Chapter 112: Sumatran Java
Part 1: Shore Party
TIME: 18:47 NCT
DATE: War Day 902/27 Noneus, 1004 C.S. (Local)
LOCATION: Hr. Ms. Java, offshore of Bangka Island
We were preparing for landing. I had gone through things with the remaining Marines - these folks needed new uniforms, bad. Their uniforms were solid dark blue, with white gaiters, and black boots. Red mandarin-style collars with gold straps. Very old fashioned.
I was wearing my Equestrian Tiger Stripe, that I'd had in the Griffon Kingdom. So was Sunset. Steela.. was.. nude. Not that this was a huge issue in this world, but she'd found some blue dye and striped herself up. She was carrying a Rassmusen rifle, but she also appropriated a fire axe.
K: "Now, remember, we need to get close and figure out how occupied the place is. If it's too much, we'll just sneak whatever we can, out. If it's not, we'll try and take the place and strip it clean. Got it?"
Cornelis relayed this to his troops. He'd chosen to wear some of his civilian clothes in place of his white Naval uniform, for lack of anything else.
K: "Here comes the shore. Pull the boat in just enough, then bail out, and follow close." I nodded.
Cornelis: "What do you expect there?" He nodded ahead.
K: "I'm hoping just an advance team. Guns are a double-edged sword in a world without them - on the one hand, a small number of troops can occupy a larger area, but on the other hand, that leaves them vulerable to exactly this." I smirked as I felt the boat hit sand. "Let's go."
We hit the sand.
The Marine ahead of me had the Madsen-Bjornov LMG, and I kept to his right. We advanced towards the Naval Depot, and I could see the signage out front had been shot up.
My eye caught movement, and I motioned for everyone to get down.
K: "Cornelis!" I hissed.
Cornelis: "Yes!" He slid up next to me.
K: "Someone's in the guard post. Call to them in Dutch." I said, pointing.
Cornelis: "Yes, of course!" He nodded firmly, and rolled behind a rock, just in case. "Let op! Dit is Kapitein-Luitenant Cornelis Hustaert van de Java! Wie is daar in dat gebouw?"
Pony Voice: "Sergeant Willow van der Meer! Vierde Koloniale Infanterie! Ben je hier om ons te redden?" It replied.
Cornelis: "Met hoeveel zijn jullie?"
Willow: "Vijftien! Onze luitenant is dood! De vijandelijke troepenmacht houdt de noordkant van het Depot vast!"
Cornelis: "Fifteen members of the Colonial Infantry." He shrugged. "The enemy holds the north side of the Depot."
K: "Tell them we're going to eradicate them and strip this place bare, and escape." I nodded.
Cornelis: "Luister! Ons schip heeft die voorraden nodig, anders komen we niet ver! Bereid je troepen voor om aan te vallen met mijn mariniers! Ik stuur een hengst vooruit met munitie! Val aan als je mijn fluitje hoort!" He pointed at the assistant machine-gunner and they moved up.
Willow: "Bedankt! Wij zullen klaar zijn!"
Our team, once rejoined by the AMG'er, moved around outside the Depot itself, to get somewhat behind the occupying enemy force. The north side of the Depot had several large buildings, and I could readily see the enemy.
Mixed between two Machine Shops and a large storage building marked for ammunition, I counted 17 Porcine, 24 Heavy Raptorians, 16 regular Raptorians, and 24 Duregars. They were being led by a Goblin officer and 3-gobbo staff.
K: "Sunset. Grenades." I said, digging mine out. "Captain, as soon as we throw, blow the whistle." I tapped the Machine Gunner, and pointed at the Porcine as the preferred target.
Sunset: "Grenades ready." She.. she simply levitated all four of her grenades and dangled them in the air.
K: "THROW!" I pulled the safety, flicked the grenade to extend the handle and activate the fuse, then heaved it towards the collection of enemy troops.
Cornelis blew his whistle at that moment, making them all turn towards it.
The Machine Gunner opened fire instantly. Fifteen rounds barked out, and two Porcine instantly fell to their influence. The Machine Gunner moved, just as the Grenades went off. I watched a barrel explode with it, and the Goblin leader was thrown to the ground.
Then a dead Porcine started falling over. A goblin squealed, but was flattened.
The Heavy Raptorians took to the skies, and I fired rapidly into them as they did, scoring 7/12 hits.
Behind them, Willow's team advanced, all armed with Madsen-Rassmusen rifles. They fired well aimed shots, stopping to take cover, and leapfrogging teams as they did so.
We pressed the enemy from two sides, and soon, the last few regular Raptorians and Goblin were trying to run for it.
They didn't count on Steela lying in wait. She came out of a hidden spot behind some crates, and screamed like the Berzerker she was, fire axe over her shoulder, before one-swipe decapitating two Raptorians in one stroke. The last one raised its rifle to protect itself, but she swung low and took out his legs. Like.. TOOK THEM CLEAN OFF. Then buried the axe in its chest.
