Commander Mara's Ship Log [provisional title]

[Zireael]

OOC: This is a random idea I just had The main idea was to log my kills so that I won't have to restart from scratch if I lose my save in some freak accident like I did a year ago.

The title is provisional, subject to change.

The PDF version might come in a far future if Mara doesn't die prematurely...

[Zireael]

21 March 3124: The ship’s clock reads 2084004:20:13 as I strap myself in and give the console a once-over. I tap the console to register myself and the ship with the Elite Federation. My first name is Mara (I see no reason to enter my surname on record) and the ship, a Cobra Mk III, is named Black Widow.

Actually, Black Widow is not your run-of-the-mill Cobra Three. She is a fully-kitted out beauty, her equipment list would set many a spacer to drooling. It seems that it’s mostly her late owner’s doing, Commander Zi-something-or-other. She has most goodies a self-respecting Commander has, such as an ECM and fuel injectors, but also the state-of-the-art targeting systems. And of course, she does have an escape pod fitted.

The ship has also been heavily customized, featuring Beatnik CB HUD and Norby Scanner & Telescope (not that I use the Telescope a lot, mind you, I just like the ship models it displays on my screen).
Alas, even though I have such a great ship, my credit account only says 100 creds and my Elite rating is Harmless…

At 20:24, the Black Widow is launched from Lave station with some liquor in her hold. Hyperspace destination – Zaonce.


23 March 3124: The ship’s clock reads 2084006:03:46 when the wormhole light bands finally fizzle out and the readout finishes adjusting. As there are no ships in scanner range, I engage the torus and enjoy the view.



Some 40 minutes later I am mass-locked by a solitary Python. The scanner duly gives more information: bearing zero-four-nine, 21 km range, name on GalCop register as The Imp Sofia III. Sure enough, when I glance at it through the port viewscreen it is highlighted in yellow – a mark for neutral craft and a blessing in itself. The fancy scanner also informs me I have some 140 ookilometers left towards the nav buoy. While the buoy is only a green highlighter on the screen, I can already see the station. A moment later, the Python is only a dark gray smudge on the scanner where it was last seen and I am free to engage the Torus drive again. In a few minutes, I am in station aegis.

I am so consumed by watching the scenery that I almost zoom past the buoy. I slowly veer towards the station and I turn on another piece of kit this baby has – the Foole ™ Dock Assist. Judging from the previous owner’s notes, I should see two bands of green lights, not unlike Terran aircraft runways, but I can not see a thing. Maybe the illuminated exterior of the station and the bluegreen nebulas bathe them in shadows. Whatever the case, I have trained long enough in Lave Academy to be able to dock manually without assistance. As I approach, the Norby Scanner informs me in a mechanical voice – bearing zero-six-zero, extreme range, craft name on record as Last Laugh II, model: orbital shuttle. I take a deep breath to stop myself from laughing too hard (and my hands from shaking), as I am already on final approach. Only after landing do I allow myself to burst into laughter.

At 0352 hours, I am safely ensconced in the Zaonce station landing pads. A few minutes later and the cargo has been unloaded and the fuel bought and I am 10 credits richer.

[Zireael]

24 March 3124: The ship’s clock reads 2084007:11:37 when the ship’s bridge is once again bathed in normal colors instead of the black-and-blue patterns of witchspace. Immediately, the scanner blares a message, but it is lost in the static. There is a lone Python. I tug on the steering column in order to bring the ship in my crosshairs – cursing the fact that console messages disappear so quickly – and the readout makes my lips curve in a smile. Legal status: Clean. Name registered as Cheerful and Decisive.
‘Cheerful and Decisive, this is Spider Widow. Are you headed for Lave station?’
The comms crackle for a moment before I hear a young voice – as young as myself – reply:
‘Aye, I would be a poor trader if I weren’t.’

As the Python only makes 0.2. LM, I quickly overtake it and am free to engage Torus. After a moment, however, the scanner sounds again – bearing zero-two-one, 20 km, Wolf Mk II, name on register Demonic or Quintessential. The name gives me chills and sure enough, the viewscreen highlights it in red. Scanner Targeting Enhancement reports his legal status as Offender. As I veer to keep it in sights in case it started a dogfight, two more Pythons appear on the edge of the scanner – one is named the Lurker and the other, the Pursuer of Agony VII. They, too, stand out in red. I turn to face the lush green world of Lave and as I do it, another ship appears. Bearing zero-nine-five, extreme range, Sidewinder Scout Ship, name Raw Power. I chuckle quietly to myself. The Wolf heads away in their direction, so I am happy to leave him be. As soon as it’s out of my scanner, I engage the Torus and enjoy the view of Lave beneath me.



As I reach station aegis, I am greeted by the sight of a Cobra Mk III named the Shrimp and the Squirrel and a Cobra One named the Vermillion Fandango. Eh, the names they come up with these days… - my Father would say. There’s two more, but their names blinked past so quickly I didn’t catch them. A moment later, the scanner reports an Anaconda named Midnight Tail VII, max range, bearing zero-two-zero. Dead ahead, a Cobra Mk I named Torch of Glory appears in my gunsights. Legal status: Clean. As well as expected. The chances of pirates showing up in station aegis are practically nil anyways.

