Chương 98: Chapter Ninety-Seven: Piracy

Accompanied by the intensifying hum of the Vengeance's propulsion engine, the ship returned to the battlespace at the position and bearing it had so graciously sacrificed its portside rigging for. The passage unleashed more lightning, creating thunderous booms – nature's celebratory gun salute. It was as if the storms were congratulating Serena on her boldness. Boldness that had paid off.

The Indefatigable had beared to port, aiming its broadside towards the patch of sky where the Vengeance would normally have appeared if it were captained by someone other than Serena. Their assumption meant their backside was now exposed to the full power of the Vengeance's armament.

"Weapons!" Serena shouted.

"Cripple her, but don't sink her!"

"Aye, Captain!" Thorne affirmed. There was the briefest moment of waiting as the Vengeance's turrets aligned to their target. Then one of the barrels spat out another illumination round that bathed the battlespace in the light of burning blue crystal. The sign was seen, and the Vengeance's heavy flak turret, four-inch systems, and the lighter two-inch underhull turrets skipped the gentle opening and exploded straight into a deafening crescendo of shellfire.

Bright, red-crystal-enhanced violence rocketed the Indefatigable's hull. Its side armour might prevent its total destruction, but no amount of armour could stop the Vengeance from taking its dues. The Indefatigable's stern was covered in exploding shells, ripping apart its main propeller and taking chunks out of the secondary propellers. The starboard side was raked with fire and fury, tearing off the flaperons, which spun down towards the lumina.

The proximity-fused flak plastered the upper superstructure with shrapnel, shredding the bulbous aetherscope and many of the ship's delicate instruments. The gunner behind the flak turret immediately changed target, his next stream of destruction aimed at the Indefatigable's lower superstructure and its other silvery aetherscope. Just as that was destroyed, a four-inch shell exploded against the starboard bow armour. It must have been blessed by the angel's luck as a torrent of steam erupted from where it hit.

Perhaps some shrapnel had bounced through the steamvent, or the force of the explosion had cracked the pressure valve. Whatever it was, the Indefatigable was losing steam at an uncontrolled rate. The sudden expulsion of vapour caused the ship to bear hard to port.

"Cease fire!" Serena shouted.

"Helmsman, set speed to standard!"

"Aye aye, Captain," the helmsman said, adjusting the lever next to him.

"Standard speed!" Even as the Indefatigable continued on a collision course with the island next to it, Serena wasted no time watching the event unfold.

"Sensors!" she called.

"Anything in the aetherfield?"

"Nothing but rock and interference around, Captain!" the sensors officer replied.

"Engineering! How's the upper aetherscope?" Serena asked, turning to face Allston.

"She took a clean hit," the chief engineer replied.

"We won't be able to fix it without spooling her down, Captain. Panels need realignment and replacement." Serena absorbed the information before turning back to Sensors and asking, "Officer Bright! Have we lost functionality?"

"We've lost active-sensing above," Finella replied.

"But we can still run it passively, but with the panels out of alignment, we're relying on the underhull 'scope!"

"Captain!" Yamaga's voice sounded.

"The Indy! She's crashing!" Serena's eyes snapped to the bridge windows, through which the battered heavy cruiser, spewing heavy smoke, was about to collide with the island it had been hugging for the entire engagement. For whatever reason, the crew onboard had been unable to operate the portside vents and counter the starboard expulsion of steam that had set them on a collision course. The Indefatigable's underhull superstructure collided with the island's cliff-face first.

The area it hit was a steep slope at an angle of one-sixty to one-seventy degrees. The impact made the rest of the heavy cruiser lurch. The ship listed even further to port, and its remaining flaperons were crumpled under the inertia of thousands of tonnes of steel and wood colliding with the rockface. Then, with an almost soundless thud, the rest of the ship hit the sloped edge, kicking up dust and rock that was quickly whisked away by the wind.

It came to a stop with sudden finality, prompting the Vengeance's officers to mutter a few prayers to both the Empress and the five Moons. After all, it could have been them.

"Send them a message," Serena began.

"Demand their surrender." Even with the Indefatigable's primary aetherscopes destroyed by heavy flak, there were secondary systems meant only for emergency messaging. She was sure she would get a response eventually. She wasn't disappointed.

