Seas of the Red Star

by Andrew Gates

  “The slits in the hull make it difficult to see down. If you can get up on them, they won’t even know you’re there. The trick is getting close to the ship. The cover of fog helped aid our boarders the first time. If the weather be like this, we may not have another chance.”

  “We shall see what we can do,” Captain Azzorro said.

  “How many others have come?”

  “We now have 19 crews in total, all ready to go.”

  “That’s incredible!”

  “The threat of the Navy is enough to rally these desperate captains.”

  “And when do we sail for Brown Sanctum?”

  “We sail tomorrow,” Azzorro replied. He patted Bergh on the shoulder. “Rest up. Spend the night in peace. I will send others to make repairs on your ship. You will need to save all the energy you can.”

  “Thank you, Captain.”

  “No, it is my pleasure. Thank you for answering my call to arms. You have brought us a great prize.”

  “I shan’t keep you out longer than needed. I suppose if you call for rest, there is no need to linger.” Captain Bergh turned to face his crew. “Men, let’s get some sleep while you still can. Tomorrow we’re off!”

  The men cheered, but it did not last for long. Once the cheering died down, they slowly made their way back to the boats. Only the one-legged captain stayed behind.

  “If you don’t mind, Captain, I’d love to have a look at her,” Azzorro said, leaning in.

  “She’s a beauty in person.”

  “I’m curious to see how she moves without a sail.”

  “Aye, with magic, Captain. You must see it for yourself.”

  Magic. Russell shuddered at the word. If they were really going up against magic boats, they were doomed. What they needed was some magic of their own.

  Russell could not help but wonder what had become of the diminutive sorcerers. He had seen them spot ships from farther than the eye could see, hoist wet sails on their own, pull metal bars apart like it was nothing.

  But they were gone, captured, maybe even dead. There was nothing he could do to bring them back.

  All the boy could do was wait and hope for a miracle.

  The Battle of Coral Cove

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 02.03.5673

  Location: Steel Victory, Just Outside Coral Cove, Taspansa, The Governor’s Dominion

  Good weather. What are the odds? Yuri asked as Ellen stared out through the slits in the hull.

  I think you know the answer to that, Ellen replied.

  I do, Yuri admitted, but it’s a human expression. I was trying to be relatable. I thought you’d appreciate it.

  Thanks. Ellen sighed. What are the odds of any of this happening?

  Of what? Being part of a pirate adventure on a faraway planet? I’d say the odds are slim.

  I’m glad you didn’t tell me the actual statistic.

  Something told me you didn’t really want to know.

  Ellen stared at the landmass before them, an island the crew called Coral Cove. The island was blocked off by a wall of wooden sea scorger ships arraigned like a crescent moon around the island. Each were ready to go, flags unfurled.

  Nobody expected the sea scorgers to be so prepared. The Navy’s arrival here was intended to be a surprise. The battle was supposed to be held on land. Ellen guessed the scorgers had readied themselves to take the fight to the Navy at Brown Sanctum. Instead, here they were, defending their own keep at Coral Cove.

  Though not part of the plan, the Navy sailors were not the slightest bit deterred by the sight of a few dozen ragtag ships. Commodore Yasso quickly developed a new battle plan. The steel warships, five in total, were positioned at the front of the line in a triangular formation, almost like the tip of the spear. A vast armada of wooden ships took formation behind the spear tip, arranged diagonally, as if building from the triangle orientation. They were going to break the crescent of boats like a ramrod. Ellen did not like the idea of attacking these people, but she had to admit, the strategy was good.

  Steel Victory, being captained by the commodore himself, took the lead.

  Attacking the sea scorgers on their own turf was a powerful play. If the Navy defeated them here, there would be nowhere for them to retreat. It would mean the end of the pirates for good.

  She shuddered just thinking about it.

  Hey, don’t worry, Yuri said.

  Easy for you to say. You’re not the one pulling the trigger.

