Rise of a Kaiser

Chapter 38 - Parlay

On the unicorn it's wearful captain was examining the damage to his ship, the crew were patching the holes that a German shell made as it crashed through the ship. Haddock groaned as he heard the door to his cabin fell off it's hinges. 

"Sir..." A sailour said as she approached Haddock, but the shattered Captain raised his hand and sat down. 

"What is it sailour? Surely whatever you say, can it add to my duplicating pile of woes? Are we not in trouble already? If you have something to say, say it quickley for we will soon be back in Persia." Haddock sighed, unaware of the catastrophie that had happened. 

"That's just the problem captain." The sailour squirmed as she hesitated to report the terrible news. "Our navigators have misguided us, we're not heading east back to persia, we're heading west." 

"WEST!" Haddock shouted. "How long have we been sailing west?!"

"About a day or so?"

"A DAY!" Haddock screamed, and by this point everyone had stopped working and was overhearing the conversation. "So your telling me, that our idiot navigators can't tell which way our ships are pointed? And that the smouldering pile of shit that our fleet is in, is not sailing into reindl waters, but away from them and into the direction of the GERMAN GRAND FLEET!" 

Just then a massive explosion rocked the waves, Haddock left his confrontation with the sailour and watched as an 80-gun ship of the line was tore into peices. Haddock could hear the distant screams of the sailours scream and shout in agon as their limbs were either burnt off, shredded to a bloody pulp, or severed completely as they struggled to swim in the deep cold sea. Haddock looked around for an enemy ship, but the horizon was devoid from life. Haddock did not know, and did not want to know, what had happened but the explosion hastened his decision, Haddock turned his head back to the sailour.

"Throw the navigators overboard and turn us around to the east." Haddock said firmly, the sialour nodded and rushed away. "All hands make more sail, come about, make our way eastward!" Haddock ordered, the officer of the ship repeating Haddock's officers. Night was coming upon them fast, and Haddock saw this as an opportunity to escape past the Kreigsmarine', unaware that the Grand Fleet was currently assembling at Wilhelmshaven. Meanwhile, beneath the waves, the Commander of U-26 was getting an earful via radio from Admiral Doenitz.

"Next time do not attack without asking for clearance!" Doenitz shouted, "I have ten Uboats alongside yours in the wolfpack. Just be thankfull that Uboat arm of the Kriegsmarine is still a secret, or reduced to rumours at least."

"Would would you have me do?" The commander asked.

"Wait until nightfall commander, then request permission to attack. The Persians have no means of intercepting your communications, be patient. And when the time comes, be swift and precise. But don't destroy the entire fleet. Grand Admiral Strasser has something else planned." Doenitz emphasised. "And if you ever pull a stunt like this again, I will have you court-marshalled. You wanted to play a part in a wolfpack, and as a lone submarine you would've been in your authority to attack, but there's more at stake than a single uboat."

"I understand Admiral." The commander acknowledged.

"Exercise some restraint Commander, because if you don't, neither will I. Donitz out." And with that ominous disciplinery warning the admiral cut the message. The commander emerged from the radio room, and his crew were waiting for him in the control room. WIlhelm had made it part of military protocol that disciplinary action should be held in private, as to not reduce confidence of the crew in the commanding officer. 

"What's the news from OKM?" The first officer asked.

"We wait for nightfall, shadow the fleet, and then we request permission to attack." The commander stated, and then ordered the radio officer to transmitt the message to the rest of the wolfpack. As soon as night fell, Haddock fell asleep, leaning on the front of the ship gazing out to see, gazing at the moonlight reflect across the water. He was reflecting on the disaster that was this stupid expidition to defeat the German navy. They had faced a mere portion of the Grand Fleet and lost half of their ships, Haddock knew that Hipper and Strasser had more ships due to reports from Persian merchants, and now they had been sailing in the wrong direction and for all he knew the German fleet was in the path between him and freindly waters. Haddock sighed, things were never this complicated when he was back in his home of the Malmond Mercenary state: a true hive of scum and villainy.