Into The Black
Mylin wiped the lens on his sleeve before leveling his telescope with the horizon. Curse this fog, he muttered under his breath. Cant see hardly a thing
Then we should be blessing it, shouldnt we? If we cant see, then neither can those Dreningen dogs. Lord Balin put his hand on Mylins shoulder as he spoke. Now, he said, what can you tell me about our prey?
Its jus like those Republicans in Balve were sayin. A handful of Dreningen ships and a civilian vessel. It looks as if theyre tryin to make a quick escape from anyone who mightve trailed em from Port Verres, formations sloppy and theyve got twice the usual on watch.
Lord Balin grunted in affirmation. It was just as he expected. Dreningen was desperate for ships, and was hoping to avoid a fight. He would have to disappoint them on both counts
Admiral, Mylins voice brought him back to reality. The other vessels await your orders.
The Admiral thought for a moment. Circle around them as much as we can afford without overextending ourselves, I dont want them slipping through my fingers. Try to rake their bows as much as possible. Also, be careful with the civilian vessel, we dont know if the crew is aiding the Guilds of its own accord or if they dont have a choice. Of course
He said with a smirk, They put up a fight, feel free to blow them out of the water.
Mylin scurried off to raise the flags, while Lord Balin walked across the deck of the
Crimson Blade and looked into the mist, straining his eyes to see if he could catch a glimpse of the drowned rats. For a moment he thought he saw the shadow of a bow, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. He stood there and prepared himself mentally for the battle ahead. It took all the strength in him to keep from ordering the attack now and driving straight into the center of the flotilla himself. He had lost his family to the Guilds years ago, his son forced into service and his wife and daughters raped and killed on the passage from Gosica to Alhaven. Too long had the Guilds been able to do as they pleased, to whomever they pleased, without recompense. It was judgment day for them, and Seraph help him, he would make it a fiery day indeed.
When the ships were in position, he nodded his head. FIRE! The first shot flew straight and true, a direct hit on the hull. The sound of cannonfire echoed across the water as the others followed suit. It took a moment or two for the Metti to figure out what was happening. When they finally did react, it was rushed and disorganized.
So far, so good Balin thought. He just hoped it would last. His men were good, but his opponents were the best.
As the time passed, three of the Metti vessels had managed to tie him up, allowing a few ships to escape. He swore under his breath. This was not at all what he wanted. He thought for a moment, and made a decision. Mylin! he barked.
Mylin was on the bow, he spun around as he heard the Admirals voice. Sir!
Send out the message, Dolis, Herson, Linden, and Atrea are to pursue the escaping vessels, harassing them as much as they can, but they are not to tail them too far. I want to concentrate on what we have here. As for the rest
He hesitated for only a moment before continuing, prepare to board!
Aye, sir!
As Mylin rushed to complete his assignment, Balin turned once again to the boys telescope. Rather than observing the engagement however, his gaze was directed south towards the civilian vessel and its Dreningen counterpart. The fog was clearing now, and the Admiral was able to make out the name of the ship
the
Silver Ray. There seemed to be some sort of conflict on the deck, but he was too far away to discern just what was happening.
Curious
he thought. Perhaps he had his answer, perhaps the crew was opposed to aiding the Guilds? Or were they just panicking and hoping for a quick getaway?
Mylin! He shouted again. Once again the deck hand turned and acknowledged his Commanding Officer.
Sir! The message has just been sent out. Dolis, Herson, Linden, and Atrea are in pursuit, and they seem to be gaining on the fleeing vessels.
Good. Hopefully Herson wont get overenthusiastic. The point isnt to capture them, theyre already beyond that point. All we need to do is break them, so when they go scurrying back to their filthy Guild friends they will have little but tales of terror to tell. In any case, He glanced again towards the
Silver Ray, Make sure that ship doesnt get away. Its crew has piqued my interest, I want to know who they are and why theyre here, as well as whats going on over there.
Aye sir!
A shell hit the
Crimson Blade broadside, and he had to grip the rail hard to avoid being thrown overboard. Balin turned to see where the shot had come from. One of the ships had come straight at him, but thankfully he would not have to face it alone. Two other Gosican vessels pressed forward and joined the
Blade in returning fire. Held off for the moment, he turned again to regard the other vessels.
Another ship had escaped his main force, but Dolis had turned about and was keeping it at bay. Two of the three Dreningen ships that had been surrounded had been boarded, and the wisdom of keeping troops on board showed through as soldier cut through sailor. Lord Balin was glad this was so. He had some very
unpleasant
memories of boarding ships and breathed a sigh of relief that they were not to be recreated today.
The third ship, the one that had attacked him, was barely afloat now, and as he watched two Gosican ships drew up on either side and peppered what was left of the hull with shells. The ship began to sink fast. One of the ships then turned to aid Dolis, while the other turned on the ship that was tethered to the
Silver Ray.
