Complacency kills - Part Two

Am sitting in my battered battlecruiser in a safe spot in a quiet system, repairing my damaged hull. The weekend was a blur of activity. Black Flag had (with friends) taken down a second carrier! I missed it due to other commitments but what a feat!

++The Caldari Navy Raven Kill++

It started like any other day, I was idling in the station - checking up on sale orders and such when I was asked (nay, demanded) to attend to Jubes desire for carnage. He was already stalking a mark and had a number of M34N corp and Black Flag in a mixed BC / BS gang. The mark was a plated thorax that was bait for a megathron pilot. We knew this because it was now the third time he had tried this trick. Each time, ending in the death of the alt and sometimes, the main. I don't think he was learning.

Anyway, I got into my fleet cane and was in space and en route to Jubes when he shouted out.
"I have him. Warp to me. Warp to me." I was still one system away but the rest of the fleet, all barreled towards Eifer at best speed. By the time I arrived, Jubes was going down from a combination of gate guns, a thorax and a looming megathron. Jubes is not known as 'The Eager One' for nothing you know?

I locked Jubes first, as I wanted to replenish his shield and then locked Captain Reynolds (megathron) and WildCard2 (thorax and his alt/bait). In the fleet we had massive firepower and the megathron, while trying to race for the gate to escape, was blasted by Tiggertime in his megathron aided by Kane, me, Ichiro and RealZonk. We even podded WildCard2's pod - that was Kane Rizzel in his broadsword and quite possibly the fastest locking pilot we have.

Laughing, we looted the wreck while Jubes was already back into Gusandall when he shouted out that a hostile tempest was around. Some confusion as it sounded like it was in Gusandall, so some of the ships leapt back into Gusandall. I arrived at the Gusandall gate after idling in a safe spot and made ready to jump when Tiggertime (still back at the Emol gate) sent out a may-day.
"Hostile 'pest has engaged me. Warp to me! Warp to me!" Damnit, I toggled the fleet channel and out-shouted everyone else.
"All ships in Eifer, warp to Tigger and engage hostile 'pest. Pilot is 'Technical' from SMASH Alliance. All ships in Gusandall, jump into Eifer and warp to Tigger. Move it people!" I turned my ship around and the navigation computer locked onto Tigger's transponder and catapulted my hurricane into warp and towards my fleet mate. I just hoped he could survive the 'pest's close onslaught.
"Shit. Am out of boosters!" I feared the worst, I was now 1.7 AU away and closing towards Tigger's position. "Am under sentry fire as well."
"Hold on. We're inbound to your position." That was Kane, calm as always.
"Almost there T. Almost there." I was less than 1 AU away from Tigger's position.
"Tigger down."

Damnnit!

I was vomited out from warp space, more or less in the same position I was at when we engaged Captain Reynold's megathron. The tall mast of a tempest-class battleship loomed over my ship as I locked my weapon systems on it. Seconds later, three more star bursts as Ichiro (Astarte), Kane (Broadsword) and RealZonk (tempest). The firepower of our ships ripped Technical's Tempest to pieces. Yes, we out-ganked him but we're not knights - we want kills and bringing more than the other guy is always a good idea.

Technical's tempest dropped some nice T2 loot and we claimed as much as we can. I was still under sentry fire so had to go to a safe spot and sit out my timer. I needed some rest so I turned off the comms system. I had the text chat on but failed to notice the blinking and insistent 'new messages' comment until 10 minutes later. By that time, it was too late. Right after I had left, a Caldari Navy Issue Raven-class battleship had jumped into Eifer! It was caught by the same group left from the Tempest kill. Tiggertime had come back in a Dominix-class battleship to collect his wreck while Jubes had managed to get a half-fitted Hurricane, so hasty was the scramble to lock down and kill the CNR. As for me? I was within a 7 second jump of the CNR but failed to acknowledge the shouts of joy until it was too late.

Kane even managed to pod the CNR pilot.

What a lovely kill.

I had to have a look at the concord kill mail.....


