The Beaching at Paneloux
We open at night on the beach of an obscure isle. The full moon is out, but is soon eclipsed by the vast pillar of smoke rising from an orange glow across the water- it is a city. A city being decimated. Huge warships are silhouetted in the haze, rendered small by their distance. A man in tattered military dress observes from the beach. He is hunched over, his left hand holding pressure as if to a wound on the side of his abdomen. In his right hand, he holds a sword, on his head is a black, wide-brimmed hat adorned with white plumage. We only see him from behind, silhouetted in the haze of the ravaged city. He drops the sword and falls to his knees. We see his eyes, bathed in the orange light. They are pained.
[Eight years later]
A lookout is perched on the crow's nest of a ship. He's relaxed, lethargic; we see him leaning his back against the mast, blankly scanning the ocean. Behind them, he spies something appearing over the horizon. He holds up a spyglass, we see through it; sails begin appearing over the curve of the earth. On the deck below, we see a slightly plump man in his early fifties. Impatient and fidgety; he looks out of place (The caption in the image reads: Ferrick Nelson. Alias: Nathaniel Roberts). We see him from the side, in one hand holding a small box. The other hand is on the railway he's leaning on, anxiously drumming its fingers. From the lookout above we hear- "SAIL"
The man's eyes widen with fear as he looks up at the lookout's perch, then to the stern (back of the ship), leaning over the railing to see. Is it the authorities? Have they found him? He runs to the stern and finds the ship's captain- the man he hired to smuggle him out of danger. Instead, he finds the first mate, a man of medium height and middling age, with a raggedy brown overcoat and
Ferrick: "Captain"
Captain: "Mr Roberts?"
Ferrick: "What is it?"
Captain: "A frigate"
Ferrick: "Phoenician?"
The Captain looks casually through a spyglass at their pursuers.
Captain: "Haven't seen ér colours yet. But she's definitely chasin' us"
Ferrick: "Could it be Pirates?"
Captain: "Ohhhhh don't you worry about that, lad... [he gives Ferrick a wicked sideways look] it's almost certainly pirates. Ya just better hope it's not him, or we might actually have te stop"
The captain peers through his spyglass, we see through it as the frigate raises a black flag.
Captain, sighing: "Damn... damn!"
He hands the glass to his nervous companion, who looks through and, seeing the flag, panics.
Ferrick (quietly, to himself): "Shake the gods, I know that ship"
He turns to the captain.
Ferrick: "We can't let them catch us!"
The captain raises an eyebrow.
Captain: "Son..." he says, "perhaps yer new to sailin', but out in these waters, it's pirates that govern, not the navy. We play by their rules and believe me, this is not a man you want to cross." He turns and walks back toward the helm, addressing his first officer: "Mr Mercer, strike our colours and prepare the men to be boarded"
We focus on Ferrick's face as he peers through the telescope some more, before turning to look incredulously back at the smuggler captain.
Ferrick: "What!? Captain, no..."
Captain: "What's got you so tied up in a knot? Believe me, son, it's far better to let them board and take what they want. Don't give 'em a reason to fight."
Ferrick: "You don't understand, Captain, this isn't just some pirate- that banner..." he points to the ship, "... that's Hannibal's ensign."
Captain, nonchalantly: "I know who it is..."
Ferrick: "Then you know it's no accident he's turned up here! He's not after cargo, he's after me."
Captain: "[sigh]See... you really shouldn'a told me that, lad."
At this, the captain looks to a man behind Ferrick and nods. Two pairs of hands grab Ferrick's arms and shoulders from behind. One of the men kicks the back of his knee, forcing him down on his knees.
Captain (still casually): "... because, ya know, that's a rather good point, there. Maybe I won't bother hidin' ya then. If they want ya so bad, they can have ya."
As the two crewmen hold Ferrick steady, the captain takes out a pistol and points it at his new prisoner.
Captain: "Ya know, I'm almost tempted to ask ya who the hell you are, why the whole world wants your head... but in my line of work, I've learned there's such a thing as knowing too much."
