Unexpected Hard Fight

I’m getting pretty good at the whole “scanning” thing.  Last night, I took Amaranth into Riramia system, two jumps out of Jarzalad and at the fringe of Tash-Murkon space.  Deploying four probes in a cruciform scanning configuration, I immediately picked up three, count’em, three hits in the system, and ran them down within about 30 minutes.  Hit #1 turned out to be a RADAR site; #2 was a wormhole; #3 was a “Sansha Vigil.”

The wormhole turned out to lead to W-space, but I stayed in only long enough to verify that fact, as Selena brought Mystic Nightmare II in to help.  She dispatched the six Sansha in the RADAR site, then, as she did the looting and salvaging of the wrecks, I got to show off my new hacking skills and Codebreaker module as I maneuvered Amaranth to each of the three containers in turn.  Unfortunately, two of them turned out to be empty, and the third contained some “positron cords” or whatever they’re called; not a decryptor in the lot.

Then we warped to the “Sansha Vigil” site, and I hung back while Selena entered the first gate.  She immediately reported twelve missile batteries and a number of ships; I hustled back to Jarzalad while she bugged out.  I grabbed Syria Planum and headed back there, entering the first gate myself.  The twelve missile launchers were there, and I counted several cruiser-sized ships among the attackers.  They made short work of my shields, but I managed to knock off two of the turrets before my armor tank broke and I had to bug out for repairs.  Selena dropped in after me, and got one more turret and part of another on that run; then, on my next run, three more turrets fell before I bugged out.  Meanwhile, Cain was on his way out, with his mission-running Drake.

Cain warped in first, taking the aggro and holding it off with his passive shield tank while Selena and I brought in the two Myrms, deployed the drones, and went to town.  When all the turrets and ships were fianlly dead, Selena, following a hint we’d gotten by the entry gate, started blasting away at the security tower.  In came a wave of even more Sansha ships, more powerful than the last (up to battlecruiser level).  Cain swore he’d never seen such a dramatic escalation, and we went to work on those ships, too.

Selena and I began salvaging the wrecks in the first room as Cain took the acceleration gate through to the next one.  He reported even more ships in there, and, alas, they were too much for his shields, and he had to warp out.  After Selena and I finished and dropped our holds full of loot and salvage at the local station (where Selena quickly established an office, as it was cheap to do so), the three of us gathered back in the first room for a run at the second room.

It was a hard-fought battle, but we finally cleared it.  Cain was forced to depart for the night just after the fighting ceased, but Selena and I stayed to clean up the mess.  Our ships were battered, but our armor tanks had held against these guys.  Selena had 6 drones remaining of the 15 she’d started with; I had just 4 left, plus one “hung” one I had to scoop up.  Not only that, but I had nearly exhausted my ammunition; one of my four guns had 55 rounds remaining, while the others had been fired completely dry.  But the loot and salvage were truly impressive, amounting to about two holds-full of stuff for each of us.  Not to mention that the bounties we got came to something like 1.8 million ISK each.

If these are the kind of rewards you can get by scanning stuff down, I’m all for it.  And I never did get back to that wormhole system…it’s probably collapsed by now.  Pity.

Roads Not Taken…Or Not Yet

Welcome to the seventh installment of the EVE Blog Banter, the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed here. Check out other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

This month’s topic comes to us from CrazyKinux himself, and he asks: “What 3 things haven’t you done in EVE and why? Would you be willing to try one day? Why so? Why not?”

. . .

Erbo Evans, speaking mainly for myself on this one.  (I will encourage Selena and others to post as well.)

