Boss King and the Blade

Thursday, October 2046

SAND Private Harbour, Port August

Chalky Hammer

The small boat wallowed in the swell like a rubber duck in a bath, tossing and turning as if a wilful child splashed their hands in the water. Hammer gripped the low side of the vessel with both hands, trying not to be violently seasick, focussing with all his might on keeping lunch down in his stomach.

Su-Chan steered the faltering outboard motor at the stern, bringing them at last into the shelter of the massive breakwater. At once the violent rocking ceased, the boat coasting into the gentler swell of the enclosed harbour.

“Well, we made it this far” the Captain called to him with a cheery grin. “Let’s see how they react to poor lost sailors”

She steered them towards the long, high sided boathouse Hammer had seen from the roadside. Approaching from the ocean, the enclosure was huge with massive sliding doors sealing the sea-ward side. There didn’t appear to be anyone in sight on the long concrete pier that ran alongside the boathouse, only a pair of unmoving cargo cranes.

“I wonder if anybody is home?” Hammer asked, his stomach still rolling and flipping even if the boat was in calmer waters.

As if in answer to his question, they heard a roar of powerful engines from the far side of the pier. Spraying water from its sharp bow a long grey boat surged into sight, deckhands dressed in white coveralls visible on the bridge. The boat was the size of a big pleasure craft, reminding Hammer of the vessels used by the Coastal Patrols in many navies.

There were no visible weapon mounts on the forward deck, yet he had no doubt this boat had armaments ready to be deployed. He wished he had brought at least one gun with him, but Su-Chan vetoed that suggestion. For this to work, they had to be as harmless looking as possible.

“Ahoy there!” Su-Chan bellowed through her cupped hands. “Can you give us a tow to the harbour?”

Their own tiny engine died completely, leaving them coasting slowly towards the pier. Hammer watched in silent apprehension as the bigger craft drew alongside their boat, a half dozen hard eyed men and women looking down at them.

“This is a private harbour!” called out a weathered looking man in a peaked cap. Hammer pegged him as the Captain since he was the only one wearing a fancy hat. “You can’t come ashore here!”

“Sorry matey, but we ran out of fuel!” Su-Chan shouted back, tapping the little outboard engine to emphasise the point. “If we can’t land, can you give us some spare Liquid Hydrox?”

The ocean swell was carrying them closer to the pier, Su-Chan still looking expectantly up at the other Captain. Unless they sailed their bigger ship in front of them, Hammer and Su-Chan would bump into the pier anyway.

“Throw them a line!” ordered the Captain. “We’ll take them to the fuel bay”

In short order one of the deckhands tossed a line to Hammer. He caught it easily with his right arm, pleased that for once the metal appendage wasn’t glitching. As soon as he tied the rope to their bow, the bigger vessel drew away, tugging the smaller boat in its wake.

Su-Chan and Hammer tried to look grateful as they were hauled around the end of the pier, seeing the opposite side to where the boathouse lay. On this side was a lower decking of metal and heavy duty plastic, with stairs leading up to the top of the concrete pier.

A pair of small runabouts were tied at the far end, close to the land, while in the middle was a second boat almost identical in size to the one towing them. That boat was a dull black all over, the bridge encased in armour plating and a low, boxy structure on the forward deck covered with a tarpaulin.

Su-Chan’s eyes roved casually over this second vessel as they were towed past, yet Hammer knew she was mentally recording everything she could about the boat. There was no doubt it was a warship, small enough as combat vessels go yet it looked capable to his landlubber’s eyes.

The towing boat powered up to the decking, a pair of crew on the mesh planks catching the mooring lines thrown to them. As soon as the bigger ship was snugged in tight to the pier, another pair of deckhands leaped to the dockside and rushed to haul the smaller boat in.

Su-Chan took the lines they threw, tying them off faster and more securely than Hammer could have managed.

“Thanks, friends!” she roared affably and jumped with easy grace onto the decking. The crew backed away from her, giving her a chance to proffer a hand to Hammer. He took it and she helped him step once more onto dry land, or least a good approximation of it.

“I thought we were gonners!” she said loudly. “The fuel tank wasn’t as full as I thought it was, so it seemed like we were going to capsize once the engine died. Then I saw this wonderful safe harbour and I knew good King Neptune was smiling on us!”

“Yes, well as I said this is a private facility Madam” the white suited Captain explained, having come ashore not long after his vessel was secured. “If you will wait here, I can have my crew refuel your tank for you”

“That would be magic, dear Captain” Su-Chan replied with a broad grin. “However, since we are ashore might I ask one more teeny little favour?” She made a show of crossing her legs, her face showing a rather anxious expression. “We were at sea longer than I anticipated. Perhaps you could escort me to a private facility of another sort, if you know what I mean?”

“What?” he said then a look of embarrassment coloured his face. “Of course, Madam. Please follow me”

Su-Chan and the Captain strode away to the nearest stairs, after the crew had been ordered to fill the fuel tank of their tiny boat. Hammer got out of their way, letting the professionals do whatever boaty things they needed to do. He glanced around casually, noting that the crew remaining on the big boat were all watching him with eagle eyes.

