Mission 2 The Journey

Briefing:

1. Watch out for any landmasses

2.Enjoy the scenery

2 secret objectives

Pov Eric

Date [L+6]

Time:9:00am

Location: Over the South Luna ocean bearing west.

After we set off on our journey I let fate direct me, and she chose to go west into the unexplored parts of the world. So far we have already been traveling for close to twenty hours with me only getting sleep for five hours. We have yet to see anything more than small islands and archipelagos every couple of miles. Humming a tune I adjusted our course five degrees to the right.

A small black spot emerged just over the horizon this one looking different to all the other we’ve seen as there's light coming from it almost as if there’s people living on it. As we got closer by the minute I can see that not only is it a quite sizable island but there is Life on it, just not the type we would get excited about. Airships of all sizes and color are docked though all sharing the same flag that would send fear through a lesser man. The airships all fly the jolly roger(with the human skull replaced with a pony one), each and everyone of them, and it seems that they have noticed us as the airships are slowly rising up.

Seeing this I grabbed a microphone to the right of me and press the transmit button,” General quarters General quarters all hands man your battle stations.” The ship sprung into action as the pirates slowly make their way towards us, I couldn't help but smirk as I sang a song that reminded me of our situation, outnumbered and if so we shall defend this airship to our last breath.

“ The watchman slipped too early in my cabin "Roust the crew; there's something up ahead." So I slipped into the misty morning "Bring your swords," I whispered to my men

Hold your head up! Keep your head up! Hold your sword up! Fight! fight! fight! When you sleep, keep one eye open Know your friends but watch them tight!

Through the mists I vaguely saw the ships A dozen strong; too strong to turn and fight I saw the coastline where she shouldn't be Some sailor changed our position in the night

Hold your head up! Keep your head up! Hold your sword up! Fight! fight! fight! When you sleep, keep one eye open Know your friends but watch them tight!

I hope I loaded my gun; I know I'm loaded with rum My fear is low but I ought to know that the world is full of scum I hope I loaded my gun; I know I'm loaded with rum My fear is low but I ought to know that the world is full of scum

The pilot's gone, slipped silently from his post All that's left a note pinned to the wheel "Took the catboat; took some crew I took some gold; I'm sure that you can heal."

Hold your head up! Keep your head up! Hold your sword up! Fight! fight! fight! When you sleep, keep one eye open Know your friends but watch them tight!

Hold your head up! Keep your head up! Hold your sword up! Fight! fight! fight! When you sleep, keep one eye open Know your friends but watch them tight!

I hope I loaded my gun; I know I'm loaded with rum My fear is low but I ought to know that the world is full of scum I hope I loaded my gun; I know I'm loaded with rum My fear is low but I ought to know that the world is full of scum”

As the pirates came into range I grabbed the lever for speed and pushed it into full speed. The airship sped up considerably heading straight for the pirate armada.

Pov 3rd person

The pirates had to move away from the enterprise as it sped towards them or risk getting crushed by its metal frame.The faster pirate ships of the armada started firing their cannons into the hull of the giant airship while the enterprise returned fire with flak and machine guns. While the cannonballs either bounced or dented the steel hull the opposite happened to the pirates wood hulls as theirs splintered apart as the flak shell’s metal clouds ripped apart the pirates while the machine guns pierced the vessels weaker wooden walls. Some of the more armored ships got close enough to throw grappling hooks onto the hatches near the bottom of the airship. As the pirates climbed(or flew in the case of some griffins and pegasi)towards the hatches the marines on the other side readied their weapons hoping to give their guest a welcoming gift of lead and brass.

As some pirate ships circled around the back of the airship trying to rake fire,(shooting the backside of the ship)Its back hatch opening and to the surprise of the pirates waiting for them were a line of M1A2 Abrams tanks pointing their 120mm cannons at them. Some pirates tried firing their cannons at the tanks but the cannonballs just bounced off the armor, while returning fire the 120mm HE shell is mean to go through light armor before exploding into fragments, to say that chunks were blow out was a understatement as the HE shells blew ships apart scattering the remnants among the sea below.

Unluckily for the pirates one of their ships circling around the ship got a bullet through the steam engine which slowed it down to a crawl… in front of a giant airship armored in steel that is on full speed. Steel met wood in a clash of which would collapse first, the wood started creaking as it bended before collapsing to the superior material as the ship was cleaved in two, the remaining pieces fell down tumbling through the air before crashing into the water leaving whatever survivors to fend for themselves.

The fight itself was one sided as the enterprise was simply too armored for the cannonballs to do any damage while anyone in the boarding parties were repelled by the marines at the hatches. As most of the pirate armada was obliterated before their eyes some pirate captains must have had their first light bulb moment in their lives as their ships turned around and tried to gun it away from the “terror of the sky” leaving the rest of the fleet to torn apart by the enterprise’s weapons.

