Capt Jane Holst, pirate

Chapter 1: capture

"No," Janick whispered to himself as he heard the captain give the order to change course. "That's what they want. They will be reluctant to attack us if we hold our present course and watch them."

He was a cadet, a trainee on the armed merchant ship, The Blue Wind. This was his first major voyage since he had joined the merchant navy six months ago. His 'official' age was fifteen, nearly sixteen.

The pirate ship - actually a privateer, but what's the difference when you're the target - now had all the advantage of wind and position.

Janick's captain had thought that he could drive off the smaller pirate vessel with his larger ship and greater fire power. He was wrong.

It was awful. The pirate easily outmanoeuvred his larger opponent. His first broadside damaged the rudder of the merchant ship and left it floundering - now a sitting target. Blast after blast from the enemy guns wreaked death and destruction.

Amid the carnage, Janick felt something like a giant's fist smashing into him before the blackness came.

. . . . . . . . . .

The man's face was close to his, "What is your name?"

"Janick, Janick Holst," he responded automatically.

"How old are you?"

"Er . . . fifteen."

"Young lady, I am a surgeon. You have been injured and are now aboard the Sea Swift as a prisoner. You were the only survivor from your ship and you are in a precarious situation. Lying to me will not help. How did you come to be aboard that vessel?"

"What happened?"

"Tell me, how did you come to be aboard The Blue Wind?"

Gulping, watching the face draw back and then come closer again.

"I'm a cadet."

An amused, but sneering snort. "Stop the pretence; you're a girl. Are you telling me that you disguised yourself as a boy to join the merchant navy?"

"Oh, please, I did."

"My goodness, you are a strange one. What is your real name?"

"Jane Holst."

"Of course, and your age?"

"Seventeen."

The doctor moved away, debating with himself what to do.

"Jane, Captain Alesso doesn't usually take prisoners. He may at any moment order you to be thrown over the side. He is a hard man, but I cannot keep your secret concealed, I have to tell him the truth about you."

"Doctor, am I badly injured?"

"You have a wound in your side and suffered a blow to your head, but you are young and should heal soon enough."