Signals flashed between the rebel skyships. In addition to The Karakatun and Gan’s Kitaraham another six skyships made up the flotilla storming on the easterly into Hatunqari.

The skyships spread out to avoid shadowing each other from the wind. Hatunqari remained hidden behind the a line of hills. Jupiter wondered if they had watch towers. They returned to Gan’s skyship on The Jupiter.

“We took one skyship at Qhayuvakham,’ said Gan. ‘Then after the storm at Zenska had passed the Upariha cut out another skyship from Zenska. They joined us on Qhawadha — The Way after the skirmish with the Nezhnakhevo skyship. It is good to see that blackbirder burn in their own fire.’

‘So Captain Qharham took on the Air Lord’s skyfort at Qhayuvakham and won?’

’Not so much,’ Gan said. ‘But they out maneuvered him and got onto Qhawadha before him. We destroyed The Way as we ran along it until the shaiyvaqara — east wind rose and we could get some speed on.’

‘But you came along The Way still?’

‘Yes. The cable guides us still.’

Jupiter learned that three more skyships had come along the coast from the long eastern peninsula. They had held one of The Way’s sentinels for the rebels. The provincial warlord who brought the skyships from the east had a fractious relationship with the imperial authorities at Naruham.

Another skyship had come up the coast from the south. The crew had mutinied against their captain and rather than face the discipline from the Imperial Navy the officers and crew had thrown their lot in with the Rebels.

Behind them in the far distance the Imperial navy sailed in pursuit. Above the mountains the sun reddened in the dusty air as if slipped towards sunset.

A drumming rose from Karakatun.

‘We’ll reach Hatunqari at sunset,’ said Gan. ‘But first we eat to prepare for battle.’

The crew rushed to set up planks to act as tables on the deck, but they did not sit, instead they stood and ate the spread of cold food brought on deck in stages.

‘These are the strangest creatures,’ said Maggie.

‘Makes sense to me. Why would anyone want to fight on an empty stomach.’

‘We’re not going to fight though are we?’ Maggie said. ‘We did our job. We warned them of the fleet. They’re ready for a fight. We can go now.’

Jupiter stared at her then looked away.

‘It’s not our fight, I know. But somehow it’s hard to turn away from this.’

‘What can we do? We need to get The Jupiter ready to fly again’

‘That’s something I can agree on,’ Jupiter said.

They stowed some of the uneaten food in the hull, and some water. Then Jupiter raised the sail and tuned the rigging. Since Gan’s skyship sailed at the same speed as the wind, the air on deck only swirled a little. He adjusted the out-haul, the tension on the halyard then made sure the Cunningham and kicking strap ropes ran well for easy adjustment.

But he knew he just fussed. They had to make a decision. And neither option felt right.

Tamm brought two glowglobes and stowed them un the ull.

‘Night will come soon,’ said Tamm. ‘We may need to signal the fleet.’

‘What for?’ Maggie said.

‘We need to push off,’ said Jupiter.

The city of Hatunqari loomed close now. They could see the flurry of activity on the moored skyships now.

The large city spread across the river valley and even climbed the slopes of steep mountains on either side. Rich fields of grain, and rows of soldier-like orchards lay below the city on the plain. The croplands where mirrored by a dark green, almost black, forest that marched up the valley.

The city buildings rambled over the land without an obvious road structure but instead scattered across the land between huge trees. In places low rise buildings gave way to blocks heaped up into higher and denser areas, like sugar cubes dropped on grass. In these denser built up areas trees grew small and perched on the buildings instead of between them. Water glittered around the trees and buildings everywhere. Both the straight lines of canals, and the winding branching streams, cut through the city to divide it into districts.

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The lowing of gharumal came to them on the wind from the city as they sailed above the first building blushed pink and orange in the last rays of day. The mounting sense of expectation made Jupiter shiver.

‘I don’t want to be trapped on deck when the fighting starts,’ Jupiter slipped to the stern, and checked the steering vanes. They had stood up well for a jerry-rigged mashup.

Breeze swung down from a mast and took up a position at the kheel.

Ready… Sail… Fight…

‘I hope not Breeze. I really don’t want to fight.’

Tamm and Maggie took their places in the hull. Jupiter had refused Gan’s request to take additional crew. Last time that only brought them into battle.

‘Tamm. You call it. When do we take off?’

Tamm gave a warbling command to the crewmen nearby and as Breeze spun up the kheel and the outrigger lifted the crew walked them to the side of the skyship.

‘Stay close,’ said Gan then he strode off to the bridge. His long blade flashed golden as he stepped through the long shadows on the deck.

‘We will,’ Jupiter muttered.

They had little choice. A towrope had been attached to the stern of Kitaraham. They would sail with Gan and his crew behind the skyship, but Jupiter remained determined to fly free as soon as the action began.

