Chapter 1:
"Redrick Shoohart"
Hirizan VII started blinking on his neo-com, and he slowly exhaled a big sigh of relief. Located on the fringe of Low Security sectors, it certainly got its share of marauding pirates and the like, and was not much to look at compared to other, more populous systems in the Core Worlds, but for Captain Redrick Shoohart, Red as his friends called him, it was home.
Returning after a week long run to the Jita system, Red could not wait to slip out of his capsular gear grab a quick shuttle down to the Moon's surface and soak in a nice long bath. He would of course need to stop by the office of Prime Industries, to let his crew know he was back, but that could wait.
Red, adjusted the heading of the Insomniac, a massive Caldari Freighter, toward the Wyrkomi Station and started docking procedures.
"Tower 1, this is the Insomniac, requesting permission to dock. Over." Red requested
"Copy Insomniac, this is Tower 1, hold orbit at 20km, until given clearance." Came a soft spoken female voice over his neo-com.
Frustration clear in his voice, Red gave a reply, "Repeat Tower 1, did you say hold orbit? What seems to be the problem? Over"
"Affirmative Insomniac, hold orbit at 20km. A freighter spilled its cargo, and ground crews are clearing the holding bay. Will advise once cleared. Tower 1 out."
Damn it all to hell, Red cussed to himself, all I want is a bath! "Copy Tower 1, holding Orbit at 20km. Insomniac out."
As he sat watching his neo-com for what seemed like an eternity, Red started to doze off. Suddenly a massive shock wave struck his ship, sending his navigation systems blaring out warnings as his inertia dampeners tried to compensate and maintain his ships stability.
"What the Fuck was that!" Red screamed, pushing down the sun shields that blocked radiation from ultraviolet rays, he gazed out over, what could only be considered a warzone. The Wyrkomi Station had a huge gaping hole where the holding bay had been. Small Frigates littered the space around the station. Being of smaller design, the shock wave tore through them, killing crew and all, in a blast of super radiated heat. Only his ships massive size had saved him, even so he was not out of the woods yet.
Trying desperately to bring his navigation systems back online, Red tried to hail the Station one more time.
"Tower 1, this is Insomniac, what the hell is going on in there? Over" his only reply was static. "Tower 1, do you copy? Over" still nothing. He flipped through the frequencies hoping to pick up on some chatter when his Navigation system blinked on and he immediately set a course for 100km out from the station. Ever so slowly his massive rig made a wide turn and began the slow crawl away from his home.
"What the hell is happening?" he asked not realizing he was still keyed down for open coms channel.
"Was hoping someone could tell me." A deep male voice came over his coms.
"This is the Insomniac identify yourself." He asked
" I'm Captain Yashidza of the USS Invictus, what is going on?"
"I have no idea Invictus, not a god damn clue, but I would not go near the station, if I were you. Looks like some kind of explosion." A short pause as an idea came to him, "Invictus, what are you flying?" Red asked.
"I'm in a Navy issued Raven, why?" the voice replied.
"Mind pulling escort duty? Someone needs to get over to the Ministry of War Bureau, and let them know what is happening here. Whoever, or whatever, did this might still be flying about. I was too close to the blast radius and other than limited navigation systems, I am sitting dead in the water. "
"Roger that Insomniac, flying on your wing, setting course for Ministry now."
Relieved, he also set a course for the bureau offices. "Thanks." He said as he worked to try and bring up his warp drive.
"Insomniac, be advised, your right flank is on fire."
"Damn it!" Red said to himself, "all I wanted was a damn bath!"
Hirizan VII – Moon 3, Ministry of War Bureau Offices, was in chaos, news reached the offices before the Insomniac and Invictus did, but thankfully they were still allowed to dock. As his ship was lowered into the holding bay, Red called out to Captain Yashidza one more time, "Meet me in the lounge, I owe you a drink."
"Copy" Yashidza replied.
Red lowered the cargo bay doors and exited his ship, turning to survey the damage he sustained in the blast. The entire right flank was burnt and sparking with frayed wiring, his long range scanner antennas were simply gone, and his twin 100MM Micro-warp Drives were fried.
