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

[Lord Bradorian]

Things quiet down. Many of your crew surge forward to loot the bodies of the dead and see what the ship had in it's cargo hold, as they know that you'll be having to scuttle the ship. Jacob's henchmen join the looting, but Jacob himself does not. He watches you approach him from across the deck with his lips tightened into a straight line - it is not a look of anger or disdain, but guilt and remorse. "Of course, Sir," Jacob says sincerely when you tell him you'll have a talk about this incident later.

You hear the rumble of cannon fire as you head below deck to the brig. You assume the looters weren't just blasted away by the rest of the crew, otherwise they've really all gone mad.

It is a long, winding path to the very very back of the Series of Unfortunate Events. A dark, damp room beneath the cargo hold accessible only by a bolted trap door in the ceiling. The room is small enough that Dunesbury's probably rubbing more than shoulders with the dozen or so castaways; the thought of such a prim and proper bloke being forced to share this makeshift dungeon with escaped slaves makes you smile.

You heave open the trap door, and everyone inside groans and hisses. The cargo hold is dark, being below the waterline, illuminated only by a few lanterns and whatever sunlight spills in from the gundeck, if the door to the hold is open. But the lazarette is even darker. So dark, that a mere half hour has rendered the imprisoned castaways sensitive to even the dim light in the cargo hold.

"Ah. Captain Buffy," Dunesbury regards you with a weak voice. He's been fed and watered, but only the bare minimum. You're treating him with respect, but this is a pirate ship not a warship, you'll find no cozy accommodations here for your interment just because you wear a tricorn.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

The rolling thunder became faint as Buffy entered his way to the lower deck. For the rest of the crew it was decent accommodation but the further one went back the more harrowing the deck became. When he had first gained A Series of Unfortunate Events there was a time when he had been walking the upper deck and overheard a crew mate referring to the deep end of the lower deck as a 'dark and nefarious underbelly'. It was a bit of a mystical term but it made for a proper term of endearment for a prison. Buffy's hand gripped the bolt on the door and plucked it open. The door creaked open and the sound that came from the prisoners from beneath would have given the impression that they were housing vampires in the depths of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Chief among them was Michael Dunesbury, Buffy had not found the time to come into contact with his associates in Port Royal. Admittedly he had not found the time to do much of anything given Rackham's orders and the in-fighting with Bauer. Buffy made his way down to the dungeon and stood on the same level as the rest of the lot. With hope the slaves that had survived were willing to graduate from the conditions and embrace the liberty they were willing to seek initially. Buffy had given a glance to Dunesbury and made an attempt to reaffirm them,

"I'll see if we can head to Port Royal next. No guarantees though."

Buffy would then address the slaves. For some reason Buffy got a worse feeling than when he was on the slave schooner. Standing on the bottom deck while the slaves were already imprisoned gave him the sense that they would be less inclined to help him out albeit it would probably be their best choice. Buffy scanned the rabble and thought of what he would say to entice them to join his crew. Buffy would remove his hat and place it at his waist side before spitting out his offer.

"I'm sure you heard the cannon fire. Those that harmed you are no longer alive. I will admit that I offered them the choice to join our cause or die in the process. If you want it I may remove you from your shackles and you can join the side of liberty and freedom. You will serve no tyrants and you will be free to do as you want, everything you earn will be yours to keep and you will never be asked to do anything you deem unreasonable. Of course you can stay in the hold and if you prefer safety then we can find you a new master from Spain or England but life under a monarch is no different than the lives you lived before. But for those of you who want to take control of your lives speak up now."

In anticipation Buffy looked among the sea of captured faces. He knew they had no choice in the matter, and if they opted to stay in chains they would inevitably just find their way into the chains of another slaver. But still he knew that freedom was an option that few nations on the planet offered.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

Captain Dunesbury nods in reply to your suggestion you might set a course for Port Royale sooner than later. "Thank you," he adds on, hesitantly, likely unsure whether thanking his captor for trying to get him ransomed would be dignified.

You then turn your attention to to the slaves. By the end of your spiel, each of them has the look of relief on their faces.

"You mean it? You won't sell us?" asks a small voice from the back of the lazarette. Oh, dear fucking God, you think, the crew had captured some boy!? But no, the voice reveals itself in the near pitch darkness to belong to just a small, young, frail looking man. Barely passing for a man. Maybe sixteen years, at the oldest.

"Neh, Pierre. He wants us to join 'im," another voice replies to him, before continuing. "This is very...strange fah' you to off'eh. Negroes ain't on any ship out here 'less they's a deckhand or sum'. How we know we ain't 'gun get treated like that here? If not by you, by the others. I sure doubt all yer boys are so...open-minded."

 

[Myxyzptlk]

There had been looks of promise on the slaves faces. For the most part they understood what it was that Buffy was offering for them. One of which, barely older than a boy from the sound of it was the most optimistic. Another of which seemed further clever than Buffy would have anticipated, the man who had spoken must have grown without learning well of trust. Certainly it had fared them wisely up until this point. Buffy would lower himself to a squat so that he was at the same level as the rest of them in shackles. The ship groaned and the sound of water seemed to be at its loudest when at the lowest point of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Like a flood trying to consume them but held at bay by little more than a cargo crate.

"You have known no freedom because your masters have told you of no freedom. The men of New Providence and this ship know what that means whether they like it or not. That I can ensure you as Captain. A crew member of this ship carries a vote, that vote gives you power to choose your fortune."

