I slept surprisingly well that night, all things considered. It was now or never. Go time. After today, I would be done with this zone one way or another. Either because I’d succeeded or because I was dead.
“You awake, Ghost?” I asked, stirring from my straw bed at the tavern.
“Jeremy asked me to let you sleep in,” he said.
I groaned. No matter how much time passed, I was still prone to sleeping in if no one woke me up, like a certain bird in this case.
“Should’ve woken me up at daybreak,” I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes before focusing on an outfit hanging by the door. “What’s that?”
“Jeremy said it would be proper for you to wear it. It’s a traditional pirate garb, apparently.”
“Do I have to?”
Ghost tilted his head, mulling over a thoughtful response to my rhetorical question.
“The historical significance in this culture, combined with the fact this is supposedly a similar outfit to what Markus wore during the famous battle, makes me believe the people here will have a significantly higher morale if they see you wearing it.”
“Okay, Ghost. If you insist.”
“I didn’t,” he said.
“Since you insist,” I repeated, hopping out of bed and pulling the outfit from the hanger. “Gaudy, but you know… pretty neat. Straight out of one of those old pirate stories these people probably know nothing about. PanTech turning every zone into the scene from some fiction novel, like always. They certainly didn’t hold a high regard for historical accuracy.”
“How much actual pirate history do you know, Taylor?”
“Fair point,” I conceded. “I never thought I’d be a pirate captain, but here we are.”
“You probably never thought you’d be or do a lot of the things you’ve been and done,” he said. “I know that’s true for me.”
I pulled off my pajamas and started getting dressed in my new outfit.
“And is that a good or bad thing?” I asked.
“Depends on when you ask but…” He lowered his head, taking his time before speaking, as Ghost often did. “No shadowfalcon before me has ever adventured like this. We don’t migrate. We’re isolated to a small area near your territory, and there are very few of us. We hunt, carefully, and spend the remainder of our time hiding to preserve our dwindling numbers.”
“Sorry I took you away from all that,” I said.
“I am grateful you did. This feels… more natural. Like this is what nature meant for me to do, but fear had guided us away from.”
I smiled, genuinely happy to hear it.
“What do you think?” I asked, slipping on the coat and hat.
“What do you mean?”
“Does it look good?”
“It seems to fit you well,” he replied.
“Not what I meant, but I do appreciate the assessment,” I said, opening the door and walking out into the tavern’s main area.
I was met with a chorus of cheers and applause as I descended the stairs. Most of the men who were here the night before were back again.
“Have a seat, Captain,” Jeremy insisted, sliding a bottle and glass in my direction. “Today’s an all-day celebration. That there’s one of the last bottles of rum we have on this island. As is tradition, first drink goes to the captain. Our men have been working through the night to get everyone ready and load all the cargo onto our ship.”
I sat down across from him, uncorking the bottle and pouring my glass half-full, taking a large gulp of the brownish liquid. Truth be told, I was never a fan of drinking. Not at all, but I did make exceptions for rituals like these. These men had high expectations of their “captain”, and I needed to avoid any pitfalls that might make me look like a small, dainty woman who wasn’t up to the task.
“I’ve never tried rum. Not bad,” I lied. “The rest should go to the rest of you, but not too much. We need clear heads for what we’re about to do today.”
Resnir laughed, patting Jeremy hard on the back. “Even the old man had taken it easy on the drink today.”
“I’ve not had a drop,” Jeremy corrected. “Celebrations are supposed to be different from every other day, so I’ve decided to spend the day not drinking.”
I nodded with enthusiasm, happy to hear it.
“So, you’re my first mate, I take it?” I asked.
“That’s the decision of the captain, but I’d be honored to accept that role.”
“Alright, First Mate. We have a few hours left, but what’s this about cargo? I believe I mentioned we should travel light. It’s not like we can take the ship with us.”
Jeremy opened a small box in front of him, beckoning me to lean forward. He started brushing on my face without warning. Was this… makeup? I made no objections. I’d gone this far to honor their traditions for the sake of morale. Oh well, when in strange lands, do as the natives do.
“Oh, it’s mostly for the celebration. When you said we’d be traveling light, that left us room for entertainment,” he said, squinting and brushing carefully as he spoke, gripping my chin gently to maneuver my face into the right position.
I started to ask about the specifics of this entertainment, but I could venture a guess.
“Planning to blow the ship after we reach the shore?”
“Oh, no, definitely not,” he said, shaking his head, seemingly offended I’d even asked. “This is your ship after today. I want it to be an eyesore for those PanTech dogs until the end of their days.”
