Lili, who was in the bow pulpit with binoculars when the Mainland finally came into sight, rang the bell. "Land in sight, land in sight," she cried excitedly.
The team who had been sleeping came out of the hold. They couldn't really see anything with the naked eye, but they took Lili's word for it, and they all hugged each other in relief. They really couldn't get off the water fast enough after the last few days.
The currents picked up as they navigated their way towards Phillip Island.
"Shark fins starboard side," called Lili. "At least five of them."
"Are they tubiàn?" asked Delphi.
"Can't tell yet. They're too far out… Looks like it yes. They're too organised to be natural. They're swimming in formation. Coming in fast!"
"Geez Louise we can't take a trick," muttered Delphi. "And so close to land. Weapons Loveday! Get the oars too."
Everyone took up positions arrayed around the boat as they had defending against the killer whales.
"Incoming," called Lili. "Starboard, ten metres!"
One of the sharks swam up against the hull and opened its jaws, displaying a huge mouth filled with wicked looking teeth.
"There's a killing machine if ever I saw one," said Delphi. "Stay out of the water at all costs."
They weren't as huge as the tubiàn killer whales, so they weren't going to be able to put their heads up on the deck. The five sharks circled the boat, bumping it gently with their noses like they were testing it for something.
"Keep your powder dry girls," called Delphi. "Let's see their plan before we attack."
One of the sharks bit onto the hull at the prow.
Lili called out, "a shark's biting the hull, starboard prow."
"Use your oar, Lili. If that doesn't work, try your sword or an arrow," called Delphi.
"Shark's biting the hull at the stern," called Arrie from the back of the boat.
"Yep, another one's bitten onto the port side hull," said Feifei matter-of-factly.
All five sharks had now bitten into the hull, and they started to pull downwards, using the not inconsiderable strength of their muscular bodies and tails.
"They're trying to pull us under!" shouted Delphi. "Get rid of the bastards!"
The oars were quickly discarded as useless. Arrows bounced off their tough skin. Only the swords were having any impact, but although they drew blood, the tubiàn didn't seem to be letting go. The gunwale was about a foot above water now.
Ruby screamed as she hacked at a shark's nose over and over again.
A strange staccato chattering sound rang out across the water, and the sharks stilled and stopped pulling.
"What was that?" asked Indy. "Anyone? Lili?"
Lili stopped stabbing the shark at the bow for a moment and stared through the binoculars.
"Tubiàn dolphins. Big pod. Incoming. Fast."
They all looked out to sea. You could already see the pod of massive dolphins with long noses bounding in and out of the water as they swam towards them.
"Does anyone remember what they were originally bred for?" asked Delphi.
"Cargo?" recalled Feifei. "And defence."
"Get ready!" shouted Delphi.
The dolphins' chatter got louder.
"25 metres out. Starboard. Coming in like battering rams. Hold tight!" called Lili.
They all grabbed for something solid to hold onto. The dolphins swam straight into the sharks with their battering ram noses. The sharks silently let go of the hull and the boat bobbed back up out of the water. The sharks disappeared silently under the water. They emerged thirty metres off the boat, with the dolphins chasing behind them.
"Yeay!" cried Ruby, air punching. "Thank you dolphies!"
"Let's not relax until we see what they intend to do with us," said Delphi, who was naturally suspicious.
"They're defending us Delph," said Ruby with certainty.
The dolphins were satisfied with their work on the sharks, and they circled back around now, returning towards the sailboat, leaping in and out of the water, chattering among themselves.
The girls got ready to defend themselves again, but the huge dolphins pulled up right alongside the hull and raised their friendly heads, chattering loudly at the girls.
"Thank you, boys," said Ruby softly. She reached out to stroke one.
"Ruby, be careful," said Indy. "Don't be reckless."
"I can read animals jiejie. They're friendly."
Sure enough, the animal chattered excitedly at Ruby when she stroked him, flipping his head up and down and gently butting her hand. The rest of the girls reached cautiously out and petted the enormous creatures, talking to them in baby talk, while the dolphins talked back. The creature that Ruby was communing with suddenly zipped away from the boat and raced back towards it at pace, leaping right over the stern.
"Woah," cried Ruby. "Amazing boy! I'll name you Skyrocket."
Indy laughed. "You can't help yourself can you meimei. Always falling in love with animals. How do you know it's a boy?"
"His penis was hanging out when he jumped over me."
"Looks like he loves her back," laughed Lili.
"Feifei, take us into Phillip Island before anything else happens," said Delphi.
"Aye, aye, Captain," Feifei saluted. "I really wanted to say that at least once before we hit the Mainland."
"I really hope you won't get any chances to say it again. Ever. Period."
The dolphins chaperoned them all the way into land.
As soon as they were within reach of the shore, Ruby stripped off her clothes and dived into the surf, swimming naked alongside Skyrocket, who frolicked and played, gently nudging her and letting her hold onto his fins, taking her for rides in the waves. She laughed with joy.
Indy stripped off and followed her in, partly to protect her little sister, who was entirely too trusting. Delphi dropped the anchor, and everyone else followed suit.
The girls were used to bathing together after training so there was no false modesty among them. This chance to be safe outdoors and enjoy the ocean in peace, swimming with the dolphins, was just too good to pass up.
They started washing up onto the beach, one by one. Ruby bid her dolphins a sad farewell. They chattered happily at her before swimming off around the tip of the island.
The gang flopped onto the sandy beach of the Mainland on their backs, staring happily up into the high blue sky.
"We've made it, Guerilla Girls," Delphi said happily. "We've made it! We're free. Whatever happens from here on out, it will be on our terms."
"This is where it all begins Delph," said Feifei. "This is where we make our stand."
"Right Feif. From here we start the battle. This is where we become freedom fighters. This is where the Guerilla Girls' campaign begins…"
Unbeknownst to the young women, Commander Li had spotted their sail with his powerful telescope.