Zahn was having a busy day at the port office. Two more ships had just come in from the north, one that looked like it was barely afloat, and one other accompanying it. The captain of the damaged ship asked for materials to repair the damage, most of which was to the deck and superstructure. He said that a barrel of oil had fallen over, and then caught on fire. Zahn didn't believe a word of it, because no reasonably competent captain would have let that happen, but he didn't really care. Their money was good, so he ordered the supplies brought to Wharf Twenty, where they were tied up. He asked if they had trade goods, but they said they had traded further north, and had nothing left. Red flags went up in Zahn's mind at that. Something was crooked about their story. After they left, he called his head of couriers, Shin, who doubled as his spymaster, into his office, and explained the situation and the story that concerned him.
Shin nodded as the story ended. "Sounds like pirates that got beat. Something smells rotten. I'll send runners north, and canoes to the big island. Maybe someone knows something."
Zahn waved him out and got back to the thousand other things that he was doing.
Two days later, a canoe came in from the island. Shang Yu jumped out and ran straight for Zahn's office. He described the attack on the Wisdom ship on the way out. When he finished, Zahn told him to go up to Wharf Twenty and see if it was the same boat. He sent for two guards to accompany the sailor, just in case they might recognize him. It wasn't likely, but he wasn't taking any chances with pirates. He also sent for Shin to meet him at the longhouse. Zahn headed for the longhouse himself, to find Kiapelaneh or his Warleader. He was relieved to see the Chief. He explained the situation succinctly. The Chief was infuriated, and sent for Stonefist, the Warleader. When the runner had gone, Kiapelaneh turned to Zahn. "Pirates? We don't want that to get started. We need to send a message to any fools that think they can mess with our ships, that they will pay in blood and bone."
Zahn agreed wholeheartedly, but "Unfortunately, there are many pirates on the other side of the great water. Smugglers and mercenaries as well. The Empire deals with them very harshly, and I think that we should too. They will not stop coming if we let them live."
The Chief recalled some of the less savory things he had seen in the Song lands. Opium was one. He was told that habitual users became violently sick and desperate if they didn't get their opium regularly, and they became useless when they had it. He did not want that to be smuggled in.
Stonefist arrived, with Shin right behind. The Chief explained the situation, finishing just as Yan's sailor arrived with his bodyguards in tow.
"They are two of the four ships that attacked us."
Zahn sighed. One way or another, this was going to cost money.
Kiapelaneh looked to Stonefist. "Assemble two assault teams and prepare them to take the ships in a surprise attack in one hour. I don't want the undamaged boat to get away in the night, if by some chance they smell trouble. Hit them hard and fast. We don't need prisoners, except the captains. Try to get them alive. Shin may be able to find out who was behind this."
Shin nodded, "I will assist."
Zahn waved his hand and the two men left to prepare their teams. When they were gone, he shared a thought with the Chief. "We have no warships. Our trading ships are lightly armed." He looked over at the bearer of bad news. "What is your name, sailor?"
"Shang Yu, Fleetmaster."
"How were the pirate ships armed? What weapons did you see used, or on the ship?"
"It began and ended very quickly Fleetmaster. I saw bows, and fire arrows. They had many men, all armed that way. I saw no other ship weapons."
Zahn sighed. "That is a relief. These are not Empire or other government warships. They are privateers."
Kiapelaneh's eyebrows went up. "You thought that a possibility?"
"Anything is possible, my friend. We are successful, and wealthy by any standards. When you are happy, there is always someone who wants to make you unhappy. This is my experience. My stay with the People has been the exception to that rule, and I value that greatly. I have been expecting something of this sort, and this was not as bad as I have imagined, thanks to your captain. Nevertheless, I, we, must plan for more of this, and worse. Not to do so would be reckless. I will be importing some of the latest Imperial military weapons for our ships. The cost will be enormous, but the loss of ships, cargo, and men would be catastrophic. The time has come to invest in our fleet.” A cook arrived with a tray of cha'. Zahn beckoned, "Sit with us Shang Yu, you have done well, and done enough for this day. Rest, and we will await further developments together."
