Thargonian Showdown!
13 Feb 2022Sailen Blackwind
I was relaxing in my den, docked safely home within Raven's Landing when I heard the news.To my knowledge its been 4 years since anything like this has happened.. if I recall... that was the very first time as well.
Nauni had fallen under thargoid attack, and had suffered heavy casualties.
It had been a few weeks since I've noticed an increase of their presence. I remember when I had first set out upon the milky way.
Thargoids, they were just a myth. something I had yearned to encounter one day. to experience that phenomenon at least once.
I remember my first encounter.
it was the floating remains of a ship left in shambles, plagued by biological remnants of the aftermath left by events long missed.
a distress beacon activated in vein... the sight was amazing.
and then I heard it. it appeared behind me. I heard a wave release, and felt my ship shake as it flowed through me.
I didn't look. I didn't stay.... I ran, and never looked back.
but I never forgot that either... and now they're here.
I deployed shortly later, having decided this would be a perfect opportunity for the curiosity initiative.
it was through canonn that I received the intel, and perhaps it'd be useful to canonn to see what I found.
I suggested use of the device links found within the thargoid structures left behind on forgotten planets, but we decided that the work versus reward was not advantageous for the current situation, so it was decided to approach the situation head on.
I arrived to witness the station's demise first hand.
the system occupied with roaming thargoid fleets lurking in most pockets that they could find.
I roamed around and got a feel for the scene, now i know what it feels like in hostile space.
it wasn't long before I connected with the station's rescue ship, deployed by the aiding forces to supply pilots with a base to operate rescue procedures from.
from there I met several other pilots, present for various reasons, but all seeming to have an interest in the current situations. no one here seemed to just be passing through.
We got to talking, I introduced my self. Sailen Blackwind. I'm here on behalf of study, this was the handshake.
I proposed that we put together a wing, and dive into the conflict zones where xeno hostilities were still active.
four pilots offered their badges to the goal, and we took to our hangers.
it was a good formation, we each made fortunate meeting each other.
we worked well together.
we deployed in the nearest conflict zone and quickly went to work.
this was my first real conflict with the thargoid forces, and I had no idea what to expect.
Black Cat is swift, and I handle her well. Blu is tuned perfectly, and she does her job well.
and I? well I can work both of my girl's like a molly slingin pimp.
But these are thargoids.. and I hadn't a clue.
It was easy though. it came to me naturally. I did my study well and made sure to come equipped.
it paid off. the scout units dropped fairly enough, and felt pretty standard.
it wasn't long before an interceptor unit showed up, and I learned what thargoids really were.
This thing had fought different. it moved different, it shot different, but most importantly..
it died different. one of our other wing mates hailed over comms.
"You have to shoot its hearts!"
Checking my target details I saw it, he was right.
These vessels were alive!
That bit of knowledge changed everything and it wasn't long before the interceptor fell.
Bing! 19 mil in the account.. well would ya look at that.
now I was optimistic.
we continued our offense, and were feeling good
and then it happened. Hydra unit on grid.
it moved and fought much like its lesser variant, but it had more hearts.
its weapons were a bit more advanced, and getting dead locked meant death, but other than that we were able to dance with it.
for hours... for literal hours..
We spent two hours hammering away at its hearts. slowly, so slowly.
one heart.... finally two hearts.... for fucks sake.. 3 hearts..
it went on and on forever..
The armored shells covering the Hydra variant's hearts were incredible..
we finally burned out, needing ammo, some of us needing repairs.. the timing was bad..
we all ended up out of the zone and their forces took the opportunity to regroup..
our fight was in vein.
but it was not without its reward.
We weren't able to finish off the aggressing wave, but we definitely left our mark.
the payout was nice, and my pockets felt heavy enough to be worth the time.
All these things aside though, most valuable of all were the things that I learned.
and now.. now I know what I'm capable of.
Now.. I don't have to hesitate.
Time to wake up Blu, fire up the engines on the Black Cat..
we've got a new night ahead of us!