To Sail the Spanish Main...
By: Daferge...
"Tenchi Muyo!" and characters were created by Hiroki Hayashi and Masaki Kajishima, and is the property of AIC/Nippon Television, Geneon Entertainment and FUNimation Entertainment.
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( Just off the eastern coast of Jamaica... )
The 3 mast Schooner had been running with full sails most of the day...
There wasn't a man aboard who wouldn't get out and push, if it would help them move faster...
As it was, the main mast was squeaking from the stress of all the extra sails...
The tallest mast was the main mast, there fore the crow's nest was the highest place to see beyond the horizon...
Because he had the sharpest eye, the captain had put Olde Bill up there, with the only spy glass on board...
Bill smiled as a loud voice called out from below...
" SEE ANY THING???... "
He sighed as he repeated exactly what he'd been replying for the last half hour...
" NOTHING BUT THE SEA... CAP'N... "
Glancing below, he half expected to find a good bit of the upper deck worn away due to the Captain's pacing back and forth...
He expected to hear someone fall through the worn deck any time now...
Sighing, he put the glass back to his eye and began to focus it...
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Slowly the distant horizon slowly came into focus...
Making small adjustment, it became even sharper and clearer...
Until...
Bill blinked and checked again...
Having made sure of what he saw, he smiled...
Then, taking a deep breath, he leaned out the crow's nest railing...
" LAND!!!... HO!!!... "
Suddenly, every hand on deck was looking up at his smiling face...
Even the captain was staring at him...
Raising his hand, he pointed directly ahead...
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Ryoko Hakubi, captain of the 30 gun Jamaican Demon sighed...
They were finally getting closer...
" Cap'n???... "
Turning, Ryoko found her first Mate, Bloody Bob looking her way...
" Shouldn't we be reducing the sheets... 'fore we sail past Kingston?... "
Ryoko was about to reply when she realized he was teasing her...
She must had looked tense and so he tried to lighten things up, he was the only one who'd dare to, which was why he was her first mate...
And he could do it with a straight face...
She'd learned long ago no to play card games with him, the only way to win, was not to play...
The only person who'd ever beaten him was her mom...
She turned to find most of the crew looking at her...
" All right, you lazy dogs... Get those sheets down, NOW... "
To a man, they moved, the captain had spoken...
Ryoko looked ahead, towards home and sighed...
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( Kingston Dock... )
After being busy the last couple of days, there was only a handful of people any where to be seen...
It was high noon and most of those with families were home, eating lunch...
The recent attack on the harbor, by pirates, had brought people closer together...
Even the sailors on the English Naval Frigates, anchored in the harbor, had been given shore leave...
Both sailors and soldiers had volunteered to help with the cleanup and repair of the town...
The Governor had helped, when he announced that those volunteering could ether get extra shore leave, extra Rum or extra pay...
The town was quickly beginning to return to normal...
Luckily a lot of the major damage was confined to just a few areas...
Of course, the harbor Fort had taken the most damage, having returned fire with The Soja, Kagato's ship...
The Armory, nearby, also took some major damage, as pirates tried to take it from a few soldiers defending it, with help from some townsfolk...
Several taverns and a number of homes took damage as other local townsfolk put up a fight rather than trying to escape from the pirates...
Few people realized that a good number of retired ex-pirates were now living in Kingston...
In fact, when the attack came, instead of being afraid, they were looking forward to some FUN...
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Standing on the deck were three females, waiting...
Dressed in, what to them was normal, comfortable every day wear...
The dark haired female, was Misaki Jurai, Governor Azusa's wife...
The smiling red head she was chatting with was Washu Hakubi, one of the leading citizens of the town...
Standing behind the two, with bluish hair, was Kiyone Makibi, Governess and part time Bodyguard for the Governor's youngest daughter, Sasami...
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The three were standing on the dock because a rider had arrived earlier, from an outpost on the eastern coast...
Since Kagato's un-wanted visit, outposts had orders to report ANY craft bigger than a rowboat...
So, when a ship with three masts is spotted heading towards Kingston, the fastest rider was sent to government house in Kingston...
The Governor had request the presents of most of the major local military officers at the Government manor in Spanish Town...
They would be discussing the attack, it's after effects and plans to improve local defences...
Thus there was no one there to greet the in-coming ship...
However, the three have a pretty good idea who's ship was approaching...
There were only two converted three-master schooner worth noting...
And one of them was anchored out in the harbor, with the frigates...
The 35 gun, The Inquisition, had returned to Kingston with the frigates to confront Kagato, only to learn he'd RUN AWAY...
Coming down the dock was a female with light colored hair, dressed in men's clothing, the captain of the The Inquisition, Nagi Katsumoro...
That left the Jamaican Demon's Ryoko Hakubi...
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( Inland, Spanish Town, Jamaica's capital... )
Governor Azusa looked at the people who'd joined him in the large room of the government office...
The Major in charge of Kingston's harbor fort was there, as was Captain Masaki, who was presently commanding the small squadron of frigates anchored in the harbor...
Also present were several land owners and townsfolk from the Kingston area...
Nobuyuki Masaki, a highly respected plantation owner and Captain Tenchi's father...
Mr. O'Donnell, a leading merchant and Mr. Steven who ran Kingston's largest Inn...
