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Blackbird Down

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Niamh Aideron
University of Caille
Gallente Federation
#1 - 2012-12-28 17:24:36 UTC
Author’s note: This story has lesbian characters, so if same sex relationships upset you then please don’t read any further. Also, just because it's a same sex relationship does not mean there is any sex in it !!

Blackbird Down, 1/5

That was not a Hurricane, that was a wreck with molten metal splatters and multi coloured armoured plates welded together in random pattern. I checked the docking gate number, “62”, as instructed by despatch.
Seeing a fitter on the wreck struggling with a sensor array I called out, ‘Hey, where’s my Hurricane ?’
The fitter stood up and stretched, revealing a woman with spiky red hair and overalls grimy with tungsten dust and weld burns. ‘If you are looking for a Hurricane you are looking in the wrong place,’ she called back, ‘but as you are here can you give me a hand with this ?’
I hesitated, not wanting to get my uniform dirty, ‘you afraid of dirt ?’ she called out sarcastically.

Dropping my holdall I climbed aboard the wreck and carefully made my way over to her.
‘Grab hold of that end and lift,’ she instructed.
Together we lifted the sensor array, revealing a tangled mess of melted cables.
‘Oh great’ she groaned, ‘got a spare D-Scan module on you ?’
‘Nope’,’ I replied, at which she cut the cables and I helped her throw the old scanner onto the dock.
‘Now I’m going to struggle to get this old bird ready for fleet tonight,’ she grimaced.
‘Tonight’s fleet ?’ I said in surprise, ‘What’s this wreck supposed to be ?’
‘This wreck,’ she said through gritted teeth, ‘is a fully functioning Blackbird,’ she glanced at the melted D-Scan on the dock, ‘well mostly fully functioning.’
‘A Blackbird !’ I said incredulously, looking around me.
‘Hey,’ she said, ‘don’t dis’ my ship. She’s brought me home from more fleets than you’ve had star jumps, although I will admit that she’s needed a few repairs.’
‘Your ship ? You’re a pilot ?’ my voice rose an octave in surprise with each question.

She grinned and held out her hand, ‘I’m Niamh and I’m the shittiest Blackbird pilot in the fleet’.
I looked at her grubby hand and sighed but shook her hand, ‘Alice, and I’m really sorry. I mean no disrespect to you or your ship.’
‘OK Alice,’ she laughed, pulling a data pad out of her toolbox, ‘let’s see what’s happened to your ‘cane.’
‘Oh,’ she said in surprise, looking at the data pad, ‘there’s a message from our FC.’

‘What does it say ?’ I asked impatiently, but she blushed and hesitated, ‘Your ‘cane’ is on dock 16’, she spluttered finally.
‘So why did they send me down here ?’ I griped
‘Alice,’ she asked slowly, ‘Have you said or done anything that would indicate to our fleet commander that you are or maybe a lesbian ?’
I gasped in horror and felt my own blush rising, ‘No, I’ve not told anyone.’
She turned the data pad towards me, ‘Found a pilot who plays on the same team as you. Hope you get laid and stop being such a pain. Fleet up at 20.00, don’t be late, either of you.’
Niamh Aideron
University of Caille
Gallente Federation
#2 - 2012-12-28 17:27:23 UTC
Blackbird Down, 2/5

So they all knew I was a lesbian, rocking on my heels I felt the blood drain from my head and blackness beckoned.
‘Hey, fleet to Alice, snap out of it,’ barked Niamh, ‘think of this as an initiation test, a crappy test but you have to stand up to them. Do you hear me ?’
Blinking back the tears that threatened to give me away I snapped to attention, my basic training kicking in and I focused on Niamh’s now intense face, inches from mine.
‘Good’, she said quietly, ‘remember always that you are their equal. Now let’s go find your Hurricane.’
Turning towards the dock door she gestured for me to follow. As I grabbed my holdall she flicked open her coms link and started barking orders, ‘Stix I want a replacement D-Scan fitted to my Blackbird with an hour. Yes, I know about Alice and that’s why you have just one hour or I will kick your butt out of the nearest airlock, Do You Understand. Oh and tell our FC we are on our way to dock 16’

