Realistic or Modern The Golden Age of Piracy [KurtH6355 & Myxyzptik]

[Myxyzptlk]

Buffy had to listen intently to the details of the murder. Every word that Wells oozed out seemed to serve as a stinging reminder of the foul business that the young Captain was getting himself involved to. Especially the mention of opium which reminded him that there was a prevalence of narcotics aboard his own ship. Granted, the rights of free men aboard A Series of Unfortunate Events ensured them the rights to indulge themselves in however manner they wished so long as they were not directly harming another but Buffy had seen his share of 'charming' behavior from opioid addicts. It was necessary however to hang on every word that was spoken as it was crucial to covering Wells's tracks and intuitively his own.

The opium was a challenging thing that they would need to account for, while Wells did not exactly account every transaction of opium on a ledger it would require an exceptional excuse in order to convince Boudoin that his sense was wrong about the drugs play in the murder. Maybe if the drug being aboard the ship at the present was going to be an issue than it would be worthwhile to chuck it overboard when no one was looking. It would be borrowing from an old smuggler's trick but it was effective nonetheless, the witnesses however was a problem that could be more easily resolved.

"You could just have the three of them meet with me in my quarters and one of them could confess."

It would be no different than any other formal affair regarding the ship's duties. And under order of the Captain the would-be witness would remain silent without thinking twice of it. There could be the occasional complication that arose from it but no one that was not guilty of anything needed not to suffer. The other matter regarding the payment took him no overthinking, naturally they would just split the plunder as they would with any other large swath of gold.

"Spread the gold around. You know how by this point so I'll leave it to you."

Buffy made a mental note to be careful in all of his choices and begin to maintain an alibi if their sleights of hands failed to deter Boudoin from persecuting those who sought after his men. It was a rather peculiar situation to have to plan to deceive one of your closest allies but sometimes the truth was not better than fiction. Even the honest Buffy knew that occasionally one would have to grease up the tips of their fingers to ensure the wellbeing of others.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

Jacob seems confused by your request to send the witnesses to you. "Sir? You're certain you want your involvement in this to be known?" he asks. It is true, if you brought the three potential witnesses to you and ordered their silence, they'd connect the dots to see that you're indeed working directly against your Second Mate, Boudoin. Whether that would be dangerous information for them to know is another thing - but word of mouth travels very swiftly on your small ship.

"Man, cap', I know you've got your reasons but I have to advise against that," Jacob explains carefully, as to not step on your toes.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

Mulling over it a second time he remained certain about it. For Jacob in his perspective it was a surefire way to get oneself staring at the end of an executioner's barrel. But it seemed amiss to him that Buffy also ordered Boudoin's investigation to take place in the first hand. Therefore it would not be any mystery as to Buffy calling forth witnesses on unofficial business and just letting it sift while he tips off Wells. If Boudoin were to ask him what he learned from the witnesses he would just claim that they had no answers to procure and Wells' gang would ensure that it would be the case. Buffy's involvement in the case was already known, just not in the way Wells had imagined it.

"You've forgotten I'm Captain of this ship so soon?" The Captain jested, a small jab at the slight reprimands from before,

Though it was caked in the truth. If Wells had done a bit better tidying up when Buffy had cleared the assassination it would not have been the issue it was now. Still though he understood Boudoin's authority was a formidable thing to work against so now was the appropriate time to step in and influence the deck of cards. It was cheating but there was hardly anything that went above Buffy's head or beneath him. Dealing in this level of espionage was encumbering but it was needed nonetheless.

"I cleared Boudoin's investigation, I can also serve to 'aid' him. What's to say the witnesses have a meeting with the Captain and share a few details of another matter? We'll know which one's our witness after I've talked to them. No one who was where they should have been will get hurt."

That last statement was a rather menacing thing coming from Buffy considering a witness was the furthest thing from guilty. But collateral was a very messy thing which would further Boudoin's suspicions. Had they pegged the blame on one of the other members of the crew it would be fairly obvious that it was a red herring. Had all three witnesses come out looking like ghosts after some select encounters with Wells' gang than they would all three carry a strange demeanor when approached by Boudoin. If all three claimed they had not seen anything and two of them did not see anything and would not think anything of it would not arise any suspicion. What left for Boudoin than to operate off a dead end? Of course the Captain could have played it safe and placed his faith in Wells but he was starting to suspect that if he did so than they would have been found out otherwise.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

"Very well," Jacob says curtly. He is visibly displeased with your insistence on this path, and you may have jaded him with your remark, though you doubt it - he's got thick skin and he's also a good friend despite the circumstances.

