I do not own Skies of Arcadia or any of the characters.
Last Pit Stop
Locke frowned as he stared at the creature. They'd stopped at a small ship where a doctor was taking care of a young girl, Maria, who refused to speak, having been traumatized in the past. They'd stopped a few times to bring the girl's pet bird, of some kind, moonfish, a type of fish that could only be seen using a non-Black Moonstone monocle. Now, they were dropping off their latest haul of Moonfish, bringing their total up to about sixteen, Locke was pretty sure. Each time the bird ate a Moonfish, it grew exponentially, and for every fish it ate, it spat up a gooey hairball containing something of a reward. This time, it had eaten all of them at once, and had transformed from a chick in an egg shell small enough to sit in the palm of Maria's hand into a ridiculous-looking bird with a plump, yellow body, a wide, one-inch long bill, and a pair of over-sized feet, a pair of tiny wings, and a curl on top of its head that had to be four feet long if it was straightened out. It also stood as tall as Locke, now.
"This thing is...weird," Locke finally said.
"Yeah, I've never seen anything like this," Aika agreed.
Just then, the bird wretched and spewed more than a dozen gooey, grey hairballs at Locke's feet. He grimaced, and as the gooey sloughed off of their less than appealing presents, he stared at the contents of a few of them in genuine shock. Not only were they all surprisingly pristine and clean, despite the delivery method, but he recognized a few of them. One was a suit of ghost mail, a tight, transparent, pale blue shirt made from translucent threads. It was essentially weightless, nearly invisible once it was put on, and was created from the threads of a creature native to the Dark Rift called a Flat Fiend, at least, according to Locke's family. It also, despite being created from threads, was more durable and better armor than steel. He picked it up, marveling at the smooth material.
"What is that?" Fina asked.
"Ghost Mail," Locke said, explaining in short what it was. "This bird's got some amazing stuff in its belly. No wonder it keeps puking it all up, though. Don't even want to know how it's been holding all this stuff in its stomach, as small as it was before."
Fina shrugged as Locke folded up the Ghost Mail and tucked it into his belt to put on later. Another was a truly ancient steel bracer decorated with a Green Moonstone. He picked it up as though afraid of breaking it, sensing magic from it. Fina frowned at it curiously.
"It's magic," Fina realized.
"Not sure what it does, but yeah," Locke said. "Here, Aika. Might be worth something."
She accepted it and grinned, slipping it on, only to yelp.
"What?" Locke asked.
"It feels...weird!" Aika said. "I feel so light!"
"Maybe it makes you weightless?" Fina asked.
"Not with a Green Moonstone," Locke frowned, shrugging and looking back to the pile of items. As he did, Vyse picked up a sword. It had a double-edged, Yellow Moonstone blade, a hand-and-a-half hilt with white cloth wrapped around it, a single-armed guard with the arm reaching backward and the same size as the grip, a gold metal block attaching the hilt to the base of the blade and extending a few inches up the back side, then a strip of gold running up either side of the blade to four sharpened, gold triangles that stuck out of the front of the blade like saw teeth.
"Hey!" Vyse gasped. "This is Daccat's Sword!"
"Daccat?" Locke blinked in surprise. "You're sure?"
"Yeah!" Vyse nodded. "The Sailor's Guild had a few sketches of some of his long-lost items! Things that would be worth a fortune if they could be found, and that everyone thought were in his treasure horde."
Everyone that had been to Daccat's Island grimaced at that.
"Oh, hey!" Aika said, snatching up a gun. "This is fancy!"
It had a curved, white grip, a large, round piece of black metal just in front of the trigger, and two silver barrels running side-by-side through a chunk of red Moonstone with a silver plate under the barrels to hold them and the Moonstone in place.
"That's Daccat's gun!" Vyse yelped. "The Daccat Custom!"
"Maybe this guy's why Daccat's treasure horde was empty," Aika growled.
