Coming home Sagon
19 Feb 2018Silverdrake220
Touching down on one of the many landing pads in O'Leary Vision I was greeted by a familiar face. Jim one of the ground crew was locking the station power coupler on the hull of the python when he realized who I was. "Drake he called out. Is that you?"I smiled "Hey Jim how have you been?" I had walked over to him and shook his hand. Jim was one of the many people here that had taken me under their wing when I had first come here to Sagon.
I found my self here after following some headstrong bounty hunter out here. He said he would show me the ropes. "A great place to learn the trade," he said. Well, it turned out he was right; but on reflection, I think he was almost as green as I was. Because he and his beloved anaconda were blown into a million space bits the second day, we were here. I almost ended up with the same fate. I had managed to escape the firefight. So as I limped my shot up Adder back to O'Leary Vision, now alone in a system, I knew nothing of. I met Jim setting my shot up Adder on a landing pad. Jim was one of the first of the ground crew to ask me what the hell was I thinking. Trying to bounty hunt in a rickety old Adder. He quickly got the idea I was as green as hell and had no clue. He could also tell I was very shaken that had been my first real taste of combat. He said the rest of the ground crew to get to work on the ship. He took me up to one of the closest bars on the station and got me a drink or three.
We talked about the first experience in a hazardous resources site. Also what I had done before coming to Sagon. He asked if I was going to be staying in the system. I told him I had come out here to start a new life to see if I could become the man that I wanted to be, so yeah I was staying. "Good!" he said " then let's get started. "First, you will stay with my wife and me while you're here. Till you can afford your quarters," He continued "I will introduce you around and get you pointed in the right direction. If you still want to be any combat pilot. All you have to do is not die, and the rest should take care of itself."
That night I had my first home cooked meal in a long time. Bill and I talked a lot that night. Before we went to sleep, he said "Tomorrow you will have the estimate of the repairs on your ship. We will also see about getting you earning some credits." The next day Jim and I walked around the station, and he introduced me to many of the crews that service the ships. I also got the estimate for the repair of my Adder which was not as bad as I thought it was going to be only about 3500 credits.
Later after lunch, Jim took me over to the system authority. He introduced me to Tom Jennings; The head of the wing of system authority that protects O'Leary Vision. Tom and I talked for a while about my wanting to be a bounty hunter and combat pilot. Jim spoke up "Tom you need to take him under your wing and show him some combat flying, so he does not get his Ass blown out of the stars." Tom agreed to take me out on some of the patrols but did not guarantee my safety.
As we walked back to Jim's family's quarters, he said "OK you are now pretty much set up to live here. You can earn some credits, and you can stay with us until you can get your quarters." I thanked Jim and told him that I would not cause him any trouble. I also asked him why he was helping me as much as he was. He said it was nothing. I reminded him of himself when he was younger.
So as time went by I got better and became a better pilot and learned much from my friends at O'Leary Vision. Now I am returning home so to speak. Visiting old friends and supposed to be helping a new commander learn the ropes of life in the black. I could not think of a better place for him to start but here.
Jim and I talk for a few, and I tell him I need to check in, and I would see him after. I also need to see if that new commander has made it here yet.
The next morning after arriving in Sagon, I got a data message from one of the guys I used to pal around with from the system authority. The message read you too good to do some bounty hunting with us we are heading out to the rez 07:00 if you still think you can keep up.
Keep up I thought, the basilisk should be ready in the hanger. I still have a few connections here and got a few nice upgrades at a steal of a price. One of was a new set of A-rated thrusters that should push her nicely thought the rez. We will have to find out. I had some breakfast and headed down to the hangers to check on my ship.
John, my connection to parts, was on the ship doing the final test fire and system check of the new thrusters. "The rest of the upgrades are done just finishing up on the thrusters; you're not wasting any time she still has that new ship smell."
"Yeah, I have but plans for her she needs to be up to speed as fast as possible I said. I am also thinking about transporting my ASP here. You think you're up to the task of making her more respectable and an actual explore?" I said jokingly.
"The Empire must be paying you too well I figured you had sold your whole fleet to end up with this little pearl," John said.
"No, and No I had to get rid of the rest, but I could not part with the Hydra, she and I have too much of a history together."
"So can you do it?" I asked.
"With pleasure," John said.
"Good!" shaking his hand. "What time is it?" I asked.
John said "06:30 why?"
"Damn it OK I got to go; you said she was ready right."
"Yes, why?" John stated.
"Because if she is not, you will owe me a tow back from the rez."
"What?" John said.
"You heard me," I said as I walked up the stairwell into the Python heading to the cockpit.
