The Immensea Immigration: A Fresh Start

Personal Log (YC 117 Nov 25)

I've been stuck in a low sec station in Chamemi for several days now, waiting for our leadership to choose the best course of action for our Corporation and Alliance. I don't blame them for taking their time as the sudden force eviction from our space in Querious has everyone reeling. I'm impressed with them to tell the truth. They can keep things together and keep moral at a sort of high level throughout this whole ordeal. I would have probably caved under that pressure. Still, it's rough having to pull out of what we thought was our new home, and have to relocated all over again.

I've decided to move all my assets out of this pocket low sec system and into the next high sec system one jump away into Parses, where my Sister could come with the Orca and pick most of it up. It's too much and too big to ship anywhere. I'm going to try and sell it all and rebuy once we've gone to wherever it is we decide to go. I hope it's soon.

Personal Log (YC 117 Dec 07)

Our leadership has announced we will be moving to Immensea and parts of the Tenerifis region yesterday. I spent most of the day shipping my assets to Parses in an unfitted Iteron V for pickup by Osiph, who had already left to come and pick it up. I believe it will take several trips but she agreed to do it.

I've been watching the communication channels for any wormholes that would lead down that way but none are being found. I want to get down there and help, but need a way to get there first.

A while ago in Querious, I was lucky enough to find an abandoned Caldari Interceptor at a planet but was unable to pilot it due to missing skills. Now that I have the skills, I have purchased a Crow and intend to try and fly it down to our new home.

I feel bad now. In the confusion and turmoil of the sudden evacuation, I completely forgot I had invited my closest friends to come join me in Querious to fly with me and help mine. I had to tell them to wait until I was settled in yet a new home system.

Personal Log ( YC117 Dec 13)

The trip down here in an interceptor was uneventful. I set up my medical clone in our home system and jump cloned back to Agil, where I took my stealth bomber back down to Parses. There I loaded what I could into my Crane and set out again, this time hoping to avoid warp disruption bubbles on the way back down. I started bouncing off of planets on the way, warping while cloaked of course, and did avoid several warp disruption bubbles in the direct path between gates. It was a smart thing to do.

Once I was back again, I started buying the things I needed. I fitted my Buzzard again for scanning, I bought another Rattlesnake for ratting, I fitted a Procurer for mining, then took the Buzzard out to get the lay of the land, and also to try out my new tech two Relic Analyzer.

Afterward, I may try out the facilities in our local outpost to see how the beverages taste...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The thing about Null Sec is that mostly everything has to be imported. Therefore, everything costs a lot more than in empire space. This is fine, however, because you make a lot more ISK out here too. I think another issue is that people are too busy out making that money to do all the little things.

Like maintenance for example.

I sighed heavily as I nearly walked into a half open door to a room that leaked the musky smell of cigar smoke into the hallway. With a grunt, I resorted to pushing the rusted door open the rest of the way and entered the only bar on our small outpost, our so called refuge from the rigors of ISK grinding in space.

Yep, the ol' watering hole. A place where people can meet, be merry, and enjoy one another's companionship. If only they bothered to show up. The place was rather empty spare for a corp mate in the back, buried in a terminal so I wasn't sure exactly who it was. Then again, with all the commotion with the move and the new faces around, I haven't spent much time out of my pod to meet these people face to face.

I'm always wary of other people, especially non capsuleers, but the man behind the bar had an odd air about him. An image that portrayed friendliness, and trustworthiness. Something rare in today's society. I felt like I could tell anything to this man and he would keep it in confidence. Perhaps he spent all his money on Charisma implants or something. The bartender was a short man, thin build, almost lanky like an awkward teenager if anything. He would have been mistaken for underage if not for the scar across his face and the almost white mop of hair he kept uncombed and stuck off in different directions. Other than that, his face was young looking and he dressed in a professional suit, minus the double breasted jacket he kept hung on a hook on the wall behind the bar. As I slid onto a bar stool, I noticed he had an odd sense of elegance about the way he moved, as if he had experience being a servant or butler of some kind of someone very rich or important. When he opened his mouth, I realized that I would receive much better service than expected of the run down place. Especially when the door noisily squealed as it slowly shut behind me.

"Good evening, Sir." The bartender said, setting the wine glass he was drying down gently before hanging his cloth over his shoulder, "What can I serve you tonight?"

"What do you recommend?" I asked, gently drumming my fingers on the bar.

"How about a classic." He said, turning around, "Whiskey."

"Sounds good." I reply as he drops a couple of rocks in my glass and pours the liquor. I take a sip and sigh heavily. "This is what I needed."

"Finding things hard?" He asked, resuming his cleaning. He raised the wine glass to the light, slowly twisting the stem to inspect for smudges. Satisfied, he inverted the glass and hung it on a rack, them proceeded to take another from a nearby tray to continue cleaning.

"Not hard, but there's a lot to do to get straightened away. Need to get the old ISK flow moving again. Hopefully into my wallet instead of out."

"Are you that concerned with your wallet balance?" He asked, "Or do you have other interests?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, like most Capsuleers I see come in here, they seem to be ruled my the almighty credit. Their motivations are all driven by money. Money is a means to an end, not the end itself." he said, again looking through his glass into the light. A slight sigh and he continued wiping the glass.

"My goal has always been to acquire money." I admitted, "With money, I can expand. I can build or buy bigger ships, finance my friends to fly with me, and afford to do the things I want to do."

"Which is?"

The question left me with my mouth agape to answer, but nothing came out. What did I want? What did I want to do? I know I'm here in Null sec to make money, but is that all? No, not really. If I just wanted to make money, I would have stayed up north. I'm here because of the community I became a part of. I'm here because of the fantastic people I'm flying with. I moved down here with them because they're now family.

"I want to fly with my friends. To make memories and have fun doing it." I said, "I make money to afford the things that let me contribute and participate in events with my Corporation and Alliance mates."

