Reflection on war's ending, on moving on and moving places, plus new toys

So those assholes at Trinity Nova who were paid to hunt down their erstwhile comrades-in-arms (i.e., us) must have stopped getting their paychecks, 'cause they just dropped their war dec. I figure their customer wasn't getting their money's worth, since those jokers ran from nearly every fight we had, unless they were punking some poor rookie in a frig.

One fallout from the war is that it seems some mates in different corps didn't like the way our Great Leader, Pacal Balan, requires members of the Namtz'aar K'in to behave. Some warriors who I've most enjoyed flying with aren't formal allies anymore, which is to me a real bummer. Still, I think they won't be like those TNT punks and turn on us... they're good Matari soldiers and now the meaning of honor and loyalty.

It always seems that as soon as I know my way by heart around the neighorhood, we move again. Yeah, Huang is on the move again. This time only a few jumps out from Istodard. Packed up all my stuff for the freighter, so I don't have most of the modules and other goodies I normally have. Got all my ships and setup a personal clone vat in the new digs too...

I'll let ya'll know where we are after the moves done, since I don't know what sort of type might be reading this log.

Anyways, I've been exploring and ratting around the new system... and playing with the updated software and wetware that's been downloaded. Truly new and improved. HUDs a lot better, and the new software has improved the ship's power, hull, and shield systems pretty damned significantly. It's also refined my guns, so they don't go and blow enemies into plasma, but leave enough stuff left over that with some specialized scanning and tractoring gear, you can pick up some nifty crap in all that wreckage. Some eggheads have even figured out how to recycle some of this junk to soup up ships even more... I gotta try that, once I pick up enough busted stuff to give to our corp mechanics.

While poking around some gates controlled by Angel pirates, I ran into the first Amarr that's ever spoken to me like I'm an actual human being. Others in my alliance still want to hunt him down like any other Amarr scum, but I think I'll sit this one out. He covered my ass when I was jumped by a bunch of angels while poking around in a debris field after a battle, and anyone who does that instead of jumping your ass is ok in my books, Amarr or not.

Promotions and POS attacks

So, I spend all my time trying to avoid responsibility in my corp. Now this log I keep got the attention of Ma, who needs someone to be the corp historian and archivist. I've been with Huang from the start, so he figured I'd be good for the job. Anyways, I said sure fine whatever and before I knew it I was promoted to 'Li Shi Xue Jia,' or Old Vhek for 'Studious Historian' or something like that. At least it will let me keep my budding interest in old tech and history going. You can see the spanking new holo-viz of our archives at:
http://huang.sarble.ca/wiki/bin/view

Last night, lost my fourth jag to probably the biggest rookie move of my career. Was tooling around Istodard--local channels showed clear, so I wasn't worried at all, and I was playing around with the scanner interface, and decided to try and warp using it. Ended up warping to the first moon of planet IX, which was a nearly fatal mistake. Turns out, some guys calling themselves the Enigma Navy have set up a small station there. Before I even notice it's there, it's automated defenses have scrammed me and blown the jag to bits. I warp out in my pod, and try to come back in a throwaway probe to scoop my can... no dice. Probe is blown all to hell too. Luckily, I had the ISK (barely) to replace my trusty jag, and then Ma (bless his heart) takes pity on his impoverished corp historian and reimburses me out of his own pocket. Lesson: be careful of where you warp, and NEVER warp to a moon, even in safe space.

Podding and other ponderings...

Well, it's been awhile since I've made a log entry. Things have been quiet lately, until just the other night. Whacking the occassional pirate, cleaning out asteroid belts for CONCORD, running occassional missions for Republic Fleet agents...

No wars, almost no organized pirate corp activity, no jaunts to Great Wildlands and other lawless systems...

Did blow up a pirate's pod for the first time last patrol. Scooped his frozen corpse as it didn't seem OK to just leave him floating there. Not sure what to do with it now, except keep it in the deep freeze... probably should just toss it in the nano-recycler. CONCORD wasn't pleased I'd killed the guy, even though he's just a pod-clone and a pirate. Need to do more "security" work for 'em now just to get my record clean again.

