Chapters Three mining lasers shot out of the Hulk class mining ship in to an asteroid along with three other Covetor class mining vessels mining similar asteroids A Caldari Badger Mark II Industrial Ship sits by above the ships collecting the ORE that the mining ships cut out. A Rokh battleship sits by near the field with three Crusader interceptors, two Thrasher destroyers one above and below the mining ships, and a Thorax cruisers flying by the asteroids scanning for more useful rocks. On board the Rokh there were two men at the command center of the Bridge. An old man, with brown skin with white hair and somewhat bald along with a, white skinned young man with brown hair of the Caldari race. “Well this is looking good.”
“Yes it is sir. The mining ships and Badger report their cargo bay is about half full. The amount of ISK we will earn when we sell it is” He looks at his screen and finds an impressive number. “About 359,000,000.00 ISK sir… rounded down.”
“Good. This is good. Well it’s nice to know in your old age you can still command your men Jarien.”
“Yes sir yes I can..” Jarien is interrupted by a green light on his compute saying Comms Audio only.
“Sir it’s the Thorax, we found something.
“This is James Marr. What did you find?”
“Marr sir! We don’t know. Whatever it is… it’s old.”
“Take it back to the P.O.S. and run a scan on it see if you can..” James was cut off with an alarm and a Comm popping up.
“This is the Crusade of hell! We have a Defiance interceptor squad of seven coming out of warp along with a Nighthawk.”
“WHAT? Get your men on those interceptors now!”
“Yes sir AUGH…” Red text pops up saying Comm Lost
Another comm channel opens “James we just lost lead Crusade the other two are attacking the interceptors and our destroyers are engaging the interceptors as well but they are way too fast.”
“OK OK OK! Start getting our miners out NOW! I want that badger back home. Jarien get back P.O.S with that Thorax I don’t need the elderly here.”
Jarien took the order and ran off to the port side airlock to a docking Thorax along with other crewmen. All three Covetor class miners got out. The Badger was destroyed in the first attack. The destroyers are attacking the Nighthawk. The Rokh is jammed and unable to target.
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“All units checking sir.”
“Carful Matt. That Rokh may be jammed but if we lose our grasp then we may loss this battle.”
“Flowers we failed to kill those miners”
“But we did kill that badger”
“SIR Permission to attack the crusades?”
“Granted.”
“Thank you. Let’s go guys!” Matt take’s his Taranis to attack a Crusade along with a Crow and a Wolf to take on the other Crusade.
“This is Flowers I need support on the bottom destroyer it’s hitting me hard AGUH SHILDS ARE DOWN! I’M HIT!” A wreck of an interceptor flies out away from the Rokh in to an asteroid.
“Flowers this is matt we just took out there fighters. Commander Flowers… please respond.”
Suddenly a large shot is fired from the Rokh
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“James Marr we our weapons systems are back online! Shields are down Armor is just about full and…” James interrupted the controller
“Good target that Nighthawk have the destroyers take out the interceptors.”
“Sir the destroyers just took out two more interceptors.”
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“Savor of night we need orders. Flowers is dead. Who is lead?” Matt reported.
“Matt you are lead for now we need you to take out that Rokh if you can’t jam them.” A loud exposing is heard on the radio as the nighthawk is hit with a long rail gun.
Matt did not know what to think but he had no time. “ All ships on me full speed orbit around that Rokh I will get the destroyers.”
To Matt’s order the four remaining interceptors attack the Rokh as Matt flies straight down in to a wall of gun fire.
“Savor of night I need you to take out the bottom destroyers’ shields I will finish it off.”
Suddenly a large shot is fired and hits the Thrasher taking out its shields. And without them Matt was able to rip the Thrasher apart. That same thing happened to the other Thrasher but it ran off when Matt was less the a kilometer away.
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“SIR HULL BREACHES! THE SHIP IS FALLING APART!” Panic and screaming started to overtake the large battleship as the ship falls apart around them.
One shot from the Nighthawk aimed straight for the Rokh’s bridge is fired.
“Oh son of a” The bridge is hit hard as the rest of the ship falls apart and explodes in to flames and twisted metal.
