Ahh, stories...I love them! Throw me a candle warmed Lavian Brandy, and a some kind of tabacco and I'll tell you a tale.
Thanks my good..ahem...yeah...
So, I was doing some mercenary work for a Lugh corporation in the area around the Crom system when I came across this job. It wasn't worth much, but it did state it was for the Silver Boys Gang in Crom. Now I want to go to Crom, related to Lugh and all, you know? So it seemed a pretty easy thing to do...run this piece of paper a few light years and I'd be on my way to Crom. So I run the paper and get my money, only to find the Silver Boys had a slightly larger job there.
So I jump up and volunteer my ship...it was moving some Slaves...just flying them from one job site to another...decent pay, too! Now, I'm not a slaver, but the permit...the pay...I'm so far out and there weren't any nosy Feds, so I took the job. Out two jumps and back, slaves in hold, I turn them over. Easy peasy! I jump back to the original planet, to find the Gang has really liked my work. They have TWO jobs waiting for me. One was finding 1 black box of a long lost brother...or some such nonsense. The other...kill two Federal Officers...
My first thought was where the heck am I going to find a single federal officer...let alone two...in these parts. My work in Lugh has taught me that sometimes you have to do what you have to do...all in the name of Freedom of course...and since these poor folks, saddled with the burden of Federation law and control, well it was the least I could do. I checked the local charts and found a couple of mining rings. So off I went.
Now, my ship Lugh's Sacrifice, is a sturdy little Cobra, with more than a few goodies to give anyone a good fight, if you know what I mean. So how hard was this going to be? I just find a couple of federal ships, boil them down and pop them like that Champagne cork over there. Easy peasy! So I drop down the rabbit hole and start searching. I couldn't believe it, plenty of miners, but not one Federal ship.
I start pushing Lugh's Sacrifice through the asteroids, singing and dancing together..when I see some laser blasts towards the outside of the ring. I slowly make my way there and find two Eagles, Fed boys, picking on a Silver Boy Gang member. Well, I just wade right in and start firing, as I was halfway through the first one, I noticed that I had saved my future friend! I can see his wake on my scanner! So I finish up the first Eagle lickety-split. As I'm looking for the second one, I notice a tickle on my shields....which then took out the first ring.
I spin around and find a Federal Viper on my six. I target him and start firing...and well, this is embarassing, I hit a new Eagle that ran between us. Now, i'm thinking, 'This is getting expensive...', just as a I get my shields tickled again...another one down...I look at my radar, and it looks like a Taniwigil tree, all lit up with at least 5 dots, all red and pointy. Well, my mother didn't raise a Federal Senator for a son....I was getting out of there, right then! I punch my boosters down into the asteroid field, and start shimmying 'ol Lugh through those rocks like a snake. I had the whole group in tow. As they fell off the radar I saw one lone, brave Federation flyer keeping up with me. So I slid behind a rock and slowed down. As the ship got closer I came out and started shooting. It was glorious to see the look on the poor guys face.
I'm pretty sure I took out his canopy, but, well I was so intent I missed the fact that the rest of the pack had finally caught up to us. As I started taking fire, I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before I would have my second Federation fighter, so I kept the original Eagle on target and gave chase...and what a chase. Through the asteroids, past miners, almost to the planets surface we danced. It was glorious to watch...towing a group behind me, flying hard and being shot at constantly, however, to my embarrassment, the little booger spaced out on me...not sure how he did it, I should have had him locked...but the little eel got away. Leaving me a viper, another eagle, and well....a fairly large mess of my own to run away from.
So I, being less greedy than I was, decided to, again get out of that area....and as I lined up to boost, I missed a red dot on my radar...yep took an Eagle to the face. As MY canopy shattered, I readjusted and started boosting away. I wasn't far from a station, but I knew it wasn't going to be easy to jump...as my drive spooled up... I swear I have never seen Lugh take so long to get fired up...she must have thought I was going to a picnic and wanted to enjoy the scenery! It wasn't until SHE felt the fire on her skin that she seemed to wake up. Well, she finally laid down the fire and we were off. She had a few scars and a missing canopy, I felt like I was flying with only one eye, but in the end....I made it back to port.
Let me have another brandy and I'll tell you the rest of the story.
So I got repaired and still needed another Federal flyboy. So back to the mining ring...yep, that's me! A sucker for punishment. Dropping into the hole again, I immediately saw an Eagle...off I go. With a little more care, mind you...I followed that ship a few minutes to see if there were friends. None seen, open fire, sent a couple of missiles their way, and job done! I make a small detour, find the black box, and me and Lugh were sitting pretty. As I land in the port I check my status with the local constabulary and everyone else and laughed. I was unfriendly with those busybody Federation boys..and all their lackies! Unfriendly? I have to say those folks sure are patient. There's a certain Federation Faction in Lugh that has mine and Lugh's idents permanently painted on their ships sides. I'm able to keep the bounties down, you know, painting some palms with creds still works, but those pretty red stations when I land means lots of excitement, if you know what I mean.
Well, I gotta go. I'll be back. I'm sure I have other stories to tell you...like that time I was pirated by a real Commander...well that story is a bit embarassing....anyway, me and Lugh will see you later.
