Upon learning that her daughter had snuck on the Phoenix, Rose was understandably furious. Martin had placed his communicator on a table facing Jade so that Rose could express her anger at her properly. Jade didn't say a word, aside from the occasional "sorry" or "yes, ma'am". Meanwhile, Martin and Karina were in the next room, listening to the verbal discipline through the door.
"How did she sneak onto the ship?" Martin asked, whispering so Rose or Jade wouldn't hear them. "Geoffrey should have detected her as soon as she stepped on board."
"I'm not sure how, but that little brat is in a lot of trouble." Karina chuckled. Martin looked at her and scowled. She could be very immature sometimes.
"This isn't funny, Karina." He said. "This is a serious issue. We can't bring her back to the Palace now due to the storm."
"You're right. And with people trying to kill us, it's dangerous to have her on board." Karina added, her sly smirk disappearing. Martin nodded in agreement.
"We'll have to bring her back tomorrow." He said.
As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened, and Jade stepped into the room. Her head was hung, and she had the communicator in her hands. It was turned off now. She handed it to Martin, who took it and set it on a table next to him. He raised an eyebrow at her, expecting her to speak first.
"I'm... sorry for sneaking onto your ship." Jade said quietly.
"You should be." Martin asserted. "I'm sure Rose already yelled at you enough, so I won't bother. But first thing tomorrow, we're heading back to the Palace."
"I understand." Jade replied.
"I guess now we know why your grades are slipping." Karina mentioned. Jade glared at her, but couldn't deny that it was the truth.
"Well... I've just been thinking." She said. "My tutors and professors have been teaching me about politics and how to rule New London when I get older. But I realized recently that... I don't care about any of that."
Martin glanced at Karina, who simply shrugged. They had a strange way of communicating without talking. By shrugging, Karina was suggesting that they should hear Jade explain herself. Martin agreed, and turned back to her.
"So you've been getting bad grades because you don't want to be president?" He asked.
"Pretty much. For a few years, I've been confused about what I really want to do with my life." Jade began to explain. "But I finally realized what I want to do. I want to be a Steam Rider!"
The room fell silent. Martin was especially surprised. He had no idea that this was what Jade wanted. Karina stepped foreword, placing her hands on her hips.
"Why do you want to be a vigilante?" She asked.
"Being president would be nice, but you two make a real difference in the world."Jade continued. "If I was president, I could never have the same impact you two have. But if I was a Steam Rider like you, I could. I know what I did was wrong, and I'll accept whatever punishment you and my mother give me, but my goal to become a Steam Rider won't change."
Jade gave a deep sigh. She had been holding in her real thoughts for so long now, it was nice to finally admit it. She doubted it would get her out of trouble, but it was worth a shot. Martin was conflicted over the information. He had been wanting to find an apprentice for a while. Jade was a good fit, but he had his doubts Rose would allow it, especially after this incident.
"Jade, I do admire your interest in making a difference in the world." He said. "You'd be an excellent vigilante. But you can't neglect school just because you want to be a Steam Rider."
Jade's expression fell, and she nodded solemnly. Martin stepped closer to her, smirking slightly.
"But listen." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "When we drop you back off at the Palace tomorrow, I'll talk to your mother, and I'll see if she'd agree with an apprenticeship."
Jade's face lit up, and she hugged Martin tightly.
"That would be amazing!" She said. "Thank you, Martin!"
"Um... Martin? Are you sure about that?" Karina asked. She didn't want to associate with Jade more than she had to. Martin let go of Jade and turned to Karina.
"Yes, I am." He replied. Karina rolled her eyes and groaned silently. When Martin was sure about something, his mind usually couldn't be changed.
"Now then." Martin continued, looking back at Jade. "It's getting quite late out. I'll have Geoffrey clear out a room for you to stay in."
Jade nodded in agreement. While Martin exited the room to find Geoffrey, Karina looked away from Jade and crossed her arms. Jade noticed her standoffish pose, lowering her eyebrows.
"I honestly don't know why you don't like me." She said. Karina turned to her, sneering at first, but then hiding her annoyance behind a forced smirk.
"That tends to happen when you're sheltered your whole life." She growled.
Jade was starting to get a little annoyed herself. She turned to Karina, stiffening her arms at her sides.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" She asked, trying to sound commanding. Karina turned to face her, leaning down to meet her eye to eye. She was much taller than Jade.
"I think you can figure it out for yourself." She mocked. "Or are you accustomed to having everything handed to you? How many people do you hire to pick out your clothes again?"
Jade pursed her lips. Even though Karina was older than her, she was not going to take her insults. Right as she was about to retort, thunder cracked loudly from outside. Martin ran into the room, followed closely by Geoffrey. Unfortunately, the massive robot couldn't fit through the door. He attempted a few more times, before decided to go the other way around.
"That doesn't sound good." Martin said. He opened the other door to the outside. Almost immediately, his hat was blown clean off. Luckily, he managed to catch it before it flew away. The wind was blowing furiously, accompanied by freezing cold rain battering the Phoenix and a crescendo of thunder. 
"I don't think we're gonna reach a skyport in time!" Karina shouted through the wind.
"There should be a small one only a few miles away!" Martin shouted back. He struggled to close the door, but managed to get it shut. "It won't take us too long to get there." He continued in a more subdued tone.
"How are we going to steer the ship through the storm if the helm is outside?" Karina asked.
"The autopilot can handle this." Martin explained. "Once we get to the skyport and drop anchor, we should be fine for the night."
That was enough to put Karina at ease, but Jade wasn't so sure. Martin noticed her worried expression.
"Don't worry. The Phoenix has been through worse before." He assured.
Geoffrey appeared outside the room again. He stuck his head through the door.
"Ms. Jade's room is prepared, sir." He said.
"Perfect timing." Martin replied. He turned to Jade. "Come, I'll show you where you'll be staying tonight."
Jade nodded and followed him out the door. Karina rolled her eyes and turned her back to them, arms crossed. Thunder cracked again, and the sound of heavy rain still sounded outside on the deck. Karina leaned up against the door, listening to the sounds of the storm. But she heard something else. A voice. Two voices.
"Are you sure this is the right ship?" One voice said.
"Of course I'm sure." The other voice snapped back. "Now c'mon. They're probably gonna be inside."
Karina stepped back from the door as her heart began to beat faster. She knew who the two people outside were. They were from the League of Silence, and they were there to kill her and Martin. She heard footsteps coming towards the door, and the sound of a knife being unsheathed. Quickly looking around the room for something to defend herself with, she spotted Martin's sonic gun on the table. She grabbed the gun just as the door opened. Two men in black cloaks, like the one Sparrow wore, stepped into the room. Unlike Sparrow, these two seemed much older. They had white masks as well, both similar in shape. As soon as she heard the door open, Karina spun around and pulled the trigger. The first man was hit, and toppled over. She aimed the gun at the other man, who dodged the attack with a roll. He pulled out his knife and rushed at her. She fired the gun again, but like the last time, he managed to evade her fire. Instead, he tackled her to the ground, holding the knife to her throat.