Annabeth Chase
At dawn, Annabeth returned to the Quarterdeck. Now the Dauntless was truly underway, her sails billowing in the wind. The ship was leaning sideways slightly in the wind and men were climbing around in the rigging, high up in the masts and others were milling around on deck. From what Annabeth could tell the crew of the Dauntless was both disciplined and experienced. They had already seen combat. She could tell that from how they seemed at ease, despite heading straight towards French waters and inevitable combat.
Apparently, Perseus and his senior crew weren't as confident in facing a single, much smaller frigate. Apparently, according to them a ship like that could sail circles around them and stay out of their broadsides.
"So, what do you suggest?" she asked the Captain quietly.
"We will have to let them approach from behind and then turn either hard to Starboard or Port and devastate them with our first broadside. If they get in our baffles during the fight they can stay behind us and pepper our aft with broadside for broad side. A Bellona could have also completed the mission. She might only have half as many cannons but she is much more maneuverable. If we make one mistake we could end up in deep trouble."
"I hear you giving me reasons why we shouldn't attack an inferior ship. Would you care to tell me something I want to hear? Like a plan of attack?" she asked.
"I just gave you one. I'll give you the details once I know what kind of ship we are dealing with," he replied, slowly starting to sound irritated.
"Hey, stop gambling and start scrubbing the decks!" Percy suddenly yelled down at his crew.
Percy was kind enough to grant her the second stateroom on the middle gun deck at the stern of the ship. It lacked the map table of the captain's cabin was but was still a state room in every sense of the word with a bed wardrobe, mirror and a number of other things so the next day and night she could pass the time in relative comfort. But, she spent most of the day on deck anyway. During the next night, the light house of Calais came into view. They had extinguished all the large lights on board to stay unseen. The ship was full of merchant ships and small warships and according to the good Captain, it was best not to be followed for too long.
They turned don't a south west bound parallel course to the coast. That gave them the wind from a diagonal angle which according to Perseus was better than from straight aft. Through out the day, they almost to make almost nine knots. Nothing interested happened until noon when Mr. Valdez, who was posted in the crows nest spotted the sails of a ship on the horizon in the north east, far behind them.
"Are they flying a royal banner?" Beckendorf yelled up at the sailor nearly one hundred fifty feet above them.
"Can't tell from here!" Valdez yelled back. "But it is larger than a frigate. Looks like a third rate or something!"
Percy sighed. "Is this good or bad Mr. Jackson?" Annabeth asked.
"Depends. Now she won't be able to out turn us like a frigate would, but unless we get her on a good raking shot we won't end this with a single broadside. This will come down to a good old fashioned slug fest," Perseus explained and then turned to Mr Stoll. "I want all senior officers in my cabin now, time for a war council."
"Aye aye, sir. I'll have marines gear up but keep them under deck," he announced and hurried off the bridge.
Perseus led her and Commander Beckendorf back to the state room where they were quickly joined by Mr. Stoll, a few gunnery officers, and the ship's physician, a young blond haired man by the name of Mr. Solace. Perseus had Annabeth explain their mission to the officers. When she was finished with elaborated their different options they sat in silence for a while
"Sir, as much I would like the return straight back home after this I am not willing to execute a bunch of prisoners," Mr Stoll explained.
Annabeth sighed, "I've thought about this a lot. If we leave any witnesses they will go home, report, and both France and Spain will definitely form an alliance and attack Britain. We have no choice but to engage and sink her. If we can board her beforehand and take the princess, great!"
The Captain cleared his voice and everyone fell silent. "How about we just shoot, and subdue her, take the princess, provided she is still alive, and sail down to Gibraltar for repairs? We claim they attacked us first and that we had no choice but to defend ourselves. After all, they are bound to be sailing in something faster than us?"
"It will still be hard to explain why the princess is missing? We might get away with claiming they attacked us. But if the princess is missing..." Travis asked.
"Nothing, we never saw her. Perhaps she was hit by a cannon ball and blown over board," he explained. "We never laid eyes on Silena. If we move fast and board the enemy ship during the battle we might even be able to take her off with out anyone noticing. Maybe we can force her into a sack or something and drag her back onboard the Dauntless."
