The Siege

[Admiral Ace Ciss]

While no day in Fort Mutany was particularly calm, today seemed more terse than usual. Even the atmosphere seemed to weigh down more than ever before. The young Admiral stood at the top of the fort and gazed around, thinking to spot a shadow coming from the cove.

"Johnathan," the Admiral said as a boy ran up beside him.

"Yes, sir?" The boy's eyes were full of worry.

"Tell the crew of The Legacy to prepare for battle, ," he said gravely. "This fort needs to be held."

The young boy nodded and ran down the stairs, all the way to the dock. "Prepare! This is not a drill!" he shouted. The Legacy crew sprung to their feet and rushed for their ship, preparing for war. The "fleet" had been much larger, at one point consisting of hundreds of ships, but the occasional attacks from the cove had greatly reduced their numbers.

The Admiral sighed as he continued to gaze outward, praying he was wrong as he wandered down to the dock.

[CaptainRomaneDasmary]

Indeed there was such a ship on the horizon, bending over the ever-long back of the ocean. Through an elongated scope, the Captain of the Kayla Tonic spotted Fort Mutany.

"Land ho!" yelled John from the crowsnest.

"No shit." Captain Romane said, he himself walking over to the sails and adjusting them to ease the ship into the cove to prepare the bombardment.

[Captain Kashuno Kirane]

"Avast!" The captain shouted as he continued past the Kayla Tonic, quickly sailing farther ahead in and effort to have a good time. "Prepare to fire!" He shouted with a grin as he laid eyes upon The Legacy.

[Admiral Ace Ciss]

"Fire!" The Admiral of The Legacy shouted. The Legacy fired about seven of their cannons, all just falling short of The Albiore. Behind them, in the fort, were about a hundred or so longbows, all prepared to set their arrows ablaze. Maybe from their added height the archers could get a decent range and perhaps set one of the ships on fire, though at the moment they were all hidden.

[Adrian Bellamont]

An eerie silence consumed the deck of the Peste Noire as it neared the unfolding battle. It was safe to say that not one crewman wasn't very uneasy about not only hijacking the esteemed fleet admiral's ship but also heading to battle under a supposedly inexperienced young colonel.

Adiran stood at the port, his gloved hands clasping tightly onto the side of the hulking warship. He, too, wasn't sure he was making a smart decision by heading out with only one ship with which he had little experience. His mother had yet to teach him how to actually command it and he had only served as her personal assistant several times in his career.

As for the ship, it was strong enough to take on about two pirate ships, three if the captains were inexperienced, and come out only slightly scathed if under very experienced command; it would be like going against Davy Jones in a dingy if some inexperienced kid was calling the shots, though. Young Bellamont was a very experienced captain and had commanded many ships in his short seventeen years, but he had feared the Peste Noire ever since he was a small boy; it, in his mind, had robbed him of a once kind mother.

He let out a soft sigh as his mind raced with various doubts and feelings of honor and responsibility. He overheard reports of several pirate ships heading toward Fort Mutany and, when hearing that his good friend Ciss was the only one capable of leading the defensive out in the unforgiving sea, became nervous. His mother remarked without remorse or sorrow that he wouldn't be returning to Britain; he was too much of a goody two-shoes to leave some worthless commoners to their doom, she said. Regardless, the man had saved his life and he intended to repay the favor no matter what.

He closed his eyes, wondering if he was going to come out alive. He was determined to do everything in his power to get Ciss out of there, but he would never be able to forgive himself if his baby sister grew up knowing her brother only through the family portrait hanging in the foyer of the mansion. His thoughts were interrupted by the soft voice of a young crewman:

"The harpoons and cannons are manned and the other mates are positioned round the deck and behind the windows with guns and bows ready. Orders, sir?" asked the young man, realizing that their proxy captain was lost in his thoughts. The poor boy had a lot on his mind, of course, and commanding a ship wasn't exactly helping. The crew , although unsure, were all ready to lay down their lives for the man.

