| Logs |
2000-02-13
| Starfall |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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Foxes in the Breadbasket
The past ten days have gone well, with no serious incidents. Negotiating the East Pass at night was exciting, but with Skeee's help it was not a serious problem. Since then, the crew of the Saucy Mare has been practicing with weapons, sail drill and any kind of emergency evolution that the officers can come up with. The new recruits are shaping up well.
After rounding the southern tip of Lancer Island and sailing north to the main shipping lanes, the Mare tacks lazily back and forth, searching for one of House Pravinchandra's giant grain barges. Finally, the lookout shouts from the masthead, "Cap'n! Ship mast -- up off the starboard beam!"
Hearing that, Alex comes running out on deck, scanning for the sighted ship, and patters up onto the quarterdeck, staying carefully out of the on-duty crew's way. Horatio perks his ears from the map table on the quarterdeck, and looks up and over the starboard railing. Carroll murrs, "That sounds promising," and gives orders, changing direction, moving closer for a better view, but on an oblique angle.
Slowly pushing open the hatchway, Dimitri blinks at the afternoon sun. Ruffling his fur with one paw he steps out upon the deck, his sharp eyes looking out for Mister Mackenzie. Jared orders the crew aloft to set more sail, and the helmsman shifts three points to starboard. The agile little ship soon begins to increase her speed, bringing the grain ship well into view from the deck after another hour. Carroll stands at the railing, trying to verify this is a Pravinchandra ship, waiting for it to show its colors.
Alex stands next to Horatio, and murmurs softly to him, "Hm... so if you're helping organize manning the ballistae with Dimitri... then we need to keep the ship heading directly towards the grain barge... but rock it back and forth slightly, port then starboard then back again, to give each alternating ballista the best field of fire, right?"
Jared is watching as well. "She's only making about 5 knots, I think. We'll pass a kilometer in front of her on this heading, Cap'n."
Dimitri slowly wanders up to the quarterdeck. "Got anything that will take down her sails, Horatio?"
Horatio squints a little at the ship. He nods slowly. "That sounds like the best way to handle shipboard ballistae," he murmurs.
Carroll hmms, and murrs, "Let's hold this course a little longer, and then turn in towards them once they're good and sure we're going to pass harmlessly," to Jared.
Alex nods at Carroll's words, "Coming up behind them with a nice long field of fire on their undefended end... good idea."
Carroll walks over to his family, listening. He murrs, "Don't worry about stopping them. They're too big to turn quickly, and we can outmaneuver them. Once it starts taking on water it'll slow right down, too. We need it to go down." He looks at Horatio, and murrs, "Get ready. We'll cut over close enough to them soon."
Alex looks to Carroll, "Do you have orders for me, Captain, or should I just stay out of the way?"
Horatio sighs and leans back from the rail, then looks to Dimitri and shakes his head. "I'm afraid not, only good aiming... which I think we should be able to manage!" He nods to Carroll, straightening (just like Alex taught him!) and nods. "Aye, aye, Captain!" He bounds off of the quarterdeck, making for the ballistae.
Carroll nods to Alex and murrs, "Can you take care of the new colors. When we cut over to swing close to them I think would be the right time to raise them." He looks back towards the other ship and murrs, "I think we want them to know who we are, yes?"
As the Mare draws closer to the large ship, a bird takes off from her deck and heads toward the little sloop. Dimitri sits down on the quarterdeck stairs to watch. Carroll watches the bird fly in closer. He murrs, "Can we have an archer or three paying strict but hopefully unobvious attention, please?"
Alex patters over to where the few on deck crossbows are stored and picks one up... just in case, then looks around, "Jessie! On deck!" She keeps the crossbow to hand as she gets the new flags ready for use, then sticks by the mast to string them up on command.
The mink scurries up the ladder from the crew quarters, clutching her bow and shrugging a quiver into place across her back. "On it, ma'am. When should I take him out?"
Alex says, "Wait for the captain's orders, Jessie. He may not want the bird taken out."
