Crimson Skies

Story

In 1937, Nathan Zachary and the fortune hunters recover from Lucas Miles' evil betrayal in the skies above Cuba by searching for the lost treasure of Sir Francis Drake. While searching for Drake's gold, the fortune hunters find evidence of British interest in Hawaii and are attacked by the Medusas. Despite their victory, the fortune hunters are curious as to the reason for the British presence. The capture of a British Balmoral leads them to a secret British base, which they promptly destroy. Despite a counter-attack by HMS Barracuda, the fortune hunters manage to repair the Pandora with the help of British facilities and recover Drake's Gold, although the Royal Air Force intervenes at the last minute. The fortune hunters are delighted with their new wealth and break up their party when they receive a distress call from an old friend: Ilsa Fassenbiender, the daughter of Doctor Wilhelm Fassenbiender, informs the fortune hunters by radio that her father has been kidnapped by the Soviet secret police, while she herself is being held captive by Boeing Aviation in Pacifica. The fortune hunters launched an attack on the CCCP zeppelin Workers' Voyage to free the doctor, which led to Nathan Zachary meeting his old flame, the Black Swan, again. After their successful flying rescue, the Fortune Hunters attempt to repeat their success with a lightning raid on the Boeing plant in hopes of both rescuing Ilsa and stealing the prototype Hughes Bloodhawk, Blue Streak. Successful again, the Fortune Hunters are forced to strike again against the USSR - this time attacking a tanker off the coast of Pacifica to refuel the Pandora. On their return to Pacifica, the Fortune Hunters attack a Blake Aviation Security zeppelin in a preemptive strike that is a complete success. Shortly after this victory, the Fortune Hunters have to face a new enemy. The previously unknown pirate gang, the Black Hats, had shot down the Workers' Voyage, which would not have been possible if the Fortune Hunters had not destroyed the escort. Plagued by guilt, the Fortune Hunters pounced on the wreck, drove off the Black Hats and ensured the survival of the hospital ship that had been sent to rescue the survivors. In the flush of victory and with two of the world's most brilliant aircraft designers in tow, the Fortune Hunters head south to the Nation of Hollywood. Although they were originally just rescuing a movie starlet who was trapped in his contract, after another successful rescue, the Fortune Hunters stole the world's largest airplane and entered the first Johnson Cup Race, which Nathan Zachary won by a wide margin. This victory in Johnny Johnson's homeland prompted him to hatch a nefarious plan to destroy Zachary. When this failed, he took advantage of the delay caused by the race to send a Hughes Aviation combat zeppelin to destroy the Fortune Hunters' Pandora. The attack resulted in the destruction of the Hughes Aviation zeppelin, but the Pandora was badly damaged. Fleeing inland, the Fortune Hunters were forced to capture the Figaro cargo zeppelin to take the Pandora in tow. When they arrived in Sky Haven, the Fortune Hunters encountered Black Swan and her group. With both sides willing to let bygones be bygones, the party went late into the night. When Zachary woke up the next morning, his crew was gone and his only ally was Black Swan, whose crew had also mysteriously disappeared. As he searched the area around Sky Haven, Zachary intercepted a message from Sparks, the pilot of the Pandora. He was on board the Rocky Express. Zachary rushed to rescue his pilot, but the Express was attacked by Black Hats. The Express was escorted by the Hellhounds of Sacred Trust Incorporated, who were awaiting the Black Hats. Zachary and the Black Swan drove off both the pirates and the would-be security guards, disabling the Express's defenses and grabbing Sparks seconds before the Express's engine exploded. Zachary and the Black Swan are convinced that the Black Hats are responsible for the disappearance of their crew, and decide to hunt down a member of the Black Hats leadership... Ulysses Boothe. When Zachary found Boothe, he was able to shoot him down and capture him, proposing to turn him over to the Hats in exchange for the return of the crews. Furious, but with no alternatives, Boothe agreed. Zachary dropped Boothe off at the agreed location and learned that the crews were being held captive in a cargo zeppelin that was wired with explosives. With great skill, Zachary managed to shoot the zeppelin free, board it and free the crew. While the crews escaped, Black Swan himself was shot down and captured on the ground. Together, the Fortune Hunters and the Black Swans decimated the Black Hats' operations in Sky Haven, culminating in the complete destruction of their mountain base, the theft of dozens of flight torpedoes, and the rescue of the Black Swan. The realization that there was