"I doubt it," Locke said. "Given his note, our friend here probably didn't steal anything from the empty treasure hoard." He looked at the rest of the items, including a lot of dead fish. "The rest of this doesn't look too useful."
"That's fine," Vyse said, taking a few test swings with Daccat's sword. "We got a few awesome rewards."
"You can have the rest, Doc," Locke decided. "Sell them or keep them, or whatever."
"Uh...thank you," the doctor smiled half-heartedly.
"Thank you for bringing these fish for me," Maria said in a soft voice, Locke blinking and staring at her.
"M-Maria!" Doc gasped.
Vyse knelt down in front of Maria, smiling. "For you, Maria, it's no problem at all. If it's Moonfish you want, just leave it up to me! I'm going to bring you more than you'll ever need!"
Maria giggled. "Thank you!" Then, she turned and ran over to play with her massive bird, now taller than her, as it waddled about the deck of the small ship.
"Thank you, Vyse," Doc smiled. "Maria is slowly becoming herself again. I owe everything to you. I don't know what to say. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I really do."
"Aww, come on, Doc!" Vyse smiled. "Don't get all teary-eyed on me. I'll just keep gathering fish to make her happy, okay?"
"You know, you remind me of a man I used to work with," Doc smiled. "He was a lot like you. Honest, kind...the kind of guy everyone likes. Well, he was a little more refined than you, though. His name was Ramirez. I hear that he's been promoted to the position of Admiral in the Valuan Armada, now."
Everyone blanched and yelped.
"Ramirez!?" Fina gasped.
"Huh?" Doc asked. "You guys know him?"
"Yeah," Locke grimaced. "You could say that."
"Doc, can you tell us what you know about Ramirez?" Vyse asked.
"Uh, sure," Doc nodded, seeming to recognize they weren't asking because they were fans of Ramirez. "It was a long time ago...back when I was still working for Admiral Mendosa in the Valuan Armada."
Locke's eyes went wide.
"We were sailing around Mid Ocean when we encountered a ship of the likes we had never seen before," Doc continued. "And aboard that ship was Ramirez. He was...an odd fellow, to say the least. I distinctly remember the clothes he had on. Very unusual. But Ramirez turned out to be as intelligent as he was good with a blade. Admiral Mendosa grew to like him rather quickly. Admiral Mendosa saw that he had potential and began training him to become an officer of the Valuan Armada. He had high hopes for him.
"We were all surprised at how little he knew about the world, but he was so honest and so sincere that everyone loved him. And I, too, was glad to have a crewmate who seemed trustworthy. Someone I could call a friend. And before too long, he was serving as Vice Captain under Mendosa. I remember Admiral Mendosa once told us that we were like the sons he never had. Any time he'd say that, I'd call him selfish, since he already had two lovely daughters."
"Ooo," Aika grinned.
"No, no," Doc grimaced. "Not like that. They were only children at the time, but they were both such little angels. Anyway, Ramirez seemed to be genuinely honored to be thought of so highly by Admiral Mendosa."
"Who woulda thought that Doc and Ramirez used to be buddies," Vyse mused.
Just then, a bell rang, and Doc looked back toward the ship where Maria had gone.
"Alright, Maria!" Doc called. "I hear ya! I'll be there in a second!" He turned back to them. "Vyse, and all of you, of course, please feel free to come by and visit whenever you want. I'm sure Maria and her little feathered friend will be happy to see you. But don't forget to bring more Moonfish with you! I'm sure there's plenty more still out there somewhere!"
Locke frowned, as Doc turned to walk away. "Hey, Doc, you know any treatments for helping scars fade?"
"A couple, but it depends on the scars," Doc nodded.
"Mind taking a look at some of mine?" Locke asked.
"I'd be glad to," Doc nodded. "I just need to tend to Maria, then I'll meet you in the cabin."
