Sounsyy rolled and thrashed in her sleep like the sea beneath her. Artillery shells boomed in her eardrums and her whole body shook from their blasts as they hit home all around her. She turned away from the flames to face a small Miqo'te girl, her sister - her face white with fear and her eyes blackened by soot. Sounsyy grabbed her hand and made to flee, but a Reaper rose out of the smoke and flames, it's mechanical maw wide and dripping with flame.
<Captain Mirke! Mirke can you hear me?> Sabine Gavronchette's voice crackled from somewhere in the dreamscape of Carteneau.
Sounsyy snapped awake with a yelp, the back of her head crashing into her chair. She winced and cradled herself in her chair while her breathing slowed to a normal pace. The linkpearl on her desk crackled again, Gavronchette's voice drifting up to her ears. She held her knees to her chest for a few more seconds, fighting back tears, before uncoiling and inserting the small pearl into her ear.
"Sorry, Commander, I'm here," Sounsyy's voice was almost a whisper.
<Apologies for rousing you at this late hour, Captain, but the matter is most urgent!>
"Go ahead."
<We've been attacked.>
The cabin door swung open as if to escape the Captain's path as she stormed out onto the deck, dressed for battle. Clouds hung low about the Lominsan frigate as it rocked against the Merlthor's waters. The night sky was deep and dark and silent , that is, until the bosun's call split the shroud with its shrill cry.
"All hands on deck!" she cried in between blasts of her whistle, "All! Hands! On! Deck!"
Soon all twenty heads were present, eyeing their captain expectantly. Some wondered if she was calling them for more drills. Others were still rubbing sleep from their eyes. A groggy P'welro approached the Captain asking, "Cap'n, what's goin' on?" But Sounsyy moved past her and motioned to Fhruhsunn.
"Helmsman, bring us about! New bearings - South by Southwest! We make for the Vesper Trade Lines! 8th Levy - Beat to Quarters! We are battle ready in a quarter-bell! P'welro with me!"
"Aye, Cap'n!" P'welro turned to her crew, "Ye heard the lass! Move!"
As if a bolt of lightning had struck the ship, the crew scattered. P'welro hurried after Sounsyy as the Captain went to the task of unfurling the sails to full. "What in the Seven Hells happened?" She asked again.
"A trade ship en route to Limsa came upon the remains of a Lominsan vessel. They're still trying to pull survivors out of the water," Sounsyy answered, relaying what small amount of information Gavronchette had given her as she dressed.
"Ye don't think pirates would be tha' thick?"
"I don't know," she said over her shoulder as she moved on to the next task, "But I want everyone battle ready just the same!"
"Aye!" P'welro shouted as she raced below deck to armor herself.
An hour passed, every minute agonizingly slow, until at last lights from another ship appeared on the horizon. Then, like revenants looming from the fog, the wreckage materialized all about the anchored vessel.
"Navigator be good," One of her crew said aloud. Sounsyy turned to Fhruhsunn saying, "Circle the wreckage and bring us alongside that other ship. I will board and see if there is aught that can be learned."
Fhruhsunn nodded and navigated a path around the wreckage of the massive trade galleon. The crew lined the starboard gunwale, eyeing the destruction below. Among the flotsam were bits of charred hull, a body here or there, crates and containers. Sounsyy silently wondered if her lost Valeneaux shipment might have been in one of those crates. But she pushed the thought aside and called out into the night, "This vessel is of the Thalassocratic Navy! If you can hear the sound of my voice, please respond! We are here to help!"
But there was no reply. Sounsyy repeated the call several more times until they came alongside the other vessel. A plank was thrown across and Sounsyy made her way onto the other ship. Its captain and crew greeted her on the other side and directed her below deck.
"We only dragged a dozen or so out of the waters lass," the trade captain, a Roegadyn said to Sounsyy as they headed below, "And not sure 'ow many of those will last til we reach Limsa."
"Take me to them," she replied, "Do we know what did this? Was there a mayday?"
The Roegadyn only shook his head. They rounded a corner and made their way down a long hallway towards the trade vessel's medical bay. The captain continued to speak as he walked on ahead, "Weren't no mayday. Was me who put in the alert to the Maelstrom after me ship nearly ran these bastards over. I don't know what happened but I can tell ye it weren't no pirates."
"Why do you say that?"
"Cuz it were two trade ships what went down."
"Two? We only saw the hull of one."
"Right, cuz there ain't no hull left of the first vessel. But one of me men noticed it. Said 'aye cap'n, there be two too many masts bobbin' in the water' he says. So I look an' sure 'nough. Weren't no pirate I ever see cull so bad weren't nothin' left ta plunder."
They arrived at a door and the trade captain motioned for Sounsyy to go inside. She did and was met with the sight of a dozen medical cots hastily strewn about the room. Twelve half-drowned men and women lay broken, burned, and battered, attended to by a single healer who looked not much better than his patients.
Sounsyy approached the nearest cot, occupied by a Hyuran woman with fierce burns. Her eyes were wide and her teeth chewed upon her gag. Sounsyy moved to another bed, this one occupied by a Seeker male. This one looked at Sounsyy as she approached.
