They abandoned the rental cart on the main road leading into the Capital Harbour, taking the last kilometre by foot. It had been another two hour drive down from the bluffs at full speed and dawn was now on the cusp of breaking. As much as Marina hadn't liked leaving the vehicle and slowing the both of them down they needed to move discretely and quietly whilst avoiding the guard towers that were erected at every four hundred metres along the harbour's length.
They entered the docks proper, weapons drawn but hidden. The harbour was two miles of ports, warehouses, storage containers, restaurants, construction equipment, taverns, and boats and ships of every conceivable size. They had no time for an in depth exploration of what was available and needed as little interference as possible, otherwise commandeering a boat would be impossible. Already the harbour was dotted with clusters of workers and fishermen already well into the day's work and Marina feared they were already too late.
"We'll need something strong, yet fast, and not overly large," she said, scanning the ports from their spot under a shadowy awning.
"Cargo? Trawler? Response boat?" Ashe asked.
"How well do you know boats?"
"About as well I know anything else," Ashe replied. "Are we taking one ourselves?"
"That's the complication isn't it. We need a crew, but that means resistance."
"How hard can it be without one? Turn the engine on and point it that way!" Ashe pointed towards the dull blue glow of morning that was already washing over the horizon. "Nile is a keen boatsman, he never made it out to be difficult."
Marina turned incredulously. "You didn't mention this up at the condo?"
"Seemed smarter to keep him there as our cover. It would look odd if he went missing too," Ashe replied with a shrug."
"There is a rental cart parked back there attached to my account. It won't take anyone long to figure out where we went once it’s flagged as being at your condo. I should imagine they have security cameras at key spots all around too," she pointed at various corners and high vantage points. "We don't need cover. We need a boat to get us onto the waters, and to take us to the remotest port possible to change vessels. We'd have been better off hiding in a shipping container."
'It's not too late," Ashe said with a chuckle. Marina merely grunted and continued to check the perimeter, scanning for optimum cover and the most discreet pathways through the soon-to-be-bustling surroundings.
"So what happens if we encounter the crew?" Ashe asked.
"We'll see," Marina responded. Truthfully, she had no idea. She was fairly certain that she physically did not have anything left in her for another fight. Which meant their options were limited and difficult: either take a boat without crew and struggle to operate it or pay for anyone to do so; or try and take a boat with crew, potentially lose the fight and find themselves in custody of the Harbour Guard. Neither option was preferable.
They scurried along the length of the quay, keeping to the shadows and scanning the berths, trying to find something that might suit their needs.
Marina spotted a small fishing boat and signalled for Ashe to stop. The boat was old, its storage and deck space small, probably operated by a four man crew. Three grubby sailors stood by its docking post, talking and smoking. Likely the crew, but Marina couldn't be sure. They nodded in greeting, she raised a hand back and fired a questioning look at Ashe.
"It's on its last rudder, not enough style."
Marina sighed. "We aren't looking for style."
"Hey, I'm used to the best."
Marina moved on, Ashe followed. They passed three more berths - two empty, one cradling a large freighter - then another, and another - where two shady looking individuals exchanged a package of some kind and suddenly stopped, pretending otherwise as Marina passed - then two more berths followed. Nothing suited their needs. All the boats thus far were either too large, too old, too fragile or already had too much activity on them as the work day started. Between each berth floated a handful of small rental craft, used for sailing around larger vessels for maintenance and the like. Marina briefly considered them as an absolute last resort. They were not made for open waters, but beggars could not be choosers.
"There!" Ashe nudged Marina on the wounded arm, the surge of pain that ripped through her brought a grunt. She sucked it in through gritted teeth.
"Sorry, sorry," Ashe placated. "What do you think?"
The vessel was a medium sized hauler, perhaps fishing or cargo transport. Well travelled, rusted in places, but solid. It had no armaments of course, but it was unlikely they'd find anything that did. Its three solar sails were folded in and roped up, giving it a somewhat sleeker shape. In the dawn gloom it was hard to ascertain its colour - perhaps white, perhaps grey, or maybe a pale green - in any case the paint job had been faded and worn by weather and salt. It was completely unremarkable, and therefore it was absolutely ideal.
The large work light suspended far above, highlighted a lone woman on deck, hauling crates and doing some sort of inventory check.
"Just one person?" Ashe whispered. "Seems odd."
"Eyes sharp, weapons ready, no undue fuss."
"After you, Commander," Ashe said with an audible smirk.
"We take the deck, and take cover. Let's go." Marina led the way, hurrying across the quay towards the ship, she stopped at the berth guard rail, gesturing for Ashe to hold position, then moved forward, preparing to board via the hook ladder locked onto the starboard side. She stopped herself, clambering aboard would cause movement and alert the woman to their presence. So, moving on deck via the water was the most efficient method of approach. Except that she couldn't. The painful reminder of trying to hop without her amps still tingled through every nerve of her body. She sighed.