Hammer waved in a friendly manner to them, using his meat arm since he reckoned his metal one might be too intimidating. Nobody waved back so he sauntered along the decking, edging closer to the ominous black vessel moored in front of him.

It was definitely too small to be the one that Su-Chan had encountered at sea, but it had the same unnerving air. He had gotten to within a dozen meters when a hatch popped open on the low bridge, revealing the face of a young man.

He climbed into the open, dark eyes in a handsome face regarding him without emotion. Hammer felt like the youngster reminded him of someone, the features seeming to be Japanese or the like.

“This is a restricted area” the young adult declared. “Please do not approach any closer” He jumped from the black ship to the decking in one rapid leap, landing with barely a sound on the metal mesh. Hammer could not help but notice the loose black clothing and sheathed short sword at his waist, looking like a Ninjato in his opinion. It was a weapon made famous by the Ninjas, their answer to the longer blades of the Samurai warriors.

If there was one thing the young man looked like to Hammer, it was definitely a Ninja.

“Sorry, I was just intrigued by this unusual ship” he improvised, trying to look non-threatening. “You don’t see many commercial ships like that”

The man regarded him with flat, dark eyes. This close, he was struck again by the familiar look of the youngster.

“It’s a private security vessel” he was told. “There are many privateers operating in these waters, so the company provides its own protection to our cargoes”

“Ah, that makes sense” Hammer responded. “Must be tough taking a ship of that size out into deep water. You’d need a much bigger boat I’d reckon. Do you have those as well?”

“You’re finished” the man answered.

“Pardon?” Hammer said in some trepidation. He really wished he had a gun hidden on him right now, as this guy was giving him the creeps.

“Your fuel tank has been filled” the guy explained, pointing towards the small boat he had arrived in. “Please return to your craft”

“Oh, sure” Hammer grinned once he realised what he meant. He walked back to the boat and climbed carefully aboard, seating himself so he could watch the young man and the black ship.

They remained in a staring contest until loud cackles reached his ears, heralding the return of Su-Chan. The Captain, looking far more flustered than when he had departed, escorted the woman to the boat.

“Thank you so much for the quick tour, Captain Weatherstone” she had gushed. “It is certainly a very impressive facility!”

“You are most welcome, Miss Wei” he had replied and helped her aboard. She settled at the stern, laying her hand on the tiller of the outboard motor.

“Til next time, dear Captain!” she had trilled and started the engine. It puttered into life and she called out thanks to the watching crew, waving with her free hand as the lines were undone and the boat set loose once more.

Su-Chan guided them out of the harbour, setting the boat deftly into the incoming swell once they cleared the breakwater. Hammer observed the boathouse and pier all the way out, seeing the black clad man walk to the pier’s end and watch him in return.

The breakwater blocked the sight of the harbour at last and he turned to regard Su-Chan.

“That’s definitely the place” he said to her over the puttering of the engine.

“I know” she agreed and wiped the salt spray from her eyes. Or maybe they were tears. Hammer couldn’t tell and it didn’t matter anyway.

They were going to come back to this place and make them pay. That was all that mattered in the end.

=====

The Slippery Sod

Bloody Sunset

“It’s too big a job for three of us!” Sunset insisted once again, glaring at her companions. All three of the Violent Surrender gang were crammed into the tiny cabin aboard the Slippery Sod not long after Hammer had returned with the Captain.

“Su-Chan and her crew will help us” Hammer replied in his calm, unyielding way. “They want revenge for Captain Ferguson”

“I know this crew are brave as hell, but they aren’t fighters, Chalky” Grim added to the discussion. “Like you saw, that facility has armed guards, mechanicals and who knows what freaky Ninja dudes hiding in the shadows. Even if every crewmate on the Slippery Sod had a gun and armour, a frontal assault by land or sea will fail. You know that so stop talking crap!”

“But what about the Captain....” Hammer began resolutely, only to be stopped by a new voice from the cabin hatchway.

“Grimaldi is right” Su-Chan interrupted. “Come on Hammer, we have both been in our professions too long to ignore the obvious. That harbour and warehouse is too tough a nut for us to crack”

“So we let them get away with what they have done?” snapped Hammer unhappily.

“I never said that” Su-Chan answered while idly tickling the chin of the mechanical cat that lay on her shoulder.

“What do you suggest then, Captain?” Sunset ventured.

“The best way to eat a nut is to prise it out of the shell first” she grinned at Sunset. “I know my analogy is a bit mixed up, but we need them to come out of their fortress. Once they are in the open, then we can pounce!”

Her cat meowed in an eerie electronic way, glowing eyes narrowed as it surveyed the Freelancers. Su-Chan’s eyes narrowed too, making Sunset notice how alike the pet and owner really were. For all the easy-going nature the Captain showed her friends and crew, a heart of pure Ceramite beat beneath her coat.

“Like an ambush!” Sunset nodded in understanding. “That works for me”

“Yeah, we’re good at ambushes!” Grim agreed with a happy grin. “How about it, Hammer?”

“Okay, we’ll use the tricks that work for us best” he assented. “Let’s get some sensors watching over the land and sea exits. Then once we know how many and where they are headed, we can make our move”

“Copy that!” Sunset declared.