The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon when Niles went out onto the main deck. There was a slight breeze in the air that felt good on his forehead. He moved to the port side of the barge sipping his coffee.

“Morning, Cap,” Walter said from behind the helm.

Niles made a half turn and nodded.

It was several more minutes before Walter spoke again. “So, Cap,” he said with a questioning air in his tone.

“Yeah?”

“Last night I noticed Andrea was rather...”

“Don’t ask me,” Niles said. “Ask her about it.”

“Right,” Walter said. Then he changed the subject. “Beautiful morning, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely,” Niles said before taking another sip of his coffee. Then he heard footsteps moving up the companionway, the light, fast footsteps of his pilot. He wondered if they were about to have another go around.

Then she emerged onto the main deck, smiling. “Good morning.”

A little unexpected, he thought. Why’s she smiling like that? It wasn’t as though things went her way last night when they spoke. He smiled and raised his mug to her.

Andrea raised her arms in the air and stretched. “Alright, Walter,” she said. “I’m ready for the helm. By the way, you better get down there before breakfast is gone.”

Walter went below deck as he muttered something about the last breakfast James had cooked. Niles was acutely aware of Andrea’s presence. It was as if he could almost feel her staring at the back of his head, though he didn’t turn around to confirm it. He wasn’t afraid of Andrea becoming angry, but he preferred to keep the peace by staying on her good side.

“Captain,” Andrea said.

Damn. They were going to have this discussion again? He cleared his throat without turning to look at here. “Yeah?”

A moment of silence lapsed before Andrea spoke. “Listen, I just... I just want to apologize about last night. I know I wasn’t very civil about the whole thing. And you’re right. It is your responsibility to protect the crew and…“

What was that? He thought he heard something unusual. He started scanning the skies for any suspicious activity.

“...being Captain and everything, I just—“

Niles raised his hand. “Quiet.” He barely registered her huff as he listened intently for the sound he had heard, or what he thought he had heard.

“I’m trying to apologize,” she said.

“No. Listen,” he said firmly.

There it was!

“Is that... thunder?” she asked.

“Not thunder,” Niles said. “Gunfire.” He bolted to the prow of the barge, looking around trying to find the direction from where the gunfire was coming.

“Do you see anything?” she said.

Still looking intently, he didn’t answer. And then he saw them. “There,” he said, pointing downwards slightly to starboard. There was a sky barge under attack with two other barges on either side. Guns were blazing from all three boats.

Andrea raised her binoculars to her eyes. “Looks like... a Guardian war barge under attack by pirates,” she said. “That’s pretty bold of them.”

“Yeah, well it’s two to one.” Niles took the binoculars. The Guardians were taking a beating and wouldn’t last long against two other sky barges. He smiled feeling mild satisfaction. They needed help, and he would be the one to give it. It’s perfect, he thought.

“Should we help them?” Andrea said.

“Of course,” Niles said. “I’m always open to scoring points with the guardian high council,” he added as he lurched towards the warning bell. He rang it several times.

A few seconds later the rest of the crew was out on the main deck. “What is it, Captain?” Sidney blurted. The kid was a foot short for his age, but wiry and strong.

“Listen up,” Niles told the crew. “We’ve got a Guardian war barge down there exchanging gunfire with two pirate boats. They aren’t going to last long, so we’re going to help them. I want everyone at their stations. Sidney, I want you to stay in the furnace room. “

“But, Captain,” Blonde-haired deckhand protested. His eyes were hardly visible under all those golden locks.

“Now,” Niles said. “And cram that thing as hard as you can as long as you can.”

“But, Sir...“

Niles didn’t blame the furnace boy for wanting to see some action, being the age that he was. But wasn’t about to let a sixteen-year-old kid get himself killed either. “I said now.”

James and Andrew were crouched up against the side rail, raptor rifles at the ready.

“Captain,” Walter said, tossing Niles another raptor he’d lifted out of the arms chest.

Niles caught the short assault rifle and slung it over his back. “Walter, bring up the big hooker.”

“Sure thing,” Walter said before jumping down the companionway.

“James, the hailer,” Niles said, nodding to the machine gun mounted on the port side. Niles moved over to where Andrea was. “Okay, take her down. I want the Dusty Maiden right on top of those port-side attackers.”

“Got it, Captain” Andrea said, pushing the helm inwards.

