Crimson Skies

Story

In 1937, Nathan Zachary and the Fortune Hunters recover from the evil treachery of Lucas Miles 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 about the reason for the British presence. The capture of a British Balmoral leads them to a secret British base, which they promptly destroy. After a counterattack 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 rejoice in 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, tells the Fortune Hunters by radio that her father has been kidnapped by the Soviet secret police, while she herself is being held prisoner by Boeing Aviation in Pacifica. The Fortune Hunters launched an attack on the CCCP blimp Workers' Voyage to rescue the doctor, resulting in Nathan Zachary reencountering his old flame, the Black Swan. After their successful flying rescue, the Fortune Hunters attempt to repeat their success with a blitz attack on the Boeing plant, hoping to both rescue Ilsa and steal 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. Returning 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 must 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 their escort. Plagued by guilt, the Fortune Hunters pounced on the wreckage, driving off the Black Hats and ensuring the survival of the hospital ship that had been sent to rescue the survivors. In the throes 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 only going to rescue a movie starlet who was stuck in his contract, after another successful rescue, the Fortune Hunters stole the world's largest airplane and entered it in the first Johnson Cup Race, which Nathan Zachary won by a wide margin. This victory in Johnny Johnson's homeland prompted him to launch a nefarious plan to destroy Zachary. When this failed, he used the delay caused by the race to send a Hughes Aviation fighter 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 at 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 scanned the area around Sky Haven, Zachary intercepted a radio message from Sparks, the pilot of the Pandora. He was aboard 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 expecting 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 hand him over to the Hats in exchange for the return of the crews. Angry but with no alternatives, Boothe agreed. Zachary dropped Boothe off at the agreed-upon location and learned that the crews were being held captive in a cargo zeppelin 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 Black Swans decimated the Black Hats' operations at Sky Haven, culminating in the total destruction of their mountain base, the theft of dozens of aviation torpedoes, and the rescue of Black Swan. Real