Devils Own ( Steampunk and Mystic ) 3.6

3.6

Kassius stepped onto the deck to join the captain. He was offered a spy glass to look at the new design that was on their steam vapor trail. He was trying to spot the new frigate.

“She is a new design.” Captain Amos explained to Kassius. “She has a wider hull with a dual balloon but her real firepower was the same as ours. We hold a double twelve pounder but the Thor held a twelve pounder with their new projectile. They are a bastard with their projectile they name the Sabot. The projectile had two sections, the outer ring which will break off on impact to release the inner ring which was the real explosives. They got the formula enhanced on the explosive, and it’s more deadly with its mini steel balls. Each explosive holds a hundred of those steel balls.”

“We can’t fight them now. Not with our bruised body.” Captain Amos looked to the First Mate. “Tell the crew to abandon ship. They got ten minutes to jump chutes.”

“Captain, we will not leave the ship without you.” The First Mate refused the order.

“First Mate that is my order. And if I recalled, I am still the Captain.” Captain Amos shouted at this First Mate.

“Aye, Captain but we are the crew of the Attila.” The First Mate argued back. He then pleaded the case.

“Amos, I had known you for years.” The First Mate spoke out. “Melvin and I sailed with you for over ten years. We been through Hell and back, and now you are ditching us because you want to go down with the Attila.”

“Screw you, Amos. We had nursed her back from more wounds than even all three of us combined.” The First Mate argued on. “The Attila is ~”

“Okay, you made your point. We will fight this Thor together.” Captain Amos voiced out. But Kassius cut in on a new plan. They discussed it and then the First Mate ran off to carry out the new order.

“I hoped it will work.” Captain Amos muttered to himself, while Kassius took off to prepare for his part.

The Thor design ship sailed parallel to the Attila, with its twelve cannons on the portside aimed at it. The crews of the Thor saw no movement on the deck, except for some dead bodies; lain over the deck and some were hanging onto the riggings. The cannons hatches were drawn shut or in some sections damaged by the previous battles, there were no activities. The Attila was already a wrecked from the barrage but then it gave out an eerie feel to the Thor’ crew.

It was a prized catch for the Thor Captain on his inaugural voyage. It was also a gamble with his command; he could be led into a trap.

“Send over the troopers.” The captain of the Thor gave the command. The crews of the Thor propel the three clawed hooks towards the Attila. They had them propelled using the basic sling like the mini catapult. Once the claws hooked on, they will drag on the rope using the pulleys affixed to the deck to pull the two ships closer. Once a distance of over fifty feet, the crews will monkey climbed across holding a net which they draped over the two hulls creating a safety net for the troopers to crawl on. The earlier set of ten Thor’ crew who were the first to climb over took liberty of their independence to explore.

“Carlos, I see a ring. He looked like the First Mate.” The sailor ran to the bloodied body lain on the side. He crouched down to grab the left hand and found it warm. He was to shout the alarm when he saw the pistol at his crotch.

“Lose your mouth and I lose your crotch for you.” The First Mate smiled at the Thor crew with his right hand holding the pistol.

“Screw you, Pedro. I saw that ring first.” The other crew rushed over to claim ownership but he got trip by an extended leg. He turned to look at what had caused him to fall, and saw the pistol aimed at his face. It was held by another Attila crew who was smiling.

The ten crews soon found themselves held at gun point while more of the Attila crews emerged from below deck to stick by the deck walls. They could hear the troopers heaving while struggling to climb over the net. To the dirigible crews climbing on ropes and nets was a pastime game for them. The twenty troopers climbed onto the deck to find themselves covered by the ten Attila crews with pistols.

“Drop those guns and smile, troopers.” Captain Amos was among those the ten crews at the deck wall. He then heard the sound of the Eagle as it dived down onto the deck of the Thor ship. Kassius had slipped off earlier and stay hidden in the clouds. He saw the troopers had been subdued before he came diving in. He fired off his machine gun at the helm to remove the commanding officers. By then the other crew members of the Attila had sprung to life and taken on the machine guns on the deck to shoot across, while some climbed over. Five of the ten crews held back to keep an eye on the captured troopers.

Within minutes, the Attila crews were over the net and onto the deck. By then the crews of the Thor ship had surrendered. Their officers were dead or wounded and most of the crews were young and inexperienced.

“We have done it.” Captain Amos smiled. He then looked at the new deck and smiled.

“To the new Attila.”

Kassius smiled at the Captain who had brought the Guild survivors over to a secluded bay on one of the smaller islands in Islands Kingdom. After they had overtaken the Thor design ship, they had collected the survivors near the bay, and brought them to safety on the islands. They bid their farewell to the Attila but Kassius, Lucas and Irina had another journey to move on.