Beat to Quarters

Posted on Fri Sep 13th, 2024 @ 4:20pm by Commander Kevin Lance & Captain Mira Rodale & Lieutenant Commander Awal Kronnelti & Lieutenant Tracey Walker Jr

Mission: Deep freeze
Location: Matrix
Timeline: Current

:on
{Aboard the Chuck Norris}

“Sail ho!” the lookout called, “Sixty degrees off the starboard bow!”

“Is it the Black Crab?” Kevin called back.

“Aye!” was the replied, “Three master without a flag!”

The Chuck Norris had been transiting these waters, east of Sunshine Bay for nearly a week. Kronnelti has been able to coax from the smuggler the scheduled arrival of the pirates back to the settlement and Kevin had ordered their positioning to increase the chances of intercepting. His plan was to lure the pirates close by posing as an underarmed merchantman, a juicy target ripe for the picking.

The cannons on the deck were covered with tarps and surrounded by crates and barrels. The twin rows of gunports on both sides of the ship hidden under additional planking supported by ropes from the main deck. The astute observer would likely be curious as to the purpose of such an arrangement but Kevin was counting on the pirate crew being not so discriminating.

“Continue our course and heading,” Kevin ordered the helmsman. He had replaced his captain’s uniform with a simpler rough spun brown coat and a broad brimmed hat. His cutlass was hidden amongst the articles of junk underneath the plotting table but his revolver was tucked into its holster behind his back.

Leaning over the railing he ordered everyone to their positions. K’ner and her marines ducked into the Captain’s cabin while Mariner took half of the topsmen into the forecastle. Kronnelti and his guncrews hid below decks. The few remaining visible crew dispersed and made themselves busy with various tasks. The whole point was to give the appearance of a harmless merchant crew rather than an aggressive gang of pirates.

“Miss Tanner,” Kevin addressed the midshipman, “You will accompany Lieutenant K’ner but no heroics from you.” He had taken a fatherly liking to the young girl and did not wish to see her come to any harm.

“Yes, Captain,” the girl snapped off a salute before scurrying down to the main deck.

Kevin turned his attention to the approach of the Black Crab as the ship crested the horizon.

{Black Crab}

Roth grinned they had completed their mission of collecting tribute to their cause. Now, it was time to collect the newest treasures they had found earlier in the month.

How had a group of women and weaklings just appeared out of nowhere? It was to his fortune. He had decided the spotted little beauty was going to be his and the other little breeder he would take for his brother Cravis. He was pulled from his thought when one of the crew yelled

"Captain, we have spotted a ship!"

Roth frowned. There weren't too many of them anymore. "What flag do they fly?" he asked as he came out of the cabin."

"White with a red cross and a blue star in the first quarter," was the reply.

"Interesting." They must have come from the waters far away because he was sure they had sunk all the ships in this area.
"What is their course?" Roth asked, then cursed . If they continued on that line, they would end up at the location of the treasures he was going to get. "Can't have them roaming free." He grinned. "Set an intercept course. Once in range, raise our flag. Prepare to battle."

{Aboard the Chuck Norris}

The pirate ship must have seen them because it turned towards the Chuck Norris. Satisfied, Kevin closed his spy glass and went to each of his officers in turn reminding them that they needed to keep some of the officers alive to find out what they had done with the rest of the crew that had been taken.

He knew that he could trust K'ner but was less certain of Kronnelti. The Klingon's bloodlust, especially fueled by the lost of his wife, child and sister, was unpredictable. And with Mariner Kevin made a special effort to remind the man that his freedom and finding Mira were inexorably connected.

Once he had completed his rounds, he returned to the quarterdeck. The Black Crab had closed half of the distance and was well within cannon range.

"They've run up their jolly roger, Captain!" a crewman called out.

"Lower our colors, Miss Tanner," Kevin said before remembering that he had sent the girl with K'ner. With no one else around, he himself hauled down the flag. Then he ordered the boatswain to secure the sails, slowing the progress of the Chuck Norris.

