Chapter 9: Kraken
Amassed just within sight of the Underwater City, the Unified Fleet of Aquaea stood waiting for the arrival of the Kraken. All the ships that King Poseidon and Prince Odysseus had gathered were now ready for what might as well be the final fight. It was victory or death. The situation was such that even the aging King Poseidon chose to take part, nestled in his Orca Chariot next to his own son.
Counted amongst the ranks of the Unified Fleet was the Star Surfer II, in them Captain Abel Ramsey and Lieutenant Nia Ennis of the UEC Space Force.
Inside that submarine’s control room, Abel and Nia had taken their seats, waiting for battle. Abel’s face was stone-cold, ready and willing. Nia was ready as well, though her face seemed rather pensive. She couldn’t help but think of what had transpired last night…
*
In the ornate guest bedroom, Nia tried to get a shut eye but her thoughts went to the battle ahead. When she first snuck onto the cargo bay of the original Star Surfer, she didn’t think she would end up taking part in an underwater battle against an alien sea monster.
Then Nia heard the knock on the door.
Slowly, Nia got up, and answered, “Who is it?”
“It’s Melia,” the voice behind the door said. “May I come in?”
“I’m in my sleepwear,” Nia said.
“That’s okay,” responded Melia. “Me too. We can have a sleepover.”
Nia couldn’t help but smile. “Fine. Come on it.”
So Melia entered, and quickly she made her way to the bed before she jumped in. Nia didn’t mind; she grew up with four sisters, she was used to sharing the bed. And it was a large bed, enough to fit at least five people. There was more than enough space for the two of them. It did not take long for Melia to find her spot, then she looked to Nia.
“I overheard everything,” Melia said. “About the Kraken. You and Abel will take part in the battle, won’t you?”
“Yeah,” responded Nia. “We won’t abandon Aquaea. We’ll protect you, Melia.”
Melia shifted closer. “I want to be there too. I want to fight alongside papa. I want to fight alongside big brother. I want to fight alongside you and Abel.”
“Don’t be silly,” Nia said, frowning. “You almost died, remember?”
“I know,” responded Melia. “But now everyone’s ready to face death for the City. It’s not right for me to do nothing and not help.”
Nia ruffled Melia’s silver hair. “Let’s just go to sleep. We need some rest.”
“All right, fine,” Melia said, pouting.
Soon both Nia and Melia fell asleep even as the night lights of the bedroom still shined.
When Nia awoke, it was already morning. And she was greatly refreshed. Melia had disappeared, surely back to her room. Nia didn’t have time to dwell on the Princess, as the call to muster the fleet had been sent out and heard all around the city. The Kraken was close.
*
As Nia was sifting through the Star Surfer’s instruments, she noticed an anomalous reading.
“Huh?” she said.
Abel turned to her. “What’s wrong, Lieutenant?”
“Our power’s being siphoned,” Nia responded. “Or at least used up. The source came from the lower deck.”
“Where exactly?”
“At the holding tanks, sir.”
Abel grimaced. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Captain?” Nia looked on in confusion.
Abel stood up from his seat, and he grabbed Nia by her upper arm. Gently, but the skin to skin contact made her face flush.
“Come with me,” he said. “I’ll be needing you.”
“Okay. I mean, yes sir.”
And so, Abel and Nia went down to the lower deck of the Star Surfer. Abel took point, stun baton in hand. Nia followed behind, keeping with her a pistol from Abel.
As the two entered into the holding tank room, they heard sounds of splashing. The lights were off, but the tanks were occupied, no mistaking it. Then, a shadowy figure jumped out of the tank, leaving water all over the floor.
“Nia,” Abel whispered. “Turn the lights on.”
“Roger.”
So she did. The darkened room of the holding tanks turned on, revealing a piscine figure of a young woman. She looked at the two startled.
Nia gasped. “Melia?!”
“I knew it,” Abel said, shaking his head. “What are you doing here?”
“I snuck in,” answered Melia.
Nia crossed her arms. “Clearly. Do you know what you’ve done, Melia? This is a war zone. We can’t have you here.”
Abel remained silent, though he couldn’t help but notice the irony of the whole situation.
“But Nia…,” Melia said with a pout.
“No buts,” Nia said, her hands on her hips. “We’re bringing you back to the City.”
