For years hed been searching for somewhere like this. His years as a hunter had been spent dreaming of camaraderie, shared goals, friendships. What hed got was isolation, mistrust and betrayal. Now, here in Cadiz, hed found whatd hed been looking for, in the most unlikely of places. The Corsairs, feared for their cruelty and ruthlessness, had welcomed him in with open arms. They went about their lives with such cheerful disregard. They had no fear holding them back, just an iron determination that they would not just survive, but prosper. Everyone on Cadiz had a purpose, a role they filled, and they filled it with glee. It was an infectious enthusiasm, and Karadin sold his soul to it. He made more, and closer, friends in a month than he had in the previous twenty years. Hed found his home.
Life was good. Frequent raids into Cambridge and New London ensured a ready stream of credits, and he soon had his own quarters. It wasnt much to boast about, but, after years of near imprisonment, he felt like a king.
It was quiet on Cadiz. A large percentage of the Corsair population of the base had returned to Omicron Gamma for some celebration. Karadin received three or four invitations to accompany friends and join in the party, but he graciously declined. His friendships were new, and he didnt want to risk straining the newly made ties. He decided to stay at Cadiz and see if he could bag himself a bounty or two. His Viper was starting to show signs of wear and tear, and badly needed a service. That required serious money. More than he could currently afford, that was for sure.
Cambridge was busy. Several BAF ships were busy hunting some SCRA pilots. As the BAF ships were moving to intercept they betrayed their location on open comms, Karadin headed straight for them, hoping to catch one or the other off guard. His ship was seriously underpowered when measured against the standard BAF Templars, and he suspected hed be at a similar disadvantage against the SCRA. As he neared Planet Cambridge, he picked up the ships on his scanners.
He targeted the SCRA immediately, hoping the BAF would miss his presence, or at least turn a blind eye. The SCRA had been causing real problems around Cadiz recently, and were friendly with the Hessian scum from Ronnenburg as well. Their scalps would bring in a good sum.
The SCRA were flying Taiidan bombers. Karadin quickly realised he was badly outclassed by the SCRA pilots. The Viper had taken a fair pounding, while the Taiidans were barely scratched, even though they were outnumbered by ships that were supposedly more manoeuvrable, so he ran, taking the trade lanes towards Battleship Norfolk. He broke out of the lane well short of the Norfolk. A quick diagnostic of the Vipers system reveled significant damage to the weapons array and armour plating of the ship. He estimated his repairs had tripled in price, and swore loudly. How was he going to pay for it? The ship would start falling apart with him still in it at this rate. He sighed.
This is the Garban. The transmission broke across Karadins thoughts. Were about to set out for New Berlin and require an escort. We have a full load of Beryllium, and have heard pirate activity in the Omegas and Stuttgart. We were wondering if we could make reports of use of your sevices.
Karadin checked the comms array. The message had been targeted directly at him. He checked his scanners to see a contact just off his stern. He swung the Viper around to see a large transport approaching. A quick scan revealed it to be a Gateway vessel. The comms crackled into life again. Karadin, please respond.
Surprised, Karadin opened a channel. Garban, why are you asking me? Im sure youre aware of my standing with the Bretonians. Why on earth would you take the risk?
We are indeed aware, Karadin. However, the reports of pirate activity point directly towards Hessian involvement, and your reputation would put you as an enemy of theirs. This would lead us to believe that you would be unlikely to sell us out, and to be honest, you are the only option available to us within this system, and we have to leave immediately. We cannot wait. So, if youre interested, please advise. We will reimburse you handsomely for your time.
He came to a quick decision. He needed the money. Very well, Garban. I will be happy to escort you to your destination. I will meet you at the Omega-3 jump gate. I have to give the Norfolk a bit of a wide berth!
Roger Karadin. Well rendezvous with you there.
Karadin kicked in the cruise engines, which sputtered into life. He veered around the Norfolk, keeping just out of scanner range, and then rejoined the trade lane through the ice clouds to the jump gate. The Garban was there. Karadin proceeded to escort the transport through the Omegas.
