As it turned out, Umbia was a massive port on the western coasts of the Itas Peninsula, a massive jut of land that penetrated south into the Inner Sea. Here, at Keffe, the bulk of the Republic fleet was anchored. After another week and a half by wagon, Brax and his guests reached Umbia. And, upon entering Keffe and looking upon the fleet rocking gently at their moorage, van Joss had to agree with the decision of the war council to build an entirely new fleet.
The largest ship that the navy possessed was no larger than Brax’s sloop, the Snow Flower. None of them could carry more than twenty crew and supplies at any one time. The galleon that Brax and his engineering team was proposing, was a massive four mast vessel, with three decks and plenty of moorage for a crew of over 75 as well as two hundred soldiers. According to the plans, the galleons would also be equipped with four longboats, for landing. Each longboat, a variation of a rowboat that even van Joss had operated, carried twenty men at a time.
Of course, all of this was on the Ursan scale and so dwarfed anything that van Joss and Humanity could have built. As was proven when Brax took van Joss, Longspear and Salina to visit the prototype sitting in dry dock in the northern part of the shipyards.
“Maker burn me,” Van Joss quietly said in open amazement as they stood on top of a low tower overlooking the dry dock basin, a massive hole in the ground that could be filled with water via a set of locks that let the water in at a controlled rate.
“Never have I seen anything so big!” Longspear said beside him, unable to believe her eyes. The vast wooden shell below them dwarfed anything that she had seen before, including the city of ruins and the massive fortresses of the Kanid Imperium.
“It is a practical, double hulled design,” Brax’s chief engineer, an Equis by the name of Ojinious assured them with a nod of his long head. Unlike the bulky bodies of the Ursa and the Bovis, the Equis were long and lean. Powerful buttocks and quadriceps provided the majority of their great speed, the muscles shifting uneasily even at rest, as if being barely restrained from hurtling into motion by the strongest of wills. And, like the Bovis, they didn’t possess feet as did the Ursa.
Instead the Equis had a single digit, like a massive toe with an equally massive nail. The Equis called them ‘hooves’, like what horses had on the bottom of their feet. The Bovis had a variation, their hooves being split in two, or cloven. Regardless, it gave both an advantage of not needing boots while enabling them to move over a broad variety of surfaces with little or no difficulty.
Whether Ojinious was aware of his legs’ restless shifting, he gave no sign, peering down at his blueprints with first one eye, then the next. The Equis, like the Sea Wolves, had their eyes more on the sides of their heads and did not possess true binocular vision, as did the Ursa. The Bovis too had similar eyes. This, however, also gave them a wider field of vision, beneficial in a more open environment where enemies could come from any direction.
“And it is designed to easily hold two hundred Ursan troops in the middle deck,” the Equis engineer continued, rolling up his blueprints with curious three fingered hands. Van Joss had noticed that the Bovis too only possessed three digits on their hands, two fingers and an opposable thumb. Still, they seemed to work well enough with them.
“Of your design, I have no doubt that it will do what you say,” the human said with a slight smile. “It is just the size of it that amazes me and my people.”
Brax chuckled at the surprised look Ojinious threw at the human.
“Remember, Engineer Ojinious, these people are easily half the size of an Ursan and smaller than even your people,” he pointed out with a smile of his own.
Roughly a head taller than van Joss, Ojinious nodded his understanding.
“I am beginning to realize this, Master Brax. It’s just that ... well, I have never met creatures such as these humans.” The tall Equis stared at van Joss and Longspear openly now, his curiosity evident.
“Understandable, Ojinious. And neither had I, a month ago. But the Primiad will destroy these remarkable creatures, if we don’t complete the galleons on time. And then nobody will get to meet any more of them!”
“Of course, Master Brax,” Ojinious immediately replied with a quick bob of his head. “I already have our laborers working non-stop throughout the day to complete the prototype, as per your instructions. The double hull has been completed, along with the necessary bracing, three days ahead of schedule. We have now moved into the second phase of construction: building the three decks.” The Equis engineer glanced down at a scrap of parchment in his other hand.
“If current work levels can be maintained, and supplies and materials remain available, we should have phase two completed by the end of the week!”
Brax allowed a small smile to lift the corners of his mouth.
“Very good, Ojinious. Keep me informed as to your progress. My guests and I are going into the dry dock to inspect the hull.”
“Master. It will be done,” Ojinious answered with another bob of his head.
As the Equis moved off, van Joss leaned close to ask.