Oh, I’m absolutely certain that there are more than three things I haven’t done in EVE; however, I am limited by the call to discussing three of them.  So I’ll do a quick overview:

#1: Done serious operations in 0.0 space. Mainly, I just don’t know enough to keep myself safe in those circumstances.  I need more skills, more practice at fitting, and more knowledge of strategies and tactics for staying alive in a land where you can be ganked in a split second, for any reason or none, and with no possible source of recourse or even sympathy.  Now, I’ve visited 0.0 space, briefly; I documented my flight into N-RAEL in the Great Wildlands, and my narrow escape while busting a gatecamp on the way back into Empire.  I now have better ships for such a task, chiefly the Helios covert ops frigate Amaranth.  Then, too, we’re near Providence where we are right now, and CVA, who holds that region, is well-known for its liberal policy in letting people fly there as long as they don’t stir up trouble.  And, of course, wormhole space is 0.0 by definition.  So this will probably happen at some point, as the rewards are certainly commensurate with the risks; just give it time.

#2: Taken up a career in piracy. Surprising, for the number of EVE blogs I follow written by pirates!  (I rationalize that the same way I rationalize reading 2600 magazine; it’s useful to know what the “black hats” are thinking.)  As nice as some of those folks sound when they write, I have no doubt that, if I were to run across them while they were on a roam, they would slag my ship without a second thought, if they could.  My main defense, therefore, is to be somewhere else. 🙂  The reason I wouldn’t try my hand at yarrin’ is the same as the reason I haven’t done it, aside from the whole “inexperience” issue; I know how upset I’d get if some SOB whacked a ship I’d spent a ton of ISK on to get fitted and working the way I wanted it, and I’m unwilling to inflict that kind of hurt on somebody else.  What would it take for me to overcome that barrier?  I’d probably have to be faced with a greater threat, like that one can-tipping bastard we took on in Aderkan.  (We didn’t blow him up, but we made him turn tail and run.)

#3: Gotten involved in CSM politics. There have been, I think, two CSM elections now since I joined EVE.  I didn’t vote in either of them, because I knew nothing about the candidates or the issues involved, and was too busy trying to understand the world I was now in to be concerned with such things.  The third election is soon to be upon us, and I really need to make the effort to at least vote this time around.  Apparently the CSM has done great things for EVE, and I’d like to keep a closer eye on what they do.  And, one day, might you see Erbo declare his own candidacy for the Council?  Stranger things have happened…and I’ve been described as a “natural politician” by some people.  If it happens, though, it’s likely to be years from now.  If I do, though, I’m likely to use the Ralpha Dogs’ tagline as part of my campaign:

“Wrought in deepest Hell, our vengeance is freedom!”

. . .

Other articles published from around the EVE Blogosphere (links will be updated here as new posts are added):

• CrazyKinux’s Musing, EVE Blog Banter #7: Eh, nobody told me you could do this in EVE!
• One Man and His Spaceship, Blog Banter 7 – Expanding My Horizon
• I am Keith Neilson, EVE Blog Banter #7 – What do you want to do today?
• Rifter Drifter, Blog Banter 7: Trinity
• Roc’s Ramblings, Blog Banter #7 – The me I am not
• Morphisat’s Blog, Eve Blog banter #7 – Treading waters unknown
• Sweet Little Bad Girl, Blog Banter 7 – Roads Not Followed
• A Mule in EvE, DD, defend against a gank & POS gunning
• Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah, Choices
• The Wandering Druid of Tranquility, “One, Two, Three…three things….hahahahaha”
• The Ralpha Dogs, Roads Not Taken… Or Not Yet
  
• Melindhra’s Universe, EVE Blog Banter #7 – Where no one has gone before
• Life in Low Sec, Blog Banter #7: Possibilities
• EVE Guru, EVE Blog Banter 7
• Diary of a Pod Pilot, [OOC] EVE Blog Banter #7: Stones left unturned
• Flashfresh – The Pirate, EVE Blog Banter #7: This isn’t me…
• Nefchast’s Gaming Blog, CrazyKinux’s EVE Blog Banter #7
• A Merry Life and a Short One, EVE Blog Banter #7: Syphilis Doesn’t Count
• Rip Lacunae, Past & Future (Eve Blog Banter 7)
• Broadside, EVE Blag Banter #7: aspiration
• Into the Unknown, Eve Blog Banter #7: What haven’t I done?
• Diary of a Space Jokey, Blog Banter #7: So much to do, so little time
• Life, the Universe and everything, Blog Banter#7: Just Three?
• Discovering EVE, EVE Blog Banter #7: Things I haven’t done in EVE
• Achernar, To live a bit more of it

Zeph – Mining Away

Zephira sits in her ship, Zaira Jauhera, mining away at the belt of rich roids from pyro to kernite and more.  She’s listening to some music as she sits there reading as she mines.  The music she’s listening too isn’t quiet Amarrian, but it still has that Gregorian, and yes even some rock as she bobs her head and sings to the music.