By the time I reach the nav buoy, two more GalCop Vipers have joined the party, their scanner lollipops a distinctive purple. Yes, I know they are not really lollipops, it’s just a name the spacers gave the scanner marks due to their shape. As I veer towards the station, I experience a moment of bone-chilling fright as the viewscreen is extraordinarily slow to update. A moment later and the Dock Assist System is activated and everything seems to be in order. The green lights are indeed there.

As I maneuver to fit in the green bands, a hulking shape squeezes in a short way ahead. The STE confirms that it is the Midnight Tail VII. However, we are both too focused on final approach to chat. The Anaconda is a slow barrel of nails and I can’t even reach half speed behind her. The Commander of The Shrimp and the Squirrel must be horribly bored in addition to having a poor taste in names, for he complains loudly on the open channel every few minutes. He’s quite far away however, so I guess he’s gonna complain all the way to the station. What a good thing I’m going to be inside before him.

The clock shows 1148 by the time I am in the docking bay. After selling the 1 TC of computers and filling the fuel tanks, my account shows 120 Cr.

25 March 3124: Zaonce system 1927 hours. At first, in the soft glow of the class K star named Diomede, I mistake several big asteroids for the station. I launch the Torus drive. After a moment, I am mass-locked by three Vipers in formation. By the time they disappear astern, three more appear. When they are gone, I engage Torus again. The Python which mass-locks me is named Average Crow’s Rocket. I guess the Commander’s name is Average Crow. Wouldn’t strike me as odd on some Avian planets. A quick tap of the key allows me to fly at 21 LM again once the scanner’s clear. By the time I am moving past Zaonce, a Worm named Diligent and Atmospheric mass-locks me. Not my best day. I wish such teeny-tiny craft did not jam the Torus drive, but well, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride, as they used to say on Terra.

A short time later, the scanner reports Isocahedron station bearing zero-two-zero. Good. As I approach the station, a shuttle named Obed’s Mooncalf is launched but it clears off by the time I fit the Black Widow in the light bands. The coast’s clear so I make an approach at full speed – it’s really easy once you know the trick. The clock shows 1940 as I’m docked. Account shows 128 Cr. Twenty minutes later I am out.


27 March 3124: The Black Widow’s clock shows 2084010:03:25 after adjustment in Lave system. The scanner is empty and I press the Torus button. Nothing happens and twenty minutes later I have unloaded the cargo and the account shows 140 Cr.


28 March 3124: On arrival at Zaonce, I spot a Boa named Interplanetary Tree. Beautiful name or not, I quickly overtake it. Two more traders appear, a Python and an Anaconda named Starboat Pliant III.

In station aegis, I encounter a Worm landing craft with a rather lengthy name of Monica’s Feather of the Unsatisfied Drone and a shuttle named The Diplomat’s Chariot III. I easily overtake the shuttle on approach and at 1120 hours I am docked. The account shows 170 Cr after fuel expenses.

This time, I pick Isinor as my destination.


29 March 3124: The clock reads 2084012:19:05 as Isinor shows up on my viewscreen. There is a host of Navy ships at the witchpoint. I frankly forgot that this is home to one of the Sector Commands of Galaxy 1. I am far too inexperienced, however, to try joining them. It is said that they require a pilot to be at least Competent.

A few minutes later I am mass-locked. The scanner reads – bearing zero-five-six, Boa, name registered as Frugal or Alluring? I fight back a smirk as I easily pass the slower craft. Once it’s out of the scanner, I press the Torus button. The next interruption comes much later, with Isinor occupying upper left corner of my viewscreen, in the form of three Navy ships, including a Behemoth.

A short moment before the Torus is next stopped I see flashes looking suspiciously like ships on ten o’clock. A moment later, four of five disappear in a wormhole and I am in the station aegis. The moment I turn on the Dock Assist, the station launches a Worm craft, an aptly named Salt of the Earth. The color bands merge into a single red line, forcing me to wait patiently (or less patiently…) Fortunately, the Worm quickly veers off.

Mere 2 ookilometers away from the station, however, I get a nastier surprise. The station launches a Boa straight in front of me, forcing me to decelerate and perform an evasive maneuver at once. Luckily, a head-on collision is narrowly avoided. Once the other craft is no longer a threat, I can finish the docking procedure. It’s hard to believe that it all took only 15 minutes. After selling my cargo, a mere 2 TC of computers, the Market Observer system reports a profit of 61 Credits and my account jumps to 237 Cr.

I load up on Furs and pick Qutiri as the next destination.

30 March 3124: The ship clock shows 0333 hours when the turquoise sphere otherwise known as Qutiri comes into view. The scanner is empty. I press the Torus button.
Some time later, the scanner beeps – bearing zero-one-six, Cobra Mk I, name registered as The Hypnotic Revenge. It’s accompanied by a Gecko and there’s another Cobra Mk III, named Harmless and Steadfast, on zero-three-seven.

