Prince Janus

The engines of the massive airlift whirred to a halt as the front of the plane opened, revealing a massive assortment of building materials: glass, plasterboard, heavy insulation, industrial plastics and steel beams. Paul Reed disembarked the plane and popped a military grade flare. "So...where are these air loaders that are going to take this cargo? I'm not so sure if this decent weather is going to hold." Just as he said his condemning words to the weather, it began to freezing rain. He knew that the weather on Gosvemnor island is miserable and not appropriate for long term flight operations, but he didn't know that the gods spit upon all those who wished to tempt them there. Huddling underneath the spanning wings of the aircraft and using another flare for heat and light in the storm, Reed, his communications officer and navigation officer waited hours for the unloading team to arrive. "I never really got your names..." Reed said to the two sitting next to him. They were a crew assigned to him by the tycoon or madman that assigned them on this mission and he had no idea about either of them. The navigation officer smiled and extended his hand, which was denied by Reed upright. "The name's White...Rodger...." Reed smiled and looked at the communications officer who had strangely been silent the entire time. "Oh...Chris Jackson..." As soon as the men had gotten to know each other, they heard the rumbling of trucks and lifters arriving to the makeshift airstrip.

Paul Reed had never flown a plane this massive. Built originally as an airlifer for an American nation, the old C-5 Galaxy was less than ideal for travels this far north. However, this flight had a lot more meaning than the puddle jump flights across the Pacific he was used to. "Can I get another look at that flight path readout?" He said gesturing to the navigation officer and then the computer on the side dash. The communication officer nodded his head and pressed the small "Print" key on the display before him. It took a few minutes, but the old laser printer finally finished the maps that would show their final destination. "And the close up?" "Oh wow...this might be rough..." he said while he rubbed his brow. The navigation officer then chirped the status of the plane. "We're thirty clicks and counting sir..." Reed looked up from the maps and began to fiddle with the dash instruments--flipping switches, checking screens and slowly beginning the planes descent toward the icy earth. "Two thousand feet....lower landing gear" The Galaxy's ski modified landing gear extended. "Fifteen hundred feet...CAVOK" The plane continued to descend. "Five hundred feet, cut engines and raise gliders...we're in the clear..." The plane came to a gliding stop upon the frozen island's nature-made landing strip. "Well then...I guess it's time to unload our cargo."

But of course...

Heyoooooo, Claiming the unclaimed archipelago territory in Canada known as Edmund Walker Island ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Walker_Island ) and Gosvenor Island ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grosvenor_Island ) for The Kingdom of Zeal

He smiled and nodded at his new acquaintances, he had become more of a quiet man since Tanzband's strange change of character. "I've been quite well, trying to stay alive...you know how Europe is." He rolled his eyes and took a seat. "Things have been tough...but I'm alive. We'll discuss more serious matters another day, today is a day of celebration!" Gesturing Sarah to take a seat, he smiled deeply for the first time in a few months. "So...how have you been?"

A man stood at the door in an old Prussian black military dress uniform. He had a dark complexion about him. His hair was jet black and neatly cut. His eyes were sunken and his jaw defined. He had a curious chestnut red beard which would lead anyone to believe he dyed his hair--almost that he had been trying to maintain a disguise. In his arms he held a large basket filled with fresh rolls and jars of any sort of jam or preserves you could imagine. He smiled and placed the basket on the ground and embraced Sarah with all his might. "Lady Sarah, forgive my unannounced arrival however I had heard from various mutual friends that there would be a gathering at your home for this...Thanksgiving." He noticed Sarah's confused look. "Forgive me my lady...it is I, Welkin Gunther. We attended university together and in previous years I held the highest military post in the Prussian Freestate..." He sighed. "It's been a while."