We have a new war too... some mercs in Molden Heath that have been comrades-in-arms. First time I'll probably have to shoot pilots I've flown with as squad mates. No idea what this latest war's about. Just doin' my duty. I figure they're gonna regret their decision mighty quickly... they ain't nothin' compared to the Merc Coalition, and we fought thos guys to a standstill. Yep, we're gonna open up some serious whupass on 'em...

Also found out my mate Krindor's leaving Huang Yinglong. He's been looking for his family that were taken by Amarr slavers, and he's uncovered some clues that will send him deep into Gallente space. At least they're still in Empire--I'd hate to think of them as slaves on some Amarr station in the rim systems.

Krindor was one of the new Huang recruits I spent the most time with, training him, flying as his wingman in missions against pirates and Amarr or Caldari scum. I'll miss him. Did set my com to ping me when he's in-pod. Ain't FTL unisphere com wonderful?

Another new recruit is leaving too, but apparently they can't stomach the discipline it takes to be a pod pilot in Huang.

Battleship Blues

A new recruit, Juna, spend some time sewing a new battle standard for Huang:

We all like it, but we're still arguing about our com channel hologram icons.

Anyways, things have been quiet. Learning the ropes of my new Stiletto-class inty, now that I've rebuilt her. Hunting pirates and posting kills on the alliance board--finally got my first "final blow" and kill credit.

So, Namtz'aar K'in pilots took down two enemy stations recently, and all I could do was ammo runs, and that not even that well (one of my tramp haulers took a direct hit from a heavy Amarr laser turret in an engine pod and blew; luckily, everyone was suited up and there were no causalties). When we chase all but the greeniest buccanneers around Molden Heath, all the battleship commanders get the kills with their big guns, while me in my assault frig or inty get is credit for tackling, and the occassional pot shot with my glorified pop guns (well, maybe a mite bigger than pop guns, as more than a few Angel battlecruiser commanders would say if they weren't floating, frozen carrion).

Still, with my light ship I can pop drones and engage enemy support ships but I can't make much of a difference yet when the battlewagons are slugging it out. My fellow Jin Xing pilots are quickly getting better, though, and most will be able to join me flying my beloved jag-class frigs soon. I can only hope once we have a whole wing of these we can really put the hurt on enemy battleships.

While I'm waiting for all those skills to get integrated into the thick skulls of my corp mates, I figure I can play around with some bigger ships soon, if I can rustle up a crew. I'm not much for commanding squibs, but sometimes I really feel like I need some bigger guns...

Hard Lessons: Look before you Leap

Seems just when I think I know what the frack I'm doing in a pod, I pull a rookie maneuver just to keep myself humble.

Two cases in point, both with the same lesson: Never go charging into a sitch without knowing all factors. And also, Concord sentry guns don't care if the guy you're shooting is a pirate, or if you don't shoot at all...

In the first hard lesson, we spot three pilots in a new privateer corp that's been trying to establish itself in Molden Heath in Half system. But instead of grouping up, we dribble into Half one at a time. First pilot to buy it is Dohl, often braver than wise, but a great mate with way more kills to his credit than most in Huang. He flushes these guys out but get's gang banged by these three punks. He yells for help... and Ma comes flying in. And gets ganked. And you know who's 3rd in line for the gank fest? Your's truly... hard not to jump in when your CEO's yelling "Engage engage engage!" into the com. But I knew we had no backup, so I should have held off. Instead, ended up climbing out of the tank again, minus one Stiletto-class inty. At least we whacked 'em later, and I was in on it, though the crew of my Stabber-class cruiser (at least, those that made it into escape pods) aren't too thrilled to have been spaced by the Concord automated sentry guns at Isto stargate.

In the second lesson, I'm tooling around in a new toy, a Thrasher-class destroyer that's basically nothing but big guns and engines. Could be made out of paper for all its durability.

We're hunting Awox and his henchman Odareon, and also that big pink monkey Jungle Jim in Atlar system. But com chatter lists another target, which I flag as KOS. That, my friends, is a mistake. Just 'cause some flyboy lists a target doesn't make it legit. When I see him undock from the station I'm camping, I lock him and engage my sensor damper. Turns out, he's civvie, and the sentry guns around the station recognize that too. Only four crew with me, at least. All of us made it out this time. The crying shame is as I'm sitting in my pod making sure my crew are OK, the real target comes warping in, and all I can do is watch.

