Peace(s) of Eight - DiD [TC 3.0] (Inactive - Saves Lost)

[Gosnell]

Hard luck with the xenon Q,I hate when that happens.Loving it so far.

[Scion Drakhar]

Q's love the freight traffic in SPG. I think it's like an all you can eat buffet to them.

Anyway, awaiting MOAR!

[Triaxx2]

And thou shall be known as Brother Kalvin the Chickenhearted.

Kidding. Cool work.

[Kirlack]

Thanks guys, your kind words are like an elixir to my tired soul

And thou shall be known as Brother Kalvin the Chickenhearted

Better that than being known as Brother Kalvin the somewhat dead

I've noticed a slight change in my writing style for this chapter. The last couple have felt like pure action reports which wasn't what I set out to do. So there's a fair amount of prose in this one. I hope you all enjoy


Chapter 04: I need your clothes, your boots and the keycodes to your fridge...

When I wake a couple of hours later I'm grouchy, hungry and spoiling for a fight. I feel like crap for having slept in the cockpit, and I gotta say, compared to 'Giggity' sleeping in the Ranger earlier was luxurious. Well alright it's not, but at least it's spacious. Oh, alright, so it's not cramped like a rat in a hole. Happy?

All in all my day has proven to be a bit of a disaster. Whilst I may have managed to liberate myself a ship what can actually get into a ruckus and out again with some degree of survivability, I'm also almost completely broke. Again. Another lengthy spell of remote trading with Good Intentions is in my immediate future I feel. At least if that Teladi copper tries following my signal any further than Scale Plate Green he's gonna get frakked over in X-347. Heh. Looking at my finances I can't really afford to eat as I'm going to need some trading capital. Nor can I afford any new clothes and quite frankly I'm sick of this Gunne forsaken Goner robe. What I need right now, is somebody I can bully into giving me what I want, namely a shower, some food, and right now I don't much care if it's meatsteaks or bofu.

Yeah, I'm that hungry.

Where was I? Oh yeah, shower, food and a change of clothes. So who do I know locally that I can persuade to gift me what I want? There's that idiot Boron, Loli Lu, over at the New Income pirate base, she owes me a favour for not chopping off her tentacles when she tried to stiff me on a weed delivery a little while back. Trouble is now I ain't got a knife to get her attention. And she's probably still got that suped up 'cuda and right now that means I'm seriously outgunned. Even if 'Giggity' were armed and shielded. Maybe not. I don't fancy trying my luck with the clans down in Loomank's or Acquisition, cos I know Big Mek's got a steady thing going with the Duke and that just throws up all kinds of complications I don't need right now. My options then, are looking grim.

Then a thought strikes me, and boy does it hurt. It's so simple it's painful. I might not be flying my Ranger, but I can prove 'ownership' of one if anybody bothers to check...yeah I think I'm onto a winner here. Then I realise I can't go and preach to the Teladi in a bloodstained robe and expect to receive 'donations' in return.

Shit.

But this is a military station. There'll be troops in the garrison. Which means there's a laundry. I call up the station info to see if there's a map which might at least point me in the right direction. There is but it's not particularly detailed, but I know I need to reach level 4 and the information station there to find out any more. What does catch my eye though is a name on the outposts marine duty roster. Luuligos Gustiosanis Yahanis XII. Now I'm not sure this is the same lizard cos I ain't sure if I knew the twelfth iteration of her clone or the tenth, but either way she should remember me. If she's missing half of her upper teeth she definitely will. I'm surprised to find her hiring her services as a marine though. She's a good engineer, but she ain't so hot in a fight. Advantage me then.

It's a pain in the ass to do, but I hack the stations computer. Why is it a pain? 'Cause I'm in an Argon designed ship with mainly Argon coded software trying to hack a Teladi military outposts personnel files. It's akin to trying to dock a Dolphin on a Galleon. Success though, yields the location of her quarters. Time to pay my 'old friend' a visit.