Goblin: "NO! NOOOOOO! NO KILL! NO KILL! MERCIES! MERCIES!" It ran around wildly, away from Steela, who began chasing it.
Steela: "GIT BACK HEER, YEU LEETEL SHIT!!" She screamed. "IEM GOING TO MAKE AEN ALE CUP FROM YOUR SKULL!"
Cornelis and the others laughed at the display. I just grinned - she was going to be a fun addition to the command staff.
Finally, after some Yakety Sax-style chasing, she caught the little bastard right by some crates, and had them cornered.
Steela: "YEU GOING TO DIE!" She reeled back with the axe in her hoof.
Goblin: "I GIVE! SURRENDER! PLEASE NO KILL!" It fell to its knees, hands clasped.
K: "Okay, Steela. That's enough." I ordered.
Of course, as she'd taken a vow to follow my orders, she complied.
I walked over and looked at the sorry green thing. Most Goblins I'd seen up until now, were fanatics. This one was two things - first, it wasn't dressed like the others. Second, it was.. female?
Yeah, two chest bumps and wide hips, that's female.
K: "Name, Rank and Unit Number." I stated to her.
Goblin: "Teeka?" She tilted her head at me. "I was Commander's Aide." She pointed to the Goblin that had been blown up by a grenade.
Cornelis: "I never see a female Goblin before." He rubbed his chin with his fetlock.
K: "Neither have we. This is very important. It means they reproduce sexually, meaning they have depreciable numbers, meaning.. they're a legitimate race." I shrugged. "And she's kinda soiled herself. Meaning, they know fear, too." I nodded to her. "I have a lot of questions for you, later, Teeka. As you've surrendered, you'll be treated fairly."
Teeka: "T-Teeka thank Great Mighty Hyoomin." She prostrated herself before me.
Cornelis: "Now what?" He shrugged.
K: "Strip this place clean - we'll take the Colonial Infantry troops with us, we could use 'em. Get everyone available to start ferrying supplies to the Java." I pointed at a rack of Whaleboats. "We have plenty of boats to carry the stuff off in."
Well, we'd taken the facility, but more than that, we'd taken a VITAL prisoner. Teeka literally just saved her race from eradication and extinction. She didn't know it, yet, but she was now the most important Goblin in the world.
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: Teeka
TIME: 23:01 NCT
DATE: War Day 902/27 Noneus, 1004 C.S. (Local)
LOCATION: Hr. Ms. Java, offshore of Bangka Island
It took us hours to strip everything useful from the Depot, even with most of the crew pitching in. We now had the help of Sergeant Willow, as well. Once I got a look at them, I realized the natives were Mouse Deer. Rather, a local world version of them.
I recalled that the Indonesians had a legend about a specific one. So, I found this kinda fitting. They were just a bit smaller than Ponies, too, making the Rassmusen look rather large in their hooves, but it worked.
I was seated in the Ward Room with Teeka the Goblin. Sunset got her cleaned up. She was now having a mug of soup.
Teeka: "A-Ah.." She shrunk back into the chair a bit, as I entered.
K: "Teeka, right?" I sat in a chair across from her. "Leave us." I gestured to the Colonial Soldier.
S2C Daun: "Yes.. Generaal." He nodded, and departed.
Teeka: "You show mercy." She looked down at her soup cup. "My life unworthy. Thank you."
K: "I disagree. All life is worthy." I said, in comforting tones. "I have questions for you, if you don't mind?"
Teeka: "A-Ah?" She looked up at me.
I should note, Goblins are between 3 and 4 feet tall (~0.9 - 1.2m). Or, again, about three quarters of the scale of a human. Teeka was about 3'7" or so (~1.1m). Looking at Teeka and comparing her to the Goblins I'd killed before, I couldn't see if there was much sexual dimorphism. If there was, it wasn't pronounced.
K: "I'd like to know many things about Goblin culture." I nodded to her.
Teeka: "O-Of course.." She still stammered. "..Teeka talk. Talk f-free." She squirmed. "Teeka be your Aide, now?"
K: "Well, I mean." I shrugged. "If you want to. But I-"
She slid out of her chair, plodded over with a purpose, and.. jumped into my lap. She was smiling, now.
And I got the idea where this was going. And I did not like it. Remember - I may be lewd, but I'm no sexual predator. I won't do sexyfuns with someone if they're being ordered/demanded/have their agency removed to do so, either by culture or control of another. I consider that no better than rape, and I cannot abide rape.
So, I picked her up under the arms and sat her on the edge of the table.
K: "Not like that." I nodded. "I was going to say, I want to know things about you and Goblins."
Teeka: "Sex good way." She smiled a bit. "Is Aide's job, keep Commader head clear."
K: "W'h-Ahh.. we.. we don't do that in our culture." I put a hand on her shoulder, trying to let her down easy.