"Message incoming!" Finella said suddenly.

"It's unencrypted. They say…

'We surrender, we surrender you–'" The northern demon swallowed, her mouth curling into a nervous smile as her eyes flicked to meet Serena's.

"They're saying 'We surrender, we surrender, you slippery bastards.'" Serena narrowed her eyes. Before she could give a response, Finella continued, "There's more! They're requesting aid! They're saying they have less than an hour of crystal left!" The news sent murmurs throughout the bridge.

"If it's a ruse," Yamaga began, "then it's a convincing one. Low crystal would explain why they didn't spool up the propulsion engine in the engagement. They seemed hesitant to leave the island. Look!" The air tactician pointed out the bridge window to the other side of the island the Indefatigable collided with.

"They were setting up mooring chains when we interrupted them!" Serena spied the thick chains on the island's rockface. Had they really caught the Indefatigable's crew in such a disadvantageous moment?

"Aetherfield?" she queried Sensors. After receiving verification that there wasn't another lift engine in the surrounding space, she considered her options. The most logical conclusion was that the Indefatigable was somehow facing a crystal shortage, but how? Captain Matthews would have been well-equipped to handle the Southern Passage. Not that she thought that she'd just battled with Matthews. No, whoever she'd just crossed horns with was a different crew. An inexperienced crew.

But then, what happened to Captain Matthews?

"Captain…" Yamaga said slowly.

"If there are no other battlespace threats… well… you know our legal obligations as well as I do. We must offer assistance. But"–he clenched his fists tight–"if that isn't the Indy's crew. If they've been butchered… Then"–his eyes darkened–"whatever you decide, you'll hear no complaints from me, Captain." Around her, Serena's officers nodded in silent agreement. She held the air tactician's cold gaze for a few seconds before making up her mind.

"Pull up above them!" Serena shouted the order.

"On the island's top! We'll let them use our mooring chains. I won't have it said that I left an Imperial ship to the under-sky when she could have been saved!" She further instructed Sensors to notify the Indefatigable of their intentions and to demand that they bring their crew onto deck. It would be cold and miserable to step outside, but then again, the defeated had no right to comfort. Speaking of comfort, Aiden looked like he was the very opposite of the word.

"How are you holding on, Officer Adachi?" Serena intoned coolly.

"You're not much use to us when you're like this, are you?"

"Do you…" Aiden began weakly.

"Do you always sail like this?"

"This?" Finella laughed.

"This is her taking it easy on us. Wait till you see the manoeuvres we pull off when there's multiple ships! Ever seen a ship roll ninety, Officer Adachi? Wonderful experience!" Finella grinned, casting Serena a cheeky look.

"Officer Bright," Serena said.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Focus."

"Ah! Yes, Captain…" Serena didn't chastise the northern demon any further. A little post-battle humour was always appreciated, and she knew her talented officer staff were too competent to be distracted from their duties. Still, there couldn't be too much casualness on the bridge. As the ship began its movements to position itself just above the Indefatigable's island, Serena returned to her elevated captain's station. She decided to check in on Amelia, who was glancing nervously in Aiden's direction.

"You want to heal him?" Serena asked quietly, crossing the bridge to stand next to her girlfriend.

"Mmm!" Amelia hummed.

"But… I don't know if…"

"I understand," Serena affirmed.

"Anathor? How are you doing?"

"Hmm…" came the familiar gruff voice.

"We're better now we're out of the lightning."

"Can the ship handle any more of Amelia's magic?"

"Officer Adachi's condition, yes?" Anathor paused momentarily.

"We should be okay. As long as Miss Thornheart keeps it small and subtle. Nothing elaborate. Aseco's healing should be manageable as it's similar to…" He trailed off before continuing, "but no demon magic."

"No demon magic?" Serena queried.

"Not on or near the ship."

"I see." Serena locked eyes with Amelia to confirm her girlfriend had understood. Serena jerked her head towards Aiden, prompting Amelia to nod happily and bounce down the bridge towards Sensors. Amelia had taken Anathor's warnings to heart, as even Serena's enhanced senses could barely detect the healing magic that brought the colour back into the sick demon's face. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Let's talk about this later, Anathor," she said.