Buffy may have been alien in his policy in dealing with slaves for the most part. It was not to say that he was opposed to selling slaves had he no other choice but it was common tradition for a pirate to sell off slaves back to their masters or elsewhere. The hypocrisy of such actions had rubbed Buffy differently, having been no free man when he lived in England he could never understand how the majority of Pirate Captains could claim liberty in New Providence's name yet stand to gain gold at the expense of another's freedom. Buffy had witnessed plenty of it during his time as a Pirate. He knew then that gold was no substitute for a proper ambition. Buffy's goals went past the fickleness of coin knowing what it could turn men into overtime.

"You have my word as Captain, and as a citizen of New Providence."

The Captain reiterated as to affirm the concerns of the slave who had known well to ask. Whether converting slaves into Pirates would be a measure of conflict in the future he had no certainty. Buffy could only hope that he had made enough of an impression on the rest of the crew to where they would willingly subject themselves to stand arm in arm with another who had previously been in bonds. The good Captain hoped to believe that his crew would understand the plight of a man seeking their freedom as they had done so at one point in their lives.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

The man whom had spoken up doesn't deign to reply, eyeing you with scathing skepticism. Yet another voice perks up -- that which is opposite of the young man, whom had been called by the name Pierre. The voice is old and creaky. You're surprised by the diversification in the slave crew. Most slaves do not live to the age which this man sounds to be.

"I think it would be in our best interest to follow you; we've already taken up piracy, may as well fall in with the big boys. But if you are to be our Captain, we must know your name. I am Ezekiel. The wary one is Wyatt," the old man says, very articulated and intelligently, in stark contrast to Wyatt's speaking mannerisms. You wonder how Ezekiel had come across the means to learn to speak so eloquently; for a slave, anyway.

You get the feeling that Ezekiel has just sealed the deal. None of the slaves voice any opposition. They're likely to trust Ezekiel's judgment due to his age, and his well-spokenness.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

Buffy's affirmations had gone unwarranted by the skeptical slave. While Buffy understood their weariness they had failed to procure an exact answer. When the oldest gentleman among them spoke Buffy swung his head in the direction of it. Indeed Buffy was taken aback by the variety of demographic that had been hiding underneath A Series of Unfortunate Events. Through the tiredness and creakiness the oldest slave was able to speak the best among them. While their ability to speak given their background in captivity had impressed Buffy he was all the more stricken with awe the spectrum that the call of liberty had reached. When the eldest named Ezekiel spoke Buffy would listen intently, partly because he was captivated by the man's existence but secondly because he had found the answer he was begging.

"Buford Bayless. But you will know me as your Captain Buffy, now then let us come and unshackle you."

Without any resistance from the rest of the slaves Buffy had found it time to release them from captivity permanently. Buffy held the key to their shackles on his person, it would have been tucked away in one of his sashes and his fingers would move to apprehend it. Sandwiched between his index and middle finger he would have to reposition his grip before walking up to each individual slave and freeing them from their shackles. Their wrists no longer burdened by the gross uncomfortable rub of tight metal. The Captain had gone through each individual and repeated this process over and over. The only one of which who would not be seeing freedom was the ever weakening Dunesbury who had passed on their chance roughly two days ago.

"When we return to topside seek out Josh Browne, he is the First Mate of this ship. Go to him and see what duties he may assign to you. Yesterday you were slaves, today you are pirates."

The Captain would push open the bolted trap door further and lead the way. Returning to the middle part of the ship and awaiting for the newly enlisted to pile out in uniform. Buffy in his releasing of their chains had done an individual count of each to ensure when the last one had left. Once they had done so Buffy would close the trap door and give Dunesbury his own private suite in captivity once again without the excess of rubbing shoulders with other prisoners for the time being. Buffy would lower to a crouch when he bolted the door again and followed behind the new crew members as they returned top side. The way toward the top side was not difficult to navigate as it was largely linear. The rush of sea breeze would be a welcome sight for Buffy after spending any length of time in the dungeon.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

You free each man individually. Almost all of them take your hand into both of theirs as you do so, squeezing and shaking your hand in gratitude. Several are overcome with emotion and weep quietly, including Pierre. Even Wyatt takes your hand this, and gives you a toothy smile, seemingly having been won over by Ezekiel, whom kisses your hand as you free him. He might have some doubt still, but it's clear to see much of it has dissipated.

You lead the freedmen to the cargo hold; there are eleven of them in total. Not much, but something. The estimation was forty between the two ships; at least you'd made out with a fourth of them. Those whom are either only partly clothed, or their clothes are badly damaged, change into spare clothes you've got to offer. Once back above deck, all eyes are trained onto them. Your crew knew your intent was to make these men into pirates, but having it happen is a different story.

It is Josh who seeks them out, instead of the other way around. He is immediately upon them, along with Haytham, assigning different duties. You watch as Pierre and some other of younger freedmen practice ascending the rigging up to the crow's nest and to the masts, having been designated as topmen. Wyatt and others are introduced to the top-deck carronades, and then brought back below deck to learn about the larger guns. Ezekiel, however, is left without an assignment. Your First Mate comes to you about this.

"I've sorted everyone into jobs except the old man. Not sure what purpose he could serve. Could help Rich in the kitchen, I guess. He seems very wise; maybe he'll help Rich keep his teeth in his face," Josh says with a smile, referring to the incident where Jacob's associate, Charles, had gotten very angry with Rich. Though if he had laid a hand on him, everyone knows the price Charles would've paid. Marooning.

