Arkiania Awakens

[DeSchaine]

21 Alvan, 1588

Four ships cut through the waves of the South Sea. The first and third were rather dark in color, with oddly shaped superstructures. The other two were more the color of an overcast sky, and all were staggered in their intervals. On radar, the odd two showed up as barely more than large fishing boats, and the others as smaller sized cargo vessels. The group was tailing a fifth ship, a true merchant cargo ship stacked high with containers.

On the bridge of the MC Grace sat Commodore Caitlin O'Malley, CEO of the Red Branch PMC group. She was descended from the ships namesake, Grace O'Malley, a pirate or privateer depending on whose history you read. It had been a family business for nearly two hundred years, and Caitlin followed the family's path well. She looked out into the darkness of the open sea with her chin resting on her fist.

"Any change?" she asked for general consumption.

"No ma'am. Still gaining on them. They're not running full speed."

"Well, then we will. Might as well take them now when they're more than twelve hours out. Launch the ECW bird." She reached up and took the radio mic down. "Coms, bridge."

"Bridge, coms, aye."

"Signal the other ships. As soon as the bird is away, we're going to full speed."

"Aye, Commodore."

After a few minutes, a blacked out C-24 Dragonfly with an electronics warfare package powered off the deck of the Grace and began jamming communications. As it lifted, the waters churned behind all four of the ships as they increased their speed. In no time, they had closed to within visual range of the cargo ship.

"Lookouts, anyone got eyes on a flag?"

"Lookout one. Not exactly. Waiting for the wind to blow it right to get a good look."

O'Malley turned to her navigator. "Helm, give me five degrees to port. Maybe that will help the lookouts. Flash the Blacktip to prepare for release."

"Lookout two! Positive on a flag. Home country IS Arkiania."

Caitlin pumped her fist in the air "Yes! We can actually sieze this one. Put two rounds off her starboard bow, make sure they can see them. Flash the Blacktip to release now!"

The bow guns turned slightly and each shot off a single round, hitting the water close enough to the cargo ship to spray the side. Immediately, the large ship showed signs of trying to turn. From behind the destroyer came eight small Remora class patrol boats. The Blacktip had flooded her hold and opened her bow doors. At the flash command for release, the deck officer had barked the order out over the ships loudspeaker and the small attack craft had shot out of the hold. Now they raced past the cargo ship at a blurring speed. Still, the cargo ship showed no signs of stopping.

"Helm, get us closer and put her bridge abeam. Mind the boats."

"Aye Commodore."

The Grace turned back toward the cargo ship and slowed when the others bridge was directly across from their own. Caitlin flpped a switch for her mic that set it to come through an oversized loudspeaker outside the ship.

"Ahoy cargo vessel. Heave to and prepare to be boarded." She waited to see if there was any change in the ships speed. None happened. "If you do not comply, we will not hesitate to shoot your bridge." She unkeyed the mic and turned. "Weps, unmask the rockets and the RAC five."

"Aye commodore."

There was a dull thrum through the ship as the doors covering the weapons on the side opened up. Still the ship didn't show signs of slowing. Caitlin sighed. "Weps, take off one of their masts. RAC five only."

"Five only, aye." The young man set the control switch to the port side gun and wrapped his hand around the joystick. The screen on his console showed the view from the gun system, and he set the crosshairs slightly foreward of the mast itself. A grin crept onto his face as he flipped up the safety covering the trigger. He pressed it once, twice, three times. Each time sending a quick burst of twenty milimeter rounds ripping into the sensitive electronic equipment on top of the other ships bridge. Shards of metal and plastic flew in every direction as one of the ships radars was destroyed. The safety clicked back down over the trigger. "That pretty well trashed it, commodore."

Caitlin nodded and keyed the mic. "The next blast goes through your bridge. Heave to, damn you." Finally, the cargo ship began to slow. "Smart move." Caitlin hung the mic back up. "Signal the boats to send the raiders. Helm, keep us abeam. We'll need to cover our people."

The patrol boats slowed at various points along the sides of the ship. A single man from each boarding team used a compressed air launcher to send their ropes up the sides. In less then five minutes, the cargo ship was swarming with Red Branch commandos. They rounded up the small crew and locked them in the galley. Soon a light was seen flashing from the bridge of the cargo vessel.

"Commodore, they have control of the ship. All crew accounted for."

"Very good. Recall the ECW bird. Transfer over a crew for transit and leave one boarding squad for security. The others can return to the Blacktip. We'll take it and head south. The contract specifies we're free to take whatever we want. There's an area where we can go through the cargo and take what we want, and we can take the time getting there to go over the manifest. Tell the Deirdre and Lemon they're free to operate independently from us and to be careful."