Carroll murrs to Jessie, "Depends. If he lands to talk we might not have to." He murrs to Jared, "Ready to change course please, Mister Greytail."
The muskrat nods. "Standing by."
The bird who took off from the other ship is getting quite close now. He appears to be wearing Pravinchandra livery. Carroll walks out to the middle of the quarterdeck, near the helm, and waves to the approaching bird, hoping he'll land.
Horatio keeps his eyes on the approaching bird, tense, though straight still. He doesn't like the idea of another bird dropping a torch on the rigging... or, almost as bad, diving through said rigging with a bare blade in his talons.
Dimitri softly growls, "If he lands, just invite him to stay on board."
Carroll nods, and murrs, "Yes. It should be an easy choice for him."
Alex says, "Or we could send him back with the message to abandon the ship, since we intend to fire strike it? That'd save us from having to worry about crew getting hurt?"
Horatio says, "Unless he's bringing an ultimatum from Pravinchandra. He couldn't have known that we did this so soon?"
Carroll murrs, "I think our actions will be perfectly clear to the people aboard, Alex." The sparrow makes a circle around the Mare, out of easy bowshot range. Carroll waves at the sparrow again, hoping he'll land. "Seems our airborne friend is wearing the House colors. That's reassuring."
Horatio glances to Carroll. "Why is that reassuring?"
Alex nods, "Yep. Shall I run up the colors now, captain?"
Carroll nods, and murrs, "Do it, Alex." He calls to Jared, "Change course now, Mister Greytail. Let's do this."
Carroll turns and suggests, "Ready the ballistae, Horatio!"
Alex beams! then starts running up the flags all ready and clipped to the line, hand over hand as fast as she can. She grins at Horatio, "It's reassuring 'cause we know we're hitting the right target, Horatio! Go get 'em, brother!"
Horatio perks his ears, and bobs his head. "Ready ballistae, AYE!" He dashes off, calling orders to the designated crew of the ballistae, ordering them to string up the weapons but not to run out the bow-chasers yet. They'll be the surprise weapon, not for a barge.
The muskrat calls out the orders, and the Mare settles into a course taking her straight for the grain ship. The sparrow does a double-take as the banner of St. Genevieve break out over the inverted House P. flag and heads back to his ship. They raise their own flag and set more sails, but the large ship has no chance of getting away.
Carroll walks over to Dimitri and murrs, "We will have some prisoners for a bit, I expect. Can you be prepared to cope with them as we pull them aboard? They'll hopefully be too wet and cold to complain much, but I'd rather not have a mutiny to cope with." He watches crew aloft, and feels the ship turn. He looks back at Dimitri and adds, "My suggestion would be to strip them naked, tie them up, and dump them in the bilges, but I'll leave details to you." He turns and walks back to the rail, watching as the Mare closes on the larger ship.
Alex grins fiercely, and trots over to Dimitri, "Hey, can I help? I'll be in the way any place else?"
Dimitri quietly stands, "Aye, aye, captain sir." And with that he gets up and shuffles below deck. Carroll frowns, and tries not to worry that he's gone and done something stupid again with his brother, but isn't going to worry about it now. Dimitri looks to Alex and nods, "Your place is at the Captain's side, making sure you see the things he doesn't. I'll grab a couple furs from off watch and prepare a corner of the hold for our guests.
Alex nods, "Okay, Mitya. Good luck!" She waves cheerfully and heads off after Carroll, to patter up to his side and pace along with him.
The distance is quickly reduced, and the Mare reaches ballista range while the larger ship is still trying to set more sail.
Disappearing below decks, the black fox snares a pair of off duty crew. "Come on, lads, we will have guests on board soon," and clambers down into the bilge hold works side by side with the other two to prepare a suitable place for holding Pravinchandra captives. Safe, secure, but not cruel.
The drumbeat of the call to battle stations rolls across the water from the larger ship. The Mare's crew can make out her name on the stern now... PS Breadbasket.
