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[Stalking.Mantis]

More than 24 hours have passed since 0.0. More than 24 hours have passed from the time I was told to go ahead and leave 0.0 and leave my corporation More than 24 days have passed since I started looking at Agony as my potential new home. Reading, Learning, Stalking the Internet. What is this Agony? It started simple enough, a mention by one of my former directors that we will be set a temporary blue with Agony. As we moved into 0.0 through the grace of Agony safe passage rights through the Esa pipe I came to see my first Agony pilots. Ever vigilant on the gates leading to and from their Systems I couldn’t help but be impressed, you must respect a Corp that defends its space at all times without hesitation. It was smooth sailing those days from Esa to FY. Then Paxton was gone and most providence corps reset their standings and the PvP commenced. Nothing special about most, but something about Agony pilots was not like the rest. I guess the first time I truly came to understand the complexity of Agony tactics was when a corp mate of mine laughed in corp chat at the lone Agony pilot in a recon ship that came in about 30 K from his Golem running a plex. “This guy isn’t serious is he?” I read in corp chat. Suddenly local spiked. What? Where? We had forward scouts report adjacent systems clear where did these ppl come from? Quick get to PvP ships! “To late!” he cried. “I lost my Golem” A Golem and its aggressors gone in less than 2 minutes?! I scan local, Where did the Agony Pilots GO? Scouts reported a few two systems away by the time anyone realized what had happened. And that was my introduction to Agony…… That was almost 24 days ago. I scanned the Internet, read what I could and it was a lot of reading to be honest…..Agony…….No these are no run of the mill pilots I thought to myself. They run a University I told my corp mates. No one seemed as enthusiastic about them as I was back then. I guess back to another mining operation with my corp mates. Days go by and then the ever clear warning to ratters and miners that there is a red in system. “Agony!” I hear on voice comms. I decide to go camp the gate with a few of my corp mates since it is a dead end system the only way out is through us I’m thinking. Look at that Agony Hurricane dancing around the camp and on the gate. Never thought a Hurricane could be flown with the grace of a frigate but just goes to show what I know about Eve. That one red! That one Agony pilot danced around us for at least thirty minutes. A few minutes pass and there is another Agony pilot (I grew familiar to that ones name as well) to coming in to help the dancing Hurricane. It’s a Dancing Ferret!? In a frigate? Must be a tackle, nothing I cant take on in my caracal I think………BOOM, gone is the caracal out from under me where I thought I was safe in the middle of 4 to 6 other corp mates. They win again. Agony…Agony….Agony More than 24 hours have passed since I was asked to leave my corp. More than 24 hours have passed since I tried to knock on Agony’s door. Sadly it looks like more than 24 days are left until the next class I need to attend to even be considered to join. So here I am in high sec. Looking down the beam of my mining laser at that rock. Another Merlin off the Assembly line. I feel like painting a 24 on its side as I stand next to it in the station I ask the assembly line manager to leave a space next to the 24 I asked to be painted on its side…..”Why?” he asks me, “Because I hope to paint a scorpion there one day” I reply. He shrugs not getting what I meant. “How many more Merlins, Kestrels, do you want us to load the assembly line with?” he asks, “24 each,” I reply, “24 my man”. 24 days….O the Agony of Waiting.

[Silas]

[Matt Andrews]

This is hilarious! :amazed: I hope you will enjoy your classes

[Aether]

imaginative

[Dancing Ferret]

Very flattering!

[Kaiman]

I hope you'll enjoy the class as much as I enjoyed reading this. Very nicely written, mate.

[Vora]

Very nice write-up, Mantis. After your first roam with a BASIC class you will understand why one should never laugh at a lone AGONY recon but ruuuuun! You'll see. Really.

[exNick]

Enjoyed your story

[Olozim]

*cheers and applause*

[Stalking.Mantis]

19 19 Days have passed since the last PvP basic class. Looking down on the State Protectorate Ensign badge now marking my pale grey fatigue pilot suit I think back as to why I I’m wearing it. State Militia Fleets zoom by the station on their way to some not so distant battle as Gallante raid warning sirens go off in the station undocking bay. Solar Light Anti-Glare Visors come down over my eyes as I feel the thrust of the undocking mechanism pushing my ship out to join the fleet. Clutching the golden scorpion pendant designed in Jita by a shady merchant that charged way to much I see I have been assigned to squad 19 of the 100 man fleet assigned to Blackrise Roams and Response Fleets. 19 Makes me smile as I think that 19 is not only the number of days from the last Agony class, but the number of kills on my KB that I lay down in front of you all since I last wrote the above. Fleet Command Inputs Coordinates as my navigation computer speaks out to me in that calm voice. It looks like I will make my goal; it looks like I will have 24 kills before the next class. ……..“Warp Drive Active”

[Barrak]

Great Work...... keep 'em coming....

