NationStates Jolt Archive

1620...

Dyelli Beybi was what the State would come to be known as, but at the moment any ideas of a unified Dyelli Beybi were nothing more than a dream, a dream that would not come to fruition for more than 100 years to come. Now their were two Kingdoms. In the South, with it's capital in Cyro was the Dyel Kingdom ruled by Queen Catherine. In the North was the Beybir Kingdom, ruled by Fabrice III. In the East were the D'Reg tribes, theoretically ruled by Sultan Suleiman, but in reality ruled by whoever had the biggest sword.

The Dyel Kingdom was the only civilized Nation on the South Klatchian Coast, with 20 Ships of the Line of Battle 25 Snows and 10 Zabras; they had quite a large Navy for the period. Catherine managed to maintain some kind of control over the unruly nobles, keeping the former crusader Kingdom from fracturing into even more parts.

The Beybir Kingdom was land locked, although had a strong land army, they had clashed some five years earlier with the Dyellians in the South. Fabrice was something of a military thinker... this was not to say that his thoughts on military matters were appropriate at all. In the Battle of Bath, the Beybir Army had narrowly escaped destruction at the hands of the Dyellians after Fabrice had taken a bullet in the stomach and more competent Generals had been able to extricate the Army.

Since then relations had warmed somewhat due to the perpetual Battle against the D'Regs...

----------

Sheffield

Lord Hobson scratched at his collar as he looked out across the new Dyellian settlement from the windows of the Governor's Residence. Outside a pair of Guards kept watch by the gate. The Dyellian uniform was a long red coat with blue cuffs and trousers, black boots and a black tricorn hat.

Sheffield produced steel, fine swords for the Military and for export North. It also took in hardwood from the mills in the Fasta Benj.

"... sales of hardwoods amounted to 10,000 florins..." the clerk droned onwards.

The best wood for ships was also harvested in Fasta Benj, sent to Sheffield and sold on to the harbors in Cyro. It had made Hobson a very wealthy man. What had made Hobson an even wealthier man was the wood being sent through the jungle to Lagarto, a somewhat secret shipyard well up the Benj river.

Lagarto repaired vessels for customers who would otherwise be unable to get repairs. For the wealthier clients, it also built the odd vessel. In short, it was a Pirate Port. Hobson though, did far more than sell the pirates wood. Lord Hobson, Earl of Sheffield, was a director of the South Klatchian Trading Company. The Company had built a Fort at Lagarto and stationed 3,000 troops there. In return the pirates avoided the Company vessels... and actively targeted non-Company hardwood traders.

Hobson had been their once, he allowed himself to daydream of that one visit while the clerk continued to prattle on about sales figures. The pirates were a filthy lot by and large, but one had caught his eye. A woman, she was so weird, exotic and beautiful, a creature of blood and violence. Charlotte ab Ieuaf, she was acquiring quite a name for herself as a pirate these days. Apparently she had been a noble of some description from the South Coast, before times had turned hard...

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Squall Straights

Grape shot flayed the deck of the Carrack, shredding sailors, leaving the unlucky ones screaming in agony on the deck, yet still it fought on. A swivel gun fired from the fore castle, smashing off a section of the railing inches from where Charlotte ab Ieuaf had been resting her hand, she flinched involuntarily, "Reload!"

The Priapic Robin was a large Corvette, packing 8 cannons along with numerous swivels. Today she would take the Prancing Stoat a caravel with cannons, but 8 cannons, four in the forward and four in the rear castle. It belonged to one of the nearby Nations, Charlotte hadn't really checked which.

"Sail on the horizon!" It was a shout from the crow's nest, "Off the stern to Starboard."

Charlotte turned, "Telescope."

An officer handed her the telescope, "Thanks..." she replied, offering a quick smile as she unfolded it.

The sails in the distance leaped into the foreground as she raised the telescope to her eye, "Damn it."

It was a Snow, the curvature of the planet hiding the hull, but the unusual auxiliary mast marked it as one. It could have been any number of merchants or military vessels, but Charlotte had seen those sails so many times before...

It was HMS Subtle Hammer, one of the pirate hunting fleet, probably the only Dyellian Pirate hunter that actually bothered to hunt pirates... "Tack hard to starboard, break off the engagement!"

"Aye! Aye! Ma'am!" came the chorus across the deck. The 40 guns on the Hammer would make short work of her ship.

"Mr. Lewis." she turned to the navigator, a gnarled looking man in a huge hat, "Set a course for the Benj."

Many miles East, Captain Collins snapped his telescope shut, "She's bearing North, follow her."

It was a pointless chase, the Priapic Robin far outpaced the Hammer. He sighed. He could just imagine that pirate on deck, blonde hair tied back, tight leather jerkin over a white blouse... his duty of course was to hang her, to hang all pirates a duty very few Dyellian Captains took seriously. Yet still he couldn't help but feel attracted to the young woman he had only ever seen through a telescope...

"Change that... move to investigate that Carrack." he wouldn't bother chasing ab Ieuaf. She'd swing up the Benj past that damned Fort that absolutely wasn't manned by the South Klatchian Trading Company, and which the Admiralty never had spare ships to investigate, despite the 15 Ships of the Line moored permanently in the harbor.

"We'll see who owns the boat, see what damage is done." one day Captain Collins would sail a Ship right into Lagarto, blow the Fort wide open and lay waste to all the damned pirates inside...

"The Squawll strait is, of neccesity, the Principal Route of this commerce which exists between Southern Klatch and the Rest of these lands. Tho' it is often described in a Most Exaggerated Fashion, this Strait bears Little Risk of Wind and Water to those vessels passing thru' it, For by far the Larger part of the Year, for Such Treacherous and Unpre'dictable Conditions as form the Basis of Those Sentationalist Torrie Narratives are only, In Truth, associated with the Southern Monsoon, when in Feburary the Flow of Waters thru the passage Intensifies Markedly, Bringing Waves, Crosscurrents and Storms to the Strait, as well as the Hubris Fishing Bloom. In these Last two-score Years However, this Passage has became Infested with the Devilish Pyrates, Who Plunder that Shipping passing East from Burangia, bearing Slayves, Elephants Teeth and That Tempter of low Man, Gold, and on the Westward traffic of Woods from the Fasta to the Nations of the North. This Strait, Being over 5 Leagues across, is Wide and Deep enough to be Ran without Fear of A'Grounding, yet Narrow enough thast those Pyrates have no Difficulty in Blockkad'ing it, so that Only the Heaviest of Vessels may pass w'out being Plunder'ed." -From Daniel deFonz's "A Plan of The Klatchian Commerce"
http://www.freewebs.com/fastabenj/Asp.jpg
Aboard the "Revenge" Sloop (12)
'At last the open sea again' Thought George "Bones" Havens.
Although as a ships surgeon he knew well that without the sweet winds of the land the crew would all eventually perish from the scurvvy, it was a trade he sometimes thought well worth making for the uncluttered clean vista of the South Klatchian Ocean.
'It's not even as if the airs at Port Blood are healthfull anyway'
He snorted at the thought. He would never understand why the pirate port was always rebuilt in the same shanty, slipshod style every time the storem season passed. At least it meant the town got washed once a year, or else the town would be knee deep in dead rats and human turds.

The "Revenge" plowed on through the slight chop of the slate coloured seas, the light wind allowing all sail to be set, and with the Quartermaster, Harry King at the helm there would be no flapping of the leach line to drain away their momentum.
It had been good for their kind in the Jiggy islands until about two years ago, the rightly feared apostles reef meaning that most commerce with the old world had to pass through the main straights among the islands. But then something happened that greatly vexed their Captain: the Dyellians began pirating to the West, snapping up the rich cargos that were beginning to emerge from Burung and Tanah.
It wasn't right, Captain Asp had declared, pulling his (in)famous crocodile cloak around his shoulders. It was time for all pure blooded European pirates to show those debased and indolent Dyellians who was the best, and punish them for their misogyny. The Crew had ignored the usual Charles Asp remarks about race, and focussed on what was important - Someone else was taking the cargoes that were unrightfully theirs.
That was why the Revenge now made full speed west under the firm Noreasterly trades, to geyt to the squall passage and get rich.
Bones smiled. As the first surgeon ever to voluntarily sign the articles of a pirate sloop, he was entitled to a full share and a half of the booty, and If the tales Iloba told of the wealth of his homeland were even slightly true then that would be a great fortune indeed.
For such a treasure the crew of the sloop, fifty-four men of a dozen races and two dozen countries would tolerate anything from a Captain, an important consideration when sailing with this one. At least he tended to stay in his cabin when there were no other ships in sight.

(OOC: As you can probably tell this thread is ever so slightly tongue in cheek)

The Banana Hammock was a three masted, 8 gun schooner was a small ship, but nimble, and famously fast against the wind. It was in fact, possibly the most feared pirate vessel on the area of Klatch that was rapidly begining to live up to it's name... 'The pirate Coast'.

She pulled out of the mouth of the Saint Guineford's caldera. She was Captained by a certain Captain Jack. Most of the time he was refered to only as Captain Jack, but when need came to distinguish him from the other Jacks he was known as 'Unspeakably Violent Jack... the shark buggering whale slayer of no fixed abode.'

He had been more or less the master of Saint Guineford's Bay, privateering for the Beybir Kingdom who controlled the Caldera, during their war against the Dyel Kingdom. Saint Guineford's had been under perpetual seige, but she had not fallen, and Jack had made a pretty penny first privateering, and then running the Dyellian blockade. It took nerves of steel to sail under the 35 gun broadside of a Dyellian line ship, but Jack had those.

Pickings had been slim recently. The waters were being picked clean by the Lagarto Pirates and the Company vessels were too heavily armed to make tempting prey. A close shave with the HMS Subtle Hammer and Jack was just about ready to retire...

... Then had come a summons to the Governor's office. Jack would be paid 500 florrins and he would fly the Blue and Gold Beybir flag. He would travel East, then North, avoiding or fighting the Gonad pirates, then head North and East to the Lassic and Coventry. King Fabrice wanted in on the hardwood trade, and indeed, Saint Guineford's was bringing in Hardwood from the fringes of the Gonad... the problem was every time a ship left harbour it was snapped up by a Lagarto pirate.

Fabrice didn't have a single ship to call a Navy, at least not after the last war. Jack understood that this was a problem. Fabrice knew the Dyellians were turning a blind eye to the pirates, but couldn't do a damned thing about it. He'd already been thumped in the fields outside of Bath, so bullying Catherine into submission wasn't going to work. He needed ships... and the Northerners had ships. Fabrice on the other hand had gold... and some of the finest marines ever to set foot on a ship, not that they had any ships to set foot on now.

He had 11 of them onboard now. Small, dark, moustachioed fellows, fairly typical Beybirs. They sported big black tricorns, long blue jackets with long yellow cuffs with matching blue trousers and black buckled shoes. The Officer, a Lieutenant-Colonel was to act as the Diplomat on this mission. He sported a long yellow sash slung diagonally across his chest, white flashes of lace at his collar and wrists. He had replaced the tricorn with a broad rimmed tall crown hat, also in black, with a white hat band and plume.

Jack thought the man looked a bit of a dandy, but he walked like a man used to the roll of a ship and seemed respected by the 10 men... plus he was paying him well, so he made no comment. The only thing Jack wasn't certain of was the content of the three chests the marines had carried onboard. It wasn't really his place to question whether the dandy had brought plenty of extra clothes or if they were carrying a part of the treasury. He was paid enough not to question.

The ship swung East, travelling against the wind today, tacking and making fairly slow progress. Secretly Jack had fairly high hopes of success from this mission. If the other pirates were driven out and Lagarto burned, honest privateers like Jack would be able to find prey again...

Leftenant Colonel Adanan looked from side to side as he entered Tollan, the road to the great palace of the Tolteca God-Emperor was lined by Jaguar Warriors who cahnted and stomped their feet , creating quite a din for the arriving Lasseans. He was lead by a young woman through the throng, the Jaguars closed ranks behind him as he passed literally leaving him no way out should he choose to go back. He recalled stories of how the first Lassean delegation had been sacrificed atop the great pyramid of Teztcatlipoca, he tried not to think about it.

He was eventually lead a low stone mansion and to the God-Emperors Viceroy, The Nachxa, who sat quietly on a low couch draped in jaguar skins. Adnan was given pulque to drink and the din outside melted away as young women came forward and fanned him with large feathery fans. He drank and watched The Nachxa, the dark skinned white haird old blind man before him, until presently The Nachxa spoke, dropping all formality, he had dealt with the Lasseans before.

"Your plan to take the Southern strongholds from behind is a foolish one. Have you not built enough ships in Coventry to strangle the pirates as I had agreed to aid with, when your Ambassador last visited." The Nacxa, despite his blindness, locked eyes with Adanan.

Adnan blinked "Yes we have, your excellency, but we have to train sailors, somethiong we are not used to, and even if all of our ships were ready, the pirates could still resupply through the jungle, through your jungle, your excellency."

