side Adventure The Urk Expedition: A Crack in the Works

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail stepped in beside the other fox, brushing a bit of soot off his sleeves as Kaii turned to greet him. The bow caught him a little off guard. It was far more formal than anything his village would have considered necessary, but the sentiment wasn’t lost.

He offered a paw and a warm nod.

“Swifttail. You can call me Swift if you like.”

He paused as Kaii returned to his tools, watching the other fox move with the easy rhythm of someone familiar with their work.

“Steam engine? No,” he admitted with a soft chuckle, “Never even seen one this close before I signed on with the Hide."

His ears flicked lightly as he spoke, voice settling into something more casual.

“I trained as a blacksmith, back in Iskatyut. Just a small cabin forge. Fixed tools, shaped blades, joined pipework…” He tilted his head slightly, then added with a faint smirk, “My uncle had a still he had me tinkerin’ with. Never got the thing finished, but I helped him try. Learned a lot about pressure fittings and weld seams from that.”

He glanced at Kaii’s coal marks on the pipe and nodded once, approving of the energy behind it if not the lack of a proper drawing.

“So no, not ship engines. But joinin’ metal’s in my bones.”

His tail gave a small, cheerful flick.

“Glad to be workin’ with you.”

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii listened to his fellow beast, continuing to work. Raising his brow with a smile to both the source of Swifttail's skills and his cheerful nature. There was something endearing in his nature that reminded Kaii of himself... at least from the past long gone.

"So technically you are my competition. My family had a set of workshops making weapons and working metal for ages near the Bouillabaisse Harbor."

He grinned smugly, taking a saw for metal and beginning to work it to cut down the few pipes where it was needed.

"I however got my experience working variety of jobs in Maquisty Cape. Plenty of workshops sprung up there and eagerly started using various mechanisms. So I can't say I am not familiar with those wonders."

He pointed at the engine with the piece of pipe he just finished sawing off, now using a file to smooth the edge.

"But I never got to work on one truly, I prefer tinkering at new stuff. Albeit mechanics and materials are what I know the best, I don't think that is where the future lays..."

His tail laid dead serious for a second, before once more turning to leisure friendliness with smooth sways. His expression went unchanged but something struck him whilst he spoke, that was obvious.

"Anyways, I think we'll make a decent pair here. I am all up for talking stuff whenever, though I know our shifts ain't exactly aligning. Now, care to assist me and bend this piece? The sooner we are done the sooner we can get to rest after all."

He gave to Swifty a cut piece of brass, marked with instructions on what bend is needed. While waiting for him to finish the bend, he worked to gather what was needed to finish his job. Regular valve would be a good thing to put on but for now what he had would do. But he was already thinking how to potentially automate it. Make it work better than anything this ship had seen so far.

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail chuckled lightly at the talk of competition, though his ears flicked uncertainly at first.

“Where I’m from, there wasn’t really competition,” he said, shifting a little as he watched Kaii work. “Just the forge, the snow, and the need to make things hold together. Everything was shared, ‘cause survival meant cooperation, not who made the prettiest blade.”

He stepped toward the small anvil in the corner, turning the piece of brass over in his paws as he continued.

“Didn’t do much with weapons or armor. Mostly tools, traps... whale harpoons, when the migrations came close enough. I’ll admit,” he paused, lining the brass carefully on the anvil, “your eagerness to outdo me caught me a bit off guard.”

With practiced ease, he raised his smithing hammer and brought it down in a smooth, ringing blow. Then another, and another, until the metal began to take shape.

“But maybe that’s just how it is when you’re tryin’ to get ahead,” he added between strikes, “and I don’t take offense. We’re better off as a team than throwin’ sparks at each other.”

The final bend came with a firm tap. He turned the shaped brass in his paw once to check it, then offered it back to Kaii with a proud little smile.

“Here. That should do it.”

He lingered a moment, gaze drifting to the steady hiss and hum of the engine beside them.