She turned to Ashe, indicating the strategy and Ashe nodded solemnly, Marina ignored the look of pity that flicked across his face.
As Ashe dropped quietly into the water, Marina caught the name of the boat - scrawled on its side in neat but charming script - the Plain Jane. Marina smiled, the name could not have been more apt. In the water below Ashe floated, submerged from the knees down. He took a deep breath, stifled a small cough and indicated to Marina with his fingers - one, two, three - he leaped, propelling himself onto the deck. His weapon was already pointed at the back of the woman's head by the time he landed.
"Don't move," Ashe said.
"Sure...sure," the woman said.
Marina scrambled up the ladder and emerged onto the deck.
"Take point," Marina said to Ashe, and he did so, making his way to the top of the navigation shed. Keeping low and keeping vigilant.
Marina moved towards the woman, keeping her pistol trained on her. As she got closer she found that the woman was younger than initially thought - maybe even still in her youth, but stocky and well built, clearly used to working on the waters. Her age meant she likely didn't have any seniority on the vessel at all. A deckhand maybe.
"You're not the captain." Marina said simply.
"No, Ma’am," she said. Her eyes were fierce, her voice calm. A young woman well acquainted with danger. "Captain an' the rest of the crew are still at port. Collecting final supplies an' the like. Maybe havin' a beer. Or seven."
Marina spotted the old, lighter model pistol strapped to the young woman’s hip.
"Drop your iron," Marina said. "Slowly, with no foolish movements."
She did so, placing it on the deck carefully. She kicked it over to Marina.
"Please, Ma’am, I don't want any trouble. I'm just workin' here."
"We don't mean to give you any trouble....Miss?"
"Busby, Ma’am. That's what I'm known as. It’s not Miss. Or Mister, or Master."
Marina nodded, understanding. "Unusual name. Where are you heading, Busby?"
She hesitated, perhaps considering crafting a lie. Eventually she spoke, though truth or not, Marina couldn't be sure.
"Kaimen Archipelago. We're setting off in an hour or two."
"That's fine," Marina said, unsure how to proceed. This was her first stick up after all, she wasn't sure of the correct criminal etiquette.
"We're just looking for safe passage,"she finally settled on. "Nothing more."
"That's somethin’ you'll have to take up with the captain," Busby said. "Besides, plenty o' boats docked that'll charge to get you where you goin'." Still firm. Marina admired them for that.
"Mind if we wait."
"Looks t'me I don't have a choice," they said with a smirk.
It was then that a heavy thudding came from below deck. Footsteps clunking up the metal staircase. Maybe it was due to fatigue, or perhaps stress or just simply down to the fact that Marina felt completely removed from her own body but she turned to look, betraying her own training - for just a second - and her hand was swept aside before she knew it and the impact to her chest made her entire torso explode with fresh agony. She was down, the sound of her pistol clattering away, she scrambled for it but it was already in Busby's hands. Marina was halfway back to standing when she heard Ashe's voice.
"Don't move. Don't do anything stupid or your man gets a brain full of lead."
Up top, Ashe was crouched, aiming his weapon at the head of the hulking man who'd emerged from below. He was a barrel chested lump of anger who was composed entirely or either fat or muscle. His face showed a kind of surprise that still somehow managed to look angry and psychotic in equal measure.
"You shoot, I shoot," Busby said. In addition to the pistol, they still clutched the metal bar -a lever handle of some kind - that they'd used as a makeshift weapon. If they'd connected with Marina’s arm instead of her weapon, Marina was fairly certain they'd have broken it.
"Well," Marinasaid berating herself. "How do we proceed from here."
"We can start by Tiny here dropping his weapon on deck," Ashe said.
"Tiders," the big man said with a hefty wad of sputum hitting the deck in punctuation. His pistol followed shortly after.
"Far from it," Marina said through gritted teeth. She took a breath to say more but the sounds of approaching voices stopped her short.
"Uh, Ma’am, I think we're about to meet the crew," Ashe said from above.
It was all going wrong. They'd never wanted conflict or to be caught and broadcast on the feeds. This was supposed to be a stealth operation - quietly board, threaten, and release from the mooring. She couldn't afford for this to become any bigger. They had neither the time nor the energy. They needed to push off immediately.
Marina examined Busby, trying to get a sense of them. She’d faced down numerous enemies who'd wanted to kill her enough times to gauge a combat situation well enough, and she certainly wasn't afraid; but Busby’s eyes said they wouldn't kill her, they’d shoot Marina for certain, but not with the intention to kill. It was a risk, but combat really was nothing but gambling, only with the stakes being one's life. Fortunately for Marina, he'd been trained to be a good gambler.
She poised, blocking out everything, including the pain coursing through her body. Everything that happened in the next few moments depended on her body doing exactly what she needed it to without protest. Just this one last time. She took a breath, almost meditating for just a beat.
"Take them!" she finally yelled, swinging out her foot and connecting with Busby's leg whilst throwing herself to the side. Busby’s gunshot missed her by inches; a second shot rang out from somewhere else and Marina heard the big man screaming, then the clatter of a weapon sliding across the deck. Busby fired again, but Marina was already crouched behind a crate.
