[TC] A Pirate's Story [Completed]

[Scion Drakhar]

27. Final Fury

Right then.

So. The Tiger n' the 'Fortune were the closest ships to the Khaak, but I had no intention o' throwin' my life away to save ol' Fjuny t'Scct... or anyone else fer that matter. The Tiger Cap'n didn't seem to have any such misgivin's, though, n' head straight fer that whole Khaak battlegroup as if it was gonna save the day all by its onesy. Valiant, but not too bright. It did, however, give me an idea.

What I did next was a bit mad. It really was, but a complete lack o' good sense seems to serve me well. That Tiger was headin' straight fer the nearest Khaak ship, which happened to be the Carrier. Knowin' 'em Split were about to get roasted I decide to make sure their sacrifice ain't in vain. So, I slipped in under the Tiger n' put' it in between 'em Khaak n' the Fortune. In short, I use the Tiger as a shield by wearin' it as a hat. This got us close enough to the Carrier to open up wit' the main guns.Watchin it on the remote vid I was somewhat horrified by how fast it was gettin' shredded, n' just as the Tiger went up I started the jump fer the N gate, which was a good thing too cuz the instant we were under fire from the Destroyer our shields began fallin' at a terrifyin' rate. It was enough, though.

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Short jumpin' to the N gate to buy some time fer the shields to recharge, n' fer the friendly Capitals to close the gap, we set course fer the fight again. One o' the Corvettes tried to intercept us on our way back in n' we do it the service o' settin' it on fire. The other two went after the Python which was o' course cracked 'em like eggs. So. It was down to the Destroyer.

The Python arrived first. Had it waited fer the Colossus n' the Fortune things woulda turned out a bit different, but 'em Split do like to die. It did an admirable job o' poundin' on that Destroyer, but in the end that KM2 was just too much fer it. Just as we were closin' on the military base again that Python went up in an eruption o' light that enveloped the whole western half o the sector. The Python, like the Tiger, didn't go out in vain, though. It succeeded in doin' enough damage fer the combined fire o' the Colossus n' the 'Fortune to finish the beast, sendin' one last blaze o' glory up in the dark. A moment later, but fer the labored breathin' on the command deck, it was once again quiet.

"Is it over?" It was the Jak, the Argon kid what manned my comm.

"No." Says I. "It's just gettin' started." As if to prove my point we get another message from Fjuny t'Scct.

"Warrior," it reads, "the time has now come to destroy the Khaak hive once and for all. Be alert and be quick. Sacrifice your life if only you must, but never hesitate to attack. Good luck to you and your comrades. May you succeed! To your duties!"

I suppose havin' the Khaak try n' kick in his front door kinda ticked ol' Fjuny t'Scct off. Now, I'm certainly not much one fer "duties" n' even less so fer "sacrificin' my life" but savin' his butt here in A148 just earned us nearly four million cred as a thank you provin' once again that these here fellers do know how to keep my interest. On the other hand, the words 'Khaak HIVE' kinda stuck in my brain. Right. Well, I've got a jumpdrive n' if it's too hairy I can always leave. Now, if I'm goin' into Khaak central I want a full mag'. So, after dockin' at the military base fer some fuel, I jump the 'Fortune to Company Pride, dock at the EQ n' conduct a freight exchange wit' my ordinance freighter. I load up on mosquito missiles fer missile defense, swarm missiles to overwhelm 'em Khaak lasers, all the fighter drones in my possession fer ... well you never know, n' Guass Ammo so my cannon's have somethin' to fire. So, as prepared as I know how to get I initialize the jump to Khaak sector 926, the Hive.

When the warp effect clears the first thing I'm aware o' is a series o' missile warnin's. The second is that I'm surrounded by Khaak and they all seemed to be capitals! I'm not sure where I am but it certainly isn't "outer" space. There's this purple fog everywhere, and we seem to be inside some massive, insectile structure what holds the whole sector wit'in it! Honestly I'm about to bounce. Just then I notice the rest o' the taskforce. There'r at least two other frigates, prob'bly more, I honestly dunno. There'r also a fair number o' M6's, n' a bunch o fighters. They all seem to have got here before me, seein' as I was seein' to my ordinance, n' have already engaged the Khaak. This calms me down some, n' after activatin' the mosquito missile defense I open up the exterior camera to see what's what n' find out what kinda lovely's bein' shot at me. Thorns. 15k punch. Alright. Satisfied I'm not about to get nuked I open up the sector map.

There'r a LOT of capital insignias but almost all o' 'em are these things called Guardians n' they seem to be stationary, or at least stayin' in the vicinity o' the three Khaak stations. My mission guidance is directin' me to destroy one o' 'em, but seein' as there is also this Destroyer, n' it's not stationary at all, n' not all that far off, I decide to leave the guidance be fer the time bein'. I'm not all that sure how long this taskforce I'm a part o' is gonna last n' I'd really like to make sure yon Destroyer is slag ... before my allies are.

So. Apparently the rest o' the taskforce has the same idea as myself n' that Destroyer's bein' harried from all directions. It's givin' better'n it gets though. Starships'r eruptin' like burstin' bubbles all around it. So. Since it's fairly occupied, n' near stationary, I decide to try out some o' these here Tornado missiles I've accumulated. They're dumbfire swarm missiles what do 312 m/s n' pack a 50k per warhead punch. Bein' dumbfire I'm once again hopin' they'll slip through unnoticed. I zoom way in at the very center o' that monster n' let loose, well, all o' 'em. Which amounts to about thirty or so. When it comes to Giant, sector shreddin' monsters I firmly believe in overkill bein' just about right. It takes a lil' while fer 'em missiles to get there, n' as they're flyin' vast numbers o' my "friends" are explodin in the fog. When they do, though, I'm treated to the very satisfyin' sight o' a whole series o' beautiful explosions ripple all across it's hull. It does seem to figure out that I'm responsible fer this as it changes course to come fer me, but that actually just helps me out. It's still far out o' Kyon range n' as it tries to close the distance it flies straight into the rest o' my missile barrage. This, coupled wit' the rest o' the fleet beatin' on it, overwhelms it's shields ... n' shatters it!