Ferrick: "Please, sir, I beg you- he’ll kill me"
The Captain chuckles: "Sorry, friend, but that man chasin' you is not a man you keep waitin' if you value your life"
He gestures with his pistol for the men to take him away, and Ferrick struggles as he is dragged. He cries out desperately: "Need I remind you, Captain, that we only barely escaped the Grand Armada at Port North? They’re less than a day behind us by my reckoning, and yours too if you’re as good a sailor as you seem to think. If they gain on us now, those Pirates are going to be the least of your concerns!"
The captain takes a few beats considering this.
Captain (a suspicious look on his face): "Fine... ya have yer stay of execution. For now." (He puts his pistol back in his belt and turns to the crewmen holding Ferrick): "Tie him up down below, and keep an eye on 'im. Nothin' more dangerous than a man with nothin' to lose."
Crewman: "Yes, cap'n"
Captain: "Mr Mercer"
Mercer: "Sir?"
Captain: "Take us nor'west"
Mercer: "Aye, sir"
Captain: "Let's give old Hannibal a run for his money"
The crewmen take Ferrick out of sight.
Five Days Later...
We switch views to the Pirate ship, Clandestine, which is now within just a few hundred yards of the Serene. We see the back of the Pirate captain
Williams: "Sir. We're coming into range!"
Hannibal: "Fire a warning shot off their port side, then wait an hour for their surrender. If it doesn't come, bring us about and give three broadsides." (He turns to address another, whom we see from the lower deck. The Pirate captain is shown only as a silhouette.) "Mr. Tyre! Prepare a boarding party."
Tyre: "Aye, sir!"
The Serene strikes her colours and her sails are let loose to flap in the wind. Boards are lowered and Grappling hooks are thrown as the Clandestine comes up alongside the smaller ship. Pirates board, brandishing pistols, muskets, clubs, and steel. They round the hapless smugglers in a circle on the deck and on their knees. Two of the pirates hold the smuggler captain upright apart from his crew. Hannibal walks across one of the planks to the Serene, cigar in hand; Tyre and Williams are with him. The Smuggler Captain is an older man, mid to late sixties, with greying hair and a ghost-white beard. He is of medium height and fat, with a potbelly sticking out of his brown jacket.
Hannibal: "Captain Johan! It's good to see you again!"
Johan: "Admiral Lethe, always a" (Hannibal holds out his hand in a gesture for quiet) ... pleasure"
Hannibal: "How long have you been doing this, Johan, hm? Quite a while, I feel like"
Johan nods somewhat mockingly.
Hannibal: "Yes... quite. A. While. Certainly long enough to understand how things work out here"
Johan, rolling his eyes: "Admiral, it wa-"
Hannibal: "So do you mind explaining to me, why someone as obviously experienced as you would dare to flee my colours when they demand your surrender?"
Johan: "Sir, it was a matter of life and death!-"
Hannibal: "I'll say"
Hannibal steps closer, and Johan's confidence starts to visibly waver.
Johan: "...W-we're being chased, the-"
Hannibal: "The Navy, yes. I'm quite aware of your situation, Johan; half the fucking Archipelago's after you- or more precisely, your client (and don't pretend for a second you don't know what I mean, or else this will go a lot worse for you). What, did you think I wouldn't notice you cutting through my territory with the Grand Armada on your tail? I don't know what pisses me off more, that you're trying to cheat me or the utter sloppiness of it."
Johan, becoming more rattled, chuckles: "That was a high-valued target you had me fetchin', it wouldn'a hurt to tell me- !"
Hannibal: "I'm sorry, I was under the impression that you were a smuggler and at least partially competent at your job"
Johan bites his lip
Hannibal (nodding): "You took yourself off course before stopping to lose the Navy; yes. That I understand and will bear you no penalty. But now I'm told that after a thorough search of your vessel, our quary is nowhere to be found."
Johan: "I-I don't take your meaning, sir..."