"Drop it, now!" Ashe yelled from somewhere nearby. Another thud as yet another weapon hit the deck. The whole thing had happened in less than thirty seconds.
"Field clear," Ashe said, tossing Marina a pistol as he stood, it wasn't hers but it would suffice. The big man was groaning nearby.
"Start the engine," Marina said, barrel pointed at Busby.
"I...I...I'm just a deckhand. I don't know how to do that, Kelly there may be able to get us running...b..but he ain't the mechanic, nor the helmsman. If we run into issues we'll all be humped."
There were voices on the quay growing closer, attracted by the sounds of gunshots. Closer, individual voices could be made out amongst the aggressive crowing. There was no doubt the crew were coming to reclaim their home.
"- off my boat - "
" - goes there, show yourself -"
" - call the Patrol -"
" - got you outnumbered -"
"One of you, move, now!" Marina roared. She didn't look to see the shapes or configuration of the approaching men, they stayed out of the dock lights glow. Smart, using the gloom as cover.
BANG! The crate next to her head exploded, splinters of wood tearing at her cheek. She didn't know where the shot had come from, but she acted instinctively - grabbing Busby and turning them to face the quay, using her as a shield, barrel to her temple.
"I have your crew!" Marina yelled. "Cease fire!"
Silence.
"Captain there's - " Kelly's words were cut off with a heavy thunk. Marina turned to see him slump down, blood dripping from his head and Ashe wiping the butt of his weapon.
"He seems like trouble," Ashe said, with no humour.
"Damn," Marina turned around once more. "Any aggression and this one dies."
"Marina, the shots are going to attract attention -"
"They already are, you simpleton. Let's hope there's no one stupid enough to get involved and further."
"What do you want exactly?" A gruff voice came from the gloom, Marina couldn't decipher which of the shadowy figures had spoken. She could see a large stout man, a smaller leaner one, and one, maybe two others further back.
"Safe passage, nothing more. We didn't mean for this -"
"I got eight men with me out here and more folks than that are getting nosey. Odds ain't in your favour, girl. You got minutes 'til the harbour guard gets here. You need to make a choice."
There definitely weren't eight, at least not that Marina could see, the quay was pretty open. She was confident it was a bluff.
"Fine!" Marina yelled. The adrenaline was flowing and she was improvising. "I'm sorry this had to happen."
"There's only two of 'em, Captain!" Busby yelled.
"Go!" the unknown Captain roared.
"Get the mooring!" Marina yelled to Ashe, firing off a shot. She threw Busby down the deck hatch and closed it, taking up point on top of it. She fired as quickly as she could. The flashes of returning gunfire blinked like lights from the quay, hitting the deck and crates in bursts of sparks and dust. Marina couldn't hear anything further than a few feet but was aware of Ashe in cover nearby.
"Ashe! Mooring! Now!" Marina ejected a clip and rolled in a new one.
"I've got no clear path!" He was firing into the early light almost blindly.
"Wound, don't kill!"
"It's a little dark!"
They were out of options, they had to unmoor and get the boat away from the quay as fast as possible.
"Cover me!"
Marina rolled out and kept herself low, fighting through the pain. She scurried along the deck, her chest and ribs protesting with every movement. She found the mooring bracket and took the small knife that she'd had the foresight to steal from Ashe's condo and began hacking at the rope.
The metallic clang from behind her signified Busby emerging from below.
"Ashe, the deckhand!"
Marina didn't know what happened but she heard the scream immediately shortly after another gunshot. Then the boat wobbled, rocking from side to side. Someone had made it onto the ladder! She crouched and fired blindly towards the hooked rungs, then again at the figures two metres below before turning back to the mooring bracket.
"Cover the ladder!" she yelled to Ashe.
Things quickly descended into an aimless and chaotic symphony of gunshots, voices and impacts. If that wasn't bad enough, the sounds of harbour guard patrol sirens joined the melody. Two, possibly three carts.
The entire confrontation had in total taken perhaps two or three minutes, but time had seemed to slow down to a crawl. Marina's thoughts seemed to be dragging themselves through her head as if in treacle. It gave her plenty of time to question and regret almost every decision she'd made not only in the last few seconds, but the last few hours, and it was time for one more. The rope came free with a final frayed strand and she was up, running. She didn't care about cover or injury or at this point even death, just the mission. The objective. They had to get away.
She leaped over Kelly's unconscious form - something silver twinkled briefly, the slowing of time allowing Marina time to see it - but then she felt something bite at her leg. Marina landed, stumbled, but found her way into the navigation shed, supporting herself on the hatchway. She looked at the helm, at the various switches and gauges. There was the ignition. She needed a key. Perhaps the glint of silver on Kelly's belt? It was a risk, but it was their last option.