Locke nodded and headed inside while the others all went back to the Delphinus. After a few minutes, Locke pulled off his jacket, vest, and shirt, also laying out the Ghost Mail to put on, and Doc's mouth fell open as he stared at the six jagged scars Ramirez had left on Locke's torso, one across his abdomen diagonally, two along his sides, one diagonally up his back from left to right, one across the back of his shoulders, and one diagonally down his torso from his right shoulder to the left side of his hip.
"Who...did this to you?" Doc breathed.
"Ramirez," Locke said seriously. "So you're going to tell me the rest of that happy story you told us."
Doc paled instantly and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't. I can't even bear to remember it."
Locke narrowed his eyes, then nodded. "Anything you can do about the scars?"
Doc sighed, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, no."
Locke nodded. "I have two questions, then I'll leave you in peace."
Doc sighed, nodding. "I can't promise anything, but...ask."
"Was the rumor that Admiral Mendosa was killed by Air Pirates true?" Locke asked.
Doc paled, but shook his head. "No."
Locke nodded. "What were Mendosa's daughters' names?"
Doc frowned. "Maria is one. She was only three when it happened. And the other daughter was named Piastol."
Locke nodded, pulling on his Ghost Mail, then the rest of his uniform. "Thank you, Doc. That's all I needed to know."
Doc nodded, and Locke returned to the Delphinus, mulling over what he had learned and beginning to piece together the mystery of Piastol's grudge.
Locke laughed as Aika described her understanding of their destination, Yafutoma's culture, namely being "protected by scales" and "eating with two sticks". In Aika's mind, she pictured fish people wielding a pair of spears.
"To get to Yafutoma, we should sail around the southern tip of Nasr," Enrique suggested. "Some time ago, during the Valuan-Nasr War, a cape was discovered by invading Valuan forces south of Nasr. That cape was named Cape Victory. There is a city there called Esparanza."
"It'll be a good place to rest before entering the Dark Rift," Locke agreed. "The southern tip of Nasr will put it right next to it."
"It's good that you are here," Enrique said. "We might not be able to get through the Dark Rift without you."
"You could," Locke said. "And Vyse's blind luck might be enough alone, but it wouldn't be pretty or clean."
The others nodded, and they set out, sailing south at full speed. As they did, Locke went up to an observation platform analogous to the ship's crow's nest, and leaned on the railing. After a few minutes, Fina joined him.
"You've been distant since we talked to Doc," Fina said. "Do you regret having that gun mailed to Gilder?"
Locke smiled, knowing she'd meant it as a joke. "It's not that. When I had him check the scars Ramirez gave me, a found out more or less why Piastol's hunting Vyse."
"Really?" Fina asked.
Locke nodded. "It was a misunderstanding, I think. Vyse would have been with his father, and they went to rescue a Valuan Airship that was attacked, but Piastol mistook them for the attackers."
Fina frowned, nodding. "That would make sense."
"It's amazing how easily a misunderstanding can cause someone a lifetime of suffering," Locke sighed.
Fina nodded. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Locke smiled over at her. "Stay with me?"
"Of course," Fina smiled, taking his hand.
They settled into a comfortable silence, remaining there for several hours before the Dark Rift finally came into view. It was massive. A few miles tall and extending beyond the horizon. They stared at it looming ominously before them, and Locke couldn't help but feel like he was staring at the gates to Hell. Far away, he could feel the Rift if he tried, but up close, he couldn't ignore it. It was so powerfully corrupted that it gave him a headache to look at. They headed down to the others as Vyse docked them at Esparanza and tasked the rest of the crew to be ready to make a hasty exit if Valua showed up, with Pinta tasked with sounding the same warning alarm as Vyse had used when Piastol showed up at Crescent Isle to warn them. Then, they disembarked and began to explore Esparanza. To call it a town was too generous. Half of the structures making up the town were rusty sections of Airships, the people were all dirty and unpleasant, and no one was interested in even pretending to be welcoming. The entire occupancy of the tavern actually laughed in their face when they told him they were going to Yafutoma through the Dark Rift, one drunkard who claimed to have been a sailor once even pledged his services to them should they make it through successfully and return alive. At least, once Vyse had given him a lecture about replacing a failed dream with a different one instead of wasting his life away in a tavern. But then, Fina, who had stayed at the port with Enrique, ran into the tavern, reporting the Armada had arrived. So, they all raced back to the port, where Enrique was staring at the incoming ships.
