Uncharted Skies

[Carn]

Carn takes the proffered flask, and takes a swig.

"Hmm not bad, prefer rum myself, but whiskey is good too."

He passes it back over.

[BdrLineAzn]

"Ah hem," coughs the Councilman as he eyes the two, "Commander do you have the documents?" he says over his shoulder.

"Got them right here." answers Frey as he lay the folders in front of Carn and Reagan to read through.

"Nothing too fancy about this mission; go in, survey the surroundings, and report back so that we can expand our maps. At the moment the number of airships going is still being decided, but this transport here will be the main command center. It will have all the supplies you need and acts as a ship tender if you need repairs in the field. If you need to transverse on land, we also have two vehicles with caterpillar tracks in the hold as well."

"Any questions?" Frey ends.

[Carn]

"Just one. What scared the last guy off? I agreed to this, and I always keep my word. But the Baronies wouldn't hire random mercenaries out of Cathedral, to expand their maps, far from their borders. There's a catch here, and I dislike flying blind."

[BdrLineAzn]

Enger fidgets behind the Commander as he looks between him and Carn. Frey leans on his cane as he looks into Carn's eyes quizzically.

"Mr. Carn, how well do you follow the news, not just the big events like what happened in Chang-ning and Vystorg, but the small obscure ones."

[Carn]

"I WAS special forces. It pays to know where the next war is coming from. I try to keep my ear to the ground."

[Piemanlives]

That was something interesting, something scared off the last pilot?

"This is no ordinary expedition is it?" The whisper so small that no one even heard her.

She had to think, what could have caused the baronies to hire out of Cathedral, if they had wanted to send an expedition they could have just picked out volunteers from their own ranks, why hire when it would be much more efficient to send someone under your command?

"-what happened in Chang-ning and Vystorg, but the small obscure ones."

What could have driven to Cathedral? Something they had in common, which was hard enough, though plenty of trade flowed through, no doubt plenty of trade came in from the fjords.

"-I try to keep my ear to the ground."

There was an idea of course, it was a stretch but it was all she had.

"Enger does this have anything to do with the Galleon during the Rocket races?"

[Carn]

"To be fair, last two months I've been out of the loop. Only received big news half a week ago, when I got done my last job. Chaladonian scientist wanted to observe the flora and fauna in the Anglean heartland, and he wanted some security. He refused to go to any town for the entire trip, something about not wanting to scare them with unusual smells."

[BdrLineAzn]

Sighing Enger says, "Yes, the Commander can explain more."

Looking at the two of the Frey starts, "First report started in Anvala over an annum ago, not much a small two ship team went out and destroyed a Galleon and it's fleet somewhere out in the Dunes. Few months later still in Anvala, a failed kidnapping took place which leads to a chase ending in a battle in Yesha whose details are still not fully know by the Imperial public. Even after that, a raid in which the guards and defenders reported of fighting humans with avian features."

"Skip ahead to two months ago when this city was attacked during the Spring Festival, which Captain I assume you were there when the militia found the wreckage of the attacker. Few days ahead, a hidden falsity found by Yeshan scouts which several people are dead. All leading to the last report a month ago where a Galleon has escapeded capture by Baron and Firnfeld ships."

"Do you know what they all have in common?" he ends.

[Carn]

Carn's face, already pale due to his northern homeland, becomes as white as paper.

"I have an old friend in Anvala. He radioed me about that attack. I could barely understand him, he was hysterical. But he said something about giant mutant bird people.............."

[Piemanlives]

She shook her head, "I was in the air when it happened, not everyone was strictly on duty at the time. The only thing I can of is this groups fascination with birds, the wreckage recovered had the bird emblem on it. So I'm assuming we're hunting down Birdmen?

[BdrLineAzn]

Pulling out a parchment from his blazer pocket, it's the same symbol that he have seen when Melin took him to Izumi for a special mission.

"Yes, and you are correct calling them that. This expidition is one of several being conducted between the Baronies and Empire to find and flush them out for good. Since out location to the far north, we are able to send out own men, while the Empire can hire mercenaries to send to the west while they rebuild. Only reason we are here is that the Guild's government still have some animosity against our government and having Baron military ships fly through may send the wrong message."

[Carn]

Carn slowly, and audibly, cracks his knuckles.

"So. They're back? And your paying me, 10,000 crowns, and giving me my own ship, to hunt down these monsters? The same one's who inflicted a highly painful, yet slow killing wound, on my best friend?"

[Piemanlives]

Reagan gave a small laugh.

"My old CO would look at you and slap you before accepting, I'm not him of course." She laughed again, "So, hunting down maniacal madmen with the ability to build hidden fortresses, fleets of airships in secret, and somehow create bird people?" She took a long swig from her flask. "Count me in, think we could take the Pride with us?" She took in Enger's face at the suggestion, "I jest of course, but it sounds like there are more assets dedicated to mission then it seems, what else do we have at our disposal?" 

[BdrLineAzn]

"We don't know if they are back, the last sighting of them was back in Firnfeld a month ago," replies Frey as he clenches his fist that's in the sling, "but since there hasn't been any incidents, the Baron and Yeshan military assume they went into hiding outside the know borders."

Calming himself he continues, "But this is strictly classified, no one else should know of this. Go about it as an actually surveying/mapping mission. As for assets and resources, until we have a solid lead on their location, this team is going with what it got. The two vehicles are actually a new Yeshan tank and half track, the transport has several weapons mounts in case of a raid and four planes from Anvala stored on the belly. This is it unless you can find a specialise team, bloody or even a Jericho class airship."

[Carn]

"What about explosive materials? You get me the raw chemicals, and I can do the rest. One of my specialties is the creation and application of high explosives. That and hand to hand."