VIII. The Revenge

*****

Jim and Aubrey had spent the majority of their day at the Benbow. B.E.N. was completely infatuated with the captain, and it took Aubrey the better part of the afternoon to say goodbye to him and Sarah so that she could finish restocking the Redemption for the next part of their trip.

Jim couldn't wait to cast off again. It wasn't that he wanted to leave the old inn, he just wanted to get back to the etherium. He had missed his mother terribly, but there was just something about the freedom of sailing that made him loathe to hang around any planet for too long.

Cast off was scheduled for 2100 that night, so he still had a few more hours before Fletcher wanted him aboard to prepare the ship for launch. He certainly needed to take an hour or so out of his day to go solar surfing - something he hadn't done since long before graduation. He changed into an old pair of pants and his favorite worn jacket before grabbing his board and leaving the Benbow for an hour of freedom.

*****

He arrived at the Redemption fifteen minutes late, to greet a rather amused Aubrey.



She nodded. He needed no further excuse.

They cast off on time, and as usual, the crew was in high spirits.

The first four days passed without a problem.

When Jim wasn't keeping the ship on course (Aubrey had given him much more responsibility for this leg of the journey), he was explaining to a few of the crew members the basics of solar surfing - apparently one or two of the ropers had seen him in action, and wanted to know all about the sport.

Fletcher roamed the ship, making sure everything was in its proper place and striking up conversations with crew members.

All in all, it was a very smooth start.

Those on watch couldn't help but marvel at how calm and peaceful the etherium was.

*****

All hands to battle stations!!!

Fletcher was knocked out of bed by the force of the blast. She pulled on a pair of breeches quickly, ignoring the pain in her thigh, and expecting a rather colourful bruise to appear within the next few days.

Jim was the first on the bridge, followed by Digland, who had been off-duty, and finally Aubrey. She looked to the lookout.

Miss L'lii! What is it?

The lookout called back, her voice positively quaking with fear.

It's the Revenge, Cap'n!

Aubrey's instantly became the captain Jim had heard stories about. She was perfectly collected and determined, calling out orders as well as encouragement to the crew.

The once-calm etherium erupted in cannon fire. The whole sky seemed to glow orange in the heat of battle. It was a frightening sight.

The information GP Max had given them turned out to be depressingly accurate. The Revenge was huge. Even from the distance they were at, Jim could judge her size to be easily half again as big as Aubrey's galleon. The cannon blasts from the pirate ship seemed never-ending. Jim tried to get a count of her guns, but either the pirates were brilliant at disguising their numbers, or the Revenge had at least ten per side. Jim fervently hoped it was the former. He couldn't make out the number of crew members, but he was sure they outnumbered those on the Redemption at least two to one. He silently prayed Aubrey was as good as she claimed she was.

Digland was doing an excellent job of outmaneuvering the fire from the enemy ship. Unfortunately, the cannon fire was coming fast and furious. Laser balls rent their sails. The ship creaked and moaned and lurched as the blasts tore up her hull. It was looking bad.

But as bad as it looked for the Redemption, Jim could tell that the Revenge was looking slightly worse. Jim wondered briefly if it was possible for the two crews to annihilate each other. Fletcher's crew had done a complete one-eighty from boisterous and laid-back to frightening and savage.

Aubrey's gunners were doing their best. They had managed to do some terrific damage to the Revenge. Striker had even hit the pirates' emergency boosters, rendering the ship unable to run from the fight. Jim just hoped that the pirates would be the ones who needed to run.

There was an explosion on the deck of the pirate ship and the sound of screams in the distance as one of the other two gunners hit one of the Revenge's cannons.

Nice shot! Ah do believe ye got close to a dozen with that one!

The gunner who had fired the shot raised his arm in a gesture of thanks to Aubrey, when there was an explosion on the deck of their own ship. The gunner was thrown from his position and landed in a heap on the deck.

Ah need someone t' cover that cannon!

Fletcher's order was drowned out by the next two explosions that rattled the Redemption.

Jim looked back to the deck, where the main mast had been splintered by the last shot. The crew had scattered - some were battening down the sails, others fired at the enemy ship, while still others lay unconscious or dead on the deck. The cannon closest to the bridge remained unmanned.

Aubrey looked aghast, but still determined. She grabbed her laser rifle from where it rested against the rail of the bridge, and opened fire on the Revenge.

Hawkins! Ah need someone on that cannon!

Aye, Captain!

He ran down the stairs of the bridge and mounted the cannon. He was able to get three or four good shots off before the lookout shouted a warning to the crew.

Incoming fire!

It was the Revenge's best shot yet. It sailed across the deck, taking out one of the two mid-masts, which crashed down amid the crew. Riggers fell from the lines like some gruesome meteor storm.

Jim cried out in pain as shrapnel from the blast hit him in the leg. He shook his head to clear it, and realized how much closer the Revenge suddenly was.

Jim! Get out o' there!

He leapt from the cannon and limped back up to the bridge where Fletcher stood grimly watching the scene unfolding before her.

One of the riggers that had fallen closest to the bridge used every last ounce of his strength to lift his head and address Fletcher.

C-captain... they're going to board us...

*****





A/N: Palla - Hangovers - yes, one of the main reasons I don't drink... often. ;)

I hope people are still reading - I have a terrible habit of making a good start, and then completely falling into disarray. The next few chapters have already been drafted (something I never do...) and it may take me a while to get out after this next one, because I want them to be good. So please do let me know if my writing has started to go downhill...