The sea breeze moved quietly across the destroyer's deck while recovery crews continued cutting apart sections of the dead Kraken in the distance.
The operation was nearly finished.
Several tow barges now carried detached tentacles secured beneath reinforced chains while sealed biohazard containers containing tissue samples, armored growths, and parasite-like pods were already being transferred into storage compartments aboard the cruiser.
The atmosphere across the task group had relaxed slightly.
Not completely.
But enough that sailors finally started speaking normally again after hours of nonstop tension and combat.
Some crewmen stood along the rails staring at the floating corpse.
Others smoked quietly near the stern sections while damage control teams repaired twisted railings and deck impacts left by the Kraken's attacks.
The ocean itself had calmed.
For now.
