RP:Buccaneering in Baramas

[Henry Avery]

Unbeknownst to the others, before joining his men in the longboats, Dreadbolt released a homing pigeon with a message on it's leg. It flew in the direction of the port. The message read as follows, in french.

"Good commander of the French forces stationed at Baramas, you are about to be attacked from the direction of the jungles. The total number of the attacking force is 1180, though as I plan to turn against them, the number is 1030. Our ships are stationed about 80 miles from the port. My vessel is the black frigate, and i ask that if you send ships to destroy the fleet, leave mine unharmed. Expect an extra 150 men acting in the defense of Baramas. Should we prevail, I ask for 20% of the riches you have stored at the port.

Signed,
Captain Thomas Dreadbolt of the Gunsway.

After releasing the bird, he and his men joined the rest in the boats- Each man in his crew carried a brace of six pistols, a pair of cutlasses, a musket, and multiple knives. Dreadbolt himself had much the same, though he carried 8 pistols, and no musket.

[Jack Teach]

The governor smirks as he reads the letter. He looks to the commandant of the fort, still smirking, gets up and walks over to a window

What do you think about that? Privateers marching miles and miles inland coming to sack a port. Hasn't happened since the days of Henry Morgan.

The Commandant gulps

Shouldn't we be worried sir? Buccaneering raids in the past have been absolutely brutal I'm told...

The governor scoffs

Those are probably myths my dear commandant. And besides, the days state-sponsored brutal pirate raids are long gone. These are just honest sailors with a privateering commission. They may be determined but they're not barbarians. You know what's really funny?

The Commandant looks inquisitive

What sir?

The governor smiles as he pours himself a glass of wine

That this...Captain deadbolt fellow thinks he'll get that little.

The commandant sputters

We're giving him more than 20%?

The Governor laughs as he pours a glass for the commandant

Not only has he told us of the attack, he's also brought us some extra ships and presumably, if any of the commanders are left alive, some prisoners with which to parlay or ransom. Privateers usually sail on brigs, sloops, cutters, corvettes and occasionally even frigates. If he's brought us any of those he could get an extra 3 percent for each and if he brought us a good frigate he might even get half. Because we are not simply going to destroy useful vessels. We're going to keep them.

the governor hands the wine to the commandant and then orders

Send some corvettes, find the ships, put prize crews on them and take them away to kanoni. Keep the men stationed near the landward side of the town. That's where these rovers will enter.

The commandant leaves to prepare his men

[Meliva]

Carl and Brian exchange a look as the two whisper to eachother Carl speaking first

Okay, so I know I'm crazy, but leaving ships completely unguarded is a bad idea right?

Brian nods back

Yup. I say one of us, along with 15 of our men stay on watch. Won't be able to fight back, but can at least keep our ship outta other folks hands, before sailing off. So, we shall duel to see who get's to raid the port.

The 2 men stare intensely at eachother, before Brian finally blinks, causing Carl to raise his fist and laugh

Haha! I win this duel Brian. See ya later!

Carl heads off into the jungle laughing while Brian sighs getting back on the cutter.

[Jack Teach]

Jack and his troop of men and the other 3 captains begin to march through the jungle. Some men with machetes hack a path through the thick jungle.

[Henry Avery]

Dreadbolt and his men take a far more organized approach, assuming a formation, with Dreadbolt at the head. They march forth in lockstep, unusually synchronized for what are supposedly mere pirates.

[Meliva]

Carl divides his men into 3 different groups. The smallest has the most agile and perceptive go ahead scouting, while the 2nd smallest clears the path for the third group-with the toughest fighters. Carl says to his men as they move forward.

Be vigilant for hazards, spies and enemies. Scouts should be leaving us markings to warn us about what to look out for. If they see anything real nasty they will run back.

[Jack Teach]

Jack's men despite being slightly disorganized move usually quietly through the underbrush, not making very much noise. Bugs swarm around people's faces and the sun beats down upon the men, soaking everyone with sweat. It gets so hot after a while that everyone has to rest more frequently then they ordinarily would. A few days go by and the privateers have gotten closer to the fort though not close enough to launch an attack, meanwhile Brian spots two French corvettes, 20 guns each coming towards them from a good long way away.

[Meliva]

Brian sighs as he see's this.

Okay. That's not good. Hmm. Men, get ready to set sail on the cutter. I'll be right back.

Brian quickly rushes to the war galleon, heading into the powder room, he carefully creates a trail of gunpowder and set's a lit lantern on a barrel right behind the door. Smiling as he carefully but quickly leaves hopping onto the cutter as it starts to sail off. He nods to his men as they sail

Stay nearby. When we hear an explosion, we'll know they went into the flag and triggered my trap. If we're lucky, that will kill them all. If not, we may be able to fight and kill the ones who remain. Worst case scenario, we only kill a few of them and have to flee. Prepare a pigeon, we'll send it to Carl tell him what's happened and that we may have a spy. Too suspicious that enemies popped up so soon here of all places. Plus it looks like they be sailing right for us.

[Jack Teach]

One of the corvettes anchors itself alongside the war galleon. A prize crew walks across a gangplank and enters the ship. As one man check's the powder hold he knocks over the lamp. The lamp lights the powder which burns quickly. The man runs to warn his comrades but it's far too late. The ship explodes, blasting the corvette beside it in two, killing the majority of its occupants. Spars, rigging, spare cannonballs, pieces of wood and metal fly everywhere, slightly damaging the surrounding ships. The other ship's crew look on in horror. The Captain, seeing the small holes in his sails and his jarred rigging calls:

Turn around. We're not risking this.

They pick up the survivors and leave.

[Meliva]

Brian watches them go from afar, as he shouts to his men.

Lads sail back, we gotta fix up our ships. We scared them off.

Brian quickly writes a letter ties it to a pigeon and set's it loose to go find Carl. The men get to work using the wreckage to begin making minor repairs. Brian sighs as he considers his options. A few hours later, a small bird flies up to Carl, who quickly takes the letter and reads it. He quickly runs over to Jack and whispers to him as he hands him the letter

Read this mate. Bad news.

Carl, 2 French Corvettes showed up not to long after you lads left. Not even a week went by. We scared them off by rigging the war galleon to explode, the other ships are a little damaged but fine-we're fixing them up asap. Now we may have awful luck, but even this is too much to blame entirely on lady luck. I think there may be a spy among us. I know it ain't me, and I know it ain't you- can't be Jack, so it's one of the other captains or a crew member. Be Careful mate.

-Brian