"All ships report status please." Requested Flashfresh, in his hound-class stealth bomber.
Each ship squirted back a data-dense electronic pulse to the fleet commander and with a mental nudge, the entire fleet started their journey of plunder and loot for the night.
With two scouts racing ahead, the cloaked gang sneaked into systems heavy with potential enemies. Certainly, around Fuskunen there was a very large Legion of XxxDeathxxX fleet regrouping and most likely heading into Paala and into the drone regions. The dozen or so stealth bombers whispered past the fleet and proceeded to more suitable targets elsewhere.
It was at this time that our scouts had spotted a variety of ships: Loki, Drake and others. Both scouts were busy dropping combat scan probes in order to find them. However, it was RoninData and Happy San who spotted something infinitely more interesting.
"Check, check."Interrupted Happy San over the murmur of fleet chat. "I have a hurricane orbitting an un-anchoring large tower and it's being attacked by two crows."
"Happy: confirm please." There was a pause as Happy got closer in his stealth bomber. A minute later he came back, sounding more urgent.
"This is Happy San, confirmed. The two crows are attacking the hurricane. Hurricane pilot is owner of the large tower. Large tower has twenty one minutes remaining before unanchoring is complete."
RoninData, on a rare visit chimed in.
"We could do with some of that."
There were mumbles of agreement from the fleet. I agreed but continued to send my scout ahead, no use in wasting time or resources.
"This is Flash. RoninD, you're in rapier with a point. Primary will be the hurricane and the first crow by alphabetically by pilot name. We might have to let the second crow go." Flash paused as he consulted his tactical notes. "Happy, is the 'cane pointed by one of the crows?"
"He must be though I don't think they doing that much damage."
Suddenly there was a laugh and expletive from Happy.
"The hurricane aligned and got away. The crows are fail."
In the local communications net, the two crow pilots complained that the hurricane wriggled free due to some sub-space anomaly that induced a dsynch. From one of the crow pilots, the following terse message was squirted out into local.
"Local anomalies are inducing some sort of d-synch. You're lucky."
We weren't going to let this one go.
"Find the hurricane." The stealth bomber pilots all scattered and attempted to locate the fleeing hurricane.
"Jmarr at planet IV. Clear."
"Vig at planet V. Clear."
"Persephone at the Moselgi gate. Clear. I think the 'cane went through here though, there's a few fluctations here and the gate is still warm."
"Damnit." Said Flash, the night was slow going as he prepared the fleet to move, RoninData, ever the isk pursuing pirate put forward an idea.
"We could always steal the tower?"
"In a stealth bomber?" Queried someone.
"Actually, I have a mate in a viator three jumps away. She's finishing off a supply run...." Offered Happy San.
"Stealing towers is an accepted part of being a Bastard," said RoninData, already making up his mind.
"Also, a large minnie tower is worth around 360 million isk...."Said Viginti.
"360 million?" asked someone. There was a pregnant silence, as that was a lot of isk.
"That's like, er 36 million each right?" offered someone else. With the loot sales and ransoms, this was another good source of isk. We couldn't really turn it down.
"Okay. Let's do it."
After some quick re-adjustment of the fleet we had our cloaked hauler 2.6 km from the unachoring tower. Ronin was also there in his rapier. The rest of the fleet sat in the next system, cloaked and aligned and ready to offer assistance.
With less than two minutes to go, the owner of the tower appeared in local and in a bestower. We had a total of two points in the system and another six one jump away. Even stabbed, the hauler couldn't get away.
The one minute mark appeared and the bestower aligned and warped towards the moon where his large tower would be waiting for him. However we were ready.
"Hauler...decloak." Ordered Ronin and our own hauler shimmered into view and ambled the last 300 metres or so into scoop range. The bestower was now on scan but we were in the process of scooping the tower as the seconds ticked down.
As the tower finally unanchored, the bestower was still en route and we cheered.
"Scoop it."
The tower should have disappeared from overview. There was nothing from our hauler pilot.
"Scoop it please." Repeated RoninData. The rest of the fleet remained quiet as Ronin decloaked.
"Er, I can't. I don't understand it. It won't let me." The bestower burst into view as it dropped out of warp. I landed close to the tower. Robotic arms snaked out from the bestower's hold.
"Scoop it!" Repeated RoninData with more urgency.
"Am trying damnit. Am trying!" The tower disappeared. "Crap. He got it."
"Then point the indy!" Ronin then started to cycle his scrambler. There was an explosive curse. "I can't lock him.....and the bestower, he's gone.""What?"
The ventrilo communication net, quiet until now, burst into life. We had somehow lost out on a 360 million isk tower and failed to grab the hauler as well. Disappointed, the roam was approaching the closing window and I ordered the fleet back home. We would review our notes at a later date.
Other news:
The Bastards run a solo kill of the month competition every month and
I will comment more on this in another post but I wanted to give a shout out to Kalius Prime who took on x2 omen-class cruisers in his rifter. I think this will qualify him from a nomination in the November Solo Kill of the month. October's winner was our very own Ard who, took on destroyers (twice) in his signature vigil of doom. It's his well kept secret but it can not be secret no longer! Winners get a medal (ohh shiny) that's we've called 'Microwave Meal For One' award and a choice of T2 frigate or some other hull type as a gift and yes, most of the time, we're outnumbered....However, here are the other solo kills to look over, some impressive ones for sure - the post is a discussion of the kill but it's only available to corp members. The killmail link is publicly available.
