Ironblood's Helmsman

Chapter 31: Sea Shepherd

Andy: "FUCK!!" he cursed.

Unknown to them Olympic, Tex, and Alex followed them to keep tabs on them and help Andy and Spee with repairs or fuel if necessary.

A few days later Andy and Spee glided into the staging grounds in Williamstown where Allankay and Ocean Warrior awaited them, anchored just offshore, their crews and their kansen eagerly waving at them. Their helicopter flew overhead, documenting them.

Andy: "Ocean Warrior, Ocean Warrior, this Antonio Luna, me and Graf Spee are reporting for duty." he greeted, "It'll be great to sail with you."

Ocean Warrior: "Antonio Luna, this is Ocean Warrior, welcome to the fleet." she greeted, bits of nervousness peeking through.

Graf Spee: "It's great to be here." she said politely.

Allankay: "It'll be great having ya here." she said, "Just, try not to shoot anyone, kay?"

Andy: "We won't, safeties on, all the way." he stated.

Both Andy's and Spee's ammo magazines were empty anyways.

Peter Hammerstedt: "We'll be departing for the Antarctic in a day, get refueled and restocked." he ordered.

Andy: "Yes sir!" he saluted.

The couple's ships glided into vacant docks and started filling up.

Andy: "So um...sir?" he asked.

Peter Hammerstedt: "Peter's fine Andy, what's up?" he asked.

Andy: "I just wanna ask...how do Ocean Warrior and Allankay work?" he asked, "I know they're both Kansen...but they need crews...?"

Peter Hammerstedt: "Ah, it's a thing with civilian kansen, unlike you military kansen, those with Civilian roles tend to still need crews to operate and don't have rigging forma as you call them." he explained.

Ocean Warrior: "But," she continued, "when a kansen regardless of background goes into mothball, gets taken out of service to be used for parts, or.....scrapped their...form dissipates, they disappear unless they become needed again for active duty."

Andy: "So....all the museum ships...all the ships stuck in mothballs..." he trailed off.

Peter Hammerstedt: "All just waiting to be used again." he said.

Andy nodded as his analytical side chalked that up for later. A few miles offshore Alex and Olympic were spying on them.

Olympic: "It doesn't look like they're having trouble." she said.

Alex: "There's still worse to come, keep your guard up." he said.

Tex: "What do you mean?" she asked, "Big Brother made a pretty long trip down here."

Alex: "It's nothing compared to the Antarctic's cold weather and rough sea states." he said.

Back with Andy and Spee some film crews boarded the 2 warships and were welcomed warmly by the kansen.

Film Crewmember 1: "Can we set up in the bridge?" he asked.

Andy: "Sure, just don't stalk me as I go about my work." he said, letting them in.

The film crews set up their cameras to point at Andy's spot on the helm and facing out forward with a few handhelds so they could quickly pan to show any action that may be happening.