"Oh?" He says, setting his sparkling wine glass in the rack, "You're not just another money hungry Capsuleer who basks in the tears of their enemies?"

"Not at all." I reply. A memory of a nervous clerk in an empire station came to my mind. I remember her becoming extremely nervous at the mention of me being an Empyrean. I really don't like the reputation Capsuleers have with the general public.

"Then I applaud you for your actions, kind sir." He said with a smile, "I do hope you frequent this establishment." He paused for a moment, quickly dried his hands and held one out to me, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Donta. Donta Ren."

"Sain Darkwing." I reply shaking his outstretched hand.

Opportunity: The Sand Castle

We built something great, laid the groundwork for a thriving Capsuleer society in our little area of Null sec, and were on our way to making a new home for ourselves. We built our sandcastle and were adding bits and pieces to it every day, building it up and making it more massive as time went on.

Before we could plant our little flag in the tallest tower, someone came along and kicked over our sandcastle.

I think I barely had two or three cycles of PI harvested from our home system's planets before we had to pick up and evacuate again. All because Pandemic Horde showed up and wanted to take over.

I remember the day it happened, not too long ago. Intel channels told of a large fleet on the way, and Darkness responded with a fleet of their own. The first fleet defended our space, making PH retreat with loss. What our intel didn't say, however, is that they have a big red phone that calls their big brother, Pandemic Legion.

The call was made and they came in force. I was hastily trying to put together a combat ship to fight, when the fleet left and saw the force that PL had brought. Before I had undocked, local filled with a staggering amount on neutrals that I lost count. Local soon filled with smack talk and I was forced to sit and wait.

Over the next week or so, systems and stations fell to them and we were given an evac order. I was able to get my stuff out safely, along with Maya who had come down to also farm PI materials and help mine, but it was short lived because of this invasion.

--------------------------------------

I understand it's been a while since I posted in my log and a lot has happened in our little pocket since arriving. I've decided to try my hand at exploration and started skilling for T2 analyzers, but it's a long train. I've debated buying an Astero for it, or even a Stratios, but aside from the big scanning bonus on the Astero, it gives no clear advantage over the buzzard, and costs a lot more. Sure it gives the option to be able to fight, but if I wanted to stick to strictly data and relic sites, it makes no difference. If there is a distinct advantage to flying them besides the scanning bonus, I've yet to find it. Right now, all my ships and modules are still in boxes waiting to move again to a new home, but one has yet to be decided on.

--------------------------------------

"You seem happy." Maya said with a sneer. She watched as Her sister seemed to dance around her room, pulling clothes from her wardrobe to pack in a bag. A terminal briefly graced her hands as she kept checking the progress of her ships and assets being packed into courier contracts.

"I am. Sain said he'd buy me a PLEX if I came down to Querious with him." She said, "I can't wait to get out in space again!"

"You just can't wait to see Sain." Maya said with a grin.

"Yes. That too." she replied, her cheeks a slight shade of pink.

"You two are serious, aren't you?"

"I am." Amalea said, "Obviously."

"You don't think Sain is?" Maya asked.

"He says he is serious that he likes me, but he seems a little indifferent to me." Amalea said, sitting on her bed, "It's like he's still unsure of wanting to get that involved. I know he said yes to it and everything, but I'm still not sure."

"Sain is like that anyway." Maya said, "It's also a guy thing. You haven't been around enough guys to recognize that because of your condition."

"You're saying his hesitation is normal?" She asked.

"Probably."

"But you're not sure?"

"Look, men are usually an open book! Sain, on the other hand, seems to be hiding a lot of stuff about himself and his past. I know he is a good person now, and that's what matters, but who knows who he was in the past."

"I do want to get to know him better." Amalea said, "Do you think there would be a good way to find out that stuff?"

"You could ask him." Maya said, "If he does want to get involved with you romantically, he should start with being open to you and tell you those things."

"And if he doesn't?" Amalea asked, "If I'm too scared to ask?"

"He used to have a friend, or acquaintance he shared most of his past with. An Amarrian named Chadrick Belefonte." Maya said, "Sain used to loan him money all the time. Not sure if he ever saw it back."

"Where can I find him?"

"I think he's living in a wormhole again. No way to find him." Maya said.

"There's no way to get a message to him?" Amalea asked. Maya seemed curious.

"You know he's another man, right? Someone other than Sain. A shady man at that."

"I k-know." she stammered, thinking about it. Maya's brow raised and she almost smiled. There was a chime at the door and Amalea circled the bed to answer, finding Osiph at the door, her hand on her hip.

"You ready to go?" she asked.

"Almost finished packing." she said.

"Yeah, put that on hold. Sain is here. In the bar." Osiph sighed. Amalea perked up and nearly knocked Osiph over to get out the door and across her quarters. She had her hand near the door release when she stopped and darted back into her room.

"Pants! I need Pants!"

"Yes, that would be a good idea." Maya chuckled.

"Osiph, do you know who could get in contact with Chadrick Belefonte?" Amalea called through the door as she dressed. Osiph seemed confused as she glanced at Maya who was leaning against the wall beside the bedroom door.

"I think his, um, friend might be able to talk to him. He does poke his head out from his wormhole at times to resupply or sell gas." she said, "Why?"

"What's this friend's name?"

"Zoei Fortuna, I believe." Osiph replied.

The Doomed Freighter

This is my entry for the Pod and Planet Fiction Contest YC117. Events foretold are based on a true event. The names have not been changed to protect the innocent, as there aren't really any.

Koswin is still holding a grudge...

--------------------------------------------------------------

Hydrostatic pod fluid is an odd substance. It gets everywhere, as it's supposed to, but it's hard to get out of your hair. Osiph was frustrated with this fact ever since she became a Capsuleer, but after a long trip of shipping things out to the ass end of nowhere, she was in no mood for such difficulty. She cursed under her breath as she pumped yet another handful of shampoo as the warm water flowed over her in the small shower of the bathroom in her Captain's quarters. She just wanted to relax. She wanted a drink. 