“Why did he call you master, Brax? Is there some sort of slavery going on here?” Brax shook his head.
“No. He is a free employee of my business. Master is a term of respect, given to the owner of the business.” The Ursa turned to go down the ladder. “Now, shall we go and take a look at the hull?”
The humans and their Primiad companion could only stare in wonder when they finally stood beneath the massive double hull of the Ursa prototype. It, like the rest of New Boriev, was on a scale that they had never experienced before. And that wonder only grew as, over the next five days, they watched Brax’s laborers construct the prototype’s decks and seal the vessel watertight. The galleon was truly a giant.
In the meantime, in another part of the yard, a special frigate was being constructed. A frigate that would make the Alanic crossing for the first time in the name of the Ursa Republic. It would be christened the Morning Star.
Van Joss’s eyes narrowed as the water from the locks continued to rush into the dry dock. Already the massive enclosure was almost half full of water from the bay. He was leaning over the observation tower’s railing as the water flowed in and around the massive hull. With decks finished and masts in place, all the prototype needed was her rigging to be complete. However, before any more work was to be done, the hull needed to be checked for water tightness.
And so far, the great vessel was passing the test with flying colors. As he watched the deck below slowly begin to rise, another set of green colored flags were waved by a group of workers on the galleon’s foredeck. The signal was directed to a second observation tower, this one much closer to the dry dock itself, where Brax and his associates stood with Ojinious and his team of engineers.
As the signal was made, van Joss could see smiles appear on the faces some distance away. And those smiles only grew broader when the signal was repeated after the dry dock was completely filled. The hull had remained watertight throughout the entire test. The human smiled himself as he stood erect even as Ojinious shouted orders to nearby workers to begin the task of completing the ship’s rigging. They were one more step closer to the Ursa joining the unified force in Noranda to face the Primiad onslaught. And, after the rigging was in place, they would swiftly move to the next step: the prototype’s sea trials.
Van Joss left the tower to join Brax at the base of the closer tower to the dry dock.
“It would appear the vessel is well on its way to becoming sea worthy,” the Ursa commented as the human drew up. Van Joss nodded.
“It would appear so." He looked over at the big, furry being. "What’s next?”
“Sea trials,” was Brax's response as the Ursa glanced down at the schedule he held in his hand. He led they way back towards the wagon that would return them to the small set of dwellings that served as their home while at Keffe.
“Which we will initiate as soon as the rigging is secure and the sails are aboard.” He looked over and smiled at van Joss. “Thanks to you, friend human, the Republic itself is pouring large amounts of money into this project to push it along. And thank the gods they are. It would have been an incredible burden on my associates and myself to accelerate the project on our own. Thanks to the additional funding, we have also completed plans on a three mast warship, based loosely on the galleon, that will become a mainstay in the Republic navy.”
“The Republic looks to become the dominant naval power on the Alanic, by the sounds of it,” van Joss observed with a thoughtful look of his own.
“I agree," Brax said. "And this new warship will go a long ways towards that goal, I would think.”
“Along with making you and your associates very wealthy,” van Joss added with a wry grin. Brax laughed out loud.
“Aye, that it will do. I guess this would be my reward for plucking your pink behind out of the cold waters of the Alanic!” Abruptly the Ursa’s demeanor became somewhat conspiratorial.
“Would you like to see what the Republic is sending you home with, van Joss?”
The human couldn’t help but smile at seeing such a big creature trying to be so sneaky.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Let’s just swing by and pick up Longspear and Salina first. I think they would both want to see it as well.”
“Of course!” Brax boomed, a broad smile of his own on his face. “I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
“What’s her name?” Longspear breathed when they stood on the dock in the south part of the yards some time later, looking up at the sleek frigate bobbing gently at her moorage there.
“The Morning Star,” Brax announced proudly, delighted at the reaction on the humans’ face. It could only be described as astounded and ultimately pleased. Even the usually iron demeanor of van Joss had cracked to show pleasure at the ship that was before them.
A two mast vessel like Brax’s exploration ship, the Snow Flower, the Morning Star was considerably larger, with comfortable quarters for the humans and the Primiad, along with the rest of the crew. She had more than enough space for a squad of soldiers, trained specifically in combat in marine conditions, as well as a sizable diplomatic and scouting party. She could also hold a variety of weapons and supplies and materials enough to begin building a base upon landing in Noranda.