Wit' the biggest threat goin' up in nuclear fire, I decide to let the rest o' the taskforce handle what's left o' the Khaak, which seems to be just fighters n' Corvettes. So. Followin my mission guidance I head fer the first Guardian. My mission now is to destroy three Khaak stations, each under the protection o' three o' these Guardian things. So, makin' my way across the sector while under attack by Thorn missiles n' fighter groups the whole time, I prepare to finish this mess. Between the mosquitoes n' my shieldin' the Thorns aren't much o' a threat, n' none o' the fighters last long under the Fortune's guns. So. As I get close to the Guardian I let loose some wasps to test if it has the ability to defend itself. It does. Whatever it's packin' though, has a shorter range n' my long guns n' all it can do is fire 'em Thorns at me. So, parkin' about 6km away, I blast it wit' IBL n' Guass fire 'til it's cinders. The other two go down in much the same way. Then I start workin' over the station.

In the center o' the hive the last o' the taskforce is finishin' the last o' the Khaak. When the Station's ash I move on to the next. It's slow work, as the laser batteries keep runnin' dry leavin' the Guass Cannons to carry the load. Eventually the second station is slag, though, n' I'm movin' on to the last. By this point it seems the Khaak n' the FF fleet have thoroughly annihilated each other, as besides the 'Fortune the only ship left in the sector is a Teladi Falcon Hauler.

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I wonder if he'd be interested in a job?

Right. The Khaak aren't done, though, n' small groups o' Khaak continue to point jump in on top o' me. This o' course gets me a bit twitchy. The groups that show up are small, no bigger'n a trio o' Corvettes, but seein' as this is the Khaak 'Hive' I do keep waitin' fer a full Khaak Armada to show up n' do their best to annihilate the Fortune ... n' me along wit' it. So I keep the jumpdrive controls ready the whole time. It never happens though n' soon the last station is ablaze.

After which, it seems I've won the day.

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Apparently they've even decided to give me lil' present as a thank you.

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[Playbahnosh]

What the heck, I start my own pirate game right now, maybe use only half the save slots. This is just too amazing to be left waiting. ARRRRH!

[Scion Drakhar]

double post deleted

[Scion Drakhar]

I'd like to offer my apologies. I didn't intend to snub anyone yesterday. I was simply quite ill and a little less than coherent. I managed to post and then did my best impersonation of a log.

Really good story. I am also playing bankrupt assassin. I didn't go the pirate way, but it is a good challenge none the less. You give me some good ideas though. Keep up the good work.

Thanks, mate. Glad to hear it. I'll do my best. Also, not becoming a pirate is logical within the start. I didn't realize it when I began the scenario but between the bounty hunters and the implied prediliction for assassination missions, most of which involve killing pirates, becoming friendly with the pirates is actually counter to the games inherent direction. One might even go so far as to say I'm not living up to it. Sort of.

Hahaha, I can see me telling my grandkids all about the exploits of the Cap'n of the Good Fortune! Keep it up Scion!

Oooh, to be famously infamous, or infamously famous ... to be the inspiration corrupting young minds ...

What the heck, I start my own pirate game right now, maybe use only half the save slots. This is just too amazing to be left waiting. ARRRRH!"

Good luck, matey. ( ... It begins already! -sniff- I'm so proud.)


28. The Test of the Griffon

Right then.

So. I certainly didn't set out to save the 'verse from the Khaak (I just wanted to get paid) but that seems to be what I've done. How odd. I also now seem to be in possession o' another frigate, although it is somewhat of a different animal from the 'Fortune.

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It's obviously much smaller. It possesses a cargo hold half the size o' the 'Fortune. It doesn't support any o' the real heavy weapons the 'Fortune does, as the hardest punch it's got'r CIG's or maybe Ion Pulse Generators. Dunno. I've only got one IPG n' honestly can't say how effective it is. It does have the same shieldin' though, which I find very re-assurin'. It'll also carry Flaks in three turrets, which I expect'll make it a terrifyin'ly effective anti-fighter platform. It's laser generator nearly matches the 'Fortune, as well, so I imagine it'll be able to fire those CIGs nigh continuous. Honestly I'm real curious to see what it's capable o'. It's much faster, too, n'll carry nine fighters, although bein' as small as it is I have no idea where it'll put em. Anyhoo. I've decided to take her out fer a spin n' see what I sort o' damage I can do wit' her.

So, bein' that the Griffon came equipped wit' a jumpdrive I transfer over some e-cells n' hop her over to the EQ in Company Pride. I send Bankroll on an equipment gatherin' trip n' start transferrin' over the weapons n' equipment I've got handy. It seems I've been very fortunate in my business dealin's wit' the various freight Cap'n's in the 'verse n' also in my luck followin' around the capital ships what like to blow each other up. I've got enough CIG's n' Flaks n' all manner o' weapons to fully kit out the Griffon wit'out havin' to buy anythin' but a couple shields 'n some tech. It's good to be a pirate.

So, I have the Highwayman transfer over from the from the 'Fortune n' discover that the Griffon docks it's fighters in the cage on the outside o' it's hull. It's like a cross between a TM n' a Frigate. Nifty. Also, knowin' that I have a bunch o' pirates crewin' the Fortune, 'n wantin' to remain her owner 'n Cap'n, I decided to provide myself wit' some insurance. I sneak around n' set a number o' very powerful explosive devices in hidden places throughout the ship. I also hotwire a failsafe into the main engines givin' me the ability to give it a self-destruct command from across the 'verse. Then, smilin', I turn the ship over to my first mate, who notices the smile n' cocks an eyebrow at me. I let him wonder n' then take over Cap'nship o' the Griffon.

Then, feelin' a bit uncomfortable wit' this whole 'Savior o' the Universe' bit, I decide to commit some piracy to ease my self-esteem some. So, I'm down in Moo-Kye's Revenge fer a change o' pace, n' layin' into (primarily) Split n' Paranid freighters while sat in the Highwayman. I do well, n' even get a lil' present.

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I start lookin' it over and ... Whoah! So, what do yah call a ship wit' 2mj o' shieldin' what'll do 602m/s? Yeah, I thought so too. I named it 'Suicide.' I now have a new scout ship. I sincerely hope it isn't the death o' me. Maybe I'll just find somebody else to pilot it. I do seem to have vastly fewer close calls in ships wit' lots o' shieldin'.