Shaking his head, at the destruction he heard someone call his name. He turned and saw Milton en Chasteaux and Jack Voxxon, his business partners and Co-founders of Prime Industries Inc. running up to him.
Milton was a slender man of Gallente decent. Standing about 5 foot 6 inches tall, his small frame made him look frail, he was anything but. With a devious mind for business he would oft as not get the better of people in negotiations. His Green tattoo that spread atop his head and down over his face had earned him the nick name "Greeny".
Jack Voxxon was also of a slim build, but where Milton looked frail, Jack looked mean. Lately Jack took to dying his hair down the middle white and grew out his goatee. Jack descended from a backwater tribe of the Minmatar, but was still, one of the best fighter pilots he had ever known.
Has they came up to him, he towered over both men. Redrick Shoohart was close to 6 feet, 3 inches, very stocking with rock hard arms. Being a Caldari, Red always worked hard and played hard. His chiseled chin and small beard gave him a hardened look like he had just escaped prison. Most people avoided any form of confrontation him based solely on appearance.
"Red! You alright?" They shouted over the noise of the holding bay.
"Vox, Greeny." He nodded in greeting, "I'm fine but my ship is in rough shape."
Greeny was already calculating the damages and nodded to himself. Finished with his assessment, he slapped Red on the back and said, "don't worry about it, we can take it out of our petty cash fund. The important thing is that you are ok." Looking back over his shoulder, Red could see he was clearing down playing the extent of the damage.
"What happened?" Jack asked.
"Not a damn clue, was waiting outside the station to get cleared to dock, and next thing I know, all hell broke loose. If it was not for Captain Yashidza of the Invictus, I would still be limping home."
A deep scowl flitted across Jack's face "Yashidza? That is an Amarri name."
The Amarr Empire and the Minmatar Republic hated one another. The Minmatar were enslaved by the Amarr Empire for more than 700 years until a massive rebellion freed most, but not all, of those held in servitude. Modeling their recovery after the Gallente Federation's success, the Minmatar Republic was born. But despite rising to prominence on the world stage, more than one third of the present-day population remains enslaved, a fact very few Minmatar have forgotten, and none have forgiven.
"I know Vox, let it go. I am meeting him in the Captains lounge for a drink, it is the least I can do." Taking a last look at his ship, he started off towards the lounge, Jack and Greeny in tow.
As they made their way to the Captain's Lounge Red asked his friends if they heard anything from the Officals here.
"Not yet." Replied Greeny. "Although the normal blame game is running its course. The Caldari, blame pirates, the Gallente blame the Caldari, Minmatar blame the Amarri, although that makes no sense seeing as it is an Amarri outpost, and of course the Amarri blame everybody." Red chuckled at that as they pushed their way inside the lounge.
Pausing a minute to let his eyes adjust to the dim lighting the three made their way to a corner booth. Sitting down with an audible sigh of relief Redrick tossed Jack a few Isk and ordered a single shot of whisky.
"Second thought, make it a double." Red said, smiling at the pretty waitress that was walking buy.
Red never felt at home in these types of places, much preferring the comforts of this single bedroom Condo to do his drinking, or some place outside in the open savannas and rough uplands with the Mountains and lakes surrounding him. But such as things were, he needed a drink, and he doubted a shuttle going back to Hirizan VII would be arriving any time soon.
The Lounge was filled with the typical sort you found in most drinking establishments throughout New Eden. Freight pilots, fighter pilots, miners, factory workers, and other dangerous characters of various backgrounds, all came to these places to get shit faced drunk. The place contained a few booths, a bar counter, and some free-standing tables. Most of the patrons simply stood around and drank. Red noticed immediately the cut-purses casing the place in the hopes to find victims. Sawdust covered the floor, sopping up spilled beer or blood as the need arose.
Greeny and Red were catching up on the business matters, since Redrick had been out all week, when a sudden silence hovered over the crowd. Looking towards the bar where Jack had gone to get the drinks Red noticed a rather large Amarri Pilot standing toe to toe with Jack. A deep chill went through him and he knew something was not right.
In the silence a single word carried through the crowd. SLAVE
Greeny looked at Redrick, Redrick looked at Greeny.
Both said "Shit!" at the same time, and shoved out of the booth. Before they took a step, the first punch had been thrown.