Shin nodded as the story ended. "Sounds like pirates that got beat. Something smells rotten. I'll send runners north, and canoes to the big island. Maybe someone knows something."
Zahn waved him out and got back to the thousand other things that he was doing.
Two days later, a canoe came in from the island. Shang Yu jumped out and ran straight for Zahn's office. He described the attack on the Wisdom ship on the way out. When he finished, Zahn told him to go up to Wharf Twenty and see if it was the same boat. He sent for two guards to accompany the sailor, just in case they might recognize him. It wasn't likely, but he wasn't taking any chances with pirates. He also sent for Shin to meet him at the longhouse. Zahn headed for the longhouse himself, to find Kiapelaneh or his Warleader. He was relieved to see the Chief. He explained the situation succinctly. The Chief was infuriated, and sent for Stonefist, the Warleader. When the runner had gone, Kiapelaneh turned to Zahn. "Pirates? We don't want that to get started. We need to send a message to any fools that think they can mess with our ships, that they will pay in blood and bone."
Zahn agreed wholeheartedly, but "Unfortunately, there are many pirates on the other side of the great water. Smugglers and mercenaries as well. The Empire deals with them very harshly, and I think that we should too. They will not stop coming if we let them live."
The Chief recalled some of the less savory things he had seen in the Song lands. Opium was one. He was told that habitual users became violently sick and desperate if they didn't get their opium regularly, and they became useless when they had it. He did not want that to be smuggled in.
Stonefist arrived, with Shin right behind. The Chief explained the situation, finishing just as Yan's sailor arrived with his bodyguards in tow.
"They are two of the four ships that attacked us."
Zahn sighed. One way or another, this was going to cost money.
Kiapelaneh looked to Stonefist. "Assemble two assault teams and prepare them to take the ships in a surprise attack in one hour. I don't want the undamaged boat to get away in the night, if by some chance they smell trouble. Hit them hard and fast. We don't need prisoners, except the captains. Try to get them alive. Shin may be able to find out who was behind this."
Shin nodded, "I will assist."
Zahn waved his hand and the two men left to prepare their teams. When they were gone, he shared a thought with the Chief. "We have no warships. Our trading ships are lightly armed." He looked over at the bearer of bad news. "What is your name, sailor?"
"Shang Yu, Fleetmaster."
"How were the pirate ships armed? What weapons did you see used, or on the ship?"
"It began and ended very quickly Fleetmaster. I saw bows, and fire arrows. They had many men, all armed that way. I saw no other ship weapons."
Zahn sighed. "That is a relief. These are not Empire or other government warships. They are privateers."
Kiapelaneh's eyebrows went up. "You thought that a possibility?"
"Anything is possible, my friend. We are successful, and wealthy by any standards. When you are happy, there is always someone who wants to make you unhappy. This is my experience. My stay with the People has been the exception to that rule, and I value that greatly. I have been expecting something of this sort, and this was not as bad as I have imagined, thanks to your captain. Nevertheless, I, we, must plan for more of this, and worse. Not to do so would be reckless. I will be importing some of the latest Imperial military weapons for our ships. The cost will be enormous, but the loss of ships, cargo, and men would be catastrophic. The time has come to invest in our fleet.” A cook arrived with a tray of cha'. Zahn beckoned, "Sit with us Shang Yu, you have done well, and done enough for this day. Rest, and we will await further developments together."
***
Two hours later, Stonefist entered the lodge, and made a beeline for the Chief's table. "We were successful. The captains are still being interrogated, but we know key facts. "They knew our usual exit route, they even had crude maps. There was little detail to them, and we think they may have been compiled from cha'house gossip." He produced one of the maps and laid it on the table in front of Zahn. "The other two ships are waiting here," he pointed to a circle marked at a bay just south of the southern entrance to the strait. "They will be difficult to catch unaware, which is probably why they chose the location. They were relying on large numbers of archers and the element of surprise. They expected any ship to surrender to four ships attacking them."
