As the Queen Anne's Revenge approached, Edward was able to see the other ships waiting for the galleon. From what he could tell at this distance, they both appeared larger than the Gallant, but, if he were to guess, not as large as Edward's ship.
"Three ships," the man in the crow's nest yelled. "One large, two smaller."
"That's them," Edward commented. "We need to be ready to take on one of the sloops."
Anne nodded and stepped up to the edge of the quarterdeck. "Man cannons, to arms!" she shouted.
The gunners on the weather deck went to their stations and prepared the cannons to fire, while other men went down below to inform the crew on the main gun deck and gather weapons. Some men brought Anne, Herbert and Edward muskets, and the three loaded their weapons.
As seemed usual before battle, the feeling aboard and in the air changed. It became heavy, hard to breathe, and every task felt laborious and exhausting.
Edward could see one man hunched over, loading his musket with shaking hands. He dropped the ball and caught it before it rolled over the side of the ship, but then couldn't get the ramrod in the muzzle. He was swearing under his breath with each time his shaking moved the rod down the outside of the barrel.
Edward handed his loaded musket over to Anne and walked over to the man. When he got close, the ball fell off the top of the musket again. Edward stepped on the ball to stop it from rolling away as the crewmate reached forward. He looked up to see Edward towering over him, and immediately blanched.
"S-Sorry, sir," he said. "I'll get it next time, I promise."
Edward knelt down and retrieved the ball. "What's your name?"
"Clement, sir," he replied.
Edward placed the ball on top of the paper sitting on the muzzle. "That's a rare name for one so young in this age. Did your parents hate you?" he said with a smirk.
The young man chuckled. "Nah, it's after my grandpap." He picked up the rod, and this time he was able to get it into the musket.
Edward nodded as Clement pushed the ball into the barrel. "No need to be nervous, Clement," he said. "All you have to do is look down the barrel and pull the trigger."
Clement grinned. "That's not the trouble…" He lost his grin, and looked away. "I don't want to get hit," he said.
"I'll tell you a secret that helps me, Clement," Edward said as he leaned forward and gripped the young man's shoulder. "Most people miss."
Clement grinned at Edward's words, and then nodded. Edward smiled back, shook the man's shoulder, and then went back to his place at the quarterdeck.
As the Queen Anne's Revenge drew closer to the Gallant, two things became clearer: the first was that the ships Kenneth Locke had were both three-masted sloops-of-war, one bigger than the others with a few more cannons from what they could tell. The second was that the galleon and its two sloops-of-war were slowing down. As they came closer, they were soon able to see that the three Spanish ships had furled their sails, and were drifting with the current.
"They mean to draw us in," Edward muttered.
The only moving ship at the moment was theirs, with three ships on either side waiting in somewhat calm seas. They each faced the other, a standoff on the high seas. Edward imagined that on the decks of the other ship it was deathly still and quiet. On his ship it was loud and frantic, with the sound of the ship crashing against the water, the wind whipping the sails, and the men shouting and grunting as they heaved to the rigging.
"Now, the question is… do we let them?" Herbert asked with a sidelong glance at Edward and Anne.
Edward and Anne looked at each other, both knowing what the other was thinking. "Take us in, Herbert," Anne said.
"Aye." Herbert relayed the order to the men, and twisted the wheel starboard once more.
The ship turned until it was almost heading back where they had come from. They headed south south-west in a beam reach, with the wind heading southeast. They wanted to keep their distance in the hopes they could draw out one of the sloops.
When they began heading towards the Spanish ships, the Gallant made to join them. They let loose their sails and were catching up to Edward and the rest.
After the Gallant, Kenneth Locke's ships followed suit, forced to join a forward attack. The bigger of the two was on the inside, next to the Gallant, but the both of them headed straight south towards the galleon.
Three sloops-of-war against a galleon… their plan was quite risky. Sloops may be faster, but one hit from a broadside could cripple them. Either Locke is desperate, or they had some sort of plan. What, though?
After ten minutes of sailing, the Spanish side finally began to move. The galleon stayed put, not dropping their sails an inch, but the two sloops opened theirs up. They headed west to intercept the Queen Anne's Revenge and the Gallant.
"I believe the sloops plan to hit us with a broadside, tack through the wind, and then head back to the galleon," Anne said.
"Why wouldn't they go south?" Edward asked.
"They're supposed to be protecting the galleon. If they head south, they would be hard-pressed to make it back up in time to stop all four of our ships from attacking the galleon. The wind would be against them every step of the way, and they would need to be close hauled to make any progress."
Herbert nodded. "That is sound reasoning," he said. "As far as they know, we could all be on the same side. They aren't close enough to see the name of our ship and know our allegiance. Those sloops will want to attack us and distract us from going after the galleon."
"And what should we do to counter them?"
Anne folded her arms and bit her thumb for a moment. "If they wanted to do the most damage, they would form up to hit us with both broadsides one after the other. To counter that, we need the Gallant to stay on their starboard so we can hit them from both ends."
Edward glanced off to port, where the Gallant was coming up beside them. "How will we inform the Gallant?"