Sneaking through the outpost and trying not to attract attention, being a slightly beat up looking, bloodstained robe wearing, might-kill-you-if-you-look-at-him-wrong seeming kinda guy, is not the easiest challenge I ever faced. There's a lot of lizards making their way around the corridors and, being the size they are, my being 6 feet tall is a dead give-away I don't belong. It's not like they're disproportionate either. Between the teeth in that huge mouth, the invariably sharp claws and the leathery scales, Teladi have enough natural advantages to be able to beat the nuts offa guy my size. Yet somehow, they've developed this cowardly nature, allowing them to be bullied. Unless you're trying to trade with them. Maybe if they weren't such an avaricious species they'd be better warriors. And more alert.

I sneak from shadow to shadow, always waiting until the crowds of Teladi have passed me by. The hardest parts of my journey through the outpost is the lifts, and after being forced to go straight back down two levels on my first attempt to go up one I decided to take the stairs. I made it to her quarters without any undue fuss though, so I reckon I'm just that good... Yeah, I'm guessing there was a fair measure of good luck in there too, but either way I'm taking the credit for being a sneaky bastard, alright? Good.

Luuligos is not happy to see me when I pick her keycoded door and step into her quarters. Not happy at all. You can tell by the way their nostrils flare and the scales around their eyes flash red briefly. Teladi can communicate a huge range of emotion via those scales, if you know what to look for. Right now I knew I was looking at one angry lizard. Complete with broken teeth.

“Kirlack,” she hissed, and for a heartbeat it just sounded like a filthy word hanging in the air between us, “come to finisssh what you ssstarted in Hatikvah'sss? I answered that question the only way I could.

Elbow first, right side of her head. Like I said I were spoiling for a fight. Giving her a good crack to the skull did me worlds of wonders.

“Luuli! I thought you might want to help out an old friend looking for somewhere to get some food and a change of clothes.” I laughed, smiling down at her as she stared up at me from the floor, baleful eyes all full of impotent rage. “How about a shower?”

She didn't have a change of clothes, or any food for me, but I did at least get to shower. I didn't think to check the water temperature first though, and lizards like it hot. Really, REALLY hot. Yeah. I think I'm still kinda glowing. She did have enough credits that I can head over and buy some clothes at the trading station in the sector. I think she just wanted to get rid of me. And I'd been such a charming guest! Best of all though, she let me take one of her prize knives with me! I'm smiling, inside and out.

A short trip across to the trading station then and I soon find a small store on the sub levels what sells clothes for humans. Teladi are just too small for most of their gear to fit us. So I put Luuligos' credits to good use and bought myself a pair of boots, loose fitting black pants and a sleeveless hooded black shirt. Yeah, wearing this Goner robe for the last few hours has left me with a taste for a hood. Who knew? The last few cred go into a light meal of stott spiced chelt and meatsteak, with a delaxian wheat beer to wash it down. Oh Gunne did I need that! Now I feel ready for some mischief.

With that done and my robe cleaned by a helpful little washer-lizard, I slip Luuligos' blade into my belt and make my way back to the dock. What to do now then I wonder? I've had Good Intentions running cells and wheat around Heretic's for me and have once again built up a respectable amount of cash. I'm thinking I might need to risk dealing with Loli Lu, at least long enough to get me a life support system for 'Giggity'. Now I got a blade that's not such a daunting prospect. Then I can make my way west and north up to Company Pride, doing taxi runs for the locals to make a bit of money. I still need shields and weapons if I'm going to start feeling even slightly secure. From there I should be able to pirate my way across the Hatikvah's to Split Fire region and maybe snag myself a bigger, more powerful fighter. So, first stop then is the New Income pirate base.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/7126 ... 00008t.png

There was no sign of Loli Lu, which is probably a good thing considering. On the flipside I've managed to make enough from trading cells in Heretic's End that I can afford this...

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/1840 ... n00007.png

...which means now I can start ferrying folks about. So, flipping on the 'Taxi' light on top of 'Giggity' I start prowling for a fare. Almost immediately I find one, and hoo boy! It's a good one!