The Nachxa nodded "Quite, but moving a few pack mules of supplies through the jungle is quite different, how do you propse to move the canon that would be needed to batter down the walls of the Al Assad Fortress?"

Adnan smiled slyly "Well, your excellency.................."

*****

Nearly 800 miles south Iskerdun Al Assad tugged on the riggung of his Xebec (http://www.geocities.com/xebecinc/info.html) The 'Kemal' or Perfect. The ship was the largest Xebec ever built by his family, four masts and 22 main guns, and fast capable of very nearly 18 knots.

Iskerdun looked over his crew of Moors and Tolteca , he stood on the same deck as them, but towered over them at nearly six and a half feet, his bronze skin was nearly black and he went about barechested showing his scars and robust build, His anbkle length black hair was done up in the tradition of his family, pulled into a pony tail and then braided into four rope-thick braids. Two hung down his chest and two down his back.

"Weigh anchor, we head West, these men of Coventry are wary of us, and have set no ship out this way in nearly eight months, we will hunt further afield." He yelled in a deep and threatening voice.

The crew scurried into action.

The Revenge would pass close by a large lumbering Snow. The Dyellians liked Snows... this one must have been close to 1,000 tons. It flew a Dyellian Flag, and appeared to have no guns apart from swivels. The hull was painted black. The name, Man with hoe was freshly painted.

----------

Something you should never do on a ship was stop and ask for directions... buy Captain Jack whatever his name was, was having to do exactly that. Lieutenant Colonel Jameson was sitting below deck on a barrel of what he assumed was probably rum.

The Captain had gone ashore to ask where they were. It seemed while the charts of the Southern Klatchian Coast were accurate, the Captain's charts of the more Northern areas of the Klatchian continent were woefully innacurate...

They were somewhere near either Coventry or Lassic, or both... somewhere near them, probably to the West, somewhere.

"These Isles [Jiggy Islands] are Multidunious and much varied, being in Range from Large Mountainous masses to Sandy Kays but a Musquet Shot Abroard. Here There was Provender for the taking, Oceans bounding with both the Lesser fish and the Great Whale-Fish, Kays aswarm with the Breeding Turtle-Fish, Birds of Palatable sort in the Woods, and Beasts of four foot: A Sort of Wild-Hogg, Bristly and with Wide Protusions on it's Cheeks, and Goates in the Higher parts of The Islands. Dangerous Beasts are found here too, But unlike the nearby Peninsula of Gonaad the Greayte Cats are found only in the larger Islands, and there is little of That Regions Anthropophagous Flora.
The Seas hereabouts are Exceedingly Shallow, with Bottom being found on a Lead-line even Miles out of sight of Land, and with many Reefs and Shoals of Pernicious Corall. There are but few Passages and Straits Through this region which can be relied upon for Safety of the Visiting Navigator, Though the Locals will Know of Numerous others." - From Daniel deFonz's "A Plan of The Klatchian Commerce"

http://www.freewebs.com/fastabenj/Asp.jpg
Aboard the "Revenge", somewhere South of the entrance to St Guinefords Harbour.
The shark-oil flask had turned cloudy sometime the night before, and though a long way from becomming a serious storm, the weather was worsening. Visibility had dropped to about two miles and rain was pelting down from the clouds that scudded before the veering wind, currently a gusty easterly.
Captain Asp had reduced sail, the Sloop now running under the topsail and inner jib only. Their course was now rather more south west than west, in case the next night caused the following seas to mount any higher and poop the ship.

Aboard the "Narwhal" a modified whaling vessel, 80miles SW of "Revenge"
The Narwhal was an unusual looking ship, having been construted to her masters instructions out of an old Urca. She was readily recognizable at a distance by the odd arrangement of her masts, A gaff rigged fore mast and mizzen mast, and a great hole where the main should have sat. In this hole was mounted the try-pots for the rendering of the Whale-fish's blubber.
The Narwhal was a Rillonish whaler, one of very few to venture south of the Gonaad and the Pirate Straits, but Cap'n Hogg knew from long experience that it was usually worth it. The Seas around his homeland in the north of the great bight of Luna were devoid of the Cachalot or Sperm whales which thrived in the warmer southern oceans. And these whales rendered as much oil as the larger Blues, and of a finer quality, as well as prized ambergris for perfumes. Apart from the risk of kraken and silver orca, hunting the whales was safe enough, as was the trip to the hunting grounds. It was now, with the Cargo prized tightly into the holds, two-hundred and fifty barrels full, that the danger began.
Captain Hogg knew that the Tribunes of the Julians on the Gonaad would pay well for oil, almost as well as his countrymen in Rillanon, and that it was far easier for the locla "merchants" to take his cargo to the tribunes for sale than to go out to catch their own.

One important thing to remember about Saint Guineford's was that is was not a pirate port, and the fort gunners were jittery... it was best to raise a 'friendly' flag before trying to sail into the mouth of the caldera.

OOC: Sorry for the ooc post without any ic stuff (that will change) but I wanted to reserve the main 16th century Vrakian fighting ship. It is, of course, none other than the "turtle ship" (http://www.tabula-rasa.info/JamesAdams/treasure_trove/koreanTurtle/korean_ts.htm) of Korean design. However, I'm not exactly sure how to modify them for walruses. I guess not too many of the pinipeds will be there. I don't know.

Something you should never do on a ship was stop and ask for directions... buy Captain Jack whatever his name was, was having to do exactly that. Lieutenant Colonel Jameson was sitting below deck on a barrel of what he assumed was probably rum.

The Captain had gone ashore to ask where they were. It seemed while the charts of the Southern Klatchian Coast were accurate, the Captain's charts of the more Northern areas of the Klatchian continent were woefully innacurate...

They were somewhere near either Coventry or Lassic, or both... somewhere near them, probably to the West, somewhere.

Maps of the Southern Tolteca Coast were at best spotty. If the pirates didn't chase cartographers off, other merchants would, the lush southern coast was rich in ebony, teak, mahogany, gold, silver, copper, precious and semi precious gems and rare and exotic spces and animals. There were only two ports in the south Costa-Mela and Costa-Tula. Costa-Tula was the larger and safer, but was also entirely hidden from sight by the island of Costa-Verde that sat in front of it's harbour, if you didn't know where it was, you were unlikely to find it. Costa-Mela wasn't even actually a port, it was on the Mela river that emptied into the South Sea, it was a wide enough river to accept large ships, that's if you could find the mouth of the river in all the mangrove swamps.

The best place to land would be the black volcanic beaches a days trek south of Costa Mela, it was the omnly break in swamps and cliffs until you reached Coventry, which was still several hundred miles off. Lassic of course was landlocked, but what Dyellian would know that? Lassic's flag flew on ships from Coventry.

Captain Jack Nameless would find himself rowing ashore to a black sanded beach. Several Dark skinned dark haired fishermen stood in the surf. In the distance, about six miles to the west the Al Assad Fortress stood on a cliff and they would be watching the captains ship, and waiting to dispatch any number of ships to seize his ship and goods, unless he could get to a Viceroy of the Tolteca God Emperor first and receive protection. Of course Captain Jack Nameless may not know any of this, but would be pleased by the warm winds, gentle currents and lush paradise he was going ashore to ask for directions.

As he and his away team neared shore the Tolteca fishermen looked on in quiet amusement. It was an entertainment for them to watch the pirates seize ships, they were certain a show was coming.

Presumably Jack had had a surname at some point, but it was long since forgotten or discarded, or just not used... nobody really knew why the man was somewhat insane. What had happened now was the Banana Hammock had anchored quite peacefully in the Bay while the Captain and several crew men stepped ashore to bribe or bully some directions out of the locals.

They were dressed in a fine assortment of rags and colourful garments. The Captain himself sporting a huge blue shirt, black trousers and tricorn, 4 pistols and a cutlass. None of the others were quite as over armed...

There are about twelve to fifteen fishermen on the beach at Costa-Mela, dark skinned men all, wearing nothing but breech-clothes in the morning heat, all were standing knee or waist deep in the water with long poles flicking their lines in and out of the surf, they watched the pirates come ashore, but none made any move to greet them or acknowledge them.

The tTolteca fishermen seemed either used to armed, odd men wandering ashore, or simply didn't care. The edge of the jungle showed signs of several well used trails that lead North into the dense jungle.

The Captain peered into the woods, he didn't like the look of this, "Nobody goes down there." he grunted.

One of the other sailors had approached a fisherman, "Mate." he growled, "Which way to Coventry... or is it Lassic?"

The accents were heavily Dyellian, placing them as foreigners, although the odds were the fisherman would have no idea where the unusual accent came from.

On the ship, Lieutenant Colonel Jameson sighed at the annoying hold up. In his opinion the Captain and his crew were woefully unprepared for this voyage. He pulled out his telescope, training it on the Captain and his men on the beach, "Now what is that clown doing?" he mused.

"Supplies?" the Sergeant who was standing next to him ventured.

"No, he said dirrections, and I expect that's what he's doing." the Lieutenant Colonel replied, allowing his telescope to slip to where the fort on the cliff was.

"Now that is suspicious don't you think?" he mused, eyeing it critically.

"Well they say this ship is a good runner." the Sergeant replied without much enthusiasm.

"Yes... let's just hope we don't need to test that out." he snapped the telescope shut.

The fisherman looks blankly at the sailor that approaches him and replies in measured tones.

"Tlacatl chichilil xiquito onye" Meaning quite literally 'Stop barking and talk like a man'. He then turns back to his fishing and flicks his line back out into the surf. His comments bring laughter from the other fishermen. None of the fishermen know any language other than Tolteca.

The fishermen keep fishing, but watch the strangers out of the corners of their eye, with amused grins.

To the West, in the hiden harbour of the Al Assad Fortress, a pair of xebec's slip out into the sea and begun circling East, lookouts having spotted the Banana Hammock, they were still some distance away, especially since they were underway with oars instead of sails, to keep from giving their position away.

"Cap'n, they don't speak English." the Sailor yelled after the Captain.

"Aye?" Jack didn't look like he believed for a moment, "Bet the little monkey thinks he's funny."

He grinned, a foul yellow toothed grin, producing a fat gold coin from somewhere in his coat, "Remember God's language now?"

They fisherman looked at Captain Jack incredulously and went back to fishing , there were more snickers from the fisherman. Tolteca were scrupulously honest and even if they knew english, waving money at them would insult them.

As Captain Jack tried his luck at bribing the non-compliant fisherman, one of the fishermen a further way day caught a fish and headed out of the surf with his basket that had been staked under water, it was full with the fish he had just caught. He hiked the basket up onto his back with the fish still writhing, called his goodbyes to the other fishermen and headed off into the jungle, up the largest of the paths,

Heinrich Pike was a young man with a taste for adventures. A son of a wealthy merchant, he had anything he could wish for, but he lacked excitement in his life. His father had worked his way up from the gutter to the posh tea rooms of Karmanyakan society and Heinrich felt the pressure on him to walk in his father's steps.

Most of his friends joined the army to rise in the ranks and perhaps even reach knighthood. Soldiering was still the best way to be granted the title of nobility. Joachim Pike, however, had forbidden his son to enlist. When Heinrich had been offered to help and finance the East Klatchian Company he hadn't thought about for a second.

The recently founded East Klatchian Company was a coalition of Karmanyakan merchants hoping to take part in the lucrative trade with exotic goods, fabrics, rare woods and precious metals. Karmanyaka had lots of iron, copper, tin, gold and silver and vast forests to fell for shipbuilding. Then there was of course the great wheat fields which produced fine grain that could feed a good part of Klatchia.

Karmanyaka in the mid 17th century was a hard country. Ruled by the despotic Lord Tengil and the nobility, it was a land with traces of feudalism. Around 1620, the Lord Tengil was Boris Pommer, a cruel old man who ruled the country with an iron fist. Large portions of the population were poor and lived as serfs, kept in check by soldiers and the feared carabineers, a mounted police corps. The borders were closed and patroled by the army. In the north, where government control was the weakest, local chieftains ruled the countryside and raided neighboring towns and villages.

The army fought hard battles against orcish tribes from the far north who made crash raids against human settlements. The Karmanyakan navy was weak as it has always been throughout history and even in the present time. The steep cliffs that constituted most of the coast were largely impenetrable and the weak spots were protected by heavily armed forts and keeps.

The small navy consisted mostly of light frigates and corvettes and around the Sea of Lacon, fast going galleys. These ships were mainly concentrated around the marshy delta of the Syndia river and Syndia Island to the south-west, Elemon Island in the south-east, and the Lakarma archipelago on the east coast. The ships were well-built and the crews were experienced men.

The Karmanyakan's were not a sea-faring people and what little trade there was abroad mostly took place in two places, Krollstadt in the west and Saint Elmo in the east. The Lord Tengil wasn't bothered by the small amount of ships captured by the pirates and the coast wasn't plagued by raids, so there really wasn't any need for a large fleet. As long as the country itself was safe it was allright.