Pacing quickly to the nearest transport pod she hammered the keypad and slumped into the seat. ‘Bastards,’ she said, ‘to do this to you.’
‘I can handle myself,’ I replied automatically and she grinned at me, ‘ata girl.’
As the pod came to a halt she pushed past me, shoulders squared, pulling the doors open impatiently.
‘You Bastard,’ she shouted at a tall bearded man, who I then recognised from my data files was our FC.
‘Hi Niamh, Hi Alice,’ he grinned.
I snapped to attention, ‘reporting for duty, Sir.’
‘What the, oh come on,’ squawked Niamh, who then grabbed our FC by the shoulders and started shaking him, ‘that was the shittiest ****** thing you have ever done,’ she snarled.
‘Whoa,’ he said stepping backwards out of her grip, ‘Niamh, listen to me, listen ..’
Niamh stopped, shoulders heaving with rapid breaths, ‘of all the times I’ve rescued your sorry arse and you do this to me, to her !!’, she screamed
‘Ok, Ok, look at it this way, everyone knows now and you can relax, so start enjoying yourself will you and stop being such a miserable cow.’
‘So is that the only reason you invited me into this fleet ?’ I asked in frustration, ‘so that she could get laid ?’
‘No, no, not at all, your combat record speaks for itself, the rest is just icing on the cake, so as to speak. Now, your fit looks OK but the sooner you have T2 mods the better so focus your skill training OK ?’
‘Yes sir,’ I replied slightly mollified.
‘Good,’ he said ‘in that case Niamh, show Alice to her captain’s quarters will you and make her feel at home.’
Ducking from Niamh’s swinging left arm he danced away chuckling.

Grinding her teeth with frustration she led me to my quarters, where she stomped into the shower room, leaving me dazed and wondering what I had got myself into.
Niamh Aideron
University of Caille
Gallente Federation
#3 - 2012-12-28 17:32:21 UTC
Blackbird Down, 3/5

Losing my brand new Hurricane on my first fleet was bad enough, being podded was worse, but knowing I could have done better was what really pissed me off. So here I was back on dock 62 waiting on the fleet to return, waiting for Niamh to return. I had heard the battle coms, visualised the engagement, seen the kill reports, knew that she had played her part well and survived.

As a battered and smoking Blackbird was pulled slowly along the docking runway I was joined by an elderly fitter who shook his head in disbelief at the damage, ‘We’ve been told to repair her, but look, how can we repair that ? It would be easier to melt her down and start again.’
‘She is very attached to her ship,’ I observed.
‘I’ve heard it talks to her and she talks back, it happens you know, it’s all those microwaves, fries their brains eventually,’ he muttered.

I thought of our time together before the fleet, hanging out in my quarters, just regular mates, gossiping about the station, nothing out of the usual, nothing that is until she hacked the station security system and showed that we were being spied on. ‘Bloody perverts’ she had said as she shut them out.

‘Hey’ I said changing the subject, ‘I thought she did all her own repairs ?’
He nodded, ‘station commander’s order and you apparently are to distract her,’ at which he raised an eyebrow.
Sighing I watched as the ship docked, from ship pilot to sex slave in one easy step. Retribution I supposed for trashing one perfectly good Hurricane.

The ship hatch hissed open with escaping gasses and out stepped Niamh, half-heartedly rubbing the pod goo out of her hair. ‘Hi Alice,’ she called out, ‘tough luck to get primaried, at least you got an early bath.’
‘I should have done better,’ I said wincing at the memory.
‘Who are all these guys ?’ she asked.
‘We have instructions to repair your ship ma’am,’ stated the fitter next to me.
‘The hell you are,’ threatened Niamh, pulling a remote control from her pocket.
The ship hatch swung shut and there was the sound of machinery powering up.
‘We need a drink,’ she said grinning, ‘follow me.’
As we entered her quarters I could hear shouts behind me; ‘That’s the auto cannon powering up.’ ‘Take cover.’ ‘SNOW BALLS, it‘s firing bloody snow balls at us !!!’

Her quarters were a mess, dirty clothes and dishes on every surface mixed with technical manuals and readouts. Niamh stepped out of her jump suit and into the shower cubicle, leaving me a brief view of bare arse and the line of neural jacks running up her back. I have only vague recollections of what followed, Niamh emerging from the shower stark naked and walking right past me to her wardrobe, strange bars and even stranger drinks.
Niamh Aideron
University of Caille
Gallente Federation
#4 - 2012-12-28 17:37:25 UTC
Blackbird Down, 4/5

My stomach heaved and I lurched to the toilet. After my heaves ran dry the pain hit between my eyes and I gasped with the grip of the hangover. Stepping into the shower I turned the water on full and tried to wash away the night before.

Reluctantly I left the shower and rifled through Niamh’s wardrobe until I found a clean set of overalls, too short in arms and legs but otherwise wearable. Outside were sounds of welding coming from under her Blackbird.

Picking up a holdall of cleaning equipment from the sodden quayside I climbed onto the Blackbird and started cleaning round the bridge, wiping away the dust so that at least she could see out if she had time to look away from the instruments. Did I hear the ship sigh in pleasure ?

‘She likes you,’ said Niamh from behind me. I spun round wash cloth in hand to see her grinning, ‘how’s your head ?’
‘About to fall off,’ I groaned.
‘You need Stix’s patent hangover cure,’ she observed seriously and flicked open her coms, ‘Stix, we need two of your special hangover cures at dock 62 and a clean up squad for my quarters.’ ‘Thank you Stix,’ she laughed, ‘Yes, I can spell Thank You but if it’s not here in 5 minutes I will still kick your arse out of the nearest airlock.’

