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AAR - Feb 2015 Our Ships were British Oak and Hearts of Oak our Men by ShadowDragon
Our ships were British oak, and hearts of oak our men (well, maybe that should be Spanish oak in this case)
My version of the 2015 Campaign scenario, Our Ships were British oak, and hearts of oak our men, by Union Jack:
https://sailsofglory.org/showthread....ak-our-men-%92
Scene 1
The interior of a captain’s cabin of a substantial warship – a ship of the line. A comely lady, but one who one wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley – befitting a Queen of the Pirates, sits at a desk, looking through papers and making notes. A handsome – not in a boyish, Will Turner way or in a exotically flamboyant, Jack Sparrow way but in an old-fashion, swashbuckling, Errol Flynn or Yul Brynner way – near the woman, a man, obviously also a pirate based on his eclectic clothing lounges in a chair. The man jabs the woman with his toes – being too lazy to get out of his chair.
Gabriel: Ana, aren’t you done with business yet? Let’s have some fun – here or go ashore to the tavern for a drink with the lads. This is booooring. How about some of that fine brandy we found in the former captain’s locker.
Anamaria: Pirating is a business like any other, Gaby. It needs tending. For one, there’s all those Governors that need bribing for safe harbours or letters of marque. What an avaricious lot! We’re lucky to keep 50%. And it doesn’t help that you have a liking for large warships. Some of the most profitable pirates run sloops and brigs, but you need frigates and this ship – a proper ship-of-the-line. [Anamaria was referring to the ship in which they were ensconced – the Argonauta, a 3rd rater.]
Gabriel: Ah, come on, Ana. You have to admit these are nice quarters. Besides, I like having a large….ship. [He paused to see if Anamaria noticed the double entendre. If she did, she studiously ignored it; and so should you dear reader. This is a family story; and we have hopes – slim hopes I admit - that Disney will pickup the movie rights. So we’ll have none that here in a family forum.] Who had the insane idea of teaching you to read, write and do numbers, anyway?
Anamaria: You did, my dear Gaby.
Gabriel: Brilliant! [Gabriel reflected on his mother’s warning about his impulsiveness – that he should think before doing. He hadn’t really got the hang of that, which is the reason that Anamaria’s was doing the books and seeing to it that their enterprise was profitable but it was also the reason their bold ships struck terror in their opponents and why many an unfortunate was eager to join their company.]
Anamaria: [She finds something of interest in the papers] Gaby, if you have a fancy for big ships [that was a clever double entendre but it was way over Gabriel’s head – so a wasted inuendo if you will], take a note of this. The Orient is unaccompanied and re-fitting in the harbour of San Los Hope. They come much larger than the Orient.
Gabriel: That would be a splendid acquisition. We do have a number of willing volunteers that we liberated from those two slavers plus some more from that British convict ship. Poor souls - guilty of naught than trying to feed their families and being sent of to some, undoubtedly horrid place in the South Pacific – I can’t imagine anything good coming from there.
Anamaria: Don’t say that ship was ‘British’.
Gabriel: Well, how were we to know it was British. It was dark and we only know once we had boarded her. What were we supposed to do after all that hacking and slashing….oh sorry, didn’t know you were British. Apologies. We’ll just take our leave now. Bye.
Anamaria: I’m not worried about that – just let’s not advertise we’re taking British ships. Anyway, back to the Orient. The governor of that town, is rather indolent.
Gabriel: You mean he’s loose in the stays? [Anamaria winced at the mental vision of the corpulent governor with loose stays.] Well that is an opportunity. By the way, what’s a French ship doing in a Spanish port?
Scene 2
It’s nighttime, on board the Argonauta, just off the fort that guards the harbour of San Los Hope. Gabriel, Anamaria and the rest of their crew are preparing for a surprise attack on the fort. The Orient, unaware of the presence of the Argonauta, lies at anchor in the harbour.