"Not necessary," Herbert said. "My sister will know what to do when the time comes. We'll have both ships on our broadsides, I guarantee it."
Herbert was smiling from ear to ear, confidence trickling through in his movements and his tone. Edward grinned and nodded back to him, infected by Herbert's optimistic mood.
The Queen Anne's Revenge headed east in an arc towards the other ships, with enough leeway to ensure they would end up on the port side of the farthest sloop. The Gallant followed suit, but kept its distance, seeming to understand what the plan of attack was. Soon, the four ships were heading straight at each other, two heading east, and two heading west.
As the minutes passed and the ships closed in, the mood and movements aboard began to change. The places the men went to were ones that were well guarded. Their hands gripped the ropes, the linstocks, the muskets, and the railings tighter. But most noticeable of all was the silence that crept in from the edges of the ship to the centre. Soon the breezing wind, the flap of the sails, the splash of the sea, the creaking of wood, and the smack of boots was all they could hear.
One of the enemy sloops changed direction, tacking into the wind as much as possible. They were trying to get outside of where the Gallant would be, and escape the double broadside. With Locke's ships still heading for the galleon, they wouldn't be able to turn in time to help and trap the enemy sloop.
Edward, Anne, and Herbert all peered over to their sister ship, waiting to see what she would do. What Christina would do. After a brief moment, the sails moved, and the Gallant changed course to match the other sloop and keep it in the pincer.
Edward, Anne, and Herbert all grinned widely at the sight. Anne gripped Herbert's shoulder, and he looked up at her, the two beaming with pride.
Edward smacked Herbert's back. "You taught her well," he said.
"I wasn't the only one," Herbert replied, looking at Edward and Anne, the significance not lost on Edward.
The enemy sloop that tried to escape turned back and joined its brother again. The second sloop slowed itself down and close
d the distance between them. The two ships matched in speed and went side to side.
"They've abandoned their initial plan," Anne commented. "Now they're trying to minimize the damage by protecting each other."
"We've caught them in a snare," Edward said with a devilish grin.
"Now all that's left is to tighten the noose!" Herbert gritted his teeth and repositioned himself before turning the wheel to port. "Moving to firing range," he shouted.
"Gunners at the ready!" Anne yelled in response.
The men manning the cannons loaded the powder into the pan. They made small adjustments here and there, using their eyes and their guts to estimate what the best angle would be to hit the oncoming ship.
Meanwhile, men in teams would be doing the same with the cannons below deck. Using their experience and expertise to aim the first volley and make it true could mean the difference between an easy victory or a protracted battle.
The Gallant followed with the Queen Anne's Revenge, coming in closer to the sloops on a broadside run. It didn't have the same number of guns the other sloops had, but with another ship aiding they could do some damage.
Mere minutes remained before the ships were all within firing range. Edward couldn't help but be stirred with excitement as the men were. It had been months since they'd had a real battle, and one where they would be the most likely victor. He had to hold himself back from smiling, despite knowing that once it started it could be far from exciting.
Anne intently watched the oncoming ships. Her eyes flitted between the enemy ships to the bow of the Queen Anne's Revenge and back every few seconds. After a moment she shouted "ready," and the crew tensed. Edward gripped the quarterdeck railing, waiting for the moment.
"Fire port!"
The gunners on the weather deck were first to drop the linstocks into the pan of the cannons. Some of the men turned away from the flare that erupted from the large beast they were in charge of, while others watched to ensure they hit their mark.
After the first volley, the gun deck was quick to follow suit, and fired their cannons as well. The two booms sounded distinct from one another, a smaller explosion followed by a larger blast.
Those sounds were as a dam breaking apart on the mouths of the crew. Silence died as the fight burst into life.
Before the cannonballs hit their mark, the enemy sloops fired their cannons off as well. The iron flew at them with unmatched speed, wreaking destruction on their path. The new planks and railings broke apart in the blast, sending wood everywhere.
Edward turned away from the assault, and when he looked up, what he saw made him laugh under his breath. The sloops were pitiful in comparison to the galleon they had faced not a few days before. The scene left behind was like night and day.
That was not to say that they went unscathed. Edward could hear the shouts of the injured amongst the yells of those still fighting. He looked over the side of the quarterdeck to see one man clutching a leg with an exposed bone, and another with a chunk of wood jammed in his eye, yet he was still alive. Many others were bleeding from various small wounds, but kept doing their duty.
Alexandre and Victoria were first on the scene, tending to the wounded. They were uninjured, but armed, in case they needed to switch from being healers to attackers.
As the crew reloaded their cannons, Herbert turned the ship to port. The sloop on their side could only go south if they wanted to turn back around, but the pirates could shoot another volley before then.
Herbert brought the Queen Anne's Revenge in close to the other ships. The men manning the sails changed the trim with each degree of movement as their brothers worked on reloading the cannons. Each man had his part to play, and because of their experience, both as individuals and together, they were playing it beautifully. This battle, compared to their first, was also as night and day.
"Form up, port-side muskets at the ready!" Anne shouted above the din.