The Dusty Maiden’s props angled downwards. Niles could hear the engines throttling up. They were now in a shallow dive headed straight for the pirate barge attacking the guardian’s port flank. Heated weapons fire was still being exchanged between the three barges. Why hasn’t that war barge taken out those pirates yet? he wondered, doubting they really needed his help. It didn’t hurt to assist though—and a little extra credit with the order might cause him fewer hassles the next time the Dusty Maiden got stopped for a cargo inspection.

“Alight, Cap. Hooker’s ready,” Walter said as he clicked a harpoon into the launcher.

They were still diving towards the pirate barge, the Dusty Maiden seconds away from collision.

“Andrea,” Niles bellowed. “As soon as Walter hooks their gasbag I want you to pull to port and glide past them.

“You got it!”

The Dusty Maiden’s decent was slightly steeper and faster than before. “Now, Walter!” Niles bellowed. Walter fired all three shots. The shredder tipped harpoons penetrated through the pirate’s gasbag.

Niles gripped a rung for support as the Dusty Maiden cruised by with a mild jolt. The sounds of tearing canvas filled the air. “Andrea,” Niles said over the buzzing of the props. “Swing her starboard and ascend so we can get up close with that second pirate boat.”

With any luck, Walter was able to spread out those harpoons far enough to rip a large portion of canvas from the first barge’s gasbag taking as many pockets of drylium as possible.

“Ascending,” Andrea bellowed as the Dusty Maiden began to climb towards the other pirate barge.

Niles scanned the port side sky. The pirate barge Walter had hit was descending at generous speeds while he spotted a hug portion of their gasbag missing. Looks like scorg chow.

“Almost there,” Andrea yelled.

It almost looked as if the pirate barge above them was sinking, but it wasn’t. The Dusty Maiden was ascending up on their starboard side. “Get ready, everyone,” Niles said as he pulled the raptor on his back into his lap. The Dusty Maiden evened out with the other barge. “Now,” he yelled. Niles and the rest of the crew jumped up from their crouching positions firing everything they had straight at the pirate crew who was taken nearly completely off guard.

James was on the hailer blazing away.

Niles shot two pirates as soon as he jumped out of cover.

Another pirate Andrew hit fell and screamed as he toppled over the port side of the boat.

As far as Niles could tell, the Guardian crew was dead. At lease the members who’d been on top decks when the battle began.

“Look out,” Walter yelled.

A pirate was firing from inside the helm booth. Bullets whizzed past Niles’ head as he jumped for cover behind the railing.

James swiveled the hailer to quarter stern and fired at least two-dozen rounds while the rest of the crew fired in the same direction. Then there was a loud cracking sound. The pirates were trying to move forward even though they were tethered with the guardian barge.

He must have fallen over the throttle, Niles told himself.

The pirate barge kept moving forward, the cracking sounds getting worse by the second. Then suddenly the barge took off with a large chunk of hull from the war barge.

“Wow,” James said with a slight air of excitement and incredulity.

Niles could see deep into the hull of the adjacent war barge. The furnace room was visible from where he was standing. It had been torn apart, the deck now crawling with fire. The entire gondola would be up in flames in a matter of minutes.

In the distance, the pirate barge sunk through the air. But Niles didn’t care about that. He knew the Guardian barge would explode if the fire was allowed to reach into the gasbag. Any explosion will probably take the Dusty Maiden down with them, he thought as he scanned the interior of the war barge.

“Survivors?” Andrea said uncertainly.

There didn’t seem to be any, but Niles hoped there were, or everything they’d just done would have been a huge risk for nothing. Then a voice from inside the barge called out. It was frantic and sounded half strangled. Niles looked harder but couldn’t see any sign of a survivor.

“Did you hear that?” the furnace boy asked.

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“Dammit, Sidney. I told you to stay below deck.”

But then the furnace boy raised his arm and said, “Look!”

“Help,” the voice croaked a second time. Then there was movement. A soldier had exposed himself from an obscured area of the room, his white shirt soaked crimson.

“Hold on,” Niles called. “We’re coming.” He could still hear the soldier pleading when he told Walter to go for the small hookers.

“Are you the only survivor?” Andrea called.

The wounded man called out again, desperation and delirium in his voice.

“We’re coming,” Andrea said in a reassuring tone. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

Walter arrived back on the main deck with the hooker launchers cradled in his arms. He handed one to Niles and another to Andrea.

Niles aimed his launcher at the gasbag. Then he fired, followed by Walter’s shot, and then Andrea’s. They immediately began to reel in their harpoons.

“Wait,” Walter said. “Stop!”

