Signing in Cmdr Scholten

As we were exploring a system in the Synuefe region, we picked up a signal for a so called 'Surface Excavation Site'. Something new to explore for us. The Codex talked about heavy machinery digging from the surface in a mining operation. So our curiousity was awoken and we plotted course to the signal.

We started the descent from Orbital Cruise as usual, but this time the descent was going fast, too fast for my liking. And as I checked the G's I saw a 1.68 G's and counting. All the way down I did all I could to slow down the Python. With thundering thrusters and engines we saw the surface closing in way too fast. With just 2 kilometres to go I gave full throttle forward and pitched the nose at a 35 degree angle. At 400 metres I boosted forward in an attempt to skip on the surface rather than to crash into it. And it worked. We skipped hard, the shields were lost and the hull was down to 10 percent but we made it sofar. The Python hovering 4 metres above the surface with alarms going off and a computer calling 'Hull damage Critical'.

It's then that we found out we were near out of limpets as we had 1 left. That one fixed the hull to 25 percent. Out of the critical state but still not very much. It felt like a longshot, but we checked the list of things we can synthezise out in space. And to our relief we found out we can actually synthezise limpets. So we produced 4 of them. We sent out repair limpets to do the repairs and with a near 90 percent hull we landed the Python, called ourselves lucky and explored the nearby miningsite.

Tomorrow we set course home to Barnard's Star for the holidays.

Signing off Cmdr. Scholten

Signing in Cmdr Scholten.

Today is Amanda's birthday. And as we are on a exploration trip we are too far away from any station to celebrate it in style in some pilots'bar.

But I promised her fireworks. Not the big type, but enough to make up for a small celebration. I had seen on the map we were close to some guardian ruins I had been before.

She was so curious as how I am going to light up the black. She loves fireworks. I landed the Python right next to a known guardian ruin. One with a lot of sentinels. I told her to sit down in the captainseat, look out the cockpit with a good view over the ruins.

Just before I disembarked I made sure the point defences were online and within reach of the ruins. I jumped in the SRV and got out. Just racing through and around the ruins to piss off as many Sentinels as I could. I got about 4 of them to chase me around firing their lasers. Some shots hit me, but I held from firing back yet. I parked under an old stone arc and started shooting back. And as expected the sentinels started firing their little missiles to blast me from under the protective arc. The sky lit up with the green tails of their missiles. The point defences kicked in and shot the missiles making nice big explosions and the promised fireworks.

After the show I quickly shot them down one by one. The mods made by my former co-pilot to the repeater work so well. I picked up the guardian sentinel parts and headed back to the python. Boarded and went back up the cockpit.

Amanda ran up to me, thanked me, the fireworks had been amazing. She quickly checked if I was okay and not hit too bad during the short fight. No problem, the shield on the SRV will regenerate itself and tomorrow we'll do some minor hull repairs to it. But we tonight we have a little party first. It was so worth it.

Signing off Cmdr Scholten.

Signing in cmdr Scholten.

Our last exploration trip has been cut short as I need to get me a new SRV. The old one was fine till yesterday.

I was driving around the surface of a planet with 5 different life signals, happily sampling one after another.

At one point I dediced to walk to the next species, as it was nearby. Rather than board, drive a little and disembark the SRV. After all, the exercise would do me good and the planet had a rather comfortable climate.

I should have checked the fuel reserve before taking a hike, but I thought I'd be back in no time to synthesize a refuel before the SRV ran empty.

Whilst walking around on the surface my attention got drawn by an alarm going off followed by a countdown...

I looked back, just in time to see my SRV destroy itself as it ran out of fuel.

The explosion was powerful and what used to be my SRV was now a pile of old metal.

I sat down, assessed the situation and called the Python back from orbit.

Amanda was happy to see I was unharmed as she had seen contact with the SRV going offline, but very dissapointed we had to return early as without the SRV we wouldn't be sampling much anymore.

So I plotted the fastest route back to the carrier where we are now. Resting from this ordeal and making plans for the next trip.

Signing off cmdr Scholten.

Signing in cmdr Scholten.

My new co-pilote, Amanda Green has learned a lot since she started out. Passed all tests I want her to pass before we go out on a new exploration trip.

So today she had to do a lot of things for real, the most important one. Come back from orbit and pick me and the SRV up from a planetary surface.

I landed the Python, got in the SRV and started out with scanning the different lifeforms on the surface. In the background I heard the sound of the Python taking off and go into orbit.