"I mentioned it, he says he can cook, but also can shoot pretty well. Only thing is, he can't make the climb up to the crow's nest, so he can't do what our man Edward did, God rest his soul."

Josh then lowers his voice.

"Keep Ezekiel on your good side. I have the feeling the others would follow him into Hell."

Great, you think. Another man whom you must stay in the good graces of, for fear of him turning a portion of the crew against you. At least you predict that Ezekiel will be easier to handle than Jacob, and wields only a fraction of the influence that Jacob does.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

Stepping out into the open with multiple freemen would have been quite a bold sight for the rest of the crew. While Buffy's outward appearance showed indifference internally he knew that he was potentially carrying a big risk in doing what he was. Still though the curious looks from their new shipmates would remain just that for the present. Not soon afterward had Josh Browne made his way toward the freemen and began assigning orders. Josh's ability to read a person and assign them occupation best suited for them was something of a talent that went silently appreciated oftentimes. Without a hitch the new recruits had began the first steps toward learning piracy, their first lesson would most likely come in the form of how drab and boring it could be during long stretches on the water. A humbling experience that would in of itself drill a certain discipline in them. After they had assembled into their positions Browne would no sooner approach Buffy,

"Aye, let's not strain the old man unless he wants it. I'm sure Rich could use an extra set of hands below deck."

Although Josh stated it for him Buffy knew well enough that Ezekiel was a figure to watch for. There was more to the elder than their rattled joints and good mannerisms. Something in the way Ezekiel spoke captivated Buffy, a trait that few had even among the great Pirate Lords. In a sense he reminded Buffy of Calico jack, his boss for whom their entire coming to being with was attributed to. Not that Ezekiel spoke in the same nonchalant coolness as Rackham but in the way their words lured one to listen. From a personal standpoint Buffy felt he must become more proper acclimated with Ezekiel. Perhaps there was more talent to this man than he was let on to believe.

"Right then, let's gather the other mates and discuss our next charted course. I'd preferably like to sail for Port Royal and pawn off Dunesbury before the sea claims him."

Admittedly two days underneath A Series of Unfortunate Events was not the longest duration to be shelled up in imprisonment but the course of two battles and the packing of the lowest deck like a barrel of fish certainly would have made the conditions less than amicable for someone who was left captive. The gathering of all the mates and his quartermaster Alex Gratt normally preceded any other course of action during a brief intermission. Now that the chaos had finished unfurling Buffy had to once more embrace the trivialities of being a sea captain. One of the few times the Captain was afforded serenity.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

With relative haste, you assemble Andrew, Louis, William, Alex, and Finn to discuss your next moves - after sorting our Ezekiel's role on the ship with Rich. You meet in your Captain's Quarters. You sit in your chair behind your desk, your First and Second Mates stand at your sides, while your other officers and helmsman are seated in front of your desk - your Third and Fourth mates in chairs, Finn on a crate he brought in from the deck.

"Aye. We found some correspondence aboard the Galleon -- the name the Brits gave to her is the Eclipse, by the way -- suggesting Dunesbury's uncle is an aspiring politic' there in Port Royale. He should be able to pay a handsome fee to see his nephew released," Josh tells you about Dunesbury and your prospects for ransoming him. "Or, we could head home and report to Captain Jack about us completin' our job," he finishes.

"We'll have to sail through French and Spanish waters to reach the King's port, should we go that way. Nothing new, it's the same route from Nassau (synonymous with New Providence btw. New Providence is the island Nassau is the port Freetown is the village.) But when we were ashore last night I heard that there's some trouble in the area. A large action took place nearby Tortuga yesterday in the early morning. Spanish and French privateers attacked some Brit merchants, and then some British privateers wandered into the fight. There's been constant skirmishes in the area since then, and there's even a chance warships - man o' wars, ships of the line and the sort - will be brought out to settle scores. We'll need to be careful should we make for Royale. Apparently things are changing quickly there; we were there only yesterday, after all." your Fourth Mate, Harding, tells you.

"Shall we sail at night then, Captain? Keep a low profile," Finn asks. At night you either dropped anchor and everyone slept if your progression wasn't urgent, or the officers, including yourself, took shifts making sure you didn't steer off course and kept going during the night, when it was important to get somewhere fast or use the cover of night or the added navigational abilities the stars above provided.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

Buffy had gathered the officers of A Series of Unfortunate Events and prepared to chart their next course. Buffy settled into his Captain's chair although sitting down often made him uncomfortable. The man much preferred being mobile as to lazing over maps and documents. Still though his duties as Captain required him to do so and he knew that they would not be there long. Buffy learned of the name of the Galleon although it was a minor fact, whether he would change it's name later was a subject to come back to when it became relevant. For the time being Buffy wanted to pawn off Dunesbury back to the British and salvage whatever gold they can for him.

Port Royal had always brought about a sense of weariness as Pirates travelled there. While if a Pirate knew how to keep themselves in check there was typically nothing to fear for but the knowledge of small skirmishes would be problematic. The involvement of man o-wars would be concerning but as long as A Series of Unfortunate Events maintained a low profile and the new upgrades held their weight they would be able to speed right past them. Though, Buffy feared for what would happen if they stayed in Port Royal for too long. A naval blockade may not be uncommon if things got desperate for any party and suspicions surely could be mounted highly.

"We'll speed right past the man o'wars. Be ready to use the stars as our guide."

