It's been nearly two months, and I've been training, building, testing, and engineering my Sidewinder. With my access to The Sarge finally enabled, a grateful Commander placed an immediate order for Grade 5 Cannons. Of course we had to sort out some paperwork, and like most engineers, a certain level of trust had to be built up before he felt comfortable committing himself to that high a grade. But my credits were good, and he could tell from my demeanour and my having come this far that I was not a Commander to waste anybody's time. After a long night of hard work, The Sarge was finished. He handed me the access codes, I thanked him, and he walked off. He never said a word, but I could see from the gleam in his eye that he took great pride in what he'd fitted. There before me, the Sidewinder glistened in the fluorescent lighting of its hangar. I could barely contain my excitement. "Iblis" was ready.
The journey back to Shinrarta Dezhra was long and perilous, but I knew that now was not the time to rest on my laurels. The road to Elite was still ahead, and with every fibre of my being, I had to know what this ship was now capable of. I had to! After restocking at Jameson Memorial and making some minor module reinforcements, I requested launch permission and took "Iblis" gently out of the station. It was time.
I cleared the No Fire Zone and engaged the Frame Shift Drive. The familiar rush of sound and light pushed me into my seat and in the next instant, I was in Super Cruise. Traffic was minimal, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I would find what I was looking for. Sure enough, a Fer-de-Lance came on my sensors. I ran a scan. It was another Commander, and he was wanted. He must have noticed me, but figured that a Sidewinder was not worthy of his attention. I savoured that thought. It meant he was underestimating me already. I circled several times, monitoring his path, and observing. Shortly after, we were joined in Super Cruise by a Commander in an Anaconda. The Fer-de-Lance Commander saw the opportunity and swooped. I could see the distortions of space around the FSD interdiction, and could only wonder what panic and tension the targeted Commander would have felt. He was clearly a professional, as he quickly submitted. The time was now. I took a deep breath, scanned the wake, and began to close in.
The single contact on my sensors as I dropped out of Super Cruise told me that the other Commander had managed to escape. I muttered thanks to whatever deities were listening to me for their safety, and focused on the Fer-De-Lance hovering menacingly before me. Like an ancient and malicious predator, it stared at me now as a curiosity, for I had encroached upon its space. Was I a threat, or a foe? Or perhaps a mere curiosity.
Our ships circled each other warily, and I felt my heart thumping in my chest. Once, twice, then a third time, the Commander and I boosted past each other. He was trying to frighten me, and I could only imagine the confusion in his mind at the seeming lack of fear. Perhaps he thought I was mad. Perhaps he is right, for who in his right mind would jump in on an Elite Commander in such a fearsome weapon, alone, and with such a small, albeit very fast, ship. I maintained radio silence, choosing instead to leave my opponent guessing and leave the first move to him.
He deployed hardpoints, I deployed mine. My sensors screamed alerts as an incoming missile seared past me through space. My point defence was triggered, emerald green bolts discharging around my ship as the systems locked in on the threat. A second missile was launched, then a third. The Sidewinder shook with the impact as the last missile managed to connect. Damage was minimal, but my point defence was disabled now. I circled around again, and locked my sights on him. Wasting no time to think, I let pure instinct act, and pressed the trigger. The cannons thundered with vengeance, as if impatient to join the fray. To my utter surprise, the shots connected! Green sparks glowed off the Fer-De-Lance as it screamed towards me, its shields taking the blow. I smiled to myself at the thought of the other Commander cursing with surprise. I fired again, another contact. The grade 5 upgrades were working perfectly.
Realising my precarious situation, I engaged Silent Running, and my opponent's missiles fell silent. It was now time for close quarter combat, and I knew that I could expect no mercy. Like jousting knights in space, we hurtled past each other, glancing blows and coming within inches of a full on collision. Finally, we lined up for the last run. Purple streams of energy hurtled past me as I tried to evade his incoming shots whilst keeping a bead on him. The enemy Commander was already within range, and I was letting loose with my long range cannons. A few shots missed, but several shots connected, and I watched in satisfaction as his shields lit up. Too late! I realised then that I had spent far too much time admiring the results of my handiwork, and before I knew it, it was too late to pull up and out of range. I yanked at the control and boosted my thrusters, taking emergency evasive action. The Fer-De-Lance loomed in my cockpit canopy for an instant, and then it was all over.