Hannibal (fury in his eyes):"Where in the flying fuck is your client?!"
Johan: "Oh that, well... he might've... escaped. Killed one of my men and jumped overboard"
Hannibal: "And when was this?"
Johan: "Sometime in the past two days"
Hannibal: "You sailed for two days not knowing one of your crew was dead and your sole passenger missing??"
Johan: "He switched clothes with the man guarding him, left him tied up in his place. We discovered it yesterday, been searchin' the ship for him since then."
Hannibal leans in until he's inches from Johan's face. He takes a long drag from his cigar and an equally long exhale through his nose: "Let me guess..." (smoke still eminates from Hannibal's mouth as he speaks, choking the smuggler captain) "taking this little detour wasn't your idea, was it?"
Johan bites his lip again. After a beat he shakes his head almost imperceptively: "No"
Hannibal turns to Tyre and Williams: "Paneloux"
Tyre and Williams exchange glances.
Hannibal turns back to Johan: "Five ships, we know, followed you from Port North. Describe them."
Johan: "Destroyers. Three frigate-class, two siege-class"
Hannibal: "Who commands them?"
Johan: "Can't say for certain, sir, but they were flying the Burgess ensign. And a force that big needs a Commandante at least, if not a Commodore"
Hannibal, Tyre and Williams confer apart from Johan.
Williams (looking to Hannibal, worriedly): "It can't be him can it? Our intelligence places him at Fort South Lime"
Tyre: "Nouri wouldn't be so rash. Five Destroyers out this far?"
Hannibal: "No, he wouldn't; but I know who would..."
Hannibal walks back to the Clandestine and into his cabin. After some time, he exits with a freshly sealed letter and returns to the Serene. He hands the letter to Johan: "You will take this to Mangareva"
Johan: "...The Docks?"
Hannibal nods: "Tell them it's for Warrick and that it's urgent."
Johan, with sarcasm: "...Aye-aye, Admiral"
Hannibal puts his fingers to his mouth and lets out a loud whistle, at which the pirates begin quickly returning to their ship.
Hannibal: "See that that letter makes it there by sunset tomorrow"
Johan: "Or what?"
Hannibal stops and turns slowly: "Say that again"
Johan: "What's so important, why are you in a rush?"
Hannibal smirks, and takes a walks leisurely toward Johan: "I don't think you understand the nature of our arrangement, Johan."
Johan [eyes wide with mock intrigue]: "Ohhh... and what might that b-"
In the blink of an eye, Hannibal draws his sword and severs Johan's ear before he can even react.
Hannibal returns to his vessel. As they part ways, he calls after the smuggler: "Oh! And Johan?"
Johan looks back with fear in his eyes.
Hannibal: "You've cost me a day. I'll remember that..."
Cut to an island, Panaloux, an aerial view of a beach- we see a figure swimming in from the ocean and crawling onto the sand. Closer, now we see it's Ferrick. He clutches a small box to his chest and staggers toward the woods. The scene changes; The Clandestine is anchored just offshore, and Hannibal is standing on the beach with a landing party. He holds a triple-barrelled rifle in his hands.
