The End of Everything
10 Nov 2019ParkTyGreen
Well, fuck. That is the only logical assessment I can make right now.
It was all looking so well for my crew and I. Gotten millions from bounty hunting, Kaylyn was paying off her debts, and the ship was looking better than ever. But not after today. Today, the ship is drifting off somewhere in the rings of Upaniklis 1a, reactor obliterated and so many gashes and pieces gone she looks unrecognisable. She’s gone. The ship is gone. The Tiberius is gone. Along with hours of bounty vouchers and... and well I was really dreading writing about this, but now these husk-filled rings have one more to add to the ranks of dead floating through the dusty and hazy void. Kaylyn is... gone. I don’t know what to do. I just got back to Fozard Port, gashed and bruised and I’m pretty sure burned as well. Don’t remember much of what happened after the attack. Just the sudden feeling of weightlessness as I got catapulted out of the canopy (which was in a million pieces) and lasers and missiles flying around me, watching as the Tiberius got thrashed and tossed about by a cascade of lasers and bullets. Shrapnel and debris sprayed out form the ship as explosions tore the Tiberius apart from inside. The last thing I saw was the reactor explode in blinding white light, followed by Kaylyn (in one of the Taipans) make a run for the edge of the rings, and quickly go out in a blast of orange light. I blacked out.
I don’t know how I got back to the station. I just woke up in an emergency care center just outside salvage and recovery HQ at the station, so I’m assuming I got picked up by them.
An hour later
Some people came by with lots of papers and contracts and documents just now. Didn’t look rough enough to be scammers or pirates or anything but not professional enough to be actual insurance agents from Zaonce. Anyways, they said for the right price, they could retrieve the Tiberius and get her fixed up. Of course, the costs will be considerably higher since most people are a little hesitant to the idea of going into an area just short of being as dangerous as a conflict zone and hauling a broken wreck of a ship 900 ls to port. Something in the lines of 5,000,000 credits, which would leave me broke. I’m considering calling up Zaonce for insurance, but I doubt they’ll be willing to retrieve the ship, especially considering the circumstances of her near complete destruction. After I figure everything out, I’ll try and get back to the bar Sloane was at when we left (he had some bets he wanted to see through, so wasn’t along with us for that one time.) I’ll continue writing once there.
Even Later
Gave it much consideration, and decided to agree to the offer. A team of six will set off in an hour or so. Hopefully they’re trustworthy, cause I just gave them all of my money. As for Sloane, I talked to him, and it was a tough conversation. For a second he didn’t say a thing, then he just stood up and walked out. He probably thinks I’m responsible. Well, I think I’m responsible. And here comes that time again. I don’t think I should be a captain. And this time, unlike last, I don’t even have a ship. This has just proven to me my worst worries. I’m not fit to be a captain. I’m not fit to be a commander.
I think I’ll go find an escape pod and launch myself into deep space. Might be a fun way to go.