  But I have to live with you after this fight. Just because I won’t be pulling the trigger, it doesn’t make this easy for me.

  I’m sorry to have to put you through this, Ellen said.

  No apology needed. There’s no way you could’ve known any of this would happen.

  That was the damn truth.

  A hand pressed against Ellen’s back, prompting her to turn around suddenly. Commodore Yasso stood behind her. His expression was stern.

  “You've done a great job on lookout. Those powerful eyes of yours did the trick," he said.

  "Thank you, sir. I'm glad you could make use of my talents given that you no longer need me and Dave to lead the ground assault."

  "You've played an important role, but that doesn’t mean I’m done with you. I need you below deck, Corporal Ellen Milsen. Just because there will be no ground assault, does not mean your time is finished. I want you to man the cannons,” he ordered. He motioned to the nearby set of stairs.

  And just think, a week ago you were the one giving him orders, Yuri noted.

  He is more afraid of the Governor than he is of me, Ellen replied. Plus, I wouldn’t call it giving him orders. It was more like negotiating last time.

  He agreed to your terms without challenge. I’d say you were giving him orders.

  Even still, I’d rather not challenge him here. Not with a fleet of Navy around us.

  Agreed, Yuri replied.

  “Yes, sir,” Ellen said to the commodore without a fight. She nodded her head and walked away.

  Ellen made her way down both sets of stairs until she came to the lower level of the ship. The crew down below busily ran back and forth, loading the cannons and priming them for firing. Dave was already among them, carrying a pile of cannonballs in his arms.

  “Hey, Corporal Ellen Milsen!” shouted the master gunner. The well-groomed young man made his way over to her. “Thank you for finally joining us. If you are done waiting around, you can help us with the cannons.”

  Ellen ignored the jab and nodded back to him. She promptly made her way to the first chest of cannonballs she could find and grabbed a few. For most of the crew, carrying one cannonball was a burden enough. But with her strength the low gravity, Ellen could carry three with relative ease.

  She brought them over to cannon four on the ship’s port side and set them down in a rectangular enclosure built into the floor directly behind the weapon. The enclosure prevented any of the balls from rolling away as the ship rocked.

  Ellen studied the massive machine before her. The cannons aboard this ship were breech-loading, meaning the balls were inserted from the rear. One Navy man stood on each side of the weapon; one on the left and one on the right. The right gunner had already primed the piece and was now filling it with powder. Meanwhile the left gunner had a supply of additional gunpower at his feet, stored in a rectangle built into the floor of the ship just like the cannonballs.

  The master gunner stepped behind Ellen. His feet clanked against the metal floor. She could feel his eyes on her.

  “Cannons primed?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir!” some of the men responded.

  “Not yet, sir,” others replied.

  The gunner on the right finished loading the powder and turned to face Ellen. He paused and stared at her, not saying anything. It was as if he were waiting for her to do something.

  He wants you to load the ball now, Yuri said.

  Oh, yeah.

  Ellen lifted a cannonball and placed it inside the
cannon through a hatch at the back of the weapon. As soon as it was securely inside, the man sealed it shut.

  “Ready here, sir!” he said.

  Ellen scanned the room again, trying to find Dave. She spotted him with another cannon crew, standing behind it with the balls, just like Ellen.

  Dave shook. He wiggled his feet restlessly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

  I’m talking to Gloria, Yuri said. She says Dave is fine, just a bit nervous. Don’t worry about him. Just focus on the job.

  Thanks, Ellen replied, though she knew she could not stop worrying about him. She turned back to the cannon again, trying to put Dave out of mind.

  Peering out through the slits in the walls, Ellen could see the wooden ships closing in on the horizon. Within a matter of seconds, they would be in range.

  Ellen gulped.

  Boom! The sound of enemy cannon fire echoed through the air. Smoke erupted from the enemy boats.

  “They’re firing!” shouted someone aboard the ship.

  “Their shots are folly. They are still out of range,” the master gunner explained. “The sea scorgers are nervous. They’re already making mistakes.”