Marina ducked back outside, heading towards the man and - yes, it was a key ring! She reached down -
THUNK! Something heavy connected with the boat’s hull, she felt the vessel shift away from the quay slightly.
A mag-clamp!
"PLAIN JANE. YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION FOR PASSAGE OUT OF CAPITAL WATERS. WE HAVE YOUR VESSEL GROUNDED. DISEMBARK OR PREPARE TO BE BOARDED."
The voice came through a tannoy. Formal, unfriendly. Marina froze. She had no idea what to do next.
"DISEMBARK."
Somebody lumbered over the top of the ladder, rocking the deck once more. Marina fired off a shot but the shape darted for cover.
"Damn!" She felt helpless, out of control. The feeling was foreign and sat-ill with her.
"Get down!" A voice screamed. She didn't question it. A bright hot fire shot past her, the magenta glow lighting up the deck on it's path to the shore -
KRA-BOOM!
The dawn light was suddenly lit up by a rising plume of fire that exploded somewhere on the quay, before evaporating almost immediately. Marina recoiled and was somewhat distantly aware that the sounds of sirens had stopped. The boat sagged slightly, as if some sort of tension had been released and the vessel itself seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. The sound of gunfire continued sporadically although she had no idea where Ashe was, or if he was even still active in the field. He could be dead.
"Move!" Marina screamed to no one in particular. Or perhaps more to herself. She was up.
Back in the shed, she flicked through the keys, trying each until one fit. Either Kelly was in fact the helmsman, or the whole crew carried an ignition key. Either way, Busby had been lying, and rightfully so. They were protecting their crew and their ship.
Marina turned the key and the engine roared to life under her.
"Right...move...move..." she said to himself.
She pushed what she assumed was the throttle and the boat lurched forward, slamming against the quay, she quickly pulled back, berating herself and wiping the sweat from her eyes as the boat began to reverse. She spun the wheel and the boat turned away from shore.
She found she was smiling. They just might, maybe, get away after all.
Suddenly Ashe was in the doorway, leaning out, weapon poised.
"We've got patrol boats incoming."
"Harbour guard?"
"Yep."
"The carts?"
"Had a little help," he gestured to an open orange box on the floor. Inside four flare rounds still remained. Marina could see the matching orange and black shape wedged into Ashes holster.
"What did you do?" he yelled.
"Brought us some time."
"Is anyone dead?" The rising dread clawed its way up through Marina’s chest.
"We have one more hostile on deck, the other two are down." Ashe said pointedly ignoring him.
"Plain Jane...." a voice crackled through the radio.
"Ashe - is anyone hurt!"
"Plain Jane, this is Captain Okawa of the Capital Port Control Authority. Please respond."
"Ashe!"
"Get us the hell out of here, Marina!" Ashe screamed, turning his full attention on her. Marina was stunned into silence. The casually apathetic, cocksure Ashe had vanished. The rage that burned in his eyes was something Marina had never thought possible. Or maybe it was fear? A new kind of terror that she'd never seen in the man before.
"I'm trying," Marina said through gritted teeth. She went to say more but stopped herself. She feared that if she burst now, everything she was holding back would come gushing out.
As she spoke, her eyes, though straining through exhaustion seemed to direct their focus beyond Ashe, to a large cargo vessel docked nearby, towering over the neighbouring boats. A plan started to form, somewhere in the back of her mind, under the layers of fog and fatigue. It wasn't one she liked, but they were boxed in and as much as she hated to admit it - Ashe had inspired her somewhat with the flare gun tactic.
"Plain Jane, we have three vessels approaching your location. Please desist and disembark. You have shown hostile action towards Parliamentary bodies and we will be forced to fire if you do not desist."
Marina grabbed the radio.
"Hold fire. We have innocents onboard. Members of the crew."
"With whom am I speaking?" Captain Okawa replied, surprised at the response.
Marina dropped the radio and let it hang loose.
"God damn you, Marvel." She picked up the flare case before pushing past Ashe and snatching the flare from his gun belt. "Take the helm, punch it. Full throttle."
"What?"
"I said take the damn throttle!"
They traded places.
"Did I mention that this is the worst thought out plan I have ever had the misfortune of taking part in!" Ashe yelled at her.
"Twas your plan," Marina replied, firing her pistol blindly into the gloom. The roar of the harbour guard engines and sirens drew closer.
"Plain Jane - please respond. We will open fire."
"Stay off the radio, Marvel," Marina barked.
She checked the flare was loaded, and glanced quickly towards the ladder again. Someone else was climbing aboard but so far the returning crew were staying safe under the minimal cover and assessing the situation.
The flare was locked in. Marina swung out, aimed at the huge freighter docked a hundred metres or so away, said a silent prayer and fired.
The orange glow trailed outwards. Marina squinted against the fiery tail of the flare, not even looking where it went. Too terrified to watch it miss.
As she loaded another round, a tremendous explosion seemed to rip through the very air as the ignited chemical canisters on the freighter exploded in a fireball that must have been seen all the way from Havenmere.