[Stalking.Mantis]

86 Days passed since 0.0

“‘xxxxx xxxxxx’ Caldari Captain Call sign Stalking Mantis Reporting as requested”

‘Captain the CEO will be with you shortly’ says the young Achura secretary as I look out the station window at the often hostile Blackrise Region that is the constant warzone between Gallente and Caldari. ‘How has it been without nullsec?’ I think to myself looking down on my grey State Protectorate pilot fatigues. No longer adorned by the lowly Ensign rank badge I think back to Providence.

“The CEO will see you now Captain” say the young secretary as I walk into my new corps Executive Office.
“Ah yes Mantis” says Hidden Snake (our CEO) as he gestures to the seat at his desk.
“Please have a seat, why are you here?” he asks,
“I was under the impression you requested to see me sir…” I begin before I am interrupted,
“no no no why are you in the Caldari militia?” the CEO asks.
“I was not good enough sir” I say at the risk of insulting not only his Corporation but the Caldari Militia as a whole. “Not good enough for 0.0 I think and also because I used mining lasers”.
The CEO lets out a loud laugh at my comment. Straightens his vest and begins his speech

“You mean Those Carrier and Titan blobbing fools that think everyone not flying a Command Ship or above is somehow below them? Don’t you know all it takes to scramble a Titan is a Condor with a SCRAM and 1 mn afterburner?, Son I am tired of hearing about all those Alliances and Corps that hide behind 300 man fleets and think somehow they are elite in PvP because they bought a few pilots that have bigger ships? No son you need to understand such things come at the cost of loyalty. People forget we all started with 1 unit of tritanuim, a rookie ship and a great big “WTF?!” look on our faces. Today’s frigate tomorrows Cruiser, today’s cruiser tomorrows battle cruiser, today’s battle cruiser tomorrows battleship. Son I remember a Dread pilot that joined our corp after you did and he left after losing his dread to station games. Although he was a dread pilot he did not get what you are about to get from me”

Silent I watch his arm reach for his drawer as he pulls out a medal.

“Please rise and accept this medal, it is the True Bastard Medal awarded for killing one hundred Gallente ships in the service of this Corporation.
“100?!” I ask amazed after losing count a long time ago.
“Yes we keep count” said the CEO.
“You ARE good enough and the Condors and Merlins you rode into the State Protectorate Dock the first day have now become Raptors and Harpys. You make the Caldari State Proud. You make me proud as your determination and patience is showing”. Speechless I stand at the CEO that appreciates and honors this lowly frigate pilot.
“Two more questions before you leave mantis The CEO says”
“First of all the interceptors in the universe why the raptor?” he asks.
With a smile I answer “Because people think it is not a good interceptor, 4 out of 5 would say the Crow is much better, it is ‘not good enough’”,
the CEO grins to my answer,
“Also why are you so keen on this ‘Agony’ class? Yes I know about the golden scorpion amulet you wear under those fatigues so go along tell me why so insistent on a PvP frigate basic class when you have clearly become proficient in using interceptors”,
“Agony is different Sir” I answer, “Oh? How is Agony Different?” he responds.
“They love to fight outgunned and out shipped sir”,
“Mantis you know that is not the answer I was looking for so again I ask, Why Agony?”,

WHY AGONY? WHY AGONY?

pausing before I answer I pull out the Golden Scorpian amulet from around my neck under the fatigues,
“Because I was not good enough” I answer,
Smiling the CEO waves me out the door. “Dismissed”.

86 days, 212 kills, I look forward to this upcoming class, I won’t be hard to spot in this class either, I will be the merlin with the big 24 painted on its side.




24

[Stalking.Mantis]

http://www.youtube.c...f/1/GGI00CrzvPY Greetings from Blackrise

[Ked Yatzs]

With the 24 painted on the side? What's that about? BTW, if you find a way to get customs skins for your ships, I want your hookup. Ked.

[Tzimon]

Ked read the OP, 24 is his theme