NationStates Jolt Archive

"Hey, Celer!" Shouted Corporal Caecilius Musradeum over the wail of the sirens, hailing the Private from down the ship's corridor.

Celer spun around and waited, leaning against an aluminum pipe, for Caecilius to run the length of the hallway. "What, what's going on with these alarms?" He asked when he had stopped.

Caecilius shook his head, standing upright after a bout of labored breathing. "Dunno. Something's up."

Celer furrowed his brow, then suddenly bacame very interested in something behind Caecilius. "What the hell..."

A deafening gunshot echoed through the hall, and a melodious chime rang out as it punched a hole in the pipe against which Celer was leaning.

"Holy fuck! Get down, Caecile'!"

Caecilius merely shook his head with disapproval. He scoffed. "Even if you would mutiny with us, you wouldn't make it 5 seconds in a gun battle."

To Celer's horror, Caecilius drew a handgun and aimed it neatly at his head. "Good bye, Private."

Another shot burst down the metallic hallway, and Celer had been shot between the eyes.

*******

"Did anyone resist?" asked Caecilius to Captain Marcus Fisus, while walking the length of the upper deck.

Captain Fisus laughed, a wide, insane smile plastered on his weather-beaten face. "Yeah...yeah...'bout 10. We killed 3 of them on the spot; the others we'll kill by firing squad here on deck."

"How many ships do we got with us now?"

"Let's see..." said Fisus idly, scanning the sea around them. "The destroyer we're on now...two cruisers...a missile frigate...and an Emperor Class battleship."

"Pretty good stock, considering we're stealing them from the Comatic navy. What kinda crew do we have all together?"

"What's with the freakin' 20 questions? I don't know all of the information. I'd guess 900 among all 5 ships, but that's a rough...rough estimate."

Fisus turned on his heel, and spotted 7 sailors—bound and blindfolded—being escorted by several men with semi-automatic weapons.

"Aha! Corporal, you're gonna love this."

Fisus pulled out his handgun from his shoulder holster, slung it around his finger for a few seconds, then fired three rounds into one prisoner's stomach.

As Fisus howled with laughter, the man screamed in pain, attempting to break out of his bindings to clutch his bleeding abdomen.

Through the laughter and utter glee that he was experiencing, Fisus gasped, "Adn that's not the best part!" He ordered the guards to toss the wounded man into the sea.

"Ain't that a blast, Corporal?"

Caecilius stood frozen, his mouth hanging open, horrified at the sight that he had just witnessed. "Uh...yeah, Captain...a blast..."

He realized he may have made a big mistake.

Specs on my ships? I'll launch my first attack in a bit.

Captain Fisus was not the highest-ranking, the loudest, or even the most political of the mutineers; he was, however, the most charismatic. Thus, Fisus became the leader of the small force.

"Now, first thing we do, we've gotta take down the Comatic flag and replace it with a plain black flag. Comatica isn't our nation anymore; Narien is, but lacks a proper flag," Fisus shouted to the assembled men on all the ships, slipping in Narien to appease the more political of the mutineers. He continued, "So, secondly, we gotta find a way to make ends meet, now that we aren't Comatic. And, since we're not Comatic, and since the Comatics will hate us anyway, why should we follow their laws? We'll attack ships, Comatic ships, and take them over by force; we'll take their cargos, sink their ships, and drop off our prisoners wherever we can. And thirdly, we split all loot fairly and evenly. Now, y'all with me?"

The mutineers, drawn into a frenzy by the events that just took place, shouted, "Hear, hear!" Black flags, made from whatever was available, quickly went up on the ships, which then slipped out over the horizon towards Narien, where you could always find a place - and a port - for a rebel cause.

Fifteen minutes later
"Hey, Captain! Some Comatic tanker just radioed in about our rendezvous. You know about that?" Caecillius said. He had been annoyed by Fisus's decision to turn this mutiny, which was obviously justified by the criminal foolishness of the Comatic government and its war with Spizania, into a rebellion against Comatica and for Narien. Caecillius wasn't even from Narien; why should he care about that pissant province's 'needs,' anyway?

