Day 7

There are thirty-four people on this ship, including me. Last night the Captain and I worked out a training schedule that least disrupted the crew’s responsibilities and allowed me to train everyone. The first session begins at 7 o’clock in the morning, an hour before the larboard crew begins their day shift, followed by 4 o’clock when the starboard crew is relieved of duties. The cook is not being trained or the Captain or his wife Malia, who is also his first mate, leaving me two groups of fifteen in each section.

Today went well. We practiced a simple series of thrusts and cuts, and I noticed two crew members stand out. On the larboard shift, Lorrie must have had some professional training and Robert on the starboard shift. He’s near an expert. I plan to spar each of them to gain an accurate measure of their proficiency. If their skills merit, I will enlist them to assist me in lessons. I believe Robert will be ready to help right away. Lorrie may require a few one on one sessions before she is prepared.

We draw nearer to the warm waters of the Cape region every day and closer to danger. I have roughly three weeks to prepare this crew to face the pirates. I sincerely hope it is enough time. Formal training for all new sailors is now mandated by the Queen, but it is up to us marshals to get the current sailors up to muster on their fighting skills.

Another part of my mission is to provide a detailed report on the pirates, and any strategies I feel will help defeat them. In regards to this, I also questioned Captain Rannou and Malia extensively on the pirates. From them, I learned the pirates are made up of an assortment of nationalities. Some are a deep ochre color, some have a swarthy olive complexion like ours, while others are pale like the northern tribes. This leads me to believe these pirates are not a single nation that can be reasoned with, but rather a group of free men and women.

Their ships are as diversified as their ranks. Apparently, they often take over the crews’ vessels they defeat, which is a fairly common practice as far as pirates go. No one knows exactly where they come from, though. They appear from all directions, so no specific location can be pinpointed. This area is mostly uncharted due to the pirates, and therefore, it is hard to predict precisely where the pirates are. This is another mystery I hope to shed light on.

There are so many unknowns on this case, I cannot help but second guess my decision to volunteer for it. The Queen is losing vast amounts of money in cargo due to these pirates, and whoever cracks will gain a fair bit of notoriety and prestige. This is the kind of case that can make a career or, conversely, end one. I have tied my lot to this case, and now I must see it through.

Someone is knocking on my cabin door, so that’s it for tonight.

-E.J.