Elite Trader 3/3 - A Regal Pace
10 Jan 2017Monolith Preacher
So times have surely changed, for everyone. Last I looked Black Omega were a handful of ragtag scoundrels having fun turning the nails on larger factions and powers then retreating to the middle of nowhere to engage in our own brand of local terror. I was King of Gcirthi and deeply involved with the Archon. Now, just a few months later, and we've expanded to thrice our old size, and we rarely see each other. I've fallen off the Powerplay side of things after being disgusted with the travesty of The Dangerous Games, and keep my status as an Archonian more in the hope I'll get back to flying with Valdes in B Wing if e'er he returns to the fold, and...well, once a pyrat...Where I used to spend most of my time smuggling slaves, I've recently been spending more time chasing bounties and I've finally decided to get back in Belugaoisi's Dead for another VIP trip. Graphite isn't quite black, but they still haven't made Midnight Black available, so it'll do 'til a darker colour comes along. At least, I hope it's enough to wash off the bad luck from last time. Taking my first load of VIPs for Black Omega in a white ship was bound to curse me, and as a Preacher I should've known better than to shrug off such an ill omen. Still, it's all in the past, and I've learnt to stop giving myself such a hard time over everything.
I really had a hard time coming to terms with Blix taking my home system away form me, but at the end of it all I am but one man. I helped flip the system into the hands of the Pyrats of Gcirthi, and Hammer Time hasn't been around to help keep the peace since I did. Not that i blame him, we've all got our own priorities. But I can't wage a war of attrition with unseen forces probably patrolling in their own private groups somewhere outside of my usual timezone for sorties when I've got wing work to be done, and my cult has been better established via spreading it via Black Omega than it ever took root back home.
Unfortunately, my scatty behaviour has precluded my ability to get involved with Stryker of late. I caught wind that there was another theocracy nearby, and I offered my assistance, but comm chatter or schedules must've got in the way, 'case we both missed each other. I really should catch up with him soon, but forcing myself into his private operations probably isn't the best way to make a first impression.
And that brings me back to myself, once more. I'm constantly writing about my side of events, as is an author's curse, but I think I should start taking more of a concern in the wing as a whole. Sure, I've had my own problems working with engineers of late, as many people seem more comfortable mining or in a wretched SRV than myself, but there's got to be a better way to serve the wing than being the enigmatic roaming proselytiser. Looking back at this sporadic logbook of mine, I've noticed how wrapped up in my own concerns I can get. I used to have some rather mad adventures, but recently it's been all work and no play, and life has gotten pretty dull even when I'm flying one of my Fer-De-Lance.
Well, there were a couple of exceptions to that rule whilst I think of it. I went flying with CMDR Deaththreat, another recruit I'm unlikely to see for a year or two after their first few weeks, and she'd just gotten used to flying her new Viper. She took a bit too much damage in a HazRez, and decided to go back to repair. I remained flying around to keep the place warm. I saw a Dangerous 'conda and decided to give chase. I whittled them down to around 40% hull integrity ere I realised the wingmates were incoming, in an additional two 'condas. Feeling bold, I decided to let pride carry me through and at least take my inital target down ere I left. As much as I've gotten far more used to as and when to use Flight Assist of late, and despite 'condas not being overly well known for their turning circles, I ended up shield-less and decided to scarper post haste. Unfortunately they gave chase, and I ended up getting back with the smallest amount of hull I've ever come back with.
Flash forward a few weeks, and I'm on my own in a different HazRez, and a Deadly Federal Dropship is flying around with 20% hull turning far more proficiently than it should in such a hulking mass of hardpoints. I'm at full health and shields playing the turning circle game and keeping quite nicely towards its aft, when suddenly a random eagle comes out of nowhere. Suffice to say I was too busy testing my newly engineer'd pack-hounds to give it much heed....that was, until my missiles stopped functioning through thermal attacks and my shields disappeared. The Dropship was on 13%, so I thought I had time to at least trim it off ere I turned around to give that eagle a quick nip of the bud. My distraction allowed the Dropship to turn and try to joust, and as I saw it coming, the pesky eagle slid in next to it like a sidecar, and they both opened fire. I managed to ram the Dropship, but all in all I was now at 13% hull myself, and my canopy gave way. The Dropship, however, was on 1%. Fine, thought I, time to get it with my...burst laser malfunctioned. After a minute or two of trying to aim my rails from 1km without any way to see the ship from the stars, I decided to get closer and ram the Dropship just one more time. I was already late to make it back, but I had the insurance, so I decided to just get close enough to see him and just ram him. The Eagle had been having trouble sticking to me with all my maneuvers, so I spent the next few minutes desperately trying to get the right angle on this Dropship. Suddenly, I had 30 seconds left, and it was painfully clear it wasn't going to happen. I stopped in mind-flight, resigning myself to fate and pressing my eject button. As I flew from my ship in my escape pod, I noticed the Eagle fly right into it and explode. Little victories, I suppose. I just wish I'd remembered the name of the guy in the Dropship. Probably a Fed, knowing my luck, but maybe I'm projecting Blix everywhere I go now.
So I got my insurance claim and went off to get involved in the new HIP expansion, finally having gotten used to my ship enough to feel I was ready to get some work done, and I noticed the most singularly interesting star I'd ever seen. And wouldn't you know it, 'twas right here in the bubble. I've been to the core and Colonia, and obviously nebulae trump stars, but this oddity was nowhere to be seen for either trip. no, it was during a random trip for a pint of milk on the way that I noticed this little baby.
And that was when I made my mind up...next time we go out to up our influence in a system, I was going to go exploring again. But this time, I'd take a small trip with a few VIPs to brainwash 5K from the bubble, and find a nice nebula on my way back. So I'm currently returning from taking Darrel McFadden Patchwork Plains, a rather interesting single system nebula, and I'm going to map out as much of NGC 7822 as I can within my time limit.Elisha Rice hired me to go to Cupid's Arrow within it, and I've heard that the place is full of black holes. I've always been a fan of black holes, as they merge two of my favourite things besides the glorious Monolith, namely liminality and entropy. Many folks go out to the neutron fields to get money, I'm more interested in finding interesting things, and it's been a while since I've taken anyone near an event horizon. This time, however, I fully plan to get all my converts back in one piece. The Monolith Preacher Enlightenment Foundation gave me a fair bit of heat for letting those last passengers fry, and I don't want to burn any more bridges than I already have of late. Speaking of which, I should probably start building some with the new recruits once I get back. I haven't even met our new Capo yet....