Buffy would rise from his chair having uttered his order. Certainly the easiest course would have been to sail back to Rackham and take the small successes offered to him but Buffy was a man who wanted to leave no loose strings behind. Dunesbury had become a sort of prolonged string and he sought to remedy that as soon as possible. As Buffy walked toward the door to his own quarters he would adjust the collar of his coat and open the door, holding it open as a gesture of politeness for his subordinate officers before walking out and making way to the top deck. The Captain fished around his pockets for one of his eyepatches, his vision was not poor but rather he had not trained it for the night in recent memory. The Captain would stretch the eyepatch over his good eye and obscure it to darkness. When night set he would simply flip the patch up and his eye would be trained to see better in the dark.

"We sail for Port Royal!"

Buffy shouted to the members of the top deck. A line of reiterating would begin as each Pirate turned to another and informed their comrades of their next destination. The Captain stood at the top of the helm and awaited for Finn Frost to man the wheel. While there was still some daybreak left in the sky the hues were turned from a deep saturated orange to a mellowing pink. It would not be long before the mystic night blanketed the sun and ushered in a plethora of mysteries to be circumnavigated on the waters.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

You and your officers agree on setting sail for Port Royale, to inquire about ransoming off the captured British captain.

Coming out of your Captain's Quarters, however, you learn of yet another distraction, before you can inform your crew of your next destination. From the crow's nest, Pierre cries out a warning that ships flying the King's colors are fast approaching from your south. Well done, Pierre, you think -- not yet an hour in the saddle and here he is, making himself useful.

Looking out to your south, you see a pair of small ships, sailing side by side, coming straight for you. Immediately, you guess these are the two pirate hunters that have been in the area. You've been caught red-handed, flying Rackham's colors in the aftermath of the action against the slaves.

"We pull off now, we can lose them in the night!" Josh tells you urgently.

"Aye, we could and should. Not a good fight for us," your Second Mate informs you.

Though your officers urge you to tuck tail and flee the oncoming gunboats, the thought of turning and fighting comes to mind. The battle would be about evenly matched. And if you won, the feat would be considerable -- taking down two pirate-hunters by your lonesome would surely net you some reputation points back at New Providence. But, at what cost?

Further, you think that even if you decide to run, you could give the mortar a shot before you move off, and keep firing as you flee, though you surely won't hit anything while sailing. Could be enough to dissuade further pursuit.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

The gaggle of officers came together in agreement to set sail for Port Royal. There was no opposition to that plan and they would mark it down for navigation, with Finn at the meeting table there would need to be no time wasted on relaying the order and Buffy had already previously informed the crew. However, upon stepping out the crew was running about the decks frantically. Hearing a young voice cry out with a shrill that the Royal coat of arms was seen southbound turned Buffy's head toward the sky. Where the draping skull and crossbones flapped he could see Pierre shouting out. Thankful that Pierre had a quick wit to learn as quickly as he did Buffy turned coat and sought out the cause of disturbance on the top of his helm.

The sight of the dashing red alerted Buffy with a trickling sense of lightning that pulsated across his arms. From his viewpoint the Union Jack was an unsightly thing that beat against the winds like a hound hunting its prey with a decisive sprint. And of course the mention of hanging or quartering would be enough to set Buffy off like a powder keg. As Buffy preemptively flipped his eyepatch up the rest of the ocean stretched its long body out and the Captain took in the sight of two of the Hunter ships. The sound of his officers shouting into Buffy's ears caused an instinctual shout to manifest in the form of an order not long thereafter,

"Pull away from the bastards, Boudoin, learn how to fire that mortar and keep the dogs off us!"

The fruits of the crew's labor were now about to come into play. The hours of laborers toiling away on the hull and masts of A Series of Unfortunate Events and the addition of a mortar were going to culminate in their attempt to escape. With the speed of A Series of Unfortunate Events they should be able to lose the hunters in the night but it was unknown how well the Hunters would be able to track them to Port Royal. The Captain would have to bank on the night being his concealment and the speed of his schooner to brisk into the night and off over the horizon.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

You call for the crew to get the mainsails into the winds, double-quick. They'd already pulled up the anchor upon sighting of the ships - it was unfortunate timing for you and all your officers to be in your Quarters, though nobody had come to alert you, so likely the ships had just been seen.

You just as soon order your Second Mate to familiarize himself with the mortar, and put it to use in covering your retreat. Boudoin grins. "Aye, sir!" he shouts with enthusiasm, likely recalling the brief spat the two of you had back in New Providence. With only the stretch of ocean as collateral, Boudoin seems much more willing to give the mortar a try. Him and a few gunners head over to your new weapon and begin to load it, and do their best to calculate an accurate azimuth for the coming shot by eye -- since though your crew bought the mortar, you'd bought no equipment for it's aiming, specifically a device called a protractor, which itself was inexpensive, but it had slipped the crew's mind. For now, they had to make do with eyeing the distance of the British ships

"Captain, we could send a few barrels their way. Got nine of them ready to go," Josh suggests. Fire barrels. Just regular barrels stuffed with all sorts of flammable things - twigs, hay, the like - and their contents soaked in something flammable, usually alcohol. You light it up, and send it drifting in your wake. It probably won't do much other than slow the enemy ships down, but that's the plan, anyhow. The aforementioned nine are stacked up right behind you, ready to be sent into the sea to discourage any sort of pursuit, like the one you're in now.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

