Tristan Is Back For More

Starwalker was in station to check his training queue when he noticed Jev North in local. This was the same pilot that had arrived late in the Merlin versus Rifter fight and had destroyed the last 5% of Starwalker's Merlin structure. Was this an opportunity for some sweet revenge?

Undocking in another Merlin, Starwalker headed out into space and saw a Tristan in local, looking good so far. He then went to the sun to be easily found and to see if he could scan down the target.

The Tristan arrived a little a while later and some 350km away - it was Jev North. Starwalker turned the Merlin around and slowly burnt towards him at the snail's pace that is the top speed of the Merlin using an afterburner fit. However, around 160km away the Tristan simply warped out - very disappointing.

Starwalker started scanning but before long the Tristan was back. So, he continued to slow boat towards the Tristan as it held its position - stationary. Around 60km away the Tristan warped away again and this time Starwalker decided to continue on and bookmark the position. It might come in useful later as it didn't look like the Tristan was going to stay and fight.

Wrong. The Tristan warped back yet again at range and this time was only 30km away. Starwalker locked it and closed in - the Tristan stayed and engaged. The fight was finally on. Overheating rockets immediately the Merlin laid into the Tristan as the distance closed down to blaster range.

The Tristan blasters were doing their worst and ripping away the shield but the Merlin was also  soon smashing into armour. The Merlin shields dropped and then armour was being torn away by the blasters but the Tristan's tank was nearly gone too and it had dipped into structure. The Merlin armour was not designed for this type of abuse and rapidly gave way but not before the Tristan exploded into a fiery ball. Payback.

Starwalker went for the pod too, to really sweeten the victory but Jev North managed to get it away as in the excitement Starwalker fumbled at the controls. No matter, he was really pleased and scooped up the loot as Jev North noted "gf" and that Merlin's are "tough". Starwalker refrained from gloating and simply noted "gf - close" but it was a really sweet kill!