retired_confal2

Entertaining start. Good luck with this :thup:

retired_hern1001

In the meantime, the construction of the new island had been completed and the submarine had secretly docked at it’s new home. Mozorov was kept under strict guard by Maximillian’s henchmen. He was forced to train many of the evil organisation’s workers into fully trained submarine sailors. Of course, he couldn’t do this alone, so Max had ordered the abduction of a few Indonesian sailors who were forced to help Mozorov. Naturally, the disappearance of the submarine was great cause of concern to the Russians and also the Americans. While the Russians were afraid that Chechen rebels might have captured it for use against the Black Sea oil installations, the Americans were genuinely concerned that a group of Al-Qaida terrorists had captured it and that they would use it to strike against the US navy. Both countries had spies actively searching for the submarine in and around Indonesia, but none of the spies could find any trace of the submarine. It seemed like it had vanished into thin air.

retired_hern1001

Max realised that it would be wise to lay low for a while, until the heat had died off some and his submarine crew was fully trained for it’s first mission. He had sent Jubei and Red Ivan out to find a suitable target for that very mission…

But while Max was staying out of the public eye, his team did pretty much the opposite. They were keeping up their good run of form, with wins over Semen Padang and Arema and then draws against Pupuk Kaltim and Barito Putra, before 2nd placed PSM finally stopped their charge up the league table. That loss really unsettled the team and they went down in the next game as well, 2-0 at home against Petrokimia Putra. But nevertheless, halfway through the league, PSIS were still doing above everyone’s expectations with an 8th place in the league. And that wasn’t the end of it, because PSIS also announced two new signings, who would join at the end of the season on a free transfer. Both were strikers, Donny Kalebos (21 year old striker from Persita) and Nixon Nuboba (Age 24, from Persipura) and they’d hopefully add to the amount of goals scored next season as that is a department where PSIS are seriously lacking…

retired_hern1001

With another “Bore you opponents to death and then score”-win against Persija, PSIS took three more important points. In the game after that, against Perseden, Venegaz took just 11 seconds to open the scoring, but the home side was not going to let PSIS win so easily. They struck back on 25 minutes, after our goalkeeper failed to keep hold of a loose ball. Both sides had plenty of chances in the second half, but most of them were wasted. It wasn’t until the 77th minute that a goal was scored and when it came, it came at the wrong end. Perseden made good use of a gap in the PSIS defence and took the lead. They never gave it away again either, handing PSIS their 6th loss of the season.

retired_hern1001

While his team was performing reasonably well, Max had been supervising the final days of training for his submarine crew. He had decided to offer Mozorov a job as captain of the submarine as a reward for his excellent work. Of course, needless to say, accepted it, knowing that Maximillian would probably kill him if he didn’t. But then again, that was probably the case for anyone working for E.I.T.O.S. And so, Mozorov was now a full member of the evil organisation, although Max carefully monitored his actions. On the 21st of May, 2004, Mozorov declared that his submarine was fully operational and would be ready to carry out any mission Max would order.

That was indeed good news for Max as two hours earlier, Jubei and Red Ivan had returned from their scouting missions across the globe. They had found several decent targets, but one really stood out. In a week’s time, a massive freighter would leave from the Indian port of Bombay with a shipment of tea. But this wasn’t just any tea for any ordinary man. This tea was specially grown for the officers and commanders of S.A.B.R.E. The ship carried enough tea to keep the secret service supplied for the next year. Sinking this ship would be a giant victory for E.I.T.O.S. and would seriously dent S.A.B.R.E.’s investigative abilities. After all, the English can’t go without their tea. The "Vepr" would be more than ready for this mission. In fact it was the perfect test for its abilities...

retired_hern1001

Sorry for the recent lack of updates, but i've been quite busy with Uni and work, so i haven't had much time to write. Don't worry though, i WILL continue this story

Two days later, Maximillian gave the order for the Vepr to leave the underground docks and head for India. Captain Mozorov skilfully manoeuvred the ship out of the island group and with Max, Red Ivan and Jubei looking on, he ordered a direct course for the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, the first checkpoint of the journey. Max had had just enough time to watch PSIS play against Deltras before he left. In an uneventful match, PSIS came out on top thanks to goals from Yakin and substitute Otto Weah. The final score however was 2-1 as Deltras managed to sneak in a late consolation goal. It wasn’t anything more than that though.

The submarine had left late in the evening, around 22:30, to avoid detection by curious tourists. They were scheduled to pass through the first checkpoint at the Sunda Strait at half past five in the morning. From there on, the journey would send them through the Indian Ocean past the Maldives all the way up to Socotra Island, off the coast of Yemen. There they would lie in wait for the S.A.B.R.E. freighter as it makes its way towards the Suez Canal. If everything worked out as planned, they would have to wait exactly twelve hours for the freighter after their arrival at the small island. But their plan was risky. If the freighter left earlier then planned, they would have to race up through the Red Sea to catch it. If the freighter left later, they’d be faced with a serious possibility of detection by an American Navy battlegroup which would be making it’s pass through the Gulf of Aden a day after the planned strike.

