What's in a Name?
14 Nov 2015Michael Darkmoor
7 June, 3301 I did not want to make the same mistake with this Cobra that I had made with my first ship, the Sidewinder. Noting of course that the Eagle did not get a name either, the limited duration of ownership for that craft, and the expressed purpose for buying it kept me from getting too attached.
The Cobra was different as this was one ship that I intended to own for a good long time. Even if I ever upgraded to the higher end transports or bounty hunters, I still would keep the Cobra to fly.
So… she needed a name.
This thought was constantly on my mind, even while I continued stacking missions and trading around the local area to build up my stake... almost to the point of distraction. I had a short list of expensive modules I wanted to add in preparation for my trip to Earth and this little issue was what kept me up at night. Names like “Spins Top Spins” and “Star Or Fan”, were a couple of the cheeky ones I came up with. They just didn’t have... whatever it was I was looking for. I couldn't put a finger on exactly what "it" was, but I knew those didn't have "it".
There was one retro-name that I liked, “Captive Vader”, with a little nod to a 20th century space opera. It was ok, but few people knew about the early science fiction of the Earth, so the pun likely would be wasted on them. And... it still didn't have the "thing" I sought.
It was my Japanese ancestry that eventually came to the rescue and finally offer a suitable designator. It happened when one of those "fire first, pick up the pieces later" types interdicted me. I had heard about this particular ship from the crew of a Lakkon Type 7 who were laying over at the Gidzenko Ring in Chamunda while their ship was getting repaired. They had just come from Ekuru with a load of various metals and were passing though the Ephesus system when they got hit just before they were able to set up for the next jump. When I heard the story, I knew it wasn't one of the usual "Gentleman Buccaneers" with whom I'd occasionally had dealings. No... this was like the "Mad Hatters" I'd run into with the 'Winder. I was loaded up with computer parts for some customers in GD 219, and would have to go through Ephesus to get there. There was just no other way around it. Not even any other High Tech systems in this area of space in which to unload those sorts of the things... at least not for any profit!
I was not looking for trouble, but I certainly was not going to take a loss and cut out three legs of my route just because of the possible threat of a single ship. The only path forward was to be ready if and when any "trouble" found me. And it did... 13 seconds after my FSD shutdown, I am cruising within 6 light seconds of the Navigation Beacon at Ephesus. The scope was clear when I started reaching forward to kick in the FSD charge cycle on the jump to GD 219. Suddenly, the alarms sound and the master caution lights flash as the ship felt the pull of an interdiction tether begin to form between it and this, until now, unseen assailant. Immediately, my hand changed directions to grab the throttles and pull them back to neutral. Zeroing out the velocity, I submitted to the drag of the tether, dropping us down quickly, only to boost and pull hard on the stick the very moment normal space resolved around us. Not a single hail occurred between us... but the message of his deployed weapons was clear. The pirate must not have had a very good angle when he initiated the tether or perhaps, the quick reaction to the interdiction somehow compensated for our relative starting positions. Whatever the reason, as we exited cruise, we were nearly side by side arriving in normal space. He never even got a look at the Cobra before I was behind him, had him scanned and was firing the burst lasers. In fact, the first thing he ever saw of me were those rapid, high energy pulses. It was only a bit later as he tried to maneuver the Cobra into his sights that he was even able to gain a glance of the ship itself. My little craft was the pirate's second sighting… and its last.
Second Sight… in Japanese, it would be something like “Ni-ban Shikaku” if you actually wanted to use the number, but there was another type of "Second" that came to mind. “Kaizoe Shikaku". Literally, Kaizoe is “Assistant”, “Second” or “Helper”. Translated in one Kanji representation, “Shikaku” means “Vision/Sight". The other Kanji for "Shikaku" has a meaning that is quite a bit darker, but still very fitting. I decided to reverse the order on the two words and use both Kanji to represent “Shikaku”, one above and one below another borrowed symbol, the Taiji ("Yin-Yang" ). Even though it would likely leave some other Japanese speakers scratching their heads, it had.... duality, depth, and an undeniable ideological weight. I had finally discovered the "it" I was looking for!
This is how I settled on the Roman, “Second Sight” and the Kanji for “Shikaku Kaizoe” as the Cobra's designation.
I gave her that name when I arrived in GD 219. After officially registering her there, I finished it in a little ceremony with a couple of brushes, two small buckets of high temperature paint and a pint of strong bitter in attendance. I actually had to bribe the McKee Ring Hangar Chief with a promise of a round at the station pub to be able to bring the drink in with me, but it was well worth the entry fee. Standing back and admiring my handy work… I lifted the pint, quaffed the brew and from that very moment on, I knew… we were going places.