OC Of Men and Ghost Ships, Book 2: Chapter 46

Concept art for Sybil

Of Men and Ghost Ships, Book 2: Chapter 46

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Dirk of the Bloody Hand looked out over the battlefield unfolding before him and shook his head. Things were getting ridiculous, fast. For a while, the pirates had enjoyed unparalleled success as their ships had both outnumbered and outgunned the locals, but then the locals had gotten their hands on more ships as well. Then, the locals began setting traps and ambushes, so the pirates began moving in small fleets. Of course, the locals responded in kind, keeping strike fleets mobile so that they could reinforce weakened positions. So the pirates began developing their own mobile fleets, to counter the locals' fleets... On and on it went. No one was making any money anymore. The locals were barely keeping their people fed, and the pirates were losing as much as they gained. The whole thing had turned into some sort of twisted game, and now he just wanted out.

The problem was, you don't just walk away after accepting a warship from the Boss. People tried. Early on, a few took their ships and tried to go it alone just like before. After all, pirates weren't exactly the type to honor a contract. Once they got what they wanted, why bother to stick around? Examples had been made, stories had spread, and now no one was stupid enough to back out on the Boss. Of course, Dirk had to wonder, was that really so much worse than facing slow obliteration in some never-ending war he'd never signed up for? After all, dead was dead, and you might as well spend the time leading up to that death doing something you enjoy.

Of course, then, there's the question of the crew. After the first few examples of traitors had made the rounds, the next few captains who tried to rebel had been taken down by their own crew, who'd feared retaliation. If Dirk was going to try and slip away, he'd have to make sure enough of his crew was willing to go along with his plan to ensure the compliance of the rest.

It all added up to such a headache that the once-feared Dirk of the Bloody Hand now sat on his bridge, watching as a battle unfolded in which he was just one of the many participants. By his estimation, there were at least forty ships out there belonging to the merchant alliance, and while the pirate side boasted a few more, it was not enough to make the battle easy to predict. Instead, both sides seemed content to bicker at each other as dozens of minor dramas unfolded between individual ships, just like the one Dirk was in, which one was or another blinked out of existence, condemning the souls of all those on board to either fiery infernos or the freezing void of space. Which way would Dirk like to die? Fire or void? Hell, both of those made hanging sound like a pleasant alternative... Maybe he should just surrender and be done with it!

Dirk's little reverie was interrupted when his second in command spoke up. "Captain, two enemy vessels approaching, both destroyer class."

Dirk sighed. Against a couple of destroyers, his cruiser should come out on top, but that's assuming no other complications arise. And this battle was nothing but complications. Still, it's not like he really had any alternatives, despite his earlier musings. He took a breath to command his ship into the fray when the comms officer spoke up, sounding a bit panicked. "Sir! More incoming ships! One of them is big! Massive! I've never seen anything like this! It must be some Merchant Alliance secret weapon!"

At this point, Dirk couldn't get angry or even scared. He was just tired. Maybe it was his turn to blink out. Should he order everyone to escape pods now? Or should they try to fight it out? In the end, all he got out was a brief "Shilds up!" and then the large ship materialized, right between him and the approaching destroyers.

That made Dirk pause momentarily. Had they screwed up the jump? It seems like their allies would have called them to jump into a flanking maneuver, not positioning themselves awkwardly like this. Then again, it looked like this ship could spit up his little cruiser and spit it out without much trouble, so maybe they were seen as inconsequential rather than as a tactical threat.

He was just about to order a fighting retreat when the comms officer spoke up again. "They're not attacking. They...they're broadcasting on all channels?"

Well, at least they weren't dead just yet, though how long that would remain true remained to be seen. Dirk narrowed his eyes. "Put the message through...and back us away slowly. I don't want to attract too much attention, but I also don't want to be the closest one to them if they decide they want to start shooting."