"Uh... Oh, right. The rendezvous we were originally scheduled to have. Yeah, that. Hmm... we don't need it yet, but..." Fisus brooded. He knew that tankers were fairly well armed, and that the Comatic navy would probably find out what had happened soon enough. Sure, the resisters hadn't gotten a radio message off in time, but still...

Fisus said suddenly, "Go ahead and radio them. Tell them that we'll have the rendezvous as soon as possible. Oh, and call me Marcus. Our ranks were given to us by the Comatics; we don't need to use them any more."

Ten minutes later
"Here they come. They'll have to see our flags..." Caecillius muttered nervously. He hadn't yet come up with a proper defence for himself if they captured him. After all, Caecillius had shot a man in cold blood...

"...and our guns. Which are fully loaded, by the way. Besides, you really think they'll fight to protect their fuel?" Marcus Fisus replied confidently. He grabbed the bullhorn and shouted, "Hey, you guys on the tanker! Say, you wanna a revolution?"

Your move.

Oh, and call me Marcus. Our ranks were given to us by the Comatics; we don't need to use them any more."

OOC: Wow, you almost read my mind. I was planning on this being a communist revolution, and that was a creepy coincidence that actually fits in nicely.

IC: Corporal Livius Segus leaned out from the enclosed bridge of the ship, the salty wind of the sea catching him full force. Had he heard correctly? Revolution?

"Sergeant," he said, motioning to Sergeant Cetelum, the commander on the bridge. "Does that look like a Comatic flag to you?" Slowly, Livius pointed to the flag pole, atop sat a blackened piece of fabric.

"No...no it doesn't," Cetelum replied, distracted by the flag.

"And just before, I heard them ask if 'we we're ready for a revolution.'"

Cetelum withdrew his gaze and stared at Livius, then at the destroyer.

"Ask them what their intentions are."

Livius nodded solemnly, and switched on the bullhorn, cringing at the harsh feedback.

"Attention CES Kristophoris Celmaetus. State your intentions and explain your prior comment."

Not necessarily communist, though I'm using the Potemkin mutiny as a model...

"Get the choppers loaded up with machine-gunners and lift off. Close with the tanker; I want to be as close as possible. As soon as possible, hit the comm arrays and the engines; we'll take out their guns and missiles as we get closer, and can afford to take a bit of damage. Besides, I want their oil. And start firing right after I get back off the bullhorn unless they stop moving immediately," Fisus said, by cell phone, to each rebel ship's new captain, thinking fast.

Eight minutes later
"Marcus, we're coming in range," Caecillius said. He bit his lip and watched. The crew waited to fire; they were glad to be shooting at the engines and comm gear, since that probably didn't mean killing. They weren't ready to kill, yet...

The helicopters, each loaded with ten men carrying machine guns, had taken off a minute ago and were swiftly approaching the tanker. The armed mutineers began to take aim through the opened side doors.

Fisus took up the bullhorn and shouted, "A revolution. As in, you fight against a government that threw us into nuclear war, that oppresses the people of Narien, that is simply utterly unresponsive to the needs of us all. If you want a revolution, stop moving. If not..." At this range, practically everyone on the tanker could hear him.

Well, do you want a revolution?

Not necessarily communist, though I'm using the Potemkin mutiny as a model...

"Get the choppers loaded up with machine-gunners and lift off. Close with the tanker; I want to be as close as possible. As soon as possible, hit the comm arrays and the engines; we'll take out their guns and missiles as we get closer, and can afford to take a bit of damage. Besides, I want their oil. And start firing right after I get back off the bullhorn unless they stop moving immediately," Fisus said, by cell phone, to each rebel ship's new captain, thinking fast.

Eight minutes later
"Marcus, we're coming in range," Caecillius said. He bit his lip and watched. The crew waited to fire; they were glad to be shooting at the engines and comm gear, since that probably didn't mean killing. They weren't ready to kill, yet...

The helicopters, each loaded with ten men carrying machine guns, had taken off a minute ago and were swiftly approaching the tanker. The armed mutineers began to take aim through the opened side doors.

