Surviving Against All Odds: My Intense Encounter with Thargoids

My First Encounter with an "AX Spire Setup Ship"​

It was my first encounter with an "AX Spire setup ship," and I was in my Alliance Chieftain, aptly named the AX AARDVARK. I had been preparing to hunt down Thargoid Spires in the Rajuarpai system. Earlier, I had joined forces with another Commander in a desperate attempt to defend a station from a relentless Thar attack. Despite our best efforts, we were woefully underprepared for the onslaught and decided to part ways.

As I Frame Shifted away from the beleaguered station, my systems, weapons, and hull were in relatively good shape, all hovering around 94%. Unfortunately, my Guardian Booster had taken a hit during the skirmish and was now out of commission. With the station receding in my rearview, I hoped to get my boost operational again, perhaps employing some ancient old Model A Ford magic.

Suddenly, I was yanked out of Frame Shift and assaulted by something that crippled my Power Plant and reduced my hull integrity to a mere 24%. I couldn’t believe I was still playing a game; it felt like a life-or-death struggle as I scrambled to balance systems and survive. It took every ounce of my skill and luck to manage module repairs, juggle systems, and toggle life support off and on. I had to drop heat sinks and engage “silent running” to avoid detection, all while trying to boost away as Thargoids continued to spawn around me.

The eerie noises and the unnerving distortion of my cockpit voice assistant, Jennifer, who now sounded like a broken tape, only added to the chaos. The Thar’ interference was messing with all my systems, creating an atmosphere of sheer terror. After a grueling 35 minutes that felt like an eternity, I somehow managed to stabilize my ship enough to engage Frame Shift and escape Thar space.

When I finally found a carrier in the next system, I was still on edge. I had to carefully toggle systems to establish contact with the carrier and request clearance to land. The ordeal was so intense that it felt more like a complex puzzle than a game. Many Commanders report returning with their ships barely intact, sometimes with just 1% hull left. That alone is an incredible feat, but my experience was a nerve-wracking test of survival. Had I failed to figure out the right sequence of actions, my ship would have been reduced to space debris with a lifeless vacuumed body afloat.

The AX AARDVARK and I made it through, but that encounter left a lasting impression on me. It was a stark reminder of the unpredictable and dangerous universe we navigate, where every decision can mean the difference between life and death.

o7 All,
Master Cmdr, Jay Delta
Stationed Sys, Diaguandri, Ray Gateway
 
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