Now Heinrich Pike stood on the docks and took farewell of his father, mother and his fiancee. Behind him, men carried crates and barrels aboard a large fluyt. The ship had just been launched and the planks were still rough, not yet worn smooth by the sailors' feet. The ship carried heavy Karmanyakan cannons, fresh from the foundry, and long oak timbers to be sold abroad. Already Karmanyaka sold cannons and muskets to the neighboring countries, this venture would open completely new markets to those who dared.

"Isn't she beautiful, Josalyn?" Heinrich asked his fiancee who stood there dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

"It's a big pile of wood!" she sobbed.

"She's been named 'The Auspicious' and she'll bring us great fortunes!" Heinrich said, ignoring his girlfriend's comment.

"You love your stupid ship more than me!" Josalyn blurted and blew her red nose.

"My son, remember what I have told you. Think before you buy and sell before they can think." his father said to him

"Thank you father."

The young merchant hugged the crying girl and waved them all good bye before staggering up the gangway.

--

Several days later, somewhere in the Eastern Klatchian Sea

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b44/karmanyaka/KarmatradeflagB.jpg
The Merchant Ensign of Karmanyaka

The Auspicious was heavily loaded with timber and the holds held more cannons than the biggest war ship could sport. Only eight cannons were used for fending off pirates, though. The crew included some of the best mariners of the Eastern Klatchian Sea and the captain had seen countries so far away that most Karmanyakans knew them only as legends. However, the nervous shareholders who occupied the best cabins below deck had never been at sea and only came up on deck to vomit.

No ships had yet been sighted.

This was about the point where 'Unspeakably Violent Jack' lived up to his name. Fortunatley for the fishermen though, Jack was under strict instructions not to 'abuse the natives'. This usually wouldn't have stopped him, but a quick glance at the ship caught the glint of a telescope, the Officer was watching him, he grunted, "That bastard with the fish is up to something. Let's get back to the ship. We won't stop for any more of these dirty little natives."

Onboard Jameson snapped his telescope shut a second time as the Captain boarded the jolly boat, "He really is something of a clown."

"Sah!" the Sergeant had wandered off and returned.

"Sergeant Morris?" Jameson enquired.

"Off to starboard, they reckon they can see something from the crow's nest."

"What do they reckon they can see from the crow's nest Sergeant?"

"Masts Sah, from outside of the bay. Not under sail though Sah." the Sergeant was almost quivering.

"Ok. Ready the marines for battle... and hope the Captain gets back relatively fast."

If there was any fighting the marines would prove their weight in gold...

----------

Out at Sea the Auspicious was about to meet it's first ship. The area wasn't a haunt for Dyellian Pirates... or Dyellian anything for that matter. But still they were there. Sails on the horizon. If the Dyellian red ensign with the black chi rho wasn't enough of a give away, the sail rig should be. Two square rigged sails, with a small trysail mast at the rear. It was a big Dyellian Military Snow.

They weren't the fastest vessels at Sea, but they were manouverable and carried a heavy broadside... and it would outpace a heavily laden Fluyt. In a fleet engagement the Dyellians used them alongside the Ships of the Line. There was no real reason to fear the Dyellian military, but then again there was no reason for them to be out in the East Klatchian Ocean...

The fisherman was up to something, he was heading back to Costa-Mela to sell his fish. Sinister indeed. He was also going to tell the Jaguars on the way back that there was a ship in the bay, none to far from the mouth of the Mela river. Not only were the xebec's of the Al Assad family closing in from the rear but four drakkars of the God Emperor would soon be heading down river, to 'inspect' the foreigners.

On the xebecs the rowers increased pace as they got nearer and closer to sight. Captain Aksander Al Assad, cousin of the famed Iskerdun Al Assad leaned on the rigging, watching the merchant ship through his spyglass.

"Faster! Load for a first pass, I don't see any drakkars, how fortunate, this one isn't protected!" He was happy, any chance to show up his cousin and earn a reputation was fine by him.

One xebec loaded chain and bar shot, preparing for a high shot through the rigging, to cripple the ship, the cannons on the other side were filled with grape shot, the skilled xebec crew would wheel 180 degrees with the oars, giving a broadside into the rigging, and then one onto the decks.

The other xebec loaded both sides solid shot, and positioned for a low rip of the merchants gun decks.

Both xebecs increased pace and loosed their small triangular sails to catch the wind and pick up speed.

*****

Out at sea the Kemal sat silently in the waters off the Southwestern Tolteca coast. Captain Iskerdun Al Assad had spotted a likely ship, but cursed. "Damn! Are those Dyellian ships? What are they doing this far east? Hold out position and get ready to raise sails in case we need a quick get away."

He raised his telescope again and watched the Karmanyakan and Dyellian vessels.

Captain Jack was just setting foot back on deck when the Xebecs appeared, this was not a friendly visit...

"Damn them to hell." he snarled, it was unlikely he'd be able to get the ship out without combat, so he'd try something else, "Take that Beybir flag down, raise the dragon and the red pennant."

A black dragon, similar to the welsh pendragon, except on a red field replaced the Beybir pennant, "Full sail." he barked, "Run the guns out."

"Grape for the swivels, run the bow chaser out."

"Bow chaser?" Jameson wondered allowed, "What is he doing?"

The sails unfurled, they were gaff rigged, and carried considerably more area of sail than the lateens on the Xebecs. It gave the little schooner quite a turn of speed."

"Swing her round to Starboard Mr Wallace, aim straight for that ship."

"Weapons on deck! Weapons on deck!"

Jameson had seen this all before during the last war, "Marines to me. Check your weapons. Hope you've kept your hangers sharp, looks like you're going to need them."

Whistles were blowing, one gun from the port starboard battery, the side closest to the shore, was being run forward into the bow. The ship carried eight guns, it had room for ten, meaning that they had to move weapons if they wanted to use a bow or stern chaser.

"Red pennant." Jameson commented, quietly to the Sergeant, "I guess we do what the Captain orders..." his voice switched abruptly to a roar, "Red pennant boys! Time to earn your shilling and sixpence."

"Get behind a bulkhead, keep your bloody heads down!" someone yelled.

Jameson drew his hanger, he knew this was insanity, but something about the situation had his blood running hot, "For blood, for glory and for the King!"

Aboard the Auspicious the lookout sighted the Dyellian snow and identified it. The Kemal had also been sighted, but was too far away to identify.

"Ship to the port side, captain. She's Dyellian, a snow, probably a warship."

"A Dyellian warship this close to Tolteca?" the captain said, frowning. "By Katla, what are they doing out here?" Captain Franz Steen was bothered by the news. "Prepare the guns, but don't open the gun ports yet. We can't be sure of their intentions. Keep our course for Costa Mela and don't slow down."

"Aye, captain!" the crew shouted.

"Sir, the other ship doesn't fly a national flag, they could be pirates."

The pale shareholder Heinrich Pike stepped up onto the decks and approached captain Steen.

"What... er, what is happening, captain?" he stuttered and didn't realize his breath made the captain flinch back.

"Seasick, Mr.Pike?" he asked with barely concealed distaste. "We've sighted two ships, a Dyellian military vessel and what looks like a local pirate ship. I've ordered our guns ready and a straight course for Costa Mela."

"Pirates?!" Heinrich gasped, and went from grey to green. "I'll have to fetch my pistols and my rapier!"

As the young merchant tottered off, the captain winced at the idea of those seasick landlubbers shooting around themselves while trying to defend their investment.

The snow gained on the Karmanyakan fluyt and captain Steen looked through his telescope for signs of their intentions. Perhaps the Dyellians were after those pirates, or whatever they were, ahead of them.

---

In Steamfiord the Karmanyakan shipyards were producing prime ships for the whole of Eastern Klatchia. Huge oaks were brought in from the inland and fashioned into sleek ships and fine linen was sewn into big sails.

The Lord Tengil himself had travelled down south from Katla to attend the launching of the Largest Karmanyakan ship yet. She was an enormous ship of the line and carried 70 guns. They had named her the Draconic,and as she rested in the harbour of Steamfiord, purple banners fluttered from her masts and atop the main mast flew the black-and-purple flag with its red flame.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b44/karmanyaka/KarmanavyflagB.jpg

It was all very symbolical. One of these ships didn't make much difference in the world of warfare, but she would be patroling the main trade ports of the southern coast and could easily sink any pirate ship that existed. The Draconic was a high-tech, high-cost propaganda show. Simply knowing she could be lurking beyond the next island or cape was supposed to deter the pirates from raiding Karmanyakan coastal towns and the merchant ships who never left the coast out of sight.

After a dozen religious leaders had blessed the ship in the names of Katla, Christ, Nuggan, Allah, Blind Io and a whole crowd of other gods and demigods, the mighty ship left the harbour and saluted, the explosions deafening the people on the shores. She sailed east for the Elmseld Strait.

The two xebecs were both moderate in size, but very low, with a shallow draft, the larger of the two, the Izmirai, made for the port side, it has twelve guns, six per side and it was the one firing at the gun deck of the Bannana Hammock, it swooped in fast, Captain Aksander bellowed as they came withing range "FIRE!"

The six guns let loose, aimed right at the gun portals of the Bannana Hammock, once they had all discharged the ship turned sharply, the oarsmen on one side digging their oars in as the other pulled hard, rotating the ship in place as it passed.

The second ship, the Sultan Orlech, comes in on the starboard side and fires high, over the decks and up into the sails and rigging, the bar shot extending and whirring through the air to snag ropes and tear holes into the sails, the Sultan Orlech has eight guns, four to a side, but has nearly a dozen small swivel guns, obviously it is built to repel/ facilitate boarding, it too turns in it's tracks after firing, men can be seen gathering on it's deck.

The fishermen on the beach watch and clap with every discharge of cannon and forget their fishing while the show goes on. It does not seem to matter which side is winning or losing, just long as there are impressive explosions.

Aboard the Auspicious the lookout sighted the Dyellian snow and identified it. The Kemal had also been sighted, but was too far away to identify.

"Ship to the port side, captain. She's Dyellian, a snow, probably a warship."



Iskerdun Al Assad watched the Dyellian and Karmanyakan ships intently, he was determined to make a prize of at least one of these ships that so brazenly came close to his coast. The Kemal had been sitting silently, sails down, but Iskerdin turned and motioned to his men.

"Sails up! Full ahead! Fly my flag, if we can scare one off, we'll take the one that stays, if they both run we'll catch and take the slower!" He shouted, his men cheered in return, and the dark green flag with the cresent and the skull was raised as the Kemal sped towards the ships, quite recklessly.

Iskerdun was reknowned for reckless, bloody engagements that he won out of sheer tenacity and savagery, although with the size of his new ship, The Kemal, he had plenty of firepower.

The sudden move by the Kemal had been spotted by the lookout aboard the Auspicious.

"Pirates, Captain! Looks like Al Assad!"

"Bloody Hell!" Captain Steen roared. "That's Iskerdun's flag."

"What?! Who is this Iska Dunne?" Heinrich asked, puzzled, while trying to load one of his pistols while holding the other pistol in the left hand. Gun powder spilled onto the deck.

"Iskerdun Al Assad is one of the true maniacs of the seas, Mr. Pu- ... Pike. He once killed the whole crew of a merchant ship only because they didn't carry anything valuable enough for him." Steen lowered his voice and hissed, "He cut their hands off, tied them up and hung them from the railing all around the ship. Then he bored a small hole in the hull so that she would sink slowly and the sharks could nibble bits off of 'em as the ship slowly lowered them into the water..."

Heinrich's mouth had dropped open and his bleary eyes stared in horror at the captain.

"Whu... Wha...?" he managed.

"Don't worry, we have lots of good cargo, so if they catch us, he'll probably just cut our heads off." Steen turned away and started shouting commands to the crew.

The sailors armed themselves with what they had, opened the gun ports and tried evasive manoeuvers to slip by the Kemal without being shot to pieces.

"What of those Dyellians?" the captain muttered to himself. "See if you can bring up some of the cannons from the hold and add to our arsenal on deck!" he ordered a passing crewman.

There was no chance the Auspicious could outrun a xebec with all those guns in the hold. If it came to that, he'd have to push them over board.

On the Banana Hammock the guns were running hot, pumping out balls of lead on either side. One cannon was blown off it's cradle, skidding across the deck , dismembering several sailors in it's path. The bow chaser was firing on the Sultan Orlech.

The schooner was planning to ram. Sailors were on deck with grappling hooks. As they closed, the four swivels at the bow fired, raking the decks with bursts of grapeshot... and probably much to the crew's surprise, concentrated volley fire from the marines.

----------

The Dyellian ship was slowly closing, it was in fact the HSM Red Tide

The Captain was watching the goings on with a critical eye. The Red Tide had an 18 gun broadside on two decks, along with two bow and two stern chasers.