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Gabriel: It’s too dangerous. The guards might be alert. Let me lead the landing party.
Anamaria: We’ve been over this. No one is better than you at leading men to board an enemy – a wee bit overly dramatic but effective. I’ll be fine and, once we capture the fort, I’m the best at laying a gun. [Gabriel thought of a clever – or so he thought – double entendre retort, but, for once his mother’s advice came to mind and he thought it better to hold his tongue. Besides this was no time to risk Anamaria’s wrath. She had a smile that would melt the coldest of hearts but a scowl that would freeze the warmest of hearts.]
Anamaria had her way and soon two boats, swarming with deadly pirates, silently made their way to the fort. Before long there was a lantern, from the fort, that flashed three time. The signal that the fort was in the hands of the pirates. Now all they needed to do was to wait here until dawn. The Argonauta kept station such that the island with the fort lay between them and the Orient – hidden as it were from the Orient’s crew who felt assured that they were well protected by the harbour’s fort.
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Scene 3
Dawn – and a strong sea breeze has picked up. The Orient makes ready to leave harbour – perhaps they’ve spotted the Argonauta. They make for the smaller channel. Another signal from the fort warns the Argonauta that the Orient is headed for the smaller channel. The Argonauta turns to starboard to head off the Orient.
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The Orient struggles against the sea breeze. The Argonauta continues to starboard so as to avoid running aground on the island
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The sea breeze gets stronger and pushes the Orient back and to the starboard. Shouts and cries come from the Orient’s crew. If they didn’t know about the Argonauta before they do now – and they suspect the Argonauta is not friendly. The Argonauta steers to port to intercept the Orient.
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Whether by chance or design, the Orient sees it’s chance and heads for the larger channel. Gabriel curses – his prey is fleeing. Rather than hitting the Orient hard with a first, raking broadside, the Argonauta will be chasing the Orient.
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…and worse, it exposes the Argonauta to a raking shot at two cables. Suddenly, red hot shot belches from the fort of San Los Hope – striking the surprised Orient. Fire from the hot shot breaks out on the ship.
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The captain of the Orient is in a trap – caught in the irons of the strong sea breeze on a lee shore, with a warship astern and a fort firing red hot shot off the port beam, the options are limited.
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Gabriel sees the Orient’s predicament. There’s no time for fancy manoeuvring lest the Orient escapes. The Argonauta heads straight for the Orient. “Bloody hell, another hard fought boarding”, he thinks. “This could get costly.” The Argonauta is at close quarters before firing on the Orient with her forward
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The Argonauta and the Orient are entangled. Grappling hooks fly from the Argonauta to make fast with the Orient. “Ready, me hearties,” cries Gabriel, “No quarter. Let’s make a quick end it.” And with that the Argonauta’s crew are swarming over the Orient. In no time the Orient strikes its colours and the bloody melee is over.
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Scene 4
On board the Orient, Anamaria and her fellow cutthroats have joined those of the Argonaut’s crew that are still aboard the Orient. The second fire set by the red hot shot from the fort has been supressed by the joint efforts of the pirates and the remaining able-bodied crew of the Orient.
Gabriel: [Ordering his crew] We’ll take on board any ordinary, able-bodied Tar that will join us. Put the rest ashore.
Gabriel: {Seeing Anamaria] What was the meaning of that second salvo while we were boarding. I very nearly had a red hot ball up me arse.
Anamaria: [Well, I can’t really repeat it here, but she had the cleverest double entendre as a retort. So clever it made all the crew within hearing chuckle and, of course, Gabriel blush as you could not imagine a pirate could blush. However, on the chance that you have sensitive ears, dear reader, we’ll have to leave it to your imagination.]
Anamaria: [Eyeing the sweaty, blood smeared Gabriel, gives him that heart melting smile] About that brandy back on the Argonauta…
Gabriel: But….
Anamaria: But nothing…the crew know their business.
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