[IC] My name is Taylor Vauban

Matzov strode purposefully into his offices, a picture of action and purpose.
"Cmdr Matzov! Matzov sir!" cried out Matzov's assistant, Carpenter. "Not now Carpenter, sorry" Matzov replied as he barrelled onwards towards the door to his private office.
"Er, but there is someone waiting for..." Matzov didn't catch the last of it as he shut the door... Only to find himself face to face with Shiv Premji, Doctor Mukesh Premji's son and assistant.
"Hello Shiv, good to see you. What can I do for you? How is your father, and your studies?" he managed, hiding his irritation at the presumption of Shiv Premji waiting inside his personal sanctum.
"Ahh, Colonel, I am well. My father is well, thank you." Premji flashed his famously infectious smile. "He has a little favour to ask. Well, more of a necessity than a favour..." Shiv went on a little sheepishly.
"Go on, whatever I can do," hurriedly adding, "although things are very busy in the company right now. Very hectic indeed."
"Well, he needs you to provide an escort to Amijara, as soon as possible."
Matzov looked pensive. A little more than guardedly, he offered, "Yes. I suppose I can fit that in, alongside other business there."
"Excellent, my thanks Colonel. I have the details here," handing Matzov a dossier, which Matzov glanced over quickly. 'A quick there and back for an unnamed VIP' he thought to himself. 'Not really a Mukesh Premji thing, but I will worry about why that is later'.
"Well, this looks all in order. Good day Shiv, and regards to your father" Matzov said as he slunk to his desk chair and placed the dossier to the side, before reaching for a contract from the pile. He was suddenly aware Premji was still there.
"Something else Shiv? I've missed something perhaps? I'm very sorry, I don't have time for chit chat, there are systems in turmoil and contractual re-negociations to execute."
"Yes, there was one more thing" the young engineer ventured in a tentative voice. It set Matzov immediately alert, for Shiv Premji was normally so enthusiastic and fulsome.
"A small matter of a special project for you. You must go to Chaudhary in LTT 11478 where my father's man waits for you, with further instructions" he said, this time firmly, and with a slight edge to his voice, as if nervous of the reaction.
Matzov sat straight faced staring at Premji intensely, whilst he burned inside. A full half minute passed in silence.
"I really do not have time for this, no matter what the nature of this mysterious instruction" he said as flatly as he could.
"As I said, a necessity I'm afraid. Not a favour." Premji managed with more conviction this time.
"As in something that head office believes is a necessity, or as in one of your father's, um... unique, necessities?"
"Head office. You may call on them if you wish. Now I must leave, I am late for a seminar on modern FSD design and engineering" Premji stammered, shuffling toward the door, realising the anger on Matzov's face. Of course, he knew full well that Matzov barely had the time to breath in this moment of difficulty for the company, let alone take up some special baby-sitting project, such as this one might be viewed.

As Premji slid out the door like a scalded cat, Matzov bellowed after him, a welter of pent up frustration, "I shall not forget this Shiv! Tell your father I will not forget!" thumping his desk for emphasis.
 
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3rd September 3301 - 0:45

I made my way to Chaudhary Enterprise still wondering how hard Mr Premji was actually trying to protect me.
After countless outings getting close and personal with the local pirate gangs in and around Dinda, after robbing Premji's competitors of rare trade data, I was now supposed to get involved in a civil war?
I understood LTT 11478 Exchange was an important partner of Dinda Universal Industry and from what I could tell, the second most influential faction in this System, now at war with the democrats in charge.

I asked for docking permission and deployed the landing gear. As I was lining myself up with the Coriolis' entrance, I noticed a familiar signature on my radar… right in front of me…

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This dear colonel Matzov, once again showing up where you would least expect him.
We met in Chaudhary's command center while my ship's hull was being reinforced in preparation for the upcoming battles. He didn't seem too impressed with meeting me again nor did he seem too excited about the local conflict, yet we were going to be flying in the same wing for the next few days.

I have to say, the idea of winging up with Ivan Matzov's Python was relatively reassuring, especially after witnessing how unnerved the returning pilots were.