Dressed in a towel, she sat on the couch, watching the latest bounty reports flash on the screen before her. She sighed and lifted a terminal to contract all her cargo back over to her brother's ownership and jumped back up off the couch, pulling her towel off to dry her hair before she got dressed. 

Parses had only one station and it was still fully decked out in Ammarian religious paraphernalia . The Royal Khanid Navy Assembly Plant, or one of them at least. A facility that boasted a fine output of the latest weapons and ammunition delivered straight to large storage facilities for use by the Amarrian Empire. Really, it was a backwater factory that employed the most unmotivated devotees to their religion that Osiph had ever encountered. The books were clearly altered to show a surplus in output.

At least they had a decent bar.

Amarrian bars were a lot different than most others. For one, you never saw any exotic dancers and the staff seemed afraid of everyone. They all seemed to be Matari for some reason. There was music, but it seemed that it was just instrumental, with the lyrics omitted. On the night in question, the doors slid open and Osiph stepped into a nearly empty establishment. She stood for a moment, surveying the room and settled at the bar after a moment to order a drink. As the bartender placed a coaster beneath her glass, she took it and spun around to look over the room, resting her back against the bar. She then noticed a man sitting at the other end, typing casually on a terminal. He seemed to be the only other Gallente man in the room and from the visible, metal ports in the back of his neck, she could tell he was a fellow Capsuleer.

He caught her staring and looked up from his terminal, "Hello!" he said, oddly jovial for an Intaki, but then again, so was she. An Intaki, that is, not jovial. At least not yet.

"Hi." She simply replied, "You look busy. Here on business?"

"Yeah, we're just trying to move into null sec and I've decided to help some corpmates haul some stuff in." he said, "Just trying to organize my cargo, you know. Plan my route and whatnot."

"I see." she replied.

"Just trying to fit Sain's cargo in somehow. It would be best to only take one trip instead of two. Trying to stay away from the local pirates." he then added.

"So you're taking my Brother's stuff in, eh?" Osiph said with a smile, "You better be careful with it. He'd be pissed if it went missing."

"Don't worry. I'll be careful." he said, reassuringly. Still, his eyes flashed back to his screen for a second, then he held out his hand, "Rekindle."

"Osiph. Osiph Darkwing." She replied, pausing for a moment, "I just shipped in all his stuff he wanted to bring down. He must be quick on the contracts."

"Yeah, I just got his request a minute ago. I might have to come back for it. I already have my director's stuff ready to go and she has quite a bit of luggage. Maybe it's everything she owns!" he said, "It's her I really don't want to piss off."

"And a Jump Freighter isn't big enough to haul both?" Ospih asked.

"No."

"Then I'd leave Sain's for another trip. Better safe than sorry." she advised.

"True..."

***

As the night progressed, Osiph had taken a spot at a table across the room as the bar started to fill up. She sipped drinks all night, but nothing compared to what that Gallente man put down in him. By the end of it, Rekindle had become somewhat of a spectacle, belting out several shanties and ballads, even though no one had asked him to. When he was eventually thrown out of the bar, Osiph could hear mutterings of acceptance as he stumbled down the hall past the window she was sitting beside. He paused for a moment before passing, turned to look at her through the glass, and tried to wink at her with class, but instead blinked with both eyes that squinted with force. It was enough to entice a giggle from her as he continued on, finger raised high in the air,

"Aura! Fire up the Providence! I'mma goin' to Querious!" he shouted. Osiph noticed a couple of men approach him and each grabbed an arm to help him to his ship.

"You mean the Arc, sir. Right?" one asked him as they faded from earshot.  Osiph sighed and hung her head.

"I really hope he doesn't do what I think he will."

***

The two men ended up doing most of the work in escorting Rekindle back to his Captain's quarters, using the man's hand print to open the door and allowing him to stumble inside. He surprisingly pivoted in mid stumble and turned back to wave the men away.

"Thank you good sirs. I shant be needing your assistance any longer." he said. Rekindle straightened up, finally taking a moment to actually look at the two who basically carried him here. Both were mercenaries dressed in black dropsuits, "My, my, aren't we looking dapper tonight?"

"Uh, thank you, sir." The one on the left said, his head tilted slightly, the only expression seen as his face was covered by his helmet.

"Was my Arc readied?" Rekindle asked.

"Yes, sir. Your jump freighter was prepped for launch. We'll be ready to go in the morning."

"No! We go now!"

"But sir! You shouldn't be piloting in this condition!" the one on the right advised. Rekindle brushed him off, nearly falling over as he waved his hand.

"Nonsense! I'm perfectly fit to pilot a ship!" he said.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure!"

"Alright." the left Mercenary said, "We'll be ready to go in a half hour."

"Tank you." Rekindle said, then slapped the controls to shut the door in their faces. The two seemed shocked for a moment as neither of them moved.

"Contact the fleet. Tell them the plan has been moved up. Thirty minutes." the Left one said.

"Roger." the other replied.

"You're sure it's the Providence that's packed up and ready to go? Not the Arc?"

"Yes. He's so hammered he won't be able to tell the difference. He'll think it's a Jump Freighter, gate into the next door low sec system to jump and we'll be waiting." he explained, his hand balling into a fist.

"Doesn't he know he could just jump from a High Sec system? You only need a low sec system to light a cynosaural field." the other asked, confused.

"Listen. Drugged drinks, remember? It's part of the plan. I'm sure he knows  that, but he's highly suggestible right now." he said, "Besides, we will be on board to rewrite the commands from him to take us to the Chamemi gate instead. Even if he is sober, he just needs to undock and initiate warp."

"But if we're on the ship when our corp mates destroy it..."

"You are a Mercenary, right?" he asked, placing a heavy hand on his partner's shoulder, "We die. Then our internal implants will transfer our consciousness to fresh clones on board of one of our allies ships."

