Jumping Ship

Matt decides its time to rejoin Captain Walken and the rest of the crew of the Aurora only to find that a new captain is strutting the decks and firing the old crew one by one.

Chapter One: Homebound

I looked back over my shoulder as I clambered across the docks of Lionsgate City. My mother was standing at the gate, holding her sweater closed with one hand and waving furiously with the other. Beside her stood my girlfriend of three months, Kate de Vries, who was standing with her hands on her hips and smiling at me cheekily. She knew I had longed to journey back into the sky and I promised her I would return to Lionsgate City by year's end to visit her and my mother. Standing beside Kate, one hand on Kate's slender shoulder and vigilant as always was the disapproving figure of Miss Simpkins. She was to busy glaring at me to notice Kate's blown kisses.

I turned my gaze as tears began to slide down my mother's thin cheeks and readjusted my pack. Looking heavenward at all the airships that loomed over the docks, I hurried to join in the bustle of loading the ships.

Being mindful of the men carrying crates of supplies and live animals I looked for my ship, the Aurora. For too long had I dreamt of being in my cabin with Baz again, of twirling in the dining hall with trays laden down with colorful food being served to even more colorful passengers, but most of all I've missed the long hours in the Crow's Nest, searching the heavens' for other ships, counting shooting stars, and remembering the names of constellations my father taught me long ago.

Ever since I left the crew of the Aurora almost a year ago to go to school at the Airship Academy I have though I made a mistake. I feel trapped on land, I love the freedom that the air can give you and soaring at thousands of feet above the ground made me feel light as a feather and I was the happiest there as ever will be.

I searched the ships' sides, their names were painted vividly onto the outer skin, the Adventurer, the Transcendor, the Transitus, most bore the Lunardi Line mark. Lunardi had expanded his fleet of airships to almost eighty in a year making Otto Lunardi the richest man on this continent and the benefactor of almost 45 of all the airships in operation.

Finally I saw her, the Aurora in all her glory. I wasted no time in hurrying over to the tall man holding a clipboard, he was overseeing the labor of the men loading the ship and idly checking items off a list on his clipboard when it was properly stored onboard the craft. The man looked at me for a moment and then continued flicking his pen across the paper.

"Yes, may I help you lad?" I wrinkled my noise at the slight, I may not have facial hair yet but I felt that I hade certainly filled out some and grown a little since I had last seen the Aurora, lad indeed.

"My name is Matt Cruse, I'm signed up to join the Aurora on the trans-Pacific flight in the rank of Sailmaker." The man ignored his clipboard and finally looked me in the eye. "Ah yes, Mr. Cruse. The captain was expecting you yesterday but since you had to come all the way from Paris…no matter…once the ship is airborne in three hours time you are to report to the captain's quarters and receive your bunk assignment and duties."

I didn't immediately walk away like the man had so obviously thought I was going to do but instead looked over his shoulder and pointed out that he had marked a crate of eggs, instead of a crate of breads. The man quickly scribbled out the mistake and filled in the correct information, flushing a deep red.

I took the unnatural coloring of his face as my cue to leave, so I climbed the ramp to the interior of the Aurora. Staring at the familiar rooms and decorations, I breathed deeply, feeling at ease for the first time in years. It was like meeting an good friend after a long time apart. Finally, I was home again.

Author's Note:

This is just a short, very short prelude to the actual story that will be coming soon. There is wickedness abound in the air and Matt had to go about fixing it before the entire crew is out of a job, and merely because of a misguided grudge!

Next Chapter: Baz is back and not in his usual chipper mood

PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU'RE EVEN THE LEAST BIT INETERESTED IN AN AIRBORN/SKYBREAKER STORY WHICH WILL BE FAIRLY LONG AND NOT POINTLESS, I PROMISE.