Long Trek to Pleiades region. It's Thargoids- theyre back and the everywhere!
23 Jan 2018Count Iblis
Went to the Pleiades sector last night- to the infamous Maia. Everyones read about the attacks of the Thargoids there and the damage done to Obsidian Orbital. For the most part I tend to keep within the 'bubble' or at least near it. I will venture out to Myrbat- where I was born or stay around my home world of Shinrarta Dehzra. You read about the conflicts and carnage and you're granted a veneer of safety and sanitization via the feed of the galnet news network.
Well, I needed to get some meta alloys- just 1 ton for some engineer contacts. My ship needed some work.
I fired the Imperious Rex up and headed towards the nether regions of the Pleiades sector. Jumping from star to star scooping up fuel - the massive fuel scoop of the Clipper made it easy. Super comfortable and warm, while I peered out of the great glass house cockpit of the Imperious Rex, while it stood gallantly , confident against a sea of stars and a sea of fire that were the suns. From white f type starts to Orange K type- the Clipper always looked majestic.
Then it happened!
I was about three systems away from Maia at the Pleiades Sector IR-W d1-55 system. Then I saw it flash up on m screen. Unidentified Signal Source or U.S.S. When I poked my nose towards it, my scanners quickly elaborated as Non-Human .
Although I was apprehensive, I just HAD to investigate further. All the stories I'd heard as a child about the mythical Thargoids. 'Theyre insecteoidal life forms who live in hives and consume human flesh', "They're mutated'
"They kill on sight and are totally ruthless"
"They were responsible for the death of the ancient Guardian civilization". The rumours and stories had fille dup with so much hot air- they had become parodies of themselves. It was difficult to separate fact from fiction. And now, here was I, on the verge of being face to face with one, or at lest ship-to-ship. How could I not duck out of supercruise to find out more?
In antipation of this- I did replace my multicannon and fragment gun with some Experimental Flak Cannons. I never really thought I'd encounter one but it was a precautionary measure. I felt the Imperious Rex bellow its melofluous tune as the ship lurched out of Super cruise to the U.S.S.......
I was faced with a wreck of a Federal Corvette and a Orca, drifting forlornly, aimlessly. Then as I got closer I noticed something else. It was an organic looking ship, roughly octagonal in form surrounded by a yellow haze. It got closer. I immediately out my ship into reverse. The Clipper reversed slowly and I could see the giant form of the Thargoid closing in on me. I'd seen videos and heard accounts of Thargoids making minemeat out of substantial vessels. I was pretty annoyed at what this Thargoid had done to this Corvette and Orca....but wait- how did I know who initiated the attack? I'd heard accounts where the Thargoids didn't initiate anything but merely probed and paralised their victims. I'd also heard that shields were pretty much useless against Thargoid weapons.
I wasn't taking any chances, I turned the ship around and fired up my boosters. If there was one thing my leviathan of a Clipper was good at, was at boosting away FAST. The Thargoid seemed to peel off and continue probing the derelict vessels.
I went back into super cruise. While there, I came across yet another U.S.S. Again- another 'Non human' contact showed up. Obviously Thargoids again. One thing I regretted was not helping or trying to sift through the wreckage of those derelict vessels.
I dropped out again only to be faced with another Thargoid vessel and what appeared to be mini 'Thargons' around it and that same yellow haze. This time the helpless maimed vessel was an Imperial Cutter- a huge craft- the bigger brother to my own Clipper.
It spoke volumes that this Thargoid had rendered that useless.
I got closer and immediately the Thargoid faced me and approached. It directed something at me. I panicked. It could have been scanning. I fired some flak towards it and hit it.
I couldn't tell if I'd done any damage.
It fired back.
The Imperious Rex lurched and rocked. Shield were still at 90%. But my Hull had gone down to 85%. I put it in reverse. I didn't need to lose my vessel right now. I had harvested so much stellar data!
They hit me again and my shields were down. I turned around and boosted off.
Went back into Super cruise.
I needed to get repaired up. I'd been gripping the yoke stick with alarming pressure. On my scanner next was the Sanchez class research cruiser.
I ducked out of super cruise and almost collided with this huge craft. Collosal it almost classified as a station but alas it was on fire and severely damaged. There were rescue ships all around. The whole place was littered with escape pods and debris, while support craft and medical vessels darted around the burning skeletal structure of the Sanchez.
This was incredible. A couple of days ago, I was in the bubble doing my daily routeen in the bubble and grinding away for cash. Now within one evening- this was like a sci fi drama show. Although this show was fast becoming a horror show.
I scooped up as many escape pods as I could rescue before going back into Super cruise. I found an active station- Donars Oak to dock at and headed there. Absolutely Carnage. I couldn't believe it!
I got interdicted by a Viper Mk 2. Some pirate clown called CMDR Roger LeCroix who wanted cargo. I tried not to laugh. I fired my beams and etched into his hull and made easy work of his shields. I took out his drives and watched him spin helplessly. I had half a mind to leave him like that- but checked - there was a 60 k bounty on this clown. My shields were still at 97%. Nice!
Had the carnage and destruction gotten so bad that it had led some folks to turn to piracy? Honest folks who'd lost everything and no longer had nothing to live for? Who would venture out here to pirate? More likely- someone was taking advantage of the situation and found an opportunity in the carnage and destruction amongst all the good souls and rescuing. Humankind really cold be quite ugly.
I closed for the kill and put him out of his dizzy misery.
I docked got squared away, got stocked up, refueled, and handed in the escape pod survivors.
One the remaining trip to Maia, I must have seen another dozen or so non-human U.S.S- I stopped at about 3 except this time I didn't fire at all. Last time I think I fired first in my panic. This time, I didn't at all. Each time the Thargoid would get closer and and make that whiny howling noise but when I'd back away he would get back to what he was doing. They would be probing the derelicht vessels and the vessels looked like they were melting! I would go to the nearby derelicht vessels and harvest escape pods and canisters and usually, provided I kept a reasonable distance the Thargoid didn't really do anything to me. With their undoubtable fire power- it was obvious they could dispense with me as easily as I did that pirate in the Viper. They chose not to. I started to question all Id read on gal net news feeds. I didn't know. How do you know who to trust in this messed up galaxy?
I stopped to see the damaged Obsidian orbital. It reminded me of derelict/ruins of castles in old England. Tarnished, soiled but somehow still proud against the epic star field back drop.
I landed on Danielles Progress and I was welcomed with open arms. Its amazing how these crises' bring us all closer together. Imperial, federal, Alliance, freelancer, etc, everyone was helpful. I got my meta alloys. Mission accomplished.