Wednesday, September 13, 2006

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...

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