The start
04 Mar 2021Scopulus_Andreas
I grew up moving from place to place. Planet to planet, station to station, system to system. I became a pilot early on in adulthood, but spent most of my time in law enforcement. First as a beat security officer for some corporate station, then a planetside prison in the Federation. I was in the Federal Navy Auxiliary, but the pay wasn't great, had to do something else to put food on the table, when there was a table anyway. Eventually I found myself on an independent station, in a bar, unemployed, and talking to a rep for the Pilots Federation. Next thing I knew, I was on a transport headed to the Matet system and had already purchased a ship. I checked by balance and had just 1,000 credits remaining. I seriously considered abandoning this endeavor, but couldn’t really think of what else to do. So I climbed aboard my used, beat up, worthless Sidewinder and started running some local missions.After a while, I decided to go further out. This angered the Pilots Federation Administer on Coelho Station and she said if I left, she’d revoke my permit for PFA space. There was so much more to see and do though, so I decided to leave. Besides, I thought she was bluffing. She wasn’t bluffing. Oh well, I set my sights on the Hel system. I had heard a rumor I could buy a new ship there cheap. It was a long trip to make in my old beater, but I had a fuel scoop and no concerns about making it. I saw on the map where the fuel star was on the way, but when I got to that system, in the red, wrong type star. There was a second star in the system, almost 400,000 ls out. That must be the fuel star I reasoned. So I started that way. I was on fumes when I got there. Nope. Time to panic! I had no fuel for a jump and I didn’t know where my towel was. It was then I remembered overhearing a conversation in a bar about a group called the Fuel Rats. I figured, what have I got to lose, and sent out a distress call. To my relief, a rescue ship was dispatched though the pilots call sign, The-Demonwolf gave me pause. Still, they say never look a gift horse in the mouth. But then, they also say beware of Greeks bearing gifts. And of course Troy should have absolutely looked into the mouth of their gift horse. I’m rambling. Computer, delete that. No, not the whole thing. Just that last part. No. You know what, forget it.
Where was I? Right. The-Demonwolf was an absolute hero! A literal lifesaver. He made that monster trip, gassed me up, and told me how to search for fuel stars. I continued on my way and eventually made it to Hel. It was while waiting for rescue that I thought I should have renamed my ship the Handbasket. But it was too late now. I bought myself a Cobra mk III and set out to explore the galaxy. However, after several days of mucking about, I really started to hate the jump range of my little ship. So I went back to Hel, turned in my exploration data, and bought an Asp Explorer. I didn’t think much of it at first, but it has really grown on me. I have moved on to other ships but kept the Asp. I intend to use it as a rescue ship and join the Fuel Rats myself some day. Anyway, I took my Asp out and put it to the use it was intended, I began to explore. As I did, I began to think on what I wanted to do long term.
It was about this time I learned from a contact that I was descended from Imperial royalty or something. What? My family had been proud Federation for as far back as I knew. Turns out, 350-ish years ago, some Andreas had been a friend of the Emperor and that same Emperor made him a King so they could hang out more or whatever. Then, a couple generations later his grandson kills somebody and flees the Empire. Now they are looking for one of his long lost descendants to take over the rundown estate he left behind. I figure, what have I got to lose, and stake my claim. As I am the only one to do so in the last 250 years, and I can prove a DNA match with the last King, they are happy to get this matter closed and BAM! I'm a King! It's odd being a Vice-Admiral in the Federation and a King in the Empire, but such is life. Anyway, they tell me it will take a while to cut through the red tape and release the estate finances, so I decided to resume my adventuring.
Now I'm respectable so I founded a company, Andreas Enterprises. I bought a Type-9 Heavy and began running cargo to various stations. It has felt good working and the money is pretty good too. Until pirates blow you out of the sky. Just managed to eject before watching my 130 million cr ship blow apart. Then I got to watch the pirates make off with my cargo before finally being rescued. I filed an insurance claim on my ship but it didn’t cover my haul. I then discovered that I was on the hook for what was lost, about 20 million credits! Ouch! Fine, whatever. I get back to running missions and bam! Lost another ship! Screw this! I went to get military grade armor added to my ship. Fine, but now I owed 24 million credits and only had 19 million in my account. So I started looking for trade runs to pad my bank. Found a couple good ones and then decided it was time to return to the business at hand. So that brings me to now. I am space trucking back to Canopus to pay my debts and resume my work for the Federation.
I managed to prove my worth to the Federation, Admiral has a nice ring to it. But life is getting pretty busy, what with the business taking off and my work with the Society, so I ask to be placed on the inactive reserves list. What Society? Oh, the Society of Space Explorers and Adventurers. I joined years ago but it was small and dying. Not long ago it did die, quite literally as the last director passed away leaving me as the sole remaining member. I really should try to rebuild it, it is almost 1800 years old. But to do so, I need to start making money and friends.
I started running cargo for myself and the number of attacks went way down. Attacks do still happen though. I was transporting over 40 million credits worth of silver when a ship caught me, depleted my shields, damaged my FSD, and severely busted my hull. If not for an Federation patrol, I would have been toast. I found myself saying, someone should do something about those pirates. Well, I’m someone. And so, I figure I should probably get myself a proper ship and get to work. The Federation Navy did offer to sell me a Corvette.
The money from my Imperial estate finally came through, so I took out what I needed to buy myself a Fleet Carrier and a handful of other ships, including that Corvette. So that's me now, vigilante by day, but by night, savvy business owner.
End log