Chapter 1: Blockade run.

"Kapitan zur see the ship is ready."

"Thank you kapitanleutnant"

I stand up from my desk in the port and fly out onto the pier. In front of me is my ship for this extremely important mission of ours. We are to break through the Albion blockade and deliver important supplies to Atelia my home country. These supplies are needed to continue the war effort if we don't get them through we may lose the war.

I am Kapitan Zur See Freiin Sylvie von Lorenz. I am a fairy from a noble family. I am twenty inches tall with rainbow wings and pink hair.

I fly up the gangway with my second in command behind. The Adler is a merchant ship that has been upgraded with six, five-point nine inches cannons, one seventy-five-millimetre cannon, two twenty-one-inch submerged torpedo tubes and various autocannons for anti-air. All weapons have been hidden so that it looks like a normal merchant ship.

"Is the crew ready?"

"Yes, Kapitan."

"Are the escorts ready?"

"Yes, Kapitan awaiting your confirmation of readiness."

"Inform them we are ready"

"Yes Kapitan"

He leaves too the bridge. Before going to the bridge I look around the rest of the ship first. I might not return from this so I should get a good look at my ship now. It is a magnificent ship however it is not suited for the job it is given. It's slow and unarmoured one or two good hits and it's the end for it and we can't outrun enemy ships even the slowest.

However, I and the crew will do our best to deliver these supplies. I fly out over the water and look at the ship from a distance. She is a hundred and thirty-four feet metres long and seventeen metres wide. The bridge is near the front with a single funnel behind. From the outside, she looks exactly as she did before the war.

Flying to the bridge I find my second in, command waiting for me. Flying in I land on top of the ship's wheel.

“Kapitan we are ready to depart.”
“Then we shall set sail and begin our journey.”

-----

We have been sailing for about five hours by now at twelve knots. We are being escorted by two destroyers and four torpedo boats. The destroyers are on either side of us with the torpedo boats diagonally to us at four points. Soon we will be entering the blockade zone this is the dangerous part it is also the longest part of our journey at our speed it will take twenty-five hours to reach the other side of the Albion channel.
A few minutes later we spot a ship in the distance. Using some of my magic I enhance my vision to try and identify it. From what I can tell it’s an Albion ship that must be part of the blockade. It looks to be a destroyer so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem for us.
We keep going even when the Albion ship tries to contact us I ignore it. We are still in formation and waiting to see what the destroyer will do next. The tension rises as we approach until it is suddenly broken by the sound of the destroyer firing its four guns. Ten seconds later the shells splash down into the water behind us.

“Their shots went over but they are targeting us. Helmsman, be ready for evasive action.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Our escorts spread out and return fire also missing. The enemy fires again this time the shots falling short of us. The next salvo comes at us two shots fall short while two go over.

“They’ve straddled us full rudder to port”
“Full rudder to port”

The helmsman spins the wheel to the left and the ship leans to the side as it spins round throwing if their aim before they can fire again. The next shots hit the water where we just were.

“Straighten her up”

The helmsman spins the wheel back to straighten the ship up. Our escorts are still ranging but it shouldn’t take much longer. A series of five- and six-inch guns resounds around us as our escorts fire altogether. Tens of seconds later the shells splash into the water almost making the enemy ship disappear behind the columns of water. When the water around the ship calms I can see that at least three shells hit. Two on the hull and one on the bridge.
The enemy destroyer begins to list heavily from the flooding. Seconds later another salvo from our escorts is fired most miss but one hits the stern causing more flooding.
“Take us back to our original course”
“yes ma’am”

Going back to our original course I fly over to the window keeping an eye on the enemy ship. It continues to list, it seems they weren’t able to stop the flooding. A few minutes later it capsizes and sinks below the waves. We may have dealt with the immediate threat but they probably called for help.

“Helmsman full speed ahead.”
“Yes ma’am”

The bridge is quiet except for the ringing of the engine order telegraph.
-----
19 hours until the blockade passed

We have been sailing at full speed since we came across the enemy destroyer and haven’t seen any others since then. I sent my second in command to bed so that we can swap out later. Everyone is only talking when necessary, so it is very quiet and tense on the bridge. Currently, I am standing by one of the windows looking out at the sea in front. Can we do this? What if they bring something bigger like a cruiser or if we are very unlucky a battleship? I can’t show doubt as the Kapitan I have to be confident.

-----
15 hours until the blockade passed

I am suddenly awoken from my sleep as my cabin door is flung open and a seaman starts shouting.
“MA’AM AN ENEMY SHIP HAS BEEN SPOTTED”

This wakes me up quickly and I fly as quickly as I can to the bridge. Looking through the window I can see a large ship probably a cruiser in front. We are heading straight for it. I can see the front turret fire three times with a short delay between them. They are trying to get the range. The shells land around one of the destroyers in huge columns of water. Shortly after the other turrets open fire.
Twelve what I assume to be six-inch shells rain down on the destroyer to our right. Two shells hit causing it to slow and list to port. Shortly after another salvo comes down hitting it again this time splitting the ship in half.
“Increase the distance between us and the escorts”
“Yes ma’am”

The destroyer to our left returns fire with all shots missing. Under fire, we keep going full speed. The destroyer and cruiser keep exchanging fire until the destroyer is hit and is forced to fall back. We are now getting very close to the cruiser. It is firing pretty much point-blank range at this point it is getting difficult for it to miss. However, the destroyer did manage to hit it a few times.
“Prepare gunners to return fire.”

