text: [Themes: Historical, ocean]
  
  > Go downward
  The current first lieutenant is a man in his early thirties named Evans. He is competent and able, but nothing more than that. Also, by not making personnel management more difficult for your superiors, you have earned a small additional amount of support higher up in the Royal Navy.
  
  Your frigate, H.M.S. Dauntless, sails into Kingsport harbor. Kingsport is the principal harbor city in one of Albion's major colonial possessions in the tropics. The fleet based out of Kingsport consists mostly of frigates like your own--perfect for raiding Gaulish shipping and for defending Albion's own merchant marine from the depredations of the Gaulish Navy and privateers. Assignment to this fleet is quite a plum, with great opportunities for prize money and pleasant ports of call on the tropical islands.
  
  Shortly after your ship makes port, while you are overseeing the process of taking on new supplies, the signal midshipman runs up to you. He touches his hat in salute and says, "Signal from the flag: Admiral's compliments, Captains of Dauntless, Vigilant, and Intrepid please come to the flagship at your convenience."
  
  "Acknowledge the signal and inform the officer of the watch to have my boat prepared for immediate departure," you reply. When an admiral asks you to report to the flagship, it is "convenient" for you to drop whatever you are doing and to head over immediately.
  
  Within a minute, your boat is lowered over the frigate's side. Upon your arrival, smartly dressed sailors and a marine honor guard pipe you aboard H.M.S. Indomitable, the admiral's flag ship. The flag lieutenant touches his hat to each of the arriving captains. "Sir, if you will please accompany me? The Admiral is waiting in his stateroom."
  
  >Next
  
  > go
  The three of you are shown into the Admiral's stateroom--a surprisingly large cabin for a warship, with a large heavy table set in the middle. The Admiral is in late middle-age, his youthful vigor long since having given way to a prosperous roundness. His flag captain murmurs each of your names as you enter.
  
  The Admiral pours a glass of port for each of you and clears his throat. "As you know, one of our principal responsibilities on this station is protecting Albion's merchant shipping. The foodstuffs and raw materials from these colonies are vital to Albion's security. Recently, however, a Gaulish commerce raider has taken a large number of our merchantships as prizes.
  
  "The Gaulish frigate has recently made port on Blue Island. Blue Island is a possession of Jutland and thus still neutral, so we can't take the frigate there. But we do have our spies keeping their eyes out, and so we got a report of the frigate. She's a 44-gun frigate, called Lynx, under the command of a Captain Villeneuve."
  
  >Next
  
  > go
  You startle slightly at the name of Lynx's captain, and the Admiral raises an eyebrow. "You know of Villeneuve, Captain Rockersuke?"
  
  "Our paths have crossed a few times, sir," you reply guardedly.
  
  "All the better. I'm assigning each of you the mission to hunt down Lynx. You are to make all efforts to capture or destroy her. I know, I know. . . you would rather be hunting rich Gaulish merchantships. I would rather you were hunting merchantships as well." The Admiral smiles--after all, he receives fully one-quarter of the value of any prizes his ships capture. "But we have our duty to think of. Because of the rules of neutrality, none of you can take stations within sight of Blue Island. I want Vigilant to patrol to the east of the island, Intrepid to sail to the west, and Dauntless to patrol to the north.
  One of you should be able to force Lynx to action as she sails out.
  
  "I am also well aware of the fact that a 44-gun frigate is significantly more powerful than any of your ships. However, I have no heavier frigates to send, and a ship of the line would be unable to force Lynx to fight. I trust that the superior sailing and gunnery of the Royal Navy will be more than sufficient for you to prevail. And, as their Lordships say in the orders giving you command of a ship, 'fail in these duties at your peril,' eh? Unless there are any questions? Best be about it, then."
  
  You quickly return to your ship. As soon as you have the most essential supplies on board, you make sail to fight your oldest rival.
  
  How do you feel about fighting Villeneuve?
  
  A: I look forward to it.
  B: It is a duty like any other.
  C: I dread fighting him, but it is still my duty.
  D: Surely, there must be some way to avoid this!
  
  > B.
  "Set a course for the ship to starboard, Mr. Evans, and beat to quarters," you say calmly.
  
  "Aye aye, sir," he responds.
  
  Drums echo throughout the ship as the crew clears the ship for action.
  
  Neither ship has the wind gage as you approach, but the wind is blowing strong and steady, giving you a fair degree of speed and maneuverability. Lynx is the stronger ship in terms of armament and construction, but the men of the Royal Navy are generally better trained and more reliable than those of the Gaulish Navy.
  
  How do you plan to win this battle?
  
  A: Charge straight at Lynx--the sooner I can make this a boarding action, the better.
  B: Stay at range and fight a gunnery duel, relying on my ship's superior gunnery to offset Lynx's heavier broadsides.
  C: Lead Lynx into a trap. If I can make Villeneuve think he has damaged my ship worse than he has, I will be able to gain the advantage.
  
  > Stats
  Name: Mr. Edward Rockersuke
  Rank: Post-captain
  Seniority: 0 years
  Age: 34
  Sailing: 46%
  Gunnery: 66%
  Leadership: 64%
  Fighting: 73%
  Patronage: 75%
  Tact: 72%
  Likeability: 73%
  Honor: 31%
  Courage: 49%
  Bloodthirst: 53%
  Intelligence: 31%
  Wealth: 65%
  
  >OK
  
  > go
  A: Charge straight at Lynx--the sooner I can make this a boarding action, the better.
  B: Stay at range and fight a gunnery duel, relying on my ship's superior gunnery to offset Lynx's heavier broadsides.
  C: Lead Lynx into a trap. If I can make Villeneuve think he has damaged my ship worse than he has, I will be able to gain the advantage.
  
  > go
  Thus far, you've given as good as you've gotten. The battle could go either way. Captain Villeneuve is trying to close with Dauntless to force a boarding action.
  
  It will be hard to maintain the battle as a gunnery action--you'll have to either carry the enemy by boarding or try to damage their rigging enough to sail away.
  
  Which will it be?
  
  A: I've done enough to be able to break off the battle honorably--that's all I really wanted.
  B: I would really like to press the battle, but it's too dangerous. I must flee.
  C: I think I can win this one.
  D: The only possible end to this battle is Lynx's surrender or destruction.