Tales from the spacelanes...

[Cody]

Then I remembered that Cobra who earlier fled and I had a hunch based on past experience he would return. He didn't disappoint either.

Was there something important about that Cobra, Solo? Was it your 6400th kill, by any chance? Well done, sir!

[CommonSenseOTB]

Congratulations CaptSolo. Nicely done.

[CaptSolo]

Then I remembered that Cobra who earlier fled and I had a hunch based on past experience he would return. He didn't disappoint either.

Was there something important about that Cobra, Solo? Was it your 6400th kill, by any chance? Well done, sir!

Thanks fellows and yes, that Cobra Mark III was number 6400. It came about just as planned - breaking up a TG2 blockade at the WP beacon. Those can get quite interesting.

[Smivs]

(( ))

[Cody]

Mission: Classified! Guild of Test Pilots’ Exceptional Circumstances RoE apply!

After a thorough refit, I took Rolling Thunder out on what should have been a straightforward mission… find the gas giant [censored], and head for the station that orbits it. Running clean for a change, I wasn’t expecting too much trouble… I should’ve known better, after all my years cruising the 'lanes. Anyway, I emerged into [censored] system, and was immediately surrounded by five Thargoid warships, who set about me with gusto… I was soon taking multiple hits. As I came about to engage two of the warships, I took three very heavy hits from an unknown ship… I say unknown, as it only decloaked very briefly to fire at me, then melted away again. Within seconds, the shields were red-lining, the energy banks were dropping, I had multiple kit damage, I’d only splashed two of the warships… and that unknown ship was at me again, hitting hard. Now, I’m pretty damn good in a firefight, but as all experienced Commanders know, there is a time to ‘get the hell outta Dodge’, and I hastily lit the injectors… only to find myself flying through swarms of asteroids… and I mean swarms of them. The 'roids very nearly did for me, as I ran hard, all the while getting my aft shield chewed to shreds… it took some neat and thrilling flying to make it through… but make it I did. Then at last I was clear, and fast approaching [censored], where I managed to locate the station, and docked swiftly on manual (I never trust the docking comps after a firefight like that). The repair bill was horrendous, but I paid it happily… mission accomplished… just!

As for the unknown ship that attacked me, I got one fleeting close-up glimpse of it, and positively identified it as a [censored]… the next time I encounter one, hopefully without any Thargoid warships to distract me… well, ‘game on!’, as they say!

[DaddyHoggy]

Mission: Classified! Guild of Test Pilots’ Exceptional Circumstances RoE apply!

After a thorough refit, I took Rolling Thunder out on what should have been a straightforward mission… find the gas giant [censored], and head for the station that orbits it. Running clean for a change, I wasn’t expecting too much trouble… I should’ve known better, after all my years cruising the 'lanes. Anyway, I emerged into [censored] system, and was immediately surrounded by five Thargoid warships, who set about me with gusto… I was soon taking multiple hits. As I came about to engage two of the warships, I took three very heavy hits from an unknown ship… I say unknown, as it only decloaked very briefly to fire at me, then melted away again. Within seconds, the shields were red-lining, the energy banks were dropping, I had multiple kit damage, I’d only splashed two of the warships… and that unknown ship was at me again, hitting hard. Now, I’m pretty damn good in a firefight, but as all experienced Commanders know, there is a time to ‘get the hell outta Dodge’, and I hastily lit the injectors… only to find myself flying through swarms of asteroids… and I mean swarms of them. The 'roids very nearly did for me, as I ran hard, all the while getting my aft shield chewed to shreds… it took some neat and thrilling flying to make it through… but make it I did. Then at last I was clear, and fast approaching [censored], where I managed to locate the station, and docked swiftly on manual (I never trust the docking comps after a firefight like that). The repair bill was horrendous, but I paid it happily… mission accomplished… just!

As for the unknown ship that attacked me, I got one fleeting close-up glimpse of it, and positively identified it as a [censored]… the next time I encounter one, hopefully without any Thargoid warships to distract me… well, ‘game on!’, as they say!

A great tale that is oddly improved by the mystery introduced by the censorship...

[Gimi]

Mission: Classified! Guild of Test Pilots’ Exceptional Circumstances RoE apply!

