Captain Jones – Camden Shipyard – FCS Olympia 	

It was a chilly day, the skies were overcast, and the smell of the river and burning coal permeated the air. He looked around as the dockhands moved back and forth preparing his ship for voyage.  The civil war within the Most Serene had affected the trade lanes, and Congress ordered the navy to go out and re-establish control by any means necessary from the rebels, cultists, pirates  or whatever got in the way of the free flow of goods. 

The captain began walking towards his ship, an old coal cruiser that was part of a museum prior to the war, the Olympia. To the captain it was the most beautiful ship he had ever laid eyes upon. A true steam ship, one that took full advantage of the Commonwealth massive coal reserves. Though many years had passed, the ship was meticulously maintained and refurbished to continue to be in service. The perilous seas demanded that their ships be upkeep at all cost, lest they lose them to pirates and monstrous creatures.

The treacherous seas where how Captain Jones lost his right leg. Attacked by a Razersquid, it had mangled his leg beyond saving and had to be amputated by doctors. Now he had to use a prosthetic, though his fascination with old tales of seamen and pirates, he opted for a true and tried wooden peg leg. He limped as he reached the ship and started making his way up. One of the dockhands handed him a clipboard outlining the work done and he signed off on it. 

It was time to return to the sea, it beckoned him to return. It beckoned him to hunt down and eradicate pirates. The ship was unmoored and the vessel began to shake and come to life as the engines fires were lit and the vessel began to slowly move. The billowing black cloud shot out of its smokestacks, and ship shook as it began to move, the engines were kept at low speed as a tug began pulling it out of the dock and into the river that led to the ocean. 

As the ship slowly moved, the captain looked up as it passed the largest vessel in the commonwealth navy. An old relic from the old world, a battleship, the New Jersey. He could see workers moving, about and sparks flying as they worked on the vessel on a dry dock. The ship unlike his had an old engine powered with oil. Due to oil being almost non-existing, Commonwealth scientist came up with a solution to retrofit engines, and put in a nuclear reactor. 

It wasn’t an easy task, they had been working on it for a few years and it still wasn’t ready. In the meantime turrets and other weapons were installed and loaded, as the old guns of the ships were most likely never to be used. For one the shells required were not easy to produce, there was nothing big enough to use against, against a pirate ship it would be overkill. Plus, there was fear that there could be damage to the ship itself, due to its age. 

The captain had wondered who would take command of it, the captains were all eager to be charged with its command, but Captain Jones loved his Olympia too much and would never leave her to take charge of another. He had been aboard this ship his entire naval career, he had fought on it, bled on it and even was married on it. No way would he replace her with anything else.

As he was lost in thought, the ship shook as tugs released it and it made its way to sea. He headed up to the bridge, and grabbed his binoculars as he surveyed the horizon. Up ahead was the bay leading to the ocean. He could see smoke from the ships stationed ahead keeping the bay safe as it was the only access to the Commonwealth’s shipyards. They along with a fort being built along the bay, would make are impenetrable and safeguarding it from any incursion. 

As the ship cleared the river and moved into the bay, it began to pick up speed as it moved towards the seas choppy waters. The hunt would soon begin as the ship would move up and down the coastline securing trade lanes. This overcast and gray skies would be beneficial in hiding the smoke from the stacks, but it would make seeing the enemy hard as well. 

As the ship travelled a shout could be heard, a vessel had been spotted. Captain Jones grabbed his binoculars and looked towards where the sailors pointed, and there he could see a junker of a ship travelling at a high speed. From the looks of it, it was pirates. Pirates loved placing jagged and sharp metals along their ship’s bodies, making them look more menacing.  As well as using rams like old triremes. 

The Olympia’s klaxon began to sound and the men moved to their battle stations. They grabbed weapons and put on life jackets as it was policy, a precaution in case the worst were to happen. Captain Jones, never put one on, if the ship were to go down, he’d go down with it. The pirate ship was closing in as it moved at full sped towards them. The captain grinned as he saw the foolish pirates heading towards them. Soon they would realize their mistake. 

The main gun slowly turned in the direction of the enemy. The gunners awaiting command to fire. As the enemy drew closer, he could see there was no ram on their vessel. The captain liked his lips as he devilishly looked on. He motioned with his hand not to fire. The gunner disappointed but his men were eager. They would take the enemy head on, and the bloodlust began to overtake them. The captain grabbed a harpoon and headed for the deck. Since the men saw the guns hadn’t fired, they knew what the captain had in mind. They grabbed grappling hooks and readied themselves. 

As soon as they were close enough, the pirates realized their mistake, and were beginning to turn and try and escape. It was too late though. As they turned, harpoon guns shot from the deck, hitting the enemy ship and latching on to it. The hooks were chained, and motor on the deck began to turn pulling the enemy closer to them. More harpoons shot off, and when close enough, the sailors threw their hooks at the enemy ship and began to pull. They grunted in unison as they pulled and soon tied the ropes down. 

They grunted and began to shout and mock the pirates. The bloodlust took over them. They grabbed their guns and harpoons and jumped towards the enemy ship. Fighting broke out, mostly hand to hand. Blood began to spill, as the sailors began attacking and stabbing the enemy with their harpoons. Screams of pain and anguish began to ring out. The pirates had been overwhelmed, there were too many for them to take on.

Before long the fighting stopped. The pirates had been defeated. Many were killed but some had survived. The men looked at their captain, who stood there with a cold look in his face. He turned to head back to the bridge, and as he turned he extended his arm and then pointed his thumb down. The men began to cheer, as they grabbed the prisoners. A crate was brought on board, with nooses and rope. 

The men grabbed the prisoners and placed nooses on their necks, and tied the other end on the rails of the ship. They pushed the pirates overboard, with their hands tied and nooses on their necks. They began to flail as they attempted to remain above water, trying not to drown. The same treatment was given to the dead bodies, nooses and their necks and thrown overboard, but they sank and bled, turning some of the water red with their blood. The pirates were puzzled and worried, unsure of what was to happen. They cried for clemency, but their cries went unheeded. 

The Olympias assigned priest began reading from his bible, asking forgiveness for the soul of the pirates. AS he closed his bible and turned, the pirate’s vessels engine began to sound as it was turned on. Still tied to the Olympia. The sailors returned to their ship, they retracted the harpoons and cut off the ropes keeping the pirate ship immobile. AS the last ropes were cut off the enemy ship began to move dragging the pirates that were thrown overboard, as they struggled with the moving ship and the waves. 

The sailors looked on with expectancy, and soon they got what they were waiting for. The beasts of the depths were drawn by the blood and the moving ship, and all you could hear were screams as the still living pirates were attacked by the beasts. Cheers rang out on the Olympia as they looked on and soon, you could see razersquids jumping out of the water killing off the last of the living pirates. The men returned to their stations, to continue their hunt for pirates.