Captain's Log: Narrow view of a wide galaxy
25 Mar 2022Pon Pon
Well, I've done it.I've achieved everything I set out to do. The SWS//Odinkirk, pride of my fleet, is now in commission.
So, what's left? It's funny to think that in the near infinity of the galaxy, I've finally completed what I thought was an unachievable goal. I guess I've always been a small thinker, though.
I haven't been up to much different, though, the past little while. CMDR Ianosaur, CMDR Lynn, CMDR Dragonhide, CMDR Umbraswrath, CMDR I_Z9N, CMDR Douglas Gao, CMD Pinhead, and probably a few others are all folks I've seen in the past weeks, and we've all been hard at work stabilizing the Apotanites system. There was even a full-blown civil war at one point, though I think the Imperial faction present got that under control, so Rook Platoon, the SWS presence in the system, didn't need to step in. Things are bad enough there in peacetime, to the point where CMDR Ubraswrath has commissioned their fleet carrier, the SWS//Javelin, to run security detail.
Despite setbacks--piracy, war, politics--preventing us from carrying out our missions at times, we have made steady progress. Most of the commanders I have worked with, like myself, have commissioned fleet carriers of their own. It's probably not an exaggeration to say the SWS now has the military and economic strength of a small superpower. Since the acquisition of Rook Platoon, we have climbed the economic rankings, and commissioned 10 new fleet carriers. It's, frankly, ridiculous how much I'm being paid these days.
And yeah, somewhere along the line I think I got a promotion to Senior Wingman. I'm probably close to another promotion, since Deputy Wing Commander Ytterium recommended me for a position in the general staff. It was a little surprising, but quite humbling to know that what I'm doing has been recognized, mostly because I'm not doing anything different than usual--just going along at my own pace, helping people where I can and jumping on whatever looks interesting. That's how I'm an unofficial lead on a project that should greatly assist our work in Apotanites (the project owner is nowhere to be found at the moment and I naturally rise to leadership positions when there is a deficit), and a major contributor to our promotional material from designing the banner of the SWS. So here's to even greater heights in the squadron!
But now, I'm taking a step back to reevaluate.
When I started out in that Sidewinder, coming up on four years ago, I just thought it was a way to escape the shitty life I had as a merc. It was... Something different. Different to scrounging in the mud of the cities on my home planet, different to the noise and violence and occupational hazards of being a gun for hire. It was freedom, to me. I started out in trade, without a clue what I was doing, following the fundamental rule of "buy low, sell high." When I sold my Sidewinder to buy the Bewegung, my T6, I had no clue the chain of events that would follow. I continued trading, now at a larger scale aboard the Bewegung. Then, I found myself in Imperial Space, carrying cargo and data for the Imperial Navy. My rank slowly, but steadily grew, and I decided to splurge a little, buying the Abtransport, right around the same time there was a strike against humanity by the Thargoids, way out in the Pleiades Nebula. They called us heroes, as we flew into the burning Donar's Oak as it threatened to deorbit. The Abtransport proved herself that day, as... Well, a bit of an overexaggerated idea. It was my first Gutamaya, or at least the first one I flew for any extended period. I remember thoroughly enjoying the styling, and the comfort, but at the time it was a little too expensive for me to be comfortable in. I switched back to my roots, and my next ship was back to Lakon and the dream of every small trade pilot: A Type-9 I christened the Faultier. She's served me well, and at some point I reached Elite in trade in her. During my stint as an explorer, she has been parked, but the Faultier has seen a revival in activity now that I'm back in the bubble, bringing me up to Elite II in trade.
Somewhere in there, I bought a Diamondback Scout. It was partly because I needed a ship just to move around in, but also in part because my heart longed to uproot and leave. I christened it the Reichweite, and it is one of a few ships that I regret selling due to their sentimental value. The other is my first Sidewinder, whose name I have long since forgotten. The Reichweite soon gave way to the Reichweite II, a Diamondback Explorer, which served me extremely well. That ship was my daily driver for a long time, and I took it into what seemed to me like the far reaches of space at the time. But, when I joined the Scouting Initiative, I knew it wouldn't be enough, and so the Reichweite II was retired to make way for the Reichweite III, and Asp Explorer. I've taken that Asp far abroad in my duties as a scout, and was one of two Asp Explorers on the expedition out to Trifid the SWS held last December. And, like with trade, somewhere along the line I found myself considered an Elite explorer. A double Elite.
When it comes to combat, I have seen my fair share. Enough to know that it probably isn't for me. I started out with a Viper MK III, the Werde Sterben. I flew that ship once. Next, I flew the Jäger-Sammler, equipped with just enough firepower to knock out a lone pirate if I encountered one while scavenging combat aftermath. I patrolled for pirates in the mineral rich rings of various planets for a while in my Type-10, the Tödliche Ruhe. But, it wasn't until the Fuchsjäger, my Alliance Chieftan, that I took to combat for real. Mostly because a war erupted, and the Sidewinder Syndicate mobilized for the first time since I joined. It was... Bloody. I was just getting back into a bit of mercenary work, doing independent actions, but I only participated in one ground CZ. The rest was all in the air, but it was still non-stop fighting. We blew up ships, and watched ships blow up. The scariest moment was when my canopy burst. I kept calm, blasted the last of the enemy forces, and flew back to the friendly carrier, but it was dicey as all hell. My wingman, CMDR Ikerz, nearly died when his canopy blew. I remember vividly, escorting him back to the carrier, the emergency crews waiting by the pad to attach the oxygen supply. At one point, I entertained the dream of triple elite, but after that day I was never so sure. I started work on a destroyer, a missile Corvette, but that project never came to completion, and possibly never will.
Looking back at all that I've achieved, it's really boggling. Not just my badges from the Pilot's Federation, or my titles in the Sidewinder Syndicate. I've left the first footprints on distant worlds. Saved hundreds of lives from devastating alien attacks. Fought in wars, and helped rebuild in peace. I've flown ships of all sizes, and now am the leader of countless folks aboard the SWS//Odinkirk. That's a lot of responsibility.
I don't know what I'll do next right now. I'm still figuring that out. But I know that whatever it is, I won't get there alone. So many commanders have helped me along the way: CMDR Ritsy, CMDR Roubledainbow, CMDR Richard, CMDR Ikerz... And those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head. So thank you, those I have named and everyone who has flown with me in the past.
o7, commanders.