State of Emergency:
-x-
The stars in the night sky shined down on Navarone Island and Marine Base G-8. Navarone Island was in two parts. The first part was a large ring. The second was a smaller island in the middle of the ring that was surrounded in a moat of water. The small island was connected to the ring with a red bridge.
G-8 had once been known as one of the largest and most fortified Marine Bases in the World. However, due to downsizing by the World Government, a lot of the large Marine Base was no longer in use.
"I don't know but I've been told!" the lead marine in a night patrol called out as he and his men marched across the bridge.
"Being a marine won't ever get old!" the other marines in the patrol chorused. "G-8's gonna keep things right! If you don't listen we'll use our might! If they're dumb enough to come near!"
"Bad guys always run in fear!" the bespectacled marine at the end of the line belted out.
"You know," the big marine in front of him remarked, "I heard that our base isn't very popular with those fellas out on the open waters."
"Yeah," the lead marine agreed, "They think we're a bunch of dimwitted softies because we haven't seen any action in so long. But think about it, when was the last time you actually got to test your skills in a battle with some pirate scum?"
"What are you trying to say?" the marine with glasses exclaimed.
"I'm not trying to say anything!" the lead marine protested. "It's a rumor, alright? I'm just repeating what I heard."
"What's their problem?" the marine with glasses snapped. "There haven't been any battles because there's finally some peace around here." He shook his head and followed the others. "I don't know but I've been told!"
-x-
Across the base, on the grassy shore of the main island, a man cast a fishing lure into the water then casually sat down on the grass.
"Another beautiful night," the fisherman remarked to himself.
-x-
In one of the docks, a battered and worn marine ship was being repaired by a bunch of marine shipwrights in orange uniforms.
"Aw man, this ship is messed up," one of the shipwrights commented to two others.
"I bet it'll take us at least a week to finish," the second one said.
"Well we got three days," the third marine told him.
"There's no way," the second marine insisted.
"She looks rough," an old man stated as he sat on a crate across the dock. "Maybe she's been climbing mountains Heh hee hee!" The old man wore the same orange repair uniform as the others but he was missing a cap which showed his wild white hair. He had a pair of sunglasses with red lenses on his forehead. The old man's name was Mekao and he was a marine shipwright. He'd been one for longer than anyone else on the dock.
"Hey Mekao," the second marine greeted the old man.
"You've sure got a way with words old man," the third marine said as he turned back to the ship. "She looks like she's been climbing mountains alright, mountains that are lined with gunpowder."
"With damage this extensive it looks like it feel clear out of the sky," the third marine noted.
"Come on fellas," the first repair marine addressed the others, "She probably got caught on the sea gate coming into port."
