The Olympian Sisters #2 The Great War

Chapter 13

MEDITERRANIAN, GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN, JANUARY 1916 "BRITANNIC"

Olympic and I traveled together in a mixed convoy of troop transports and Hospital ships, escorted by destroyers and heavily armed cruiser escorts.

I doubted submarines would risk an attack on a retreating convoy, especially one with hospital ships in it.

But that didn't mean that a sub could lay a mine in our path for us to fall on. Sure enough, the leading destroyer escorts swerved away from two mines that lay directly in our path.

Fortunately, Olympic and I had enough time to dodge and avoid them. Another converted liner wasn't so lucky.

She tried to avoid it but it exploded amidships. She shrieked in pain. "Provincia!" Lyone, a destroyer called.

She turned around and raced back to assist the sinking liner. The ship was sinking fast. She couldn't have more than an hour to live.

Beside me, Olympic watched in horror. Her amber eyes haunted with memory. "It wasn't your fault." I whispered. She shook herself free of thought.

"Stay here." She growled and raced off to assist. I was about to follow anyway, when Fury, another destroyer, stopped me.

"You're full enough as it is. This is something Olympic must do on her own." I understood. My sister had demons of her own to overcome. Nodding, I backed alongside Mauretania.

Olympic approached the French liner. "Hurry, Olympic!" Provincia groaned. Most of her passengers had already gotten into lifeboats.

Expertly, Olympic maneuvered in alongside the small things, bringing them aboard three at a time with her new steam winches.

She hauled them up to the deck railing where the passengers were met on deck by waiting crewmen and were escorted inside where they were looked over by a doctor.

Olympic got all the passengers aboard, and then moved back as Provincia sank below the surface. Before she did, her eyes met Olympic's. "Thank you." She whispered. Olympic nodded.

"Find peace with the Ancients, Provincia. Find peace where there is no war." She said. With a sigh, Provincia sank out of sight and died.

I turned away, blinking back the tears forming in my eyes. Olympic approached, Lyone met her halfway.

"You did good, Olympic." She said. Olympic nodded. "Thank you." She murmured. Fury came forward. "You had plenty of demons to face there." She said. Olympic sighed.

"Yes, yes I did." She said. "Most ships couldn't have done that." Fury said gently. Olympic bowed her head. "Go to Britannic." She said. My sister nodded and came over to me.

"When you went over there, in those untested waters, I was afraid..." I broke off. Olympic nuzzled me.

"If it was too dangerous for me to go, I wouldn't have gone." She murmured. "These are dangerous times for all of us though." I reminded her. She sighed.

"I wasn't sure if I could do it. I wanted to, but I felt as though I was reliving it all over again. First Titanic, then Lusitania, all their passengers, dead, because I couldn't reach them in time." She whispered.

"It wasn't your fault, sis." I scolded. "Lusitania's death had nothing to do with you and Titanic made her own choice and a noble one at that." Olympic shook her head.

"I never told you." She said. "Told me what?" I asked. "I never told you that Titanic's choice was unnecessary. That the so called Switch Plan by White Star was a plot set up by Campania." My eyes widened.

"Campania was relying on Titanic's sacrificing nature. She hoped she would take matters into her own props and she did." Olympic murmured.

I whirled around to face Mauretania. "Did you know about this?" I asked. She nodded. "Yes, but only after Lusitania became leader and she made me swear not to tell. I did eventually tell Olympic though." My sister nodded. "And I thank you for that." She said.

I nodded. "And Campania, what about her?" I asked. Olympic and Mauretania exchanged glances.

"When Lusitania found out what Campania did, she was furious. She killed Campania in revenge." Olympic answered. I looked at Mauretania.

"Do you agree with her?" I asked. She shrugged. "Do you?" She asked. "I don't know." I answered, pressing closer to Olympic.

We arrived at Liverpool a few days later. Olympic and I docked side by side. White Star lengthened the dock to accommodate two of us at a time.

My captain, Charles A. Bartlett, had some news for us. "You're going back to Belfast after this. For now, your wartime duties are over." He said.

I was surprised. After three voyages to the Mediterranean, my time as a hospital ship was over.

I looked at my sister and could see that she was thinking the exact same thing as I was.

We're safe!