As I lost contact, I knew Amanda was having a great time, on her own in the exploration Python. Just her and the vessel.

I got all the genetic samples and recalled the ship. Always a good feeling to hear the sonic boom as the ship returns. Looking out I saw the Python coming down to land. Surely she had the autoland function on like I told her to. But by the way it moved, I could tell she was landing the thing manually. At least she was trying. Good thing it has the shields up and a low gravity body to land on. First the backend hit the ground, taking 7 percent shield with it. Than it shot up and a new attempt was made. I radioed Amanda to switch to autoland, but she said she got it. This time the python landed straight down as it should. The hatch opened and I boarded with the SRV. As I entered the cockpit, she was sitting in the cmdrs seat, smiling and said; See, I can do this. I told her I wasn't impressed with the landing and that she lost 7 percent shield. The shield will recharge, was her answer. Yes, the shield will, I quickly went to the console and checked the modules but no harm was done. Than she came out of the seat, walked to the console and apologized for the rough landing. It's allright, no damages done. Just use autoland till you get the manual landing right.

Thinking to myself, should have known, a new co-pilote with the same attitude as yours truly. None of the anxious....just go for it and see how it ends.

Signing off cmdr Scholten.

Signing in cmdr Scholten.

Today I went out in my Viper Mk4. Just some data and materials chasing at several signalsources. Relaxing, supercruising, scanning private beacons and gathering materials.

As I aproached one fresh signal a message came in from a nearby ship. The Rescue One was at the source, loaded with occupied escape pods. The cmdr of the Rescue One being in slight panic there were more pods outside and he couldn't safe and load anymore.

Ofcourse I slammed the cargoscoop open and as quick as I could I picked up the remaining survivors. Than salvaged as much of the surveydata caches as well.

Set course to the nearest station to hand over the survivors for the needed and proper medical care.

After the formailties were done and pods unloaded I set course to sell the survey cache,

Two carriers in nearby systems offered enough to make the trips worth while.

Signing off cmdr Scholten

Signing in cmdr Scholten.

Our squadron leader has gotten round to get us a fleet carrier. A huge achievement, and a great way to grow as a squadron. So after the initial start ups and meetings I decided to bring my fleet and move my home from Tsunenaga Port in the LHS 200 system to our carrier.

Over time the declining number of Federal Navy missions and the lack of chance to progress my personal carreer had made me think about leaving before.

I installed myself in my personal quarters, and waited for the interstellar services to bring my fleet onboard. I resigned from the Earth Defense Fleet and ready to go with the carrier.

Our first mission would be to load up the carrier with as much Cobalt as we could.

We found the purchase location, Fraser Port. A station in a blight and dumping a lot of things to create a quick cashflow. At the end of the afternoon I got a message from the carrier. There was something wrong with the final approach system and the landingpads. Until that was fixed all medium and big ships were forbidden to land to prevent crashes onto the carrier.

To pass the time I ordered a whisky and set down at a table. Looking out the window to the docks and enjoyed my drink. Before I finished it, a second one was set on my table and a tall woman sat down across the table. Put her whisky down and said staring at the docks was for lonely people. I agreed and asked her to keep me some company than. We had a good time as the table was getting crowded with empty glasses and snackbowls as we drank, laughed and talked.

She introduced herself as Amanda Green, a member of the local security force. Just my luck, a local cop... But one with taste for fun and also important good drinks.

Than the tablet switched on, the Earth Defense Fleet logo appeared with an incoming call. I answered it, and there was the chairman, dissappointed with my resignation. He got angry and said that one day I would be back in his office on my knees asking him for a new mission. Than Amanda shot up, went in front of the call and said some very obscene things about what the chairman might be doing in the hypothetical case I would ever get on my knees in his office. Thank you Amanda, for definitively burning all my bridges behind me. Ofcourse the chairman had hung up.

Than we got surrounded by 3 pilots wearing Earth Defense Fleet uniforms. Eventhough they were on R&R, it didn't mean they would stand such an insult about their chairman. Especially with the amount of drinks they had before. I felt they just wanted an excuse for a fight, and boy did they find one. As soon as we were all being arrested Amanda started fighting the security as she said there was no reason to handcuff her search her as she was one of them. To no avail. We were all arrested.

