Commander's Log 33010826: Rhiannon's Death
26 Aug 2015Amaya Manami
After dealing with all of the stress from yesterday, I decided to try my hand at actually following the law. It may not be a way to earn a lot of credits quickly, but it should help keep me out of trouble.A quick scan of the Bulletin Board showed a short haul of Mineral Extractors to Frigha Landing in the Onizuka system. Should be easy - and, Mineral Extractors are hardly the type of cargo that make pirates stand up and take notice.
Wrong!
I was interdicted a few light seconds from Frigha Landing. Once again, there were two blips. But, this time, both were pirates. I twisted, turned, and fired at the nearest pirate. Solid hits! A quick blast of the thrusters and the pirate stayed in lock. Meanwhile, the second pirate blasted as me from behind. My shields were weakening, but the pirate in my sights had already lost his shields. A few more seconds of my cannons and he would be dead.
A warning flashed and Rhiannon screamed that her shields were gone. I couldn't take the chance of breaking from the pirate in my sights because if I had a chance to recharge my shields - so would he. And he was in worse shape than I. A few seconds later and his ship disintegrated in front of me.
I had no time to celebrate. My canopy cracked, then cracked again.
Rhiannon howled louder. I slowed, then sped up -- twisting as I thrust into the vertical. All in all, it was a good move, but I couldn't escape the turret mounted laser on my heartless assailant. Rhiannon cried, "Eject! Eject! Eject!"
My last vision of Rhiannon was of her breaking up in the deep.
Pulsing light grew quickly and my body began to dissolve. The tingling sensation associated with the Pilot's Federation Emergency Transporter (PFET) beam snaked across my body. It felt like I was drowning in an ocean of Pyredian mud fleas. All in all, I suppose it was a small price to pay for having my life saved - literally snatched from the jaws of death. The beam pulled me from Rhiannon's wreckage just in time.
A few seconds later, I was back in Russell Ring -- intact and alive -- with an opportunity to rebuy/replace Rhiannon (for a stiff fee, of course). The Federation would not, however, replace the expensive Mineral Extractors destroyed in the incident. I would have to pay for those myself!
Almost 6000 credits later, and Rhiannon II was born. This was not how I wished my day would go.
After paying 870 credits in fines for the destroyed machinery, I decided to calm my nerves (and settle my temper) before setting out once again. Using what few credits I could spare, I went to the Commander's Lounge and ordered a pair of doubles.