"They're hoisting cannons onto the deck." he observed of the Karmanyakan ship, "Clearing for action I'd say. Now that Xebec looks like a pirate, but I don't know any pirates foolish enough to cause trouble with the Tide... quite fascinating, we'll blow her out of the water."

The Ship's First Lieutenant was standing next to his Captain, arms clasped behind his back, "Shall I signal to clear the decks Sir?"

"Yes, clear for action. Tack to port, we'll give her a raking broadside along the deck."

"Aye, aye Sir.... Clear for action!"

Whistles blew on the Tide. Guns were run out while red coated marines swarmed out of the hold, some clambering up into the rigging, carbines slung over their shoulders.

The Sulatn Orlech turned directly into the shot from the Banana Hammock's bow chaser, striking it squarely as it turned , but the crew expertly pressed on, turning the ship nearly in place and giving it's guns on the other side a chance to give a broadside to the Banana Hammock , this time aimed at the deck as planned. The guns ripped off a volley of grape shot right across the deck, it's own boarders hiding against the decking and rigging to get out of the marines line of fire, some sucessfully, some unsucessfully. The rapid turn with multiple broadsides was the hallmark of the Al Assad ships, the very thing that had chased off the large fleets of galleys from Coventry.

The Izmirai did the same on the otherside, letting go another broadside across the gundecks of the Banana Hammock . They then both broke straight away, the rowers pulling hard to get clear, the larger Izmirai was moving slower and the Banana Hammock would have to choose quickly to decide which one to ram.

Off in the distance, there was a noise, almost like a freight train, not that anyone would know exactly what that sounded like.

*****
Iskerdun grimaced as both ships prepared for a fight. He waved his scimitar back towrds the helm.

"Break off hard! They're both standing in! What are the odds of that?" He asked incredulously.

The Kemal broke off , staying well out of gun range, but not out of sight. It seemed Iskerdun had decided to follow the ships, one would have to leave the other at some time, and as they were both heading East, Iskerdun could expect something these ships couldn't, reinforcements.

"I can sit and wait, though it angers me to do so!" He yelled at no one in particular as he stuck his scimitar into the deck.

The Banana Hammock was a fast little vessel, even with somewhat torn sails. The Captain nimbly skipped past the huddled masses of soldiers, grabbing the fuse from the gunner for the chaser, "Gimme that"

They were bearing down on the Sulatn Orlech, only changing tack to make sure collision was inevitable. The higher sides of the Hammock would mean she would lend her crew an advantage in the initial moments of boarding, with them being able to drop onto the lower vessel's decks, rather than having to climb.

The Captain squinted through the gun port, judging the roll of the ship, then toucher fuse to the chaser, sending a ball slicing across the waves, aimed for the oar bank.

There was the clatter of ramrods from the marines.

In the smoke and chaos, Jameson leaned over to his Sergeant, "We can't board and take 2 ships you know."

The Sergeant nodded.

"When we hit the decks, watch my back, we'll head straight for their Captain. Ignore the red pennant, we'll stop this madness and get out of here when we force the bugger to yield."

----------

Meanwhile the Red Tide was chasing the Karmanyakan down. Were th Karmanyakan's to look back they'd see an Officer waving frantically for them to stop from the bowsprit. 100 years later and naval signalling would make things a lot easier, but in 1620 things were more complicated...

The Auspicious drew slowly closer to the Kemal, and captain Steen wondered why it seemed the Kemal just sat there, and didn't try much in the way of intercepting them. Steen turned his telescope back towards the Red Tide.

"What in the name of Offler is that man in the bow doing...?" he muttered to himself. "Like he's trying to stop us..." Steen turned to the man at the helm. "Turn to starboard, sharply and continue our course south. I won't try and run into those pirates, and those Dyellians look suspicious."

"Captain, what aaare we doing?" asked one of the shareholders, dressed in a laced coat and a broad-brimmed hat with a plume.

"Mr. de Gregoire, we're trapped between a pirate ship and a Dyellian warship, I found that this could hinder our business so I am trying to save your investment by sneaking away."

"Good man! Do carry on, captain!" the young merchant said and swayed away across the deck.

The Auspicious soon left its course and headed off, away from the two others, leaving the Dyellians to either pursue them or the pirates. The cannons were being set up on deck and prepared for battle. Before long the fluyt could fire a swarm of eight cannon balls to either side, doubling the original capacity. Iskerdun's pirates now lay on the port side of the Karmanyakan ship a few hundred meters away, but in the wrong angle to fire immediately. The Auspicious swivelled the little stern chaser and prepared to fire at first sign of pursuit from either of the two ships.

--

Meanwhile, the great Draconic sailed eastwards and rounded the southernmost piece of Karmanyakan land, Misisle, with its large fortress built into the soft white cliffs.

The captain of the Sultan Orlech suddenly realized what the captain of the Banana Hammock was up, he turned as a ball ripped into the oar deck and waved at the helms man.

"Hard a port! Hard a port ye dog!!" He turned back just in time to see the Banana Hammock hit the side of his ship, everyone on deck went down except those that were a bit smarter and held onto something.

The captain jumped to his feet and started to yell but went down again as a sailor rolled into his legs "GRAB TH..............!!" he said as he hit the deck. A few of the more savvy pirates on deck took hold of the swivel guns and pointed them at where the boarders would be coming down., the rest just milled around senselesly.

Aksander Al Assad looked amazed as the Sultan Orlech was rammed, at first he was stunned and them jubilant.

"Get at her aft! Give me the side to her aft!" he yelled excitedly as the Izmirai turned and pointed a broadside at the rear of the Banana Hammock.

"Get the rowers up, all hands up here, get the hooks!" At about fifty yards out the Izmirai fired, directly into the Banana Hammock's rudder." Look lively, throw those hooks up pull her closer, get your guns on deck!"

His crew maneuvered closer, slowly as they were only under the power of their small sails and his men readied their rifles as some others readied their grappling hooks. Things did not look good, one of the crew men looked around as he thought he heard something.

"Awh bugger me! Captain , captain!" he yelled frantically pointing to the East "Drakkars! Drakkars!"

All at once the Izmirai made preparations to get away.

*****
Meanwhile out to sea Iskerdun kept a wary distance of both ships, but was decidedly shadowing The Auspicious, keping well out of gun range.

"As soon as that warship takes off, I'll have that cargo ship!" He chuckled to no one in particular.

"Midshipman, you can come off the bowsprit now, your efforts don't seem to be working." the Captain of the Red Tide was watching The Auspicious through his telescope with a critical eye, "That is possibly one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. Trying to escape from the only warship in the waters when the place is crawling with Pirates."

"The responsible thing to do would be to attack the pirate." the First Lieutenant observed, "I don't believe they are Lagarto pirates."

"It's just a pirate, these aren't our waters. It is of very little concern." the Captain replied with a shrug, "What concerns me is why that merchant is running. What are they hiding?"

"Shall we move to intercept?"

"Yes, swing us around to starboard, we'll run them down... I'm estimating at 4 degrees elevation we have 18-pound chasers we'll easily drop a ball off her stern." the Captain mused, "They only appear to be using a swivel, we could sit back and blow her to pieces, and she should know it."

"Warning shot off the stern, aye aye Sir."

"Oh, and Lieutenant, make sure you don't hit her." the Captain added as an afterthought.

There was a cough of flame from the Tide's bow, then splash as the wildly innacurate shot landed in the water neat the Fluyt.

----------

There was no sign of borders for a moment, just a few grappling hooks snagging the Sultan. Then a cluster of small clay pots arced up, plunging down onto the deck of the lower ship. A look at them would see fuses burning into them, and immediately give away what they were... grenades. If anyone was feeling very daring they could try to throw one back, but the odds were they'd blow up in their hands. They could kill, but the primary reason for the small bombs was to create smoke and confusion.

The marines slung their long arms over their shoulders, drawing hangers. They would be less than helpful in the close quarters fighting. The Sergeant was carrying a blunderbuss... that would be useful.

"Captain." Jameson called, "Shouldn't we leave some crew onboard, it looks like we're going to be boarded from the other side."

There was a splintering noise at a ball shattered the rudder. It would take some time to repair that...

"Already seen to." the Captain grunted, cutlass in his right hand, pistol in his left... the other three pistols were loaded and waiting for when the first was discharged, "All hands to me! Charge!"

Within moments the decks would be turned into a heaving mass of men, cutlasses, axes, pikes and belaying pins. The marines for some reason were hanging back...

Water sprayed over the deck of the Auspicious and drenched the fluffy shareholders. When the noise of the splashing cannonball had stopped, the captain had to starin himself not to laugh at the rich young merchants on deck, water dripping off of them. They looked like drowned cats, right out of the sack. Soon, however, the smile faded from his lips as he realized that the Dyellians had shot at them.

"We're being followed by both the pirates and the Dyellians, the Gods know why!" he shouted. "Bring down the sails and let the Dyellian warship get closer, watch out for the pirates though and keep the guns ready. Ready the crew to repel a hostile boarding from those Dyellians."

Captain Steen was caught between his responsibility towards the greedy merchants who'd hired him (a few of who now stood dripping on the deck) and his responsibility towards the crew.

The only sensible thing to do at the moment was to stop and wait for the Dyellians to say their meaning and try to stay away from the pirates. What a day!


--

The Draconic eased into the port at Misisle, she would stock up food supplies and freshwater before starting to patrol the northern parts of the Eastern Klatchian Sea.

The HMS Red Time swung in alongside the Karmanyakan ship. The guns were still run out on the warship. There was scurrying about on deck as a troop of 10 red coated marines lined up as the Jolly Boat was lowered off the side of the deck nearest the Karmanyakan ship.

As soon as it hit the water sailors dropped down to take the oars, followed by the Captain in his black sea coat, and finally the 10 marines. The little boat began to slowly plow it's way across the waves towards the other vessel. As it closed, the Captain stood up in the stern, "Captain Ramsgate of the HMS Red Tide, requesting permission to board." he bellowed in a surprisingly loud voice.

They were at least being polite, although there was inherrant threat in the fact that the cannons were still run out.

"Sporting their cannons at us like that..." Captain Steen muttered sullenly. "Permission granted." he called to the jolly boat below and signalled for a sailor to throw down a rope ladder. Above them the sky had turned a silvery grey with blurred wisps of rain on the horizon.

"Wait a minute!" Heinrich Pike yelled. "This is my ship and I won't allow a bunch of soldiers to trample around here! The captain can come aboard and two of the marines, but no more!" Heinrich flashed his shiny rapier and almost cut off his plume in the process.

"Er... sir, I'm not sure that's wise... They could blow us to pieces and then chop us up in neat little hors d'oeuvre for the sharks. Don't give them a reason." the first mate whispered to the merchant.

"Humbug! They're not common pirates are they? I say, if they-"

"I apologize, captain Ramsgate!" Steen shouted down to the puzzled Dyellians. "Please climb aboard and bring your men."

"Sir!" he hissed at Heinrich Pike. "Don't you ever do that again! You may own this ship, but out here she's mine to run! One more outburst and I'll have you locked up in the brig!" he turned away, ignoring the appalled expression on Heinrich's face.

The idea of eleven armed foreign soldiers onboard didn't bring on any smiles to the crew of the Auspicious. On the other hand, the prospect of being sunk didn't seem better. As the first Dyellian climbed aboard, the grey sky sent the first, fat drops of rain splattering onto the deck. The winds had calmed almost to a standstill and the sails flapped loosely in the weak breeze.

The Banana Hammock appeared to be in a bit of luck, at the aft of the ship, the pirate xebec Izmirai raised sails and was off, before even getting close enough to board, the Marines and boarders on the Sultan Orlech found that what crew was alive, was quickly abandoning ship, fleing in sheer terror, and what was that pounding noise? It was quickly becoming thunderous.

Looking to the East it was readily apparent what the situation was, four ships that looked like tall triremes were heading at speed towards the engagement, they had no sails but each had over two hundred oars and each had a pair of corvus assault decks, the ships were black, sheathed in ebony planks, with steel plates on the upperdeck, shielding the Jaguar Warriors on deck, and giving a good place for the Eagle Warrior marksmen to hide. The pounding noise was apparently the jaguar skin clad warriors arrayed on the decks, banging the stock of their jezails on the deck of the drakkars, they also chanted in rhythym with the pounding.

"Ha! Chi-chi! Ha!
Ha! Chi-chi! Ha!
Ha! Chi-chi! Ha!
Ha! Chi-chi! Ha!
Ha! Chi-chi! Ha!
Ha! Chi-chi! Ha!"

They neared quite rapidly, two ships heading for the aft of the Banana Hammock and two towards the Sultan Orlech. As they drew near, the Eagle Warriors popped up from behind their steel shields and began picking off the pirates in the water..............

*****

Iskerdun Al Assad watched the Karmanyakan merchant ship and the Dyellian warship near each other, and stop.

