RP:Buccaneering in Baramas

[Jack Teach]

Jack reads the note and scowls. He whispers and order to his quartermaster who passes it on audibly to his crew by means of three loud whistles. The men group together more closely and keep their hands more steadily on their weapons as they march. They begin to form a close formation with one another, ready at a moments notice to break out into a fighting formation in the jungle

Thanks mate. Really didn't expect that to happen. I will not make the same mistake again.

[Meliva]

Carl nods

Don't mention it. I'll see if I can snag a new ship from the port.

Carl goes back to his men and speaks to them

Alright men, keep up the pace. Remember be vigilant against any and all possible threats. Within and Without. Could be deadly snakes in these jungles for all we know.

[Jack Teach]

Some men in Tew's company die of snake-bites and a few of Jack's men get heatstroke but quickly recover. As they arrive four miles from Baramas, Jack orders the group to stop

Gentleman, it appears we have a traitor among us, an imposter of a privateer. There's absolutely no way our ships were found that quickly without someone being notified very recently

Jack's quartermaster hands him a small sack. Jack dumps the contents, a dead carrier pigeon on the ground

Carrier pigeons are notoriously expensive, so it's not probable that a mere crewman would do this. A bold captain, who wishes possibly to attain some honor from the French, or some extra loot, may be very very willing to betray us.

Jack draws his cutlass, it's curved blade glinting in the sunlight. His men kneel down, seven in each line as that's all the space the path (which they cut) through the thick jungle could afford. He points at Tew, Roberts, and Hornigold with his sword. Jack motions for Carl and his men to get behind his.

None of you could possibly be at fault. You're all my old mates, and even if you weren't none of you would think it worth risking something like this on a mission which is bound to allow you live quite comfortably for the rest of your lives if you succeed.

The captains move behind Teach's men. Jack grins and points his sword at Avery

That leaves you mate. Now I'm going to give you a chance: You cannot possibly fight us all and win in this jungle. It doesn't matter how elite your men are, you'll loose. But if you go and join your French friends you'll have a fighting chance.

Jack whistles and his men aim their muskets at Avery and his men

Your choice mate. Die in the jungle or maaaaaybe not die in Baramas.

[Henry Avery]

Dreadbolt laughs, his spike glinting in the sunlight. He says one sentence before continuing the march towards Baramas, now ahead of the others.

It's nothing personal, Jack- just good business.

[Meliva]

Carl watches him go

Suppose that means him and his men will end up clearing a path for us, if nothing else. We shouldn't let him get to far ahead of us though-he might try to set traps or even worse, set this place on fire before we can get out. I say we keep him no more then a mile ahead of us until we're out of this jungle, and near the port. How much further is it anyway?

[Jack Teach]

Jack puts his pistol away

Aye that's a good idea we should keep close. We're almost there too, just about four miles away.

Jack pulls out a flask and takes a swig as they march just around a mile behind Avery. Jack whispers too carl

Now as for an attack here's what I propose: the French are not going to be on the fort most likely, some might but the majority of their forces will be positioned in battle lines around the fort positioned towards the landward side, so no artillery from the fort. We can win if we just fight them head on, however I propose we take a good chunk of our forces, maybe say 2/3rds or 1/2, and place them in a normal battle line. The rest we'll take around the area and charge their flank with sword and pistol. That should work, but I'm open to any suggestions you might have.

The Commandant surveys the area in front of the fort. The elite French soldiers wait around the fort, ready at any moment to spring to action and form a line. The local militia sits in a disorganized mass, cradling mostly poor quality muskets. The commandant says to his aide

They should be close now. Is everything ready

the aide nods

Yes sir. We've done everything we can to prepare for the attack. Reinforcements are on their way from Kanoni and should arrive by tomorrow afternoon.

[Henry Avery]

Eventually, Dreadbolt and his men reach the port, quickly finding the gathered forces.

I am the man who leaked the attack to you. I've brought 150 battle hardened, well armed men, as well as a pair of 9-pounder guns and a helluva lot of grapeshot. Given the numbers arrayed against us, they're likely to form a battle line with part, then attempt to flank us with the remaining. Is there anywhere we can bottleneck them? Control their progress forward?

[Meliva]

Carl smiles as he calls a few men over, and they show off a handful of bows, arrows, small bags and flasks of oil and gunpowder

I came with the ingredients needed to make a nice little bit of hell fire. Some of my men can use the bows and rain arrows carrying bags of gunpowder and oil, and a few fire arrows, and we can set these fools ablaze. Even the most disciplined men are liable to freak out and flee when they see their comrades burst into flames. The milita will likely flee the moment it starts burning. Throw in a loud battle cry and a threat that any who fight back will be killed most brutally, and their morale will sink faster then a cutter getting hit by a full broadside from a capital ship. Plus, fire will make smoke which will obscure vision, and it could even spread and burn their own gunpowder reserves if they got any.

[Jack Teach]

The commandant clears his throat and says:

Best we can do is station a contingent of men ready to receive them on the right flank as that’s the only area they can flank is from. Can your men fight with muskets in formation? Or do you fight a different way?

Jack grins as he hears Carl’s plan.

I like the way you think. Let’s place them near the main body of our force. They’ll be better protected there.

[Henry Avery]

Dreadbolt turns, barking orders at his men. 25 break off, assuming formation on the right flank, muskets at the ready. One of the 9 pounders is also taken.