The Aldridge family

"Cap'n, the galleon's Roland Aldridge's 'Hideaway,' sir."

"Arrr, Jim Lad, now, ready the corvus, I want t' raid this ship," you respond to the crew member from the crow's nest before he runs off saying, "Aye aye."

After a quick in run to your cabin, you learn exactly how lucky you are. The programmers left in your cabin histories of some characters that will be appearing in the games, and there is a huge file on the Aldridge family. Roland Aldridge is a rich French officer of the law, and the riches he's amassed have plenty to do with all the ridiculous laws and fines he's placed on the French people. He is a symbol of corruption in France and a sign that even pirates can have more honor than some people in this world. What really picked your interest about this family is his daughter, Marianne. Marianne is Roland's pride and joy, he works very hard to keep her out of anything aimed at him and his corruption, and Roland hasn't allowed any man anywhere near his daughter, his officers and himself (who double as her guards) excluded. This gives you a wild idea about how to rub salt in Roland's wounds.

The sails open and the wind takes your ship towards the "Hideaway" and its treasures. Once the ship is close enough, you turn the helm and the "Menthu's" port faces the stern of the "Hideaway," which hasn't made a tactical move yet, probably due to "The Menthu's" distance and position hiding it. Suddenly you call out, "FIRE!" and the port side cannons all fire out, crushing the masts and blowing holes all over the "Hideaway." You circle your ship around, appearing on the port side of the "Hideaway" to assess the damage, and decide any more would sink it, and that's not what you want to do, so you call out, "Bring the corvus around, all men get above deck and prepare to board."

Before the corvus has latched on to the "Hideaway," your entire crew is already slowly crossing to start the hand to hand with the Aldridge family and anyone else who might be on board. Given the strategies you discussed with your crew in your previous games, it doesn't take so long before the "Hideaway" has fallen with five serious injuries and no deaths on your side, and you attribute the injuries to the hangovers. With the crew taken care of, you cross the corvus and join your crew to mock Roland and get the booty. You take slow, paced steps, to add to the aura you're attempting to cast on yourself and this situation. When you finally clear your crew, you see a red haired man, probably Roland, on the deck with his hands in cuffs, which were probably his since you don't think any of your men have any cuffs.

"Cap'n," Mr. Pete says pointing to the man, "Roland Aldridge, owner and captain of the 'Hideaway'."

"Roland Aldridge," you say, getting in Roland's face, "seems the 'Hideaway' is only good for running away, considering you couldn't stop a bunch of hungover pirates with it." You turn to Mr. Pete, "Who else is alive and on board?"

"Just his daughter and some security forces, only 20 I think."

"Roland," you say at him, "you corrupted your name all by yourself. I think it only fair that your daughter be corrupted before I return her to a poor, corrupted life." As Roland throws out every plea imaginable to spare his treasure and his daughter, you order Mr. Pete to bring her to you. By the end of his breath, Marianne has arrived, her hands tied behind her back. She has her father's red hair, but gentle, fear-filled blue eyes, and a much **** face, hidden behind the fear at least. She may be dressed EXTREMELY conservatively (like most woman do in this era), but you do like a good mystery, so your pants have become somewhat more constricting.

"Marianne," you start loudly, "I'm certain you know of your fathers corruption and how many of the victims of his corruption want him dead."

"Yes," she says softly.

"Well, I'm willing to give him a chance to live, once he tells a tale of being spared by Cap'n John of the 'Menthu,' his life will be spared, for now." Your name elicits a gasp from her, proving your name carries the reputation it should as a previous winner with a, currently, unbeaten high score and famous for being positively ruthless. "If you refuse my condition, I sink his ship with him chained to it, you accept, I put him on one of his row boats with water, but not the one you and the rest are on. The condition is, you and me in the cabin, doing the booty of me beauty."

Marianne's eyes go wide at your offer and Roland screams out for his daughter to refuse before being kicked down by one of your bigger crewmen. Marianne looks to her father, and then back to you as she swallows hard and opens her mouth to speak.