A quick look at the viewscreen assures me that while the Cobra Three is indeed harmless, the other two are pirates. I lob a missile at the Gecko and approach the Hypnotic Revenge. By the time they realize I am not a friend, I am at close range and I ream the Cobra with an orange beam of my military laser. It explodes in a ball of plasma. My first kill!

My elation is very short-lived as the Revenge lobs a missile at me from close-range just moments before he eats vacuum. It demolishes my front shields and there’s still a matter of the Gecko. I turn tail and his laser fizzles over my aft shields instead of the unprotected front. A moment later I perform a sharp U-turn and I am the one on his tail, belatedly realizing the targeting systems have been damaged in the fight. No matter – I let loose a devastating volley of fire. The Gecko has only a moment to beg for forgiveness, which won’t happen – I shoot it down. The bounty was 26 credits and I am now two kills closer to the Elite rank.
After glancing at the manifest, I realize that I have lost 3 TC of furs in the fighting. I noticed them floating out of the cargo bay, but have no means of spotting them now. Damn!

I set course towards the station and I press the Torus button. Some time later I catch up with Harmless and Steadfast and the scanner picks up a group of three ships at zero-seven-nine: a Boa named Chairman of Tionisla and his two Sidewinder escorts, The Kraken and the Warrior V and Last Straw II. They are neutral, so I can happily continue my travels towards the station.

A short time later, my peace is interrupted by a large group of ships. I don’t bother with listening to the scanner readout – I take a look and sure enough, they are all pirates, I can see at least ten red highlighters. They are now gunning on Harmless and Steadfast, who is begging for help. Drat, I don’t care – I hit the injectors as fast as I can, grateful for the fact that I have over four light years’ worth of fuel. As soon as the whole gang is out of my scanner, I slam the Torus control.

I’ve never felt so relieved when I reached station aegis with its additional protection of two Vipers. On approach to station, I almost crash into another ship and then a Boa named Anarchist or Preacher launches. I dock with no other issues only to be informed that I lost 52 Credits worth of cargo. The ECM, the STE and the military shields are all damaged. I curse the fact that even after selling the Furs, I can’t afford the 300 Cr needed to repair the ECM – my account shows 285 Cr.



A view of Qutiri shortly before the pirate gang showed up

[Zireael]

I load up on Computers and head back to Isinor. When pressing hyperspace button, for a moment I experience that flicker of uncertainty – will I arrive safely or will I end up in interstellar space with Thargoids? But no, everything is fine, I can see Isinor in the distance and the clock shows 1150 hours. A few minutes later, I am masslocked by an Ophidian Yacht named Charm of Aronar.

Soon afterwards, I spot a group of pirates firing upon a lone Mussurana named the Weasel in Chains. One of the attackers is a Cobra Mk III, name on register as Runagate. A few true shots make short work of it. His wingman in a Cobra Mk I is a little harder to hit, giving him enough time to eject in an escape capsule. Fortunately for me, I spot it and fly in quickly to scoop it. The third pirate, a Krait I believe, flees on injectors after a few shots. While it does return, it’s no longer interested in picking a fight.

I press the Torus button as soon as it’s out of my scanner. In the station aegis, I spot a Viper and a shuttle named Ororan’s Tribe. I briefly wonder who Ororan is or was as I head for the nav buoy. It seems Isinor is quite a busy place, as in the time it takes for me to line up three ships launch from the station, a Python and two Mambas, one of them named Terrorist’s Nemesis. I guess the commander is some sort of a vigilante. He speeds off quickly, giving me no time to greet him on wideband. Another Mamba… and a Sidewinder named Terrorist’s Doom, probably the Nemesis’s sidekick. What a busy station! Not even Lave has that much traffic!
As I am on final approach, a Sidewinder named Matriarch in Mourning launches. I wonder if the commander is the matriarch herself or maybe her wandering offspring… Moments before I dock, a Sidewinder named Murderer’s Nemesis launches. I am starting to detect a certain theme…

For rescuing Enetitnu Cear from Ininbi I am paid a hefty sum of 219 Cr, including a bribe to clear his offender status. The hour is 1106 and I feel really rich with a sum of 302 Cr to my name before even touching the cargo transfer systems! After sale, the sum rises to 700 Cr but it seems one of the bastards has nuked my IronHide armour and the price to install a new one is 750 Cr.

I guess I’ll have to find a black-market deal, just as for my ECM, or jury-rig it, as I did with the military shield generator.

I load up on the local liquors, tweak some ship settings and set hyperspace course to Tionisla.


31 March 3142: The ship clock shows 01:32 as I arrive in Tionisla. A handy little infobox tells me my kills per day count is 0.4 – not bad! A large asteroid sailed past my right viewport as I engaged Torus and started browsing through Elite Webcon Interactive Knowledge Institute, also known as Elite WIKI. I’d just found a unique piece of kit I might add to my ship – after some tweaks and fixes, obviously – when I was mass-locked by an Anaconda.
After passing it and engaging the Torus again, the scanner beeps. A Cobra Mk III, name on register as Mad Shark, and a Python-class vessel, named Soat’s Death of the Common Hippogriff IV. The names give me a bit of a fright and sure enough, they are highlighted in red on my viewscreen. Both are Offenders.