"Shitting hell!" Ashe yelled.
Marina looked up to see fiery debris spreading outwards, raining down on the docks and nearby ships. The air was hot and murky, and a thick black smoke spread outwards with the accompanying aroma of chemicals. The smell was pungent and nauseating.
"That'll keep the Harbour Masters busy," Marina said, unable to hide her grin.
A second ship exploded, triggered by the flaming wreckage of her sister ship colliding with her own volatile cargo. The second explosion wasn't quite as big as the first, but the area of destruction was wide enough to fulfil its purpose.
"Marvel, cover me," Marina yelled.
Ashe made his way to the cockpit hatch, standing over Marina, firing out into the gloom. The gunshots were mere whispers over the noises coming from port: the crackling of fires, the occasional tertiary explosion or the crumbling of nearby structures, gruff shouts of orders being issued, and the screams of unexpected pain.
Somewhere under all the noise, the crackling of the radio once more vied for their attention as Captain Okawa attempted to hail them again.
"Nearest patrol boat, Ashe?" Marina asked through exhausted breaths.
"Starboard, almost parallel."
"Switch!"
Ashe responded, tucking in as Marina stood and fired off another flare round, the answering bang and orange glow told her that she'd hit her target. The patrol boat could be heard sputtering and choking to an aggressive stop.
Marina grabbed the radio again.
"Captain Okawa?"
"Plain Jane - I have both remaining vessels with weapons hot. Aimed right at you. We will shoot to destroy if necessary -"
"The flares were just a warning -" Marina started to respond.
"You have caused a catastrophic level of damage -"
"That was a taster, Captain," Marina said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Repeat that, Plain Jane?"
"We have on board a dual-fire mark-six high yield armament. Do you know what that is?"
Captain Okawa's voice was suddenly very quiet.
"Yes."
Ashe looked at Marina briefly, half in and half out of the hatch, keeping his weapon trained on the deck outside. He looked shocked, and impressed all in equal measure.
"We also have six rounds with us. If you do not turn your boats around, and abandon your apprehension of us in every sense, we will start to take down the Guard Towers." It was a bold lie, bold enough that she hoped it seemed plausible. If it didn't, they'd be in custody within the hour.
"You won't reach -"
"We have a nav-mod. Auto adjusting and remote guided if need be. We could fire in the opposite direction and we will still score a direct hit."
There was a pause.
"Who are you?"
"The choice is yours Captain," Marina said coldly.
Another pause. Longer.
"You're bluffing."
"Is it a risk you're willing to take? I have one of my men aiming towards the port right now. Retreat. Or I can't promise we won't just fire at your men instead."
"You're bluffing," Okawa said again.
"Do you think we would hijack a vessel within Capital jurisdiction and not come suitably prepared for resistance. That would be remarkably stupid."
"It would," Okawa sighed.
"Retreat Captain, no one else has to get hurt."
"The crew?"
"They'll be safe, dropped at the next port."
"What do you want with that ship? It's a nothing piece of labour."
Marina ignored him. Ashe fired off a shot.
"I heard gunfire!" Okawa said.
"Turn around, Captain. You'll never hear from us again, and don't bother looking for the transponder signal."
Marina dropped the radio.
"Marina..." Ashe said impatiently.
"It's up to them now, we've done all we can."
"And the crew?" Ashe asked.
"We got you boxed in, boatboys!" A voice yelled from somewhere on deck.
"Oh, shut up!" Ashe yelled and emptied a clip towards the small pile of containers. Something among the flashes of gunfire caught Marina’s attention. A shadow. Creeping around the other side of the nav-shed.
"Lock this door and push as hard and fast as you can," she said. She hoped Captain Okawa was smart enough and honourable enough to not risk putting his men in any more danger. Marina didn't want to think about how many of his patrolmen they'd already injured, possibly killed. The crews of the cargo ships too flickered through her mind. She pushed them all down. Soldier means sacrifice. Mission now. Mourn later.
The black smoke billowing into the sky had caused the slowly lightening dawn to darken once again. The first lines of burning orange and crimson fought against the black mass that almost seemed to be smothering the sun back down towards the horizon. It would have been somewhat beautiful if Marina had had time to admire it,
She headed around to the stern of the hut, weapon drawn and moving as silently as she could, listening for any movement - although the roar of the Plain Jane's engine and the rumbling of the retreating guard vessels made it near impossible. At least Okawa had made the smart choice, not wanting to risk his men for the sake of one small transport vessel. Marina doubted the guard would abandon them all together though, not with the destruction they'd caused and the wreckage burning behind them. Port Authority simply wouldn't allow it. They'd order a secondary wave or search within hours. Marina just had to hope her bluff would be taken seriously. That's all she had left. Hope. It seemed pathetically hollow, small even, given the circumstances.
She paused, catching the movement of the approaching hostile clearly. The crew-member darted behind a storage bracket, no doubt having seen Marina approaching, unaware that he'd been spotted himself.