2008.01.04 16:12

Victim: angelesk
Alliance: None
Corp: Doom Guard
Destroyed: Raven Navy Issue
System: Eifer
Security: 0.4
Damage Taken: 57459

Involved parties:

Name: TiggerTime
Security: -9.5
Alliance: None
Corp: Mean Corp
Ship: Dominix
Weapon: Dominix
Damage Done: 30666

Name: IchIro (laid the final blow)
Security: -10.0
Alliance: None
Corp: Hellequin Inc.
Ship: Astarte
Weapon: Heavy Ion Blaster II
Damage Done: 14915

Name: Kane Rizzel
Security: -10.0
Alliance: Derek Knows Us
Corp: NovaKane Incorporated
Ship: Broadsword
Weapon: Broadsword
Damage Done: 8860

Name: Jubes
Security: -9.9
Alliance: None
Corp: BLACK-FLAG
Ship: Hurricane
Weapon: Hurricane
Damage Done: 3018


Destroyed items:

Caldari Navy Juggernaut Torpedo, Qty: 22
Caldari Navy Siege Missile Launcher
Caldari Navy Siege Missile Launcher
Magnetic Scattering Amplifier II
Invulnerability Field II
X-Large Shield Booster II
Co-Processor II
Caldari Navy Juggernaut Torpedo, Qty: 188 (Cargo)
Cap Booster 800, Qty: 2 (Cargo)
Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I, Qty: 2
Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer I
Hammerhead II (Drone Bay)

Dropped items:

Caldari Navy Juggernaut Torpedo, Qty: 55
Caldari Navy Siege Missile Launcher
Caldari Navy Siege Missile Launcher
Caldari Navy Siege Missile Launcher
Caldari Navy Siege Missile Launcher
Caldari Navy Siege Missile Launcher
Additional Thermal Barrier Emitter I
Heavy F-RX Prototype I Capacitor Boost
Kinetic Deflection Amplifier II
Power Diagnostic System II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Damage Control II
Caldari Navy Mjolnir Torpedo, Qty: 233 (Cargo)
Caldari Navy Bane Torpedo, Qty: 289 (Cargo)
Hobgoblin II (Drone Bay)
Ogre I, Qty: 2 (Drone Bay)
Hammerhead II (Drone Bay)

Killboard link is here.

OK - so peeps were all buzzed up. I know I would be.

++That Megathron++

I had to log but the rest of the night was filled with decent kills. When I came on later, I caught up on the news and formed up a fleet with Jubes, Krypt and Inglorfin. We were x3 hurricanes and a rifter. The rifter went ahead to scout with Jubes following. Krypt and I were one more system behind. Approaching the Todifrauan gate, Jubes and jumped . Krypt and I were still one system behind when Jubes informed us.
"Megathron and falcon on the gate."

Oh dear, I thought.

"Roger. Stay cloaked we're coming. Krypt - full speed towards Todifrauan."
"Roger that. Setting course." With that, our two hurricane-class battle cruisers sped towards Arnstur and then into Todifrauan."
"Jubes: don't decloak. We're coming. Primary will be falcon. Primary will be falcon." As an afterthought I asked, "who are the pilots by the way?"
There was some hiss and static before Jubes came back with an answer.
"Deltauk1 in falcon. Rhericlya in megathron."
"Roger that. Delatuk1 is Primary." God, I hate those recon jobs, they are a true-force multiplier able to jam most things that fly right out of the fight. With the there, it might as well be a 1 v 1 between a hurricane and a megathron backed up by sentry guns.
"I have decloaked. Megathron is targeting me." We had arrived at the gate. Krypt was a touch behind me.
"Megathron is firing on me."
"Hurricanes, jump. Help Jubes and target the falcon."
"Roger that." Replied Krypt as we both jumped. There was a blackness as both of our ships were atomically separated and then flashed light years towards the other side of the gate but we popped out and re-oriented ourselves. The megathron was 9km from me, Jubes was barreling towards the falcon, which was about 23km from me. The megathron was hitting Jubes hard, even at the medium ranges. Then before I even managed to finish my lock on the falcon and megathron. Jubes's famed Hurricane exploded.
"Jubes is down." With that, Jubes whipped his pod out of the fight. I had already hit the microwarpdrive and was driving towards the falcon. Krypt had decloaked but he was closer to the megathron than I. He too, arrowed his battle cruiser towards the hostile falcon.
"Am webbed. Am being hit. Shit. Am going down. I can't tank him." Krypt slugged it out toe-to-toe with the megathron while I started to pound on the falcon. Jubes had done some damage to it, as the recon was now into armour and was due to pop. I had him!
"This megathron hits like a right mother-"
Those were the last words of Krypt as his hurricane folded up beneath him. Two hurricanes down.
"Krypt is down."
I blinked as I lost the lock on the falcon, it was down to hull and on fire but he managed to warp out. I was nudging the micro-warpdrive regularly to get some distance from the megathron. I cursed as we were well and truly beaten. Worse was to come. I parked up in a safe spot and proceeded to jump but after the fifth jump, my mind wandered and I stayed too long. The megathron landed on top of me and killed me stone dead.
(oog: girlfriend needed some hugs and attention....)
Anyway, it was a good kill and Rhericlya, a megathron pilot for United Kingdom Mayhem (U K M) should step up and take a deep bow. His megathron's DPS was very high; too high for us and he had the measure of us and kicked our nuts. It was painful. The falcon with him certainly did not help but such is life. Unfortunately for us, we would meet Rhericlya very soon with equally disastrous results.

