|
Post by Ladorak on May 7, 2012 11:24:27 GMT -5
Caden heard Carrow out, and understood the mouse completely. He had to admit... he himself wasn't entirely looking forward to seeing their handiwork up close... but if he was going to understand this war, he needed to. He just would've preferred Ladorak being by his side on this one. Not seeing it with the ermine would be like missing a big event with his father... but Ladorak had his job to do here. He was needed to command the ship... but Caden knew that if they ever boarded an enemy vessel, they would witness it together... and he would wait for that time to come.
"Well... I do understand, Carrow." Caden said, reaching a paw out to clasp the mouse's shoulder. "You need to do what is right and best for you. If you need time to think, by all means. We'll be up on deck, getting the boats ready. If you decide to stay, that's perfectly fine. If you decide to go well... we'll be there for you. I'm probably just as nervous as you are about seeing what we're going to see over there." the albino confessed to him. "But... I'm going to do it. See you up top, regardless." Caden said, giving his friend a nod as he patted the rodent's shoulder.
Leading Selvis and Ocean to the companionway, the albino started up the stairs, listening to the sounds of ongoing combat coming from all around them. As Caden blinked in the sunlight, he could already see that the coxswain and his mates were making the boats ready for launching. The davits were up on the poop deck, and they would be launching to leeward, or from the starboard side of the ship.
"Midshipjack Fugate! Seajacks Frenate and Sleet!" the call came from Ladorak, who was approaching them now. Caden came to attention, as did Ocean. Ladorak returned all three of their salutes. "Just about ready to head over to the prize?" he asked. "I'm getting ready to depart the ship myself... though I'm headed for the Welkannia. Admiral Goodall and I are going to try and convince Admiral Hotham to pursue the Rosferians. I don't... measure our efforts as going to be very successful but... it's worth a shot, at least." the ermine commented, nodding at the three of them with a serious expression.
"Yes sir." Caden nodded in response. "We uh... we're all ready, sir. Lieutenant Andrews will be supervising us, then?"
Ladorak nodded. He knelt down in front of them now, looking at each of them in turn. "This is an important assignment for you. According to the rules of war, once a ship strikes, it is under the command of the ship it strikes to, being us. Now... the Rosferians shouldn't in theory try anything... and if they do, I'll send over every damn marine I have, as will the rest of the fleet. Besides... doing that would violate the terms of their surrender, and probably consign them to permanent rather than temporary captivity with us, as you know we exchange prisoners rather frequently." he informed them.
"We'll be taking their captain aboard this ship... as sort of an insurance against their trying anything." he continued. "The officers will also be separated and locked away in a different part of the ship from their crew, as another precaution. However... I don't think they'll give you much trouble. They know they've lost... and unless they want to forfeit even more lives... they're done." he said, turning his gaze across to the captured 80 gunner now. "The second part of your assignment... is observing what we've done today... the good and bad." the ermine said, shifting his gaze back to them.
Caden nodded slowly in understanding, mulling the words over in his head. Ladorak went on. "It might be gruesome... and I'm expecting it will be... but you've seen killing before at Personza. This will be considerably more intense than that... as I'm certain we killed or wounded quite a number over there... but just steel yourselves for it. I want you to see war like I've seen it... to come to appreciate its positives and negatives. It's not completely about seeing the world and camaraderie and all that good stuff. Something I always take with me whenever I go to see sights like the ones you're about to see..." here he paused, looking them over again. "Is that in this type of situation, it's far better them than you. They were trying to do the same damn thing to you as you did to them... and you can stomach it better if you count yourselves fortunate that you're still among all your friends... living and breathing, and that you made it through a trial by fire."
The ermine's eyes looked at each of them intently, and he nodded once, then smiled. "I also want you to know that I'm damn proud of all of you. For ones so young, you remind me of me at that age. You've done so much in this war already... and whatever the outcome of today's battle, just know that you can always keep this as one of your victory notches." he said, nodding more firmly at them with a warm look.
"Yes sir." Caden and Ocean both said, nodding back, with Caden smiling. He patted his pocket, just to make sure he had his journal with him... he did. He'd be writing down the battle's details on the way over to the Ca Ira.
"Good... now go make yourselves ready. I will see you when we arrive back in port." Ladorak replied, eyes lingering on Caden now as he gave him a nod, as if it to say "you can do this." They saluted each other, and the captain rose to go back to his duties, and prepare to head over to the Welkannia. Caden stopped him however.
"Sir? Good luck. I hope you can convince the admiral to turn around." the marten said resolutely. "I have confidence in you, sir."
"Thank you... Caden." Ladorak responded, smiling at him. "I will see you in a few days. Just think of it as a sleepover... or something." the ermine chuckled, shrugging.
Caden turned to Selvis as Ladorak headed off. "Anything you need from down below before we depart?" he asked his long-tailed companion. "I'm also going to wait for Carrow, as I'll know he'll be dropping by soon, with his yea or nay." the albino commented, shoving his paws into his pockets.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on May 8, 2012 16:33:12 GMT -5
Caden's paw on his shoulder felt extremely comforting to Carrow, and he was unable to keep from breathing a sigh of relief as his pine marten friend told him that he did indeed understand. He'd never doubted that his friends would support him, but sometimes it was just so much better to hear it outright. Hearing his companion admit that he was also nervous let him know that he wasn't alone in his thoughts, and that was also rather calming for him.
