I have just realised that I have I rival Goliath pseudo sequel on this site. I will have to read "Your-face-the-granola-bar"'s version so we don't end up too similar. But great minds think alike and all that...

Anyway, I present the third chapter. I am submitting them pretty quick but that is only to get the flow of the story going. And explanations to all my "Deus ex Machina"bits are coming soon.

Chapter 3

"The following are guilty of violent breaches of International Law and have been requested to surrender themselves to the appropriate authority by the end of the month:

Captain Thomas Robert Hobbes of the Leviathan. Violation of Ottoman neutrality, unprovoked and fatal attack on the Ottoman Navy, aiding and encouraging espionage and sabotage on a neutral power.

Dr Nora Darwin Barlow, Head Keeper of the London Zoo. Aiding said attack on the Ottoman Navy, illegitimate use of diplomatic privileges, aiding and encouraging espionage and sabotage on a neutral power.

Midshipman Dylan Sharp of the Leviathan. Direct acts of espionage and sabotage on a neutral power, engaging in terrorist activities within said power, violent and deadly attacks on the Ottoman Army and the crew of the Orient Express.

The admiralty also reminds Captain Hobbes that he has five prisoners of war who, being captured in a neutral state, are being illegitimately and illegally held. Those prisoners are:

Wildcount..." the Captain stopped here, as if he had encountered a word that he had no intention of trying to pronounce, "...Volger of Southern Trieste.

Corporal Hans Bauer of the Habsburg Guard.

Engineer Karl Hoffman of the Habsburg Guard.

Master of Mekanics Otto Klopp.

And a boy under their protection.

He is requested to return them to their sovereign state.

Finally, the airship "The Leviathan", as part of our military disarmament agreement with the German Empire, is to be decommissioned. Once the other matters have been settled, First Lieutenant Craymer is to fly to Munich where the Leviathan will be released into German custody.

These are the direct orders of the Admiralty board. Failure to comply with them is both mutiny against the British Air Service and Treason against the Crown.

Signed Sir Anthony Groveback, representative of the Admiralty Board."

Captain Hobbes stopped speaking and placed the letter back onto the table. Everyone named in the letter was crowded into the Map Room along with three of the Leviathan's officers. Silence reigned.
"I have decided that I have no choice. As master of the Leviathan and a servant of the Crown, I am duty bound to obey the Admiralty's orders. Regardless of who is running the show in London..." he gave Dylan a sharp look and the boy bit his lip, "I am not willing to endanger the lives of my crew over a diplomatic incident I take full responsibility for. I have called you all here to ask whether you will be willing to do the same." he looked at Alek and then at Dylan.
"Sabotage and terrorism are hanging offences. And from what I understand, the fate of political usurpers is similar."
The three officers paled.
"But sir, you cannot possibly mean that...?"
"If we surrender, everyone named in that letter will be executed. If we do not, the Leviathan will be hunted down and its entire crew shot for mutiny."
Dr Barlow's Loris made a worried whimper.
"But those orders didn't come from the admiralty not really. They came from the Germans, didn't they? All the admiralty did was write it out on their stationary and put some barking big signature at the bottom..."
Captain Hobbes gave Dylan a hard look.
"King George surrendered unconditionally to the Germans. We have to play by their rules. That is how it works, Midshipman."
Alek could only stare at the maps on the opposite wall. It had happened too quickly. St Petersburg had fallen when they were flying across the Urals. When Istanbul had been "reclaimed" by the Sultan and the German Sixth Army, The Leviathan was given orders to turn around. By the time they reached the Black Sea, Paris had fallen and the British Army had been encircled in Belgium and Dunkirk. The Leviathan had flown south, carefully crossing the newly hostile Ottoman Empire, ending up just west of Palestine's Mediterranean coast when London was stormed by the German LuftKorps. The next day, King George had met with Generalfeldmarschall Hindenburg of the German Eighth Army to surrender unconditionally to the German Empire and the Kaiser.

The war was already over. And the Germans had won.

Perhaps God was just playing games with him, letting him stumble a few steps before showing him just how insignificant he was, how childish. Back in Istanbul, with the Committee, he had genuinely thought he could change the world. But in two short weeks, everything he had done or aspired to do had been destroyed.
For the first time in a very long time, Alek felt like he needed to cry.