kneeling down, Hannibal notices the remnants of shellfish and subtle impressions in the sand leading to the island’s tropical forest. He stands up and calls out: "Daggo! Sevoya! On me. We're going hunting..." With the two crewmen at his side, Hannibal marches into the woods after his prey. We cut to Ferrick, box in hand, desperately running through the jungle. Ahead, Ferrick falls face-first into a wide, ankle-deep pond. The box drops out of his hand and is submerged in the muddy water. He splashes, searching desperately for it; vainly attempting to wipe the mud from his eyes before clambering to his feet. Just then, a dart of unseen origin embeds itself in his neck. Ferrick takes it out, and seeing it, goes wide-eyed, before collapsing. We cut to Hannibal as he steps out into the same pond. He walks slowly and astutely across the water. He finds the dart, which he kneels down to pick up. Hannibal: "Nelson, you clever fool..." Daggo: "What is it?" Hannibal holds up the dart without turning, surveying the area around the pond. Daggo: "Xolape..." Sevoya: "Nails in Teeth! How do we know they haven't killed him!?" Hannibal: "If that was their intent, they wouldn't have wasted the dart" Sevoya: "Information, then. They'll torture him till he talks and then kill him" Hannibal (his back still turned): "I wouldn't rule it out." Daggo: "It may be they intend to trade him" Both men look at Hannibal, who has just spotted the small box. He takes it out and examines it. His thoughts read Airtight... Sevoya: "What now, sir?" Hannibal: "Now..." (He abruptly gets up and walks quickly back in the direction of the beach, never taking his eyes off the box) "...we have other priorities." Sevoya: "Sir...?" Hannibal: "He's not going anywhere, Sevoya. " Night time: Back on the beach, the pirates have made camp, they sit cooking, eating, sleeping, singing, playing instruments and games around tents and fires which glow orange on the sand. Hannibal sits on a modest chair by one fire holding the small box, Tyre sits in a chair next to him. Tyre: “Have you tried opening it?” Hannibal: “Can’t. It requires some ancient mechanism to unlock”
Tyre: “So It’s Eratili?
Hannibal nods: “...and even then, the contents need to be inserted into a different device which can translate what hides inside.” Tyre: ”And I assume Ferrick is the only one privy to the location of this elusive key and... other device?
Hannibal: “The key, yes”
Tyre: “...And the other device?”
Hannibal: “The young Prince can help us there”
Tyre: “I see... So what now?”
Hannibal, looking out to sea: “Now... we wait”
Tyre: "Who is it, then- the Burgess Commodore chasing Nelson?" Hannibal: "No one you'd know. His name’s Sampson. A sadistic little coward in the lower rungs of the Burgess, evidently trying to make his way up in the world."
Tyre: "With some success, it seems. Five destroyers is... well, it implies either a great degree of confidence in his abilities, or a great deal of nepotism, even for the Clans" Hannibal: “Or simply that the Republic's military prowess has advanced more than we anticipated. Over the last several years, their ships have gotten faster, their guns more devistating and yet faster to reload. Hell, Warrick's spies have even seen designs of new propulsion systems and armament which would render every ship ever made since the Collapse obsolete." Tyre: "We're running out of time then" Hannibal: "At any rate, I knew Sampson; he may be a coward, but he's no fool. And tomorrow, he'll have us at a numerical and technological advantage.” Tyre: "What are you thinking?" Hannibal: "The Xolapé are savvy enough to know ambition when they see it. Just the sight of those Destroyers- five at once- will be enough to convince them Phoenicia is a threat." Tyre: "We've been down this road before. The Xolapé don't trust you any more than the Phoenicians" Hannibal: "I don't need them to; I just need to bring them to the table. The fact that we've not been attacked after making camp most definitely means that they've captured Ferrick, know I'm likely after him, and are curious what I'm willing to offer." Tyre: "Even so, we'll still need something to offer for that Nelson's life, not including your desired alliance" Hannibal: "Which I have" (he nods to the Clandestine) Tyre: “Sir, the Clandestine is your flagship, you can’t seriously be thinking of trading it away?”