They struck their colors and the sails blazed with a certain intensity. Briskly wading through the water A Series of Unfortunate Events led the English Hunter ships on a chase that Buffy was certain they would have no chance to capture them once the night fully set. With Boudoin tasked to the mortar there would be another deterrent in the path. While Finn Frost managed the wheel Buffy had no doubts to the ship's ability to steer well out of danger. There was not much for Buffy to do in regards to actually manning his ship that his crew was not already doing but to shout out orders and ensure that every facet of the ship was in working order. Not too long into the pursuit did his First Mate Josh Browne approach him and tell him of the flammable barrels. With a bit of hand waving he would permit the use of them, though he hoped that with all of their other food spoiling issues the absence of alcohol would not sooner become an issue on top of that.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

You stand at the side of your helmsman mostly as a figure of bravery, authority, determination and certainty as your crew and officers do most of the actual escaping. You permit the usage of the fire barrels, but as your crew begins to set up for the use of them, you get an unexpected notification from your Fourth Mate, whom had been eyeing the oncoming ships through glass.

"Sir, the leading ship is signaling to hail us. I do not believe it to be a ruse," he says succinctly.

Interesting. What could pirates and pirate hunters have to talk about?

"What the bloody hell have we got to talk to them about?" Finn asks, echoing your thoughts.

"Sir, I don't believe accepting their hails would be wise. Escape would become impossible if things were to turn sour," Josh tells you.

"Indeed," William murmurs, though he sounds as if he wished it wasn't true, and that you could accept the hail safely without jeopardizing your chances to escape. You're all curious what those hailing you could have to say.

"Release the barrels?" Josh asks in follow-up.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

Things grew ever more hasty aboard A Series of Unfortunate Events. The crew was in a full rage topside and Buffy would not fathom what the lower decks would have looked at this time. Amid the calamity many crates of cannonballs and barrels carrying muskets, swords, and other arms would make an appearance. While standing tall with his shoulders presenting a look of confidence may have served as some reassurance for the crew, the Captain's thoughts were fully presented in the eyes. Buffy leaned over the rear of the helm and stalked the English Hunters with prejudice. Buffy had been made aware of every inch gained or lost from either ship. The mortar fire was thunderous and a cannon ball could be seen plunging deep into the deep depths of the waters seconds afterward. Since the tool used to aim the mortar was not bought with the purchase they were fairly inaccurate but it did not need to hit it's target to have a degree of effectiveness. As long as Boudoin's men kept the mortar fire in front of the Hunters they would have to make some amount of adjusting which would cause their ships to lose ground albeit slowly.

The Captain's chances of a successful escape was well on the right track until the mortar fire stopped. The man's first inclination was that they had lacked the ammunition or the mortar had by some cause been broken. It turned out to be neither as the Fourth Mate had informed Buffy of what he saw through the looking glass. The notion of English Hunters hailing a Pirate Ship was a curious one and not one that Buffy had any inherent desire to fulfill. Fortunate for the Captain neither did his other officers, it did cause him to think twice and uncharacteristically Buffy thought about the situation longer than was usual for him to do so.

"No. We'll continue the escape~ But no barrels, and keep the mortar fire quiet! It seems they've no intention of hurting us, doesn't mean we'll meet them though. Full sail ahead! We'll lose them in the dark!"

But why? Buffy asked in his quiet headspace. Something dragged his intuition down and prevented him from chasing the aggressive strategy that would guarantee their escape in favor of a mercy that was uncalled for. Awkwardly, Josh Browne would be left without order and the barrels primed for a flaming buoy of an obstacle would simply wait dormant on the rear of the helm. The Captain just continued watching over the rear deck at the English Hunter ships. Without the eyeglass any bodies on the opposing ships were simply flickering silhouettes without name or identity. In a way characterizing what he saw as something inhuman allowed Buffy to distance himself from the nature of his work in an impersonal manner. Intrinsically it was hard for the man to pin down what was it that caused him to make this oddly specific decision. Outwardly there were maybe a few scenarios to consider.

The first of which would have been if they hailed the English Hunter ship then what matter would be so pressing that two naturally sworn enemies would come to an impasse. For the simple fact that Buffy had no known clue himself he felt little comfort in allowing the Hunters to get close. Whatever the case may have been all the power would have been with the Hunters in their ability to wield the knowledge of the situation at hand. Whether they had a bargaining chip to leverage against the Pirates or if it was in fact just a clever ruse to catch them in an ambush Buffy took solace in knowing that he had not entertained it and would leave it to its own device. Letting the mystery sink in the water overnight along with the mystic merfolk and krakens.

The other idea that tugged at him however was if the matter was serious was there a chance it could have been revisited? If they had damaged the Hunter ships and some other thing was at play then there would be no possibility in the future that it could be revisited. For Buffy this was a cautious curiosity which had no bearing in anything. In all likelihood nothing would materialize but too many things had happened in recent memory that all felt interconnected for the Captain. Maybe the Hunters were masquerading as such and those in tow were friendly pirates. It was not uncommon for Pirates to strike neutral colors or colors of a domineering navy when in unfriendly waters but Buffy knew that this too was a reach. Buffy had the sneaking suspicion that it would plague him in his sleep even when he had been staring overboard for well over a few minutes now.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

You watch intently as your mortar fire splashes harmlessly into the sea. Out of maybe six rounds sent, only a single one struck close enough to either of the enemy ships to at least chuck some water at her from the impact of the shots' landing. Boudoin's no artilleryman, but at least he seems to be getting the hang of it, as the single shot that lands close is one of the last he fires, suggesting an increase in proficiency near the end of his fire mission.