No way am I going to be walked like a dog into the middle of a fight.

And then the rebels descended on the city on sails sunset lit as if washed with blood.

The first Imperial skyship had its masts ripped off by a chain strung between two rebel attackers. The force of the blow toppling the skyship upside down before it slipped sideways and fell onto the buildings and trees below. A pitiful cry from a gharumal boomed out as it burst out from the hull on impact.

Gan’s skyship sailed high above a moored skyship, its sails just being broken out as the rebel dropped a load of boulders and long metal tipped spars crashing through the deck. They had aimed well, the zharaqsa powered flight engine failed and the skyship fell into a public square and demolished one side of buildings.

Dust filled the air turned golden in the sun but choking on the lungs.

The rebels moved over the city like a wave, but had only one chance to do damage. As fast as the shaiyvaqara blew them into the enemy fleet, it bore them away.

‘Grapples.’ The cry went up and Gan’s crew rushed to throw lines and hooks down to the city to slow their rush. As the ropes caught the skyships rocked forward and bore down towards the buildings. Lines broke, but the forward dash slowed. The rebels lowered their sails but held their crews in the masts ready to set them again.

Jupiter saw that the line of rebels had dropped five Imperial skyships to the city and onto the yards of the vanukam. Three remained but damaged. Still they raised their sails even as the light failed.

Glowglobes shone from the buildings below as the city roused to the danger milled about in confusion.

Then the rebels lowered themselves to the ground and disgorged their gharumal tow beasts, drivers and a swarm of marines to protect them. In a well practiced routine the tow beasts took up towlines and in groups of two they began to stamp their way into the wind.

The rebels moved towards the remaining imperials in a line like a pack of hunters surrounding their prey.

All the while the Air Lord’s skyfort, and the rest of his fleet rode the east wind right at the city. They may not have had The Way to guide them but as they entered the valley, the winds funneled them straight for the battle.

This time the rebels did not seek to damage the skyships, instead they surrounded and boarded to take them. Even as the Imperials lowered their hulls to the ground the rebels tied them to their hulls and dragged them up, overwhelmed the crews, and took control of the flight engines.

The gharumal’s grumbled and lowed as their drivers forced them into motion again, to ready for the attack from the skyfort and the arriving flotilla.

They set the captured skyforts up as a barrier across the line of attack and hung in the wings poised. But the Imperial fleet slowed and dropped their sails as grappling lines dug in the ground, or hooked onto building and trees in the outskirts of the city.

‘Looks like they’re not going to fight,’ said Maggie.

‘It won’t be that easy,’ said Jupiter. ‘They’re all lowering something to the ground. But I can’t see in this failing light.’

Under the stopped skyfort a line of glowglobes swung down to light the work they did.

‘Gharumals,’ said Tamm.

‘Lightening their loads?’ said Jupiter. ‘I know they all carry the huge creatures but…’ He understood then. ‘They’re going to tow their fleet.’

‘It’s going to be a massacre,’ cried Maggie. ‘Those things are as big as a house, and stronger than a tank.’

‘And they’re forming up their marines as well,’ said Jupiter.

‘The rebels can not withstand this attack, their skyships are undermanned. They do not have the trained marines. They face a fully fit army.’

‘The rebels will have to raise sails and fly away on the wind.’

‘They dare not. The western mountains are high, the winds are strong, and the moon has not risen. They will be dashed against the rocks as sure as the Empire will hammer them from the east.’

‘A rock and a hard place,’ said Maggie. ‘Jupiter. I have a really bad feeling about this. We should go while we can still see.’

Jupiter nodded. ‘You’re right. I never liked this idea. Everyone just sees The Jupiter as another weapon for them to use against their enemies. For us its our way home.’

The Jupiter lurched. Gan’s crew had a hold on the tow rope and pulled the outrigger back to the stern.

A drum beat rolled out. It echoed from the mountains all around as if giants shook themselves awake. The Imperials moved forward now, sails raised, gharumals pounding upon the ground as they broke into a shambling run. The dust kicked up blasted towards The Jupiter on a wind that had seemingly increased to gale force.

'Shaiyvanor rises,' shouted Tamm. 'The eastern gale bites.'

‘Tamm. Your blade. Cut the tow rope.’

The Jupiter rocked, and nosedived towards the ground. Breeze spun the kheel as the crew pressed themselves back to the stern.

The tow rope had been cut by Gan. He stood in the stern of the Kitaraham, a dark shadow lit by a glowglobe.

Under The Jupiter, on the severed tow rope, swung a group of rebel manisaurs. They climbed towards the outrigger. Tamm’s blade rested on the tow rope.

‘Dhakara? Say the word.’