Adrian glanced over his shoulder at his subordinate and gave him a small smile. The Peste Noire was now nearing the rears of the two ships and was prepared to strike one of them. The Kayla Tonic would be the primary target so he could take a load off the admiral's back. He suspected he should have the advantage because the two captains probably wouldn't suspect the Black Plague itself sneaking up from the rear."Prepare to fire several shots into the Kayla Tonic and have the gunmen open fire on the deck when we get close enough. Do not fire the harpoons until we clean out the crew." he commanded, trying to sound as confident as poissble.

The second-in-command nodded and ran off to deliver the orders. Adrian walked off toward the upper deck where the armed men stood prepared, ready to boost the morale of his mother's...his crew; and, of course, to face the reaper if need be.

[CaptainRomaneDasmary]

Sneaking indeed would be the advantage: If this were a one-man affair. Besides the fact that they had eased onto a broadside position to begin the bombardment, so that sneaking behind him like to sneak on the Albiore would be to their left, there were many crew members amongst both ships, and of course, a large ship such as the Peste Noire wouldn't go unseen.

"Capin', ship upcomin'. Brit." said a crew member. Romane smiled and walked to the left side of his ship to look at the Peste Noire, immiedately recgonizing it.

"The Captain must not be experienced," Romane said, looking through his scope. "He's armed the cannons but hasn't turned the ship." Romane finished, putting down his scope now.

"What shall we do, Capin?" that same crew member said. Romane's response came with a smile.

"Let's teach him how to fight. Raise the cannons 20 degrees, they'll be dead on. Then fire."

"Yesir." the Pirate replied, then went below deck with the orders, while those above deck had all ready began because they heard the orders.

"Well, Mr. Inexperienced, I know you're not Marcelle, and that Ace fellow commands the Legacy. So you're Adrian. You were with the bastard in Barock. Time for revenge. FIRE!" he yelled, as the 16 cannons on the left side ripped loose heavy cannon balls, tearing through the air, dead on target (for the most part) at the front of the Peste Noire. Seeing that the broadside was wider that the front, only about 10 would actual hit, unless Adrian attempted some manuever, which would probably wind up allowing more to hit.

[Captain Kashuno Kirane]

The Albiore came to a standstill as the cannonballs created small ripples nearby. The last thing the captain wanted to do was hurt his favorite piece of work. Still, he wanted to dock ASAP. "Decisions, decisions," he thought as he spun the wheel back and forth, his crew anxiously awaiting orders.

[Admiral Ace Ciss]

The Admiral cursed as he noticed the Peste Noire."Of all the..." he muttered as the Kayla Tonic opened fire. He knew that, even if it was not Marcelle, which he could obviously tell it wasn't by the way the navigation was handled, the Peste Noire should be able to stand even a powerful attack by the Kayla Tonic. Or at least, that's what he hoped.

Turning his attention back to his own battlefield, he noticed The Albiore had come to a stop, just out of his range. Had it been one on one, it may be best to just wait. However, with the Peste Noire under someone, he assumed Adrian's, command, he had a major problem. His crew maneuvered it slightly more sideways, allowing for a broadside sweep should either ship come into range. Even a skilled pirate captain wouldn't waste cannon fire by shooting while they moved, the added wind resistance would reduce the impact greatly.

And so The Legacy waited.

[Adrian Bellamont]

Exactly all ten cannonballs rammed into the Peste Noire, but only about two or three managed to actually pierce the shell of the deadly ship; the captain wasn't too good, but the ship was; it was still the ominous warship Marcelle frequently bragged about.

Adrian's lack of experience actually did him some goodthis time; he had ordered the crew to manuever, but they knew better. They respectfully denied his orders and took the attack head on, having dealt with similar attacks during their time under Marcelle. The young man, trusting his crew, quickly realized they made the right decision.

The ship made a very fast turn, surprisingly fast considering its large size, and made way toward the left side of the Kayla Tonic. Seeing as they had just fired many of the cannons on that side, they would have to reload, leaving the Peste Noire at an advantage. The ship, when it turned, was purposely put at a close distance with the attacking pirate ship; because of its magnificent defenses, it could easily sustain the remaining cannonballs.