After a lil' while I find that I'm in the mood fer calmer activities n' lay off the piratin'. So, keepin' an eye on my sat net (as my mercs are .... slowly ... progressin') I decide that since the Boron aren't currently shootin' at me I'm gonna explore their territory some n' make my way up to Three Worlds to start mappin' out Boron sectors. It's light n' easy work despite bein' a lil' nerve rackin'.

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Yeah, despite the Boron currently bein' friendly, or at least not tryin' to kill me, I do find myself somewhat uncomfortable under the gaze o' both a Ray n' a Shark. Anyhoo. Eventually I've got the whole northern Boron sectors mapped n' jump clear across the 'verse to explore east o' Black Hole Sun. I find some more Teladi sectors n' apparently there's more Xenon north o' Grand Exchange. Needless to say I let 'em be.

I did take a couple missions to keep the money rollin' in, includin' agreein' to fetch an abandoned ship fer some Teladi feller in this sector called Tears o' Greed. It was an appropriate name. The ship turned out to be somewhere in a Split Core sector. Bein' that the Split currently despise me n' not feelin' even remotely like dealin' wit' the aggravation o' claimin' a ship while dodgin' fire from Split sec-def I abort the mission. I do wish these fellers'd give me a few more details before expectin' me to agree or not. Anyhoo. I lost some rep, includin' some status, n' since the owner of the southern Ore mine was afraid his station was about to be blowed up by some folks I agreed to help him out. Turns out the folks inclined to turn his station to rubble were fairly serious about it. An Osprey, a Peregrine n' a whole bunch o fighters popped outta the west gate. Apparently somebody'd ratted me out too, cuz they knew I was on the home team immediately. The instant they were in sector that Peregrine filled the sky wit' so many Tomahawks that Betty was stutterin' tryin' to keep up. Decidin' cowardice was the better part o' valor I jumped to the S gate. This was to give myself both the time to intercept those nukes n' also the time to jump to the E gate when they got too close, which should a put me out o' range o' whatever was left. I missed somethin' though. By jumpin' to the S gate I put the Ore Mine I was supposed to be protectin' in between those missiles n' me. I got to watch as it was pounded by all o' 'em missiles n' then explode in a sector consumin' flash o' light. Needless to say, I didn't get paid n' lost some more rep.

Whoops.

Decidin' I didn't want to cry any more Tears o' Greed I turned 'round n' head through the S gate into some more Teladi sectors. The first un' was called Bright Profit n' was home to another pirate base. It's currently hostile but I'm pretty sure I can bring 'em round. I then pass through Company Strength n' into a sector called Sanctity o' Corruption. Sounds like my kind o' place, don't it? They thought so too.

The instant I'm in sector I get commed by some Teladi feller screamin' about the Xenon. Seriously, he's real upset. It actually takes a minute to get him to speak so I can understand him. Once I did, though, I have to admit I got a bit nervous. See, this Teladi has long range sensor data indicatin' that a large Xenon force is headed this way ... n' it turns out I'm in possession o' the only warship in the sector.

"Well, now," says I, "sounds like a good time fer me to be elsewhere!"

Then he mentions pay, quite a bit o' it. Common sense n' self preservation take a back seat to greed n' before I know it I'm listenin' to myself agree to help 'em out.

Turns out that Teladi feller weren't kiddin'. The first wave is this great big, km long monstrosity called a Q, plus three smaller monsters called P's, n' a whole swarm o' lil' monsters o' the L, M, n' N varieties. They're nearly 30km off, though, n' make the mistake o' spreadin' out as I plot an intercept. I guess strategy n' tactics weren't included in their programmin'. It does turn out that I was right about the Griffon's anti-fighter abilities. The ones we get near, mainly the heavies, we turn to litter wit'out so much as slowin' down. Then the CIG's make short work o' the P's, but now fer the scary part. Not havin' any heavy guns I'm a bit nervous about gettin' close to that Q thing so I try firin' some typhoons at it. It promptly eats 'em. I try a couple Tornadoes but it dodges 'em, n' has now decided it doesn't like me. As I watch it turns to face me n' a moment later is closin' on our position at 121m/s, which is just a hair under what we're capable o' n' downright frightenin' considerin' it's three times the size o' the Griffon. Even more frightenin' is the stream o' photon pulses it's spittin' our way. My throat n' sphincter make like a miser wit' his money and clamp down tight.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

[Triaxx2]

Only one thing to do! RSLG until the Good Fortune sails in to save the day.

Seriously, Shrikes eat Q's for breakfast. Especially if they've got full GC's.

[dezzter]

dude how rich is this account by this stage i haven't read all of them but u must be at least over 4 mill

[Playbahnosh]

dude how rich is this account by this stage i haven't read all of them but u must be at least over 4 mill

You mean over 40 mil
The Final Fury plot pays really well and the Griffon is an awesome ship, I use it as my flagship ever since I got it.


OT: Keep it up Scion! Show 'em toasters who's boss!

[Master of the Blade]

Oh, come on! We all know the Q isn't all that bad. The Griffon, on the other hand, is awesome, so you should be havin' no problems wi' that thing ya hear?

And, if a Q ended you here, that would be no fun.

Also, shouldn't this be in the creative forum? *erk* *dies of 'natural causes'*

[jwigeland]

That Q will follow you to infinity so use that to your advantage! Send some support ships to buy up drones, missiles, and mines while you tool away from the sector, then jump back to meet up with your supply ship. You can take that sucker!

[Scion Drakhar]

Only one thing to do! RSLG until the Good Fortune sails in to save the day.

You know, the absence of that particular reflex in my character may very well one day be the death of me.

dude how rich is this account by this stage i haven't read all of them but u must be at least over 4 mill

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At one point I had just under 30 mil but between training my mercs and various expenses it does seem to go pretty fast. Also, if I wasn't interested in keeping the Pirates as friends I'm regularly being offerred 2-5mil fer assassinations. Politics. Oh well. Good for a quick cash injection, though.