The next morning I was woken up by a jailguard. I followed him to the office. The officer asked me about the happenings of last night. I gave him my story. He said I had to pay a lot of fines bills etc. And than I was free to go and not return any time soon beyond the hangars. The total bill was over 56.000 credits. I asked why I should pay the fines for miss Amanda, station policy, as she being an inhabitant fought local security she and her assets were suspended. I paid and was escorted back to my ship in the hangar.

I my ship I messaged the carrier, but the dockingsystem was not fully functional yet but would be in hours. Well time to lie down on the more comfortable bed in my cabin better than the jailbunk. Just as I closed my eyes, another call. It was Amanda. She had been fired and expelled from the station. Escorted to my hangar and there she was now. She couldn't believe that she would be fired and expelled for one fight. But I had my doubts if she told me all that happened. For hours she was at the expresslift intercom trying to talk her way back in again whilst I waited for the carrier to be operational again.

The signal came the carrier was operational again and I was supposed to leave the station within 10 minutes. But Amanda was still in the hangar. If they opened the doors to the docks she would be in a very dangerous situation, not to mention fried to a crisp as the autolaunch would fireup the 8 thrusters of the defender.

I ran out, got to her and explainded the situation. Eventhough it might not be your choice right now, we have 8 minutes left to leave. And the clock is counting. So, go with me onboard or be burned on the launchpad.

Angry as the devil she threw herself in the co-pilots seat, strapped in an with 2 minutes to go we left Fraser port.

Still thinking how am I going to explain this onboard the carrier....

Signing off cmdr Scholten.

Signing in cmdr Scholten.

Looks like I need a new co-pilot.

I visited Longsight base and Engineer Elvira Martuuk with my Python. I am planning on taking a long exploration trip with my trusted Python and as such I wanted the grade 5 FSD engineering.

A couple of weeks ago as I was planning this visit and talked about it with Jim. He was very keen to go there and see Elvira again. And got really excited and thrilled as the trip got closer. I wondered what was so special, I mean we'd been there before. Even with the big Defender. But like his birthday coming he looked forward to it.

As we got there, I contacted Elvira and we made the deal on the work on the Python. She didn't seem impressed with the ship this time and with her known attitude she would sent a team over to put her designed upgrades to the FSD. Just before I left her office, she asked me to send Jim to her office. Now I was suprised, but ok I guess.

I went back, boarded the Python and told Jim who was supervising the upgrades that Elvira wanted to see him and I would take over the supervision. He froze and stuttered a few words and got up to go and see her.

I wondered what could be going on. In the meantime the team worked great on the FSD and the leading engineer got up in the cockpit with me giving me updates and information on the FSD. Apparantly she worked at Faulcon deLacy on Pythons before she started working for Elvira and she loved them. And she likes the fitting name on mine, "The Jack Of Trades" wich is exactly what it is.

Than I got a call by Elvira, if I could return to her office. So I went and wondered what could be going on. As I entered, my jaw dropped to the floor. Jim was standing next to her behind her desk in a Longsight base mechanics uniform. He applied for a job there and got it. I was stunned, how and why? I mean my roughlanding co-pilot quit to go and work for Elvira Martuuk. I know he had been tinkering a bit on the SRV dual repeaters for a while, increasing their accuracy quite a bit. But I didn't think it would be his application work. Elvira said she was impressed by his work on the repeaters and she offered him a job. She had a handful of abandoned SRV's on the base on wich he could fine tune the repeaters and what more and improve his skills.

Than Jim took the word and said he wanted to thank me for all the things we'd done, the good times and the expeditions. But ever since I took the career in Exobiology he felt less and less at home. Scanning one system / planet / lifesignal after another. And though he understands the importance, it just isn't his thing. So he took the bold step to share his work on the SRV with Elvira and this was the result.

There wasn't much to do about it anymore than to wish him the best with his new career. Man this was going quick. I just went back into The Jack Of Trades, poured me a good whisky whilst thinking about this new situation. Jim entered the ship, got his personal belongings and told me good luck and good bye. He wished he could have done things differently but Elvira stands on confidentiality when it comes to a lot of things. I thanked him for his services, the many times he got me and the SRV from the surface of a planet. But as always with a rough landing, using the landing gear to the max. Than out of his personal bag he got me a big bottle of Latvian Brandy. As a goodbye gift. And for the last time I saw him leave the staircase down to the hangar.

I took a sip, got to the console and ended our cooperation by whiping his clearance to board again.

Tomorrow I shall post a vacancy and start selecting a new co-pilote.

Signing off cmdr Scholten