Ironfleet Towing And Salvage

For the time being, Ironfleet is operating in w-space. You’ll understand if the details are kept a little bit obscure for reasons of operational security, but we’re concentrated in a specific system and interested in defending our interests there from casual intruders.

So, the new routine is, when I log in, the first thing to do is scan the system for unwelcome vessels. This morning, that turned me up a Brutix. Closer investigation showed the Brutix to be at a new wormhole to highsec. Oddly, the Brutix was about 100km from the wormhole and powering away (slowly) in a random direction. AFK?

Now, as it happens, for logistical reasons there was nobody but me handy to deal with this terrible crisis, and I didn’t have any serious combat ship that would normally be able to kill a Brutix in a heads-up fight. The pilot, Ceist Mashal of Jericho Industries [JRCO], North Domain Defense Forces [Honor], is a 2007 character, so this could be a properly-fitted, well-piloted encounter.

On the other hand, he could be AFK, or distracted with his face glued to the scanning interface. And I do have a Sleeper-killing caracal. What’s the worst that could happen, he warps off?

So, I warp on him at about 70 clicks out, and commence firing volleys of heavy missiles. He targets me back (auto targetback? Promising!) but never launches a drone or fires a gun. A dozen volleys later (with no evidence he ever turned on a tank module of any kind) he’s in a pod. Two more volleys and the pod is toast.

The wreck was way over there, and I’m in a slow-ass boat, so I went to swap ships. And when I came back, the wreck had been looted. Given my frequent scanning, this implies a cloaker. Was he AFK and two-boxing his covert ops ship? I’m not sure. But the killmails look good:

2009.03.14 18:43:00

Victim: Ceist Mashal
Corp: Jericho Industries
Alliance: North Domain Defense Forces
Faction: NONE
Destroyed: Brutix
System: J235321
Security: 0.0
Damage Taken: 13195

Involved parties:

Name: Marlenus (laid the final blow)
Security: 1.2
Corp: Ironfleet Towing And Salvage
Alliance: Tear Extraction And Reclamation Service
Faction: NONE
Ship: Caracal
Weapon: Caldari Navy Scourge Heavy Missile
Damage Done: 13195

Destroyed items:

Core Probe Launcher I
Armor Thermic Hardener II
Armor Explosive Hardener II
Valkyrie II (Drone Bay)
Javelin S, Qty: 40
Core Scanner Probe I
Hammerhead II, Qty: 2 (Drone Bay)
Javelin S, Qty: 80 (Cargo)
150mm Railgun II, Qty: 3
Cap Recharger II, Qty: 2
Infiltrator II (Drone Bay)
Salvager I
Core Scanner Probe I, Qty: 40 (Cargo)

Dropped items:

Armor Explosive Hardener II
Javelin S, Qty: 160
Armor EM Hardener II
Hammerhead II (Drone Bay)
150mm Railgun II, Qty: 2
Cap Recharger II, Qty: 2
Antimatter Charge S, Qty: 5000 (Cargo)
Medium Armor Repairer II
Core Scanner Probe I, Qty: 8 (Cargo)

2009.03.14 18:44:00

Victim: Ceist Mashal
Corp: Jericho Industries
Alliance: North Domain Defense Forces
Faction: NONE
Destroyed: Capsule
System: J235321
Security: 0.0
Damage Taken: 447

Involved parties:

Name: Marlenus (laid the final blow)
Security: 1.2
Corp: Ironfleet Towing And Salvage
Alliance: Tear Extraction And Reclamation Service
Faction: NONE
Ship: Caracal
Weapon: Caldari Navy Scourge Heavy Missile
Damage Done: 447

Update: Later in the day I spoke with a Taranis pilot who was flying top gun for a squadron of battleships farming sleeper rats. He told me his covert ops alt watched this kill, looted the wreck when I left, and gave the loot back to Ceist Mashal.

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 14th, 2009 at 1:29 pm and is filed under Today In Ironfleet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.