"Can you tell me what happened?" she said to him.
"...ship..." Was the only sound that escaped his lips, the sound seemingly costing the Miqo'te all his strength to utter.
"Did a ship attack you? What kind of ship?"
"A...ship..."
"A ship attacked you. What kind? Think hard, what colors did it fly."
But the Miqo'te only shook his head weakly. With the last of his strength he lifted his arm and pointed towards the ceiling. Sounsyy fumbled over her words trying to decipher his meaning.
"A ship, a-airship? An airship attacked you?"
The Miqo'te nodded once before trying to speak again, "B...b...bl...c...cuh..." But he could not summon the words and eventually fell silent, unwilling to rouse again. Sounsyy cursed silently to herself as she took her leave of the wounded Miqo'te. She met the trade captain standing as he was outside the door. She regarded him a moment then shook her head.
"It were not pirates," she said solemnly, "I must needs speak with my commander. As fer you and yer crew, please make all haste fer Limsa. My Levy will remain with the wreckage just in case. You will be compensated upon arrival fer time lost in yer service to the Thalassocracy."
The captain bowed and lead Sounsyy back to the deck. One returned to her vessel she made for her cabin with P'welro hot on her heels. Once they were both inside, Sounsyy closed the doors behind them and tapped upon the linkpearl in her ear. There was a faint crackle as it linked to its correspondence.
"Commander, this is Captain Mirke with a report."
<Go ahead, Captain.>
"It appears the attack was carried out via airship on a pair of Lominsan trade galleons bound fer Vesper. Massive casualties. One galleon has been decimated entirely, the other torn asunder. Commander, we're looking at heavy artillery or a bombing. At this juncture I can only suspect a Garlean attack."
<Damn it all! Right, Mirke, I will make my report to the Admiral. Keep me apprised.>
"Commander," Sounsyy interjected, "Can word be sent to Melvaan's Gate? I must needs know what these ships were carrying that made them a target fer terrorism."
<It will be done, Mirke.>
Sounsyy withdrew the pearl from her ear and set it upon her desk. She looked up at P'welro who stood silently opposite her, awaiting orders. Sounsyy gave her a look that said everything the Seeker needed to hear. With a nod and a grin, Sounsyy's first mate withdrew from the room.
"Don't worry Cap'n," P'welro said as she opened the door, "We'll have them crates all outta the water by sun-up!"
With that, Sounsyy was left alone with her thoughts. She sat in silence, turning the facts over and over again in her head. Her eyes bored holes in the wall, yet were unseeing to the world around her. As if on an impulse, she reached for her pile of documents waiting within her desk drawer.
<Captain Mirke! Mirke can you hear me?> Sabine Gavronchette's voice crackled from somewhere in the dreamscape of Carteneau.
Sounsyy snapped awake with a yelp, the back of her head crashing into her chair. She winced and cradled herself in her chair while her breathing slowed to a normal pace. The linkpearl on her desk crackled again, Gavronchette's voice drifting up to her ears. She held her knees to her chest for a few more seconds, fighting back tears, before uncoiling and inserting the small pearl into her ear.
"Sorry, Commander, I'm here," Sounsyy's voice was almost a whisper.
<Apologies for rousing you at this late hour, Captain, but the matter is most urgent!>
"Go ahead."
<We've been attacked.>
The cabin door swung open as if to escape the Captain's path as she stormed out onto the deck, dressed for battle. Clouds hung low about the Lominsan frigate as it rocked against the Merlthor's waters. The night sky was deep and dark and silent , that is, until the bosun's call split the shroud with its shrill cry.
"All hands on deck!" she cried in between blasts of her whistle, "All! Hands! On! Deck!"
Soon all twenty heads were present, eyeing their captain expectantly. Some wondered if she was calling them for more drills. Others were still rubbing sleep from their eyes. A groggy P'welro approached the Captain asking, "Cap'n, what's goin' on?" But Sounsyy moved past her and motioned to Fhruhsunn.
"Helmsman, bring us about! New bearings - South by Southwest! We make for the Vesper Trade Lines! 8th Levy - Beat to Quarters! We are battle ready in a quarter-bell! P'welro with me!"
"Aye, Cap'n!" P'welro turned to her crew, "Ye heard the lass! Move!"
As if a bolt of lightning had struck the ship, the crew scattered. P'welro hurried after Sounsyy as the Captain went to the task of unfurling the sails to full. "What in the Seven Hells happened?" She asked again.
"A trade ship en route to Limsa came upon the remains of a Lominsan vessel. They're still trying to pull survivors out of the water," Sounsyy answered, relaying what small amount of information Gavronchette had given her as she dressed.
"Ye don't think pirates would be tha' thick?"
"I don't know," she said over her shoulder as she moved on to the next task, "But I want everyone battle ready just the same!"
"Aye!" P'welro shouted as she raced below deck to armor herself.