OT: Keep it up Scion! Show 'em toasters who's boss!

Will do!

Also, shouldn't this be in the creative forum? *erk* *dies of 'natural causes'*

Apparently it should. You're not the first to say so. I didn't intend to cause a stir. This is my first DiD and I simply posted under spoilers which seemed the most logical at the time and now it's been moved to Universe by default. I'd move it myself if I knew how or had the inclination. If the mod chooses to move it I have no argument. I imagine they will at some point. Anyhoo...

You can take that sucker!

Thanks! I think so too.



29. Fillin’ in the Map

Right then.

So. Not quite ready to to turn n' run I order the release o' some fighter drones n' fire wasps near continuous to distract the beast as we close to firin' range while strafin' to avoid those capital ship shatterin' PPC streams. A very long 2km later we're finally in CIG range n' open up. Despite havin' a light weapon loadout the Griffon does have several advantages, which become immediately apparent. It's small (fer a frigate) n' fair maneuverable, n’ wit’ a small forward profile it’s rather hard to hit. So, wit' the strafe drive fully engaged I'm able to dodge the majority o' the fire that Q's throwin' at us. The Q on the other hand, is quite large n' therefore makes a very nice target. I manage to get around to its side n' out o' reach o' it's primary guns, strafin' it's entire side wit' CIG fire as I go. It also turns out I was right, the Griffon is capable o' firin' all guns continuously wit'out drainin' the laserbank near at all. So. Constantly strafin' I do my best to position myself on it's six n' never let up the CIG fire. That Q is more agile n' it looks though n' I never quite get there. Even so, it takes a while, but that Q does goes down.

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As it erupts I notice that the Griffon still has near 100% o' it's 4GJ shieldin', which means I was able to dodge almost everythin' it threw at me. I'm impressed. I'd still like some IBL's mounted in the main battery, but still I'm impressed. So. I'm standin' there grinnin' at the performance o' my new ship when the next wave shows up. This time there'r two Q's, plus an assortment o' friends. Fortunately they too are many kilometers apart n' I'm able to deal wit' em individually. I take each o' 'em the same way as the first. In the end the Griffon is down to 88% o' its shieldin' n' I'm findin' myself very satisfied. I wouldn't want to go head to head wit' a full M2 in it but it's a nice dogfighter, which is a hell o' a thing to say about an M7. I'm still musin' over it's performance when I’m commed by that Teladi feller again n' informed that Company Strength is under attack n' they'd really appreciate me doin' somethin' about it. Feelin' real confident now 'at I've just sent three o' those monstrous toasters to the scrapyard, n' seein' as they are bein' nice enough to pay me, I agree to help. In the end I destroy six o' 'em Q things, although I got robbed o' the last payday by a group o' Teladi fighters. Seriously, it pissed me off. I spent the time n' energy n' risked my ship batterin' down the shields o' that thing n' some lucky SoB get's the last shot n' steals my money. If I'd known which one o' 'em actually did it I'd a killed him. I briefly considered wipin' out the whole wing just to be sure but at the last minute it occurred to me that might just net me more trouble n' it was worth. Still, I was sorely tempted. As it was I decided to just accept the three n' a half million credits they thanked me wit'.

So. Wit' nothin' in the immediate area tryin' to kill me I cut engines n' open up the universe map. Despite none o’ my mercs bein’ ready I'm watchin' the pirate sectors fer a potential target, ideally an M7M, that maybe I can put a tail on. There’s still nothin’, but I’m sure that’ll change.

So. I was just about to continue my exploration when some idiot in a fighter I think was a buzzard crashed right into me broadside. Hopefully it was the SoB what robbed me. Still. What kind o' braniac flies into a stationary M7? Even more, what kind o’ braniac then decides it's the fault o' said stationary M7? (what also happens to be responsible fer just savin’ the day, thank you!) Well, the border control here in Company Strength were exactly that kind o genius n’ immediately became hostile n’ started flyin’ in my direction ... like I’m gonna be intimidated by a pair o’ harriers n’ a kite. Needless to say, I was not amused. Neither was I interested in apologizin' fer somethin' what wasn't even remotely my fault just to save the lives o' a couple morons the gene pool'd be better off wit'out. So I set all my turrets to missile defense n’ chose to simply ignore ‘em. If those idiots were stupid enough to open fire on the Griffon their fate was in their own hands. Well, they were that stupid. Needless to say their fate was explosive, not to mention brief.

So. Now bein’ in somewhat of a ‘less than helpful’ mood I have that Argon kid mannin’ my comm tell anyone callin’ the Griffon fer help to shove it somewhere uncomfortable n’ begin makin’ my way south into Boron space to continue my mappin'. I use my new scout ship to expedite the process, although I don't get in it myself. I find some other idiot ...er ... courageous volunteer ... to do it fer me. I, personally, rather like bein' in the warm n' comfortable embrace o' lots o' shieldin', thanks. Even, so, I’m thorough in my exploration of each sector, makin’ sure to map every station n’ verify what they’re sellin’. You never know when you might need somethin’ or who you might be friendly wit’ (or not) so I wanted my computer’s encyclopedia wit’ as many options available as possible fer everythin’. I map out the southeastern Boron sectors n’ then head west into Split space.

Now, Contorded Dominion is a border sector n’ where I’m allowed to fly through it wit’out bein’ shot at it’s very apparent that they all hate me. Now Split n’ Paranid space represents the majority of unexplored territory left to me. So, decidin’ to look fer a Split to cozy up to I head back on up to the Grand Exchange wit' the intention o' explorin' the sectors south of it, n' I immediately get lucky. Some Split wants some pirate dead just two sectors to the east in Midnight Star. So, I jump over to Midnight Star n’ surgically remove a Gladiator from existense wit’ three Thunderbolts from 45 km away. This, consequently, results in the Split now considering me a 'Creature' which in turn gets me unshot at access to core sectors. I’m still not quite in a grinnin’ mood but I’m feelin’ better.

