Continental Privateer (Open PM First)

"We are officers of His Britannic Majesty's frigate Hermione," said of the young officers whom was surprised when Lee had her sword ready for a fight despite the fact that now the deck was swarming with Marines and the crew was chased below deck and the guns fell silent. The second frigate came along side they were effectively trapped with their main mast toppled there was no hope to escape. "Young lady, lower your sword. Your falg has been struck. You surrender and we will offer you parole once we return to Saint Kitts."

Still Humphreys would not turn over his sowrd meaning his command of his ship to the hands of the British knowing his fate but also knew that if Lee made the move and run her blade through the man's gut a Marine would run her through with his bayonet.
 
Lee knew enough to know if she killed him they would kill her, so she didn't know what to do. Looking at her captain she gave him a look like "What do I do?" She knew there was no escape, she just wished there were like ten less men, she would be able to do something. But closing her eyes she sighed a bit. "As long as my captain stays my captain I will not give up, even if it means my death" She opened up her eyes and thrusted her sword right on the sail and cut it causing it to cover up most of the soldiers that were there, grabbing her captains hand "Come on captain we can escape!"
 
She was young an naive. Surrounded by two frigates and Marines and the main mast shot away there was no hope. Grudingly Humphre offered up his sword and ordered Lee to do the same b ut she did so slowly seemingly in nonbelief that he would give up. The ship was there's and after rousing the crew from below decks the British officers instructed the captain to bring forth his papers including his Letter of Marque. Even with that letter it would do the crew little more than spare them from the gallows.

They were to return to St. Kitts after the ship was patched up as the second frigate chased the prizes in the storm leaving just the Hermonine aong side but still their crew outnumbered them two to one but thre was the hope the Dolphin would be coming back.
 
Lee didn't want to see this they could of escape but he didn't, she held her sword close to her body and when he ordered her to put her sword down. She didn't want to she wanted to fight and die if she had to, but she never Disobeyed and she slowly looked down at her hands and didn't know what would happen to them especially her. Her breathing was loud and she heard everyone pointed there weapons at her since she still had her sword. Closing her eyes she was so afraid of what was about to happen.

She slowly put her hands down which caused the sword to fall to the ground, and she didn't know "And what is to happen to me?" She said simply, she didn't want to be shipped back which was exactly why she didn't give her name and perhaps she would give a false name because she would Shirley die if she went back.
 
"When we reach St. Kitts you will be released." The officer placing that a woman should not be placed on a prison ship with other men, but they did not know whom she was and that a prison ship would be perferable to going to the town but with the Fusiliade surrendered the ship was being cleaned up and a ad hoc main mast being put up. The fight was brief but bloody as the British buried their dead according to the customs of the sea. By their count eight were killed and twenty grieviously wounded with six privateers dead and ten wounded.

As Humphreys produced his papers to the English captain Lee stayed by his side even with the prospect grim.
 
She felt like she had failed her captain and looked down softly. She just wanted to make her captain proud, she wanted to save his life. She didn't want to go back to her father, she was afraid that if she said her name as well that they would think he kidnapped her. Looking over at the Captain she looked at him sadly. "Captain I am sorry I failed you" She said since she felt like she did that, she failed the captain that she learned to call a friend. He did everything that he could to protect her.
 
"It's not your fault," Humphreys tried to assure her as the British captain went through the papers, "It's no one's fault but my own." As captain of the ship it was his responsbility for every aspect from the crew to the ship itself and now that their venture has come to a halt there was nothing they could do. With the ship being cleared a prize crew was going to be installed to ensure that the Fusiliade would be returned to St. Kitts and Lee and Humphreys were told to return to the great cabin along with all of his papers.

The two ships remained side by side as teh work dragged on. A replacement main mast was fitted into place and canvas drawn up for the sail and the deck cleaned of blood and bodies but by that time it was near dusk.
 
It was still on her nerves she didn't know what to do any more, thinking for a moment she smiled at him. Everything in her head was going crazy and she wasn't to sure what would happen to Humphreys, once they were alone she crossed her arms. "I wont tell them who I am because everyone will think you took me as a prisoner or something, It's bad enough I don't know what will happen to you. I don't want you to be killed Ive grown rather fond of you" She admitted to him and hugged him.
 