Next thing, I'm on the com, yelling for the XO to verify my "target." Comes back neg. Then the guy himself pipes in, yelling at me for targetting him... hey, at least I never took a shot at him. I apologize and offer compensation for the insult and "injury..." A Namtz officer comes on the com next and pays off the guy to the tune of 5 million ISK for his troubles. Now he's happy and shuts up, at least, but I'm still in the frackin' dog house, less one ship, with a pissed off crew to pay extra hazard to as well.

So kiddies, the lessons are, look before you leap. Verify all "targets." And when that Concord warning pops up in your com, you'd better frackin' pay attention to it... they don't care if what your aiming isn't a gun.

Good Guys vs. Bad Guys

Here I am, on patrol in Half again, ridding the system of Angel scum... Meridian Dynamics is setup here now (they're the mining corp I met awhile back who were glad Huang and other NAMTZ corps run regular patrols here). Watched one of their security guys try and tangle with a flotilla of three Primus-class battlecruisers (and frig escorts) before limping away; then I came screaming in in my Jag and had them all space dust in no time. Good to know I'm still needed around here. His CEO was politely thankful for the assistance.

Anyways, there were a few guys in from a corp I hadn't heard of before, with some hipster pseudo-badass name, hanging around and making noise in local com channels. Seems they were miffed some of my more eager Namtz'aar K'in allies had tried to leave their frozen clone-corpses drifting in the belts. One was clearly a new recruit, green as Old Terra, bewildered that we would take pot shots at him. Then it became clear--he had no clue he'd even joined the Bad Boyz. Poor kid... plenty of corps masquerade as legit, luring new cadets fresh out of academy with promises of ISK and ships, only to to finally turn them to the dark side. At least I think we saved this kid. Put out in all points to remove his transponder code from KOS. His buddy with a loud mouth wasn't so lucky.

Hopefully he'll quit this corp, and not suffer too badly for it. I was interviewing a new potential Huang recruit with a pirate corp in his dossier--his story was he didn't know, and when he backed out of the deal, his mates podded him for the affrontery. He's got some handle that's the name of a mythical Minmatar city from Old Terra-- "New York" or something like that. Must have read too many fairy tales growing up.

Point is, space is black and white. There are Good Guys and Bad Guys. If you hang out with the Bad Guys, you become one by default--guilt by assocation. So to all you fresh grads out there, take note: Don't join the first friendly corp that throws an offer your way. Figure out who they are and what they're about, and don't just take their word for it if they claim they aren't into piracy--read the local news, ask around. Unless of course, you are a Bad Guy from the start, in which case, you're welcome to come and get podded anytime in Molden Heath.

War's End... and one of the Good Guys

Well, we all thought we be duking it out with the Mercenary Coalition for the forseeable future... turns out, methinks they found tangling with the Namtz'aar K'in and Co. a mite bit more expensive than they anticipated, eh? They decided not to renew their war contract/payoff with Concord (what a racket those Concord bastards have, eh?).

Now it's back to making ISK and training new recruits. I have to say, it's a great feeling actually being one of the Good Guys™. Took some of our newer Zhou Mu on patrol in Half system during a lull in the fighting, and I think we scared the crap out of some guys mining the belts there... four warships all gang-warped at once practically right on top of 'em. My comm beeped, and the convo went something like this:

(miner): Um... greetings?

Kuan: Greetings. Sorry to intrude, but one of my mates left his drones here. He wasn't supposed to have taken out that Angel you were fighting, eh? But he still needs to learn to follow orders...

(miner): (nervous laugh) Thanks for the help anyways. We didn't touch his drones, though I think a few were destroyed by that pirate... um... we're just mining here...

Kuan: Be at ease. We are the Namtz'aar K'in. If you are peaceable, rest easy. We keep this system and others nearby free of pirate scum, so that you folk such as you can conduct your business without threat of attack.

(miner): Hey, so you're those guys! My corpmate mentioned something about you. Thanks!

Kuan: That's us--we're the good guys, bane of brigands belt rats. I'll keep my comm open if you need assistance.

(miner): Will do, and thank you!

Kuan: Roger. Kuan out.