I hop back over to Grand Exchange where I head south into Merchant’s Haven, and then into a pirate sector called Maelstrom where I find another Mercenary Rehabilitation Center. I have the Suicide Express hop in and dock while I follow the intermitent pirate traffic to a gate far, far in the west. Turns out there are a few morons at the rehab who happen to know how to fight, if not much else, includin' one Argon chap that's just downright evil. I hire ‘em all n’ then send ‘em to school in Aquisition. Through the W gate I find two unknown sectors, the northern o' which has a pretty steady pirate traffic passin‘ east n‘ west. The southern one has a large number of asteroids which'r mostly, but not completely, useless. There are a couple that' could be the foundation o' a power supply chain, which in turn could be used to power other factories. Now another scurvy dog like me-self once told me there was the potential here fer a good business tradin’ wit’ the pirates n’ now that I’m here I do believe he was correct. It’s a bit out o’ the way, but considerin’ I do possess jumpdrive equipped freighters that may just be a good thing. I may have just found the spot I’d like to build. Now ... if only I had a TL.

West o’ the two “unknown” sectors is another pirate sector, this one housing a base which seems to be the reason there is so much traffic passin’ through to the east. There doesn’t seem to be another gate, though, so it seems I’m at the end o’ this particular road. So, now that the Split have decided they don’t currently need to scrape me off their bootheels I head back down to Contorted Dominion n’ continue my exploration in that direction. I only get through several sectors though, before I make the mistake o' passin’ through the gate into Heaven’s Assertion, which turns out to be a Paranid sector unfortunately populated by Paranid, who all, without exception, want me not just dead but sufferin’ fer all eternity. Unfortunately these fellers didn’t seem to believe the way to make that happen was by offin’ 'emselves n’ I was immediately bein’ shot at by everythin’ carryin’ a laser or a missile or a fighter drone. Good thing I’ve got good shields n’ a jumpdrive.

Anyhoo. I hop to Family Tkr n’ continue mappin‘. I travel east n’ south, stoppin’ at the gate to X472, then again at X598. I do run into a couple o’ Cobras I might be willin’ to make a play fer, but since I‘m not ready as yet I just make notes o‘ em n‘ continue on. In family Njy, which seems rather undefended fer a core sector I notice an Arena, which is a civilian Elephant TL n‘ therefore unarmed. Very tasty. While I was there I also destroyed a maraudin‘ Q n‘ a few L‘s, mostly just to amuse myself since I was now confident I could, but it did get me promoted to Split ‘Family Friend.’ Now I doubt they‘d a done that if they knew I was actually there casin‘ the joint but I don’t complain. It‘ll just make life easier when I do come back to steal somethin‘. Just a sector over in Njy’s Deception there was also a Hospital ship n’ a Casino, which’r also civilian TL’s, but they were under the watchful gaze o’ both a Raptor and a Python so not my first choice o’ targets. That Arena though ... Mmmmm.

I then made my way N into Boron space where, despite havin’ sector traversin’ rights I’m still pretty much despised. I can’t really blame ‘em though. I took a look at my score sheet n’ it turns out I’ve actually destroyed a large number o’ Boron ships n’ that don’t account fer the dozens more I’ve robbed out in the dark. So, I was up in Boron space, just mindin’ my own business mappin' out the sector when these three Boron fighters thought it a good idea to take some pot shots at me. My turrets, o’ course’ didn’t take too kindly to their intentions and promptly stomped ‘em into powder. This resulted in me losin’ the bare minimum core sector access I had n’ havin a whole bunch more Boron try to kill me. Which, honestly, I found kinda amusin’. So, anyhoo, the Boron hate me again. If I wasn't laughin' so hard at their sec-def explodin' around my ship I might even get a lil' weepy.

[Scion Drakhar]

Again I apologize fer the late post. A hospital visit can just ruin one's whole day.


30. Fighter Shoppin'

Right then.

So. Since most o' my mercs are STILL bloody trainin' n' I need to occupy myself to stay ... outta trouble? No that's not right. Occupied. Yeah that's better... N' seein' as I now have the ability to house twenty one fighters I decide to go on a bit o' a piracy run wit' the specific intention o' capturin' as many fighters as possible. So. I head on down to Desecrated Skies where I'm hoping for a greater concentration of Paranid ships to pick on, as they do amuse me so. In addition to the Griffon I call the Good Fortune n' the Chariot in so I can simply fill 'em up as I go. Since I'm also pickin' on freighters as it suits me I assign the Chariot to ware collection duties.

Now, I'm beginnin' to have some serious doubts regardin' the mental stability o' the whole Paranid race. I mean, as far as I can tell the majority o' 'em are in serious need o' some psychiatric help. They really are. Even the Split are less inclined to die than these fellers. I must have tried fer nearly thirty Paranid fighters today n' only two o' 'em bailed. In addition I was pickin' on this one Helios TM n' his escorts. I took out one o the M5's n' the Pericles M4 on approach n' then I get to watch as one the other M5 Pegasus flies right into an asteroid. No biggie, right? It's a fast ship n' in the heat o battle it's easy to lose one's focus. Sure. But what about the TM? Outta all the places it could fly, n' there'r plenty o' places fer it to go. I mean this is outer 'space' after all. It chose to fly head first into the same asteroid as it's escort, cursin' me wit' nasty names the whole time.

Now, if that wasn't enough there was a Brigantine in the neighborhood makin' a hell o' a ruckus. I mean it was openin' up on everythin' what moved, sides me anyhoo, n' the Paranid military kept sendin' fighters n' maybe a corvette to deal wit' it. This goes on fer hours! Now I don't know about you, but goin' up against a city sized M2 while sat in nuthin' but a fighter doesn't seem all that sane to me. I guess I could be wrong ... ?

