Atlantean Doctrine Book 5 - Atlantis Rising!

The Fall Of Amphere

Meara

[Unable to identify the opposing fleet!] mother warned, pinging the fleet many times, but they remained silent. Auntie Scales swims over to me as she wonders what I have discovered.

[Meara?] Auntie Scales calls out to me [Do you know who it is!?]

[It's him! Caol!] I hissed as the feelings were getting stronger.

[Are you certain!?] she asked me.

[It is the same feeling I had back in Oceanid, long before we knew of his arrival! The same feeling I had when dad died! Trust me! It's him!]

I swim over to the tactical display as the royal guard manning that station makes room as I have overall authority here. Looking at the displays, something just does not add up. Oceamera had said that they would wait for us at Amphere, but did not exactly say anything about a ghost fleet amassing just outside the gates!

[How do I enlarge the screen?] I asked the royal guard as she swishes her hand across the screen and the screen pans out with the islands in view. [Thanks!]

[You welcome, Princess!] she replied.

There was a blip that showed the Oceanid fleet and a second blip that shows the second fleet. The headwall to the northeast was too steep to maneuver a fleet through...their only means of escape was to the northwest between Graciosa and São Jorge Island.

[Send the order for the fleet to halt and power weapons!] Auntie Scales orders as she does not have a good feeling about this either. Looking at mother, she too looked deeply concerned about their odds. The Oceanid's were not warriors! They were diplomats.

[Any attempt to communicate?] Auntie Scales asked mother. Mother, however, shakes her head, her gills breathing faster.

[I have sent the message on a continuous loop, but have received no response.]

I look at the tactical screen, seeing that something about this situation just did not make sense! Making war here wasn't smart, unless you expected to win! This valley left no easy escape, only forward through the gate, or back the way we came; towards Poseida.

Rina

It's been two days since I watched my granddaughter sail away as there was so much that I wanted to tell her, but feared it would have been far too much for her to handle.

"Why again is it that Meara cannot come with us?" Jen asked from inside an oxygenated part of the ship, as she was still mentally struggling with breathing water.

[Because she alone is the only one who can pull my people out from their own oppression.] I remarked [When Caol had eradicated the Atlanticu, my people surrendered without even a fight, fearing to end up the same way. My husband and I stood against him, trying to protect our daughters and our grandchild. Caol wounded him and turned to my daughter Scales and threated her sister's life...so she too surrendered, giving Okeanos and I time to escape.]

[I am truly sorry about your husband...he sounded like a nice man.] Kiera says as she activates the ship.

[He isn't dead.] I said, shocking both Kiera and Oceamera. I hate to admit it, but it was Okeanos and my decision to use his demise as a means of rallying the people.

[Wait! I thought you said that he was dead!] Kiera commented.

[Agreed, even Meara believed it.] Oceamera remarked.