Episode 1 - A New Sail on the Horizon
13th day of December, 1639.
"Land Ho!" called the lookout from atop his crows nest.
Captain Cognito stood motionless on the deck of his flagship, Grim Reaper, and slowly lifted his spyglass to his eye.
After a brief pause, the Captain called back to the lookout, "Yer a lyin' cheatin' git ye are!… I see's nottin' but black!"
"Use yer good eye, Cap'n," replied Coggy's first mate in a soft murmur.
An uneasy silence decended across the deck as crew and officers stopped what they where doing.
A gentle breeze rippled through the sails...
Coggy adjusted his spyglass, and after a few tense moments he called out, "Arrr, I's just seein' if'n yer pay'n attention!"
After a few moments, the Captain turned to his officer and added, "That thar be the island o' Trinidad, and we's gonna liberate that vile cesspool of all livin' things, jewels, gold, and coconuts - 'tis gonna be the callin' card on me return ta these 'ere parts,"
"Aye aye, Sir!" came the enthusiastic response from his men, and with an evil glint in their eyes, every one of them got to work on preparing the Reaper for its first taste of action on the Spanish Main.
The Grim Reaper, previously named Duke, carried close to eighty officers and men, she was a 50-gun English Sloop newly acquired by Cognito and a bunch of hardy men from the docks of Bristol several months previous. She still bore the scorch marks and splinters from her running battle with the Royal Navy, but Coggy, being the able seaman he is, was able to give the English Frigates the slip and set course for the Caribbean.
Within a few hours, the Sloop elegantly sailed around the southern coast of Trinidad and headed north into the harbour.
The town was a small Spanish colony that prided itself on its fine sugar and tobacco plantations. But its primary purpose was to act as a staging post for fleets of merchant ships arriving to the Caribbean from Europe.
A garrison of less than fifty soldiers and local militia protected the town from unsavoury sea rovers and privateers. But none of the local inhabitants had an inkling of what they'd be up against once Coggy's flagship came to town.
"Shall we raise the Jolly Roger, Sir?" asked an eager crewman.
"Nay lad, we's not wantin' these friggin' lubbers ta be alarmed," came Coggy's reply.
"At least not until dey see the glint 'o sunlight shining off yer cutlasses as ye gut da gits!" he added.
As the crew prepared the ship for its iminent assault on the town, Coggy watched the distant Spaniards hastily prepare themselves for the onslaught.
"I's wantin' a nice dirty fight, lads!"
"No survivors, no quarter, plenty of blood, and I'll be mighty grateful if'n one of yew fine fellas brings me the head of that thar theiv'n Gov'nor." added Coggy - rallying his men.
"Arrr, Arrr" replied the eager swabs as they wasted little time in lowering several rowboats. The Grim Reaper soon drifted towards a couple of berthed ships at the dockside, and without waiting for her to become stationery, the pirates clambered down into the rowboats and eagerly cast away.
Leaning over the ships' railings, Coggy called across to his departing men, "REMEMBER LADS!… I WANTS NONE 'O YEW BUGGERS TA SHOW AN OUNCE 'O MERCY!!!"
And with that, the murderous pirates - with fire in their hearts - gave out a resounding cheer and began peppering the startled onlookers at the dockside with musket fire.
Coggy ambled his way back up to the Bridge and sat down to relax in is oak rocking chair with his trusty parrot, Arfur, by his side. "Tis gonna be a fine show... a fine show indeed," he thought to himself as he chewed on a piece of tobacco.