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/9351/x ... 00011r.png

180k and change for the job and that'll leave me with more than enough cash to start arming and shielding this little Disco. So I dock at the flower farm and pick up my fare, two Boron and an Argon. They don't look none too pleased to be riding in an unshielded ship, but quite frankly I don't give a toss. All they gotta do is hang tight and keep quiet whilst I fly us over to Great Trench. If anyone ought to be complaining it's me. I hate flying around Boron space. If it weren't for the fact I'm still riding on Brother Kalvins ID I reckon they'd be shooting first and not bothering to ask any questions.

It's a quick and painless trip, down through Ceo's Doubt and then on into Great Trench. The military outpost is the closest station to the east gate and by the time I'm docked and my three passengers have vacated my ship, leaving a slight smell of fish in my cargo hold which I'm not happy about, I'm 187k better off. Feeling a little flush then I make for Ianamus Zura and the EqD there. I'm sure they had some 1Mj shields in stock when I came through on my way to get the life support system. If my luck is in there'll still be three that I can use to equip 'Giggity' and if my luck's really good they might even have a few Impulse Ray Emitters so I can start shooting again!

My luck is in. Kind of. There are indeed 1Mj shields for sale so I snap up three of them and pay the lizards a little bonus to get them installed on my ship ASAP. With that done I'm feeling a lot more secure. It might not be 75+ Mj of shielding, but it's enough for a ship that moves at 380m/s. No IREs though, which kinda sucks, as the only place I know what definitely sells them is Two Grand. That'd mean running the gauntlet of X-347 again. I don't like it, but I don't see how I gots much choice right now. Before I head for the east gate out of Eighteen Billion though, I make a stop at the low yield sidearms fab...

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/3064 ... n00014.png

...and buy myself two phase pistols and holsters for them. Oh yeah. Now I'm officially armed and dangerous. Next time a 'nid tries to jump me I ain't even gotta get close, much as I like to. No, now I can just unload a few bolts of phased plasma at its head and laugh as its face melts. Assuming I don't get slagged trying to get back to SPG. Hmm. I'm still contemplating the potential stupidity of this course of action as I hit the event horizon. Course, by then it's too late to change my mind.

In the end, it was a good choice. There's a pair of Qs taking down all the freighter traffic between the west and north gates, and a PX what's getting the shit kicked out of it by a wing of Strong Arms defence fighters a few clicks above the west gate. There's a smattering of Xenon fighters milling about and trying to look like they have some purpose, but nothing's quick enough to catch me so I blaze across the system and into Scale Plate. Thinking that my Xenon avoiding days are behind me for a little while I'm somewhat disturbed to discover the Q what ganked my Demeter a few hours back is still here, and the Teladi are only just making some kinda move to deal with the frakking thing...

http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/6668 ... n00015.png

...although why they felt the need to send a Condor and not a Phoenix I have no idea. Yes the Phoenix is far slower, but it's also got the shielding to withstand an ass kicking. Whilst I sit and watch the fireworks it looks really as though the Q is gonna win, until a load of its PPC fire ends up in a rock instead of in the carrier. I thought the machines were supposed to be good at breaking stuff? The Condor, just as I would, takes advantage of its enemies failure and promptly ganks it.

http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/991/ ... 00016f.png

Now why the hell couldn't somebody have done that when my ship was the one at stake hmm? Wankers. Still, the way is at least clear for me to push through towards Two Grand and hopefully, weaponry.

Two Grand appears to have had as influx of nostrop, or at least the IRE forge has. The lizards are charging a little over average price for them, but at this stage I really don't care. All I can see is that 22k later I'm armed, equipped and ready to do some crime, properly. I'm so pleased to have 'Giggity' fully operational at last that I even resist the urge to shoot somebody for charging me over the odds for my four IREs.

