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Captain Ondeks strode confidently across his bridge as the Fenrir’s Fang cut through the murky waters east of Port Phasmatys. Although the foul, dank air in this cursed part of the world made him feel queasy, he would never show it. He had his reputation as the ‘old sea dog’ to uphold, after all.

Me, a living legend , the Fremennik thought to himself in amusement. Whenever did that happen I wonder? He’d been captaining vessels for decades in more battles than he could count. He’d never really received much recognition until…

Until. A ghostly-pale survivor pulled from wreckage north of Daemonheim. Telling his crew that no, he was not cursed and no, they were not going to throw him back into the seas. Bloody idiots , he thought to himself. Good job I was there or where would the Crystal Fleet be now?

He stopped pacing and surreptitiously stretched his back. He was getting old and he could feel it. He’d already decided to retire, but then he had received a letter from that ghostly-pale survivor that he was coming to Daemonheim. He supposed it had something to do with the orders dispensed to the vice-admiral; patrol the Haunted Coast and ‘observe’. It would be good to see the admiral before fading off into retirement, Ondeks had decided.

He was roused from his thoughts by his first officer, Skjormir. “Dark Horizon vessels off the starboard bow,” he intoned. Ondeks looked across the waves to Port Phasmatys, barely visible in the gloom. He could make out the silhouettes of six vessels through the murk. He sensed his crew tense. “They’re just letting us know they’re here,” he laughed. He was tense himself, though. This was asking for trouble. Although he’d been involved in plenty of posturing like this, he was not blind to the danger. All it takes is one spark to light the powder keg.

The two sets of six ships shadowed each other for a time, like a mirror image. Suddenly the Dark Horizon vessels slowed and turned. The Serenity , at the far end of the line, was heading directly towards them.

“What the hells…” Ondeks breathed.

The ship-to-ship commorb crackled into life.

{All ships, Serenity. Catastrophic rudder failure, request assistance-}

“Gods damn it!” Ondeks roared. What timing … “Battle stations!” he bellowed. The Fenrir’s Fang sprang into life around him. “Helm, drop speed, turn to starboard. Lieutenant, signal the Dark Horizon vessels, ship in distress, do not fire!”

Cannons echoed through the mist and for a moment Ondeks feared the worst. However the shots splashed harmlessly into the water in the Serenity’s path.

Just warning shots , he realised. Just warning shots, hold on, don’t do anything stupid, don’t-

-beams of orange fire lashed out from the Serenity’s prow turrets, illuminating the gloom with searing flashes. Half of the far Dark Horizon vessel’s midsection was incinerated, taking Ondeks’ hopes of a peaceful outcome with it. One last battle , he realised, familiar hellish sounds filling the air. One more time .

Volshan was thrown to the deck as another volley slammed into the flank of the Jotunn’s Hammer . The Fremennik tried to blot out the screams of shearing metal, splintering wood and people as he climbed to his feet. “Damage report!” he snapped at his overwhelmed ops officer, clutching at her commorb station as a stream of panicked voices poured out of it.

“Major hull breaches, port aft waterline…casualties, all decks…port aft hull plating shattered…”

A flash lit the dark sky to starboard as another Dark Horizon ship went up in flames. That’s two . Volshan watched as the Crystal Tide swept past the burning hulk, raking it with beams of fire. Secondary explosions ripped through the stricken enemy vessel as it sank beneath the waves.

“Damage control reports breaches sealed, sir,” the ops officer relayed. “We’re still in the fight.”

Relief flooded through him. “Helm, hard to starboard. Weapons, standby for my order.”

{Jotunn’s Hammer, Crystal Tide. Fleet disengaging to avoid further escalation. Fenrir’s Fang and Void Pride taking damage, cover their retreat-}

{Crystal Tide, Jotunn’s Hammer. Acknowledged-}

“Helm, new heading. Put us between the Void Pride and the enemy. Keep our port aft out of their line of fire.” He was not worried about the Fenrir’s Fang . Captain Ondeks had seen more battles than the rest of the fleet’s captains put together. There was no way he was going down in some border skirmish.

“Enemy dead ahead,” his first officer reported. A Dark Horizon frigate was turning to catch the Void Pride in its broadside arc.

“Weapons, fire,” Volshan barked. Beams lanced out from the forward battery. Three missed but the other one did the trick. The enemy vessel turned away, instead unloading on the Fenrir’s Fang . The sound of shots and crashes filled the air, but the Void Pride had cleared the Dark Horizon firing line.

The Fenrir’s Fang was listing. Captain Ondeks’ assured voice boomed through the commorb.

{Jotunn’s Hammer, Fenrir’s Fang. Propulsion disabled. Our momentum will carry us out. Best get out of here befo-}

The transmission dissolved into static as cannon fire ripped through the air once more. “The bridge must’ve been hit,” the comms officer murmured.

“Sir, a Dark Horizon destroyer is making a direct run at the Fenrir’s Fang !”

Volshan stared in horror as a burning enemy ship powered towards the crippled Isafdarian vessel, a flaming hand of death reaching through the dark. The hideous crash of snapping wood filled the air as its burning prow slammed directly into the midsection. Ammunition stores-

-a colossal explosion rent the air asunder. Volshan turned his face away from the blast of heat as the enemy ship and the Fenrir’s Fang were both incinerated, flaming wreckage soaring up into the night then raining down. He and his crew stared in numb disbelief. “They were retreating,” Volshan’s helmsman said, dazed. “There was no need for a suicide run…”

“They’re showing us how far they’re willing to go,” the captain replied, throat dry. This won’t end here…

Elder Council,

I write to you with heavy heart and some urgency. Whilst patrolling off the Haunted Coast, our ships were attacked – unprovoked – by the Dark Horizon. Fenrir’s Fang was lost with all hands. In my master’s absence, I request permission to form a strikeforce against Dragontooth Isle, to strike a blow against their navy and send a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated by the Kingdom of Isafdar. I await your assistance and instructions.

Magnus Drake, Apprentice of the Kingdom Guardian

Magnus watched the raven soar south-westward from Daemonheim…and smiled. Everything’s falling into place …