Now, eventually the Paranid decide to up the ante some n' finally send in an Agamemnon to deal wit' the Brig, which I suppose was a step in the right direction. The Brigantine, o'course, cracked that Aggy open like an egg, dumpin' all sorts o' goodies out into the dark fer me to come get includin' another IBL, a pair o' Flaks n' a pair o' somethin' called a Phased Shockwave Generator, whatever that is. It's worth a fair

A little while after that another Aggy came in through the E gate while a Colossus wit' a massive escort entered through the N. So, absolutely shiverin' wit' visions o' a three way apocalypse breakin' out I pulled all my ships outta the way n' waited fer what I was expectin' to be a spectacular display of interstellar violence. The Cap'n o the Aggy, o' course heads straight fer that Brig wit' what I assume was death n' glory in mind. Glory? Not so much. Death? Oh, yeah. The Colossus on the other hand seems to have a rational Cap'n at the helm n' takes one look at the Brigantine and makes a run fer it, slippin' past as the Brig gets bound up manueverin' round an asteroid. It then makes fer the E gate at full steam wit' the Brig in pursuit. It looks like it's gonna make it too, n' I'm startin' to feel a lil' blue as I'm always hopin' fer the goodies these Capitals seem to drop when they blow up. Then, just as it's about to make its startin' run on the gate that Colossus runs into a heavily armed Paranid military convoy just enterin' the sector. The convoy gets crushed, o' course, but does slow the Argon down long enough fer that Brig to catch up.

[ external image ]

The Colossus, unable to line up on the gate, makes a wide circle to re-adjust, which gives that Brig the time it needs to come up alongside. Apparently at that point the Colossus Cap'n realized a confontation was inevitable n' opens fire.

[ external image ]

... and then it kicks off good n' proper.

[ external image ]

Now, one on one that Brig woulda snapped that Colossus like a bundle a twigs. The Colossus had a mighty big escort, though, which evens things out fer a while. Eventually though ...

[ external image ]

It's escort, however, isn't done wit' that Brig, n a moment later ...

[ external image ]

Oooh! I'm all tingly now n' open up the sector map to see what kinda goodies they've left me.

[ external image ]

Say what?! Three bloody capital ships go up n' all I get r' a few missiles! I feel cheated. I guess I really shouldn't complain, though. My luck's been bloody obscene to date.

[ external image ]

I mean, this is just what's currently in storage. It doesn't reflect what's actually installed on or bein' toted around by my frigates includin' the 12 IBL's on the Fortune or the 14 Ion-D's I'm carryin' around on the Griffon. Heh. Yeah. The Grif can mount Ion-D's in every weapon slot. I think the next time I'm attemptin' to burn out the weapon systems on a target ship it's gonna be a somewhat calmer experience. So, all in all, I'd say my piratical inclinations are servin' me well.

So. My attempts to capture ships ended up bein' sort o' a mixed bag. I mean I do all right, but I don't get most o' what I was after, namely the Medusas n' Chimeras what passed by. I do manage a pair o' Keas though, n' also a pair o' Barracudas plus another Skate. Considerin' though, that the majority o' the traffic passin' through was Paranid, though, you'd think I'd a managed more n' just the solitary Perseus n' lone Pericles. On the freight side o things, though, wit' the exception o' the crazy Paranid TM, I don't think any military hardware bein' toted through the sector on a transport made it from one gate to another. Eventually both frigates n' the Chariot were literally crammed full o' swag n' I hopped back to Company Pride EQ to sort out what I wanted to put where n' take a look at my aquisitions.

[ external image ]

Now, there's somethin' missin' from that list. It's really confusin' me, too. I know I didn't sell it as I had plans fer it. I looked fer it everywhere. I even checked my message log to see if it'd been destroyed somewhere. Where the hell is my bloody L? Was it a ghost ship? Did I forget to claim it? Was it just playin' possum to scan me n' return to the rest o' 'em toasters? What gives?

I'm still ponderin' the mystery o' the disappearin' fighter when I started goin' through the universe map again, lookin fer a potential target, as I now have nearly a full crew o' mercs. The very first sector I looked at was Hatikvah's Faith.

[ external image ]

Well, well, well. "Boys! I believe we're havin' beef fer dinner!"

[jwigeland]

OMG this is a DiD - you are doing awesome man! ARRR me matey! Run out the sweeps!

[JoeVN09]

Wow aint seen one of these in a while! Thought the mods would have moved it to creative universe by now though. Still, good stuff

[Playbahnosh]

Wow aint seen one of these in a while! Thought the mods would have moved it to creative universe by now though. Still, good stuff

If the mods would've moved it to creative, I wouldn't have read it, and that would've been a shame, since it's awesome I think many readers are like this.

[Triaxx2]

I suspect they're waiting for him to walk the plank before they move it.

[Scion Drakhar]

OMG this is a DiD - you are doing awesome man! ARRR me matey! Run out the sweeps!

Aaar!

Wow aint seen one of these in a while! Thought the mods would have moved it to creative universe by now though. Still, good stuff

Honestly I keep waitin' fer the same thing. I have to admit I'm grateful they haven't yet.


31. Target Selection

Right then.

So. We're not havin' beef fer dinner.

[ external image ]

Besides bein' pretty well stocked wit' flails, which isn't terrifyin' just inconvenient, it boasts some internal sentry lasers. Now I've invested a lot o' time n' money gettin' my boys ready to do some damage. I don't really feel inclined to throw 'em into a blender, at least not yet. Now if I had the ability to pod in twenty wit' high fight stats it'd be a different story, but a spacewalk boardin' wit' just seven, most o' which barely know which end o' the gun kills people, well, that just seems like an unnecessary waste o' mercs wit' a low chance o' capturin' the target to boot. Now I thought about tryin' to fry out the the lasers wit' Ion-D's but even the attempt involves some pretty hefty considerations. First, I'd have to remove the escort. Second, I'd need to somehow get that Minotaur out into open space or piss off everybody in the trade lane. Third, I'm not even sure it'd work. (Does anyone know?) So, fer now, I've decided to wait fer an easier mark. Crap. I do need an M7M.

So. Bein' in Nopileos Memorial anyhoo, I decided to do a lil' shoppin. Again, I was lookin' fer fighters, n' again the ones I wanted were bein' stubborn n' difficult. I was, however, gettin' pretty lucky on the cargo front. It seems I've become somewhat notorious as these freighters'r throwin' their cargo out the back door wit'out me havin' to so much as ask 'em fer it. After a lil' while o' this it occurs to me, after I've solidly upset the Split again, that maybe one o' those two Cobras I peeped over in the Family Njy area might be the mark I'm lookin' fer. Considerin' this I decide to improve my Split rep a bit n' then go see if maybe one o' those Cobra Cap'n's might be in the mood to donate his ship to my cause.

