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Outside, James was hit by the crisp smell of the salt air and the wind whipping in his face. Sailors were unfurling the sails and adjusting the ropes. The ship was picking up speed as more sails were deployed. As James headed over toward the stern of the ship, he was almost run over by the captain, who was moving like a hurricane across the deck. James stumbled back, almost dropping his hour glass. He could tell something wasn't right. The way the captain was moving suggested a sense of urgency, and unless she was over-anxious to go after this Jewel thing, there should have been no reason for her to be in such a rush to get out of port.
"Captain!" he gasped, forgetting for a moment he wasn't an officer. "What in God's name is going on? First we hit something, and now you're running around like we've got to get somewhere in a hurry. And we're barely even a league outside the breakwater. Is everything okay?"
An' I know my cannons be in tip-top shape I make sure o' that personally. Them weapons in the room are of the best quality and if ye be implying that they are any less I may not be feeling so kind. An jus for you McDonald that accident had nothing to do with my weapons. He nodded his understanding, even if it didn't make much sense. How can an accident with a gun not have anything to do with her weapons? Was she saying that it was somebody else's weapon just laying below deck and it wanted to shoot, so it did? Marco was starting to believe that Cap'an Val was trying to take the blame off of herself and not take responsibility. Until she finally straightened her crooked pose and had to punish him for no apparent reason. Ye may go inspect the room after the body's been removed and since ye seem to be so eager to see it ye've just volunteered to clean up the blood! Marco raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed with the Captain's decision. Now she was either trying to regain her authority by punishing him, or she was just trying to piss him off. Either answer didn't make him any happier.
"This here be the gun that killed her, She tossed the gun down to him, and he grabbed it normally, until he saw the gun itself, to which he reacted suddenly by handling it with more care: The whole firing mechanism was loosely fit together after years of low maintenance, and even the slightest touch to the trigger or the hammer would set it off. "I'm sure you can tell wit your keen eye why she had been killed. Was no random act o' cruelty if that be what your thinking, that guns ready to go off any second. He nodded, looking up at her with a perplexed face. Oh, so NOW she wants my help... he sighed, annoyed at the situation, until she suggested that they use the practice shots to honor the doc. He nodded, walking downstairs and grumbling. He wasn't liking this at all, and he would rather not go check the weapons room for now.
He spat out his orders for the monkey's to get ready for practice until he heard the roar of the Captain and the relief helmsman running down the stairs and turning to face him. "Master McDonald!" Marco nodded to the man as he continued. "Captain would like to inform you of the Duchess that has been trailing us. Val would also like to say that 'your practice is coming." Marco began to smile as the man ran off, and that smile never left as he roared out.
"Alrighty boys, time to see how well you can do on another ship!" As the monkeys ran around, he headed up to the deck to see what he would be sinking and smiled. He could feel his blood starting to pump faster as he watched the ship descend on them. BangMan McDonald was ready to sink another.
About half way across the ship, he stopped. He heard screaming voices above deck. One in particular caught his attention, it was the Captain's. He turned to Marie. "We better go see what's going on, come on." He then turned around and started moving his ass to the top of the deck. When he got there, the men were all over the place and the Captain's face was a red as a tomato. He looked across the stern of the ship and saw a ship hot on their trail. He ran all the way to the stern, running right past the helmsman. He focused his eyes on the ship. "The Duchess, eh?" He then tried to guess the number of the crew. Looked to be about 20-23 men on deck, who knows how any more below. He then turned around, knowing what to do, ran up to the Captain. "Captain, I'll take over here. Apologies for being late." He said with a genuine tone, then turned around. "ALRIGHT MEN, YOU'RE NOT NEWBORNS! YOU KNOW THE DRILL! BATTLE STATIONS! BATTLE STATIONS! BATTLE STATIONS! BATTLE STATIONS!" He shouted it numerous times. Men who were swabbing were now readying ropes and handing out blades and pistols. He took in a sharp breath through his nose. It's a good day for a fight.
In the organized chaos of the ship, he spotted Mcdonald with a big grin on his face. Johnny immediately knew what he was thinking. And he knew he wasn't thinking clearly. He called across the ship to him a s he mad his way towards him. "MR. McDONALD! Mr. Mcdonald. I need you to immobilize that ship, not destroyit. That;s a pirate vessel, meaning there chests are weighted. If the ship goes down, so does anything of value. I know it's difficult, but according to you, you're the best." he said all of this to him in a very serious tone. "So, are your ready to impress me, Mr. McDonald?" He asked, a smile spreading on his face.