“What is it, Walter?” Niles said.

The mechanic was pointing into the war barge. Niles scanned the area where he thought Walter was aiming his finger. Flames were licking up onto several large ordinance chests. “Great,” he said.

When they blew, it would be sheer dumb luck if the gasbag didn’t catch flame. If it did, and it probably would, the Dusty Maiden would surely go down with the other barge.

Niles cut the lines with his knife and then turned to Andrea. “Get us out of here, quick.”

The whole crew crouched under cover while Andrea throttled forward. A few seconds later they had stopped to watch what they all knew would happen.

The ordinance chests exploded, sending flames crawling up the underside of the gasbag. Any second now, Niles told himself, waiting for what would be a significantly larger explosion.

Then the gasbag screamed and burst apart. Niles shielded his eyes for the worst of it. When he looked back he saw that only a portion of the gasbag had exploded.

The Guardian barge began descending to the ground and he realized just how much altitude the Dusty Maiden had lost during the battle. And that’s why it’s important to keep your furnace burning hot as the deepest depths of all the hells of the gods, he thought.

It was obvious that Sidney loaded the furnace as quickly as he could before tearing off to get a glimpse of the fight, forgetting to keep the furnace burning entirely.

“Oh, oh, oh, there it goes,” Sidney said, just as the guardian barge crashed to the ground. Wooden planks and scraps of burning canvas flew into the air just before the entire barge was enveloped in dust.

“Well that’s the end of them,” James said.

“I’m not so sure, Niles said, “Only a portion of the gasbag exploded. There could still be survivors in that ship.”

Andrea had her binoculars pressed to her face. She was looking down at the crash site while Niles and the others debated whether or not there could be survivors.

“That was awesome,” Sidney said.

Niles shot a disapproving look at the furnace boy.

“Sorry, Captain.”

“For what?”

Sidney shrugged.

“Next time stay at your post,” Niles said. He thought the furnace boy was thoroughly embarrassed, and that was exactly what he wanted. Maybe next time he would do what he was told.

“Wait a minute,” Andrea said. “There’s somebody down there.”

James stepped forward. “Impossible. Nobody could have survived that.”

“A Guardian could,” Sidney said.

“Maybe,” Andrea said, handing Niles the binoculars. “Over there.” She pointed.

Niles spotted a tiny figure on foot. The man was running from the crash site as fast as he could.

“What’s the hurry?” James said.

Niles already knew what the hurry was. That gasbag had only gone up partially. Chances were the rest of the drylium pockets would go up any second.

Then there was an explosion from the ground. Niles felt another gust of hot air rush past him as he shielded his face with his arm.

“What was that?” Andrea said incredulously.

“The barge,” Walter said. “The gasbag... it exploded. Again.”

“I don’t understand how that first explosion didn’t ignite all the drylium.” Andrea said.

“Guardian war barges have thick inner compartments made from specially treated scorg leather,” Niles said. “They’re designed to prevent an entire gasbag from going up. Apparently this time it didn’t work quite as intended.”

“How do you know this stuff?” Sidney asked, his mouth agape.

Walter chuckled, evidentially wondering the same thing, but Niles gave no answer.

“Maybe it did,” Andrew said, leaning over to watch the soldier run across the desert.

Niles swung the raptor on his back to his front. “Andrea, take us down. We have a Guardian to rescue.”

“Right,” Andrea said. She moved over to the helm. “Descending.”

Niles could feel a slight sensation of vertigo as the Dusty Maiden descended towards the ground. The pilot was obviously putting a lot of thrust into the downturned props. He could tell the crew was feeling the same thing because they had anchored themselves to various parts of the barge.

Niles looked over at Sidney and didn’t avert his gaze.

Sidney shrugged. “What?”

“Don’t you have a job to be doing?”

“Oh. Uh... right,” Sidney said, getting up to move for the companionway.

Niles could see the Guardian running across the desert as the Dusty Maiden descended for a landing. Why’s he running away? he wondered. Then he lost sight of the Guardian as he became obscured through a thick haze of dust kicked up from the crash landing.

Then the Dusty Maiden’s gondola bumped the ground. “Alright, just need staked, Captain,” Andrea called. The two props held the barge down as they angled directly towards the ground kicking up thick clouds of dust and sand making visibility nonexistent.

Niles quickly tied several ropes ending in stakes down on cleats before tossing them over various parts of the gondola. “Andrea and James. With me,” he said as he moved to the edge of the railing. He gripped one of the ropes and hurled himself over. He pushed hard against the side of the gondola to get some distance as he dropped down to the ground with Andrea and James close behind.