  Ellen magnified her vision and studied the pirates’ cannons. The master gunner was right. They were firing early. She could see the rounds leave the cannon barrels and splash in the oceanwater long before hitting their intended targets.

  “Wait for it,” the master gunner said. “Wait for it…”

  Boom! Suddenly a cannonball collided against the surface of Steel Victory and bounced off, landing in the water below. The sound reverberated through the hull.

  “Now!” the gunner shouted. “We’re in range! Fire!”

  Steel Victory suddenly let loose its cannons. The sound was deafening. In a matter of seconds, each cannon crew managed to release a round. Ellen coughed in the cloud of smoke.

  “Reload!” the master gunner said as he strutted across the metal floor. “Fire at will! Fire! Fire!”

  This is where Ellen’s physical strength came in handy. She undid the back door as the man on the left handed a fresh bag of gunpowder to the man on the right. Ellen held out her hand as the man on the left then handed her a sponge at the end of a long rod. She quickly used it to clean out the barrel and handed it back to him. The man on the right wasted no time filling the cannon with powder. After pouring it in, Ellen refilled it with another cannonball. Then the man on the right shut the door and locked it. The entire process, normally taking several minutes, was done in a matter of mere seconds.

  Boom! The weapon fired again. Ellen studied the ball’s trajectory as it blasted out of the slit in the hull.

  How fast is it traveling? she wondered.

  I calculate its speed at 1,580 meters per second, Yuri explained. That will deliver considerable damage.

  Sure enough, Ellen watched as the cannonball collided against the mast of a wooden pirate ship, shattering it to pieces.

  She lowered her head. It felt so wrong to watch this. It felt as if she were firing on her own children.

  “A fine hit!” cheered someone from the next cannon crew over. One man even walked over and patted Ellen on the back. She ignored it.

  “A fine hit indeed, but there is no time to waste! Reload! Fire at will!” ordered the man on the right.

  “Aye!” said the other.

  Another enemy blast collided against the ship. But like last time, it seemed to do no damage. The enemy cannonball simply bounced off Steel Victory’s hull.

  The battle ensued like this for minutes. Cannons blasted across the seas back and forth. Ships from both armies slowly began to mix together as the Navy and sea scorger lines met. As time passed, the cabin grew hot, smoky and loud. Ellen found it growing harder and harder to hear.

  With every blast, Ellen felt overtaken by another wave of guilt. She envisioned the kind cabin boy, Russell, his mentor, Aiden, and the rest of the crew of the Red God’s Gleam getting torn apart by her cannon fire.

  But then, as if intended to interrupt the repetition of it all, something strange happened.

  A steel ship emerged from behind a tall cliff on the island. It resembled Steel Victory and other steel ships used by the Navy, though the flag of a white fist waved on its bow. It raced forward through the ocean, quickly passing the wooden sea scorger ships around it.

  “What the hell?” muttered Ellen aloud.

  “Be my eyes deceiving me?” asked a nearby sailor.

  “They’ve taken one of our ships! Those damned pirates!” shouted an officer.

  Ellen could not help but smile on the inside.

  You like this, don’t you? Yuri asked.

  I enjoy anything that gives the sea scorgers an advantage.

  Whose side are we even on here?

  I’m not so sure anymore.

  “As soon as that ship comes in range, all guns, focus fire on it!” ordered the master gunner. Ellen detected a degree of panic in the young man’s voice.

  Rather than move toward the enemy boats, the steel ship did not come into range. It took a wider course, almost like a circle around the battle. It was as if it were intentionally avoiding the battlefield altogether.

  “Where is it going?” asked a nearby voice.

  Ellen watched it and tracked its movement.

  The Navy line was less of a line and more like a triangle, with steel ships at the pointed front and wooden ships at its back. Steel Victory led the charge at the tip. It seemed the enemy boat was making its way to the back of the triangle.

