EVATI SYSTEM
ANHER GATE

The journey to Evati had been uneventful, for the most part. There was the occasional ship ping from the local enforcement agency along the way, but a quick flash of his credentials was enough to grant him pass. As he ventured further into lowsec, it was no longer his status as Colonel of the Minmatar Republic Tribal Liberation Force that achieved safe passage, but rather a quick display of his armaments, or his afterburner. He had made it safely to Evati; safe being a relative term now that he was in this pirate infested hellhole.

Roc Wieler had the Aura AI brain that interfaced pilot to ship run a thorough local scan as soon as he entered the system. There wasn’t much action in the local comms channel, not that he expected there to be. Aura reported ten planets, all inhabited, but minimal civilian space lane traffic. Seems the pirates were doing their job well. The Republic Fleet Logistic Support station was located near Planet VI, orbiting the third moon. Roc mentally encouraged the ship to plot a warp jump to that station. A few moments later the ship was ready to jump, and he was about to give the command to engage, when he received a private and secured comm request.

He had Aura run a trace on the broadcast, and was surprised when it came back with a positive reading. He accepted the call. “Well hi there darlin'” a seductively friendly voice said from the channel. One of the first things Roc had learned as a capsuleer was that there were no friends in space. Still, it was Mynxee whom had convinced him to make this journey. He knew her ulterior motive was to make a pirate out of him, but that was as likely to happen as a Gallente woman doing anything but laying still during sex.

“Mynxee,” his scratchy voice replied into the channel. He had Aura triangulate her position quickly, and aligned his ship in that direction. At the same time, he had the AI transfer the Republic Fleet station coordinates to the AI of the Renegade in tow, then detached the umbilical securing the two ships, directing it via autopilot to dock at the Fleet station. He quickly opened a channel to the docking manager there, letting him know his ship would be arriving and landing on its own. All the while, Mynxee blathered on about this and that, the gist of it being how happy she was that he had come to her home system for a visit.

He kept his Jaguar in constant motion, knowing that being stagnant was as good as being dead. She finally mentioned that she was in a deep safespot, and that if he so desired, he could warp to her for a more relaxed conversation. As he was already aligned, he urged the ship into warp speed, and only moments later reverted to realspace, to the sound of target locking. He processed the information quickly; it was Mynxee’s Jaguar that had him locked and was firing autocannons at him. He also knew his shields were barely being penetrated by the weapons. Still, so much for a friendly welcome.

“Are you sure you want to do that, Mynxee?” he asked flatly into their secured comm channel.

“It’s just a little fun. I won’t kill you, though sometimes my AI doesn’t sync up quite right, so if I do kill you, I’m sorry in advance.” Mynxee had a playful voice, which made her as deadly as they came. She could probably tear your ship from you while you sat entranced listening to her every word.

“Last chance before I open fire.” Roc said, emotionless, into the comm channel. He didn’t have time for this. This wasn’t what he came here for. He checked his  readings, shields 80% and holding, transverse velocity optimal, weapons primed and locked. She continued firing.

“You’re far too uptight, hun. Relax a little. Stiff military life won’t do you any good out here.” He knew she was trying to be charming, but his life in the militia was all he had, all he valued. Insulting that was like insulting him, and he didn’t take to insults well.

He opened fire.

The shields on her Jaguar quickly collapsed, and she began evasive maneuvering. He continued his assault with a salvo of rockets, ruptures appearing all through her armour. He quickly reduced her to structure, aligning his ship towards Evati VI. He had made his point; it was time to leave.

“Maybe if you weren’t using second hand, second rate gear, your ship would respond as intended.” There was dripping sarcasm in his voice. He actually thought Mynxee was enjoyable as a person, even if her sense of timing and humour was a little off right now. Nobody could be “on” 100% of the time.

He entered warp, heading for the Fleet station, listening to Mynxee continue her flappery in the comm channel.

Suddenly, she cursed, then comm silence. Frantically, and much to his surprise, he had his ship do a deep scan of the area they were in immediately, concerned for her safety. A Drake, Phobos and Raptor were on scan. Mynxee would be no match at all for them. Even with his help, there wouldn’t be much chance of survival, but something the militia instilled in you was that no one was left behind.

He quickly turned the ship, plotted the course, and had the warp drive warming up for the jump when he got a message in the secured comm channel he and Mynxee had been using.

“Well that’s a lesson learned; never linger too long.” a familiar voice said. It sounded slightly different, as if it had never been used before, but was unmistakably Mynxee. “They got me good; podded me too.” She laughed, which Roc found to be an odd response to having been killed, as well as losing a ship and crew. It was another thing he didn’t understand or approve of in regards to the pirate way of life. It was almost a perverse disregard for life. The galaxy was so full of the pursuit of technology and profit, that no cost seemed too high sometimes. That was a line he hoped never to cross.

He aborted the warp sequence, and returned his ship’s bearing towards Evati VI, Moon 3, Republic Fleet Logistic Support.

Helluva first day.