Carroll murrs, "Let's start simple." He directs, via Jared, the sailors to bring the ship up, pacing the fleeing grain ship, out of bow range, but in ballista range, and keeping the ship slightly behind the larger vessel.
Alex gently nudges Carroll, "Captain, should Jessie be told to fire at will if the bird comes back?"
Carroll hmmms, and murrs, "Tell her to wait till it's close, but, yes."
Alex nods and turns, "Jessie! If the bird should return, wa-..." she pauses, realizing she's about to tell an archer how to do her job... then grins, "-bring it down!" Alex turns back to Carroll, "That okay, captain?"
The mink nods, and nocks an arrow. Carroll nods, and murrs, "Good, yes. Now, if we can just batter it into little bits before they think to get their launches off." He glances at the bow. Alex grins. Carroll calls, "Horatio! Fire at will!"
Horatio shouts out from beneath the foc's'le, "Aye, AYE! All right, run out the ballistae...! Take aim with number one... FIRE as you bear!" The first bolt is a little low, actually skipping off the water, but thunks solidly into the stern of the ship. A cheer goes up from the Mare's crew!
Carroll murrs, "It can't be that easy." He watches the other ship, and the waterline, trying to miss nothing they might do.
Horatio grins and nods, peering through the slits. "They weren't expecting that, I bet," he says wryly. "All right, number two, aim a little higher, see if you can't hit their mainmast or catch their sails. Ready... wait... all right, FIRE as you bear!"
Alex bounces slightly on her toes, grinning and watching with excitedly perked ears! She remembers to sweep a glance across the Mare's deck occasionally, making sure everything's going smoothly aboard as well.
The second shot is a bit higher, and the stern of the grain ship loses a chunk of planking, dissolved into scrap and splinters as the bolt plunges through it. Alex nods thoughtfully, then glances at the barge's launches. Where are they located? It would be bad to mess them up.
Horatio says, "That's it! That's good! All right, reload as fast as you can...!"
Carroll watches, quietly, claws taptaptapping on the railing, tail flicking idly, ears and eyes trained on their prey, nodding silently as the ballistae do their work. Alex glances around on the Mare's deck. Any idle crew?
The captain of the other ship starts shouting orders, and it begins to slowly come about, apparently intending to close the range with its smaller tormentor.
Carroll directs, "Keep us a constant distance from them, please."
Jared nods. "Maintaining the range, aye." He starts to give the orders to bring the Mare about, then pauses. "You realize that the ballistae won't bear on her if we do this, Captain?"
Dimitri quietly returns topdeck, taking his place in the shadow of the quarterdeck. He watches as the other ship comes about. Alex glances at Dimitri as he emerges, "Mitya, do you need crew to man ropes or launches to haul Breadbasket crew aboard while marines keep watch?" She looks over at the idle crew, "Tina, Garry, Dominic, Red, and Pedro, if Dimitri needs hands please give him assistance."
Dimitri looks over the bow. "Not until they decide to abandon ship. Unless, of course you see them sending folks into the rigging... if their captain has decided to solve his problem by boarding us."
Alex murmurs softly to Carroll, "Captain, may I suggest putting on as much sail as we can and staying out of bow range? That way we'll sweep past very swiftly and quickly out of bow shot but not ballistae. Then we can go a distance, then turn... and we can shed our speed on the turn so we can take our time closing with them again, thus giving our ballistae plenty of firing time? After all, we're not in any hurry, unless another ship should turn up." She yells up to the crow's nest, "Are there any other ships in sight?" She adds to the idle crew, "Stand by for Dimitri's orders please."
Carroll directs, "Keep us behind them and the ballista, one or the other, useful. Raise more sail."
Jared nods and gives the orders for this maneuver. Bringing the ballistae to bear requires a bit more steering, but it can still be done. After a few minutes, the larger ship is tacking at its maximum angle and is still unable to prevent the Mare from shooting at it at will. Dimitri carefully watches the activity on the other ship's deck, as the two approach. "Mister Mackenzie, I'll want a good guard on watch when we pass. Just in case. Keep them below the height of the gunwales.
