Chapter 30 - Inside the Rusted Hull
The boarding team's encrypted audio feed crackled through the bridge speakers as Lieutenant Commander Vance—Ryan’s younger cousin serving in our tactical unit—led his squad into the darkened belly of the abandoned cargo ship.
"Admiral Hayes, this is Team One," Ryan's cousin reported, his breathing heavy through the mic. "We’ve breached the primary cargo hold. You’re not going to believe what’s down here."
"Report, Lieutenant," I instructed sharply, gripping the edge of the console.
"It’s not a standard smuggling run, ma'am," the officer replied, the sound of sloshing water echoing in the background. "They’ve been carrying unauthorized deep-sea salvage equipment and restricted communication relays. It looks like an illegal intelligence-gathering operation designed to tap undersea fiber-optic cables."
I stared at the blinking tactical indicators on our master display. The implications were severe—a major security breach targeting international data lines.
"Secure all data logs, confiscate the hardware relays, and prepare the vessel for towing back to a secure naval berth," I commanded without missing a beat. "Do not let any of those comms modules wipe their memory banks."
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"Copy that, Admiral. Securing the hold now."
Within three hours, the illegal operation was neutralized, the rogue vessel secured under naval escort, and the threat to international data security successfully averted. Another crisis handled in silence, far away from public view, exactly how true defense operated.
