Elegy of the Leaves

XVI | War

"That's..." Claire stuttered.

"That's a dreadnaught," Vausse stated. "And much larger than any I've ever seen."

The clouds fell away to reveal a black ship that hung in the sky off the starboard bow. It was far from cannon range but appeared to be the size of The Valkyrie at its distance. Whispers spread through those on the deck. Mops rattled against the wood and some backed away as if they had the option of running from the imposing ship that now blocked their route to Arcadia.

Many of the leaves gaped in horror, and some turned to the three officers hoping to find some reassurance they would survive the day.

"How did one slip passed our lines?" Evan questioned.

Vausse shook his head. "We received word late last night that Centralis had fallen."

"Wait, but that means!" Claire's eyes grew wide as her head snapped to Vausse.

"Yes, Estailia is now at the forefront of the war, and news isn't good there either. The isle is already under siege. This ship must be tasked with striking at Arcadia."

"Mom..." Evan gasped.

"How was The Empire able to decimate our fleet so fast?" Claire took notice of the men and woman looking to her, Evan, and Vausse for confidence. She let fall her hands from her mouth and focused her gaze.

"It's hard to say, and we've no time to speculate it either," Vausse said as he turned around with a flourish of his cape. He looked to his crew, meeting each of their eyes with his stoic gaze. "That ship will bring us to The Abyss if you all keep staring at it like that!" he yelled, "Get to your stations! Man the cannons! And listen now, if we punch enough holes in its hull it will fall like all the rest! This is not my day to die; is it yours? No! Now move!"

The crew sprung into action. Fearful of disobeying Commandwing Vausse, or of dying, mattered not as long as they'd stopped gawking.

Vausse turned to Evan: "Get me a plan to destroy that thing, Secondwing."

"Sir, given it's size and assumed firepower, I don't think we can take it. It would be better to run and rally with the forces at Estailia so we can—"

"That's not what I asked for, Montresser!" Vausse turned his attention to Claire, noticing she was still watching the enemy ship. "Fullwing! I said man your station!"

"Huh?" Claire shook herself from her daze. "Right, sir!" She ran up the stairs to the helm.

"Commandwing, I really don't—" Evan began.

"Evan!" Vausse paused and took a breath. "I get it," he spoke softer. "Your mother is in Estailia. But look there." Vausse pointed back to the enemy ship. "By now they've seen us and are preparing to either attack or defend. If we run, they'll do one of two things: press on to Arcadia and destroy our capital or follow us to Estailia and push our backs into the isle with the rest of the main fleet. We stand here and either live or die. No other option is better, I'm sorry, but this is war."

"But—"

"That's an order!" Vausse screamed. His brows knit together, and the lines on his aging face deepened. "You know what you signed up for when you joined the Alliance, boy! Stop acting like one and be a Leaf!"

A shock pierced Evan's chest. He took a step back from Vausse and looked away. "Yes, sir," he murmured.

Vausse released a breath. "Hurry, we have moments before they can fire their core." He turned to join Claire on the upper deck by the helm.

Evan looked to the ship. His heart raced inside his chest. He hadn't any semblance of an idea on how to begin an attack on a ship of that size. There was no military strategy or contingency for such a beast, and the thought of The Empire burning his home to the ground with their mother inside was all that his mind would focus on.