EVE Fiction

I've had this in my head for a while now, but I only seemed appropriate to publish it now, given the Rubicon theme of the Empires, and presumably to some extent, CONCORD, starting to lose their power to the Capsuleers. This is probably rife with spelling, syntax, and gamma errors my proofreading failed to pick - At college I always seems to miss half my errors... but, beside that, here is a story:



The Sable Cruiser approaching the outpost didn't fit in, to say the least. The brushed palladium armor gleamed, dazzling, beside the Darkling crystallized panels. Along its sides, dormant, a venerable arsenal of missile launchers waited for the order to fire. It didn't merely seem capsuleer piloted. It overtly advertised it's capsuleer status. It reeked capsuleer... Anyone with a basic knowledge of warships would realize that: Any single launcher along it's side cost more that the hull itself; and that was saying something. Only a capsuleer could, would, spend that much

Capsules never came here. At least, not with peaceful intentions. Almost every eye on the observation deck was cast over the ship. It wasn't firing. It wasn't demanding immediate surrender. It was docking. Concealed in the corner, a single man declined to gawp at the ship, preferring to occupies himself wit the data crystals he was carrying. He knew exactly what the Sacrilege was doing here. It was meeting him. He mused over how he was going to speak to him discreetly now, with every soul demeaning to know his business... "'Damn, this will be difficult,'" he though.

Over the next hour, as the ship docked, the attention of the thugs wandered from the now docking pilot, and returned to the various suspicious holo-reels on display, and jugs of Quafe laced with whiskey. "'Quafe and whiskey,'" mulled the brown haired man, whom had tried a glass whilst waiting.... "'More alike Ethanol and Quafe...." The taste of the foul brew still lingered in is mouth. Worse than battery acid, which he had tried once, as the result of a practical joke at the lab. Hazy memory of the late night spent working on his latest project came to mind...

The dull metallic thud his boots on the floor, as he walked down the corridor, towards another nondescript looking room. He had always hated the sterile, white rooms of the 'Vault,' as so many refereed to their own workplace, referring to the numerous technological secrets held in it's confines. The door shuddered open as the walked towards it, sensing his ID tag.
Behind it, another door stood. Beside it stood real, live guards... "Live Guards!" The man had been surprised when he saw them the first time; What was so important that it justified the expense of real guards, instead of sentry? That was a long time ago, and he knew now. "Good day, Doctor" called one of the man, and let him passed... He muttered a sigh on the way and carried on his way. His pace was lively, excited. The project was nearly finished. King Khanid II was rumored to be inspecting the Vault any day now... He had commissioned the project in person. The man was anxious. In his job he'd never known, let alone seen, so much money spent on a single commission. "Once Again," Mulled the scientist, "Saying something..." He hurried his way towards the main hanger...

His attention was shocked back to the present by a sharp figure entering the observation deck. The Capsuleer. The Doctor stood up, and made to greet the man. "I am Navis," he spoke softly. That was enough. The Capsuleer cocked his head to the side, curious.. He hadn't been expecting someone like that, regarding the Scientist, Navis. His dress was antiquated, a genuine wool jacket, and a red cotton bow tie, contrasting his aging face... Clearly wealthy, but then, anyone offering a capsuleer work had to be wealth... "Meh," though the man. He had been contacted by this Navis, via a Royal Navy representative, and told he had work to offer that would benefit the Navy. He was willing to trust him. Besides, he had been told the pay was good, by his Navy contact. Thus, as Navis turned and briskly walked away, presumably to a more... quiet place, the Capsuleer followed.

Naivs Turned, and spoke "I need not know your name. This is strictly off the books, as you know."
"I've worked in clandestine roles for the Navy before, I'll have you know," the Capsuleer sharply replied, apparently taken back by Navis' blunt approach. "Indeed, and with impeccable credentials," spoke Navis' warm, light voice "Meor Varuna Recommended you personally, when we approached the Navy." The Capsuleer Whistled. Meor Varuna, the Commandant of the Royal Khanid Navy. Apparently he was more valued by the Navy that he had thought.
"You Approached me offering work?" Pressed the Capsuleer.
Navis Smiled. "That, we did," he spoke softly, and chuckled. "It relates to one of out latest designs." and his memory once again shot back to the past.