"Enrique, who is it?" Vyse asked, zooming in on the ships along with Locke.
"I can't tell from here," Enrique said.
"We're in luck," Locke sighed, recognizing the ships, especially the heavily-armored, spiked flagship.
"De Loco?" Vyse asked.
"Belleza?" Fina guessed hopefully.
"That disgusting creep?" Aika asked, referring to Vigoro fittingly.
"Nope," Locke said. "Gregorio."
"You have an interesting definition of luck," Enrique frowned.
"Gregorio is the most honorable man in the Armada," Locke said. "You know that."
"True," Enrique nodded. "Admiral Gregorio is the best defensive strategist in the Armada. They've even given him the nickname 'Ironwall.'"
"Interesting," Vyse nodded. "They're forming a blockade around the town."
"Prince Enrique!" a Valuan Soldier called out, running over to them and saluting. "I've come on behalf of Admiral Gregorio. He has an urgent message for you."
"I see," Enrique nodded. "Well done."
The soldier walked over, holding out a scroll, and Enrique thanked him as he accepted it.
"Hey," Locke said. "I have something for the Admiral. Would you mind taking it to him for me?"
"Uh...Of course," the soldier saluted.
"I'm not an officer," Locke smiled. "No salute necessary."
"As the Prince's bodyguard, you warrant the same respect as a Vice Captain," the soldier stated. "At least, according to Admiral Gregorio."
"I love Gregorio," Locke grinned, pulling a pocket watch out of his pocket and holding it out to the soldier. "Tell him that it's from Locke, and he should understand."
The soldier saluted again and ran off.
"I hope my Prince finds himself in good health," Enrique read. "I heard that you had a change of heart, or were perhaps brainwashed by Air Pirates. Empress Teodora has sent me to escort my Prince back to Valua, so that he may recover. If my Prince refuses to comply, my ships will regrettably begin firing upon the city tomorrow at noon. Your humble servant, Gregorio." Enrique sighed, lowering the scroll. "My Uncle Gregorio is asking me to surrender."
"Uncle?" Vyse asked.
"Oh, Gregorio was an Admiral in the Armada even before my father passed away," Enrique explained. "He helped raise me when I was growing up. He's always been like an uncle to me. I know that he doesn't want to fight, and he really does want me to surrender. But I can't go back. Not after everything they've done. Even if...Even if it means I have to fight him."
"Well said, Your Highness," Locke smiled, nodding.
"What was the watch you gave him?" Enrique asked.
"He gave it to me the day I was made your bodyguard," Locke said. "He told me that if ever there came a day where he stood in the way of me protecting you or your interests, I should show him the watch, and he would do everything in his power to step aside."
"Really?" Enrique asked. "How'd that come up?"
"It was two years ago," Locke said. "As soon as Valua started looking for the Moon Crystals, he knew that you wouldn't like it. If he was under any impression that we took you by force or that we brainwashed you, that watch will show him that that's not the case."
"I see," Enrique nodded. "Let's rest up for tomorrow. As you aid, Gregorio is the most honorable man I've ever met. He won't break his word."
"We should rest on land tonight and keep you off the ship until tomorrow," Vyse decided. "The last thing you need is for your 'Uncle' to see you throwing up over the railing in the heat of battle."
"Great," Enrique grimaced. "Now you're starting to sound just like Aika."
Vyse chuckled. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Come on. Let's stay at the inn tonight. We're gonna need our rest."