The crew positioned on the deck, who had aimed their weapons at the deck as the ship moved, quickly opened fire on the pirates standing on the deck. As their temporary captain had wisely commanded beforehand, they were doing their best to clear out enough men in order to lower the chance of a deadly boarding.

[CaptainRomaneDasmary]

It was amazing how fast this rag-tag crew could reload, especially considering the fact that nearly every pirate, save maybe a dozen on deck, was below deck, helping. The ones on deck were struggling, finding cover behind the cannons.
"Reload!" the Captain commanded, watching the bullets rain down on the ship, which wasn't effected at all. The Admiral on the Peste Noire was a stupid one, he hadn't taken advantage. He failed to fire quickly enough, and by turning to broadside as the Kayla Tonic was now fully reloaded, he had made a fatal mistake.
"Fire!" Romane commanded. Through the small pores of the Peste Noire, in which the cannons proclaimed home, the wood was made weak around that territory because of the square in which the cannons were peaking out of. This is exactly what Romane's crew aimed for. Cannons balls were thrown through the air, crashing through, some skillfully aimed downwards. Some of these punctures would cause the great Peste Noire to lose a cannon due to the fact that the wall that held it was being torn down. The cannonballs that had been aimed skillfully down would penetrate these weakpoints in the wall, and then go down and into the hull of the ship, ripping a new hole in the bottom.

As for the 4 cannons thatactually remained up-top, they were aimed at the crew of the Peste Noire, where they gathered in bunches to shoot at the few crew even visible on the Kayla Tonic. When they gathered in such groups, they would be ripped down by the cannon fire, like a grenade, except causing large holes.

[Adrian Bellamont]

The Black Plague was severely damaged and there was no denying it. The deck was covered with massive holes and stained with the twisted and bloody flesh of the unlucky brits who were unfortunate enough to be hit by the massive cannonballs.

Adrian watched in a trance as the remaining crew retreated down to the highest interior level of the ship, aiming the remaining cannons at the Kayla Tonic. They knew very well their ship was sinking, so they didn't dare go any lower than a few floors. With commendable skill and precision they pumped the enemy ship full of cannonballs as fast as they possibly could, quickly reloading afterwards with seemingly inhuman speed. The Peste Noire was done for, but it didn't intend to go alone.

As the proxy captain stood in an unbelieving trance the experienced second-in-command took the wheel, steering the sinking ship away from the Kayla Tonic as the cannons continued to pierce the side of the enemy ship. Not one cannonball managed to shatter the hull of the ship, but the majority of them went right through the shell and were causing quite a bit of damage. The more experienced man glanced over at his superior, a fierce determination and courage burning in his aged eyes. "Adiran, I'm speaking to ya as a friend and elder now! Get the hell out of here before the smoke clears! They won't be able to see ya for a little while in the confusion!" he yelled.

Adrian nodded, now feeling like he was in some sort of bad dream. He gave the brave man his thanks and descended the stairs toward the escape boats, seemingly touched by the grace of God. He noticed the remaining crew who, despite having lost limbs and soon their lives because of the admiral's son's impulsive decision, gave him only respectful looks; they knew his intentions were pure and wished someone like him was calling the shots instead of the psychotic and unscrupulous Marcelle.

The dark haired Bellamont boarded one of the many escape ships, a few other crew members having boarded the others. No, they were not cowards; they wanted to give their beloved master a good chance to escape by acting as diversions. If many of the escape ships were out in the open, the Kayla Tonic would have to focus on all of them along with the sinking Peste Noire.

Adrian lay face down in the escape boat, drifting off from his mother's sinking ship. His survival now solely depended on luck:--if the Kayla Tonic focused on the other ships and the sinking Peste Noire, he might be able to get out alive. The young man closed his eyes, his mind full of images of his younger sister and the men who had so valiantly given their lives for his. These images would be with him for the rest of his life, even if it only lasted for a few more minutes.