"Ah, right!" he exclaimed, "Nothing to worry about then!" The two continued on their way to the hangar where they watched the massive Providence freighter continue to be loaded.

*** 

Osiph stopped in the hallway a mere thirty minutes later to see a massive Providence freighter slowly exit the hangar force field as she headed back to her Captain's quarter's. She peered out the window and hoped it wasn't Rekindle's Freighter, as it would be going against her advice. Yet she continued to watch as the ship cleared the station, then flew off into warp...

In the wrong direction.

Confused, she lifted her terminal and accessed her system map. That was the direction of the low sec Chamemi gate. Definitely the wrong direction. Rekindle had renamed the ship as well: "The Drunken Intent."

"Well shit." she simply muttered and continued on her way, shaking her head. 

*** 

He had only been in the ore anomaly for nearly ten minutes when Sain already started to fall asleep. He was eagerly awaiting his shipment of ratting ships so he could get out and start shooting some Blood Angels, curious as to how to fight them as they would be a new enemy to him. He knew he needed different shield resists than the pirates in their old home and had sent money to his sister to buy the right ones. He had thankfully finished shopping a few days ago and tasked his sister to get it all to the staging system where one of his corpmates could jump it in.

He woke with a start when he noticed his contract had been accepted by his own CEO and was enroute. Excitement built in his chest and his Procurer responded by turning on all of his shield hardeners for a cycle, then he forced himself to relax and turned them back off. Sain targeted another ore rock and started mining again, then connected to his alliance communication channel to see what was going on.

To his surprise, he found his CEO online and in channel. Sain was about to speak up to ask how it was going, but refrained when he heard what was happening.

"Oh. no. This is not good." Rekindle said. Sain's heart sank at his words.

"What?" Someone asked.

"Why did I take a full Freighter into low sec?" Rekindle cursed, "Why did I do this?" 

"You what?"

"I'm shipping some of my corpmate's stuff and I took my freighter through low sec. I'm pointed and there's like 7 of them on me. I'm going to lose my ship." he said exasperated, "Koswin is going to kill me."

"Do you need help?" someone offered.

"No, you won't get here in time. I'm burning down fast." he said.

"How much stuff you carrying?"

"I'm, like, full. I think it's probably all of Koswin's stuff and some of Sain's" He said.

"What?" I ask, finally speaking up.

"Oh hello Sain. Yeah sorry about this." he said nervously.

"You lost all of my ships?" I demand.

"Yeah, I'm about to." he said nonchalantly, "Don't worry. I'll pay you back."

"What else did you loose?" I ask.

"Koswin's stuff. I think it's everything she owned." He said. There was a pause, some static, then he continued, "And I'm down. I was able to get my pod out."

"Didn't you scout your route first?" Someone else asked.

"I did! I thought it was clear!" he retorted, "Guys, at least this was a learning experience!"

It took a few minutes but a kill report was sent to the victim, who linked it in our comms channel. No doubt several people were quick to review it.

"Is this right?" Sain asked.

"Unfortunately." Rekindle responded.

"All of Koswin's stuff dropped in the wreck."

"Yeah looks that way." he replied.

"And all of my stuff was destroyed."

"Yes."

"Well damn." Sain said, somewhat deflated. Those days of waiting now wasted as he would need to go re-buy everything that was lost. A tinge of depression set in his mind as he docked his ship and just stayed inside his pod, "Does Koswin know?"

"Not yet." he said. I open a corporation chat channel and text the group the situation who are not on voice comms, hoping she was there, but there was no immediate response. It took a few minutes...

Koswin: You're joking, right.

Sain: Nope

Sain: He lost both of our stuff.

Koswin: How much did you lose?

Sain: I think it was only like a billion isk worth of stuff. How much did you lose?

Koswin: Everything.

Sain: I'm sorry.

Koswin: Not as much as Rekindle will be when I get ahold of him.

Sain: You know all your stuff was left in the wreck, right?

Koswin: Yeah and now some stranger has my Gila and is probably doing nasty things with it. 

*** 

It took a few days but Sain finally got in touch with Rekindle again. He walked into the bar on the outpost they were all living out of and Sain found him sitting at the bar pouring over a terminal as usual. Sain looked him over and he seemed to look a bit younger. Maybe it was a fresh clone but he could be wrong.

"So about that Freighter..." Sain began. Rekindle sighed heavily.

"Look, I'm already getting enough flack from Koswin about that. She will never let me live it down." he said.

"No, well. I was looking at the killmail and I'm confused." He said, "Chamemi isn't even in the route to this station. You had a clear High Sec route all the way to the lowsec pipe. Why jump into that system?"

"I dunno. I thought I was in my jump freighter, I suppose."

"Yeah, but you can jump fine out of High sec. You only need low sec to light a cyno." I advise.

"I know that." he replied quickly, "I don't know. I wasn't thinking straight."

"Do you suppose the alcohol had anything to do with it?" Sain asked. Rekindle seemed taken aback, "My sister said she met you in a bar and you had to be, well, escorted out."

"I can normally handle what I drank." He said, defending himself, "I don't know why I was so, um, influenced when I left." he paused for a few moments, then added, "Those two chaps who brought me home were nice though."

"What two 'chaps'?" Sain asked.

"These two guys dressed in black suits carried me back to my Captain's quarters." he said, "I think they helped get my ship ready. I could have sworn I asked for the Arc and not the Providence though."

"Black suits? Like robes?" Sain asked.

"Armor I think." He replied, "With those funky helmets."

"You mean Mercenary dropsuits?"

"Yes!" Rekindle said, snapping his fingers, "Exactly!"

"Now why would two Mercenaries in Dropsuits escort you back to your room then help ready your ship?" Sain asked rhetorically. Rekindle just stared at his terminal.

"I dunno, man." He said with a sigh, lifting his drink to his lips to take a sip. Sain's eyes follow the glass, or more precisely, the ice in the glass. The wheels begin to turn in his head.

