Unguided, 10: Almost Planned Acquisition
22 Mar 2021Meowers
( 22.03.3307 )
( He Pora - Deciat - Duamta )
Well, this sketch will be a bit different. Something big is brewing around me, and I have to plan my actions more carefully from now on. I have to make preparations.
Last week I had a war against the Imperial faction over four systems and maybe somebody thought that I, personally, somehow dislike the Empire in particular. There's a thing about Imperials, some of them think that other people don't think fondly of them, hold a distrust, call them rude words etc. Dear Imperial friends (hah, sounded like I have one), I... just don't care about who's the master of those endless thousands of docile flying halfwits that are constantly trying to grab their piece of independent worlds, to plant their foot there, to make local people slaves or 'company's wage worker'-type slaves. So it's Feds this time. Fed corpos, to make the thrashing even more reasonable. But let the war reports stand aside this time.
While I've been fighting those little conflicts here and there, my reputation amongst authorities made a plunge (well, that was predictable), but I still need to operate from somewhere, without questionable luxuries of flying for half an hour from a mouldy surface installation that doesn't even have a repair facility (awesome A-grade war preparation). Or jumping between systems to rearm and refuel. Most of the full-scale starports are still affiliated with superpowers, so maybe soon they won't be much happy to see me around. There's a question about establishing supply chains and creating something that I could call a base, a question that requires a slow, systematic, well-developed approach. And I had no solution until this day. Now I have one. And she's big.
(Meet Carmine)
Named her Carmine. Marshmallow is by no means a freighter, not even a makeshift one, maybe only for a little smuggling and mission-specific small cargo that needs the most premium security. I needed a heavy, durable and well-armoured freighter to move mountains of supplies, to develop my own backbone for running operations and to do trading with independent factions, giving them a commercial boost during peaceful days. And T10 boasts an additional interesting benefit of possible refitting into an AX combat ship, so this 'fourth superpower' will have their faces bloody too eventually, or, um, what they have for a face there. This, and some irrational sympathy to this flying brick with all her clumsiness and rotund charm, granted a non-painful choice. Yes, there are ship designs with bigger cargo capacity, but this one fits exactly into the roles that I need, and it's... cute somehow. Just have to reinforce the power plant, the weakest spot, before taking her into serious action.
Equipping a big ship up from stock loadout is a kind of reverse Jenga: you struggle to put things inside, trying not to collapse the whole structure.
"Yeah, I need more armour! Module protection too... Shields... What?! Maximum mass exceeded?!"
"Okay, I'll put better thrusters first, they sell them nearby... No L-sized landing pads?!"
"Damn, I forgot to pin the FSD engineering blueprint days ago. Computer, plot a route to Deciat... Not available?! Whaaaat jump range?!"
"Sure. Hey there, shipyard crew! Bring Marshmallow here, I'll run her to Deciat and then transfer Carmine there... Hooooow many millions for a transfer?!"
"Awesome! Now I can call this an FSD. Let's engineer it 'til it shines!.. Shields offline?!?!"
"Dangit! I need a proper power plant. Okay, go unshielded for a while... Damn you random Cobra, how could you not have seen a ship that big and, damn, solid vibrant red colour?!?!"
"Slow down! Slow down! Pull up! Pull up! Damn these stock thrusters... What pad loitering?! Can't you see, I'm struggling to nudge her away! Craaaaap... Okay, I hope you choke on this 150 cr."
"Install me da power! What?! Excess mass again?! Damn you, just put it in a storage! Why can't I do this?! Ah, okay, okay, I'll install the A-grade thrusters first."
"This thrusters rock! Weeeeee! Speed brick!.. Stop! Stop! Stooop! We have no sh... Ah damn. How much for a repair from 70%?!"
"How can you not have a class 8 cargo rack in stock?! It's a simple metal box!"
"Yeah! Thrusters - check, power - check, shields - check, now transfer me all the armour modules, bulkhead sets too... Hoooooow much?!"
So, I've spent a bit more than half a billion to make this investment into my bright shiny future. Of course, if I even have one. Let's haul some cargo! Half a day, after kicking arse in the combat zones. There's a cooperative relief effort after those NMLA bombings, each of three superpowers have a high demand for medicines, and they offer a capital system permit for almost anyone who'll play a part. Not that I'm trying to 'redeem myself' somehow, screw the superpowers, but it's a chance to obtain permits by helping unlucky folks who suffered from actions of their authorities and still ask authorities for help - what an irony. An honourable thing, definitely better than usual errand running and boot licking that are required for a permit, and also I'll get familiar with steering a giant brick. Besides, I don't know why I even need capital system permits, but who knows? It's always good to be prepared. Maybe, I'll visit engineers, or just stick around to take yummy photos.
(Carmine docking)
At least they aren't taking these pills and bandages away for free.
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Next part: #11: Duality
Next part: #11: Duality