[CaptainRomaneDasmary]

"How do you say good-bye in British?" Romane said with a chuckle.
"Sir, the British speak English."
"What do we speak?"
"English."
"..Oh. Then, goodbye Peste Noire. Lead the knipple." he said with a chuckle. The crew indeed lead the knipple, taking specifically made cannon balls. There were many types of cannon balls in the day, standard, knipple, and bombs, just to name a few. The crew of the Kayla Tonic indeed knew what lead the knipple meant. A specifically made cannon ball that Romane had semi-created, combining a knipple shot with a bomb. Both cannon balls on the knipple shot, connected by chains, were bombs. When fired, they'd be wrapped around an object, then explode. And the target was quite easy.

One by one the cannons loaded these shots, quickly firing them off so the cannons didn't explode on the Kayla Tonic. The cannons rammed through the deck, exploding, sending the cannons off of the Peste, and that gunpowder that was still usable, thanks to not being wet, exploded.

"How about French?"
"Not sure sir."
"Damnit."

Now, Romane looked to his right. The cove. An evil plan to say the least.

"I took out my share, Kashuno can do his. Until we help. Go there." he said to his crew, pointing to some land off to the side. The crew quickly manuevered there and cast anchor, transporting 6 cannons, plenty of ammunition, and enough crew members to take and use it all, to the said land with dingies, then leaving them there for their return. They took the ammunition to the fort.

"Ah look, longbows." Romane said, now seeing that as he took off his musket. The crew, now carrying the supplies on land, dropped them gently and took out their own muskets. Muskets beat bows, and the out-numbered longbows were quickly slaughtered, and the transporting continued.

"Ah, Fort Mutany." Romane said with a chuckle as the crew set up the cannons to face the Legacy. For now, he'd wait for Kashuno's next move.

[CaptainRomaneDasmary]

Seeing the Peste Noire fall like a mere child plaything, Ace had become slightly curious. Had the pirates taken control of the Peste Noire? It was, after all, his duty as an Admiral of the British navy to take care of traitors and war criminals. He and his crew, however, refused to leave the Legacy. They felt as if abandoning the Legacy was a sin. Honorable men. And so, the men opened fire on the Albiore after moving forward enough to hit. The Captain of the Albiore, who had gotten bored with the standstill and stopped caring, was unprepared for the assault, and the Albiore sank easily. As the troops of the Tonic traversed the rough land of the cove, the Legacy went to plunge, bow first, into the ship, hopefully sinking it as well as themselves.

^ That's what Kash/Ace posted.

[TylerGualano]

Tyler gasped as he saw the approaching storm. He ran below deck, to the remaining cannons. Thank God they were all on the same side the Legacy was coming from.
"Lead the knipple." he said to the remaining crew. They look to him, shrugged, and did so, firing it at the Legacy one by one, making sure to tilt to be on target. The hull was ripped apart on the Legacy, and above the masts would be prime subject. Either way, the Legacy was forced to sink into the waters before it could even dream of reaching the Kayla Tonic.

[Adrian Bellamont]

Adrian rested silently in the drifting boat, his eyes closed tightly. His mind would be racing with thoughts of regret and shame for abandoning the Peste Noire, despite the fact the crew had wanted him to, if he weren't too tired and mentally broken.

Even though he didn't know it, he was most likely safe. The Kayla Tonic seemed to be occupied with both Fort Mutany and the Legacy. The Albiore would be too if it weren't already resting beneath the raging sea with his mother's ship.

The poor young man's barely working mind was plagued with images of the pirates as they ripped apart the grand Peste Noire. Strangely, though, he felt absolutely no malice toward the pirates; they were fighting for their right to exist, and he respected that.

He fell into unconsciousness as his boat floated toward the open seas, his last thought being a future talk with his mother about her responsibilites and the rights of pirates. About several hours later the boy would be discovered by a passing trade ship and be taken back to London.