New Dawn

Date: 764-11-03 13:00

My ship has now been overtuned to a speed of 388. The mechanic told me that any more overtuning might cause serious damage to the systems. It's better to quit overtuning the engines now.
After thanking (and paying) him, I left the station and searched for more Assassination missions. Did not find any, but in Getsu Fune, I received an urgent message from the Argon. Their Military send out a message to all pilots for aid. They had aquired intelligence about increased Xenon activity in the sector to the north. And they feared an invasion.
The Xenon have been enemies of the Kha'ak since first contact. So the choice was easy. I accepted the call for help.

And sure enough, a short time later two Xenon K's jumped in, with an escort of Xenon L's. While a lone Argon M6 was defending itself against the Xenon fighters, I circled around the first K and fired my Kyon emitters at it's top side. That side, with the disc, is a known weak spot. I just stayed in position and kept firing my emitters untill the energy was drained. Then I waited for the energy banks to fill up again, and opened fire again. It took a while, but aftere a few minutes the first K was just a buring hulk of metal. I moved on to the other K, which by then had destroyed an Argon Solar Power Plant. I repeated my routine untill this K was terminated as well. All that was left now, were a few remaining L's. They were eliminated quickly. After the battle, the Argon hailed me and transferred 12 million credits to my account for helping them. 12 million!

Some time later, when I was flying through Boron space, I spotted a Xenon patrol. One P, some L's and a Xenon LX, the newest and most dangerous Xenon M3. I destroyed them, but in this battle, I lost one of my Kyon Beam Emitters… This is a serious problem. There is no way I can buy these in this Universe. The only way to get a new one is to find and capture a Kha'ak Fighter with this weapon on board. This will take too long and the chances are too slim. I will have to switch to a new ship now. An alien ship.

Fortunately, with the credits I made from the Xenon mission in Getsu Fune, I could buy a Split Dragon. Enough credits to equip it with weapons and shields. But a lot of credits will have to be spend on overtuning and optimizing it's engine and agility. It will never be as quick as my Fighter, but it's arsenal is impressive. With it, I can start a new chapter in my existence.

The Future

I have been selling most of the ships I captured. The only one I intend to keep is a Dolphin Super Freighter. This ship I will equip and upgrade as well, preferably it's speed and rudder as well. I intend to use it to store goods and weapons that I salvage from the wrecks I leave behind. On several occasions I have destroyed a ship that left tonnes of crystals behind. Unfortunately I could only pick up a few tonnes in my Fighter. Crystals are worth a lot, and selling them all could earn me millions!

With the Dolphin, I could also trade until I find another assassination mission. These are much harder to find than I anticipated, also because I can only accept some missions from the Split. The other races don’t trust me enough.

The difficulty with the assassination missions is that at this moment I can only accept the ones offered by the Split. The other races don't trust me enough. Been visiting station after station, and finally, my patience paid off. Found two more assassination missions, the first one paid me almost a million. And because the target was a Argon (Mammoth, Centaur and three Nova's), my Argon rank got boosted to Citizen! It immediately earned me docking rights with the Argon! The other one was A Split target. Just an Elephant with an escort of four Mamba's. I got almost four hundred thousand for that.

Hopefully, I can now also accept assassination missions offered by the Argon. Then, it will go faster and faster. I docked at an Argon Station and donated 1.5 million to a Foundation. My rank increased to Federation Guardian. Two more assassination missions... One with a Split target, and one with a Teladi target! The last one gave me docking rights with the Teladi.

Soon, I will have docking rights for all the races. I will have to think about the future now.

Assassin

Date: 764-11-02 19:43

A mechaninc on a space station offered to upgrade my ship's speed. For a price. After paying him four hunderd thousand credits he went to work. Of course, I had my guns aimed at him at all times, but he did not seem bothered by it. And after the modifications were made I paid him and took my ship out for a test flight. Sure enough the speed had gone up from 153 to 199. Well worth the credits!

After gaining the rank of Shameless Creature, my standing with the Split went up like a Supernova. Every time I killed a Boron ship, the rank increase was much higher than before. Instead of gaining two or three percent, I gained over thirty percent in rank!

And then I found a mission on the BBS by a Split creature, asking fo help. He wanted me to kill an Argon criminal. He was last seen in Greater Profit and he was reported to be heading for Thuruk's Pride. I accepted, and went off to find the target. Of course the shortest route from Ceo's Doubt to Thuruk's Pride was through Family Whi. So I travelled to that sector, looking for the target. But I did not find the target and crossed over to the Teladi Sector. Still not there, I travelled south into Seizewell. Dangerous, because the Teladi were not happy with my presence. But with my upgraded speed, evading the Teladi was easy. And I was just scouting anyway.