2008.01.06 14:11

Victim: flashfresh
Alliance: None
Corp: BLACK-FLAG
Destroyed: Hurricane
System: Todifrauan
Security: 0.1
Damage Taken: 41201

Involved parties:

Name: Rhericlya (laid the final blow)
Security: -1.0
Alliance: Capital Storm
Corp: UNITED KINGDOM MAYHEM
Ship: Megathron
Weapon: Neutron Blaster Cannon II
Damage Done: 25698

Name: Minmatar Sentry Gun / Republic Fleet
Damage Done: 15214

Name: deltauk1
Security: 0.2
Alliance: Capital Storm
Corp: UNITED KINGDOM MAYHEM
Ship: Falcon
Weapon: Advanced 'Limos' Heavy Missile Bay I
Damage Done: 289


Destroyed items:

Republic Fleet Phased Plasma M, Qty: 70
Salvager I
425mm AutoCannon II
425mm AutoCannon II
Warp Disruptor II
Large F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction
10MN MicroWarpdrive II
Large Shield Extender II
Overdrive Injector System II
Gyrostabilizer II
Republic Fleet EMP M, Qty: 226 (Cargo)
Polycarbon Engine Housing I
Core Defence Field Extender I, Qty: 2

Dropped items:

425mm AutoCannon II
425mm AutoCannon II
425mm AutoCannon II
425mm AutoCannon II
Republic Fleet EMP M, Qty: 180
Republic Fleet Phased Plasma M, Qty: 125
Large 'Atonement' I Ward Projector
Gyrostabilizer II
Local Hull Conversion Inertial Stabilizers I
Overdrive Injector System II
Damage Control II
Barrage M, Qty: 1463 (Cargo)
Hail M, Qty: 1000 (Cargo)
10MN Afterburner I (Cargo)
EMP M, Qty: 1000 (Cargo)
Hornet EC-300 (Drone Bay)

++Epic Bait++

Still smarting a bit, even several hours later - I reported back to Black Flag what had happened. As penance, I killed a zealot with Veritas and Inglorfin in support and offered the loot of the kill to Ing and the Black Flag.

Around, 22:00 hours, a large fleet was being assembled for a roam down to Amamake. The purpose of such roams was to kill people, ransom pilots, plunder loot and to challenge other corporations' idea of space superiority. Certainly, with the Thanatos kill earlier; it had forced some anti-pies to ante up and actively pursue us and lay traps and take on the pirates. A good example was United Kingdom Mayhem. No matter, we're pirates - so who cares?
The fleet was very impressive and at it's core, it had six Hurricanes - all fitted ready for battle. Kane Rizzel was in one too. Around the 'canes we had the M34N compliment of a megathron, an ishtar, a sacrilege and a crusader. Laneth (in her ishtar) and myself moved ahead as scouts. Jaxx in her megathron brought up in the rear.

So the fleet rumbled out of space dock in Gusandall and set course to Amamake. A system known for it's own blood-thirsty pirates and pilots. We were hoping to tangle with any corp that dared show it's teeth and with a dozen ships in the fleet, we felt suitably confident that we were a match for anyone. Most certainly, a fleet of such a size rarely comes together; it is more common for gangs to number two or three. Many pirate solo.

The journey down to Amamake was uneventful, even when there were one or potential marks, for a fleet of this size; it would be annoyance only. We arrived in Dal, Laneth and I and prepared to jump into Amamake to see what was around. We were hoping for targets aplenty and on arrival in Amamake, we were not disappointed. Me and Laneth moved around and spotted only a battlecruiser. However, local showed plenty of reds. Keeping the scanner running I occasionally spotted a helios and some probes. There was a cry in local as an unsuspecting pilot lost his ship. His pod appeared in the scanner; then this too was gone. Laneth and I both spotted an interceptor and a heavy assault cruiser. We continued to move between spots, occasionally landing some distance from a planet before re-aligning and then warping back out. Out scanners picked up a gradual increase in ships: a rokh, an apocalypse, a vagabond. Someone was undocking it would appear.
I was at planet II when, 150km from my stern, two starbursts appeared and a taranis and a vagabond appeared. They blinked red on my overview: hostile targets. The taranis turned its stubby nose at me and then hit it's micro-warpdrive.
"Contact. Contact. I have a vagabond and taranis 200km from my stern. Planet II. Fleet - stand-by."
"Acknowledged. Fleet - get ready to jump on my mark." Said Viper Sam. The rest of the sent their acknowledgments though there was still a bit touch much chatter in the channel.
"Flash - am en-route to you." Said Laneth in her ishtar now zipping across from the other side of the system. No sign of any bigger ships but they will come. I warped out when the taranis was 40km and closing. No need to get tackled just yet. Laneth was back where I was before and was also being locked. I turned around and aligned to her position. I hit the scanner once more as I was in mid-warp to Laneth, it came back with hard returns: an apocalypse, a rokh, a myrmidon and others. Their trap had sprung while ours had begun.

