The Mighty Airship Kaede. (The Mighty Airships of Earth. Book 1)

by Gary W. Feather

  "Lieutenant Morgan has taken off with a couple of men on your wife's airship, sir. Also a scout from Major McLean's company has just arrived and they're on their way back."

  "Very good, Captain," General James said. "Maybe I can get a company over there to help Colonel Younger and his men. Hopefully we could be rid of this damn Custer before winter sets in. Send a rider to the major to tell him what's wrong and that he needs to hurry on over."

  "Yes, sir." Captain Greene saluted and left.

  General James smiled, sipped his lemonade and looked at his pocket watch. He wondered how long it would take the major get back and how long it would take Morgan to return from the fort. He sighed. He picked up the book and flipped to the page that he had been reading.

  "Excuse me, General?" a woman said.

  General James checked behind him and saw the French woman standing by the door with a pretty smile on her delicate face. "Yes, Mrs. Le Trosne?"

  "I wanted to talk to you about something important," Mrs. Le Trosne said, mysteriously.

  "What about?"

  "It’s that Imperial Union airship I was telling you about.”

  "Now why would I believe such a fancy airship like exists?" General James said.

  "Because I am aware you already do know about it. I'm sure Jesse and Belle Starr told you about it."

  "Well, an interesting story you have there. Did Jules Verne write it? I am not aware of such things in reality, Mrs. Le Trosne," General James said, cautiously. "Does your husband believe the same thing?"

  "My husband is a diplomat, unlike myself."

  "You have a profession other than as his wife, I take it," General James said. It wasn't exactly a question.

  "I am a member of the French intelligence.”

  "I see."

  "Do you want to know more about my Jules Verne story, General?" Mrs. Le Trosne said.

  "Yes, Mrs. Le Trosne. I would." General James nonchalantly leaned down to reach for his boot knife. "Of course I could have you arrested as a spy and order you shot."

  "True. There would be a lot of annoying paperwork for you to fill out. It could cause an international incident that would very much upset your president. I'm sure."

  "True."

  "Yes, General.”

  "Please be seated, Mrs. Le Trosne." General James gestured to the empty chair beside his.

  "Thank you, General." Mrs. Le Trosne wrapped the shawl that she had been carrying around her shoulders before she sat. She looked at the general. “We believe they made this airship from technology stolen from a Martian spacecraft that crashed in the desert in the disputed southwest territories north of Mexico."

  "You mean between our New Mexico and Japan's California?" General James nodded.

  "We weren't sure at first. But I saw it myself, I even have a photograph of it."

  "They just let you walked up and take a photographs? Didn't they see you?"

  "I have my ways, General." Mrs. Trosne giggled. "A lady shouldn't give away her secrets too soon. It spoils the fun."

  "True, Mrs. Le Trosne." General James laughed.

  Mrs. Le Trosne reached into a hidden pocket in her dress and pulled out a black and white photograph. She actually could have given him a color photograph of the airship, but that would have raised too many questions. As of yet, humans had not invented color photography though some colored them after the photo was taken.

  General James took the photo from her delicate hand to look at it. "How can it get into the air carrying that much armor on it?"

  "Some kind of Martian technology, I think," Mrs. Le Trosne said. "Right now, they have only the one, but if they are able to make more of those they might just take away not only the disputed territories, but New Mexico too. Maybe even Texas."

  "Son of a bitch! Oh pardon my French...uh, I mean German."

  "Yes, of course, General," Mrs. Le Trosne said. "But they need to be stopped."

  "I don't disagree, Mrs. Le Trosne."

  "Also, this Doctor Sakusa is one of the main reasons this airship exists. It would have never been built without her support, scientific knowledge and abilities. She cannot be allowed to return home."

  "I don't plan to release her, Mrs. Le Trosne," General James said. "Nor let her escape. So be assured, my dear Mrs. Le Trosne, that everything is fine."

  "Just the same, General. I think you should have her executed."

  "Mrs. Le Trosne! That is unbecoming of a lady to say that."

  "I know, General." Mrs. Le Trosne stood up. "But I wanted to warn you. You may take my advice or not. It's your choice."