"You guys go on ahead," Locke said. "I'll get our crew up to date and hang out on the ship in case any other Admirals decide to come reinforce Gregorio."
The others all nodded, and Locke headed down to the small boat they'd brought down from the Delphinus. As he was getting ready to head out, Fina climbed in with him. He smiled, nodding, and they headed back to the ship together. The crew had mixed reactions, especially a Gunner, Khazim, they had picked up in Nasrad on the way past, who did not like the fact that Locke had informed them all that in the inevitable battle they were going to expressly try not to kill anyone. However, they all agreed, and their Ixa'takan lookout, Tikatika, promised to stay up in order to watch for Valuan reinforcements or Greorio moving ahead of his set deadline.
Locke and Fina headed down to the private bedrooms that they and the others of Vyse's immediate friends, plus Enrique, all had, only for Locke to stop outside his door.
"Are you alright?" Fina asked.
"Yeah," Locke sighed. "No. Being so close to it is...uncomfortable. For a lot of reasons."
Fina nodded, then hesitated. "Would it help if you weren't alone?"
Locke glanced at her, then nodded hesitantly. "It might."
Fina smiled and nodded, following him into his room. He sat on the bed and slipped off his boots, then removed his jacket, vest and shirt, but kept his pants and Ghost Mail on. Fina likewise removed her shoes, her detached sleeves, bangles, earrings, and her circlet and veil, keeping her dress and leggings on. They both climbed into the bed, and after a moment of hesitation, Fina lay her head on his chest. He smiled slightly, wrapping his arm around her, and She curled into him slightly. She ran her right hand's fingers over his Ghost Mail, staring at it in surprise.
"It's so soft," Fina breathed.
"Yes it is," Locke said, saying nothing about the fact that to him it simply felt like her fingers were trailing over his bare skin.
"How much will this actually stop?" Fina asked.
"I expect that on Valua's side, only Galcian and Ramirez or someone comparably powerful could cut through it," Locke guessed. "As for the normal forces, lance rifles will probably still bruise me, or crack my bones if they hit just right, but they shouldn't be able to shoot through it. But I definitely shouldn't try to take the brunt of a ship's cannon."
Fina giggled. "No, please don't."
Locke smiled, reaching up to trail his finger through her hair. It was as soft as his Ghost Mail, making him smile. Fina sighed comfortably, closing her eyes and smiling, and Locke's smile settled for a more contented one. For a few minutes, they remained there, Fina content to lay in his arms and Locke gently running his fingers through her hair. However, after a few minutes, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He wanted to ask what she was thinking, but before he could, she shifted, reaching up hesitantly. He let out something of a relieved sigh and leaned in, meeting her halfway. Fina let out a stuttering sigh, leaning into the kiss as Locke's free hand reached around to rest on the small of her back. The kiss was unsure and clearly lacked practice on both sides, but as it continued, both of them fell into a comfortable rhythm, their lips moving against each other's more fluidly after a few seconds. Finally, after a few minutes, Fina pulled away, smiling happily and her eyes watering, Locke smiling just as widely.
"I think I understand," Fina said after a few seconds.
"Yeah," Locke managed, unable to properly string a sentence together. "Me too."
Fina's smile grew, and she kissed him again for a few more minutes, the kiss being much smoother and more natural this time, before laying her head back down.
"Goodnight, Fina," Locke smiled.
"Goodnight," Fina smiled, curling into him tighter.
"We're getting a message from Admiral Gregorio's Flagship," Aika announced. "We will fight to disable the Delphinus in order to avoid casualties."
"Then we'll do the same," Vyse nodded. "Khazim, girls, target the ships' cannons and engines. Crippling shots only."
"Right!" Fina and Aika both nodded.
A loud sigh followed by a dejected acknowledgement echoed from the voice pipe leading to the subcannons, where Khazim would be controlling the subcannons below deck to relieve the burden that Fina and Aika would have to deal with, both already controlling two sets of Main Cannons.