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/4083 ... n00018.png

I zip back down through Profit Centre Alpha and PTNI, across SPG and through X-347 without a hitch. The machines did make a move to stop me, but the single Q by the north gate ain't got a hope in hell of catching me, so I flip it the bird and keep moving. As I'm crossing Eighteen Billion there's a guy what wants a shady character such as myself to get him some things...

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3593 ... n00020.png

…but I'm on a mission now to reach Hatikvah's Faith so I can do some proper pirating. Besides, I'd never be able to fit all that lot in Good Intentions, much less 'Giggity'. Plus there's the problem of sourcing it all in the first place. So far I've come across exactly one distillery up in Nyanna's and I sure as hell ain't going back that way again any time soon. Unless there's a shitload of money in it for me of course. I do make a stop at the military outpost again though, and buy myself a triplex scanner. Then I head back to the EqD at Ianamus Zura to get a few more software modules I think I'll need, including best buy and sell locators, and max out the cargo bay on 'Giggity'. With that done I head south into New Income, then west across the 'Unknown' sector between Income and Montalaar. Frak knows why it's not been claimed and named by one government or another. I've known about that shortcut for years.

So I run a quick scout of Montalaar and then push north into Light of Heart, where I come across a really great deal...

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8190 ... n00021.png

...and there's no way I'm not buying this one. If I can source some 5Mj shields for it then it's gonna be my new personal ship. More than three times the shielding of the Disco, an increase in weapon energy and a bigger cargo bay, and all I'm really sacrificing is top speed and a bit of agility. Plus it can mount an array of different weapons, compared to just the IREs I can mount to 'Giggity'. For now the four IREs will do, but with a few Particle Accelerator Cannons installed I should be able to really cause some trouble. For now though, I leave it docked at the EqD in Light of Heart and make for the north gate and Aladna Hill.

Aladna is quiet, probably due to the uglier than sin OTAS Boreas on watch over by the west gate, so I scout the sector and push thorough the east gate to Akeela's Beacon. Akeela's is equally quiet, so I scout all the stations and finally put in at the OTAS HQ in Legend's Home. I buy myself a docking computer and put my feet up for a moment, light a cigarette from the pack I just bought, and have a think about my next move.

Assets:
'Good Intentions'
'Giggity'
Buster Raider 54%
56,986 Credits

Time: 768-05-01 17:45

[Triaxx2]

Very cool. Though I rather like the action report style instead. Just personal preference though.

[Scion Drakhar]

Yeah, I'm guessing there was a fair measure of good luck in there too, but either way I'm taking the credit for being a sneaky bastard, alright? Good.

I laughed out loud at that one.

Good yarn so far. I like the additional prose, myself. But then I have my preferences as well.

[Kirlack]

I think I was kinda vexed from losing the TS to be honest, and I sat down to start writing the chapter on Sunday night, only to find that I had a huge amount to say before I'd even started playing. At that point my imagination took the driving seat and I just wrote, which felt great I'd always planned there to be some actual fiction rather than just a report of each play session, so this chapter was a big step for me. I doubt it will be something I'll do every chapter, but there will undoubtedly be more.

Sorry. MOAR!

[Gosnell]

I think thats the beauty of the creative universe,it all started with Nuklear Slugs action reports evolved into character,then evolved again into characters,then it went into a league of its own with Drakar.As iv write I find myself more invested in my characters interactions,than with the action,which when i finally gat to is only a fraction of the off ship action in lenth.I love it.

[Kirlack]

Next couple of chapters will be delayed due to the birth of my son! Watch this space though

[Triaxx2]

In that case, congratulations.

[Scion Drakhar]

Wooot!!!

Welcome to world, baby Kirlack!

