A Lieutenant's Voyage
Summary: William Mowett's little sister was brought up on a ship. She can do everything a man can, except go to the bathroom standing up. So you can imagine the adventure on the HMS Surprise when she joins the crew as 3rd Lieutenant before they set sail to intercept the Acheron.
A/N: Thank you so very much for the outstanding support and reviews. I am so glad that you like the story, and as long as I know you do I will keep writing.
~Chapter 3~
Anabelle carefully read over her orders again.
"You are herby required and directed to proceed on board the Surprise and take upon you the charge and command of 3rd Lieutenant of her; willing and requiring all the lower officers and company belonging to said ship to behave themselves in their several employments with all due respect to you, their 3rd Lieutenant."
She folded them and returned them to her pocket as she let it all soak in.
"We're almost there sir," said a young able seaman as he continued to row.
"Very good," she said looking up. She felt dwarfed as they passed the massive ships of His Majesty's Fleet. Their sails illuminated by the afternoon sun, and battered by the wind. She felt a great swell of excitement as her gaze fell upon the Surprise.
She had never served on any other ship but the Kingdom, and under no other captain but her father. "My father," she thought to herself. "I wish he were here now." Her father had died in battle just some six weeks before, and then she requested to transfer to another ship. There were too many memories on the Kingdom. Now, after ten long years, she would have one of those memories back. She would see her brother.
~~~~~~~~~~
She held her head high as she walked past the crew on deck. She heard muffled laughs and quite whispering.
"He looks a right bit soft," Nagle said to Warley as they watched the new lieutenant walk along deck.
"I think it's a she," said Warley still staring.
Nagle rolled his eyes and hit Will in the arm, "Oh right, a girl that's a lieutenant. Honestly Will sometimes I wonder how much grog you drink."
Anabelle simply smirked as she made her way below decks. "Some men can be so daft," she thought to herself. She took a deep breath as she stood in front of the door to the Great Cabin, adjusted her hat, and knocked.
"Come in," a low voice said from the other side of the door. Anabelle opened the door and walked in. She saw Captain Aubrey, and all the officers standing by a table. She forced herself not to look at her brother, and only focused on Captain Aubrey.
"Mowett, reporting for duty sir," Anabelle said with a salute.
"Welcome aboard Mr.-," Jack stopped in mid-sentence as the name had registered. "I beg your pardon. What did you say?"
"Anabelle Mowett, Lieutenant, reporting for duty sir." She took off her hat to reveal her light brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail. She drew her orders from her pocket and handed them to Jack.
He quickly read over the orders and realized she was telling the truth.
"But there must be some mistake," Jack said looking up at her.
"No sir, with all due respect, I don't believe there is," she said.
Jack gave her a slight puzzled look, and then turned to his officers. "You're dismissed. Return to your stations."
"Sir," each replied in turn as they saluted, and left.
"Uh- William," Jack said. "You may stay."
"Aye, sir." William warily walked by his sister and stood next to Jack.
When the door had closed, Jack motioned for Anabelle to sit down at the table.
"Thank you sir, but I'd rather stand."
Jack nodded and gave William a questioning look.
"She is my sister sir," William answered without waiting for the question.
"Is she indeed?"
"Yes sir," William said with a small smile.
"And truly she is a Lieutenant," Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes sir, she certainly is," William said with assurance.
Jack turned to Anabelle, "Ms. Mowett," Jack said looking her straight in the eye. "You are a woman, and women are not sailors. How is it that you became one?"
Anabelle was prepared for this sort of disbelief and doubt. "Permission to speak freely sir?"
"Permission granted."
"Sir I realize that you find it hard to believe me, but I assure you sir that I am a qualified Lieutenant. I know that you must think I am only a woman and not capable to be able seaman, much less a Lieutenant. Nevertheless, I can work just as hard, and even harder than a man. I have been raised up a sailor, and lived on a ship my entire life." She paused for a moment and then continued. "Sir, my father once said to me that duty and honor are the two most important things for a person to uphold, and I have never strayed from that teaching. I never falter in my judgment when making crucial decisions, and I don't tolerate insubordination."
