Rhodoreef

39. The Motley Team

Dea clung to the rope as Ravi pulled her up onto the deck. Water dripped down while her wet skin glistened in the ship's lighting. The ocean below was as dark as the sky, where scudding clouds partially obscured the stars. It was now well past midnight. The swim had eased her bodily discomfort and cleared her head.

"Thank you," she said, glad to get out of the makeshift harness.

Ravi merely nodded as he helped her into the Cypod.

When she headed towards the gathering on deck, the atmosphere was solemn. They were having a moment of silence for their fallen crew member, who turned out to be one of Endera's recent recruits.

"Dea, we have news of the latest developments," Nadie said the instant she joined them. "A lot has happened would be an understatement."

"What do you mean?" she asked, dread pooling inside.

"Calliathron has acted sooner than we expected." The captain leaned forward, her expression grim. "I think the breach at Kadol Doova had sent alarm bells ringing in the upper echelons of Serendiva's government. Dilip Goonewardane must've briefed everyone. They've launched their navy. It's as you described—the battle has taken place in the straits to the north."

Dea's tail flukes tapped away inside the Cypod while her brain processed the information. Waves gushed past the ship, scattering bursts of sea spray.

"The Callian forces are smaller and relatively few in number, but way tougher and nothing like Serendiva's navy has faced before." Nadie paused. "On top of that, Serendiva's large ships couldn't maneuver in the narrow strait—a clever tactical move to get them there. Your commander and strategists are quite something."

"It's...happening now?" Dea's heart pounded her ribcage. "So Calliathron's winning?"

"It's been going on for over six hours, and yes, it's a decisive victory for Calliathron. They've already sunk much of Serendiva's fleet."

"But what about the other human nations?"

"It's chaos out there, because no one expected this invasion from a hitherto unknown enemy. The situation is being monitored."

"Massa and Mora might be using the threat of nuclear warfare to keep them at bay," Dea said, almost to herself.

A chilly wind blustered past her ears, and the wetness on her skin evaporated.

Nadie finally broke the silence and exchanged hurried words with the others before turning to Dea. "The latest update is that Seren City is expecting a Callian attack. In fact, Calliathron must be launching its land offensive as we speak. The city is being evacuated. The next troubling piece of information..."

"What is it?"

Muda spoke up, "The news back home is that you've been captured. And you're possibly dead."

"That's crazy..."

"It is." Nadie crossed her arms. "Someone seems to be intent on getting you out of the picture and painting Serendiva in the worst possible light. Stoking the flames of hatred..."

Dea's stomach twisted. "Hal Moray Massa."

The captain nodded. "It must've been awfully inconvenient to hand over his position of power when you reached majority. And I'm thinking you're a wild card in his book—not a pliant enough puppet."

"I was his puppet..."

"Well, you're a bit too headstrong for that phase to last—and I'm just talking out of what I've seen so far." Nadie looked at Muda, who just shook her head. "We're yet to see exactly what Massa plans on doing, because it's crazy to think that just taking over Seren City by force will pave the way for a promising future. In theory, you can force Serendiva's government to accept your terms, but Massa must know this won't have good outcomes in the long run."