Landing close to Laneth, we were both locked by the taranis and vagabond. We both opened fire on them. They zipped around us.
"Damn they're fucking fast!" Observed Laneth as her drones slid out of their holding bays and screamed towards the taranis.
"Sam - get the fleet ready and warp in on my mark." I locked the apocalypse, some 65km away and hit the micro-warpdrive.
"Roger. Fleet is ready." There was a pause. Someone chipped in over the communication net.
"Who's primary?" I left the primary calling to Viper as he was nominated fleet-command but he would need help and am sure that the apocalypse would be tasty. The apocalypse, from a distance of 34km reached out with her laser beams and started to boil off my shields. I looked on in alarm as my protective bubble evaporated. However, the hurricane is a fast boat and I got close enough to activate my disruptor. That was the signal for me to bring in the hammers just as a myrmidon and rokh appeared behind the Apocalypse.
"Warp to Flash. Apocalypse pointed." I decided that I could take over the target calling initially before Viper Sam's arrival. It would be a slight, but forgivable indiscretion. Besides, we're pirates not national navy pilots!
"Primary is Korthan. Secondary is Ay'Not Sivad" I said, my teeth gritting. All around me, space burst into bright balls of light as the rest of the fleet appeared. The pilots all announced their targets and their locks. Smooth and easy. No panic in anyone's voice. By the time the last ship arrived I was deep into armour. I was selected by the enemy fleet as primary and everything hostile was firing at me. My ships rocked from the explosives. Warning lights flashing at me to get out.
"I need shields! Flash needs shield!" I shouted in the fleet channel. My ship was dying but I was maintaining that point on the Apocalypse. My ECM drones were now on the myrmidon. I entered hull and my damage control unit was winking at me, telling me to get out. I was a second from announcing an 'abandon ship' order. When help arrived.
"Got your back brother." That was Krypt, calm and steady as always, moving up alongside me.
"Repping Flash. Hold on. We've got ya." Said Muelac. Two Black Flag hurricanes were on each side of me. My shields crept up. Then went down, it went back up - a little bit more. Then back down. No matter, the lasers and projectiles were now being absorbed by my shields and not the hurricane's infrastructure. I might survive this, I thought. I just might.
Meanwhile, Kane Rizzel had got right on top of the Apocalypse and unloaded hell onto the golden ship. As did Viper and Tor and everyone else.
"Move your points onto the myrmidon and rokh!" I said, as I moved my ship over towards the blind side of the Apocalypse, the side where Kane and Tor Lann had blasted gaping holes and where now the fearsome laser batteries were silent.
"Tor - point on the myrmidon. Kyrpt and Mue on the Rokh. Everyone, ignore the inties and cruiser. We want the big ships. " Said Viper Sam. I was on fire but continued to fire. I had no armour and hardly any hull. No matter, much of my new crew was dead, half my life-support shorted out but my guns and gun crews were still operative. I could still fight.
Jaxx was in her megathron and was slowly lumbering her way towards us.
"Apocalypse is going down! It's going down." Whooped Kane, who caused the majority of the damage (31% of the damage was down to Kane). The magnificent, majestic Amarr battleship split in half and both halves slowly spun away from each other, pouring out fire and fuel and crew. Each half then blew up, rattling the nearby ships. The Myrmidon was next but it was actually further away than we had expected, so the fleet split the fire between them. Not a wise tactic usually but with enough ships, an overkill means a waste in terms of damage allocation and we had enough ships to deal with the Rokh and Myrmidon. Throughout this fight, the small enemy ships were but annoyances and we ignored them. A rokh-class battleship loomed ahead, piloted by Lion IX, however it wasn't even shield tanked and disappeared in a flash. As did the myrmidon and a condor that got too close. The other ships, sensing a slaughter warped out leaving the field to us. We cheered and collected the loot. I was ecstatic that I had survived, though I was belching out fire and atmosphere since the hull was badly punctured in several places and my armour plates had all been blown off and atomised in the fight.

The fleet decided that we would fly back laden down with loot. There is no better feeling. The journey back was uneventful, which was great considering I was on fire all the way back to Gusandall before I could get into space dock.