Taylor Vauban, logging out
 
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3rd September 3301 - 23:50

Many of us left Chaudhary Entreprise at the same time, in wings of two to four, while other pilots were limping back to dock.
The Colonel and I took off together, loaded with ammunitions.

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It became clear to me after the briefing that this wasn't just a simple rebellion. It felt an awful lot like a coup, an attempt to overthrow the local government in order to facilitate trading agreements between the surrounding corporations.
This wasn't a good war to fight… if there is such a thing as a good war… and if I had needed an incentive to board my ship today, beside the reasons that had led me to follow Mr Premji's instructions until now, I found it with Chauldhary's inhabitants and on the look in their eyes. They didn't care to be ruled by LTT for Equality or LTT Exchange, they could as well have been living under a dictatorship it wouldn't have mattered much. They just needed this war to end and to go on with their lives.

The battle for Chaudhary Enterprise was only a few light seconds away. The Colonel and I arrived after a very short supercruise…

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I thought to myself that we had just dropped into hell when Ivan Matzov instructed me to maintain formation.
Dozens of ships blowing each over up, everywhere I looked, like an angry swarm of wasps. I was completely overwhelmed until I heard Matzov in the Voice Comms:
"Engaging"

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One after another, we disposed of LTT for Equality's fleet…

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… but they kept coming back, kept coming at us… relentlessly.

Taylor Vauban, logging out
 
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4th September 3301 - 15:24

We fought all night, flying back and forth between the combat zone and Chaudhary to rearm and repair. And every time we jumped back into conflict, more enemy ships would be there, larger every time.
LTT Exchange, under lockdown, was showing more and more difficulties to supply the necessary ammunitions and although most engineers from the shipyard had relocated themselves to the docking bay in order to speed up the repairs, they were struggling to send our ships back into battle.

Admiral McVay, leading the battle, eventually announced that we had lost Chaudhary Enterprise and instructed all pilots to retreat to Mastracchio Terminal.

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Mastracchio Terminal was the last stand of LTT Exchange, a little further away from Chaudhary Enterprise, and where the battle was still raging.
I asked Ivan Matzov what the hell we were doing here and all he told me was not to worry about it too much and to focus on trying to stay alive. The colonel's composure was a thing I couldn't get my head around, given the night we had just been through.

Requesting docking permission…

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I have a feeling this will be over soon. I just hope I will live to tell the tale.

Taylor Vauban, logging out
 
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6th September 3301 - 12:56

I thought I had seen it all but nothing would have prepared me for this.
The countless ejection capsules returning to Mastracchio Terminal were being sent to an already overwhelmed emergency medical center while many more unfortunate pilots did not even make it this far. Very few of us made it back from the battle for Chaudhary and the pressure and anxiety amongst our ranks was now turning into sheer fear. There were already talks of desertion as the consensus was that we had lost the war already.
Only Matzov didn't fit in this picture, just as annoyed as he was when first docking at Chaudhary Enterprise.

The latest orders from LTT Exchange's command was to hit our opponents' economy. Half of the remaing fleet was sent after the LTT for Equality's local supply transports, on a search and destroy operation while the rest of us were to target enemy's FSD's and Power pants only in order to raise the cost of their effort. We were no longer fighting for supremacy and McVay made it perfectly clear, LTT for Equality would remember this war.

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The next 24 hours were a blood bath.
I can't express how relieved I felt when Admiral McVay announced that a ceasefire had been declared. We had finally lost.
I locked onto Mastracchio Terminal when Ivan Matzov advised me to return to Dinda instead:
"There is nothing for us here" he said,
"You should go back to Dinda."
This was the last I heard from Matzov and his signature on my radar suddenly turned into a High Wake.