An hour passed, every minute agonizingly slow, until at last lights from another ship appeared on the horizon. Then, like revenants looming from the fog, the wreckage materialized all about the anchored vessel.
"Navigator be good," One of her crew said aloud. Sounsyy turned to Fhruhsunn saying, "Circle the wreckage and bring us alongside that other ship. I will board and see if there is aught that can be learned."
Fhruhsunn nodded and navigated a path around the wreckage of the massive trade galleon. The crew lined the starboard gunwale, eyeing the destruction below. Among the flotsam were bits of charred hull, a body here or there, crates and containers. Sounsyy silently wondered if her lost Valeneaux shipment might have been in one of those crates. But she pushed the thought aside and called out into the night, "This vessel is of the Thalassocratic Navy! If you can hear the sound of my voice, please respond! We are here to help!"
But there was no reply. Sounsyy repeated the call several more times until they came alongside the other vessel. A plank was thrown across and Sounsyy made her way onto the other ship. Its captain and crew greeted her on the other side and directed her below deck.
"We only dragged a dozen or so out of the waters lass," the trade captain, a Roegadyn said to Sounsyy as they headed below, "And not sure 'ow many of those will last til we reach Limsa."
"Take me to them," she replied, "Do we know what did this? Was there a mayday?"
The Roegadyn only shook his head. They rounded a corner and made their way down a long hallway towards the trade vessel's medical bay. The captain continued to speak as he walked on ahead, "Weren't no mayday. Was me who put in the alert to the Maelstrom after me ship nearly ran these bastards over. I don't know what happened but I can tell ye it weren't no pirates."
"Why do you say that?"
"Cuz it were two trade ships what went down."
"Two? We only saw the hull of one."
"Right, cuz there ain't no hull left of the first vessel. But one of me men noticed it. Said 'aye cap'n, there be two too many masts bobbin' in the water' he says. So I look an' sure 'nough. Weren't no pirate I ever see cull so bad weren't nothin' left ta plunder."
They arrived at a door and the trade captain motioned for Sounsyy to go inside. She did and was met with the sight of a dozen medical cots hastily strewn about the room. Twelve half-drowned men and women lay broken, burned, and battered, attended to by a single healer who looked not much better than his patients.
Sounsyy approached the nearest cot, occupied by a Hyuran woman with fierce burns. Her eyes were wide and her teeth chewed upon her gag. Sounsyy moved to another bed, this one occupied by a Seeker male. This one looked at Sounsyy as she approached.
"Can you tell me what happened?" she said to him.
"...ship..." Was the only sound that escaped his lips, the sound seemingly costing the Miqo'te all his strength to utter.
"Did a ship attack you? What kind of ship?"
"A...ship..."
"A ship attacked you. What kind? Think hard, what colors did it fly."
But the Miqo'te only shook his head weakly. With the last of his strength he lifted his arm and pointed towards the ceiling. Sounsyy fumbled over her words trying to decipher his meaning.
"A ship, a-airship? An airship attacked you?"
The Miqo'te nodded once before trying to speak again, "B...b...bl...c...cuh..." But he could not summon the words and eventually fell silent, unwilling to rouse again. Sounsyy cursed silently to herself as she took her leave of the wounded Miqo'te. She met the trade captain standing as he was outside the door. She regarded him a moment then shook her head.
"It were not pirates," she said solemnly, "I must needs speak with my commander. As fer you and yer crew, please make all haste fer Limsa. My Levy will remain with the wreckage just in case. You will be compensated upon arrival fer time lost in yer service to the Thalassocracy."
The captain bowed and lead Sounsyy back to the deck. One returned to her vessel she made for her cabin with P'welro hot on her heels. Once they were both inside, Sounsyy closed the doors behind them and tapped upon the linkpearl in her ear. There was a faint crackle as it linked to its correspondence.
"Commander, this is Captain Mirke with a report."
<Go ahead, Captain.>
"It appears the attack was carried out via airship on a pair of Lominsan trade galleons bound fer Vesper. Massive casualties. One galleon has been decimated entirely, the other torn asunder. Commander, we're looking at heavy artillery or a bombing. At this juncture I can only suspect a Garlean attack."
<Damn it all! Right, Mirke, I will make my report to the Admiral. Keep me apprised.>
"Commander," Sounsyy interjected, "Can word be sent to Melvaan's Gate? I must needs know what these ships were carrying that made them a target fer terrorism."
<It will be done, Mirke.>
Sounsyy withdrew the pearl from her ear and set it upon her desk. She looked up at P'welro who stood silently opposite her, awaiting orders. Sounsyy gave her a look that said everything the Seeker needed to hear. With a nod and a grin, Sounsyy's first mate withdrew from the room.
"Don't worry Cap'n," P'welro said as she opened the door, "We'll have them crates all outta the water by sun-up!"
With that, Sounsyy was left alone with her thoughts. She sat in silence, turning the facts over and over again in her head. Her eyes bored holes in the wall, yet were unseeing to the world around her. As if on an impulse, she reached for her pile of documents waiting within her desk drawer.