The very next shot crashes into the grain ship's main mast, cutting the top nearly off. With majestic slowness, the stress of full sails rips the mast the rest of the way through, and the top third crashes down onto the deck and over the side, smashing one of the two cargo lighters and bringing her to a halt.
Alex bounces excitedly, "Yeah!" then remembers herself and quits bouncing. She's still grinning happily, however.
Carroll watches the mast's inexorable fall, smiling as the rigging and sails are ruined and the bigger ship slows. He calls, "Nice work, Horatio!"
Horatio says, "Yes!" then laughs and slaps at the stem of the Saucy Mare. "That did it! Excellent job, all of you!" He folds his arms, grinning as he looks out of the bow-ports at the adrift hull. "Make ready for another shot, but we'll see if the Captain wishes us to continue."
Alex nudges Carroll, "Captain, should we take a moment and warn them to launch and leave the ship?"
Carroll nods. He murrs, "If they'll surrender, things will be that much simpler for them."
Alex nods again, "Shall I hoist the abandon ship communications flag then, captain? Or better yet... send Skeee over? Let her tell them what we want?"
Carroll nods, and murrs, "That's a good plan. Let's see if she'll go, or if she thinks it's too risky. I don't want her shot."
Alex nods, "True." She turns and looks, "Skeee to the quarterdeck please!"
Dimitri leans against the gunwales and wonders absentmindedly. "Carroll, how does the Pravinchandra captain pay for the grain he's picking up?"
Carroll murrs to Dimitri, "Probably that's been handled by the House representatives already. We'll be able to scavenge her supplies, at the least, if they'll surrender."
The bat comes up from belowdecks where she was helping to aim ballista 2. "Whatcha need, Ma'am?"
Alex says, "Captain has a question for you, Skeee. We need to let the Breadbasket there know we're going to sink her, but we're willing to take aboard any crew that don't fit into the launches. Are you willing to go over, under a truce flag? If you'd rather not, Skeee, it's not a worry. We'll use signal flags."
The bat nods. "No problem. I don't think you've even killed anyone over there... nice shot, if I do say so myself. What should I tell them when they ask why?"
Carroll adds to Skeee, "If you're willing, it would be much cleaner for everyone if they'd simply surrender." He smiles, "Tell them the truth; we bear them no ill will, but have a grievance with the House."
Skeee nods. "Okay, will do. Gimme a flag before it gets too dark for them to see it."
Alex grins at Carroll, "Shall we let them know that the Count St. Genevieve has returned? Or just say it's St. Genevieve's revenge?"
Carroll laughs, "Oh, yes, tell them that it's St. Genevieve, trying to earn back what was taken from them."
Alex hands a flag to Skeee, since she had several ready to hand. Skeee chitters laughter. "Earn??"
Alex says, "There... a white one." She grins, "Business is business... we're earning!"
Carroll grins, and murrs, "Take." He adds, "If they do anything funny, get out of there. We'll deal with the consequences of that choice then."
Alex nods, suddenly serious at Carroll's words, "Most important that you stay safe, Skeee."
The bat takes off, holding the flag with her foot-claws. "Got it!" She pauses just out of bow range for a minute, then proceeds in, apparently satisfied. She settles on the aft rail of the Breadbasket, and a discussion follows. After a few minutes it's apparent that the arguing is between the grain ship's captain and the other officers -- and ends rather abruptly when one furr is pitched unceremoniously over the side, his yelp of dismay ending in a splash.
Carroll watches, then smiles and murrs, "Apparently, they have seen reason."
Dimitri smiles quietly. "I hope he can swim." He continues, "-for a long time.
Alex grins quietly. "Was that an officer or the captain, I wonder? Could anyone tell?"
Carroll chuckles. "If he makes it over here, throw him a rope."
Horatio comes up on deck, catching the hind end of that argument on the Breadbasket. "Pravinchandra seems to have an interesting influence on the people who work for him..." he notes dryly. Alex giggles at Horatio!