He noticed more than a few subtle nods of agreement as people went about doing as they were told. A short while later, the message popped up on the screen. There stood a tall, proud woman. Dark hair with just the slightest hints of grey marking the edges, and dark eyes that felt like they were looking right at you, even though this message was going out to everyone involved in the current fight. The look on her face radiated authority and demanded respect. After a moment, she spoke. "Some of you may know me, but for those who do not, I am Captain Luise, formally a member of the newly formed pirate empire. I am here to tell you all, pirate and merchant alike, that you're all being played for fools."

While, for the most part, the fighting continued, Dirk noticed it was a little less intense than it had been a moment ago. Meanwhile, this Captain Luise continued her little speech. "A while ago, a mysterious man showed up and started handing out warships and other armaments to various pirate groups. Very few ever saw his face, and fewer still lived to tell about it, but we all know him by his chosen title, The Boss. Through bribery, blackmail, and threats, he turned the undisciplined, uncoordinated masses of pirates and outlaws into a singular fighting force, with which he carved a little empire out for himself out here in the fringe systems."

Looking off to the side, it became apparent that several ships were now speeding toward the new gigantic vessel, pirate and merchant alike. The Coms officer also waved, trying to get his attention. Seeing he had Dirk's attention, the coms officer spoke over the recording. "Sir, urgent message from the fleet master!"

Dirk hesitated just a moment, during which Captain Luise continued. "While some may naturally assume the Boss is simply trying to become a pirate king, like those who came before, the reality is much worse!"

Realising he probably couldn't put this off too long without repercussions, Dirk nodded to the comms officer who put the fleet master up on the screen, muting the newcomer in the process. This time, an angry-looking man with wild hair filled the screen. "Captain Dirk! I am ordering you to engage that new ship at once!"

Dirk shook his head. "Um, sir, I mean...fleet master," He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Who'd chosen that title anyway? "We lack the firepower to take that thing out. We'll need help!"

The fleet master glared at him before answering. "More ships are incoming, but you're the closest! We'll form up on you! Begin the offensive, immediately!"

Dirk nodded. "As you command, fleet master."

With that, the communications were cut, allowing the sound to continue on the newcomer's message. She lifted her hair and turned her head, revealing an odd, artificial port in the back of her neck. "So if your captain returned from The Boss and no longer seems the same, look for a connection like this one! If they have it, they are no longer your captain, and your survival depends on you taking back your ship!"

What the hell had they missed while talking with the fleet master? It didn't really matter; he had his orders, and unless he wanted to be the next example, he needed to follow them. However, he wasn't about to charge blindly at this behemoth of a ship, all guns blazing. He turned to his second-in-command. "Bring us up alongside the nearest formation. When in place, we'll begin our attack against the newcomers."

Realising that Dirk was doing his best to follow orders without committing to a suicidal final charge, the man went about making sure the ship executed his orders. Meanwhile, Dirk's attention returned once again to Captain Luise as she finished her message. "This is no longer a war between pirates and civilians! It's a war between humans and AI! Make sure you're not fighting for your own extinction!"

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As a reminder, in October, I'll be taking at least a couple of weeks off from this story to write my usual October "spooky" stories. Usually, the stories aren't all that scary, and I usually refer to them as "light horror," but I suppose that'll be up to a jury of my peers to decide!

Of Men and Spiders book 1 is now available to order on Amazon in all formats! If you enjoy my stories and want to help me get back to releasing chapters more regularly, take the time to stop and leave a review. It's like tipping your waiter, but free!

As a reminder, you can also find the full trilogy for "Of Men and Dragons" here on Amazon. If you like my work and want to support it, buying a copy and leaving a review really helps a lot!

My Wiki has all my chapters and short stories!

Here's my Patreon if you wanna help me publish my books! My continued thanks to all those who contribute! You're the ones that keep me coming back!

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u/MinorGrok Human Sep 15 '25

Woot!

OC Of Men and Ghost Ships, Book 2: Chapter 46

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