Hannibal: “In three days, I’ll have a fleet far more impressive” (he gazes out toward the horizon, which was invisible in the moonless night)
Tyre (glibly): "Oh, of course. Why not?" Hannibal: "That's the spirit" Tyre: "Sir, the rest of our fleet's at least a day away, and the War Blimp was still under repair when we left. We'd need all of them to stand a chance against one of those Seigers, and that's assuming they come at all." Hannibal: "They'll come. By now, the Phoenicians will have lost Johan's trail, and will be circling their way back to where they last spotted him. Sampson'll figure out fairly quickly which direction he took to shake them, and they'll most likely find this isle by tomorrow. Day after at the latest." Tyre: "Excellent, we know where they'll be. But that still leaves us with the problem of five Phoenician warships, and only dubious reinforcements. Not to mention that the Xolape are likely to blame us for the arrival of an invading force." Hannibal stands up and walks a few paces towards the sea, taking out a spyglass and peering through it Tyre, getting up: "Hannibal...?" Hannibal, holding out the spyglass to Tyre: "Here, Damian. What do you see?" Damian Tyre takes the spyglass and peers into the night. From his perspective, through the glass, we see three points of orange light far out into the distance. Tyre: "That's a ship" Hannibal: "A scout. No doubt they've seen our merry little campfires by now, and will be reporting back to Sampson and the rest of the fleet." Tyre: "...Which you, of course, intended." Hannibal: "Of course." Tyre: "They'll be here by morning" Hannibal: "Noon at the latest, I should expect." Tyre: "So what's our plan in the meantime?" Hannibal: "In the meantime, we've nothing to worry about. Drink and be merry!" Tyre, raising an eyebrow: "Sir?" Hannibal: "Well, don't let them get too drunk, obviously." Tyre: "We need a watch" Hannibal nods: "Keep a sharp eye on the treeline. And I want men watching the horizon well before sunup. You and I will be among them." Tyre: "I'll have Williams and Daggo help me set up the shifts." Tyre starts to walk away Hannibal: "Damian..." Tyre: "Yes sir?" Hannibal: "Get some rest as soon as you can. It's going to be a long day." Tyre nods, and procedes back toward the rest of the camp. The next morning... Still-smoking campfires dot the beach. The Clandestine remains anchored close offshore. Crewman: "SAIL HO" Cut to Tyre, Williams, and Hannibal standing near the shoreline, slightly apart from the crew. Williams: "It's just as de smuggler said; five destroyers. Three frigate-class, two siege-class. One of dem, de biggest, has de Burgess ensign engraved en gol upon its sail" Hannibal: "Perfect" Williams, confused: "How be dat?" Tyre: "Sir, what is your plan?" Hannibal: "Don't you worry about the plan, Mr Tyre. For now, here are your orders: Take command of the Clandestine and move around the East end of the isle, through those buggery shoals that give everyone so much trouble. Mr Williams, you go with him." Tyre: "You really think they'll be stupid enough to follow?" Hannibal: "If we play our hand well. Like I said, Sampson may be vainglorious, but he's not stupid. Which is why you will not leave, or even begin preparing to return to ship, until they're within 12 kilometers." Tyre: "That seems rather a bit tight" Williams: "Deir new ships be fasta now, better make it 17 kilometers" Hannibal, nodding: "Good catch, Mr Williams, 17 it is." Tyre: "That's still cutting it rather close, sir..." Hannibal: "That's the point. They won't take the bait unless they believe we're desperate. Remember lads, we're pirates now- we want them to believe that we were too hungover to see their approach in time. We'll leave most of the superficialities here on the beach: the tents, the firepits, the crates. In about [Hannibal looks back at the approaching fleet, calculating its arrival]... two hours, both of you will hurriedly take the crew back to the ship. Try to make it looked as rushed and disorganized as possible." Williams: "And you?" Hannibal: "I'll remain here with a small landing party. We'll stay in our tents until just after you've set sail- really sell 'em on the idea that we're hungover enough to leave several of our number stranded. Once you've left, we'll head into the woods and find the Xolape." Tyre: "What do we do once they've 'taken the bait?" Hannibal: "Sampson knows the Clandestine by description, and won't be able to resist capturing her. But they're here, first and foremost, for Ferrick. At this point, Sampspn will have divined that he's marooned himself on this island. So while he takes his flagship- and perhaps one accompanying vessel- to pursue you, the rest he'll order to search the island for the lost Nelson." Williams: "Are we to lose dem on de banks?" Hannibal: "...Tease them; only shake them if you have to. Finally- and this is the pivotal thing- take them by the entire eastern shore. Make sure they are visible to any onlookers. If you can get them to fire at you, all the better" Tyre: "Rendezvous?" [View over the beach] Hannibal: "Just be ready in three days at the Northwest cove" Cut to Hannibal walking along the sand, Daggo and Savoya at his side. Savoya: "You're right about one thing, sir: the Xolape aren't stupid. They know about the Republic and the war; they know about the price on your head. Daggo: "He's right. All they'll see is that you brought war to Paneloux." Savoya: "Because you did..." Hannibal stops and looks back at Savoya... Savoya (looking down): "...sir" ...then to Daggo, then he continues walking. They follow. Hannibal: "War was coming here sooner or later, gentlemen. If Nestor doesn't believe that now, the Phoenicians will soon make our case for us."