Men holding muskets rushed to the port side of the ship and placed their weapons along the railing to keep their aim true. They pointed them at the other ship, searching down the barrel for anyone they could hit.
When the ships were close enough, Anne shouted "Fire!" once more. Blasts of powder not so loud as the cannons, and spouting lead rather than iron, shot at the enemy ship. The wave of lead shot cascaded upon the crew and felled many of them.
The sloop's crew returned fire, but they were sorely outmatched in numbers and in the size and power of their cannons. A few of Edward's men were hit, but not many, and none of them fatal shots.
Another wave of cannonballs from Edward's ship crashed into the sloop as they were passing the stern. One of its masts had snapped, and many of its crew were injured, but it was not wholly beaten.
As they came around, they were able to catch glimpse of the other sloop, and the Gallant coming about the stern as well. The second vessel wasn't damaged as much as the first, but Edward could see several crewmates lying bloody on the deck.
The Gallant was worse off, with several holes dotting the side. It was listing to the starboard side in the way that could only mean it was taking on water. Through Edward's spyglass he could see Christina and William at the helm, alive and well, though bloodied from battle. A few men were lying sprawled dead on the deck, but the damage to the crew was less than Edward had expected given the damage from the cannons.
"We can't go any farther than this, Captain," Herbert said. "Unless you wish to tack into the wind."
Edward assessed the situation, then shook his head. "No, we'll lose too much time chasing the sloops as we are. We should head back to the galleon before we lose the advantage against Locke."
"Aye, Captain," Herbert said.
The crew moved the ship east, back towards the galleon, and the Gallant followed behind. They soon heard the sounds of battle coming from the galleon, with much more cannon fire than in Edward's battle. He could see great plumes of smoke coming from each of the ships, most especially the galleon with its larger complement of cannons. All three ships still floated, and Edward had a mix of emotions over it.
"Slow us down, Herbert. The Gallant is taking on water. We need our men back onboard before the sloops come back around."
Herbert yelled to the crew to furl the sails, and the ship slowed. It took some time, and they drifted closer to the galleon as they slowed.
Edward expected to see the sloops turning about to renew their fight, but they continued heading west.
He couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight. "They're sailing away, the cowards," he said.
Anne, who had been paying attention to where they were headed, glanced at him with a raised brow before looking back at the retreating ships. She too couldn't help but chuckle. "That's a boon for us," she said.
The sound of a powerful crash brought all eyes back to the galleon. They were still some ten minutes' sailing away from them, but it sounded as if it happened right beside them.
Edward pulled out his spyglass and peered through it towards the galleon. At first he saw nothing the matter, but as he looked more intently he saw what had happened. One of the ships under Locke's command had crashed into the galleon's stern. The crew had already abandoned ship, some swimming and others in longboats. The galleon's rudder had broken off, effectively crippling it.
"One of the ships crashed into the galleon," Edward said.
"Do you believe it by mistake or by design?" Anne asked.
"Hard to say, but the crews are heading over to climb up the side of the galleon." Edward relayed what he saw through the spectacle. "No matter," he said while putting away his spyglass. "That's one fewer ship we have to deal with."
The Gallant came up beside the Queen Anne's Revenge, and the crew helped their brothers return to the main ship. In no time the sixty crewmates who had volunteered, less their fallen mates, were back to their home.
Edward and Anne helped Christina and William back aboard. Christina was bleeding from her forehead and breathing heavily,
one eye closed and covered in blood from the wound. William had grazes on his shoulder and leg from bullets, but wasn't the worse for wear.
"Good job, Christina, William," Edward said.
"Could have done better," Christina responded through ragged breaths. Tala ran over excitedly and licked Christina on the arms and cheek.
"Nonsense," Herbert protested, wheeling himself over to his sister. "You were excellent out there. I'll have to watch out if I don't want to be replaced," he said with a grin.
Christina smiled at the praise and the pride in her brother's eyes. "Thank you, brother," she said.
With the full crew aboard, Edward went to the edge of the quarterdeck. "Men, ready yourselves. The night is young, and this battle is far from over!"
20. Drowning
"It looks as if they had a far larger crew than their ship demanded," Anne commented while looking through a spyglass towards the galleon. "They meant—at the very least—to board the galleon and take the fight to them."
Edward also looked through a spyglass at the carnage off the bow. Night had slipped in since their battle with the sloops, and it was getting darker as the minutes passed. The ship that had crashed into the galleon had slid off with the current and settled on the starboard side of the Spanish ship. It could be some time before it was moved as the crew was too occupied repelling boarders to do it themselves. It allowed Locke's other ship to attempt boarding from the starboard bow without fear of the cannons ripping them apart.
It was a desperate gamble if they had meant to do it, but Edward guessed it was half planning and half luck. I suppose that's true of most battles, he thought.
"Many of those men will perish on the climb," Anne said. "What are we to do? If we wait, the crew of the galleon could win, and not only would we have to face them next, but Locke will die."
"And we can't forget about Sam," Christina added, petting Tala as she rested near the helm.
Blackbeard's Justice (The Voyages of Queen Anne's Revenge Book 3) Page 24