Val turned round to find a very flustered James.
"Master James we have a ship trailing us, coincidently the one Master Mau-LeFarge managed to hit leaving port. Seems he ain't too impressed. We are preparing for battle. I plan on showing the Duchess what happens when ye think ye can take on The Deadly Dame." she started to leave but as a second thought yelled over her shoulder "Ye was an officer before, ye know what to do. So get going!"
Thankfully Johnny and Marie had come up aboard, with Johnny easily taking command. She was grateful for the assistance and proceeded back to the helm in which she picked up the telescope to eye the Duchess. They weren't far off and it wouldn't take long before both ships would be parallel.The Duchess was quite well known, with rumours that the captain liked to keep his booty close at hand. For sure there was going to be some decent gold on the trip and Val was contemplating it to be used as incentive for the crew members once she told them all the truth of this voyage. Just before they reached the Duchess Val called out.
"RIGHTY MATES. WE BE BOARDING ANY SECOND. ONCE THOSE CANNONS GO OFF MAN THE PLANKS AN' GET YER ARSES OVER THAR!"
Now she stood back and watched, waiting for the first blast of cannons. She had a specially designed rope that hung near the railing in which she used to board ships from above. She leisurely walked over to it and gently laid her hand on it waiting for the perfect moment. Her free hand was down near her sword, itching to release some of the stress from the first day.
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However, it seemed Val was eager to pick a fight. Already, she was ordering her men to prepare a boarding party, and herself was preparing what appeared to be her own personal boarding line. She was going to attack wiether the Duchess wanted a fight or not.
"Captain," he finally said, forgetting his place as one of the crew. Captain Val had remembered he was an officer. "Niether the Duchess nor her captain is threatening us. I think she just wants to put to sea. Don't you think we ought to at least wait until the Duchess opens her own cannon ports? Then we'd at least know our attack was justified."
In the back of his mind, James knew his arguments were probably futile. There is no honor among thieves.
"COME ON MEN! THE TIME IS NOW. BOARD!!!" She hollered over the racket. She unsheathed her sword and with a wordless cry she plunged her sword upwards and pulled sharply on her rope. She bent her knees in preparation for the jarring tug that she knew was coming. The next second she was launched from the deck and flung across the swirling mass of salty water. He landed heavily on the bridge deck but giving the helmsman no chance to prepare himself she had her sword at his throat. He was a roughened older bloke with a nasty scar down his neck. He scowled at her and managed to get a gob of spit at her feet. Her face turned deadly serious and she pressed the tip of her sword just that little bit harder, drawing blood. She saw him gulp. In a truly venomous tone she asked,
"Where is your cowardly Captain?"
If he did not answer correctly she felt no qualms against skewering him there and then. This is what she grew up doing. Through her warped sense of justice this was what was right.
"Go fuck yerself..." he grumbled in a gravelling voice that ended with a wet gurgle as Val thrust her sword through his throat. The body slumped to the floor and the man behind him dropped his sword, his face clear with fear. She turned towards him and asked again,
"Where is he?"
Trembling the guy simply pointed below. The Captains Quarters. She nodded and called over one of her men to take the man away. They had the ship overrun with her men. In the centre of the main deck her men surrounded the Duchesses crew. Taking her time she leislurely walked down the stairs. Delicately wiping the blood off of her sword with elaborate swipes. When she reached the final step she stood alert, waiting for Johnny to give her the report and accompany her in entering the Captains Quarters.
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James remained aboard the Dame, reluctant to take part in a battle he saw as an unnessacary waste. But who was he to argue that either? Certainly not the quartermaster, whom he'd had yet to meet. All this over a collision from a drunken helmsman? Part of him wanted to gut the helmsman, like a fish, for even setting this whole debacle up. Yet surely the captain could have handled this differently - or not, considering the way she leapt onto the Duchess, whooping like an Amazon who'd just cleaned the floor with a Greek hero. All he could do was watch the scene playing out on the ship, an hope the captain and her men were satisfied with themselves.
- 107 posts here • Page 5 of 5 • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5