Windfalls, Chapter 1
I really don't want to spam people with this story, but I wanted to introduce the cracky half of my OTP before I disappeared to revise/write the rest.
Please don't hate me for what's about to happen.
“You wished to see me, sir?” Horatio Hornblower, Captain of the Sutherland, stood in front of Admiral Leighton, hands twisting nervously behind his back.
“Yes, Captain Hornblower,” Leighton said, smiling and getting up from his desk, “I’ve heard you’ve been doing a masterful job of capturing French ships.”
Hornblower hoped he wasn’t blushing. “Simple luck, sir.”
“Well, whatever the reason, you’re damn good at it. Which is why I’m giving you new orders. You are no longer working under me.”
“Sir?”
“As you may expect, Hornblower, the war is a bit of a drain on England’s finances. Of course, it doesn’t help that our trade routes are being attacked by privateers. At least, that’s the current situation.”
Hornblower began to understand. “I’m to patrol the trade routes and bring in privateers?”
“You won’t be working alone. We dispatched Captain Drake of the Legacy to do the job a month ago, but the numbers of French privateers are increasing. France is in as much trouble as we are, maybe more. Therefore, I want you to rendezvous with the Legacy and capture as many privateers as you can.”
“Aye, sir. Does this mission have an end date?”
“A ship will be sent to inform you and Drake that you may cease.” Leighton handed him a small packet of papers. “Your orders.”
“Thank you, sir. I shall set sail tonight.”
“Good man, Hornblower. Godspeed.”
***
“Mr. Bush,” Hornblower asked casually a few hours later, as Polwheal cleared the dinner plates, “Do you know anything about a Captain Drake?”
Bush considered. “Drake…I’ve heard of him by reputation. Known as ‘Wildcat’, by his crew. Quite good at capturing ships, it seems; most of his income comes from prize money.”
“What about the man himself?”
Bush shook his head. “They say he never leaves his ship for shore leave. No one knows whether it’s out of pride
or shame.”
“Shame?”
Bush waited until Polwheal had gone for good before he spoke again. “A few years back, Captain Drake was hauled up before the Admiralty and court-martialed. The reason was never revealed, but apparently he was cleared of all charges.” He looked at Hornblower inquisitively. “But why all this interest in Captain Drake?”
Hornblower set his orders on the table. “I’ve been given new orders. We’re being sent to the trade routes to assist Captain Drake in capturing privateers.We’re to rendezvous with him in about a week’s time.”
Bush’s eyes lit up. Hornblower allowed himself a slight smile before continuing. “If you would be so kind, Mr. Bush, as to tell the hands to set a course for the trade routes? We leave at nightfall.”
Bush saluted and stood up, apparently eager to get underway. Hornblower took another sip of wine, mulling over his orders and the information that Bush had given him. On the whole, he wasn’t impressed by what he’d heard. But he would wait until he’d encountered the man properly before forming an opinon. After all, as someone had once told him, “I judge a man by what I see him do, not by what others tell me he has done.”
***
Hornblower was pleased to note that the crew spent the whole journey towards the appointed rendezvous site murmuring with excitement and anticipation. Fighting privateers would guarantee prize money, esteem, and a chance for action. And as loathe as he was to admit it, Hornblower could feel that same anticipation fluttering somewhere deep inside him as well.
A week or so after leaving Leighton’s flotilla, the lookout called down that he saw a ship with British colors. “Run up the signal flags, Mr. Savage,” Hornblower said to the young midshipman standing closest to him, “Tell them we are meant to rendezvous with the Legacy.”
The flags were up in short order. After a few minutes of squinting through a telescope, Savage turned and called up to Hornblower. “It’s the Legacy, sir. Captain requests permission to come aboard in order to brief you on the current situation.”
“Permission granted. Mr. Bush, inform the crew that Captain Drake is coming aboard.”
“Bosuns at the ready! All officers on deck!” Bush roared with that admirable voice of his. Hornblower himself retreated into his cabin to put on the better of his two captains coats; it wouldn’t do for Captain Drake to see him in a threadbare jacket.
When he returned to the deck, Bush approached. “Boat approaching, sir. It should arrive in a few minutes.”
“Very good, Mr. Bush. Mr. Savage! Can you see Captain Drake?”
Savage squinted through the spyglass. “Maybe. I…” he stopped short. Lowering the spyglass, he blinked a few times. “Out with it, man!” Bush roared.
Savage shook his head. “Nothing, sir. I think it was just a trick of the light, because I swear I saw…”
At that moment, there came the unmistakable sound of a boat bumping against the side of the ship. Savage closed the spyglass and sprang to his proper place. The bosun’s pipes began to twitter…and stopped short thirty seconds later as everyone caught sight of the figure that had just climbed onto the deck.
The first thing Horatio noticed was the ears. Drake had removed his hat the moment he’d reached the deck, revealing ears that were long and pointed like a cat’s. Aware that he was staring, Horatio tore his eyes away from the disfigurement and took in the rest of Captain Drake. Only then did he realize the true reason for the unexpected silence.
Captain Drake, taking no notice of the stares and lack of a proper reception, approached Hornblower, saluted him, then bowed deeply. “Captain Amelia Drake of H.M.S. Legacy, at your service, Mr. Hornblower.”
A/N: As I said, it's a crack pairing written totally straight. Captain Amelia was a character from the Disney movie Treasure Planet, and she looks like this:
In the film, she's spirited and totally awesome. I found myself fascinated by her, and wondered what she'd be like if she existed in Hornblower's time. This story is the end result.
