Chapter 145: Conflict Resolution
Dawn was breaking as Coop’s party sailed toward the mainland. The sun was casting bright streaks of light across the ocean that glittered at the peak of each consecutive wave. Coop did his best to appreciate the serene scene, though his focus was on what would follow.
Captain Kayla had taken over Charon’s Sea Burial instead of taking her flagship, valuing the speed of the corvette over the power of the galleon for this particular mission. They weren’t seeking a naval battle even if there was a possibility of encountering enemy ships. Sharkbait remained at the fort, taking charge of the Eye of the Storm in Kayla’s absence. Marcus, Charlie, and Camila were the only other additions to the regular crew of phantom pirates accompanying Coop on the trip.
Charlie was fully concentrating on weaving her abilities, like she was building an entire storm, but she was siphoning the wind out from in front of them and cycling it back into place from behind. The result was Sea Burial practically skipping across the sparkling waves as they shot along the ocean. An unbroken chain of repeated powerful gusts filled the sails as Charlie displayed her growing mastery. The combined speed of the faster ship along with Charlie’s contribution meant that the short distance to the mainland would be crossed in no time at all compared to the cruise ship's multi-day journey.
A few hours at sea and they could already see the mainland on the horizon. They slowed their approach by having Charlie take a break and recover, not wanting to stumble into an enemy fleet unprepared. They tacked so that they could make an escape if necessary, but there were no signs of any other ships in the water. Only Sea Burial occupied the coastal seas. They made their way along the coast, heading toward the main port of Empress City as the last remnants of night were lost in the face of the rising sun, turning the sky a deep ominous red marred by scattered orange bands.
They didn’t bother with stealth, but Kayla did call for a full stop once they got close enough to see that Empress City’s port was a hive of activity. While there was no blockade and no sign of the Sapphire Armada in the waters, there was clearly significant fighting on the largest man-made islands that made up the shipping section of the port. Smoke was rising into the air, obstructing their view of the sunrise with towering clouds of black and gray as fires raged. The billowing silhouettes danced against the rapidly brightening backdrop, contrasting the glowing sun with their sinister forms that magnified the red sunrise.
“We’ll set up at the end of the same pier as last time.” Kayla announced, taking responsibility for the ship. “If this other fleet arrives, we’ll retreat to the open ocean and wait at Crane Point once we’re clear. I’ll leave it up to you when to meet us there, but that will be our rendezvous point once again.”
Coop agreed with a nod, squeezing his spear as he resolved himself to do what needed to be done. Ending the Endless Empire would certainly have him kill on a scale that hadn’t been necessary before. If they were still fighting on behalf of the Empire at this stage, he wouldn’t have any real opportunity to go easy on them. If they wanted him to spare them, they would need to make that choice on their own.
“Good luck, Coop.” Charlie spoke quickly, sounding at least as anxious as he was, if not moreso.
“We’ll make contact with Jackson as soon as we can.” Marcus promised as the trio of him, Camila, and Charlie prepared to disembark at the port, looking like a squad of special operatives in their matching Ghost Reef equipment.
“Be careful.” Coop warned them, not wanting them to risk anything more than absolutely necessary when it came time to the fighting. The way he saw it, he would be enough. He would never delegate this one responsibility as Champion, even if he continued to find it uncomfortable, or maybe even because he found it uncomfortable.
He took a deep breath and launched his spear, letting it fly over Port Front Park, slightly away from the fighting, closer to the remains of the warehouse district that existed between Empress City’s airport and the ocean. The no man’s land between the two forces’ bases.
They had briefly discussed how Coop should approach in order to swiftly end the conflict, with the first suggestion that he head straight for the airport and let Charlie slow the Empire’s assault down with her storms. If he tried to claim the civilization shard, they were sure that the Champion of Empress City would pull his forces back in order to defend his seat of power. The problem was that they didn’t actually know where the shard was hidden. The paranoia to keep it hidden at the expense of the residents paid off for the Empire’s Champion in that small way.