The Caribbean Pirates

In the Caribbean sea, there has always been trouble with pirates. In the year 1770 A.D this rate of piracy attacks increased to roughly a hundred ships being pilfered a month. Now, its 1771 A.D. and the Spanish have moved in stronger force in their attempts to stop the attacks. The local pirates have been forced into creating their own league in order to protect each other. It roughly states that pirates are to aid one another should enforces come in, they cannot attack the lower marked ships, and cannot pilfer against one another with in the waters closest to the islands and the Mexican (though still at the time New Spain), Central American, and Texan (though still at the time part of Mexico/Spain) coast. They are allies, and especially against the British, and Spanish. Captains have risen to superior power, and colonist ships and trading cogs are terrified to travel in the pirate waters. But now, more then ever, the European powers are determined to take back there seas.

The Admiral looked out over the sea, his ship the Continental glided over the waves. "A good job, working for the crown, and we've taken out three pirate ships, erasing the scum of the sea is fine work, don't you agree?" He said to his lookout.
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The captain walked out on deck, he looked over his crew and then called their attention, and in a thick hungarian accent he said, "So! Many have heard of threat that has invaded these waters, taking out pirate ships, but to these threats I say to go and run to the beds of parents! We are strong and loyal and no Navy man will shake my boots!" He said, making large gestures the whole time.
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"Aw don't send the poor kid up top, I'll take the ropes, you know I always have." Kendra said as she walked over, patting Mouse's head, she liked the little guy, even if he was quiet.
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"YOU HEARD THE CAPTAIN! GET THIS SHIP MOVING!" A woman could be heard yelling in a spanish accent, "Captain, hello, I didn't expect to see you out right now." She said as she approached the captain.

Matthew nodded, polishing his musket. "Aye sir. And glorious take-downs they were, if I may say so myself. You're a fine captain. I'm glad to be serving on the Continental. Cleaning the seas, serving the Crown... I used to dream of this kind of work as a kid." He nodded as he spoke, a content smile on his face.
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Timothy grinned, slapping the flat end of his butcher's knife against the palm of his hand. He remained quiet; he got the feeling that the rest of the crew didn't exactly want to listen to him shout and cheer all the time. So he nodded in agreement, with that confident grin on his face. Aye, no Navy's takin' us down.
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Andrew laughed. "If you say so, Ken'," he said, addressing her by the nickname that he decided to give her. "Though, you know that he's going to have to go up there someday, right? Every sailor's been up there at least once."
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Thomas braced on the bulwark as the ship lurched to action. "That was a close one," he muttered to himself. He shifted his grip on the brush he held in his hand, and resumed cleaning out the inside of his cannon. He double-checked the area around it to make sure it was clear. Can't be sure when the next attack could be.

George Smith adjusted his glasses, looking at the Admiral with a slight smile. His confidence was reassuring to the younger crew, and certainly helped moral. "Well said sir." He commented to Charles, and then turned to look at a group of fresh sailors that were struggling with strengthening some of the ropes. "Pardon me," George said, and walked over to the young men.
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John Andrews gave a gruff cheer before returning to the task he had been doing, polishing cannonballs. It was an uncommon practice, but John had figured that if one polished the cannonball properly, it would slide out the cannon shaft quicker, hence doing more damage. He rolled the heavy metal ball in his hand, smugly noting how a few of the new lads stared at how he was able to hold the thing with one hand while cleaning it with a rag. Admittedly, he was sitting down, and would rest it on his legs every now and then, but none the less he was doing such a thing.
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Mouse gave Ken a curious look, she was still shocked the others hadn't done anything bad to her considering she was a woman. But it was far to late to expose herself now, so Mouse simply nodded and stepped back.
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"Please Cassandra, you know I like to enjoy to salty morning air." Isabella said to the other pirate woman, she had to respect her for that fact. Unlike herself, Cassandra never played Mr.Captain, and that was certainly annoying. Three years of pretending to have interest in what men and male pirates enjoyed was the hardest of her life. Especially when the others had tried to get her to take a young lass out for a night of fun, oh how that hadn't ended well for anybody. Isabella blew a stray bit of dark hair out of her face, and then straightened up. "¿El vigía vio algo hoy?" She asked of Cassandra.

