Amaze And Astonish

Canon Base: Examination For Lieutenant, but in 1704 – 1705
Age: 18-19
Corresponds With: To Free The Sea Of Piracy

The Indefatigable remains engaged in the European theater when an attack on the supply line forces Captain Pellew to engage in political affairs in order to obtain much needed materials for the fleet. Horatio is sent ashore with an ambassador to negotiate for food, only for he and his men to be exposed to the plague. Rather than risk losing the supplies and surrender himself and his men to the defeat of certain death, Horatio convinced Pellew to surrender a prize ship to the potentially infected crew to stand quarantine in along with the supplies until such a time as it would be declared they were in no danger. This proved to be a wise course of action on Horatio’s part – though a confrontation with another captain who opted to steal supplies while quarantine was still underway was perhaps less so.

In the wake of this venture, Pellew returns the Indy to an English port for a time to receive new orders and send men in for their lieutenant examinations. It is as Horatio is fumbling through his – as a result of finding one of his examiners to be that very same, reckless thief of a captain – that cannonade distracts from the proceedings. Flying off with captains Foster and Hammond and managing to board their longboat with a slight trick by feigning to trip, Horatio witnesses a fireship heading for the Indy and convinces Foster to let him board it in order to steer it clear of his ship. In this manner, he is able to save the fleet proper by clearing the fireship from the ability to set off any powder stores – and even saves Foster, who boarded along with him to direct his work – while he is at it.

Though he failed his examination, Horatio remained acting lieutenant aboard the Indy in recognition of his service in saving her – and Pellew had obtained their new orders, which would take them out of the European theater and into the blistering heat of the Florida coast.