Teeka: "Also, Great and Mighty Hyoomin have Teeka as Aide, Teeka have.. have status.." She emphasized that last word. "..good status! Make her respected by other Gob female." She smiled broadly.
I wagged a finger at her.
K: "That's some of the stuff I wanted to ask about. Do Goblins get married for love?"
Teeka: "Oh, yes! Teeka sister, Peepa, marry Grik the Mechanics. He dies on island near Pony Neighpon." She shrugged.
Meaning, it's very possible that I, Toola, or Cadence killed him on Alamo Island.
Teeka: "Teeka mother, Geeka the Smart, marry Holdo the Mighty." She shrugged.
K: "Okay. Do YOU have a secondary title or name like that?" I tilted my head.
She hooked her feet at the ankle and swung them back and forth, smiling a little, with a tiny blush.
Teeka: "I probably get one for being Mighty Hyoomin Aide."
K: "Ah, so, it's an honorific title for being good at something?" I asked, TRYING to keep her mind off my 'matters.'
Teeka: "OH! Yess! But, must be given by Elder Gob." She nodded rapidly. "I just Teeka. I 19 winters. Not have Honor Name, yet."
K: "Interesting." I nodded. "Why do Goblins follow Tirek?"
Teeka: "T-T.." She stammered and got VERY scared. "..we not speak name of Great Lord Over All Others. Not unless we call his name in Battle. To speak his name otherwise.. disrespect, disrespect! Very disrespect! Tha-That means the whip." She hugged herself.
K: "I won't whip you for saying his name. He is my enemy." I nodded. "Just as I'd like you to use MY name. It's K."
Teeka: "Mighty K. Hyooman who DEFY Lord Over All!" She squirmed, perked up, and smiled. "And now Teeka his Aide!" And squirmed more. "Maybe if Aide, maybe.." She twisted this way and that, smiling, and rolled herself a bit so she could look at me almost upside down. "..maybe Teeka give you heirs." And blushed harder.
K: *Plainly* "So, Goblins respect Strength, and being an Aide to someone powerful, for a female Goblin, is a viable path to starting a family with a mate that will provide for them?" I asked, without letting her obvious flirtations get to me.
Teeka: "Yeeees!" She smiled broadly. "I give you heirs, Teeka be respect! MUCH respect! Even if you are enemy."
K: "So, again, why follow Tirek?" I shrugged. "Because he's strong?"
Teeka: "..ah." She blinked, and blushed, but not in a lustful way.. no.. more in a humiliated way. She lifted her dress to show off her tattoo across her belly and lower chest - it looked like a binding tattoo of some kind. "Lord Over All mark all Gob. Many, many century ago. He mark all Gob as his. Not slave, no, long ago Elder Gob.. ah.. Loknar the Great And Wise.. he swear Gob race to serve Lord Over All for all time. In thank for Lord Over All save us from certain death. All death." She shook her head. "Queen of Bees. She drive us from our homes. Into ice and cold. Many starve, many die. Lord Over All save us. Then, make Bees his as well. Many, many race follow Tirek." She shrugged a bit, and slid into my lap.
I should note, this was more her seeking PROTECTION, than being lewd.
K: "Like the Gizmonks?" I asked.
Teeka: "Yes." She curled into a little ball. "You no let me die? Worser. Get taken back. Teeka taken back by Gob, Teeka.. Teeka.. become.." She sniffled. "..everyone property."
I cuddled her a little.. she was opening up to me in a very personal way. Sure, I'd have to keep her at arm's length, but that was no reason not to be a good friend to her and comfort her. And I got the idea - if I let them take her back, she'd be.. well.. horrible things would happen to her.
K: "I won't let anything happen to you." I hugged her. "You've promised your undying loyalty, and I don't abandon my friends."
TIME: 00:32 NCT
DATE: War Day 903/28 Noneus, 1004 C.S. (Local)
I slipped into our quarters, just as Sunset and Steela were getting comfortable.
Sunset: "How'd it go?" She shrugged, getting into MY bed.. not that Steela hadn't decided to yank her mattress off the bunk and get comfortable next to it.
K: "She's.. her name's Teeka, she's a female goblin, 19 years old, hasn't got an honor name yet, and now considers herself my personal aide. Which in Goblin culture is part secretary, part sex-ra-tary." I smirked a little, but it faded. "Short and simple female goblins - when pressed - have very little agency. They have to resort to back-channel means to be secure in themselves and their own bodies. The culture is very, very, male-centric. There's laws and rules, of course, but don't expect to see female goblins very often. Only because their boss - Digek the Wiry - wanted to humiliate her for some minor slight, did she get anywhere near the front lines. She might be one of perhaps a dozen female Goblins in the entire island chain's occupation force." I shrugged. "Oh, and.. the Goblins are pretty much a lost cause. They have this massive cult of personality built up around Tirek in ways that would make the most self-absorbed HUMAN tyrant, blush with jealousy. The only reason I was able to get through to her is because - to Goblins - I've near equal status with Tirek. And.. she wants my dick." I chuckled.