His friends were there for him, like they always tried to be, and he felt an intense gratitude towards them in that moment. He noted that Selvis was keeping silent for now, though the longtail was only doing so because Caden was saying much the same things as he had been thinking. He gave the field mouse's paw a gentle squeeze when the albino had finished speaking. "You only need to do what's best for you, mate. See you soon," he said, giving the rodent a warm smile.
"Thanks for the advice, guys! It means a lot!," Carrow called after them as they started off up the companionway. He was extremely glad to have creatures like Caden, Ocean and Selvis around. All the same, he knew he wouldn't commit unless he felt completely certain he was making the right choice. He still felt unnerved by sights that he found too graphic; therefore, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to deal with what awaited the boarding crew on the Ca Ira.
He knew there was another creature nearby who didn't fancy going, though, so decided to have a quick word with him before making his decision. Going over to Evi, Carrow stood next to him, smiling at him as he tried to catch the hedgehog's attention. "Evi, right? How are you feeling now? I know you probably won't be going over to the Rosferian vessel we captured, but... do you not feel like you're prepared, or is the timing not the best for you? I may not go there myself, but I'm wondering why a creature such as yourself would choose to stay behind. What's on your mind?," he asked kindly. Soon, the mouse and the hedgehog were deep in conversation. All the while they spoke, Carrow kept weighing up the pros and cons to joining his friends on the boarding crew.
--
Selvis hadn't forgotten about his hedgehog friend, but he had other things on his mind at this point, and was inwardly steeling himself for what was to come. He felt glad he hadn't eaten in a few hours, because the thought of the sights that would possibly greet him on the Ca Ira wasn't the most pleasant one. At least he knew he'd definitely have Caden and Ocean to support him; and he, in turn, would support them, because that was how things worked. He continued on his way with his mustelid friends, and they soon reached the weather deck, at which point Ladorak approached them.
Selvis gave the ermine captain his best salute, and this was quickly returned by Ladorak. He wasn't sure what to say about all this, so he didn't say anything at all, simply just standing there and listening as the ermine outlined what he called their 'assignment'. It would be interesting for the weasel to see how he dealt with the Rosferian prisoners. He hoped they wouldn't try anything, as he wasn't sure he had the heart to strike back if physically harrassed. They would be helpless captives, after all. It'd be different if he ever made Ship's Corporal and had to deal with those on his own vessel, but there were still certain lines he would not allow himself to cross, regardless of circumstances. He nodded at intervals, relieved somewhat when he heard that reinforcements would be called for if trouble arose. He smiled a little as Ladorak explained his reasoning for wanting the boarding crew to be brave in the face of possibly gruesome sights. Better them than us, indeed, he thought. When it was kill or be killed, there was no other choice, and he'd made his peace with that a long time ago, fundamentally speaking at least. When he was his usual self, he had no trouble justifying actions like that.
Ladorak soon finished speaking, closing by praising their efforts, and Selvis couldn't help but puff out his chest slightly. He was proud of himself and his friends, because, when all was said and done, they had done well."Yes sir," he responded softly, with a lump in his throat and his voice trembling slightly. Ladorak's powerful speech had left the longtail visibly moved. "Thank you, sir. Good luck with what you have to do - know that almost every member of your crew believes in you," he said, cracking a small smile. He'd said 'almost' as there was one creature about who didn't, but that least weasel had got what had long since been coming to him.
He sniffed a bit, wiping a paw across his eyes, just in case, shaking his head in response to Caden's question. "I would say I'm all set, but, like you, I'm also waiting on a decision, so I shall be back momentarily. I need to see what Evi's chosen to do, sir," he said, saluting before turning and departing for the stairs.
--
Around the same time, Carrow was coming back up a different set of stairs, having talked with Evi for a few moments. The hedgehog had all but ruled himself out of accompanying Selvis et al on the boat, but he and the field mouse couldn't yet make a decision. The rodent supposed that he would be better off staying put, for the good of his health. He had improved a lot in composure since the incident at Whistleminster in January of 1793, but he knew it'd be hard for him over there, and he didn't want to risk making himself look weak.
Caden and Selvis understood his difficulties, but he knew that if the Rosferians saw him faint over there, they'd most likely assume he was unfit to be in a war. One did not faint at the first grisly sight which met their eyes and still expect to not lose face, in the eyes of the foe. He didn't want to have to deal with that. Maybe he'd be even slightly more prepared if the chance arose again. He didn't spot Selvis as he walked, concentrating on getting back up to the weather deck and being with his friends for a little while longer.
--
Likewise, Selvis missed Carrow. The weasel was now down on the upper gun deck, having guided Evi over between two guns, and coaxed him into a sitting position. The hedgehog looked weary and in need of a good rest. Now that he had started to come down from his high, there was more than a hint of drowsiness evident in his green eyes; his eyelids flickered slightly as he spoke to his weasel friend, his words coming between yawns. "Oh, look... now I know I won't be going. I'm too tired, see?," he pointed out, though Selvis had spotted this a while back. "Maybe it's for the best anyway... I don't think I'm fully ready, and if I'm not completely sure, then... I don't think I should go."