"Don't fret about that," Humphreys acknowledged as they went below decks to the great cabin. With the Fusiliade now the prize of the British crown the prize captain that oversaw the new riggin, sails, and repair work of the ship. With nothing to d in the cabin Humphreys could only think about the prizes that slipped away, all that plunder and it was only time before they find the one hundred and one thousand pounds Sterling they ransomed from Sainte Kitts and when they did the prize captain might just pitch the Letter of Marque into the flames and hang the whole crew.
 
She sighed a bit and looked out the window, she just wanted to get him out of this but knew there was nothing that could be done. Looking over at the captain she was so afraid for him. Walking up to Humphreys she wrapped her arms around him hugging him close. She didn't care what he did to get boarded like this, to her he was a very good man. He got her out of the clutches of her father, kissing his cheek and pulled away a bit. She didn't know how he would take it but she was far from worried.
 
When she kissed his cheek it took him aback as it was so sudden considering the circumstances as the crew on deck was still heard sawing and hammering away to get the wood pieces into place. He knew his fate but did not know that of her's once they returned to St. Kitts but the die has been cast and when she pulled back he carefully slid his arm around her smaller shoulders and pulled her close to his position at the window and together they looked out the window at the near pitch black sea with the occassional flash of lightining in the distance as the rain began to pick up once again.

"You can stay with us, if you desire, I just don't know what your father will say if he saw you again. He may even rip you away."
 
She didn't know what was going to happen, but looking down she sighed a little bit. She knew that punishment for certain things was by hanging, and she didn't know if that was his fate or not. But she felt him close and felt his arm around her shoulders. "I don't know id like that, but I know punishment for certain things is death. Are they going to hang you and the whole crew?" She asked curious if he knew he would die or if something else was up. Looking up into his eyes she gave him a soft smile.
 
"The entire crew? Nay. Perhaps just the officers, namely myself. For the crew they will likely give them two choices: impressment into the Royale Navy or prison. I do not blame them for impressment for it is a far better cry than onboard a hulk ship but still that is no life for a sailor in worrying about being flogged." Humphreys was slightly worried but his face did not show it as they looked out the window as the storm continued.

"In all of my travels I have never heard of an entire crew being hanged. Even for pirates. So, do not worry about that. chances are they will not touch you either. They will just make an example out of several of us and stow the rest away that will not serve. The Crown may be cruel but they are also intelligent." Humphreys replied.
 
Lee heard what he said and thought for a moment and didn't like it "I don't want you to die Captain, I would miss you terribly and I don't know why they are so willing to let me go without being hung or put in prison. I guess men don't think women can handle themselves in prison a rule against it" Looking down as she rested her head against his chest, just wanting to comfort each other and wondered if she could invoke who she was. But didn't know if it would work since her father was still alive.

"I wish I could do something say that I am the governors daughter and demand them not to hang anyone, but with my father alive I doubt that it will even work" She said rather sadly. She just felt like she was in a prison with being with her father. She wondered if Allen had something to do with this. "Does Captain Allen have anything to do with this? Kind of strange you bump into him, now we are in trouble"
 
"Aye, we were in Boston, together, before we departed. He had just began as newly commissioned privateers. His ship is smaller than that of the Dolphin but he is a good man. I just pray that he will come back towards us, for some queer reason," Humphreys replied. "I don't think you will have any sway with your father. Even though you be the daughter of the governor the orders come down from the King, so it seems, that pirates be hanged as they are at war with the Colonies. In any event fi you have any other sixth sense insid oe of you perhaps you can summon the Dolphin back to us," he smiiled.

Unable to sleep they waited in the great cabin at it was eleven bells and the work was just about finished up and after depositing a prize crew onboard the Fusiliade the British retrund to their frigate and prepared to cast off.
 
Lee was rather sad and she didn't sleep a wink that night all she did was pray the whole night, praying that Allen would come to help them. She didn't want to see her friend and captain hung because of what he did, and she was so tired but kept praying. And it was silent praying, she had been religious all her life but stopped praying every day once her mother died. And she just thought about everything they didn't get a chance to do, it was such a hard thing to think that she couldn't see the damn future.
 
At four bells the off watch was roused from their hammock and went on deck to a ocean heavily overcast and cold. A british officer and two marines to oversea that the privateers performed their tasks all in all there hve been no disagreements between the two sides desite the privateers knoing what is to become of them and the British frigate began to leave the prze as it turned round to pursue the other escaping prizes and by morning found her to windward a good five miles ahead of the Fusiliade as Captain Humphreys awoke.
 
