‘Now why would we need a plan?’ Daniels replied grinning, his encounter with Simon having pulled him out of his depression from his little chat with Rose.
Duncan gave a world-weary sigh, ‘To stay out of the noose, perhaps.’
‘Ah. Now why didn’t I think of that?’ Daniels replied in mock deep thought.
Duncan just shook his head and moved on; it was no use attempting to get a sensible answer out of him when he was like that.
Daniels grinned – before remembering the plan. Not wonderful by anyone’s standards, he thought ruefully, but it will have to do.
***
‘Captain, we’re coming up on another sub.’ Sophie’s voice rang through the sub over the communication (or comm.) system.
In the mess, Daniels pushed his chair back and hit the comm. ‘Be right up,’ he said, around a mouthful of rice. He was soon on the bridge looking at the image on the scanner.
‘Freight.’
‘Tidy profit to be had then,’ Ash commented, having followed Daniels onto the bridge.
‘Alter your course, Soph,’ Daniels ordered.
‘What!’ Sophie exclaimed. ‘I’m right on target,’ she insisted, checking her instruments.
Daniels shook his head. ‘We’re not going to take her,’ he stated. ‘We’ve more pressing issues,’ he added by way of explanation.
Duncan watched this brief exchange from the hatchway. Nonchalantly leaning against the frame, he watched Ash and Sophie’s reaction to the order. There could be trouble if we don’t tell them, he decided. Sophie grudgingly changed course to skirt around the freighter and Ash just stood in stony silence watching the sub slip away.
‘Hope this prize you’re going after is worth it, Captain,’ he muttered, pushing past Duncan.
‘We could have taken her, Ben,’ Duncan said quietly to his captain as they walked back down the passage.
Daniels stopped and regarded his friend, slowly he shook his head. ‘The risks were too great: she was a Class D; they can run heavily armed and are likely to have troopers onboard. Would have been a fat prize, but we can’t spare the time… We’ve a timetable to keep to,’ he explained gravely; something he did not often do. His carefree façade was slipping – Duncan had seen that before, but rarely since they had begun in this business.
‘Maybe we should explain this to the others. Ash was not happy about letting that freighter slip by. Class D are quite a prize. Blue won’t like it either,’ Duncan pointed out. ‘Giving them the details will become necessary soon anyway. Why not tell them now and save any trouble? Ay?’
Daniels nodded slightly, ‘Call them all to the mess.’
***
‘This looks serious,’ Blue commented, taking his seat at the table where the rest of the crew were already assembled. Daniels stood off to one side, leaning against the wall and staring across the room; his expression unreadable.
‘Captain?’ Duncan called hesitantly.
‘Mmm.’ Daniels looked at him enquiringly. ‘Ah right.’ He walked to the head of the table and studied his crew for a few moments; taking a deep breath, he began. ‘As you all may have noticed, this job is different from the others we usually receive… The old rivalries from the Foundation have begun to emerge again…’
‘They do that every couple of decades or so; it’s never come to much before,’ Ash pointed out.
‘Yes, they do, but this time the Guild has taken an interest – voluntary or otherwise – which means we’re involved as well.’ He paused, letting that announcement have time to sink in. The Guild was strictly apolitical; it always profited from these little skirmishes, but never became directly involved. Its involvement could have major ramifications, which no one wanted to dwell on – theoretically, it held power greater than that of the chancellor, but it had never chosen to exercise it. No one was sure why the Guild had never utilised this power; there was great speculation that the chancellor held something over them, but no one knew for certain. This move into the political arena could mean the beginning of an all-out war between Chancellor Carrington’s government and the Guild.
‘The truce has been broken then,’ Blue stated, causing all eyes to turn to him. He shrugged, ‘A truce has existed between the Guild and the chancellor since the Foundation. Sort of passed down through the generations as it were. It’s what allows the Republic to stand,’ Blue gently mocked, ‘and now someone has broken the rules.’
‘You don’t think it’ll get as bad as the Land War, do you?’ Simon voiced the generally held fear – another war like that would wipe out the human race on Earth for good.
