Small Bases in Strategic Locations

Starwalker felt like a new capsuleer after his holiday. Whilst away, the recent upgrade to optics had resulted in the universe and its nebulae being shown in brilliant colours and even visible engine trails. Nice new touches. However, not everything was new and Starwalker turned to the neocom console to see where all his assets were located – an old problem.

Selecting a base for operations was tricky because inevitably new bases were needed and moving between bases was either expensive or time consuming and dangerous. Starwalker had recently moved to yet a new model for organising ships and equipment – main base in hi-sec and small bases in strategic locations.

In short, one main base in hi-sec, in a central location with comparatively easy access to multiple low-sec bases, which were for fast re-shipping as needed between ship losses and a few consumables such as ammunition

The hi-sec base would be at or near a trade hub and this would be the main location for any purchased ships, common equipment such as auto-cannons and consumables such as ammunition.

Those low sec bases would change over time but they would only contain a few ships. Each of these small bases would only have one Mammoth (level IV) load of ships and equipment. This would allow that base to either be left there after moving to a new region or allow it to be easily moved, the probability being to simply leave the small stash of ships and ammunition there.

Rifter Ambushed When Undocking

Starwalker was simply reviewing the location of his inventory when he decided to undock and move to another station in the same system. It was a fatal mistake.

Amun Khonsu was waiting on the station undock in his Dramiel and silently locked up Starwalker’s Rifter. Amun had recently lost his Rifter in a duel and now had an opportunity to exact some revenge.

The first indication that something was wrong was when Starwalker hit the warp button and nothing happened. Shortly afterwards the incoming fire from the Dramiel revealed the source of the interference.

Starwalker decided to simply re-dock but that decision proved to be a mistake, as the docking request seemed to simply be ignored at first and then waited an interminable time for the docking permission to be granted. It was too late. The Rifter simply exploded (http://r1fta.griefwatch.net/?p=details&kill=2994) having not fired a single return shot. The pod quickly followed.

Starwalker decided in retrospect that he should have at least tried to fight back. The original reason for not fighting was that Starwalker expected the re-dock to be quick and was unsure that fighting on the station would delay that process.

Dong Orson noted that the best course of action was to use an insta-undock. The irony is that Starwalker had an insta-undock but had not thought to use it, as he was not expecting any trouble. This was the first time that Starwalker had lost a ship by being ambushed when undocking.