The remaining furs on the deck of the grain ship run a white flag up the remaining mast and begin making preparations to abandon ship. Skeee flies back. Carroll asks the bat, innocently, "Any trouble?"
The bat is still chuckling to herself. "None from my viewpoint, Cap'n. Their commander wanted to continue fighting for the 'honor of House Pravinchandra' -- his crew didn't much see the point in getting killed over an empty grain barge. They decided to give him shore leave and let the first mate negotiate with me. I told 'em they could take all the supplies they wanted on their lighter, and that we'd handle Captain Pradesh. Fair enough?"
Carroll chuckles to the bat. He murrs to her, "That's fine. We'll land anyone who won't fit on thier remaining boat, and we'll offer healing to anyone who was hurt when the mast fell. And, we'll let them all watch thier barge burn." He murrs to Dimitri, "Do you think it a good idea to send our launch over to help collect their sailors?"
Dimitri shakes his head. "No. As long as they aren't in any immediate danger we don't want to send them any potential hostages. They can shuttle over on their launch.
Carroll nods to Dimitri, "I understand."
Alex grins, "Somehow it doesn't bother me at all to let their captain swim over..."
Skeee chuckles again. "I don't think he swims all that well. He was hanging on to a chunk of wood when I saw him last."
Alex snorts, "Figures. Bet he counted on being on the launch, and damned to any crew that went down with the burning barge."
Horatio pads over to the others. "What if any of them wish to join us? As doubtful as that may be. They're probably reasonably loyal to Pravinchandra.
Carroll murrs, "A good question." He looks curiously at his siblings and the senior crew at hand, asking, "Opinions?"
The bat shrugs. "They'll all fit on the lighter. For all the size of that thing, we've got them outnumbered. Another reason they weren't too eager to fight us."
Alex says, "We're near Lancer Island, Horatio. We can land them there, like we did with the doubtful crew. But I'm not sure it's a good idea to take on any of them... it'd be a nasty-great way to get another saboteur... maybe a smarter one this time, too."
Carroll nods, "It has enough sails to get to land, or should we tow them?"
Horatio nods slowly. "I agree. I think we shouldn't take on any, even if any ask to."
Carroll listens and nods, approving, then asks generally, "Do you think there's anything aboard the barge we can't live without? Should we wait till they're off and loot it, or should we make a very powerful statement?"
Dimitri smiles quietly, "I bet the gold's on the lighter." Carroll nods. Dimitri shakes his head. "Once we are sure they are off, powerful statement. Then we drag the captain out of the water."
Carroll nods, and murrs, "At this point, I agree. We can do without the few supplies that might be aboard, I think, to let them see their barge go up in flames." He looks about and murrs, "Horatio?"
Horatio purses his lips a little. "As long as we treat the crew fine and proper, and feed them, and then torch the ship... I agree. I mean, well... there's no need to make them think we're going to kill them as well as burn their ship...
Alex nods, "I agree with Horatio. If we can drive a wedge between House P and its crews, all the better."
Jared nods. "The rank and file aren't exactly thrilled by what he pays, so as it is."
Alex grins at Jared, "Really? Even better for us!"
Carroll murrs, "Oh, no, we'll let them get off in their cargo lighter, well and truly. We told them we were unhappy with the House. And I'd like to see what one of these fiery bolts you've got will do, Horatio. I think I'd also like the fleeing sailors to see it."
Alex says, "Just don't let them see what it's made of."
Carroll murrs, "We'll make sure they're far enough off. But if they'll tell everyone how we burned their barge with one bolt... that won't hurt a bit, will it?" Alex chuckles quietly.
Horatio bites his lip. Something tells him he'll get into a lot of trouble with the Academy for this... but then again, it's not like Pravinchandra's mages wouldn't lob a fireball, or whatever they would do, at them anyway. He nods. "All right, Carroll. That shouldn't be a problem..."
Carroll murrs, "Has anyone got any idea where the Captain has gone?" Alex points towards the floating lumber.
