So as I’m sitting here in this cockpit staring out into open space in mid-warp, I can’t help but wonder…
Can warping technically be considered travelling without moving? … I’d like to think so…
Traversing from one system to another. From one end of the known galaxy to the other... you tend to forget just who you are and where you came from when all it all feels like there’s just no one who can relate; or oddly enough, they can, and is where the trouble begins. How many others out there among the stars, despite being so far away, are yet closely aware of the evils Tranquility hides? Within every moon's shadow or lurking in the depths of some massive, wrecked ship of distant battle's past? Or behind some rock in an asteroid belt….
Trust no one.
Believe no one.
Become no one.
This is why I fit myself tight within this ship, an Atron Class Gallente Interceptor Taranis, which I've named on its behalf: Rogue66.
That number itself is no unintended interval or magic number. It’s the number of ships I’ve flown in thus far, with this ship being my most recent, and yet I laugh to admit, my longest running outfit through the systems, #66. When you’re on your own you tend to learn some very harsh lessons… and after 65 previous lost ships, those lessons tend to stick no matter how much you try to repel them with pride, or optimism. Believe me, it’s not that I’m a bad pilot, or that I make poor decisions in my ship; it’s more like I make awful decisions (or have terribly bad luck) as a pilot when it comes to trusting who I believe I should, or could, trust… or believing 125mm auto cannons could have gotten the job done, but that’s beside the point and only happened once.
The point is that in Tranquility, there are a lot of capsuleers out there eager to make their mark, and about just as equal in numbers of whom would love to leave their mark on you. From miners to courier service fleetsmen, to pirates, mercenaries and vigilantes who believe they can make a difference in however method they feel they should fit in the niche of open ended possibilities. In one way or another, directly or indirectly, we’ve all had our run ins with these variable types. Some of them even mixing inbetween self-imposed occupations. A majority of these possibilities occur in corporations.
Yet at this point from what I’ve experienced I could care less for the politics, shoulder rubbing, sometimes bootlicking master & servant games that go on in some of these corporations, however many there may be and the inner workings of what they propose to be as I’ve had my fair share of those as well. I’m not saying they’re bad, I’m just saying there’s a bit of socializing involved that perhaps I’m just too uncomfortable with. After putting on a faux smile, strapping into some handed out frigate by said corporation to fight for their cause later to realize I was used as cannon fodder and that my trust into that corporation, which at first was bold and new, had become thrown out and used.
I’m more than certain there are countless others out there who have felt this same pain of betrayal or overlooked security from others who should be there but never were, even, from the get go.
So what does this have to do with my ship and I?
Well, lately Rogue66 has proved to be a bit of a surprise over the countless others which usually ended in grim demise. As of late, 66 has shown to be quite formidable despite being slow on the uptake… and by that I mean she’s not exactly the fastest thing on turbines but she’s deadly reliable. I’d only heard about Taranis interceptors here and there but the oddball circumstances and specs about them seemed to fit in my situation. I wanted something different, yet attractive… so that’s where her Gallente looks come in. I wanted something strong, but not dramatic… so I found out her armaments could pack a dragon kick to the chest, so to speak, of power under the right circumstances… I wanted to be alone… and oddly enough I have two Hobgoblin drones packed away in the drone bay!
After all the insurance money from all those lousy ships… after countless hours of jettison-canister mining in a Minmatar frigate class Burst... salvaging wrecks and selling the parts… after being chased around and away by random pirates of all kinds, I’ve finally made it this far, to which I hope should be my last, my now, Rogue66.
As I think it should be.
Hm…
66’s warp speed is pitching, we must be getting close to the other end of this tunnel by now. What a nice way to stop and reflect on what my purpose here in Tranquility should be…
End the end I suppose it all doesn’t matter… and perhaps there already is someone, somewhere, out there having said what I just said. If that’s the case….
Then why do I still feel like I’m the only one saying it?
Microcosm much, I suppose…
…
There’s something unfamiliar smudged or possibly squashed onto my windshield… best to clean that off next time I dock.
[Warping to Thiarer VII – Moon 4 Ammatar Fleet Assembly Plant prior to making dock attempt]