"But, I won't be the one to send them to you," he insists. "If you want to do this, again, very well. But I won't have a part in it, sir."

With that being the case, you must consider whom you can trust to bring the witnesses to you discreetly, for if Boudoin were to learn of your audience with them, he may become suspicious of your reasons to withhold that news from him.

Though, you can tell you shouldn't push Jacob on the subject. His face shows that he will not budge on this, unless you were to coerce him.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

Buffy had his mind made up on the course of action he was to take. Buffy was less concerned about his decision than he probably should have been. Though it was becoming a rather layered problem day by day and even if he sought to come for the head of the snake personally it would not surprise him if two or three other heads sprouted in its place. Still though it had plagued him to be unable to have pretended things thus far and if he continued to let it be out of his direct control than it would lead to some unfortunate outcomes. It was not that he trusted Jacob Wells to fully resolve the problem but he worried that men who otherwise did not deserve to be prosecuted would. And if that were the case than Boudoin would surely smell something afoot.

Buffy would dismiss any notion that Jacob would have to have any doing with Buffy's plan however, he would not carry out his plan to cover his tracks at the expense of another. Buffy would reiterate his plan once more for Jacob,

"There will be no need for you to fetch them. I'll have one of the other mates do it for me. It'll be simple, I'll ask them if they know anything of what happened on that night and whichever one reveals themselves I'll give you the slip to have a suggestive chat. The other two will have known nothing anyway and the one who does won't speak on the matter. It should go cold then assuming there's nothing else we're missing in terms of evidence."

The next issue was deciding on who he could personally entrust to go fetch the witnesses in question. Of course one could not ask Boudoin for the obvious. His First Mate Josh Browne was of a very honest temperament and would also not make for the best choice. This left him with his Third Mate Louis Haytham or his Fourth Mate William Harding. Both would suffice and no one would really question either's authority. Buffy leaned toward Harding who's authority was less than that of Haytham's but carried a level of discretion that would arise the least suspicion in Buffy's eyes. The Captain would wait for some time after departing from Wells' before preparing to enact on the plan.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

Jacob seems pleased with your terms, particularly perking up when you explain that you plan to let him and his deal with whichever the true witness might be.

"Very good sir," Jacob tells you, before you bid one another farewell and he takes his leave of you. You glance out the window, and notice that darkness has swept across the sea. On cue, you hear Rich holler for dinner. It must be thereabouts 7:30, as that's when Rich always calls for dinner. With that in mind, you may need to postpone your meeting so as to not pull the witnesses away from dinnertime or lights out, as doing either would be  very out of the ordinary. But you don't know what Boudoin's up to. You may not have time to wait until tomorrow.

The stress of the situation is wearing on you. You feel like there's a tight band wrapped around your head, a tension headache. You try to recall the last time you had some water, and cannot. Also, you skipped breakfast this morning, as you do most mornings. Being so diligent and committed to your duties is certaintly admirable, but you often end up self-scolding when you don't take proper care of yourself.

Either way, you'd probably better be there for this dinner. You've taken first shift for watch, after all - need to keep your wits and strength about you for the good of all of the crew.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

The call for dinner took his mind off of all things. So much to the point that the feeling of tension had become painfully obvious. The captain would be seen exiting his quarters and rubbing his temples as he shambled his way down to the lower deck. Buffy would make sure to eat through the entirety of his dinner, even scratching at the scraps that remained from the hard tack so as to squeeze any inch of nutritional value from his meal. Buffy's mind finally ceased to cycle through what he needed to do in order to cover Jacob Wells' tracks. The bottom deck was livelier than usual following Boudoin's newfound skill with the mortar.

