The bar was heavy with smoke from white and brown sticks these Minmatar people seemed to enjoy along with larger quantities of Quafe, beer and spirits. The guys were celebrating but I felt biased about the outcome of our latest endavour.
Ushra’Khan had regrouped in FAT and 25S and moved in to support the efforts of AAA and BoB. Over 1000 ships moved into 49- and the games began. The game of dominance is as boring as it is long. POSs were erected and reinforced at an insane speed but the sheer number of pilots aligned with AAA and BoB brought about the end of the Goons ability to keep up the effort. At one point no less than 1700 ships were recorded in the same system. I have not seens such fleets in a long time. KIA were nowhere to be found but rumors had it that Geminate was under attack and yet another rumor claims that KIA now hold no less than 3 titans. I cannot stress what a relief it is to be with U’K and not have to worry about these beasts every battle. Anyway BoB is back in the seat and now has absolute control over the 49-U6U system and SirMolle reflected on this in a public speach.
I had not known if I were to applaud or shoot the bastard. Not much good it would do as he would be in a fresh clone shortly after but some satisfaction it might have yielded. I have grown up ever since I got my wings with the tantrum that the big evil empire of BoB wants to take over all space and no one will be able to fly free under any other banner but in Empire controlled space. The ties of friendship and companionship however has landed me, if not in their fold, then on the same side of the fence.
The smoke the sticks emit seems to linger i mid air creating a blue and white layer that encompasses the upper torso of the bar dwellers. From my seat I can see Sapphrine, Kerth and Karn stand together and talk in low voices. Something new is brewing and I sure will welcome any change at the moment. Fleet duties and the long hours of waiting has taken its toll. I long for fast paced combat where every single pilot makes a difference. Although the huge fleets are powerful the individual tend to stand in the background when around 1000 other pilots.
People had started leaving as it was time to do regular patrols and other duties. A slow and mixed evening I summed up and prepared to leave as well.
The slow pulsing red light lit up before the sound of the general alert hit in full force drowning out the tribal drums of the Matar. Everyone looked up and then ran for the nearest exit towards the different hangars.
“Battlestattions!” Forty Three yelled as he exited the bar first with the rest of the U’K crew close at his heels.
Sapphrine had left the bar early and undocked his Raven and was now under heavy attack right out side the very station. I could feel the explosions rumble as two Ravens exchanged blows a mere kilometer away.
Faster, faster, faster, get in pod undock and kill the offender.
I entered the pod and got washed over as fluid poured in and covered my body. No sooner was my pod lifted from the floor before we started hooking up the fleet cohesion intercoms.
The pod got lowered into the ship, but ever so slowly. I was agitated which is not the best state of mind to enter combat.
“Trying to break off engagement” I heard Sapphrine say as my Vagabond was being aligned for undocking.
The voice of the hangar manager came in clearly. “Sir you…”
I mentally hit the throttle, full speed ahead. The explosion came as a complete surprise. The ship jerked to the right and came to an abrupt hold. Sapphrines Raven had exploded so close to the undock point that my vagabond had been thrown off course and now lay facing in the wrong direction.
“SABRE!!!” I yelled at the hangar crew as my pod was lifted from the Vagabond. It took no more then 30 seconds before I was placed in the new ship and running undocking procedures again.
I ejected cleanly from the station and speed past some of our battleships.
Ahh yes, the view of a small battle field. I noted the wreck of Sapphrines battleship as more hostiles landed on the station and the fight was on. It was clear they had not expected such a fast reaction and not so many capable ships undocking. None the less the enemy charged.
I jerked the Sabre to the right and pointed the nearby Raven that had attacked Sapphrine. The small 200mm autocannons stared spewing their lethal loads at the ship. The Raven gave a satisfying bloom of light as it exploded. I released a bubble to capture the enemy fleet and that sure got the attention.
In the blink of an eye my shield was down to half and I hit the micro warpdrive as I tried to clear out. I did not accelrate however as my ship got immobilized by a double webbing from a nearby rapier and a nasty little crusader charged in on me.
Again the payload of a drake hit me full force and my shield was now non existing.
“Give me 120% on the micro warpdrive” I ordered the crew. The speed picked up and all of a sudden I rocketed forward as I got out of range of the Rapier. I’m gonna make it I thought to myself.
An extremely unsatisfying sound told me the wardrive had deactivated. I was about to scram at the crew when my sensors registered the micro warpdrive crippling point of the crusader.
No, no, no,…, Fack it ! I turned the Sabre around and engaged the crusader, web and disruptor. His shield went down ever so slowly… Had the crew loaded barrage ammo into the cannons ?
To late to change ammunition, we will just have to see how this plays out. Hull breach my overview told me as yet one more load of assault missiles hit my poor ship.
One more volley and I would be done for.
Crusader was down to 10 % shield, if he kept it cool I would die, if not I would warp out. I argued my chances and told the crew to eject as I made a final approach that I hoped would finish him off.
The assault missiles hit me in full force and the badly battered Sabre disintegrated in a firestorm, unstable warpdisruptor probes blew up and ammunition ignited.
My very first loss in my time in Ushra’Khan. 4 months of 100 % efficiency ruined in the blink of an eye. Not for lack of combat or willingness to fight but for some reason the luck had run out. The very same Sabre that a number of times had warped out trailing flames with almost no hull intact of several battles.
Vision returned as my pod adjusted and I aimed for the station.
Fight was still on and I was eager to join the fight again. I saw the same sneaky devil of a Drake go down in flames as I docked. SERVES YOU RIGHT YOU BASTARD !!! Konson and I have a score to settle when I meet him again !!! Cursed be his Caldari Navy Hellfire Assault Missiles !!!
My bubble went down with my ship and the enemies were free to run. The only solution I figured was a Rapier to stop them.
I undocked once more and saw a Curse trailing fire but before I had him locked he blew up.
ahh there the Crusa… ohh he warped out… fack ! But ScoRpS sat there in his crow still feeling cooky or had someone put a point on him ? In any event when my double webs hit him he came to a satisfying speed level and my warrior drones let loose their small guns on him. Explosive ammunition just does not have a good effect on shields so the death struggle dragged out until Markus Belfost decided that a Cataclysm Cruise Missile was fitting to ram into the nimble little ship.
We picked up what could be salvaged from the wrecks and returned to the station.
The general mood about the engagement was good as we headed back to the bar we had just left.
For some reason after a tense combat situation people flock together and talk. New white and brown sticks were lit and the tribal drum music started pouring out the loudspeakers again. I guess a single Sabre loss aint that bad after 4 months and several billions of destroyed enemy ships.
The question was brought up if the alliance as a whole should compensate for the interdictor loss as they are vulnerable ships and valuable ships and people should not fear to fly them into combat. I declined any talk of such nonsense. Not out of modesty but Ive always payed for the ships I fly into combat and it would mock the other people who lost ships.
If it was a large alliance engagement and I was told to do 0% chance runs at the enemy fleet id maybe had taken the offer.
After a quick drink of something brown called Rum I took of to Agil to get a new Sabre and noted there is a new outpost in EvE. HED- now features a full station making it so much easier to store combat ships and fight both CVA and Paxton for the route into Catch. 10 jumps and 50 million ISK later I was back in F4R in my new ship.
These are interesting times and I look forward to the comming weeks…