In response, the longtail patted the hedgehog's headspikes, his voice warm and soothing. "Very well then, matey. You deserve some rest right now; you've earned it, so go on, curl up and sleep. I'll see you in a few days, OK?" This elicited a tired nod from Evi, his heavy eyes just a fraction above closing, before he lost the fight and drifted away. Selvis chuckled softly, standing up as he padded quietly away up the stairs. He had known that all Evi had really wanted was to sleep; the battle had taken a lot out of him, and, in Selvis's opinion, he hadn't looked fit to make the trip in any case.
--
Carrow arrived on the weather deck first, jogging over to Caden and Ocean, throwing the pine marten Midshipjack a salute. He was soon joined by Selvis, who saluted the albino mustelid also. He gave his mouse companion an expectant sort of look, smiling at him a little, before addressing the group as a whole. "Looks like Evi's body decided for him; he's now asleep, curled up in between the guns. He really did look too tired to join us, so I gave him an extra push to help settle him," he admitted with a small chuckle. "He's come down pretty quickly from the post-battle adrenaline rush, it seems."
"It's his first time, so I'm not too surprised by that," Carrow responded. "So he's definitely staying behind. As for me, though... I've spent the last few moments trying to balance everything out. I want to be there with you all, as well as be there for you all, as I know how much it means to have as many friends around you as possible at times like that. However... I am certain that I literally could not stomach it over there. I can be very squeamish and skittish at times. A lot of things have changed for me, but those things unfortunately have not. I feel like I would be overly distressed if I went over there... and I might have trouble with that, as much as it pains me to say it, but I'm staying put. I'm not sure I'd be able to pawdle all that, and if I'm not sure, then I don't feel good enough about it to commit," he said apologetically, sighing. "Sorry, guys, but I'm going to sit this one out."
|
|
|
Post by Ladorak on May 9, 2012 1:18:13 GMT -5
"OK... while you do that, I'm gonna head below and retrieve my bag!" Caden said, heading off away from Ocean and following Selvis down, but not sticking with him directly, as the marten continued to descend the decks. It wasn't long before he was back topside, as he had beaten Selvis by just a fraction, and arrived around the same time Carrow did.
Alleline happened to pass them by as well, saluting as he did so. "Sir. Gents."
"Ah, Alleline!" Caden said, catching his attention. "Off to assist with repairs, I take it?" the marten asked, to which the lizard nodded.
"Aye, Jal Fugate. This time, I'm helpin' the carpenter out. Plug those holes on the gun decks." he explained, hooking a claw to the companionway, to which the albino nodded.
"Good. Best of luck! Well, I'm part of the prize crew, so I'll see you when we dock!" he said, and began walking off after they exchanged salutes again. "Hello there, Carrow." Caden said, shifting his attention to the mouse as he rejoined Ocean now.
Selvis appeared them as well, and Caden returned their salutes and smiled, starting to dig around in his bag as Carrow spoke to them and related how he felt. The albino had to admit... he felt a little crestfallen at Carrow's announcement, but he'd promised to respect the mouse's decision either way... and this was one such instance where it mattered all the more. He nodded then, in an understanding fashion. "I know where you're coming from, Carrow. Trust me... I don't... well I'm not sure I'm fully ready either but... if it makes you feel better, I know where you're saying. If you're lucky... you MAY be towing us back into port... because I don't think we'll be doing any sailing." He chuckled, taking a look at the crippled appearance of the Ca Ira. "Aha!" he pulled out his tinted glasses, and placed those over his eyes. He was becoming more sensitive to the light these days... and whether that was because he was coming of age or something else, he couldn't say. He'd chalk it up to the former, if he had to make a bet though.
"Anyway..." he looked back at the mouse now. "Take care of yourself, Carrow. You won't be far from my thoughts on this voyage." he patted his companion on the arm. "I'll see you in a few days." He looked at Selvis then, glad at least he was coming. "Heheh... sleep you say? Doubt he'll get much." the marten smiled, in reference to Evi. "Going to be making repairs, and he'll either be roused for it or woken up by them. No rest for practically anyone so long as Clear for Action is still in effect." He informed the weasel.
"Not that I don't sympathize with him... but this ship needs to be 'ship-shape' so to speak, especially after a combat, and we've taken additional damage today..." he paused, as he glanced aft of them, toward the main fighting. The wind had died again, and the fleets were more "drifting" by each other rather than "sailing", leading to rather incessant cannonading between the two of them. Rayn Castle was still holding her own, from what Caden could tell.
"Right... well let's get ready." He told the others, and began heading for the stairs up to the poop deck, giving Carrow another nod and a smile as he moved by him. He'd see his mouse friend again... of that he had absolutely no doubts.
The longboats were lowered, and while Ladorak's personal cutter headed for the flagship, theirs and the second one were pulling for the captured 80 gunner now. They had drifted a bit closer to them, being to windward after all, and the ship was currently lying to at present as repairs progressed. Their longboats were mostly loaded down with marines, but there were a few crew here and there, and Sixth Lieutenant Andrews was supervising as well.