He watched carefully, perplexed, waiting to see what would happen.

"They've got guns" Jameson was watching these new arrivals with a critical eye.

"What do you make of it?" the Captain had shimied back up onto the higher deck of the Banana Hammock. Below, the Beybir privateers seemed uncertain enough about the turn in events that they had all more or less stopped fighting, standing in guarded poises, waiting for someone to tell them what to do.

"I have no idea." Jameson shrugged, "Take the red pennant down, I think we need to talk to the Xebec people, and preferably very quickly."

"Aye." Captain Jack agreed, "Get behind bulkheads!" he roared, "Someone lower the penant."

Quickly the red 'no quarter' penant was pulled down, just leaving Jack's personal flag.

"Reload!" Jameson yelled to his marines, "Prepare to repel boarders!"

JAck had leaped back onto the Sultan's deck, "Who's the Captain?" he bellowed, "Temporary truce?"

----------

The Dyellian sailors didn't come aboard, but the marines and Captain Ramsgate did.

Evidently some of the exchange had carried downwards, he gave Pike an icy glare. They were typical Dyellians. Short, dark hair and dark eyes. The marines carried moustaches, while Ramsgate was clean shaven, with a long pulled back nautical haircut.

"We find it fascinating." he began, "That a sensible merchant would run from a Dyellian Snow while pirates loitering on the horizon."

In years to come the Snows would be replaced by smaller, faster frigates.

"I would." he began, looking particularly at Pike, "Like to know why would you run? What do you have to fear from the Dyellian Navy? Perhaps you know something of a Beybir privateer vessel in these waters?" he suggested.

OOC: 1620 Weapons and Tactics

Couple of little OOC notes on 1620 weapons and the reasoning behind some Dyellian things. I'm not doing this to tell people how to RP and what they can and can't do. I'm just giving people some General info on what the real world was like in the period in case people are interested (ie, I'm not having a whine if case people have broken with any of this. It's free form RP, this is just some info if people are interested).

Firstly... bayonets haven't been invented in 1620. In a major land battle, Dyellian/Beybir soldiers with muskets and swords will be backed up with pikemen.

A hangar (or 'espada ancha') is an Infantry short sword, more or less identical to a cutlass. Dyellian/Beybir marines also carry carbines instead of full muskets because in the period these were found to be much easier to use on a rolling deck than a full length musket.

Rifled barrels are not around yet. When they are invented in the next hundred years or so, they will be extremely slow to reload, giving them some major disadvantages to smoothbore weapons. I think you may be RPing them IV, which is cool.

I like Heinrich Pike's rapier, it's a nice touch. In this period it's being replaced by the 'small sword'. A seaman would probably not carry a rapier. They get tangled in rigging during fights, much like broadswords/sabres do. Small swords are stabbing weapons designed specifically for civilian duels. In just about every situation apart from a ship's deck they are inferior to a rapier. Hangars and Cutlasses are short slashing weapons and are usually the preferable weapon on deck... although sailors also often fight with belaying pins (big wooden clubs), boarding pikes (short spears, not a full infantry pike! Some of you may have seen the French using them in Master and Commander), daggers and boarding axes.

OOC: Great info, DB! I had been looking for info, but didn't have enough patience to look very far. : )

IC:

Pike started to say something but was not-so-smoothly interrupted by Captain Steen.

"I apologize for our short rush, Captain Ramsgate. It's just that what little contact we've had with non-Karmanyakan navies have not been very positive. A good friend of mine once lost his whole cargo and some of his best men to a regular military ship from some West Klatchian country. Needless to say, with a valuable cargo, one cannot be careful enough... Besides, I thought I saw a man in your bow sprit waving us away, but I may have misinterpreted his animated gestures...?" Steen smiled politely.

"I was under the impression that you wanted to engage the pirates without us around to limit your manoeuverability. As for a Beybir privateer we haven't seen much. A few days ago there were sails on the horizon, but she outsailed us before we could identify their flag. It looked like a schooner. Not many schooners around here usually."

Heinrich had almost recovered from the initial confusion and spoke before Steen could react.

"I say, Captain Ransack, would you like to have some refreshmentsbefore you return to your ship? I have wine, cheese and fresh fruit in my cabin."

The young merchant tried to look dignified while holding on to his plume with one hand and trying to sheath his long rapier with the other. He missed the sheath and instead cut off some lace from his coat, before planting the rapier firmly between two planks in the deck.

Captain Steen rolled his eyes and winced.

OOC: No rifled guns here. Jezails are smoothbore guns of Indian and Afghanistani make, they are typically a very large calibre .55 to .75. The Tolteca have improved them by adding aditional barrels, either two or four.

The Eagle marksmen use a trick called 'lighting grooves' they handcraft their own oblong slugs and carve a spiraled groove along it and load it on end, this primitive form of rifling gives them better range and acuracy over the average smoothbore. Plains indians used to the same thing to their arrows.

At this point in history the Tolteca are on the cutting edge of technology, the rest of the Vaadians are content to remain isolated with what they have. The Tolteca are urged to be curious and to experiment by the God-Emperor.

IC:

The Captain of the Sulatn Orlech was finally back on his feet, he had fallen when rammed, been knocked down by a sailor and then had been blasted by a grenade, he looked a mess.

He looked around and saw the Dyellians stop and he looked and his went wide with terror as he saw the approaching Drakkars, and he then looked back at Captain Jack.

"Fine! Fine! Truce! Get your ship free of ours! Fast, quick! Get it free!" He practically squealed this, his voice became higher pitched as he became more afraid.

His men looked around and did what they could to get their ship free, they were frantic with terror.

As the Drakkars came closer, their true size became apparent, the decks that one could see were crowded in the distance were quite large, each Drakkar carried what looked like five hundred jaguar skin clad warriors, they were tall enough to look eye to eye with a galley. Each ship had a cupola in the prow where the captain stood.

The Drakkars slowed, one moving to come along side the Sultan Orlech, the other three warily hovering around the Banana Hammock. One of them sidled closer to the Banana Hammock where a Jaguar Warrior in the cupola studied the Dyellians as he rubbed his neatly trimmed beard. He was wearing a large golden pectoral with a stylized jaguar head engraved into it and set with precious stones. It's eye is a blue sapphire the size of a mans thumb.

The Drakkar Approaching the Sultan Orlech stopped about fifteen yards shy, and all the men on deck began firing on the Sultan's deck in shifts, as they did this the corvus asault decks crashed down on the Sultan Orlech, heavy iron spikes driving it into the deck, the Jaguar Warriors then began to cross over in a flood, three at a time, free arms locked forming a flying wedge as they came off.

The Sultan Orlech's captain danced in a circle waving his arms and screaming "WE'RE ALL DEAD! ABANDON SHIP!!! EVERYMAN FOR HIMSELF!!!' and then paused long enough to shoot himself.

(OOC) I know what a Jezail is... I believe it's quite similar to an arquebus. I love my horse and musket history :P

Ramsgate nodded, although he didn't look like he believed the sotry about engaging the pirates on his own, "As Im sure you're aware by just looking at her rigging the Tide isn't the fastest ship ever built... that pirate could happily have slipped right past us, but I will accept your other story, very few Captains like their crews getting pressed."

He nodded as he heard of the Privateer, but said nothing.

"Humour me though, I would like some of my men to take a look around and at the cargo." he smiled pleasantly, "Never fear Captain, we are in times of peace, the Articles of War do not apply, I can neither seize your cargo, nor press your men."

"Ramsgate." he corrected Pike mildly, "I cannot decline so generous an invitation Sir. Perhaps you can fill me in on some of the adventures of your voyage."

----------

The Beybir crew was far from monocultural... Most were of Beybir/Dyellian descent, although there were a few D'Regs, Leeans and dark skinned Benjians making up the compliment. The Sultan's crew could probably have blended right in with the slowly retreating pack of men. They stepped back slowly towards the point where they had boarded, those few with pistols standing at the front, pointing their weapons towards the newcomers.

"Cowards." the Captain spat on the deck as he watched the chaos. Sure they might be going to ie, but in his mind it was far better to take a few enemies to Hadies with him...

Jameson and his small band of blue coated marines had formed a line along the stern, carbines loaded, but not pointing at the enemy. It was best not to start a fight with someone who outnumbered you that heavily he figured... it was a very similar train of thought to Captain Jack's...

The heavily armed Jaguars made quick work of the pirates, and anyone with dark skin that might have passed for a Moor or a Tolteca that didn't give up their weapons fast enough. It took only a minute and ahalf for all five hundred Jaguars to get aboard and another five minutes until they had swarmed the ship and covered the entire ship, with the exception of the small bit of territory occupied by Captain Jack and his men. The snarling, drooling Jaguars closed in around them cautiously.

At the side of the ship the Jaguar with the gold pectoral called out to the Dyellian ship, in English, with a heavy Lassean accent. The Drakkar was now close enough to drop it's Corvus decks if it chose, but they did not appear to be making any move to do so.

"Tell your men to get off the pirate ship, we'll pull it free of you and scuttle it. Your rudder and sails are damaged, take on our tow lines and we will take you into the harbour at Costa-Mela. You'll have to explain yourself to the Vizier, I've never seen your flag, I don't think you have any business being here."

He then turned and waved and several men appeard with a large grappling hook with a heavy tow line attached, the Drakkar at the other side of the Banana Hammock did the same and closed in.

"Lieutenant Colonel Jameson, Royal Beybir Marines." Jameson introduced himself loudly, "This ship is a provateer sailing under the letter of marque of the Beybir Kingdom."

"Someone put the right flag up." he grunted to one of the sailors, who hurriedly began to run down the Captain's personal flag...

"I am here as am Emissary of the Beybir Court."

Undoubtedly Dyellian ships would have been in these waters, the Dyellians were great traders, but the Beybir Kingdom generally only traded upriver and overland, with the Leeans, Moskavites, Vrakians, and the other strange Northern races. World of it's existence however would have reached these shores via the Dyellians, probably accompanied by every kind of creative negative rumour. The Dyellians and Beybirs were ethnically the same, but political arch-rivals.

"Captain, may I advise you get back on board."

"Advice noted Colonel." the Captain replied, allowing his men to scuttle back onboard the schooner while he waved a brace of pistols around to cover them, "May I note that we have rammed a fine looking ship, that may look much nicer for sail at the nearest friendly port than at the bottom of the Sea."

"The Captain respectfully suggests that the sale of the rammed ship would be a much more profitable enterprise than it's scuttling." Jameson relayed back.

The Jaguar Warrior watched and listened interestedly. "I don't know who Beybir or his court is. He does not have the right to sail into the God-Emperor's waters. The Vizier will decide what should be done with you in Costa-Mela, you can present your marks and your courts there."

He paused again as Captain Jack's men left the ship and listened to their conversation. "This ship and it's crew have offended the God-Emperor by defying his Jaguars, all it's crew will die and it will burn and sink as is the God-Emperor's will. I have no instructions to debate these orders."

He waved his hand and the Jaguars on board the xebec began offloading earthen pots from the Drakkar and smashing them onto the decks of the Sultan Orlech, a thick black liquid seeped from them. "I can have my Jaguars seperate your ship, or you can burn with it, if you value it that much. It does not matter to me."

The Jaguars closest to Capatain Jack stayed put around him, and smiled as torches were passed up to them.

It would be entirely plausible that the Tolteca had heard of the Dyellians and the Beybirs, but these foreigners had never presented themselves before the God-Emperor or his emissaries, so in the eyes of the Tolteca, they did not exist, as no one existed until decreed by the God-Emperor.

Jameson was staring at the foreigner like he was some kind of cretin. Jack pulled himself up onto deck after his crew, "Cut her loose!" he ordered.

"Hey, I hope you know what you're doing." he growled at the Toltecs, "We can't get off on sail power."

It was true. The ships were fairly well locked together...

"I think they're going to pull us off." Jameson suggested.

It was all very peculiar. At home Jack would have sailed the Xebec home and sold it, giving a cut to the crown. There was no way they would have scuttled such a valuable vessel.

The Jaguar waved his arm again, apparently unaware of the stares. After he waved his arm, the Drakkar that was attached to the xebec by the corvus decks began to move and after a few minutes there was a groan and crack as the orasmen pulled the xebec out from under the Banana Hammock and pulled it away. The Jaguars aboard then set the Sultan Orlech on fire , the greek fire they had smashed on the decks caught instantly, they then strwamed back across to the Drakkar and pulled the corvus decks back up and off the burning ship.

The Jaguar then looked back up at Jack and Jameson ( an Irish whiskey?) "Now then , we will tow you to Costa-Mela. "

He waved his arm again and the Drakkars on either side of the Banana Hammock threw their tow lines and hooks aboard, and as soon as they were fastened, they began towing the Banana Hammock Northeast, directly toward the dense mangrove swamps.

The Captain watched the xebec sinking with the same look one might expect were the Captain to be watching a chest of treasure being thrown overboard.