The girls giggled and snout-poked each other.
Steela: "She heff to stand in line. If anyone gets you, is me first." She smirked.. hard. "Jes'a you wait, K. Some day, we vill be deep in de mountains, jes you an' me, an' you'll have to.." She stretched her limbs out. "..get very close to me to stay warm." She grinned, softly. "Don't'a worry.. I take VERY good care of you."
Sunset: *Snort* "If I'm around, sister, we split him." She poked her.
They.. had bonded, it was clear.
K: "If AJ heard you two-" I started.
Sunset: "If AJ heard this, she'd demand an orgy." She grinned, mischeviously.
K: "..I accept defeat, Commander." I gave the surrender hands.
Sunset: "Yeah, now, get in BED, darn you! Every time we're together, I always see you pushing yourself way too hard." She snorted again, and urged Steela to back her up.
K: "Okay! Okay!" I surrendered again, and got my outer layer off, and got comfortable.
They surrounded me. Despite the warm, humid tropical air.
Sleep was very easy to come by, regardless.
[End of Part 2]
Part 3: Sub Dangers
TIME: 12:44 NCT
DATE: War Day 903/28 Noneus, 1004 C.S. (Local)
LOCATION: Hr.Ms. Java, 110nmi southeast of Tanjungpinang
I was on the bridge with the Skipper, performing the role of a lookout. The Naval Depot had some coal stored there, so, we padded our fuel out and could do another 100nmi if we had to. We'd rather not, of course, as the trip to Tanjungpinang would have left us with almost no fuel left in the first place.
K: "CAPTAIN! Flag in the distance! One of yours!" I called down from the Gunnery Director conning tower.
Cornelis: "Jae?" He stepped up there with me, and took a sight through the gunnery director.
K: "Bearing zero seven zero, range, one-two-double-oh." Or, 70 degrees from compass north, 1250 meters away.
Cornelis: "...that's a merchant ship." He looked at me. "One of ours."
K: "Can we signal them?" I shrugged.
Cornelis: "Radio Room - signal the vessel seventy degrees off the starboard bow." He called into the sound-powered phone.
K: "Let's see what we get." I shrugged.
A few minutes later, we got our answer.
Cornelis: "..ja, ja." He looked at me. "She is the civilian-crewed Neigtherlands Naval Vessel Arctic Light. She say she is disabled by torpedo, but saw no torpedo vess-"
K: "BATTLE STATIONS!" I ran out to the roof of the bridge, outside the conning tower. "Captain, look for any cylindrical things poking out of the water." I pointed. "Three-sixty degree scan."
Cornelis: "YOU HEAR HIM! Actiestations! Alle personeelsleden, zoek naar buizen die uit het water steken!" He ordered. "What is this, then, Gen'raal?"
K: "Submarines! TIREK developed SUBMARINES!" I hissed. "And we don't have any effective countermeasures, yet!"
Cornelis: "What WOULD be effective?" He asked, scouting the area with his own binoculars.
K: "They're called Depth Charges. You charge over the area the submarine is supposedly at, and fire them into the water, or roll them off the back of the ship. Each charge has a timed fuse, synchronized with the approximate time it takes for them to sink to a certain depth.. they go off, and either you guess right, or you don't. That's a simple depth charge. We also can't detect them without sonar or hydrophones." I shrugged. "Sonar, sonar I might be able to do once I get back home and talk to Bright Eyes. Hydrophones are much simpler. I might be able to put together a basic one from the materials on board, but that'd take some time. For the moment, get the guns angled UP, like, greater than 45 degrees if you can - we have to use the shells like mortars and hope that we can get the sub by plunging fire."
Cornelis: "Sounds risky!" He made the orders clear.
K: "You have no idea." I shrugged. "What's the max elevation on the guns?"
Cornelis: "57 degrees?" He frowned.
K: "That's cutting it close. If the sub dives, we'll have to use the main guns.. if it's close to the surface, we might be able to damage it, even if it's underwater, with the ship's autocannons." I nodded.
Cornelis: "Oooo.. invention of new tactics!" He beamed a grin.
K: "Yeah, we have to find it, first." I shrugged.
Cornelis: "Until we do, should we avoid the cargo vessel?" He cocked a brow.
K: "Mmm.. zig-zag pattern gradually towards it. I don't think this sub could intercept radio communications, so, send them a message and let them know what's going on. The sub might've left the area, but I have a feeling, they disabled that cargo ship in order to turn it into bait for something like this." I pointed to the ship.
Cornelis: "Indeed." He nodded, and stepped back into the conning tower to relay instructions.
Me? I climbed down over the side of the roof and dropped down on the deck outside the enclosed bridge and went inside.