"five weeks later"
“Way point reached”, A cheerful voice said on Matthew’s Arbitrator, a Amarr cruiser, as it warped in to the system New Eden after a fleet of Defiance ships killed a small fleet of insurrectionists ships that where coming out of warp from some part of same system. The ship Matt is flying is an Arbitrator made to lunch drones and armed with only a missile launcher made to tackle fast frigates. The turret ports where used for salvagers for the wrecks of the ships he can get his hands on. As Matt move in to the center of the debris field he saw a shuttle and a Manticore. Shuttles are seen in the system a lot most are tourist and pilots who want to take a look at the Collapse EVE gate worm hole. The Manticore is owned by Defiance and piloted by personal friend of Matt.
A green text pops up on Matt’s screen saying “Comm Initlated.” Video of a young white man of Gallente, Intaki origin.
“Hello Matt.
“Mark! Good to see you”
“Out looking for salvaging?”
“Ya. I was hoping I could find something useful from the wrecks.”
“I thought you were given the weekend off.”
“Ya but salvaging is a hobby of mine”
“Have fun. I got out and see what the insurrectionists are up to.” And after he finishes the sentence his Manticore Covert Ops frigate warps out of the area to find pray.
“What does the insurrection have out here? There HQ was out at the Sinq Laison region.”
“Matt, where not the only one who want the insurrection dead. They lost a lot of ships. About 60% of them are destroyed”
“Oh ya. I forgot about that and 10% are still in active combat.”
“That’s true Matt”
“Wait… does that mean 30% of the ships are missing?”
“Well yes but I just think there runners.”
“Runners?”
“Ya... runners. What would you do if your corporation started to fall apart?”
Well I would stay and fight for a couple of days but I would take off with a ship loaded with cash and supplies from what is left of Defiance so….. “I would take a ship and get the hell out of the region”
“And that is what I think. But command thinks there commander…”
“James Marr?”
“No, he was killed in an ambush. There new leader, Jarien Smith, could have taken the ships and ran off to set up a last stand”
“And if the ships here are Smiths, that means his last stand is here?” Kind of an odd place for a last stand but I guess I would like to die looking at something beautiful and the EVE gate is beautiful .
“That’s what I’m looking for Matt. Get what salvage you can and get out” The chat ended with a red text saying “Comms Disconnected”.
“And with that time to get to work” Matt starts locking up the biggest ships he can find which happen to only be industry ships. Matt started his work by getting close to the ships and unloads there cargo. Matt’s seat is made about the same as a car seat. He pulls small lever and sits back relaxes and let’s his ship do the work. After about 40 minutes of work his cheerful computer tells him that his cargo bay is full. “Well time to get back to Mirilene and see what kind of junk I got” Matt flies to get gate and jumps out.
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”Im sorry sir we lost the cargo. A salvager took it.”
Matt’s Arbitrator gate jumps out of the system.
“He is going home sir.”
Another voice from the shuttle pilot’s computer in a deep voice tells him
“Follow that pilot and get the solder at his front door or your ass will be fueling P.O.S Towers for the next six years.”
“Six years sir?” The pilot asked both nervously and confused. “That kind of..”
The deep voiced man interrupts “That cargo could be worth more than a bloody TITAN! I NEED THAT CARGO!” The voice from the comm says in an enraged voice. Another voice, a calmer one who sounds old, starts talking to the deep voiced man. “Now Guy you don’t need to scream at him. I just want to know what that life form is and if it is dangerous to the fleet” The comm ends and the pilot of a Caldari shuttle flies towards the gate and tries to keep up to the Arbitrator.
“All right then Merana. Can you pilot for me?”
A female voice, close to a younger sweet little girl, was heard on the speakers. “Okay Matt, where we going?”
“Back to Mirilene to dump whatever we don’t need.”
“You mean whatever you can’t get ISK on.” Matt may be BFF with his corp buddies but he still dose thing behind his commander’s back.
“Can you drive this thing or not?”
On Matt’s console a blue creature popped with no mouth, resembling something like a plus sign, with four eyes at the bottom, 6 legs, curved outward, and a tail. “Of course Matt.” Merana closed her eyes and put here front left leg on her head above her eyes. “I have control”
“Good” Matt gets up from his chair and starts walking to a door at the back of the bridge. “I’m going to the cargo bay and see what we got. Call me back up when we are one jump away”
“Got it Matt” Merana disappears from the screen and the picture goes back to ship status, local comm chatter, and a view of the ship outside thanks to a camera drone.