"Yes, Captain." The windlizard's eyes flashed softly. It wasn't just Anathor Serena needed to have a frank discussion with. There was a difficult conversation that she needed to have with Amelia. It was a conversation Serena suspected might need to happen eventually, but the battle that had just transpired and the future danger of the Southern Passage meant it couldn't be avoided much longer. Serena felt like clutching her horns. Things just couldn't be simple, could they?

"Almost there, Captain," Dagon intoned. Through the bridge windows, Serena could see the Vengeance had finished its manoeuvres and was pulling up above the island and the semi-beached heavy cruiser. Her underhull gunners and observers would have their barrels and eyes trained on the ship, ready to act if anything suspicious were to happen.

"How do you want to do this?" her First Officer asked.

"Mmm," Serena hummed thoughtfully.

"Officer Bright!" she called for Finella. The northern demon rushed to stand before her.

"Take Officer Mori and get the pegs and pounders. Bring Officer Ishitani and Officer Aikawa as well. Their earth magic can help soften the rock. In fact, bring everyone for support. I'll meet you at the underhull cargo doors."

"Aye, Captain!" Finella saluted and vanished from the bridge.

"Hell of a task for their first mission," Dagon said softly. Serena nodded.

"That's why I'm leaving the twins and the cadets behind." She sniffed, looking out the window.

"At least the hail's stopped," she said more to herself than anyone else.

"Amelia, wait here." After Amelia nodded, Serena turned to Dagon.

"In your command, First Officer. Shoot anything that moves."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Dagon saluted.

"Captain leaving deck!" Serena walked through the ship and down towards the cargo bay. Finella had worked quickly; Serena was greeted by the full squad, all lined up with their equipment. They had tense expressions on their faces. Especially Mel, who, along with Finella, was carrying one of the massive sledgehammers the Vengeance's crew affectionately nicknamed the pounders. A pounder took red aura just to move it, and orange aura to swing it effectively. It was why she'd designated the task to Finella and Mel.

The red aura of the twins wouldn't be strong enough. While the wards of the second-circle Hinako and the third-circle Daichi were probably strong enough to use them, the two mages wouldn't likely be able to control their swings in the outside weather. Finella, as instructed, had also brought the twins and cadets. While Serena didn't intend to use them for such a dangerous task, they might have some utility staying behind in case some equipment needed to be thrown or passed down.

If anything, this served as their introduction to the chaotic missions Serena and her subordinates often found themselves in.

"The rock will be slippery," Serena explained.

"Don't hesitate to drop equipment if you think you're going to fall. Don't waste time trying to search for a handhold. Use your aura and wards and burrow your hand into the rock instead. Keep your centre of gravity low. The wind is strong, but I've been in worse." Serena walked to the wall of the cargo bay, pulling a heavy chain from its spool.

"We're going to hammer two of these into the rock, and then pass it down to the Indy so its crew can affix it to their deck handles."

"Aren't they…" Mel began, before swallowing and trying again.

"Isn't the crew below… pirates? Isn't there a risk they might attack us?" Serena clicked her tongue.

"They would be fools to. It would be tantamount to suicide. We have their surrender. If they attack us now, I'll hang them all." For some reason, Serena's completely reasonable conclusion made the newly minted officers and cadets look even more nervous. They'll adapt, Serena thought, in time.

"Open the doors, Officer Bright," Serena commanded. As she dragged the heavy mooring chain, Finella moved the heavy bolts on the floor. The outside wind ripped through the cargo deck, throwing the cargo doors open with enough force that Finella would have surely broken her hand if it weren't for her aura. The cargo doors were fixed in place and Serena began letting the heavy chain down.

As it reached towards the Indefatigable, she saw its crew make an appearance, their faces and bodies obscured by the heavy raincoats they were wearing. As more of the chain passed through her hands, she flared her aura, looking at the demons below. So far, she could only see one aura user. Someone about Mel's level, who, judging by how the other demons formed around them, was the captain. Serena didn't bother trying to shout. Even with enhanced senses, the wind would whisk away her words.

Regardless, there was no need to talk in this situation. Both sides knew what they needed to do to save the Indefatigable and its mysterious crew from certain doom.

