Chapter Five: Ceremonious Play
Tom read through the report. The SILVANNA was moving into the Dragon's Tooth. He had bad memories of the place. He'd lost his first ship there. However, he trusted Alex's judgement, and decided to take the risk. Before he could reach the bridge, an explosion shook the CHULAINN, tossing him against the far wall of his cabin.
Caroline pried open the door to her brother's cabin, and stood in shock for a moment, before running into the small space. "Tom!" He was slumped on the ground, obviously having been knocked out as he hit the cabin walls. "Tom, wake up!" When he didn't stir, she propped him up and found his hair slightly damp with a crimson fluid. She swore and rushed out of the room towards the bridge. She didn't like the idea of having to leave her brother, but if whatever had shot them fired again, they'd be in even deeper trouble.
She considered returning to her own ship for a moment, but then dismissed the idea. Their attackers were already within firing range, and launching a Vanship transport would not only put the transport at risk, but would also endanger the ships she was launching from and landing on. When she reached the bridge it had already gone to full combat alert, and the crew was calculating fiuring solutions for the turrets.
A quick glance out of the viewport told her they were facing at least two ships. She listened to the orders issued for a moment, then decided to go with what had already been said. "All hands, secure the decks! Move us into position of fire a broadside at the enemy, and tell BATTLEMASTER to cover our port flank! As soon as they're within firing range, open fire!"
The observation post called out, "They're Anatoure ships!"
Caroline forze for a second. Anatoure ships? Here? For the third time, she swore. The idiot Vitellius set them on us. That bastard! She swallowed her anger. "What shall we do?" One of the officers asked her. She just glanced at him helplessly.
A small plume of smoke began billowing out of the nearest battleship, and a barrage of shells headed straight for them. Caroline gaped. They were really firing at them. She couldn't believe it. The shells struck and tossed the majority of the command crew to the ground. Sparks began flying, and the hull shrieked in protest.
That's it. They asked for it. Caroline lifted herself off the ground. "All guns, open fire! Target their gun emplacements and engines, if possible –" She gripped the railing of the command platform tighter as the ship shuddered under another barrage. "Scrap that. Just give 'em hell!"
The CHULAINN's guns roared to life, and soon the Anatoure battleships' sides were pcokmarked with impact craters. One of the ships pulled back. "Cease fire on the ship to port! Concentrate all fire on the other cruiser!" Caroline grimaced. She didn't like shooting at Anatoure ships, but if they had been sent by Vitellius, and were firing without warning, she doubted they'd listen to reason.
"Thrid hostile incoming from the rear! Minus twelve degrees elevation, at fifteen degrees from the x-y!" The observation post reported. "Crap. Tell BATTLEMASTER to level off and engage them! Turn us around so that we face them, and prepare a broadside!"
As th CHULAINN swung around, the new enemy ship came into view. Now they're "enemies", huh? Great job, Caroline, she mused. She strained to make out the new threat through the clouds. "I'm not picking up any engine noise!"
"That means they're in inaudible drive – their engines are not under Guild control," she realized. The vessel they were facing was an elongated fuselage that sprouted two downward sloping wings. Upon closer inspection, they were revealed to be chainsaws. "Manouver hard to port!" Caroline shouted as the Urbanus-class vessel accelerated in their direction, seemingly intent on ramming them.
The CHULAINN banked hard to port, allowing the pther vessel to pass by. By then, Caroline had realized her mistake, but it was already too late. The giant chainsaws that were attached to the side of the URBANUS-class vessel made contact with the CHULAINN's hull and a low rumble went through the ship. It quickly turned into the shriek of metal as the chainsaw started to penetrate the armor plating.
"All starboard cannons, open fire! Use high-explosive shells!" She shouted, seeing a possible way out. The CHULAINN's side-mounted turrets opened up, firing their deadly barrage point-blank into the other vessel, blasting the two ships apart. Unlike the URBANUS class vessel, however, the CHULAINN was built for durability, and the wing that had housed the offending chainsaw broke off the ship. The URBANUS class vessel, without one of its stabilizers, started to drop.
"Status on the other vessels?" Caroline demanded.
"One down, the other one is retreating! We have two confirmed sinking ships," the observation post reported. Nodding, Caroline turned. "Send a doctor to my brother's cabin."
Tom groaned at the bright light. "Who in the seven hells dumped the sun in my cabin?" He heard a low, feminine chuckle. "No one. Hey, bro. Good to see you're better."
Tom squinted and let his eyes slowly adjust to the bright lights. "All right, so what happened?" She moved to stand closer to him. "We ran into a squad of Anatoure battleships. They attacked, we fought back." She could see him wince. "Result?"
"Two ships sunk, one got away. They finished the URBANUS fleet."
"Apparently, Walker's information was wrong," Tom concluded. "They must have sped up construction. I wonder why...Do you think they're expecting a Deusis invasion?" His sister shook her head. "I don't know. After Minagis, I'm sure the Deusis will think twice before attacking Anatoure again. And the information Walker gave us indicates Anatoure has been on the winning streak lately."
"Maybe. How's the damage?"
"Well, apart from a couple of damaged armor plates, minimal. We really need to replace the starboard armor plating. It's almost gone," Caroline told him.
"What?"
"The URBANUS had a big, nasty chainsaw attached to its side. I realized too late they were trying to goad us into evading them so they could cut us open like a roast turkey."
Tom sighed. "All right. What about the crew?"
"They didn't like it, but they understood it. We all know Vitellius sent those ships, and no one on board doesn't know what he's like. They may not like it, but they will do what has to be done. They already proved it, too."
"Uh-huh. All right. Continue on the course to Minagis. I'll be there in a minute," Tom said as he struggled to sit up. The room began to grow fuzzy and he felt like he was swimming. Dizzyness flooded his senses, and he felt a strong urge to throw up.