Roell: "These submarines. How many do you think Tirek might have?" He shrugged.
K: "Not many. They're very technically-oriented vessels - he could really only entrust them to Goblin or Gizmonk crews. Maybe Duregars. Most Raptorians aren't smart enough, though we've seen a few that were. Porcines would be useless for anything but manual torpedo loading, and even then, they could build a smaller sub and just crew it with smaller creatures to save materials." I shrugged. "I would LIKE to force the sub to beach itself, or sink it in VERY shallow water so I can get a good look at it."
Cornelis: "YOU MAY GET THAT CHANCE!" He called down from the Conning Tower. "GUNNERY DIRECTOR SPOTTED TUBE IN THE WATER!"
I scaled the ladder up into the Conning Tower, and went to the Gunnery Director for a look.
Sure enough, I could see the Periscope. It was looking back at us (or so it seemed).
K: "'A' turret - one barrel - fire ranging shot. Bearing 3-1-0, range one one double oh." I instructed.
Cornelis relayed this, and I could hear the turret fire. I watched - zoomed out - as the shell splashed within 100 meters of the periscope. I just announced I could see them.
The Periscope started retracting.
K: "Both forward turrets, fire on that bearing and range." I instructed.
Cornelis relayed, and the rounds went out. The Periscope dipped below the waves just as the splashes landed all around its former position. I saw the water seem to lurch a bit, and there was an oil slick.
K: "We wounded them." I pointed to Cornelis. "Get us right up along side her - they can't dive, now, we HIT them!"
Cornelis relayed the orders, and I felt the ship reach its best possible speed. We were on top of them in no time. The oil slick was headed towards a small island.
K: "Port Bow 25 - pepper the area around that oil slick!" I instructed, and Cornelis relayed.
After a bit of that, the Submarine started to surface.
K: "She wants a fight." I paced away from the Gunnery Director. "Get the Marines and Infantry troops up here - full gear. Pony all Machine Guns. They come out and try and shoot us, I want them chopped up for bait!"
Cornelis, again, relayed the info, and a Petty Officer handed us long arms. I noticed these sub-machine guns used by the naval crew, reminded me a lot of the Madsen M50.
The Submarine was surfacing and trying to get some distance. I could see a five-inch shell hole in her aft end, abaft the conning tower. She was armed with what looked like a 105mm gun aft, and a pair of those Goblin 20mm guns on the forward facing part of the conning tower. Another gun - looked to be about a 30 or 40mm - was facing forward as well.
K: "DON'T LET THEM CREW THOSE GUNS!" I called out as the Deck crew got armed - I aimed and fired at the first green head that stuck itself up from a hatch, immediately appreciating the tame 600rpm rate of fire, even though I was probably a bit beyond the effective range of 9x18mm.
Steela came out with a Madsen-Bjarnov, and immediately raked the conning tower of the Sub with 9x35mm round, producing screams. The Marines and Colonial Infantry started picking them off as they tried pouring out of the sub's conning tower, to crew the deck guns.
Me? I dropped the SMG and jumped into the seat for the port bow 11mm heavy machine gun and cranked it into position. I then just.. cut loose.. hosing down the conning tower and deck. The upper deck 11mm gun on the port side opened up as well.
In short order.. everything on the sub was bleeding and dead, or stopped moving. The sub gently ran aground in the soft sand.
There was silence.
K: "BOARDING PARTY! GET READY TO GO OVER!" I called out. "CORNELIS! I NEED YOU!"
Cornelis: "Of course, Gen'raal!" He called down from the upper deck 11mm gun turret, with a grin. "Mariniers! Maak je klaar om aan boord te gaan en het vijandelijke schip als prijs in beslag te nemen!"
Take that, Tirek.
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: Precious Cargo
TIME: 13:51 NCT
DATE: War Day 903/28 Noneus, 1004 C.S. (Local)
LOCATION: Netherlands Naval Ship Arctic Light, 110nmi southeast of Tanjungpinang
Captain Hendrik Sweers was the civilian ship's captain of the Arctic Light. His crew were entirely civilian, save the gun crews, and even those were local Colonial Naval Service personnel.
Sweers himself once served as a Civilian ship navigator for the Ambleonian merchant marine, and an Equestrian cargo company. His accent was Dutch-mixed-with-Manehattan. He knew of me - very well so, since his brother had been an officer on HMS Alarm before her sinking, and a cousin was aboard HMS Detrot before HER sinking, and was currently assigned to HMS Moonlight as a deck gunner.
Captain Hendrik Sweers: "Gut to meet you, Generaal K." He stuck his hoof towards me, and we shook on it.
K: "Captain." I nodded to him. "What have you got aboard your ship?"
Captain Sweers: "427 civilians." He shrugged. "Much cargo salvaged from Palembang and the naval depot near it, but is mostly the civilians. 201 Dutch, 49 foreigners, and the rest, colonial natives. All flee from Tirek's forces."