Although he made sure to eat well enough he still had to spill out earlier than usual for first watch. Uncharacteristically Buffy would help himself to the occasional grog to take his mind off the tension. The Captain downed the mug in a few swigs, he took the mug and planted it on the metal plate before setting that aside. There was roaring cheering from the lower deck and he had half a mind to let the time stretch out until he absolutely had to return top deck. His eyes scurried around the room to look out for anything interesting.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

You eagerly find a seat in the impromptu mess hall, sitting right next to the counter from which Rich and, now Ezekiel, serve plates. Also, sitting at a table with the following -- Boudoin, Browne, Harding, Haytham, them being your four Mates, Finn (what's that mfs surname I forgot), Wells, his closest ally Charles, and another of Jacob's associates who's name doesn't come to mind. Your plates are brought to you on a small trolley by Ezekiel -- perks of being the captain and his officers and closest men. While he is dishing out the food, Harding inquires about how he's liking his assignment so far, having been the one that sent him to Rich along with Browne and yourself.

"Mister Fitzgerald treats me fairly," Ezekiel begins to your surprise -- you yourself didn't know Rich's last name was Fitzgerald -- "and nobody's more loved aboard a ship than the cook," Zeke finishes with a glint of sarcasm, already having caught on that Mister Fitzgerald is not the most popular. He is a hard ass, though he does keep you and the crew fed.

Ezekiel departs with the trolley after you request a few tankards of grog for you and your tablemates. While waiting for your beverage, you soak in the energetic scenes occurring in the canteen.

Men come by in droves to your table to celebrate Boudoin, some jeering playfully at him for not actually having hit anything, others thanking him sincerely for having stayed off the Hunters' pursuit. If they'd have caught up to you, you might all be on the way to the gallows. Though, it is unlikely such capital punishment would have incurred, as royal pardons for piracy are easily obtainable for most. But not for the likes of you, they would almost certaintly hang you, unless you passed yourself off as just another crewman.

In the center of the canteen, a group of men whom have finished their meals have a game going. Gambling is strictly prohibited aboard ships of the Republic, so there is no money involved, only sport. The game which they are playing is called Five Finger Filet. Two opposing sailors take turns stabbing a knife betwixt their fingers, setting both the pace and pattern their opponent must match to stay in the game. Wyatt, one of the newcomer freedmen, the one whom had spoke quite bluntly to you when in the lazarette, is putting all opponents to shame. He's gone through three men while you've been watching, and hasn't nicked a single finger of his. It's clear that he's played Filet before.

The time strikes eight, and Harding stands from his chair. "Time for rest!" he calls. It is an order, not a suggestion. He need not repeat himself, as every man adheres to his call somewhat immediately. In the next few minutes, the canteen is empty besides yourself, your officers, and Rich cleaning up.

"So, you're gonna be taking first watch, cap?" Boudoin asks you, drinking down the dregs of his third tankard of grog.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

Buffy settled into the mess hall as dinner was in full swing. The scene was particularly livelier than usual, more grog was seemingly served out than was customary. For some it was hardly unusual as the rum was about the only way a pirate could properly hydrate themselves. Seawater would make one's stomach churn southbound and projectile vomit outward. The events of a hangover would probably be the worst for the newcomers that they had hired from the slave ships. The focal point of activity was Boudoin's table wherein the man was being showered with praise. Had he not been constantly reminded about it throughout the week Buffy would have forgotten the man was out to get him and been able to enjoy himself more fully. Still it was a good moment for A Series of Unfortunate Events and the captain could take pride in a day of great feats.

On the lesser side of things the Captain had caught a game of Five Finger Filet. The game was aptly named as anytime anyone had played it there would be a nicked finger or two and bloodstains all over the plating. Those blood stains tended to be hard to rinse out and he's received his fair share of complaints from Rich on certain nights where Five Finger Filet went awry. Buffy's reason for hating the game mainly was steeped in a ship's insurance policy. Whenever a sailor lost a limb, eye, or went blind they were insured a manner of gold from the ship's earnings. His fear was that one day some fool would chop off their entire hand playing Five Finger Filet and he would be responsible for it altogether.

An hour or two passed by and so did a few drinks in Buffy's hand before Harding stood up and called for rest. The order was met by a sufficient and organized departure from the lower deck. It became quiet not long afterward as the room only consisted of himself, Rich, and the officers aboard the deck. Buffy tidied up his posture as Boudoin approached him, addressing his question promptly after

"Aye, me and the other officers decided you've done well tonight and that you'll get the night off."