A missile causes the Python’s commander to start screaming over the wideband. His wingman is slow to react and a few true shots reduce it to a ball of plasma, but not before he managed to send an S.O.S. on the open channel. Luckily, there’s no one around to help them.

The Python manages to avoid the missile and in turn sends three at me. An ECM takes care of the first two and the third one overshoots and barely grazes the Black Widow’s aft shields. As I get close enough to see the Python’s engine trail, he starts begging for mercy and screaming in denial. I press the fire button calmly and orange laser shoots forward to incinerate him. The kill per day counter has jumped to 0.6. Two cargo canisters float around, but my hold is already full, so I veer back towards the station and press the Torus control.

As I reach the station aegis, the scanner tells me: bearing zero-two-four, a shuttle named Pin of the Commander of Tionisla. That must have been one expensive ‘pin’, I think as I approach the nav buoy. As I close in on it, the thing beeps again: bearing zero-four-nine, a Worm-class craft, name on register as Tornado of the Bunny of Tionisla. I burst out into loud laughter before remembering Cobra III is a one-man vessel.

The dock assist system fails to deploy yet again – I wonder if the Dodecahedron stations are faulty or something – but I enjoy an exquisite view on approach.


(there should be a violet nebulae in the 8 o'clock region of the screenshot)

After selling my wines and refueling, the credit account shows 1131 Cr to my name. I eyeball the Bounty Scanner on sale for 850 Cr. I decide to postpone buying it and instead load up on Computers to sell at Isinor.

It’s a few minutes past 15 when I arrive at the witchpoint beacon. There’s a Boa slowly trailing forward and a moment later, the scanner beeps – bearing zero-three-zero, a Cobra Mk I named Murdoch’s Everlasting Salsa of the Sacrifice. The name does make zero sense to me, even as I remember that Murdoch was an early 21st century media giant. Whatever the Commander is, he is a fugitive. The comms system chirps a note to signal incoming message.
‘Die, Black Widow!’ is all that is shouted over the wideband. I shrug and peel my eyes at him, ready to start firing. Before I can get a good aim at him, he opens a wormhole and flees. Where is the logic in that? My targeting systems tell me the rabid pirate fled to Bemaera for some reason.

There’s two more red highlights in the viewscreen, so I I.D. all of them. One of them is apparently a Cobra Mark IV Black-class vessel named Independent and Swift V. As I wonder what kind of a ship it is – this is the first I ever heard of a Cobra other than One and Three – the scanner beeps and informs me of another ship, a Cobra Mk III, name on register as Methuselah’s Morbid Butcher. Whoever named it was digging even further into ancient history than the other guy. I mean, Methuselah existed in times so ancient that you don’t even know how many negative centuries it is. Erm, is negative centuries even the right term?

As I roll away, the Norby scanner beeps again. Bearing zero-one-seven, Krait, name on register as Immortal Graf. The moment I hope they are actually heading for the wormhole, the fancy new Cobra opens fire on me – I notice the laser’s blue – and a Boa of all things demands my cargo.

Like hell! I push the injectors and start heading towards the planet. Only one ship is able to keep up for some time, nibbling at my aft shields, and I suspect it’s the new-fangled Cobra IV, but soon he has to fall back.
Aft Shield Failed! – it’s the dramatic message on the console just moments before he is out of range.

I’d hoped to be able to engage Torus at this point, but there’s some more yellow blips. Bearing zero-four-zero, Boa Class Cruiser registered as Usstve’s Azalea of the Legitimate Harper – what the hell? is the Commander an edible poet? – and a group of ships on zero-six-seven, including two Cobra Mk Is named Fifth Baronet and Gunman’s Torment. I roll a bit to make sure the Azalea is exactly between me and the group. I’ve no wish for them to attack me – if they’re indeed pirates - when the shield is barely more than Low. In a few minutes, one-two-three blips disappear and then the other three are gone to. I briefly wonder if it was a skirmish or if they all hiked along through a wormhole to somewhere.

When the Azalea is out of the scanner range, I press the Torus and enjoy the view of some asteroids. Then the voice speaks up again – bearing zero-eight-two, Python-class, name the Kitten Barbra II. It’s soon beyond the 25 km range and I can cruise again. Some time later, I get the mass-lock again. Bearing zero-six-seven, Cobra Mk III, name on register Starship Agile, and a Sidewinder named The Duchess or the Cuttlefish.

A moment later, both target me. I shoot my last missile at the sidekick and target the Cobra. Even though I’m a little slow with the aiming, the pirate’s shots go far over. A few good shots cause the Agile to flee, but with the trail of his engines it’s a child’s play to pin him down and finish him.

The scanner beeps, informing me there’s a new ship in scanner range – bearing zero-four-six, Cobra Mk I-class craft named Lindsey’s Purvey VII. I swiftly locate the escape capsule, remembering that the guy bailed out, and scoop it up. I am informed I’ve captured Inlo Wilkiner.

