The Bird of Prey Takes Flight

Today I took the Vulture for her maiden voyage, and what a beauty she is. Here she is docked up having been fitted out to my initial budget.

Having cracked a customary bottle of wine over the hull (even though in Sol custom it should be champagne, which I've yet to find a single bottle of out here in the stars) and taken my seat, I found that not only is she stunning to look at, in my opinion anyway, she is also an absolute dream to fly.

In comparison to the Viper, she only has two large hardpoints whereas the Viper has two small and two medium hardpoints. However the bonus here is that these bays are capable of housing two class 3 turrets. Currently I've got two class 2 beam's installed, and they do a beautiful job of tearing through shields and hull on every level of ship up to and including Anaconda's. The only downside I've noticed is that with where the turrets are positioned, smaller targets are tougher to hit, as the close range means the gap between the lasers forces one of them to miss unless you are spot on with the aiming and the angle.

Where the Vulture excels beyond all belief is the manoeuvrability. Good grief can this ship move, she's literally in a class of her own. She doesn't have speed on her side, as she is much much slower than the Viper, but the ability to stay tailed to most ships in their blind spots is something that I have found invaluable in combat. From Sidewinders and Eagles to Clippers and Anaconda's, the Vulture can run rings around them all. Here is a shot of a Clipper that didn't last long at all against the agile motions of my new Vulture.

This new ship has meant that the renewed efforts of the local rats has gone to waste. Currently, they are powerless to even consider standing against me in their current state of poor organisation. Even in fleets of three, they are literally no match.

Perhaps I am indeed safe here after all, and can help the local enforcement gain control...

It's Getting Tougher...

For the record, I must correct my previous log. My new daughters name is actually spelt Aoife. Heaven forbid I hadn't corrected it in this statement, otherwise the pirates here in Neganhot would have been the least of my troubles. Wives are dangerous, even when they are light years away.

The last few days have been pretty hectic, the rats out here really have it in for me. Having undertaken a mission for the local authority to bring one of the pirates most senior commanders to an end, the local scum have stepped up their attacks. A battering of interdictions in one evening left my Viper badly damaged and its been grounded for a couple of days whilst it undergoes repairs to both the hull and the modules. She could also use a lick of paint, but I'm not sure yet whether or not to commission one.

However, I've made the most of the time my Viper has been out of action by investing in a new ship. I decided to purchase myself a Hauler (and no that's not my 'new' investment) in order to travel in relative secrecy across a few stars in order to get to where I needed to be. To my surprise it worked, not a single pirate bothered to cross me. Which is good for me, as I didn't even equip the Hauler beyond its stock fitting.

The Vulture is a glorious ship, and now I am the proud owner of one. As I write she is undergoing module changes. I'm spending a fair chunk on her so that she is reliable for the flight back to Neganhot, that way I can engage any criminals on entering the system.

The remote camera drones are not currently operational on her, so I have yet to get a good shot of her both flying and in the station. But as soon as they come online rest assured I will document her beauty. All being well I will make my return journey tonight and no doubt I will have news to share of the Vulture's combat abilities within hours of taking her out for a spin.

Despite the positives that a new ship brings, I cant help but feel Neganhot will soon be off limits for me. I've seen increasingly bigger ships teaming up to get a piece of me. The rats even bring Anaconda's to the fight which, in fleets, are proving difficult to deal with. Still, whilst the pickings are fun and worthwhile, the extraction zones of Neganhot remain my priority.

The First Log

This is the first in a series of logs that I have decided to write. I write them now because I received word that my wife back on Earth in Sol gave birth to my second daughter just yesterday, and so I decided I would leave these logs as a record of my days in case the worst should happen to me.

Aiofe was born at 02:10 on 21st March 3301. She joins my oldest daughter Erin who is 3 in July, and though I am only around 123 light years away in Neganhot, it's not currently safe enough for me to cross the stars home. However, I do know that both my wife Sarah and my new daughter are doing well, which gives me some time to allow things to settle before I embark on a return journey.

My life is dangerous. Populated space is crazy and full of diseased beings willing to take advantage of innocent beings who simply cannot protect themselves. My job is to hunt those pirates down and bring them to a swift justice. Naturally, I reap sweet rewards for doing so, but there is a price I must pay.

Whilst the local security officers in Neganhot are happy while I am at their side, the resident scum are not. My sources tell me that they completely despise my presence here and are plotting to have me removed altogether. But I'm not afraid. Thankfully, I am an competent pilot capable of taking down even the most elite of pirate pilots with little difficulty.

My trusty ship has been with me for a long time. She's a beautiful Viper MK III, custom fitted with two fixed class 1 beam lasers, and two gimballed class 2 multi-cannons. Courtesy of my remote camera drones, here is a shot of her docked at Gardner Settlement.

She's had her fair share of bumps and scratches, but we've formed a perfect bond between my piloting abilities and her super engineering, thank you Faulcon DeLacy.

And now, I feel the need to celebrate. As such I'm going to head to the stations market and buy myself a few beers and join the other locals in a well earned drink. After which, I shall log some more stories of justice from past and present. Commander Sel'xar signing off.