Desperately Seeking Sally
Chapter SixThe man-of-war and her escorts turned to port, exposing their broadsides at us just as the men finished reloading. The closest frigate traded broadsides with us, but while both ships were heavily damaged, the frigate's powder store was exposed.
The swivel guns swerved to fire upon the powder store, igniting it to blow up the frigate. There was no time to celebrate though, as the man-of-war's two remaining escorts had repositioned themselves beside her and were now sailing towards us.
Steering the Aquila to port, the men finished reloading just as we were about to expose our port side to the port side of the farthest frigate, and we traded broadsides again, with cannonballs, sparks, and splinters flying everywhere.
As we got out from behind cover, we saw that we had managed to sink the frigate, and that the last one and the man-of-war were turning to starboard.
Turning to port, the men hurried to reload before the Royal Navy unleashed another broadside on us, and with our stern to the wind blowing from the southwest, we managed to fire a broadside at the man-of-war and get out of range before they could fire on us.
Turning to port to cut in front of the frigate, the men on the Aquila's port sidefired upon the frigate's bow as the men on the starboard side worked to repair the ship, exposing the frigate's powder store, which the swivel guns on the port side fired upon to blow up the frigate.
Leaving the man-of-war all alone, the men readied the chain shot so we could board her. Exposing our port side to the man-of-war's, the men let loose the chain shot, and they ripped through her sails and toppled her masts.
Coming about to board the man-of-war from her starboard side, the Aquila drew to a halt beside her as she furled her sails. Rena drew her sword and pointed it at the man-of-war, shouting: "Hook us in! Bring her close!"
The men on the rigging hurled grappling hooks onto the man-of-war's railings and rigging and began pulling her closer to the Aquila, covered by the men on the deck, led by David shouting: "Man the swivels! Cover from the quarterdeck!"
As the swivel guns fired grape shot to thin out the Redcoats aboard the man-of-war, I let go of the pilot's wheel. "The ship is yours, Rena!"
As Rena seized hold of the pilot's wheel, I ran down the stairs to join the boarding party, armed with swords and guns, on the quarterdeck.
Drawing my sword, David and I lead the charge onto the man-of-war, where almost immediately after we had pulled ourselves up from the railings onto the deck, I had to summon a Valor's Shield to protect my men from the bursts of electricity fired from the Redcoats' muskets.
The men returned fire, and several Redcoats fell onto the deck, stunned. I leapt at the officer behind the Redcoats' firing line with my sword, blunted with blue energy, and knocking him down onto the ground.
Quickly drawing a pistol from my bandolier, I shot the officer before he could shoot me, and I turned my attentions back to the Redcoats, bayonets bristling with their backs to each other as my men surrounded them.
Confident that my men could handle the Redcoats, I began searching for high-priority targets to take out, like officers or crewmen trying to rally their fellows.
As I stunned an officer with my last pistol, I saw the captain desperately trying to rally the remnants of his crew on the other side of the ship.
Before the enemy crew could form a firing line and shoot at me, I pointed my sword at them, and a ring of small blue fireballs appeared around the point of my sword, and like comets, they hurtled towards the enemy crew, exploding as they made contact.
As I broke through the enemy crew, the captain began running away. Chasing after him, one of the spars of the man-of-war's foremast fell just as the captain ran under it, and it would've crushed me, had I not skidded to a stop in time.
Our chase ended at the forecastle, where he finally drew his sword and stood to face me, but I noticed that a hole in the deck behind him exposed the ship's powder store.
"Everyone, fall back to the ship!" I shouted, and grabbing a burning piece of wood nearby while the men jumped back aboard the Aquila, I lunged at the officer, who instinctively leapt backwards, and then realized his mistake.
I dropped the burning piece of wood into the powder store, and ran for my life back to the Aquila as the powder store exploded. Leaping off the railings, I fell and rolled onto the deck of the Aquila to break my fall, losing my hat in the process.
Picking up my hat as I stood up, I heard the sounds of an explosion coming from behind me, and I glanced behind me to see the ship explode from the inside and sink beneath the clouds.
"Say hello to Davy Jones for me." I said quietly as I put my hat back before walking up the stairs back to the pilot's wheel.
We sailed east back to Catbeard's lair, where we spoke with Catbeard aboard the Catspaw while the men repaired the Aquila. "Well done, Captain! You've stung Her Majesty's Navy into action, and now the real fun begins. Marleybone's annoyed, but we need them really angry."
"So what's next?" I asked.
"You sneak into Port Regal and abscond with the governor's oldest daughter." Catbeard answered. "It's brilliant! The young lady's always sneaking away in search of adventure, and it drives her father absolutely CRAZY when she does!"
"Drop this note in her chambers to pin the blame on Valencia. Mr. Gilbert in Port Regal will advise you. Bring the girl here when you're done." Catbeard said as he handed me said note. I nodded as I pocketed the note inside my coat. "We'll leave as soon as the Aquila's repairs are finished."