“Yes ma’am”

My second in command rushes to the telephone to inform the gunners. We may not get through here but we will go down fighting.

BOOOOoooooommm

I look towards where the sound came from to see one of the torpedo boats has exploded and all that is left is a burning wreck. We and three torpedo boats left. However, another salvo has almost a hundred per cent accuracy on another torpedo boat immediately making it list heavily and eventually capsize.
“We will have to pass them broadside”
“But ma’am it is almost guaranteed we will be sunk if we do that.”

“ I have a plan, fire torpedoes and then pass them. When we are broadside on, open fire.”

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Everyone hesitantly agrees. A few minutes later both torpedoes are in the water and we are about to pass them broadside. Flying outside I face the enemy ship and wait. After the last torpedo boat goes down, we are the next target. Twelve shells fly towards us but first I create a magic barrier that covers the length of the ship. All of the shells impact it with the last shattering it.

“RETURN FIRE”

Shortly after three six-inch guns are revealed down the side of the ship and open fire with all shots missing. The cruiser fires again and I create another barrier. When my barrier is up our guns can still fire but they can't hit us.

This exchange of fire is repeated for an unknown amount of time before we hit them adding to the damage our escorts did, causing them to slow down. As they slow down, they lose the ability to chase us. We keep firing while escaping hitting them a few more times. So far, I have been able to block all shells fired at us.

BOOOOoooommm

Was that the torpedo, hitting? I didn’t expect it to actually hit. The cruiser has stopped and is listing. I fly down and sit on top of the bridge. Hopefully, it won’t be able to shoot back now. I lay here for a few minutes resting. Magic is something that is slowly being lost mostly due to the development of guns and technology. My family is one of the few that still practice magic being a fairy also helps. My ability to use magic might have been why I was chosen for this mission even though I am not the best at it.
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10 hours until the blockade passed

We have continued towards our destination on our own and nothing of interest has happened since the cruiser. I will go and rest for now and leave my second in command in charge.

-----
5 hours until the blockade passed.

Returning to the bridge I find my second in command and a few of the other officers crowded in one corner looking out the window. Flying over I land on the second in command's shoulder and look where they are. I magically enhance my eyes and see what I think is a heavy cruiser. We will have to avoid it the best we can. I give the order to turn away while still heading for our destination.

Half an hour passes, and it doesn’t seem to notice us.

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2 hours until the blockade passed

We have nearly made it. If we make it the rest of the way we will be the second ship to have broken through the blockade. Once we are through it should be safe uncontrolled waters until we reach port.

“ENEMY SHIP SPOTTED”

Flying over I look out to see a patrol boat sailing parallel to us. It seems to be just watching and probably reporting back on us. Do we open fire on it or try and pretend to be a standard merchant ship? I think I will wait for now.

-----
1.5 hours until the blockade passed.

I keep watch of the patrol boat trying to not cause hostilities with it until it opens fire at us with machine guns and autocannons. I immediately order to return fire. The bullets splash into the water around the ship while some rip into the unarmoured hull of the ship causing flooding. Our six inches keep missing but the autocannons seem to have gotten a few hits causing it to slow.

BANG

“WHAT WAS THAT?”

“Report from engine room the engine has been hit our speed will be limited.”

“Keep us at the highest speed possible.”

“Yes ma’am”

Looking back out to the patrol boat I find that it has fallen far back and is no longer a threat.

“I want a damage report”

“Yes ma’am”

A few minutes later the officer came back with a full damage report. The engine has been hit multiple times causing us to have to sail at half speed increasing our journey time. There is minor flooding the crew are trying to fill in the holes but there are too many and the flooding will likely continue for the rest of the journey. If it floods too much it could damage the ship and the cargo.

I was never told what the cargo is but I was told that it is of the highest priority and that it must get through no matter the cost. Apparently, it will land the land battle for the rest of the war. I just hope it wasn’t damaged and we can get through this.

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0.5 hours until blockade passed

We are now practically out of the blockade we can do this. We have slowed some more due to flooding and engine damage but we are still steaming ahead at three knots. We are nearly there.

-----
0 hours until the blockade passed

“GENTLEMAN WE HAVE MADE IT WE ARE THE SECOND BLOCKADE RUNNERSTO SUCCESSFULLY MAKE IT.”

The bridge resounds with the cheers and laughter of the crew. Now we just need to go through the last part of the journey in relative safety.

-----
Friendly port

Over the horizon, land comes into view along with our destination port. We made it. We made it. I didn’t think we would survive this or at the very least we would be captured. I have never been happier to see land.

Finally, I can properly rest.