The Sidewinder still has a weapon lock on me, but it’s fleeing. After some piteous wailing on the open channel, it’s gone. I engage the Torus. When I next get interrupted, I’m close to the station aegis. The scanner says – bearing zero-three-three, Cobra Mk III, name registered as Paradoxical Voyage of Aronar. Soon afterwards, I am informed of special news awaiting. I wonder what the Tionisla Chronicle has to report. As I get closer to the nav buoy, an Adder named Goblin shows up. On approach to the station, I have to slow down to let a Python and a Mamba pass.

After selling my cargo and filling up the fuel tanks and missile pylons, my account shows 1600 Cr. Not bad…

[Ranthe]

Keep 'em coming, Zireael - I'm enjoying reading the tale of Commander Mara and the Black Widow.

There’s a Boa slowly trailing forward and a moment later, the scanner beeps – bearing zero-three-zero, a Cobra Mk I named Murdoch’s Everlasting Salsa of the Sacrifice. The name does make zero sense to me, even as I remember that Murdoch was an early 21st century media giant. Whatever the Commander is, he is a fugitive.

Somehow Murdoch being a fugitive seems appropriate

[Zireael]

OOC: Thanks for the kind words, Ranthe!

1 April 3142: It’s half past midnight when I arrive at Qutiri witchspace beacon with a cargo full of liquor. The scanner’s empty, so I engage the Torus. A short time later, the scanner beeps – bearing zero-seven-nine, a whole cluster of ships: an Anaconda, name on register as Elegant or Baroque? and three Cobra Mk Is named Crown of Liberty, Bardiche and Uriella, respectively. The presence of an Anaconda reassures me somewhat – it’s not a pirate ship, they are probably two convoys that met in Qutiri planetary space. The fact that I am outrunning them and steadily leaving them astern seems to confirm it. Either they are exceedingly slow or they are heading in the other direction. Whichever the case, I am fine with it.
I am informed of a special news report as I approach station aegis and I realize I forgot to check the one at Tionisla.



The news turn out to be concerned with Zaonce EXPO and some sort of a super-laser in the works by Ingram and Feynman both. Whatever. Unless I actually get my hands on it, I don’t care.

I load up on Computers, filling the hold, and head back. It’s 17:00 when I arrive at Tionisla. A giant asteroid sails past my right viewscreen and a moment later the scanner reports – bearing zero-seven-zero, Asp Mk II, name registered as The Intrepid and Cobra Mk III named Keening Thane IV. At first, they seem to be heading away. Then some gray lollipops show on my scanner and the Keening Thane comments loudly:
‘Ah, liquor. We should have shaken them down for more’.

A moment later, his companion demands cargo from me and they both turn on me. I send a missile at the Cobra and pursue The Intrepid with lasers. It’s much faster and manages to flee, so I make a hairpin turn and shoot the Keening Thane. The pilot, no longer so cocky, begs me not to kill him. I ignore him and vaporize the pirate. I notice a red blip on my seven – I’m going to bet it’s the Asp. I whirl round and fire at him once he’s gotten a little closer. When things start to get hot for him, he turns tail and slams the injectors. I fire a few shots after him, but miss.

With a shrug, I set the Torus in motion. Considerably closer to Tionisla – a ravaged red sphere – I am mass-locked by an Anaconda named Holy and Solo. I peek at my infobox and realize that the Thane was my eight kill – a mark of passage. I am no longer Harmless – it’s Mostly Harmless now. A moment after passing the Anaconda, the scanner beeps. Bearing zero-three-seven, Sidewinder named Onet’s Assault and a Krait named Gothic Discovery of Tionisla. A little distance from them, a Cobra Mk I, name on register as Clarion II.

Some five minutes later, another blip appears, just as I was hoping to start the Torus. A Sidewinder, name on register as Vow of Truth. A second later, two more – another Sidewinder named Albin’s Zealot and an Imperial Courier piloted by Marshal Amanda Usinle.

Wait… Marshal? I think that’s one of the fancy titles those vigilante types that gather in seedy space bars give themselves. I don’t think I have to worry now… yup, yellow highlighters. I guess I might check out their organization later, for now I simply cruise towards the station. I can bet they can see I’m Clean – after all, they can certainly afford a Scanner Targeting Enhancement.

I press the Torus and I enjoy a few minutes over the speed of light, affectionately known as LM, short from Light Mach. Close to the station, the presence of a group of four neutral ships on my ten jams the drive. Asp Mk II named The Lothario and the Executive and three Cobra Mk III-class craft named Solo, Ariadne and Symphony of Aronar. Thank Giles they’re not pirates, I would have hated to have to take such a group on.



As I approach the Dodecahedron station, its distinctive coloring now visible, I am mass-locked by a Worm-class craft named Tionisla Maru. I can see engine plumes in the distance although the ships are too far for me to spot anything more.

The station launches a Python and a Sidewinder as I approach. How I love these kinds of situations. After docking, I sell my cargo. My account being over 2500 Cr, I cave in and buy the Bounty Scanner. This leaves me with around 1500 Cr.



I spend some time fixing the infobox since it decided to bug out and when I launch again, I am informed that today’s date is 3 April. Either the infobox is still bugged or my count is wrong and I missed a day or two somewhere in witchspace transit. Probably the latter. The hyperspace travels are not conducive to time-keeping – I tend to sleep through them all.

