I've finally made it to space. I've seen it before, but not personally like today. And it's a beautiful sight. I decided to start this journal to commemorate the day.
So, what brings me out here? The Navy. I want to join their ranks to keep the peaceful way of life and defend not just Liberty but maybe all of humanity as well. Because it's worth fighting for. I think it all started around 15 years ago, when I was just a kid. I didn't understand all of it then, but it still left impressions on me. Things like battles, tensions, politics... and even rumors of aliens. But it was only a few years ago that I finally made up my mind. Bretonia and Kusari at war... not very peaceful. I don't want that to happen to Manhattan, or Liberty, or anywhere else for that matter. It took a long time of doing odd jobs here and there, but finally I managed to purchase a spaceship.
Which brings me back here in the present. I've come here to be all I can be, pardon the cliche. So I've paid the battleship Missouri a visit, where I'm writing this entry right now. I'm gonna go off now to chat with some soldiers and find out how to join up.
On a side note, my first time ever going through a trade lane was quite... fast.
I did odd jobs for my ship, and now I seem to be doing it again for a place in the Navy.
It might be some kind of civilian test or training, or they just don't wanna bother with such trivial matters. At any rate, at least I'm getting on good terms with them and the pay isn't bad either. I could get used to this.
I need a better ship though, one that's more suitable for combat. They do sell Defenders to civilians, I could save up for one of those.
I've been doing jobs outside the New York system as well. Having lived in Manhattan for all my life until recently, being in the vastness of space makes me feel rather small. And if I think about it even more, humanity is quite small compared to the entire Sirius sector and beyond.
But my life encompasses only a small bit of it, and I'm content with that. Although I wouldn't mind seeing more of Sirius... but my place is here in Liberty. I can't defend it if I'm far away from it.
Here's a break from the Navy. Someone organized a race, a round trip from Fort Bush to New London and back. It sounds like fun and I could stand to take a little tour of Bretonia, so I joined.
There were a lot of participants so when it started, it was frantic. Flying through trade lanes and jump gates, not to mention the occasional pirate attack. I got a glimpse of New London as I landed on it, but sadly I couldn't stay to see more.
Unfortunately, the race ended rather badly. Near the home stretch as I was flying through California, a temporal anomaly occurred. And the next thing I knew, I was alone.
I returned to Fort Bush and was greeted by no one. It's as if the race never happened. I'm a little bummed; I may not have won, but there was still a consolation prize to be had. I guess I won't be getting it now.
Oh well, it was still fun. Well, back to proving myself to the Navy...
Today was an amazing day, one that I'll never forget.
I was in New York, and I overheard a comm from Karamon requesting for anyone to become escorts for his convoy. His route goes beyond Liberty, but I figured that I'm good enough to protect him. I agreed to work about 3 hours for him, long enough for a couple of runs. And then, he surprised me.
3 million credits for 3 hours, and he'll pay in full as an advance! In return, I have to escort him... but not in apparently a puny Defender.
I requested permission from the Navy for a Guardian for this mission, and it was granted. The difference between a Defender and Guardian are astounding. I felt invincible.
And so, the escort mission started. The convoy's route -- comprised of two Junker ships, another transport ship, and a second Navy escort -- passed through Rheinland and into its destination: A Junkers base in Omega-15. The trip was largely uneventful, although there were Hessians near the end. They were quite tough, very skilled compared to the pirates back in Liberty. In any case, the convoy arrived (with passengers) and returned (with diamonds) safely. It had to stop for a bit in Texas, and I agreed to fly on ahead back to New York.
For the second trip, Omega-15 was the destination again (with the same cargo, passengers then diamonds). But this time, the return trip will be to New Tokyo in Kusari. This time, the convoy was two Junkers ships and a bounty hunter escort we picked up passing through Texas. Going to Omega-15 was mostly the same, but the trip to New Tokyo was different.
A temporal anomaly shook us up in Rheinland space, and we found ourselves without the bounty hunter afterwards. Still, we pressed on. Then at Sigma-13, it happened. A pirate ace took me completely by surprise, and the one and only thing I could do in retaliation was eject. Ironically, the pirate allowed the convoy to pass safely with nary a tax. However, Karamon decided to compensate for my loss with 500,000 credits and permission for another Guardian. So in a way, the pirate did tax him.
The remaining trip through Kusari into New Tokyo was uneventful, though I got lost a little when I fell behind. Not fun being in completely new territory. Anyway, we reached New Tokyo and the mission was over. Karamon thanked me for my services and asked if I might escort him again in the future. My obligation to him is already complete, but I feel I still owe him for that 500,000 credits. So perhaps if we meet again...
I returned to Liberty, getting a little lost again on the way. And at the Missouri, I finally got me a Liberty Navy ID. I'm finally part of the military, although only as a new recruit. But I'm sure that I'll be able to prove myself as a capable soldier, keeping the peace and defending the people.
In between Navy missions, I hanged around Manhattan. Had a nice chat with fellow officers and some others, one of which was a robot who called himself the Voice of the Machine. As he observed in his unfamiliar ship, we had an interesting albeit somewhat confusing chat about his race. I have heard stories about a planet populated by robots, perhaps there's some truth in them?