After a thorough refit, I took Rolling Thunder out on what should have been a straightforward mission… find the gas giant [censored], and head for the station that orbits it. Running clean for a change, I wasn’t expecting too much trouble… I should’ve known better, after all my years cruising the 'lanes. Anyway, I emerged into [censored] system, and was immediately surrounded by five Thargoid warships, who set about me with gusto… I was soon taking multiple hits. As I came about to engage two of the warships, I took three very heavy hits from an unknown ship… I say unknown, as it only decloaked very briefly to fire at me, then melted away again. Within seconds, the shields were red-lining, the energy banks were dropping, I had multiple kit damage, I’d only splashed two of the warships… and that unknown ship was at me again, hitting hard. Now, I’m pretty damn good in a firefight, but as all experienced Commanders know, there is a time to ‘get the hell outta Dodge’, and I hastily lit the injectors… only to find myself flying through swarms of asteroids… and I mean swarms of them. The 'roids very nearly did for me, as I ran hard, all the while getting my aft shield chewed to shreds… it took some neat and thrilling flying to make it through… but make it I did. Then at last I was clear, and fast approaching [censored], where I managed to locate the station, and docked swiftly on manual (I never trust the docking comps after a firefight like that). The repair bill was horrendous, but I paid it happily… mission accomplished… just!

As for the unknown ship that attacked me, I got one fleeting close-up glimpse of it, and positively identified it as a [censored]… the next time I encounter one, hopefully without any Thargoid warships to distract me… well, ‘game on!’, as they say!

This reminds me of a declassified GALCOP intelligence report. Hmmmm!
Good recount EL Viejo.

[CaptSolo]

Mission: Classified! Guild of Test Pilots’ Exceptional Circumstances RoE apply!
As for the unknown ship that attacked me, I got one fleeting close-up glimpse of it, and positively identified it as a [censored]… the next time I encounter one, hopefully without any Thargoid warships to distract me… well, ‘game on!’, as they say!

That unknown ship could have been a [bleep] or quite possibly a [bleep]. Most untimely occurrence in either case during your mission to [bleep]

[CommonSenseOTB]

A great [censored] that is oddly [censored] by the [censored] introduced by the [censored] ...

I must [censored] with this statement.

[RyanHoots]

Mission: Classified! Guild of Test Pilots’ Exceptional Circumstances RoE apply!

After a thorough refit, I took Rolling Thunder out on what should have been a straightforward mission… find the gas giant [censored], and head for the station that orbits it. Running clean for a change, I wasn’t expecting too much trouble… I should’ve known better, after all my years cruising the 'lanes. Anyway, I emerged into [censored] system, and was immediately surrounded by five Thargoid warships, who set about me with gusto… I was soon taking multiple hits. As I came about to engage two of the warships, I took three very heavy hits from an unknown ship… I say unknown, as it only decloaked very briefly to fire at me, then melted away again. Within seconds, the shields were red-lining, the energy banks were dropping, I had multiple kit damage, I’d only splashed two of the warships… and that unknown ship was at me again, hitting hard. Now, I’m pretty damn good in a firefight, but as all experienced Commanders know, there is a time to ‘get the hell outta Dodge’, and I hastily lit the injectors… only to find myself flying through swarms of asteroids… and I mean swarms of them. The 'roids very nearly did for me, as I ran hard, all the while getting my aft shield chewed to shreds… it took some neat and thrilling flying to make it through… but make it I did. Then at last I was clear, and fast approaching [censored], where I managed to locate the station, and docked swiftly on manual (I never trust the docking comps after a firefight like that). The repair bill was horrendous, but I paid it happily… mission accomplished… just!

As for the unknown ship that attacked me, I got one fleeting close-up glimpse of it, and positively identified it as a [censored]… the next time I encounter one, hopefully without any Thargoid warships to distract me… well, ‘game on!’, as they say!

EV, when you met the [censored], did you [censored]? I would have [censored], though. Maybe a [censored] could destroy it...

[Alex]

There I was happily making my way into Erlanaened, a average settled industrial system.
Casually taking out malcontents on the way. Well, still had space in the cargo hold.
I came across a large group of cops, about a dozen who were showing heaps of interest in about a equal size of civillians. A couple of locks got me a nice fat fugitive in the reticule, 93Cr no less. So as a good citizen I heat him up a bit, till he's smokin a trail. And just as I bring him back into the crosshairs, Boom, nothin but dust. Damn cops picked him off.. So no worries I pick up another, only 60Cr in an Asp Mk2. As soon as I locked and shot he takes off on injectors, didn't bother following as another malcontent is firing at me from dead ahead, I concentrate of him, short bursts, leaving the Asp for Gerttys turrets. I made short work of the bad cobby infront and look at the scanner for the Asp. There he is, coming in fast from starboard, still on injectors by the look of it, I'm not even taking hits from it, I start to come round to get a bead, he's really coming in fast. Still not taking hits from him Then..
BOOM

"Press Space"

What a little Barsteward, friggin rammed me at top speed.
Be warned. There are sucidal Ass ps out there.

