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-: The squeeling of bosun's pipes, the crash of the Marines' rifles coming to attention & the drummers thundering roll sounding out about the deck of the Boadicea, Jack inwardly smirked at how ridiculous it all really was. Why were they saluting the man who had not only deprived them of one of their own ships, but who had almost single-handedly terrorized their main shipping and trade routes for near on a century.

'Tradition' was the word forming in his mind when he came up the side, avoiding plunging down between the massive ship and the longboat. Stepping ont the vast deck, the sun gleamed off the recently swabbed decks. The brass shown like gold in his eyes as he tried to peer across the deck and glance upon the Lady Washington once more. Marines blocking his way, Jack hoped to Almighty that Ares had already begun to carry out his last orders.

With Miss Ares and her trusty Lieutenant and Officers as advisors, the Larboard Battery should already be loaded and the matches smoking in their trays. If she's smart, she'll fire her full broadside directly into us - disregarding my safety entirely - set sails while disguised by the gunsmoke and while fleeing into the wind, fire once more into the Boadicea's stern, attempting to destroy her rudder and thus utterly disabling us. Please, let this be the one time that Lucky Jack's luck holds out.

Removing his hat, Jack paced up to the break in the quarterdeck, escorted by twelve marines, one carrying his new set of shiny, iron braclets complete with heavy led wieghts.:-

*Omi was scared to death. The Captain had left?! And now the gun-woman was Captain. She would follow the orders of this captain as well, of course, but it was confusing. She hoped that she still knew what it was she was supposed to be doing.*

Ready the sails, lets have the winds with by cannon fire

*Looks to Ares*

On your command Captain

She looked over her shoulder to Ares, the Lady's new captain, but somehow the word stuck in her throat.

"Shall I gather some of the crew to ready the sails for our departure? Or have you other plans up your sleeve?"

*as the distraction was had, the sails unfurled into the wind. The billowing clouds of canvas picked up quickly*
Full broadside, FIRE!
*in a matter of seconds, the rippling of the air could be heard as the shots ran off. A cloud of smoke billowed up between the ships*

Destiny was with her gun crew when the order came to fire. It was with a heavy heart that she knew they were leaving the Captain behind.Ther would be, no doubt, at a later date some sort of rescue attempt, and she planned to be in on it.

A thick cloud of white gunsmoke filled the air, providing the Lady Washinginton a cover for escape. She only hoped that none of the crew's cannonballs would injure the Captain inadvertantly.

As soon as the cannons were fired, she and her guncrew scrambled to the sheets, and began loosing canvas at a rapid pace. When her assigned canvas was ready to go, she motioned her gunners to assist with other canvas while she went and reported to Ares.

Destiny slid down the ropes, dropping to the deck with a muted 'thump', and then went in search of Ares. Destiny found her still standing where she had been before, and then Desitny saluted- a crisp, formal salute. She was unsure how to approach the new captain of the ship, certainly the half formal, half casual manner she had with Captain Kuristofa wouldn't do, so she decided to be strictly formal.

The guns have been fired, the sheets ready for the wind, and our cover of smoke is thick. What are you further orders ma'am?

-: Going through the doorway, Jack lost track of what Lord Nelson had been saying. It was at that point that the Boadicea shook with all the furiosity of a full blown squall or even Calypso herself. Pitching forward down the steps that led below, Jack fell onto the flat of his back. Rolling to the side so Nelson had a clear floor to land upon himself, Jack rose to find that Miss Ares had taken command as he'd hoped. Having fired her broadside, he ran to the starboard coach windows to see if the Lady had begun to bear away into open waters. "Let Fly Lads, Let Fly! Soar Before the Wind." :-

Reginald awoke to the horror of cannonfire and shouting. As he came upright in a hurry he noticed Miss Kale behind him. "When did I fall asleep? What is going on? Why the bloody hell wasn't I awoken to return to my duties?" Baxter paused for a moment, and slowly rose to his feet. He noticed the cannonfire that had been heard came from the Lady and the shot found a new home in the hull of the Bodicea.

"I don't understand. Why have we fired upon the English vessel? That was never in the plan. Oh, what a damned inconvenient time to fall asleep."