Brass Skies vol 2 (Draft)

Hired Gun part 33

As it turned out Asuka never had much chance to grieve because the very next day the Robert's Revenge was set upon by the galleons H.M.S. Dragonfire and H.M.S. Suppression. Two days of heavy fighting resulted in surprisingly light damage and casualties for all three ships only because of the fact that early in the battle what had started as a light rain turned into a full out gale that made accurately aiming the next thing to impossible. On the second night of fighting the weather turned so bad that all three ships were forced to break off completely when visibility decreased to the point that the ships could no longer see one another.

The storm lasted two more days, and when it was over, the Robert's Revenge found herself blown all the way out over the Outer Banks. Captain Robert ordered the ship to turn south and set a minimal watch before ordering everyone not on repair duty or watch duty to rest.

Asuka gratefully took advantage of the orders and headed to the cabin. She was expecting to have to deal with Karen's antics, but the other woman was thankfully not there. Asuka changed and climbed into her bunk and spent the next sixteen hours in much needed sleep.

***

Just as Asuka was getting ready to exit the cabin Karen stumbled drunkenly in wearing naught but her shift which was halfway towards sliding off. In one hand she held her boots and a wad that might have once been a dress and in the other she waved a nearly empty bottle. The brunette reeked of whisky and rum and only part of her long brown hair still resided in the remains of an obviously hastily pinned bun. The rest was divided somewhat equally between loose, dingy handing tendrils, and random bits that were plastered to her face in a mixture of sweat and things that Asuka didn't want to think too much about.

Asuka recoiled and tried to step out of the way of her wayward cabin mate, but was rewarded for her troubles with the bottle—and the arm holding it—slamming into her breasts hard enough to knock her into backwards into a wardrobe and leave her winded.

"Drink! Drink!" Karen slurred as she stumbled past, somehow still jabbing Asuka in the chest with the bottle. "It's time to celebrate."

"I think you have celebrated enough for both of us," Asuka observed dryly, adding a "baka" under her breath.

"Mayhap that be true," the brunette admitted, "but if so I have reason. By this time tomorrow our status on this accursed boat will have changed and I will be in line to take my rightful place at the captain's side."

"I've warned you I want no part of your schemes," Asuka's brown eyes narrowed and her tone took a steele-like edge to it. "If you cause me trouble, I will kill you."

Surprisingly her threats went unheeded. "You say that now, but you will thank me later," the drunken woman giggled thrusting the bottle into Asuka's hand before spreading her arms and falling backward into her bunk. "Soon we shall be like queens with all the men on this boat bowing before us."

Asuka's response was simply to drop the bottle, letting it shatter as she stepped out into the hall, slamming the door on Karen's protests.

She ran into Peters in one of the cramped corridors on the way to the mess. "Baka, keep eyes on Karen-chan. She is up to something. Whatever it is, I have no part in it nor any desire to be part of it," she warned him with a growl.

Peters raised an eyebrow. "Well good morning to you, too." He smirked.

Asuka grabbed a fist full of his shirt and stared up into his eyes. "Baka! I am serious. Whatever she is planning, I do not want people to think I am part of it. If they do, I will hold you responsible," she threatened before pushing past him.

"Okay, I'll let the others know," he said to her retreating figure as he straightened his uniform.

***

Peters held the watch so it was almost mid-afternoon before Peters had a chance to talk to any of the other officers. However, by that point he had come to appreciate Asuka's warning. He could sense a dark mood spreading through the crew though he couldn't put his finger on exactly why it was or what was wrong and no one was willing to tell him. Still he couldn't help but notice that there were several hushed conversations that seemed to end when he came too close.

He also noticed that several of the men were glaring at Clarabelle and either avoiding her or being borderline insubordinate to her when she came on deck to first repair one of the starboard mast gearing systems and later one of the steam pipes that fed one of the port side propellers.

Clarabelle was clearly bewildered and upset, but tried to not let it bother her. She firmly reminded the men that she was an officer and let it go at that.

After the second time witnessing such behavior, however, Peters made it clear the next crew member or mercenary that was disrespectful to Clarabelle would be whipped and then sent to the brig. He received some mutinous looks, but the men seemed to calm down after that.

Still the first moment he could turn the watch over to another officer, he went and rounded up the captain, Jezebel, and the first mate to pass on both Asuka's warning and what he had witnessed.