Logging in. Comm ID: Dave.Pajo
Opening channel
Encrypting...
Secured
Hello Congressman,
For me, this has been a long time coming. As I sat listlessly in my cockpit in the Gruinder, watching my turrets and tractor beams do their work, or as I gazed out of the window of my collector as I flew from station to station in all the far-flung corners of Sirius, tracking down deals and establishing contacts, I always felt the need to raise my game. As a lone operative, and self-taught at that, there was only so much I could do, so far I could climb. I've known about the Congress for a long time, of course, but it was out of respect for it that I didn't try to sneak my way in as an amateur and enter before I was ready. I came up in a CSV, as I'm sure you all did, later moving up to the old Turanic, running deals half-cluelessly, getting through my life on feel alone. But it was working. Seemed like I was at least passably good at what I did. I met a more established junker one day, in the Gruinder, and it seemed like he saw something in me. He supplemented my funds with his own so that I could purchase an old mining ship that had clearly had several users before me. That ship was both the means and the motivation to achieve something better. Although I still wished to eventually join the Congress, I pledged myself to this man our of loyalty and respect for what he had done for me. If this meant not joining the Congress, then so be it. I'm not one to back out on a deal, least of all one I make with myself, but the man hasn't shown up in a long time. His rooms on Bornholm and Rochester were vacated and leased to others. I've kept his identifier on my callsign for a long time, but now I suppose my debt is paid. The profit I was making from fishing scrap out of the wrecks of Convoy 99 was piling up, and it wouldn't be long until I could get a ship I could be proud of. So, I reignited the notion of joining the Congress. When my long range scanners picked up one of your men or women, I'd say hello. Nothing too formal or forward, just something to try and get myself known.
Things came to a head last night. I'd been allowed access to a frequency being used by a couple of congress members - John Rome and a man using the callsign JunkyTown. I talked a little about my desire to join the Congress, as much to pass the time as I scrapped as anything else. But suddenly, Xenos. A situation we all know too well. John Rome was being attacked, so as quickly as I could I got my Collector on the scene. I try and keep out of direct confrontations whenever possible, so this was the first time I'd actually flown the thing in a true dogfight. Despite not even remotely being equipped for this sort of thing, and my somewhat tentative attempts to fly it, it performed admirably. I was no match for the Xeno, sadly, and my ship ended up wrecked, but I'd distracted him for a good half an hour, and Rome had managed to escape with his life. Soon after, I jury-rigged my Collector so it would last me long enough to get to Puerto Rico, where John Rome said he would see me. As we repaired the damage to my ship, Rome, out of his own pocket, upgraded its armour and taught me about defending our bases and each other. Rome, Junkytown and myself talked more of the Congress in Arecibo's bar, and most graciously, they both agreed to vouch for me for the purposes of my application.
Shortly after, whilst accruing the final funds to upgrade my b?te noire of a mining ship, I got in to contact with yet more Congressmen, including the Deputy Arbiter himself. As they heard of what I was doing, they sent yet more financial assistance so that I could achieve my goals immediately. I know Junkers take care of their own, but the level at which the Congress do it is positively fraternal. I was sold.
Enough story. More than enough, probably, but it's been a long day of lonely trading, and it feels good to talk. A little about me, perhaps:
I've flown the CSV, the Collector, a repair ship, the Turanic Raiders freighter, a mining ship, and now, finally a pirate train. I've sold most of these vessels on, but I keep my collector in active service alongside the pirate train I spend most of my time in. Now that I am considerably more solvent thanks to the train, I have been thinking about buying another Turanic Raiders freighter also - it is a ship perfectly suited to the unpredictable, dynamic dealings I often get caught up in within Liberty; a perfect all rounder of a ship for in-house business. I have the pirate train for long-distance deals, and the Collector for salvage. I might station her on Yanagi - from various communications I've intercepted, it seems maintaining an active presence there is most important.
As for skills, well, I don't like to sell myself, it's not my way. But I suppose, I do tend to get on with people. I ruffle few feathers and make friends easily. Why, just today (it really has been a busy few hours) in Texas, a man from the Liberty Navy struck up a conversation with me for a while, he was pleasant enough, and I told him I'd keep an eye out for a criminal he was on the look out for. A few minutes later, it so happens I came across this criminal. A Rogue, one of the [Wolves]. I let him know he was being hunted, and we laughed and joked for a while before I had to depart for other business. He even gave me a small gratuity (I had told him I hadn't contacted the man from the Navy because it seemed like my communications systems were malfunctioning, and the gratuity was ostensibly to cover the cost of repairing them). Although it is merely a small, relatively meaningless event, I feels it embodies what you men are looking for:
There was a situation in Texas. Without getting involved, I managed to get on the good side of both the opposing forces, and I made a little money whilst doing it.
Well, that's that. Too long and rambly I know. If I have a flaw, it's that I talk too much. But don't worry, I never say the wrong things.
I leave my fate in your hands now.