"Rope yourselves," Serena instructed, pointing to coils of rope against the wall.

"Tie yourself to the pillars. Give yourself plenty of slack, you'll be climbing down soon." Once Finella, Mel, and the two mages were tied up, Serena picked up two of the large, metre-and-a-half-long metal pegs and climbed down the chain. The wind was powerful, but not so much that the heavy chain wasn't stable. Serena pushed her aura into yellow and that, along with Amelia's ever-present wards, kept her feeling rather reassured. She climbed down a few metres before stepping off onto the top of the island's cliff.

Here is where they would secure the chain, on horizontal ground, rather than awkwardly working away on the steep slope of the rock face. She gestured for Finella and the rest to follow. Finella, who was used to Serena's way of command, seemed almost at home. Mel quickly adapted to the weather, and soon she had a firm position on the rock, using the pounder to stabilise herself. Daichi and Hinako looked the most uncomfortable, but otherwise managed to get down the chain with minimal complaining.

Although Daichi did mumble something about wishing he were back in the kitchens. All the while, the twins and cadets watched from the cargo doors, their faces painted with tense expressions mixed with the relief that they didn't need to come down with their squadmates. Serena threaded the chain with the metal peg and made Finella hold it in place.

"Use magic to soften the rock!" she shouted to the mages, struggling to be heard over the wind.

"But keep it narrow! We don't want the rockface to collapse! Once the pegs are in, harden the rock!" She turned to Mel.

"Make sure your feet are secure before you start swinging!" Once she saw Mel nod, she announced, "Then begin! I'll set up the other one!" Leaving Finella to oversee the first few hits, Serena climbed back into the Vengeance. It took her a few seconds for her ears to adjust. The cargo bay, even with its doors open to the wind, seemed almost too quiet in comparison to the roaring weather outside.

"Keep an eye out. Let me know if anything happens," she said to the twins and cadets. Not bothering to dry herself off, Serena strode to the second set of cargo doors and flung them open. After firmly bolting them in place, she began dangling a second heavy chain towards the Indefatigable. Once it had reached far enough, Serena gritted her teeth and climbed back down into the chaos. With her hair flying in her face and heavy rain drenching her every second every movement was more complicated and dangerous.

Serena eventually managed to summon Finella and Hinako to the new chain, where the second peg was threaded through the thick link and positioned into the rock. Serena held the peg in place for the first few hits. With Hinako's second-circle magic and Finella's orange aura, the peg quickly burrowed deep enough for Serena to let go.

She moved between the two chains, keeping watch as Mel and Finella swung the massive sledgehammers that no normal man could lift, again and again against the heavy pegs that would soon hold the weight of an Orb -class heavy cruiser. Looking down, she could see the crew of the Indefatigable fighting hard to secure the links into the deck's mooring handles. While the first pegs went in slowly, the teamwork quickly improved and, within fifteen minutes, the third set of pegs was finished.

Satisfied, Serena yelled for them to stop. She waved them back and, manifesting yellow aura through her sword, sliced through the chains, cutting them off from the Vengeance. She made sure her yellow aura was visible to the aura-user below. She didn't want whoever they were to get any ideas. As she glanced down, she sensed the rhythmic pulsations of the Indefatigable's lift engine become weaker and weaker. They were about to run out of crystal.

"Climb up!" she shouted to Finella and the rest of the squad. She glanced at the mooring chains, feeling a knot of anxiety form. She was certain that three pegs for each chain could handle it, and she was equally certain that the two chains could hold the Indefatigable's weight. But if one of them snapped, the whiplike force of such a heavy chain would be a lethal risk to even an orange aura user. And, even if one survived being hit by it, the force would surely launch them off the island and into the void below.

Once the squad had returned to the relative safety of the Vengeance's cargo bay, Serena herself climbed the dangling chain. From inside the cargo hold, she watched as the Indefatigable's lift engine's rhythmic beating slowed down. As it did, the heavy cruiser slowly slipped down the rockface, moving only a few inches until the chains took tension. Even though Serena was certain of her calculations, she couldn't help but cast a nervous eye towards the pegs.

