Chapter 2
The One
The fog was dense and the night was dark and cold. The rain picked up and was now sending tiny pieces of hail into the soldiers faces. The morale of the soldiers - low. Their morale had been weakened by the constant push the Commander was giving as other soldiers were dying. The spirits of the soldiers were gloomy, and all of that combined to one thing - a weakened defense.
The Commander was shouting out into the distance:
"Light the torches, get your weapons and load the guns! This will be the deciding factor whether Port Royale is lost or kept!"
Port Royal's Fort has kept Port Royal protected for many years. The fort was the prize possession and the one that kept order and peace around the port. If the fort was to fall then the entire town would be doomed, with no Navy to assist the townsfolk, unless they formed a makeshift militia which would only end with one thing - death.
The other deciding factor was that this was the Queen Anne's Revenge. Blackbeard and his crew were infamous for sailing the High Seas and pillaging any ship that dared to cross its path. The fact that it was coming to Port Royal only meant that they were after the Artillery Storage in the basement at the Governor's Mansion. The weapons were made from the finest jewels and minerals, and were crafted for the highest of the highest in the Royal Navy. The power was so immense with them that they were put under high security storage, to make sure nothing was stolen.
"The guns are ready Sir!"
"Stand by soldier, fire when I say."
"Yes Commander."
The guns of the fort were manned by three members each. One was the loader, another was the gunner, and the other was the shooter. Each had a specific role and provided in extreme accuracy at the most efficient way. The loader reloaded the gun, the gunner aimed and the shooter fired when the gunner says that he is ready. The process is very simple and also gives many jobs separated into one simple job for each soldier.
The Queen Anne's crew was now audible as you heard the bloodthirsty screams piercing the air. The crew was heaving the guns and there were people working the rigging to ensure the ship would not capsize under the massive waves.
"Ready..... Aim........... Fire!"
The cannons boomed and the cannonballs were sent flying into the air towards the Queen Anne's Revenge. Every cannonball hit, but at the same time every cannon bounced right off of the ship. There was no damage taken to the ship, except for the fact that it had a few minor scratches.
"Status report Soldier?"
"No penetration Commander, all shots bounced."
"What?! That is unbelievable! Ready the men for fighting. They will be attempting to commandeer the fort by storming it and defeating us all with their own blades!"
Grappling hooks were sent flying into the air. Each and everyone hit their mark and the ship was approaching the fort at an extremely high rate. The grappling hooks locked and the boarding planks were deployed. The crew of the Queen Anne's ran blindingly fast into the mob of Navy soldiers with bayonets ready to shoot anyone coming. The effect was disastrous for the Navy, the first person on the plank was shot down, but the following 10 crew members on the separate planks all jumped off and took out 5 soldiers with them.
"Ready! Aim! Fire!"
The Commander's voice ringed the air as he used a last ditch effort as he realized he would not win in this fight. He aimed his guns towards the promontory at the Fort, where the ship was grappled. His plan would be to knock out this peak and then kill all of their crew with it. The loss of soldiers may be drastic, but it would not matter as he had saved the fort. Soldiers were easy to fine, an entire new fort and to rid the port of Blackbeard's men? Impossible.
The guns were shooting out shots like a machine gun as the Commander kept driving them to shoot and shoot. The constant grinding of stone and stone when the made contact made a distinct sound, and finally one half of the peak fell. Only a tenth of Blackbeard's men was on that side, as a few fell to their death in the long, bottomless drop to the ocean. A cry was sent throughout the entire crew of Blackbeard's men. They all understood what the Commander was attempting to do, and then rushed into the inner area of the fort.
The second wave of Royal Navy was more experienced and had better weapons than the rusty swords that the first wave of soldiers had. The Gunners were meant to pick off anyone that could be a potential threat to our soldiers. The second wave died in vain, as each and every one of them died without taking out any of Blackbeard's crew. The Gunners also died from the crew as they rushed them and defeated them.
The Queen Anne's crew was now rushing up the steps as each of the soldiers fell in their path. The fate of the Fort was destined as the shadow of the Commander showed at the top of the tower, facing each soldier one by one as they went up the stairs. The Commander was starting to weaken, one by one. And then the fatal shot was dealt, a pistol straight into the temple.
As the Commander's sight was darkening, he saw one person fleeing from the fort.
The next morning, everyone in the fort was dead, except for the one man who escaped - John Dufaux.
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