Episode 33 - "I'll Drink to That!"
Aboard the Bonny Maiden, Kat had been informed that her entire portside gun deck was out of action. Realizing that her Brig was in no state for a prolonged battle with her more manoeuvrable foe, the Captain had decided that the best chance of victory would be to get across to her companion vessel and help CupperBut with her boarding of the Baron Boat.
However, the gunners on the starboard side were still relatively undamaged and had reloaded their cannons with double-shot. Within moments, Kathryn had ordered the ship to make one more pass of Coggy's Sloop and prepare to unleash a final devastating broadside.
Calling down to her surviving gunners, she shouted, "Make this a good one, girls! It's our last shot!"
Within seconds, The Bonny Maiden had unleashed its final broadside - hitting the Grim Reaper amidships once more. The little Sloop became engulfed in a thousand splinters and burning debris as a large plume of fire and smoke spread across the deck.
The strong breeze quickly dispersed some of the smoke - leaving the Sisterhood crew to watch in glee as the Reapers' main mast slowly broke in two, and with a great crack, fell over to the portside of the ship. The Sloop began to list badly in the water, but Coggy's gunners had managed to fire one last broadside of their own - this time hitting Kat's ship high in the canvass.
Huge gaping wholes appeared throughout the Bonny Maiden's sails and made her going slow as she pulled away from her semi-crippled foe. Coming about, the Brig turned north and headed towards the grappled Sisterhood flagship and Moose's Baron Boat.
Aboard the Fearless, a fierce sword-fight was well underway. CupperBut and a few fellow officers battled to keep hoards of Cutthroats from getting to the Bridge. Moose and Morgan clambered up the ships rigging and instantly swung down onto the Bridge behind CupperBut. The Captain quickly turned and faced the two invaders before attacking them with her rapier.
The two pirates were taken aback by the woman's ferocity as she hacked at them. Indeed, Morgan received a deep slice across his chest - causing the pirate to stumble back and curse the furious wench.
Moose and CupperBut continued fencing as the battle increased in intensity. Musket balls and pistol shot whizzed through the air as marines on both sides began picking off their enemies.
But just as Moose seemed to get the upper hand of the ferocious CupperBut, a nearby musketeer shot the sword from his hand! The Sisterhood Captain wasted no time in thrusting her rapier into Moose's thigh - causing the pirate to leap back in agony and watch as two more menacing hags moved in for the kill.
However, as quickly as he could, Henry Morgan called out to his mate and tossed him a longsword he'd just retrieved from the gut of a slain wench.
Moose caught the weapon, gritted his teeth as his wound opened up further, and mercilessly waded into the startled women.
The ferocity of his counter-attack knocked the women over the railings and the Cutthroats on the Bridge finally began to push back the defenders - leaving Captain CupperBut and her sorry parrot to be left at the mercy of the irate Moose and Henry Morgan.
"Squawk-git-me-outta-here!-squawk" squawked the terrified bird. But CupperBut could do nothing as the menacing pirates approached her on all sides.
Meanwhile, Bonny Maiden had limped towards the two grappled ships and was preparing to board the Baron Boat form the starboard side. The ship had sustained heavy damage to her sails and the rough seas made the going even slower.
"We have to get there before the pirates overwhelm our Sisters!" called out Kat, anxiously.
A few hundred yards astern, Coggy's Sloop had managed to cut free from its burden of the broken mast, and had swung around to face the distant Sisterhood ship. Cog knew that if Kathryn's ship reached the Baron Boat before he did, the battle would be lost and they'd be spending the rest of their lives as Sisterhood deckhands, or worse, cabin boys!
"LOAD DA FRONT CHASERS" he barked as he watched the departing Brig pull further ahead.
"ALREADY LOADED, SIR!" came the welcome reply from the bow of the Sloop.
Coggy instantly motioned for the gunners to unleash another barrage onto their foes - and within a few seconds the cannon balls hit the Bonny Maiden right in the middle of her crowded deck.
Several gathered wenches were instantly killed, but Kat again survived - using up yet another of her nine lives.
The Captain quickly made her way back onto the Bridge and watched through her spyglass as Coggy's distant gunners reloaded their front chasers.
Turning back to her shipmates, she ordered them to begin turning the ship slightly to port before swinging it hard to starboard again. She continued repeating the manoeuvre as she went.
On his Bridge, Coggy watched as the Bonny Maiden continued to put some distance between the two ships, "FIRE!" he hollered, as a second volley from the front chasers whistled away towards Kats ship.
This time the cannon shot missed its target by a wide berth.
"Cogs, da blimmy whores 'r out-running us and we can't get a clear shot at 'em!" remarked Davey Jones.
"Aye mate, I tinks we've underestimated these sea-bitches! That friggin' wench is using da Irek manoeuvre" replied the disappointed Cog, as his Sloop fell further behind the Sisterhood ship.
"Irek?" asked Jones.
"A wily ol' Navy Cap'n from years back" replied Cog.
Coggy and Jones remained silent on the Grim Reapers Bridge and could do no more other than hope that Moose's Cutthroats would win the boarding action before the Sisterhood reinforcements arrived.
Aboard the Fearless, the ensuing battle was coming to a head when the rallied Sisterhood wenches noticed the approach of the Bonny Maiden. However, Moose, Morgan and a dozen Cutthroats who had captured the Bridge had just taken prisoner their Captain.
On witnessing the approach of the second Sisterhood vessel, Moose leapt down to the deck and back into the fray. The pirate knew time was short. They had to quell the defending wenches as quickly as possible, otherwise the extra crew aboard the approaching Bonny Maiden would be too much for his band of Cutthroats to handle.
Back on the Bridge, Henry Morgan stood menacing CupperBut, "Tell yer blimmy whores ta give it up. Else this sorry lookin' parrot is the first ta taste me blade!" he called.
"Squawk-git-me-da-frig-outta-'ere-squawk" squawked the terrified bird once more.
Meanwhile, Captain Kat and her gathered marines watched the ensuing battle but the worsening elements caused the Brig to be tossed around in the surf and thus hampered their efforts to help out their stricken comrades.
Her ship slowly came within range of Moose's Brig, and in an instant, a dozen grappling hooks sped across the closing gap and landed on the pirates' deck.
Just as a few of the hooks took hold, another large wave hit the Bonny Maiden from astern and tossed the heavy ship forward - causing the ropes to become tort and eventually snap as the vessel became a victim to the worsening elements.
Within moments, Kats ship had drifted forward of the Baron Boat and Sisterhood flagship - leaving a mass of trailing rope and hooks in her wake as her disheartened crew looked on helplessly.
Aboard the flagship, CupperBut anxiously watched as the heavy seas and strong breeze caused the Bonny Maiden to overshoot the approach to the Baron Boat. And the fading daylight hampered the Sisterhood's attempts further - leaving CupperBut to finally realise that the battle would soon be lost.
Looking down at her gallant crew, who continued fighting the overwhelming odds; she reluctantly gave the order to strike the colours, thus sparing further bloodshed to her shipmates.
Within minutes, Kathryn's crew looked on in silence as the white flag slowly unfurled atop the flagship's mast - signalling the end of the short and brutal conflict.
And aboard their Sloop, Coggy and Davey Jones witnessed the event unfold from afar. Both men looked at one another with great relief etched into their faces. They both knew just how close they'd come to defeat.
To settle their nerves and to gain a little more composure, Davey produced two bottles - rum for his mate, and a bottle of water for himself
"I'll drink to that!" he said, as they both gave a relieved smile and raised their bottles in salute to the victorious pirates from the Baron Boat.