The furrs on the other ship have lowered the lighter into the water and are loading it with supplies and the crew's personal items. The captain is holding on to the overside wreckage and yelling at his ex-crew, who are universally ignoring him. Alex grins, leaning on the railing and watching.
Carroll sighs, and murrs, "If we expect him to make it through the night, we'd better pick him up before it gets darker."
Jared grins. "Oh, he's still in fine shape, or he wouldn't be squawking so loud."
Alex says, "He can hang onto the lumber and kick away from the ship... he'd be a fool not to, once the lighter's pulled away from her."
Dimitri smiles darkly. "Do you wish to send a personal message to the mongoose?
Carroll laughs and murrs, "And, I suppose Skeee will be able to find him in the dark too, if need be." His tail flicks, and he murrs, "He can linger there a bit." He looks at Dimitri, and murrs, "What? Only in that I'd like to scare this idiot Captain to within an inch of his life, and let him go running home in terror." With an evil grin, he adds, "I don't know if we'll shave him bald first, or not, though. He'll be embarrassed enough."
Horatio looks a little uncomfortable. "That might be extreme, er, Captain. Er, I mean... our issue is with Pravinchandra... and even though this captain really seems like a fanatic for Pravinchandra, I don't think those are the kind we need to worry about. Ones like that are usually the zealots, the honorable ones. They just misplaced their loyalties. That kind, the kind who speak of a house's honor, may be the first to turn their back on their former lieges at the first sign of dishonorable conduct. It's the kind who are sneaky and devious and the like which are more like Pravinchandra, and which would be much more likely to be not only aware of the mongoose's plans, but support them."
Dimitri blinks, listening to Horatio. "Good point."
Carroll looks at Horatio and murrs, "You're probably right, Horatio. It was just a momentary, pleasant thought." He watches the other crew loading their little vessel for a moment, and then murrs, "We'll probably take him and drop him someplace harmless, although... I have to admit that Pravinchandra's apparently easy decision to kill all of us instills a certain amount of revenge. I'll save it for him, though."
Dimitri softly growls, "Who knows, treat him honorably, and we might just confuse him greatly."
Carroll nods, and murrs, "We need to, of course, regardless of my idle maliciousness."
Horatio smiles wryly. "Mind you, I'll fully encourage that maliciousness if the solicitor fails to bring us satisfaction regarding Pravinchandra."
Dimitri softly growls, "Besides, the captain might have some interesting things to say. Shall we retrieve him?"
Carroll chuckles, "Oh, I expect him to be interesting, yes. We'll pick him up before we fire his vessel. I want him to see that, too." Alex watches quietly and listens. Carroll looks at Dimitri, and asks, "Will you take the launch and enough crew so you won't have a problem with a possibly irritated Captain, and go fetch him, please? I'd like to get him and the launch back aboard, and move around to the other side of the barge before they get their lighter off, too, so they get the best demonstration possible."
Dimitri steps towards the ship's boat. "Mister Zhukov, if you would join me with a handful of our marines, and furrs for the launch?
Natasha salutes. "Aye, aye, Major." She gathers up a boat crew, making a point of taking Mikhail along, and starts getting the Mare's boat over the side. Alex watches quietly... she always feels faintly worried about the new crew, and Mikhail's nice.
Dimitri clambers over the side, taking his place at the bow. Looking back to Natasha, he nods. "Take her out, and pause about an oar's length away."
Carroll asks Jared, "Can you make sure we have dry clothes and hot food waiting for our guest?" He murrs, "Dimitri is right; we'll be proper hosts. He is a prisoner, but we can afford to be gracious." He watches the launch move from the boat. He has begun smiling again.
Natasha nods and gives the order, and the crew starts rowing toward the merchant vessel. She and Mikhail keep their swords at the ready, just in case. Alex keeps an occasional eye on the lighter, making sure it keeps its distance from the Mare as well. The cargo lighter has put up its sail and is starting to pull away from the Breadbasket.
