Post by Wargamer on Jun 12, 2005 7:04:03 GMT -5
Harlad sometimes wondered if he should have become a pirate. The sea always looked so inviting, and he’d spent enough time in ports to know how wealthy captains became off their cargoes. He could earn more in one ship raid than a month of petty banditry.
That was before he wound up on board. Now, after two weeks of storms, waves, and the d**n inescapable rocking of the boat, he’d had enough.
His men had been hired to help take out a pirate band. The Empire ship they were on was a merchant ship, stripped out and fitted with extra armour and better cannons. They hoped to lure the pirates close and sink them. If a boarding action occurred, Harlad’s men should give the crew an edge. It sounded foolproof, but Harlad knew there was always a better fool around the corner.
On day fifteen, the crows nest spotted the pirate flag.
Harlad stepped up onto the deck. He wore a long-sided jacket of black leather, black leather pants, black leather boots, a shirt of midnight blue, a black tri-corn hat, and a highwayman’s mask. Most people thought it was an act, but only a few knew he really did get into banditry.
The opposing vessel was a wreak, literally. Its sails were torn and ruined, and the hull was pocked with holes and rot. How it was still afloat at all was a mystery to Harlad.
The pirate ship drew alongside, deck guns roaring. The Empire ship returned fire, blasting even more holes in the floating hulk. However, it was clear that a boarding action was unavoidable. Within minutes, grapnels were thrown, and the Zombie Pirates began their attack.
Harlad drew his pistols. They were Caltec spring-guns, cheap to make and easy to use. He fired them both, scoring a double-headshot that knocked two of the Zombies into the water. He threw away the pistols, and drew two more identical weapons, firing them both quickly into the chest and gut of two more targets.
He discarded again, and drew his Kakrian Cartridge Pistols. These were expensive weapons, but Harlad loved them. The gun was loaded with pre-packed bullets by sliding the barrel back and loading the bullet into the firing lock. Once fired, sliding the barrel back allowed the spent shot to fall out and be replaced. A skilled gunman could load them with frightening speed, and Harlad was such a gunman.
The Pirates were everywhere. They shambled forward with a murderous intent Harlad had never seen in the living dead. Many carried pistols, rotten and waterlogged yet still deadly when they hit. Though countless fell, there were always more to replace them, and soon the Empire ship's deck was filled with the reanimated buccaneers.
"Enemy above!" were the last words of Captain Malashi as a giant bad descended down on him, and tore him in in two. Harlad dived to the side and double-shot one, rising and reloading to blow the face off a second. Taking stock, he checked his bullet-belt and found only four shots remained. A frantic bit of reloading left him with two more bullets, and another dead fell-bat.
Drawing his sword, he prepared for melee combat. The blade glowed emerald green as the runes on the blade activated, and Harlad began to hack and slash through the undead. Priming his pistol against a deck-rail, he expertly flicked another cartridge into the breech, and span-shot to blow a rampaging corsair off the deck and into the water. He repeated the trick, loading his final bullet, and had to parry desperately against a sudden strike aimed for his head.
This new opponent was different, and dangerous. It moved with a speed Harlad was unaccustomed to amongst the dead, and its slimy skull seemed to contain a murderous grimace of intellect. It drew its own pistol, an Empire wheel lock, and fire. The shot went wide, and blew a chunk out of the mast. Harlad raised his own pistol, and cursed as the Wight grappled the barrel and twisted, wrenching the weapon from Harlad. The zombie-captain kicked hard, knocking Harlad backwards, and raised his stolen gun. He pulled the trigger, and the gun failed. Harlad laughed when he saw the cartridge half out of the loading breech; the Wight's initial attack had pushed the barrel back.
Harlad lunged, swinging up and slicing his opponent from groin to chin. The beast screamed as it was cleaved in two, and vanished into the waves. Harlad lunged out over the side, and caught his pistol before it fell. He expertly dejammed the weapon, and fired the last round into a swivel-gunner, killing him instantly.
It didn't take long to finish the fight. With the Vampire Captain dead, the zombies slowly began to crumble, and their ship slowly started to sink. Fortunately, Harlad and his men were able to empty the hold first, and the Empire ship was much lower in the water thanks to all the gold they took aboard.