Locke, in the glorified crow's nest, also heard Khazim's response from his own voice pipe and chuckled, then focused. One of Gregorio's flanking cruisers moved to engage them first, but Lock could instantly tell that something was wrong. He could see Gregorio standing on the deck, shouting and gesturing obscenely at the ship, clearly threatening them for obviously defying his orders, but the ship ignored him, moving to attack.
"Air Pirate Scum!" a speaker on the cruiser echoed. "Hand the Prince over! You'll pay for kidnapping and brainwashing him!"
"New message from Gregorio!" Aika reported, speaking into the voice pipe again for Locke's benefit. "That ship is defying my direct orders. They are traitors. Please deal with them accordingly."
"Your Highness?" Locke asked.
"Admiral Gregorio has requested that we sink that cruiser," Enrique said. "And if we don't they will sink us. We have no choice."
"You get your wish after all, Khazim," Locke said.
"Shoot to kill with this first cruiser and this first cruiser only," Vyse ordered into the pipe.
As Khazim cheered into the voice pipe, Locke turned to Gregorio's Flagship and saluted, able to see Gregorio salute back before returning to his bridge. And then, the ships were in range of each other and the battle began. As the two ships began to near each other, the Delphinus's hull took a blow from two of the opposing ship's main cannons, only for the cannon balls to bounce off leaving only a decent-sized dent. In response, Fina and Aika both fired their Magic Cannons and Aika her Advanced Prototype Cannon, and the volley of shots, both magical and otherwise, ripped through the hull of the ship, blasting its main cannons apart easily and spreading fire through the hip, entire sections of the hull being blasted off. Then, as the ships were passing, Khazim fired every subcannon on that side of the ship twice in the span of time it took to pass the ship, obliterating its own subcannons and torpedo bays. Then, once they'd past, Vyse fired off a pair of their own Heavy Torpedoes, which he and Locke could control from their stations, and a moment later, the torpedoes exploded down on the deck of the ship and blew it apart. The crumbling remains of the ship rapidly plummeted beneath the clouds, and Locke stared in stunned silence.
"Did we get some kinda special cannons?" Locke asked into the voice pipe.
"Sort of," Enrique said. "Including our Magic Cannons, they fire the same bullet-shaped ammunition as the Grand Fortress, though obviously not as large. The ammunition has far better range and penetration than standard cannon balls, and clearly is much more effective."
"Oh, I fucking love this ship," Locke grinned. "Can we install a cannon up here for me to snipe with? Even a subcannon."
Several voices laughed from the pipe.
"Gregorio's messaging," Aika announced. "The other ships have all confirmed the orders to cripple only."
"Understood," Vyse said. "Khazim, aim for subcannons when ordered to fire. Girls, main cannons and engines."
"Roger!" multiple voices called back.
"Vyse, I'll take the torpedoes for this round," Locke said. "I can land them on top of their torpedo bays."
"Got it," Vyse nodded. "If we have to use the Moonstone Cannon, you're out spotter."
"Solid copy," Locke acknowledged, glancing at the nose of the ship to gauge his height offset.
The Moonstone Cannon was the Delphinus's ace-in-the-hole. An upgrade of the one De Loco had used in Ixa'taka, it now had a level of power supposedly on-level with a Gigas, which made it more than strong enough to destroy any ship they targeted, intentionally or otherwise.
The ship moving to meet them this time was a Gunboat, a more larger, more heavily-armed Airship armed with stronger cannons. Unlike the last, it was careful to stay away from them, making it harder for their cannons to target them. However, Locke had no such trouble with his torpedoes, because after connecting his magic to them by slightly tweaking their weight, lightening the Heavy Torpedoes and weighing down the Valuan Torpedoes, he was able to guide them with gravity trails like his bullets. And as such, after two rapid volleys, the Gunboat's torpedo bays and two of their four main cannons were rendered worthless.