Zahn nodded. "Most captains would have. I will have a special reward for Yan when he returns. I think he would be an excellent choice to train as Second Fleetmaster, to handle arming and training the fleet for combat. That will leave me free to concentrate on trade." He smiled.
Stonefist continued, "The captains appear to be from the southern islands, as do most of the archers, according to Shin. He believes that they are, in fact, free pirates. He suggests that if we simply ignore the other two ships. They will leave in search of easier prey, in more familiar waters, once it becomes clear that these two ships will not join them. The prisoners seemed very surprised that we knew who they were."
"Shin also suggested that we could encourage that choice by sending runners to the Makah village on that bay. A fleet of canoes filled with angry Makah archers heading for them, chanting war cries would probably do the trick. They are likely a bit jumpy. We could send a batch of fire arrows to the Makah, to help them make their point?"
That final touch led to grim smiles around the table. Fire on any ship is a captain’s greatest nightmare. It would be a final straw for the pirates, who were in unknown territory. If an enemy had fire arrows, who knew what else they might have.
Zahn nodded. "Most captains would have. I will have a special reward for Yan when he returns. I think he would be an excellent choice to train as Second Fleetmaster, to handle arming and training the fleet for combat. That will leave me free to concentrate on trade." He smiled.
Stonefist continued, "The captains appear to be from the southern islands, as do most of the archers, according to Shin. He believes that they are, in fact, free pirates. He suggests that if we simply ignore the other two ships. They will leave in search of easier prey, in more familiar waters, once it becomes clear that these two ships will not join them. The prisoners seemed very surprised that we knew who they were."
"Shin also suggested that we could encourage that choice by sending runners to the Makah village on that bay. A fleet of canoes filled with angry Makah archers heading for them, chanting war cries would probably do the trick. They are likely a bit jumpy. We could send a batch of fire arrows to the Makah, to help them make their point?"
That final touch led to grim smiles around the table. Fire on any ship is a captain’s greatest nightmare. It would be a final straw for the pirates, who were in unknown territory. If an enemy had fire arrows, who knew what else they might have.
***
Zhuo was standing at the bow of his ship. He hoped the other two ships would arrive soon. He didn't like waiting, and he didn't like this place. A few canoes had come out from a nearby village, when they first arrived, and the natives seemed friendly enough. They had traded for some fresh water, meat, berries, and bread, at first, but they hadn't been out for days now. He glanced toward the village situated at the mouth of a small river. He straightened up and shaded his eyes to see better. There was a dark mass on the water just in front of the village. The mass seemed to be moving in his direction. It appeared to completely detach from the shore, then proceeded towards the ships. Zhuo sounded an alarm, summoning all hands to the deck. The other ship's captain did the same. Zhuo finally made out canoes at the leading edge of the mass, then he realized that it was hundreds of canoes, some large and some small. After a few more minutes, he could make out that, except for the oarsmen, the natives all carried bows at the ready. He passed the order to prepare for sail, and ordered weapons standing by. Now he could hear fierce chanting, coming across the water. He shouted the order to raise anchors, so that he could maneuver if necessary. Then one, followed by hundreds of fire arrows arced from the canoes straight for him.
He screamed the order to get moving, and all hands, on both ships, scrambled to their tasks. Slowly, they began to make way away from the massed canoes, but not before a second volley of fire arrows flew. Some of these struck his ship, and sailors scrambled to put them out. One had struck the lower edge of a sail, which started to burn.
But they were moving away now, picking up speed, and the canoes stopped coming.
Zhuo ordered course for the open ocean, and home, then ran to help douse the fires.
He screamed the order to get moving, and all hands, on both ships, scrambled to their tasks. Slowly, they began to make way away from the massed canoes, but not before a second volley of fire arrows flew. Some of these struck his ship, and sailors scrambled to put them out. One had struck the lower edge of a sail, which started to burn.
But they were moving away now, picking up speed, and the canoes stopped coming.
Zhuo ordered course for the open ocean, and home, then ran to help douse the fires.
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