It's been months since my nephew got his pilot's license.

In February I was in Vulcan Gate hunting oddities. Then news came in over GalNet about a new research station coming online near Sag A* with the help of those Distant Worlds 2 commanders. I figured it was a piece of history that I could be a part of, so I booked it about 19,000ly in just about a week and got my first real taste of mining. I didn't really have any plans at that point, thought maybe I'd catch up with some of the DW2-ers but then word came in about my sister's youngest boy completing his training and getting his own Pilot's Federation-issued Sidey.

I didn't come back to the bubble quite as fast as I did when I was heading to the galactic core, but I also didn't waste a lot of time there. Did manage to stop by the neutron Earth-like on the way back in, at least.

Since then I've been hanging around the bubble, helping him find his footing, bringing in pirate bounties, running missions for anyone that caught my interest, and mining. Tons and tons of mining.

It's time, though. Well past time, really. The Black is calling and I can't ignore it anymore. So we've geared up a pair of Diamondback Explorers, outfitted for a good, long run, and tonight we're setting out. I figure we'll head to the Bubble Nebula first, take in some of the scenery along the way, but the real goal is to find the Zurara. I missed her discovery but I heard all the stories coming back from it. Figure it's time to make a trip out and pay my respects. If Kev makes it there and back with me, he may actually have explorer's blood in him after all. That's the thing about being out in The Black. You never know until you know.