"Nice shooting, Locke!" Vyse congratulated him, bringing the Delphinus in close.
The Gunboat clearly realized it couldn't win, because it turned to try and keep distance, only for Aika to fire her Advanced Prototype cannon, sending a shot in through one of the side-mounted engines and through the belly of the ship, then out the other side, blasting two of the ship's four engines. Its subcannons all opened fire, but only a gre of the shots grazed the Delphinus, and a moment later, the Delphinus began to pass the ship and Locke sent a single torpedo up and over for each remaining main cannon while Khazim blasted all of the subcannons into scrap. The ship would survive the damage, but could no longer fight and needed to repair its engines before it could fly long-distance.
"Alright!" Aika cheered. "We're doing great!"
"Gregorio's ship, dead ahead," Locke warned. "He'll be in range shortly, and I can already tell you, our guns aren't going to do nearly as much to his ship as those two."
"We can handle him!" Fina said confidently.
"Uncle Gregorio...I can't let you take me back!" Enrique declared.
"Alright, full speed ahead!" Vyse said. "It's now or never!"
"Speaking of now or never," Locke said. "Prepare the Moonstone Cannon. If we open up with our biggest gun, we'll make them nervous with its power. Don't worry. I'll guide you into a grazing shot."
"Charging!" Vyse acknowledged as the Moonstone Cannon's long, black barrel extended from the now-open prow of the ship. "Ready!"
"Hold fire," Locke said. "He's turning, we'd split them in half. Five degrees to port."
Vyse began to drift left.
"Sharply!" Locke snapped as Gregorio's guns began to turn toward the Delphinus.
Vyse swung the ship hard, and when Gregorio's guns fired, they slammed into the Delphinus's hull instead of its Moonstone cannon. A few punched through, but the damage was still minimal and easily repaired. And on the bright side, they were in the perfect position.
"Fire the cannon!" Locke ordered.
"Moonstone Cannon, fire!" Vyse acknowledged and complied.
A massive, powerful, multi-colored beam of concentrated Magic Energy erupted from the barrel, shaking the Delphinus but holding pinpoint aim. And on the far end of their aim, it grazed the prow of Gregorio's ship, blasting half of the spiked shield on the front into scrap before grazing the back end of the other Gunboat, blasting the bottom left corner off of it and taking two of the engines with it. Locke nodded, satisfied, and waited to see how Gregorio would respond. But he didn't have to wait long. As Gregorio's ship began to turn again, a volley of cannon fire slammed into the Delphinus, largely ineffectively, and a volley of torpedoes shot into the air, arching early and flying almost arrow-straight and fast.
"Blast Charges," Locke guessed. "Less power, but considering their aim is me..."
"Locke, he's aiming for you!" Vyse shouted.
"I know," Locke said, raising his rifle and shooting down the first volley, only for another volley of both cannons and Blast Charges to follow. "Gregorio's a smart man. Too smart to not know I'll shoot these down all day." He looked down as he realized Gregorio's true plan. "Oh, shit! Hard to Starboard, all stop to full ahead!"
Vyse realized what was about to happen and complied, Fina and Aika stopping forward acceleration entirely while Vyse turned them, then shoved the ship into full ahead as soon as he gave them the order. As the ship listed dangerously toward Gregorio's fast-approaching charge, Locke once again shot down the Blast Charges. Then, as the ship righted itself, it surged forward, the side of Gregorio's ship sparking as it harmlessly scraped one of their engines. However, Gregorio had counted on them avoiding the ram, because a moment later, his subcannons roared and two of the Delphinus's engines exploded. Locke swore harshly and cast his gravity spell on all six of the loaded torpedoes, firing them.