[Nathancros]

God help that kid

Bahah im joking mate congrats

name 'im after us Neol bahahahaha


we can wait

[Kirlack]

Thanks guys

name 'im after us Neol

Hmm...if I hadn't already picked a name for him I might have

[Nathancros]

ahah shame

i guarantee noone else has a kid named that


unless they live in our X universe baahahah

congrats, we probably wont get any chapters for a long time, sleepless nights and all that

[Kirlack]

we probably wont get any chapters for a long time, sleepless nights and all that

Actually, if anything the sleepless nights will give me more time to write. And maybe having my boy for company during those long nights will offer me some inspiration? Besides, Mrs Kirlack is, and has been for a long time, well aware of my desire to write, so there shouldn't be too long between chapters. It might drop to 1 per week or so, but they'll keep coming. I'm even writing chapter 5 right now

[Kirlack]

Chapter 05: Missionary

I'm halfway through my cigarette when it suddenly occurs to me that I probably shouldn't hang around OTAS any longer than I have to. I figure they're gonna have some good security types working for 'em, and if anyone decides to take a closer look at me or my ship I could be needing to get out of here in a hurry. So I stub my cancer stick and undock, swing Giggity about and blaze for the north gate.

It's another swift burn across Akeela's and Aladna and then I'm out into the lawless territories. I swear, it's like coming home. If there was air to breathe it'd taste of freedom. I get this real itch when I'm in race controlled sectors, like someone's just about to scan me when I got a hold full of fuel or weed. Maybe I've just developed a healthy paranoia over the years.

So, Hatikvah's opens its arms wide and greets me like a long lost son. I head north at first, intent on skipping across Thuruk's Beard and on into Company Pride, but just as my scanner picks up the north gate it occurs to me that I should probably make the effort to scout the sector properly before I go any further north. So I bank Giggity towards the west gate and speed off in that direction, when I notice a flew flashes way over in the distance, south west of the west gate. Now, I know there's a pirate base out that way, but I never got on so well with the local mob boss, so the Anarchy Port has always been off limits to me. From here though it looks like there's one hell of a scrap going on. Despite having a paper thin hull and almost non existent shielding, I head on in to investigate.

By the time I get close enough to pick up both stations there's nothing left save for a small wing of pirate fighters making for the centre of the sector.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/8372 ... 00002h.png

So I'm not sure who was fighting who, but even from that distance I had seen the flare of plasma bursts burning somebody out in the dark. There were even a few missiles and a couple of crates of weed and fuel left over for me to scavenge! I reckon those Jonferco boys were heading in to the pirate base, which means they're probably making a dodgy deal. If I'm lucky there might be a few goodies aboard that I can put to good use.

I'm not lucky. Besides selling the couple crates of leftover weed and fuel I just picked up there's nothing here for me. Bummer. But I have had a slight change of heart whilst scouting the sector. Since this region is going to be my primary hunting grounds I reckon it'd be a good idea to scout at least as far west as Split Fire, maybe even up as far as Farnham's Legend, before I head north into Company Pride. So I undock from the pirate base and burn for the south gate to at least get it on my map. I have no intention of pushing south from here into Paranid territory for now, so with my super range sensors picking it up at at 30km I spin Giggity about and head west.

Noplieos' Memorial is awash with heavy metal when I arrive.

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/2410 ... n00003.png

At first glance it looks as though the Brigantine is going to chow down on both the Ares and the Thresher, but the Boron, in typical squid fashion, run away screaming like little girlies. As it passes the east gate and it's fighter escorts form up to follow it through it looks like the Paranid are taking a leaf out of the Boron book of cowardice. Thankfully the Brigantine decides that's not allowed to happen and catches it at the event horizon.

http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/1840 ... n00007.png

The Paranid escorts put up a pretty good fight, but the end result was never in doubt.

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/1492 ... n00009.png

As the supernova bright halo of devastation clears I see there's a few leftover fighters getting shredded by the Brigantines flak cannons, and the Brigs own fighter escorts are causing enough confusion in the Paranid ranks that they just can't get away. It only takes a minute or so but in the end all that's left in the sector is that Brig and its boys and some freight traffic.

And a few goodies for me to scoop up! Omnomnom.

