Skyjacks: Episode 1

## Blurb

Meet the crew of the Uhuru, a sky ship under the banner of the notorious captain Orimar Vale! His name is feared by Red Feather captains and privateers alike. However, Jonnit Kessler, Travis Matagot, Dref Wormwood, and Gable share a secret about him that no one else knows...

## Plot Summary

The episode opens on the skyship Uhuru, captained by Orimar Vale, as it flies through the sky. Jonnit Kessler is at the front of the ship, struggling to read a map in the wind, as land becomes visible on the distant horizon. Jonnit calls back across the ship to another crew member, who shouts to Travis Matagot, who is sitting on a bench at the side of the ship. He takes the message about their current course to Gable. They’re on course and will arrive in the port in around an hour. Gable goes to carry the message to the captain, who is below decks, in his quarters, with Dref Wormwood.

 The captain’s chambers are full of trophies in the form of weapons, silks, assorted baubles and rocks, and alcohol. The captain is sitting down staring into space while Dref attempts to fix his jaw, which is completely disconnected. Dref promises Gable that he can reattach the captain’s jaw, and does so. It isn’t a perfect fix, however, and causes the captain’s jaw to close with a snap. The captain, being a corpse who was reanimated by Dref, is unable to speak, and this issue draws unwanted attention to that fact.

As Gable and Dref are talking, there is a knock on the door of the quarters, and someone shouting for the captain. Dref instructs the captain to stand by his map table, with his back to the door. The man at the door introduces himself as Wilson, and asks to speak to the captain.

Wilson is concerned to see Dref in the captain’s quarters, as Dref is the doctor aboard the ship, and he inquires after the Captain’s health. Dref reassures him, and instructs the captain to nod, and wink the way that he used to when he was alive. This calms Wilson, who tells them that he was chosen to explain the crew’s concerns to the captain about the fact that the Uhuru hasn’t picked up any new cargo. Dref sends Wilson away with the task of taking inventory of their current cargo, as busy work to keep him occupied.

The Uhuru hasn’t taken on any more cargo for the six months since the captain died, as Dref isn’t confident in being able to fool people into thinking that the captain is still alive, but they are currently running on fumes.

Travis bursts into the room with a late warning about Wilson, and Dref proposes a team meeting. Gable sticks their head out of the window to look for Jonnit, and sees him already storming down the stairs, accusing them all of having a team meeting without him. Gable ushers him inside the quarters to preserve the group’s secret.

The party discuss their plans for having the captain negotiate for new cargo and agree their short term goal is to get food and money. The Uhuru is currently heading for Wolfstooth, a settlement outside of the control of the Red Feather Syndicate. Dref remembers being present in a meeting between the captain and a contact of his in Wolfstooth - a local business woman called Sonja. She controls which ships and what cargo goes in and out of Wolfstooth, and she owes the Uhuru a favour. Unfortunately, the captain had broken her heart and she had been furious the last time Dref had seen her.

They get side tracked by discussions of whether Orimar Vale, or zombies in general, should be allowed to have sex. Gable gets angry about the casual approach to such horrific concepts, and shouts at the others to stop. When they shout, their voice seems to resonate with other objects in the room, and it is intimidating enough that the others drop the topic, and return to planning.

They decide to test out whether the captain can be taken for a living person, and pretend that he appointed a negotiator to speak for him, which they decide will be Travis. Gable, Dref and Jonnit will also be present, Gable for intimidation and Dref to watch over the captain. Dref reminds the others that necromancy is frowned upon, so the captain’s secret must be kept. As this plan is being formulated, there are cries from above deck: they’ve arrived in Wolfstooth.

Someone needs to go ahead of the ship and negotiate pulling into the port, so Gable jumps out of the window and swings down to the bird cages with glee. The cages are on the outside of the ship, and there are three birds inside them, each for a different purpose. Gable releases Lucas, who is a white peacock, the fancy bird of the three, from his cage, and drops down to land on his back. For a moment as they drop, they feel like they’re flying.

The party wait for the captain to get ready, and prepare for the negotiation. When the captain comes out, everything looks correct apart from the fact he’s managed to snap his neck. Dref disguises this fact by giving him a fur to wrap around his neck, which works as the current season is winter, but is very noticeable.

The party head up on deck with the captain, and the crew is comforted by seeing him up and about again, as he had not left his quarters at all for the past six months.