She and the Ralpha Dogs are usually fleeted up and doing the mining, while one of the abbots is in his Orca and the other stands guard usually in her myrmidon or one of her battleships.  She feels pride flow through her as a big smile makes its way across her well sculpted features.

She continues to sing quietly too herself as she keeps an eye on her cargo area, and cargo container, while at the same time on her training, and on her screen to keep watch for red dots to show up.  She makes sure her drones are out and about to help with some of the protection of her ship and cargo.

Right now Zeph is in the process of learning refinery 4, so that she can train up the rest or most of her roid reprocessing, too be able too use the crystals in her strip miners.  She also knows that as soon as she gets those trained up, she’ll have to get back too training for being able too use the mackinaw and the hulk.

She’ll also have too get many other things trained too be able to use a better hauler.  She’ll hopefully and eventually will be able to0 use the Gallente Itty 5, but this is like many other things will take a while.  Eventually she will have too train up too be able too use the Orca as well as battleships in her race.

Zeph will have too eventually get back too missions too start making her own money again so that she won’t have to depend on others in the corp to pass isks on to her.  She has to also get around to going to visit family again eventually.

Zeph smiles as she transfers what is in her cargo hold too the floating container outside, as she relaxes and enjoys the mining, while from time to time she watches as Selena takes on the rats that show from time to time, as do all the drones that are floating or zooming around everyones ships.

Selenalore – Office Work

Selenalore sits at her desk going through the paperwork that has piled up.  Erbo is out and about working on scanning areas for cosmic or space anomalies, while she sits here and does paperwork, including paying the office bills and going through the corps inventory.

She sighs, and knows she should get out there and do the same, but she just doesn’t have the patients for scanning like Erbo does.  She has always got to be active as in guarding and killing things.  That’s just her forte.

She can’t help being bred too protect and kill where necessary.  She can mine and haul too, but she’d whether take on enemies more then anything.  She stares at a photo of her father, as well as one that has her, Erbo and her father, on her graduation day.  She smiles as she remembers the times when she and her father would get out and do a few things.

She misses her dad though, as she continues too look at the photo of herself, Erbo and her father.  She smiles and thinks too herself maybe she’ll be able too talk Erbo into going too see dad sometime this year.  It’ll be nice she thought too herself.

Anyways, with a smile, she gets back to dealing with the paperwork, and knows to be ready for when Erbo calls up the troops too take on any space or cosmic anomalies are found by his scanning, so she settles in to catch up on work and sings to some of the old music of old Earth, letting her mind relax and enjoy.

Selenalore – Ralpha Dog Pilot and Security

Selenalore Evans

Selenalore Chaise was born to Aymon and Damica Chaise, and of the Gallente Nation. Sadly Damica died not long after giving birth to Selena. She was raised in the Verge Vender region in the little backwoods area called Masalle. It’s a small out of the way system, where it being close to null sec and a few low sec territories, you could watch the sky from the plant as it glowed in a firework of colors as people battled for control.

Aymon was devastated after the lose of his beloved wife, Damica, but was determined to continue on with his life. After all, he had a beautiful baby girl to take care of and raise, and she defiantly had many of her mother’s finer qualities and looks, but little did he know that Selena would grow up too become more like him in so many ways, but defiantly not like either him or Damica as well.

Masalle had many fights due too th conflict between pirates, anti-pirates, Concord and many different corporations, and the reason behind the fights in space, is because Masalle leads to 0.0 or null sec area of Verge Vendor, so yes the conflicts were always happening.