“Honestly?” he said softly, “I didn’t think I’d ever get to work on somethin’ like this. A real steam engine, and on a ship like the Hide. Thought I’d end up fixing hinges back home forever. This… this is somethin’ special.”

He gave his tail a slow, happy wag.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii took a piece of shaped metal with a thankful nod. Using it to mount the bypass pipe onto the side of the boiler.

"Aye, when I was a kit, things like that were just a novelty good for toys. Now they are good enough to power a ship. Technology and innovation truly are like magic these days."

Taking a moment to attach and connect everything, Kaii tail was curling, his ears flattened. Something bit him again yet he was working still with efficient calm.

"And don't mind my words of 'competition'. I am not planning to get ahead of you or anyone in particular. But trying to do outdo others is how innovation is born!"

He grinned exposing his fangs, yet there was no aggression nor arrogance behind it. He burst into a playful chuckle after a while.

"That was my father's motto at least. But I need to carry his legacy so I am trying to keep it, even if in somewhat different way than he did."

He extended his paw with silent ask for assistance to hold the pipe he was trying to attach the connector onto.

"That is why I am also very interested in those engines. They sure are great but for their size? I feel like they could do much more. But how to properly do it? That is the question that kept me late into the nights since I enlisted to the Hide."

He then hissed violently as a piece of brass bent under his paw. Yet no anger nor any other emotion crossed his muzzle.

"Gotta redo that one." He murmured. "Can you help me take it off? I made it for tight fit so I could use an extra pair of paws."

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail stepped in wordlessly and caught the valve housing with both paws, steadying it while Kaii worked to loosen the fittings. The metal was warm from contact with the boiler, and the tight seal made it stubborn. He braced it with a bit more weight, nodding gently as the spring was pulled free.

“Got it. Go on, I’ve got the weight.”

As Kaii set to work again, Swift glanced up at him, catching the flick of his ears and the tension in his shoulders.

“I’m still gettin’ used to that kind of thinking,” he admitted quietly. “Back home, you didn’t try to outdo each other. You just… did what was needed. Got the job done. Not for praise or pride. Just so the next blizzard didn’t take the roof off.”

He gave a short chuckle.

“But you’re right. Pushin’ forward is how things get better. And if you weren’t dreamin’ up better ways to do this,” he tapped the pipe lightly with his knuckle, “we wouldn’t be makin’ any progress at all.”

He stepped back as Kaii adjusted the parts, then watched the engine’s rhythm for a quiet moment.

“It’s still amazin’ to me,” he said, voice almost hushed now. “That fire and water can move a ship this size. That a machine like this even exists. Feels like it’s alive, sometimes. You hear it hiss, feel the plates shudder... it’s like you’re workin’ with a creature made of iron and steam.”

His smile softened, but there was something distant behind his eyes now.

“You know, if these things keep improving, maybe one day they’ll replace the need for oar crews entirely.” He paused, swallowing once before continuing. “No more chains. No more beasts breaking their backs for speed.”

His tail gave a slow flick. He didn’t look directly at Kaii.

“Maybe someday, kits will grow up never knowing what it means to be owned.”

Then he exhaled through his nose, and the moment passed. He glanced back at the broken spring with a tilt of his head.

“Let’s get that valve off. I’ll hold it again while you remake the spring. We’ll make sure this thing sings when it runs.”

@Kaii Nashirou

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii nodded along Swift's words. Smiling keenly at his reverence of the engine. With his help, Kaii finished the bypass in no time, now leaving only the pipework.

"Alas, it would be a utopia if we could get to the day where no kit has to suffer. A noble goal but very difficult one."

He looked at his paws, covered in soot, darkening his normally white fur.

"Those engines are truly something else. They can replace hundreds of oarsman, labourers, miners... many menial jobs with time may be gone with this."

Taking a moment to think, Kaii took a bucket of water, both to wash himself off and to test the pipes and the connectors for the leakproofness.

"Yet they create a new ones. Someone has to throw the coal in. Someone has to control them. Someone has to fix them."

