A vast shadow swept across the sea. In the southern bay of Lebennin, a massive fleet of ships was sailing past.
Their hulls were pitch-black, their sails enormous, painted with either crimson eye insignias or star-shaped emblems, marks of the Haradrim and the rebels who had broken away from Gondor a thousand years ago.
The overwhelming sight of the fleet terrified the local fishermen. They fled in panic, abandoning their shabby homes and not stopping to remain by the coast.
The enormous black ships did not pause for such scattered, impoverished fishermen. Their goal was singular, Pelargir, the great royal shipyard of ancient Gondor and a crucial transport hub of the realm.
---
"Did we make it in time?"
On the green fields of Lebennin, Gimli strained his eyes to look into the distance.
It had been four days since they had emerged from the Paths of the Dead. With Aragorn's company were the Grey Company who had followed behind them.
"Not in time, but not too late either."
Aragorn strode up a nearby hill and looked far ahead.
"How bad is it?" Boromir shouted from below.
He saw Aragorn muttering something under his breath, distracted.
"Forty-eight... forty-nine... fifty..."
"What are you doing, counting sheep?" Gimli asked.
"No. Counting pirates."
"How many of them? Fifty men?"
Aragorn shook his head. "Fifty ships, fifty great warships. Countless smaller ones besides, too many to number."
"Pelargir's garrison won't hold much longer."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Gimli took a deep breath and gripped his axe.
He roared, "Our turn has come!"
Aragorn looked toward the distant smoke, the flames, the shattered walls, and the nearly lost coastline. He could not agree more.
Raising his holy sword high, he said, "Not a moment to waste. We..."
"What's that?"
Just as they were about to move, Legolas suddenly stopped and looked south.
A ship, an enormous flagship of staggering size, was sailing upriver with the wind. From it shone a beam of pure white light into the sky, proclaiming its extraordinariness.
Aragorn recognized the vessel.
"That banner, that emblem. It's the flagship of the City of Waters."
Without bothering to rally his men, he rushed down the hillside toward the riverbank. The others hesitated only a moment before following. The colossal vessel cleaved through the river. On its foremost deck stood a black-clad figure, holding a great sword, hair streaming in the wind, utterly unafraid as he faced the wall of black ships blocking the harbor ahead. Drawn perhaps by the brilliant column of light, flocks of seabirds circled the mighty ship, crying out as they wheeled through the air.
The crisp cries mixed with the sound of waves against the hull, forming a natural melody.
Then the sunlight suddenly grew dazzling. It followed the great ship, piercing the clouds above and cutting through the thick smoke and fire of the harbor. The Umbar pirates, who were landing at the weakened section of the defenses, looked up at the strange radiance. And then they saw something terrifying.
Boom!
With a loud crash, the proud ships of the pirates shattered along the riverbank, their escape route instantly cut off. But it wasn't over. The massive ship that loomed so high its top was unseen continued to advance, grinding through the black fleet and crushing everything in its path.
The black sails marked with crimson eyes sank one after another. Splintered planks flew through the air, soon covering the river's surface.
"Yeah, charge, charge!"
Beside Garrett, feeling the violent tremors beneath their feet and watching ship after black ship shatter ahead, Pippin drew his short sword in excitement and shouted at the top of his lungs. The momentum didn't stop until Garrett's flagship collided head-on with the enemy's flagship. The roaring from the prow ceased.
Though both were called flagships, it was clear Garrett's vessel dwarfed the enemy's. Behind it, the river was filled with wreckage and drowning pirates, and the regular ships of the City of Waters arriving late to the fight.
Any harder and the hull would've given out, he thought, then raised his greatsword and shouted, "Board them!"
He roared and leapt onto the enemy flagship, Pippin following first among the troops charging close behind, weapons raised.
"Forward!"
Pippin yelled as he landed, darting ahead with his sword. His short arms gave him little reach, but the power of Garrett's charge and the ferocity of the City of Waters soldiers behind him more than made up for it. The pirates were overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught. Before they could regroup, they were cut down or thrown into the river.
Meanwhile, Pelargir's garrison finally rallied, sounding their horns and launching a counterattack. The tide of battle turned in an instant.
"Amazing," Boromir murmured from the shore, staring at the scene in awe, wishing he had been there to join the boarding assault.
"By Durin, how did he do that?" Gimli's jaw hung open.
Aragorn paused before replying, "Everything Garrett builds is like that, strong, yet fragile."
"What does that even mean? Sounds contradictory to me," Gimli said.
"No contradiction at all. Not when it comes to him." Aragorn shrugged and looked to Halbarad.
Halbarad was silent for a moment, then said, "Spend enough time with Garrett and you'll understand. Some things that seem flawless and sturdy fall apart the moment he pushes them too far. But until that moment, they're unbreakable. That ship may be the same."
Gimli finally shut his mouth. "Then let's hope it doesn't fall apart. Cleaning that mess would be a nightmare."
Legolas shook his head. "I doubt that matters. It's already smashed enough things to give anyone headaches."
Gimli grunted and said no more.
Boromir drew his sword. "Enough talk. Let's join them!"
"Aha!" Gimli raised his axe. He was always the first to answer the call.
Thus, a small but valiant band stormed into the harbor. They boarded a black ship, defeated its crew despite being outnumbered, then seized the vessel and steered it toward the heart of the battle.
Unstoppable.