Before the Aquaean Princess could respond, alarm blared through the Star Surfer. A message from Prince Odysseus went through:
“My friends and fellow countrymen. Brave soldiers of King Poseidon. The Kraken is now upon us. I will not tell you not to fear, for fear is appropriate. I will not tell you that victory is assured, for that is up to us. But I will tell you to fight until the bitter end, until death if needs be. Later tonight, we will feast on Kraken flesh. Good luck, and may the Lord be with us all.”
“Well,” Nia said with a grimace. “That happened.”
“It’s too late to go back to the City,” said Abel, as if he wasn’t pointing out the obvious. He turned to Melia. “You’re coming with us. Don’t touch anything.”
Melia smiled. “Thanks, Abel.”
***
The Kraken was already visible from a distance, coming from afar and below. Silence reigned through the Unified Fleet as each ship, each soldier underwater stayed firm. The Kraken lumbered on, slowly but surely towards The City. With the monster were hordes of smaller squids, the remoras of the Kraken.
King Poseidon upon his chariot raised his trident. And the submarines launched their torpedoes.
The Battle of the Aquaean Depths had begun.
The squids took the brunt of the torpedoes, but many burst through and struck the Kraken. Direct hits all around, but the Kraken stayed firm. It would take much more than a couple of torpedoes to bring down The Great Old One of the Depths.
The chariot squadron of King Poseidon and Prince Odysseus began their charge. The orcas, great whites, and plesiosaurs made for a mighty cohort; they struck with power against the remoras of the Kraken. The Sharkmen infantry, armed with harpoons and tridents sallied forth as well.
As the battle was unfolding, ships and submarines, including the Star Surfer began firing at the Kraken directly. The battle plan, as Prince Odysseus had lined up, was rather simple: infantry to hold in place, cavalry to break open the Kraken’s defenses, and the submarine artillery to fire.
The squadron of Poseidon and Odysseus was slowly but surely pushing back against the Kraken’s defenders. And the Kraken itself began to feel the strikes of the Aquaeans.
But a single swipe of the Kraken’s tentacles scattered the Aquaeans. Another swipe and soon the Aquaean formation was broken up.
King Poseidon and Prince Odysseus retreated, as the Aquaean cavalry seek to reorganize themselves. The infantry did as well, and the squid remoras went through to pick off the stragglers.
***
In the Star Surfer, Nia paid close attention to the battle. The radar showed both the Aqueans and the Kraken’s forces as they struggled in their figurative push-offs. Then, a group of giant squids broke through the Aquaean frontline, and made their way towards the Star Surfer and other submarines.
“Captain,” Nia cried. “We have incoming.”
“I got it,” Abel said.
The UEC Captain aimed his sights at the center mass of the squids, then fired two torpedoes. He did so in such a way that the second torpedo moved faster than the first; as the first torpedo came in the middle of the mass of squids, the second torpedo struck the first torpedo, creating a huge explosion.
When the dust and red fog settled, there was nothing left in that patch of water.
“That was a close one,” Nia said. “But it looks like our lines are reforming.”
“Good”, responded Abel.
And as the two UEC officers were focusing on the battle, they heard footsteps from behind, and the lumbering sound of something huge.
Abel and Nia turned to see Melia, and a green, scaly creature tailing the princess.
“A turtle?” Nia said in confusion.
Yet the beast’s presence made sense as the instruments were indicating that multiple holdings tanks had been active.
“Abel, Nia…,” Melia said, “P-permission to leave the ship.”
Nia frowned. “Absolutely…”
“Wait,” Abel said, his arm raised, a gesture for Nia to settle down. Then he faced Melia once more. “For what purpose?”
“To help papa and big brother,” Melia answered. “If something were to happened to them, I…”
Abel looked on. “You’ll just go there by yourself? Remember what happened the last time?”
Melia shook her head. “Not by myself. I have Turtey with me.”
Nia furrowed her brows. “Turtey? You mean that turtle?”
“Yes,” Melia said. “Big brother gave it to me as a gift. He’s been my companion whenever I swim around the palace waters. I think big brother meant for him to protect me in case papa ever allowed me to leave.”
Abel took a deep breath for what seemed to be a whole minute, before he spoke:
“Permission granted.”
Nia turned to her Captain. “Wait, what?”
Abel spoke again, “You can go, Melia.”
Nia put a hand on Abel’s shoulder. “But…”
The UEC Captain turned to his Lieutenant and gave her an intense look, “Search your own heart, Nia. You know this is the way.”
