Sabrinaâs ship, the Widow, had fought very well. Her skill had come through as it always had, leading to the much larger enemy shipâs demise. The fight was not completely over, but the writing was on the wall. Her masts were all collapsed and she had gaping holes throughout her hull, some at the waterline. Sabrinaâs shipâs cannons had done effective work; she had trained her crew very well.
She felt pity for the enemy crew, even though theyâd been attacking her countryâs shipping. As the enemy galley settled dead in the water, wreckage, bodies, etc had landed overboard. Waiting in the water, tentacles came out and took bodies deep below. She heard screams as crew were pulled off of lifeboats into the waiting beaks of the kraken. These creatures had been rumored to be very aggressive in this far-flung corner of the world and she could see it was true. She felt a primitive fear deep in her soul as she saw sailors being drawn screaming towards the dead black eyes and clenching beaks. Abandoning ship was simply not an option in this area of the world. Sabrina felt fortunate. Her ship had suffered some losses in the fight with the larger ship, but they would be able to limp back to port. Her iron discipline with her crew had paid off. As her crew automatically began to bring the battle to a close and go about their own damage control duties, Sabrina had time to reflect a bit.
She thought of the events that had led her here. She had to make many sacrifices to be a captain in the navy. She had swabbed decks, raised sails, and worked her way up. She was tough and smart, no man ever besting her. Sheâd gone fist-to-fist with many and been the one standing at the end. She had to be a cold woman to keep discipline on this male dominated vessel of sails and cannon. Romance and sex had been things sheâd given up to be a captain. This captain couldnât have needs, even though sheâd often had thoughts, watching her crewâs sweaty bare chests. She had sacrificed her needs as a woman for many years to pursue her career. Many nights alone in her cabin were passed sadly only with her fingers. Even though she didnât need a man in her life, oh how she yearned for the many comforts one could offer her as a woman. Sabrina shook it off and became captain again. She barked orders at a few laggards who she felt werenât working fast enough.
A thunderous roar jerked Sabrinaâs attention behind her. While her shipâs attention had been focused on her enemy, another ship flying the enemy flag had closed in behind her. She saw that its broadside was turned towards her vessel. Smoke had swished out of the entire side of it and she could barely see the deadly balls arching towards the Widow. The impact of the barrage was a blur to Sabrina, throwing her to the deck, as she recalled it afterward. Two of her three masts collapsed into the sea with the sails and any hope of escape. Splintering wood could be heard from below, then an explosion that was so enormous that she felt it rather than heard it. Half of her cannon and the remains of many of her crew were blown out of the firing portals as one of her magazines detonated. Exploding shot had raked her main deck, killing many.
Sabrina shook it off; she was the captain. She would win the day. She got up and barked orders. She smacked stunned sailors with the flat of her sword to move them to proper battle stations faster. Her remaining effective crew assumed a strong position on the middle gun deck, manning the powerful cannons there and returning fire at her yelled command. She saw a few of the volley strike the enemy ship, but many missedâŚthe enemy ship was very fast and not wounded as her ship. The ship was rapidly moving around hersâŚshe waited for it to line up another broadside as she stood in plain sight, leading the fight. She was in battle and was fearless. Sabrina was curious since the enemy did not fire as it flanked her.
The ship began to turn and the realization dawned on her as it sped towards her ship. The enemy ship was equipped with a large ramming prow. Sabrina called to her crew, trying to turn their ship, but she was too late. The ship sliced through the waves in a rush and ran her ship through. The impact knocked her from her feet as sounds of screaming wood and men filled her ears. Landing on her butt, she looked up and saw the prow of the enemy ship sunken into the Widow where the cannons on the middle deck had been; they were simply gone. Well-aimed musket fire began to sweep her surviving crew from the deck. At length her crew was eliminated. Sabrina prepared herself for the end. Trying to live, she pulled herself behind the stub of a mast and shuddered at the screams and gunfire. The ship slowly detached from hers and tacked away. She knew they wouldnât want their ship tangled with hers as it sank. She stood and surveyed the situation, always the captain.
There was no longer a crew to command. She was basically alone with the dead and dying on the main deck of her once proud ship. The smoke that poured out of the hatches leading below told her that the magazine explosion had killed most down there. Being rammed had probably finished off any survivors. She steeled herself for the end and limped to the command deck and waited.
Sabrina trembled as fear and shock gripped her. Oddly, the enemy ship was not helping its sister ship that she had conquered. It had almost slipped beneath the waves as the kraken continued to feed on survivors. She shuddered as she imagined their fate. For the first time, she wondered if it would be hers. She felt terror at this for her and her crew. She raised a white cloth as well as she could. Relief spread through her. She might live and avoid the unimaginable death at the beaks of the kraken. The law of war would protect her and her surviving crew if she surrendered their vessel. She counted the long minutes as the enemy ship sailed around until about only ten feet separated the living and dying vessels. She could see a dangerous looking crew watching her from its deck. She called over that she was the captain and was surrendering her ship. A commanding voice laughed and said, âOf course you are.â