There was not really a council decision made on the matter. Buffy alone normally determined the schedule for night watch and the other officers more or less just went along with it. There was probably no contention on the unusual schedule made as Buffy subscribed himself to a double shift. It would probably do no wonders for him the next morning but his nights were often restless anyway.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

Boudoin smiles ear to ear as you tell him he's got the night off of watch. Though he's proven himself to be made up of more than just the brass and no brains you thought he was (reminder on Boudoin lore, he was a colonel in the British army, an infantryman onboard a ship is a rare sight) in his intense scrutiny of the murder, he still revels in the same pleasures as any man - like rum and extra sleep.

"Aye, you've earned it," Browne tells Boudoin, slapping him on the back.

"Right, are you lot done? Trying to clean up in 'ere!" Rich shouts at you and your officers with feigned frustration, grinning.

"Fuck off, Rich," Boudoin retorts mockingly as you all rise to your feet, and leave rich alone in the mess hall to close up shop for the night, and prep tomorrow's meal.

As you reach the top deck, all but one of your officers head into the Officers' Quarters, situated behind your own. About the same size, but all four of them live together. You're the only man who has his own quarters -- even Rich eventually slips into a hammock below deck alongside the other crewmen.

The one officer who does not, is Boudoin. He follows you up the stairs heading to the helm, explaining that he had made progress on the debtor case.

"Captain, about the murder in Freetown the other night -- I'm on to the bastards," he says with vindication.

Your stomach ties in a knot. Playing both sides of this is not fucking easy.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

The Captain smiled to himself as they made another round of praises for Boudoin. Although deep beneath the skin they were enemies working against one another without one party knowing of it Buffy did not want to slight Boudoin. Buffy stood up as the Officers were already towing themselves out of the room and soon they would be falling in line with the rest of the crew taking to their quarters without a second thought. Taking a double shift practically meant that Buffy would be pulling an all nighter. As three of the officers slipped into the officers quarters he could hear the heavy footsteps of one of his officers behind him. Buffy made it to the top helm and manned the wheel; and at the same time he would turn to be facing Boudoin. The news he heard soon after the fact was not pleasant to hear,

"What have you found?"

Buffy asked rather sternly, the entire situation had weighed heavy on his heart and his insides burnt with an anxiousness that even the tropic sun could not match. Buffy's initial convictions were that any excess evidence at the scene of the crime was likely not properly scrubbed away with. And while Buffy had hoped that no new revelations could come to light he understood that receiving a first hand account of the detective work would allow him to better find a way to cover Wells' tracks. Admittedly, with the amount of ground Boudoin has managed to cover he was unsure if it was enough to simply manipulate the evidence and bully witnesses into silence. What Buffy had feared most was that Boudoin had gotten to the witness before he could, and if that were the case then the Captain may very well have had to seriously consider pinning the blame on someone else. Still, there was also the chance that he was overthinking and Boudoin may have picked up a red herring.

"Out with it then."

The Captain ordered.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

During your conversation prior to dinner, Jacob's main concern had been that Boudoin has discovered that the debtor used opium, and frequently. He was vague about how he knew Boudoin learned this, saying "he's been asking questions."

You suppose it probably was not a big secret that the man was on the drug, except to the likes of you and your officers -- nobody likes a snitch.

Wells further surmised that Boudoin would suspect him and his associates based solely on the fact that no-one else aboard the ship could be supplying the man with opium. This, of course, implies that Boudoin would make the assumption that the debtor's source was from one of your crew.

And sure as hell, Boudoin proceeds to spell out exactly what Jacob had predicted - with one unsatisfactory addition.

"So, our dead man's name was Amias. Odd one, I know. He had a problem with opium -- a bad problem. According to his friends, Amias had been acting pretty odd as of late. Smoking more heavily, secluding himself, always angry, n' so on. Strangest of all, found this out, right? So right after we paid out to the crew, guess who Amias gives his share of the spoil to? Wells."

You hear excitement in Boudoin's voice as he unravels his leads to you. In that moment, you think you understand why Boudoin is pursuing Amias' murder so vehemently. Amias was unimportant, just another seaman, and a poor one at that. Jacob assured you of that when he came to you about his proposition after Amias stole the money plundered from Dunesbury's galleon.

Boudoin is testing himself, and hoping to prove himself to you. While you both are peers, you do hold a higher station, and have been at the pirate life longer than he has. Further, his former occupation as an officer in the Royal Army causes your other officers and even yourself whom have lifelong experience at sea to look down on his abilities.

It is hard for you to grasp the irony that Boudoin is doing this for you, while truly working against you.