Max looked at the big chart spread out on the table in front of him. It showed their planned journey, the probable journey of the freighter and the Navy battlegroup. It also showed various timelines for the journeys of each ship. The Vepr was expected to arrive at Socotra five days and seventeen hours after departure from the underground docks. The freighter would arrive at the island about twelve hours later, three days and five hours after leaving port in Bombay. The first part of their journey would be the most dangerous and was therefor carried out under the cover of night. As the Vepr slowly glided through the waters of the Javasea, Max’ thoughts were set on their goal. Would they succeed? And if they did, who would S.A.B.R.E. send to investigate the matter? It would no doubt be their top agent, 005. His name was unknown to Max, but he was sure he’d find out sooner or later.

Seven hours after departure, Captain Mozorov gave the order to lower the speed to a mere five knots. They had covered the 284 miles between Semarang Karimunjawa and the Sunda Strait at fifteen knots, but navigating the strait would be a risky business. They would have to surface the ship, so that a lookout could navigate them through the straight, past Krakatau Island and into the Indian Ocean. Thankfully, the shipping lane was unusually quiet for the time of day and the submarine could cross it before the sun started to rise over Indonesia. As soon as they had past the now died out volcano of Krakatau, Mozorov ordered everyone below and told his diving officer to take the ship below again. Within five minutes, the ship had once again disappeared from view and it would not return on the surface for a while…

retired_hern1001

The next leg of the journey would take them all the way up to the Maldives. Well before they got there, the ship’s radio officer received two transmissions on the VLF antenna designed to pick up Ultra-low Frequency transmission. Both of them were directed to Max. The first was about PSIS latest league game, in which they had drawn 1-1 with Persikota. Max was mildly pleased with that and the second transmission had even better news. The S.A.B.R.E. freighter had left port on time and the scientists at the evil base and calculated that it would arrive at the Island exactly on schedule. Their goal was now within reach.

Three days and eighteen hours after departure, they crossed the Maldives at a slightly slower speed to avoid suspicious fishermen who were paying attention to their sonar. But once they were clear of the islands again, Mozorov ordered a speed of 25 knots once more. Almost two more days until they’d reach Socotra and the tensions were already rising on board of the ship. Everyone was in anticipation of their first combat experience. Of course, it wasn’t much of a fight, a high-tech killer weapon like a submarine against an unarmed freighter.

Max groaned. The beds in the submarine were quite uncomfortable and he almost couldn’t sleep in them. He had commandeered the captain’s hut, but it hardly seems any more comfortable then the other bunkbeds aboard the ship. He looked at the wallmounted clock. Five more hours. They’d reached Socotra Island on schedule and were now crawling along the sea floor at two knots, barely enough to maintain steerage. The latest VLF communication had stated that the S.A.B.R.E. freighter, named the Disco Volante was still on schedule as well and would arrive at the island on time. Max had planned to sleep some before the ship would get here, but these uncomfortable beds didn’t make that easy. Max sighed and closed his eyes once more. Sleep would come sooner or later he told himself…

retired_hern1001

Captain Ryan O’Keefe was standing on the bridge, enjoying the warm weather and salty sea-air. His ship was finally going back home, after waiting in India for weeks on that shipment of tea. O’Keefe didn’t even like tea. He preferred coffee to tea any time. But the government was paying him good money to get the tea back to England, so he couldn’t really complain, could he? Ryan asked himself. He just missed his family when he was away so long, but then again, he loved the freedom of being a captain of this big freighter. In fact, he loved the Disco Volante. He had named it after the yacht in the James Bond film, Thunderball. But like that ship didn’t make it to the end of the film, his Disco Volante wouldn’t make it to the end of it’s journey…

Below the surface of the Arabian Sea, the “Vepr” was speeding up to eight knots. Captain Mozorov had waited for the freighter to pass them and he was now sneaking up on them from behind, where the sonar performance of the freighter would be the worst.
”Captain, she’s dead ahead of us, about two thousand yards, speed fourteen knots” the officer manning the tracking computer called out.
”Very well” Mozorov said. He then turned to the chief of the boat. ”Mr. Ryzkov, take up to periscope depth”.
”Yes captain. Diving officer, make your depth 60 feet” the chief said. The submarine was still gaining speed while it made its way to the surface.
”Up Scope!” Mozorov said when they had reached periscope depth. He made a quick scan of the area, but saw nothing but the Disco Volante. ”Target positively identified, load tubes one and four” he said next. He turned to Max with the question in his eyes. Max just nodded.
”Tubes one and four are loaded, sir. Outer doors are closed.” the chief of the boat announced.
”Open outer doors, match bearing and range.” Mozorov paused briefly before continuing. ”And fire…”. The submarine reverberated as the two 533mm torpedo’s raced out of their torpedo bays…

