Launch

We launched her.

We were coming back from a patrol along the Deliverance corridor, and were heading up towards her location. I asked the fleet to pause a moment so I could 'collect something' from the station. They didn't know I could fly her yet, much less had the modules onboard already.

So I docked up, and had my pod moved over... the crew were warned in advance, so I didn't have to wait for them. Everything was ready the moment the connections to the pod were secured.

Undocking was a bit longer than usual - this being my first attempt, I didn't want to accelerate to quickly and risk plowing into one of the docking forcefields...

also, I was listening to to the docking crew communications channels this time. Usually I just let the computer figure out what they are saying and send it up along the channels to my pod... but this time I was there.

"In Justice Bound, this is Station Docking. Approach docking path 1-3 and standbye."

"Roger." 1-3 was the largest docking port on the station, enough to hold four battleships side-by-side... or one of me.

"In Justice Bound, Station Docking. You may depart at will. Your window is three-zero seconds and counting..."

"On my way." RADAR was telling me I was scooting down the docking port approach tunnel now, but camera drones were still inside.

"Station Docking, this is In Justice Bound. I am clear. Out."

And there she was... nearly two miles of dream come true. Months of work, come down to this.

I gave my fighters some target work - one of my fleet members, in a drake. They barely scratched his shields - have to work on getting more fighters out at a time - and he lobbed a few missiles back, giving one of the fightes a bit of armor damage. Much work needs to be done yet...

Then it was back into the station, pod back into the HIMS Eliminator, and back to patrol. Got a hostile Pilgrim and an industrial before the night was out.