Death and Rebirth

Finally happened. Those scum the "Whips and Chains" gang (what kind of effete name is that for a bunch of brigands, I say?) hired that corp of cold-blooded bad asses, the Mercenary Coalition, to try and put the smackdown on Namtz'aar K'in. Fighting these guys ain't at all like fighting pirates. First of all, these guys are good. Damn good. Secondly, they are smart. They aren't as brave as us (hey, they are business men. Hardened killers in elite warships, but still businessmen), not warriors with a cause to die for, like NMTZ. Still, they gave us some trouble, at least initially...

Anyways, me and Ma, I'm flying as escort to his Tempest-class battlewagon (got some Old Vhek name I can't recall... it and its crew are space dust now anyways... gonna get some hard respect from some Mordus killer in their bivouak, when a call comes in from an ally in-system. Some MC jobs in Crows have him pinned in a station. Ma sighs, and we warp in and quickly scare off the inties... but something doesn't smell right. We hang by the station, when BAM, a big Ishtar-class HAC warps on top of me, followed by those crow-jobs. I start firing, but in an instant I'm nossed, webbed, and hosed. My board lights up red, there's a roaring sound as my pod ejects, then another louder one as it pops open, throwing me into cold, cold vacuum...

...and I wake up back at Isto, coughing up goo, pushing open the lid of my creche. In my wet-wired com, I can hear Ma still fighting, but he's going down... Actually, felt almost exactly the same as climbing out of my pod... no pain. I feel my face... my implants are gone. I look at myself reflected in the hardplas of the creche lid.. damn, forgot what a good looking bastard I was before the implants and plasma burn scars.

I look down at my new body. Good as new--no beer belly, no scars. My tattoo isn't faded--in fact, it's burning bright crimson. Right. My cruiser and crew and in this station. I just grab a robe from the startled technician who's just walked in to check on me, and I sprint down to my hanger, shouting for my people to prep for battle. My XO takes one look at me... "gee boss, you look wierd all un-borged..." before we're all aboard, I'm back in a pod and plugged in, and my crew gives the all clear check.

We launch and warp back to Hedelfarber. The parties really begun now... MC is in system in full force, but we've got friends docked and prepped. We do a dosie-do around the system, we camp them, they camp us, until finally we get them to jump lonely little Commander Smeggy in his little old Cyclone-class battlecruiser. Before they know it, we're jumping back on top of them. It's crazy--the systems start to overload from all the combat data screaming in--I'm just yelling "lock lock lock!" Then it's over, and we've given them a pasting they're not likely to forget. Huuu-yeah... honor and glory to the corp!

Once I got back at the station, it hits me. I died. But it feels liberating, somehow. I was hooked on all the borg crap... and forgot how damn uncomfortable all that shit sticking in your head really was. I think I'm gonna go au-natural from now on... I still have all the results of those skill-chips (wet-wiring seems to survive rebirth, apparently). I'm born-again, and I feel more a warrior than ever before.

Belt Patrol

One of more onerous duties of house Jin Hu is the regular patrol of the asteroid belts in Istodard and the surrounding systems. These are a veritable breeding ground for Angel Cartel goons, as well as pirates foolish enough to tempt fate in Namtz'ar K'in patrolled space (honour and glory to our pilots).

Normally I take one of the rookies with me, but today the hanger was empty, so I hopped in the pod and keyed in (well, using the pod interface, it still feels like keying) the insta to Half gate. A few minutes later I was cruising the belts... all quiet, when HELLO. What's this? An Angel task force--three Primus-class battlecruisers and their frigate escorts. Glad I didn't bring a rookie, who would have soiled his pod. But Double Trouble is all speed and guns, and with the customized hardeners I've got on top of that first rate Thukker shield, I knew these poor schmucks didn't stand a chance... One glance at Concord's bounty readout, and my decision's made.

Four volleys of that too-damned-expensive barrage ammo, and the frigate escorts are nothing but floating (yet valuable) debris. The Angel battlecruisers have got me locked, but the idiots don't have webbers or assault launchers--when are they gonna learn? My jaggie zigs and zags among the 'roids, heavy missles from the battlewagons barely rockin' my boat.

Sure, their shields and armor are good, but somehow my guns find every weakspot and chink in their shields, and soon their armor is vaporizing, their atmosphere starts to vent as giant holes are blown in the superstructure, then BOOM! as their reactor goes critical.