You and your officers collectively decide to ignore the Hunters' request for hails, but you call for Boudoin and your stern-facing swivel gunners to ceasefire, and the barrels to be held, since the signal for hailing suggests the Hunters might not actually be hunting you.

Despite this, however, the Hunters continue to chase you. Not only that, but the wind turns into their favor and away from your's, and they begin to rapidly gain on you. According to Harding, they're no longer signaling to hail you -- seems you lost your chance.

"Sir! We'll either need to change course with the wind, or resume fire to keep them off of us! Doing both would probably be best!" Josh tells you.

"It would be a dramatic change of course. Right now wind's headed home," Finn informs you.

The gunboats come within range with their own chaser guns, and open hostilities by firing chainshot at your sails. They all miss your sails, but one hits your ship - in fact, the chains skip across the hardwood flooring just beside you, before bouncing off into the ocean. A few meters to the right, and you'd be either dead or a cripple. One thing is made clear -- the time for talk has passed.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

While things remained steady for a period of two minutes Buffy's careful eye continued to assault the sea with his stare. The Hunters failed to let up with their chase and before long the crew felt a change in gust which could have proved to be fatal. The shape of the Hunters grew larger for every inch they seemed to gain on them and soon those distant silhouettes began forming a coherent shape. And with the clearer image of the English Hunters did their intent become more readily visible. Buffy's eyes darted toward the chaser guns and a large chain shot cascaded across the fine carpentry before plonking into the water. With the signal from his Fourth Mate the rest of the crew would very well know that the chase was back on, Buffy looked toward the sky to see how the colors of the atmosphere were changing. Josh Browne's shouting rang inside Buffy's ear all the while and he knew that in order to shake off these Hunters they would need to let loose the barrels.

"Resume mortar fire! Let loose the barrels! Make haste they're crawling up our spine!"

Buffy would double down on that order by electing himself the first to deposit a flaming barrel into the waters depths. Bending down at the waist and wrapping his arms around the cylindrical object he would heave the barrel overboard toward the path of the Hunter which fired the chain shot. It would function as a good enough deterrent and he imagined if the Hunters were any closer Buffy would have been able to heave the barrel onto their ships and fire at it. Of course, he was not going to come anywhere near to attempting such a maneuver as that would mean the margin of error of the Hunter's cannons would have been the lesser but it went to say that the distance in which they had to operate in was less than comfortable.

There was a slight advantage that they held in allowing the Hunters to come close although that was not the goal that Buffy held. With fine tuned corrections Boudoin's chances of landing a mortar shot were increased and Buffy favored the penetrative power of a well placed mortar shot over trying to slip a chain shot over the rear of the ship and into a sail. Still both parties in the affair were gambling being within shouting distance of one another. The Pirates would have to be especially elusive in their maneuvering lest the Hunters flank them from either side and unleash their dreaded broadsides into A Series of Unfortunate Events.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

You call for the mortar to resume firing, and so it does at once. As you lift a fire barrel abreast, accompanied by a deckhand with a small torch for lighting, you watch as one of Boudoin's shot strike nearly true. It lands directly in front of one of the gunboats. Immediately, both ships haul up their sails and turn completely around, convinced to abandon the chase due to the newfound deadly accuracy of your mortar fire. When artillery lands that close to its target, you know the next shot will almost surely meet it's mark.

Your crew whoops and cheers in celebration, mostly for Boudoin. "Ah, you lot wait 'til I can actually hit something!" Boudoin shouts out with a grin in reply.

You feel as though commendation of your Second Mate is in order. He had nearly single-handely put an end to the chase. You put down the fire barrel, since there's now no use for it.

"Captain, we have only three mortar rounds left," Boudoin informs you as he returns to your side. They're rather expensive -- a dozen had costed your crew five-hundred pounds, the pay of two men from last division of plunder, though more likely ended up being portions of the pay of many.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

As Buffy prepared to heave the barrel overboard he heard the cracking shot of a mortar. As his inclination held true the well aimed shot of a mortar served as enough of a deterrent to make the English Hunters turn their heels and move in the opposite direction. The incredulous nature of Boudoin's shot was something worthy of a sporting event and the Captain let out a rumble of laughter at how perfectly timed the shot was. Although it may have missed it was enough to ward off the Hunters from slithering up and biting at their tails. Buffy in turn responded by exaggeratingly waving at the retreating Hunters, hopefully they would never come across them again. And if they did then at least Boudoin and his men had a good chance of sending a flaming mortar straight through their hull.

Following the deserved cheering Boudoin had returned to Buffy's side at the helm. The Captain was still looking far off into the distance as the hunters became little more than specks at the edge of the world. Not having yet set aside the barrel he would do so for a deckhand to return it to its rightful position below deck, an unnoted positive of Boudoin's mortar shot was that they would have spared themselves the hassle of having to spend further on replenishing further from an already dwindling pool of goods. Not that alcohol really spoiled but at the least they could use it to celebrate Boudoin's victory. His Second Mate informed him of the lack of mortar and Buffy would make a mental note to restock their cannonades ammunition when they made it to Port Royal.

"We'll sort the ammunition when we get to Port" The Captain paused for a brief moment,

"And here you were not even a few days ago saying you knew not an idea how to man the thing."

