Undistress (4)

Alistair Young

Jul 31, 2026 — 1 min read

IMS Sukorya's Joy; and
IMS Esseldár's Champion, Cerulean Ocean, 1340 Gradakhmath 4

I didn't believe my own eyes.

I didn't believe the documentation, either. (Although the remnants of an old esklav stain on the shiphandling certificate that matched the one mine acquired in a storm back on the old Sukórya's Pride almost had me.)

I didn't even believe the stories.

But then he brought out the flag. Tattered, salt-stained from obvious immersion, the sea-blue swallowtail pennant of the line with its galloping cerrúr. Header, torn, where it had come loose from the halyard. Stained, darkly, near the joining of the points. But unmistakably the same pennant that even now flew from Joy's stern.

I looked at my older self, and at the ugly scar that lined his right hand.

"You grabbed this..."

"...as she went under. And a little after."

- Kairin Teresu, first officer;
Kairin Teresu, line commodore

Undistress, Esseldár's Champion, Farcanter Lines

← Data Snek |

Undistress (3)

IMS Sukórya’s Joy; and IS Esseldár’s Champion, Cerulean Ocean, 1340 Gradakhmath 4 The rendezvous went smoothly. We cleared the watchers back from the bow – the foc’s’le was already clear, but there was no sense in risking the passengers any more than absolutely necessary – while the black

Undistress (2)

IMS Sukórya’s Joy, Cerulean Ocean, 1340 Gradakhmath 4 At first, we thought it was a whale. Looking back, you may not understand our mistake. We did have submarines in our time, after all; indeed, Joy had passed a pair leaving Kanatai Bay, at dock in the port of Sukórya.

Undistress (1)

IMS Sukórya’s Joy, Cerulean Ocean, 1340 Gradakhmath 3 It began with a signal. We were three days out of the White Silver Gates when the signal came in. It was late, but while I would have usually been manning the wireless office alone, my junior, Shioi Morotai, was working

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