In this world, the city of Palembang had ocean access - my world's Palembang did not (not directly). An Equestrian that was aboard the ship had warned the civilians what Tirek would do to them if they stayed behind...
Captain Sweers: "..and she say, she know you." He directed me into the ward room.
K: "MAUD?!" I almost fainted.
Maud Pie: "General K." She nodded coldly. "I see our paths have crossed again."
K: "Doctor." I shrugged. "Captain, this is Dr. Maud Pie-"
Maud: "I never completed my medical education, General." She corrected me. "I could not Stand for my Exams, as-"
K: "DOCTOR." I actually turned and confronted her. "As far as I'm concerned. And.." I shrugged a bit. "..she's the sister to the former Element of Laughter." I looked at Maud. "You and I are going to talk in a minute." I pointed at her.
Maud: "Indeed." She blinked, emotionlessly.
Captain Sweers: "Explains why she took over our medical room." He shrugged. "We have a surgeon on board, but she called them.."
Maud: "I believe I used the term donkey-hoofed. Captain." She nodded. "She is capable of diagnosing, but utterly incapable of actual surgery with any skill at all." She nodded to me. "We need food, General. I will be plain - we haven't any left. We were on reduced rations for the last week, trying to find some place safe. We went first to Jakarta, and found it was being occupied as we arrived. We went to Surabaya next. Tanjungpinang was our last hope."
K: "Anyone else with you?" I shrugged.
Maud: "Yes." She blinked. "An Air Force officer named Lightning Dust."
K: "I don't think I met her." I shrugged.
Maud: "She tried out for the Wonderbolts before the war, but did not succeed at that time." She said, flatly.
K: "Alright. Where's SHE?" I gestured.
Capt. Sweers: "Oh, I sent for her." He nodded.
Lightning Dust: "..ah, you must be K?" She stepped in, and I could smell the confidence on her. "Flying Officer Lightning Dust." She nodded.
K: "Care to explain?" I shrugged.
Lightning Dust: "W-Well.." She ducked her head a bit. "..I kinda.." She frowned.
Sunset: "Look, sister, just spit it out. Kay can be very forgiving." She put her hoof on LD's shoulder.
Lightning Dust: "I got pissed off that I kept getting passed up for promotions despite my talents, so, I went AWOL about three months ago. I mean, I had leave time coming, but I didn't plan on coming back. I wanted to get as far away from the war as I could. I felt like I was going to be trapped in backwater assignemnts and never see any action." She snorted. "So, I said, forget this. Go somewhere your talent can be appreciated. I.. uhm.. I actually got a job with a dispatch company here in the Colonies. I'm the fastest messenger they have!" She nodded with a grin.
K: "You felt slighted, so, you went to make yourself a big fish in a small pond." I nodded to her.
Lightning Dust: "Yeah. Pretty much." She frowned. "Then Tirek arrived."
K: "I'll see to it that you're not punished for going AWOL, but I need.. NEED your help." I was firm on this. "I was just in the northern reaches of the Griffon Kingdom a few days ago, and a GOD teleported me here, hoping to exile me. I don't think he knew Tirek was already here. And now, the war's here. I only have Sunset with me - and she's kinda new. She knows what she's doing, but she's all I've got. I don't have any trained military personnel - no staff." I poked her chest. "You wanted action, you've got it."
Lightning Dust: "..just like that?" She cocked a brow.
K: "Just like that. Lieutenant." I nodded firmly. "I expect you to earn that rank, too."
Lightning Dust: "YES!" She jumped up and hugged me - Sunset let her, though I could see that 'protectiveness' in her eyes for an instant. "I-I mean.. YES, SIR, GENERAL!" She slid down, and saluted me with her right wing.
K: "Alright - you went to the full Officer Training Course, right?" I nodded to her.
Lightning Dust: "Sure did. Aced it." She smirked a bit.
K: "Flight School? You rated on the F/A-1 Falcon?" I nodded again.
Lightning Dust: "Yep. And Ground Forces Security School. Rated Expert on the Morgan, Bradley and Sherman, Sharpshooter on the Gavin and Ridgway." She nodded back, still smirking. "And trained on the Funston and both the Pershing-6 and the Abrams."
K: "Sounds good. I'm guessing your actual assignments were very tame?" I shrugged a bit.
Lightning Dust: "I was assigned, first, to Quonset Point. Which amounted to sitting around and doing nothing while the base was under construction - which was delayed by some hippies." She frowned a bit. "I begged for a transfer, and I got Handscomb. The most I did was ferry Falcons from the Navarre Front. I never saw any action." She slowly shook her head.
Maud: "I fear experience will be very easy to come by." She blinked exactly once.
K: "Indeed. Alright." I shrugged a bit. "Sunset, go with her and see what other Foreign Nationals are aboard. See if any of them are in the services." I nodded to her. "Captain, if you'd go with them?"
