Into the Fray

The season has been atypical for Venture. We're fighting for points in the interceptor class, and we seem to have a revolving door for frigate pilots. Thanks largely to Saikoyu's consistent performance, we were holding a 33-point lead in the assault ship class prior to Race 10. When I received news that she would be unable to attend the event in Everyshore, my heart sank. Her individual lead over Nicoletta Mithra would nearly evaporate, and if no one stepped up to put some points on the board for the team, I'd have a hard time explaining how we blew a significant team lead so close to the end of the season. Koronakesh likes to say that the "spin mill never stops" at Venture, but there are some things that even I can't obfuscate with smoke and mirrors.

I started weighing my options, even though I knew I really only had one. I wasn't likely to catch Koronakesh prior to the race, so I wasn't sure if he'd be available. Our newest recruit, Ilsenae, is currently unable to participate due to schedule conflicts, and I doubt she's qualified to pilot an assault ship, given that she only recently earned her pilot's license. Graelyn is working hard in the interceptor class, and it wouldn't be fair to him if I asked him to switch classes. I went down to the station's medical facility to inquire about clone-jumping, a procedure that I've never actually employed, but it seemed the fastest way to get home. I had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

I woke up shortly afterward somewhat disoriented, and I didn't feel quite like myself due to a different set of implants. In retrospect, it might have been faster to simply fly back to Fricoure rather than waiting for the staff to clear me for flight after the jump, but the secondary body is expendable, whereas the primary me is not. As it happens, I had ordered a refit of one of Kendar Zek's old ships roughly two weeks ago. I didn't seriously expect to ever race her, so I hadn't taken any time to practice. There I stood, staring up at the Hangman's Noose with her pristine finish, thinking that I was about to desecrate a team relic by taking her back out on the track and putting her in harm's way. I went aboard for only the second time since I acquired her to inspect her critical systems before heading out to Everyshore.

The ship handled well on my flight out to the staging area. I caught a brief nap and woke up shortly before the starting system was announced. Fortunately, I was only two jumps out. A few sports reporters from various media outlets had done their homework already and noticed the last minute roster change filed with the league. I had barely debarked when they started asking questions. Not wanting to draw attention to the fact that Saikoyu wouldn't be there, I told them we had a comfortable lead in the class, making this a great opportunity to get my feet wet and have fun. The unintended advantage to racing turned out to be the freedom to dismiss tough questions about our interceptor rivalry with Dirtside with a smile and a reminder that I had to focus on my pre-flight inspections. The media has never been quite so easy on me.

I settled into my pod about ten minutes prior to the start of the race. I kept telling myself that I only needed to finish in order to maintain a significant lead for the team, but nothing seemed to untie the knots in my stomach. What if I lose Kendar's boat? The question played over and over in my mind, and I hardly noticed the station crew trying to catch my attention for towing from the docking platform to the launch area.

"Captain Ellis, towing tractor engaged. Clear to release platform moorings."

Five minutes to go time.

"Captain Ellis, please release moorings."

I floated there idly, my mind wandering, completely oblivious to what was going on. Aura finally woke me up from my daydreaming when one of the tugs decided to give my ship a little jerk with the moorings still engaged. There's nothing quite like klaxons in the morning.

"Captain Ellis . . ."

"Roger that. Magnetic moorings disengaged."

"Everything okay over there, Captain?"

"Everything's fine over here. Do try to be gentle. I'd hate to mar the finish before the race even starts."

I distinctly recall the countdown, but most of the race is a blur. I really don't know how people manage to chatter so much during a race. I had to stay quite focused on what I was doing: Warp. Jump. Warp. Approach. Unlock. Align. Set waypoint. Warp. Jump. Rinse. Repeat. I was holding my own for a while, but I ended up lagging behind before the halfway point and found myself drifting alone in the rear. Serpentis ships paid me a visit at a couple waypoints. I returned fire against some of the smaller ships, but the larger ones didn't warrant my attention; they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn at point blank range. I reminded myself repeatedly that the goal was to finish in one piece. At the last waypoint, another capsuleer decided to lock my ship; however, I was gone before I even noticed who it was or what he was flying.

In the end, I finished 4m 9s behind Nicoletta. I could say that second place in a two-person race isn't particularly glorious, but I do believe it's the first time any of our late co-founder's ships has finished in the top three. I'll take whatever small victories I can get any way that I can get them. Venture holds a 28-point lead over Scuderia Caille, so I can't complain.

After the race, I ran into Altantsetseg Naranbaatar at the Daredevil's Lounge. She's unique, and our brief chat may very well have been the highlight of the day. I look forward to seeing her around.