Welcome to my first Sea Patrol story. It's really the first time I write a story, so please comment on my work. I'm from Belgium, so English isn't my native language. I don't own the show or the rights to the show. This story is my creation. I used the original characters, but I added some of my own.
This story starts approximately 2 years after season 5.

Enjoy!

Prologue 3th of November 2015, Brussels, house of the prime minister

"Six Barrels? How the hell did they loose six barrels?" The Belgian Prime Minister was shocked and it took a lot to shock her. Céline Danneels of the conservative party was the first female PM of Belgium. Would this be her legacy to politics?

Half an hour ago, in the middle of the night, she got a very disturbing telephone call. Her husband looked up en knew it was serious. It took a lot to bring his wife in this state. She jumped into her clothes, kissed him and left the bedroom. Ten seconds later, she was back. "Honey, if I text you to take a break today, take the kids and leave Brussels. Go to the Ardennes or something. Stay away from the cities. Ok?"

He was surprised. This was definitely serious.

Two motorcycle police men were already at her door. Her driver also. She grabbed her laptop, got into her car and the column took off to her cabinet. This would be a very long night.

Brussels, cabinet of the prime minister

"Alright, fill me in", said prime minister Danneels, while she entered the meeting room of her office. The chief commissioner of the federal police, the secretary of defence and the home secretary with the chiefs of their cabinets were already present.

"Four hours ago, the security section of Belgocontrol did the standard weekly check-up of the waste barrels," said the chief of police, "Six barrels of B-class middle radioactive nuclear waste have gone missing. They checked and rechecked. They are officially gone missing." "How the blazing is this even possible?" the PM asked. "It's a public secret the security of Belgocontrol is not up to date", said the home secretary. The PM knew that is was not "up to date". It was a bloody understatement that security at Belgocontrol wasn't "up to date". Belgocontrol in the city of Dessel was the storage facility for used power rods of the Belgian nuclear power plants. Each rod is placed in a heavily protected barrel, where it should stay for over hundreds of years.

In the 1950's when Belgium built his first nuclear reactor, all the nuclear sites were going to protected by the Belgian army but that never happened. Budgetary problems. Every Belgian facility now had their own private unarmed civilian security unit. 3 years ago, 2 children shot a football over a fence at Belgocontrol. They found an existing hole in the fence and entered the site to search their ball. Then they walked around for a full hour before a security employee noticed them. It was a huge scandal in the press. The home secretary was severely questioned in parliament. The opposition had a field day. Promises for better security were made but never executed.

"Chief commissioner Deruyter," the PM asked, "do you have any leads?" "Yes, the moment the alarm came in, a team under command of judge-investigator Dewaele and prosecutor Haerens was formed. We believe the theft happened two days ago. A delivery van of a local carpenter has been seen near the site". "Two days? The thieves can be in Russia by now". "We don't think so, ma'am," Deruyter answered, "the trace leads to the harbour of our port of Seabruges. We're investigating it this very moment."

"Good, this is what we do now…", the PM said. A lot of protocols were arranged. The press mustn't hear about it. It would rise a panic beyond all others. NATO allies, EUROPOL and INTERPOL were informed. The meeting took several hours.

The PM's husband got a message from his wife. He woke the kids, they got in the car and rushed to their holiday house in the Ardennes forest, away from every big city. He mailed his firm that he would out of office for several days.

5th of November 2015, Belgian frigate F931 Louise-Marie, North sea, 50 miles out of the Belgian coast

Frigate-captain Moenaerts, his first officer Peter Desmet, the weapons officer and the other members of the ships staff were gathered in the ships office. "Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. The NH90-helicopter you just saw, brought us a host, mister Degroote from Belgocontrol, and the necessary equipment to do a boarding on the yacht 'Sea star' ten miles from our current position. These orders come directly from the cabinet of the prime minister and not from Naval Staff, so we can assume it is bloody serious.", the captain addressed his staff.

"Two days ago six nuclear barrels were stolen from a storage facility. This has been kept quiet for the press. It's believed the barrels are on the 'Sea Star'. We'll do a stealth boarding, arrest the crew and secure the barrels." Everyone nodded. "Nav, when is the 'Sea Star' in range?" "At current speed, sir, we will intercept her within 40 minutes."

"Weapons officer, I want the star board 50 cal ready. When we meet resistance the 50 cal has orders to return fire. The 76 mm Oto-Melara canon must be ready with low-explosive rounds so we can disable the Sea Stars engines." "Yes sir", the officer replied.

"First Officer, assemble your crew. Mister Degroote from Belgocontrol is waiting for you and your crew to explain how you can use the special equipment."