‘With nowhere else to run to, let’s hope not,’ Duncan answered; the Republic wasn’t the best place, but it sure beat anywhere else right now.
‘So, what does this have to do with us?’ Ash asked.
‘Other than the possible annihilation of us all, not much, I’m sure,’ Sophie muttered scathingly.
‘Minister Devonport has some information; Rose wants us to get it for her,’ Daniels said simply.
‘That doesn’t sound too bad,’ Simon commented.
‘Not too bad!’ Sophie exclaimed. ‘Devonport is second down from Carrington. He never comes out of the government quarter of Isnal. He’s heavily guarded at all times: the Elite Troopers – remember them? This is suicide!’
An astonished Simon looked around the rest of the group in disbelief.
‘She’s right you know,’ Duncan added.
‘Yes, she is… except for the fact that Devonport is currently crossing the Straits.’ Daniels disclosed this information lightly. ‘This is our only chance to attack him out in the open.’
‘But won’t he be in an Imperial Class A? I hear they're armed with all sorts of lovely state-of-the-art weapons and security measures.’ Ash raised this point in a slightly cynical tone.
‘Imperial Class A,’ said Daniels as he nodded, ‘complete with advanced RSG sensors; torpedo banks; a strengthened, titanium hull; and not to mention the few score of Elite Troopers who will be onboard.’ Daniels listed but a few of the sub’s qualities.
‘Like I said: suicide,’ Sophie interjected.
‘Not necessarily,’ Duncan announced. ‘If we can make it to Heaton Passage before Devonport, we might be able to take her.’ Daniels nodded.
‘Even RSG sensors are pretty useless down there; they’ll have to fall back on the standard RSD, which evens things out a bit,’ Blue added.
‘What about their advanced weaponry, which I notice you didn’t mention?’ Ash asked, shooting an accusing look at Ben.
‘Most of that relies on the advanced sensors. Without them, the weapons system cannot lock onto a particular target; they’ll be shooting blind,’ Daniels replied, with a slight smile.
‘That improves the odds slightly,’ Ash agreed.
‘Don’t it just.’ Duncan grinned; the plan wasn’t the best he’d ever heard, but it wasn’t as crazy as some that he and Ben had pulled off.
‘Still think its suicide,’ Sophie grumbled, stalking off to the bridge. ‘But, hell, why wait for the government and all the nuclear bombs to wipe us out? Let’s do it ourselves.’
‘Nuclear bombs?’ Blue repeated as Sophie disappeared around the corner.
‘Always optimistic, that one,’ Duncan commented.
‘Well, hopefully, she’s wrong, and for once the government will have learned from the Land War.’
‘Hmph, like that’ll happen,’ Ash remarked.
‘We live in hope,’ Blue murmured, as each went to their tasks to get the Coelacanth ready for the upcoming fight.
***
‘We’ve made good time, Ben,’ commented Duncan by way of greeting his captain as he arrived on the bridge.
‘Good work, Soph,’ Daniels said, patting her on the shoulder while looking at the monitors. They needed to sit in one of the sm
all cavities that lined Heaton Passage, which was perfect for an ambush: a pirates’ heaven if it were not for the interference the rocks caused their instruments. But, for Daniels, it was perfect.
‘Dunc, just there on the right?’ he asked his friend, pointing at the third monitor.
‘Pretty good – it affords a reasonable view of the passage and good cover. Can’t ask for much more in these conditions.’ Duncan assessed his captain’s choice for cover.
‘Soph, can you take us in there?’ Daniels asked his pilot.
‘It’s gonna be tricky,’ she replied, flicking switches and grasping the helm firmly, but she manoeuvred the Coelacanth into position with a gentle hand.
Sophie leaned back in her chair with a small smile of satisfaction playing on her lips. ‘There you go, Captain.’
‘Thanks Soph.’
‘Now all we have to do is wait,’ Duncan murmured, taking a seat and watching the monitors closely.
Daniels leaned casually on the wall with his eyes half closed, seemingly half asleep as if the whole episode bored him, but he was, in fact, just as intently watching the monitors as Duncan; ready for action.