Below deck Awal kept his men at the ready, nobody fires a shot until the captain gives the signal!

Behind cover! Everybody quietly gets behind cover waiting for Kevin's signal.

{Black Crab}

"They've struck their colors and are shorting sail," a pirate shouted. It was a certain sign that the merchantman intended to surrender.

Roth grinned "Spare no one. No one sails these waters but us. Take it all then we will sink them." Then there was a certain woman he was looking forward to that little morsel with those spots. He had worried that she might have gills so he had checked her neck. It was just the usual spots. He was looking forward to finding out just where her family came from.
His hand went to his sword but first the fight.

"Sir, the ship's name be the Chuck Norris." the man frowned "Do you reckon this is the ship of the husband of the woman on the Norris?"

Roth grinned "Well, can't have my woman's husband running about best we make her a widow."

{Aboard the Chuck Norris}

The Black Crab maneuvered to come along side of the Chuck Norris. Kevin expected that his ship would soon be crawling with pirates but he was determined to keep up pretenses for as long as possible. "Ahoy," he called out through cupped hands.

Below deck Awal and all his men kept quiet they could see in full view the cannons on the Black Crab.

"What is your cargo?" one of the pirates call back.

A big ol' can of whoop ass, Kevin wanted to say but instead answered, "Dirt and salted pork from Urropa."

The mention of salted pork caused quite the commotion on the Black Crab. Not surprising as a protein that wasn't seafood was a rarer commodity than dirt.

The Black Crab secured her hold on Chuck Norris with grappling pikes and heavy ropes. One of the pirate leaders stepped across the threshold to step onto the main deck of the Norris. "You have anything else of value?'

Kevin was hoping to keep the pirate crew's attention from the cannons that were concealed under canvas so he said, "There is a chest of trade currency and jewels in my cabin. I can go get them if you like." Kevin started for the stairs leading from the quarterdeck to the main deck.

Back aboard the Black Crab, Roth listened to the exchange, and smiled. This Captain was so desperate to keep his life that he was willing to give up anything. Perhaps he would let the blond bearded giant to live long enough to be drowned on his own sinking ship. But something about the man was familiar.

"You stay where I can see you and keep your hands up," the pirate aboard Chuck Norris commanded and Kevin stopped in his track. "Juan. Pierre. Go get that chest and bring it out here.

Two pirates clambered over the side of the Chuck Norris and walked up to the double doors of the Captain's Cabin. As they did a third pirate looked under the canvas and said, "Bo'sun, I thinks you should take a look at this."

But it was too late.

Juan and Pierre opened the doors to the Captain's Cabin and were immediately confronted by K'ner and her five marines, all will weapons aimed at the unfortunate pair.

"Fire," K'ner ordered and five muskets crashed as one.

Juan and Pierre were blown back by the force of the musket balls hitting their bodies. Kevin drew his revolver and squeezed off a shot at the pirate on the main deck that had been giving him orders.

Below deck Awal heard the pistol shots go off, he called off to ready the cannons.

Kevin made a slight tap with his heal, Awal then called out FIRE!

In unison all cannons opened fire on the Black Crab, the crew quickly loaded the cannons and with a thunderous roar all cannons fired.

Roth growled as he hear shots being fired. Pulling his sword he yelled "attack!"

All the men on his ship swung over to the Chuck Norris to begin their assault. They had no choice. The barrage from the Norris did its damage, and with the ship suddenly taking on water, its own cannons useless, it was board the Norris or sink.

Mariner had been watching the carnage unfold, wondering why the Norris hadn't sunk them a good fifty yards away, but he wasn't the Captain. Perhaps drawing them in close enough to board was part of the plan to capture one of them, though Mariner would have shot first and fished a survivor out of the water.

In any case, he had enough on his hands with enemies leaping over the railing. Kevin Retreated to the plotting table to grab his own cutlass as pirates, swinging on rat lines, descended upon the quarter and poop decks. He dispatched one pirate that landed several feet from him with a single shot from his revolver then began parrying the attacks of two more.