Jameson seemed quite unmoved by the whole situation. He had seated himself on a barrel of gunpowder that had been run up for the cannons. The marine unloaded and cleaned their carbines, while their Sergeant lit up a pipe.

The sails had been taken down, and were in the process of being repaired, while similar repairs were being made to the hull of the ship. It all seemed fairly tranquil... that was if you ignored the screams coming from below deck where the surgeon was tending to the wounded.

What is a days walk from the black volcanic sand beach, is about a fifteen minute ride up the Mela river. Passing around the bend the mangroves opened up onto the wide mouth of the Mela river, if one didn't know it was there they would sail right past it. The river was slow, and when the tide was high, it backed up and actually flowed backwards, making it easy to navigate and practically self dredging.

As the river widened to nearly a mile, Costa-Mela appeared on the left, with the jungles litreally growing into it's fortified walls, it's four story stone buildings were still hiden by the even taller trees, even if you knew where it was from the shore, it was still invisible.The wide river allowed for a nice harbour, with long stone quays that could accomodate at least thirty ships, there are six more Drakkars anchored and four galleys flying the flag of Lassic. Various sized flat bottemed barges moved up and down the river. The Banana Hammock was towed into one of the vacant quays and moored, the Drakkars that towed it in docked next to it and the Jaguars unloaded quickly, blocking the end of the quay as the lead Jaguar approached the Banana Hammock and looked up to it expectantly.

"Whoever is in charge, and his staff will have to come with me. The rest of you must stay on the ship until the Vizier decides what is to be done with you."

"That's you." the Captain shoved Jameson forward, "Nice knowing you Colonel." he sniggered.

"Leiutenant Colonel Jameson, Beybir Royal Marines." he announced himself as he stepped off the ship.

Meanwhile the Captain was endulging in a quick conversation with some of the senior crew and Sergeant of the marines.

The Jaguar looked him over, suspiciously.

"Just you?"

He pauses looking back up at the ship.

"Very well then, follow me."

The Jaguar lead Jameson off the quay, a knot of Jaguar Warriors formed around him as he passed the several hundred that were now standing at the end of the quay. They entered the city through the merchants gate, a gate big enough to accomodate several carts abreast. Upon entering the city the street widens and it is readily apparent that everything in the city is stone, the houses, streets, slate roofs, and most of the houses are three and four story with flat open roofs or large balconies where much of the domestic tasks appear to be taking place. The streets are packed with people, mostly dark skinned Tolteca, but despite the gridlock, the people quickly parts for the Jaguar Warriors.

Jameson is led West , into a vast market square with a giant fountain, and then north up a street nearly a hundred yards wide, lined with low stone mansions and Jaguar Warrior statues. After about a twenty minute walk, a large stone temple with rows upon rows of blood stained steps appears at the end of the wide avenue.

"This is the House of the Vizier of the God-Emperor, Ehecatl. Upon seeing the Vizier you will drop to your knees until she bids you rise. You will not speak until spoken to....." He pauses and looks Jameson over and reaches for Jameson's weapons "You will not insult the Vizier by appearing before her armed."

So long as Jmeson doesn't fight over his weapons, there are no issues and he is led straight in, the Jaguar does not seem to leave any opening for questions, and leads him into the dark smokey interior of the Temple..........

"Just me." he grunted. He didn't add that he wasn't about to put any of his men to the tender mercies of a band of savages. It probably wasn't a good idea.

The buildings inside weren't especially tall by the standards of the river Kingdoms, although larger than those found in the Sultanates. Jameson followed silently. The Dyellian/Beybir race was a caucasian people, although by Caucasian standards they were fairly dark. They were small and slightly built people, and had an almost equal passion for building as they did for slaughtering each other. Paradoxically both noted for their kindness and compassion, rage and cruelty. Jameson was a typical example of his race, small and slightly built, dark eyes and black hair. He sported a neatly trimmed moustache above his top lip, with a small triangle of beard just under his bottom.

"Fine." he grunted again as they demanded his weapons, handing over his hanger. He hadn't taken his pistols, "Just give it back after."

They may not have left time for questioning, but that seemed fine with the Lieutenant-Colonel. He didn't look even remotely interested in asking any.

The Jaguar nods, and smirks a little, seemingly pleased by Jamesons untalkative somber mood. Jameson is then lead into the temple, still under heavy guard. The temple on the inside is completely covered with mosaics of precious ans semi-precious stones, scenes of battle, human sacrifice and cannabalisatic ritual. The temple is much cooler than outside, a relief from the triple digit heat. After an indeterminate time of twists and turns they finally come to a large collonaded oval chamber, in the center of the chamber is a raised dias upon which sit a lounge, covered with jaguar and panther skins, on the lounge naps a woman.

Jameson is halted at the entrance and if he isn't on one knee already he is quickly forced down to it. The lead Jaguar walks into the chamber and round to the back of the dais which he climbs and begins whispering to the woman. Her skin is a deep reddish brown, her long black hair is pulled back into a pony tail that is tied up with ropes of pearls. Her curvaceous form is barely covered by a strip of clothing across her chest and a long breech clothe at her waist. Her wrists and ankles all have gold and pearl bracelets. She is beautiful, even despite the long scars that start above both of her eyes and run straight down throgh her cheeks, along her necks and down to the tops of her breasts.

After several minutes of whispering, she rolls onto her side, facing Jameson and opens her eyes, eyes which are completely whie, no pupils or corneas and she purrs silkily.

"Stand, step forward and identify yourself, and explainwhy you were in the waters belonging to the God Emperor Ehecatl."

Jameson did exactly as he was told, standing, stepping forward, his eyes gueld about half a metre above the Vizier's head, and saying his piece in that peculiar Dyellian/Beybir accent, "I am Leiutenant-Colonel Jameson, Beybir Royal Marines. I have been sent to this part of the World as the representative of King Fabrice the Third of the Beybir Kingdom to treat with the rulers of the Nations in this are of the Coast and to open Diplomatic channels."

He sounded ever so slightly flustered by the way the woman was dressed. It would have been unthinkable in the river Kingdoms...

The woman looks him over and then swings her legs around gracefully, sitting up to regard him. She looks him up and down for a good several minutes silently.

"Your King Fabrice sends a soldier instead of a diplomat? Why is that? Why have you entered the God Emperor's waters armed as if ready for battle? It is a great inconvienance to have my men rush out to save you from the Assad pirates.

What reprerations do you intend to make to the God-Emperor for using the protection of his Jaguars and for his continued hospitality? Why does your King Fabrice send anyone to this part of the world? What does he want?"

Her voice is soft and husky, she idly plays with the pearls that are slung scross the top of her breasts as she speaks.

"The King sends a Soldier because these waters are unknown to us. What however is known to us is that the whole Klatchian continent is a haven for pirates and others who would readily prey upon a civilian vessel. So we came, ready to defend ourselves if need be." Jameson replied, continuing to stare fixedly above her head.

"Were we to have not arrived armed, undoubtedly there would be no delegate here to speak with you, as those particular pirates would have taken our vessel."

He carefully skipped reparations, that would be dealt with later, they were in the wrong place... he had not been told to treat with these people, but he would adlib, "King Fabrice wishes to extend logging rights in the Gonad and Fasta Benj. He also wishes to offer some small some of money. The King is a generous man and wishes nothing in return, although he also offers the services of his marines to better protect those vessels wishing to run this dangerous route."

The woman laughs as Jameson finishes. "Protect those who ply our trade routes? You mean the ships of Coventry and Lassic? Are you here on their behalf?"

She stops and looks him over again and chastises him in a demanding tone "Can you not look me in the eye when you tell me these things? What would logging rights in the Gonad give The God-Emperor? Did you observe the thousands of miles of jungle as you sailed along His coast? Did you not see the dozen Drakkars here that are made from ebony? And a small sum of money? To get lost in The God-Emperor's palaces filled with gold?"

She narrows her eyes and looks at him closely " Perhaps the sacrifice of you and your men would serve The God-Emperor better? I would expect better things from your King Fabrice, for saving his men? Perhaps you wish to reconsider your position?"

She didn't seem angry, but she was pushing him, for something.

"I find it interesting that this trade does not interest you." this time the Lieutenant Colonel did look her in the eye. His look was guarded unreadable, "As far as I know the Klatchian Oak grows only on the Gonad peninsula."

"Nevertheless this is what the Crown has offered. Perhaps, the Vizier would like to name the God Emperor's price, then it will be possible for me to see if we can meet it." he had ignored the mention of sacrifice.

The woman laughed again, not an unpleasant sound. "You meant to sail for Coventry. You wish to deal with the Republic of Coventry. You offer me nothing compared to what you will offer the Republic of Coventry when you arrive there, and your merchants will avoid our coasts when someone gives you directions to Coventry."

She sniffs haughtily "You think you can hide your motives from me? How many other mariners do you think have floundered here thinking they were in Lassic or Coventry? You want to trade with your fellow 'civilized' white skins, not with us savages.

What if I could tell you that everything that flow from Lassic goes to only two places, here and Coventry. What if I told you that everything you hoped to gain in trade with Coventry you could get here, and more besides?"

She sneers and leans forward "And where are the letters and diplomatic papers that you are to offer to the First Councilor in Great Lassic? What gifts and offers do you have for him?"

She stands "THAT is my price. Give the God-Emperor What your King Fabrice would give Lassic, or never leave here alive!"

The Tolteca were often bypassed for the more business minded men of Coventry and it insulted them deeply, something that Jameson had unwittingly stepped in.

Meanwhile.....

******

About two days North of Costa-Mela, Leftenant Colonel Adnan, his five battalions of Thunderer Grenadiers and his escort of two thousand Jaguar Warriors were stopping for the night.

"How much longer, Chief?" Adnan asked the Chief Jaguar Warrior as they watched camp being pitched.

The Chief snorted "Tired already? We have only been traveling for three months, perhaps if your men did not always stop for water we would have been there by now?"

Adnan snarled back "I did not ask for an assessment of our water intake, I just want an estimate of when we will be in Costa-Mela?"

The Chief shrugged "Two days if you and your men can keep up."

Jameson eyed the Vizier suspiciously for a moment, then grunted, "Since we're playing it this way..."

"I have papers, yes." he reached inside his jacket, producing a small wax sealed envelope. It was a fairly standard letter of introduction were anyone to read it, but he did not make a move to hand it over.

"What I have just offered you is exactly what I would have offered Coventry. What you seem not to have noticed is that I am not foolish enough to assume that since your skin is a different colour, you are not equally as worthy of this deal as Coventry." there was a certain implication it was an either/or deal. Only one State would get it.

He still seemed totally unphased by the persistent threats, "On the contrary I believe your Empire has exactly what we require and furthermore I am here now, it is far more convenient for me to treat with you than to travel to another Court."

"However." he continued, "I am confused. First you state you are not interested in either trade or payment, then you show interest in forming some manner of treaty. What is it that you want? I have already offered all I would have offered to Coventry."

"I do not believe that you have. Why would you offer Coventry loging rights on a distant peninsula when their own peninsula is covered with oak and yew wood? I still do not think you have revealed what you are really after. You are attempting to hide something from me."

She pauses and motions to the Chief Jaguar, who then leaves the room.

"Perhaps I should talk with your ships captain? What would he tel me of your mission? The fact that you are here, with marines point to the fact that you are after something, not just a treaty. The God-Emperor would require a solid act of faith before he would allow me to make any sort of agrement with you. Why did your King Fabrice send you? What specifically does he wish to gain?"

"These aren't any oaks." Jameson replied, "You must have heard of them. Trees that come alive and kill. The wood is extremely valuable in certain parts of the world."

He paused, watching the Jaguar go, "Of course, but it is not our way to state our demands before offers. We want to remove the pirates from around our one South Coast Port. We can hardly sail in or out, which is the true reason we arrived heavily armed and on a privateer. We will pay to have them removed. You see the Beybir Kingdom does not have a Navy and the Dyellians do little enough to remove them. It is likely they are all in the pay of the Company."

The Vizier laughs "And you think that the Republic of Lassic is better capable of dealing with your pirates than their own? You have seen the two Galley's docked here with the flag of Lassic? They are all that remain of the sixteen ship fleet sent by the Republic to subdue the Al Assad and Yusuf Pirates. The rest are sunk, or now are in use by the pirates.

The Republic's ships only go on 'patrol' when they are certain no pirate ships are within striking distance. You would be better off securing the pirates around here for assistance against your pirates!"

She pauses and looks over Jameson. "I have decided that you will be my guest for now. I will talk to your Captain."

She motions and the Jaguars close in around Jameson and escort him out of the throne room.

*****

Meanwhile the Chief Jaguar has returned to the docks and to the side of the Banana Hammock.

"Tell your Captain to come dopwn here" He shouts back up to whoever is malingering around on deck. "The Vizier and Colonel Jameson require his presence."