Capt. Sweers: "Of course. Ladies?" He escorted them out.
I sat across from Maud.
K: "You're far more well informed than you think I give you credit for." I locked eyes with her. "How many more, and is one of them aboard?"
Maud: "I do not know what you mean." She said, flatly, but cold as granite.
K: "You're lying. Pinkie. How many clones are left, and is one of her aboard?" I looked out the porthole a moment, dropping my own emotions. "You are not one to have come out all this way on a whim or on a desire to escape the situation you were facing. You would only come out this far away from everything, if you had a very good reason - I met Rose Pompadour."
Maud.. blinked several times, then lowered her head.
Maud: "I am trying to find her. Her name is Cotton Candy." She shrugged, and slunk a bit lower. "I do not appreciate having my defenses breached like this, General." She said through grit teeth. "But, it seems, you know me too well for those to work."
K: "I understand a mind like yours." I nodded, showing no pleasure in the act.
Maud: "I can see now, why Pinkie spoke so highly of you in her letters." She raised her head slightly. "Why she desired you. Your mind is as close to hers as it is my own. You have the ability to think in ways that ponies simply cannot."
K: "You speak as though you're not one." I returned.
Maud: "I am. But, like my sister, I, too, have some kind of gift. Or curse. I was able to see from very young what a lie so many things around us are. I decided that the only thing I could do, was take my newfound realization and relieve the pain of those that could not. I felt at some point that a great and terrible conflict would come. I did not know what it would be, nor did I know of the Legends. But, I felt it. And I felt my own role in this would be to fuse together the shattered rocks of so many lives that would be affected. Because I could see pitfalls and hazards that other ponies were stone deaf to." She lowered her head a bit. "..how is Pinkie?"
K: "She's alive and well in another dimension with Spunky and her boyfriend." I smiled a bit. "She's happy, she's found her place in the universe in a big way."
Maud: "I know of one other living clone. Her name is Razzle Dazzle. I do not know where she is." She shrugged in a tiny movement. "Very selfishly of me, I plan to build some kind of family with them. If that is what they want." She looked up to me. "If you win this war and I have the time to do so."
K: "I'll win. With your help especially." I nodded to her. "I don't expect you to fight, but your talents as a doctor are invaluable." I nodded again, looking at the table. "While the Mirror Pool incident will be covered up, Celestia has promised all of Pinkies clones will be given full citizenship and protection in Equestria if they want to return."
Maud: "This pleases me. I expect your monkey paws were in this." She gave a slight head turn.
K: "A bit." I shrugged in a tiny motion, mimicking hers. "I wouldn't have tolerated them being killed."
Maud: "As expected." She blinked once. "You have potential. That fascinates me."
K: "Just let me know what you need. The Dutch seem very receptive to my experience and knowledge." I shrugged. "Even beyond that. Anything. Just ask."
Maud: "I shall avail myself of that chance soon enough, I fear." She blinked once, again.
K: "I'm glad we had this talk." I shrugged, getting up. "I have to get back to the Java. Send word if you need something. I'll see what I can do about the food situation."
With that, I departed. Maud was now a factor in this war.. whatever that meant. More friends, more strength, and she was as solid as a rock.
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: Destroyer
TIME: 16:23 NCT
DATE: War Day 903/28 Noneus, 1004 C.S. (Local)
LOCATION: Hr.Ms. Java, 52nmi southeast of Tanjungpinang
I was seated on a bench on the bridge, just watching the crew do their thing. We were making 20kts towards Tanjungpinang, and would be there by about 8PM local time.
Java was ahead of the Arctic Light, which was trailing us astern. Watchers were out, as this was considered possible enemy territory. Fact is, we didn't know WHAT was up..
Sea Pony: "Kapitein! Twee schepen direct aan bakboord, naderen met hoge snelheid!" He called out.
K: "Ah, shit." I didn't know the translation, but it sounded bad. "Captain?"
Cornelis: "Two ships to port, approaching at high speed." He got up as well, and we both looked out the bridge windows.
K: "Pair of destroyers. Pretty modern look to them, too." I nodded a bit.
They reminded me, immediately, of a cartoony take on, say, a Mahan-class destroyer. Two single 5-inch type guns in front, and torpedoes on the sides.
We did not have torpedoes.
K: "Captain, have the Arctic Light retire to the north towards Tanjung. We need to cut in and block them." I nodded to him.
Cornelis: "Indeed. We must protect de civilians. Luitenant! Signaal Arctic Light. Trek je terug noord-noordoost. We zullen de vijandelijke schepen onderscheppen! Gevechtsposten!" He ordered.
I could hear the ship's bell chime General Quarters. An orderly handed out combat helmets and life vests to the bridge crew. I didn't bother - pony life vests didn't even begin to fit me.
K: "Engines all ahead full. Every ounce we can get out of them. Target the one furthest north. Focus on that one. Get us broadside to them, so we can hit them with all of our guns." I nodded again, watching the enemy ships.