Caden had taken his journal out, and was writing down the day's events as they were rowed across the expanse between Agamemnon and Ca Ira. As his pen moved across the paper, his attention was suddenly drawn to the battle around the Censeur. Her mainmast was cracking now, and falling over the side like a great felled tree. "Wow!" he said. "That sight never fails to impress!" he exclaimed. "Looks like they got her, though!" he commented excitedly, noting that the 74's colors were being lowered as well. "I think they've realized help is not on the way, and resisting further is pointless."
He briefly wondered what that would feel like... being abandoned by your own fleet. Martin was wise though... he was sacrificing two ships so that the rest could escape. He didn't seek a drawn out battle against superior three deckers in rescuing two ships. Would... Caden make the same call were he in Martin's shoes? Probably. If you lost your fleet, you could lose the war. It just... wasn't good for the few that WERE being sacrificed.
He looked over at Selvis, who was sitting across from him. "So... excited?" he asked, still speaking up a little to be heard over the ever present din. Ocean sat next to Selvis, reading his Bible. He licked his claw, and thumbed a page.
"Nervous." Ocean said. "But... determined to see it." he now went silent to let Selvis speak, as he knew that was whom Caden had been addressing.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on May 11, 2012 8:51:09 GMT -5
Carrow smiled as he heard about the possibility of towing the Ca Ira back into port. "I'll look forward to that, and hopefully I get the chance to do so. It does make me feel better that you understand where I'm coming from, too. I really didn't want to disappoint any of you, but it'd be much easier for me to live with things if I stayed here. You're not sure you're fully ready, but I know I'm not, and that's the difference between us at the moment. I know it'll be somewhat of an adventure for you, though!"
The mouse grinned as Caden gave him a supportive pat on the arm, his smile widening as he gave Caden another hug, before doing the same with Ocean and Selvis. "I'll do what I can," he responded to his pine marten friend. "You should all look out for one another while on the Ca Ira. I'll be thinking of you all, certainly. Best of luck out there, and please be sure to let me know how it went, when you get back in a few days," he asked of his companions, a smile still on his face.
"We'll be sure to," Selvis responded, returning the rodent's hug. "We've got to get going now, but we'll see you soon," he told the mouse. "None of us are fully aware of what we're in for over there, but I suppose you could say that makes it more exciting. Do yourself a favour, Carrow, and don't go regretting the difficult choice you made, as soon as we've gone. There are times when you have to go with instinct, and as Caden said, it's not like we don't know where you're coming from. Stay safe, mate," he said gently.
The weasel turned to his pine marten friend next, smiling slightly as he heard his comment about his hedgehog friend. "Well, Caden, as regards Evi trying to sleep, well, I knew there'd be repairs taking place, and I'm quite sure he knew it too, as he's been with us long enough, but, in the state he was in, I didn't really have the heart to tell him. Even if he just gets ten minutes, that's going to help, and I'm sure he'll make the best of whatever he gets!"
Caden then told him he had to start getting ready, and so, with a smile and a wave to his mouse friend, the weasel departed, heading up to the poop deck with Caden and Ocean. Carrow returned the gestures of all his companions, quite certain he had made the right decision. No matter what way he looked at it, it was at least better than the alternative. He could still be fragile at times, and, when push came to shove, he was still uncomfortable with violence, especially the kind which was witnessed in warfare.
He turned to Alleline, giving the lizard a smile. "Ah, hello there Alleline! It's good to see you again! You said you were off to lend a paw with repairs down on the gun decks? Well, I think I may join you. I know I'm technically not supposed to be doing any work right now, but I find myself unable to sit still after that conclusion to the battle. I'm not even tired! That's a big deal for me," he said with a chuckle. It looked like he was finally back on top of managing his body clock. "I like keeping myself busy, at least. Where is the Carpenter at the moment, or do you know?," he asked the monitor lizard.
--
Selvis wasn't sure if he was fully mentally prepared for what was to come, but then again, he didn't suppose that such a thing was possible. After all, this would be something entirely new and different in a number of ways. He knew that he'd be all right, though, as he'd have two great friends close by to lend him support. Besides, dealing with the dead that they would surely encounter was something made easier by the fact that the deceased couldn't harm him.
He got into the longboat, making sure to stick close by Caden and Ocean, as their presence was quite reassuring for him. He couldn't resist watching his pine marten friend as he wrote down the day's events; his fellow mustelid had a nice writing style, both in appearance and content. His attention was also caught by the cracking of the Censeur's mainmast; over all the other sounds that surrounded them, that was one that was simply impossible to miss.
The longtail smiled as he saw the mast topple into the water. it gave him somewhat of a lift, but this was balanced out by the fact that he still hadn't become accustomed to travelling in the longboats. His 'mal de mer' was back, and it made him look slightly more withdrawn than would have been expected at a time like this. He was excited, but couldn't show it properly due to how he was feeling at present.
He couldn't resist smiling a little as Caden's question was first answered by Ocean. "I can agree with both of you, as to how I'm feeling about what's coming. I'm nervous, yes - I don't think it'd be right if I weren't approaching this with slight trepidation, because these things are meant to have an effect on most creatures. Not all, though, it seems," he said, shaking his head a little. They'd both know who he was referring to. Oh, how he wished he could have dragged Willard onto this longboat with them and made him experience the results of the battle! Maybe he wouldn't have been so cold and unfeeling towards the dead afterward... but Selvis doubted that.