And there he was. An Argon Mammoth with an escort of 4 Argon Nova's.
I targetted the first Nova, and within seconds he was spacedust. The others turned and raced towards me, but my upgraded and now fully operational Fighter was too strong by far. One thing to say for the Kha'ak, we have the best weapons available. The beams just tore through their shields and hull. A few minutes later, all the Nova's were gone. Now, the Mammoth! Big ship, with big shields and weapons. But too slow by far. While I was aiming for the hull, spinning and strafing, the Mammoth's fire missed me completely. The beams from my ship were dancing along it's hull. After a while it's shields were gone, and the Argon captain was sending a message into space begging for help. Too late. With no shields, it's hull was a joke. All I had to do was break off the attack for short periods of time to allow my lasers to cool down. Then, again and again I attacked the Mammoth untill finally it disintegrated in a massive ball of fire.

I was then hailed by the Split, who paid me half a million credits. I gained so much honour among the Split that my rank went up from Comrade to Distinguised Associate. And because I terminated an Argon criminal, even my standing among the Argon went up with about fifty percent.

That is the way. The way of the Warrior. Assassin.

Rewarded

Date: 764-11-02 14:12

Another break. Captured a ship with a jumpdrive on board. Transferred it to my ship. Now, I can jump from sector to sector. This will allow me to search out enemies much quicker. Still can't buy energy, so the only way to get fuel is to prey on Energy Transporters. So be it.

Jumped to Family Whi, which is the best sector I have found so far. Many Boron ships and Goner ships. Here, I finally manage to gain the rank of Family Outcast. Still low, but now the Split finally allow me to dock at their stations.

Docking rights are giving me many more options. I can now sell the goods left behind by exploding enemies. Picked up and sold many Crystals. This really put many credits into my account! With it I bought a Transporter device from a Goner trader on the BBS.

Now I have all the equipment I need.

I am Kha'ak
I am Warrior
I am Trader

Questions...

Why I am here? Why was my Hive banned from the Core Sectors? What was the reason?

I am the last of my Hive. And I have changed... Will other Hives still see me as Khaak or will they see me as an Abomination? Or was this what the Queen's wanted... Drop a Kha'ak Warrior in a new environment without a Hive and see what happens?

Am I an experiment? And if so, then what is my purpose?

Gaining rank

Date: 764-11-01 12:47

Finally... I have killed enough enemies of the Split to gain rank. First to Enemy of Rhonkar, and now Family Enemy. Still far away from docking rights. Managed to kill two Xenon P's in Thyn's Abyss. Gave me much honour among the Split.

One great catch! Although the ship was small, the reward was magnificent. I managed to capture a Paranid Pegasus. It had equipment on board I had never seen before... A Docking computer, intact and operational!

My race may have underestimated the intelligence of these creatures. The Kha'ak invent what's necessary, but these other creatures go a few steps further.

I wonder what more they have to offer me. I already saw posts on the 'BBS' about a transporter device. This is sold by the 'Goners'. Expensive. I will have to attack their ships until I get one.

Have been exploring this corner of space. There are good opportunities here. To the north, there is a Boron sector called Menelaus Paradise, bordering a Xenon sector. Just one sector to the west lies Getsu Fune. Getsu Fune is also bordering a Xenon sector. In Menelaus Paradise I killed another Xenon P with escorts. This gave a great boost to my Boron rank. Something to remember when I finally get high enough rank with the Split to dock. Then I can gain Boron rank here. Getsu Fune is a great location to gain Argon rank.

Ghinn's Escape

Date: 764-11-01 11:40

I set out to find another Pirate Base. Preferably in Split space, and close to Boron sectors. I went back to the Pirate Base in Rhonkar's Clouds. From there I went to the East and then North to Family Whi. Found the gate easily, and jumped to Teladi sectors. After a stop in a Pirate Base in Mines Of Fortune, I discovered a Pirate Base in Ghinn's Escape.

After this long and dangerous journey, my will to live has grown. And with it, my skill in battle. I managed to kill several Split Dragon's on the way, as well as many Military Patrols. Taking down a Split Dragon in my upgraded ship is surprisingly easy. It is the escorts I have to take out first. As long as I can evade the M1's and M2's, I do not worry.

Perfect!
Ghinn's Escape is a Split sector and just one sector to the east there is a Boron sector named Hila's Joy. I hope to be able to raise my Split rank here in Ghinn's Escape by killing Boron and Pirates. Hopefully the Boron will likewise reward me in Hila's Joy, for killing Split ships in their sector.

The Hunt begins!