Annabeth nodded, slowly warming up to the idea.
Suddenly the door burst open and Mr. Valdez burst in. "Sir, the ship in pursuit is a third rate vessel and she is flying the royal colors."
"Very well. Let us take the ship," Percy announced.
"Requesting permission to personally take a hand full of soldiers to capture the princess during the boarding action," Annabeth asked the captain.
"You can fight?" he asked surprised.
"I can handle myself, you don't need to worry about me," Annabeth assured him.
"Very well. I have put half a dozen marines under your command. Go down to the armory and take what ever you need," he announced and poured them each a glass of wine.
Once they were each holding one he raised his hand. "For king and country," he toasted.
"For King and country," they each replied and drank their glass empty.
"Okay, now that we know what we are dealing with I want to have double shots on those thirty-two pounders on the Gundeck. The same counts for the twenty-four pounders on the middle Gundeck and the Upper gundeck. Load the Quarter Deck guns with grape shot. Our deck is higher so we should be able to clean up their weather deck and make the boarding less costly for us," he announced. "Standard rounds for the Long nines at the bow and aft. And tell the gun crew's that should we go for a raking pass they are only to shoot when they have the target. I want every hit to count. Keep the marines of the weather deck and the gun ports closed for now. Let us not lose the element of surprise. Any questions?"
When no one had any they all returned to making their preparations. Annabeth bade the journey down to the Dauntless's main Gundeck with one of the Gunnery officers. The main Gundeck was lined on both sides by fifteen long guns. The middle of the deck was occupied with large amounts of stores and cannon balls.
The man immidiatly put his gunners to work. Dozens of men started loading up the long gun on both side of the deck. In the mean while at least two hundred marine Red Coats were retrieving their rifles and ammunition from storage crates.
Annabeth patiently waited her turn and then grabbed powder, musket balls, and two additional pistols from the weapon crates. As she headed up to the quarter deck she realized that the entire ship had exploded into activity. Cannons were being loaded and sand was being spread across the deck. She returned to the Quarterdeck where she found Travis at the wheel and the Captain standing at the ship's stern, holding a spyglass. The six cannons on either side of the Quarterdeck were manned and loaded.
"She is making at least twelve knots, she'll have us in less than an hour," he announced as she stepped closer. "Mr. Stoll, give us a notch to Port. Let it make it look like we are trying to evade her," he ordered.
As Annabeth joined him she noted that the ship had gained on them a good deal. While the other ship had a whole gun deck less than the Dauntless and was also shorter something cold and hard settled in the pit of her stomach. She didn't like the idea of being on the business end of that ship.
"Where do you think the princess is going to be?" she asked.
Perseus smiled dryly, "If I were in command I'd lock her into the relative safety of her stateroom. While it won't protect her from Cannon fire it would keep her out of the main maylay."
"Then that is where I will start looking," she decided. They stood together in silence and watched as the French vessel came closer and closer. After a while, she could even make out people with her bare eyes.
Suddenly one by one the French ships gun ports opened and the cannons were pushed forward into their firing position, the muzzles of the weapons sticking out of the gun ports. "A show of force?" Annabeth asked.
Perseus nodded. "Rage two miles," the man announced.
Beckendorf joined them along with two other officers and an Irish looking Royal Marine. "Ms. Case, this is Sergeant Edward McKinsey. He will be leading your squad," Beckendorf introduced the man.
"My men are ready," the marine announced, his rifle strung across his back when the other ship had closed to only a few hundred meters away.
"Pleasure to meet you," Annabeth replied, still wearing a simple shirt, trousers, and arming belt, used the last moments of peace to load her to pistols. Partly to be ready, partly to calm her nerves.
Perseus Jackson
Perseus tried to ignore the others. "Have the marine's prepare for boarding but keep them out of sight. I want the hooks ready though," he calmly ordered, forcing himself to stay relaxed.
He knew that he was being watched from the other ship.
"How long?" Annabeth asked.