”Captain!” O’Keefe heard the shout from behind the windows. He turned and looked at his sonarman, waving him over. O’Keefe grunted and walked back inside to join the operator.
”What is it now Jonesy? Another whale?” O’Keefe asked with a smile, until he noted that seaman Jones was looking very pale all of a sudden.
”No sir, I think someone just launched two torpedo’s at us” Jones said with a shaking voice. He turned a switch on his control board a high-pitch whistling tone filled the room. O’Keefe knew instantly his sonar operator was right. He yelled at the helmsman.
”Gary, take us hard right, and increase to flank speed” But as he looked at the sonar screen he knew it was too late. The torpedoes were fired at a very close range and there was no way he could outrun or outmanoeuvre them.
”Torpedoes are closing fast captain, we have no chance” Jones said.
”Sound collision and get everyone to the lifeboats, we’ll be going down.” O’Keefe said without a hint of emotion in his voice. But in the inside, he was crying. Then the impact of the torpedoes sent him flying across the bridge, slamming him headfirst against a metal support beam. Death was instantaneous.

The torpedoes hit within eight feet of each other, tearing a gaping hole in the stern of the ship, just above it’s propellers. Seawater started to flow in instantly and within the first few minutes, the engine room and the lower decks were already flooded. Only half of the twenty-man crew managed to get away to the lifeboat. The others either died on impact or drowned aboard the ship. The ship sunk quickly and in twenty minutes, it had fully submerged. Tealeaves were quickly cluttering on the surface and in an hour, most of the cargo had floated out of the ship and into the sea…

retired_hern1001

Aboard the submarine, Max laughed maniacally. They had just verified the massive hole in the rear of the freighter through the periscope and were now racing away from the sinking ship. Mozorov had ordered the sub to go back exactly the way it came and with a speed of ten knots, the “Vepr” slowly made its way back towards Indonesia. On their journey home, Max was informed of another PSIS victory, this time over Pelita. The single goal in the game came from Khusnul Yakin.

The sinking of the Disco Volante had generated much concern over the world. Who would do such a thing was the question that everyone asked, but no one knew the answer to. Max decided that he and his evil organisation would do best not to attract any attention to themselves and so he focussed on managing PSIS and his evil base, but committed no heinous acts of infamy. He was sure however, that S.A.B.R.E. would investigate the sinking of the tea-freighter and he had no doubt, that eventually, that would lead to his evil base…

retired_hern1001

Somewhere in the UK

”Oh John…” the girl moaned as he kissed her. Just as he was about to venture further south, the annoying beep of his watch made him stop.
”Can’t you just leave it?” the girl asked, but the man had already rolled off her and reached for the watch. The watch had a simple and short message on its display. ”Trouble in India, report to M ASAP - Moneypenny”.
”Oh, that’s just grand…” the man said to himself. ”I have to go now” he said to the girl.
”Can’t you just stay a little longer?” she asked hopefully. He looked down on her beautiful body and her sparkling eyes. ”Well, I suppose another twenty minutes couldn’t hurt…” he said as he got back into the bed.

Two hours later, John Steele walked through the door at Universal Exports. He threw his hat onto the coat stand and hung his coat next to it. Behind his back, he held a single red rose, hidden from the view of the secretary sitting at the great oak desk.
”Hello Moneypenny” Steele said with a cheerful voice. He then handed her the rose.
”Oh John, you shouldn’t have…” she said. ”You’d better go right in though, he looked very upset with something” she went on, nodding her head at the impressive door on the far side of the room. Steele did as he was told and headed through the door. He noted at once that M, his boss, wasn’t seated at his desk as usual. Instead, he was pacing up and down in front of it.
”Ah 006, you’re here at last.” M said with a grim face. He walked back over to his desk and sat behind it.
”Please, sit down. We have a big problem. We’re out of tea” M said with a sour face.
”Well then, shouldn’t we send someone over to the shop to get us some more?” Steele asked with a smile.
”Now is not the time to be funny, 006!” M yelled. ”The freighter carrying our years supply of tea from Bombay to here was sunk yesterday, possibly by a submarine. It will be your mission to find out who did it and to bring them to justice. A plane will be taking you to Yemen in four hours. A man from the embassy will meet you there. Now get going!” M finished, before almost throwing Steele out of his office.
”Remind me to bring him his cup of tea next time I go in there” Steele said to Moneypenny.
”He’s been going on like that all day” Moneypenny replied before handing him over his ticket for the plane…

With airlines, you never know and it took Steele quite a while to reach Aden, Yemen. Actually, by the time he got there, PSIS had played two further games. In the first, they were completely outplayed by Persib, but a late second-half strike from Venegaz gave the visitors all three points, against the run of play. In the next game, PSDS were soundly beaten 2-1, although the margin could well have been bigger. Purdjianto and Otto Weah scored the goal and the latter also clinched his second consecutive Man of the Match award. But with all the other teams around PSIS also winning, Max’ team remained stuck in their sixth place.