A/N: This is set in 2025. The HMAS Hammersley that was commissioned after Season 1 is in her last months of service.
Several of the old crew are aboard, all in different roles by now...
Before the decomissioning, there is a new crewmember...
Disclaimer: I do not own Sea Patrol. It belongs to its rightful owners.
Legacy
1021, HMAS Cairns
The young woman was standing nervously on the pier of the HMAS Cairns Naval Base. Only a few feet away lay the boat where she was supposed to report for duty.
Taking a deep breath, she shouldered her pack, straightened her uniform and walked towards the gangway, saluting the ensign at the stern of the boat and almost ran into a man who had just appeared from inside.
"I'm sorry, Sir", she said, standing straight upon recognizing a LCDR's epaulets above the grey and blue spots on his uniform.
"It's alright", he said, "You must be our newest crewmember?"
"Seaman Chloe Blake", she introduced herself.
"Welcome aboard", the officer smiled, "I'm Ryan White, the captain of the Hammersley. Best follow me, I'll show you inside."
Chloe shouldered her gear and followed inside. They went along the corridor until LCDR White tapped on a door.
"Enter!" someone called inside.
They opened the door and reached a cabin with four racks, one of them occupied by a young female sailor.
"Good morning, Sir", she greeted, getting up from her bed.
"Monica, this is Seaman Blake, your newest roommate", LCDR White said, "Be nice."
Turning around he walked out into the corridor and closed the door. Chloe stood there unsure what to do next, then the blonde sailor smiled at her.
"Able Seaman Susan Lewinski", she introduced herself.
"I thought he called you Monica?" Chloe queried, starting giggles from the blonde woman.
"They all call me Monica", she laughed, "Because of my last name… it's a navy tradition to get nicknames."
Her face getting more serious again, Susan snatched her uniform jacket from the bed.
"That's mine", she explained, "And the other bottom one belongs to our third roommate, Able Seaman Sylvie Ash. The top ones are free to choose."
Chloe lifted her pack and threw it on the bed above Susan's. Susan buttoned up her jacket, then looked at her.
"When you're settled, I can show you around", she offered.
Without hesitation, the two young sailors entered the sickbay. A female petty officer looked up from her paperwork. She had discarded the jacket of her DPNUs and had her long black hair in a tight bun.
The other person in the room was wearing the full uniform, a Bosun's mate's insignia on his breast. According to his epaulets, his rank was Chief Petty officer.
"The captain asked me to show our little one around", Susan explained as they looked up.
"Our Buffer, Chief Webb and our Doc, Petty officer Bird", Susan introduced them, "This is Seaman Blake."
"Welcome aboard Hammersley", Jessica Bird greeted her.
Soon they left and went on to the bridge. After the door closed, the two senior crewmates looked at each other.
"I never thought, I'd still be in the navy, when we meet Swain's daughter", Bird reflected, "What about you, Spider?"
"Me neither", he admitted, "And what a coincidence that she's posted to the same boat."
0838, HMAS Cairns
The next morning, the crew was busy loading supplies. Chloe was working with the others, supervised by Spider. The Hammersley was scheduled to depart shortly after noon, and there was still a lot to be done.
Once the food and other stuff was loaded and stored, the crew assembled their watch stations. The ropes were thrown loose and carefully the old Patrol Boat drifted away from the pier.
1624, Arafora Sea, First Dog Watch
They had only departed a few hours ago, when Chloe's first watch came up. She was standing on the nock of the bridge, binocular on her eyes, while Bird was manning the conn. The Hammersley's NAV, LEUT Tom Chan was in command.
"Contact on the radar", a young sailor called out, "2-8-9, 17 miles."
"Can you see it on the EOD?" LEUT Chan asked.
"No, Sir", the sailor replied, "To far out. It's an area where a lot of illegal fishing happens."
LEUT Chan thought for a while, then took the microphone in his hand, "Captain to the bridge!"
He turned to Bird, "Get us closer. Backboard 45, steer 2-9-0, 20 knots."
"Backboard 45, 20 knots", Bird repeated, "Aye aye."
A minute or so passed until LCDR White entered the bridge.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Suspicious contact, about 17 miles out", LEUT Chan reported.
"They have lines in the water", Spider announced, looking over the young sailor's shoulder at the display of the EOD.
"Alright, NAV", Ryan smiled, "Pipe boarding stations."
"Boarding stations!" LEUT Chan announced over the intercom.
The two RHIBs, nicknamed Thunder and Lightning were lowered into the water and quickly closed in on the trawler. They boarded without resistance and arrested the crew. The fishermen were ferried over to the Hammersley and two of the boarding party were assigned to sail the trawler back to Cairns.
1743, Arafora Sea, First Dog Watch
Chloe had just set down her binoculars for a moment when the Hammersley's Electronics Technician, LS Mike O'Donnell stepped out on the nock.
"Why are the RHIBs called 'Thunder' and 'Lighting'?" Chloe wanted to know.
"That's because of our mascot", the Leading Seaman explained with a smile, "The Hammersley's mascot is Thor, the thunder-god."
2121, Arafora Sea, First Watch
Chloe yawned and pulled her blanket over herself, ready to fall asleep in her rack. Susan went to bed shortly after her, Chloe realized half asleep. The light had not been out for longer than five minutes, Chloe guessed, when the intercom came to live.
"Listen up! The Kingston is chasing an illegal fisher's mother ship in our direction. We're intercepting. Expect contact at 0730 tomorrow! Out!"
"We better get some sleep then", Susan commented.
0655, Arafora Sea, Morning Watch
"Red 3-0, Vessel approaching, eight miles!" Chloe called out without taking down her binoculars.
"Got it", the CO acknowledged, "Starboard 3-0, Full ahead."
They approached the fishing Vessel and Chloe and the other members of the boarding party readied themselves. In the ready room, Chloe rolled down the sleeves of her DPNUs before adding a boarding vest and a helmet.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine" Jessica Bird assured her.
Chloe nodded as the ship's XO handed her a 9mm Browning Hi-Power Pistol. LEUT Liz Doyle looked at her team.
"Everyone ready?" she asked.
"Alright everyone, Check weapon for safety", Spider ordered, "Clear barrel and place it on safety. Holster weapons!"
"Buffer, take Thunder", the XO ordered.
"Aye, ma'am", Spider replied, before leading them out on the deck. The RHIBs were quickly launched into the water and speeding towards the vessel. From the far distance behind the fishing vessel, the second Patrol Boat, the Kingston approached, launching their RHIBs as well.
The four boats closed in on the ship, while the Kingston and the Hammersley blocked any route of escape. When they were close enough, Spider jumped over the ship's guardrail, entering the deck unseen. Bird followed quickly, Chloe taking the third place. The team from Lighting followed close behind, while the two RHIBs from Kingston boarded on the other side. Carefully the sailors made their way towards the bridge.
"Ma'am, there's a body", Chloe announced as she glanced in between several barrels filled with fish.
"Bird, can you do anything?" LEUT Doyle wanted to know.
"No, ma'am", Bird replied, "Gunshot to the head. Execution style."
In the meantime, the Kingston's team had secured the bridge and found no one. The two officers from the different Patrol Boats conferred with each other, before the sailors began to search the ship carefully.
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A/N: So, what do you guys think? Want me to continue?
Don't forget to revew!