kneeling down, Hannibal notices the remnants of shellfish and subtle impressions in the sand leading to the island’s tropical forest. He stands up and calls out: "Daggo! Sevoya! On me. We're going hunting..." With the two crewmen at his side, Hannibal marches into the woods after his prey. We cut to Ferrick, box in hand, desperately running through the jungle. Ahead, Ferrick falls face-first into a wide, ankle-deep pond. The box drops out of his hand and is submerged in the muddy water. He splashes, searching desperately for it; vainly attempting to wipe the mud from his eyes before clambering to his feet. Just then, a dart of unseen origin embeds itself in his neck. Ferrick takes it out, and seeing it, goes wide-eyed, before collapsing. We cut to Hannibal as he steps out into the same pond. He walks slowly and astutely across the water. He finds the dart, which he kneels down to pick up. Hannibal: "Nelson, you clever fool..." Daggo: "What is it?" Hannibal holds up the dart without turning, surveying the area around the pond. Daggo: "Xolape..." Sevoya: "Nails in Teeth! How do we know they haven't killed him!?" Hannibal: "If that was their intent, they wouldn't have wasted the dart" Sevoya: "Information, then. They'll torture him till he talks and then kill him" Hannibal (his back still turned): "I wouldn't rule it out." Daggo: "It may be they intend to trade him" Both men look at Hannibal, who has just spotted the small box. He takes it out and examines it. His thoughts read Airtight... Sevoya: "What now, sir?" Hannibal: "Now..." (He abruptly gets up and walks quickly back in the direction of the beach, never taking his eyes off the box) "...we have other priorities." Sevoya: "Sir...?" Hannibal: "He's not going anywhere, Sevoya. " Night time: Back on the beach, the pirates have made camp, they sit cooking, eating, sleeping, singing, playing instruments and games around tents and fires which glow orange on the sand. Hannibal sits on a modest chair by one fire holding the small box, Tyre sits in a chair next to him. Tyre: “Have you tried opening it?” Hannibal: “Can’t. It requires some ancient mechanism to unlock”
Tyre: “So It’s Eratili?
Hannibal nods: “...and even then, the contents need to be inserted into a different device which can translate what hides inside.” Tyre: ”And I assume Ferrick is the only one privy to the location of this elusive key and... other device?
Hannibal: “The key, yes”
Tyre: “...And the other device?”
Hannibal: “The young Prince can help us there”
Tyre: “I see... So what now?”
Hannibal, looking out to sea: “Now... we wait”
Tyre: "Who is it, then- the Burgess Commodore chasing Nelson?" Hannibal: "No one you'd know. His name’s Sampson. A sadistic little coward in the lower rungs of the Burgess, evidently trying to make his way up in the world."
