Lightening Strikes Twice

Starwalker was experimenting with a T1 cruiser - Moa. The Thorax was faster and had more gank but the Moa seemed to have a good combination of raw tank and gank. Starwalker was unsure what the additional differences in speed and signature radius would mean practically or which ship he would prefer but he wanted to try both of them over time.

He had decided to fly the Moa first, ugly as it was, and the main fit he had selected:

[Moa, Moa]

Damage Control II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
X5 Prototype Engine Enervator

Heavy Ion Blaster II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge M
Heavy Ion Blaster II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge M
Heavy Ion Blaster II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge M
Heavy Ion Blaster II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge M
Heavy Ion Blaster II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge M

Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Medium Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer I
Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

Hobgoblin II x3

However, the fit wasn't quite unequivocally selected as he vacillated between choosing the X5 stasis webifier and an Adaptive Invulnerability Field II. The web would be great for helping to kill frigates and drones but the Adaptive Invulnerability Field would add staying power when fighting other cruisers or battlecruisers.

The maiden voyage of the Moa had a happy surprise as he had only recently killed his first cloaky during a roam by chance. The chance that lightening strikes twice is very small but that is exactly what happened to this Cheetah who was sitting cloaked at 100km from a medium complex. Starwalker had seen a Vexor and multiple frigates there and had decided to warp in at 100km to see what might chase him and perhaps kill it.

The Vexor was at the acceleration gate but Starwalker's Moa arrived at 100km and decloaked the Cheetah, who tried to run but Starwalker quickly established a lock and scram and before it had got much further than 4km it was space wreckage. He was amazed - nearly two years in New Eden and he had only just gotten two cloaky kills - in quick succession.

Back at Starwalker's home base a Navitas was just sitting outside the station and he wanted to see how the Moa's tank would stand up the station gunfire. Very well. The Navitas was soon more wreckage and Starwalker had time to get the 40m ISK pod too as there was still some shield remaining.

Cheetah Ready and More T1 Frigates

Starwalker had scouted Oulley for Starstepper as it seemed that the Oulley gate camp was a regular feature for Placid. Starstepper had only ever lost one Mammoth to a gate camp and he had no desire to lose a second to something that could be easily avoided.

The Mammoth made the run during a quiet time and Eugales was restocked with 3 Incursi, 3 Merlins and most of the fittings needed. Starwalker had used his Hawk to pick up some final items from Covryn and along the way had killed this cyno-ship. It was well tanked but the dual Medium Ancillary Shield Boosters were easily able to tank the station guns.

Meanwhile, Starwalker had been distracted from training drone skills for his battlecruisers and had completed Covert Ops V and was now able to fly and fully fit his Cheetah:

[Cheetah, Cheetah]
Micro Auxiliary Power Core II
Co-Processor I
Damage Control II

Limited 1MN MicroWarpdrive I
1MN Afterburner II
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
Codebreaker I

Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Expanded Probe Launcher I, Core Scanner Probe I
125mm Gatling AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S

Small Gravity Capacitor Upgrade I
Small Gravity Capacitor Upgrade I

The original intent had been to use this ship and fit for finding Exploration (Radar) sites, primarily for ISK income, and possibly to probe down mission runners or industrial ships at safes but whilst the training was complete and the ship purchased and fitted the desire to use it had diminished considerably.

Starwalker was more interested in killing other ships and generally he spent so little time in New Eden already that he wanted to spend what time he did looking for fights. However, in over a year he still had not sorted out a steady source of ISK income and his disposable ISK was getting very low.