"Where does that ice come from?" he suddenly asks.

"Outside." Rekindle said, "In the ice anomalies."

"What about the station in Parses. Where do you think they get theirs?"

"Probably imported from somewhere."

"Who was mixing your drinks that night?" Sain asked.

"The Bartender."

"Who was the Bartender?"

"Some Minmitar guy. Why?" Rekindle asked.

"Did you notice anything odd about him?"

"He seemed scared and twitchy. Like the rest of the staff there." He said.

"They're probably all slaves. The twitches could be the withdrawl symptoms of Vitoc or something." Sain said, leaning back in his chair.

"Your point?"

"Slaves do as their told." Sain said, "If that means mixing you 'special' drinks all night, then it could explain a lot."

"You mean I was drugged?" Rekindle asked in disbelief. He set his drink down on the bar and turned to hang his head in his hands.

"Why did you jump into lowsec in a tech one freighter full of expensive cargo? A system you didn't even need to go into? I'm sure you're smart enough to know at least that much common sense stuff. Even loaded drunk, something in your head should have told you it was a bad idea."

"I was drugged!" He shouted, slamming his fist on the bar, "I was drugged!"

"It also means those two Mercenaries were probably spies. They could have messed with your Navigation computer to force you to take the Chamemi gate."

"What? Yes! It was the spies! They did this to me!" he exclaimed, his expression now almost jubilant.

"Why are you happy about this?" Sain asked, skeptical, "You were played, cheated and plundered."

"Yes. But I was drugged!" Rekindle said excitedly as he stood up and put on his jacket, "That means It's not my fault!" Sain watched as he ran out of the bar yelling down the corridors, "Koswin! It's not my fault! I was drugged! It's not my fault! Do you hear me!?!"

Sain turned back to the bar as his usual drink order arrived, "It's still your fault for drinking so much of it though..."

The Doomed Freighter

OOC: Broadcast for Reps

Eve online is an odd mentality about it. Players gladly shoot and kill each other, scam and steal from you until you had nothing left, given the chance. But this is all just part of the game. We know it's a game and most of it shouldn't be taken personally either. However, those same murderers, scammers, and thieves are here for you as a friendly source of aid should you need it. The Eve Online community is a close knit group who are all gamers, for all different reasons. Some play to relax, some use Eve as a form of escapism, and some even play just for the community they've become a part of. Corporations, Alliances, Coalitions, even small fleets with friends become a haven you can escape to from your troubles in real life.

We are a resource. Use us.

If you need to talk, use the chat channel mentioned in the video. Ask in your corp channel, or alliance channel. Don't be afraid to get help if you need it. Don't let suicide become an answer you will ever consider. Eve online may seem like a dark place of death and destruction, but it's only a game. We are all human and even the best of us need help at times.

Please share this video to raise awareness about this serious matter so that we can get the help to those who need it most.

When life has you pointed and you're taking damage, please Broadcast for Reps.

Opportunity: A New Frontier

Something's been going down for the past couple of weeks that I thought it best to keep a lid on. I'm not up on how Null Sec politics work or the inner workings of Alliances or Coalitions either. It's only now that things have been made official that I can say anything. I wasn't specifically told not to, but I felt it was best to wait.

My Corporation is moving.

We're leaving FCON and Branch up north to head to more forgiving space, an alliance without Paps or any other significant requirements. A place where we can truly do what we want. We're joining a new alliance and moving to space close to Amarr, where the Blood Raiders fly.

This means I may need to train up my armor skills, or at least, my EM and Thermal shield skills. I also have to switch drones to the right type, pick up the right missiles, etc. It's going to be a good change though. Something to alleviate the stagnation I started to feel once again. I hope the space is less noisy as Branch, with less Neuts.

We're currently waiting for our allegiance to change and sitting in out staging system. One good thing is that it's not that far from where Osiph is living in Kusomonmon.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Something's fishy." Osiph said as she sat on her couch. Her Captain's quarters was as spotless as ever, and Maya leaned forward to take her drink from the coaster on the glass table.

"What's going on?" Maya asked. Amalea looked up from her terminal. She had been watching a fiction holoreel.

"Sain just contracted me alot of assets in Jita, with a note asking me to haul it all out to a remote system in Kahnid." She said.

"What?" Maya asked, "Why?"

"Not sure." she replied, but was cut short by a chirp from the door, "Who is it?" She called, without getting up. She heard a muffled voice from behind the door.

"......right place.....hack...door....open...me.." was all she could make out through the door and the distance to it. The girls tensed as Osiph slowly drew a parapistol from her jacket and stood up, laying her terminal on the glass table.

"Ah! There!" came a voice as the door suddenly slid open in a blur and Osiph jumped, squeezing the trigger. The shot zipped through the air and caught the intruder in the shoulder, where he was knocked backward into the hallway and slumped to the floor against the wall.

"Holy crap, Osiph! Who did you just shoot?" Amalea gasped. Maya approached the door and peered outside at the unconscious man in the hallway.

"Your Brother...." She muttered.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Why do I frequently lose consciousness every time I come to High Sec recently? My last trip was fuzzy in my memory and I'm still trying to piece that trip together. This time, it's something else.

I figured I'd surprise the girls again and come unannounced. I checked with the port authority to find Osiph's Captain's quarters and made my way there alone, among the regular folk on public transport. When I arrived, I rang the door chime, but couldn't hear much of what's going on inside.

"I think this is the right place." I muttered to myself, "Maybe I can hack the door..." I started pressing buttons on the keypad, "Hey! Open up! It's me!" When there was no response, I began to type faster.

"Ah! There!" The door slid open and I looked up with a smile on my face, trying to look as smug as possible, however, all I saw was a bright flash of light, then nothing...