As we sat on the dock with our cures Niamh reminded me of the previous night. ‘It was funny listening to you tell Ripper all about logi, seeing as he is logi squad leader.’
‘Why didn’t you stop me,’ I murmured, hanging my head in embarrassment.
‘Like I said it was funny, you were so serious and so pissed,’ she grinned, ‘Ripper says you can fly logi anytime and he will even lend you a fitted Scythe to get you going.’
‘Fly logi ?’ I said dazed.
‘Sure, it’s a smart move. Everyone likes logi pilots and it’s a great way to get to know the guys in the fleet while you train up your T2 skills,’ she said draining her cure and pulling a face as she swallowed.
‘So why don’t you fly logi ?’ I challenged.
‘I’m a loner, Blackbird pilots always are,’ she shrugged her shoulders and stood up to go back to work.

‘Would you like some help ?’ I offered.
‘Sure, just do whatever she asks you.’ she replied casually.
Hesitantly I asked, ‘Niamh, does your Blackbird talk to you ?’
She frowned and spoke slowly, ‘Buzz and I have been together a long time and we look after each other.’
Tipping her head as if listening intently she said, ‘Buzz says you would be good for me.’
‘Would you be good for me ?’ I wondered.
‘Got you a logi ship for free didn’t I ?’ she laughed. Jumping onto a repair drone with a welding kit she disappeared under the ship.
Niamh Aideron
University of Caille
Gallente Federation
#5 - 2012-12-28 17:47:16 UTC
Blackbird Down, 5/5

Space quivered and flashed in the heat of battle. Our attack on the pirates camped on the Heydieles gate in Old Man Star was in full flow, My ship shuddered under their bombardment but our logi chain arced across the vacuum of space and my shields held for now. Frantically I scrolled through the fleet calls for logi help trying to keep up with Ripper’s instructions on our squad channel and our FC’s voice commands.

The battle did not last long, we were too strong for them and they broke, what was left of their camp scattering across the system. Only then could I break concentration to assess our losses. In fleet chat update I saw her Blackbird and her pod listed, ‘Niamh, are you OK ?’ I called out.
‘Alice, maintain combat protocol,’ snapped our FC, so I opened a private chat channel to Niamh, but with no response.
There was no time for more enquiries, as pirate reinforcements dropped on us. Once again my ship shuddered under their bombardment but this time our logi chain flickered and faltered. As my ship blew I pod warped to a customs post and then jumped to safety in Villore, where I reshipped.

As soon as we docked at our home station I raced for the medical centre.
‘Is Niamh OK ?’ I asked, ‘was her medical clone up to date ?’
‘Life signs are OK,’ replied the medic, ‘but she’s in shock.’
Pushing past him I approached her bed, ‘Niamh, it’s Alice, can you hear me ?’
She twitched and mumbled, ‘warp, warp, why don’t you warp ?’
Taking her hand I whispered ‘Niamh, it’s OK, it’s over.’
‘Don’t leave me,’ she pleaded.
‘I won’t leave you, ever’ I assured her.
‘Alice !!’ her eyes focused on me, ‘she said it was time, time for me leave her among the stars, to move on, said you would be good for me.’
‘We will be good for each other.’ I promised.
‘She said she wanted to go out in glory, not languish in a scrap yard. I promised that would never happen but she would not warp.’ Niamh grabbed my arm, ‘I stayed until the end Alice, I wanted to be with her until the end.’
‘and you were Niamh, you were there until the end.’ I consoled her.
She relaxed her grip on my arm and sighed, ‘there will never be another like her.’
‘We could build another,’ I suggested.
‘No, my Blackbird days are over,’ she said firmly.
‘If that’s what you want,’ I said soothing her forehead.
‘Could I fly logi with you ?’ she asked.
I grinned, ‘I’m sure Ripper has something you could borrow,’ and we both chuckled.

So that’s how we ended up flying logi together. Our FC was pissed that he had lost a Blackbird pilot and in the end Niamh offered to teach ECM to placate him, but she never set foot in a Blackbird again.

Author’s notes:
* Ever since Manchester Eve Blob I’ve been fascinated with the juxtaposition of EVE characters with their real life personalities and how one shapes the other.
* I wrote the first chapter as a 500 word flash fiction and then wanted to know what happened next Big smile
* Apologies to any lesbians reading this, I know that placing two lesbians in the same place does not instantly result in a relationship but please allow me some artistic licence Cool
Kalanaja
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#6 - 2012-12-28 19:09:29 UTC
Not a bad read. Interesting in some of the parts, except the bridge thing. Unless you make Niamh a baseliner with a crew, then she's not going to have the implants unless she prefers to pilot that way. But, it also means she'd had died for good unless she had a backup copy which would not even have known about the fight till later. Not that canon says anything about backup copies except for The Broker. Doesn't say capsuleers can't or don't. Just my bit of contention with it.