The man would expect a mid-level attack, sword or pistol. He'd have his own weapon drawn, perhaps his blade too. If he had throwing knives, he'd go for the face or torso.
Marina looked around her, the deck was clean and well organised. Nothing she could use. That was okay. She'd formed a strategy. It was the final push, just this one last fight and hopefully she'd be done. She drew her blade, took a deep breath and her chest twinged in response. She was exhausted. She only realised it then. At the worst possible moment the heaviness and tightness of her muscles fell over her like a net. Not even the adrenaline coursing through her could numb it any longer.
There was no time to think, if she thought about it, she'd fail.
She rounded the corner, keeping low and threw her blade in a spinning arc at what she hoped was face or chest level. The bang of a gun shot followed a yell of surprise but Marina was already launching forward. She tackled the man by the legs and they both went down, weapons scattering asunder. The man fought with undisciplined but animalistic fear, moaning in unintelligible grunts. He grabbed and clawed but his struggle was brief as Marina quickly subdued him with some well executed punches to the face and neck and the man’s eyes rolled back in response.
Marina dragged him to his feet. He was thin, but solid. His face, now covered in blood in the gloom, was slack and confused.
"Get up," Marina said with venom. The weight of the man made her muscles scream but she managed, picking up a pistol in the process. "Walk!"
The man shuffled his feet as Marina made her way to the nav shed hatch. Outside, two men - an older, stout, heavyset man and a tall, dark skinned man - were hammering at the door, hurling abuse at Ashe and pointing their weapons.
"Drop your fucking weapons, now!" Marina held the man in front of her like a human shield. Pressing his pistol so far into the man’s temple it would no doubt leave an ugly bruise. "Drop them, or his brains go over the deck!"
She'd finally exploded. Her exhaustion and pain was finally being exorcised as a cathartic blast of hot aggression. She had zero tolerance anymore, zero desire for conflict. She just wanted it done.
"You wouldn't dare, girl," the older man roared. Ashe, still at the helm, was poised and ready for things to get messy.
Marina quickly pointed her weapon down and shot the tall dark skinned man in the thigh. He went down, grunting in pain.
"I have zero time and zero patience. Drop your iron!"
The older man looked at her, then out towards the water - probably hoping for the harbour guard to change their minds - then back at Marina. His assessment complete, he relented and dropped his weaponry. The taller man did the same.
"You the captain?" Marina asked the older man.
"Ayuh, Nyck Viridian," he responded. "And you are?"
"None of your concern," Marina replied a tad too quickly. "Captain Viridian, I need your cooperation. Do we have an understanding?"
The man was silent in protest.
"I need your crew lined up on deck whilst my companion finds suitable bindings. But fret not, we'll see to it that you're all patched up. Busby and your other man too."
"And then?" Captain Viridian asked.
"You either keep quiet with undue fuss or you go overboard."
"I left three other men at port -"
"I'm sure they'll make do. Cooperate or drown, Captain, I'm leaving the choice to you. I would really prefer the former." Marina stood firm, using what little energy she had left to present an air of confidence, stability and menace.
"You're well spoken for a tider, and a woman. You Capital?"
Marina considered his answer for a moment.
"Captain, I once knew someone very close to me who abandoned the honourable duties of the Capital for the life of a tider. I think it's the most despicable act imaginable."
Before Nyck could answer Marina gestured for Ashe to open the hatch. He did so and stuck his head out, hood up, face shrouded, and weapon aimed, ready for the slightest twitch from their captives.
"It's over," Marina said. "Let's pack them up."
An hour later the Plain Jane was several dozen miles further west and the crew were bound, patched and sat uncomfortably along the starboard railing. Captain Viridian had patiently and calmly talked Marina through where to find the first aid kit and a supply of secure ties - allowing her and Ashe to attend to wounds and bind the crew safely and as comfortably as they could. Even in the face of piracy and an uncertain fate Viridian had prioritised the safety and well being of his people above all else, as any good Captain should. He seemed a decent and honourable man. Of that much Marina was certain.
Ironically the captain was the only member of his remaining crew not to have suffered any major wounds. Aside from a few nasty scrapes and bruises, he'd come away unscathed. Despite his bulk, he'd managed to avoid any stray bullets or shrapnel, although whether that was through an unlikely agility or through blind luck, Marina didn't know.
Kelly on the other hand, had regained consciousness mid-way through his binding and had immediately put up an aggressive and savage resistance. He'd eventually settled after being ordered by Nyck to stop running his mouth and in the captain’s own words 'shit fitting like a small cocked drunk trying to anger fuck his way into a wench's bed.' He now sat with the rest of his shipmates - his bullet wound bandaged, an ice pack strapped to his head covering two hastily applied stitches - and the scowl adorning his face once more set with the same ferocity and barely controlled brutality that had already become familiar.
The tall dark skinned man - whose name was Laslo - had a quiet dignity about him, and had allowed his leg to be patched and limbs to be bound without protest. Jessop - the thin man whom Marina has beat possibly a tad too savagely - had thus far not said a word. He sat next to Laslo, leaning on him slightly, his face a mess of purple and blue swelling.