(Translation: Has the lookout spotted anything today?)

"No." Was the quick reply to her captain, best to keep things simple and clean, no messing around. "We should watch out, if one Navy man can sink three ships then he must at least have a grain of sense in his head." She said, she preferred to speak in english, even though it was clear by how she spoke and looked that she was spanish.
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"Good! Continue on toward our objective." The Admiral said, he was walking back toward the rear of the ship.
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Captain Sandor looked over his crew, glad to have a band of men more loyal than those dogs in the Navy, "Come now! We must set out for colony, Stopping Navy men will be a great pleasure." He said.
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Kendra looked at Andrew, "Aye, but not till the lad is older, you think we should be sending ones like him up there, You won't even let him out during battle!" She said as she grabbed the ladder, moving up a couple of rings at a slowed pace as to hear his response.

If I never have to go up there, the better. Mouse thought, she gulped as she balked at the sheer size of the ship. Perhaps if they weren't out at sea she wouldn't mind quite so much. But the motion of there would be unbearable. Mai had only offered to seem like a help, knowing Andrew would refuse.
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Isabella nodded, "Aye, we certainly do. I want- ¿Qué demonios?" She quickly switched to Spanish as la Ira del Mar lurched to the side again, making Isabella grip the bulwark just to avoid being thrown overboard. The Spanish woman threw a cold glare at the current man keeping the stern, and used the still rocking boat's momentum, to practically tackle him. "What are you doing!" The captain demanded, gripping the collar of his shirt and slammed him into the boards beneath them. He fearfully pointed at something on the horizon. Isabella released him, and looked at the familiar shape of the Fekete Király.
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George finished aiding the lads, and turned to the Admiral. "Sir, do you have an idea where we might find more pirates?" He questioned.
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John finished up the cannonball, and returned it to a pile he had finished. Now all he needed was a hand to get them back below deck.

(Translation: What the hell?)

Matthew nodded with a grin. "Aye, sir!" He turned sharply and headed to the ladder up to the masthead, grabbing a drink as he went. Carefully, he ascended the ladder to the top, where he had a stool and even a small table waiting for him, where he sat, drank, and looked out. As he reached the top, he settled in quickly, taking a much-desired swig from his drink. "Ah. Well, let's see what's out there today..." He set his musket down and took his spyglass, raising it up to his left eye. He shut his right as he scanned the horizon.
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Timothy twirled his butcher's knife and went to make his way belowdecks. A long trip was ahead, but he didn't mind. Colony, eh? Hopefully we stop there. Pick some things up... He promptly began preparing the next meal; he figured he'd have it finished just in time.
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Andrew sighed and rolled his eyes. "'Ey, there's a difference between keeping him from getting killed and sending him up the ladder, y'know!" He yelled after her. He shook his head and finished untying the rope he was working on. "She drives me crazy sometimes, y'know that?" He said to Mouse, much the same way an older brother would address his younger sibling. "Ah, I guess she's just looking out for you. C'mon, let's go check the rest of the sails." He waved Mouse along as he began to make his way around the ship.

Paul leaned against the rail and looked out over his crew. "Oi!" He yelled up to Kendra. "Ask the lookout if he's seen any land nearby! We've got to set a course!" He looked out over the seas, but the unaided eye can only see so far. "I hope we haven't sailed too far off," he muttered. "We'll be alright though." He spoke up. "How are the ropes, Mouse?" He shouted the question so as to be heard over the crew.
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Thomas looked up to the two commanders of the ship. Both were women, which confused him to no end at first, but it was something he got used to. I just wish they wouldn't talk Spanish so much. Makes me feel like they're plotting to assassinate me or something. He laid the brush down next to the cannon and secured it in place, rolling his shoulders before leaning against the bulwark, staring out at the water. She said Cuba, right? I wonder if any Navy ships are going to be looking for us around there. Suddenly, the ship lurched, and he gripped the bulwark tightly to avoid being thrown overboard. "What's going on out there?!" He asked to nobody in particular. He wasn't even sure if anyone could understand him. He stood up straight and looked out over the water. Is that another ship?

