Elijah talks with Sukara about loyalty and Sunala, but their talk is interrupted as some sky gardens the ship was heading toward turn out to actually be pirate ships in camoflage. The captain has the chef (who wanted to check out the sky gardens) in the brig, on suspicion of collaboration with the pirates, and the ship flees. The enemy ships close in, and Elijah joins the battle to defend the envelope from being sabotaged by pirates. The right front strut is heavily damaged, but Elijah manages to destroy a smaller "cutter" airship, and the Vigilance escapes, though with significant losses.