Cornelis: "Koers twee-twee-nul. Maximale snelheid. Hoofdkanonnen, bereid je voor om op mijn bevel op het meest noordelijke doel te vuren!" He ordered. "I hope you know what you are doing, K. This leaves us vulnerable to the second ship." He shrugged. "And they are faster."
K: "We got this." I nodded. "Focus on one ship at a time. Try to keep us between the enemy and the cargo ship - and that lead ship between us and its friend."
Cornelis: "Ahhh! I see! Very good!" He nodded.
K: "Their gun mounts are singles. Ours are twins. They have five guns, it looks like. Get in to knife fighting range, and try to target the gun mounts themselves, or their torpedo launchers with the 25mm guns - if we can knock out their weapons with our opening strikes, the second ship can be focused on." I pointed out.
Cornelis relayed these instructions, and I kept my eye on the second ship, so it couldn't swing around and try and get behind us, to intercept the Arctic Light.
We closed distance rapidly, as the ship we were targeting, immediately saw us as the bigger threat. It moved to get its broadside to us, to target us with its main guns - all of them. As it started its turn, our forward two guns opened up on its port quarter, and I saw three hits - "A" Turret Barbette and Face, and one that hit the superstructure. The last shell just barely missed to port.
The superstructure hit, though, started a fire. I wasn't expecting that. We were loaded with AP shells, not HE, the chance to start a fire was fairly low.
Java cut in smartly, as smoke started obscuring the enemy bridge, and all her machine guns and light cannon opened up on them. As I instructed, priority was given to its torpedo launchers, and one instantly detonated. The second was torn up with 11mm gunfire, and rendered useless. Our aft 5-inch turret scored a hit in the small superstructure right next to the launchers, and THAT exploded violently..
Cornelis: "AHAHA! I think we hit the Torepedo Magazine!" He exclaimed.
K: "Good, good, she's done for - swing us around and start chasing the second one. Angle us so we can keep ourselves between them and the Arctic Light!" I instructed. "Same thing - get us close and hose them! That Destroyer doesn't have any light cannon! Just main guns, torpedoes, and I think some Pershings." I said, as Sunset moved up next to me.
Sunset: "..I wonder." She frowned. "Kay. Trust me?" She pawed my hip.
K: "Whatever you're going to do - do it." I nodded. "I'll cover you myself. Steela! Lightning! Come give a hand!" I held up the Madsen-Rasmussen.
Sunset took off immediately, and I stepped out onto the bridge wing. Lightning manned the 11mm gun up on this deck level, while Steela had hold of a Madsen-Bjarnov.
I watched the newly-minted Alicorn get some air, and start circling the second destroyer. All of a sudden, I started seeing a rain of firebolts come down from the sky, each the size of a medicine ball.
She aimed for the turrets in the rear, that had exposed tops and sides, and the torpedo launchers in the middle.. and she scored hits. Big hits that caused BIG explosions almost right away. Java shuddered as a 5-inch shell found its mark on our aft superstructure, but the aft 5-inch turret responded in kind, hitting the offending destroyer in the forward superstrucutre twice with HE shells, that started fires internally.
On purpose, this time.
K: "CORNELIS! Get us away from them! They're going up!" I called back into the bridge.
Cornelis: "I will! As soon as I get some ENGINE power!" He shouted back. "We suffered damage to the Engine Room! It's chaos down there!"
K: "Then, all hands brace for impact! All stop, hard right rudder! Whatever momentum we have, angle us away! Evacuate the aft turret!" I pushed Steela and Lightning back inside. "SUNSET!" I screamed, getting my headset on. C> "Sunset! Get back here! They're going to blow up!"
Sunset: C> "Yeah, I know! I-I think I got this!" She said, moving between us and the sinking, burning enemy ships.
She then summoned a shield of red energy between Java and the enemy ships.. the furthest one detonated first, as cold sea water flooded her boiler room. The nearest one detonated last, as its magazines caught fire. The first explosion cracked the barrier, the second one shattered it.
It sent Sunshine flying almost right into my arms. I managed to break her fall as we went tumbling.
But, we were saved.
K: "HOLY CELESTIA!" I patted Sunset.
Sunset: "Mmm! I DID IT!" She beamed, exhausted. "HELL YEAH!" And hugged me.
There was cheering, indeed, as Cornelis came up by us.
Cornelis: "Well! Now we see if we can get the engines running again.. eh.. you do realize we're dead in the water with no working radio, right?" He shrugged, with an embarassed chuckle.
K: "..ah, shit, yeah." I frowned. "Welp, let's get to work." I shrugged, helping Sunset up.
Not bad for a Colony Frigate - 2 kills on what should be superior classes of ship! Java would, it seemed, end up one of the most decorated, tough little ships in the Dutch fleet.
Now.. to fix our mess.
{End of Chapter 112}