Mouse could barely hold back a chuckle at what Andrew said, and simply nodded. "Perhaps." She said, her Chinese slipping through just a bit to accent her word. Mouse followed after him, listening and doing as told until the captain himself strolled up to her. Instinctively she tensed, only to remember Paul was a good man, and Andrew's brother. "Good sir!" She said with a gusto, and paled a bit at the slightly higher sound of her voice.
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"All hands on deck, I want every cannon loaded and aimed at that ship!" Isabella ordered sharply. Even though she and Sándor Nagy were both apart of the Pirates' league, it was never a smart idea to let one's guard down around another pirate. "Thomas, get those cannons ready!" She yelled down in her general combat manner. "Fly the flag!" She commanded, the la Ira del Mar went without its flag until it spotted another ship. The iconic black flag with a skull and bones wasn't exactly one she wanted up for another pirate to see. After all it meant she was going to attack them, and that would be foolhardy. "The solid black one!" Isabella ordered.

Paul nodded towards Mouse. "Aye, good lad. You two need anything, you let me know," he said in a reassuring tone towards Mouse and Andrew. "Especially you," he said, lightly punching him in the shoulder. "You and your stubbornness. You wouldn't ask for help even if you were missing an arm and a leg," he joked with a chuckle.

Andrew laughed and shook his head. "Hey, you know me. If I don't need to bother someone, why do it? Sound reasoning, brother. You'd do well by it, you troublemaker," he joked back. With a grin, he ruffled Mouse's hair, making a mental note about the change in the pitch of her voice, joining Paul in his rounds on the deck. "You're free to go, you know. I mean, unless you want to follow us around. That's fine too."
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Thomas looked up at the mention of his name. "Aye, ma'am!" He shouted back and began jogging around the deck. "Let's get those cannons ready to fire! You heard the missus!" He shouted to the other cannoneers on the deck. As soon as he finished his lap around the deck, he stopped by his own cannon and prepared to load it, shifting the first cannonball on his stack to make it easier to pick up and load. "Ready to load on your order, ma'am!" He shouted up to Isabella. He glanced up at the solid black flag that would be going up by now, and noted that it didn't have the skull and crossbones. Guess that means we're not in for a fight. Not for sure yet, anyway.

"Captain! Look out, straight ahead!"
Sandor looked ahead of the ship, and could easily see the Sandsarya, "Plot a course, we're meeting up with the Sandsarya! Run the white flag!" He said.
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"Set out toward Cuba, I've heard of pirates massing there, although no telling if there will be any today, let's hope we get lucky then shall we?" The Admiral said.
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Kendra continued up the ladder, she undid the knots keeping the sail up. There, not too bad. she thought, "Yeah I can do that!" She shouted back at him, she turned toward the crows nest, and clambered inside, "So, see anything interesting lately?" She asked.
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"Captain, is that the ship I think it is?" She asked.

Having lifted her spyglass to her right eye, Isabella watched the white flag raise from the Fekete Király. She lowered the tube from her eye, and shook her head. "Right you be Cassandra, that's Sándor Nagy alright." She sighed, it was always a disappointment to see the turn of events. One day, she'd just love to have a good-old-fashioned pirate fight. But if Sándor was anywhere in a hundred leagues, he would always wuss out of a fight with her. "Prepare to meet them, cannons down." She ordered, "Sorry Thomas. Not today."
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Mouse didn't make a sound as she continued to follow after them, preferring to stick near them rather then be alone. A few other sailors had started asking questions, like why she never hung out with them during down time, or never made a remark about the beautiful women they saw when they would set anchor in a port. Mouse focused on their backs as she followed to the Irish brothers.
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"Tis certainly a wise choice. Not to mention two more trade cogs haven't reported in at the port. Though hopefully the Spanish won't be upset at us should we arrive near the port." George agreed, eyes trained on the horizon.

The lookout of the Epona lowered his spyglass and looked at Kendra. "Somethin' on the horizon. Saw a solid black flag, and another ship with a solid white one. They're not flyin' any colours, so I'd be willin' to say they're pirates."

Paul looked up towards the masthead and sighed. "Andrew, mind asking Kendra if the lookout's seen anything? She's been up there a while. I'm starting to worry." He cast a worried glance out towards the horizon and squinted. "I swear there's something out there."

