It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
It was wise venture, it was a fool's errand.
It was a pain in the a..ah..ahhhh... you know.
I came to realize I needed some Corrosion-Resistant Cargo Racks, there was no getting around it. The Tech Brokers had 16 tons racks, and that would be perfect for my needs. They wanted a number of items for them. Of Iron, I had plenty, Chemical Manipulators too. 28 tons of Meta Alloys. Only one real way to get those, so it's off to the Pleiades, and that meant running right through the Thargoid's back yard. Of course, my little Dolphin couldn't carry that much stuff, and I was already laden with 11 tons of Guardian relics - something Thargoids aren't terribly fond of in the first place.
Fortunately, I did have another ship standing by in the area, my trusty old Asp Explorer, and it had plenty of room. I was off, scrounging around Thargoid territory, when I found myself at a fine little barnacle garden, and I set about gathering, gathering, gathering, when far up above, there arose such a clatter, I nearly soiled my Remlock suit when I saw what was the matter. And what to my wondering eyes should appear?
This big son of a b.. b... better not say it here. It paid me no heed, and and gave off some glitter, though my SRV smelled like an old truck stop sh.. sh.. shame on you, you shouldn't use such language! Then it rose from the barnacles, and vanished from sight, and I went back to work, gathering meta alloys all night.
I raced back to the bubble, but wouldn't you know, it wasn't too long before I had a pirate in tow. He'd come really far for what was in my hold. But I wasn't stopping, I was tired, hungry and cold. I docked for the night, somewhere I knew I'd be safe and could grab a beer, switch ships once again and gather more gear.
To my faithful Anaconda I went, with cargo room to spare, and if pirates harassed me, well, I didn't care. My fighter pilot at my side, my ammo fully stocked, I set off again, ready to rock. Radiation baffles I needed, 30 they said, I was getting closer when the alarm sounded red. A pirate in a chieftain, he wanted it all. He got blown to bits, blazing and small.
On to the station, the market and baffles. Just one more thing I would need, and checked the mission board raffles. Two factions in, and found what I was lacking - a mission for 30 Neofabric Insulation, it was time to get cracking. With still room to spare, they loaded my ship, and just at the mailslot I was cut off by a Cobra, and flight control gave me lip. But my speed was good and my positioning true, so I made way for the smaller ship to get through. Then out through the slot, and into the black, to my destination, no turning back.
One jump down, and one more to go when comms start crackle, and what do you know? Another pirate, one of the galaxy's finest, ranked Elite, in an Anaconda, and right behind us. I had the lead, and was moving faster, just a few clicks out, and I'd shake that ba.. ah.. ahh, you know. With station in range, I dropped to normal space, but imagine my surprise - guess who was right in my face? I didn't care, I could easily make the slot, when that son of a gun took his first shot! Authority ships scrambled, and he started to run. Flight control had cleared me for pad 41. But I stopped my approach and brought my own ship around, and gave chase to that pirate, my fighter pilot made a sound. Outside the zone I turned her loose, and set her to find him and kick his caboose.
I deployed my cannons, rail guns and beams, and let loose a barrage that ruptured his seams. A 300k bounty, and not any sweat, and a share for my pilot, that made her... really happy. Eight minutes and counting to reach my landing pad, my fighter recalled, and right though we went. But we're still not done yet, though I collected my pay, some bit of credits and more commodities, yay.
Now to find a broker, to trade in this s.. s... stuff in my hold, this had already taken far too long, and it was getting old. Just four jumps away, and I was off like a shot. No more pirates, please, they can't have what I've got. Three jumps, then two, just one more at last. I came at the station, hot and fast. Right through the airlock, 110, knowing it wouldn't be long until I had to do this again.
The brokers have all of the nicest of toys, but I can't help but wonder, is it worth all this noise? Their asking prices are high, the distances wide, but my little Dolphin will get a nice Corrosion-resistant cargo rack inside.
---
Go on, say it - you were waiting for the part where I got shot by the station, rammed to death by an @hat, lost my cargo, couldn't afford my rebuy... this isn't my first post here ;-)
Stay tuned, this little story isn't quite over yet... I still need to track down some Thargoid samples, which means yet another specialized ship exchange, still hauling around the Guardian relics, which the Thargoids are going to just love, plus some other thargoid odds and ends, and then it's back out to the middle of nowhere to finish all these Ram Tah missions - fecal material can still transpire.