4 April 3124: At Isinor again. Ship clock shows 2084016:09:10, so I’ve been a spacer for 12 days already. I spot a Boa named Libretto of Esesla. Then it’s smooth flying into station aegis, where I spot a ship proudly sporting a name of Arse’s Crucible V, of all things. There’s a Transporter named Heavenly Love, too. A Moray Medical is on register as Chips of Ensoreus. Five minutes after arriving in system I am safely docked and my account shows 2290 Cr.

I load up on liquor and head back to Qutiri. Around the witchpoint beacon there is a Cobra Mk III named Innoit-Williamfour’s Creator. In station aegis, I notice an Imperial Courier named Athiefire’s Peony. Sounds like two someones wanted to immortalize themselves… The Peony’s pilot complained of boredom just moment before I docked.

[Zireael]

5 April 3142: It’s 0950 hours when I arrive at Tionisla. I quickly spot a group of ships on the scanner – it’s an Anaconda named Sid’s Feather II with a group of escorts – Cobra Mk Is – named Laverna’s Volta of the Trickster, Prosaic Realm, Symphony and the Yellow Dagger.

When they’re around 25 km away, two Vipers show up, fortunately they’re quick to get out of my scanner. The Torus drive gets engaged for a moment until the scanner beeps – bearing zero-seven-three, an Anaconda. When I’m considerably closer to Tionisla, two more Vipers show up.

With my luck, the moment they’re gone, I spot a red highlight on my screen. ‘Tis a Python, name registered as S.S. Acquisitive. Well, it’s alone, so I sneak up on him and start shooting. A Python-class is slow and not really maneuverable, so it never gets a chance to retaliate before he eats vacuum.

In station aegis, I spot an Adder named Starborn Axe of Erlaza accompanied by two Sidewinders, S.S. Transcendental and The Orbital Scream of Ararus III. I wonder how much cash that Adder pilot has to get two escorts… both of them better than his own rust-bucket. The Dodec launches a shuttle named Moon of Tionisla just as I start gearing up for approach. Better than it launching the moment I dock. I earn little because I had a moment of hare-brainedness and forgot Tionisla is as industrial as Qutiri. I tweak the ship’s equipment some more and head out around 1200 hours.


6 April 3142: It’s a few minutes after midnight as I arrive at Isinor. There is a lone ship on my port side, a Cobra Mk I named Melody III. As there’s no one around, I close in on him and shoot him down. That’s kill number 10 – and I’m still Clean.

I press the Torus button and it’s smooth flying to the station aegis. The station launches a Boa Class Cruiser named The Scout’s Charming Blossom and its escorts just as I start maneuvering. One of the Sidewinders is named Sense amid Madness, Wit amid Folly VII. I appreciate the sentiment even if the name is a little on the long side. Two more ships – Mambas, if I recognize the shape correctly – launch as I line up with the docking bay. Then a shuttle named Tongue in Cheek of all things shows up.

After selling the cargo, my account shows around 4000 Cr, so I spend 750 Cr on repairing my IronHide. Installing it takes nearly 3h. Then I take a look at the newfangled ship’s library system. But the manual was real good and while most of the stories shipped were not quite up to par, I enjoyed the read about the Elite pilots.

Around 11, I reach Qutiri. To my surprise, a few minutes in I am mass-locked by a Viper formation. A moment later the scanner beeps and I can see a group of ships in formation, a Boa named The Heroine and the Cuttlefish II with four, count-em, four Sidewinder escorts. Fortunately they’re all Clean. When they disappear from the scanner, I engage the Torus, but it’s only a few seconds before the Norby device informs me – bearing zero-six-five, Python-class vessel, name on register as Fado of the Daring Heroine of Aesbion. I wonder who or what Fado is. Fortunately, the ship’s on a yellow lightball. And surprise, surprise, it’s heading away from the planet. My fingers hover over the comms button, but before I press it, the Python’s already gone from the scanner, most probably in the witchspace.

I press the Torus control and I reach the station aegis without incidents. Dead ahead, there’s a Cobra Mk III named Orbital Thistle of Aronar II. To my shock, it’s outlined in red. An offender in the aegis? Probably tried to smuggle something out or scraped the docking bay one time too many… More ships show up, but they’re all boring squeaky clean traders. As I approach the Coriolis, my flight vector puts me straight behind the Thistle. I turn weapons online and fire a few sure shots at it. In a moment, it’s disintegrated, but managed to launch an ECM hardened missile at me. I swear loudly, veering sharply to the side to avoid it. It’s enough to let my side take the brunt of the hit.