The Search

I need to find a better location. Found another Pirate Base in Company Pride. Teladi space. Not good enough. Need to improve standing with the Split race first.

Soon, I will travel away from here. I have heard from a Pirate Smuggler that there are Split sectors adjacent to Boron sectors. Far to the North and East. I will travel there and search for a Pirate base. But I will have to avoid the Xenon. My ship is too small to stand a chance in a Xenon Sector.
I will travel all the way to the north first.

There are rumours of a super gate in Family Whi that provides a fast route to the east.

Credits

Got some 'credits' at last. Killed smugglers and took two units of Space Weed and one unit of Space Fuel. Sold it at the Pirate station for 11094 credits. Bought a Cargo Life Support System and the Special Command Software MK1.

This is the way to equip my ship.

Kha'ak never bother when creatures abandon their ships. Now, I see possibilities. Captured Perseus Raider, Falcon, Scorpion. The Scorpion had Mineral Scanner, which I managed to equip on my ship.

With Life Support System, I tried picking up the creatures. I wanted to look at them. See them. They are pathetic. The Pirates were interested though. And offered more credits for them.

Bought the Trade Command Software. Then left base to find more credits. Captured more ships. A Goner Ranger, and a Mercury Super Freighter with many Energy Cells on board. Cannot sell ships. Must wait.

A Buzzard with Ecliptic Projector and Trading System extension completed my ship even further. But I needed protection more than anything. Found it in a Vulture Tanker. This one had two 25mw shields left. Now my shields are at maximum strenght!

Their language comes easier to me now. I think, learn.

I am Kha'ak
I am Warrior
Fear me!

Reborn

Now I am flying through space alone. Between battles I have time to think. Good. My thoughts are getting clearer, more refined.

Think.

It is me who makes decisions now. It is me that the decisions affect. Me. I. I see now. The sensation coming from the Queens ship just before it burned was the will to live. Fear. She knew what was coming. She did not like it.

Only a One fears death. Our queens are Ones. The rest is just a means to an end. They are Ones, we are nothing. When the Queen died, and responsibilities shifted, I became more and more a... One.

Only One can fear death. Khaak warriors are not meant to be Ones. We are not meant to fear. Our strenght lies there, and in our numbers.

These other creatures, they are all Ones. They fear. They make their ships strong, stronger than ours. Better shields, better weapons.

I will need a better ship.

I see now.
I am One.
I do not wish to fade.

The Burning

Date: 764-11-01 00:00

The Burning
For the first time in the History of the Hives Pact, an entire Hive has been banned from the Core sectors. My Hive. Why, we do not know. No need, no reason. The Queen knows. Enough.
When first arriving in this strange space, the Hive was set upon by unknown enemies. Nowhere to go, no home. Fought to protect the Queen. After many battles her ship burned. The shock was felt by all. To understand, understand our hierarchy. We are successful by specialization. The Queen orders, breeds, leads. We just do.

What was that? Just before her ship burned, an unknown sensation swept over us. Unexpected and new. That was a great shock to us all.
With the burning of her ship, we lost our guidance, our intelligence. We can adapt. We became… more. The leaderles Hive tries to shift, to new leadership, new ranks. But too many. Too many Kha’ak to rearrange. More died. Shifting responsibilities became easier. Sub-leaders emerged. They ordered, they thought. Others did. But the intelligence that first was with the Queen, was still too devided. Too new to us. Too chaotic.

Not many left now.

Strange. The more Brothers and Sisters die, the more that those who are left become… Something else. What to do? Why this question? We never had to ask. Why ask? More confusion. More die.

There’s just a few of us left.
I am Kha’ak.
I am Warrior.

There's just me
There’s just me. And a few of my lesser hive-brothers and hive-sisters. They are drones. Not specialized enough. Unintelligent. They will not last long. I am in a strange sector. Omcrron Lrrae?

Now I am alone. And alive. The intelligence the queen had, I can never achieve. I am too small and too insignificant. But it will do. I will survive. I will need a place to stay, organize my thoughts.

Choose. West. Search. Fight. I’ve lost the drones. My luck changed. I found a place that lets me dock. Sector is named 'Rhonkar's Clouds'. The race is ‘Pirates’. They even would let me trade. If I had this ‘credits’ thing. Will have to find 'credits'. Must do what no Kha’ak has ever done. Be… not-war with Split race. Make them tolerate me. Not make war. Fight their enemies for them. That, I can do. I am Warrior.

Must fight Pirates. And other enemies of Split, Boron. I kill and gain standing with Split. Split ships attack me. I kill Split. Do not lose standing. Strange creatures. Warriors.

I am Kha’ak.
I am Warrior.
I am alive.