Zephira Najam – ΡΑΔ Pilot

Zephira Najam

Zephira Najam was born on Assiad III, which is very much an Earth like or Gian planet. Her parents are Abadi and Karima Najam. They came from the Amarrian ancestry, but her ancestry wasn’t of the religious ones, but of the Liberal Holders.

Her family is of the Liberal Holders, which is of the Tash-Murkon family, but very much no where near being close too the throne of the Amarr Empire. Yes most Liberal Holders have rejected the traditions of the Amarr Empire, though some still own slaves, but take much better care of them.

Zephira’s family never owned any slaves, so there for they were at times thought of as traitors, but then they’d have too think most of the Liberal Holders were, until the empress declared freedom for 9^th gen and up were free, so now back to Zephira’s life who will soon be called Zeph before this story ends.

Zephira was raised on Assiad III. Her family were wealthy and had made politics, social and trading their way of making their living and their wealth.

Zeph was given the best of schooling, and she would be given whatever she wanted without a word, but she was a very strong and independent young woman, and never let herself become spoiled and pampered like her other siblings. She was one of 6 children and the baby to boot.

Zeph at a very young age had made up her mind to become one of the few elite people out there. She had decided upon her graduation too become a capsuleer, so she worked double hard on keeping grades up and graduating from high school.

Zeph graduated from high school and was accepted into Hedion University and their capsuleer program. She even made it through the surgery that would make her able to deal with being a capsuleer. She trained into mining and industry, and upon her graduation, she sought out a corporation that had similar ideas and standings to her own.

Upon her return home to Assiad III after her graduation from Hedion University; Zeph went digging through the bulletins and ads, and she spotted the Ralpha Dogs Corporation, and done some research on them, and the more she read, the more she liked, and so with her mind made up, she finished her reading and headed too their HQ, which surprisingly enough was based at Assiad III, in the station that is near her home planet, so she was close too her family and home.

Fire in the Sky

Capsuleers, never forget where we come from.

(This one’s not EVE-related, but it’s so good I have to share it.)

The Ties That Bind Part 3

Valorna was uncomfortable.  It seems like she’d been crouched there under the bushes for hours, watching the activity in the village, waiting for some sign of her father.  It was funny, so far all she’d seen were women and children.

“Where are all the men?” she mumbled under her breath.  “This just isn’t right, there has got to be something I’m missing”  she whispered to herself.

Suddenly she felt something small and hard press into her back, “Looks like we have a pretty little spy here…” a rough  voice said.   “Stand up, slowly, and turn around, no funny business or you’re dead, understand?” a second voice, harsh and demanding questioned.

Nodding her head, not trusting her voice Valorna slowly stood and turned around to face her captors, gazing at them in shock she saw two tall handsome men.  One looked to be in his early 20’s maybe just a couple years younger than herself, the other though, him she knew….”Jacob?”  she whispered, not trusting, or believing her eyes.

Zachary Edgeworth looked from his father to the strange young woman, not understanding for the world what the hell was going on.  He sure as hell never heard his father speak of a daughter, in fact, his father never spoke of his past at all.  He knew nothing of his father from before he came to the village.

“Dad, who the hell is this girl, and how does she know your name?”  Zachary demanded.  “Valorna, is it really you?  I can’t believe it!  VALORNA!”  Thomas cried dropping his gun and swinging her up in his arms.  “Zach, put the gun down, this is your cousin!  It really is!”  Thomas cried joyfully.

Zachary lowered his gun slowly, in shock.  “My cousin?  Dad, are you sure?”

“Oh, I’m sure, and I know someone who’s going to be very eager to see her too.”  he said.  “Valorna, come with us to the village, there is someone there that you really need to see, she can tell you about your father.”

Valorna bent down to pick up her day pack, binnoculars and canteen, hoisting her pack, she gazed curiously at her cousin, “So your Zachary huh?  The last time I saw you you were just a toddler, I guess you don’t remember me do you?”  she said sadly.  “I’ve been looking for my father for so long now, I never expected to find you and Uncle Jacob though.”