Fixin' my rep was fairly easy. Over in Siezewell I found one feller what wanted some asteroids scanned n' was even payin' over 10k per fer me to do it. Easy work. While I was about it I found another feller who wanted a Split M4. Seein' as, due to my recent activities in NM, I happen to have a Scorpion hangin' on the outside o' my Griffon I decided to accept the mission n' hope this feller didn't question either it's lack o' official papers ... or the scorch marks pepperin' it's hull. He didn't seem too troubled by either, though, n' shortly I turned over the asteroid data to the one n' the Scorpion over to the other n' was now, once again, considered a Creature, instead o' target practice, by the Split.

Wit' that done I hopped over to Ghinn's escape to peep the Cobra. It's still there. There'r several complications though.

[ external image ]

It doesn't have any mercenary munchin' sentry lasers aboard ... or even any marines, but it does have a fair number o' nukes n' a whole bunch o' flails. Neither o' these are exactly mission abortin' considerations, just scary, particularly those hammer heavies, especially seein' as how my TP only has 3x25mj shields. Meanin' a single HH Torpedo could easily eradicate it from existense. Those Flails could also prove to be a problem fer my mercs if the Cobra decides to target 'em. That Cobra's also very fast fer an M7M n' I'm not sure I did myself any good throwin' that last TP pilot out an airlock as I have this sneakin' suspicion this new one's just as mentally challenged as the last 'un. So, in the course o' a boardin' op at some point I'm gonna have to leave the safety n' security o' my 4gj o' shieldin' to deliver the mercs myself.

On the plus side it's a small sector, which makes it easy fer a single satellite to cover all of it. It's lightly defended ... as long as I stay away from that OWP. I also do have fighter drones, n' if I can distract it sufficiently n' transfer over to the TP myself I may just be able to get those mercs aboard ... at which point it's up to them. The Cobra is also makin' this strange loopin' patrol that keeps placin' it well away from the rest o' the sector, so, all in all, I'm thinkin' this is do-able.

So. I believe I'm gonna go fer it. I have a target ... fer real this time.

[ external image ]

[Scion Drakhar]

32. Buy one get one free!

Right then.

So.

While waitin' fer the last o' my ten psychopath boardin' team to finish trainin' up to functional levels I take a couple more missions from the Split to up my rep a lil' n' pad the comfort margin' fer attackin' n' stealin' a ship in the middle o' one o' their sectors. Again, not wantin' to upset the Pirates I decide on odds n' ends missions where I actually found a use for that Percles M4 I capped the other day. Some Paranid wanted it n' wasn't concerned by it's unofficail nature or it's condition. Niceness. Eventually, though, my mercs r' ready n' I head on back to Ghinn's Escape.

I drop an adv-sat in the center of the sector so I can watch what's goin' on. Then I watch the Cobra's patrol fer a while n' eventually pick the spot where I'd like to mug it. This happens to be the NW corner o' the map. Since it's patollin' about 15km above the ecliptic anyhoo, I set up a lil' beyond the most NW arc o' it's patrol where I figure I can hit it from a distance wit'out gettin' the attention o' the rest o' the sector's defenses. Then I wait fer it to come to me.

The plan is fairly simple. That Cobra's a bit undershielded as it's only carryin' 2x1gj shields n' a 200mj fer a total o' 2.2gj worth o' shieldin'. This actually works out nicely as I can suppress the shields with just two missiles: 1 Hammerhead followed by a Firestorm. So, I intend to wait fer it to be on a nice long approach toward me to drop those on 'em. The intention bein' to not give its rear turrets the oppo'tunity to shoot 'em down. Then I intend to release some drones to keep it's shields down while I transfer over to the Express n' have the Griffon follow while I make the run to release the mercs. After which I intend to hop back in the Griffon, order the Express outta sector n' pray fer my guys to actually have what it takes to pull this off while I keep any interlopers from party crashin'. That's the plan, anyhoo.

When does anythin' ever go accordin' to plan?

So. I set up the Griffon fer missile defense, keepin' CIG's in the main battery in case I've got to deal wit' anybody, then usin PRG's in the front turret n' leavin' flak in the others. Then as the Cobra makes it's final turn n' starts headin' toward me I drop the two nukes. A few moments later n' they make clean connections. Despite the two nukes just zeroin' his shields the Cobra Cap'n apparently doesn't believe I'm serious n' remains nuetral! So far so very good. I release the drones n' as they're on apporach I switch to the TP n' command the Griffon to follow as I make the run on the Cobra.

As soon as those drones open up, though, the Cobra stops co-operatin'. It becomes hostile n', usin' its flails, eradicates my drones in just a couple o' seconds. Wit' it's shields tickin' back up to 10% I'm forced to transfer back to the Griffon to suppress 'em myself wit' the CIG's. This o' course ticks the Cobra off somethin' fierce n' it throws a whole heap o' Hammers at me. I manage to shoot most o' 'em down but enough get through to knock my shields down a hefty 49%.

Ouch.

Thinkin' that if this goes on' fer much longer I'm gonna lose a ship, if not me life, I drop about a dozen drones to help distract it. Then I zero out it's shields n' jump back to the Express where I get lucky. I materialize on the bridge n' find I'm exactly 2.2km directly in front o' that Cobra. Thinkin' n' actin' as quickly as I can I cycle through the menu n' launch all marines. ("Good luck! Don't get killed! CAPTURE THAT SHIP!") Then I hop back to the Griffon just in time to witness three more things. 1st, all my mercs make clean connections n' that Cobra's shields are still completely down. 2nd, that Cobra has once again annihilated the drones n' 3rd, it's launchin' more torpedoes at me.

Hopin' those marines get inside before the shileds tick back up n' fry 'em I order a short jump to whichever gate is immediately available. Then I start shootin' at those Hammers like mad wit' the CIG's. I get a lot o' 'em, but it fired a lot too. A moment later I'm exitin' the W gate where I become aware o' three more things. 1st, I just nearly got killed. Two or three more o' those heavy torpedoes prolly woulda finished me. Good thing this boats well defended. 2nd, at least one o' my mercs is dyin', n' 3rd, my Express is under attack.