Nia’s heart skipped a beat, and she nodded. “I do.”
Melia’s eyes widened, and she smiled. “You mean…”
Abel nodded. “You can go. But we must keep in contact. Keep your communicator with you, understand?”
“Yes, sir!” Melia said. Then she bowed in respect.
And with that, Melia and Turtey made their way towards the Star Surfer’s airlock. Briefly, Abel wondered whether or not he made the correct decision, but inside he knew it was. Regardless, only time would tell.
***
Odysseus scrambled as he directed his chariot. A squid was on his way, and Odysseus struck the squid with his trident, slashing the creature in half. But the orcas had turned so sharply that Odysseus felt himself thrown up. He could see his father and the rest of his troops down below.
Now isolated, the Crown Prince quickly made his way back. But a horde of squids were making their way towards him. With the swipe of his trident, Odysseus blasted them all. But he turned to see a squid in his once blindside now advancing towards him. The Crown Prince knew he was a goner, and braced for the worst.
But it never came, as the squid instead crashed into a hard shell, then was blasted away by a burst of brine.
Odysseus looked to see an Aquaean sea turtle, a familiar one. But that would mean…
“Big brother,” Melia said, popping up behind the turtle’s shell.
“Melia!” the prince cried. “What are you doing here?”
“Saving your life,” responded Melia. “Don’t worry, Turtey will keep me safe.”
Odysseus frowned. “Surely you jest, sister. I didn’t give you that turtle so you can use it as your personal weapon.”
Melia grinned. “If you never intend Turtey to fight, then you wouldn’t give him these hydro cannons.”
As Melia spoke, a pair of cannons appeared out of Turtey’s shell.
Odysseus shook his head, but he knew his little sister had made a good argument. He looked around to see that the battle was far from decided. The Crown Prince sighed and spoke:
“I suppose beggars can’t be choosers. Fine. Keep close to me and hold on to Turtey.”
“Yay!” Melia said in joy.
And so, Odysseus and Melia rushed back to the Aquaean cavalry. Having taken his place back in his orca chariot, Odysseus also spoke to King Poseidon, in his own chariot, as son brought his father up to speed.
King Poseidon remained impassive, but then he spoke, “I shall allow it. Do be careful, daughter.”
Melia nodded. “I will, father.”
And so, the Aquaean cavalry went forth for one final push, one final charge. The infantry had kept the Kraken and its remoras in place, the submarine artillery had been firing, but was waiting for that one opening that would take down the Kraken once and for all.
The chariots under Poseidon and Odysseus led the way. With the blasts of the trident, the squids were cleared out. Meanwhile, the Aquaean cavalry kept the flanks clear. Melia took part also, as the repeated cannon blasts from Turtey harassed the Kraken.
Meanwhile, more blasts from the submarines, including the Star Surfer from afar, were slowly drawing blood from the Kraken, as red fog could be seen all around the monster.
With a gesture of his trident, Prince Odysseus formed his cavalry of orcas and great whites into a wedge, keeping the plesiosaurs behind to hold ground along with Melia, Turtey, and King Poseidon. With his chariot at the forefront, he then began his final charge.
The Aquaean cavalry burst through the water with great speed, helped with the clear water as there were no more remora squids to harass them. When the entirety of the cavalry finally struck the Kraken, the giant monster was buffeted, let out a cry, and soon its mouth was exposed.
Melia, seeing the charge, used her communicator. “Abel, Nia… now!”
And the Star Surfer fired one final torpedo. It swam past everything safely, and into the mouth of the Kraken before it exploded.
The impact was such that the Kraken burst from the inside, leaving bits of squid meat and red fog all around.
Melia tried to celebrate, but the impact of the Kraken’s death sent her back through the water. And she had neglected to hold on tight to Turtey, leading her to be isolated from her guardian.
As she was floating through the water, she saw a remora squid, a straggler that remained alive. The squid lunged towards her. Melia’s eyes widened and closed shut; she knew what was to come.
Yet it never came. Instead, King Poseidon had lunged in front of his daughter, and took the squid’s impalement for himself. Turtey’s cannons fired, blasting away the squid. But it was too late for King Poseidon.
Melia rushed towards her father. If she was not underwater, tears would have formed in her eyes.
“No,” she said frantically. “Papa!”
To be continued…
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