The tension at sea breaks into physical confrontation. Julian must make a difficult choice between the safety of his loved ones or the integrity of their mission in front of Friedrich's cannons.
The siren of the KNM De Ruyter sliced through the damp morning air. The Dutch warship moved to intercept the HMS Spitfire, forcing it to slow down in gray, disputed waters. Through his binoculars, Julian could see a man in a dark blue uniform with rows of medals on his chest standing on the enemy ship's bridge. It wasn't Friedrich, but Commander Van Pelt, Friedrich's most loyal and ruthless right-hand man.
"British ship! Hand over the political fugitive Julian Van de Berg and the native traitors with him, or we will consider this an act of aggression against the sovereignty of the Kingdom of the Netherlands!" Van Pelt shouted through a megaphone.
Admiral Sterling looked at Julian with an expression that was hard to read. "I cannot let this ship be fired upon, Julian. That would trigger a diplomatic crisis I cannot justify before Parliament."
"Don't surrender, Admiral," Kartika whispered, her eyes fixed on the De Ruyter's cannons, which were beginning to rotate toward them. "If they capture us at sea, we will vanish without a trace. The world will never know the truth about Friedrich."
Julian took a deep breath. He looked at Ibu Siti and Anne Marie standing behind him. "Admiral, give us ten minutes. There is a small lifeboat at the back of this ship. We will disembark and let the Spitfire go. Friedrich wants us, not you."
"That's suicide!" Anne Marie cried, gripping her brother's arm tightly.
"No, it's the final diversion," Julian replied. He looked at Kartika, as if they were speaking without words. "Under this mist, our lifeboat will be hard to see. If we can reach the Kendal coast, Adrian is already waiting there."
Just as the lifeboat was lowered in silence, a warning shot from the De Ruyter hit the water only meters away from the Spitfire's hull. Julian, Kartika, Siti, and Anne Marie jumped into the small boat, while Elena took the helm to guide them through the thick sea mist.
In the distance, on the shores of Java, Adrian saw the flash of cannon fire on the horizon. He knew the time had come. "Light the torches!" Adrian commanded. "Let them know the way home!"