He chuckled, satisfied that his craft was indeed good enough to hold the water within.

"And while for now it is up to beasts like us to do so, in the future where the engines are as common as urchins, I can see how it creates a new strata, one that still belongs to the rich, yet one that is competent in their trade." His expression turned dead calm. Not conveying a single emotion.

Kaii picked up his craft and dried it. Then attaching it to the boiler at the entry point for a new bypass.

"And that scares me, a thought of anyone forced to work is sad, the thought of those who could do creative work and innovate forced to do menial tasks, makes me even sadder." He stated despite his voice and expression not really showing said sadness.

"And while the engines are far from reaching their peak forms. I think the way forward is not through them. There is a power far greater than the one of steam, yet one that doesn't need anyone but a highly specialised beast to maintain it."

He paused for a second while finishing his work, his smile finally coming back to his muzzle.

"Tell me Swifty, have you ever heard about electricity?"

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail helped brace the pipe while Kaii tightened the new valve into place, the tools clinking softly against the boiler’s iron belly. He listened carefully, ears angled toward the other fox even as his eyes stayed on the work.

When Kaii asked his question, Swifttail’s brow furrowed faintly.

“Electricity?” he echoed, tilting his head. “Can’t say I’ve heard that word before. What is it, some kind of alchemy?”

There wasn’t mockery in his tone. Just genuine curiosity, tempered by inexperience. His voice lowered slightly as he leaned on the pipe to help test the seal, watching for any sign of leaking water.

“If it’s real, and not just another kind of magic... then I guess that’s proof there’s still more ahead than behind us.”

He stood back and stretched his arms, steam curling around his fur.

“Maybe things won’t ever be perfect. Maybe some beasts will always try to take more than their share.” He glanced toward the engine, its steady pulse like a great slumbering beast. “But if we can make the work easier, make the lives longer, make the next generation grow up without chains or hunger... then that’s still worth buildin’ toward.”

He looked back to Kaii with a small, honest smile.

“Even if we’ve gotta start with fire and water.”

@Kaii Nashirou

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii nod in agreement. He knew what his fellow beast was talking about. He agreed in both the principle and their honest curiosity made him very satisfied with their budding relationship.

"You have to always start somewhere. Nothing great came to this world by an inaction. I admire your dream and let me tell you, ambition is what will let us get to the peaks never seen before."

Kaii now finally got to attaching the pipes to make the bypass compete. Working steadily yet surely he double checked every single thing around them.

"As for the electricity, it is a sight to behold. I firmly speaking have only seen the few tricks but all of them are stunning... I can show you a thing or two I've seen. I am pretty sure though there are masters who could tell you much more, but I dream on what could be done with it..."

He now was finished, cleaning up and making room for Swift to come and do his part with a slow wag of his tail.

"I have to say, I am honestly glad to meet a beast like you on this ship. A soul alike is truly what one does need to be happy and work efficiently."

He gave Swifttail a pat on is back.

"Now, show me your skills. I am intrigued in your trade."

He grinned, now with a gleam of intrigue in his eyes.


@SwifttailTheFox

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail smiled at Kaii’s kind words, offering a quiet, appreciative nod.

“Ambition’s fine,” he said softly, “long as it doesn’t run ahead of wisdom.”

He gave the valve one last glance and then stepped back as Kaii cleaned up the area. His gaze lingered for just a moment longer on the other fox.

“If that 'lectricity ever becomes more than a trick... maybe then I’ll believe it’s not just some tale spun to impress kits.” He grinned lightly. “But I’d be willin’ to watch if you’ve got something to show sometime.”

A low grunt from across the compartment announced Rugg’s arrival before his paws did. The badger stepped in, eyes narrowing as he crouched beside the finished bypass. His claws ran along the fitted joints, the angle of the pipe, the seal fittings.

“Hmph.” He gave it a few firm taps with a heavy knuckle. “Not bad. Clean work, all things considered. Tight spacing, proper slope on the line, and the valve seats true. Impressive under short time and scrap parts.”