Dazed and confused, I awoke back in Jameson Memorial. The nurse told me I was lucky, but all I could do was let out a chuckle. I had been destroyed by a wanted Commander in one of the most fearsome combat ships in the Galaxy, and all I could think of was getting back out there and jousting again. My mind raced with permutations and calculations. I was learning, understanding, calculating. I may have lost this time, but I felt it in my bones, and with every fibre of my being - there was going to be a next time...
[video=youtube;y7Y08YxRc24]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Y08YxRc24[/video]
The journey back to Shinrarta Dezhra was long and perilous, but I knew that now was not the time to rest on my laurels. The road to Elite was still ahead, and with every fibre of my being, I had to know what this ship was now capable of. I had to! After restocking at Jameson Memorial and making some minor module reinforcements, I requested launch permission and took "Iblis" gently out of the station. It was time.
I cleared the No Fire Zone and engaged the Frame Shift Drive. The familiar rush of sound and light pushed me into my seat and in the next instant, I was in Super Cruise. Traffic was minimal, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I would find what I was looking for. Sure enough, a Fer-de-Lance came on my sensors. I ran a scan. It was another Commander, and he was wanted. He must have noticed me, but figured that a Sidewinder was not worthy of his attention. I savoured that thought. It meant he was underestimating me already. I circled several times, monitoring his path, and observing. Shortly after, we were joined in Super Cruise by a Commander in an Anaconda. The Fer-de-Lance Commander saw the opportunity and swooped. I could see the distortions of space around the FSD interdiction, and could only wonder what panic and tension the targeted Commander would have felt. He was clearly a professional, as he quickly submitted. The time was now. I took a deep breath, scanned the wake, and began to close in.
The single contact on my sensors as I dropped out of Super Cruise told me that the other Commander had managed to escape. I muttered thanks to whatever deities were listening to me for their safety, and focused on the Fer-De-Lance hovering menacingly before me. Like an ancient and malicious predator, it stared at me now as a curiosity, for I had encroached upon its space. Was I a threat, or a foe? Or perhaps a mere curiosity.
Our ships circled each other warily, and I felt my heart thumping in my chest. Once, twice, then a third time, the Commander and I boosted past each other. He was trying to frighten me, and I could only imagine the confusion in his mind at the seeming lack of fear. Perhaps he thought I was mad. Perhaps he is right, for who in his right mind would jump in on an Elite Commander in such a fearsome weapon, alone, and with such a small, albeit very fast, ship. I maintained radio silence, choosing instead to leave my opponent guessing and leave the first move to him.
He deployed hardpoints, I deployed mine. My sensors screamed alerts as an incoming missile seared past me through space. My point defence was triggered, emerald green bolts discharging around my ship as the systems locked in on the threat. A second missile was launched, then a third. The Sidewinder shook with the impact as the last missile managed to connect. Damage was minimal, but my point defence was disabled now. I circled around again, and locked my sights on him. Wasting no time to think, I let pure instinct act, and pressed the trigger. The cannons thundered with vengeance, as if impatient to join the fray. To my utter surprise, the shots connected! Green sparks glowed off the Fer-De-Lance as it screamed towards me, its shields taking the blow. I smiled to myself at the thought of the other Commander cursing with surprise. I fired again, another contact. The grade 5 upgrades were working perfectly.
Realising my precarious situation, I engaged Silent Running, and my opponent's missiles fell silent. It was now time for close quarter combat, and I knew that I could expect no mercy. Like jousting knights in space, we hurtled past each other, glancing blows and coming within inches of a full on collision. Finally, we lined up for the last run. Purple streams of energy hurtled past me as I tried to evade his incoming shots whilst keeping a bead on him. The enemy Commander was already within range, and I was letting loose with my long range cannons. A few shots missed, but several shots connected, and I watched in satisfaction as his shields lit up. Too late! I realised then that I had spent far too much time admiring the results of my handiwork, and before I knew it, it was too late to pull up and out of range. I yanked at the control and boosted my thrusters, taking emergency evasive action. The Fer-De-Lance loomed in my cockpit canopy for an instant, and then it was all over.
Dazed and confused, I awoke back in Jameson Memorial. The nurse told me I was lucky, but all I could do was let out a chuckle. I had been destroyed by a wanted Commander in one of the most fearsome combat ships in the Galaxy, and all I could think of was getting back out there and jousting again. My mind raced with permutations and calculations. I was learning, understanding, calculating. I may have lost this time, but I felt it in my bones, and with every fibre of my being - there was going to be a next time...
[video=youtube;y7Y08YxRc24]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Y08YxRc24[/video]
