Battle Beneath Steelhead Bay: In Its Clutches

We had very nearly witnessed the death of an angel. This substance left behind from the destruction of Ya Yimawa dissolves ectoplasm, and it nearly consumed Xavael. The angel was able to retreat within its mortal host before the destruction was irreversible. However, Velvel Danielovich, a mildmannered merchant of Steelhead Shanghai, who left a long record of criminal enterprize and revolutionary activity back in Imperial Russia (so we hope) was very much out of his element at the bottom of Steelhead Bay.

My son Koen grabbed a spare respirator as he used his Void Alchemy to leap through the very solid hull of the Bloodwing's Revenge as if it were an illusion. One of our floodlights kept trained on the man, treading water in his work clothes as Koen swam to his aid. Koen helped him affix the rebreather to his face and began to pull him towards the ship. Koen was safe in his diving suit, but Velvel would quickly succumb to shock and frostbite in the icy depths if he wasn't brought on board soon.

I said to Nova and Six at the helm. "We need to contain this...ambergris. It's toxic enough to be a terrifying weapon in the wrong hands. Qlippothic's life force is embedded in the soul chip, we may still have a chance..."

I was interrupted by a steady pulse of vibration that could be felt throughout the ship.

"That's not coming from us..." Six said as she peered at the engine dials. "That's something outside. Something big."

"Another vessel?" I asked. "Could Lunar have lifted the ship ban for Operation Mongoose already?"

Koen held Velvel, who had slipped into unconsciousness. Koen was pointing to his ear. He must be in pain from the pressurization, I thought. But then Koen pressed the transmitter on his diving helmet.

"Doc, the water temperature just shot up ten degrees! There's something down here using a REDICULOUS amout of energy!"

We saw a column of glowing lights slide into view behind the two. It was far enough away that our lights couldn't make out the outline. It had to be a hundred yards long at least! The mysterious lights vanished, but we could still the pulsing.

"Koen! Get the hell out of there!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" He activated the heavy water propulsion unit on his diving suit. The challenge was going to be catching him as he phased through without damaging the equipment. I got back to folding up the surgical theatre with renewed haste.

Nova called back to me from the helm. "Get to the aft of the ship and stay away from starboard!"

I dropped my equipment and ran to the back of the ship. The Bloodwing's Revenge shook violently, slamming me against the shelves. I looked out the porthole to see our ship was entangled by something metallic, rusted and barnacle-ridden. A crack in the plating as a tentacle entwined tighter revealed glimpse of pale organic fibers beneath. Was this a ship or a monster? Or something even more hideous?

"DOC! HELP!"

I turned to stare in horror. I hear Koen's muffled scream through his helmet, which was embedded halfway through the ship's hull!

From the port side, a huge eye pressed against the window. Its black iris contracted as it stared at me. Around it I saw the beast's exoskeleton of shipwrecked plates. My heart froze when I saw the faded emblem of the Mason line over the almost indecipherable markings:

I L L U M I N A U T I L U S