Deryn was about to cry too.
This was it. Her country was captured, her airship home doomed to be sent to some Clanker laboratory to be pulled apart bit by bit, her friends all facing the firing squad. Somehow it made her feel very very small.
Captain Hobbes spoke but it sounded far away.
"So, Mr Sharp. Are you willing to surrender to the Ottoman Empire?"
Deryn nodded dumbly. What else could she do? She wasn't about to drag the rest of the barking crew into mutiny, even if it was against thinly disguised Clankers. That would be unsoldierly and, oddly enough, it made her feel slightly better.
"Dr Barlow has already made it plain that she would surrender as long as she was allowed to represent herself at the tribunal. Those Turks won't know what hit them."
There was some laughter, if only to relieve the tension. Captain Hobbes turned to Alek and his Clanker friends. Count Volger met the Captain's apologetic gaze with his own imperious glare. Alek was staring blankly at the opposite wall, tears threatening in his green eyes. Deryn reached out and gripped his shoulder. He turned and smiled weakly at Deryn's hand, successfully blinking away the tears.
"We will be willing to return to the Germans, Captain." Volger's voice was dripping in sarcasm, like poison from the fangs of a viperesque, "We thank you for giving us so much choice in the matter."
Captain Hobbes made a face.
"You had as much choice as I did, Count."
The Map Room was silent for a very long time.
"Very well. There is an Ottoman cruiser waiting at Cyprus. In the meantime..."
The door flew open. Through the door stood Second Lieutenant Williams and Midshipman Newkirk. Behind them, half the crew seemed to have forced themselves into the narrow corridor.
"Lieutenant! What is the meaning of this?"
The Second Lieutenant stood to attention and shouted like any good Second Lieutenant could.
"We heard you were going to surrender to the Ottomans, sir. To save the crew, sir. Well I spoke with the crew and we've decided we don't need any saving, sir."
"My orders stand. Return to your stations immediately."
Midshipman Newkirk paled slightly but he stood his ground.
"With all due respect, sir, if you insist on sacrificing yourself, we will have to mutiny."
Mutiny? Deryn stared at the midshipman, astonished by what he had just said. She had never thought Newkirk, a boy who was terrified of barking everything that moved aboard the Leviathan, would be capable of starting a shouting match with Captain Hobbes.
The Captain met the midshipman's gaze and there was an endless silence. Then he smiled.
"I suppose this isn't the sort of day where God gives many options. Very well, Midshipman. We will set course for India."
There was a cheer from the corridor and Deryn joined them. For the first time since London had been stormed, she felt a squick of hope.

"Ah, Mr Sharp. Thank you for arriving so promptly."
It was Deryn's second visit to the Map Room in as many days and she hoped he had better news this time around.
"You mentioned it was important, sir."
"It is. Please close the door."
Deryn dutifully did as she was asked and sat herself on one of the jumble of chairs around the map table. The Captain pulled a large parchment envelope from his jacket
"These are orders from the Crown. And they were given to me when I first became Captain of this ship, seven years ago. I was only to open them in time of national emergency. I would consider the invasion of mainland Britain to be such an occasion."
The letter's wax seal was already broken.
"I originally intended to send one of the Marines to complete these orders but this mutiny business has freed up a far better candidate."
"M...me, sir?"
"You have proven yourself to be a most resourceful lad. Not only did you successfully foul the Ottoman kraken nets, you also managed to destroy the German Tesla cannon and help install a friendly government. At least for a while."
The Captain smiled sadly.
"Regardless, you are exactly the sort of man I would want doing this mission. I will not pretend it will be easy or without risk but from reading between the lines, I would think that a lot is at stake. Possibly enough to push the Germans out of Britain."
Had she heard the Captain correctly? This was big. Too big for a wee lassie in boys clothes. She wanted to say something to that effect but stopped herself just in time. Instead she said:
"But what can I do that would defeat an entire army?"
"You did it in Constantinople, I seem to remember. But this will not be as easy as a few spice bombs. Inside High Command's main offices, there is a bundle of documents which contain research notes behind something big. These notes need to be handed over to the American Embassy who will find a way of getting them to whatever government-in-exile Lord Churchill has managed to set up."
"Documents, sir?"
"Yes. In the central archives beneath the Military Command's main offices in London. They are labelled underneath the codename: Goliath."