Simallian coastal waters-4:00am local time
"Check the ropes..."
"The ropes are good. Charges?"
"Good to go."
"I see it!... Looks like 200 meters and losing"
Right! Brothers! Allahhak guides our hands and our bullets. This ship will likely be filled with food and weapons bound for Artisani. If we take this ship either we get the ransom or we keep the ship either way we will eating good tonight!"
"May he protect us." (Racks a round into the chamber of his aging AK-47 rifle)
With a few flashes of a flashlight 4 heavily patched boats started their engines and made their way to the approaching Valkyreian cargo ship that was attempting to navigate the tricky waters around the Simallian island. The splashing of the cool ocean water gave a chill to the young, malnourished fighters who looked onward with the steely gaze of determination. Their hopes of a brighter tomorrow hinged on the successful seizing of that ship- a ship they knew without a doubt would be filled with Valkyreian merchant marines ready to defend their cargo. As they got closer to the hulking mass of steel tens of large flood lights came to life and began to scan the murky mud colored water and foam attempting to discover the source of the sounds.
"Break! Break!" called out a command over an old walkie talkie causing the 4 boats to separate with two boats continuing on in the straight approach and 2 others approaching via a pincher style maneuver. As the lights continued the scan they eventually found one of the boats. As the light crossed over the crew leveled their weapons and began to send hot lead into the direction of the lights.
All hands! All hands prepare to repel boarders! an announcement blared over the ships intercoms as small pockets of returning fire rang out against the rapidly approaching invaders
"Hooks! Throw the hooks!" called out one of the fighters as their boats ran along side the larger vessel. Teams of fighters continued to exchange fire with the ships security contingent as another launched grappling hooks from a makeshift launcher. As one batch of hooks found real estate another batch and then another and another followed suite. One fighter after another made quick work of the ropes and boarded the ship from various locations, firing wildly at the security personnel killing some and taking other who gave up captive. Others where simply executed as an example to others who would consider resisting. As the deck was secured the dead where thrown over board back to the boats where the vessel captains secured the corpses before detaching and returning to the island to off load the bodies where most would be consumed by the starving serfs to old or two disabled to be active fighters for their resident Warlord. When the fighters approached the bridge tower door they quickly attached breaching charges setting them off and blowing the door clean off of the hull.
Move my brothers! Take the bridge!" calls out a fighter as he takes the lead rushing up the stairs with weapon in hand before being stopped dead by a hail of gunfire spraying his blood against the off white steel wall behind him. As his body fell over others picked it up and used it as a shield to continue forward with some using grenades to clear rooms before stopping at the final door keeping the command officers and the pirates apart.
Hey! This is our ship now! If you open this door I promise we will not kill you! In fact if one of your in there helps turn the ship over to us... I will see them rewarded! exclaims one of the lead fighters as he casually knocks on the steel bulkhead.
From the other side another voice answered back, his voice rough and aged but stern and proud at the same time. You killed my men, and attempt to rob us. What good is the word of a filthy pirate like yourself? I have another suggestion. Go drink salt water until you piss blood and then put a bullet in your own ass." The pirate that once was smiling slowly shifted his smile to a grimace before he slammed his fist into the bulkhead and signally to his men to breach the door. From within the bridge the officer readied weapons for the door was blasted off and the lanky fighters poured into the room exchanging gunfire with the officers. What had started had finished within a single minute and of the 5 officers dead on the floor some 9 fighters laid dead as well. As the lead fighter stepped into the bridge he surveyed the scene and found one of the officers who, while injured was still alive.
Well Well Well.. Looks like we have a fighta here! Tell me tough man... what do you have on this ship? I need to know who to sell it to ha ha ha.
The lone barely conscious officer gasped for breathe pointing lifelessly towards a lone clipboard that held the ships bill of lading and cargo manifest. The fighter took the clip board and smiling showing his broken and rotting teeth. With a round of laughs he handed off the manifest paperwork and took out a single shot signal flare gun and walked out unto the observation deck and fired the lone flare high into the sky signaling to various other smaller boats that had been waiting in the darkness telling them to come and sail home...
The next day...
The humid air of the dilapidated harbor was stagnate and filled with the stench of acrid burnt fuel fumes and sewage that slowly seeped and spilled into the water below. all around the port center the throngs of starving denizens rally around the compound where the newly acquired cargo ship was perilously moored and the surviving crew was tied up and kept within a metal shed with little to no food or water. Meanwhile various armed pirates worked to off load crates of food stuff and weapons and loading them into trucks and sending them into the desert to their new destination. In a nearby shed a few of the pirates could be heard making a rushed and barely intelligibly ransom demand video...
To the nation of Valkyreia. We have taken your ship and we have captured your crew. If you wish to see the crew alive and the ship returned to you we demand that you give to us 100 million USD in cash by pallet and parachute. If you refuse We shall kill the crew and scuttle the ship!