It was mostly peaceful, except for when a lone Xeno attacked. He managed to take out a bounty hunter before being driven away. If that was all he set out to do, he managed to pull it off despite the overwhelming odds against him. That doesn't justify his disturbance of the peace, though.
Soon after, I returned to my missions. I did them pretty well, except for one mission when two gunboats (I think) overpowered me. I'll just say that it didn't end well for me and leave it at that.
One thing did brighten my day, though. SA contacted me and said that I'm accepted. I'm finally in! Now more than ever, I can fight for what's right.
My first day as a member of SA, and my training regimen continues.
It began with a meeting with fellow officer John Edwards, who was helpful by securing some better equipment for my Guardian. I had my eye on an Avenger, but he said the Guardian's more maneuverable. We went to Texas, then to SA HQ in Virginia. Or at least, I tried to; Edwards was allowed, but apparently I'm still too green for access. I remember reading that there should've been a warning, although I'm still not really sure what happened to me. At any rate, the equipment was delivered to me in orbit around planet Houston.
Edwards assisted me in a few training sessions in Texas, then returned to New York while I remained behind to continue alone. After a few more missions, I decided to return to NY as well... but Scrappy cut my trip short. I'm starting to dislike Rogue gunboats. Anyway, I had to take the long way around to reach the jump gate.
I spent the rest of the day in orbit around Manhattan among fellow military and law enforcement members. Life is good, and I'll fight to keep it that way despite my current recruit status. I have the ship, I have the ID, and I'm recognized as a member of the Navy, but I still have a long way to go.....
First in one mission, I destroyed some Rogue weapon platforms. I think the Rogues are out to get me now because afterwards as I was returning to the Missouri, a group of Rogues intercepted me. The fighters were easy, but the gunboat was something else. My attempt to engage it was futile, so I left it behind; I'm lucky that it didn't give chase.
I guess I'm just not equipped for gunboats after all, if those encounters with them (that one mission with two of them, and this one) are of any indication. But I just can't ignore them, especially if they use them for pirating acts. Like Scrappy. I've actually met him before the incident in Texas, when I was still in a Defender. A law enforcer was pursuing him, and in my eagerness I joined in after securing permission. We caught up with him in a debris field, and a battle broke out that ended badly for us. That time, he was just too much for us... so when I met him again in Texas in a better ship, I thought I could finally take him on. Nope, still can't. So from this point on, I'll be weary of enemy gunboats.
Hmm, what else? Ah yes. While patrolling NY, The Iron Fist (possibly a pirate) constantly taunted all authority figures in the area (including me). The police and navy are corrupt, Liberty is communist, blah blah blah... that kind of spiel. Big talk for someone who won't show himself. But it didn't matter to me as I took up patrolling duties in Colorado.
Colorado has quite the Xeno trouble. After putting them in their place, I headed back to NY... only to be ambushed by John Conway, a Xeno ace pilot. I consider myself a good pilot, but there's always someone better. And in this case, that someone was the Xeno. Afterwards, he went into NY while I went to the Rio Grande in an escape pod.
One new Guardian later, I was making rounds in Colorado again. And soon, I returned to NY while a couple of them taunted me. Whatever.
The following recent events I'm about to describe just strengthened my resolve even more.
While on duty in NY (I was the only one at the time), the pirate Peg Leg Johnny liberally announced that he was fooling around in Zone-21. Naturally, I headed there to set him straight; after all, Zone-21 is off limits. I warned him over and over but he refused to leave, so I engaged him. The battle didn't last long, not because either of us won but because something suddenly emerged from the jump gate. It was an alien craft, the kind that I've heard about known as a Nomad. Liberty laws dictate that all Nomad vessels are to be destroyed on sight, and this one's no exception. Peg Leg and I stopped our battle and actually joined forces as we chased after the Nomad across the system. Unfortunately, it detoured into the Badlands where I promptly fell behind and lost it.
I hate the Badlands. I never like it when I have to go there. My first time ever venturing into it was not a pleasant experience, and it hasn't gotten any less pleasant every time I return there. It's so dark and those rocks are everywhere and ugh, I hate it. And after today, I hate it more than ever now.
In the Badlands, John Conway ambushed me. I tried to ignore him and continued to pursue the Nomad, but he just relentlessly chased after me. I explained the situation, but he won't have any of it; he'd rather still go after me than the extraterrestrial that might be threatening us. In the end, he caught up with me and promptly destroyed my ship. And as for the pirate and alien? I've completely lost them.
As I now await my replacement ship, I have to vent. John Conway is a supreme jerk. He ignores alien threats and goes after whoever he sees, lawful or unlawful (he went after another pirate, who managed to escape). Him and his Xeno kind are the worst kinds of humans ever, committing nothing but foul terrorist acts against everything and everyone. I've read about them, and I only have this to say: Screw your cause. If you have to kill innocents to accomplish it, it's worth squat.
Xenos give humanity a bad name. And if I'm ordered to do so, I would gladly hunt them all down to the very edges of Sirius itself. They show no mercy? Well, neither will I.....