Satisfied with the damage done to the pirate ship, Awal ordered his crews to abandon their cannons and join the fight on the main deck. "Grab muskets and swords and drive them back to hell!" he shouted as he lead the charge up the stairs to the main deck to help Kevin.

K'ner and her marines were engaged in fighting the pirates with bayoneted muskets but were in danger of being overwhelmed by superior numbers. Midshipman Tanner desperately parried blows from a larger, leering pirate. It looked bad but the sudden arrival of the gun crews from below decks turned the tide.

The distraction gave K'ner time to organize her squad for a more effective attack. Tanner herself was even able to get in a mortal thrust as her opponent turned to face the sudden attack from behind.

Mariner's whip shot out, wrapping around the neck of one of his assailants. With a jerk, he pulled him off balance and then shot him with the revolver in his left hand. Spinning, he elbowed another one in the face, his whip snaking out and pulling the legs out from under a third. Two more reports from his hand cannon sent them to Davy Jones' Locker.

In the back of his mind, he asked himself again and again why he was risking his own skin for this Captain he barely knew, but a glance over his shoulder at Geneva reminded him why. The two of them had spent time together in the weeks after he'd signed on with the Norris, and while he couldn't explain why, he KNEW her. Somehow, his future lie with hers and that was enough to keep him going.

Kronnelti cut down a few pirates along with shooting some as that was slower than a sword.

"Board their ship!" Kevin shouted between thrusts of his own, "Find their Captain!"

The Black Crab was a goner, the Norris's cannons having broadsided her to smithereens, it was only a matter of minutes before it went below the waves. But, orders were orders and something in Mariner made him want to obey the Captain. He leapt over the railing on the doomed ship and found the captain sitting in his quarters. As Mariner breached the door, the Captain addressed him.

"You'll never take me alive." He said.

"I don't care." Said Trace, his whip shooting out and coiling around the man's neck. With a jerk, he pulled him toward him and clocked him in the jaw so hard his feet went out from under him. He picked up the limp man in a fireman's carry and headed back for the Norris before he too was under water.

Kronnelti ran towards the pirate Captain's quarters. Knowing it would be locked he kicked the door in and quickly searched the area. He was able to find a map with several location marked that he did not remember seeing on Kevin's map. Happy with his find he killed another pirate before jumping back onto the Norris.

The Norris was starting to list to starboard as the Black Crab began to sink beneath the azure blue waters. "Cut the lines before she drags us down!" Kevin shouted to the crew. Sailors began hacking with swords and axes at the thick ropes connecting the two ships in a deadly embrace.

K'ner's marines and Kronnelti's gunners were mopping up the last resistance from the Black Crab's crew but few had the will to stand and fight when their own ship was so evidently doomed. Indeed, several of the pirate ship's crew we abandoning their ship by leaping to the Norris and immediately surrendering. Mariner and Kronnelti returned along with the crew that had followed them.

The final line connecting the Chuck Norris to the Black Crab was severed but not before a cannon on the port side slipped it retaining ropes and crashed through the railing on the opposite side, taking one of the pirate to a watery death. Once released, the ship settled heavily back into the water and was again level and stable.

"Get an assessment of the injured and damages," Kevin ordered to K'ner and Kronnelti, "Secure their crew and put the officers into the brig." He saw Mariner carrying an unconscious pirate dressed better than the rest below decks.

Tanner was seated on the main deck looking shell-shocked and shivering despite the heat of the day. Kevin sat down next to her and took out a flask, opened it, and handed it to the girl. "It will help to steady your nerves," he said helpfully.

The girl nodded absently and took a swallow.

Captain damage to the Norris is minimal to none and just a few pirates surrendered

:off

Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

and

Lieutenant Commander Awal Kronnelti
Chief of security and tactical
USS Chuck Norris

and

Lieutenant Tracey "Trace" Walker
Chief Engineer
USS Chuck Norris

and

Captain Mira Rodale
CO USS Chuck