And when the launch finally finds the waterlogged captain, Dimitri instructs the crew to ship their oars, to glide in silent and smooth. "Ahoy, Captain of the late Breadbasket. It is a long swim to either Lancer or Starfall. Will you consider availing yourself of House Saint Genevieve's hospitality?"
The bedraggled mongoose snarls at this. "Filthy pirates! Fat lot of good this will do you, that miserable excuse for a crew probably looted my cabin before they left and there's nothing else of value on the ship right now." This doesn't seem to stop him from scrambling over the wreckage in your direction, though.
Dimitri laughs quietly, "You have a choice, wet one. Do we have your word as an officer that you'll behave yourself?"
Captain Pradesh isn't very gracious about this at all. "As long as you treat me properly, you have my parole. Scum."
Dimitri chuckles darkly and smiles, "Extend an oar to him lad, and bring him in. get a blanket to throw over him."
Pradesh grabs the oar and lets himself be helped aboard. He is quite bedraggled, his finery somehow making him look even worse when ruined.
Dimitri nods to the crew, "Back to the ship. Give him a chance to dry out before meeting the Captain." He looks back to the mongoose then and asks, "Do you have a name, so I can properly introduce you?"
The mongoose puffs himself up to his full height (what there is of it). "Captain Puraj Pradesh, pirate."
Carroll hmms, and murrs, "We're too slow. Perhaps we should loot the ship."
Alex says, "How do you mean too slow, captain?" Horatio blinks, and looks to Carroll.
Carroll looks over, and explains, "I wanted the sailors on the launch to see the barge burned, to show them what we can do. If we can't show them, perhaps it's worth the hardware and equipment we could find. Perhaps there's other valuables left behind. We can wait, and still show the Captain, too."
Alex grins quietly, "Captain... fire looks more dramatic at night... not less."
Carroll nods, "True. Let's not do anything hasty though, to satisfy my sense of the dramatic. Practically, we should conserve the resources." Alex quietly watches the launch with her brother on it. Horatio finishes having the crew stow the ballistae, and carefully closes the bow-ports, once again concealing the weapons.
Carroll pulls a thin comb from a pocket, and idly combs his whiskers, his cheekfur, and his ears, flicking one gently. Alex glances at her brothers on board the Mare, then at herself... a moment to smooth her own fur down, straighten her ruffles... she patters over to Horatio and straightens his too, adding in a whisper, "I noticed -- you've been standing up straighter! Looks quite good, I must say!" She grins and winks at Horatio, then patters over to stand at Carroll's left. She knows better than checking him for wrinkles or muss. Horatio blinks at Alex's praise, then grins softly to her and this time manages to remember to stand straight... for a time, at least. He makes a brief stop at the map table, checking the position of the sun, before joining Carroll and Alex.
Dimitri nods quietly, "Very well." He then waits until they reach the Mare before clambering up. Then Dimitri looks down and with a nod, commands the bedraggled mongoose the rope ladder; then escorts his dripping form to the quarter deck. "Captain, this is Mister Puraj Pradesh, late Master of the ship PS Breadbasket. Mister Pradesh, Captain Carroll St. Genevieve, your host."
The pompous little mongoose actually stops in mid-glare at the name. "St. Genevieve? Wasn't that the... what do you think you're doing???"
Horatio says dryly, "Wasn't that the what?"
Alex quietly waves a few crew members over to the launch, to board it once the mongoose is off of it, so they can set the Breadbasket afire.
Carroll smiles, and murrs, "Good evening, Mister Pradesh. Welcome aboard our ship, the Saucy Mare. I'm sorry to have had to met you in such an... unpleasant... situation." He looks at Horatio, and murrs, "That's a very good question." Looking back at the wet mongoose he murrs, "Perhaps you'd be so kind as to tell us what you were thinking?"
Pradesh regains some of his arrogance. "Wasn't that the noble family who were so inept at finances that they lost their estates?"
Alex eyes the mongoose amusedly, "Certainly not, sir. As you can see, we still have our ship."
Dimitri softly growls, "...despite all efforts to the contrary."
