The Future's So Bright
12 Jul 2019Elderrook
I'm officially a business owner. ElderRook LLC has a staff over almost thirty now, servicing a fleet of six starships. It's hard to believe I've come so far in such a short time. If it weren't for the office staff, I'd have a hard time keeping everything straight. It's certainly not the one-man operation I started with.The Sidewinder is still doing courier service. It's well suited for this job. Although an important role, there's not a lot of credits in it. Fortunately the Sidewinder is very cheap to operate. I let my newest pilots cut their teeth here while they learn how things run.
The Hauler and the Adder are mostly dedicated to short turnaround cargo service. The freight gang at the warehouse are incredibly quick at loading and unloading these two ships. They know it's all about speed. If a customer needs something done fast, they won't be interested in excuses. It's a niche market and not an easy one, but we've made a real name for ourselves with this.
Two of my newest ships are the Mk II Eagle and the Imperial Eagle sent to me by the Inquisition. Some independent freighter pilots and miners have shown an interest in fast escorts for their larger ships. I rotate my best pilots here. I've taken the Imperial Eagle out myself quite often. It's the fastest ship I've ever flown.
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Diversity is important in this business. To that end, I've acquired the Guilded Lady, a Dolphin-class liner. I'll say this, Saud Kruger builds some fine looking ships. There isn't much tourism in the Brestla system but the luxurious accommodations aboard the Guilded Lady have provided her with steady work, most often ferrying corporate personnel to various holdings.
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I decided to try something new and purchased a Mk III Cobra, the Firm Right Hand. I've been working for the Imperial Inquisition bringing fugitives to justice. The onboard bay supports an SRV, which allows me to perform a variety of tasks I would otherwise miss out on.
Many of these jobs are "off the books" due to their quasi illegality. With so much legitimate work being done by the company, it's easy to funnel the credits through the company. I should probably feel had about doing any of this. The wetwork, spying, sabotage, even the illegal credit laundering, but I spent years doing this already and I'm damn good at it. Besides, if I don't do it, someone else will. Why shouldn't I profit from my talents?
I realize I'm simply trying to justify my actions. That means that somewhere down deep I must feel some sort of remorse for it. I guess that's how I can tell that I haven't get become a monster inside.