--------------------------------------------------------------

"You almost killed him!" Amalea shouted. She alone had rushed into the hallway and started dragging his limp body back inside Osiph's Captain's quarters. Osiph and Maya watched as the small woman seemed to effortlessly carry the man across the room and deposit him on the sofa. In a flash, she had a medical scanner and was waving it over his body, "Wait a minute. This isn't a jump clone. He has a set of Implants!"

"He flew back from Null sec? In what?" Osiph grabbed her terminal and checked the docking records, "He came in a Bestower? How did he survive a trip like that?"

"He almost didn't, Osiph. How could you shoot your own Brother?" Amalea scolded, now holding Sain's hand without realizing.

"I'm sorry! He startled me! I didn't mean to!" Osiph retorted, trying to mount some sort of defense.

"Why do you have a Parapistol?" Maya asked, taking another chair in the room.

"Protection! You know we can die outside of our pods, right? I mean Perma Death!" she cried. Apparently adrenaline still running high, "How is he?" Amalea looked at her scanner.

"He's just stunned. He'll be fine. His implants look unaffected as well. It's a good thing you didn't hit him in the head."

------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke with a pulsating, throbbing pain in my head. I tried to sit up, but a strong arm suddenly laid across my chest and held me down.

"Shhh. Just stay still. You're going to be fine. You were hit by a Parapistol." It was Amalea's voice, but I couldn't see clearly. I was still trying to figure out how what I thought was her face was at such an odd angle. Very close and almost ninety degrees to my own. Then I realized my head was on her lap as I laid on the couch. Again I tried to sit up but was held down by her single arm.

"I'm sorry!" I grunted as I tried to sit up.

"Stay!" She commanded. I gave in and laid there, staring up at the ceiling as my head slowly cleared.

"So you said I was shot?" I asked, "A Parapistol?

"Mmmhmm." she said, nodding.

"Who?"

"Osiph." she said, "She thought you were breaking in." I huffed with a smile.

"Well, I was." I said, "I meant it to be a joke. It kind of backfired. I wanted to surprise you all."

"Oh it was." Amalea laughed. Her shoulders shook as she laughed, causing her chest to bounce near my face. I tried to ignore it, but it was distracting.

"Where is she now?" I asked, "Osiph and your Sister?"

"At the bar." Amalea said, "Osiph didn't really want to be here when you woke up for fear of retaliation." She giggled, "She thought you would beat her for shooting you." I sighed heavily. Still my head pounded but was getting better by the minute.

"I'm in no shape for giving beatings." I sighed.

"How did you get here. You flew out here from Null Sec, didn't you?" she asked, almost sounding accusatory. I felt like I was being scolded.

"A wormhole. Came right from Branch to a low sec system one jump from high sec." I said, "My corporation is moving to a new alliance. I thought I'd stop in to say hi. It's on the way really."

"Well it is good to see you." She said, "I really wish I could get back out there with you and make some ISK."

"Yeah, you and Maya were a huge help out there." I said. Things got quiet for an awkward amount of time as I stared at the ceiling. I soon looked to Amalea and she was staring forward at the hologram of my old Orca on the coffee table.

"Do you remember what happened the last time you were here?" she suddenly asked, "Do you recall anything from that night?" Her eyes remained fixed on the transparent ship on the table.

"No, sorry. Not much at all." I said. I started feeling better so again I tried to sit up, but her arm didn't move and still held me down. I gave up and just laid there, staring up at her blank face as she continued to stare at the Orca.

"Nothing?" she asked.

"I remember the bar, you girls dancing...Something about CONCORD...I was in a limo with you...and something about a dare. The rest is a blur." I said, "Did I miss something important?" I paused for a moment, then it hit me, "I didn't do anything bad did I? Did I do something to you? I'm sorry!"

"No, no!" she said, finally taking a breath and looking down at me, "N-Nothing bad."

"But something." I said, "To you."

"No." She said, "I think I did something bad to you."

"I think I can guess what happened." I said, "I remember the next morning and where I ended up."

"I can't believe I did that..." she groaned, throwing her head back against the couch cushion. She put her free hand over her face in shame, "Twice!"

"Twice?" I raised an eyebrow, "Now I feel used."

"You liked it." she teased, tapping me on the forehead with her index finger. Another uncomfortable silence followed.

"So what do we do now?" I ask, "Where do we go from here?"

"Well I was the instigator, so I'm sure you know how I feel." She said, "What do you think?" She paused for a moment, swallowed a lump in her throat and looked down at me over the front of her jacket, "H-How do you feel?"

A lump seemed to form in my own throat. I've never even thought about romance since becoming a Capsuleer. Just knowing that anyone I courted would eventually grow old and die long before I did. I wasn't even sure I could ever die if I stuck to my ship. Just the thought of trying to love another who I knew would fade and disappear while I carried on and lived with the loss; it was too much to bear.

But why didn't I think of this? If I loved another Capsuleer, we could be together forever. We'd both be in the same boat, so to speak. Maybe it could work out.

"I feel..." I began.

"Yes?" she asked, leaning in closer.

"I feel..."

"Yes, Sain?" She leaned in even closer, her face now inches from mine.

"I feel..."

"What?" she asked in a hush, I could feel her breath against my cheek now.

"I feel...like we're being watched." I said. She stopped and opened her eyes. Her face turned a bright pink and straightened up quickly, then craned her neck around to find only Maya standing in the open doorway, her hand over her mouth as if trying to hold back all sound. I could see the tears stream down her face from here.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to interrupt." Maya said, wiping her eyes, "The air in the hallway is dusty. I think some Mercenaries went by with muddy boots or something."

"What did you see?" Amalea demanded.

"No. Nothing..." Maya said, trailing off.

"How long were you there?!" She asked.

"Mmmm...Five minutes or so. Give or take a feel or two..." she teased. I was surprised Amalea didn't run off or chase after her sister for eavesdropping. Instead she remained still, and kept her arm steadfast around my chest to hold me down. By now, I felt perfectly fine.