So, with my hold half full of tasty missiles, some of which I can use on my Buster when I get it up and running, I push on through Danna's Chance, north into Brennan's Triumph and on into Olmancketslats. Whilst making for the north gate into Bala Gi's Joy though, I get a call from a guy at the Special Weapons Complex.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/2449 ... n00010.png

Which is worth close to 100k for me...except the one thing I didn't buy when I was kitting Giggity out is a mineral scanner. Bit of an oversight on my part. Next time I stop at an EqD then, that's first on my list. 100k for a few minutes work is about as lucrative as being a taxi pilot.

Then I'm through the north gate and into Bala Gi's Joy, where I'm quite surprised to come across an Argon war fleet...

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/5531/x3screen00011.png

...which is slightly worrying. What are they doing out here?

Not wanting to hang around in case the answer is 'looking for you', I push through the west gate into Farnham's. I'm barely through the east gate and have picked up a couple of stations when I get a call...

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9635/x3screen00012r.png

...which is pretty decent money for the risk involved. What makes me pause for a second, is that they want to go to Rolk's Fate, which whilst still a border system, is a bit deeper into Boron territory than I would like. Also, both Rolk's and Atreus' Clouds are nebulous sectors...

Did I mention that I hate green goop?

(sigh)

In the end, avarice overrides common sense, and I take the fare. As it turned out, that was a really good call. As I were crossing Atreus' Clouds I get a call for another fare going the same way...

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4276 ... n00013.png

...but I don't have the cargo space to take them all, and tell him I'll collect on my way back through. He's quite happy to wait, as long as his clients get there on time, so it's all good. So I drop off my first fare and collect my fee, then pick up the second fare with still almost an hour on the clock. Now, I know this isn't exactly what you might call being a proper pirate, but right now I'm so strapped for cash and equipment that I can't afford to let pride rule me. Meaning that nothing is off the table until I've had a chance to think about it. So I drop off the second fare, and then break for the south gate of Atreus' Clouds with the intention of skipping across Farnham's and Elena's Fortune, then east from Split Fire all the way to Hatikvah's. When did anything go to plan?

Just as I'm passing the military outpost in Atreus' I get another fare...

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/6668/x3screen00015.png

...which once again proves to be too good to pass up. So I collect my passengers, run for Rolk's and drop them off before finally getting out of Boron space. Today though, seems to be my day for being the taxi man...

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1079/x3screen00016.png

...as this guy wants a ride to the pirate base in Bala Gi's. Wait a minute, what pirate base in Bala Gi's?

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/4492 ... n00017.png

Oh. That one I guess. And now I know what that Argon war fleet is doing all the way out here. See all those missile contacts on my gravidar? Yeah. I need to outrun them to the station. I drop off my fare and take my money, although he's begging to get back on by this point because, like me, he can see impending doom in the places immediate future. Explaining to him that I have other plans right now than saving his Split hide requires me to shove a phase pistol under his chin and make myself very clear. Once he'd gone scurrying off looking for an outbound flight, and I'd 'confiscated' his jatra, the Split ritual blade, I decided to get myself a toy...

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4083/x3screen00018.png

...which means I'm now more than armed and dangerous, I'm officially ready to start killing folks for a living. Well, almost. First I gotta get this guy from here in Bala Gi's...

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/6572 ... n00019.png

..to Cloud Base South East. It's a tight time limit for the distance, but he obviously doesn't want to hang about the sector in case that war fleet decides to take out more than just the pirate base. So I agree and dock at the chip plant, let him on and blaze for the west gate. Now I know this is going to be a tight flight, so once I'm into Farnham's I engage both the port and ventral thrusters and angle Giggity to take advantage of the extra speed as I make for the south gate. To anybody watching it probably looked a bit odd, but whatever. It works and give me something like an extra 80m/s velocity and right now I need that. I repeat the exercise as I cross Elena's, taking great care to avoid the rocks, then once again across President's End, until eventually dropping my fare at his destination with a full three minutes to spare. Would I have made it without all the mucking about? Maybe we'll never know. It doesn't matter though, he's happy and I get my 175k. Nice!