"I'm excited, though, because I'm looking forward to being able to assist our captives, and see the Ca Ira itself," he said, still smiling despite the gravity of the situation. "Of course, neither of those things can account for why I look like this right now, but there's something about travelling by boat that always causes me to have this reaction. You may both remember I've been like this before, but it passes, at least," he commented. "How about you, Caden? Are you in the same boat as me, both literally and figuratively?," he enquired of his albino companion with a chuckle.
|
|
|
Post by Ladorak on May 11, 2012 20:24:11 GMT -5
Alleline was caught by the mouse as he was descending the stairs to the upper gun deck. "Oh, Mr. Apodemus." the monitor said, throwing a salute to the roedent as best he could, given the fact he was on the stairs. "Well er... I think he's on the deck we're headed to... right over there in fact." the goanna pointed out the raccoon carpenter as they arrived on the upper gun deck.
"As a matter of fact... hold on." he said, and moved up to the carpenter now, throwing him a salute. "Sir! Mr. Apodemus is wondering if he could join the repair work."
The raccoon turned his eyes to the mouse now. "Ah, Mr. Apodemus. Only if you feel you want to." He said, nodding. "You quartermaster types often help me rig up the gratings for the floggings, after all." he chuckled now. "But you don't HAVE to do this kind of work, either. If you feel up to it though, we're going to be working aft for now." he pointed to where the wardroom usually was (but with the removal of the bulkheads and cabins it was now just part of the regular gun deck). "We'll be plugging up shot holes, then hammering planks over top of the patch. Won't be a permanent fix until we make port and can rip the damaged planking out, but it'll make the ship look a little more uniform at least." he said. Back aft was where the shot had struck the Agamemnon from earlier.
"So just head over there. I've already had the crew bring up all the hammers, plugs, and planks we need, so feel free to have it!" He exclaimed, giving the rodent a firm nod.
Caden paused from his writing to smile at Selvis. "Heh... well yes mate, I am in the same boat... but not in terms of seasickness. I remember that about you and open boats. Well..." he thought about it. "I still have my thing about heights... but you might want to talk to Ocean..." he looked at the ermine now, who nodded.
"Aye... I uh... well don't like water. Open boats like these scare the living daylights out of me but... well I just try to think of it as a short trip... and that it'll all be over soon... one way or another." Ocean said, laughing a little nervously at that. "I won't truly rest easy till we're back on solid deck, though. Aptly named I was not." he jested.
Caden smiled widely at Selvis as he thought of something. "Don't worry too much mate... I may not have any remedies for your malady, but I can tell you that Ladorak gets the same way in small boats. He's terribly seasick in them, and also in very bad storms, which fortunately, we have not had too many of since we left Welkin." he commented. He figured Selvis had no idea about this little detail of the captain. "Just don't... spread that around." he said, winking now.
Speaking of Ladorak... Caden craned his neck to try and pick out the captain's cutter. Ladorak would probably not be feeling all that well until he set his paws on the deck of the Welkannia.
"We'll be there soon." Caden nodded now, gesturing at the hulking 80 gunner they were drawing close to. Caden took a moment to study her battle scars.
They were extensive. Her hull was riddled so that she resembled a sieve, a sieve which had been further blown apart by a good dose of buckshot. Her stern was a wreck, courtesy of the fire they'd delivered upon her yesterday. Her galleries were all smashed, and her ornate sternframe woodwork was nothing but splinters now. There was of course a lack of masts too, with only her mizzen still standing, which by default, meant a lack of canvas. Already, Caden could hear and see that bodies were being thrown overboard. There was little other choice on a ship, as leaving them be risked them rotting and filling the ship with a horrid stench. It may have seemed unceremonious, but there were no land burials for sailors unless they died within a day or three of port. There was no real place to put bodies, and leaving them around only cluttered things up and risked the spread of stench and disease.
"Ahoy! Lieutenant Andrews and prize crew from Agamemnon coming aboard!" the fox lieutenant shouted as they bumped up against the rather large hull of their prize. Well... Caden knew what he'd be doing for the rest of the day. The task was herculean, but everyone would be pitching in to get the ship at least seaworthy enough to be towed to port. There, she'd either be repaired, or, if that were impossible, condemned, and either broken up or employed as some auxiliary type vessel, such as a prison hulk or hospital ship.
"Ahoy!" a very Rosferian accented voice came back. "The ladder on starboard side is still intact. You may utilize it!" Nodding, the fox began directing the crew up the now rickety ladder, but fortunately, it held as they began to clamber aboard. The battle seemed to be winding down elsewhere, as the two fleets were generally past each other now, and the firing was diminishing with each passing minute.
Caden could catch a glimpse here and there through holes in the hull of the destructive force of their fire. There were bodies in there all right... lots of them. Some were lying on top of each other, and many were not moving. Gulping, he unsteadily completed the climb, and hauled himself through the entry port onto the Rosferian ship's weather deck. He was still wearing his tinted glasses, and looked about him now to get his bearings.
