The Specialists find clues that lead them closer to the enemy base...

Note: Since it has been slow going editing these chapters, I decided to upload what I've finished so far.

Preview:
Skyler returned some time later, with more evidence of activity. At first, he had seen boats in the water that he thought might have been the Crusade, but on closer inspection he'd discovered that they were manned by the native island inhabitants - the Kommo-O war bands. Overtime he had begun to notice that most of the higher concentrations of activity belonged to the various tribes and clans that called the island home. Salazzle Matrons seemed to be the dominant power on the island where their boat was currently located, with scattered pockets of other Pokémon Skyler didn't know of.
But then he'd found something off the island's coast line. A ship, half-sunk in the ocean and crashed against rocks. It was more advanced than anything the islanders could have had, and the wreck looked recent. "At first I thought it might have been targeted by pirates, but I saw the deck up close," he explained. "The mast was definitely hit by a Draco Meteor. The ship itself had this emblem on it." he used his talon to draw a shape in the sand. A circle, followed by a line going around and through it, widening it until it looked like a ribbon.
"I know that emblem," said Shamshir, uncrossing his arms. "That's the Explorer Society. They work closely with the Guilds. Rescue Teams are often hired by them as bodyguards."
"If that's the case, what were they doing down here?" Skyler asked.
"The Society deals in cartography," explained Shamshir. "They make maps and sea charts, and explore unknown regions of the world. That would explain why one of their ships is here. As for who destroyed it," he trailed off.
“Calhoun…” Reaper remarked in a low tone. “They got too close to his base and he had the ship destroyed before they could escape.”
“That certainly fits his Modus Operandi…” Kage concurred before looking to Skylar. “Where is this sunken vessel exactly?”
"Off the coast of the island about sixty kilometers from here," reported Skyler, pointing westward with his wing.
"Let's get the Trident ready," said Shamshir.
The other three nodded without hesitation, each of them departing to man their assigned posts. Fisher and Kage helped each other weigh the anchor, and then Kage departed to man the helm of the Trident, guiding it gently out to more open water before putting the engines full ahead and high tailing it along the coast as fast as the ship could travel. Skyler took position in the cabin to guide Kage while Fisher stood by in case the wheel needed to be handed off. Shamshir and Reaper stayed outside and watched from the port and broadside of the ship for anything out of the ordinary.
The Trident rode the waves smoothly, cutting apart the choppy waters around the island. The hum of its dual prop engines was enough to drown out the crashing of the ocean against the shores. On the nearest beach they passed, they saw a collective of Salandit and a Salazzle watching over them, casting lines out to the water to catch fish. The clan watched them curiously as they passed, some even backing away from the water fearfully and retreating to their Matron's side. She too watched the boat, as much with suspicion as curiosity. Kage made sure to give them a respectful berth, not wanting to provoke the Matron or her clan.
Rounding a cliff face, they reached an array of rock formations, forming like a row of teeth along the island's shore.
Skyler directed Kage further along the rocks, until they saw it. The wreck of a schooner, smashed against the rocks, missing its main mast and a portion of its hull, reduced to the timbers floating below it. They pulled as close to the shipwreck as the rocks would allow them to, and gathered on the deck to study the wreck.
"Do you think all of the crew managed to abandon ship before that happened?" Skyler asked, mournfully.
"That or were picked up," the Scizor answered as his wings began to beat, carrying him into the air. "I'm going to take a closer look."
“Careful Shamshir.” Fisher warned the Scizor, readying a Snipe Shot to cover him. “The ship’s deck is most likely unstable.”
"Understood," he called back over the buzz of his wings as he flew over the churning waters to the ship.
The Scizor made multiple passes over the deck, checking the damages thoroughly before moving to the rear and studying the damage there, as well as the flotsam below. He disappeared inside the ship for a moment, making everyone jump when the ship creaked and they suspected he had landed inside. The ship groaned a few times, then became silent. A moment later Shamshir flew back out again, and hovered back over to the Trident. A book was lodged in his claws, looking the worse for wear from ocean spray, but intact.
"No signs of a fight," he said as he landed on the deck. "No blood, no bodies anywhere. Damage to the top was external, but the back of the ship definitely snapped off when it was thrown into the rocks. They must have disabled the rudder as well to stop the ship from steering away."
“It’s possible they either managed to swim away after they were disabled, or Calhoun’s forces picked them up and took them prisoner.” Kage muttered, then gestured to the book in the Scizor’s claw. “A manifest? Journal?”
"The captain's log, I believe," he replied, showing the book to Kage. "It was trapped under a desk in the upper cabin. It's taken some spray but it seemed intact."
“It could hold a clue as to what happened prior to their ship running aground.” Fisher pointed out, holding his hand out to take the book so he could look through it.
Shamshir placed the book gently in Fisher's hand, letting the Inteleon turn it over and open it. Most of the log detailed the ship's voyage, starting out from Westport and working it's way south. He leafed through it until he found a date closer to the current, and went back a page to see what else was there. He read the log aloud to let the others know what was being said.