The station launches a Cobra Three named Jarod’s Night II and an Adder named Ibex II as I perform the docking. Then another Cobra swings by, name’s Blake’s Tale. S.S. Careful II is not careful at all – I yell at him in the wideband as he performs a risky 180 just in front of me to avoid a collision. As I approach the bay, I realize I’m off-center so I make a U-turn and head a bit towards the nav buoy, then turn around again and dock without any more interruptions. After selling the cargo, my account shows over 3800 Cr. Good, but not good enough…

The ship clock shows 1942 when I arrive at Isinor. The view is spectacular. I spot a single stationary ship and check on it. As I thought – it’s a pirate, highlighted in red on the viewscreen. It’s a Cobra Rapier – another ship I haven’t yet seen – named Bee in Readiness. I shoot it down, discovering in the process what a pain in the *** an aft laser can be. It takes 99% of my front shields and costs me 5 TC of Computers, around 500 Cr…

I engage the Torus and a short time later I am mass-locked by three ships – a Cobra Mk III named Ballista II and two Sidewinder Scout Ships, named Quicksilver Hurricane and The Forsaken Fist. They’re all Offenders, so I head away hoping they won’t take notice of little old me. It seems I am in luck, as they disappear astern after a minute or two. The next ship I spot is a Python named Wanda. Once it’s gone from the scanner, I press the Torus. I get mass-locked close to the station by a Cobra Mk III named Wolf of Zaalela and then two Vipers show up. I cruise slowly up to the buoy and as I turn round, I spot a familiar shape in a yellow target marker.
“Hi, Wolf of Zaalela, this is Dark Widow”
He doesn’t reply, apart from a grunt. I bet he’s busy docking. When I dock a moment after him, I find out my shield boosters have been fried by the Bee’s laser. Damn! The IronHide is gone, too, so I shell out 750 Cr again and I’ve got around 3300 Cr left in the account.
I wonder briefly if the military shields will work without the boosters…

[Zireael]

7 April 3142: It’s 0626 as I arrive at Qutiri, my hold full of wine. The infobox’s broke again. The scanner’s empty, so I engage the Torus. A minute or two later, the console beeps – bearing zero-four-nine, Cobra Mk III named Spear of Hope; bearing zero-six-zero, Fer-de-Lance registered as Tanner’s Soul, a Cobra Mk III named Savage Sign and a Sidewinder named Token of Honesty. For a moment, I watch the ships – all of them against yellow backdrops, thank Giles – and the Sidewinder slowing down to catch up with its mother. In a moment they’re gone, so I press the Torus button again.
A few minutes later I get mass-locked. There is a group of ships almost perfectly on my 90 on the starboard side on the edge of the scanner. There’s two Mambas, Peacekeeper and the Malevolent, a Gecko named Starboat Baroque II and a Cobra Mk I, name on register as Petula. As I turn around, I see seven red-lined – hence pirate - ships in two formations. A glance at the fuel gauge tells me all I need to know – time to get the hell out of dodge!



Not a second too early – the moment I press the injector control, a Cobra Mk III named Tionisla Maru sends a demand over the wideband. I ignore it and in a moment can start the Torus drive, effectively fleeing.
As I arrive in the aegis, I spot two Sidewinders speeding into an open wormhole and a Viper Interceptor patrolling. As the approach line is empty, I perform a risky maneuver otherwise known as docking full tilt, without a scrape. It’s 0630 and I am docked. Having sold the cargo, the account shows over 4400 Cr.

[Zireael]

Interlude

Being moored at Qutiri station is no barrel of fun. Being bored with ship readouts which look like they were last updated in the 3000s - that is, when the Cobra Mk III went off the production line - I decided to tinker some more with the software settings in my new Cobra. It turns out that not only do they have a spiffy new feature called the Multi-Function Display, but also you can tweak and change the Heads Up to your heart's consent.

[Zireael]

Interlude II

I have discovered that the sneaky techies made it so that the MFDs, also affectionately known as 'the green boxes', can duplicate nearly everything - not only the antiquated ship interfaces, with the possible exception of the navigation map and planet info screens, but also the comms log. As old as the software is, it didn't even allow scrolling.

I've been using some great pieces made by a genius techie known as CSOB, but recently, another brilliant techie known as Norby has put forward a software upgrade known as HUD Selector, which does what's on the box. I have downloaded several HUD upgrades for my Cobra and have been cycling back and forth trying to find the best one. My favorite is the CBB, originally made for a racing ship known as Coluber. The only downside is only 2 spaces for 'green boxes' and a small scanner.

There is some talk of making the green boxes have a price tag - actually, the best one there is out there, Combat MFD, already has it - but also of making the individual HUD upgrades have them too. A good thing I am grabbing them from the Oonet as fast as I can before the authors get sneaky...

I think I've spent some 400 Cr on ship upgrades, including two bits of logging software - Commander's Log and Flight Log. A good thing I found some spare credits below the seatings!

[Zireael]

Interlude III

I believe whoever designed the stock standard layout of the panels for the Cobra III did a pretty good job.

However, in the later years, it was discovered that the scanner could be greatly expanded in size, providing better visibility and orientation. Similarly, there were attempts to enlarge the shield bars. Unfortunately, placing them at the top/bottom or at the sides of the HUD proved not to be enough for a combat-oriented Commander. Some of the techies catered for this crowd and tried to group the key dials close to the crosshairs - a notable attempt featured curved gauges.

The designers of those revolutionary HUDs, however, have gone missing in space. Some even whisper that they might have been Thargoids impersonating members of the sentient races of the Cooperative of Worlds.

