VIctoria Ballentyne
Minmatar
Pale Riders Incorporated
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Posted - 2006.12.15 15:35:00 -
[1]
In a system long forgotten, in a part of the universe deemed dangerous to all life, four planets orbitted a pale yellow sun. A legion of asteroid belts danced slowly, while planets and moons looked enigmatic. Around one of the planets, a blue green jewel there was an object in orbit.
The station was old, far older than records remembered, and often lost, for the dead guard their secrets. Around the shattered central columns debris from thousands of years had coalesced into rings, shimmering in the dull light from the distant sun.
Light from the distant fiery orb played over the station, it's construction unfamiliar, not in line with the stations of the Caldari or Gallente, Minmatar or Amarr. Something different, yet recognisable as definately human. Much of the structure is open to space, gaping holes where transport tubes were removed, strikes by meteors and the ever present battle damage. None are alive, through the entire universe who know how this place fell, be it from war or nature, only the dead know for sure.
Deep within the station old fusion generators distributed power to the remains, those branching power lines that had not been severed by damage or salvaged. Pinpoint lights from rooms and areas near the hub shone out, often flickering uncertainly. Arcs of lightning leapt between the shattered pylons of a habitation dome long since empty passing through a starcraft wreck, pitted by meteor strikes. At a gaze, the remains of over a dozen starcraft are floating in orbit, dozens more seemingly landed on the surface, yet more buried where the surface has failed.
There are maps to this place, though none of them know it's name. Often in old and dated crystal data shards, portions of enscribed metals locked in spacer chests, or even on rolls of titanium parchment in dusty vaults. Long since forgotten, even local maps do not show the system, only that the region is dangerous, with a classification on par with a rogue neutron star.
As such, any who were here would be surprised when a violent flash of light on the outskirts of the system indicated the high velocity arrival of a ship. The ship, a battered and burning Mastodon, as soon as it arrived began to maneauver towards the distant blue green orb and began to enter warp. However, the perilous journey it took to get here was obviously too much as the energy used to power up the warp drives tore the engines apart. In a fury of light the Mastodon shattered and a shockwave of debris began to drift away from the latest wreck to be found in teh system. All that remained from the death of the vessel, a small pod, flashing in the darkness while the crumpled remains of three more vented a mixture of goo and organic remains into space.
After several minutes, when all other signals from the wrecked ship had ceased the pod moved, slowly, towards the blue green orb in the distance.
"Forbid a man to think for himself or to act for himself and you may add the joy of piracy and the zest of smuggling to his life" |