"Good. What about battle experience," Jack asked, testing her.
"I have been in battle numerous times. Sir, I saw my father killed in battle and I am fully aware of the costs of what we fight for." Anabelle took a breath, but never stopped looking Jack in the eye.
Jack recognized the fiery determination in her eyes and the passion behind her words. "I've heard William speak of your father many times, and of his complete devotion to duty. I saw that devotion in William, and I see it in you as well."
"Thank you sir," she said humbly.
"But know this," Jack said. "As a member of this crew, you will be treated just the same as the men. You will sleep where the other officers sleep. You will bathe when and where the men bathe. And under no circumstance will you be treated partially."
"I would not have it any other way sir," Anabelle said as she felt relief course through her.
"Then welcome aboard Ms. Mowett," Jack said as he extended his had to her.
Anabelle shook it and smiled, "Thank you sir."
"Now then, once you have settled in and had a chance to talk with your brother, I will introduce you to the other officers."
"Aye sir," Anabelle said with a salute.
"The two of you may speak here if you wish," Jack said as he left.
The room was filled with silence except for the outer noise. Anabelle stared at her brother and he stared back at her.
"Ana," He asked, as if he weren't certain.
She began to cry, not being able to contain it anymore. "It's me Will." She dropped her hat and ran to her brother.
He picked her up in an immense hug, and swung her around. "My God! My God, Ana it's you," he said placing her back on her feet. "You look wonderful and much different then when I saw you last."
"I would surely hope so. Now I must put my things away and report to the captain. Then we can speak about father," Anabelle said in a somber voice.
Will felt his heart sink into the bittersweet moment as his thoughts returned to what Anabelle said before: "I saw my father killed in battle."
~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Thanks again for the support and I can't wait to read your reviews. Next post will be up soon. SweetBloom
Summary: William Mowett's little sister was brought up on a ship. She can do everything a man can, except go to the bathroom standing up. So you can imagine the adventure on the HMS Surprise when she joins the crew as 3rd Lieutenant before they set sail to intercept the Acheron.
A/N: Thank you so very much for the outstanding support and reviews. I am so glad that you like the story, and as long as I know you do I will keep writing.
~Chapter 3~
Anabelle carefully read over her orders again.
"You are herby required and directed to proceed on board the Surprise and take upon you the charge and command of 3rd Lieutenant of her; willing and requiring all the lower officers and company belonging to said ship to behave themselves in their several employments with all due respect to you, their 3rd Lieutenant."
She folded them and returned them to her pocket as she let it all soak in.
"We're almost there sir," said a young able seaman as he continued to row.
"Very good," she said looking up. She felt dwarfed as they passed the massive ships of His Majesty's Fleet. Their sails illuminated by the afternoon sun, and battered by the wind. She felt a great swell of excitement as her gaze fell upon the Surprise.
She had never served on any other ship but the Kingdom, and under no other captain but her father. "My father," she thought to herself. "I wish he were here now." Her father had died in battle just some six weeks before, and then she requested to transfer to another ship. There were too many memories on the Kingdom. Now, after ten long years, she would have one of those memories back. She would see her brother.
~~~~~~~~~~
She held her head high as she walked past the crew on deck. She heard muffled laughs and quite whispering.
"He looks a right bit soft," Nagle said to Warley as they watched the new lieutenant walk along deck.
"I think it's a she," said Warley still staring.
Nagle rolled his eyes and hit Will in the arm, "Oh right, a girl that's a lieutenant. Honestly Will sometimes I wonder how much grog you drink."
Anabelle simply smirked as she made her way below decks. "Some men can be so daft," she thought to herself. She took a deep breath as she stood in front of the door to the Great Cabin, adjusted her hat, and knocked.
