Vesperum Maris: Aurora's Last Stand

When the enemy fleet breaks through the northern sea lanes and the civilian Brunswick Platform is marked for destruction, the order goes out for Falsur’s navy to withdraw and regroup. One ship refuses. The aging pre-dreadnought BB-04 Aurora, already considered obsolete by modern standards, turns back toward the burning horizon instead of safety. Her mission is impossible: hold the line alone against an overwhelming enemy long enough for millions of civilians to escape. Steel screams. Boilers roar. Casemate guns thunder through smoke and fire as Aurora becomes the shield between Brunswick and annihilation. Every minute she survives is another transport that slips free.Another family saved.Another chance for the platform to live. But old warships are made of more than iron. They are made of the sailors who refuse to abandon their people. As the sea turns to flame and the enemy closes from every horizon, Aurora’s crew must decide what it truly means to stand fast when retreat is the only sane choice. Some ships are remembered for their victories. Aurora became a legend for how she chose to die. This is a 4-chapter short story being written for the writathon