October 2009 Ard's super Vigil v Coercer
Killmail: http://www.the-bastards.com/kb/?a=kill_ ... l_id=12583
Post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4129
September 2009
z0de's taranis versus Typhoon
Killmail:http://www.the-bastards.com/kb/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=12325
Post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3958
August 2009
Did not run.
July 2009
Coochie in Thorax vs Harbinger
Killmail: http://www.the-bastards.com/kb/?a=kill_ ... l_id=11566
Post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3643
June 2009
P'XEL in Ishkur pops Arazu while under fire from Broadsword and Sac
Killmail: http://the-bastards.com/kb/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=10727
Post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3528
May 2009
Nova in his Rapier and his 4 cruiser kills:
Killmail: http://the-bastards.com/kb/?a=kill_related&kll_id=8700
Post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3244
April 2009
Fish Brain in Wolf - 5 Frigs
CAN'T FIND KILLMAIL LINK
Post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3044
March 2009
Rodneystar in Rifter vs rep fleet firetail
Killmail: http://the-bastards.com/kb/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=7161
Post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2834
February 2009
Unknown.
January 2009
Hera in taranis killing a vagabond
Killmail: http://the-bastards.com/kb/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=5825
Post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2447
The Ransoms!!
However, even though we love the thrill of a solo kill, we have been busy with ransoms. Just to answer back at some of our detractors who 1) accuse of manipulating our kb by flying cheaper ships and 2) having a 'poor' K/D efficiency I can only say, boo-hoo.
For one thing: we're pirates and it's a hard life. We like to kill and ransom stuff (especially expensive T2 stuff) in our t1 hulls. Many of us don't have mission alts or play the market or have GTCs drip feeding isk into our accounts. It fits in with our play style and attitude. We're not rich and like I have said in the past - too much isk can have odd effects on some pirates.
A second thing is that we've been busing ransoming people rather than blowing them up and
hence, we've cracked 1B isk in ransoms of the month of October. We're doing well in November once more. We would love to hear comments and feedback on our RANSOM BOARD.One of the highlights of the ransoms are the accounts that we ask each Pirate to make on our forum.
I want to share with you just some of the fun and inventive ways The Bastards have been obtaining their ransom isk. Normally, I do not post other people's content here. This is a blog with 100% Flashfresh derived content but I wanted to show people that The Bastards do live and breath piracy as much as we can...
Take AzazelDev, for example. He's been a busy bee.
In one ransom, he just entered the mission of a young Rupture pilot, 'morrowwind'. Unfortunately, he was too far and escaped before Aza could point him.
In his own words....
He convoed me shortly after and after a lot of haggling I got a ransom out of him.
Highlights:
- I got a ransom even though I had him not pointed
- I got a ransom from a pilot on a trial account and it was in-game-value - which I think is probably a novum...
First invited him to yarrsom, didnt seem to react for a while, so I kicked him and started shooting. Then DJ mentioned the guy was French and he could translate.
So invited him to convo with DJ. See below for the discussion.
In the end we got a small poem in haiku style, albeit a bit on the weak side regarding content...
PS: Thanks to DJ for translating!
AzazelDev > tu parlais francais?
Naoru > what do you want?
AzazelDev > ah, ok
AzazelDev > well
AzazelDev > I told you
Naoru > oui, je suis francais
AzazelDev > I want 1million isk
AzazelDev > and you are free to go
Naoru > je ne les ai pas
AzazelDev > and finish your mission, if there is yet something to finish
AzazelDev > ok, hold on a sec
DJ Akula > Bonsoir
DJ Akula > Apparemment tu n'a pas un million isk?
DJ Akula > il y a une autre solutio pour conserver ton vaisseau..
DJ Akula > serais-tu dispose a chanter ou a ecrire un Haku?
DJ Akula > Naoru, il serait a ton avantage de repondre...
AzazelDev > c'est vrais :)
DJ Akula > no s Az ;)
Naoru > un haku?
DJ Akula > poeme japonais, je te trouve la definition
Naoru > heu, je connais mal mes ideogrammes
DJ Akula > tu peux le faire en francais Naoru > et ça consiste en quoi?
DJ Akula > 5 syllable dans la premiere phrase, 7 dans la deuxieme et 5 dans la derniere
AzazelDev > yes, that would actually be very cool (pls translate)
DJ Akula > I will translate
DJ Akula > Je le traduirai en anglais
AzazelDev > (moi, je comprends, mais ne parles Francais bien :( )
Naoru > Je vais m'en aller, loin de vos turpitudes, et aller dormir
Naoru > ça vous va comme poeme? :)
Naoru > 5/7/5
DJ Akula > je crois que loin compte pour un mais je vais te le laisser :)
DJ Akula > You can let him go az :)
AzazelDev > have fun :)
AzazelDev > you're free to finish this mission
AzazelDev > afterwards you are fair game again
Naoru > i don't understand your motivations, but " ce fut fun"
DJ Akula > bonen soiree et ca va t'arriver souvent si tu reste dans les parrages
DJ Akula > nous sommes pirates.. la motivation est l'argent.. ou le divertissement
Je vais m'en aller, loin de vos turpitudes, et aller dormir Translation: Will be on my way Far from your many hassles and speed to my sleep
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