Andrew nodded. "Yeah, I'll do that." He stopped and turned his head up towards the masthead. "'Ey, Ken! You alright up there? Get a chance to talk to the lookout yet?" He shouted up towards Kendra. "Paul's starting to get worried about you! Probably wondering if you slipped up there trying to undo a knot or something!" He followed with a grin. It was always fun picking on her.
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Thomas nodded and set the cannonball back in a more secure position. "Stand down! We're not fighting anything today!" He commanded, and nodded to Isabella. "Aye, ma'am," he simply said, and leaned against the bulwark again, staring at the ship on the horizon, as if he could discern each person on the other pirate ship just by looking long enough.
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Timothy stepped out onto the deck now that everything was cooking. The other cooks could take care of it; he wasn't the only one, after all. He took a deep breath, butcher's knife hanging on his belt, as he walked closer to the bulkhead. Another ship eh? Wonder which one it is.
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Matthew shifted his weight as he felt the ship turn. "Shiftin' course, eh?" He spoke out loud to himself, casually lifting the spyglass to his eye. "Nothin' yet. Got a strange feeling in my gut though. Almost like we're going to be running across something soon." He took another drink. "That or it's the drinks. But I think it's the former. Better keep an eye out." He chuckled to himself, setting both objects down and resuming the polishing of his musket.

"Captain?" John inquired as he looked at Sándor, having just finished bringing all the cannonballs back under the deck. He looked at the white flag sailing and nearly punched the closest sailor. Instead he punched a bucket, sending soapy water all across the deck. "Captain!" He growled, the huge man rising to tower over to Hungarian.
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Mouse peered over the horizon, and could just see two black spots moving. She lifted a hand, point at them, "Sir?" She forced, keeping complete check of her tone this time. She was nineteen after all, puberty couldn't be an easy excuse anymore.

"You know if I didn't know any better I'd think you were worrying about me as well, for your knowledge he's seen two ships, pirate!" She called down, she climbed up on the edge of the crow's nest and stood there for a minute, up here she felt on top of the world.
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"Yes? What is it Jack?" He said, clasping the large man on the shoulder.
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"Make sure that we have properly prepared, and send a message out to any ships in the area, I'm sure we'll need more for this if we do come across any more pirates." The Admiral said to his "Second in command." There was never any recognition for second place, but George was a good enough man, he might even make a Navy captain one day, if he learns from me of course. The Admiral thought.

George nodded, and quickly left to attend the matter.
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Jack gave a displeased grunt, "If you're afraid of what a few navy men have to do, we can handle them sir!" He said, unknowing of who the were flying the white flag to. "You know my skills as a gunner, and those cannons couldn't be in a more pristine state!" The towering man gave a small snort, the veins on his neck bulging slightly.
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Mouse swallowed, eyes growing wide quickly. "Know who?" She asked, careful of her tone. Her eyes darted over the horizon, focusing on the black dots that no doubt were the other two pirate ships.
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"Lets bring it in to convene." Isabella said, taking hold of the wheel to steer the ship herself. She hated to have Sándor see her in any way not in charge of her boat. She knew exactly why he always the white flag in her presence, would hate to get into a battle with the woman he was trying to battle. Filthy Hungarian.

<The Epona>

Andrew nodded and looked at Paul. "Two ships on the horizon. Pirates, we think. I'm not the captain, but I'd say it's a good idea to head over there. At the very least, they can tell us where land is." He shook his head towards Mouse. "We can't tell from this distance who the captains are, unfortunately. But we'll find out soon enough, right?"

Paul nodded. "Agreed. Sounds like a plan to me." He glanced at Mouse. "Might want to cover your ears," he advised with a smile, then shouted. "Alright! Turn to port! We're headed towards friends!" He looked to the two next to him. "Might want to brace yourselves. We're going to be making a harder turn to speed up travel. And, this will be a good time to try that improvement I was thinking about. Andrew, tell them to open the side sails. Time to see how they perform."

