Chapter 50

In a short time, we had closed to about three hundred yards from the lead ship of the fleet when Ken, Kell, and Kell's Wives sent blasts of Magic Power into the ship that Admiral Ball had identified as Queen Charlotte -- a one hundred gun, first rate ship of the line. Her masts and rigging began to topple almost immediately and crashed down onto the main deck and over the side of the ship creating havoc and many casualties. At the same time, Sunshine and Rose, Ken's Wives, called red hot balls of lava to them and launched the lava toward the higher main deck of the British ship. As we were passing the ship, the lava balls landed and burst apart sending smaller hot smoking balls all over the deck starting fires. We couldn't see where they spread to on landing, but soon saw the black smoke of fires appear above the ship's railings.

We didn't have time then to observe the effects of their handy work, as we were quickly approaching the next ship that the Admiral had identified as Royal George -- another hundred gun, first rate ship. It had begun to open its gun-ports by now, but wasn't ready to fire yet. Ken and Kell used their Magic Beams to cut Royal George open from her bow to her stern all along her lower gun deck causing the ship to begin to collapse. C & D also launched lava balls onto the deck of this ship. A quick look back showed Queen Charlotte in flames behind us.

Airmid and Almha took down the masts and part of the rigging of the third ship, Royal Sovereign, and my team cut through their lower gun deck as we passed them with our Magic Beams. The four of us together were nearly as powerful as Ken and Kell. We saw lava balls land on the ship's deck as we passed it, but I was unsure of who had launched them.

Several smaller ships, frigates, had tried to break out of their formation in the main channel to try to flank us, but they ran aground on the shoals. Our Mage Sisters and Sisters-in-Law used lava balls on them when we were close enough. The first three ships were already in flames behind us when the first one, Queen Charlotte, exploded with a defining roar and scattering burning timbers in all directions. Apparently the fire had reached her magazines.

By now there was panic and confusion among all of the ships of the fleet, but especially among the smaller and more numerous troop transports, many of which broke ranks in an effort to escape or just get out of the way of the larger ships. Many ran aground on the sand bars and shoals of the bay. Several of the second and third rate ships also ran aground over the next half hour or so in all of the confusion.

We continued down the line of large ships in the dense smoke that was now being driven by the wind out of the north. We continued cutting masts, rigging and decks while the Mages cast burning balls of lava onto the ships that we passed. Chandra and Duncan had emerged from the Captain's Cabin. They had canceled the illusion of the Philadelphia squadron, and now had an illusion of three Rattlesnakes sailing against the remains of the fleet. They kept changing our position in the illusion so that the British ships were unaware of our position, and didn't know which ship to fire on. We had seen them fire at the ship or ships that were in front of us, and the ships trailing us, but so far we hadn't been fired on.

We had passed and damaged several ships that Admiral Ball had identified as Prince George, Prince of Wales, Queen, and Saint George -- all ninety-eight gun, first rate ships before we came under fire by the first rate ship Neptune -- a ninety-eight gun ship. Fortunately something had alerted G & G and S & S, and they had quickly created a Prolate Defensive Shell around the ship just prior to that. No one on our ship was hurt or affected by the heavy shot from some fifty cannons that struck the shell although it came as quite a surprise.

The same could not be said for the Neptune. All of their shot ricocheted back at them causing great damage to their ship. In addition, every one of our teams blasted her with bolts of Magic Power and Fire while all of our Mages launched lava balls into the damaged ship. Neptune was a gutted blazing wreck before we engaged the next ship in line -- Ajax, another ninety-eight gun, first rate ship. Formidable was the last of the first rate ships, and we gutted her also before coming alongside of her. She did manage to fire two of her guns, but both shots were well wide of the mark.

We now paused in our journey down the bay, and I looked behind us, but it was difficult to see the burning ships through the black smoke given off by their fires. Over a dozen were somewhat visible in various stages of distress as well as a number of other ships that were doing their best to assist those who had abandoned their dying ships. Even as I watched, two more ships exploded with a tremendous flash and roar accompanied by much flying shrapnel.

The Generals and Admiral Ball stood in their Defensive Shell on the main deck of Rattlesnake with ashen faces; aghast at the destruction that we had caused.

"My God!" Admiral Ball said in a near whisper, but I still heard him. "They have changed the course of naval engagements for the future. Who could go up against a Navy possessing such forces?" he asked, but there was no one to answer to his question.

By now it was nearly noon, and the tide was beginning to turn. A frigate flying a white flag was approaching Rattlesnake very carefully. All of her gun-ports were closed and most of her crew was standing at attention on her main deck. She hove to about two hundred yards from us, and a ship's boat was lowered into the water. A crew and several Senior Officers boarded it and began rowing toward Rattlesnake.

"Keep an eye on that ship," Ken told Airmid and Almha, as he and Kell joined Seamus, Gwyn, Sererena, and me on the quarterdeck to receive the visitors. Captain Graham had his crew assembled at attention by the gangway to welcome the visitors aboard. There were two Admirals and a Senior Navy Captain in the group that boarded Rattlesnake. The visitors immediately noticed the nine Generals and Admiral Ball standing on the deck inside their Defensive Shell as soon as they boarded the ship. Their surprise was obvious.