Busby though, had suffered the worst, Ashe had caught them in the shoulder and sent them careening back down the deck hatch where she'd snapped their leg in quite a severe break. The rough splint that had been applied would not be a long term solution and they would be the first priority for professional medical treatment at whichever port the ship ended up in. Ashe had moved Busby below decks to the small, barely fit for purpose medbay, being as gentle as he could before securing them to the lumpy little bunk. Marina had found it difficult to look at Busby, her guilt prevented her eyes from meeting the young deckhand’s almost like it was a physical weight pulling them down, though she had her own injuries to worry about. She'd taken a bullet to the calf, the vague biting sensation that she'd felt during the incursion had been masked by adrenaline, exhaustion and desperation and she hadn't even realised that the gaping hole in her leg was there until Kelly had stuck the tip of his boot in it with a hearty laugh. It was okay though, she could deal with a limp. It wasn't her first gunshot wound and she very much doubted it would be her last.
Morning had now fully broken and Marina was perched on the railings near the crew. The day would be clear and sunny, and the ocean wind seemed to eradicate all the aches and pains of her body - at least for now. It refreshed her somewhat, temporarily keeping the exhaustion at bay. Inside the nav shed Ashe just about managed to keep the boat on a westerly course. The water was slightly choppy, but it was otherwise smooth sailing.
An uncomfortable, although not unexpected silence had fallen on the ship. Neither side of the conflict willing to make conversation with the other, and neither side knowing what to do next, or indeed what would even happen. Each person using the period as a brief reprieve after the violence of the early dawn.
When she felt herself starting to fight sleep Marina hopped off the railing and limped over to the prisoners. The word left an unpleasant feeling in his gut, it felt wrong to call them that, but given the status quo, no other word seemed applicable. She found most of them asleep, all except Viridian, maintaining watch over his kin. Kelly too, was awake, feigning sleep - albeit poorly.
"I'm sorry," Marina finally said.
"For what?" Captain Viridian grunted. "Your poorly planned attempt to hijack my boat?"
Marina smiled.
"We got into a spot of trouble with our old crew and we had to leave. We didn't want things to go south. Just wanted passage. That's all."
"You won't get far," Viridian said. "Harbour guard will mobilise, most likely put out an ocean wide alert. There ain't nowhere you can go. Tracking the transponder ain't difficult."
"Transponder went in the water once we had you all in place," Marina said simply. It wasn't a lie. She'd torn it out from under the helm control herself.
Viridian’s face sunk. "Port control knows where we're going, we got cargo to deliver. Someone will be waiting."
"Wherever you're going, we'll go elsewhere. Soon as we have access to your logs and manifests we'll know everything we need to. All we need is another port and we can ship-jump." Marina turned to face him. "Or you can just tell us what we need, make it easier and quicker for everyone. Believe it or not Captain, we want to be out of your hair. This was a means to an end. Nothing more."
"Could be a long way ta next port," Viridian said, gesturing to his bindings. "And you ain't gonna dock anywhere without a legal transponder signal."
"Who's your mechanic?" Marina said simply.
Viridian fell silent.
"Help me out here, Captain."
"He is," he pointed to the portrait of bruises that was Jessop.
"Good. I'm sure he can jerry-rig us up something that'll get us docked once he's feeling good and ready. I think we'll just float for a while, it's a nice day - you could probably do with a sun top up."
Marina made her way to the nav shed and reached for the hatch -
"Soldiers then?" the Captain said from behind her. Marina said nothing.
"You fight well - coordinated and the like. Well spoken. I'm guessing hoppers?"
Marina chuckled. "No, Captain, we are not soldiers." It wasn't a lie. Not now. "And truthfully, I can barely swim."
She opened the hatch and headed inside to Ashe. His face scarf was down but his hood was still up.
"This is going to be a problem," he said to Marina immediately. "We didn't plan for resistance. If they find out who I am then we're done."
"We always needed a crew, what did you expect would happen?"
Ashe just shook his head.
"With or without me, you were expecting to gain passage on a boat, and attempt some covert mission to rescue Heiress Suri. You, Ashe Marvel, one of the most recognisable faces on Lemuria. Your propensity for idiocy knows no bounds.”
"Bribes get you a long way," Ashe replied.
"Then bribe them," Marina responded. She leaned over and searched for what she was looking for on the console, frowning.
"We have a wad of cash, perhaps that's not such a bad idea," Ashe suggested.
"Or we could put the money to better use," Marina flicked a series of switches and listened for the familiar whirring of the solar sails. Instead a strained clicking vibrated throughout the ship.
"I think that's the release catch," Ashe said pointing. Marina shook her head, berating herself. She turned the lever and the sails began their smooth extension outward.