"Maya why are you crying?" I asked. It was now her turn to turn crimson.

"I was not!"

"You were." I said.

"I'm just so happy that she found someone, you know?" she said, "You better not hurt her, you hear?! I'm not above putting a bounty or two on your ass if you do!" Amalea had hung her head in her hand and her hair covered her face. I could tell she was embarrassed beyond belief. Especially since I hadn't properly answered her.

"I would never hurt her." I said. She removed her hand and looked down at me, her grip on my chest seemed to tighten.

"Really? Is that a yes?" She whispered.

"Yes." I said with a smile and a stomach full of butterflies. Her hand across my chest moved to my face and she smiled, leaning down to plant a shy kiss on my forehead. She release me and moved her arm to the top of the sofa. I took the opportunity to sit up as I started to feel sleepy.

"Wow. This is history in the making." Maya said with a smile, "My androphobic sister has finally found a man! Osiph needs to be informed!"

"I do have a bone to pick with my gun wielding sister." I said, standing up sharply. "Let's g..."

I fell over backwards and sprawled on the floor as the room began to spin once more.

Opportunity: The Headache

I don't remember when, I don't remember how, but somehow I've ended up pant-less on the cold, hard metal grates of the catwalk of my captain's quarters. I opened my eyes to see a simple Ibis ship floating above me in the cavernous space of my hangar, yet my head hurt too much to care.

I did care, however, when a camera drone started hovering above my half exposed body, it's blank stare of an optical sensor staring at my face.

"Fun night of drinking, huh?" Maya's voice came from the drone. It twisted in the air as if to look me from head to toe, "What happened to you?"

"I can't remember." I groaned, sitting up and grasping at my nearby cargo pants. It takes me two swipes to grab the fabric. With a groan, and support from a nearby railing, I end up on my feet and put the pants on, "That better not be broadcasting."

"Don't worry. It's encrypted." She said, "Osiph and I are out in her Retriever mining. I wanted to see how you two got on last night."

"You two?" I ask, a lump of panic welling in my throat.

"Oh shit. You don't remember? I told you not to drink so much Ammarian wine last night. Especially in a new clone!" She scolded. I staggered down the catwalk and into my quarters, where it's a complete mess.

There are bottles and cans of every kind of alcohol I can think of, and a few I've never seen before. There were clothes and blankets strung across railings and light fixtures, the glass coffee table was shattered, and the door to the bedroom was sliding back and forth, trying to close but was blocked by a beer can that was wedged in the door frame.

"Oh wow. You got wild last night!" Maya exclaimed, the camera drone had now followed me into my quarters and was hovering around the room, scanning every overturned bottle and deformed beer can. I rushed to the swaying door and it moves aside, allowing me to stumble into the bedroom where I again trip on something and fall headlong into the bed, landing among the silk sheets. I braced my fall against something soft and warm.

"Oh, ready for round two, Sain?" Amalea teased as she pulled the covers from over her head.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Twice?"

"Yep."

"I can't believe it. It actually happened?" Osiph's mouth was still agape in disbelief.

"Twice." Maya corrected.

"With Sain?" She asked, "My Brother. Captain Serious?"

"The one and the same." Maya smiled, "Although I wouldn't call him so serious. Not since I known him."

"I think he's lightened up quite a bit since you met him, Maya. He was so uptight before." Osiph said, then continued, "It really, finally happened though!"

"Twice." Maya again corrected.

"You two are never, EVER, getting me to drink again!" Came a muffled voice from the bathroom door, mere meters behind Maya as they sat in the rented Corporation office.

"Is this the first time she has ever been drunk?" Osiph asked with a giggle. Maya had to think about it and nodded.

"I believe it is." she said while giggling. They could hear her retching through the door, "You alright, Amalea, dear?"

"I'm gonna die." she moaned, "Seriously, get me a fresh clone. I've had it with this hangover!"

"How do you think Sain feels right now?" Osiph asked, "He's gone back to Null sec after last night. He's got a hangover and neural stress to worry about." Again, another fit of retching could be heard through the door.

"He's fine. He's not in the body with the hangover anymore!" she wailed, "He's the lucky one!"

"Oh no, honey." Osiph corrected, "Trust me, it's a lot worse. Using a jump clone transfers your current mental state, and consciousness. He'll be sick for a while after the transfer because he's not used to the change in body due to his weakened mental state. I'm wondering if he suffered neural damage trying to jump clone while hung over."

"Oh no..." Amalea groaned from behind the door.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine." Osiph said, waving her hand, "He's gone through worse."

"I don't feel good..." again she groaned.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine too." Maya said, "But this is a first for you, isn't it?"

"Huuuurrrrrrrkkkkkk...." Amalea retched again.

"I still can't believe they did that!" Osiph said again.

"Twice!" Maya again corrected.

------------------------------------------------------------------

I tried playing the night back over and over, but still came to a massive hole in my memory. I remember the girls wanting to go drinking, then we went to a fancy restaurant. We drank wine, and champagne, then started feeling a little buzzed so we left and went to a bar.

Granted this bar wasn't in the best part of the station and no one knew we were Capsuleers, yet they may have that idea from the amount of ISK we were throwing around. I remember being at the bar, buying drinks, bringing them back to the table and sitting in the corner with mine while I watched the girls dance on the dance floor, then I remember something about the local Concord office, a ride in the back of a ground transport, I was talking to Amalea in a limousine, I think, and something about a dare. It was really foggy at that point and I don't remember much else. The morning after, I woke up on the floor beside my bed in nothing but my cargo pants, which were put on backwards for some reason, and the scent of Amalea's perfume on my pillows.

I'm back in Null Sec now and after a couple of days of feeling like crap I continued my normal activities. It's been a week or so since my trip to High Sec and Osiph says she's almost done the order, but she may not do another because of how much of a pain it was to invent the BPC's for everything. I don't really blame her. You need near perfect research skills for it to be profitable. Still, she says the shipment should be ready in the next few days.