"Come in," a low voice said from the other side of the door. Anabelle opened the door and walked in. She saw Captain Aubrey, and all the officers standing by a table. She forced herself not to look at her brother, and only focused on Captain Aubrey.
"Mowett, reporting for duty sir," Anabelle said with a salute.
"Welcome aboard Mr.-," Jack stopped in mid-sentence as the name had registered. "I beg your pardon. What did you say?"
"Anabelle Mowett, Lieutenant, reporting for duty sir." She took off her hat to reveal her light brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail. She drew her orders from her pocket and handed them to Jack.
He quickly read over the orders and realized she was telling the truth.
"But there must be some mistake," Jack said looking up at her.
"No sir, with all due respect, I don't believe there is," she said.
Jack gave her a slight puzzled look, and then turned to his officers. "You're dismissed. Return to your stations."
"Sir," each replied in turn as they saluted, and left.
"Uh- William," Jack said. "You may stay."
"Aye, sir." William warily walked by his sister and stood next to Jack.
When the door had closed, Jack motioned for Anabelle to sit down at the table.
"Thank you sir, but I'd rather stand."
Jack nodded and gave William a questioning look.
"She is my sister sir," William answered without waiting for the question.
"Is she indeed?"
"Yes sir," William said with a small smile.
"And truly she is a Lieutenant," Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes sir, she certainly is," William said with assurance.
Jack turned to Anabelle, "Ms. Mowett," Jack said looking her straight in the eye. "You are a woman, and women are not sailors. How is it that you became one?"
Anabelle was prepared for this sort of disbelief and doubt. "Permission to speak freely sir?"
"Permission granted."
"Sir I realize that you find it hard to believe me, but I assure you sir that I am a qualified Lieutenant. I know that you must think I am only a woman and not capable to be able seaman, much less a Lieutenant. Nevertheless, I can work just as hard, and even harder than a man. I have been raised up a sailor, and lived on a ship my entire life." She paused for a moment and then continued. "Sir, my father once said to me that duty and honor are the two most important things for a person to uphold, and I have never strayed from that teaching. I never falter in my judgment when making crucial decisions, and I don't tolerate insubordination."
"Good. What about battle experience," Jack asked, testing her.
"I have been in battle numerous times. Sir, I saw my father killed in battle and I am fully aware of the costs of what we fight for." Anabelle took a breath, but never stopped looking Jack in the eye.
Jack recognized the fiery determination in her eyes and the passion behind her words. "I've heard William speak of your father many times, and of his complete devotion to duty. I saw that devotion in William, and I see it in you as well."
"Thank you sir," she said humbly.
"But know this," Jack said. "As a member of this crew, you will be treated just the same as the men. You will sleep where the other officers sleep. You will bathe when and where the men bathe. And under no circumstance will you be treated partially."
"I would not have it any other way sir," Anabelle said as she felt relief course through her.
"Then welcome aboard Ms. Mowett," Jack said as he extended his had to her.
Anabelle shook it and smiled, "Thank you sir."
"Now then, once you have settled in and had a chance to talk with your brother, I will introduce you to the other officers."
"Aye sir," Anabelle said with a salute.
"The two of you may speak here if you wish," Jack said as he left.
The room was filled with silence except for the outer noise. Anabelle stared at her brother and he stared back at her.
"Ana," He asked, as if he weren't certain.
She began to cry, not being able to contain it anymore. "It's me Will." She dropped her hat and ran to her brother.
He picked her up in an immense hug, and swung her around. "My God! My God, Ana it's you," he said placing her back on her feet. "You look wonderful and much different then when I saw you last."
"I would surely hope so. Now I must put my things away and report to the captain. Then we can speak about father," Anabelle said in a somber voice.
Will felt his heart sink into the bittersweet moment as his thoughts returned to what Anabelle said before: "I saw my father killed in battle."
~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Thanks again for the support and I can't wait to read your reviews. Next post will be up soon. SweetBloom