It was wise venture, it was a fool's errand.
It was a pain in the a..ah..ahhhh... you know.
I came to realize I needed some Corrosion-Resistant Cargo Racks, there was no getting around it. The Tech Brokers had 16 tons racks, and that would be perfect for my needs. They wanted a number of items for them. Of Iron, I had plenty, Chemical Manipulators too. 28 tons of Meta Alloys. Only one real way to get those, so it's off to the Pleiades, and that meant running right through the Thargoid's back yard. Of course, my little Dolphin couldn't carry that much stuff, and I was already laden with 11 tons of Guardian relics - something Thargoids aren't terribly fond of in the first place.
Fortunately, I did have another ship standing by in the area, my trusty old Asp Explorer, and it had plenty of room. I was off, scrounging around Thargoid territory, when I found myself at a fine little barnacle garden, and I set about gathering, gathering, gathering, when far up above, there arose such a clatter, I nearly soiled my Remlock suit when I saw what was the matter. And what to my wondering eyes should appear?
This big son of a b.. b... better not say it here. It paid me no heed, and and gave off some glitter, though my SRV smelled like an old truck stop sh.. sh.. shame on you, you shouldn't use such language! Then it rose from the barnacles, and vanished from sight, and I went back to work, gathering meta alloys all night.
I raced back to the bubble, but wouldn't you know, it wasn't too long before I had a pirate in tow. He'd come really far for what was in my hold. But I wasn't stopping, I was tired, hungry and cold. I docked for the night, somewhere I knew I'd be safe and could grab a beer, switch ships once again and gather more gear.
To my faithful Anaconda I went, with cargo room to spare, and if pirates harassed me, well, I didn't care. My fighter pilot at my side, my ammo fully stocked, I set off again, ready to rock. Radiation baffles I needed, 30 they said, I was getting closer when the alarm sounded red. A pirate in a chieftain, he wanted it all. He got blown to bits, blazing and small.
On to the station, the market and baffles. Just one more thing I would need, and checked the mission board raffles. Two factions in, and found what I was lacking - a mission for 30 Neofabric Insulation, it was time to get cracking. With still room to spare, they loaded my ship, and just at the mailslot I was cut off by a Cobra, and flight control gave me lip. But my speed was good and my positioning true, so I made way for the smaller ship to get through. Then out through the slot, and into the black, to my destination, no turning back.
One jump down, and one more to go when comms start crackle, and what do you know? Another pirate, one of the galaxy's finest, ranked Elite, in an Anaconda, and right behind us. I had the lead, and was moving faster, just a few clicks out, and I'd shake that ba.. ah.. ahh, you know. With station in range, I dropped to normal space, but imagine my surprise - guess who was right in my face? I didn't care, I could easily make the slot, when that son of a gun took his first shot! Authority ships scrambled, and he started to run. Flight control had cleared me for pad 41. But I stopped my approach and brought my own ship around, and gave chase to that pirate, my fighter pilot made a sound. Outside the zone I turned her loose, and set her to find him and kick his caboose.
I deployed my cannons, rail guns and beams, and let loose a barrage that ruptured his seams. A 300k bounty, and not any sweat, and a share for my pilot, that made her... really happy. Eight minutes and counting to reach my landing pad, my fighter recalled, and right though we went. But we're still not done yet, though I collected my pay, some bit of credits and more commodities, yay.
Now to find a broker, to trade in this s.. s... stuff in my hold, this had already taken far too long, and it was getting old. Just four jumps away, and I was off like a shot. No more pirates, please, they can't have what I've got. Three jumps, then two, just one more at last. I came at the station, hot and fast. Right through the airlock, 110, knowing it wouldn't be long until I had to do this again.
The brokers have all of the nicest of toys, but I can't help but wonder, is it worth all this noise? Their asking prices are high, the distances wide, but my little Dolphin will get a nice Corrosion-resistant cargo rack inside.
---
Go on, say it - you were waiting for the part where I got shot by the station, rammed to death by an @hat, lost my cargo, couldn't afford my rebuy... this isn't my first post here ;-)
Stay tuned, this little story isn't quite over yet... I still need to track down some Thargoid samples, which means yet another specialized ship exchange, still hauling around the Guardian relics, which the Thargoids are going to just love, plus some other thargoid odds and ends, and then it's back out to the middle of nowhere to finish all these Ram Tah missions - fecal material can still transpire.
