Trauma and Redemption
28 Sep 2020Eagle 5
That damn nightmare... I can't shake it. It's been 5 years and I still manage to find time to relive the experience at least once a week. The hacksaw run managed to put that out of my mind for a bit but Slone managed to do more damage with 4 words than the healing time of months spent in the black.
This is my penance... to relieve the moment over and over until I'm consumed by it... Some say that wasn't my fault... and they'd be right... technically. The missile shouldn't have acquired lock had the IFF worked as it should.
... but it didn't.
Éamonn Uí Laoghire's henchmen did one hell of a job sabotaging the PF's ship ID system that Galcop established centuries ago and that virtually all systems and sponsoring powers used to maintain ship positioning and communication throughout the bubble..... and beyond somehow.
That was vile stuff. To mess with Galcop's infrastructure is to go against the Pilot's Federation and effectively all spacers and their stakeholders... ultimately why not even Mahon would endorse the Crimson State Group's struggle which had clearly turned to a different kind of terrorism: one that relied heavily on misdirection to force casualties by friendly fire... and the casualties were definitely high.
Over 9000 souls to the void, the career of a young aspiring F.N.S. pilot..... and that of the president of the Federation.
And now the shadow of terrorism is rising, but this time across the Empire, bringing death and destruction once again to the general population... via some very special weapons.
The Sarge was a bit of a recluse but I could always count on two things from him: hard hitting weapons and good advice.
"It's good to see ya son! If you're going to get plugged back in you're going to have to do something about that stagnant rank of yours"
> Any good tips on that? Something tells me you can't just smash some pirates in a res zone and call it done anymore.
"You're damned right. The Federation has a more ... pleasant touch ... these days. Part of the reason why I got out of being a quartermaster and went into the engineer business. No, if you're going to climb those ranks again, you're going to need to help some people in need before you can get to the meat and taters of your mission"
(go back on active duty helping people rather than putting them away for good... sounds almost too good to be true)
"Fly up to the triangle and do some good out there you'll be back on top in no time... something tells me you're going to want to pull rank on a certain intelligence officer"
> You mean... mercantile outreach commandant
The Sarge's permanently harsh features twisted in the most uncomfortable looking frown before erupting into an all out explosion of laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHA That's the biggest pile of shit I've ever heard"
> You and me both buddy.. at any rate there are plenty of triangles out there which one?
"Ochosi - HIP 67086 - HIP 67882. Go out there, get some work done and come back to see me when you got a handle on things and need more punch out of those Manticores"
With a respectful nod I spun on my tracks and headed to my Cobra whose twin cannons were being reinstalled having been given an extra dose of deadly.