  General James almost forgot to rise to his feet, but he did. She curtsied and he gave her a gentlemanly bow. She left.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  Supersonic Scouting.

  Lieutenant Morgan felt pressure on his chest as the powerful booster rockets on the little airship blasted the vessel at supersonic speeds. It wasn't long before he turned off the speed and was happy to feel the airship slow down. Morgan saw they were approaching Fort Detroit that was built on the Detroit River. The fort had been rebuilt in 1867 by the Union forces as one of their last bases a few years before President Lincoln’s surrender.

  "There it is!" Lieutenant Morgan shouted to the enlisted men. "Looks like there's been quite a fight, but I don't see any sign of fighting right now. I'm slowing down. Sergeant, open the door and look out. Tell me what you see."

  "Yes, Lieutenant.” The sergeant untied the safety belt on his chair and crawled back to the door.

  "We're barely moving now, Sergeant," Morgan said. "Why don't ya take a look now?"

  The sergeant turned the latch and opened the heavy metal door. He held on tightly and looked outside. The sergeant cursed in a way an NCO is expected not to do in front of an officer.

  "What was that, Sergeant?" Morgan asked.

  "Uh...that was Choctaw, sir," the sergeant said. "Sorry, sir."

  "Never mind," Morgan said. "What did you see?"

  "The old Union flag."

  "What the--" Morgan grabbed a lever overhead. He pulled back on it. "I turned on the autopilot, so I can have a look." He untied his safety belt.

  Morgan crawled back to the door to see the sight of Fort Detroit with old Union Stars and Stripes waving in the wind. "They've captured the fort!"

  It was then that an anti-aircraft shell exploded nearby and the airship shook.

  "Get this door shut! We're leaving." Morgan crawled back to the pilot's chair without waiting for an answer. He tied himself into the seat and shoved the autopilot lever forward. He twisted a knob and flipped some switches. He pushed a knob in and out over and over again. Two more shells exploded as the airship picked up speed and turned in the direction they had come from. Another shell exploded. The little airship's booster rockets ignited and it took off for General James' home.

  #

  "Shit!"

  "Oi!" Captain Parsons said in the Control Room of the HHMS Kaede. "Language, Commander Matsuo."

  "Sorry, sir.”

  "That's okay, Commander," Captain Parsons said. "I am upset too. I actually thought we were fast."

  Captain Parson had just seen an airship appear and leave with incredible speed. Fast little bastard! The upper section or balloon section was cigar-shaped and streamlined even more than his airship was. Its little control/crew pod was mounted underneath with two long rocket engines on its side. It didn't have propeller engines.

  "It must have been built purely for speed, sirs," Lieutenant Gardner, the Rudder pilot said. "A spy ship?"

  "Yes, Lieutenant," Captain Parsons said. "Still, I don't think it is a threat as long as they haven't seen us. They couldn't carry much more than some rifles and a few soldiers in the little thing."

  Captain Parsons glanced at the spot in the sky where the other airship had been. He turned towards the doorway of the bridge with his officers at their stations behind him. Parsons knew that they were watching him.

  What answer do I have to give them? Th
e other airship might have seen us, but we can’t know for sure. Maybe I should just call the drill off just this once. No. We can’t go chasing after it. Just continue with the plan drill as always.

  "That might be the little airship that was used to get Doctor Sakusa out of Toronto so quickly," Commander Matsuo said. "Are we still going to continue the drills as planned, Captain?"

  "Of course, Commander. I want my crew ready for any situation. It's what is expected of professionals, at least in my book. Right now, you're in command."

  "Yes, sir," Commander Matsuo said.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  The Choice.

  Ellie leaned against the side of the Wang's airship as General James' plantation in Michigan came into view.

  "Nice place," Jessica Wang said to Ellie. "Slightly cold, ya think?"

  "Yep," Ellie said. "I prefer Virginia, but I've been to colder places."

  "Really?"

  "Siberia is far colder than this, Jessica. How far north have you been?"

  "Oh." Jessica’s eyes rolled up. "I've been to Canada a few times and the Oregon territories. Where's Siberia?"

