The Law of the Sea

[WitchdoctorDan]

Chp.1: THE TRIAL-Percy Fryatt, November 4th, 1714

"Your name, seaman?" asked the judge, staring down his bifocles at a man convicted of the navy's most heinous crime: treason. The man looked up from underneath his bicorne. He scowled. He knew that they had made up their mind. It didn't matter what he said, he was going to hang. It was worth a try, though. He responded, "Percy Fryatt, Acting Captain of the HMS Elixir. My Captain; Commandant Donato Capata, the famed Spanish defector, was killed at the Battle of Cayo de Marquis. He named me Acting Captain before he passed. I have been commanding the Elixir, a 64 gun Sixth Rate, for three months. Upon returning to St. John's, Antilles; I was apprenhended by a squadron of Royal Marines. The Elixir was seized by a Navy crew and my men and I were sailed to Port Royal as prisoners. I was taken to a jail seperate from my men and now face trial seperate from them. I have no attorney, no one to testify, and no proper papers served on me. Under the laws of the Crown, I am to be released. By God, I should have you all hanged after this!" The Bailiff smirked. He walked over and grabbed Fryatt by the chin, pulling his head back until their eyes locked. The Bailiff uttered "So the pauper thinks of himself as a prince? Did you have the same sense of airs when chartering the deal between Le Marine Francais and yourself?..." "ENOUGH, BAILIFF!," the judge shouted. "You may think of this man as a scourge of the Navy, but we have no definitive proof of his treason. YOU may have made your mind up, but I will not stand for you battering my defendant!" Percy could tell he was lying. Percy studied law at Cambridge before his father, Rear Admiral Claude Fryatt, was killed in the Bay of Biscay by a Spanish Privateer. Percy has been attempting to hunt down his father's killer since then, known by Navy brass as El Fantasma... Spanish for "The Phantom". The HMS Royal Pride, Fryatt's father's ship, was a stout frigate that was arguably the most manuverable in the Royal fleet and was not accounted for after the Privateers struck. The HMS Prince William, a 104-gun Third Rate that Claude's fleet was assigned to, was also severely damaged and was sailing with less than the minumum required crew of 25 and only 20 operable guns when she arrived in Liverpool. Percy has been looking for his father's ship... and also the crew of the Prince William for information. And this is how his quest ends? Hung in Port Royal while beggars hurl rotten fruit at him? Cruel irony strikes again. The judge spoke up. "Where were you during the events that transpired August the 24th? During this day, an anonymous tip places you onboard La Mort L'étreinte, a French flagship, chartering a deal for the information of the whereabouts of a merchant-militia squadron delivering emergency supplies and evacuating British refugees during the French counter-attack on Cayo de Marquis. Apparently, very large sums of gold, silver, various precious gems and a deed to a 60 gun pirate-built frigate, capable of fleeing any British warship, were given to you in return for your valuable information. Do you know anything of these accusations?" Percy looked up. He had heard of La Mort L'étreinte. It was spotted fleeing from a grotto near a township outside of Cayo the morning of the 24th. He had ordered battle sails, but Commandant Capata belayed Fryatt's order after he was woken by the footsteps of the scurrying men. Percy told the judge, "I know nothing of any meeting., sir. However, the French flagship was spotted leaving a grotto near Cayo on the 24th, the alleged day of the charter, day after the blockade, and day before my Commandant's death. Casualities from the previous day's battle had not been accounted for, and after the official count, 5 men were lost at sea. I believe you have the wrong man, sir. I believe one of those five men directed the charter. I believe we were set up. I have proof of my presence on board the ship before, during, and after the event in question. I have in my possesion, a log book for the month of August, written by Commandant Capata himself. It bears his seal, the seal of the Admiralty, and my seal for the last 6 days of the month. It contains a list of crewman onboard the Elixir each day, and casuality reports. The names of the 5 men lost at sea are in there. We should check their names and see if they have any history with the French. Here you go, sir." Percy produced the logbook from his overcoat. The Bailiff snatched it from his hand and handed it politely to the judge. The judge examined it. It seemed to take a long time. Percy's palms began to sweat. He was in a dichotomy. On one hand, he had been betrayed and needed to serve justice on who had masterminded this plan. On the other hand, the so-called "justice" system had just seized his command, crew, and weapons and thrown him in jail to stand trial whilst having NO evidence against him except for an anonymous tip. Why should he help them? The judge then spoke up. "Captain, I will let you be free on ONE condition. You must find and apprehend the conspirator. You have 45 days. You will also be accompanied by a garrison of Royal Marines. If you fail in your mission, try to escape the Caribbean, or perform any seriously suspicious acts, you will be brought back to Port Royal for trial. If you do succeed in escaping, a king's ransom will be placed on your head. to be brought back dead or alive. This trial has been adjourned." With the judge's bang of the gavel, Percy felt his life coming back. However, it wasn't over yet. He was still torn between fleeing and completing his mission. his brother Duncan has a place in Prussia, off of Great Britain's map; however, he would essentially be a dead man, and he would die poor. As a Marine sergeant removed his shackles and offered to show him the way back to the Elixir, he knew he had to make a choice soon...
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Let me know what you think. I have the storyline planned out, and if I get a good response, I'll make a series.