Skyward Episode 1: Pilot

> "Target confirmed at 6 o' clock."

The Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ captain, Nolan North, grinned.

Months of chasing had all led to this moment.

Licking his lips in anticipation he motioned over for his first mate to step closer.

"Sir!"

"Ready missiles 1 and 2. They aren't getting away this time."

"Roger! READY MISSILES 1 AND 2!" Soren Skylar barked.

Today the Ｎｏｒｍａｎｄｉｅ is going down.

Nolan watched as his airship's offense mechanisms begin to unfold, revealing the missile launchers hidden inside.

Switching the main controls, he brought up the targeting screen and locks on.

"Take this as a greeting, Norman!"

The captain clicks the red button on the side of his joystick, launching the missiles. "Arrivaderci."

 

> The Ｎｏｒｍａｎｄｉｅ

 

"Incoming missiles, Norman! I think it's the Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ!" Brad shouted from his monitor.

Norman Normal gripped the steering wheel hard, gritting his teeth.

Damn sky pirates.

"We're taking evasive maneuvers! Hold on tight!" he yells, spinning the wheel hard just in time to dodge the first barrage.

"Fucking Christ!" Brad cries out, losing his balance and just barely managing to grab onto one of the metal handholds. "You'll kill some-...shit." He runs off, disappearing through the closest door.

"Sentry come back!" A young purple girl stood up from her monitor to chase after him.

"Purple, leave him be! We're going into assault mode, ready the cannons!"

She stopped and saluted him and turned around to begin typing furiously. "Cannons ready!"

"Have them ready to fir-"

"Incoming message from the　Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ!" a blonde girl interrupted, looking up at Norman.

He sighed and settled back down on his chair. "Patch it through, Applehat. Let's hear what he has to say."

Norman took hold of the wheel again and turned the ship around to face his foe.

A screen appeared in front of him, showing him the Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ's captain for the first time.

 

"Yo! Don't you think it's about time you gave up, Norman Normal?" Red hair flitted across the screen, followed by verdant eyes.

The Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ captain looked to be around Norman's age, not what he had expected at all.

"I don't believe in giving up, pirate." Norman glares at the boy on the screen, ocher eyes narrowing with determination.

The boy blinked and threw his head back, laughing with great gusto. "So be it then. I will see to it that your ship is turned into nothing but scrap metal. Ciao." The screen faded away as the connection is cut off.

"What the hell does he want...?"

 

[Opening]

 

[Flashback to three years ago]

 

"Why are you leaving, Vinnie?" a young boy with familiar red hair sat on a swing in a snowy playground, scuffing his feet against the snow. He looked to his left to a girl sitting there, a sad smile on her face.

"I don't want to leave Nolan, but Papa says we're moving to America." she began swinging, climbing higher and higher.

He watched her, pouting. "You'll come back, right?"

"Of course."

 

"Breaking news, the Ｊｕｋｅｂｏｘ airship was attacked by sky pirates. So far there are no survivors." The television showed nothing but smoke, and the wind picked up, moving most of it away, revealing the debris of the Ｊｕｋｅｂｏｘ.

A plate crashed on the floor, Nolan stood there in shock, mouth gaping. "The Ｎｏｒｍａｎｄｉｅ was seen fleeing the scene with it's cannons still smoking. We have reason to believe they were the attackers."

"V-Vinnie..."

 

> Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ Airship

One year later

 

Nolan North whistled as he saw his ship for the first time. "Finally finished?"

A boy about his same age wearing a grey mechanic jumpsuit wiped his hands on a rag and nodded. "Just have to power it up and we're good to go."

"Thanks for helping out Soren."

The guy grinned and smacked Nolan hard on the back. "What do you say, want me to give you the grand tour? Amy is already on board doing some last routine checkups."

Nolan nodded and followed Soren down the hatch of the Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ and into a brightly lit corridor. "Is she now?" He paused to examine a wall, "Her work?"

"Hm?" Soren walked back and looked. A small photograph is hanging there, of four children smiling up at the camera. "Huh...didn't even notice that."

"That's because I just put it up," a girl walked up to them, adjusting her tank top. "Oh...h-hey boss."

Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of red, and she timidly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She clapped her hands together with finality and stepped aside. "Well then! Guess you're getting the grand tour?"

"Mm." Nolan said, giving her shoulder a pat as he passed her and followed a waiting Soren, leaving Amy behind.

"Dead set on becoming a sky pirate, Nols?" Soren asked, opening the door leading to the cockpit.

"Damn straight."

 

> Present

> Ｎｏｒｍａｎｄｉｅ

 

 "Fire!" Norman shouted. "If it's a fight they want, it's a war they'll get!"

"Firing cannons!" A girl with shock pink hair pressed a button at her station. "I hope you like fireworks!"

The metal covers of the Ｎｏｒｍａｎｄｉｅ groaned as they opened fire on the dark purple Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ. It fell back, only slightly, just out of range.

It's nose suddenly tilted forward, and came full speed as if to ram the ship.

"Crazy bastard..." Norman pulled up in time, the Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ flies by harmlessly. Alarms go off, encasing the cockpit in red lights. "What happened?!"

He jumped down from his spot and walked over to Twilight. Red warning signals were splayed out over her screen. "He took our cannons out with an electro-magnetic wire."

"Use the reserves."

"Ca-captain?"

"The reserves dammit!" He leaned over and input a command. The screen blinked, green lights replacing the red. "Heighten our speed, before he gets away."

"A-aye aye!"

Norman turned away and walked back to his station. He slumped down on his chair and booted up the control screen. "Fuck..."

"200 meters...150 meters....there they are!" Applejack said. The Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ came back in sight, two claws retreating back inside the ship.

"Tch. Motherfucker has moves, I'll give him that." He eyed the enemy's vessel. "That's it. We're going to give him a taste of despair. Applehat?"

"Sir!"

"Use the Casters." Applejack looked at him, almost horrified. "You can scold me later, use the damn Casters!"

"They are still in their testin'..." Applejack's voice trails off at her captain's glare. "Twilight, you heard 'im." She hugs her clipboard to her chest and retreats back to her seat, terrified.

Twilight nodded and tapped a few keys. The ship whirred as the second line of cannons are loaded with the Caster ammunition. "Casters ready."

He could still see the Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ and he smirked. "Let's get this over with."

 

> The Ｓａｉｎｔ’ｓ　Ｂｒｏ

 

 Nolan laughed, "Resorting to his emergency plans no doubt." He tapped his chin thoughtfully, watching the Ｎｏｒｍａｎｄｉｅ fall back, "Oi, Amy! Can you run a quick scan? I don't like the sudden change in tactic."

"On it!" Nolan leaned against the top of her chair, looking down at her screen as she analyzed the situation. "They seem to be getting ready to fire a round on us."

He laughed, "So I see..." his eyes flickered in the light, making them seem even greener than usual. "Well then, we can't allow them that now, can we?" He grabbed hold of the platform's edge and hauled himself up to the wheel.

"Sir?"

Nolan paced a little, hand on his chin. "We really don't have time for this. As long as he pays for what he's done." His gaze returned to the Ｎｏｒｍａｎｄｉｅ, hands ready on the wheel.

"Show me your true nature, Norman!"

 

> Somewhere within the bowels of the Ｎｏｒｍａｎｄｉｅ

 

 A shadowed figure lays in bed, staring at the ceiling.

The door opened and Brad walked inside. Th figure made an effort to sit up, but collapsed back into the pillows.

"W-what's going on?" the voice is cracked and weak.

Brad offers the person a reassuring smile. "Just some turbulence. You doing all right? How's your head?"

The figure grinned, then sighed. "I still can't remember..."

Brad's brow furrowed a bit, 'A year and she still hasn't recovered her memory. And it doesn't help that...' the room shook slightly. "Ugh, look I'll be back later. Try and get some rest, DJ."

Magenta eyes peer at him, "I...will. Thanks Brad."

He gave her head a pat and left the room, leaving the girl by herself.

She turned to stare at the wall and closed her eyes.

 

The screen fades out and she whispers, "Who am I?"

 

[Credits]