Johnston nodded, shifting his stance once more, before heading along the catwalk, walking down the steps directly above the Pilot's 'home'. He took a few minutes to arrive, seemingly bemused by the whole thing, before stopping on other side of the four men armed with rifles, still tall enough to look over their shoulders. "Gentlemen. Miss Lamarr. Heinz, you old bastard."<br/><br/>He paused for a long moment, then smiled. "Miss Lamarr, what you do on this ship is no business of mine, yet, based on what I can see here, the prickly old Kraut has said something that either insulted you, or insulted your honour. However, considering that we do appear to be under attack, perhaps it would be best to set aside the emotional response and let him do what he actually does fairly well, and try to swat some flies?"<br/><br/>Pausing for a moment, he looked past the group of seven people, noticing the petite louisinanan who had, apparently, watched the entire debacle from start to now without being noticed by anyone else. "Now, if your men could please step aside for a moment, it appears you are blocking one of your other pilots from getting to her plane, as well."<br/><br/>Behind him, an alarm bell rang as the ship's belly hatch opened, the launcher rotating and extending forwards, Dixie's bloodhawk ready to launch.<br/><br/>~Outside~<br/><br/>The two Defenders on the starboard side drifted apart slightly as the Zeppelin heeled to port, then straightened out, while the pair on the port side both dove into the clouds, chased by Several accurate bursts of fire, one of the two planes taking several clear hits to the right wing, a faint mist drizzling out of several of the holes, showing that the gunners, while they hadn't killed the plane, had at least torn open one of the fuel tanks.<br/><br/>The torpedo-armed Defender lurched forwards suddenly, its engine belching smoke as the pilot pushed it past the redline, before the torpedo dropped loose, half a kilometre away, its massive warhead pointed right for the midsection of the Blue Ridge. A second later, everyone on that side of the ship could see the bloom of heat and light as the torpedo's rocket ignited, pushing the missile closer to the Zeppelin.