  "Northern Asia. It belongs to the Russians of Eastern Europe. And they can keep it for all I'm concerned. Snow and ice. The locals there herd deer and water freezes quicker than you can piss it out."

  "Doesn't sound like fun," Jessica said.

  "It wasn't," Ellie said.

  "That must be the slave houses with some barns and other buildings.”

  "Yep. The big house with the orchard behind it is coming up. Do ya see it?"

  "Yes," Jessica said. "Pretty plantation house, and it looks fairly new.

  "It is. I don't think they had slave plantations up here before we invaded the northern most states at the end of the war.”

  "Dumb move on their part? Considering what your pa did to 'em."

  "Yep," Ellie said. As the crazy airship got closer Ellie could see anti-aircraft guns aimed up at them. "Oh shit!"

  Ellie saw Captain Wang rush up front to where she and Jessica was.

  "Do they know we're coming and who we are?" Captain Wang wiped his grease stained face with a rag. "I just thought I would like to know before your friends blow us to bits."

  "Uh, I'm not sure if they know we're coming," Ellie said. "But I don't understand why they are so nervous."

  "We need to leave. Right now. We need to turn this ship around and get out of here before we get shot down."

  "Now calm down, Captain," Ellie said. "We just need to signal them and wave a Confederate flag to show we're friendly."

  "Flag?" Captain Wang said.

  "You do have one, don't ya?"

  "Ellie," Jessica said. "We're smugglers. We prefer to hide and not be seen. Any sort of flag ain't much help."

  "Shit," Ellie said. A shell exploded to their left, but enough away to not shake the Hell-Beast too badly. "How about a white flag! I got some white long-johns in my bag that you can use!"

  "Right." Captain Wang soon had a stick with Ellie's white underthings waving from it.

  The anti-aircraft crews stopped firing at the large, unknown airship. Captain Wang ordered his crew to allow the Hell-Beast to land. Ground lines were dropped from the airship. Slave men and women ran up and grabbed them to keep the airship from floating away. Several solders with rifles stood nearby as Captain Wang's crew crawled down to hammer stakes in the ground to anchor the ground lines.

  Ellie climbed down a ladder to get to the officer in command of the soldiers. "Excuse me, I'm Colonel Ellie Jackson," she said to the captain. "Sorry about upsetting you gentlemen. I just wanted to speak with the general and his wife."

  "Oh crap," the captain.

  "What?" Ellie said.

  "Pardon me, ma'am. I'm Captain Greene. General James has been kind of worried you would grace us with your presence.”

  It wasn't long before General James and his wife arrived. Now what? Should we just take off and run?

  "You mad woman!" General Frank James shouted.

  Colonel Ellie Jackson cringed. It wasn't just any general yelling at her, but a highly decorated veteran of the war, especially in the Midwest. Her father had nothing but the greatest respect for General James.

  "I'm sorry, sir," Ellie said. "I had no idea the huge airship Momiji had been on was in the area. I thought that they would have gone back to California."

  "Well—" General James yelled and then stopped himself. "Uh, it seems after the battle with you they had to go north to Canada for repairs. Soon after that, Jesse and Belle Starr went there on Ashton's little experiment of an airship. They have since returned with Doctor Sakusa."

  "I see," Ellie said. "May I see her?"

  "Wait a minute. How did you find out she was here?"

  "What?" Ellie said. "Well...I-"

  "Dammit. Did Jesse or Bell tell your cousin Bartie?"

  "Yes, sir." Ellie didn't like saying that, but didn't think that lying to the general would be a good idea. Poor Bartie.

  “So he told you, even though that was against regulations?”

  “I am in Army Intelligence, sir,” Ellie tried to explain. “I-”

  “I might have a chat with your father, the President, about that.”

  Poor me.

  "Now, Frank," Ashton said as she entered the parlor/front room. "Ellie has a lot of reasons to be angry."

  "Thank you, Ashton," Ellie said.

  "Still, I don't think she should be alone with Momiji."

  "I--" Ellie began. "Okay, Ashton and General. I just would like to see her."