Balin did a double take. Someone or something had severed the ropes and the two ships were drifting apart. However, the
Ray did not attempt to flee, embroiled in turmoil as it had been he was not surprised that it was not prepared to make an escape. As the
Crimson Blade moved up next to it, he took another glance at the battlefield.
They had captured a total of three ships, the two that had been boarded and the one that had been caught by Dolis had surrendered. One ship was destroyed, and the ship formerly tethered to the
Silver Ray was sinking fast, having taken multiple shells to the side. Rowers had been dispatched to gather up those who had escaped. He turned northeast and saw the Dreningen that had escaped, the Gosicans having broken off pursuit. Cowards he muttered. He knew full well that if they had stayed, odds are he would have been routed. Being Guildsmen however, they would rather save their own skins than stay and fight for their fellow men.
The victory had been decisive, but it had been far from bloodless. Herson and Atreas ships were smoking, and a few others had taken shells to the hull. There would also be a large number of dead and wounded on the ships that had boarded the Guild vessels, no doubt. All in all though, they had won the day, and their element of surprise had given them the edge they needed.
Sir! His train of thought was broken by the booming voice of Officer Blucher, one of the troops on board the
Blade. We have ordered the civilian vessel to stand down and we are preparing to board. Shall I give the order for my men take the vessel?
Balin smirked. No, no, that wont be necessary. Im sure they want to play nice. Just pick four of your best men and come with me. I want to have a little chat with these traders.
Minutes later he crossed the gangplank onto the bloody deck of the
Silver Ray. One or two of the crew were injured and one man clutched his side. The deck was strewn with dying and dead Guildsmen. It appeared that the struggle he had seen was indeed the crew revolting upon learning of the attack
the only question was why. Did they truly oppose the Guilds or were they just hoping to get away from the Gosicans?
He stepped up to a man who appeared to be the Captain and spoke. Quite a little dance youve had over here.
The man grunted in acknowledgement. Nothing my boys couldnt handle.
I can see that. His eyes then fell upon a man dressed in what looked like the uniform of a URA port official. Well youre a long way from home. What are you doing here?
The man looked nervously at the crew standing around him. Well
erm
He stammered, there were some
complications in Port Verres. Not to worry though! He rushed, as Lord Balin raised an eyebrow. You dont have to worry about this lot. Theyre definitely against the Guilds. He said gesturing to the empty mast, where the flag of Dreningen had been minutes before. They let me go after all.
I can see that. He paused for a moment before continuing. I think I believe you
ah
Benjamin, sir.
Benjamin. I have no legitimate reason to doubt you, although Im sure I could find some excuse to imprison you anyways if I wanted. He paused to let this sink in. He turned to the captain again. Have you ever been Guild affiliated, or are you independent?...and my apologies, we havent been properly introduced. He extended his hand. Lord Balin, Admiral and High Council member.
The Captain eyed his hand, still unsure if he could trust the man who had just captured his ship. After a moments contemplation, he took the offered hand, if tenuously. Van der Zruyk. Im independent. Why else would they have stationed so many men on my ship?
Very good point, Captain Zruyk. He released the mans hand. Im going help patch your ship up and send you on your way. However, it will not be completely unconditional. I am leaving this man he said, gesturing to Blucher, aboard. He will serve as your mediator with Gosica, and he can more than defend himself. It is safe to assume you have had difficulty proving independence from the Guilds since the war began?
Zruyk snorted. You can say that again.
I thought so. With William Blucher on board, you will not have those problems anymore. However, you wont be able to pull his strings. He is, after all, a well trained soldier. I trust that this will not be a problem?
No
Good. I hope that if we do meet again, it is not under the same circumstances. Until then He nodded and turned, speaking quietly to Blucher as he walked back across the gangplank. Gather your things. You are to provide some security for these traders; we need to reiterate that we are not the enemy of the common man. Also, make sure that you keep a weather eye and ear out for any news of Guild actions. I fully realize they may be bluffing, that they might be Guildsmen. However, give them the benefit of a doubt. If you hear anything of note, from them or otherwise, let us know. Just dont get yourself into trouble.
You know me, Blucher replied with a grin, Im a perfect little angel.
Lord Balin laughed as he looked across the railings towards the sunset. The fog was completely gone now, and it was getting dark fast. He was glad things had worked out well, but he still felt sad for those who had lost their lives in this engagement. Those bloody Guilds were causing all sorts of suffering, as they had done for years.
Hours later, he breathed a long sigh as he watched the
Silver Ray sail away. People like that were exactly what they were fighting for. He just hoped they would have the strength to win that fight.
Heres to you he said, raising his glass of celebratory wine as the ship off into the black.
OOC: Iggy, Blucher is yours to be used how you will. Whether he is a hard-line militant, a talented troublemaker, or something else is completely up to you. Hope you all enjoyed the story.
Very nice story, Iggy.
) a story for NESLife. All we need now is to have Daftpanzer write a story for Darkening's NES, and Darkening to write a story for...