“The cats and the humans too,” I quipped. I couldn’t ignore the irony that about one third of the remaining PanTech forces actually were dogs.
He laughed, then let go of my face, putting the brush back in the box and slamming it closed.
“There, you look like a true menace of the seas now. They’ll never tell another Captain Markus story again after today. It’ll be the tales of Captain Taylor from here on out.”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
I held up my glass, prompting the other men to do so as well.
“To victory!” I shouted.
“To victory!” they all roared in a single voice.
***
Several hours later, Jeremy led me to the ship. It was much bigger than I was expecting.
“What’ll you name her?” Jeremy asked as we strode aboard. “That honor goes to a ship’s captain.”
I pondered the question for a moment.
“The Cat’s Gambit,” I said.
Jeremy smiled and nodded approvingly at the title his ship had been given for her first and final voyage.
“Your crew awaits their orders,” he said, taking his place beside me as I looked down at the men below, waiting on the dock.
“Men, are all of our loved ones on board, and all supplies accounted for?” I asked.
“Aye, Captain!”
I checked my watch. It was time.
“All aboard, and let’s set sail!”
The men all poured into the boat.
This vessel was more than large enough for our purposes. When I’d originally told Jeremy we’d be able to use their perceived weakness to their advantage, I didn’t expect the statement to be so true. PanTech were fools for allowing this ship to stay in one piece, but it would just be one of many things they’d come to regret today.
The rope was cut and the sails were lowered. The large ship drifted gently into the waters, never to return. This was it.
Men scrambled on deck, no doubt working on Jeremy’s celebratory gestures he’d alluded to earlier.
“The cannons are ready, Captain,” one of the men shouted.
I looked at Jeremy, who had a mischievous grin on his lips.
“I believe I said we wouldn’t be engaging in direct combat with the enemy, First Mate,” I said, crossing my arms.
“And so I modified the plan a bit. They’ll be firing blanks, but they’ll have the intended effect. Of course… we do have cannonballs at the ready, should they be needed.”
I sighed, conceding to the show of force Jeremy had planned. If anything, it would make sure we had their attention.
“Wait for my signal to fire the blanks,” I said, already seeing PanTech’s island begin to become clearer on the horizon. “They’ll be watching us through advanced telescopes, if they aren’t already. I’d love to see the panic over there.”
Ghost stayed perched on my shoulder, apparently enjoying the ride. “So would I.”
“You’re not jealous I didn’t make you first mate, are you Ghost?”
“I know even less about ships and naval warfare than you, Taylor. Rather, about the same. Nothing.”
I laughed, as did Jeremy.
“Then it’s a good thing this is only a one way trip. Men!” I called out, raising my voice. I drew Twisted Key, running and standing on the bow of the ship, holding on to a rope for stability. “Fire!” I shouted, pointing my sword in the air.
A chorus of cannon fire rang out, the concussive force shaking the boat and pounding through my chest.
“That’ll have their attention!” Jeremy shouted as a chorus of loud cheers rang out.
“What do you see, Ghost? Do we have their attention?”
Ghost peered at the island, his keen eyes taking in the sights.
“There is lots of running and apparent shouting, so I’d say… yes.”
“First Mate, see that our ship is aligned with the rocky passage. My contact’s map will be accurate, if you still have the skill to send The Cat’s Gambit through.”
“We were born for it, right men?” Jeremy roared.
Shouts of “Aye!” erupted from those on board, and the men again scattered to their posts, frantically aligning the ship to the perfect angle needed.
“Brace yourselves. If our plan works, we’ll hear a loud siren. If it fails, we’ll be impacted, and every man and woman aboard will be fighting for their life.”
Jeremy nodded, choosing not to relay the order just yet, instead allowing the workers to concentrate on the immediate task at hand. Aligning the ship.
Any time now…
The wait was killing me. The submarine was an invisible menace that could sink us at any moment, killing everyone aboard. The fight I’d warned them about would probably never happen. They’d cut through the hull and unleash such superior firepower that no one on this ship would survive beyond the first minute of boarding. Even Ghost seemed to understand the need for the lie, and had not tried to correct me as he’d have normally done.
After several more agonizing minutes, a blaring siren hummed from the waters below. It was music to my ears. My muscles relaxed, at least for the moment.
“Now, men! Sail as quickly as we can through the rocky passage, but carefully. If we get stuck, everyone aboard this ship is a goner.”
I looked toward the island, knowing by now they’d be watching me.
“Bad news, Taylor,” Ghost said, flapping his wings. “Rifles are coming out.”
Bad news indeed.
“Load the cannons with live rounds. Quickly!” I ordered.
