Narrator: The Airship has many uses. Transportation of goods between distant points, military, and even exploration. The use of private airships by groups and individuals to traverse the globe in search of adventure illustrates that as the cost of building and operating an airship became lower, their usage became even more widespread. Museums, Geographical Societies, Explorers Clubs, and even individuals found owning and operating an airship increasingly within their means as time went by. Vast reaches of our world were first mapped from above, then later explored in greater detail. Gradually, the airship drew the four corners of our globe closer together. A new age of exploration began to make great use of our aerial workhorse. Similar to the previous age when ships plowed the seas, the airship searched our Earth from the skies. Many new lands became known. Contact with exotic civilizations became more commonplace. Humanity became increasingly aware that there was more to the world than we had ever imagined.

First Officer: Captain! Lookouts report a small airship on an intercept course. Coming in from above us, and to our stern.

Captain: That's odd. Time to intercept?

First Officer: Ten minutes, Sir. No flags reported. No signals on wireless or Aldis lamps. I don't like it, Sir. We're a lightly armed merchant ship. The intruder can only be one thing.

Captain: A pirate? Agreed. Helm, increase speed- and give us some more altitude! Number One, sound the call to arms.

Helm: Aye, aye, Captain.

First Officer: Aye, Sir. Battle Stations. All guns! All hands, stand by for action!

Narrator: As with any form of shipping, there has always been the threat of piracy and privateers. These rogues of the air prey on any target of opportunity. Given the near impossibility of closing with, and boarding a ship in the air, their usual method was to cripple an airship in the hopes of forcing it to land. Although a grounded vessel has been known to triumph over boarding parties, the usual outcome is rather more grim. A dead crew, a looted cargo, and the target airship either burned or part of the booty. It is by no means unknown for such a defeated airship to be repaired by these pirates, the spilled blood cleared away and the original crew's bodies disposed of, whilst their ship goes on to be sold in some far-off land, or used by the pirates themselves in other attacks.