Turn 65

    "Excellent shot, Nyala!" Val is quite pleased it went as well as it did.
    "We have three more casks," ibn Fadil observes.
    "It'll only work so many times before they get wise," Val observes, "but it's worth at least *one* more try to suck up some more of their air. Another round, bartender."
    The _Distraction_ shudders at the impact of a bolt as the bigger ship's crew sorts itself out after the latest attack, but it does not penetrate.
    "Yestin? Where's the helmsman sit on one of these buggers?" Emmett yells out as he loads another round into the ballista.
    "Forward lower deck," the giff replies, lending a hand. "Though if they still have a full crew they have a backup helm as well." He sounds very calm.
    "So much for that. I suppose I should have counted on decent engineering. OK, another shot at their weapons." Emmett takes careful aim, focusing more on their equipment then the men. He has no idea how many Giff there are on that ship, but he can count the armament, and that's his current problem. All the while, he's thinking about designing a shield wall over the front of a catapult to prevent exactly what he's doing and take the best advantage of the weapon's indirect fire.... More giff tenpin ensues, though it's difficult to tell how badly the ship itself might be damaged.
    "Captain, we can harass them all day, but we don't want to get boarded and we can get away. Let's clear some distance and get out of the sphere."
    "Sounds like a plan to me!" Val agrees. "Let's just keep 'em busy while Alais looks for a way through." He relays the order to Alais as he waits for another barrel of rum to be brought up.
    Ibn Fadil ducks below once more to get the rum. On the way down, he stops by his cabin to grab the extra knives he bought on Bral. In the hold, he informs Hiro, "We seem to be a bit faster than they are." Otherwise he returns to the deck as quickly as he can.
    Alais goes full speed away, hoping to hit spelljamming speed. "My, that was exhilarating."
    It becomes more so. The second "brandy bomb" goes off without a hitch, but the giff are better prepared for it this time, and it causes less consternation in their ranks. The gap between the ships grows too slowly; soon the damselfly absorbs another shuddering blow, this one with a far more worrisome component - the rattle of chain transmitted through the hull plating. Despite Alais' efforts, the ship slows, then stops. The _Distraction_ has been grappled. A few moments later, Hiro can hear the sound of people working at the cargo door's locks, and those on the weapon deck have an excellent view down onto the upper deck of the _Magnus_, where it certainly looks like they're about to be boarded, by a dozen or so armored giff.
    Nyala snaps off a shot at one of the attackers, the arrow piercing his leg, before a volley of crossbow fire forces her to take cover, blue eyes smoldering.
    

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