Yeah, yeah. I'm not your gung-ho gunsliger. I don't fly around trying to make it big in the combat zones just yet. But, one has to make a living and get some reputation to get a place to start learning to fly all these birds. So, I do trade runs. Actually, any run will do if the rep is good enough.

Now, here I was, heading down into UIT-land in a Cent III. Nothing like an infiboost rocket with a cockpit to get you around in a jiffy. Everything was quiet in Divinia and Jallik, even Edras seemed to be asleep. Heck, I don't mind. I like the quiet. I got ear that Aputek Mining had some stray work available, and Valent sure are people I wish to hang with. Well, not really. They're mostly a really annoying bunch, but they have some nice offers to people they like. So I kiss up. Heh.

Anyway, I get to Aputek Mining without incident. This'll be a good day I think to myself. A few good runs down here, get some cash, some rep, and head home for some R'n'R. Right. I must be loosing it. A good day indeed. The offer was a short trip to Azek, one plasma coil was busted and they needed an express delivery. And the payment just about screams at me. I look at my Cent and smile. "Sure thing, express is what we do. I'm your man.". So we point the nose out the door and I hit the turbo. Hard. It's a good day to fly a rocket.

Verasi and Nyrius just slip by, heck, the navcom is the only thing making sure I actually remember to hit the frigging wormholes. I'm not here to catch scenery, not today, so it's all boost. All the time. Then Dau. The center of UIT space. Their pride and joy. The sight of riches. Right. Remind me to update that memo some day.

I hit a storm. Great. We eat those for lunch. No biggie. Turn, twist, find the exit point, hear a loud warning. I have just about enough to time to map it to the "collision imminent" alarm. What the? Oh, hello Mister Valent. Fate, as it would seem, is not without a sense of irony. The Valent Assult bot decides that getting run into by an oversized missile isn't very nice and lets it all rip. I start rolling and pull out my best dodge patters. Luckily these bots are complete idiots. A pirate would have read those moves before I did 'em, but the bot spams the void instead. Phew. I roll the bird into a trajectory towards the exit point and hit the turbo. Time to turn off the alarms and check the damage. The bird held up well. Some engine work, some hull plates on the nose and some paint and we'll be happy again. I love this thing, I really do.

At full burn, the bots disappear into the void and I lean back and engage the jump engines -- just to warp out with the collision alarm going off again and a rock the size of a medium sized gas giant filling my view. I combine a full stop with a nice kick to the navcom. "The best money can buy". I need to drop by that dealer again, we seem to have some communication problems. I thank Eo himself that I wasn't flying the Centaur and slowly go around the rock. Oh. I'm in a storm? NOW I notice. Great. I politely decline the offer from an AT5 to party, fly a nauseating slalom between some of his friends who seem to be invited as well, and target another exit point. The bird takes some flak, and this time I feel even closer to vacuum than usual. Every panel is blinking and every hull indicator is screaming for attention. Engines, don't fail me now.

They don't.

The Cent screams into another full burn and shoots out of the party. A few stray shots later and I'm away. Remind me to mention this to the Dau Senate. "So trade in UIT space, we have safe and secure routes..." Sure thing baby. Just do the backroads and you'll be just dandy.

So, I let off the throttle and hope this bird will stay whole until I reach Fenhall Mining. One wormhole and one jump to go. I gently glide the Cent into the wormhole and close my eyes. Then I engage the wormhole engines. When I open my eyes, I'm in Azek. Damn. I love this bird. I start to breathe again, and point the nose towards open space. One more jump. And then a red speck on my long range radar. Right. How red? I target the ship and sigh. Serco. And a pirate. Of course. I weigh my options for a split second and pray. Now, I'm not usually a religious person, but sometimes, well, just sometimes you know how it is. The engines roar, gauges turn a bloody crimson, alarms scream. But the ship holds. And holds. And holds. The only controls I keep a hand on is the engage for the jump engines. The red speck disappears. No hail. Just need for this to hold together. Just a little more. 2500, 2700, 2850, 2950... Mark. Engage. And yet again I silently prey.

I can't believe it. Everything holds. I coast in towards Fenhall Mining leaving a trail of smoke and hull, but I'm alive. Damn. I hope they can refit the bird here. Practicalities are starting to flow back into my brain. I dock, with stares from everything that has eyes in the station. Of all things, the hatch for the cockpit is broken. I manually release the cockpit and climb out. Putting my feet down on the floor feels surreal.

And my contact from Valent comes running, he's got this deal I just can't say no to. They need a critical shipment to Sedina. Right now! I don't really catch much of what he's saying, except that it's 12 cargo units, and that they'll front me the ship. I think I sign the contract. Heck, I don't remember. So right now, half an hour later, I'm sitting in the dead of space, towards pirate space, in a frigging govbus.

Oh yeah. A good day. A good day indeed. At least I'm still flying.

Arrr a good yarn matey. Let me know when you want that trip to Sedina. The Guild of the Black Lance shall be honoured to escort you

for a small fee.........

good stuff

right, rewards for people who spot the references in the story. :-)