Jameson didn't exactly sigh, but there was a certain implied sigh, "Very well, although I will point out that the Captain is a mercenary and don't you think we might have taken a naval vessel here if we had one left?"

He let himself be led away. It was all very frustrating.

----------

People were moving on deck, although nobody replied in a coherent manner that might suggest someone was looking for the Captain... however after a couple of minutes his moustachioed head did appear above the railing, "Aye?" he asked.

"The who wants to speak with me now?" the crew member seemed to have been unclear on this... "Nobody told me there'd be speaking on this trip."

Colonel Jameson was led down several corridors and finally to a corridor with several doors well spaced apart. One of the Jaguars opened the door and motioned for him to enter. Once he was in the door was closed and he could hear a bolt sliding into place, he was locked in.

The room is fairly large with a bed, armoire desk and sideboard and a smaller door in the corner. Thick persian style carpets cover the floor and large cushions are strewn here and there around the room. The walls and ceiling are stone, apparently about five feet thick, the windows are slits, high up on the wall, just under where the wall and ceiling meet. He can only see the light from the waning sun, from his angle he cannot se outside.

After a few minutes, he hears the bolt slide and the door opens, in march five young dark skinned ladies, attired almost exactly like the Vizier, but with much less jewelry and no scars. Two carry large feathered fans, one carries a stone box and a ceramic pitcher, another carries a covered tray and the last one carries Colonel Jameson's hanger, the closes and is bolted behind them.

The last one moves to the armoire and hangs Jameson's hanger in it and then motions to one of the cushions.

"Sit, we will serve you your dinner, I can take your jacket if you would be more comfortable?"

The ladies with the fans move to light the candles in the room, and then begin fanning gently, the ladies with the tray and box sit down opposite the cushion.

*****

The Jaguar looks up and frowns " Captain, I presume? You are to come with me. You can either amend your job title to speak, or you can add 'horrible bloody death' to this trips itinerary if you prefer?"

He then steps back and motions for Captain Jack to come down. Captain Jack can probably guess that since they don't know his name that they weren't sent at the behest of Jameson.

It was all very weird, Jameson decided when he was locked in, the kind of place one might expect some particularly troublesome member of the Royal family to find themselves encarcerated back home.

He was mildly surprised by the entrance of the women, but did not to show it. It was all rather unusual, but when in Rome, do as the Romans....

"Ah thank you." he smiled politely, and unbuttoned the long blue coat he had been sporting around as well as his gorget.

Underneath, like any good Beybir Gentleman he wore a waistcoat and white, lace trimmed shirt. In later years this might have been uniform, but in this period Officers more or less wore whatever they liked.

----------

The Captain roared with laughter at the threat, "It'd be you first, pretty boy."

"Devil knows why they want to see me." he grunted.

He stepped nibly down the gang plank anyway, sporting his usual assortment of pistols, cutlass, tricorn hat and a bright red coat.

The woman takes Jameson's jacket and hangs it neatly in the armoire after brushing it off with a stiff brush and straightening it out. She then motions to the cushion again and places another cushion begind him as he sits, she then lounges next to him, practically leaning on him. She points as the woman with the tray removes the lids revealing sevral steaming plates and a stack of tortillas and a pile of avocados, tomatils and tomatos.

"That is pork, this is iguana, this is cayman and this is chicken....." she says as she points to the pots of steaming pulled meat "Iutli will make you a taca of whichever you like, with cheese and avocado and tomatils?" The woman with the tray smiles and picks up a tortilla expectantly.

The girl with the stone box and pitcher opens the box and produces a frosty glass and pour a smoky orangish liquid into the glass from the pitcher and squeezes a lime into it and tops it off with shaved ice from the box.

"That is pulque, it will cool you off. "

The woman are all smiling at Jameson and seem very cheery.

*****

"I am already dead. " The Chief Jaguar states bluntly as he leads Captain Jack off the boat. It is the same drill as with Jameson, he is led through the town , surrounded by Jaguars , eventually coming to the temple, where he is confronted at gunpoint and relieved of his weapons and told how to bow and when to speak when confronted by the Vizier, and then he is taken into the same throne room as Jameson, where the Vizier waits.

Jameson had no idea what Cayman or Iguana were. He was more concerned about the proximity of the girls. He was married, and didn't think his wife would approve. It didn't register on his face though. He may have been a soldier, but he was also a skilled diplomat, "I don't know what half of that is." he confessed with a rather winning smile, "Why don't you just make whatever you think is best."

He took that cup, looking at the contents curiously "Thank you... may I ask what this is made from?"

----------

Jack was a more truculent type. he grumbled at having his weapons taken, repeatedly reminding the guards they had cost 'a pretty penny' and he wanted them back afterwards.

The woman that poured the drink smiled "It is made from the Blue Agave plant. It is very good , I will try it first if you think it's poisoned?"

The other woamn with the food smiles at his request and starts preparing several soft shell tacos for him, with the pork and uncovers the chicken which has been stewed and begings carving it for him. The woamn at his side stays close, probably uncomfortably so for Jameson and takes a napkin from the tray and spreads it across his lap.

"You don't look like the usual pirate." She comments as she smooths the napkin across his lap.

*****
The Chief Jaguar smiles at Captain Jacks comment "Yes, I am sure your weapons were quite expensive for the original owners."

Captain Jack is taken into the throne room, where the Vizier awaits him on lounger, although she is still sitting up, she watches the pirate enter and bow.

"You are Colonel Jameson's privateer?" She asks "What do you know about his trip?"

*****

Leftenant Colonel Adnan had finally had it with his Jaguar Warrior escort, and told his men as much, since morning they had doubled their pace and skipped lunch. The Jaguar chief came up to Adnan "Your men will be tired."

Adnan growled back " I will worry about my men, we will be in Costa-Mela tonight, or we won'r be there at all."

The Jaguar frowned "At this pace yes........................."

Adnan grinned at the Jaguar and then cut him off "If your men don't slow us down!"

"I'm not a pirate." Jameson didn't sound annoyed, although inwardly he was har from impressed that people thought he was a pirate.

"I'm a Soldier in the service of the Beybir King." he explained, "Not a pirate."

He smiled pleasantly at the proceedings, "Although I'd remark that at the Beybir Court we aren't waited on in quite this manner."

-----------

"Who me?" the Captain grunted at the Jaguar, "Just because I'm a privateer doesn't mean I use second hand."

While he may have been rude and arrogent, he wasn't stupid, and did the usual kneeling for the Vizier and all the other things he was supposed to do... "Who, me Madame?" he sounded slightly confused, "He's a political Madame."

Apparently 'political' was supposed to explain everything... "They don't tell me anything. The Governor just gives me money and I do what I'm told to do. You see the Beybir Kingdom got all it's ships sunk in the last war with the Dyellians, so I'm all they've got left."

"I don't ask questions." he stated simply, "People who ask questions don't get jobs. All I can tell you is what he chose to tell me, to sail to Coventry, Lassic or any place like that. Turns out though, my charts of these waters were far from accurate and we ended up quite lost."

She smiled politely as she replied "Oh, I understood that you arrived aboard a pirate vessel? Of one Captain Jack, is he a servant of the Beybir King? We often have pirates here, to give their tribute to the God-Emperor."

The woman serving the food clicks her tongue "Except for Al Assad and Yusuf, they even attack ships protected by the God-Emperor now."

The woman who had served the drink interjected "No, not for two years at least, but did you see Iskerdun Al Assad the last time he was here! He was like a bronze statue of a greek god!"

They all giggled, the woman next to Colonel Jameson waved her hand "You shouldn't gossip in front of our guest, it is rude."

*****

The Vizier looked judiciously at Captain Jack. "I'm not a 'madame' I am a Vizier. He is a political what? You're telling me that for money, you will point your ship where ever, regardless of the danger?"

She paused and looked him up and down again "And what dis Colonel Jameson bring with him?"

"He's not exactly a pirate." Jameson explained, "He's a Privateer. He owns his own ship and pays his own crew, but takes contracts from the Beybir King and only attacks vessels of his enemies."

He smiled benignly, "Oh no, gossip away, this is all new to me. It's useful for me to know something about the place I've ended up in."

--------

Jack aparently had no idea how to adress a Vizier, "Ah right your Viziership..."

"Aye" he nodded, "Provided the price is right, I will point my ship in whatever direction the Governor would have it, although I am free to pursue other contracts elsewhere... although few other Nations have need of my services. The danger be irrelevant, my crew is a good crew and my ship, a good ship."

He had absolute confidence in the abilities of he and his men, and it showed, "The Colonel." he continued, "Brought two crates onboard that were stowed in the cargo and watched over by a marine at all times, bar when we cleared for action."

"He never said what be in the chest." he continued, "So don't be asking for the contents, because I don't know... but my instincts tell me it is treasure."

The woman next to Jameson smiles and places her hand on his thigh "Well, what would you like to know? It's not often that we receive visitors that didn't know they were going to end up here."

The woman preparing the food hands him another corn tortilla wrapped melange of meat, vegetables and peppers " Normally if someone comes by ship, it is a pirate coming to give tribute, or merchants from Coventry. The only ships that come from the West are the Al Assad pirates."

*****

The Vizier ignored Captain Jack's uncouth. "Well, what happens if Jameson were to die, then what would you do, and what would become of his cargo?"

"Do you not get Dyellian traders?" Jameson was trying to look calm, he smiled politely, accepting the food, "I thought the Sand Rat traders got everywhere."

"Tell me everything." he continued to smile, "I know nothing of your Nation or it's culture, and only very vague information on Coventry and Lassic."

----------

The Captain looked vaguely concerned by what had just been implied, "Wouldn't be worth it Vizier. I'd never be able to berth in Saint Guineford's again. I have a house there."

"I don't know what be in that chest, it could be papers for all I know. I know that I get paid regardless of the outcome when I get back to the Governor. I get contracts because I don't cheat on my employer."

Honour among thieves. It wasn't an exclusively Dyellian/Beybir phenomenon, but it tended to be something you could rely on among the people from that part of the world...

The woman shook her head and looked at the others who shrugged "I do not think so? I have never heard of any Dyellians. If they do not fly a flag of protection of The God Emperor and do not make it here first, they are fair game to the pirates. You are lucky that your Captain encountered the fisherman who told a Jaguar of your ship."

Iutli the woman serving the food nods "Very lucky, the fishermen normally don't care, if anything they like to wtch the ship battles when they can."

The woman with the pitcher tops off Jameson's pulque "If you want to know about the Vaadians, you need to stick around then. The Jaguar that shves the ice told me that a runner arived yesterday and one hundred thousand Vaadian Retaliatory Guard Thunderers are on their way here! Allegedy to kill Iskerdun Al Assad."

The woman next to Jameson laughs "Is that what you were discussing with him while you warmed his hands....." she squeezes Jameson's thigh "You should have seen where Ata put his hands to warm them."

They all giggle again and Ata, the girl with the pitcher blushes furiously.

*****

The Vizier smirks "What if I kiled him? What if he is already dead? Now where is your contract?"

"Ah what? Thunderers?" Jameson just looked blank, "Is that some kind of cannon?"

"Who are the Vaadians?" he asked, most of this seemed to have gone way over his head...

He tried very much not to let on how nervous he was with one girl touching him for reasons he couldn't exactly fathom, eating his food with whatever could be managed of good Southern table manners without silver cutlery, or indeed a table... "It's a good thing my hands are warm then." he joked.

----------

"With the Governor." the Captain replied bluntly, "I get paid on completion of contract. It may be impacting on future contracts, but we shall see."

"Now if you be wanting the contents of the chest." he continued, "You can take it, it don't much bother me. It never be mentioned that it must return home with me."

The woamn next to him smiled "You are a long way from home, the Vaadians are from Lassic and Coventry, they are called after The Vaad, sometimes they are called Lasseans as well. The Retaliatory Guard are their invasion forces. The Thunderers are one of the Retaliatory Guards armies."

The woman serving the food chimed in "I have heard that they are called the Thunderers because they are all cave trolls, eight feet tall and each of them carries a cannon for a rifle!"

The woman with the pitcher had regained her composure and added "The Thunderers defeated the God Emperors Jaguars at the Battle of Ix-Panhpei. There were only one thousand of them against six thousand Jaguars."

The woman by his side also added " But it is foolish if they think they can take the Al Assad fortress, one would need a hundred ships, and soldiers cannot march to it, it is in the middle of a mangrove jungle! Cave trolls or not, if the swamp does not kill them the Al Assad pirates will."

These ladies seemed to like to talk.

*****

The Vizier smiled again. "Then you shall go and fect it for me? I will trade it for Jameson's head! Tell King Fabrice that before he treats with Lassic or Coventry, he must first pay tribute to the God-Emperor!"

"Why are they attacking the Al-Assad fortress?" Jameson asked, sounding intrigued, "Then perhaps you can explain the nature of this room?"