Guess avoiding a fight was off the table.
“We’ll have one angle to fire on their beach, men! Load quickly!” Jeremy added.
Many more joined from below, including many of the women. Things had just gotten a lot hairier than I’d expected.
“Are they still moving into position, Ghost?”
“They’re approaching the beach now. They’re going to start getting shots off in thirty seconds.”
“How long until we’re at the right angle, First Mate?”
He didn’t answer, no longer in the jovial mood he was in before. His eyes darted between the path ahead and the cannons, sweat pooling on his brow.
“Stars above…” he mumbled, clenching his fists tightly. If Jeremy was praying to a divinity he didn’t even believe in, I knew things were bad.
A shot blasted from the beach, hitting the bow. A piece of wood flew up, hitting my leg. It would’ve skewered it if were not for my armor, though it shredded the leg of the pants I was wearing. I grabbed the rope and swung back on the deck.
“You alright, Captain?”
“Don’t worry about me! We need those cannons! Now!”
Jeremy held up his trembling hand, his eyes fixed on the path ahead.
“Ready… Cannons all the way to the right! And… fire!”
Just as he shouted, another rifle shot ripped by, somehow missing the ship entirely.
“Looks like they missed,” I said.
“That’s because they’re aiming at you and not the ship, you idiot!” Ghost shouted, waving his wings frantically. “You’re lucky they don’t seem to ever train with them!”
“Ghost, what’s happening on the beach?”
“They’re scattering.”
“Anyone hit?” I asked.
“No one hit.”
“Thank goodness,” I whispered.
“Bah!” Jeremy scoffed.
“Ready half the cannons with blanks, the other half with balls!” I ordered. “Fire the blanks when ready!”
The blanks were much faster to reload than the balls, and another chorus of blasts rang out as the live ammunition was still being loaded.
“And now?” I asked Ghost.
“Those who were getting back into position have fled again.”
I took a deep breath and exhaled.
Now that we were clearly retreating, it was unlikely anyone would put their life on the line. Even an Adversity Management power armor would have a hard time against a cannonball. It might survive, but the person’s insides would be thoroughly shaken up. Not something anyone would volunteer for.
I waited a long moment before checking in again.
“Ghost?” I asked.
He peered at the beach.
“No activity.”
“Victory!” I shouted, holding Twisted Key high into the air.
“Victory!” Jeremy echoed.
Raucous cheering erupted from those on deck, both men and women. Wives jumped into their husbands’ arms. Suddenly, I was grabbed by Jeremy and hoisted into the air. Several others swarmed us, holding me up.
“Three cheers for the captain! Hip, hip!”
“Horray!”
“Hip, hip!”
“Horray!”
“Hip, hip!”
“Horray!”
The last one was the loudest of all. A little much for Ghost, he fled to what remained of the bow.
“Land ho!” Jeremy shouted, as we were nearing the beach.
“Run her up on the beach hard. She’ll not be going back,” I said.
Once we landed, everyone began departing frantically. I stood on the shore, watching for several minutes.
Not ten minutes later, everyone was gathered and ready to begin the next leg of the journey on foot.
“Captain, we’re ready to go,” Jeremy said.
“A few more minutes,” I whispered.
“But Captain, we—”
“A few more minutes,” I insisted.
He nodded, and I shared a nervous glance with Ghost.
“Please tell me you see something,” I said.
Ghost didn’t answer, only continued peering ahead.
“Ghost?”
Still no answer. I sighed.
One could only expect so many miracles in a short period of time.
As I turned, Ghost startled me.
“They’re coming,” he said.
“Who is coming?” Jeremy asked. “Should I prepare the men to fight?”
I shook my head. “No, I only need you here. This is my contact I told you about. She had planned to escape if she could.”
A few minutes later, Bereth and Isaiah ran ashore, with Clarise stepping off the boat. She stood in front of us.
At first, she and Jeremy shared only a brief glance, but something seemed to click in Jeremy’s mind. An intuition. His eyes stayed locked on her as he puzzled the situation out.
“Is this…” she asked, looking from me to Jeremy.
I nodded, afraid to answer and expose my voice cracking. I wiped a tear from my eye, and simply nodded.
“You mean…” Jeremy’s hand trembled as he pointed at her, everything finally coming together. “Your contact was…”
I placed a hand on his shoulder, not bothering to wipe away the tears flowing anymore. There were too many to bother. I simply nodded.
He made a feeble step toward her, collapsing to his knees, sobbing loudly into his hands.
She joined him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He clutched at her, eventually regaining enough control of his arms to do embrace her tightly.
“It’s been a while… Dad,” she said.