Wednesday 16 January 2008

Death of a Farmer

Waking up in the station is always something quite jarring, the harshness of space really hits home.
The station Hangar I call home is always cold, but is littered with an array of nasty ships and loads of ammo.

I light a cigarette and smile... "Today should be fun"

NovaKane Incorporated is home to two pilots, siblings you could say.
Keira is a free spirit but doesn't share my thirst for blood but will gladly share in the spoils of combat and even setup ambushes.
She is a skilled Covert Operative with scanning skills that leave me in awe and scare me at the same time. It's difficult to hide anything from Keira, the shear tenacity and patience she shows in hunting down targets for me that I consider her the most valuable member of our little team.

By the time I had suited up she was already out in the black, patiently hunting down a farmer.
The farmer was flying a Raven Battleship, the favoured ship of farmers and carebears around the universe and a prized kill should we track it down.
The farmer was in a Mission Complex deep in my homes system but knowing Keira that would not stop her and shortly after she giggled and said "Wake up, get your ass out here, I've got him"
Boarding a Broadsword Heavy Interdiction Cruiser, I undocked and made all haste to get to the Plex entrance. All the while I was talking in local intel channels asking if anyone would want a piece of the action. Jubes, a member of The Black Flag corp and a friend of mine was first to say yes. Jubes has a bloodlust that equals mine, sometimes more so.
Hastily added to gang I made my way to the mission complex, over 20 AU from the station.
Plan as always is that I would warp in and tackle the behemoth that is the Raven. My Broadsword having the ability to pin down any target regardless whether they have warp core stabilisers.
In mid warp Keira spots a flash on her overview as she sits cloaked above the complex gate, a shuttle comes out of warp and sits on the gate "The bastard has a scout" she screams over comms.
This is going to be tricky, would I be able to come out of warp, activate the gate and get into the plex before the Raven has a chance to warp out? Only one way to find out.
I blast out of warp and see the scout, gigs up but no time to lose, I fire the gate up and get slung into warp... MOVE, MOVE, MOVE. I come out of warp to see the farmer warp out.
Much swearing ensues. The farmers are getting clever.

The most important skill you can have as a Pirate is patience and now as the time to practice it.
The farmer would be back, his mission complex was still active and they are loathe to lose the ISK and faction standings gained by such an encounter.
Entering a zen like state of patience I waited, even as reports of a Hurricane battlecruiser being tackled one system over were heard on local intel channels. Keira holding her position and probably doing her nails, me at a safe spot ready.

Two hours passed and nothing, I had docked up at this point, Keira still sitting at the plex gate.
Looking at local intel channels I spotted our little farmer enter the system.
Without hesitance I undocked and initiated warp to the plex. It's a long warp and half way through Keira reported the Raven at the gate, shortly followed by the scout.
I blasted out of warp as the Raven was slung by the gate into the complex, his scout surely seeing me was probably shouting things over comms at the Raven pilot.
I activated the gate and primed my weapons and tackling systems.

Coming out of warp the Raven battleship was right in front of me and hastily aligning to warp out. Activating my targeting systems the telltale countdown to a lock appeared.
Tension rising I roared as the lock resolved and the warp disruption generator winked into life.
I had him and he was going to die. There would be no ransom, I wanted blood and the shiny toys held within the hull of his ship.
The Republic Fleet EMP rounds I had purchased were tearing holes in his shields, the primary defense of the Raven. Two pilots were inbound to help break the tank of the Raven, Jubes in his Hurricane and ImYourNightmare in his Typhoon battleship.
By the time Jubes had reached the complex gate the Ravens shield systems had already failed, I'mYourNightmare still in warp. The light armour of the Raven was melting under my sustained barrage of fire. By the time Jubes had entered the plex, the mighty battleship was into structure. ImYourNightmare screaming in fleet comms for us to save some for him, unfortunately for him Jubes had just opened fire and the Raven exploded in a satisfying flash. ImYourNightmare dismayed at his luck kicked something in his pod that may or may not have been a puppy. We'll never know.
It's his own fault for flying a battleship really, things are so slow and warp like a whale swimming in jello.

A good kill and proof that patience is key to success
Concord provide a record of all kills and losses and I was sent a mail with the details of our kill.
Some nice shiny things were left in the wreck which Jubes and myself split.

2008.01.15 14:33:00

Victim: aiwavise
Alliance: NONE
Corp: State War Academy
Destroyed: Raven
System: Classified
Security: 0.4
Damage Taken: 34053

Involved parties:

Name: Kane Rizzel (laid the final blow)
Security: -10.0
Alliance: Derek Knows Us
Corp: NovaKane Incorporated
Ship: Broadsword
Weapon: 220mm Vulcan AutoCannon II
Damage Done: 16688

Name: Gistatis Tribuni / Angel Cartel
Damage Done: 11129

Name: Jubes
Security: -9.9
Alliance: NONE
Corp: BLACK-FLAG
Ship: Hurricane
Weapon: Hurricane
Damage Done: 6236

Destroyed items:

Shield Boost Amplifier I
Wrath Cruise Missile, Qty: 1233 (Cargo)
Capacitor Control Circuit I, Qty: 3
Warp Core Stabilizer I, Qty: 5 (Cargo)
Devastator Cruise Missile, Qty: 5429 (Cargo)
XT-9000 Cruise Launcher, Qty: 3
Ballistic Control System II
Heat Dissipation Field II
Hammerhead I (Drone Bay)
Devastator Cruise Missile, Qty: 18

Dropped items:

Ballistic Deflection Field II
Small Nosferatu I
Heat Dissipation Field II (Cargo)
Capacitor Power Relay II, Qty: 2
Ballistic Deflection Field II (Cargo)
Hobgoblin I (Drone Bay)
Invulnerability Field II
Explosion Dampening Field II
Hammerhead I, Qty: 2 (Cargo)
XT-9000 Cruise Launcher, Qty: 3
Small Tractor Beam I
Ballistic Control System II, Qty: 2
Large Shield Booster II
Devastator Cruise Missile, Qty: 36

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