Their wait was brief. The Imperial Class A, Serronous, was powering through the water. The preciousness of their cargo was shown in their speed – a high-profile government minister out in the open was a recipe for disaster, and they knew it.
‘She’s here,’ Daniels stated from his languid position on the bridge. ‘The Serronous,’ he murmured thoughtfully to himself. ‘Mmm, the irony.’
‘Let’s get to work then,’ he said, pulling himself upright.
Duncan hit the comm. next to him. ‘She’s coming in, everyone make ready for the attack,’ he commanded; no explicit commands were needed in a situation like this – they had done it too many times before to need telling what to do.
‘Well, this is going to be interesting,’ Daniels muttered, casting a glance at Duncan.
‘Yeah, it sure is.’
‘Soph, keep us in here till I give the word… We’re gonna need Blue on this one – keep the channel open to him as well, as things might get a little tricky.’
‘Right you are, Captain.’
‘Blue, how are the sensors holding up? Can you get a lock on their engines and torpedo bays?’ Daniels asked down the comm.
‘I’ll give it a try, but the sensors are worse than we thought. I’ll be shooting the old-fashioned way,’ Blue responded.
Duncan grinned. Blue loved the ‘old-fashioned way’ as he called it; it did take more time, but, for accuracy, with Blue at the controls, the difference was minimal.
‘Right. Take out their engines first, then weapons… and taking out the sensors wouldn’t be a bad idea either,’ Daniels suggested.
‘Do you want to come down here and show me how to wipe me arse as well, Captain?’ Blue retorted.
‘Just do it, Blue.’
‘Soph, as soon as their engines are out, bring us out of here and level alongside,’ Daniels instructed as he and Duncan ran down to the starboard hatch.
‘You see her name?’ Duncan asked, once they were out of hearing range of Sophie.
‘Yeah, ironic huh?’
‘Hope that’s all. If they know we’re coming…’ Duncan left the sentence unfinished.
‘They can’t,’ Daniels stated simply. ‘We’re dead, remember?’
‘You ready?’ Daniels asked as they came up on the hatch where Simon and Ash were waiting, standing side by side ready for battle.
‘Always,’ Ash replied with a grin, while Simon gave a curt nod. Ash stood nearest the hatch holding a somewhat-crude-looking electronic device in his left hand. Both had two semiautomatic pistols strapped to the belts around their waists and a set of long knives. Ash also added a shotgun to his arsenal, with the extra cartridges on a diagonal belt around his torso.
Duncan and Daniels stood shoulder to shoulder, and were dressed in much the same attire: brown trousers and military-style boots, waist-coats with a red shirt in Daniels’ case and a white one in Duncan’s, and Daniels had completed his attire with a long frock coat. Each wore a sword strapped to his left hip, and a number of guns and daggers were also among their personal arsenals, which were neatly concealed out of sight. Even the crew didn’t know how many weapons they carried, but they did know they had never yet run out.
‘Don’t know why you bother with those swords,’ Ash grunted, gesturing to the offending objects.
Daniels gave a wry smile. ‘Old habits die hard,’ he replied, his hand gently resting on the hilt of his sabre. It was a typical military-style design; combat in enclosed spaces required a lot of skill – the sabre having been designed with that in mind with a slightly shorter blade, allowing a skilled swordsman to wield it easily within the confines of a submarine passageway. Although both Daniels and Duncan carried similar swords, there were a few differences: Daniels’ was slightly more ornate, but not in the extreme, and he had engraved a strange symbol on the hilt.
No one really knew what this symbol stood for; it could have been interlinked letters, maybe a word or just an aesthetically pleasing design. Sophie had tried asking the captain once, but he had merely held it close to his face and stared at it for a long time, lost in some memory. Sophie had made a move to leave, when he suddenly turned and, looking her full in the face, said, ‘It is a symbol of bright promises long since shattered and forgotten by many, but not by me; never by me.’ And with that he turned back to the sabre, regarding it a few seconds longer then placing it back in its scabbard, before abruptly rising and walking brusquely away from the table and Sophie. No one had mentioned it again.
