[b]Zeppelin #27 — Control Cabin[/b] [i]co-written by @InfamousGyy101, @Dyelli Beybi and @PrinceAlexus, @Expendable [/i] [hr] Carter rubbed the bridge of his nose as Arkadios and Zoe offered their assessments. He didn’t like how casually she threw “neutral countries” around like they were guaranteed sanctuary, but she had a point. The Morktree was off most militaries reach and If Hamerlin’s needle-threading worked, they’d be ghosting their way toward it unseen “Well,” Carter muttered, “since we’ve got dogs on our heels and everyone’s got a different map to heaven, maybe it’s time we start drawin’ one ourselves.” He turned toward Hamerlin’s map again, tapping along the valley route, “We run the canyon and river path like you mapped—get outta their range—and then veer west, toward Morktree.” He cast a glance toward Zoe. “Assumin’ your ‘neutral land’ don’t decide we’re the opening shot of someone else’s war.” Itzi, quiet for a beat, finally gave a slow nod. “It’s doable,” she said, though her voice held a taut uncertainty, “I’ve heard stories about the Morktree. Not all of them are friendly… but it’s the best direction that doesn’t take us right over more Imperial or Calarian airspace.” Carter exhaled and pushed off from the table. He stepped out of the cabin, into the adjacent deck where Christina was manning the master panel. “Christina!” he barked over the low thrum of the engines. “We’re goin’ dark and low—threadin’ through the valleys and makin’ a hard westward turn after. Aim’s to lose the bastards and loop toward the Morktree.” He gave her a grin that was more grit than charm. “Get ready to bleed speed... we’re gonna fly this crate like she’s got wings.” Returning to the helm, Carter gripped the rudder handles like he was shaking hands with an old, mean friend. “Alright, sweetheart,” he muttered to the ship, “don’t let me down now.” Beside him, Itzi adjusted trim and pressure valves, eyes still flicking uneasily toward the west. “Let’s just hope the Morktree isn’t hungry,” she murmured. The Diplomat in him wanted to honestly laugh at that concept. Everyone had a side, everyone had a price and they had a ton of gold and limited ability to defend it.. Neutral would mean precisely nothing to some people, they where to all intents criminals of they wnated it so. "Neutral, is shades of alliances in truth. Just veiled ones, we play our cards tight and we keep things close." He paused and looked out at the soldiers and the situation they where in. "It beats staying in a active war zone, and we have more captains in many forms than we have enlisted trained soldiers." It was a truely absurd place they had found their self in. Yet they had to make it work. "They're on foot," Arkadios pointed out, "We'll lose them easily enough, no need to take too many risks." Carter glanced back from the helm, one brow rising, “Rifles don’t care much what’s walkin’ or flyin’ if they get a clean line of sight. If we get too cozy thinkin’ we’ve already lost ‘em, that’s when we catch a round through the gasbag.” He didn’t say it angrily, just blunt, the way a man speaks when he’s been burned before. Itzi, adjusting the trim again, gave a slight nod. “Still,” she added, voice even, “he’s right about not overplaying our hand. We can follow the route, yes, but no heroics. We’re not flying a racer.” Carter gave a half-grin, but kept his eyes forward, “No heroics. Just a little threading the needle with twenty tons of temptation in the hold.” The ship began its subtle turn. Banks shallow, engines easing back just enough to angle toward the canyon run Hamerlin had plotted. The hull groaned faintly in protest, the groan of something old waking up to move again. "Old men mad ernough to plan it, young men willing and fast ernough to try it. We can do this. Pirates we be, gold, lovely ladies and a goverment at our back." Hamrlin said as he watched them sweep into the route and the airship began to feel like ship at sea, sea legs where not easily lost and the old man did not even waiver in his balance as he watched the landscape grow closer and closer. OK, he was a eccentric, maybe a little crazy but ain't no sane man would of planned this. Risks yes, but they had very few other options. Confidence mattered alot, people needed to feel that yiu knew what you where doing. Especially when things where hard and dangerous. That was now. He watched the canyon route in one good eye start to come into detailed focus, it looked alot larger on a map. Their was worse things than dying. He knew that and they would likely die quickly if this failed. But for morale he did not voice that dark thought. Uh o"Er," Nikos managed, "I should fetch some coffee, shall I?" "Make it stiff, we gonna need to be sharp, thankyou mr Vassiliou, good thinking." Hamerlin said with ease of someone who had been comfortable with his rank and status. "Make mine black!" Carter added. "Lots of sugar and cream, please!" Itzi followed. Escape wasn't certain, and the bridge crew needed to keep their wits about them. Not that there was much he'd be expected to do trimming the elevators. But all this talks about pirates among the officers, no less. Nikos wondered how many bars would disappear before morning? At some point, they'd start locking up the cargo hold, posting a guard. Nikos winced. There was, of course, only one man for the job. Literally. Hammerlin seemed and felt oddly calm as he just focused on what was ahead of the airship. No PTSD as he moved to function in the momment like he used to in Naval combat. "Got any lidded...mugs?" He asked as relised they would be getting rather unpredictable and things would get intresting.