They were now in the middle of an artificial dust storm of their own making. Niles knew it was risky, especially when he couldn’t see ahead of him. A horde of slavering scrorg could be charging and they’d never even know. He coughed hoarsely, then raised the blue bandana at his neck over his mouth and nose. “Walter, the mallet,” he called over the buzz. He hammered each of the stakes into the ground while James held them in place.

“Okay, shut them down,” Andrea called to Walter who was watching them over the side railing. A few seconds later the props of the Dusty Maiden had stopped spinning.

Andrea coughed through her own handkerchief. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” Niles said. “But be careful. Scorg could show up any time.”

“I didn’t see any scrog on the way down,” James said.

Then Niles heard the distinct sound of footsteps approaching. Boots on hard desert ground, crunching gravel and small debris. He raised his Raptor in a shooting position. The Guardian had been running for what seemed like his life when they glided in. He probably thought Niles would have him gunned down as they made a pass. Now, on the ground, he had changed his tactic. “Keep your eyes open.”

“Yeah,” Andrea said reassuringly.

Where is he? Niles wondered just before he caught sight of the guardian. He was advancing in a brisk walk in their direction. “Guns up,” he said as the figure silhouetted by dust continued moving towards them.

“I can hardly see him,” Andrea hissed.

The dust seemed too thin as the man approached. Niles was able to make out the Guardian more clearly. He was aiming a pistol. “Watch it. He’s got a gun!”

Niles was aware Andrea had strafed away from him in order to get a better vantage point. The Guardian was now close enough for Niles to see his face.

“Stop right there,” Andrea said.

The Guardian’s eyes were wide, her face covered with dust and soot from the crash.

A woman?

Her eyes darted to Andrea, then to James before settling back on Niles. “Are you their leader?” she said, nodding her chin up.

“I suppose you could call me their leader,” Niles said. “But what I really am is their Captain.” It was possible the Guardian thought the Dusty Maiden was one of the pirate boats that had attacked them. Why else would she ask him if he was their leader?

“Why don’t you put that gun down,” Andrea said.

Niles knew there was next to no chance the Guardian would put her weapon down. Guardians, as far as he knew, would never back down, even if they were outnumbered and sure to lose in a fight.

Mom taught me that.

The recent battle he had witnessed was only further proof to what he already knew. “Listen,” he said. “We weren’t the ones who attacked you. Look.” He put his Raptor on the ground, and raised his hands. “See, no gun.”

“Niles, what the hell are you doing?” Andrea screeched.

He didn’t respond to his pilot. Instead he said, “If I was a pirate would I really lay down my weapon?” Nobody moved or said anything for a moment. Then to Andrea and James he added, “Put your weapons down.”

“Niles...” Andrea croaked.

“I said put your weapons down.”

Andrea huffed. She slung her raptor behind her back without putting it on the ground.

Niles glanced to his right, seeing that James had already put his rifle on the ground as well. “So... can we talk?”

The guardian smirked. “There’s no way you’re going to get me with that ploy,” she said. “As soon as I put my weapon away you’re going to go for a hold-out pistol under your jacket.”

The woman was closer now. Niles was aware that he could take two large steps and he’d be able to grab her pistol.

“Niles,” Andrea said through clenched teeth, “sometimes you piss me off.”

Niles ignored Andrea, continuing to look straight into the guardian’s eyes. “Listen,” he said. “My name is Niles Wentworth. I’m the Captain of a cargo hauler called the Dusty Maiden—“

He lunged bringing the palm of his left hand down on the crook of the guardian’s arm while he deflected her wrist upwards with the back of his right hand. The weapon discharged, but only once before he was able to wrest it from the woman’s grip.

The Guardian, eyes wide, stumbled back a few steps as she regarded her pistol in Niles’ grip.

Nobody moved or said anything for a moment. Niles thought the guardian’s expression resembled a lone scorg caught in a hunter’s headlights after being backed into a corner. Then he disgorged the energy cell from her pistol and thrust it, grip first, towards the Guardian. “I told you, we’re here to help. If we were pirates you’d already be dead or on the ground with a hole in your leg.”

There was another beat before the Guardian reached out tentatively for her weapon. She looked lost for words as she jammed the energy cell back into her pistol. “Then I guess I owe you my thanks,” she said, holstering the pistol.