Chapter Two
‘What’s taking him so long?’ Ash growled angrily after the silence became too much. Silence gave them all too much time to contemplate the imminent attack.
‘Blue always takes his time; she has to be right in line with us before he can fire,’ Simon pointed out.
Ash just gave him a look that clearly implied he had neither wanted nor required an answer; he knew well enough himself what was taking the time.
The Coelacanth suddenly jolted and then lurched forward, a sure sign that Blue and Sophie had begun the attack.
‘Get ready,’ Daniels commanded needlessly as they all stood awaiting the alignment of the two subs. The Coelacanth jolted several more times as shots were discharged while Sophie moved them into position. Unexpectedly the Coelacanth lurched sideways as it collided with the Serronous. A movement which was accompanied by Sophie’s voice crackling over the com: ‘Sorry.’
‘Just get us inline Soph!’ Daniels hollered back.
The Coelacanth screeched along the Serronous until the access hatches were level.
‘Ash,’ Daniels said, nodding his head in the direction of the hatches.
Ash just grunted as he moved into position, placing the electronic device against the panel next to the hatchway.
‘Hurry it up,’ Duncan called, as Ash was tapping away furiously on the keypad, and muttering some choice words about the sub and Elite Troopers.
‘Aha!’ Ash finally exclaimed as the hatches locked together.
‘Good. Now open the doors!’
‘All right! I’m doing it already!’
‘Get ready,’ Daniels murmured again, taking a gun in each hand; Simon tightened his grip on his guns while Duncan pulled out his own two. All eyes were focused on the hatchway; they knew that, as soon as it opened, they would be faced by ten Elites, possibly more.
Ash turned, moving back a pace, cocking his shotgun and nodded to Daniels as the hatch doors slid grudgingly open. No sooner had they opened than a hail of bullets flew into the passage.
‘I think they’re a little pissed.’
‘I wonder why? We haven’t done much… except for shooting at them…’ Duncan replied “thoughtfully” to Ash’s observation, in
between taking shots around the corner.
‘Don’t suppose you picked up those grenades?’ Daniels asked Duncan, who merely grinned, while holstering one of his guns to reach for a grenade.
Daniels smiled as the resounding explosion from Duncan’s grenade was heard and felt on the Coelacanth. Checking the coast was clear, he gave the order to move in. Taking point, he led his crew onto the Serronous.
The survivors of the first detachment of Elites were dealt with swiftly as the Coelacanth’s crew passed, moving deeper into Serronous.
‘Keep your eyes open,’ Daniels warned. No sooner had he given the warning than they were greeted with enemy fire.
‘Take cover!’ Duncan yelled, sending them diving this way and that.
‘Shit!’ Daniels cursed as he saw how easily they had been split up. They had been caught in some form of conference room. He and Duncan had moved to the right, separated, though close enough to work out some coordinated attack, but Ash had gone left and Simon back outside the room. Sporadic bouts of fire continued for some time, but Daniels knew that the net around them was closing – basic tactics.
‘Dunc!’ he whispered urgently, causing Duncan to turn and look at him as best as he could from his position.
Daniels mimed a strategy to him, and Duncan nodded his understanding. Daniels just hoped that Ash and Simon would follow their lead, if they were still alive. But Duncan didn’t give him much time to think on it, as he immediately threw two successive grenades at the Elite band. He and Daniels straightaway followed up with a charge against the Elites; a desperate move, being both outnumbered and outgunned. In the confusion, they were able to dispatch a number of Elite Troopers.
Daniels glanced around as he drew his sabre; there was no sign of either Ash or Simon following them. ‘Damn,’ he murmured as he began carving a path through the troopers, with Duncan at his side alternating between his gun and sabre – not being as proficient as his captain with the sword.
Suddenly, a cry went up from behind them as Ash and Simon joined forces to repel the reinforcements who were attacking from the rear. Daniels gave a brief smile before continuing with the task at hand.
Within the Water Page 2