Andrew nodded to Paul. "Aye, brother. I'll get it done." He looked back up to Kendra. "Hey! Get down from there before you fall off! Hard turn to port!" He shouted. She better listen to me this time. He turned to the crew. "Let's open up the sides! Time to see just how hard we can push this ship!" He shouted. At once, two pairs of sailors rushed belowdecks, while two more pairs, one for each side, moved to the bulwark. The sound of sails being unfurled was heard, and the four men pushed out side beams, revealing a pair of extra sails on the sides of the boat, designed to catch more of the wind for increased speed.

Paul looked at the sails with satisfaction. "I can feel us picking up speed already," he said with a laugh. "We'll see how this goes. I bet there's a good reason nobody's tried it before, and we're about to find out of we can do it." He crossed his arms and took on a solemn expression, taking in every detail he could about the performance of the Epona.
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<The Fekete Király>

Timothy looked up towards the captain and Jack, one arm resting on the bulwark casually as he observed the conversation. After a moment, he decided to get a rag and started to wipe up the water that Jack had just spilled all over the deck.
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<The S.S. Continental>

Matthew set down his spyglass and looked over the edge of the masthead. "Sir! Nothing in sight yet, but I've got a gut feeling something's out there!" He picked up his spyglass again and scanned the horizon, feeling a little restless. Whatever's out there, where is it already?
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<La Ira del Mar>

Thomas secured his cannon again and stood up straight, seeming more composed and serious than his usual self. He actually acted proper, instead of leaning against the bulwark like he usually did. He checked to make sure he had his knife and flintlock out of habit, just in case something were to happen. Here we go.

The Chinese girl nodded her head, and covered her ears just before the captain started bellowing out orders. Mouse let out a grunt as the ship turned abruptly, and tripped off to the right, caught in the momentum. Once it had leveled out, the ship now moving at an awe-inspiring speed, Mouse ran over to Andrew. "Sir? Need cannons?" She asked, keeping her tone even.
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Isabella glared at the ship as they came closer to it, eyes hungrily taking in its shape. She would have loved to have pillaged it from Sándor, but aside from the Pirate League stopping her, Sándor was more then a formidable foe in combat. His crew was nearly as strong as hers, but his ship itself had some advantages over hers.

<The Epona>

Andrew grinned and crossed his arms, enjoying the new burst of speed. "No, we'll be alright. If they're really other pirates, then they shouldn't be opening fire on us." He nodded as he spoke, "And besides, if they do decide to try and move against us, we can have our cannons up and running quickly enough. Just enjoy the ride for now, Mouse," he said with a pleased expression.

Paul let out a satisfied laugh. "It's working!" He exclaimed. "I had my doubts, but here we are!" He shook his head as if in disbelief, and nudged Andrew. "I told you this would be a good idea," he told his brother with a triumphant grin. Andrew nodded. "That you did, Paul, that you did." He chuckled. "I know, I was wrong once. You don't need to rub it in my face for the rest of my life, you know." Andrew looked out over the water and nodded once more. "We're catching up to them faster than expected, actually. This'll take some getting used to," he remarked.
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<La Ira del Mar>

Thomas cast a short glance up at Isabella and blinked, confused. "Ma'am," he began, "is everything alright? You seem... Bothered by something," he asked hesitantly. He followed her glare to the other ship and shook his head. We've agreed not to attack them, but her expression... Gah, I wish the captain wasn't so hard to understand sometimes.

The captain of la Ira del Mar looked at Thomas and sighed. "Don't you ever miss the days we fought against one another?" She prompted, leaning against the stern a bit. "Now we can't even have a good scrap without ticking every other pirate off in the league. If it wasn't for these blasted Europeans, we could have all the chaos we wanted." She sighed, a brief moment of frustration boiling over, then refocused and straightened up to look at the horizon and the ship.
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Mouse nodded, and took a step back to a few ropes along the bulwark. She clung onto the railing for dear life at the extreme speed they were going, fearful of sinking suddenly.

<La Ira del Mar>

Thomas shrugged. "Aye, those were good days. The days where we truly ruled the seas, did what we wanted without fear." He shook his head. "Times change though, ma'am. Maybe once all this business with the Europeans is settled, we can go back to the old times." He looked out at the Hungarian's ship. "But, for now, we've got to work with what we've got, aye?" Thomas stated politely and in an even tone. "Just keep a handle on yourself, ma'am. We'll make it through this yet."