Deciding now that I've had enough of taxi service I make for Elena's Fortune and the southern gate so I can map Split Fire and head for Company Pride as per my original plan. But it seems my reputation has preceded me a little, as I'm now getting job offers like this...

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/9530 ... n00022.png

...which at almost half a million is pretty damned good for the work involved. With a decent sized M3 I reckon it's doable, and even the Buster I got sitting around Light of Heart would be able to carry that many folks, if nothing else. Course, I could just steal a TP, but long term I can see that kinda thing being trouble. I mean, trained military personnel, in my hands? They'd likely see the sharp end of electro shock treatment until they see the wisdom of being my boarding crew...

Hmm.

Then just as I'm about to hit the event horizon into Split Fire I get another offer I can't refuse to take somebody back to Bala Gi's. And along the way, I'm bombarded with calls...

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/7436 ... n00023.png
http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/3038 ... n00024.png

...and am now kinda lamenting not having a bigger fighter, or at least a TP, that could do the job. In the last few minutes I've had to pass up over 1.2 million credits worth of fares because I don't have the tools for the job. That needs to be resolved. For now though, there's nothing I can do to save the folks in this sector from the Argon war machine, so I head to drop off my fare. Whilst I'm docked at the station I get a call from this Boron though...

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7596/x3screen00025.png

...well now, that's a serious addiction mate! Those cells, sold at even average price, work out at over 40k. For one unit of weed or booze! I think stealing a TS is in order. But not right now. Now I'm outta here before that Titan and his friends tear this system down.

This time I do follow through with my plan, and blaze across Farnham's, down through Elena's, scout Split Fire and burn east into Brennan's. Where I see another Argon war fleet at work...

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/8242 ... n00027.png

...which means that at this rate there isn't going to be much left in the way of pirates for me to work with out this way. Crap. Now, I don't know what that Carrack captain was thinking...

http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/2897 ... n00030.png

...but it looks like he thought he could do something about that Argon fleet. Well, I suppose you gotta at least respect his bravery, if not his sanity...

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/4326 ... 00032g.png

...but he did at least leave me some yummies.

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/9039 ... 00034m.png

So I snatch them up as I'm passing the Colossus and his friends, then slip quietly through the south gate into Danna's Chance. There's a Paranid Ares and escorts heading for the north gate, probably with no idea what's awaiting them on the other side. Well, I certainly wasn't about to ruin the surprise for them. Instead I pass on by, laughing quietly to myself, and head for the south gate into Freedom's Reach. Now, I were only heading that way to complete my scouting run, but as it turned out it was the best decision I'd made all day. See, there was this Teladi on the trading station what wanted me to scan freighters for valuable cargo. “Alright,” I says to him, “but what're ya paying?” Now, when he tells me my cut, my first instinct is to shoot him, but I refrain. “Sssiksss persssent.” he says to me, without missing a beat. Working hard to keep my hands going for my guns I say to him “Six? You expect me to do all the work and just get six percent?” He nods, then calmly proceeds to tell me that there's a lot of valuable cargo floats through these sectors. Well, yeah I knew that anyway, but still, that's a pretty poor cut of the profits. Then he explains that after I finish scanning, him and his crew are gonna hit those freighters to steal the loot. So I'm not doing all the donkey work, just the recon. Gritting my teeth I begrudgingly accept both his point, and the job.

“You have ten minutesss to ssscan.” he tells me as I climb back aboard Giggity. Right. No time to waste then. So I scan both the freighters in Freedom's and run for Danna's. I tell ya, either my luck were in big time or there's a dark god smiling down on me, cos I found a lot of high tech and weapons traders running around Danna's. One Paranid had over 100 1Mj shields aboard, which immediately pushed my take up to a decent sum. And by the time my scanning was done...

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/686/ ... n00038.png
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/6065 ... n00040.png

...the payout plus my taxi fares have made me an instant millionaire. Well I'll be damned.