He stood again, nodding once toward Kaii before turning his gaze to Swifttail.

“Right then. Let’s get back to it, pup.”

Swifttail straightened up, the energy returning to his step. He moved toward the main boiler assembly and gestured toward the line that now sat idle, relieved of pressure.

“The crack’s right along the base of the main feed. Narrow gap, awkward reach. We were gonna have to patch it in place, but...” He gestured toward the bypass with a grateful flick of his tail. “Thanks to that, we can take the whole segment off and do the work clean, flat, and proper.”

He crouched down beside the pipe and began loosening the clamps that held the feed line in place.

“Kaii, could you give me a paw with this? Shouldn’t take long now.”

As he tugged at the first fitting, he glanced back with a faint smile.

“Also... you wouldn’t happen to have a set of metal files in that magic bag of yours, would you?”

@Kaii Nashirou

 

[Ralynn Waverunner]

Ralynn leans against a slightly cooler section of bulkhead, watching the technical exchange unfold before her with intense interest. Her disciplinary confrontation with Rugg has shifted into something unexpected but hoped for - an impromptu lesson in steam engineering playing out right before her eyes. She pulls her small, worn notebook back out from her jacket pocket and begins jotting notes with the stub of pencil she always carries.

The tension in the room has transformed, Rugg's gruff demeanor softening into something almost educational as he explains the pipe repair challenges to the two foxes. Ralynn's ears perk forward, catching every detail despite the constant background hiss and clank of the engine.

Cast iron, not brass, she writes, underlining it twice. Her mother always said the first step to learning anything new was admitting what you didn't know. And right now, there's plenty she doesn't know about this mechanical heart keeping them all alive in these frigid northern waters.

She studies the dynamic between the three engineers with growing fascination. Rugg, scarred and worn, grudgingly sharing his wisdom. Swifttail, quiet but capable, patiently awaiting his chance. And this newcomer Kaii - all marble fur and ambitious ideas - somehow reminding her of herself when she first joined the Navy, determined to prove her worth among species who'd rarely seen a rabbit in uniform.

The rabbit's nose twitches rapidly as she adds more notes about water pressure and heat transfer, her whiskers still occasionally quivering with the lingering indignation from her earlier confrontation. Growing up in a warren crammed with twenty siblings and twice as many cousins, she'd developed a keen ear for the unspoken currents between beasts. What goes unsaid often matters more than what's spoken aloud - a truth that holds whether in a rabbit burrow or an Imperial vessel. She can't help but notice the subtle competition between the two foxes - Kaii's eager ambition meeting Swifttail's more cooperative, survival-oriented approach.

The mechanical heart of the Golden Hide beats around her, pipes sweating and hissing like a living thing. So different from the wooden hulls and canvas sails she knows like her own paws. Yet it's her responsibility all the same.

Their discussion has moved beyond the immediate repair to bigger ideas - something about electricity that Swifttail hasn't heard of, and Kaii's dreams of machinery that might someday end the need for slave labor. Fascinating stuff, and she finds herself drawn in despite her initial wariness of the engine room and its keepers.

As the foxes complete their bypass valve and prepare to remove the damaged section entirely, Ralynn steps closer, her natural curiosity finally overcoming her discomfort with the unfamiliar technology.

"So if Ah understan' correctly," she says, tapping her pencil against her notebook, "ye cannae braze tha pipe while there's water ain it because tha water steals awa' tha heat?" Her brogue thickens with genuine interest as she gestures toward the bypass Kaii is preparing. "An' this clever detour lets ye empty tha damaged section while keepin' tha rest o' the system flowin'? Like an auld beaver dammin' off just one branch o' a stream?"

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii observed as Rugg examined his work. He knew he did a right job so he taken rather leisurely the approving assesment coming from his superior.

"As promised, I did deliver. Thank you for this possibility and hope it will serve this engine well." He said with no pride yet also with undeniable contentment.