"Any questions?", the captain asked. "No? Good, this meeting is adjourned. Good luck everyone. Stay safe." Everyone went to their stations. The tense was high.

Sea Star, 55 miles out of the Belgian Coast.

It wasn't the first time that Jessy had smuggled. For the right price he took every job. With his small yacht 'Sea Star' a lot was possible. Cigarettes, cocaine, heroin, diamants, ... this time it were six barrels. He was clever enough to ask no questions. 5 000 euro at start, another 15 000 on delivery. That was good money for one trip across the channel. He didn't want to know what was in those barrels. He worked with this client before on several times. He just said "When in trouble sent one word: 'Adaland' with this cell phone. Do not use any other phone, only this, got it?"

Trouble? He never had trouble. He was to good in his job. The last 8 years he smuggled between Belgium, France, the UK, the Netherlands, … he was never caught. He ran into a patrol boat once and a while but they never found anything.

He sailed an easy east by north-east course. At the horizon he saw a navy ship. She steamed directly to him so he turned 10 degrees. Damn, she had a high speed. What was she playing at? He took the radio and called her in. "Navy ship on my larboard bow, this is the yacht Sea Star. You are sailing directly in my course. Have you seen me? Over?" They didn't respond. Strange. After 20 seconds she answered, "Sea Star, Sea Star, this is the Belgian frigate Louise-Marie. We see you very good, now we have you on radio, we ask permission to do a boarding exercise. Over." Dammit, not good. A stash of heroin he could hide. But six barrels on deck. There would be questions. "Louise-Marie, I'm sorry, but I have an appointment at Lowestoft, England I have to catch. I'm already running late. So that's a negative. Sorry!" "No problem, Sea Star, maybe another time. Have a safe trip. If you stay on this course, we'll pass safely on your larboard. Louise-Marie out."

Pfew, that was close. That could have been real trouble. The moment the Louise-Marie passed by, she let her RHIB go. Within moments, Jessy knew this was not good. he saw that the big bow cannon was pointed in his direction, there was a gunner on the machine gun near the frigates bridge. He send the text message 'Adaland' to the given number and waited for the RHIB to board his boat.

So this was it, first time he got caught in 8 years. Before the pain in his leg struck hem, he heared 3 loud bangs under the hull of his yacht. The boat shivered. What was happening? Did the frigate fire on him? He saw no smoke from the warship. The next second, he heard a bang near his leg. He felt an excruciating pain in his leg. He grabbed his leg but missed it. When he looked, he saw that a huge chump of his leg was missing. The phone had exploded. The pain was unbearable. He saw blood spraying out of his artery. Within half a minute he lost consciousness. The last thing he remembered was that the bow of the Sea Star went down, she was making water, a lot of water. Then everything went black.

FO Desmet was ready for everything. He had put 2 gunners with the standard Belgian FNC machine gun on the bow of the RHIB to return fire if necessary. He would be the first one to go on board. The gunners would cover him and his team. What was that guy on the 'Sea Star' doing? Did he had a sat phone? No, it was an old school cell phone. What is that idiot doing with a cell phone here? He didn't had any reception this far from land.

"Gunners ready to engage at my command," he shouted. Only 60 meters, 50 meters, … then he heared 'BANG, BANG, BANG' two seconds later another BANG. He saw three splashes in the water near the hull of the Sea Star. The skipper fell on deck and he appeared to be bleeding heavily. "My god, she sinking!", he shouted, "Hard turn to star board!" The RHIB turned away from the Sea Star as she went down. "What the hell just happened?" the FO asked his bosun? "I don't know, sir," he replayed. They both looked to the bow canon of the frigate, but she didn't fire any round. "Sir, I believe the skipper let his boat explode so we couldn't get on."

On the bridge of the Louise-Marie her captain and bridge personnel were appalled by what they just saw. It took the Sea Star no more than 2 minutes to go down. "Nav, how deep is the water here?" "24 meters (yards), sir". "Damn, we shall need a bloody submarine to make sure those barrels are still intact."

"Comcen, contact Naval Staff and the PM of what just happened and ask Naval Staff that they sent a sub here."

That evening, first item in the news was the sinking of a pleasure yacht in the channel between Belgium and the UK. A Belgian frigate that was near tried to help the skipper, but they were too late. The skipper went down with his boat.

Meanwhile, a very specific container with six barrels was loaded on board a cargo ship, together with 300 other containers in the harbour of Seabruges. First stop Le Havre in France, then through the Mediterranean, through the Arabian Sea to Mumbai, then Jakarta and final stop Port Hedland, Australia.

Yes, the prologue takes place in Belgium. Don't worry, chapter one takes you right into original setting.
Enjoy!