Recently, a small racing craft named the Coluber hit the market complete with a custom HUD, featuring an orange scanner and a partially numeric energy readout thanks to some clever software tricks. As I mentioned in a previous installment, it could benefit from a larger scanner.

Personally I am partial to the color cyan, for some weird reason. I hope I can successfully craft a HUD upgrade...

I have already created several upgrades for my ship, which turned my own lasers only orange. Another one provided me with the capacity to spot minuscule engine marks left by other ships - for a time period longer than a single plume, therefore making targeting moving objects easier.

[Zireael]

8 April 3142: The ship clock shows 2084020:16:04 as I arrive in Bemaera system with 17 tons of Computers and only a few credits to my name. The scanner’s empty, so I press the Torus button.
As I near the station, the scanner beeps, telling me there’s a Cobra named Geometric Prince of Ararus in scanner range. I wonder briefly where Ararus is. A moment later, another beep – a Python, name on register as Merciful and Pensive, bearing zero-three-five. In the time it takes for me to spot the nav buoy and align myself, a Viper arrives and I notice that one of the new-fangled stuff I’ve installed allows me to actually target the planet for some reason. I whirl around to see the Prince of Ararus on approach, violet engine trails behind him. The Elite Federation Rank Scanner informs me he’s Above Average! (just before he docked) A few moments later, I’m docked, too. The market screen tells me there’s an increase in price compared to galactic average and I’ve 1749 Cr to my name, so roughly 200 Cr more than when I finally left Quitiri station.

***
OOC: Hell yeah, Mara's back in business!

[Zireael]

I leave Bemaera station roughly an hour later, having spent the better part of it in a simulator, testing a top secret communications system. I was only cleared to leave when it was deemed working and I installed the BroadcastCommsMFD beta on the ship. I’ve also stocked up on food and textiles to deliver to Tionisla.

9 April 3142: I arrive in Tionisla system a few minutes after noon Galactic Time. The scanner’s empty, so I press the Torus button. Some time later, I am mass-locked by a group of three Vipers in formation. On the other side of the scanner, there’s a Moray Medical, name on register as Racuous and Royal, bearing zero-six-eight. It starts flying towards me and then suddenly turns tail, presumably having spotted the Vipers. I bet it was carrying illegal drugs…

For now, I enjoy the view of my Cobra from the external cameras – while I lost some of the custom coloring and the spider decal, it’s much more obvious that it’s a hi-tech ship and not an obsolete old design like the Python or the Gecko (just think! their in-service dates are 2700 and 2852 – four and three flipping centuries ago!)



Once they are all gone, I engage the Torus again. I get the scanner message for an Anaconda named Trips of Ararus, but can’t locate it on scanner. I guess it glitched. The next message is for a Cobra Mk I named Midnight Madness and it does show up. Halfway away, its pilot screams ‘Let me go, please!’ and a few minutes later, I spot a Sidewinder, name on register as Bad Attitude III. Just as I expected, it turns out to be an Offender. Three more red-backed ships, all of them Kraits, show up - named the Sly Squid’s Blood, Jonson’s Haven and Pamela II.
Fortunately they are not interested in me at all, so a few nerve-wracking minutes later I am able to engage the Torus.

As I approach the nav buoy, I am mass-locked by an Adder named Sayonara. The navigation buoy is only 50 units ahead and I can already see the GalCop logo on the Dodecahedron station. I much prefer the Coriolis, lit up by thousands of lights, to this drab design. It’s made even worse by the fact that Tionisla orbits a red star. A moment later, the scanner pings ‘Dodecahedron station, 26 km, bearing zero-two-one’. Glad to know my visual identification skills are pretty good.

When I reach station aegis, I spot a Worm, name on register as Teenage Kicks. In the next few minutes, a Viper flies away from the station on the edge of my viewscreen and I spot a Gecko named Orerve Maru. Then a large group shows up, five ships in formation, bearing zero-one-three: a Boa Class Cruiser named Better Safe Than Sorry, two Mamba Escorts, names on register as Renegade’s Torment and Lord of Wrath II, and a Gecko named Fortune Favors the Brave. As they fly apart, proving my initial assumption wrong, the scanner pings – a transporter, named The Impala’s Tribe II, has entered the range.



On approach to the station, I get stuck behind the Lord of Wrath II. At least the station docking lights work properly. A moment later, it’s joined by Renegade’s Torment. Two bounty hunters seem to be returning home, and I wonder briefly if their hunt was successful. At the last moment, just after the Lord of Wrath docked, Renegade’s Torment turned tail and sped off, nearly leading to a heads-on collision. As I return to the right course, I hear the Sayonara complain on wideband ‘If my cargo spoils, I shall file an official complaint…’ A moment later, I am docked safely.

[Paradox]

Gotta love some of those names!

[Zireael]

Gotta love some of those names!

Ha, that's one of the main reasons I decided to keep notes. I've some leftovers trashed by game crash or other misfortune, some of them containing really awesomely named ships. My fav today was a shuttle named Starship Graceful, but that run crashed (i.e. froze resulting in me crashing into the station a few secs away from docking).