Standing to the side was father Katsuhito Masaki, a priest just returned from Rome and a visitor to Jamaica and Senor Don Diego de la Vega, who was just passing through on his way to Spain's colony on the western coast of the Americas, to see his father...
" Captain?... "
Tenchi turned and faced the Governor, Azusa noticed an ever so slight twitch, but with the help of his daughter, Ayeka and Lady Washu, the young man was making a quick recovery from his face-to-face with Kagato...
" Sir... Repairs are proceeding nicely and most of the damage to the town should be done within the week... As for the Armory and Fort?... "
He turned to the Major, who turned to face the Governor...
" Sir... Both the Armory and the Fort took heavy damage... The Fort received most of it's damage from The Soja's 32 pounders... While the Armory was damaged during it's defence by a few soldier, who had help from local townsfolk... "
The Major nodded to the two townsfolk...
" Without the hand full of townsfolk, the soldiers would have been dead and the Armory taken by Kagato... "
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Azusa was well aware of many things, including the histories of many of those who were now lived in Kingston and it's surrounding...
Such as Lady Washu's past as one of Sir Henry Morgan's Captains...
Azusa had the good fortune of meeting Morgan just before his death, back in 1688...
When Morgan learned that the young Azusa wanted to be Governor, he'd laughed and given the future Governor some advice...
Pointing to his swollen foot, he told the boy not to get the gout...
Also, to beware of smooth tongued advisers and if he ever did need advice, to ask Captain Washu...
Thus it was that Azusa acquired his best adviser, next to his wife, that is...
Her advise had helped him get his appointment and been just as helpful since...
So Azusa hadn't been surprised to hear about the townsfolk taking on the pirates instead of just running away...
In fact, the Major was the only one who was unaware of Washu's past...
" God was on our side... "
Azusa looked at the Major and smiled, thinking about Washu's little sword fight with Kagato...
Yes, SHE was...
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( Kingston Dock... )
Ladies, Misaki, Washu and Kiyone stood on the dock as the schooner approached the dock to tie up...
Captain Nagi Katsumoro of the The Inquisition, had joined them...
Washu could see a familiar figure with light hair, her daughter, Ryoko, standing next to the wheel, shouting orders...
It had been quite a while since she'd last seem Ryoko and the ship that had once been hers...
Like all ex-Captains, she had a great fondness for HER ship and she worried about it...
She'd been relieved when she'd seen the Jamaican Demon's round the point and enter the harbor...
But she didn't truly relax until she saw that very special head of hair...
She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, turning, she looked into Misaki's smiling face...
It was then that she remembered to breath again...
As the ship came to rest against the dock, a sailor, one fore and one aft, jumped onto the deck with ropes and secured the Demon to the dock...
The rest of the crew were at the railing, looking around, concern on their faces...
Stepping forward, all eyes were on Washu...
Looking them in the eye, she smiled and nodded her head...
As one, the concern drained from their faces...
A loud voice could be heard clear up to the Fort...
" ALRIGHT, YOU SWABS... ALL ASHORE THAT'S GOING ASHORE... "
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Instantly, the smiling crew was ashore and heading down the dock, into town...
They flowed like a wave, around the four females, each offering a smile as they passed Washu and the others...
Soon the dock was empty, except for the five females...
Washu took Ryoko's hand and shook it, a big smile on her face...
Ryoko smiled too, but something seem to gleam at the corner of her eye...
Before Washu could react, Ryoko had her in her arms, her head resting on Washu's shoulder...
All she could do was put her arms around Ryoko and hold her close...
Kiyone, Nagi and Misaki stood to one side and smiled...
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( The Governor's Manor... )
Mihoshi was running around the manor in a panic...
Ladies Misaki and Washu had put Sasami and Minagi in her care and she'd lost them, what was she going to do?...
She'd checked the kitchen, the main room, the bedrooms, the garden, the porch, where could they be?...
The two in question, along with Ryo-Ohki, Ryoko's pet monkey and now Sasami and Minagi's co-conspirator, were watching Mihoshi run around from the second floor and were trying hard not to giggle...
An elderly female servant passed the three and Sasami put a finger to her lip and giggled...
The female looked at the three, then down below at the teenage female running around down below, then back at the two giggling girls...
Shaking her head, she continued on her duties...
Only when she was some distant away did she smile...
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( A little later... )
After sneaking into her father's office, Sasami and the others had gone out on the balcony over looking the harbor...
They'd all heard the Fort's cannon signal the arriveal of a ship in the harbor...
So, as soon as Mihoshi had looked the other way, the two had taken off...
Stopping only to get Ryo-ohki and her father's spy glass, they had made their way out here...
Minagi was sure it was Ryoko, but Sasami wasn't so sure, which is why she'd gotten the spy glass...
Using it, Sasami could see the ship clearer and could soon tell that it was indeed the Demon, as Minagi thought...
Handing the glass back and forth, they giggled as they watched the crew disembark...
It was Sasami who was watching as Ryoko hugged Washu...
Smiling, she handed the glass to Minagi, who sighed and started crying...
Sasami reached over and gave her best friend a hug...
Minagi's big sister was back and she was happy...
" SASAMI!!!!... "
Sasami sighed, it seem that HER big sister was back, too...
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to be continued...