Fisus took up the bullhorn and shouted, "A revolution. As in, you fight against a government that threw us into nuclear war, that oppresses the people of Narien, that is simply utterly unresponsive to the needs of us all. If you want a revolution, stop moving. If not..." At this range, practically everyone on the tanker could hear him.

Well, do you want a revolution?

OOC: Yes, I do.

IC: Livius panicked. The helicopters drew closer, the men looking menacing as they took aim.

He called down to the engine room. "Stop the ship! Stop the ship! Now!" He cut off the contact before they could protest.

Within another minute, the ship had slowed to a drift.

A Private was manning a 1.5" deck gun, and was aiming the barrel at the underside of the nearest helicopter. Without warning, he opened fire for several seconds.

"No!" Yelled Livius, running from the bridge to tear the man away from the gun. But he had already fired.

Sorry for the delay; I was eating dinner.

Four shots were fired; two hit the helicopter, setting it aflame and sending it crashing into the sea. The other helicopters came in low, coming as close as they dared to the tanker. One machine gunner started shooting at the deck gun; when it stopped shooting, he stopped shooting.

"They're slowing...slowing...stopped. You win," Caecillius said, watching pleasantly. "Of course, now you have to make sure they're committed to the fight..."

"Don't worry about that. Get a boat out for our chopper; there may be survivors. Bring our ships alongside; we'll need fuel, and we'll need a loyal crew," Marcus said, then added, "Knew I'd win..."

So, who should rp the tanker and crew now? Oh, and Livius doesn't die unless you want him to do so...

OOC: Well, the majority of the crew on the tanker are from Narien, and sympathize with the pirates. But Livius and a few men will make it down to the arsenal and try to retake the ship.

IC: Livius hurtled down the corridor within the depths of the tanker, 6 other men at his heels. He stopped them at a door, locked several times over.

"Stand back, guys," he said, putting out his hand as he drew his pistol. He braced himself, then pumped 5 rounds into the locks. The door swumg open helplessly.

Once inside, the 7 men each took two rifles; an automatic and semi-automatic to each man. many took three handguns too, with double waist holsters and ankle straps. two men buckled on body armor.

"Alright, soldiers," said Livius, as the highest-ranking man there. "Take as much ammo that won't slow you down. Those SOBs are goin' down to hell."

With the few remaining seconds he had, Livius loaded his grenade launcher. He cautiously led the small squad to the upper deck, trying their hardest not to be seen. Quckly and silently, the team fanned out across the deck.

"Now!" Shouted Livius as loud as he could, springing from his hiding place and opening fire on the pirates.

OOC: Feel free to kill them off. You can RP as them for a while in a gunfight, but they will ultimately all die with the exception of Livius. The rest of the crew will be compliant, though.

Over one hundred fifty mutineers had made their way onto the tanker; ninety had landed from the helicopters and sixty had crossed over by ropes thrown across to the ship. When the gunfire started, most had relaxed; twenty fell, dead or wounded, in the initial five minutes of the gun battle. The others realized fairly quickly that something was up, and began returning fire, using machine guns and rifles only so as to avoid setting off potentially dangerous explosions that could blow up the tanker - and its oil. Their comrades on the other ships, still manning the 25mm cannons, couldn't fire for fear of damaging the tanker; however, some drew pistols and added what they could.

Within ten minutes, five of the attackers had fell, to a total of twenty-two mutineers. The other two gave in; one, Cetelum had run out of ammo and the other, Livius, had run out of courage. Now, all that was left was to fuel the ships, sort out the wounded and dead, put on a temporary crew, ascertain who of the tanker's crew would support the mutineers, and imprison the rest.

Meanwhile, the lifeboat sent out to rescue the crew of the downed chopper found only the charred remains of that vehicle. Nothing had - and nothing could have - survived.

That was kinda lousy, but what do you expect? It's seven against many more...

A few hours later
It was dusk. Six ships, traveling at thirty knots, drove on towards Narien. Aboard the ships were over four thousand mutineers - Fisus had vastly underestimated the strength of the revolt - and fifty prisoners, along with some two hundred wounded and injured from the fights that had occurred.

