"They aren't waving, and they're advancing in a loose line," Arkadios remarked, training a telescope on the approaching figures, "I'd say they're not expecting us to be friendly, and, given we have a great big Imperial wyvern stamped on the tail of the ship, I'd say they know exactly who we are, even if we don't know exactly who they are."

He paused momentarily, "Have any of you ladies or gentleman seen a machinegun range chart around here?  The gas bags are fragile and I'd rather not lose any more buoyancy."

"We should take the ship West," Zoe jumped in, having apparently decided it was an appropriate time to offer her opinion, "Fly out over the Morktree.  The Mittelvolk allies of the Empire, they won't shoot at us.  We can try to do a big loop through neutral countries!  We'll just need to let them know we're coming.  I think?  That's how it works, right?"