VI Sea Hawk

Sailing vessel, sailing vessel, this is the United States Coast Guard Cutter Sea Hawk, please identify yourself, over.

Sea Hawk, this is the Blue Swan, over.

Blue Swan, What is your last port of call and your destination, how many persons on board? Over.

Sea Hawk, Blue Swan, I’m sorry but why do you need to know? Over.

Blue Swan, This is United States Coast Guard Cutter Sea Hawk, I’m ordering you to tell me your last port of call, destination and how many persons you have on board.

Sea Hawk, Blue Swan, I’m well outside of U.S. territorial waters, not going to a U.S. port nor coming from, and not flying the flag of the U.S.A. You have no authority here, over.

Blue Swan, You are in the E.E.Z. of the U.S.A., I have the right to investigate, over.

Sea hawk, Blue Swan, the Exclusive Economic Zone, gives you the right to fish, and to drill for oil or to dig up the sand from the seafloor if you so wish, but I’m not engaged in any of those activities, I’m sailing the High Seas and am not compulsory to answer to you. Over.

Blue Swan, please give me your captain.

Sea Hawk, Blue Swan, you are speaking to the captain. Over.

Rose rolled her eyes, and Michael couldn't help but snicker.

Blue Swan, if you do not comply I will be necessary to board your vessel and search your ship, if you not comply you will be arrested.

Sea Hawk, this is Blue Swan, for your information any boarding attempt will be considered an act of piracy and I will act accordingly. Over.

Blue Swan, I am the United States Coast Guard Cutter Sea Hawk, and you will follow my orders, stop your ship, I will board and search it.

Sea Hawk, this is the Blue Swan, I repeat, we are in international waters, any attempt to boarding will be considered an act of piracy and I will act accordingly. Over.

“They lowered a Rib with armed men” First mate Jan told Rose while looking at the Sea Hawk through the binoculars.

Sea Hawk, this is the Blue Sean, Last warning, any attempt to board will be considered an act of piracy and I will act accordingly. Over.

“Arm yourselves, load the guns” Rose commanded her crew. Around her the crew jumped to action, although they didn't had to go far they were already expecting something like this, and had been on the standby next to the guns. But now they slide the rounds in the barrels, and released the safeties. While others ran to the powder room to get spare rounds brought up to the gundeck.
“They are coming this way” Jan continued to update.
“Open the gun ports, set your aim for the Sea Hawk” “Hoist the red” Rose said dead calm.
“Lieutenant! They opened hatches on the sides, it looks like.. gun ports? And they hoisted a red flag?”
“What, aim our gun at them, give them a warning shot!” The lieutenant of the Sea Hawk commanded.
“They are turning their gun our way.” Jan reported dead calm.
A boom and a loud splash in front of the Sunset Dawn her bow occurred not even seconds after.
“Two volleys. Fire!” Rose commanded, while looking at the Sea Hawk. And Heinrich bellowed the relay of her orders on the gun deck.

The rib of the Sea Hawk was about halfway the distance to the Sunset Dawn. And the men inside didn’t know what they saw when the gun ports opened and the guns stuck their muzzles out.

The twelve guns of the Sunset Dawn produced a rolling thunder when fired in concession from aft to forward. The second volley was almost redundant and halfway through the second round the Sea Hawk exploded. The superstructure came off the hull and for a brief moment it looked like the hull was being blown up like a balloon. Then it disappeared in flames. The heat wave reaching the Sunset Dawn made Rose close her eyes and duck behind the bulwark. When she looked again there was nothing but debris left in the spot where the Sea Hawk was just moments ago, patches of burning oil, pieces of wood, a lifebuoy.

The rib had stopped dead in its tracks and the men in it where stunned, didn’t know what to do.

“Snipers” Rose shouted and a few crew men jumped up from their hiding spots behind the bulwarks. “Kill them” Rose added calmly, and turned away from the sight to check her ship for any damages. “Get us out of here, mister de Jongh” She told the first mate while a few shots sounded, sealing the fate of the men in the rib.

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