A/N - I don't own 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Please let me know what you think.

Prince Dakkar took a deep breath as he boarded the submarine he and his men had spent so long building after the Indian rebellion fell apart.

Dakkar had seen many beautiful things in his travels, but as he looked at the submarine, he couldn't help but feel this submarine was perhaps the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, next to his country, and his now dead wife and tragically murdered children.

The intense heat of the tropical island didn't bother any of them. Dakkar had watched in silence when the submarine slid into the water of the locked-in lagoon which had proved to be the best shelter he could have hoped for; the high hills and the dense forest had been the perfect cover for the rebel Indians who had taken the island over and hid from the entire world, and just because this island was off the shipping lanes didn't mean somebody couldn't stumble across the island by accident although Dakkar had been too distracted by the construction of his ship to really think about what would happen if someone did stumble across their work.

For the last hour, Dakkar had been watching as his men carefully guided the submarine to the centre of the lagoon, where there was a large raft and he had supervised the loading of the three torpedoes while a group had gone inside to activate the hydroelectric plant inside the submarine.

"We are ready to board the ship, Maharajah," one of the men said, keeping his head low in respect after the emergency diving suits had been placed inside the ship.

Dakkar smiled at the man as he nodded gravely. "Are the test boats anchored by the beach?"

"They are."

"Very good. We will begin the first test now. Order the trial crew to board."

"At once."

Dakkar breathed in nervously as he stood on the walkway and then he gathered himself. He couldn't help but hesitate. He and his men had been driven to build this submarine vessel for a while now, and he had spent many hours going over the calculations and seeing to the construction of various models designed to test atmospheres and hull stress. He had spent a great deal improving and learning from the myriad of mistakes and thought he had solved many of them.

But if he had made a fatal mistake he and his men would soon find themselves in a metal tomb at the bottom of the seabed…

Dakkar pushed the thoughts aside as he boarded the submarine, casting an appreciative eye as he took in the whale-like appearance of the ship before he went through the hatch. After reaching the control chamber, escorted by several of his men who would soon become sailors of the submarine vessel, Dakkar nodded in satisfaction as he saw how already the electrical systems were working.

"Cast off all moorings. Stand by engines," he gave the order, summoning up all of his nerves when his men took their stations. "Close the outer hatch," he added.

With trained and practiced moves, his men silently went about their tasks. There was a hum of power within the ship.

"Take us out of the lagoon," Dakkar ordered the helmsman, who gently steered them away. "Ahead slow."

The submarine moved hesitantly at first, reminding Dakkar of a baby lamb he had once seen after witnessing the birth. The mother had delivered the lamb and then spent the next few minutes cleaning it before urging it to stand on its own. The lamb had moved hesitantly and tottered around on it legs for the first time before becoming proficient in the art of walking.

It seemed natural his submarine vessel would be the same.

With only a few commands from Dakkar, the submarine moved out of the lagoon easily before entering the open sea. Through the helmsman's windows, Dakkar could see in the distance the three boats with the familiar flag that even now filled him with a potent hatred, even if he had ordered/made sure the boats would be flying them.

The British flag.

For so many years the British had ruled India, virtually enslaving its people and spitting on the ancient traditions and customs of its people while they plundered India's resources and treasures. Dakkar had been raised to despise the British. He had often refused to visit the country, despite his parents telling him to go so then he could learn more about them. It would not be until his return home that he would learn his parents had ordered him to visit Britain so he could learn how to fight them.

Dakkar pushed those thoughts out of his mind. "Stand by to submerge," he ordered. "Raise the periscope."

Behind him, a brass tube rose with a hiss and a groan out of a well in the ground. Dakkar took the device as it came level with his torso, and he peered through the lenses. He could see the three boats clearly although the tube was looming over them.

"Take us down 10 feet," he ordered.

Bubbles appeared by the windows as the water level rose and engulfed them, casting the room into near blackness before somebody switched on the bridge running lights, casting a blue glow around the room. Peering through the periscope, Dakkar was relieved to see it had worked; the top of the periscope was above the water, and he could see the three boats clearly. And the submarine was heading for them.

"All engines stop," Dakkar said when the submarine had reached the boats. The three boats were anchored off of the beach of the island. They were boats from the ship the Indian rebels had used to reach the island with the second ship which carried the materials that Dakkar had ordered to build the submarine vessel. The boats were flying a British flag each. "Ready torpedoes."

The order was relayed to the torpedo room. Dakkar had spent a long time working out the best way of firing the torpedoes accurately and effectively and he had realised if the ship was stabilised perfectly, then it could work. After giving instructions to the men operating the diving planes, Dakkar was ready for the first torpedo.

"Fire torpedo 1," Dakkar ordered.

The first boat was destroyed a moment later by the battery-powered torpedo which struck the boat in a burst of splinters and burnt pieces of wood.

A few minutes later with several adjustments, the other two boats were destroyed at the same speed.

"Perfect. The weapons are perfect. Now we can begin," Dakkar pulled back from the periscope and looked around the control chamber. "This ship will be our salvation, my friends. I shall name this vessel….the Nautilus."