  “It’s skipping us entirely,” Ellen said aloud. “It’s going to the wooden ships.”

  “By the Red God, it’ll be a slaughter,” added the man to the right of the cannon.

  “Ignore it then! If that ship wants to stay to the back, let it be. It poses no threat to us!” said the master gunner.

  Commodore Yasso may have had some sense, but this man’s strategy was appalling.

  “Back to it then, lads! We have another ship on the port side!” the gunner continued.

  Ellen redirected her eyes to the action closer by. She had been so distracted by the steel ship, she had not paid much mind to anything else.

  A crewless wooden ship sailed through the battle like a ghost drifting through a crowd. The ship appeared badly damaged, as if it had already come from another battle. Using her magnified vision, Ellen spotted barrels covering the deck.

  She knew what it was at once.

  A bomb, Yuri said, beating her to it.

  The crewless ship continued sailing through the battle, passing through cannon fire unscathed. It was on a direct course to another steel Navy ship, the Sonata.

  Soon enough, the Sonata took note of the ship. Not understanding what it was, they opened fire with their forward cannons.

  The crewless ship was now equidistant between the Sonata and Steel Victory. From here, both ships would be in range of the explosion.

  Idiots! Yuri said as the Sonata fired away. Don’t they know what they’re doing?

  They don’t have the vision I have. They probably think it’s just another ship.

  Aren’t you going to do something?

  Do something? You mean jeopardize the sea scorgers’ plan? Not a chance. If Yasso questions me after this is all over, I’ll just say I didn’t suspect a thing.

  Boom! An inferno of gunfire exploded on Steel Victory’s port side. Ellen instinctively dove backward. Those closest to the windows were not able to move fast enough. Their hair singed and faces burned.

  Ellen coughed as smoke enveloped her lungs. She stood up as the deck rocked back and forth. She stumbled to the window and peered out. She could not see a thing. The world outside was nothing but black smoke.

  The ship seems to be intact for the most part, Yuri explained. The explosion didn’t hurt us as much as I’d guessed.

  That’s too bad.

  “Back to work!” the master gunner shouted. “Don’t let those blasted pirates get the best of us!”

/>   Crewmen scrambled back to their cannons. Ellen wiped her face and found her own position back at cannon four. Her other cannon crew mates both squirmed on the floor, holding their hands to their burnt faces.

  Ellen moved to the two burnt men and checked on them. They were injured, but their wounds were not fatal. They just needed a bit of time and rest.

  “Master gunner, these men need help! They can’t operate the weapon like this!” Ellen shouted, turning to face the young man.

  “You’re strong, aren’t you?” the gunner said, approaching her. “You can operate this whole thing on your own.”

  “True, but-”

  “No buts, Corporal Ellen Milsen. Get to work!” he said. He turned and walked away with the flick of his hand.

  What an asshole, Yuri said.

  Do we even know this guy’s name?

  I think it’s Master Gunner Asshole, if I recall correctly.

  That sounds right, Ellen joked back.

  “Come on, get up,” Ellen said to both men. She helped them stand. “Get to the mid-deck. You guys are done in this fight.”

  Both men nodded back to her without saying a word. They slowly stumbled over to the staircase and out of sight.

  Ellen grabbed onto the sponge, undid the back hatch of the cannon and cleaned it out. After a few seconds of forceful scrubbing, she tossed the sponge onto the floor and loaded the gunpowder. Lastly, she placed a cannonball into the back and closed it shut.

  Everything was ready to go.

  Ellen stared through the slit in the wall. Even with her enhanced vision, she could not see a single thing through the smoke.

  I’m switching you to infrared, Yuri said.

  Ellen’s vision suddenly changed. She could see shapes through the smoke: heat signatures huddled together traveling their way across the water. It hit her immediately. The sea scorgers were using the cover of smoke to approach via rowboat.

  “Borders,” she said to herself. She did not even mean to say it aloud.

  “What was that?” asked Master Gunner Asshole.