Vampirates 6: Immortal War (7 page)

“What’s going on?” Cate asked.

“
The Evening Star
has fallen to the enemy,” said the first of the messengers.

“What of Captain Fallico and the crew?” inquired Cate.

“Dead,” confirmed the second messenger. “Only the onboard Nocturnal survived, and he has been taken to Sanctuary. His wounds were very severe, though. He may not endure the night. The Federation is discussing a counterattack right now.”

“No time like the present, then!” Moonshine said, gathering himself. Cate looked at him questioningly as he pushed open the doors and stalked to the front of the Rotunda, leaving Cate trailing in his wake.

There were shouts from different factions within the room: some calling for retaliation against the Vampirates; others expressing fear that the enemy was gaining significant ground.

Ahab Black was trying to restore order to the proceedings. He seemed almost relieved when Moonshine leaped onto the stage and raised his own hand to quiet the baying crowd.

“I have a proposal, if I may beg your attention,” Moonshine said, standing firm under the gaze of so many experienced captains.

The roomful of pirates and Nocturnals looked at the teenager with interest and waited for him to go on.

“You may have heard that I’ve lately been promoted to the rank of captain. My uncle, Molucco, bequeathed me
The Diablo
, but it is currently in the possession of the Vampirates. So I’m a captain with no ship. The Wrathe family, as you are all aware, has had its fair share of wounds at the hands of our common enemy. I have lost both my uncles. I have lost the ship I would have captained. My parents’ ship has been targeted and my mother personally assaulted.

“But this war isn’t just about my family. It’s about all of
us, all of our families. Many pirates have lost their lives.” His bright eyes surveyed the crowd as he added, “And many Nocturnals, too. But I can assure each and every one of you that many more lives will be destroyed if the Vampirate threat is allowed to forge ahead unchallenged. We must stand united and be brave enough to take the fight to the enemy.

“And that’s why I’m standing here. I’m rather hoping to persuade my fellow captains to help me recapture my uncle’s old ship. As a symbolic first attack.”

“You plan to recapture
The Diablo
from the Vampirates?” said Lisabeth Quivers, her interest piqued.

“That is what I would like to propose, yes.”

There were gasps around the room. Commodore Black spoke first. “Do you think you’re ready for such a mission?” he inquired.

Moonshine nodded. “I do. Though I would like to consult with Commodore Li and Commander Furey, among others, about the detail.”

At the sound of her name, Cheng Li turned to study the young man in front of her. He was a teenager on the precipice of manhood. His face, long hidden under an unruly fringe, now boldly proclaimed his lineage. His strong features made her think of both Barbarro and Molucco, though Moonshine’s face was rather more angular than those of his father and late uncle. This might be on account of his youth or perhaps the genetic gifts of his boundlessly beautiful mother. But the lad had the Wrathe
eyes; of that there could be no doubt. It was as if they were precious booty shared out among the key members of the clan. And, right now, Moonshine’s eyes were wide and bright. He caught her gaze and walked directly over to her.

“Commodore Li,” he said, stretching out a hand. “Will you help me?”

Cheng Li’s intense almond-shaped eyes calmly appraised Moonshine Wrathe, the newest captain in the Federation. “I’ll hear you out,” she said coolly. “What exactly do you propose?”

Moonshine spoke out. “I’d like to put a team together to take back
The Diablo
and I want you…
all
of you on it.” He spread his arms wide to include the rest of Cheng Li’s crew, who sat around her: Connor, Cate, Jasmine—even Bo Yin.

His words and ambitions were swiftly digested by all those assembled. Each began considering the key challenges posed by his proposal.

“Do we know where
The Diablo
is right now?” Cheng Li asked.

Jasmine nodded. “Affirmative, Captain Li. We have their route mapped on the diorama on board
The Tiger
.”

“Okay,” Cheng Li said, “but we’ll need to corroborate when we last received digits on the vessel from the tracking teams.”

“The location of
The Diablo
was last confirmed at twenty-two hundred hours last night,” Bo Yin announced confidently from the audience.

“Thank you, Bo,” said Cheng Li, as the young pirate sat back down.

Connor spoke up with a question. “
The Diablo
was taken by Johnny Desperado, aka the Cowboy, wasn’t it? Sidorio’s joint second-in-command?”

Lorcan spoke up now. “That’s right, Deputy Tempest,” he said, his face grim. “Desperado masterminded the assassination of Molucco Wrathe and has now taken the ship as his own.”

“So,” Connor said, “
The Diablo
is right at the heart of the Vampirate fleet?”

“Yes,” answered Cheng Li. “Both symbolically and in practice. According to our latest information, the four key Vampirate vessels—
The Blood Captain
,
The Vagabond
,
The Redeemer
, and
The Diablo
—are all sailing in close formation.”

Commodore Black nodded ruminatively. “It will be hard to take out
The Diablo
so long as they remain so close.” The other captains nearby nodded in agreement.

Lorcan rose to speak. “It’s not unheard of for the Cowboy to break away from the others and head off on a jaunt,” he said. “Captain Li, I’m sure tracking can supply you with the data to back that up. Can I propose you sit tight and wait for Johnny to next go rogue? It’s only a matter of time before he does.”