----------

"No thanks." the Captain might have been getting confused, "I don't transport body parts. I don't want his head, you can keep it and bury it or shrink it or whatever you people do."

He had become more surly now he believed Jameson was dead, he may not have liked him much, but he was still a shipmate... "You may have the boxes. I care nothing for their content."

THe ladies prepared Jameson more food and freshened his drink as they talked. "Iskerdin Al Assad refuse to pay tribute to the God Emperor, or to recognize his flag on foreign ships. Foreign merchants that paid tribute to the God-Emperor were allowed to fly his flag , which meant they were off limits to the pirates. Iskerdun Al Assad and Enver Pasha have ignored this, and between them they have enough ships to bully the smaller pirates into sending aid when fleets come from Coventry." the woman next to him explained "Al Assad and Pasha have nineteen ships between them and can count on an additinal twelve ships from the other pirates if they need them."

She then looks around the room "What do you mean? This is a guest room, for those that come to see the Vizier."

*****

The Vizier was pleased by Captain Jack's confusion, and smiled smugly. "Very well then Capatin, bring the Colonel's things here, and I will treat you and your crew to a feast for your cooperation. You shall also have everything you need to repair your ship."

She waved her hand dismissively "You may go, do not take too long in returning."

"So they have quite a fleet by the sounds of it." Jameson concluded, offering a warm smile of graitude to the people preparing his food, "I can see why you'd be glad to get rid of them.... of course if this was either the Dyel or Beybir Kingdom, we'd probably try to buy them."

He hadn't mentioned much about the Beybir Kingdom, "Pirates are useful allies." he concluded, "Although it would seem this empire isn't bordering multiple potentially hostile States, so you have the luxury of hunting them down."

"What interests me about this room." he continued in a confiding tone, "Is it is very hard to get out of, almost like the kind of room I'd put the Queen of the Dyel Valley in were she to end up in York."

----------

"Aye aye." the Captain grunted, "If it's all the same to you Vizier, we will just depart when you have what you want. Were my men to get drunk, they would be in no fit state to sail."

In truth he didn't trust someone who had killed an unarmed envoy, not to kill him and his crew and steal his ship. Survival was more important right now than living it up large. The King, he knew, would be enraged that someone would treat his envoy in such a monner and would undoubtedly demand retribution...

Upon returning to the ship there seemed to be some kind of argument onboard between the Sergeant of the Marines and the Captain, but eventually a pair of sailors did carry the chest down the gangway and deposit it on the wharf for others to collect.

The lady next to Jameson looks shocked "The God-Emperor does not pay extortion. If they cannot abide by the God-Emperor's will, they will be crushed in due time."

The lady providing the drinks smiles "And if the Lasseans are willing to do it, so much the better, let them sell their lives and our Jaguars will clean up whatever is left."

The lady next to him smiles "This room is typical of all the rooms here, the thick stone walls and high narrow windows make it cooler. It is always shaded and the heat escapes up and out of the windows, the thick stone walls take hours and hours to heat all the way through from the sun outside and always stay cool inside. Large windopws just let in sun and heat from the jungle."

*****

The Vizier sneers "Oh come now, it will days before your ship is ready, besides, do you want to offend the God Emperor by turning down his hospitality? I suggest that you reconsider."

"Oh really?" Jameson inquired politely, "So it is pure coincidence that you can't actually get out of here? Maybe they could try something like this in York."

He seemed genuinely intrigued by the idea of less windows keeping an ambient temperature, "The only disadvantage I see is it isn't so light in here. You'd need to employ candles or oil lamps earlier in the day which would mean you'd heat up from the inside..."

----------

The Captain it seems did reconsider, showing up with a token component of his crew, presumably the ones he thought would behave themselves...

The lady next to Jameson smiled "Well, normally one can get out. It is only locked and guarded because we don't know who you are."

She smiled at the candle and heat comment "Who wants to stay in their room all day?"

*****

Captain Jack and his men were ushered to a large mainly open air baquet room, with low stone tables and cushions, with people gathering . Jaguar Warriors are everywhere. Captain Jack and his men are ushered to their seats by several scantily clad ladies, who then go about lighting lanterns in the darkening gloom.

They are served pulque to drink, and left alone as the rest of the table fills up with dignataries and important Toltecas.

"Oh right." Jameson seemed vaguely placated by this, "Although I am suprised to be treated as some kind of a threat considering I'm unarmed in a palace full of guards." he shrugged.

"It wouldn't usually be my choice of places to spend my day, no." he sighed, "Were I back home I would be playing billiards or cricket or some such at the Officer's mess."

There was a wistfulness in his voice, that he hadn't quite managed to hide. Jameson was duty bound to be here, but in reality would much rather be back home...

----------

The crew didn't quite seem to know exactly what to do, although they followed their Captain's lead, seating themselves and generally trying to look respectful (rather than like an unscrupulous band of privateers). They appeared slightly on edge, and clearly didn't like being here.

As of yet, nobody had opened the chest that Jack had managed to extract from the Marines...

"Maybe you are not the threat, but your people may be." The lady next to Jameson replied.

There was a knock at the door, and one of the fan ladies got up and answered it, opening the door only slightly and conversed in hushed Tolteca with the Jaguar Warrior posted outside. The door was then closed and the lady returned to the rest of the group.

"The Vizier has ordered that you present yourself at dinner later this evening." The lady next to Jameson nodded as she said this and turned to Jameson.

"Well, we should get you cleaned up and give you a shave."

*****

More and more important Tolteca arrived, their importance apparently reflected in the amount of gold and silver they could wear, a kings ransom was slowly filling the room.

A group of men, that certainly stood out also arrived, tall white men, in deep blue uniforms, with broadswords at their sides and carrying polished silver Athenian style helmets, the crests are of a stylized horse, leaping out of a wave, running down the ridge of the helmet. The crest of the not year feared, or even competent Naval Guard of the Free Republics. These men certainly seemed to notice Captain Jack and his men, the looks on their faces weren't looks of surprise...........

"My people a threat?" Jameson laughed pleasantly, "If we were a threat we wouldn't be here asking for help. If there's a threat it's the Dyellians."

"It's quite alright." he smiled to conceal his growing concern at the mention of washing, "I can clean and shave myself. I've done it before you know."

----------

The Beybir crew sat around without attempting to engage in conversation or otherwise interact with anyone. The Captain didn't like the smell of all this. The demands and bullying earlier hardly seemed to fit with a dinner invitation... and one that could not be refused... It stank of treachery. He was prepared to fight with cutlery and other improvised weapons if need be.

The ladies laughed "Nonsense, you are a guest here, we will take care of everything."

They then proceeded to produce shaving implements and soaps and one went into the small door at the end of the room and returned with a water bowl and pitcher. They then proceeded to clean Jameson up, no matter how much he protested!

*****

The hall was now very crowded as apparently everyone had arrived and were now taking their seats, the Naval Guard men were seated directly across from Captain Jack and his men, and seated directly next to them were an odd assortment of Barbary pirates.

One of the Pirate's peered at whomever was nearest him of Jack's party and pushed a bottle at him "Here, effendi, rum, is much better than their pulque."

Plates of food then began to fill the table, the Vizier's seat was still noticeably empty.

Jameson, originally suspicious of an assassination attempt, eventually calmed down and allowed himself to be shaved.

----------

"Aye?" the Privateer looked wistful, "Nobody said we could be bringing our own bottles. Thank'ee I owe you a drink."

He paused, scrutinising the newcomer, "What's yer name and ship? I'm Seaman William Stains, from the Banana Hammock"

Other sailors had started to talk, although Captain Jack, like Jameson upstairs couldn't help but feel there was something not exactly right about proceedings.

The ladies cleaned up Jameson nicely, and shaved him, applied a very nice sandalwood aftershave and cologne and dusted off his jacket, polished his boots and hanger and even trimmed his hair and combed it nicely, checking him from every angle , to make sure everything was in place and taken care of.

"There! You are perfectly presentable, I suppose."

With that the woman that had stayed by his side led him out of the room, while the others began tidying up.

*****

The man simply nodded "I am Faisal Al Turki, I am here with Captain Al Azarad , from the ships 'Seasoned Killer' and 'Turning Screw', we are here, to ah, make peace with the God Emperor." he pauses and rubs his beard "You are too?" He nods to the chest "That is your blood money, eh?"

As he finished, the people quieted as the Vizier entered , and took her seat, she is as scantily clad as before and sits languidly, leaning to her right to whisper to her Chief Jaguar Warrior, who then motions to a pair of other Jaguars who then move to relieve Captain Jack and his men of the chest, and take it and set it next to the Vizier's seat.

The seat to her left was still oddly empty, the Vizier studied it for a moment..........

"Oh yes." Jameson presented one of his friendlier smiles, "You have done an admirable job. I'm sure nobody can criticise me for being too shabby."

He waited to be led to whereever it was he was meant to be going.

----------

The sailor looked confused, "What? God Emperor?"

Nobody seemed to have told him anything, "Aye? Blood money? I'm no Judas mate."

Jack and his men hadn't bothered to look inside the chest that was then removed. The only person who probably knew was Jameson...

The Lady at Colonel Jameson's side led him through the corridors of the temple and finally out to the courtyard, where the feast and those invited to it was laid out, he is led to the seat directly to the left of the Vizier, several seats away from Captain Jack and his men, and directly across from the Jaguar Chief and Jameson's chest.

Meanwhile Faisal nodded to the sailor "Aye, you can't sail the God Emperor's waters without giving him his cut." He quieted, as the Vizier stood and looked prepared to speak, and as Colonel Jameson was led to his seat.

There was a certain on-edge quality to the Beybirs, especially Jameson, who had caught sight of his Sea Chest and obviously didn't like it...

The sailor just looked blank.

The Vizier stood with a flourish and a rather triumphant look to her as she looked over the crowd, her eyes lingering the longest on her foreign supplicants.

"We are honoured this evening " she began "To have our esteemed and most honourable and trustworthy friend from Great Lassic here with us, as well as strangers from distant lands, all come to seek the God-Emperors ear.

It is first my pleasure to announce to my Lords and Chiefs that words directly from the mouth of our Divine Lord are in transit, with his divine message that will crush the pirates that have so dishounourably ignored the ages old pact with our God-Emperor." She pauses, nodding to The Vaadian Naval Guard Captain, who then stands.

"I am able to inform that the God-Emperor Ehectal has indeed given orders to our Republican Commander to execute his plan for removing the pirate threat from these Southern Coasts. I am not privy to that plan , but I have been informed that in a weeks time Leftenant Colonel Adnan will arrive here with several divisions of our Thunderer Retaliatory Guard to spearhead this effort and organize what the God-Emperor requires of all of us."

There was a murmur from the assembled Tolteca Lords and Chiefs. The Captain then sits and the Vizier continues.

"That is excellent, my warriors stand ready to crush those who oppose the God-Emperor. Here with is a person who has less standing with us." She turns and glares at the pirates seated next to Captain Jack and his men "Captain Al Azarad, I believe that you have some explaining to do, not only to me, but to the worthy men of Lassic."

Captain Al Azarad stands, a man of dark skin, white hair and standing under six foot, with a patch and missing arm, a typical pirate, he bows deeply.

"Saheed, Vizier, I have come to give the God-Emperor what is his, as Al Azarad always has. It has pained me to see the other families of the coast turning their backs on age old agreements, simply to enrich themselves."

He pauses as he turns and watches several more seamen enter with chests, armaments, and other piratical booty.

"I am also here to deliver my deepest apologies and my heart felt regret at what I had to do to save my own life and the lives of my own family." He turns to the Vaadians "I did participate in the battle to destroy your Naval Guard, I had to. I am poor, what with only two ships, and my close proximity to the Al Assad redoubt forces me to bend to the will of these wicked men. Al Assad has the power to not only fight it's battles, but to blockade my harbour at the same time, I have to serve those that hold the sword at my throat. I would like nothing better than to relieve myself of these vile dogs, that defy the God-Emperor."

There are more murmurs from those gathered as he finishes, bowing deeply again and then sitting.

The Vizier glares at him "I will weigh my displeasure with you against the tribute you have brought and the services that you will render for me. Your fate is by no means safe or certain."

Al Azarad looks very worried at these comments. The Vizier finally turns to Colonel Jameson "And finally, an emissary of the Beybir King, from the West, not come here to treat with the God-Emperor, but with the men of Lassic and Coventry.........." She pauses and looks expectantly at the Naval Guard Captain, who stands again , much chagrined.

"I am obliged to decline that honour, I cannot bargain in good faith with those that must first pass through the God-Emperor's lands and waters. I cannot make any bargain with any nation that does not first make agreements with the God-Emperor , as per the treaty between the Council and the God-Emperor." He sits, obviously displeased to have to say that.

The Vizier then turns to Colonel Jameson "Emissary of the Beybir King, you have heard the commitment of the God-Emperors allies. I can only assume that you would be more than pleased to treat with our God-Emperor?"