Turning to Swifttail, Kaii looked at where he was gesturing at. Noticing the gap he let out a quick yip.

"It doesn't look that horrible but... I can imagine the damage should it fully give up."

Kaii then reached into the bag and pulled out a set of few files after a moment. Giving them to Swifttail, he moved to his side to help with the clamps. After a few groans of struggle, the pipe was now freed.

"There you go. What are you going to use them for?"

He moved to the side letting his companion work freely. Yet as soon as he did so, he sharply turned around at the sound of soft pads behind him. Spotting Ralynn, his expression went dead calm. He recognised the Boatswain of The Golden Hide and wasn't the type to disrespect them.

"Affirmative. Brazing the pipe would not be advised with water inside it due to the transfer of heat that would boil it. Hence why the bypass piping was needed and made. It keeps the water going and could be used as an auxiliary in the future. For now, because of it, we can cut off the damaged section and fix it."

He spoke in levelled, measured voice that carried no emotion. He was professional and knew his place. Most importantly, he wished to know why she was asking that.

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail offered a quick, thankful smile as Kaii handed him the set of files. He selected one with a fine taper and nodded, brushing his paw along the damaged edge of the pipe.

"Aye, like Kaii said..." he began, glancing toward Ralynn as he knelt by the pipe, tail flicking thoughtfully. "If there's water inside, it’ll wick away the heat, like when you soak a rag t' cool off in summer. The water keeps the metal from reachin' brazin’ temp. Might only steam an’ sputter instead of flowin’ proper. That’s why the bypass is brilliant. It lets us keep water movin’, but isolate this part."

He pressed the file’s edge into the jagged crack and began dragging it carefully through the gouge with slow, deliberate strokes.

"You can't just pour molten brass into a crack and hope it sticks," he explained between passes. "You’ve got t’ open it up like a funnel, wide at the top, narrow at the bottom. That way, the metal flows in, sinks deep, and holds. Without it's like tryin’ to fill a canteen from a waterfall... if the mouth’s too small, most o’ it spills off the sides."

The file rasped again, and he leaned in closer, inspecting his work by the lanternlight.

"Hand bore, if you’ve got one?" he said over his shoulder to Kaii. "Somethin’ that'll bite into cast without snappin'. I want a relief hole at the end here. Keep the crack from runnin’ further in the future."

The mention of this made Rugg nod approvingly.

He didn't glance up as he spoke, too focused on the shape of the metal beneath his claws. But his tone was steady, confident, his earlier hesitation swept away in the rhythm of honest labor.

@Kaii Nashirou
@Ralynn Waverunner

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii listened and took mental notes. He had a bit of practice and experimentation done with metalworking, but it would be unwise to not listen to someone who clearly knew their stuff. Besides, he would test that later on, maybe trying to find a way to circumvent it.

"I have a small one, made for more precision work on cogs and mechanical parts." He said while searching through his bag, producing a small steel hand bore from it. "I suppose it can do, if you are fine with small holes that is."

Kaii went to get another piece of paper and coal, knowing well the lack of knowledge isn't something that should be stopping him from trying. He started writing down the various observations and doing math that would supposedly confirm it. He wasn't sure why, but it wasn't long till it turned into unholy tangled mess of calculus and functions that were barely ledgible to anyone but him.

"Boatswain," He started calmly whilst turning to her. "If you are interested in more detailed explanation on why is it as such. I could elaborate, the math behind it is... rather difficult to take in but with no doubt managable."

He continued his writing when he felt warmth on his paw. Looking down he spotted a puddle of warm water that was slowly growing to reach his second paw.

"Gentlebeasts, Boastswain." He started with dead expression, pointing down. "It appears we are being sunk."

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail took the hand bore with a nod, turning it over in his paw.

“That’s perfect. We don’t want a big hole anyway.”

He moved to the workbench and lined up the pipe segment, gently securing it in place with a clamp. As he positioned the tool at the base of the visible crack, he spoke aloud for both Kaii and Rugg’s benefit.