"So Alexander, are you and the rest of these 'Gentlemen' in league with these people?" one of the visiting Admirals demanded in a sarcastic voice.

"I would hardly call being abducted and held prisoner against my will being in league with someone, Lord Seymour," Admiral Ball returned in a cynical voice.

"Abducted? What about the people in your Command and your Marines? Couldn't they protect you?" Lord Seymour demanded.

"Not from these people who also abducted all of these, the Army Commanders from all of the major ports along the Atlantic coast," Ball told him.

"But that impossible!" Lord Seymour said in a startled voice.

"Not for these people!" General Abercrombie told him in a disgruntled voice. "They have quarantined all of our supplies as well as our Headquarters, and our support personnel."

"Just who are these people, and how many of them are there?" Lord Seymour demanded. Those accompanying him hadn't spoken yet, but they appeared to be as doubtful of the preceding statements as he was.

"They are the young people that you see around you on the deck. Their leaders have assembled on the quarterdeck and are awaiting you," Admiral Ball informed him with just a bit of a smile, as Lord Seymour and the those with him looked around the main deck at the members of our family.

"These children caused all of this destruction!?" Lord Seymour bellowed in an angry voice.

"I wouldn't upset them if I were you, Lord Seymour," General Finch told the Admiral. "They have a habit of dealing harshly with people that they don't care for." All of the visitors had turned to look at us on the quarterdeck by now.

"What type of uniform are they all wearing?" Vice-Admiral Parker asked in surprise, speaking for the first time. He seemed shocked to see women in uniform.

"They are associated with the rebel Army and Government west of the mountains, but they are apparently here on their own. The flag that they are flying only says O'Connell on it. It appears to be a clan flag and not a national one," General Abercrombie informed them.

"Yes, we were wondering about that," Captain Bathurst said, speaking for the first time also.

"Let us proceed, Gentlemen. This business is unfortunate at best and there is no need to drag it out," Lord Seymour told the others. They proceeded to the quarterdeck accompanied by Admiral Ball. Gwyn had canceled the shell around the Generals and Admiral Ball. As they approached, I called my relatives to attention.

"Colonel O'Connell may I present Vice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour, Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, and Senior Captain Walter Bathurst. They are here to negotiate a ceasefire with you," Admiral Ball told us in introduction.

"Good afternoon, Gentlemen. I am Lieutenant Colonel Mark O'Connell. Those with me are my relatives, Majors Seamus O'Connell, Kennard O'Connell, Kellen O'Connell, Gwyn O'Connell, and Sererena O'Connell. I presume that you are here to surrender," I finished.

"You are very presumptuous, young man!" Lord Seymour said with a distinct air of superiority.

"If you are not here to surrender, Admiral, then this meeting is over, and we will resume the battle after we take you and your associates prisoner," I told him in a very cold voice.

"You are very brusque, young man!" Admiral Parker told me in distaste after that.

"We are not here to engage in diplomacy, or to bargain over who will get what in concessions," Ken informed them in an even colder voice than mine had been. "You will surrender now, or we will continue destroying your ships until you ARE ready to surrender." All four British Naval Officers were shocked at his blunt statement.

"Admiral Lord Keith, who is the Commander of this fleet, is badly injured and is in no condition to surrender," Lord Seymour informed us. "He is the only one authorized to do so."

"You should have said so sooner," I told him. "Where is Admiral Lord Keith? We have people who can heal him and return him to good health in a short time."

"Why should we believe you or trust you?" Admiral Parker demanded.

"Because we will continue to destroy your ships otherwise," I told him frankly.

"He was injured when Queen Charlotte blew up. He is on my ship, Royal William," Captain Bathurst informed us.

"Point out your ship, and we will send healers there to care for him," I told him.

"He is being cared for by my ship's Doctor," the Captain told us.

"If you wish him to live, you will allow my people to heal him," I told him bluntly.

"I ... I... !" Captain Bathurst hesitated.

"Go ahead, William. They can't be any worse than a ship's doctor," Lord Seymour told him.

"Royal William is the ship with all of its sails taken in at about seven hundred yards from us," Captain Bathurst informed us, pointing toward his ship.

"Sunshine, Rose," Ken called, as he and Kell took Captain Bathurst by the arms and led him toward the railing of our ship nearest his. Sunshine and Rose joined them quickly along with Airmid and Almha.

"Admiral Lord Keith is on that ship," Kell told them pointing to the Royal William. "He is injured and in need of healing."

"We'll go along in case his problems are serious," Airmid told her Husband. The four of them started to glow as they joined hands, and they surrounded Sunshine, Rose, and Captain Bathurst. I could feel their strongest wards form before they disappeared, much to the shock of Admirals Seymour and Parker.

"What happened to them? Where did they go?" Parker demanded.

"They transferred to Royal William to treat Admiral Lord Keith's injuries," I informed them.

"Bur ... but that's impossible!!" Lord Seymour protested loudly.

"Not for us. Not with the use of Magic. We are all Sorcerers!" I told them. There was silence following that remark for several minutes.

"What are we waiting for?" Admiral Parker asked after a time.

"We are waiting while our Mages heal Lord Keith," I informed him.