“Desen, it is good of you to remember me,” Jaehyun’s smile was polite, ignoring the bared fangs of his former colleague. “I see you’ve been promoted.” His eyes flicked down to the newest medal adorning the other’s man’s chest.

“Oh this?” The man tapped the medal as though he forgot it were on his uniform. “That was awarded to me for my efforts in putting down a Drathinian rebellion some months back. It’s been what?--twenty years? You’d think that everyone would accept their lot.” He stepped around Jaehyun, leaning down to peer at Navi. Lamond casually slid forward slightly to block his sister. The man glared at the officer. “Speaking of, how odd it is that you have two on board this vessel!”

“There is no rule against citizens of the Empire being gainfully employed,” Jaehyun remarked mildly. 

Commander Desen whipped his head around. “You would think that, Park.” He raised an eyebrow. “And you are flying again? Good for you! Your employer was all right with you being a marked man? I hear that the sentencing was lenient, but still—having that kind of record could put a damper on any business.” He tsked, shaking his head in mock concern.

The pilot steeled himself, not rising to the bait. “Yes, well, I believe you had an inspection you needed to carry out, Commander? I have my paperwork ready for you.” He held out the leather sheaf containing their shipping license and manifest.

Commander Desen snatched the documents from Jaehyun’s hands, turning to his soldiers. “Half of you, search the ship.” He flipped through the documents. “Ensure that they have what is on the manifest here. Report back if there are any discrepancies.” The squad divided into two with the one half disappearing into the bowels of the ship.

Navi forced herself to look at the floor. She knew that if she looked up at this pompous prick desecrating her ship and insulting her crew, she would batter his face in. If she did that, all her dreams would come to nothing. “There is a time and a place for everything,” she told herself. When she glanced up, her eyes met the pale blue of the man, Desen, fixed on her. She froze, calculating her odds.

“Why do you have a woman on board, Park?” The captain stalked back towards her. “And so little!”

“That is our first mate and chief mechanic,” Jaehyun stepped towards her, but the soldiers nearest him lowered their hands to their sidearms. He cursed inwardly, trying to think of how to draw the man’s attention away from the mechanic.

Jethro suddenly sneezed—which would not have been noteworthy had it not sounded like a cannon going off in a chapel. It had a similar effect as all the soldiers jumped back, reaching for their guns.

“Sorry! Sorry!” he laughed. “Must be the smell of someone’s pomade. Don’t pay me any mind!”

Desen zeroed in on the big man. “Quite large for a crewman, aren’t you?”

“I’m no crewman,” the big man declared, swelling with pride and flexing. “I am Jethro Mulligan—the finest smith West of the Capital. You don’t get muscles like these working on an airship. Show ‘em, lad!” He clapped his apprentice on the back.

Joe stumbled forward, but recovered quickly also flexing. His position and size blocked Navi from the Commander’s view. “My master emphasizes maintaining the body’s peak physical capability as a part of his philosophy for being a true metal worker!” he declared. “He truly is the best!”

“Is that so?” Commander Desen’s eyes sought out the two Drathinians again. Jaehyun slid into his view.

“Are there any questions regarding our paperwork, sir? I can answer any questions you might have.” He kept his tone carefully neutral and a pleasant look on his face. All he knew was to keep the Commander away from the two Drathinians.

Commander Desen hid his growing annoyance by taking a look at the ship’s license in his hand. A precursory glance told him everything was in order, but he was dissatisfied. When the other squad returned to confirm that the ship’s cargo matched the manifest, cracks in his façade began to show.

One of the men whispered in his ear. “Looks like you’re in the clear, Park,” he said, returning the license to his former colleague.

Jaehyun knew better than to feel relief. His time encountering the noble in official and unofficial spheres told him to be wary of an easy victory. “All right.”

“But I’d like to have a word with your mechanic.”

In his peripheral vision, Jaehyun saw Navi flinch.

Commander Desen smiled a cat’s sly smile. “It seems there are a few doors on this ship that are locked—including your peculiar engine room? We’re going to take a look inside as a part of our official inspection. Unless, there is something there that isn’t on your manifest?”

Before anyone could respond, they were all blinded. A resounding “Cracka-boom” had everyone ducking.

“Sir!” A soldier appeared in the doorway.  A storm is headed our way! We had better get back on board the Fist. It looks like its going to be a bad one!”

Commander Desen lost his smile. Another peal of thunder echoed outside. “Until next time, Park.” He replaced his hat, tapping it in a casual salute and was out on the ramp to his ship before Jaehyun could blink. The soldiers had unclamped the walkway and the two ships drifted apart in the wind.

“Joseph, get that door! Lamond, to the gun turrets! Navi, stoke that engine! Jethro, secure the cargo! We need to use the storm to put some distance between us and them quickly!” Jaehyun leapt up the stairs towards the bridge. The crew scattered for their places.

Navi clamped herself back onto the pulley system and smoothly dropped to the lower levels. The storm was fortuitous, and the Commander of that had cleared them, but he was not about to let them go that easily. Outside, the storm began to howl its fury. They were over the colossal lake of Genesis in the Vistar plains. The lake was sixty kilometers wide—perhaps wide enough to help hide them. Storms in this region were notoriously strong.

She rang the bridge. “Captain, you should head into the storm. It could be our one chance to lose your friend.”

“He was never my friend. We were barely associates,” he replied, revving the engines. “Can the North take this kind of freak weather?”

“Can a fish swim, Captain?” Navi ran her hands lovingly over the secondary controls. “If you want, I can show you how the North swims.”

“You didn’t hire me to be a pretty face,” he replied. “Watch me take her through her paces then.” He pinged the rest of the crew. “Strap yourselves in. It’s going to be a wild ride.”

___________________

The Heaven’s Fist allowed the True North to gain a head start. Commander Desen ordered his pilot to stay close to the smaller ship.

The opportunity to put Jaehyun Park in his place was too good to pass up. How many times had that prick gotten in his way—showing him up to their superiors? He had been passed over for several promotions just because Park was always ahead of him. Well, now Park had to be subject to him. He had the full power of the law on his side.

He smiled grimly to himself. At first he was resentful of being posted out here in the arse-end of the Empire, but today would make up for the months of boredom.

“Sir, the storm winds are measuring at a hundred kilometers an hour! The Fist can’t take sustained battering like that!”

Desen fixed his icy glare on the ____. “Did I ask for your opinion, Corporal?”

The man gulped. “Sir—no, sir!”

“Then continue to do your job and follow my orders. We are staying with the True North. I don’t care if we are flying through the mouth of Hell. Stay the course. Is that understood?” Desen turned back to watch the black clouds billowing before the small, fish-shaped ship.

“Yes, sir!”

___________________

Jaehyun was struggling with the controls in the Bridge. The winds kept increasing in strength. The clouds obscured all visuals. He could no longer see the Fist behind them, or the land beneath them. Instead, he kept his attention on the monitors, ensuring that they were staying relatively level at a safe height from the ground.

A bolt of lightning as thick as the trunk of an oak tree flashed across the bridge. He spun the wheel, dodging though the bolt had already passed.

“Don’t lose your head, Park!” he told himself, steadying his breathing. His eyes flicked to the instruments and made minor adjustments. This was what he was made to do.

The lightning came faster. Everything around them was blinding rain and inky darkness. The ship shook as he hit a gust. An idea struck him and he turned into the pocket of resistance. At one point the ship plummeted. Then the “fins” caught the wind just right. The air surged around them, pushing them through the storm at unbelievable speeds. Ahead of them, the clouds broke suddenly and the True North climbed into blinding sunlight.