Into the Great Unknown

I am slowly awakened from my light sleep by the soft blinking of the communication light indicating Lyster was trying to get my attention about something.  Sliding off my bunk I take a quick look into the mirror and decide a shave can wait, Lyster usually doesn't bother me with trivial inflight details.  As I step onto the bridge, I marvel at the technology in this ship that Lyster just aquired for us, an Anathema class scout ship, latest and greatest straight from Khanid Innovations... I call her "Seeker".  I do a quick scan around the bridge to orient myself, Jaxson has his head bent over the external communication array watching local and the corprate channels; Trinka is hovering over the science station awaiting orders and Cromsic is at the helm.

Lyster jolts me out of my thoughts "Sir, we are about to make the jump into 0 security space.  I figured you would want to be here for it."

"I appreciate it.  What is our current situation?"

"We are currently cloaked and orbiting the only planet in system, aproximately 13 AU from the gate.  Local is quiet of chatter but Jaxson has informed me that there are other pilots in system."

The first thought that goes through my mind is: hopefully no one is waiting for us at the gate, would hate to scratch the paint on such a new ship.  "Trinka, get me a 15 degree scan on the gate."

She quickly punches into the directional scanner and reports back. "Nothing but the gate."

"Cromisc, warp to 0 and jump immediately... we cannot trust there isn't a bomber waiting."

As the sublight engines begin to accelerate the ship, my palms get sweaty with the excitement of leaving behind the safety of Amarr and the perils and profits that will come shortly.  Seeker gives a slight shudder as the sublight engines cut off and the warp engines engage and then disengage only a second later.  It will take some getting used to flying in a scout that does 14AU a second.  Immediately after dropping out of warp Cromsic pilots the ship through the event horizon of the jump gate and like a sling shot we are thrown across the galaxy.

"Trinka, get me a 360 now... what is around us? Jaxson, talk to me... what are you hearing?"

Jaxson quickly replies "Three signals in local, no chatter.  But am getting some banter on corprate, nothing serious.  Wait, corprate just send us the frequency's for the local intel channels" A few key strokes into the communication array later "And we are listening into all relevant intel channels, nothing useful yet."

"Hmm, three other pilots and not a CONCORD ship for light years... Trinka how is that scan coming?"

"Nothing on 360 sir, but the system is huge.  But there is a planet about 12 AU from our next gate which will put us in range for a small degree scan."

Without needing the order, Cromsic begins to warp the ship so we can get eyes on our next destination.  I can already tell the nerves of flying through unkown territory will push the crew further than they have known, I will have to remember to watch their performace closely.  Right as the warp engines cut out I hear the faint whir as the cloaking device powers up.

"Cromsic, align us with the gate while Trinka does her magic."

Trinka blushes but quickly replies "Nothing visible on 5 degree."

"That is what I like to hear, Cromsic warp us to the gate and jump immediately, lets not hang around here with our unkown friends."  I turn to Lyster, "Hopefully it stays this qui..."

Mid sentence I am thrown from my chair, landing on top of Lyster.  I quickly look at him, he is just as startled as I am. "Cromsic, what is going on!?"

"We have been dragged, by a warp bubble it appears... we are 40km from the gate."

"Cromsic, get that micro warp drive burning, lets go!  Trinka, 360... NOW!"

Trinka pushes her hair back away from her face, trying to staunch the gash she recieved from being thrown from her station "Nothing on scan at all, a few pirate wrecks but nobody alive within 14 AU of us."

"Well lets keep it that way, Cromsic... how close are we? ETA until we jump, I don't want to be here a nanosecond longer than we have to be"

He turns from Seeker's stearing moduale "Jumping now, I hope we don't run into any of those again.  Seeker's engines don't appreciate being pulled like that"

Same here I thought to myself, hopefully that is all the excitement that we encounter as we move to our corprate headquaters or else this will be one long trek.