The stumps of the main and fore masts were there, as was the broken stern. Bodies were here too... lying next to their guns where they'd fallen. Some were missing limbs... others had giant slabs of wood sticking out of them... and still others had been nearly cut in half, and Caden did see a few decapitated corpses. He exhaled slowly, trying to take it all in. Why hadn't they surrendered sooner? Why had they let it get this bad?
He saw something else as well that he tried to focus on; the living crew, that were breathing and moving about. Many were repairing the ship as best they could, and others were bringing up bodies from below to be tossed over the side. He felt his stomach churn a little, but was glad to see at least a sizable portion of the crew about. He shuffled closer to Captain Andrews now, who was greeting a creature that Caden speculated to be the ship's captain.
He was a nattily attired polecat, though his uniform did have the occasional smattering of blood on it, as if someone had thrown buckets of red paint at him, but had mostly missed every time. "I'm Captain Jean-Felix Benoit." the polecat said, offering his sword to Lieutenant Andrews, who took it in a firm grasp, and then clapped the polecat's paw with his own, shaking it heartily.
"And I am Lieutenant George Andrews, sixth lieutenant of HMS Agamemnon, representing Captain Ladorak Fugate today."
"My captor." the polecat said, smiling as his paw was shook. "You fought exceedingly well... we were barely able to fire at you yesterday." Benoit praised.
"You are too kind... tell me, captain, what are your casualties?" the fox asked now.
"Ah... about 300 or so." the polecat said, pursing his lips. "Yes... out of around 700 sailors and 100 soldiers... we lost about 300 killed and wounded." Benoit informed the lieutenant.
"So not quite half, then." the fox responded, frowning. A little under 1 in 2 were casualties... heavy indeed.
The polecat nodded. "Tell your captain... he is rather skilled."
"You can tell him yourself." Andrews replied, smiling now. "Seeing as how you're going to be his personal guest from tonight onward." he said, stating the customary rules of war, where the captain would be removed from his ship and brought over to his captor's vessel.
"Well..." Caden said, looking at Selvis now. "She's certainly bigger than the Agamemnon. She fought well but... certainly paid a heavy price." he said, shaking his head. "I think I'm becoming a little more sensitive to the light these days, too." he added, wanting to at least keep the conversation going in positive directions. "Miraculous that their captain survived. I would've liked to have been aboard this ship when she was NOT so shot up, heheh." he chuckled a little now, turning to look right at the weasel.
"Admiral sir, Admiral Goodall and I believe that we should leave the damaged ships to attend to the prizes, and tack after our quarry. We're only down four ships sir, and we still have all our three deckers. We should push our advantage while we have it." Ladorak said, standing before the desk of Admiral William Hotham on the Welkannia. The cabin was certainly lavishly decorated, but given Hotham's ill health as of late, he was probably trying to make himself as comfortable as possible. He'd certainly picked the sturdiest ship in the fleet, at the expense of speed of course. Red curtains hung from the stern gallery windows, coupled with red carpeting and portraits on easels that adorned the room.
The capybara admiral looked at the two of them now, his paws shaking noticeably as he fumbled with some papers on his desk. He looked even more sallow than usual. At 59, the admiral certainly looked ten years or more older than he was. "You did a tremendous job Captain Fugate." the elderly admiral praised, smiling. "You've... rather restored my confidence in you... you're certainly well suited for an indepenent command... and I shall be glad to make the recommendations to whoever may succeed me." the voice was quavery and weak, though there was kindness behind it as well, to which the monocled mustelid smiled and nodded.
"Thank you, sir."
"Admiral Goodall shares your views... does he?" the capybara turned to the old salt standing next to Ladorak. Admiral Goodall, who was a marten, nodded.
"Aye, sir. I feel we have the strength to overcome and destroy the Rosferian fleet as it is. We should strike now, while we can, sir." the marten admiral pressed. "And while we still hold the weather gage."
"Hmmmm..." the capybara looked down at his desk, closing his eyes to think for a moment. The seconds ticked by into minutes, and Ladorak briefly wondered if Hotham had fallen asleep, but a stirring and opening of his eyes indicated to the ermine that no, he'd just been pondering things. "I think we should be content with our two prizes, gentlemammals." Hotham said at long last. "We've secured two Rosferian warships... we need not press on after them. Personza is safe now... we've headed them off and turned them around. We should be satisfied with what we've done so far."
Ladorak felt unease building in his gut now. "Sir... I think we should tack. We don't need the whole fleet to secure the prizes. The Captain and Bedford can do that, sir, and stay to assist the Illustrious and Courageux as well."
"Noted... Captain Fugate... but no. I think we're fine for now. Secure the prizes and... we'll make for Spezia for repairs. Then we'll drop back to Personza for a bit. Thank you for your outstanding service, Captain Fugate. You really carried the battle there for awhile." the old capybara said slowly.
Ladorak's heart fell, despite the praise. So much for gaining superiority in the Mediterranean. He came to attention as Hotham dismissed them with a salute, and he returned it. "Thank you... sir." Ladorak said, and turned to exit the richly furnished quarters of the fleet admiral.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on May 14, 2012 10:44:29 GMT -5
Carrow returned the salute with a smile; he was in a slightly better position to Alleline to do such things, as he hadn't started taking the stairs yet, but he was going to wait to hear the monitor lizard's response before actually doing so. He nodded as he was informed that the carpenter was present on the upper gun deck, quickly taking the stairs so that they arrived down below at more or less the same time. He was still smiling as he noticed the raccoon carpenter "All right then, Alleline. We'll head over to him and see what needs doing, and I'll help where I can."