“You drill a relief hole at the end of a crack to stop it from spreadin'. Think of it like a knot in a board. Cuts off the stress so it doesn’t run further when pressure hits again.”

With practiced care, he began boring into the pipe. The tool squeaked lightly as it bit through the iron, the work slow but steady. The scent of warmed metal drifted upward as he pressed down, tail flicking with concentration.

Rugg approached during the process, watching with folded arms and a silent nod. When the bore finally pushed through and Swifttail set the tool aside, the badger gave a quiet grunt.

“Clean work, pup. Nice depth, good placement. You’ve done this before.”

“Not exactly like this,” Swifttail replied, wiping his paw on a cloth, “but close enough. This should keep it from worsening once we heat it up for the patch.”

As he disengaged his attention from the pipe and glanced toward his tools, his foot paw brushed damp wood. He blinked and looked down. A small puddle of warm water had started to gather beneath the bench, slowly creeping toward his paws.

He straightened, brow furrowing.

“Huh. Kaii?” he called, glancing back at the other fox, “Can you see where this is comin’ from?”

Rugg let out a low exhale through his nose and stepped closer, squinting at the deck.

“That ain’t runoff. Not from this table anyway...”

The hiss of the engine hummed in the background, steady, but just a little too steady.

@Kaii Nashirou
@Ralynn Waverunner

 

[Ralynn Waverunner]

Ralynn has just finishing her notes on Swifttail's explanation about filing the crack and drilling relief holes when Kaii's deadpan announcement cuts through the engine room noise.

"It appears we are being sunk."

Ralynn's head snaps up fast enough it gives her a momentary crick in her neck, ears instantly erect and so stiff they practically vibrate. She spots the spreading puddle of warm water beneath the workbench, advancing across the deck plates like a miniature invasion.

"Sweet cabbages an' carrot tops!" she exclaims, crouching to touch the water with her fingertips. "Warm water. Well, that's a relief -- likely we're no sinkin', we're just... leakin' internally?" She pauses. "Which might still be bad, come to think of it. I dinnae reckon this gear works near as well wi' sea water, aye?"

Rising quickly, she scans the compartment with the sharp eyes of a bosun who knows her ship like her mother's warren.

"All hands, find the source!" The officer's command rings through the engine room. "Swifttail, check those valves. Kaii, trace the bypass. Rugg, the main feed lines." This isn't her area, per se, but her instincts and reactions are hard-wired to respond immediately to danger to any ship she's on.

She moves with decisive purpose toward the far wall, following the gradual slope of the deck. Her boot slips slightly on the wet metal, and she catches herself with a graceless hop.

"Steady as she goes, Waverunner," she mutters to herself, "cannae have tha bunny bosun breakin' her tail in front o' tha foxes. They'd never let ye live it doon."

She glances back at the three engineers, who seem remarkably unperturbed by the growing puddle.

"Ah appreciate the collective professional calm, gentlebeasts, but this is still a ship, even with all its fancy steam gadgetry. Ships and unexpected water are nae traditionally the best o' friends." She taps her foot, sending ripples through the shallow pool. "Weavils an' aphids, Ah've seen sailors panic over less water in their rum!"

Her paws brush along pipes and fittings, searching for telltale dampness. In a wooden vessel, any leak is serious business. In a steam-powered ship traveling through frozen waters, it's... well, she's not entirely sure what it is, but her instincts say it's nothing good.

"Did somethin' else give way when ye bypassed the main feed?" she asks, whiskers twitching with suspicion. "Ah know enough aboot plumbin' from growin' up with twenty siblings to know that fixin' one leak often means creatin' another somewhere else entirely."

Her nose works rapidly, trying to detect any change in the usual scents of oil, coal, and hot metal. She peers under equipment, her long ears just barely avoiding getting caught on low-hanging pipes.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii looked over the bypass he just made, finding no fault in it. No leak nor errors on his side soothed his mind a good bit. He then went through the mental map of the engine, trying to pinpoint the obvious weak points.