[FeelGone]

Probably quite a common occurrence, but today I got a good reminder of how Oolite is not a "player-oriented" universe.

Leaving SecCom I noticed in the glare of the sun some asteroids, and on arriving discovered two Rock Hermits. Buying Radioactives at RH prices --> Selling Radioactives at SC prices is a great deal, so I headed into the first one - which turned out to be a Pirate Cove! There'd been no indication on the way in. Anyway, I bought all the radioactives they had, but still had room in my hold and credits in my account, so on leaving I headed over to the other Rock Hermit. Unfortunately, as soon as I left the Pirate Cove, I was followed by a pirate, aggrieved at my trying to get away with a little honest trading, who began firing at me. While his ship was no match for mine I saw two more pirates launch and, not wanting to foul up a trade run that was meant to be a nice earner with a protracted battle, I simply carried on towards the second Rock Hermit.

Which turned out to also be a Pirate Cove!!

On my way in, the chasing pirates fired at me, but succeeded only in hitting the asteroid of the other pirate cove (probably because this one was a Griff asteroid, and thus docking required my going into a spin). Safely docked, I bought up enough radioactives to fill the rest of my hold, and steeled myself for a rocky ride on my exit...

As I left, I found about ten pirate ships outside, and at that moment at least four turquoise/teal/"missile coloured" blobs on their way. Two Griff Boas were spraying plasma everywhere, and one pirate ship exploded. But none of them were firing at me, or were even red! I assume the second Pirate Cove had launched defenders as a result of the "attack" by the first Pirate Cove, and thus by the simple act of docking, I'd accidentally instigated a war between these two neighbouring claimants to the asteroid field.

Completely untouched by all around, I headed out to a safe distance to watch for a few moments, then turned around and scudded back to SecCom to sell my radioactives at a huge mark-up, all the while feeling a little guilty for disturbing the fragile equilibrium that presumably allowed these two bands of pirates to exist side by side up till my arrival...

[CaptSolo]

A spicy tale well told FeelGone. I've never encountered more than one Pirate Cove and sadly my hardware is not hardy enough to handle Galactic Navy OXP.

[Cmdr Wyvern]

Dude! So much for "honor among thieves".

[Disembodied]

"Honour among thieves," ha! Just the other day, twice in three jumps this happened: I drop out of witchspace and receive a distress call: "Help! The Thargoids are attacking!", along with a beacon location – X marks the spot. So I do the good citizen bit: I point my nose towards trouble and slap the torus drive, and prep the ship for tricks. I'm blasting in towards the beacon, scanning all the while. I have to say it doesn't matter how many times I've faced them: whenever I see those flickering green threads it gives me a chill all the way down my spinal cord. Nothing visible though. I was figuring that maybe I was too late when the masslock bites and I'm faced with a pack of pirates, all homing in on yours truly. Now, these guys were more than ordinary tough: one bad-guy Ferdie took a whole bellyfull of military laser and still had enough in him to light his injector and head off elsewhere. Which left his friends a little short-handed, I have to say: maybe they were hoping for a wide-eyed boy scout in a tin-plated cargo hauler, and not someone like myself, inside something like the Radio Maru ... anyway, after the dust settles, I check again for the distress beacon but nothing doing: it's gone.

Later in the station I make inquiries: any news about a bug attack? No, man, they say, no way ... not a click nor cheep nor squawk from the Thargoids round here for, ooh, so long. Huh, I think ... no survivors maybe. Anyhow, a couple more jumps down the line and there it goes again: "Help! The Thargoids are attacking!", and another X-for-extreme urgency on the compass. So once again, I turn the Maru around and put the hammer down ... and once again I find another cloud of pirates at the other end. I don't think they were too pleased to see me, either, though, come to think of it.

So: is this a new low? Fake distress calls, to lure unsuspecting Good Samaritans into a trap? If so, it's not a grade-A strategy, because those it tends to lure are, I would think, the better-armed and more combat-capable. The pirates I met were, in truth, more robust than most, though ... One final kick: the last pirate I took out turned out to have a gutful of robot fighters. Not "Alien Items", wrapped up nice, but actual – albeit inert – bug drones. Now, you don't just pick them up at your local Rock Hermit, so there had to have been a bug or two somewhere around. I don't know. A genuine distress call, that the pirates cleaned up on? An out-an-out fake? Coincidence or conspiracy? Still though, if a call comes through I'm answering it. Bugs or bad guys, either way ...