In the late afternoon, the Aquila sailed west back to Port Regal, where we walked to the Savoy Mercantile. As I opened the door, a bell rung to notify Gilbert and Sullivan of us, and the two Dogs emerged from the door leading to the storeroom.
"Hello, gentlemen, might we ask you a favor?" I asked. I then explained to Gilbert and Sullivan what we were going to do.
"My, you mean to engage in some true skullduggery – let's marry piracy with a little burglary!" Gilbert said.
"Mabel, the governor's daughter, is in the governor's mansion, no doubt under heavy guard. Her bedchamber is upstairs." Sullivan said as he unrolled the floor plan of the governor's mansion on the counter and pointed at Mabel's room. "The best way in is through the cellars."
"There's a tunnel you can use to get in – look at the base of the mansion's retaining wall, back behind the governor's office." Sullivan said as he unrolled a map of Port Regal and pointed to the tunnel.
"Beware, captain, for her father is a major general!" Gilbert warned.
"Yes, yes, he is a major general. Good luck." Sullivan said as he rolled the maps back up again and shook our hands.
While we waited for nightfall, we began planning in the cellar of a local tavern called the Hope and Anchor, and there it was agreed that Rena and I should go, as we had the best chance of getting to Mabel undetected.
Late that night, Rena and I found the entrance of the tunnel where Sullivan had said it would be, and a few minutes later, we emerged from the sewers into the cellar of the governor's mansion.
Avoiding the Redcoats that were patrolling the hallways, we managed to make our way up to Mabel's room, where a white Poodle in a blue nightgown was at her vanity.
"Oh, dear me, pirates! Are you here to carry me off? Am I to be ransomed, or forced to join a villainous crew? It's all so… romantic!" Mabel cried.
I blinked a few times as Mabel continued on. "Very well, pirates! Steal me if you must – do it quickly, before I faint! Where will you take me? MooShu, Darkmoor? What are you waiting for?"
I blinked, and then shrugged as I threw her over my shoulder, feeling her faint and become a lot heavier, and Rena ran over from Mabel's bed. "I've dropped Catbeard's note. It's time to go!"
The door suddenly burst open to reveal a trio of Redcoats, who aimed their muskets at us. "You two there, halt! Men, stop those pirates!"
Before they could pull the triggers of their muskets, Rena threw her strikers and I fired my pistol, sending them sprawling onto the floor. Keeping a loaded pistol in my hand, we ran back down to the cellar as quietly as we could and entered the sewers.
A few minutes later, we emerged from the sewers, where a horse-drawn carriage driven by Jack was waiting across the street.
It wasn't until we were safely inside the carriage that I relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief. We had set Mabel to curl up on the seat across from where Rena and I were sitting.
Sullivan could only get us a small carriage, so I was all too aware of Rena's warm body slightly pressed against my arm, but it wasn't exactly uncomfortable.
As we arrived at the bottom of the gangplank to the Aquila, Rena led me, carrying Mabel to the room Rena shared with Bonnie,where I laid Mabel down on the bed where Rena usually slept before bidding Rena goodnight and retiring to my quarters for the night.
The next morning, as I walked out onto the quarterdeck, we were already inside Catbeard's lair. We moored ourselves alongside the Catspaw, where Catbeard was waiting for us and Mabel.
"Ah, I see the deed is done! You rascal, you! Mabel hasn't been too difficult, I hope? I'll see she's very comfortable here." Catbeard said as Mr. Norrington led Mabel down below decks.
"Now that the Marleybonians are stirred up like angry bees, it's time to do the same to the Armada. Destroy ten of their ships and report back."
I boarded the Aquila as the men were pushing the bars of the capstan to raise the anchor, and we sailed out of Catbeard's lair.
"The Armada's on us, captain!" Richard Clutterbuck shouted as he pointed at an approaching Armada frigate leading a flotilla of three gunboats, all manned by Clockworks.
"Beat to quarters!" I shouted as a bell was rung on the quarterdeck to tell the men to take their battle stations and load their guns.
Two of the gunboats moved to our port and starboard sides to try and strafe us while the wind was at their backs, and while they did manage to hit us, we fired our own broadside in return, sending them to Davy Jones' locker.
While the men hurried to reload their guns, the frigate moved to unleash their own broadside, while the gunboat strafed us with grapeshot.
They had managed to wound many of the men on the deck, and while they were being taken down to the sick bay, the frigate and gunboat came about to attack us again.
At David and Richard's shouts, all thirty-six guns aboard the Aquila fired, sinking the gunboat and dealing heavy damage to the frigate, and we were now circling each other like wolves as each side hurried to reload before the other.
"Fire all guns on my mark!" I shouted as the men on the starboard pushed their cannons up to their gun ports. I shouted as the last gun was moved into place on the starboard side of the deck, and all eighteen guns fired, sinking the frigate.
"Make ready, boys!" David Clutterbuck shouted as he pointed to an approaching flotilla of Armada ships, and the men shouted as the Aquila sailed towards them.