"Swift," He spoke to the fox on the other side. "I am afraid I did a good job. Nothing here. Gonna check the steam pipes."

He moved behind the engine, tracing the steam pipes to find a loose connection, one that, since the steam was temporarily cooled, started leaking water that came from condensation.

"Found the culprit! Loosened connection on the piping..." He moved back to the rest. "Not too hard to fix I suppose, but ultimately strange. Either someone build that section poorly, pressure spiked and damaged it or... someone worked it until it gave up."

He considered his words of course, knowing that suggesting sabotage with no proof was idiotic. To him however, it was a real option. At least as real as the other two. He spoke of it calmly but he knew, logically, how to resolve it.

"I would suggest testing the thing once it is fixed to ensure it won't give up again. If you wish for me to investigate it yourself, go on." He said the last part to everyone. "Mr. Rugg, we need to cut of the steam outtake for a fix. Should I take care of it?"

He said yet he was already taking out his measuring equipment. Workday was long but he still had plenty of ideas and will to utilize.

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Rugg gave a low snort as he crouched to inspect the pooling water. His paw skimmed over the pipe’s curve, fingertips coming back warm and damp. He sniffed them, then wiped them absently on the front of his coveralls.

“Aye, that’s not seawater. That’s condensation.”

He stood with a creak of knees and a muttered curse, then thumped the bulkhead lightly with the side of his fist.

“It’s the steam lines. Boiler’s running too cool. Should’ve guessed when I saw how fast she was droppin’ off pressure last night.”

He turned toward the group, eyes narrowing slightly.

“This engine weren’t made for Imperium coal. It’s Fyadoran stock. Built for the hot dense stuff. Black, dry and mean like what they pulled out from under the Dead Range.”

He pointed toward the ceiling where the leak had traced down one of the steam loop returns.

“We’re not gettin’ the heat we need to keep the loop dry. Water's collectin’ in the lines. Cold air wraps the outside, steam can’t hold shape, and it spits out puddles instead of pressure.”

He gave a glance toward Ralynn, his voice still gruff, but gentler now.

“No danger of sinkin’, Bosun. Just another reminder this crate was built in a war room, not a shipyard.”

He moved toward the feed control.

“We’ll isolate the steam heating loop for now. Won’t be as cozy below decks, but she’ll run. Kaii, you handle the patch. Swifttail, lend him your paws. I’ll keep an eye on the pressure so we don’t blow ourselves to the sky.”

Swifttail gave a nod and moved to join Kaii near the loose connection, crouching beside the puddle with a small, tired smirk.

“Funny how everything waits to go wrong at the same time, isn’t it?”

He reached for the brace near the valve housing.

“Tell me what you need. I’ll get the tools and hold the line steady.”

@Kaii Nashirou
@Ralynn Waverunner

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii listened along taking mental notes of the heat, condensation and coal. He knew he will be in the future needing it and besides, it was very interesting.

Yet he wasted no time, giving Swifttail a long wrench while himself moving with purpose. His tail wagged in anticipation for another chance to prove himself.

“Swift, I am not fully sure if that is the best idea. But I think the best thing we can quickly get done is to take out the connection fully and redo it.”

He got another sheet of paper to quickly sketch out the piping he needs to do, especially as he never done this for steam. This of course didn't stop him from trying, steam behaved like pressurized water after all right? In his eyes there was nothing wrong with testing the unknown. And more redundancy is good with hydraulics and pneumatics, especially as he could later add a valve or a redirect.

“I will need your metalworking expertise, I need good amounts of bend metal and new solders.” He pointed at the sketch with a small smile and fire of competitiveness in his eyes. “And we could try and do it in just under an hour. A small challenge to try our skills.”

Kaii said it in hushed tone, hoping his fellow will join him in the little challenge. He didn’t want to make shoody work. He was sure the two can manage and wanted to prove it, probably more to himself than anyone else.