A/N - IT'S FINALLY HERE! BASE OF OPERATIONS HAS BEGUN! I've decided the chapters will not have a minimum length for this story; rather, I'll upload small sections of each character's views. The story's in third person, but I'll be doing the whole jump between characters thing. In the same chapter this will just be the horizontal line thing, so that doesn't always mean time passing! It will most likely mean a change in character opinion.

Oh, by the way, it definitely has airships in it. In the first sentence even. ;P

To all the people who have sent me in OCs, thank you so much for your support in creating this story! I really hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing these first few bits.

- AxleMC131

One

SBA Outer Defence Unit 4B...

Eyeing the brown and grey dots that stood out from the twilight sky, Spanners stepped up to the Gunner's seat and disengaged the safety on the multiblock construction, loading the charges that Soarinrine had placed in the barrel.

"Any likely targets?" Soarin asked from behind, meaning the group of enemy airships that had appeared on the horizon half an hour ago.

Spanners judged the distance to the oncoming vessels from her station beside the cannon housing. "Not as yet," she replied, "They're all still out of range for this girl I reckon."

'This girl' was a brand new, eight-block TNT cannon that had just been built. Spanners and Soarinrin weren't on an airship themselves, oh no. Not with a weapon this large at their disposal. No, the Omniworkz C-6 AA Flak cannon they were operating was built on solid ground just behind the bunker they were stationed at: SBA Outer Defense Unit 4B. It wasn't them two alone though; there was a squad of six soldiers stationed there. Spanners was second in command over the small group, being a highly intelligent and skilled archer. Henceforth, she had been given the job of targeting and firing the new 'girl'.

Soarinrine was Herobrine's son, but although similar in fighting style and appearance (save for the bushy moustache), he was actually a perfectly nice guy.

Soarin and Spanners had only met when they first joined the SkyBorne military, but they had become quite good friends, as well as with the others in their squad.

One of the other members of the group came out of the bunker, weiding a hatchet in one hand. Glancing at the sky, he stepped onto the raised platform and bowed to the two already there. "Evening Spanners, Soarin," he greeted them.

Soarin nodded. "Evening Theros. Come to watch the show?"

The soldier with the hatchet grinned. "Of course. What with you and your bow, Spanners at this 'ere new cannon... I say the Cloud Skimmer Army is in for a surprise."

Spanners laughed. "Fools, the lot of them. I wish I could see the looks on their faces when we fire the first salvo." She stroked the clean, new stone bricks that made up the cannon housing.

"How many ships we talking?" Theros asked, changing the subject and waving his hatchet at the approaching vessels. He narrowed his eyes against the fading light. "Four... Five vessels? My eyes aren't as far-seeing as you two..."

Soarin chuckled. "'S cos you don't use a bow." The white-eyed man fondled the bow on his back, a dangerously powerful composite weapon enchanted with Flame and Infinity.

Spanners gave him a mocking dirty look. "Hey, at least mine isn't OP!" she snickered, gesturing to her own hand carved longbow beside her. "I'm technically the better shot anyway, which is why I'm sitting here and you're standing there." She gave the men a wink and turned back to the airships. "You, Soarin, just aim in the general direction and let fire loose everywhere."

Herobrine's son shuffled his feet. "Hey, look at my father!"

Theros glanced back towards the airships. "Do we need to tell the others to get the Nightfly in the air?"

Spanners considered. "Ask Shado, but my opinion is don't launch her, but ready her. If they fly a pass, we could take off behind them, hit them from the rear."

The soldier nodded. "I'll go talk to Shado. But I'll tell her what you suggested."

"Thanks Theros," the second in command responded as he headed back to the bunker. 'Oh, and Theros?" she added quickly.

"Yeah?"

"Ask Commander Shado if we have permission to fire this girl at will. I think we have range..."