  "Fine," General James said. "Teddy. Bring Doctor Sakusa down here to talk to Ellie."

  "You may also inform her who wishes to see her, Teddy," Ashton tossed in.

  "Yessum, Master. Mistress." Teddy left the room.

  "How rude of me, I almost forgot. General James and Mrs. James, this is Captain Marco Polo Wang of the Hell-Beast. And this is his wife and first mate, Mrs. Helen Wang.

  "How do you do, Captain." General James tipped his hat to Mrs. James. "Ma'am. You folks might as well come inside. We seem to have a lot of surprise guests today."

  "Howdy, General," Captain Wang said. "Hello, Mrs. James."

  "How do you do, Captain Wang and Mrs. Wang," Ashton said.

  Other greetings went around as Ellie, Captain Wang and Mrs. Wang joined everyone in the plantation house.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

  The Challenge.

  Momiji stood looking out the window. Even though she had been given books to read and could practice her Kendo, there still was very little to do. Just now, lots of people were running around. And she also thought she heard the sounds of anti-aircraft fire. At first she had hoped it was the Kaede coming to rescue her once again. But after a while she realized it wasn't. She was wondering what could be going on when Teddy knocked on the door.

  "I am decent, Teddy," Momiji said to her jailer. "You can come in."

  The door opened and Teddy walked in. Momiji soon learned what was going on: her ex-lover was downstairs waiting for her.

  What happens now? How pissed off is she? I cut off her hand. I don't think she will be pleased that I spared her life.

  Momiji followed Teddy downstairs. As they descended the stairs, the nun was walking upwards. "What is going on, Doctor Sakusa?" she asked.

  "It seems my past has caught up with me, Sister Annunziata-Maria," Momiji said. "Ellie Jackson is here. I suppose she wants her hand back and I don't have it."

  "Ah," Sister Annunziata-Maria said. "Are you ready to face what you have done?"

  "Yes."

  "Good. I do not approve of your former relationship with her, but you seem honorable in your own foreign way. I think I will go with you."

  "Thank you, Sister." Momiji guessed it was a compliment.

  The two women followed Teddy down to the first floor and into the parlor where Momiji saw the woman in the room with the others. She chose to greet the master and mistress of the house first.

  "Hello, Gene
ral James. Mrs. James." Momiji gave a polite, traditional Japanese woman's bow with her hands covering her lap. "You have more guests today."

  General James just nodded.

  "Yes," Mrs. Ashton James said. "I believe you've met everyone here, including Miss Ellie Jackson."

  "Yes. Hello, Ellie. How are you doing?"

  "Do you like my new hand?" Ellie held up her metal hand. She moved the fingers and squeezed them into a fist. "It almost feels as if it’s a part of me, but I'd prefer the real thing."

  "I-I am truly sorry, Ellie." Momiji shook her head. "I--"

  "Well, that's okay then," Ellie glared. "We can be friends again. No reason for me to be angry at you, my dear old friend. How did you get kidnapped? I heard a lady friend of yours was kidnapped and you took her place so she could be free. Why? Who was she? Just a friend?"

  "No," Momiji said. "She's more than a friend. Wendy Montgomery is my lover. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you, but you and I have not been lovers for years and you know it."

  "I know it? What is it about this Wendy that you love so much? Huh? Young is she? Young and sweet to the taste?"

  "Ellie, stop it," Ashton said. "You're being rude and it won't help you any."

  "Help me? Help me?" Ellie said. "I don't want anyone's help. Nor pity, especially from her."

  "El--"

  "I hate you! More than you can imagine," Ellie said. "I want to see your blood flowing on the ground in front of me! I want to rip out your little beating heart!"

  "My God, Ellie," Ashton said. "What possesses you so? Are you ill? Do you burn with madness?"

  "I burn!"

  Do you have to be so melodramatic, Ellie?

  "How dreadful. She must be mad," Seraphine said to her husband.

  "Hush, dear." Furragus held his wife to his side. "She'll hear you."

  "I heard you and I don't care," Ellie snapped. She pulled out a glove-a lady's lace glove-and smacked Momiji across the cheek with it.