With this new information you must also unpack the fact that Wells accepted Amias' share of the plunder despite the fact that he was already plotting to kill him for the debt, with your permission. This is quite villainous for Jacob to have done, and goes against the Pirate Code quite blatantly - but so does a lot of what Jacob and his company do. He's a good man, loyal man, a hell of a shantyman, but in the end, he is a crook. Also, dead men spend no coin. Perhaps a victimless crime?

Not only did Jacob rob Amias of his rightful plunder before having him shot, he also left a trail leading to him. Having interacted with Amias the same night he had him killed -- its dissapointing to say the least that Jacob did not see the stupidity in that.

Bugger this, you think to yourself. It's too damn much. The connection between Jacob and Amias' death is not clear, but it's clear that Boudoin assumes it. It's made even clearer by Boudoin's next words.

"So, question is, why is Wells taking Amias' money? What's that got to do with Amias' death? If anything," he asks rhetorically. The 'if anything' on the end sounds like a formality - the tone in your Second Mates' voice makes it clear he has settled on Wells as his primary suspect.

However, his asking of those two questions gives you the oppurtunity to mislead him on a silver platter. If you were dismiss his deductions, or plant a seed of doubt here, it may go a long way. Especially because you've realized Boudoin is pursuing Wells with such vigor in an effort to prove his own competency as more than just an artillerist who can bark orders.

This also would be the time to test Boudoin and his loyalty if you so choose. Putting this to rest may be as simple as explaining that Wells is too important to even consider investigating or prosecuting for this killing, and order Boudoin to stop investigating altogether. You could play dumb, saying that when you cleared the investigation you wanted to find the villain who killed Amias, but upon these findings change your mind.

You'd maintain plausible deniability if you were to make that call solely on Boudoin's evidence. But if you misjudged Boudoin's willingness to submit to such a demand as to close the investigation, the consequences could be unthinkable. So that would be a risky play indeed.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

Boudoin's words in that moment blew Buffy apart more than any mortar he could have ever laid his hands on. His Second Mate would be none the wiser to it as the Captain leaned over his wheel and let his Second Mate rattle off. Sometimes it was best to let someone speak their whole piece and let the flaws in their arguments come naturally. Buffy remained quiet, and each unfurling piece of evidence pierced past the veil no less harder than the one before. Being slightly buzzed from the grog and it being past midnight his face was able to remain free of any grimacing that would tip Boudoin off to the fact that he was receiving any of this information negatively.

But he had began to slowly understand Boudoin's reasons for chasing after this murder now. And it dawned upon him what a useful asset Boudoin had been to A Series of Unfortunate Events. Knowing this Buffy understood he could not sacrifice Boudoin in the name of underhanded dealings and if the Colonel had done this much to merely prove himself than he was an ally the Captain needed to maintain. But the issue so far had been that his Second Mate had been unknowingly working against him and that so long as he continued to do so the Captain could not focus on the ultimate objective; bringing legitimacy to The Pirate Republic.

The Captain's eyes loomed over almost as if he had gone into shellshock. This was a rare occurrence and only happened on one occasion and that was when the Captain was thinking to his fullest capacity. Even Boudoin could see this much, likely under the presumption that Buffy was unpacking all of the information at once which was in fact true. This was a highly unusual circumstance and it would require Buffy to come up with an unorthodox solution lest he sink in all of his lies. There was a lot of knowledge that Buffy had already known although he should not have if not for conspiring with Wells' up until that point. In order to convince Boudoin, Buffy could not merely deny Wells' involvement in the debt, but all the same he had understood that Boudoin while being contained to A Series of Unfortunate Events would be unable to trace the actual murderer. Not unless they returned to New Providence or some new source appeared which would be unlikely. Maybe in a stroke of accidental genius choosing to pawn off Michael Dunesbury would have proven to be the correct choice in limiting Boudoin from being able to tie all the clues together.