The Captain let out another round of laughter although another mental note would be added to get that protractor to help make the aiming of the mortar a smoother endeavor as opposed to firing and marking the position in which ammunition sunk to the sea as reference. The mortar proved itself more than valuable aboard A Series of Unfortunate Events and certainly a weapon to be used in the long future ahead. They had not even seen the best of the thing yet and it looked as if the crew was moments away from Christening Boudoin alongside the mortar. Of course within all festivities the man had almost forgotten about business and would plan for Boudoin's celebration to happen at the same time he met with the contacts at Port Royal.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

With the Hunters pursuit warded off, you are clear to cruise the sea toward your destination. As you do so, time begins to fly, as things are quiet and calm, nothing comes immediately to your attention, aside from Rich's dinner. An hour and a half later, you find yourself in your Captain's Quarters yet again, inspecting Captain Michael Dunesbury's cutlass. You're considering the amount you'll ask for his safe return. Having consulted your Fourth Mate, William Harding, he suggested a price between six and nine thousand pounds, but noted it would be wise to set the price on the higher end at first and then perhaps consider bargaining. Josh seconded William's figure, agreeing six to nine thousand would be proper, starting at nine or ten.

Then, there's a knock at the door. "Captain Buffy? This a good time?" You hear Jacob Wells ask at the door. Likely, he's come to talk with you about the volley he'd unilaterally directed into the fighting slaves a few hours earlier. Presumably, you allow him in, and he stands at attention, waiting to be chewed out - or at least that's what he's expecting.

In a half hour, it will be lights out. Only one officer will be topside. You can choose how the rotation of officers is handled -- if you take first shift or not, specifically.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

After about twelve minutes from the Hunters retreat Buffy stopped overanalyzing every glistening speck that shone from the water's surface. Night would soon surface and A Series of Unfortunate Events would be all but concealed from any predators out on the water. Soon boredom set in as there was not much else for the Captain to do and he knew that he would be better off toiling about in preparation for the celebration once they got to Port Royal and to settle on today's rotation. Normally topside shifts were determined by ranking order in which it would be Captain, First Mate, Second Mate, Third, and then Fourth Mate with Alex Gratt occasionally falling into rotation. On this occasion Buffy would willingly subject himself to a double shift on account he had a suspicion he would not be well rested and so he could substitute in for Boudoin's shift as a gesture of appreciation.

While he went mid-deck to write it into a ledger the order of rotation for the following night he heard a knocking at the door. When Jacob Wells's face popped afterward he was promptly reminded of the distasteful event that had occurred earlier. While Buffy was not terribly insulted by what came of it there was a considerable concern in Wells leaping command structure and using his gang as an impromptu attack force before anyone had given the order to. While Buffy could acknowledge that the decisiveness of Wells may well have saved Buffy's life there was no room for Wells's gang to gain any amount of authority over anyone, that was not deserved at least. Buffy would not display this frustration outward however,

"Now's a fine time."

It was not in Buffy's nature to direct any amount of egregious hostility in matters such as this. Normally the task of chewing someone out befell his Third Mate and more usually during active hours aboard A Series of Unfortunate Events. This matter was particularly serious but carried no such jurisdiction therefore it was the duty of the Captain to deal with such a matter. For a minute longer Buffy continued writing in his ledger to finalize the rotation and to detail a series of important events to consider thus far, an objective checklist that helped keep Buffy organized. The silence that Buffy held must have left Jacob Wells feeling a pang of dread as the issue and nature of what was to come unpredictable. Eventually though it did come out,

"There are two things I value most aboard my ship Jacob. Do you know what those two things are?", The question was rhetorical in nature, and there was a good chance that Wells already had known

"Honesty and discipline. Now you're plenty honest with me Jacob but what you did earlier aboard that slave ship was not something I or any of the other officers aboard this ship commanded you to do. Captains of other ships throw undisciplined men overboard and let the barnacles shred their back apart as a reminder to the others. I am not one of these Captains and that is because I value who you are. What you did lacked discipline, and the result may have been somewhat positive but that may not always be the case. If you and your gang took the initiative on something that caused the men to die there will be no one to protect you in a vote toward your mutiny or hanging. It is not for my benefit that I ask for discipline on deck."

Buffy let a brief pause sift through the room. Throughout the speech he made sure to lock his eyes with Jacob's, a certain silent intensity reverberated between the two of them.

"Along with your normal duties you and your gang will be tasked with scrubbing the top deck for the rest of tomorrow. Let's not make this a habit, you and your men are far too capable for chastising."

Buffy would gesture Jacob Wells out of the room as to dismiss him. A few minutes afterward the Captain would be seen topside watching over the helm and steering the ship as he had assumed the first rotational shift among the officers.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

Jacob takes his lecturing in silence, nodding every few seconds to show his acknowledgement and understanding. At the end of it, he nods almost so deeply as to bow, showing you extreme deference which, for a moment, feels exagerrated and mocking. But the sarcastic nature of the gesture is fleeting, so fleeting you're unsure whether it was real or imagined.

"Understood, Captain. I will not take action with my fellows unilaterally again, lest it is the action that saves our ship or crew," Jacob says. The condition that he will only take unilateral action if it is to save yourselves is reassuring, but a condition nevertheless.

Jacob takes the order of scrub duty as little more than a slap on the wrist, before bringing something else to your attention.

"So. Boudoin has been asking questions about what happened to the debtor. And...he's making progress," he begins. A look of worry dawns on his normally determined face.

