Ping Pirates!

It seemed like another quiet night in the Jade Archipelago. Only the occasional barking of dogs at the Jade harbour broke the still of silence.

Captain Nicola was struggling to keep awake at her sentry post. She wished that she could doze off to lala land, especially since the earlier day's battles had take their toll on her body. Her droppy eyelids began to close despite her futile efforts to stay awake. And she started dreaming.

She saw herself drifting across the beautiful night sky, with the cool wind blowing in her hair. The starlight lit up a stage from nowhere and she began to dance on the stage. Suddenly she felt black shadows creeping closer and closer to the stage. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. And then she began to fall through the darkness.

Nicola jolted awake. She saw silhouettes against the horizon, appearing larger by the second. She thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her again.. But a blinding flash of light and the unmistakable roar of a yamato cannon was convincing enough that the Ping fort was under seige! Nicola quickly blew the alarm horn as loud as she could. Airships come to life and the nightsky was brightly light with battle flames. War cries and screams filled the air as captains try to tear each other's guts out.



Suddenly, an ominous rumble was heard. No one paid any attention. But the rumble got gradually louder. Both sides stopped fighting when they realised that the noise was not coming from either side. The rumble grew louder and louder, like an growl of a rousing carnivore. A bright glint of light had now appeared and seconds later, it became visible enough for nicola to discern it as an airship shaped like a fort.

Nicola peered through her telecope and peered at the captain at the airship's steering wheel. She gasped. Captain Anne was back!