Chapter 6

"Effective French Tactics"

From the safety of Cape Ortega, the French and Spanish fleet watched as the HMS Victory backed away from the combined British and Danish fleets while Strachan's HMS Caesar took its place. Aboard his ship, Formidable, the new commander of the French/Spanish fleet, Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley, could see that the British and Danish were trying to keep Villeneuve away from being rescued.

"Ah, so you try to keep our supreme leader away from us?" he said to himself, looking through a telescope. "Perhaps when I am done with you all, you will learn not to delay the inevitable. My commander will be rescued along with all you have captured at Trafalgar."

Pelley then walked over to the helm of the ship where several of his high ranking officials were present. Upon saluting their leader, the crafty French admiral drew up his plans to the men.

"I have a plan to rescue Villeneuve from the capture of those English pigdogs," he announced. "I want us to reach the HMS Victory and launch a full scale assault, making sure that no one stands in our way."

The men continued to listen as Pelley drew his sword and pointed to the British ships now guarding the HMS Victory, pointing it from the left and moving down to the right.

"Each of our ships take one British ship and one Danish ship," ordered Pelley. The Formidable will fight the HMS Caesar, who supposedly is the one protecting the HMS Victory. I will be the one to board her and rescue our leader. Whoever wishes to join me is free to do so."

"But why have the Victory to yourself?" asked a fellow officer, much to Pelley's irk. "Let us help you, sire, you might need…"

However, the officer was silenced when Pelley pointed his sword at him towards his throat. Pelley knew that this man was assigned to lead his ship after the weakest ship in the fleet which was the British ship, HMS Aeolus.

"Now you listen to me, Touffet," hissed Pelley, twisting his sword at the man's throat. "You will do as I command and provide me support by taking out the Aeolus. I can kill you right here and right now if I wanted to. So, do as you are told, understand?"

Touffet nodded nervously as Pelley pulled his sword away from his throat and back into his holster. It was very clear among the officers that Pelley was not going to tolerate anyone else from achieving his glory, which was to rescue Villeneuve aboard the Victory.

"Now, does anyone else have anything to say?" asked Pelley and the men replied that they didn't have anything else to say to their self-proclaimed superior. "Very good, I assume that we won't have any more problems then, won't we? Now, get to your ships and wait for the order to strike."

As his fellow officers boarded longboats to return to their ships, Pelley turned away from his soldiers and reached into his tunic, pulling out a long dagger with a blunted point. Once the dagger had been pulled, he smiled and chuckled to himself in an evil manner. For little did anyone know that he was not only after Villeneuve's freedom, but also the live prizes that were also aboard as well.

"They think that I am trying to rescue Villeneuve," thought Pelley. "Well, they are wrong for I also seek the prizes that are also on board that ship. Her highnesses, Queen Ariel and Princess Melody will become France's trophies when I am done with them. Once aboard, I will strip whatever dignity and glory that they have and bring their naked bodies back for all to see and marvel. Of course, I have a way of taking out their defense."

Pelley then walked over to a French musketeer, the same one who had killed Nelson at Trafalgar and handed him a silver Franc worth over $100 dollars.

"You know what to do," said Pelley. "Assassinate the king of Denmark and whoever is with him and bring me back his head to hang on my wall."

"As you command, sire," replied the musketeer who then retreated to his post as Pelley chuckled evilly, eager to start his ultimate conquest of rescuing Villeneuve and making the Queen and Princess of Denmark his trophies.

Little did Pelley realize that just underneath the sea, his ship was under the eye of Triton's mersoldiers who saw the red mark engraved into the ship's bow. For they knew that the red mark was that of Queen Athena's blood, still visible after so many years. Triton continued to stare at the mark and was debating in his mind whether he should just strike the ship and be done with it.

"We have our orders, your majesty," suggested Sebastian, the crab. "Looking at dat ship isn't going to help you."

"I can't take my eyes off of it, Sebastian," replied Triton. "In fact, I can't even look away from it. Athena's blood is on that ship and I want the blood of those aboard to paint the seas as a warning for anyone who dares attach me, my family and my subjects."

"But, what about Ariel, sire?" added Sebastian, trying to get Triton to think of something else of great value. "You saw what happened in that last battle."

Despite hearing what Sebastian had said, Triton insisted that his daughter and granddaughter were under protection from the impending confrontation. After all, Strachan had given his word to protect Ariel and Melody at all costs from these French and Spanish savages.

"They will be safe, Sebastian," Triton continued to say. "For now, we have my family and my kingdom to protect and if I die, I die trying to do so."

Sebastian could see the blood and lust in Triton's eyes and wondered if he should use all of his energy in this continuing conflict that had felt like an eternity, despite being over a few weeks between Trafalgar and Ortega.

In his mind, Sebastian should have been writing symphonies and performing for all of Atlantica. But now, here he was, standing next to his superior awaiting the beginning of another bloody confrontation over the loss of his wife, Queen Athena.

"I'll be glad when all of this is over," the crab thought.