As they walked down the long winding path to the village, Valorna told her uncle and cousin of her life, about the Ralpha Dogs, her schooling, and her search for her father.  As the village came into view, Valorna grew quiet, knowing her journey may finally be coming to a close.  Stopping in front of a modest house Jacob looked at Valorna “This is the house of Enid, our village doctor…and your fathers wife”  he knocked on the door and waited.  As the door opened Valorna saw a lovely kind looking woman around 45 years of age.

“Jacob!  What brings you here today?  Is someone hurt?”  She asked only then noticing Valorna “Oh my, and who is this lovely girl?  Zachary, have you found a new friend?” she asked playfully.  “Enid, this is Valorna”  Jacob said simply.

“Valorna?  You mean this is Vhann’s daughter?  Were you seen by anyone?  Come in girl, and hurry!” she cried.  “You two know what to do” she whispered in a small frightened voice as she shut the door behind her and Valorna.

“Come sit with me child, we have little time and alot to discuss.  You’re in very grave danger as long as you stay here, so we must work quickly!” she said urgently.

TO BE CONTINUED….

The Ties That Bind Part 2

Valorna was in trouble, she was lost, deep in lowsec, and she didn’t have the Ralpha Dogs to back her up this time. She was hidden deep in an asteroid field but there were pirates everywhere, it was only a matter of time before they found her.

“Gods help me, if they find me and figure out who I am I’ll be a slave myself, and then it’ll be me needing rescuing!” she said in a high, panicky voice. “Wait a sec, what the hell? Where are they going?” she asked herself. Sure enough all those pirates were heading off to the gate and jumping one by one.

“Thank the Gods! They’ve given up, guess I’m not such easy prey for those assholes after all!” she chortled. “Now to check with my scanners, just to be sure, it’s like Erbo said, it’s not good enough to see what’s in front of your face, you gotta watch your six too!”

The scanners confirming that she was all alone, she extended the scan to search for life forms, a very specific life form, one that had both Gallente AND Minmatar dna. “Come on daddy, I know your out there, talk to me!” she murmured.

Suddenly, she got a hit, SEVERAL hits, about 68 KM away. “It looks like a small colony, but either he’s there, or there is someone else in my Daddy’s situation, I have to find out!”

to be continued

Funeral for a Friend

The mood in the Ralpha Dogs’ headquarters was decidedly somber.  The members were assembled there, each in their dress uniform, much like the standard ones except of a finer, lighter material.  Most of the seated members looked pensive, though some–Selenalore and Valorna among them–seemed to be on the verge of tears.  Even the normally non-emotional El Tigrgra seemed downcast.

At the front of the room, LexxEva addressed the assembled company.

“Brothers and sisters of the Ralpha Dogs, we have gathered today to pay tribute to our brother Belthin, who unexpectedly perished earlier today in a clone-transfer accident.  This young man had not been among us long, but we knew him to be a true and good person, committed to our success as much as any of us.  We grieve his loss, and we remember his life as a true brother of Rho Alpha Delta, of the Blood and Mind, united in effort.”

She looked to her right and nodded.  Erbo, from his position next to Selenalore in the front row, stood and faced the rest of the Ralpha Dogs.  “Honors…hut!”

The corporation members stood and raised their right fists in the Ralpha Dogs’ salute.  Erbo looked from one to the other…to his fellow Gallente, Val and Selena; to the young, fresh Amarr face of Zephira; to the hardened Minmatar Orlith and Cecelia; to El Tigrgra’s angular Caldari features.  All, he could see, were as saddened by the loss as he was.

“We commend our brother to the deep,” intoned Erbo. “Requiem aeternam donum eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.”

Outside the Assiad III station, a tiny metal container, smaller than the capsule that had once contained its occupant, drifted away…away from the station, away from the star, away from life.

. . .

In memory of Belthin, who may have been just an alt that had outlived his usefulness, but was a Ralpha Dog nonetheless.