Disaster strikes

I continued my exploration of the pentagram pocket. The Voltans and their "We form Blob" allies are busy destroying the RHP structures, and left me alone. I still did not find any traces of the Takmahl, but to my surprise I found a Blood Raider data network node that is active. This is far away from the Blood Raider bases in Delve, so I see it as an interesting clue. Indeed, their presence can point to a historical connection with this remote area, corroborating my theory that Sabik cryoships arrived here long ago. I dismantled the node and took the evidence with me to bring back to the attention of the MIO.

I could no longer use the RHP Keepstar freeport in E3UY-6, as it is under attack and being evacuated, so I decided to return to my original base of operations, the Sisters of Eve station in ROIR-Y.

The war fleets in their cat-and-mouse games place interdiction bubbles at the warp gates, in the direction from incoming warp gates. So I avoided coming in from a straight line, and took care to warp to a safe or a celestial first. But in E-9ORY, a mere two systems out from my destination, disaster struck. There were interdiction bubbles also at unlikely angles to the gate, and my ship was stopped dead amidst hostile forces. I could not use the cloak, as the electrical storm was still raging. It took them a bit of time to lock me up, time used to try and get the crew to eject in the escape pods. But for me and the ship it was too late.

Moments later, I woke up in a new clone, disoriented and worried for the survival of the crew. My death had set into motion a chain of events designed to get me back in a ship as fast as possible. The insurance money was paid, and a business representative on Amarr received the message to activate buy orders of a list of equipment to be installed in a new Anathema hull. I got on board of a shuttle and flew over to Amarr making best speed.

While in transit to Amarr, I received the news that six of the eight crewmembers survived, and were now in the care of the Sisters of Eve in their station in ROIR-Y. One of the survivors is badly injured, the other five are shaken and somewhat bruised but for the rest OK. The remaining two of my crew are confirmed dead. Gerulf, my cloak technician, stayed too long onboard trying to overcome the interference from the electrical storm, and his brother Arnulf, a hangar worker, would not leave without Gerulf. My prayers are with them and their family.

Having reached Amarr and boarded the Indigatrix II, I am now flying over to ROIR-Y to meet up with the survivors.

It is not clear to what warring faction, if any, our murderer was linked. From his name, I would suspect RHP, but from the region he was in, it could be Volta. Or, maybe it is more likely that he is an assassin working for the Blood Raiders. While I did not have the gifts of technology for the barbarian warlords on board, nor the missionary, I did have the evidence I gathered on Blooder presence in the Deklein region with me. That precious intelligence data has been destroyed.