What Buffy knew Boudoin knew was that on the day they had come across the galleon they had acquired a large sum. On that same day a significant portion of it had gone missing only soon to be returned. What this had been proof of was not proof of the murder but rather proof of the opioid debt Amias had accrued. Wells' being seen in contact with Amias the same night he had been murdered was foolish and the Captain wanted to draw and quarter Wells' for causing Buffy so much heart ache. But the debt collection in the scope of the murder seemed almost insignificant. Buffy knew now of what lie he needed to procure in order to send this investigation hurling into water. The night of Amias's death had many more moving parts than just Wells' alone. It was something that Boudoin had not even seemed to consider,

"So Amias had a debt? I-"

Buffy trailed off, Boudoin would have spotted this as uncharacteristic coming from the normally stoic Captain. The Captain looked off at the sea before turning back to the Colonel. There was a considerable pause before Buffy finally let loose his revelation for Boudoin,

"I have not been forthcoming with you Boudoin. I believed that sending you to investigate Amias's death would have brought you some comfort if you were able to find the killer but I see it has only caused you to spiral into obsession. I'm sorry~"

The Captain began to trail off again,

"Your man Amias was not murdered. He gave his life to protect me from one of Bauer's assassins. I was walking out from Rackham's estate when it happened, Bauer knew where I would be knowing I would dispute the claim to the galleon. I should have been honest, Andrew."

The same night Amias was murdered was conveniently the same night that Bauer had made his intentions about claiming the galleon known. Their rivalry that night had started with Bauer slighting Buffy by claiming the galleon was his natural right. Many of the men were out and about and the Officers, including Boudoin, were well aware of the brewing animosity between the two rivaling Captains. After all it was through his officers that Buffy knew Bauer disputed the claim to begin with. When Buffy walked out of Rackham's estate most of the men were celebrating their new plunder and because Amias was broke did not mean he was not taking part. Amias had been standing so close to Buffy as they walked by that from everyone else's perspective an attempt on Buffy's life had been made and Amias was the poor soul caught in the crossfire. Buffy was dragged away by a security detail of his own men. Buffy knew the truth was that he allowed an assassination order to be carried out in Wells' name but the simpler and easier truth to believe was that Anthony Bauer knew if Buffy happened to die than his claim to the galleon was all but known.

Shortly after the night Amias died tensions between Buffy and Bauer also conveniently rose to fruition. The brawl at shore and the hostile looks the men shot each other from A Series of Unfortunate Events to The Grenouillie was one shared amongst both crews. It would have all culminated into the fateful duel in which Buffy with the assistance from his subordinate officers decided to make their proclamation for the Galleon to Bauer's face and declare for a duel. Painting Anthony Bauer as the true villain seemed to have been the natural solution all along. It was not a statement Buffy could have haphazardly made to Boudoin while they were still in New Providence otherwise Bauer would have immediately sought out his contacts in Nassau and ruled it out. But now that Boudoin was stuck at sea headed in the opposite direction of New Providence the time to dig up the evidence would have long passed, and the narrative was a lot stronger than assuming one of Amias's own crew members was out to get him.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

Boudoin's jaw drops as you regale him with this fabrication.

"You...he what?" he asks, though you know he heard you clearly. A look of disbelief comes over him, and for a moment you think you've failed to fool him.

"I don't know what to say -- that is quite a...revelation," Boudoin says slowly; you can see the cogs turning in his head. "How could you let me go uninformed that there had been an attempt on your life by that traitor!?" he questions. He sounds angry, not at you, but maybe shocked at you. Moreso, you see hate for Bauer in his eyes.

"We must return to Nassau immediately after we finish our business in Port Royale, and have that scoundrel shot! Hell, I will shoot him myself!" he goes on.

This is troublesome. If you were to try to fully go through with this lie and try and have him charged with this fake attempted murder, it would be nigh impossible to convince the court in New Providence of such a tale. Going that far would not be maintainable. You must convince Boudoin that this score must be settled personally, before you reach New Providence, or not only will your lie be outed, but you yourself will be outed as a slanderer.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

Boudoin seemed to have been hooked on the lie. It was a promising sign as far as throwing the suspicion off Jacob Wells' but in doing so he was essentially shouldering the burden onto himself for the most part. It was a necessity at that point however, as Jacob had been unable to shake the suspicions from Boudoin and more importantly doing so without leaving an undeserving crew member at the wayside. Painting Bauer as the villain would have worked well enough given the prior history but it was a statement that now needed to become actionable. Boudoin was far too actionable to sit on information such as that and just silently loathe someone for it, he would need a head and Buffy would have to provide it.

"There was much going on at the time he hired the assassin. The galleon was at stake and if word got out I feared the courts would interject and favor Bauer. Withholding it from you was my mistake however, we need to be rid of that scoundrel permanently."

