An epic engagement

 People who are rather more than six feet tall and nearly as broad across the shoulders often have uneventful journeys. People jump out at them from behind rocks then say things like, "Oh. Sorry. I thought you were someone else."
-- Carrot travels to Ankh-Morpork
(Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!)

I arrived in my hangar in Gusandall station and was greeted by a message from one of the new locals, a challenge, a battle.

CptHaoc > where is megathron?
Kane Rizzel > on Cybetron with the rest of the Decepticons :P
CptHaoc > that answer made me reapproach
Kane Rizzel > lol
CptHaoc > undock. its time

How could I resist, my mighty Megathron war ship versus what I assumed would be a Maelstrom vessel of doom.

And so it was, I took my time, needed to do some stuff around the hangar first, checked and re-checked my ammo, cap boosters, seeing where I could jam a few more into the cargo hold, checked all mods, drones, and drugs.

I made myself a cup of Earl Grey and quietly enjoyed it before boarding Gasplode and undocking.

Battle would take place at Asteroid Belt 1-1, I warped in at a range I felt comfortable with and waited, sure enough, a Maelstrom appears on scan, just as a friend in a Megatrhon of his own jumped into system. I asked Kash to stay out of it and he kindly obliged. The Mael warps in, I drop a flight of Garde II sentries and closed, he drops Hammer IIs and a Berzerker SW-900 Heavy web drone.

I closed, pulsed the smart-bomb in my utility high, engaged web and scram and proceeded to  introduce hot anti matter into the Maelstroms pulsing shields.

His tank was amazing, I took a hit of Exile and started micro managing my reps and boosters, he was boosting a third of his shields with each pulse and doing great damage. It was going to come down to cap boosters.

I had gotten him to about half armour but his impressive tank would hold as long as his cap boosters did but he stopped doing damage as I easily repped back to full armour.

CptHaoc > weapons burned

Well that would make it easier, I turned off tank, stopped cap boosting but continued to harass his shields.

Kane Rizzel > your tank is awesome
CptHaoc > 100 mil to let my mael live
Kane Rizzel > kk
CptHaoc > DONE
Kunibert Grafenwald > ITS A TRAP
Kashmyta > boosh
Kane Rizzel > GF

And just like that, I made 100mil and the Mael lives to War another day. He warps out and I make way to retrieve my sentry drones when suddenly Pilgrim, decloaks off my starboard and engages, neuts firing the last remnants of my cap into oblivion, tracking disrupted and drones swarming me it seems like I'm done for, helpless.

CptHaoc > how many caps u got
Kane Rizzel > not enough for this pilgrim
CptHaoc > he's got a point on u?
Kane Rizzel > yep

I reload my cap booster and start firing off one at a time, pulsing my smartbomb but leaving my reppers off, I close to zero on the Grim and start to batter it, the Maelstrom pilot returns to the field in a Hurricane and helps me mop up.

Sakari Orisi > gf
Kane Rizzel > gf

I had three no charges in my cap booster...

Kane Rizzel > I had six more charges

But six in the medium container in my hold called 'Farjung <3'

Kane Rizzel > :)
Saara Orisi > Bah, so close

Not close enough.

Thanks to CptHaoc for coming back to help, Kash warped his Mega in at the end along with another of Haoc's corp mates in a Drake.

Belt 1-1 saw something epic and witnessed honour, something that is far too rare in this amazing universe.

CptHaoc > ur mega is a beast.
Kane Rizzel > thanks
CptHaoc > dunno what can i do next about that
Kane Rizzel > the tank on that mael was something else tbh
CptHaoc > well, i spent a few isk on a booster
CptHaoc > burning out my guns, is a true fail.
Kane Rizzel > happens tbh
Kane Rizzel > sometimes if you ungroup a few won't be burnt

This makes me wonder how much the booster was worth? :)