"The debtor was an opium addict. As you might know, I know of some people who can get that. I get pure, clean stuff, not the shit that turns you into a brainless cur. Anyway, debtor wanted to borrow some, a large quantity, and couldn't pay back the price; I think he was trying to start selling it too, but couldn't find buyers. So, Boudoin has found that out. And he's not an idiot - he knows I'm the most likely source," he explains, before finishing, "Boudoin has declared he'll see the killer and their accomplices marooned. This is...not good. I didn't expect Boudoin to kick up such a fuss about this. So, we need a scapegoat. To lead Boudoin in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, means some poor soul probably ends up stranded for somethin' he didn't do," Jacob finishes.

The nerve! He comes in here to be spoken to about insubordination, and in the next breath asks you to cover his tracks, to sacrifice someone to do so.

Though, it could be in your best interest. For if Boudoin were to find out you sanctioned the killing of the debtor, it could be not good for you.

On the other side of the coin, bringing Boudoin into your Quarters and flat out telling him everything could put this to rest quickly. Make him understand your choices were paying several thousand out of your own pocket, out of the crew's and his own prize pool, or the debtor being killed. And that the debtor brought his own fate upon himself. Or, that could make things turn from bad to worse.

 

[Myxyzptlk]

Whether there were traces of sarcasm laden in Wells's head nods was of no concern to him, only that Jacob understood what he was trying to convey. The helmsman seemed to more than acknowledge it and although his caveat left a small indent at the end of his statement it would suffice nonetheless. For a few minutes the Captain wondered about the helm before walking along the deck. Every now and then Buffy liked to be on level with the rest of the crew chiefly because there were certain perspectives that could not be seen from the helm of the ship. It was then that Wells would catch his ear and bring to him the news regarding the debtor.

The timing for Wells to mention it just after getting scolded could have been seen as inconsiderate but it was not as though he was asking Buffy for a favor knowing fully well his own involvement in the matter. Though he did not favor allowing Wells to be marooned he most certainly would not lean to marooning someone who was not guilty of any crime. If anything Wells being marooned would be the proper mode of justice but Buffy still held that the debtor understood fully well what they were getting into when they ran into shady dealings. Aside from Buffy's personal reservations he knew he was going to have to consolidate the matter under some condition sooner or later.

"Certainly we can do better to mask the business than what we've done so far? What other evidence was there of your involvement?"

Boudoin's detective skills may have been akin to a bloodhound's but even the sharpest noses can be misguided. More red herrings and more destruction of evidence could cause the case to go cold. After all Boudoin could have strong suspicions of involvement but nothing concrete to convict Wells on and if that were the case than Boudoin would have no choice but to concede that it was most likely just some mad murderer in the night. It was a weird cabinet to uncover given that if Buffy used a bit of word play he could have just convinced Boudoin to forget investigating the matter altogether but the young Captain sensed that it would not be ethical to deny a man the ability to search into the undoing of one of his own kinsman. It then devolved into a peculiar game of cat and mouse, the likes of which would test both men's wits.

"Erase the evidence and we'll have erased any chance Boudoin can use to persecute you, savvy?"

If in the end Boudoin's suspicions have fully mounted against them than Buffy could simply state the facts of the matter and his reasonings for why he did what he did. The justifications were certainly strong enough and for Boudoin honoring an addict would be a certain slippery slope. It was not preferable however as Buffy knew that it would then become a battle of Buffy's word against Boudoin's. And getting to that point also carried a sense of animosity that Buffy would be playing favorites with Wells as opposed to his Second Mate. The parity of A Series of Unfortunate Events was coming to risk and it was a fragment of the ship's soul that made it so effective in the past, Buffy knew he was contending for the soul of his ship as of the current moment.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

"There are two links. One, the opium -- I am the first you'd think of when it comes to a supplier of that sort of thing aboard the ship, and Boudoin assumes correctly that the drug was involved in the motive for the killing. Second...Unfortunately, someone witnessed my shooter -- that being Elijah Grimes, a freedman, but obviously not one of those we just picked up. He's one of three black men we had aboard the ship previously, so, won't be hard to narrow down who did it if that witness blabs. It's one of three people - Alfred Winchester, a deckhand, Isaac Hammond, a gunner, and Wesley Roberts, a topman. Most of my fellow topmen I'm cool with, but Roberts is an outcast of sorts. We dunno which one of the three is the witness, they all look pretty alike one another; glasses, short, wirey frame and the like, so Elijah wasn't for sure, but he's sure it's one of them. I'll be sending my boys around to sort them out, with subtlety, so long as you don't balk at the idea of course," Jacob explains at length.

This is puzzling. You're unsure whether you can trust that Elijah had successfully narrowed down the three potential witnesses, though Jacob seems to trust his judgment and you tend to trust Jacob's. If you give Jacob the go ahead on intimidating Alfred, Isaac and Wesley into silence, it may serve no cause other than to drum up unnecessary attention to the investigation.

But if left unchecked, whomever the witness is could blow the whole thing wide open at any moment.

"There is one other thing, Captain. My fellows retrieved seven thousand pounds from the schooner we boarded. I've got it with me now, in fact, if you wish to claim it. Otherwise I'll hand it out to the crew fairly," Jacob tells you.

The fact that Jacob informed you of this significant quantity of money him and his fellows retrieved shows much honesty, honor and integrity in Jacob. Since his gang alone had recovered that money, he could have just as easily kept silent and spread it amongst his goons, or his "fellows," as he likes to refer to them.