Idiots... I don't even bother to scram them. Their commanders are either too stupid or stubborn to run, unlike that rookie pirate 'ceptor that tried to jump me the other day. Go on, web me, scram me... you'll find out that this jag has teeth, claws, and a thick hide to boot. Flew off with barely a ship left, as I shoved one more rocket up his ass...

Jin Xing* to the end

Feh... I broke down today and finally bought myself a chip for flying battlecruisers. Just in case, y'know. Prolly never fly one, even if I can find a crew for it.

Thing is, the same reason I don't want to be an officer in the corp is the same reason I don't want to command a crew. Maybe one of those Vagabond-class ships someday, they have style and speed, but for now, it's just me in the pod, and I only have to talk to other pod pilots if I frackin' feel like it.

The crew of my cruiser, the 'Big Stick,' a Stabber-class sleek old job, has been cooling their heels on undefinate R&R for awhile now... luckily, I've plenty of liberated "entertainers" and even clean up crews from various JazzMatazz flophouses bunked with 'em, so they don't complain. And they still get paid--Republic Fleet here on the fringes always seems to have plenty of work, and some of the more la-ti-da agents have sent their sniffing around our launch bay and bivoucs lately, asking about me. So, I'm guessin' I have a rep of some sort, or at least Huang Yinglong does.

Lots of new Vherokior faces, newly minted grads from Republic Fleet military schools, or even some guys with enough plasma burns on their current clone to show they've seen action, keep showin' up here. Gettin' darned crowded, but Ma's happy, so I'm happy.

*Jing Xing: the light fighter arm of the Jin Hu combat house of Huang Yinglong

Freedom Fighter?

Heh... guess you'd have to call me a freedom fighter, what with all the action that's been going on against those Amarr slavers. What I really enjoy is spacing all those Amarr scum and their Caldari allies. Bastards never know what hit 'em when old Double Trouble II, my lean and mean Jaggy, comes barreling out of a warp tube on top of 'em, barrage ammo hammering their shields to static and turning their armor into vapor.

Took a potential Zhou Mou cadet with me one of the many anti-slaver raids that Republic Fleet keeps posting. Guess things must really be heating up. Lucky for me that bounties for Caldari and Ammar fleet officer tags are still decent in Istodard. Lucky for Zhou Mou Salem (what sort of Vhek name is that, I tell you? Too many clans are using Standard names and words now, I say!) the Amarr and their allies were too busy trying to just get a lock on me to bother with him in his 'lil ole Rifter.

Still, you gotta love the Riffy. Cheap, fast, and hard hitting. Properly fitted, I had Salem take down a Moa cruiser all on his lonesome... the fools depended too much on their frigate cover to carry their own assault launcher; once those were dust and plasma, Salem just peppered them with his 150's, and they literally couldn't track him to save themselves. It's a lesson that Caldari commodore didn't live to learn.

Who am I?

Yeah, that's me... Yida of the Kuan clan. Third son of that unheard-of merchant house, operating in Heimatar constellation, Rens system. Nothing special... as the third son, the soldier son, it was expected I attend the Republic Military school; that, and the Warrior mark I gained at my Voluval ritual rite.

I guess spending my childhood at the turret of an autocannon blasting angel cartel pirates to debris clouds gave me some aptitude in gunnery. Always loved to fly fast and blow things up. Seems you can make a career out of that.

Once I graduated (solidly in the middle of cadet class), I just wandered about, taking odd delivery jobs and capping bad guys, until Ma found me. Yeah, that Ma. Ma ZhiQiang, a man with a vision. So I joined Huang Yinglong. I've always been a sucker for the old Vherokior names--when you grow up speaking the melodies of Old Vhek, Standard just sounds flat to your ear.

Things are good in the Victorious Golden Dragons. I'm a Jin Xing, which means I get to sit in my pod and fly my Jag (what a beauty she is, too) killing bad guys all day long, for the honor and glory of the corp. Turned down his offer as a commissioned officer, though--those guys don't have any fun.

Heh... who would have thought I would end up here, in a proper warrior's corp, allied with a bunch of mystical do-gooders? Yeah, those Namtz'aar K'in, they know how to fight, alright. But Pacal gives me the creeps... Still, anyone who can cover your six like those pilots gets a place in my book.