That base would be where the following Ursa Republic and Alliance forces would gather before making their way to the staging point for the Unified forces. If the Unified forces indeed agreed to battle the Primiad. Of that eventuality, the operatives had yet to hear. Hopefully news of their success would be forthcoming as soon as they landed in Noranda.
“She can also carry deck catapults, firing enough shot to inflict considerable damage on another sailing vessel,” Brax continued with no small measure of pride still in his voice, “just in case the Primiad decide to bring elements of their navy against us. Larger versions of the catapults and ballista will be installed on both the warships and on the galleons, to provide protection in addition to the archers that will be assigned to each vessel.”
“Sounds like you have all your options considered.” Van Joss nodded appreciatively. Deck weapons would indeed be useful against the swarming attack of the Primiad. That is, if the Primiad hadn’t changed their tactics significantly from their land attack. If anything, from what he could see, the swarming attack would have even more success in a battle on the ocean.
“My engineers are the best, van Joss,” Brax replied somewhat smugly. “We already have the crew and command staff selected. They should be here in a few days. As soon as they arrive, we’ll give them a spin around the bay on the Star, to familiarize them with her handling. And when that is done, we’ll load her up with supplies and send you on your way!”
“Excellent.” Van Joss said with a smile. The sooner they got on their way, the better!
Again Brax’s estimates were on target as, three days after being introduced to the Morning Star, her crew and command staff arrived from New Boriev. After a brief stop in Umbia to rest, they quickly proceeded to Keffe to take the Morning Star out on her sea trails. At the same time, the galleon prototype, tentatively named the Sea Dragon, was on her way out to sea, bound for somewhere deep in the Inner Sea. The Dragon had already completed near shore trails off the coast of Umbia with flying colors, another testament to Ojinious’ skill as a naval engineer.
The two vessels exercised briefly with elements of the Republic navy before the Dragon turned for deep water. With her building methods already tried and true, Brax and his associates felt the Star didn’t require deep sea trials and, after a couple of days out in the bay, maneuvering with the navy, she returned to her moorage to begin her refit for the long trip to Noranda.
Considering himself as part of the crew, van Joss joined the shake down cruise, seeing an opportunity to learn new skills and gain valuable experience. He was quickly integrated into the crew and given a position of responsibility. Longspear too, and, after some consideration, Salina also took part in the shake down, taking responsibility and duty as part of the Morning Star’s crew.
And thus all three were prepared when the Morning Star completed her refit and waited for a good tide to set sail.
“Nervous?” Salina asked with a shaky smile as she looked over at Longspear. The operative nodded slightly with a smile of her own. Both had shed their Norandan clothing for the looser fitting clothing of the Republic, sized down for their benefit. It was now late spring and the climate of the Inner Sea was warm and temperate. It seemed a wise decision that was quickly bearing fruit.
Van Joss too had gone with Republican clothing, looking like a miniature version of the Ursan officers that stomped along the Morning Star’s deck. But, unlike the two females, he was as calm as ice, not a flicker of emotion on his gaunt face. In his mind, the delay had been long enough. It was about time they were underway. Leaning against the rail, he let his eyes scan over the multitude of buildings that crowded close to this part of the shipyard. A crowd was gathering at the Morning Star’s gangplank, a mixture of government officials and family members, here to bid farewell to the members of the Star’s crew.
Among the officials were Brax, of course, and Consul Jax. Ambassador Kreal was there as well, speaking with the three Alliance Ursa that would represent the Alliance aboard the Star. The two big males and the equally big female had accompanied the crew on the Star’s shake down and would be members of the diplomatic/scouting team. The bulk of the scouting detail was Equis. Although not normally good on water, their fleetness and speed would be valuable in a scouting role once they reached Noranda.
First Kreal had a few words to say to the crowd, praising the joint effort between the Alliance and the Republic. Then it was Jax who spoke, giving a short speech on the courage of the Morning Star’s crew and about the hopes the Republic had that they would reach Noranda and return in safety. Following a short presentation and congratulation of Brax, the Morning Star finally cast off to the wild cheering of the crowd. It didn’t take much of a breeze to fill her forward sails and, with a soft whoosh, she began to pull away from the dock.
As soon as the Star was clear and free to navigate, the captain, a bluff and veteran commander from the Republic navy by the name of Vendix, ordered full sail and, as the canvas unfurled, the frigate began to pick up speed. Before long she was skimming across the waves of the bay, her bow pointed for deep sea and the Straits of Dark Shadow.
* * * *