The cargo bay of the Arbitrator was not as cramp as you would think with all the salvage collected. Most of the salvage was put in containers when it was brought aboard. The cargo bay was light up very well and was easy to get around.
Now… let’s see what kind of surprised awaits. As Matt open’s the container wire, scrap metal, metal bars, and ship equipment comes falling out. Matt moves to the side before any of the junk hits him. “AND IT’S JUNK!” What a surprise. “Is that a…” Matt moves in to the junk pile as his curiosity get the better of him he hears the noise of falling metal behind him.
CRAP. Someone must have gotten on board with the salvage. Matt pulls out a CAR-9 scrambler pistol, made for public use, and starts moving slowly towards where he heard the sound. Matt whispers in to his ear peace as he gets behind cover. “Merana I think someone is on the ship. Can you see anything?”
“No matt nothing it looks clea… wait”
“Merana what do you see?”
“Something lavender in color hiding behind a box. I can’t see what it is but it may be organic.”
Matt pops out of cover and sees a violet and pink color tail and the coat of the creature just before it moves away. “I don’t know Merana…. It looks purple.”
“Lavender.”
“Do you see it or not?”
“No Matt”
Matt lets out a sigh. ”Well I’m going in.”
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Twilight was tired, hungry, and dirty from lying in a cramped cargo pod. Dazed and confused she tried to open the pod for maybe the sixth time and this time it worked the crate opened up and she was able to get out. The interior of the room was in was not the same. The room she was in before was bigger and full of plant’s animals of the Everfree forest and some books from her saddle bag. The room she was in now was full of scrap metal, wires, some big crates, and…”My saddle bag” Twilight went to walk over to get her bag but she overheard somepony or something. Knowing she would go in the crate again she started to run for a place to hid and accidently kicked some metal across the floor. She saw the creature move closer and into cover. She ran over to another crate and hid behind it hoping that the creature did not see her.
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Matt moved closer by moving behind anything solid.
“Merana see anyone or anything?”
“Yes something hid behind a crate. It’s on your left.”
Matt popped out of cover and ran to the crate on his left and walked behind it gun drawn. What he saw was not what he expected. It was a purple horse. Pony to be exact it was purple, had a horn, and a sparkle tattoo on its flank. Whatever it was he could see it was scared.
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Twilight know this was it but was not going to go down without a fighting. She created a purple bubble shield around her. “Leave me alone or else”
Matt took a few steps back keeping his gun ready. “WOW… hang on I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Ya right I’m supposed to believe that after I was kidnaped by your kind”
“The one who kidnaped you was part of a corporation I’m not in. I’m part of an alliance fighting them”
“How am I supposed to believe that”
Matt had nothing to convince her. But he did have…. “Look around you… see all this metal and salvage? This is all part of the ship you were on and where taking you away to who know where.” Matt put’s his pistol on his hoister. “We saved you.”
Twilight dropped the shield. “Ok… my name is Twilight Sparkle.”
“My name is Matthew Ike. But everyone calls me Matt.”
“I see you two are buddies now right?” Merana interrupted
“Who was that?” Twilight asked curiously.
“That my dear Twilight is Merana”
“Is she on the ship?”
“Well technically she is the ship. Merana change in plan. Take us back home to Fricoure. Twilight please come with me.” As Matt and Twilight walked out of the cargo bay a small device was blinking red.”
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On board a shuttle that was following Matt’s ship. “Throwing a transmitter in the salvage was a great idea. I know where they are heading” A calm man starts to talk to the shuttle pilot. “Good. Good. Well I will tell Guy the news and he will tell you what to do next. Come on home.” Red text pops up on screen saying Comms Disconnected.
Matt and Twilight went back to the bridge of the ship and saw a the warp bubble start to collapsed. “Merana, Status.”
“Matt we are nearing the Fricoure gate.”
“Good. All most home.”
“Fricoure gate?” Twilight asked confused at what the blue thing said.
“You want to know how we are able to get to stars light years away in about ten seconds?”