Taylor Vauban, logging out
 
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The video screen crackled on and Mukesh Premji's sallow face appeared. Matzov immediately launched into a foul tirade, his pent up fury flowing from him like a volcano spewing lava.
"What the bloody hell was that Mukesh? You didn't even have the backbone to ask me yourself, you sent your poor lad instead. You're a cockroach! A snake!"
Mukesh Premji began to reply, but barely got further than the first murmur, before Matzov, barely taking breath, went on implacably, albeit at a slightly less forceful pitch.
"I am a business man Mukesh. I organise deals and contracts. I negociate and mediate. I am not a babysitter, and I'm not a damn solider!"
Mukesh Premji let the torrent expend itself, before quietly replying, "Matzov, I'm so glad you are ok. How is Vauban? I know you are not a soldier, but you are a Colonel" That seemed to reanimate the volcano.
"Oh get stuffed Mukesh. You know I'm not a faffing Colonel. Its a nickname from my gun-running days! What in hell were you thinking, sending us to the front?!"
"But I didn't... didn't send you to the front I mean." The Doctor's reply was a waspish whisper. "You were business liaison. You were not there to fight" he said more firmly, his cold, pallid complexion accentuating his detachment.
"Then someone didn't get the memo!" Matzov thundered. "McVay had us right in the thick of it!"
Doctor Premji broke in forcefully, "Then that was a mistake Matzov. I had thought The Colonel perfect for this job."
"You are a weasel Mukesh, hard to like, but like you I did. Now.... now you owe me. I will come calling one day, and I will want repayment".
With that, Matzov snapped off the Videocom. His steaming anger almost crushing the keyboard as he struck the End Call button.
He lent back and looked to the ceiling. It had been a veritble stress storm this last 14 days, and LTT 11478 had been the apogee.

There was a gentle knock on the office door, and Carpenter came in carrying files. "Ahh, Carpenter, what have you got for me then?"
Carpenter nervously approached and placed the files on the desk. "Latest from Amijara sir." He half turned to go before timidly adding, "You may not have been in the army sir, but you curse like a navvy".

The first wisps of a smile came to the corners of his mouth then. Relief that all was well, of course. Carpenter's drole pun. But also the realisation that he'd replicated the practice of abruptly ending calls at the moment of maximum impact, as exercised by the Stern faced Young man, and Mukesh would probably realise that and respect it. Moreover, and more promisingly, the realisation that Mukesh Premji now owed him. Now that was a valuable asset for any businessman.
 
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8th September 3301 - 20:46

I followed the Colonel's advise in the end and left Mastracchio Terminal and LTT 11478 behind, heading straight back to Dinda.
I hit the bar first in an attempt to drown the insanity I had just been through. I had never seen so much death and destruction in one place. A few more drinks and I might just stop reliving those furious dog fights.

Half a bottle of gin later, and when I felt I would finally be able to crash in the condo and sleep, I received a call from Shiv. Mukesh Premji wanted to see me and was expecting me in Goldstein Port in the Lembava System.
I tried to argue that I was in no condition to fly but Shiv stood firm, insisting on the importance of this meeting. I had so many questions for Premji after all and if I had survived a civil war, surely I would survive my own liquored reflexes and double vision.

I got back in the Viper and cranked up the oxygen levels on the life support.
Without wasting any time I made my way to Goldstein Port and requested docking permission…

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Taylor Vauban, logging out
 
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9th September 3301 - 19:43

I met Premji outside of the Sirius Corporation Head Quarters' office. He walked towards me and said with the most serious face: "I did not realize how important you were to these people."
There was a clear contrast between the loud and proud man I had met in Dinda and the now sombre face addressing me.
"You have been promoted."

His personal pilot, captain of the Melville, had died. Mukesh Premji wasn't ready to explain how this tragedy had happened, promptly saying that he was in need of a new pilot and according to him, I had more than proven myself during those recent weeks. I was not entirely sure, but it felt like the decision was made during the meeting Premji had just left from, and was not entirely his.
We walked to the ship together …

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The Melville had been repainted in black, in remembrance of Edward Smith, the deceased captain. His body was in the hold… My first assignment as new captain of the Melville. Mukesh Premji felt for some reasons he was partially responsible for the captain's death and decided to take the body back to his family in person.
I sat in the Saud Kruger Liner's cockpit and on Dr Premji's instruction, set the navigation system to Alpha Centauri and Hutton Orbital, home of the Smith family.

113 light years, this shouldn't take too long, I said.
He laughed.

Taylor Vauban, logging out
 
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