She knew the time was coming in fast, but she refused to sleep she didn't know if she would ever sleep again. She would rather die with him and his men, then go back to the prison she came from. But only time would tell what was to happen, though she just kept praying Allen would come here some how by the grace of god. But she didn't know if god was hearing her, she wished she had magical powers. But since she was as normal as a human could be, she silently sighed and was lost in the moment.
 
Less than an hour onto the next watch the fog still clung heavily to to the sea as visibility was next to nothing. Very unusual butno one was alarmed. The crew went about their duties with the same zeal as they always had.

From the cabin a lookout cried, "Ship off the larboard quarter!" Then came a great rush as a ship moved along side and pushed ahead of the Fusiliade and sent ahorrible wake that jostled the ship and woke the captain whom looked out the cabin window but to see nothing and roused Lee to follow her to the weather deck to see as a thunder erupted by the spitting of cannon.
 
She felt something was rather wrong and with the captain she ran right up to the weather deck and she heard cannons. "What is going on who's ship is that?" She was tired but still alert she never allowed anything to put her guard down, taking a deep breath she thought perhaps her prayers were answered? Or perhaps it was just another stupid ship wanting to cause trouble, but right now anything was a welcomed sight.

"What ship is that?"
 
"I'm not sure" Humphreys replied as the blistering fire resumed with the strange ship sliding across the bow of the ship that went on a chase with the British frigate. All eyes were focused on this battle as the English frigate came bout until there was a great cry from the larboard amidships where several figures calmbered onboard brandishing pistols and custlasses. One of the Marines was shot where he stood and the figures advanced towards the poop where the officer of the watch was cutdown where he stood before the rest of the prize crew could respond.

In just a few moments Humphreys was standing in front of a familiar figure, it was the first officer of the Dolphin.
 
Lee didn't know what was going to happen to do, running her fingers against her neck and yawned a little bit. Closing her eyes she didn't know what was to happen, and when it came down to it. She wasn't to sure what would go on in his mind, but then she heard w hat the captain said it was the dolphin. "My god I prayed all night that they would come and here they are!" She hugged him happily and was ready to celebrate but didn't want to over do it right now, since she didn't know if it was a rescue or something else right now.
 
"All hands on deck!" Humphreys said as the Dolphins charge and captured the rest of the prize crew. The battle was so swift that the British onboard did not have a chance to et off a single shot and only two were killed the rest captured. Now that the Fusiliade was recaptured Humphreys went to Lee and told her to stay with the wheel as they heaved to larboard and pulled away with the bell chiming, announcing of their victory as the Dolphin herself fired several blistering broadsides against the frigate before coming bout and coming to the stern of the Fusiliade where they made their dash using the fog to make their escape.

"I'll be!" Humphreys laughed as he clapped one hand on Lee's shoulder. It was a near run they made it out as he stood before the British prize officers and looked at them with the twing of irony that now they were the prisoners onboard, though their oiringal prizes were perhaps now gone there was no worry about them for right now. They had to open the distance between the enemy.
 
Lee went with her heart right now and when he told her to keep at the wheel, when everyone got on board that was meant to be there, so she had paid attention on how to take control of a ship so she did it. Turning the wheel hard to the left 'Hang on Boys!" she called out and made it seen that she could do the job just as well as a man could. It was hard to do it but forcing out energy she had from being cooped up could be seen, a big grin on her face as they headed to where they were meant to go. But she had a secret she knew a different way to get there.

She had a big grin on her face and was up to something that much was easy to tell, she hummed a bit as she looked up at her captain. "Guess some of us have tricks up our sleeves captain" She grinned and kept forward. She gave the orders to the men and they actually did it and once they were a safe distance away she looked up at her captain and smiled.
 
"You should've been a captain" Humphreys laughed as they opened the distance. The Dolphin lay to windward until the sun began to rise higher and burned off the mist and they were in the open sea some two hundred miles East of where the Fusiliade was originally captured, but now they were released from their bonds the Fusiliade crew took the British prize crew down below and placed them in irons to await being turned over to the proper people, perhaps the French would pay a good price for English prisoners for a prisoner of war trade.

Either way Humphreys looked at Lee and said that from there forth she would assume the watch officer, a promotion that took the rest of the officers off guard, but he looked at them and assured that as the captain of this ship he could do as he pleased as they were not confined by the rigors of the Navy.
 
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