[ external image ]

Well, I'm not dead n' my shields'r rechargin'. So, not bein' able to do anythin' about the sitch onboard that Cobra ('em boys are truly n' competely on their own) I order the TP outta sector. Wonder o' wonders, it makes it out alive if not undamaged. Then I wait n' listen in growin' despair as my mercs die in droves. I've just about given up hope n' am preparin' myself fer Betty lettin' me know that all my mercs r' now new paint on the interior o' that Cobra when I hear this Paranid quite arrogantly inform me that he's reached the core.

Really? How bizarre. I figured he'd a swallowed a grenade or shot his self 1st oppo'tunity he got. It also turns out he knows what he's doin'. Must be one a his manic days.

[ external image ]

Woo HOO! I've got a new ship! It's even got a jumpdrive! Hell, the sec-def isn't even tryin' to kill us! I'm so happy I even offer that Paranid bloke a congrats but he just blows me off wit' some drivel about inferior races. Meh. Whatever. A few minutes later I'm pullin' up alongside my new M7M to transfer over some jumpfuel .

***insertimg MyCobra***

Ooooh. It's ON now ... or it will be once I get some more mercs trained up. I think my next target will be at least one o' those civilian TL's just a couple o' sectors over. The most pressin' matter o' business at hand, though, is money. The repair bill fer this here Cobra is rather substantial.

[ external image ]

As you can see, I'm about broke. So to counter this I start takin' on the odd job. Unfortunately my major earnin' ability is a bit o' a blancin' act. After a few assassinations I usually end up pissin' off the Pirates, even when it's the Pirates what's offerin' em. So, since I'm currently tryin' to avoid that I start floatin' around takin' on the odd Xenon Patrol, but mostly it's a taxi mission here, a freight pick up n' delivery there, some asteroid scans, n' the odd return abandoned ship. Which is when I run across some feller givin' away a Cerberus.

[ external image ]

So, anyhoo. That Cerberus found it's way to an Argon shipyard where they believed my story about salvagin' it n' I managed to sort out my money probs. It's been a good day.

[Triaxx2]

Congrats. I've just finished capping a bailed TM with Marines launched off my Dragon. And then a Condor, also bailed.

Then the save went bad. Fortunately it's not a DiD, but a regular game, so I have older auto-saves to work with.

On the other side, as I was headed through Loomanckstrat's Legacy, I looked up to maneuver into the gate when what should pop through but a Shark. I started swearing and slammed on the strafe drive to move my Dragon out of the path. The Shark clears, and heads towards the south gate. I turn towards the gate, to prepare for another run, and out pops a Thresher, which see's the tail of the Shark and turns straight up, right into me. Strafe like mad again, and narrowly avoid the tail.

Okay, had my scare for the day. I swear, the boron are out to get me.

[Scion Drakhar]

33. Oh bloody hell...

Right then.

So. I'm currently sorted fer money. I have an M7M. All I need is a few more mercs n' I'm gonna go after a TL to start buildin' in that unknown sector near Gaian Star. Fer the time bein', though, I want some more fighters. So, since I do like pickin' on the Paranid I decide I'm gonna keep seein' what they've got fer 'sale' down in Desecrated Skies. Bein' that both the Chariot n' the Fortune are currently full I only take the Griffon.

I'm not long in DS before feelin' that I'm in the wrong place. I mean there's fighter traffic aplenty, but the few fighter-freighters comin' through are almost predominantly M4's n' I'm in the market fer somethin' heavier. Checkin' the nearby sectors I notie that Moo'Kye's Revenge seems to currently have a few M3 traders n' head fer the gate to the E.

As the km cruised by on the way to the gate I was thinkin' about how well I was doin', n' I was pleased. I really shoulda checked the sat to the east just one more time ...

I exit the W gate into Moo-Kye's n' instantly I'm gettin' proximity alerts. The whole window is filled wit' red contacts includin' this Agamemnon right in front o' me. Instantly I'm orderin' a jump to anywhere but here. Then the whole world seems to go up in fire. Betty starts stutterin' about incomin missiles. Fighters r' explodin' all around me n' we're layin' into that Aggy but try as I might I can't find those missiles. Too bad I didn't look down.

I'm screamin' at the Teladi mannin' the jump controls to make it happen, but ten seconds is ten seconds n' nuthin' makes 'em go by any faster. I'm still lookin' fer 'em missiles when I start hearin' 'em explode below us. Then the first u'n slams into us amidships. I'm tryin' to manuever to shoot 'em down, but I'm too late.

I'm too late.

The shields are down. Betty is calmly reciting a litany of equipment no longer functioning ... including the jumpdrive. That Aggy is settin' the world on fire.

[ external image ]

"Oh bloody hell ... ssssssst!"

- trasmission terminated -



Paranid Military Debriefing

Date: 768-05-07
To:
Paranid High Command, Duke's Citadel

From:
Captain Ebmanckolanks,
Paranid Military Agamemnon PM7AI-02
Battlegroup "Fury of the Light"
Imperial Fleet, Pontifex's Seclusion

Action Report:

Patrol of pirate alley south of Loomanckstrats Legacy.

Due to the increasing number of ships gone missing in past days including several Agamemnon class frigates and many freighters, we had been sent in force. Thanks be to the light. After several days of tracking the pirate finally recieve word of his whereabouts, we did. One sector over, preying upon Paranid shipping. As we moved to intercept informed we were by a Paranid freighter that had just been victim to the unholy one. Inform us that the pirate was heading toward us, he did. Lay in wait, did we.

Vessel of the Unholy One, the Defiler, the known pirate Enemy of the Priest Xaar Scion Drakhar, directly into our ambush, enter sector did. Trapped before gate vessel was. All ships commenced fire. A dangerous foe it was. Many fighters we lost. Consumed by the fire of their own missiles Hades bombers were. In vain die they did not. Enter the afterworld with honor they did. Prevail our ambush did.

Envelope the unholy one nuclear fire did. The inferior vessel, shielding overwhelmed, before Paranid might fell. Destroyed with all hands vessel was. Prevail the light did.

Priest Duke praise be to.

[jwigeland]

NOOOOOOOO!!!

I swear in thy name shall I strike the light from their Universe!