Caden's earlier predictions regarding Evi had proved correct, and as the hedgehog noticed Carrow and Alleline, he gave them both a wave, one which was warmly returned by the mouse. He couldn't quite tell just yet, but Evi appeared to be slightly more chipper than he had when they had conversed earlier on. As short as his nap had been, it seemed to have done him good. He was just moving aft when he sighted the mouse and lizard, and hoped they would soon be joining him.
The mouse moved over to where the raccoon carpenter was currently located, throwing a salute, but remaining silent for the moment as he wanted to let Alleline speak first. He had to try hard to keep his eyes off the carpenter's tail, which swayed gently, almost imperceptibly, but in a way that drew the mouse's eyes to it. His gaze switched from the tail to the raccoon's eyes as he felt his gaze upon him, finding that, with the black 'thief mask' framing his eyes, it was easy for Carrow to hold his gaze. He wasn't feeling particularly nervous about anything at this point in time, as all that had since passed, but it was nice to have something to focus on, all the same.
"I'd like to lend a paw wherever possible, sir," he responded softly. "I know I'm not on duty for a little while yet, but repair work is important, and I'd enjoy being a part of it. For one thing, I get to work with some friends of mine, and that's not something I get to do all that often anymore, due to my new responsibilities elsewhere. My new work is quite a solitary job, and while I like working with the Quartermasters, it's not the same as working with my peers," he explained. "I'm definitely up for it, sir."
He followed the raccoon's pointing claw, nodding as he glimpsed the place where the wardroom usually was. "Patching shot holes, then hammering planks over them, to cover them. OK, got it, sir. Anything's better than not doing any repairs at all, of course, and even if the Agamemnon won't truly be shipshape until we make port, we should do everything possible to make it look more uniform, as you say," he said with a nod, smiling. "I'll get right on it, sir," he said with another salute, before he and Alleline moved aft.
He soon caught up with Evi, giving the hedgehog a warm smile, watching for a moment as he worked, before he, too, started assisting with repairs. Evi had wasted no time getting to work, even if it still seemed he was tired. He'd be able to make up for lost sleep later on when they had a break, though... not that Carrow felt the same. Even though it had been an intense few hours, he was wide awake.
It was good to have Evi around as well; even if he was only just getting to know him, having him and Alleline for company for the next few days would help a lot. This was the first time Caden, Selvis and Ocean had actually been away from him, and even though he missed them already, this was offset slightly by the fact he still had a few friends around. He was sure Scharnhorst was somewhere on the ship, too - this was good. The mouse was soon hard at work, wondering how his absent companions were getting on.
--
Selvis was visibly surprised to hear that Ladorak got seasick in small boats, never mind that he seemed to do so to a great extent. It was not something the weasel had ever noticed before, though he had not been in the same small boat as the Captain when they'd needed to use those as their modes of transport, so it was little wonder he had missed it. Caden's revelation made the mustelid smile slightly. "Well, at least there seem to be creatures about who know what I'm going through. That's good, at least. I would never have guessed Ladorak would suffer from anything similar to what I do, though!," he said, surprise evident in his voice as well. "Of course. I won't say anything about that; it'll just be between the three of us!"
He turned to Ocean then, after Caden had assured him they would be there soon. "I can understand that. I won't be comfortable until there's deck beneath my paws again, even though I know what's waiting for us on the Ca Ira won't be the most pleasant of sights. Hopefully I'll be able to get things under control by then, because I'm... feeling slightly nauseous right now, I have to admit," he informed them with a small shake of his head. He turned to see that his pine marten friend was gesturing towards the Rosferian vessel, and whistled to indicate his surprise. He'd known she'd look bad, but... this?
Already he was beginning to question why exactly the stubborn Rosferians had refused to surrender. How exactly had they allowed things to get this far?, he thought, completely baffled as to why the ship, which had been wrecked by the Welkinite assault upon it, had been left to wind up in such a state. He was going to be helping to salvage her for the rest of the day; of that he was certain. Well, if she could be saved at all. In any case, the repair job was going to be extensive.
Soon, their boat scraped up against the hull of the Ca Ira. Even though she had been shot to bits, she was still an impressive-looking vessel to a certain extent; it would have been hard for an 80-gunner not to maintain its usual sense of imposing grandeur even in a state as worrisome as the Rosferian vessel's. There was a rather rickety ladder offered for use, and as Selvis took it, he tried hard to calm his nerves. His paws were sweaty after the unpleasant episode he'd had in the boat, and he had to hold on tight to make sure that he didn't fall.
He could see that there were many dead bodies present, and once again was unable to keep from shaking his head. How and why had their opponents let things get this bad? It could have been avoided to some extent, but it looked like there were upwards of 200 Rosferians dead or wounded. Selvis couldn't say for sure... but then he hauled himself onto the weather deck of the vessel and saw the devastation at first paw. Ladorak's advice immediately came to mind, but still, the mustelid had been feeling more than a little off-colour in the boat, and sights like this were not helping at all.