"Nope. You're staying here in bed and get some rest. Acting Captain's orders." Caroline grinned. Tom groaned and let himself fall back on the sheaths. "You really like this Captain thing, don't you?" She just nodded.
"Deusis is going to invade Anatoure? I find that hard to believe. Their fleet is decimated!" The commander shouted. Duke Madosein indicated him to be silent. "Not at all. You see, if the enemy is at the verge of defeat and has nothing to loose, more often than not, humans tend to choose to fight to the death than continue living in despair and hopelessness," he said. The man who held the control over his very own personal battlegroup leaned forward and steepled his fingers.
"Tell me, how do you propose we stop the two sides from killing each other?"
Tom and Caroline exchanged a quick glance. "The princess is returning to the Imperial City as we speak to ask her father to cease hostilities." He was wearing a long, dark green coat to conceal his features. The guards had been adamant about not letting him in until Madosein himself had allowed them to enter.
"And if the Emperor doesn't?"
"Then she plans to assume the throne. She won't like it, but she knows it has to be done." Tom sighed as he thought of the woman on whose shoulders their conflict with Deusis – and now the Guild, too – rested.
Madosein looked sceptical. "What if she is incarcerated for treason and executed?" He didn't like the idea himself. But if there is anything we can do to avoid the total destructio of both our cultures, then we have to try, at the very least.
"We have a...friend there. Besides, that's where you and your fleet come in. Anatoure has completed their prototype of a long-range artillery anti-ship cannon. We'll need to take it out. And we need to prevent the two sides from killing each other." Caroline said.
"My forces are about as patched up as they can get. We are still only a small fleet, but we will do what we can," he finally said.
Tom nodded. "And you won't be alone."
As they turned to leave, Madosein called out once more. "You sound familiar. Are you sure we haven't met before?" Tom turned around. "Maybe."
"Won't you tell me who the master of that famed 'Phantom Ship' is that is docked at the berth?"
"I am."
Madosein looked at the man before him intently. "I know I have met you before."
Tom removed the hood and nodded. "Indeed we have, David Madosein."
The other man gaped for a moment, before he realized his jaw was hanging down and closed it. "Tomaas Riatavin...How?" He whispered. "But...the NEHELENIA was destroyed..."
"Obviously, the Deusis didn't do a very good job of it," Tom said and left with Caroline.
Imperial City was ablaze. The city looked like the incarnate of the apocalypse, raveged by fire raining from the sky. Buildings were collapsing, fires blazing brightly in the handful of buildings that still stood. The Deusis armada that had amassed overhead blocked out the nightsky. Had it not been so brutal, the vista might have been beautiful.
Marius, Prime Minister of Anatoure, sneaked up through the Imperial Palace to the throne room. He withdrew a dagger and stepped before the Emperor. "This has to end," he said. Few words were spoken, and no sound was heard except for the clash of metal on metal as they duelled. That night, a city fell, and with it, two of its greatest men.
Vincent stared out of the viewport of the URBANUS as the Deusis battlegroup advanced. He had ordered the destruction of the Scolopendra Cannon, Anatoure's only defense against the overwhelming Deusis fleet that floated over their capital. He just hoped he had done the right thing.
"The Deusis vanguard is within firing range!"
He took a deep breath. How they would find out if their plan had worked out.
"Deusis ships are opening gun ports!"
He didn't give a command. They were sitting ducks, waiting for the Deusis to pick them off. If the plan failed... He shuddered at the thought. Then the Guild will have won.
"We have new incomings!" The observation post called out. "Visual contact with at least...sixty-eight battleships confirmed! They're moving at high-altitude combat speed!"
The commander of the URBANUS and the princess of Anatoure shared a glance. "Sophia?" He asked her. She shook her head. "I have no idea," she told him.
"Contact confirmed! Confrim, ALUSTAR-, FORMOR-, and CLAIHM SOLAIS-class battleships! They're signalling! All forces, this is Duke Madosein. Cease fire immediately." Vincent let out a sigh of relief. "Are the Deusis complying?"
"They are! They're signalling back!" Vincent glanced over at Sophia. They still had a long way to go, but the first step had been made.
Tom watched silently from one of the rear benches as Sophia, formerly the SILVANNA's second-in-command, and now Anatoure's Empress, went through the coronation ceremony. She took the giant key-staff that started the hourglass, and slid it into its slot in the ground. The entire platform began to revolve and clicked into place. As if on cue, rose petals began to fall.
Rose petals? Tom glanced upwards. The sky seemed a little darker than it had a moment before. Damn them! Damn you, Delphine! Tom mentally swore. There was no way he could reach the CHULAINN in time. Glancing upwards, he saw his fears confirmed. Breaking through the clouds was a giant vessel that looked somethat like an octahedral. It's six pointed wingtips seemed razor-sharp, even from the distance. Tom had seen a ship like that twice before...
"Is there anything we can do?" Caroline asked from beside him.
"Not from here. We can only pray they're not here to crash the party," Tom replied. As he glanced up, he saw that someone else obviously had recognized the symbol of the rose petals. And that someone sat in the command chair of the SILVANNA. The battleship was headed right for the Guild dreadnought.
"Is he crazy? He's not thinking about attacking the Guild alone, is he?" Caroline sounded incredulous. Tom understood her only too well. "He's like that," he said, then a frightening thought struck him. Crap! He thought. Sophia and the delegations are right under the Guild ship! If they sink it, it's gonna fall right on top of their heads! Alex, you idiot! Can't you see that she's setting you up?
To his surprise and relief, the SILVANNA veered off at the last moment. The Guild battleship, done with its mockery, retreated back above the clouds, leaving behind a stunned audience.
