Dawn broke on the horizon, sweeping the waves of the Indian Ocean with shades of gold and purple. Julian stood at the ship's bow, letting the salty sea breeze hit his face. Beside him, Adrian stood tall, his eyes fixed firmly toward the east. For the first time, there was no more suspicion between them—only the realization that they were two sides of the same coin.
"Our father may have made a mistake by letting us be separated," Julian muttered, his voice raspy yet stable. "But he gave us something Friedrich doesn't have: a reason to fight for this land, not just to rule it."
Adrian nodded slowly. "This land doesn't need a new ruler, Julian. It needs justice. If we return to Batavia, it is not to occupy the governor's chair, but to dismantle the roots of its rot."
Inside the cabin, Kartika and Elena were busy dividing tasks. Kartika would use her network of informants among the palace servants to leak Friedrich's secret documents, while Elena would coordinate smuggler ships to blockade the General's private logistics supplies in small ports.
Raden Ajeng Sekartaji sat with Anne Marie, teaching the girl how to read old palace ciphers that could be used to communicate without being detected by Dutch intelligence. Anne Marie learned diligently, realizing that her European-noble looks were the perfect disguise to move among Batavia's elite later on.
"We will split up once we reach the strait," Elena explained, her finger pointing to coordinates on the map. "Julian and Kartika will head to Singapore to seek the Admiral's support. Adrian, you and Anne Marie will land on the Central Java coast to rally the common people. Ibu Siti will remain with me on this ship as our communication hub."
Julian looked at his comrades one by one. A spy, a pirate, an exiled princess, a porter leader, and a brave girl. They were the most impossible alliance in colonial history.
"We will not return as the old Van de Bergs," Julian declared. "We will return as the storm that will sweep away Friedrich's tyranny."
The Azure Phoenix cut through the waves at full speed, leaving a trail of white foam in the deep blue sea. In the distance, the shadows of land began to appear, promising a battle far greater than anything they had ever imagined before.