All across the ship cheers were heard as the all clear was sounded, as the engineers came out of their battle stations(aka hidey holes) to check if any damage occurred to the ship.

Unfortunately one of the heavier cannonballs knocked a pipe loose, a pipe which carried flammable gasses while another cannonball knocked a light loose which exposed sparking wiring. Seconds later an explosion rippled through the ship as general quarters were called again, this time not for fight but for repair.

Pov Eric

With the explosion we had lost one of the propeller, thankfully no one was killed but some marines caught shrapnel when the pipe exploded. I looked at the ocean spotting an island not to far away from us where I can set us down for repair. As the engineers are trying to put out the fire I turned the ship 10 degrees north towards the island.

As we got closer I decreased the pressure in the ballonets lowering us at a steady pace while slowing us down until we came to a complete stop hovering over a clearing. When the airship landed on the ground I shut off the engines so the lost prop engine could hopefully be repaired. Flicking a switch the back hatch lowered to the ground so men and machines can get off.

Stepping away from the wheel I turned behind me to a table that looked like almost an exact replica of the one from the HQ but newer. Pushing the power button the US army logo came up indicating a loading screen, seeing this I walked towards the stairs near the door at the entrance. Walking up the stairs I entered my room which looked as if it came out of Victorian England than again a lot of the ship’s insides looks like Victorian England… maybe the engineers were really bored when they were building the airship. Shaking my head I walked towards the nightstand where something special lays, a small flash drive containing a update to the communication systems allowing us to communicate to HQ.

Grabbing the flash drive I made my way back down the stairs but to my surprise a radio operator stood there looking for me.

“Are you looking for me?” I questioned as he turned so quickly he nearly fell over.

“Yes sir we found a signal coming from north of the island it appears to be a repeating Morse code stating S.O.S,” the radioman stated.

“A S.O.S you say hmm tell you what, I will send some men towards the signal while you install the new update to the communications," I said while handing the radioman the flash drive. He just saluted before walking away.

Looking towards the now started display on the table I checked the damage on the Enterprise, We have lost a portion of hull from the explosion, a engine which was damaged but repairable, four marines were critically wounded from the explosion while ten more have varying degrees of injuries. Closing the damage report I selected 7 marines and a javelin to get into a ACEE before selecting the ACCE and a blazer to go to the distress signal. Now to wait as the troops move out.

30 minutes later

Pov Marine(scouting party)

For thirty minutes we had to suffer the driver’s bad taste in music, it nearly drove me mad enough to strangle the driver before the ACEE broke through the foliage onto the beach.

Looking through the front window I was shocked to see the familiar black and red paint of a cartel vessel, as the ACEE stopped and the side doors flipped up I stepped out of the semi cramped vehicle. Planting my boots into the sand I stared at the vessel expecting it to be a hallucination as I stared at a zumwalt class destroyer, these vessels were supposed to be discontinued because of their cost in favor of more cheaper vessels.

Spotting movement aboard the vessel I raised my rifle before hearing an ear piercing scream as something came out. It looked human but its as if their body was wax and it melted, not only this but their body glows from the inside as I can see his ribcage. Pulling the trigger the rifle spat out rounds which tore through the thing but it kept standing before rushing us. The ACEE and blazer must have spotted him as the auto cannon and grenade launchers fired in sync destroying it. More screams were heard from the vessel as waves of those things came out, thankfully the javelin seems to take out a lot of them every time he fires. Hearing the familiar thud as the autogreande launcher fires leaving nothing remaining , while the auto cannon spools up before unleashing its rounds at a tremendous rate of fire cutting apart whatever it looked at.

Two minutes is all it took, two minutes to put 140 men to rest as they charged at us unrelentingly trying to tear us to pieces.Looking back to the destroyer I wonder what happened to have caused this, trying to not thinking about it I started my trek towards the vessel intending to see if they have any Intel. Spotting a rope ladder hanging over the side but not quite enough to reach the ground I start sprinting until I jumped towards the ship. Feet touching the metal I propel myself up barely getting a grip on the ladder. As I climbed up the ladder the other marines somehow got a hold of score cards and all were showing ten, shaking my head I reached for the guiderails. Pulling myself over onto the deck I notice that the two guns that normally would be in front were replaced with rail guns as well as the anti air/missile laser system which the navy was supposed to put on vessels before the collapse.

