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As night approached, the tarships left their antic oars that projected, in three banks, from their massive hulls Tom had been told that two hundred men were needed to work thee catapults on their decks and watched as the big ships were made ready for action His own artillery pieces stood nearby The Goruard were in place to stop any act of treachery by the gun crews

The first of the ships reached the shallows and released a tracer round to gauge distance The fla ball raced overhead and fell harun crews Their sergeant stood beside him Earlier, he had briefed thethe need for strict discipline and telling hieant re, one hand on his sword and the other beneath his cloak He re seemed to perturb him

A second tracer round was fired froan a steady bombardment Tom was impressed by the accuracy of the shots A couple of warehouses were hit and a ap between the ships and the shore and judged that the time had come for action

'Get ready!'

He raised his baton and prepared to give the co his carefully laid plans to fruition The advancing ships were invulnerable to attack by the natives but sitting ducks when faced by mutinous troops of the imperial army, armed with deadly weapons

'Return fire!'

He snapped out the order that would launch the counterattack But nothing happened The sergeant remained as stony faced as before To for?'

'Not tiave an order!'

'I no take orders from you'

'You don't what?' Toeant opened his cloak

'I take orders fro at his chest and didn't doubt that its arh hiuard for support but their eyes were on the gun crews Agonising eant barked out an order

'Ai round Jars of boiling pitch were removed from braziers and loaded onto the catapults Firebrands lit the jars Wooden chocks were knocked away The beas at their ends swished and balls of blazing pitch streaked into the sky