Settling for Sleepers

12th March 2013 – 5.59 pm

My glorious leader has been exploring. Indeed, the w-space constellation has already been mapped by Fin, having worked her way through our neighbouring class 3 system and out to empire space. So what's the plan? 'Roll, I think', Fin says, suggesting that we collapse our wormhole to make all her effort for nothing. But that's how it goes in w-space.

Fin comes home, we board massive ships, and start throwing them through the static wormhole. It looks willy-nilly, but we're using the power of maths and brains to determine how to safely kill the wormhole whilst we both remain on the right side at the end. Clearly, we need better education, or bigger brains, as a few trips merely results in the wormhole shrinking to a critically unstable condition. No, it's the wormhole that's stupid, not us.

We can still get rid of the wormhole by pushing a heavy interdictor through, relying on the curious properties of warp bubbles and an oversized propulsion module to keep us safe. And by 'we', I mean 'Fin', as she volunteers amidst my selfish and stubborn silence. Admittedly, I am under the impression we have a tacit agreement that I can scan her home quicker and with more enjoyment in the process than vice versa. Still, this is not a pleasant duty, because of the uncertainty. Out she goes in the Devoter.

And back Fin comes. Bam, the wormhole is gone. Now to see if the replacement will connect us to a better constellation. Scanning in my cloaky Loki strategic cruiser confirms that the only new signature is the new wormhole, which I resolve and warp to. 'Find us a solo ship running sites', says Fin. 'Or two. Or three, if one isn't an ECM boat.' Jumping to C3a and updating my directional scanner sees a tower, Iteron hauler, and Moros dreadnought in the system, and I relay the information back home. 'I will take a Moros.'

I'm looking for the Iteron, and not because I think Fin is joking. She may actually be a little bit serious. But I suspect the Moros won't be piloted, and even if it is it won't be in a site. The hauler, however, may well be piloted and hauling, which makes for excellent target practice. My last visit to this system was fourteen months ago and the tower turns out to be in the same location, where I quickly see that both ships are empty. Never mind, back to scanning.

Launching probes and performing a blanket scan of C3a reveals two anomalies and six signatures, all of which are chubby. This will be nice and quick. I ignore a bit of gas and resolve a pair of wormholes. The static exit to low-sec is joined by what would be a lovely K162 from class 2 w-space, were it not at the end of its life. Sadly, the exit is also EOL, so I can't really jump to low-sec, bookmark the other side of the wormhole, and risk the K162 knowing I had a route home. So I just jump to C2a without a safety net. Yeah, I'm reckless.

Nothing. Well, a tower and nothing. Given that the wormhole was opened from this side, the odds are pretty high that whoever was here left hours before the wormhole started throwing a wobbly, which is why I don't stay to explore further. I return to C3a and declare this second w-space constellation as dead as tank tops. So, what to do? 'The two anomalies?' We may as well.

Shooting Sleepers in a Golem and Tengu

Fin and I head home, swap ships, and go back to C3a in a Tengu strategic cruiser and Golem marauder to cause mayhem amongst the Sleepers. Incredibly, this time there is no hitherto unnoticed system phenomenon to complicate matters, and we cruise through the two anomalies purging them of Sleepers without interruption. And, thanks to the utility of the Golem, we return home with about 150 Miskies in loot. Quicker than two Tengus and no need to salvage afterwards. I like my marauder.

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