Taylor Anderson - Rising Tides

The atmosphere in the wardroom of the old Asiatic Fleet four-stacker destroyer USS Walker (DD-163) was no longer animated; it was more subdued and sickened than anything else. The sultry, rotting breeze off the unknown atoll to windward entered the portholes and swirled in the cramped compartment, resuscitating an all-pervading aroma of mildew and sweat. beings sat stiffly, tiredly, uncomfortably behind the green linoleum-topped wardroom table, facing aft, waiting for the final prisoner to be brought before them. It had been a long day, in many ways, and the fiery, righteous passions that had inflamed the earlier proceedings had finally dwindled to mere disgusted embers of their former selves. The aversion, horror, and anger the court felt toward the prisoners theyd judged was still very real and palpable, but it had become an exhausted, mechanical thing by now, and everyone-the judges, prosecutors, and even the defense-just wanted the whole thing over at last.

Captain Matthew Reddy, High Chief of the American Clan, and Commander in Chief (by acclamation) of all Allied Forces united under the Banner of the Trees, stared through the porthole at battered Achilles, anchored alongside. Theyd nearly lost the Imperial steam frigate to damage sustained in the battle against the Company ships. Shed suffered even more sorely in a vicious little storm that brewed up shortly after, before they made this unexpected landfall that afforded some protection while she and the rest of the little fleet performed emergency repairs. Now the two prizes that Achilles and Walker had taken intact-the HNBC (Honorable New Britain Company) flagship Ulysses and the pressed Imperial frigate Icarus -were already practically ready for sea. Ulysses had fled the action and been only lightly damaged, and Icarus had been wrested from her Company commanders by loyal sailors and hadnt participated in the fight. Achilles was mauled by HNBC Caesar, but ultimately sent her to the bottom. Even Walker, with her comparatively long-range guns, had taken a beating, and throughout the court sessions her old iron hull had reverberated with the sound of clanging blows from inside and out, as punctured plates were replaced (they could do that now, at least) or heated, bent back in place, and reriveted.

Walker wasnt new anymore by any possible definition, but after her resurrection and rebuilding, shed at least looked almost new for a while in her fresh, darker shade of gray that the Bosun finally approved. Her appearance had certainly been a far cry from the shattered, half-sunken wreck shed been after the Battle of Baalkpan. Herculean work had been accomplished to return her to duty and, ultimately, to ready her for this particular mission. It was really a miracle that shed ever floated again, much less steamed so far, fought yet another battle, and arrived safely at this place. Sometimes, when Matt gazed at her, he had difficulty believing she had.

Neither Matt nor the Bosun had participated in her refloating and rebuilding; theyd both been off aboard Donaghey, leading the Singapore Campaign. They hadnt witnessed the unending hours of wrenching labor, ingenuity, and tireless dedication that resulted in her gradual but almost complete restoration. Theyd returned home from the war in the west prepared to embark on literally anything available to chase the Company criminal Walter Billingsley, whod abducted Princess Rebecca, Sandra Tucker, Sister Audry, Dennis Silva, and Abel Cook. Kidnapping the princess was bad enough. She and her lizard friend Lawrence-whod also been taken-were heroes of the Alliance and the Lemurians held them to their hearts. But Sandras abduction was even worse, if that was possible. Not only was she a much-beloved heroine whod saved literally thousands of lives with her own hands and her medical and organizational skill, she was the woman Matthew Reddy loved. They werent married or even officially engaged, but that made no difference to the Lemurian Cats. To them, she was their Supreme Commanders mate. Nothing, not even the all-important war, could or should interfere with his pursuit of her captors.

There was genuine concern for the other hostages too. Sister Audry had few detractors, despite her heretical teachings. Quite a number had even converted to her church. She was considered by all to be an honest, pious female, if just a bit odd. Abel Cook wasnt well-known, but he was one of theirs. Dennis Silva was a genuine hero, and though unqualifiedly deranged, hed almost come to symbolize the human Americans in some indefinable way as far as the Lemurians were concerned. He was big, noisy, and irreverent, but in an almost childlike, inoffensive manner. He was brave to the point of recklessness, but tender with younglings. Hed sacrificed much for a people and cause he barely knew, simply because it was right -and he was capable of unparalleled violence toward anything that posed a threat to his new friends. His ongoing affairs with human nurse Pam Cross, as well as the equally rambunctious Lemurian Risa-Sab-At, were also a source of much gossip and amusement among the Allied Cats, even though-and perhaps because-the affair seemed to cause such consternation among his own people.

For whatever reason, the Lemurians wanted all their people back, and therefore, somehow, they and a smattering of Matts own destroyermen, whod been left in charge of salvaging his ship, not only did so but had her ready for him when he needed her most. Matt rubbed his eyes. It had been a miracle, sure enough. But hed almost begun to expect miracles where the Lemurians and his destroyermen-all his People-were concerned.

He shook his head. Time to get back to business. Despite his misgivings, hed agreed to serve as President of the Court at Commodore Jenkss request. His ship had been attacked without warning and he knew he couldnt be entirely objective, but Jenks had argued that his was the only ship without either a Company or an Imperial Navy presence aboard. Since all the Company and Imperial Navy crews and officers were potential defendants, prosecutors, or witnesses to the primary charge of Knowingly and Deliberately Attempting the Foul Murder of Princess Rebecca Anne McDonald, heir to the Governor-Emperors throne, in the false certainty that she was aboard Matts ship, the trial would conclude if the accused were guilty of high treason, not a deliberate act of war against a sovereign state-or USS Walker. Attacking Walker was merely the means by which theyd demonstrated their treason. Matts crew was aggrieved that the guilty wouldnt hang for murdering the shipmates that had been lost, but as long as they hung for something, the crew was partially mollified.

Again, because theyd agreed that no Imperial personnel should sit on the court, Matt had been forced to choose the other two judges himself. On the surface, Bosuns Mate 2nd (and Captain of Marines) Chack-Sab-At was an easy choice. The young Lemurians honor and integrity were beyond question, as were his physical courage and sense of justice. Of all the Cats Matt had come to know, Chack was, in many ways, the most remarkable. Hed literally been a pacifist before the war against the Grik, but hed since become a consummate, skilled, and resourceful Marine. He always reverted to his old status of bosuns mate aboard Walker, the ship he now fully considered his Home, but hed become much, much more.

That was part of the problem. The young Lemurian, once able to take such innocent and childlike joy from the grand adventure of life, had become a virtual killing machine. Fighting the Grik was one thing, however. Hed been able to keep that separate, apart. Hed built a wall between his soul and the things hed done to save his people. The battle theyd been forced to fight against other humans had apparently loosened a few of the stones in that wall. He clearly didnt understand it, and he was confused. Lemurians simply didnt fight other Lemurians-with a few notable exceptions. Hed known and accepted from the start that humans did fight other humans, and hed even helped fight the Japanese humans who aided the Grik. But These humans, these Imperials, were the very descendants of the ancient tail-less ones who once came among his people and gave them so much in terms of technology, culture, and even knowledge of the Heavens. Essentially, Matt supposed Chack felt as if hed met the ancient saints of his people and discovered they werent saints after all.