“I would love to see how!” Twilight said as the warp bubble collapsed 3,000 meters from the gate. “Wh… what is that?”
“That my dear Sparkle is…” Pause for dramatic effect . “A Stargate”
“What is a stargate?
“A stargate is… well… Merana can you answer this one?”
“Yes Matt…. A stargate sends ships, regardless of the distance, to another system far away. There are four different kinds of stargates for public travel. Standard gates, constellation gates, regional gates, and border gates.”
“Ok but how does it work”
“Twilight there is nothing in my data bank or on the extranet about how stargates work. I believe it secret and only given to the ones who…”
“Merana” Matt interrupted. “Well let’s do the next best thing.”
“What’s the next best…” Twilights words started to become distorted as the ship disappears and a blue bolt is fired from the stargate in to the next star system. “…thing? Wow.”
“Yes it is amazing being transported from one star to another…” With a snap of his fingers “Just like that!”
“Amazing I know teleportation spells but I don’t even think Celestia herself could…”
“Wo wo wo hang on a second Twi” Matt says cutting of Twilight mid-sentence. “Did you just say spells? As in magic?”
“Well yes. Why do you ask?”
Matt’s onboard computer alerts Matt that his ship is going in to warp to the station he calls home. “Well magic doses not exists.” Well not in reality .
“Oh? How do you think I made that shield?”
“Easy star ships have shields. And new solders have shield. So you… good point.”
“Well… I would love to visit a library. This place sounds fascinating!”
“There is a library at the station where we live so I can pick up some book and take them back for you.” As the ship left warp and was just about 2 Km from the station’s massive docking hanger.
“WOW. I did not think such things could be.” Twilight says as she stares at the Gallente station
Docking permission requested.
“Station this is Matthew Ike of the Bemoth I hope you have a dock ready for one ship and cargo bots ready to unload nothing but space junk.
“Affirmative sir. Welcome home Matt.” A female station control officer says.
“Thank you station… good to be home”
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”He’s docking in the station now guy"
“Spot on! Get the troops ready”
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Matt’s ship stops over a plat form and floats over it thanks to gravity beams. Matt Twilight and Merana inside a small chip exit the ship from the port side air lock on to a movable platform made to move personal around the inside of a station to other ships and cabins. The platform moves to a cabin owned by Matt. Matt’s cabin was of Gallente design.
“Well Matt this is… nice”
“Well Twilight this is what I got. I don’t really use this place a lot because I’m out in space most of the time. Just stay here I will get some books” Matt starts walking out the door and puts the chip Merana is in into a socket on the wall transferring her into his room’s electronics.
Twilight sat down on the couch and took a look around. There was a screen with moving pictures projected from the wall, a coffee table with a small hologram of a ship, a agent finder board, a small bed, mirror, some drinks and food on the shelves built in to the wall near the door, a poster next to it advertising some movie called Clear Skies 2 “One crew. Half a ship. No idea.” and a small hologram of the blue creature named Merana.
“Sooo…. You’re a unicorn right?”
“Yes I am, why? Do you not have them here?”
“No not in New Eden… you want to watch something while we wait?”
“Ok. Watch what?”
“Well we got The Scope news, a documentary on legends of new Eden, another documentary called The Jovians myth or reality, and three movies under the title Clear skies.”
“What’s Clear Skies?”
“Clear Skies is the name of a Tempest class Minmatar battleship. The crew needs to earn cash for repairs and such.”
“Well it sounds like a good play”
“Technically Twilight you are correct but it is not live in a theater played by actors. It is showed on a screen of moving pictures.”
“Like that thing” Twilight points at the wall mounted holographic T.V.
“Yes.”
“So what are the Jovians?”
Matt walks throw the door carrying 6 books. “There aliens.” Matt says as he places the books on the coffee table. “There genetically modified freaks light years ahead of us hiding in some distant region. They may have also messed with our development.”
“How could they do that?”
Matt sits down on the couch next to Twilight “Well for example one race invents the jump drive making huge capital ships a reality. Something that can really help a race rule New Eden. But then suddenly all the races make the same brake throw. How do you think could do that?”
“Fascinating… do you really think that’s true?”
Matt hands Twilight a book on the rediscovery of space travel. “Well it’s something to think about.”