Please don't hate me for what's about to happen.
“You wished to see me, sir?” Horatio Hornblower, Captain of the Sutherland, stood in front of Admiral Leighton, hands twisting nervously behind his back.
“Yes, Captain Hornblower,” Leighton said, smiling and getting up from his desk, “I’ve heard you’ve been doing a masterful job of capturing French ships.”
Hornblower hoped he wasn’t blushing. “Simple luck, sir.”
“Well, whatever the reason, you’re damn good at it. Which is why I’m giving you new orders. You are no longer working under me.”
“Sir?”
“As you may expect, Hornblower, the war is a bit of a drain on England’s finances. Of course, it doesn’t help that our trade routes are being attacked by privateers. At least, that’s the current situation.”
Hornblower began to understand. “I’m to patrol the trade routes and bring in privateers?”
“You won’t be working alone. We dispatched Captain Drake of the Legacy to do the job a month ago, but the numbers of French privateers are increasing. France is in as much trouble as we are, maybe more. Therefore, I want you to rendezvous with the Legacy and capture as many privateers as you can.”
“Aye, sir. Does this mission have an end date?”
“A ship will be sent to inform you and Drake that you may cease.” Leighton handed him a small packet of papers. “Your orders.”
“Thank you, sir. I shall set sail tonight.”
“Good man, Hornblower. Godspeed.”
***
“Mr. Bush,” Hornblower asked casually a few hours later, as Polwheal cleared the dinner plates, “Do you know anything about a Captain Drake?”
Bush considered. “Drake…I’ve heard of him by reputation. Known as ‘Wildcat’, by his crew. Quite good at capturing ships, it seems; most of his income comes from prize money.”
“What about the man himself?”
Bush shook his head. “They say he never leaves his ship for shore leave. No one knows whether it’s out of pride
or shame.”
“Shame?”
Bush waited until Polwheal had gone for good before he spoke again. “A few years back, Captain Drake was hauled up before the Admiralty and court-martialed. The reason was never revealed, but apparently he was cleared of all charges.” He looked at Hornblower inquisitively. “But why all this interest in Captain Drake?”
Hornblower set his orders on the table. “I’ve been given new orders. We’re being sent to the trade routes to assist Captain Drake in capturing privateers.We’re to rendezvous with him in about a week’s time.”
Bush’s eyes lit up. Hornblower allowed himself a slight smile before continuing. “If you would be so kind, Mr. Bush, as to tell the hands to set a course for the trade routes? We leave at nightfall.”
Bush saluted and stood up, apparently eager to get underway. Hornblower took another sip of wine, mulling over his orders and the information that Bush had given him. On the whole, he wasn’t impressed by what he’d heard. But he would wait until he’d encountered the man properly before forming an opinon. After all, as someone had once told him, “I judge a man by what I see him do, not by what others tell me he has done.”
***
Hornblower was pleased to note that the crew spent the whole journey towards the appointed rendezvous site murmuring with excitement and anticipation. Fighting privateers would guarantee prize money, esteem, and a chance for action. And as loathe as he was to admit it, Hornblower could feel that same anticipation fluttering somewhere deep inside him as well.
A week or so after leaving Leighton’s flotilla, the lookout called down that he saw a ship with British colors. “Run up the signal flags, Mr. Savage,” Hornblower said to the young midshipman standing closest to him, “Tell them we are meant to rendezvous with the Legacy.”
The flags were up in short order. After a few minutes of squinting through a telescope, Savage turned and called up to Hornblower. “It’s the Legacy, sir. Captain requests permission to come aboard in order to brief you on the current situation.”
“Permission granted. Mr. Bush, inform the crew that Captain Drake is coming aboard.”
“Bosuns at the ready! All officers on deck!” Bush roared with that admirable voice of his. Hornblower himself retreated into his cabin to put on the better of his two captains coats; it wouldn’t do for Captain Drake to see him in a threadbare jacket.
When he returned to the deck, Bush approached. “Boat approaching, sir. It should arrive in a few minutes.”
“Very good, Mr. Bush. Mr. Savage! Can you see Captain Drake?”
Savage squinted through the spyglass. “Maybe. I…” he stopped short. Lowering the spyglass, he blinked a few times. “Out with it, man!” Bush roared.
Savage shook his head. “Nothing, sir. I think it was just a trick of the light, because I swear I saw…”
At that moment, there came the unmistakable sound of a boat bumping against the side of the ship. Savage closed the spyglass and sprang to his proper place. The bosun’s pipes began to twitter…and stopped short thirty seconds later as everyone caught sight of the figure that had just climbed onto the deck.
The first thing Horatio noticed was the ears. Drake had removed his hat the moment he’d reached the deck, revealing ears that were long and pointed like a cat’s. Aware that he was staring, Horatio tore his eyes away from the disfigurement and took in the rest of Captain Drake. Only then did he realize the true reason for the unexpected silence.
Captain Drake, taking no notice of the stares and lack of a proper reception, approached Hornblower, saluted him, then bowed deeply. “Captain Amelia Drake of H.M.S. Legacy, at your service, Mr. Hornblower.”
A/N: As I said, it's a crack pairing written totally straight. Captain Amelia was a character from the Disney movie Treasure Planet, and she looks like this:
In the film, she's spirited and totally awesome. I found myself fascinated by her, and wondered what she'd be like if she existed in Hornblower's time. This story is the end result.