With a final whimper, the Indefatigable's lift engine managed its last burst of aetheric combustion and died. The ship, now fully captured by the pull of the world's gravity, was entirely at the mercy of the Vengeance's donated mooring chains. For a moment, she held her breath. And then exhaled slowly.

"Anathor!" she called.

"I want these cells prepped and a dozen sailors in here with rifles! We're bringing them onboard!"

"Hmm…" came the grumbling reply. In the cargo bay, Anathor spoke through the mounted stuffed head of a wolfhound.

"Yes, Captain," the Formless affirmed. Serena turned to the cadets.

"Go to the armoury and get your own rifles." After Noburu and Seonmi had saluted and run off, she addressed the remainder of the Vengeance's elite squad.

"Keep your aura and wards up at all times. Their captain, if they are their captain, looks capable of orange aura."

"Only orange…?" Finella asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"I know," Serena said. Finella's unspoken question had lingered in her mind as well. If orange aura was all they had, how could Captain Matthew's crew have lost?

"Trust in the ship," Serena said reassuringly.

"It wouldn't let a true threat board. Even so, keep your senses sharp and look after your squad, Officer Bright."

"Yes, Captain!" Serena waited until more crew appeared with rifles before turning back to the Indefatigable and gesturing for them to come up. The demons—a blob of grey raincoats—slowly began to climb the mooring chain. As they drew closer, Serena gripped her sword tightly, ready for anything. She kept her senses sharp, making sure there weren't any hidden Speakers within the crowd.

As the first demons climbed the last of the chain and into the Vengeance's hold, Serena wasted no time ordering her sailors to check them for weapons and remove their raincoats. The majority of them were southern, with patterned skin and bald heads. Some were darker, with Arakian features that Serena rarely saw in the East. They didn't say much, and none kicked up a fuss as she had them put into the cargo bay cells. The mysterious aura user came up last.

As they drew closer, the individual's masculine frame became obvious. His large, curling ram's horns reminded her of her First Officer, and his yellow eyes had no fear when they met hers. As he climbed into the Vengeance's hull, the man stood tall. He had the subtle shimmer of red aura. He took his time looking around, examining both Serena and her officers. As he did, he removed his raincoat and rainhat, revealing a broad, scarred face. He wore no uniform. Instead, he wore a plain leather jacket and pants.

From what Serena could see, he had no weapons.

"Pretty ship," he said with a thick southern accent.

"Pretty crew, as well." He grinned, showing chunky white teeth.

"I see you are the captain?" He inclined his head at Serena before tilting it slightly.

"Strange, to see a woman in charge." The man sniffed, looking at the cells.

"You don't have better accommodation for us? My boys are very wet and cold, you see."

"I can put you and your boys at the end of a rope, if you like," Serena said dryly, watching his every move.

"You're feisty," the man said.

"Like my wife. Hmm…" he rubbed his chin with rough hands.

"You look so young! How is a young lady like yourself manifesting yellow? Surely you aren't the Speaker your message talked about? But you must be… if you're the captain…you're not who I was expecting…"

"Where is your sword?" Serena asked.

"Left it down there," the man answered, gesturing to the silent Indefatigable.

"I couldn't trust your…" The man hesitated, as if he struggled to find the right Imperial word." Temperament," he finished.

"Didn't want you to react, you understand?"

"Who are you?" Serena asked, flicking her wrist so her sword tip stopped under his chin.

"You're not Captain Matthews. What did you do to him?"

"Whatever's happened to that unfortunate soul, it has nothing to do with me or my boys," the man said, raising his hands in a disarming manner.

"Before I tell you, may I enquire your name, my sayyidah?" She wanted to stab this man, and not in the good way like how she did with Amelia.

"Captain Serena Halen of the Imperial Cruiser, the Vengeance," she said through clenched teeth.

"Serena Halen… Serena Halen… Oh!" The man's eyes widened.

"I've heard of you. You're supposed to be a… what is the Imperial word? A… proper officer, aren't you? Shame… to think even you could fall so low."" Excuse me?" Serena intoned, barely resisting the urge to stab the man before her.

"What in the Seven Hells are you talking about?" She glared at him, trying her best to melt him into a puddle.

"Well," the man said, shrugging nonchalantly.

"For your act of piracy, of course."