[center][b][h3][color=00ff00]J'eon the Blacksmith[/color][/h3][/b][/center]

"If they have numbers that tell them how to shape their skyship," J'eon rumbled, "Then they can make a small one...."

The Glen blacksmith smiled, then drained his mug.

[hr]

[center][h3][color=00ff00][b]Jack Mallory, X.O.[/b][/color][/h3][/center]

"There was a flotilla of English ships, back in the age of sail," Mallory smiled, "damaged at sea during a storm. They needed the shelter of a harbor to do repairs, but the harbor they found belong to the Spaniards, their enemies. Still, they had the fort outgunned, so they made an agreement with the mayor. They would make repairs and replenish their supplies, and they would not attack the town."

The cameras were picking up the feast, he watched as the crew ate local food, not unlike the pot-lucks he'd seen in the service and as a kid. He wondered what their share was?

"Anyway, what should appear a few days later but a Spanish fleet!" Jack frowned, his face lit by the lights of the consoles. He continued his lecture. "The captain rushed to meet with the mayor to reconfirm their agreement, and the captain of the Spanish ships was there, and they all agreed the cease-fire would continue. In fact, they wanted to hold a feast, inviting the crews of both fleets. And of course, nobody would be armed."

Jack sighed, leaning back as he watched the crowd. 

"One of them, Drake, noticed that the Spaniards were doing something with one of the tables, and looked under the tablecloth to find weapons stacked there. When he alerted his captain, the Spaniards launched their surprise attack. Drake and a handful of the crewmen managed to fight their way out and back to their ships and managed to escape, but a few of the ships and many crewmen were captured by the Spaniards. Many of them would be prisoners for years."

"Francis Drake became a famous British seaman, knighted by Queen Elizabeth," he added. "But first, he needed to escape. And our job, Wodan, is to give our crew that opportunity should they need it."