Venoms Bite

08.17.09
Constellation Aldodan
Metropolis Region
Evati System

The message icon blinked on Venom’s datapad, she slowly rose from bed and headed straight for a real cup of Gallente Espresso.  Venom’s quarters at the Kaalikiota station were stoic to most but actually rich in art and half finished projects.  Most of the art lining her walls or surfaces were Minmatar spiritual in origin, she still used them from time to time for special Minmatar holidays.  Living a young life on a moon in a mining slave camp taught Venom how to fix and tinker with just about everything, the fight between her and the engineering crew was ongoing and just part of the job if on Venom’s crew.

The rich espresso coursed through Venom’s veins, she felt more awake now.  She grabbed her datapad and checked messages.

Insurance ending

Corp Ops

Private Message From: Lau Wensink

Afternoon Vemon, I was wondering if you were interested in a duel

Venom’s eyes got big, she never has liked pre-arranged 1v1’s, her experience was that most were not able to keep to the terms and always brought friends.  It’s the price one pays for being well known, not to mention her corpse can get a few isks on the open market.  Her instincts told her this one would be different, some research showed that he had dueled some other more well known pirates in New Eden, and kept to the terms, why not.

With a few buttons, a new message windows opened up on the datapad.

To: Lau Wensink

Sure, 5 hours from now, in Evati

___

By the time Venom returned to base 5 hours later, Lau was already in station and ready for that fight.  Venom noticed from coms that this pilot had already had a few fights today with one of her brothers, Mon, of the Bastards.

Kestrel, one ECM Mod fit, no problem, he will get a few jams but I should rip him apart.

Venom’s coms channel blinked, a channel was opening between her and Lau.

“Hi Venom”, Lau offered in the open window, “ready for that fight”?

“Of course, but some ground rules first; no podding, to the death, at a safe, frigates”, were the terms Venom offered.

“Perfect, I’ll come to you when you are ready”, the pilot Lau was very eager.

If Venom were to say she hadn’t thought about the fight all day, she would be lying, she researched any losses this pilot might have had as well as checked any fights he might have had with Mon.  It would seem that he and Mon had been playing all day but from all losses, it still looked like a Kestrel with one ECM and something she could take in her Rifter.

“Xandie, get the crew ready, you stay in station and monitor coms”, Venom’s orders hit the crew coms channels.

“Will do Venom, crew is standing by”

Venom undocked her prized Rifter class vessel and willed it to a safe spot in Evati, upon landing she signaled to Lau it was time to come in.

Venom kept moving around the warp in spot, ready on all fronts to point and melt this pilot.  He arrived, started locking and Venom did the same while closing into a tight and close orbit.

Fuck, he got a jam off right away, no worries, it should end soon……WTF, another Jam, shields going down…..5 more seconds and I can lock….oh no another jam, he’s into my armor, this won’t last much longer, surely I can get a lock after this unless he has more than one ECM mod…..5 seconds….4….3….2…1, Fuck, another Jam and now he’s getting close to my structure.

Venom thinks fast and realized that to have 3 ECM mods he couldn’t have any extra speed, she willed the ship away and hit all thrusters.

Venom sits at 60k from the target and wonders what to do, she seems to be perma-jammed and can’t get a lock at all, she’s badly damaged and another few volley’s and she will be dead.

Venom accepts her fate and honors her fights, even if to the death, she wills her ship towards the Kestrel and wills the ship to go at max speed, in hopes to catch him off balance and get at least one shot on him.

Within locking range, she makes the attempt, only to see she is jammed again.  She keeps trying to the end but the ECM is just not something she can overcome, her ship flashes in a brilliant blue explosion.

“You going to tell me what you have on that ship that kept me jammed the whole time”, Venom asks in the open coms channel.

The pilot smiles and says, “3 ECM mods, it was the only way to beat you”.

Venom could feel her face flush with some anger, that was indeed the only weakness to exploit, by getting rid of all other mods and fitting the ship with all jamming equipment.

“Fair enough, you found the hole, well done”, Venom wasn’t happy.

“I feel like a coward for doing this”, the pilot offered.  ”You are kidding right, all is fair in love and war, you found the weakness and exploited it, yea it wasn’t an equal fight but a good one”, Venom replied.

Venom willed her pod back to base, she was right, the fight was good and he exploited the means needed to kill her but she still felt a bit cheated.  She wondered how much of the fights with Mon had to do with her loss, maybe Lau learned too much from her brother, if that was so, he did his job well and came to win.

“Lau, I hope you are up for a rematch”, Venom asked.  ”Of course, that would be great Venom”, was his reply.

When Venom returned to base, showered the pod good offer sleek body, something caught her eye on the datapad news feed:

“Caldari Pilot Offers Challenges Across New Eden”

___

Lau’s Post on the Event

The concept of  Celebrity Death-match is great, well done Lau, I hope the project has been fun.  I enjoyed but still a bit red faced I lost.  I think Roc got off easy being one of your earlier fights, seems you brought all your toys to the table for me, with that I’m honored.  Yea, it wasn’t entirely fair but it also was very fair, ECM is a great problem to solve in the game and I don’t find it lame.  On the other hand, 3 ECM mods on a Kestrel, well, it’s lame.