Percy sighed, trying to keep his irritation down. He didn't like this mission. He didn't want to abduct the possible future Sovereign of France or Spain, no matter how pretty she was. He also didn't like the idea of Ms. Annabeth Chase running around his ship like she did. She had gone from a messenger to a person running boarding actions. However, if he confined her to quarters her mother would cause him a world of hurt later on. Running around that tight Marauder's outfit that promoted her slender body and ample curves weren't helping either. She was already causing a distraction with the mostly woman deprived, unmarried crew. That alone would cause problems in the future. That, and if he was honest the girl with the honey blond curls was also caught his eyes.
"Not yet,... not yet..." Percy murmured as the other ship drew closer. She was now behind her by one and a half ship lengths and of to port by two.
He could see someone signaling for him to turn starboard and leave French waters with two flags. Suddenly one of the French chaser guns fired in an explosion and smoke erupted out from the front of the ship.
The iron cannonball whistled past his ship and hit the water with a large splash.
"That's it. Order the first battalion of marines to take their positions on the port railing All other's, prepare for boarding. Open all gun ports and prepare for broadside," Percy called out and jogged back to to the large steering wheel and spun it left. "Draw down to battle sails! " he then ordered.
The deck exploded into activity as sailors hurried to fulfill his orders and soldiers swarmed onto the weather deck. The Dauntless's gun ports were opened and guns moved into firing position. As the Quarterdeck gun ports were opened and cannons pushed forward the Dauntless started turning to port. Annabeth appeared at his side, suddenly looking nervous. He could hear alarmed yells coming from the French ship as his ship turned to black the other's path.
"Fire when you've got the shot!" he yelled.
The order was repeated through out the ship and a dozen marines came running up to the Quarterdeck and took station at the Starboard railing, muskets clutched in their hands.
Suddenly the air was filled with the roaring thunder as the first of his ship's cannons fired. One by one the cannons fired and the world was consumed by smoke, mussel flashes, and the angry bellows from his guns. It had been timed perfectly and he could see cannonballs ripping through the front ship. A few glanced off the armored hull but most penetrated the front of the ship. Finally, even the Quarterdeck guns were fired.
As the last cannon fired silence spread. The only thing he could hear were screams of agony and horror coming from the French ship. But quickly the screams were joined by men yelling orders. Perseus turned the wheel even harder to port and brought them along side the French ship as his gunners hastily started to reload. He glanced to port and gritted the teeth. The deck of the French ship had turned into a slaughter house. The six grape shots had killed at least twenty men, while a few dozen more were trying to gather their wits. It was easy to pick out their marines. They were dressed in dark blue jackets.
"Hold!" Beckendorf yelled at the marines on the railing as a few of the French sailors fired their pistols at the Dauntless and one of the red coats collapsed dead after being hit in the face.
"Secure sails!" he yelled and dozens of enemy sailors flooded onto the deck of the French ship, armed, and ready to repel the boarding that was obviously going to come.
"Ms. Chase, Mr. McKinsey, I suggest you get down to the weather deck if you want to join the boarding," he reminded them.
"Raise weapons, aim!" Beckendorf yelled and forty marines raised their muskets and aimed them at the men below them on the French ship.
"Fire," he yelled and the marksmen fired a volley, filling the air with even more smoke.
"Prepare to board," Percy yelled.
More screams came from the French ships as many men fell but more came flooding on the deck. Suddenly the air was filled with the noise as the French ship fired a broad side at them. The air was filled with the muzzle flashes of French cannons, billowing clouds of smoke, and the sound of wood tearing as iron cannon balls tore through his ship.
The red coats reloaded and fired a second salvo as other soldiers threw grappling hooks that lodged in the other ships railing.
Annabeth Chase
Annabeth stood with her seven marines among hundreds of other soldiers, waiting for the order to attack. As ordered one of them had also brought a potato sack, large enough to hold at least one woman, if necessary even two. Most of the soldiers already had their bayonets mounted on the tips of their weapons, ready for close quarter combat. Unlike with normal land troops, every marine was also armed with a side arm. Some had chosen sabers or rapiers while some had ever chosen axes.