Tyre: "With some success, it seems. Five destroyers is... well, it implies either a great degree of confidence in his abilities, or a great deal of nepotism, even for the Clans" Hannibal: “Or simply that the Republic's military prowess has advanced more than we anticipated. Over the last several years, their ships have gotten faster, their guns more devistating and yet faster to reload. Hell, Warrick's spies have even seen designs of new propulsion systems and armament which would render every ship ever made since the Collapse obsolete." Tyre: "We're running out of time then" Hannibal: "At any rate, I knew Sampson; he may be a coward, but he's no fool. And tomorrow, he'll have us at a numerical and technological advantage.” Tyre: "What are you thinking?" Hannibal: "The Xolapé are savvy enough to know ambition when they see it. Just the sight of those Destroyers- five at once- will be enough to convince them Phoenicia is a threat." Tyre: "We've been down this road before. The Xolapé don't trust you any more than the Phoenicians" Hannibal: "I don't need them to; I just need to bring them to the table. The fact that we've not been attacked after making camp most definitely means that they've captured Ferrick, know I'm likely after him, and are curious what I'm willing to offer." Tyre: "Even so, we'll still need something to offer for that Nelson's life, not including your desired alliance" Hannibal: "Which I have" (he nods to the Clandestine) Tyre: “Sir, the Clandestine is your flagship, you can’t seriously be thinking of trading it away?”
Hannibal: “In three days, I’ll have a fleet far more impressive” (he gazes out toward the horizon, which was invisible in the moonless night)
Tyre (glibly): "Oh, of course. Why not?" Hannibal: "That's the spirit" Tyre: "Sir, the rest of our fleet's at least a day away, and the War Blimp was still under repair when we left. We'd need all of them to stand a chance against one of those Seigers, and that's assuming they come at all." Hannibal: "They'll come. By now, the Phoenicians will have lost Johan's trail, and will be circling their way back to where they last spotted him. Sampson'll figure out fairly quickly which direction he took to shake them, and they'll most likely find this isle by tomorrow. Day after at the latest." Tyre: "Excellent, we know where they'll be. But that still leaves us with the problem of five Phoenician warships, and only dubious reinforcements. Not to mention that the Xolape are likely to blame us for the arrival of an invading force." Hannibal stands up and walks a few paces towards the sea, taking out a spyglass and peering through it Tyre, getting up: "Hannibal...?" Hannibal, holding out the spyglass to Tyre: "Here, Damian. What do you see?" Damian Tyre takes the spyglass and peers into the night. From his perspective, through the glass, we see three points of orange light far out into the distance. Tyre: "That's a ship" Hannibal: "A scout. No doubt they've seen our merry little campfires by now, and will be reporting back to Sampson and the rest of the fleet." Tyre: "...Which you, of course, intended." Hannibal: "Of course." Tyre: "They'll be here by morning" Hannibal: "Noon at the latest, I should expect." Tyre: "So what's our plan in the meantime?" Hannibal: "In the meantime, we've nothing to worry about. Drink and be merry!" Tyre, raising an eyebrow: "Sir?" Hannibal: "Well, don't let them get too drunk, obviously." Tyre: "We need a watch" Hannibal nods: "Keep a sharp eye on the treeline. And I want men watching the horizon well before sunup. You and I will be among them." Tyre: "I'll have Williams and Daggo help me set up the shifts." Tyre starts to walk away Hannibal: "Damian..." Tyre: "Yes sir?" Hannibal: "Get some rest as soon as you can. It's going to be a long day." Tyre nods, and procedes back toward the rest of the camp. The next morning... Still-smoking campfires dot the beach. The Clandestine remains anchored close offshore. Crewman: "SAIL HO" Cut to Tyre, Williams, and Hannibal standing near the shoreline, slightly apart from the crew. Williams: "It's just as de smuggler said; five destroyers. Three frigate-class, two siege-class. One of dem, de biggest, has de Burgess ensign engraved en gol upon its sail" Hannibal: "Perfect" Williams, confused: "How be dat?" Tyre: "Sir, what is your plan?" Hannibal: "Don't you worry about the plan, Mr Tyre. For now, here are your orders: Take command of the Clandestine and move around the East end of the isle, through those buggery shoals that give everyone so much trouble. Mr Williams, you go with him." Tyre: "You really think they'll be stupid enough to follow?" Hannibal: "If we play our hand well. Like I