I ambled out to the docks the other morning, just to scrape the barnacles off my sloop and enjoy the setting sun. I had no plans to stay long, or even to raise anchor. Then I saw a sloop in the distance, gradually getting bigger, flying a level five emissary flag. I thought they were heading for me, when suddenly they veered off and went after a skellie galleon. Hmm. I figured they must be pretty competent, picking a fight like that. But the battle raged on. And on. And on. When I noticed the sloop's mast had been knocked down, it was clear they were in serious trouble. My opportunistic pirate instincts kicked in, and I decided to sail out to collect their flag after they sank.
As I drew closer, I could see they were getting hammered by the skellies. Their mast was still down with no sign of being raised. I found my pirate instinct withering as my conscience rose. Instead of killing the survivors and looting the wreckage, I decided to jump in and help them out.
I sailed my sloop to intercept the galleon, giving them a good taste of my cannons and drawing them away from their crippled prey. It worked. A few more barrages of waterline hits, along with a couple cursed cannonballs, and down they went.
I called out to the sloop, which turned out to have a crew of two. The captain (I assume) shouted his thanks. He said he was sailing with his little brother, and that they "got their (derrieres) kicked." Surely they'd have sunk if I hadn't jumped in to help. I told them to collect their loot, bid them farewell and sailed off into the sunset.
Sometimes even pirates can be heroes. 🏴☠️