Helsinki Markov didn’t know this ship…
He’d studied it of course. The limited information and blueprints that Commonwealth agents had managed to smuggle out of Covenant territory (at great cost in both resources and lives) had been pored over and studied extensively, for this was an opportunity that had to be taken. It was an operation that could not afford to fail. Success in securing the Prometheus and its prototype generator could alter the balance of power in the developed world. Still, however familiar he was with the ship’s systems and layout, he didn’t know it, didn’t understand it in that way that could only come with time. With luck, he wouldn’t be on board long enough for it to matter.
He didn’t have to know this ship, he only had to deliver it.
He didn’t know its crew either. Of course, the Prometheus's original crew were all dead. Their bodies were being dumped overboard now, a safe distance away from the Kulusuk base where she had been birthed. The eleven men that comprised his team were known only by the codenames he had assigned them. No attachments, no personal details to be extracted in case of capture, though they all had their cyanide pills regardless.
The mission to steal the Prometheus had been one of his most involved yet. For six months he had been deep undercover, watching the prototype vessel as she was put through her trials. He’d collected and transmitted information, holed up in a small space in the attic of an abandoned warehouse a short distance from the base. Planning for the mission was entirely down to him, it was Markov that had identified the best time to strike, the most opportune moment to steal the Prometheus. He had made detailed notes on the guard patrols and carefully identified when and where the security would be at its most lax. Nothing had been left to chance, every decision he had made was designed to provide the most optimal odds for the mission's success.
The men came in small groups lest they be noticed. In twos and threes, they came to the warehouse to be given their tasks and codenames. Markov had each of them memorise the details, no written instructions were supplied, he didn't want to take the chance of anything physical being discovered. Not when he had gone to such lengths to keep the operation clandestine.
The operation had gone exactly as he had hoped, Perfectly planned and executed, They had infiltrated the dock and snuck onto the Prometheus, silently killing the minimal crew onboard with dulled knives and silenced shots. The crew had been left where they fell lest they be discovered. No chances. ‘’Comrade Korichnevyy’ had opened the heavy gates and stayed behind to detonate the explosives that would block the entrance and render pursuit impossible. A noble sacrifice for the Motherland, each of the team had uttered a heartfelt prayer for his soul when the distant explosions had been heard behind them. Of course, there was always the chance he had survived and might make his way back to The Commonwealth, but it was astronomically unlikely.
Now the Prometheus headed due East at maximum speed. They were headed for Murmansk, a safe port where they could refuel and lay low before breaking cover and proceeding to their final destination in Karatayka, deep in Commonwealth territory and safety. South would take them into the lands of Albion and the Crown, a dangerous route, even the Baltics would not be safe. No, north of Iceland and Scandinavia it was to be, a headlong flight into sanctuary through the Norwegian Sea. Markov had no doubt that the Covenant would be sending ships in pursuit, Kulusuk was far from the only operational naval base and besides, there would be ships on patrol nearby. They were unlikely to escape entirely unscathed, conflict was inevitable.
Markov had obviously been in naval engagements before, he had served on many ships when he was younger. However, his special skills had been identified by the Okhrana and he had swiftly been co-opted into their ranks. From then on he had been on only the most covert of missions, committing deeds that he would never be able to retell, yet would never forget. It had hardened him and he would return from operations taciturn, saying little. He had learned to remain silent, expressing himself only when required. Dedicated entirely to the mission at hand.
The call came from above. It was ‘Comrade Siniy’. He had spotted smoke on the horizon to port. About 8km distant, likely multiple vessels. Certainly not friendly. They needed more speed. ‘Comrade Belyy’ was in the engine room and Markov sent the call down, making sure that the import of additional speed was made clear. They were being hunted and their only chance was to outrun their pursuers. They would not survive an engagement against multiple vessels.
The Prometheus was not entirely defenceless if it came to battle. Armed with three particle beamers and experimental generators she would certainly put up a fight. It was these generators that were the real prize. Technology that would give the Commonwealth an edge. The Covenant of the Enlightened would want it back. Reprisal was inevitable. Even now, a relief flotilla of Commonwealth vessels raced from the east, to meet the Prometheus and escort her into safer waters. They were likely much more than 8km away though.
The dial on the bridge crept up as the Prometheus accelerated. They would need every single knot in order to outrun the hunting vessels. They had to escape Covenant territory at least. There was a slim chance that they could hide amongst the bergs to the north of Iceland if it came to it but headlong flight was still their best option. Thankfully the Prometheus' advanced generator gave off no telltale smoke, so there was nothing to betray her position. The hunters would have to get a lot closer in order to spy the stolen vessel. Markov didn’t like chance, the uncertainty of odds, he preferred to eliminate them through careful planning. But he had done all he could to tip the percentages in his favour, it was simply a matter of who found them first, the hunters or the Commonwealth. In the end, despite everything he had done, all the preparations he had made, it was going to come down to chance.