I'm done now though, this little rampage of missions has left me wanting to get back to Hatikvah's and on to Company Pride so I can source some shields for the Buster and get to work. Of course, now I could afford to go home and actually buy a new Fujin, or even something a little meatier, but I'm not ready for that just yet. Despite my apparent turn of fortune I feel a burning desire to blow some shit up and ruin somebodies day. With this in mind I'm somewhat dismayed to arrive in CP to find that the local pirate clan have been forced to re-locate.

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/4928 ... n00041.png

Hmm. That's not a disaster, but it does mean that of the four bases I know in the area, one's down and two are currently at serious risk of destruction. Only Hatikvah's is safe, and being where it is, it won't be long before a Split, or Paranid, or Argon..hell even a Boron, task force, comes through that way with murder in mind. Maybe I should risk heading down to Acquisition at some point and seeing if I can get on Big Mek's good side. In the meantime though, I dock at the local EqD, order a couple of shields for the Buster, light a cigarette and take a stroll down to the bar.

Assets:
'Good Intentions' - Goner Ranger
'Giggity' - Discoverer Vanguard
Buster Raider 54%
1,165,091 Credits

Time: 768-05-01 20:30

[Scion Drakhar]

Took advantage of the last remaining quiet in the house, eh?

You know I have never gotten a mission quite like that freight scanning gig you picked up. I didn't even know they existed. Scanning for illegals, sure, but the pirate version seems a bit more lucrative ... not to mention entertaining. Good work for an M5 too.

You're also reminding me that I need to pay more attention to the bartering possibilities at the stations I dock at. I tend to get a bit iron-sited on whatever my goals are and then miss all the little opportunities that drift by under my nose.

Looking forward to MOAR!

Heh heh.

[Triaxx2]

Yeah, those are the most awesome missions around. Especially if you happen to have a military fleet in the system at the time. Every single unequipped weapon or shield is considered cargo. That's MILLIONS of credits.

[Kirlack]

Took advantage of the last remaining quiet in the house, eh?

Oh hell yes And I have another free night tonight as mother and baby are staying at the maternity ward for now (she's got a low blood count, nothing to worry about, she just needs a couple of units from a drip. He's fine )

You know I have never gotten a mission quite like that freight scanning gig you picked up. I didn't even know they existed. Scanning for illegals, sure, but the pirate version seems a bit more lucrative ... not to mention entertaining. Good work for an M5 too.

I'd never taken one before and since this is a DiD I figured 'hell, why not?' Worked out nicely

You're also reminding me that I need to pay more attention to the bartering possibilities at the stations I dock at. I tend to get a bit iron-sited on whatever my goals are and then miss all the little opportunities that drift by under my nose.

I'd been wanting to have a proper go at bartering ever since reading Vim Razz' Justy's Misfortune thread early last year. He demonstrated an uncanny ability to make profit through bartering alone, so I may even change the rules for this to make open trading impossible. Thoughts?

Looking forward to MOAR!

Well, you're all caught up to where I am on gameplay, so unless I play for a while tonight there will only be prose...

Hmm...

Yeah, those are the most awesome missions around. Especially if you happen to have a military fleet in the system at the time. Every single unequipped weapon or shield is considered cargo. That's MILLIONS of credits.

I was hugely impressed with that mission, more so because I've seen them before at ~19% of the take, but had never actually taken one. Why isn't there a smiley for 'law abiding X citizen'? I didn't think non freight vessels would count, or else I would have skipped back north to scan that Colossus and his pals. Hindsight is a beautiful thing

[Triaxx2]

It is. I figured out the hard way that only things not equipped count as cargo. It's a fine distinction, but it's worth scanning the bigger ships first.

If you're REALLY lucky, you'll see a TL with a station going through.

Incidentally? I hate fighting Kha'ak Corvettes. I can kill 5 but they knock down my shields far faster than they should. It's time a for a fleet exercise.