Le Mariner woke slowly the following morning, it was not a hang over but they had a rough week, a rough month to months. The war had been brewing, fighting and took a lot out of people and he hardly was the youngest of men.

He poured some leftover brandy into his coffee as he ate breakfast watching them fly over the terrain, the lands were flat and the expense of vast open lands was rising and falling. Light glittered from large rivers and lakes they could see from below and these areas were not ravaged and burning from war and shell fire. He felt … better to know some place was not being burned by the fires of the red military, his own home land would look like this with large warships that sat at anchor and ready to respond to threats. The large battleships had evolved rapidly in technology and size. Fired by boilers, clad in thick armour and guns that made the ones he commanded to be obsolete now. 

Turrets had replaced broadsides, fuel had replaced winds and sails, hulls had grown from wood, iron, steel and now new generations of armour plate that was stronger and more resistant per ton than anything made before. 

The captain's broadcast came across the ships mc1, he listened, a prince's event would be ideal for him to gain local information and gauge the mood of things going on. Who's let loose so many things if you really listened and paid attention. Even a small aspect of information would be potentially the thing that kept them alive, and maybe leverage an advantage. The second, a military gathering. Naturally,  he was one of the officers aboard and had managed to carve out a niche in their unconventional chain of command. They had a structure and that was working for now. 

He decided and straightened his battered somewhat uniform uniform, it definitely would need a little maintenance and work when they got into port, perhaps he could rush to make some extra items for day to day and duty use. Dark coats, where dark coats and so. 

Meeting first, sorting out the tailors appointment,  finding a local information maker to acquire new uniform items and some potentially cold weather gear etc, he doubted it would be nice up on this airship if the weather turned bad or they entered into a harsher climate. The ship should have a treasury he as a member of its crew should be able to draw from. This was essential and he probably would suggest the entire crew if they stayed outfit themselves for future endeavors while they had opportunity and a peaceful port. They had weapons but gear, rations, materials, medical? Did they need new kit, wireless, spares, engineering, repair materals… they needed a ships quarter master to be elected. Another item for the ship's meeting. Air ship….

Bad luck. He might end up with the job, though at least that would keep him busy… if not hunched over a desk with one good eye and a pen trying to sort out the details of running a ship. A reminder of his past times and experience as a junior officer and officer candidate. 

…

He downed his cup, that was a good start for the day. Even if day drinking was… who could blame them for keeping and picking up some bad habits. He was hardly as bad as his sister, she was a society wife but she drank wine at breakfast daily. 

He walked through the ship after washing off his plate and cup headed up to the bridge to find out if anything happened overnight and just see the maps.”Good morning, Gentlemen,  Captain, graceful Ladies especiallywith  last night's dancing. How be the .  Sky sailing. Not Hung over Mr Carter.” He said as he checked the map, the distance and did a quick calculation of time, distance and speed drawing a metal bar over the map with a wide circle. It matched what he saw within reason and he looked scanned the future map and destinations beyond on lines stretching out to other important cities and nations.

“Intresting… this is like…. A great sea with no limits…” He said looking at the wider map, there were no limits by channels, seas or land masses… it was total freedom of navigation bar enemy territory and the high mountains. 

“This airship thing, is… ? I see why you do it.” He said checking the charts and making notes in a book that listed the air ships navigation. A rather less filled out book but he changed that.