That's one thing in order. Now, I wish I could sort out the rest.

Opportunity: A knock on the Door

Dodixie stations are usually busy but the main trade hub was near madness. Trying to walk anywhere in the bustling metropolis in space was futile, and public transportation was a joke. Not that a Capsuleer would even think about using something so trivial, or be caught dead in a bus or public shuttle, but the state of affairs of the common folk was quite apparent. If this was chaos, Jita must be hell.

There was an office with long window overlooking her personal hangar that Osiph had rented for the time being and was feeling sore from being hunched over a terminal as she worked. She sighed heavily and leaned back in the think leather chair, spinning around to look out the floor to ceiling window at the warehouse workers below, carrying off random items of hers to the market for sale. She just had too much stuff sitting around. She had to get rid of it and get to Jita. Some of her sell orders were sitting idle for too long and she was sick of playing the 0.01 ISK wars with local traders.

"How goes it?" Maya asked as the door quickly slid open to allow her through, Amalea chased her inside before it could close, "Getting your money back?"

"Some." Osiph replied as the two sat across from her at her desk, "I still have a lot of materials sitting on my hangar floor. I may just load everything in the Orca soon and haul it all to Jita instead."

"Will you be manufacturing there?" Amalea asked.

"No, the manufacturing index is way too high." she said, "That's something else I need to do. Find a good production system."

"Any prospective locations?" Maya asked.

"Not yet. I haven't really looked to tell you the truth. I want something close to Jita, preferably with a lab that has research and copying facilities, and a decent index." she said.

"Wow, you want fries with that?" Maya asked, sarcastically.

"No, I want decent PI in the area too."

"That will take some time to figure out." Maya said, "Good luck with that."

"Yeah." Osiph muttered as she updated a market order, clearly distracted.

"Have you heard from Sain about that opportunity he was going on about?" Amalea asked. Osiph shook her head.

"I told him where we were, and said anytime is fine to talk, but haven't heard back." She said.

Just then, light poured in the dimly lit room from the opening door and a tall figure stood in the light, his silhouette nearly filling the entryway. The girls turned to look and their jaws dropped when Sain Darkwing stepped inside.

"Hello, Ladies!"
-----------------------------------------------

Oh yes, this is what a High Sec Trade hub was like. I remember now. Each Hub was like a massive city, stuffed like sardine cans with people trying to make ISK any way they could. The lower levels were hives of illegal pursuits; drug trafficking, prostitution, black market stuff and general filth. You get my drift? The main level was comprised of respectable businesses, everyday people, cafe's, restaurants, hotels, and the like that normal people would live and make a living. The upper levels, were mostly for administration, government, and people of higher status live like kings.

Somewhere between the main level and the upper level is where they keep us Capsuleers, and all the stuff that goes with us; Personal Hangars, Ship Hangars, Corp offices/Hangars,...

And the Market....

I arrived in station directly from an outpost in Null sec via jump clone and proceeded to do a search for Osiph and found she had rented a corp office in the station. Following the computer's directions, I found the office and raised my fist to knock, but hesitated and simply opened the door.

I stood for a moment until my eyes adjusted to the dim light inside and I could make out the three figures sitting around the desk at the center of the room.

"Hello, Ladies!" I announced with a smile.

"Sain?" Maya asked, somewhat surprised.

"Did you miss me?" I joked. I took one step in the room and the door had just closed when I was nearly tackled to it by Amalea.

"Yes. We. Did!" she exclaimed, then realizing what she had done, scrambled away from him and awkwardly shook his hand, "Um, I mean, it's very nice to see you again, Sain." Osiph and Maya both stood like statues, wide eyed, and probably not believing what they had just witnessed.

"Hokay." Maya broke the awkward silence, "Sain, why are you here? How did you get here?"

"Jump Clone." I relied, "I said I had something to talk about, right?"

"Wait, you mean you can come back here any time you want?!" Amalea asked, "Why haven't you visited before this?!"

"I've been, um, busy." he said, "And my Infomorph Synchronizing skill is still kind of low. Still a full twenty four hours before I can jump again."

"So you're here for the full day?" Amalea asked. I nodded and clearly saw the wide smile on her face.

-----------------------------------

The desk in the office was turned into a makeshift board room table as we all sat around it. I tried to ignore the staring from Amalea, but tried to stay on topic.

"Down to business." I began, "I want you guys to start making ships. Fully fitted ships." Osiph scoffed.

"Do you have the battleship BPO's?" she asked.

"Not Battleships. Frigates and Cruisers." I said.

"There's no profit in it. Even I don't have the marketing skills to see one." Osiph said. My unwavering smile may have been the thing to make her sit up in her chair.

"Yes, if you sold them here. I want you to make fitted ships and ship them up to where I am." I said, "For the Alliance SRP."

"SRP?" Amalea asked.

"Ship Replacement Program. It's a stockpile of ships the alliance has to replace ships lost in alliance and corporation operations. It entices Capsuleers to actually join them. There's no chance of losing money if they replace it, right?"

"How much profit?" Osiph asked.

"Fifteen percent. Use an appraisal tool to find out how much a fitted ship would cost at sell in Jita, add shipping costs and fifteen percent and I can sell them in null." I said.

"That's pretty good." Osiph said, leaning back in her chair.

"Plus anything else you want to send up that way for either me or the market has to come from Jita anyway. It's the best market in New Eden." I advise. I can see them all thinking hard.

"There's more competition there." Osiph said.

"It's a place you can put things on the market and you know it will sell. Less adjusting market orders." I say.

"The plan is sound." Osiph said, "I'm just trying to find a hole in it."

"You're in?"

"Of course." Osiph said, "Let's make some money and perhaps send one of these two out with you to make more." Maya smiled, but Amalea was clearly excited, "Now, lets see how much alcohol that clone of yours can handle!"