He followed Caden's lead and stuck close by to Lieutenant Andrews, finding that the fox's presence provided him with the extra bit of reassurance he needed at this moment. He also kept his eyes on the crew that were still alive and supervising the repairs, wondering how Ocean was taking things; of course, he didn't feel like asking him, as he wanted only to talk about more positive things, and besides, there was no point discussing it when there was really nothing that one could say in the face of such things. He listened to the conversation between Andrews and the Rosferian polecat, nodding as he heard that there were 'about 300' casualties. Even worse than he'd figured, then.
He caught Caden's eye as the albino marten looked at him. "Yes, she certainly did fight well... but we had you and Ladorak to guide us, so that made things easier for us, I think. They were unlucky in that they lost so many creatures. We only took... what was it, 13 hits? All injuries and no deaths? That's nothing compared to what we're seeing here, but yes... we can do everything we can to save her, and then, who knows? Perhaps we may be able to have a look at her in a better condition. It all depends on what happens with it, I suppose. Still, though, there's a thought," he commented with a smile.
|
|
|
Post by Ladorak on May 14, 2012 12:39:12 GMT -5
Selvis had been right about the Agamemnon being very fortunate in casualties. They didn't lose any of the 13 that were wounded, and all made recoveries over the next few weeks. As it turned out too, the Agamemnon did not end up towing the Ca Ira, but rather took the 74 gun Censeur in tow.
The battle ended in a Welkinite victory, though it was not a complete one. Personza had been saved for the time being, but the Rosferian fleet lived to fight another day, giving up only two of their ships to the Welkinites. Admiral Hotham ordered the fleet to make for Spezia, Calgary. All ships save for the badly damaged Illustrious made it, which was driven ashore in a storm a few days later and wrecked, though her crew was saved.
When it came down to it, Ladorak made a notation of casualties in their fleet, and it appears as follows:
Captain: 3 killed, 19 wounded Bedford: 7 killed, 18 wounded Tancredi: 1 killled, 5 wounded Princess Royal: 3 killed, 8 wounded Agamemnon: 0 killed, 13 wounded Illustrious: 20 killed, 70 wounded Courageux: 15 killed, 33 wounded Welkannia: 1 killed, 18 wounded Egmont: 7 killed, 21 wounded Rayn Castle: 6 killed, 31 wounded Diadem: 3 killed, 7 wounded St. Pompom: 4 killed, 13 wounded Terrible: 0 killed, 6 wounded Fortitude: 1 killed, 4 wounded Inconstant: 3 killed, 14 wounded Minerva (Calgarian frigate): 0 killed, 4 wounded
The casualties on the two Rosferian prizes amounted to 300 on the Ca Ira out of 1,060 (soldiers included), and about 100 on the Censeur out of 921 (soldiers included).
74 killed and 284 wounded. That wasn't bad for a fleet that had over 9,000 crew in it. At least that's how Ladorak saw it. The worst of the sufferers was the Illustrious, which later sank, and the least of the sufferers was the lucky Terrible (of the ships-of-the-line at least), though it was with some pride that Ladorak was able to count his own ship as second luckiest, and he felt every bit of that was due to his strategy he'd employed. It also wasn't bad for a first battle. While Ladorak was initially disappointed with things, he later considered it a good enough battle for the striplings and new sailors, though it would be overshadowed by far greater things to come.
Upon arrival at Spezia, initial repairs were commenced at once on the fleet, and of the two prizes, the Ca Ira was found to be so shattered that it was not worth the cost of repairing her, and after giving her some jury rigged masts, she was converted into a hospital ship and sent to Personza. The Censeur was however found to be repairable, and was slowly worked on throughout the year, given a jury rigged mainmast, and made ready to sail for Welkin in October, whence her story will continue.
By the 25th of March, the Welkinite fleet was ready to sail to Personza, which they did, entering into a full refit phase on the 26th. Caden mailed his first letter to Grand Duke Constantine from San Fiorenzo, hoping to start up his pen-pal relationship with the royal mink. In it, he described the battle's events, and asked how the mink was finding the continent so far.
On the 18th of April, repairs had been completed, and the fleet sailed leisurely for Livorno for some down time, which Calgarian port they reached on the 27th. There they remained a week and several days, before their next cruise was to begin. Caden met up with Zheep again, and had managed to get a letter off to the weasel before they'd reached Livorno. Ocean went to one of the many cathedrals in the region to offer up prayers to the dead and thanks that he had survived, and Ladorak had surprised all of them on their brief sojourn with a trip out to Pisa to see the famous Leaning Tower.
That little excursion had been the highlight of Caden's many trips to Calgary thus far. He'd only ever read about it in books, and the marten had been delighted to see it with his friends. It helped take his mind off the busy work and battle they had gotten through, and caused him to look forward to their next cruise, wherever it would take them. This was one of the aspects he loved best about being in the navy... seeing all the famous and historic sites with his friends and comrades.
Their first battle had been a success, and was going to be just the first of many they would add to their record over the years. As spring started to blossom, there was a general sense of eagerness pervading the crew as to what the rest of 1795 had yet in store for them. They had received their trial by fire, and most importantly, they had all survived.
END
|
|