Aboard the newly renamed destroyer Freedom, Marcus Fisus brooded. Marcus knew he had handled his first attempt at piracy miserably. He had left too much open to chance; the next time something like this occurred, the other side would already know to attack him. Next time around, he'd shoot first. Next time around, he'd hit the electronics - the comm gear, the radars, the fire directors - immediately, hit the engines next, and then, with the enemy dead in the water, approach and demand the ship's surrender under penalty of the death of the crew. The bullhorn seemed to be an effective tool; however, what he really wanted was some sort of radio that he could use without its being detected... Never mind that; time for bed.

The port of Velchesteus, on a small island just southwest of Secruteus, was buzzing with activity, even at the early hour. The clock was approaching 7 AM, and already, crowds of people, both civilian and military, were flocking and hording near the piers where Marcus had docked his ships.

"Marcus...The speech is set to begin at 8 am. Any last-minute requests before we go live in an hour?"

Caecilius was suddenly standing next to Marcus, who was standing, deep in thought as, was common practice for him, on the extreme bow of the Jester class, the Freedom. A cigar hung idling in his mouth.

"Yes," he replied to Caecilius. "This'll be broadcast on the internet, right?"

Caecilius fidgeted. "Uhh...are you sure you want that? I mean...then everyone will know."

Marcus took a long draw from his cigar, then turned to Caecilius, who had a puzzled expression. "That's the point, Caecile'. The bastards in Aredeth are gonna see it, and they are gonna come for us. But by then, we'll have gotten stronger."

Caecilius shrugged. "Whatever you say, sir...I mean, Marcus."

*******

Marcus's crew had gathered on all of the decks of the Freedom, hanging over the rails, perched on the barrels of the cannons, even sitting on windowsills. A crowd of almost 12,000, 20% of the islands inhabitants, and the crews of the two Comatic vessels, the Deliverance, a nuclear sub, and the Blazer, a missile and artillery ship, were on hand, most interested in what Marcus was going to say.

A makeshift podium was set up on the highest deck of the Freedom, and a microphone wired to six enormous speakers positioned strategiaclly so everyone could clearly hear him. He began with a throat clearing.

Good day, citizens of Narien. But not citizens, I must profess. To be frank, you are all but slaves, slaves to the regime that has oppressed the Narien peoples for nigh on 144 years. Yesw, I need not beat about the bush on this issue. Each and every one of you here have thought about what life would be like if the Comatics had not swept over us. Well, to save you trouble, I'll tell you.

For one thing, we would still be operating under the democracy that we had employed in the early 19th century. We would not be repeatedly imprisoned for charges that are vague and fabricated. We would make sure that those power-hungry politicians and rich assholes would not be getting all the opportunities to succeed, while other less-fortunate beings are left to wallow in squalor.

I ask you now: isn't that wrong? Isn't that what drove the Narien people from southern Comatica to these islands in the 9th cenruty? We thought that we had escaped their tyrannic iron fists, but, as always, we could not run far without the Emperors of Comatica not too far behind.

Now, I will add in a bitter history lesson. In 1849, the imperialist Comatics sent a fleet of 27 warships from the city of Kassval to the northern Narien island of Medrai. They landed on the island, raided the arsenal of weapons, killed every militiaman and kidnapped every villager. They did the same on each and every island, killing thousands and caring little. Eventually, our forefathers were overwhelmed by the Imperialist powers of Comatica and seded the islands. It was a dark day. Therefore, I propose an end to the bitter rule of the Vic-Romus oppressors, and declare Narien, and all who will join her, a free nation!

Now, while the world may idle in her support, I say that this day, after I end my lecture, that we all lead a revolt, and raid that arsenal on the west side of this island! All who support us in our quest of freedom shall help bring this island from the shackles of tyranny, and provide us with the weapons taken in this raid...and all shall be freed when the time comes to leave this Empire!


OOC: Those two ships I mentioned before the speech are gonna end up joining Marcus, as an FYI.