Getting up from the deck I spotted the hatch to go inside, dusting myself off I made my way towards it. Grabbing the wheel as I turned it to unlock the hatch, after a couple of seconds the door yielded allowing me into the ship. Turning left I saw a stairwell deciding that I should check the bridge first I climbed the stairs upwards. Reaching the bridge I walked towards a inactive computer hoping to god that the ship still has power. Pushing the ON button the computer booted up with the cartel symbol flashing briefly before showing the desktop. Looking for any Intel I brought up documents hoping to find anything and find something I did, a virtual goldmine of information opened up showing me blueprints, designs, projects plus a folder titled the Philadelphia project. Looking around I spotted a flash drive , grabbing it I inserted it into the USB drive downloading everything for the commander. When it finished I grabbed it before heading down the stairs towards the armory, when I arrived most of the weapons were rusty like if they had been in the air for years, the wall was in a worse shape with the metal corroded and buckling. In the middle of the armory laid four things a minigun along with small things that looks like clips, a glove connected to a backpack, orange crystals ,and a machine in the back that looked jury-rigged to a power outlet. Deciding that the commander needed hear about this I radioed the Enterprise.

“Commander you're not going to believe what we found.”

5 minutes later

Pov Eric

After listening to the marine I ordered some engineers over there to scavenge whatever they could find especially the glove, the crystals, and that machine which that I suspect is the answer to why they are here. Deciding while I wait for the engineers to salvage the ship for parts I will have a nice warm cup of tea. After having walked up the stairs I grab a box of earl grey tea bags and filled a cup with hot water before dipping a tea bag into the water. After the tea was made I took the cup into the Luxury room, Sitting down in a chair I looked out a window into a vast ocean knowing that I will be the one discovering what's out there. Sipping the tea I relaxed into the chair as I began my wait for the engineers to finish.

3 hours later

As the engineers finish transporting whatever they salvaged the marine that found everything gave me the flash drive before going to the mess hall muttering something about needing a drink.Holding the flash drive in my hand I put it into my front pocket intending to view it later.

When the all clear was sounded I walked back to the wheel before once more increasing the pressure in the ballonets taking us back into the sky.Pushing the lever to full speed the Enterprise took to the skies as we left the island behind us. I adjusted us 10 degrees left as we were before the attack.

2 hours later

As I stood vigilant at the helm I spotted a thin line on the horizon grabbing a telescope near me I looked through it and spotted a forest not just any forest but one on a continent. Excited I grabbed the microphone and pushed the button to transmit.

“All men this is the captain speaking I have spotted land I repeat I have spotted land.”

As the Enterprise made its way towards the unmapped land I had another urge to sing and after last time I just let it out.

“Torn from a World of Tyrants, beneath this western Sky, We form'd a new Dominion, the Land of Liber'tie. The World shall own we're masters here, then hasten on the Day, Huzza, huzza, huzza, huzza, for a free Ameri'cay.

Lift up your Heads ye Heroes and swear with proud Disdain, The Wretch that would ensnare you, Shall lay his Snares in vain; Should Europe empty all her force, we'll meet her in array, And fight, and shout, and fight, and shout, for a free Ameri'cay

God bless this maiden climate and through her vast domain May hosts of heroes cluster, who scorn to wear a chain Then guard your rights, Americans! nor stoop to lawless sway, Oppose, oppose, oppose, oppose, for North Ameri'cay

Some future day shall crown us the masters of the main, Our fleets shall speak in thunder to England, France, and Spain and nations O'er the ocean spread shall tremble and obey The sons, the sons, the sons, the sons, of free Ameri'cay.”

As I finished the song we were above the new continent and by whatever deities are out there it was the most beautiful land I have ever seen in my life. Beyond the glass was land as green as you’d never seen with mountains in the distance, and rivers crisscrossing all the way to the ocean. At this moment I knew that this land is mine and mine alone for now.

Mission 2 complete

Briefing:

You have defended the Enterprise from pirate attacks although suffering damage afterwards you were able to land the Enterprise on an island nearby.
On the island you have found the remains of a cartel ship along with strange technologies.
You have discovered a new land with a bounty of resources which would be of use soon.
Continue to next mission? Y/N

Author's Note

Whew sorry for the delay folks was kind of have a little bit of trouble with the writing.
The cockpit looks like thisJust remove the metal above the table along with some windows
The bedroom looks like
Just replace the porthole with windows the walls with wood and the little nautical things with airship things.
the luxury room which is connected to the bed room looks like this
Also sorry people if you want him to go to the everfree this way I have more freedom writing, Also I will not forget about amber and the whole base back there, they will serve as a way to do the other things I planed to do
Also cookie to whoever guess what the glove comes from
man this is the longest authors note ever, Any way the thing with the whole Victorian thing is the fact that the engineers wanted to make the place more "homey" seeing as they will be there a LONG time