At times it was hard for the man himself to believe that he could see one lie through this deeply. Buffy knew that the evidence of the assassination could not be fabricated after the fact to great affect, not without some miracle or revelation falling upon his lap. The Pirate Courts could be immensely partial in matters such as this and without a damning source of proof the condemnation of Bauer. Buffy would need to coordinate with Wells on the matter; they would have to come up with some sort of plan to wage war with Bauer and cement the lie as fact. And then he would need to convince the other officers to be on board with that particular plan. It was going to require an immense amount of subterfuge and quick action all at once. Buffy's head was no longer buzzing from the grog, the present feeling of anxiety mounted itself in his brain in the form of a headache.

"We'll need to spring a trap for Bauer. Something he has no chance of escaping from. I'll have some time to think about what when we are in Port Royal, but once this Dunesbury debacle is settled we'll head straight for New Providence."

In order to maintain consistency with the lie he could not eternally skate around the issue of going back to New Providence. After all the man needed to return to Rackham or he would have been figured for a martyr. There were a few ideas that flooded Buffy's brain. One of which consisted of inciting Bauer to declare another duel, but given the nature of their previous duel it was not going to be likely he would accept another. They could stage an accident but Buffy did not want to be a Captain with a penchant for being near and around mysteries when they arise. Enough trouble had come as it was for that alone. Buffy would need to insult Bauer so much so that he would be willing to violate the Pirate Code and assault Buffy. Maybe then Buffy would be justified for murdering Bauer. There was possibly some other solutions he was not considering but at the moment his mind was racked with tension and the events prior had whittled his mental capacity down for the time being. Perhaps Wells had some ingenious ideas of his own and he would need to see them through. Personally, Buffy would like to lure Bauer out to sea then burn cannons through his ship. Letting all the proof and burdens lay waste at the bottom of the sea.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

Boudoin nods solemnly as you tell him of your plot to entrap Bauer. "Understood. We'll take care of it ourselves -- serves 'em right," he says, before spitting onto the deck. It seems that you've convinced him not to go running to Rackham as soon as you get to New Providence.

Before Boudoin or you can say anything else, something catches your eye. In the dim moonlight, you see a massive wake in the water mere feet away from your ship. In the next moment, a great whale seats out of the sea and then back into the depths just as quickly as it had come to the surface.

"Oh, my!" Boudoin exclaims. "That was so close! Captain, let me go rouse some of the men, and take that thing!" he says. He is clearly very excited at the whale sighting.

Whaling was a common practice aboard your ship, and other pirate vessels out of Nassau and otherwise. You have many harpoons, and a reinforced pinnace with which to do the deed. That whale is  massive -- if you were to hunt it, it would be a great haul.

However, there are inherent dangers in doing so. It is dark, and if your hunters were to capsize in their efforts to catch the whale, recovering them would be mighty difficult. Also, stopping to hunt this whale might take an hour or so, impeding your progress toward Port Royale.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

There would be time to figure out how to best deal with Bauer in the future. Too much had the situation racked his mind that he could no longer be brought to think about it any longer for fear of his heart giving out. Fortunately for Buffy the time to put it all behind him for the moment came not a moment sooner when a gargantuan whale floundered into the open air and sank deeply into the water thereafter. The sound of it would ring in Buffy's ear canal for a long time for it was louder than any mortar or cannon ball ever fired. Boudoin too had also seemed to take notice as the thought of letting the mystic beauty swim away was not among his first thoughts. Luckily for Boudoin, it was not one of Buffy's first inclinations either.

"We're not letting the damn thing slink away! Get on it, man!" ordered Buffy,

Dragging the carcass of that whale would be a rather considerable moral victory for the entire crew. Especially for the fresh recruits that he had recently acquired it would allow them to firsthand see the highs of piracy. Buffy was already hard at hand steering the wheel of A Series of Unfortunate Events to the direction of the whale. Its silhouette was impossible to miss but if they were not quick to action then there was a good chance that the whale if unprovoked could slither away and become impossible to find in the dark. The lack of sunlight would prove to be a detriment but he would place his utmost faith in the crew to skewer the whale before it became a problem.

And who knew, maybe in the aftermath of the catastrophe and celebration he would maybe get a word in with Wells on how to approach the situation regarding Bauer and Boudoin.