"It wouldn't hurt to earn their trust," Marina said to Ashe. "Maybe in a few days when the animosity has settled I can talk to the captain. He seems an honourable man, perhaps I could negotiate something. They are short on crew now after all, they need able bodies... if...I can get Captain Viridian on side, he could perhaps get the harbour guard to withdraw their warrant."
"Do we have days?" Ashe asked curtly.
Marina frowned, churning the idea around.
"We'll be out of Capital jurisdiction in a day or so, Marina, and there's no law out here. The few settlements there are, barely have anything that can be called authority, and if they do it's not anything worth worrying about. If the harbour guard doesn't get us, tiders will. A tiny little boat like this won't stand a chance."
Marina sighed, too tired to think straight. Now was not the time for plans.
"Leave it with me," she said finally. "You should get some rack time, there's bunks and such down below. I'll keep watch for a few hours."
"Marina, you have nothing left in you -"
"I'll take watch." Her words were final. Sacrificial.
Ashe merely threw up his hands, relenting. He re-positioned his headgear and headed outside. Marina followed, strolling towards the bow of the ship.
"So how long before you change your mind and throw us overboard?" Kelly barked.
"Kelly, close your face hole," Viridian barked.
Marina stopped. "That won't happen. You can trust me."
"Trust you? Whole crew is full of holes -" Kelly snarled.
"Kelly!" Viridian again.
"The fact that you're still breathing should be enough," Marina replied calmly. "We've patched you up, ensured your safety. Now, if you're good, we may even feed you. Your galley looks well stocked."
Kelly spat on the deck. A charming habit he clearly took to when he was out of words.
"And if you can't trust me, well -" Marina began.
"You can trust me," Ashe appeared next to her. Hood down, face fully on display.
Viridian and Kelly looked dumbstruck. Kelly just about managed to nudge Jessop awake next to him. The man roused slowly, looked at Ashe, and jolted bolt upright with a strange noise of surprise. He started tapping Laslo furiously to get his attention. He too roused briefly, but waved Jessop off with a heavy hand before closing his eyes once more.
Marina merely sagged, her body almost folding with exasperation. So much for anonymity.
"What the hell is this?" Viridian managed.
"Thought that might help speed along the group bonding," Ashe said with a grin before heading down below decks.
"God damn," Marina muttered.
"Hoppers, of course," Captain Viridian wasn't smug, or gloating. It was simply said matter of fact, like he suddenly understood everything he needed to.
Marina, embarrassed and tired, and unsure how to proceed continued on her way to the bow, ducking under a sail as she did so.
"Can't wait to hear the story you two have," Viridian called after her. The sounds of frantic and confused conversation followed.
Marina left them behind and found a spot on the bow railings, perching herself in a support strut, looking outwards towards the endless waters and clear morning sky.
She let herself relax, cradled in the metal curve of the strut. It was the first time in days that her body had finally been allowed to stop, and every ache, injury and trauma fought for dominance. Something prodded at her thigh and she removed her forgotten datapad from her pocket. It was shattered beyond reasonable use. It didn't matter. She had no need for it now. Soon she would be out of the Capital's network range and most of its functions would be rendered useless. She took a final look at it, if the day came that she acquired another she'd be able to access the pads network backup but for now it wasn't a necessity. Besides, the datapad's GPS signature was another tool that would aid Parliament in locating her. She tossed the device into the water. It barely made a sound. The final shred of her old life now sank to the bottom of the Opal Ocean. It felt somewhat cathartic, a strange feeling of serenity or relief washed over her. It triggered something inside her and she started shaking. She didn't know why - perhaps from fatigue, or grief, or a mixture of both. Maybe from a strange cocktail of the indescribable feeling and emotions that she'd been forced to experience and hold in over the past handful of days.
Kal flooded her mind, alongside the countless hoppers killed since the attack on First Province. The images of her desperately fighting her own way out of the Capital, collided with the memories of watching most of the electorate killed in front of her. The men and women she'd no doubt killed on the freighters and harbour patrol boats reached up threatening to consume her. Finally, of course, her mutation and physical condition hammered away at her skull, like a terrifying invader forcing its way into the secure space of her mind. Yet above it all, within, around and throughout: Kal. Always Kal. Marina could stop none of it. The thoughts drowned her.
She finally started to weep. She wept for Kal most of all - for his death, she wept for their lost life together. She wept out of guilt for pushing him out of her mind, for putting the mission first. As she always did, as he'd told her countless times not to. Something in Marina was irreparably broken, she knew that for certain. She knew she could never go back to what she was. Commander Marina O'Reilly had died in the tider incursion of Equatorial District.
Ahead of her - the sun shimmered off the rippling expanse of water. The sounds of the waves licking and lapping at the hull of the Plain Jane formed a steady rhythm that only aided in drawing the pain out of her, almost as if the water itself was reaching up to cure her with its cooling touch; but it would never cure her. Nothing could.
Marina sat and wept, hoping that the swishing and churning of the ocean masked the sounds of the sobs from her captives, but in truth she didn't care. She'd earned a moment to himself.
She took it.
And cried.