Scouting ahead, Karadin picked up a small group of ships at long range. As he got closer he was able to detect two Falcata bombers and a pirate transport. Garban, this is Karadin. Hostile contacts present at the Wilkes Ice Field. I suggest a detour around the sun. Itll take a while longer but itll be worth it.
Roger Karadin, Thanks for the heads-up. Detouring now. Well rendezvous again in sector F5, and continue from there.
Will do Garban. Ive got an idea for getting rid of those pirates. Shouldnt take long.
Karadin set his comms unit for the Battleship Norfolk, but scrambled his comm. ID. He opened a channel.
Norfolk?! Come in, Norfolk! This is Gateway escort 51X7. We have encountered pirates at the Wilkes ice field. We are under attack and require urgent assistance. ID signatures of the ships involved are being transmitted to you now!
Roger, escort 51X7, came the clipped response. We have a patrol jumping into the system right now. They should be with you shortly. Please identify yourself to them at the earliest opportunity.
Karadin engaged his cruise engines and headed towards the pirate group. It was a risk, but he reckoned it unlikely they would be interested in his Viper. As he closed to within a few hundred meters of them, he killed his engines, targeted one of the Falcatas and opened fire. Hed got their attention. The two Falcatas swung about, and moved to intercept, while the transport headed to cut off his apparent escape route via the trade lane to the Omega-7 jump gate.
He reversed thrust, and sped back the way he had come, diving right between the two bombers. They both opened fire, and as they turned in towards Karadin, they found themselves firing at each other. Both ships broke off, giving Karadin just the opportunity he required to dock with the trade lane running back to Freeport 1.
Damn it! Get him! Get him! screamed one of the pirates over open comms. Before he makes it to the Freeport!
All three ships joined the lane just behind Karadin. He was sweating now. He mouthed a silent prayer that the patrol from the Norfolk would be arriving at the Freeport at about the same time as he did. The timing of his next manoeuvre was going to be tight.
Exiting the lane, he immediately swung around and positioned himself in front of the lane heading back into the Wilkes ice field. As the pirates broke from the trade lane, the BAF patrol appeared on long range scans. Karadin docked with the lane, and just before he accelerated, dropped a mine. The mine took out the lane gate seconds after he sped away, leaving the pirates stranded outside the Zoner no-fire zone, with a BAF patrol bearing down on them.
Hostiles detected! announced a polished Bretonian voice. All ships engage! Lets teach these blighters a lesson theyll not forget. Six of the best, trousers down!!
Karadin headed for the rendezvous with the Garban. He knew theyd be quite a while, so he opened a channel to them. Garban, this is Karadin. Just to let you fellows know that the threat has been neutralised. You shouldnt hear from them for a while.
Hah! Yes, we caught a bit of the comms chatter before the sun started to interfere with our signal. Outstanding work, Karadin! We are certainly in your debt. We should be at the rendezvous in 20 minutes or so.
The rest of the journey through Omega-7, Stuttgart and New Berlin was uneventful, and they reached The Ring safely.
Thanks for your assistance, Karadin. Ive included a bit of a bonus for your ingenuity in dealing with those pirates. We may look to use your services again. Most impressive, most impressive.
As Karadin headed back for Omega-5, he checked the transaction. 750,000 credits! He whooped at the unexpected sum. He knew he had more than enough to fix up the Viper, and purchase some serious firepower. There was light on the horizon once again.
It was hard work flying with the corsairs, but always rewarding. Friendships grew as time passed, and Karadin knew he had found a home. How long he would stay was something to be considered another day. He smiled as he made his way down to the hangars.
His Viper was starting to show serious signs of wear. The IMG no longer produced the ship, sporting the "Charon" as their new line, and parts were extremely difficult to obtain, and those he could get his hands on cost a fortune. It was time to trade in his ship. Many of the corsairs on Cadiz now flew Gladiators, and he was torn between investing his money in one of those, or the reliable, and powerful, Centurion.
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