"Small problem?"  Abigail's eye brow arched.  It was the one over her left eye.  "If we've only got a small problem I'll be ecstatic."  She paused to listen to her navigator and shook her head when he finished.  "The government hasn't bought anything.  We're just unlucky.  Best not to make things seem bleaker than they are by saying stuff like that."   She put her hand on a railing to drum her fingers.  "Pfff."  She huffed. "Not chase us?  Never underestimate the stupidity of men and women loyal to a group."  She pointed back towards the oncoming ships.  The bright white and yellow burst of their cannon fire bloomed in the darkening distance like roses rapidly sprouting from blackened earth.  Long spurts of water shot up from sea around them as the cannon fire grew closer and closer to putting a hole were one wasn't needed, which was everywhere on the ship.  "Then again, it would be wise not to be careful with stupidity in general."  The captain glanced around at her crew and frowned.    Under her breath she mumbled.  "I mean, Look at us.  We're stupid enough to head deeper in this weather."

"Cannon fire?"  The redheaded woman blinked before putting her hands around her mouth to help the sound carry over the increasing wind. "Hey Anna!  How are the cannons coming along?  Those ships over there are looking a lot less like swiss chesse than I'd normally prefer.  How about we do something about that?"