As soon as he had, Gregorio fired a barrage of Blast Charges, and Locke swore. However, before he could worry about it, Vyse cast Quicka on the Delphinus and it surged forward, avoiding the Blast Charges' aim as the torpedoes all slammed down on Gregorio's ship. The two Heavy Torpedoes, being the most destructive, slammed down above the Blast Charges, blasting their torpedo bays open and destroying most of the stocked Blast Charges as two of the four Valuan Torpedoes slammed down onto the front and portside main cannons, blasting both apart. Locke sighed in relief, and watched Gregorio's ship carefully as it began to turn away from them, trying to get them on the side with their functioning main cannon. However, Vyse didn't let them, and steered his ship around to be board-and-board with the Auriga.
"Khazim, now!" Vyse ordered.
Khazim opened fire rapidly, as did the Auriga's subcannons. For a moment, it seemed to be a one-for-one of traded shots, but very quickly, Khazim proved himself to be the better shot, because nearly all of his shots destroyed a subcannon, and after barely a couple of minutes, all of the Auriga's subcannons on that side were destroyed, a couple on the other side had been blasted out of the ship entirely by a through-and-through shot, and only one of the Delphinus's subcannons had been destroyed in return, though they definitely had a lot more holes to patch now.
"You guys turned that around nicely!" the Auriga's lookout shouted over to Locke, who saluted.
"Vyse, we've got compliments from the Auriga's lookout," Locke informed him.
"Happy to impress," Vyse responded, Locke hearing his grin in his tone.
They swung around, ending up flying head-on with Gregorio. Locke knew instantly that Gregorio knew they were baiting him, but he moved to ram them anyway. At the last second, Vyse cast Quicka on the Delphinus and they swerved up and out of the Auriga's way, then swung around so that their main cannons could target the back of the Auriga. A moment later, two Magic Cannons and an Advanced Prototype Cannon fired, blasting three of the Auriga's engines off and blasting a good-size hole into its hull to boot. And just like that, the Auriga's part in the fight had ended. Gregorio had his helmsman signal their surrender, and Vyse steered over to hover beside Gregorio, then relinquished control to Lawrence before heading out to the deck with the others to speak with Gregorio, Locke moving down to meet them.
"I always thought that if we were ever in battle together that we'd be on the same side," Enrique spoke first.
"Prince Enrique," Gregorio said, sounding deeply worried. "Is there anything I can do to make you reconsider?"
"No," Enrique said firmly. "I've made up my mind. I am not going back to Valua. I know that you've noticed a change in the Empire as well. They are headed down a dark path. Trying to rule the world with an iron fist...it will be Valua's downfall. This world...this sky...is not Valua's to rule. It belongs to the people."
Gregorio remained silently contemplative, letting Enrique's words sink in without interruption.
"And to right the wrongs that Valua has committed, I have decided to travel with Vyse and his companions," Enrique continued. "Tell that to my mother. And also that I pray every day for her good health. This is goodbye. I must go. Be well."
"Not, quite yet, actually," Locke spoke up, everyone looking over at him in surprise. "We're down two engines, a subcannon, and our ship's pock-marked with holes. I checked with Hans and he said he can have the holes fixed in a few hours, if Esparanza has the supplies we need. Even just patches will suffice, as long as he seals them well. As for the engines, he says that'll take him a day, and we'll need entirely new ones, which we'll have to either build ourselves or jury-rig."
"The Delphinus is fully-loaded with spare parts, including hull plating," Enrique informed him. "That engineer who upgraded the hull and engines made sure of it. We'll just have to assemble the new engines the hard way."
"Then if we can convince Esparanza to help with that, we can probably leave by tomorrow," Locke said.
"My remaining ships will help as well," Gregorio decided. "As a price for being defeated."
"Thank you, Admiral," Locke smiled.
"Here," Gregorio said, tossing the pocket watch back to him. "In case you ever need it again."
Locke nodded, and they all returned to their respective bridges and headed for port, the two remaining intact ships following, now dangling chains and cables to assist with repairs.
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