My Little Destroyermen: Walker on Water

by The Atlantean

Chapter 30

The “Allied Expeditionary Force” sailed slowly into Baalkpan’s smooth, glass-calm bay, their two prizes in tow. A chorus of cheers rang from the docks as Salissa and the feluccas came alongside and the prize ships were tied to the pier. A small contingent of Marines and Guards kept the crowd at bay before they witnessed the horrors of the holds until Nakja-Mur’s soldiers reinforced them dockside. Then, as Walker pulled into the fitting-out pier and the PBY’s droning engines were heard on the horizon, the cheers redoubled.

Before anyone could disembark, Nakja-Mur himself tromped up the gangplank with Keje. The High Chief of Baalkpan was not happy. He responded cordially to the hasty bosun’s pipe when he gained the deck, but quickly moved to Matt, Gray, and Twilight.

“You want us to help those… heretics… in Aryaal?” he demanded, although a little calmer than he would’ve if Twilight’s glaring scowl didn’t pierce his heart.

“Yes. We began planning on the way back, but we still need to put it through the others before anything can actually happen,” Matt warily replied.

“Is it not enough that we fight the Grik? The Aryaalans are fierce warriors, yes, but they may worship feces for all I know.”

“If we don’t at least get them on our side, they’ll be filling Grik bellies, which is more help to the Grik than it is to us. I’m sending the PBY to scout out the situation first tomorrow morning. Which means we need to hold a Gathering.”

“You could easily do it with your iron ship, without us.”

“Except Baalkpan is the supporting structure that Walker needs to function. We need fuel. We need food. Without you, we’d likely be dead, and Walker rusting on some beach. We need each other.”

“I doubt that the motion will gain traction.”

“Not with that attitude. We already have part of a plan. All we need is for them to buy into it.”

“I’m not buying into it, and Keje-Fris-Ar has already told me this plan.”

“You don’t need to. You just need to convince everyone else. With the right support, we can do this. I also recommend that you talk to some of the poor souls we found in those hulls, if not go down there yourself. It’s an experience.”

“I will. Perhaps the ‘experience’ will change my mind. If it does not, I will still support the general consensus of the Gathering.”

Matt nodded gratefully. “Thank you.”

-------------------------

Several days passed as more and more Homes entered the bay and the Marines and Guards, now with actual combat experience, trained their new recruits. Nakja-Mur visited both prizes and spoke to many of the survivors, and changed his view drastically. Virtually every piece of copper in the city was sent to the foundries, fueling an eternal fire of molten metal. No more would anyone hold back from training: all able-bodied Lemurians were now required to attend training under Alden, Chack, Twilight, and their NCO’s.

The Marine ranks swelled, and cuts had to be made, but everyone was given a place in one of the new Baalkpan Guard regiments--the First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth, respectively. Twilight’s Royal Guards bloomed as well, despite her volatile reputation. The Homes rotated their own guard details ashore to train, sometimes under the normal regimen, sometimes under Equestrian. But there was always a space.

The two prizes were begrudgingly refitted. Most of the ‘Cats wanted to just burn the things, but while Matt was sympathetic, he couldn’t let them. They needed ships, and they couldn’t afford the hit. For once, real resistance met the destroyermen’s plans. Adar finally came forward and said that the souls trapped aboard the two former Grik Indiamans would welcome the opportunity to exact revenge on their murderers.One of the ships, renamed Revenge, was gifted to Nakja-Mur as a representation of Baalkpan’s involvement in the war. The other, captured by Twilight’s Guards, became Equestria’s representation and was renamed Phoenix. Revenge sported a near-identical color scheme to the Grik bloodred hulls, minus the gunports being carved into her sides, while Phoenix was being painted with a midnight-blue color with a golden stripe where her gunports would be.

Matt thought about the implications of different hull schemes. On one hand, it would be more difficult to identify friend from foe if everyone painted their ships differently. On the other hand, Phoenix’s first task would be to sail to where Twilight’s old ship Friendship sank and attempt to recover the containers of magic still in her hold. After Twilight raised the wreck onto a beach, she would take the PBY to Aryaal, hopefully in time for the inevitable land battle. As a result, work on Phoenix proceeded much more quickly than on Revenge.

He sighed. Twilight wouldn’t be there for the Gathering that launched the Second Allied Expeditionary Force and might actually miss leading her troops into battle. God knew she wanted to obliterate the Grik, and for her to be doing something else… it couldn’t be helped. They needed that magic until her “refinery” came online. It boosted her power, and already in a physical form, could be applied how she wanted.

God… magic ammunition! Even if the stuff unnerved him, it was too good an opportunity to pass.

“Skipper, you called?” Dennis Silva asked, shaking him back to the present. The big gunner’s mate stood at parade rest, and, being in the wardroom, didn’t throw a salute. Chief Gray towered next to him.

“I did. It’s about Twilight.”

“Skipper, she’s a fine gal and all--and a princess, too!--but I don’t see why she’d be a problem. Her shootin’s good. She hardly ever misses her target. Her ammo scheme sounds sweet, too. Whatever you’re thinkin’, Skipper, I didn’t--”

“Silva.”

Gray grunted and sat.

Matt continued: “This isn’t about relationships. Twilight’s setting sail in two days aboard Phoenix with a relatively untrained crew to where her ship sank when we first met her.”

“Skipper, with all due respect an’ stuff, she don’t need a guide. She’s got magic.”

“Would you just listen, Silva?” Gray growled.

“I don’t like it, sending her alone. And I can’t go off with her. She trusts you, Mr. Silva, whether you see it or not, and she respects you. That’s why I’m sending you with her. Your orders are to keep her safe, not to tangle with anything you can’t handle, and make sure she doesn’t try to pull anything stupid. I’m putting a lot of trust in you to do this right.”

Silva straightened. “Aye, Skipper, I’ll follow those orders to the letter! But if you mind the question, why tell me now?”

“So you have time to look through the armory choose what you want, but don’t take four different guns. That all?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. dismissed.”

Author's Note:

I thought about Twilight pulling some crazy stunt to get to Aryaal (and Silva possibly going with her as "protection"), but I think this works better.

Comments

[Yutah123]

Twilight going away on her own while the IJN's prepaaring to steam towards the Americans? That's not good.

[Seawolf]

9950869

Twilight has Silva with her, she'll be fine.

[BestinDworld]

“Like a Phoenix burning bright in the sk.....Oh. oh? Ohhhhhh