said, Sampson may be vainglorious, but he's not stupid. Which is why you will not leave, or even begin preparing to return to ship, until they're within 12 kilometers." Tyre: "That seems rather a bit tight" Williams: "Deir new ships be fasta now, better make it 17 kilometers" Hannibal, nodding: "Good catch, Mr Williams, 17 it is." Tyre: "That's still cutting it rather close, sir..." Hannibal: "That's the point. They won't take the bait unless they believe we're desperate. Remember lads, we're pirates now- we want them to believe that we were too hungover to see their approach in time. We'll leave most of the superficialities here on the beach: the tents, the firepits, the crates. In about [Hannibal looks back at the approaching fleet, calculating its arrival]... two hours, both of you will hurriedly take the crew back to the ship. Try to make it looked as rushed and disorganized as possible." Williams: "And you?" Hannibal: "I'll remain here with a small landing party. We'll stay in our tents until just after you've set sail- really sell 'em on the idea that we're hungover enough to leave several of our number stranded. Once you've left, we'll head into the woods and find the Xolape." Tyre: "What do we do once they've 'taken the bait?" Hannibal: "Sampson knows the Clandestine by description, and won't be able to resist capturing her. But they're here, first and foremost, for Ferrick. At this point, Sampspn will have divined that he's marooned himself on this island. So while he takes his flagship- and perhaps one accompanying vessel- to pursue you, the rest he'll order to search the island for the lost Nelson." Williams: "Are we to lose dem on de banks?" Hannibal: "...Tease them; only shake them if you have to. Finally- and this is the pivotal thing- take them by the entire eastern shore. Make sure they are visible to any onlookers. If you can get them to fire at you, all the better" Tyre: "Rendezvous?" [View over the beach] Hannibal: "Just be ready in three days at the Northwest cove" Cut to Hannibal walking along the sand, Daggo and Savoya at his side. Savoya: "You're right about one thing, sir: the Xolape aren't stupid. They know about the Republic and the war; they know about the price on your head. Daggo: "He's right. All they'll see is that you brought war to Paneloux." Savoya: "Because you did..." Hannibal stops and looks back at Savoya... Savoya (looking down): "...sir" ...then to Daggo, then he continues walking. They follow. Hannibal: "War was coming here sooner or later, gentlemen. If Nestor doesn't believe that now, the Phoenicians will soon make our case for us."
Structure
Conflict
Five years after the Coup, a now middle-aged Ferrick Nelson is on the run. Though he took part in the overthrow of the Senate, he has fallen out of favor with the new regime, and has been marked for death. Now, incognito, he carries a book of sensitive documents- detailing the locations, purposes, supplying, and products of several top-secret Phoenician research facilities. The new regime's enemies are clamoring to obtain both the journal and Ferrick himself as valuable assets. Ferrick intends to barter with one of these factions to ferry him into secrecy, safe from the Phoenicians. But there's one among their number- the Pirate Kingpin and former Phoenician Admiral, Hannibal Lethe- who Ferrick knows is hell-bent on making him suffer for his betrayal during the coup, and now Ferrick is forced to traverse the Waters of Hannibal's criminal empire in order to evade the Navy, which is closing in...
Rising Action
A small ship, the Serene, in the middle of the ocean. The lookout spots what they soon discover to be a pirate larger vessel chasing them. The ship's captain, a smuggler hired to sneak Ferrick into the colonies, wants to surrender to the pirates to avoid a fight. Ferrick talks him out of it, knowing full well that the ship chasing them belongs to Hannibal. They give chase, and the Serene is beached on the island of Paneloux. The pirates bombard the ship and capture her crew. Hannibal chases Ferrick as he flees into the island's jungle, but loses him. Ferrick is captured, Hannibal soon discovers, by the isle's inhabitants, the Xolapé. Returning to the beach, Hannibal finds out, through the terrified smuggler captain, that five Phoenician destroyers were pursuing the Serene, and could arrive at any moment. Consequently, they do, and Hannibal has the Smuggler Captain and the entire crew of the Serene executed. He then goes about formulating plan to trap the Phoenician forces, and in the process garner a long-wanted alliance with the Xolapé, and secure the exchange of Ferrick.
Plot type
Series One, Issue One
Parent Plot
Subplots