Niles let out a breath of air, smiled, and then nodded. “Well at least nobody had to get shot. Now let’s get aboard my barge. I feel like a naked piece of meat standing on the ground.”

The Guardian nodded her compliance.

Niles turned around to see a bewildered James and Andrea.

“Captain, how did you—” Andrea started to say, but Niles cut her off.

“Later,” he said, quietly.

After picking up their weapons they climbed back aboard the Dusty Maiden. When it was the Guardian’s turn, she didn’t take the rope. Instead she crouched low and then jumped. The crew was wide eyed when she landed on deck.

Niles pretended not to have noticed as he walked along cutting the ropes holding the Dusty Maiden to the ground. Then the barge began ascending. “Andrea, take us to Daura.”

“Yeah... yeah I’m on it, Captain,” Andrea said as she glanced back a couple of times.

As soon as they were moving forward again Niles turned to the Guardian. He noticed the rest of the crew seemed quiet as they stared at her. He cleared his throat and said, “Welcome aboard my hauler, the Dusty Maiden. This is my crew.” Niles indicated the members with a sweep of his hand.

“Greetings by way of the Guardian council,” the woman said. “My name is Emma Brightwater.”

Niles couldn’t help but smile. He almost felt inclined to roll his eyes at what she’d just said. He and his crew were just a bunch of humble cargo haulers on their way to the capital. “This is Walter and Andrew,” he said indicating each of the men. “You’ve already met Andrea and James. Sidney’s down below at the moment.”

She glanced toward the companionway, and Sidney was there peaking, his forehead visible—the damn kid.

“I’m pleased to meet all of you,” Emma said. “I only wish we could have met under different circumstances.”

“The sort of circumstances where you’d be nosing through our cargo?” Andrea asked?

Emma glanced towards Andrea but ignored what she said. “Captain, I have a destination.”

“Don’t we all,” Andrea said, feigning boredom.

Emma ignored Andrea’s comment a second time as she slipped a hand underneath her black leather coat to pull out a compass.

“Alright, you can stop gawking,” Niles said to the men. “Get to work. Clean this deck. Put those weapons away.”

James, Andrew and Walter slowly dispersed going about their duties.

“Listen, Miss Brightwater,” Niles said. “I’m headed for the capital. When we land you can pick up another ride.”

“Captain, I don’t think you understand,” Emma said. “Under Guardian law I have the right to commandeer this barge if I have to.”

“Damn,” Niles said before being interrupted by his own hoarse coughing. “On my boat ten minutes after we save you and you’re already giving orders?”

It was Niles’ opinion, shared especially amongst the cargo hauling industry, that most people didn’t like the order very much. They agreed that guardians tended to gallivant around with their heads held high telling everyone else what to do and how to do it. They interfered with free trade and on more than a few occasions had hassled Niles when inspecting his cargo. “We’re not in the cities right now and this is my barge. When we get to the capital you can find another ride.”

“Damn right,” Andrea muttered. “Which of the gods made you in charge anyway?”

Niles thought the Guardian seemed angry for a moment. Then her face changed as if she were contemplating something. “Captain,” Emma said. “My destination is only a few hours digression from the capital. Take me there and I promise you will receive a reward for your efforts.”

A reward? His ears perked up at those words. What was he out in the desert for if not to make a living? “A reward as in... money?” he asked. He thought he saw a trace of mirth behind the Guardian’s straight face.

“Yes,” she said. “All you have to do is drop me off where I need to go. Simple.”

There seemed to be no reasons to object to the Guardian’s proposal,except the fact that the Dusty Maiden would be late in her delivery. “The bearing?” Niles asked.

Emma leaned in closer to show him her compass bearing.

“That’s Skyhook, isn’t it?”

She confirmed his question. Niles looked over to his pilot with a questioning glance for a silent opinion on the matter, but decided he would receive none when Andrea turned her head, preferring to gaze in another direction.

A moment lapsed before Niles decided to make up his mind. “Alright, but on one condition.” As soon as he said this he thought he saw Emma’s spirits jump a little, though it was hard to tell behind the serious face she tried to keep.

“Name it,” she said.

“I want a signed letter, written from you, explaining why our delivery is late.”

Emma raised an eyebrow and said, “You mean you want me to imply that you had no choice in assisting me.”

Niles hesitated for a moment. “Yes.”

Emma smiled. “Very well, Captain.”

So she smiles after all. “Andrea,” Niles called.

“Yeah?”

“Take us to Skyhook.”