Leaving O'Leary vision I could feel the difference the new thrusters were going to make, I punched the throttle as I cleared the mail slot and pulled up the navigation computer locking the high resources extraction site I jumped into the supercruise. It was not long before I dropped into the resources site. Comm chatter broke open with a voice saying "Damn! I did not think you would make it this early." James said. James, Larry and I winged up and started looking for wanted pilots and pirates trying to prey on the miners in the area; it was not long before we were making credits, the day went by quickly as we racked up bounties and chatted during the lows as we looked for more ships. It was almost like I had never left the friends I have here, who are actual friends. I mean I had not seen them in nearly a year, and we all just picked up where we left off. Yeah a few more stories to tell and the like, but it still felt as comfortable as when I left.
The Python performed flawlessly racking up a nice bit of profit for the day even though I did take some flack for pushing her as hard as I did. I was trying to fly her still like she was a small ship.
As we were all flying back to O'Leary, we all joked, and I took more flack about my flying style. "I'm glad to see you again Drake, you have been missed around here," Larry said.
Back at the station, we were collecting our credits, and the new change now was you could receive your bounty credits right from the landing dock. James suggested we head to the bar and have a few drinks to celebrate. His idea was interrupted by a familiar female voice.
"Well, well aren't you fancy now." I turned to see a beautiful pair of legs and a perfect bottom going up the ladder well of the Basilisk. James said, "Ummm Drake, I guess we will see you later maybe." He and Larry walked off joking and talking. I followed those legs up into my ship walking down the hall I see a flight suit laying on the floor. I step into my the sleeping quarters that are on the ship she is already in the bed you can see her brown hair had recently been up in a bun. Jane, I said
"You don't keep in contact," she said I started to move towards her she put her finger up to tell me to stop. "You are far to dressed for this conversation to go any further," she said. "."Well, then" I said accommodating her request, slipping into the rack with her we kissed I knew this was going to be a long conversation.
Waking up the next morning in the sleeping birth of the Basilisk, Jane naked still next to me. I hear my comm going off; I reach for my halo pad and read the message "System expansion all pilots need to report to home system and Adams orbital. All leave in effect canceled effective immediately."
Ahh, fuck now right now. I thought to my self.
Then I heard Jane "I knew you would not be here long, knew the empire would not let you too far off your leash."
"That's not it at all," I said
"You belong to the empire now Drake they call you have to answer," said Jane. "It's OK I am heading out to Calonia in a few hours anyway." she continued.
I looked back at her, "What for how long?"
"Till the credits stop flowing, I guess I have been out their twice since you have left. If you were better about keeping in contact, you would have known that," said Jane.
"I'm sorry Jane I just don't want you to worry," I said
"I am going to worry anyway, at least a hay I'm alive would be nice in the least," Jane responded.
"Your right," I said.
She sat up walking off picking up her flight suit getting dressed
"Let's get something to eat before you take off on me again," she said.
A few hours later I was in the cockpit of the basilisk heading back
to Empire space. Wondering how things would be different if I had decided not to join the empire. Deep down I have no regrets. The flight back to Beta One was uneventful; landing back at Adams Orbital I started checking on why I was called so Soon after leaving. There was message after message of incursions with the Thargoinds, so there was a mass recall of all Empire pilots. Was why my time away was cut so short. Back at Adams, it was business as usual. The daily briefing was about what the next systems the faction I belonged to plan on going for its next expansion. How the current expansion had gone and on the broader note where the empire was planning on going next. In its quest for power and domination of inhabited space.
This days briefing had little of my attention I was more concerned with the Ideas of aliens and the fact that they have attacked and destroyed multiple human ships. After the briefing I was walking back to my quarters in Adams; I thought this does not matter anymore we are not alone in space. We need to focus on the preservation of humankind. What do the Thargoids want this time? Why are they back? Are they the same Thargoids that humankind had faced before? I started research on to what systems we have seen and come into contact with them and what we know about them so far.
I started scanning over Galnet articles looking for any information and news about the Thargoids. So far they have been seen in the Pleiades sector there have been both important and uneventful interactions. They have destroyed capital ships, and now their are rumors of both the Federation and the Empire pulling out of the Pleiades altogether. I need to be involved in this protecting; defending humankind is far more important than squabbles between the Federation and the Empire.
The next day I formally submitted my request for a leave of absence from my faction and the duties there. I Sold off two of the other ships in my fleet and placed my order for a new combat fitted Anaconda. As I wait for the anaconda to be fitted and ready, and I get the rest of my gear ready. I will see you in the Pleiades fighting for the survival of humankind.