Pradesh is visibly not amused. "You're inept even as pirates. What good will an empty grain ship do you? You can't even sell it without bringing the wrath of the Starfall Navy down on your heads."
Horatio looks to Alex. "Did he say 'sell it?'"
Alex grins at Horatio, "He's a little shaken up... you can't expect him to think at a time like this."
Carroll laughs and murrs, "Thank you for your honesty, sir." He smiles and murrs, "As to what we are doing, I shall be all too happy to tell you." Looking the mongoose up and down, he murrs, "After you've had a moment to clean up, I will be more than happy to go in to great details, over a meal." He looks at Dimitri and his couple of sturdy furrs and murrs, "Please assist Mister Pradesh in getting himself dried out; offer him a set of clean, dry clothes; and escort him to my cabin."
Dimitri escorts Pradesh to his cabin, and hands him a pair of heavy towels and a tunic. "It's a bit large, but it's dry." The mongoose grumbles about inappropriate clothing for his station, but grudgingly takes them. Dimitri softly growls, "It's temporary, until yours are dry."
Alex says, "Captain, shall I take some crew over to set the Breadbasket afire?"
Carroll murrs to his sister, "Go over and make sure they left no one, and that nothing immediately salvageable is there. Only then should it be burned."
Alex nods, "You got it, captain. Mister Zhukov, would you assign a few marines to accompany us, please?" She waves the waiting crew members onto the launch, then slides down into the launch herself as well.
Natasha nods and waves her crew back into the launch. "Let's go back and see what they've left for us, shall we?" Alex settles back in the bow, watching the approaching barge.
Carroll calls up, aimlessly and calmly, to the rigging, "Skeee? Would you please escort them?" The bat waves a wing and takes off. Carroll collects Horatio, and murrs, "Let's have dinner, yes?" and leads him to his cabin.
Horatio blinks as Carroll 'collects' him. "Er... certainly, Car- er, Captain..."
When Mister Pradesh is both fur-dry and in dry clothes, Dimitri returns him to Carroll's cabin, he himself taking a place at the side of the door to stand.
Carroll chuckles, "Come and listen, Horatio. Be a gentleman." He moves around and lights all the lamps. He finds Jared, and asks for meals for four; Dimitri, Puraj, Horatio, and himself. He also asks for two of the marines or perhaps MacKenzie to be outside, should the need arise. He murrs, "Hopefully, our guest will remain polite, and it won't be needed."
Horatio shakes his head, as he helps Carroll prepare the cabin for the guest. "Not that anyone asked my opinion, Carroll, but I think you should keep a muzzle for him handy. Some people just love to hear themselves verbally abusing others..."
Alex and her group board the grain ship without incident. The crew left very little in the way of food behind, but aside from the captain's wine they left his expensively appointed cabin alone. Spare rigging and sails are present, but the Mare is already well stocked with such items. Aside from a few spare tools and the captain's artwork, there is little of interest left on the ship.
Alex intends to take any wine the former captain had... she likes the mental image of serving the ex-captain some of his own wine for dinner. She smiles at the empty bottles... well, maybe not. She pauses, regarding the artwork... then shrugs and smiles and collects it too. She glances idly at the back of the artwork, having read in adventure stories about messages being secreted there. She also has the spare tools collected... maybe someone on the Mare can use them, and they don't take up that much space. Then she gathers everyone together after the ship's been searched. She has picked people set different carefully selected areas on fire, so no one gets stuck or left behind... once that's done, they all load into the launch and leave, heading back for the Mare.
The fires burn slowly at first, but about a half-hour after the boarding party gets back, the flames reach the stacked cordage and race up the remaining masts. The suddenly blazing vessel illuminates the sea for miles, and the departing cargo lighter can be seen in the distance by its light.
Alex has the tools handed off to appropriate folks, and takes the artwork herself to the captain's cabin. She pauses long enough to give Jared the command to set sail for Lancer Island, down the coast a ways from the nearest city, just as was done for the doubtful crew... then patters over and taps on the captain's door.