As the admiral peers through his forecastle, his lead Dromon responding through flag waves, “enemy spotted”. Shortly after he could see it more clearly past the haze, a burning Cog, a ship departing from it’s location and sailing away suspiciously close; turning ever further from us.
They will have the wind soon, and as the admiral looks at his formation, he sees that his inverted V is in slight disarray in the fog, maneuvering in this will prove difficult. His 8 ships however, remain together and in sight.
Admiral Adolfo Marques Vivo stood on the deck of his ship, listening to the reports of his men. He spoke clearly to the crew, “Signal the other ships. Two are to break from the pack and render aid to the stricken vessel. The rest of the pack is to match speed and move to envelope the eneny ship. All rowers to double time and make best speed.”
The Captain of the flagship bowed to the Admiral and issued orders. The two furthest back ships will maneuver to render aid to the burning vessel and any sailors in the water.
The remaining eight ships will come abreast of eachother in a line and make best speed to catch the fleeing vessel. Of possible the outer ships are to move to cut off the pirate ship, or force it to maneuver and lose speed.
As your left squadron slows to assist the burning trade vessel, you notice that your right flank greatly struggles with adapting to the sea state and it’s failing to make use of the wind. As your two right-most ships begin to drift and slow, struggling against the waves. your remaining 4 ships close in on the fleeing pirate vessel, a thunderous rain pelts down across ship and ocean alike, the splash wiping out several men with each wave break as they stagger to their feet on the deck. The oarsmen, soaked from constant water swells.
Within minutes you will begin to reach this vessel, diminutive as you have been able to clearly see it through the storm.
The Admiral grips the railing as his ships move to intercept. The pirate ship is much smaller than they initially believed, but this mattered little. They had been caught and his orders were clear.
“Archers! To your positions! Prepare to fire on the ship as we come alongside.” He looked to his sergeants as the archers, struggling on the deck, moved to their elevated positions. “Have your men hold fire until we get a good look at the pirate ship, I do not want us attacking a civilian ship.”
The ships would continue, attempting to bracket the pirate ship from two sides, with archers ready to engage upob being ordered.
“Signal the ship to heave to and prepare to be boarded once we are alongside. We shall give them one chance to save themselves.”
As your men steady themselves, they move into position. The alleged pirate slows down and appears to be complying, they even raise their oars; an obvious show of restraint and submission.
As your men prepare gangplanks to be able to travel alongside this obviously Rav vessel, they begin their movements to board, lined up and begin filing in. It is after several dozen have come alongside that the trap is sprung. A torrent of containers, bottles, and orbs alight begin pouring towards one of your ships you ordered to board. The gods appear to be speaking, for the sea has begun to quiet and cloud-breaks spring around, just in time to watch a dromon spring into a burst of flames.
Aboard the drakken, a rush of men with short knives and swords begin to overwhelm the now isolated boarding party, their gangplanks cut down or shoved aside, and a horrendous melee ensues, as panicked marines fight a desperate battle.
In horrendous timing, one of your own ship’s rudder snaps with a cracking roar, or so call sailors in the stern (your own maneuvering will be hindered for this engagement’s duration).
And so as the moments slip, and the gaze is redirected back towards the now-confirmed pirates, nearly a hundred men strong still, and a slew of Silitonian marines crumpled amongst the deck, its oars recede back into the water and their sail catches the wind once more.
Your own ship is hindered, the other close by is burning profusely, and your archers are struggling with a moving target racing ahead of you, hurtling towards two blocking ships from your previously struggling flank.
“Why are we not turning!?” The Admiral roared, as his ship found itself floundering after the attack of the pirates.
“My lord, the left rudder has been snapped, we can not maneuver!” The Captain yelled, as he attempted to aid the ship pilot in maneuvering the ship.
“Damn them!” The Admiral slammed his fist into the railing of his ship, before regaining composure. “Captain, turn us towards the Venatress, she is burning and we must aid her crew. Signal the Argo, have her captain take command of the attack. He is to sink that ship, we will extract what information we need from those left in the water.”
…
“Captain, the Admiral’s ship has floundered. He has signalled you are the lead the charge and sink the pirates.” The second of the Argo spoke.
Captain Westlry Brandt of the Argo nodded, as his crew worked to being their ship back into engagement range of the pirate ship. “Signal the Pietas, have her ram the pirates. Archers! Pitch and light your arrows, rain fire down upon the rats as soon as we are alongside.”
Four Silitonian ships remain in the fight, as the Admiral turns the flagship to aid his stricken vessel. The two blocking ships continue to close the gap ahead of the pirates. The two pursuing ships, Argo and Pietas, continue to move to engage the pirates. The Pietas is to move to use the ships armored bow ram to cut the pirates in half.
The archers of the Argo have a more dangerous task. As the ship comes alongside, they are to pitch and light the ends of the arrows. Once lit, they are to fire upon the pirate ship to set her alight. A dangerous tactic, but one that the archers have trained in.
As the pirate begins to pick up speed, she is clearly trying to thread the distance between the two outer Silitonian ships on the furthest picket, once breaking formation from difficult seas, the calming waters and rising visibility have allowed them to widely set up for a decisive encounter.
All the while, the Argo’s archers struggle to land any significant number of hits on both man and board, small licks of fire can be seen by the telltale smoke plumes on the fleeing corsair. However her crew appear disciplined and able, the firesmoke remains constant, but no large plumes of redish flame can be discerned.
As the pirate attempts a wide bank to outmaneuver the larger dromons, her captain begins to stare back, his eyes piercing towards the stranded Admiral. Both not breaking their gaze from each other. CRACK!
The moment becomes interrupted as the Pietas, captained by a junior officer of the Empire with more connections than sense, as his reputation has already been marked amongst the fleet, manages to correctly anticipate their foes’ movement. Instead of evading, the pirate is hit just before her bow, snapping before the great momentum of the towering Dromon’s weight and speed.
As part of it’s crew had braced, men cling to flotsam, and dozens can be seen scrambling to survive in the rapidly sinking raider.
SILITON PREVAILS!
Results:
1 Dromon lost to fire, unsalvageable
67 Silitonian sailors & marines lost in combat
Neither mercy nor retribution shall be given. The survivors are to be yoked and shackled, fed simply on stale bread and water, until the fleet returns to Siliton.
These captives will pay for their crimes, but until such time, information on where they are based, who is supporting them, and how many pirate ships are on the sea will be… extracted… from them. By any means.