As he made haste towards the hanger, the sounds of the construction of the prototype reached him. The Grinding of machinery, the hum of the armor composites being synthesized.... Crystallized Carbon armor - a long standing secret of the the labs.. Get ever abundant carbon, marshal it into a microscopic grid lattice, alloy it with the more traditional armor compounds, and then run a electric current thought it... probably the most resilient amour to be found anywhere.. Oh Yes, and the Capsuleers kept saying it looked illustrious. But that would only be a sideshow for this project... They had made a breakthrough in it's weapons technology. That was what Navis was coming to supervise. The installation of the Weapons and their... related systems. His Highness would be impressed... the prototype would superseded the design brief, easily. The simulations had already been very promising...

The Impiety Prototype seemed all the darker, blending into the the dull nebulas in Hakana, as it unlocked from the Vault, for the live firing test, followed by the captured Stabber. Khanid gave his order "Commence the test," and the crew of the Stabber ran her up to a speed typical of Republic Fleet Ships, and orbited the Impiety. There was a dull hiss of the torpedoes launching, and they began chasing the Stabber around the Impiety. You could almost hear the thirty key scientists watching, holding their breath, as the torpedoes closed down the Stabber. The blast of light as they contacted the speed-built cruiser was typically overwhelming... No one expected the transmission from the Stabber "Cease Fire! Repeat: Cease Fire! Shielding failed, Armour critical!" There was subtle chuckkle from Khanid as the Stabber limped its was back to the Vault, leaking atmosphere from it's side. Navis quietly hoped the Navy personal manning her were unscathed... The Impiety would certainly serve the Kingdom well. Khanid had signed a preliminary order for fifty examples on the spot.

"So all was going well," Confirmed the Capsuleer, as Navis unraveled the story "The ship exceeded everyone's expectations, and Khanid seemed to be planing a large order. What happened?"
Navis Looked at the Capsuleer, vacantly. "I'm getting to that."

It had been three days since the firing tests. Navis sat at his desk, and sighed. Bureaucracy Issues. CONCORD refused to grant type certification to ship, and without that, no serial production could continue. How was it, they had put it, Navis asked himself?.. Ah yes: ' CONCORD has considered your request to certify the advanced battleship style vessel assigned the class name "Impiety," however upon examining performance statistics, CONCORD feels that the type's sophisticated ordnance delivery systems are likely to threaten the balance of power between the factions of New Eden, and as such we regret to inform you that we can not grant type certification to the Impiety.' In short, reflected Navis, the ship was too dangerous to be build... The Irony.. "If it was meant to be safe, we would have painted cursed bright colored animals on the side of it!" He shouted, frustrated, and threw some stylus pens at the wall... "'Tis a warship, Dear God," muttered Navis. His Highness would not be pleased to learn that his ship had been 'banned,' for need of a better word. How would they get around this... If some were built, and started 'threatening the balance of power between the factions of New Eden,' as it were, CONCORD would be forced to Certifies the type... to maintain the balance of power. 'Oh, The Irony,' chuckled Navis, with a gleeful smile... Now, whom would be audacious enough to disregard CONCORD mandate?...

The Capsuleer Grinned... "So you want to leak the ship to Capsuleers,"
"So CONCORD is forced to certify the variant for the Royal Navy," completed Navis, quietly. They both smiled. They well knew there had always been capsuleer demand for Khanid Inivations battleship, and here it was, given to them on a plate by King Khanid the Second, as the result of CONCORD Interference. In a conspiratorial whisper, Navis continued "Of Course, It wouldn't do to have CONCORD find out this... scheme, so you will have to physically steal the blueprints." The Capsuleer looked worried at the concept of taking on the Royal Navy guardships that would be there without a doubt. Reading his mind, Navis continued further "Of course, the Royal Navy fleet guarding the aera would normally be problematic, So I arranged a reason for them to be distracted. Suffice I say some Minmitar Mercenarys will maundering in the system at a certain time?" The capsuler remained speechless for a period, then just said "Clever."

Navis passed the Capsuleer a data crystal, discreetly. "This has the co-ordinates for the Vault on it. Good Luck"

Navis Watched silently as the Capsuleer undocked. As the sable ship entered warp, he raised a transmitter, and listed to the gruff Thuckker Accent "Speak." The guards are distracted, so you may begin your attack now."