Moonshine spoke again now, his eyes bright. “If we
do
succeed in taking
The Diablo
back, it will be a major morale boost for the Alliance.”

All those around him nodded. Cate looked thoughtfully at the young pirate. He was certainly full of surprises.

“We
will
succeed,” said Cheng Li, resolute. “For all those reasons, and more besides.”

“So are you in?” Moonshine said, his bright eyes circling the room. “It sounds like you’re in!”

There was a moment’s pause as Cheng Li glanced around at her young comrades. They each nodded. “If this Council of War ratifies our plan, then yes, Captain Wrathe, you have yourself a deal,” she said.

Commodore Black put his hand on Moonshine’s shoulder but addressed Cheng Li directly. “Commodore Li, I charge you with making this proposal a reality. As for everyone else, we have some attack strategy to work on ourselves. Time for a quick break, then key personnel should rendezvous in the bunker at twenty-three hundred hours.”

As the ceremony audience began to break up, Moonshine smiled gratefully. “Thank you,” he said. “Thank you all.” His eyes settled on Cate. She nodded formally, then glanced down to write something in her notepad.

As he stepped down from the stage, Jasmine caught Moonshine’s attention. “I have a question, Captain Wrathe.”

Moonshine smiled. “Shoot,” he said.

“Why us? Surely there are plenty of other pirates you could employ—from
The Typhon
, for instance?”

Barbarro looked up at this. He had come over to shake his son’s hand, but he, too, was intrigued by Moonshine’s decision.

“Fair point, Deputy Peacock,” Moonshine said, nodding, “but consider my position. I’m a young buccaneer trying hard to stand on my own two feet. I’ve been given something of a break and I intend to capitalize on it. It wouldn’t say much about my leadership potential if I simply asked Mom and Dad to sort it all out for me, now would it?”

“I suppose not,” Jasmine said, pleasantly surprised by his answer and the direct way in which he gave it.

Barbarro beamed proudly and gripped Trofie’s gold hand as she came to stand beside him. Their boy was doing well.

“Besides,” Moonshine continued, “everyone knows that you guys are the experts on the Vampirates. You were the first dedicated Vampirate assassination ship to be commissioned by the Federation.” His eyes zeroed in on Connor. Trofie scowled. “You have some of the most talented pirates in the whole Alliance on your squad. Plus…” Now his gaze returned to Cate. “You have the best military strategist of her generation. When you consider those salient facts, of
course
I had to come knocking on your door.”

Unmoved by his flattery, Cate looked Moonshine square on. “We also have the key tactical and operational advantage of working hand in hand with Commander Furey and the Nocturnals.”

Turning to Lorcan, she said, “This is a dangerous mission—attempting to take back
The Diablo
from such
a high-ranking Vampirate as Desperado. Is it worth the risks involved?”

Lorcan nodded calmly. “We’ve done dangerous many times before, Cate.”

“So tell us what you have in mind, Moonshine,” said Cheng Li.

The young captain took a deep breath. “I was thinking an attack undertaken by a pirate force alone, during daylight hours.”

“An attack by daylight?” Cheng Li said, surprised. “That’s a highly unusual move for our alliance.”

“Exactly,” said Moonshine. “But I think that’s the time the Vampirates are at their most vulnerable, no?”

Lorcan nodded, surprised at the young pirate’s perceptiveness. “Yes,” he said. “They’ll be as disoriented as snakes who’ve just shed their skins. If you time it right, you should have at least twenty minutes to take back the ship. And, of course, if the attack is taken up onto the deck, your advantage could prove decisive.”

“Just what we need at this point in the war—some surprise tactics,” Cheng Li said. She glanced at Moonshine, the flicker of a smile playing on her lips. “Good work,
Captain
Wrathe.”

Moonshine flushed at this, surprised and grateful for the response he was getting.

Connor looked at him in disbelief. What had happened to the Moonshine he had known to date? This didn’t seem like the same person. But then, he knew that
he
was not
the same person either, since he’d first set out from Crescent Moon Bay. The world of piracy had forced him to grow up. War had forced him and Moonshine to become men.

Grace was getting ready to leave when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She knew exactly who it was before she turned around.

“Lorcan!” Smiling, she saw that she was right.

“I’m afraid this is only a brief hello,” Lorcan said, his dazzling blue eyes meeting hers. “I have to head into the bunker for the strategy meeting, but I wanted to catch you before you headed back to Sanctuary.”

Grace sighed. “We’ve barely had a chance to say two words to each other, have we?”

Lorcan shook his head sadly. “I know. I think I’ve been introduced to every last pirate in the building when all I really wanted was five minutes alone with my sweetheart. It feels like all we ever get to say these days is hello and good-bye, but…”

“… these are the times we live in.” Grace completed the sentence, well acquainted with the refrain.

Lorcan opened his arms and drew Grace into a hug.

Feeling the familiar lean but comforting terrain of Lorcan’s chest and shoulders, Grace held him close, grateful to have even this brief moment of solace. She closed her
eyes for a moment, willing time to stand still, but knew it was futile. Opening her eyes again, she found that Obsidian Darke was staring over in her direction. He nodded at her and she returned the gesture—one born more out of respect than warmth.