They already had the other ship captured by grappling hooks. It was only a question of time. Then, finally when the Marines had fired another two volleys and the guns on the Quarterdeck had let loose salvo of grape shot.
"Gentlemen, board that ship!" Beckendoft yelled down from the quarterback. Makeshift gangways were cast over the other ships and men started charging across. The first few were imminently picked off by musket fire but more came and a few seconds the French ship was consumed by combat.
Annabeth glanced at her team to make sure that they were ready and drew her saber. "Come on, let us get that princess!" Annabeth yelled and charged across the long, make shift boarding ramp. A musket ball whistled past her ear so close that it whipped her hair.
More than a hundred men were locked in combat on the French ships. Most of them were marines but Annabeth spotted sailors and gun crews emerging from below deck, armed with makeshift weapons.
A tall French sailor charged at her, holding an ax. Before Annabeth could even raise her saber in defense one of her marines, a boy that couldn't be older than seventeen, ran him through with his bayonet.
"Come on!" Annabeth yelled and they made their way across the deck. Annabeth barely managed to dodge a stab from a French marine that tried to run her through with his bayonet. Annabeth pirouetted off to the side and slashed wildly, her sword hitting the back of the man's neck, and cleanly severing the head from the torso.
Annabeth led her marines to the back of the ship and stopped in front of the door of the stateroom, right under the enemy Quarterdeck. With any luck, she was here. Annabeth really didn't want to have to fight her way through the lower decks of the French ship. McKinsey nodded at her and kicked the door down.
They stormed into the large, luxurious, stateroom and found a very attractive girl cowering in the corner. The room was a mess after at least three cannon balls had torn through the room, covering the carpet in debris. She was busty, had long black hair, but was still slender. She was defiantly as beautiful as Annabeth had heard.
The princess of France stared up at her in horror. Annabeth sheathed her saber and pulled out one of her pistols and then pressed her finger to her lips and pointed the pistol at the girl. Silena nodded and one of the marines came up with the sack.
Her eyes widened and she started to protest but was slapped hard across the face by one of the soldiers. Silena looked outraged but when the tip of a bayonet tickled her throat she stayed silent.
"We are taking you with us," Annabeth informed Silena in French.
"You wouldn't dare," Silena growled. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
"We are here for you pretty girl."
"You two, get her on the feet. The three of you cover the door," she ordered the marines.
The first two red coats forced the girls to their feet and tore the large, and space consuming dress apart, leaving them in their corsets and undergarments. The princess looked a mixture of outraged and terrified. But with the battle still raging outside and facing Annabeth's musket she stayed silent.
"Knock het out!" Annabeth ordered.
Before the princess could do anything she was smacked in the head by rifle but and collapsed. "Now get them in that sack and let us get out of here," she ordered and unholstered her second pistol while her men bound the princess's ankles and wrists together, pulled the sack over them, and tied it shut. Finally, they dragged the sack out of the door. Outside the battle was still in full swing and they managed to drag the sack back to the gangway with out being noticed.
She took note of the French captain. He wasn't even thirty, was tall, athletic, blond and had a scar on one side of his face.
"Don't you drop her!" Annabeth warned one of the men as he dragged the sack up the large plank. That would be a pathetic death for a princess. Drowning unconscious in a sack.
They were awaited by Beckendorf. "We have her," Annabeth explained.
"Very good," he said. "Gentlemen, bring out guest down to the brig and tie them up, then stand guard over them. I will report to the captain," he announced.
"I'm coming along," she announced and followed Mr. Beckendorf back the Dauntless's gun deck.
"We have our princess. Let us get out of here," Beckendorf announced.
"Very well. Mr. Beckendorf, call the retreat. Mr. Stoll, I want a broad side ready on my mark," Perseus ordered.
"Is there anything else I can do?" Annabeth asked.
Perseus hesitated. "Go downstairs and help Doctor Solace. He set up the Triage on the main gun deck. He'll need every hand he can get because we'll have quite a few casualties."