Why oh why do I insist on travelling through this system. Last time I passed through here in my shuttle, there were 6 frozen corpses floating around the gate in from Villore.
6546 units of Reports have been lying in my hanger here for far too long I guess.
The trip in was easy enough, warp points laid open in front of me just in case the overview shows up anything in the least suspicious - and that would be basically anything non-industrial bigger than a shuttle - finger on the warp button ready to go. The hanger manager, annoyed he had to be dragged away from his desk - the fact that there is no automated system here proof enough of how little used this station's hangers are - and without a courtesy I waited until he changed the assets log and ok'd me for entry.
With as much cargo my Cat could carry and destination set for Villore, I nudged out of dock, prepared for warp and switched over to autopilot. Immediately out of warp at the gate, and there she was, a Cruiser, already flashing red in my overview. Christobel. 52000km and closing. Turning with as much grace as my Cat could afford me, I immediately set warp to the Senate station around VII - 2, and leaving autpilot on knew that my ship would point straight back to the gate and warp in again. The engines kicked in and 3 vollies hit me broadside. Shields at half and with booster running, Cat trembling, as much due to the gun fire she was under than to the power building in her engines, the warp indicator inching slowly around. Another volley hit, shields fried, but then, a sigh surged through Cat, the tremble throughout her hull stopped, abruptly, and then we were in the warp tunnel. Knowing that the station would offer little protection if Christobel decided to follow, Cat turned on a dime and autopiloted straight back for the gate. With cap down to half and shields restored, my only hope was for the fact that she had followed... I had other deadpoints in the system which I could run to, but cat and mouse is much more fun than hide and seek...
Cat emerged in a rush out of the warp tunnel into empty space. The gate gleaming like a beacon ahead of us. 300m/s was always a speed I was proud that Cat could achieve, but not today. With 5000km left to jump point another beacon lit the sky, glowing red on the overview, but I knew she could never catch us now, "see you later Champ" I issued over local and jumped.
Later, while at Supreme Law Court School around Villore VIII - 2, me and Saryn enjoy a chat and a laugh over a Quafe Ultra while eyeing up legal students passing through the 'fec area, and waiting for the Secure-U, the campus security, to catch-up with us and throw us out. Unless on School business you weren't allowed to use the facilities designated for students. We had made this little corner our own over the last few months, but the rent-a-cops seemed on to us, prolly linked up with the docking systems. We barely manage a second QU these days.
But as I was about to head over to another table, where a bunch of studes had just landed, after a highly demanding lecture no doubt, I noticed another pilot heading our way. He'd spent too much time in the pod - pale, lean, under-nourished, stumbling in an almost intoxicated way and who was to say he wasn't. Many flew blind, blind drunk in a lot of cases. But when he approached and looked with that thousand-yard stare, it was obvious he was clear minded. It was obvious what he was. He was a killer.
"You won't be as lucky next time, 'Champ' ", he said in a low voice.
Both me and Saryn stand-up, I curse as my QU goes over, flows across the table and spills over the edge. I watch it coat one of his boots, then look into his stare.
"Ane" Saryn nods toward the door.
"I wasn't lucky today," I say, "and neither were you."
We head for the exit. Just as security run in. . .
