So, local intelligence in Isaziwa provided Ironfleet High Command (that’s me) with an anonymous tip regarding the whereabouts of an unescorted AC-ME mining barge. AC-ME, it turns out, is not universally loved; we’ve even gotten offers of substantial ISK if certain named members of AC-ME should suffer catastrophic pod failure during these hostilities. (Of course we are not a mercenary corporation per se, but given our war aims, we’ll be happy to do it for free if the fortunes of war provide an opportunity.)
But I digress.
The intelligence review team (also me) was suspicious of a possible trap, but enemy assets in system seemed insufficient to have established an overwhelming trap. Accordingly, I decided to go in hot, do the job, and get out, or at least get cloaked.
I confess I did not know that a Procurer mining barge was so fragile. Poor Garrikk never had a chance — I locked and fired three cruise missiles, but he went “kaboom!” on the second one and the third passed harmlessly through his wreckage. By then I had his jet can targeted, so I blew that {mourn for lost salvage} and cloaked.
As for the trap, it was a bit like stirring a hornet’s nest with a stick. First responders, very fast, were a Drake (piloted by the same Aeternus Kahn who got Miss Iron last night, if I am not mistaken) and a stealth bomber from INDY who got onto grid and then cloaked. Fairly soon Murdock Jones showed up in his assault frigate, and there was a Crow interceptor on grid fairly quick as well.
The Drake took the Procurer loot, the Crow ranged widely about the grid, and the stealth bomber did what I was doing. (Who knows what? It’s very hard to say.)
Murdock Jones went away and came back in another bait ship — a mining cruiser in which he set to mining, trailing one sad small combat drone, like a pheasant dragging a fake broken wing to entice a fox away from her chicks. By now the drake was gone, the Crow was out by the edge of the grid playing tag with the torn fabric of spacetime, and all looked peaceful on grid.
About two games of Pinochle later (we always bring Pinochle cards along for stealth bomber duty) Jones got bored and took his baitship home. And the stealth bomber pilot started messaging me in an attempt to find out whether I was still watching an empty roid belt with him.
As it happens, I was. There’s nothing more peaceful than two opposing stealth bombers cloaked and watching for the other one to do something interesting. It’s very zen.
Eventually he must have had all the zen he could stand, because he uncloaked and left. And the asteroids sailed, serene and unmolested, along their heavenly courses.
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January 5th, 2008 at 1:29 am
I wasn’t mining, I was merely salvaging the NPC wrecks and then thought I would just fly around a bit. We did all the mining I could handle earlier in the day and I’ve gathered enough ore for my productions.
January 5th, 2008 at 4:44 am
very nice stroy, entertaining in my opinion. Good writer, kept me interested, should keep this war interesting….happy hunting ;)
January 5th, 2008 at 7:15 am
I guess thats 1-1 then…. but acually we looted your werck and you didnt loot ours, looks like we are doing the salvaging here!
January 5th, 2008 at 8:55 am
I know you weren’t mining, Murdock, that was sort of my point.
Fortunes of war, WCaspar. Fortunes of war.