By Chester Seaton, News

29/6-After what we can only assume has been weeks of terrorizing the skies of Sarnwain, we’ve received reports that the Pernicious Platitude, the ship belonging to air pirate Roderick Beauchamp La Pierre, has been shot down.

According to Sarnwainian news outlets, the Platitude was sighted in the skies near the capital city of Pharassus in the early morning hours this Sarnsday. Pharesian ground forces mobilized immediately, and tracked the ship to a canyon where it set anchor within. The Pharesian army moved in several cannon to the edge of the canyon, where they were able to fire down on to the Platitude.

“I have to say, I’m surprised,” said Admiral Winston Johannes, commanding officer of Crowndon’s Air Corps. “Since Sarnwain lacks a major air presence, the idea of them being able to take down one of Crowndon’s best air warfare strategists seems unlikely. But I believe La Pierre, whose arrogance led to his defeat at the end of the war with Nor Easter, let that same arrogance blind him to what capabilities Sarnwain does have. He didn’t see the ground forces coming, because he wasn’t looking for them.”

After opening fire, and taking out the Platitude’s main balloon and two of its reserves, the ship was still able to limp away. The Pharesian infantry say they have tracked the downed ship to some ruins in the middle of the canyon.

“We are monitoring the situation,” said Pharesian General Malik Auduam in a press release. “We have a constant vigilance on the pirate. We think he’s making repairs, and his crew is sheltering in the ruins. Unfortunately, he is out of range from the canyon ridge. We are working on ways to get infantry down into the canyon, but that may take a few days. We also have two airships coming in from Thankaen, to the east. I have no doubt that we will accomplish what the Triumvirate, in all its incompetence, failed to do. Typical, no? They created this monster. We must kill it. All the more glory to Sarnwain.”

Admiral Johannes reply to that last part of the statement can best be described as terse.

“They’re welcome to it.”