A Rather Mundane Log
22 Apr 2017XxHyde840xX
CMDR FeverishAtom is back from his latest passenger mission. The amount of cartographic data he managed to accumulate is staggering to say the least, forcing me to make a call to our usual parts supplier in Borr. I should really ask his name the next time I'm by, but were usually so busy discussing numbers and statistics that I doubt he even knows mine. He still greets me warmly with a firm handshake and a smile when I show up and he's a fair businessman, so I'm thankful the LSR has a contact like him. When I showed up last night he already had a selection of modules laid out, though a bit different from the standard fare. DT, our official mascot, sniffed around the shop and seemingly barked in approval at the selection as he grinned, paws perched atop a counter, tail wagging. I chuckled as I walked in through the sliding steel doors of the service-bay. I had taken the liberty of transporting my Diamondback Explorer, my Sidewinder, and my Eagle before hand so I had a pretty good idea of what i wanted. The Diamondback, the "Hind-D" as I've been affectionately calling it was blasted down to the bare metal and ready for a new coat of paint. I chose a nice crimson from the palette, slightly matte in finish and began writing down the installation and parts listing. D-class components for most modules except for the FSD and shield were in order for a trip to Sag-A and then Colonia with a stop at a nebula perhaps on the way back. It's an ambitious trip but things have been so busy with setting up the Leviathan Scout Regiment and recruiting new members that I've barely had time to leave The Bubble. CMDR FeverishAtom has agreed to monitor conditions in Lambda Arae in my absence, and since my mission to Phra Mool is drawing to a close I'll have some free time in between now and the last phase of the mission. Thoughts of the wonders I'll see out there, not to mention those tasty credits from mapping some virgin systems, race through my head as I watch as the service-bay crew dismantles and removes the hardpoints, sealing them shut as they'll be useless until I return and potentially outfit the ship for another mission. D-class components are critical for a decent jump range and I may have to engineer the hell out of my 5A FSD, which unfortunately is out of stock and will have to be sourced elsewhere. A decent Field-Maintenance unit or two is going to be invaluable as well and im even considering a Planetary Vehicle Hanger in case I find anything of note to land on and scout. With the majority of parts selected and being prepped for install, I sit down for a moment and watch as DT hops up on the "Tiny Bronco," my Sidewinder for Proving Grounds duels.
He's been a blessing lately, keeping me company as I hop in and out of our sector. Never staying long in one place aside from our unofficial home system, we've developed a bit of a cordial relation with some of the outlying factions. Friends are good, but an alliance or two would be highly beneficial. I ponder who would even take an upstart group like us seriously, especially since we're still not officially recognized as a faction yet, but I remain optimistic that with work an patience we can figure something out.
As the first railgun gets installed I realize that the Power Plant just isn't going to cut it for the schematics I've worked out so it's time to start putting feelers out for some more Engineering contacts. I've been able to access and source parts from a few of them but they're not quite at the level I'm looking for, and this Sidewinder is meant for proving a point, and should have the parts to match. The parts needed for the basic framework are easy enough to source for this ship though, despite its age so the build goes smoothly, minus a last minute change of heart on the paint.
The Eagle I'm not quite sure what to do with, though I've been itching for a stealth vessel for some of the more clandestine operations we're going to eventually carry out. The recent work I've had done to it would have it suited for a quiet, cold-running layout, capable of showing up, completing it's mission, and disappearing before anyone was the wiser. The placement of the hardpoints allows for a bit of versatility as well so there's also that to consider. But that's a matter for tomorrow, It's late and I'm tired. Covered in grease and various other shop- liquids from jumping in and showing a few of the apprentice mechanics how the LSR's current Mechanic-at-Arms installs his lateral and vertical thrusters, I pay our ever-nameless ship-wizard in Borr. I contemplate asking his name, but I just smile and thank him as I walk out. Maybe someday.
With DT at my heels I head back to the "Black Sakura" for some last minute mission briefings and general upkeep. As I tinker with our communications and information databases I think back to the overwhelming success of the Vulture I purchased. My personal ship total is up to 16, and I do have some personal favorites, but after racking up over 1.2 million credits in bounties over a 45 minute period, boosting through the icy rings of a beautiful, yet forgettably-named indigo gas-giant located in Caelottixa, the "Magician's Red" is a clear winner. The speed and manoeuverability of this particular ship is phenomenal, and the hull never seems to give, thanks to the umpteen tons of plating I had installed. Designed for CQC against larger ships, it certainly punches above its weight class thanks to the dual large hardpoints. Heat displacement continues to be an issue though, and I thought I was going to fry myself along with the ship as a hard burn during silent running, coupled with a full Power Distributor shift to a 3C Fixed Beam Laser and 3C Gimballed Multi-Cannon salvo saw the heat sensor stop and finally explode in a shower of circuits and smoke at 153% saturation, but the ship held with surprisingly low module damage so I may not have to make an immediate change.
Recruitment is going alright, with our total members now totaling 7 with a potential 8th on the way. CMDR King x Trey took the liberty of extending his hand in friendship and is interesting in at least working alongside us for the time being so hopefully we can get him onboard. The Leviathan Scout Regiment can always use the help, and we're always looking for decent pilots with similar goals to work with so the help is welcome indeed. Our logo is still in the works, and hopefully will be finished soon so I can begin posting some more professional looking recruitment ads, rather than "The LSR Wants YOU, CMDR!" with our mission statement and my contact info on it.
As I begin to drift off in the Business Class Cabin of the "Black Sakura," one thing is clear. We need to grow, and we need to expand as a group, to be an effective faction. It's going to be a long road ahead, but with the Leviathan Scout Regiment behind me, and our lovable Cane Corso to help keep spirits up I feel there's nothing we can't accomplish. It's going to be a long, hard road ahead, and there's always work to be done, but myself and the Leviathan Scout Regiment are ready to face it head on.
OOC: Whew! Another one out the door! I must say I'm rather enjoying this Logbook feature alot more than I first anticipated. Back when I was a wee little lad back in short-pants you'd be hard pressed to get me to write more than a few sentences but I actually look forward to writing these every week.
Thanks to anyone who stumbles across this and makes it this far into the log, I hope it was enjoyable. I'm gonna try to make next weeks entry with some excitement, as I feel this one was a bit mundane, so stay tuned if you enjoyed the read! As usual, the Leviathan Scout regiment is recruiting active, Hudson-aligned CMDRs on Xbox One so if you're looking to wing up, chat, join, or just do some fun space-stuff in space, send me a message on here, Discord, Frontier Forums, or Xbox One, my handle [XxHyde840xX] is the same for all of them. See you, Space Cowboys, and Stay Schwifty out there. o7
XxHyde840xX
Commanding Officer
Leviathan Scout Regiment