Received this nice goodbye; even if he does rose-tint his first encounter a little
Transmission to Straylight0
This morning as I awoke, I felt something strange. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was, I just knew something was off. I went about my usual business; checking my transmissions, replying to the Imperial High Command, deleting the Winters hate-mail (now par for the course).
Upon entering the 13th Legion’s barracks, is still had this strange feeling in my gut. I looked around and saw my men, many of whom I am proud to call friend. I saw Derrida, planning his next duel with a smirk on his face. I saw Nightshady, pouring over military plans and ship schematics. I saw Xakto, writing furiously, no doubt planning his next mining vacation. Then I noticed something peculiar. I walked across the room to an empty locker, hanging wide open. I slowly closed the door and when I read the name, I realized why I felt something was amiss. “Straylight”
I remember when I first met you, in fact, you, Derrida and Johnny were the first other members of the Pilot’s Federation I ever met. It was back before I was Legate, back before I even knew who Aisling Duval was. I was a young man, trading in my home system of Drevlyada. I had recently lost my parents in a pirate raid and I was disillusioned and not sure what to do with my life. As I made a routine shipment of tea to Wheeler dock, an old friend of mine ran up to me and said: “Andariel, we need your help! The Federation is here and they are trying to take over Drevlyada by force!” I had been in a few fights before, but they were always against smugglers and pirates trying to disrupt my trade routes, nothing too serious. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I hopped in my Cobra and zipped off to the combat zone.
I dropped out of supercruise on a combat beacon, and I was taken aback by what I saw. lasers everywhere, Anacondas being ripped apart by swarms of eagles, explosions, mass chaos, death. I dove headlong into the fray, avoiding the larger ships while shooting down eagles and vipers. I was surprised by how well I fared in the battle, but all that changed when I noticed three new blips on my radar. These signals were different, they bore the mark of the Pilot’s Federation, and they were red. As I turned to scan them, I read three names; “Derrida, Johnny Gamma and Straylight0”
I charged them in my little, second hand Cobra and opened fire. What ensued was a brutal battle, one I don’t remember much of, but I do remember how it ended. I shot down both Derrida and Straylight as Johnny Gamma fled with low hull. I myself was on the brink of destruction, but I didn’t let it show as I chased Johnny into supercruise. Much to my own surprise, I had won.
I limped back to Grandin Port to repair my ship, and as I visited the pub for a drink, I noticed two new faces there, a man and a woman. I approached, but when I read their nametags, I stopped in abject horror. They read “Derrida” and “Straylight0”. I realised they had seen my own, and as I turned to leave I heard Derrida say “wait!”. I stopped, frozen with a mixture of fear and guilt, and as I turned I saw him holding out a drink. “That was one hell of a fight, why don’t you come have a drink with us?”
I learned a lot that night. I learned about the galaxy outside of Drevlyada, about how there was credits to be made as a hired gun like you were, about home much more there was out there. You both turned out to be great people and inspired me to seek out adventure. I left Drevlyada, and it would be months of trading, fighting and exploring before I happened upon you guys again in Cubeo, working for Aisling Duval, who I had recently pledged to. We quickly became close friends, and I felt invincible when I had you by my side.
You never talked much, Derrida usually did most of the talking. But I felt like you knew real pain, I felt like we understood each-other without needing to explain it. That is why I knew something was wrong this morning. That is why I wish you the best and I hope you find what you are looking for.
That is why your seat at my side will remain, gathering dust until the day you return to wipe it off.