6/17

Finally got back from some God-forsaken unknown system. It feels good to be back in the middle of things - even if only because someone has decided that we look like soft targets and need to be attacked.
So, it's straight from Sleepers to rather more familiar targets - capsuleers, that is.

Anyhow, being back has also given me the opportunity to get back in the flow with some of the more friendly podders.
In short, I grabbed an Interbus ride out to The Last Gate. Why I find myself drawn to that place I do not know - certainly, if some of those Imperial Academy officials could see me in there, they would loose it.

But, it does draw interesting people. That girl Amaterasu was there - she's really a woman, but practically acts like a pre-teen. Poor girl has been shaken up a lot - according to some of the other patrons, she was a slave on some mining facility that was beholden to the Blooders. Like normal, the Blooders didn't give a flying fuck about the people they gripped in their filthy fingers, so she came out of that pretty traumatized - hell, that big brother type she follows around must have pulled a lot of strings to get her past the psychological evaluations for the capsule.

Anyway... when I finally get to the Gate, turns out she is there, but that big brother isn't. Opportunity loves action, they say, and they must be right - she's always to timid to talk to when he's around.

Or he's gotten himself shot, slashed, or otherwise brutalized. He seems to have a tendency to do that.

So anyhow, I start talking to her... and, oh, Lord. It didn't go well.

I offered her my assistance - something I've been meaning to do for some time. Figure I would help where I could. But she doesn't know what she wants - I guess she's become used to where she is, used to following that Reimei fellow around. Doesn't want to rock the boat, so to speak. Pity - I've heard of what she pulls when she puts her mind to it, and THAT... well, if she could do it all the time there would be people begging to have her by their sides.

Unfortunately, she didn't know. Those were her exact words - "I don't know." The fact I'm Amarrian probably didn't help either - she's had to many bad experiences. Taking help from an Amarrian probably just doesn't make sense to her. I've seen it before - some of the slaves I've released, when it occurs to them they are actually free, just break down. They've been lead around in chains for so long, the chains have worked their way into their brains.

Maybe... maybe Amaterasu will listen. I damn well hope she does - every Minmatar I... we can help break free from their fears and hatreds is probably another thousand, maybe hundred thousand lives, Amarr or Minmatar, that will stay living. That's damn worth it.