Mostly Aimless

Postcards from a Galactic Drifter in the world of Elite Dangerous

[mostly-aimless]

Lave Station, orbiting Planet Lave, Lave System, Alliance space. 114LY Sol.

Stopped off to pick up a supply of rare Lavian brandy. Lave is known as one of the "Old Worlds" as it was one of the first to be settled. In 2752, Lave was the first system to have a fully operational Coriolis space station. Many pilots, brought up on swashbuckling tales from Lave's lawless past, still feel a certain attachment to the place.

Today the system is far more secure as part of a group of independent systems that formed a military alliance to deter Federal and Imperial interference.

[3301 02 18]

[mostly-aimless]

Nirvana, Aulin system. This planet's huge biodiversity has attracted a large advanced pharmaceutical and bio-tech industry. I was here to find some upgrades for my new Type 6 at the Aulin Enterprise orbital station.

GD 319 was my first experience of a white dwarf star. Fortunately they are rare, but if I ever encounter one again I'm going to be prepared. I've upgraded the power plant and power distributor for better thermal management and heat dissipation. I should have done this in my previous ship. I knew the E rated plant ran hot, but thinking only of the credits I ignored the warnings.

Until now I haven't named my ships. It seemed sentimental. Maybe I was wrong. Your ship is more than a means of transport. It's your home and your livelihood.  In the harsh emptiness of space, a name can provide an expression of identity, of an aspiration, a purpose, an idea. It can be a badge, trophy or talisman. It can be a remembrance or a prophecy. It can be a warning to others, or in this case to oneself. 

An ancient Earth fable tells of an unwise man full of hubris, who dismissed warnings and flew too close to the sun. The heat melted his wings and he fell into the sea. His name was Icarus.

[3301 02 15]

[mostly-aimless]

The Icarus, docked at Azeban City, Eranin system.

DISASTER! GD 319 should have just been an inconsequential  jump point on my nav plot to the Ethgreze system. Instead it ended up being the final jump my Type 6 would ever make. GD 319 turned out to be a deadly white dwarf star. It's massive gravitational field pulled me out of supercruise, and the ship began to rapidly overheat. I engaged the Frame Shift Drive to jump free, but this just put more thermal load on my crappy power plant. The hull continued to overheat and started to break up. I was forced to abandon ship.

Fortunately my distress signal was picked up by a System Security vessel. When I made it back to Azeban City, Eranin, the self doubt hit me.  Should I be doing this? Why risk travelling hundreds of light years to trade rare goods? Why not just find a safe, local shuttle run? Are the credits really worth the risk?  

The doubt lasted a full 30 seconds. I contacted the Pilots Federation, paid the 90k credit excess on my ship insurance and took ownership of another Lakon Type 6. Insurance covered the ship but it didn't cover my lost cargo. 100t, including around 50t of rare commodities all gone. 

[3301 02 15]

[mostly-aimless]

Zeessze system, Nicollier Hanger orbiting New America.  Known for it's exotic food, flora and fauna,  this planet was named "Paradise" by the first human settlers. It was given it's present name after scientific expeditions discovered  how similar the ecosystem was to the old rainforests of Earth's southern american continent.

The Federal Military uses the planet to base the Gurkha Assault Regiment. Respected (and feared) even in the Empire, these ground combat specialists have seen extensive action against The Federation's enemies; be they Empire clone troops or some of the most ruthless organized criminal enterprises and notorious terrorist groups in the galaxy.

My purpose here was far less exciting - Zeessze ant grub glue - 18t of the stuff. 

[3301 02 13]

[mostly-aimless]

Following another Type 6 into Morgue's Mortuary, the orbital port of Navy Central. Macabrely named after a particularly infamous and brutal training sergeant, Maximillian Morgue. When 20 of his recruits died in a "training incident", it sparked a mutiny. Morgue was found guilty of abusing a position of authority and was executed.  

Knowing this history, I was glad that the shipment of weapons I was delivering were of the non-lethal variety.

[3301 02 11]

[mostly-aimless]

A new dawn at Navy Central - Eta Cassiopeiae 19.42LY from Sol.  Navy Central - a moon orbiting a gas giant - became the custom built training grounds and academy of the Federal Navy after terraforming was completed in 2983. (Prior to this the academy was based at nearby Anlave.) The moon is ideal for training planetary assault forces but has no civilian facilities so supplies go through the orbital port.

[3301 02 11]

[mostly-aimless]

I've moved on from Lalande 18115. The free traders/smugglers have left, so time to earn some honest credits trading rare commodities. Rares runs will mean long haul routes so I've had a fuel scoop installed to my Lakon 6. I'll be able to eliminate refueling costs by scooping hydrogen directly from the corona of stars - like the Red Dwarf Ross 248 here. Free fuel is good, but get scooping wrong and you'll end up toasted.

[3301 02 11]

[mostly-aimless]

I originally came to this region to find work with The Federation in hope of getting a permit to enter Sol. Why do I want to get to Sol? Story for another day.

Anyway, Sol will have to wait This PE trade run is too lucrative to pass up. In fact this could be the break I need. No more risking my neck on rare goods runs half way across the galaxy. Time to trade in my speedy Cobra MkIII with 32t of cargo space for a Lakon Type 6 Transporter with 104t.

[3301 02 07]

[mostly-aimless]

Decided to check whether this story was too good to be true. Managed to source some stock of performance enhancers at Bursch for around 6.5k per tonne and headed out to Lalande 18115 to RV with the Lakon 9s. PEs are used to enhance mental and physical abilities. They are used widely but the dangerous side effects of excessive use has resulted in some jurisdictions regulating and even banning the trade.

Well this particular trade of mine went well. These guys paid good credits and I wasn't interested in asking questions about the destination of the cargo.  In Federation space this kind of off the books activity could be considered smuggling. Here in Independent space it's called free trade.

[3301 02 06]

[mostly-aimless]

Continued on to Bursch Enterprise - a  station in the Saktsak System. Figured this being a high-tech economy I'd be able to find some decent upgrades for my Cobra MkIII. 

Got talking to some guys in one of the pilot's bars. Turns out those Lakon 9s I saw in Lalande are big time black market traders. They're looking for supplies of performance enhancers and will pay around 7.5k per tonne no questions asked.

[3301 02 05]

[mostly-aimless]

Was passing through Lalande 18115 (Independent System 20LY from Sol) when I noticed these Lakon Type 9 Heavy Freighters hiding on the dark side of Lalande 18115A1

[3301 02 05]