Harlad sat out on the deck and smiled to himself; he could get used to the pirate's life.
That was before he wound up on board. Now, after two weeks of storms, waves, and the d**n inescapable rocking of the boat, he’d had enough.
His men had been hired to help take out a pirate band. The Empire ship they were on was a merchant ship, stripped out and fitted with extra armour and better cannons. They hoped to lure the pirates close and sink them. If a boarding action occurred, Harlad’s men should give the crew an edge. It sounded foolproof, but Harlad knew there was always a better fool around the corner.
On day fifteen, the crows nest spotted the pirate flag.
Harlad stepped up onto the deck. He wore a long-sided jacket of black leather, black leather pants, black leather boots, a shirt of midnight blue, a black tri-corn hat, and a highwayman’s mask. Most people thought it was an act, but only a few knew he really did get into banditry.
The opposing vessel was a wreak, literally. Its sails were torn and ruined, and the hull was pocked with holes and rot. How it was still afloat at all was a mystery to Harlad.
The pirate ship drew alongside, deck guns roaring. The Empire ship returned fire, blasting even more holes in the floating hulk. However, it was clear that a boarding action was unavoidable. Within minutes, grapnels were thrown, and the Zombie Pirates began their attack.
Harlad drew his pistols. They were Caltec spring-guns, cheap to make and easy to use. He fired them both, scoring a double-headshot that knocked two of the Zombies into the water. He threw away the pistols, and drew two more identical weapons, firing them both quickly into the chest and gut of two more targets.
He discarded again, and drew his Kakrian Cartridge Pistols. These were expensive weapons, but Harlad loved them. The gun was loaded with pre-packed bullets by sliding the barrel back and loading the bullet into the firing lock. Once fired, sliding the barrel back allowed the spent shot to fall out and be replaced. A skilled gunman could load them with frightening speed, and Harlad was such a gunman.
The Pirates were everywhere. They shambled forward with a murderous intent Harlad had never seen in the living dead. Many carried pistols, rotten and waterlogged yet still deadly when they hit. Though countless fell, there were always more to replace them, and soon the Empire ship's deck was filled with the reanimated buccaneers.
"Enemy above!" were the last words of Captain Malashi as a giant bad descended down on him, and tore him in in two. Harlad dived to the side and double-shot one, rising and reloading to blow the face off a second. Taking stock, he checked his bullet-belt and found only four shots remained. A frantic bit of reloading left him with two more bullets, and another dead fell-bat.
Drawing his sword, he prepared for melee combat. The blade glowed emerald green as the runes on the blade activated, and Harlad began to hack and slash through the undead. Priming his pistol against a deck-rail, he expertly flicked another cartridge into the breech, and span-shot to blow a rampaging corsair off the deck and into the water. He repeated the trick, loading his final bullet, and had to parry desperately against a sudden strike aimed for his head.
This new opponent was different, and dangerous. It moved with a speed Harlad was unaccustomed to amongst the dead, and its slimy skull seemed to contain a murderous grimace of intellect. It drew its own pistol, an Empire wheel lock, and fire. The shot went wide, and blew a chunk out of the mast. Harlad raised his own pistol, and cursed as the Wight grappled the barrel and twisted, wrenching the weapon from Harlad. The zombie-captain kicked hard, knocking Harlad backwards, and raised his stolen gun. He pulled the trigger, and the gun failed. Harlad laughed when he saw the cartridge half out of the loading breech; the Wight's initial attack had pushed the barrel back.
Harlad lunged, swinging up and slicing his opponent from groin to chin. The beast screamed as it was cleaved in two, and vanished into the waves. Harlad lunged out over the side, and caught his pistol before it fell. He expertly dejammed the weapon, and fired the last round into a swivel-gunner, killing him instantly.
It didn't take long to finish the fight. With the Vampire Captain dead, the zombies slowly began to crumble, and their ship slowly started to sink. Fortunately, Harlad and his men were able to empty the hold first, and the Empire ship was much lower in the water thanks to all the gold they took aboard.
Harlad sat out on the deck and smiled to himself; he could get used to the pirate's life.