Heron versus Proteus
7th April 2011 – 5.28 pmWe have an exit to high-sec empire space today. And by 'we' I mean 'Fin', because I haven't been out scanning in a while. It's been long enough that I'm thinking maybe the mechanics behind the whole interaction have been changed and I won't know what I'm doing the next... No, I'm thinking about sex, aren't I. Scanning still involves moving probes around, making slight adjustments until you find the right spot, and I'm pretty sure I can remember how to do that. Fin returns home with the current set of bookmarks, updating me as she travels. Our class 3 neighbouring system has a connection to class 2 w-space, which itself holds a connection to class 1 w-space along with the exit to high-sec. Fin's off to empire space and has left me the C1 to explore for myself, so I jump in to my Manticore stealth bomber and go roaming.
The C3 next door has a tower with only an unpiloted Scorpion battleship sitting inside its shields. There is a static wormhole leading out to null-sec k-space, but that doesn't interest me at the moment as I am keen to explore the C2 and C1 systems. Dropping out of warp at the connection to the C2 is surprising, as I had assumed it was a K162 connecting in to the C3. It instead turns out to be an I182 random outbound connection, which I suppose explains the two further wormholes in the C2, those being the standard two static wormholes. The only drawback to the connection not being a K162 is the lack of evidence of activity beyond our own, but I'm still keen to see who else is out and about, and I jump through the wormhole.
I've been in this class 2 system before, some eleven months ago. My notes remind me that I stalked a Hulk exhumer before being stalked by an Ishkur assault ship, which I remember quite well for it happening nearly a year ago. The tower in this system remains in the same place, making them quite settled, but there's no one home. Even a new second tower in the system has no ships or pilots, leaving me little to do but push through to the unexplored C1. Checking my directional scanner once in the class 1 system shows me just the one planet. Opening the system map reveals there are only two others, and only one has moons. Finding occupation is straightforward here.
There is a single tower in this C1, but even here there are no ships or pilots, making w-space eerily quiet this evening. But we have an exit to high-sec, and as Fin starts making her return journey home, in her new Tengu strategic cruiser, she reminds me that we can export some of our loot to sell on the market. That's a good idea. I get back to our tower, load up a Crane transport ship, and set off to liquidate some assets. On reaching empire space I see I only have one hop to make before some gullible agent is willing to buy my Sleeper technology from me, and our wallets are bulging again. Well, maybe not 'bulging' but certainly recovering from our recent losses. And maybe we can recover some more, with w-space empty of other capsuleers but sprinkled with anomalies full of Sleepers.
Fin completes the fitting of her new Tengu at our tower as I swap ships to get in to my own strategic cruiser, and we both warp to our static wormhole and jump through. Before I shed my session change cloak I punch d-scan, getting the interesting result of scanning probes visible in the system. There are only two, and they aren't close to the K162, but it is a sign of activity. I abort out Sleeper operation, not simply to hunt the scout but as a precaution against being hunted ourselves, and we both jump straight home. I change ships again, this time to sit a Malediction interceptor on our wormhole, and Fin changes to a Pilgrim recon ship and is kind enough to go back to the C3 to scout.
No piloted ships are at the C3 tower still, and the probes are moving all over the system. It doesn't look like whoever is scanning is heading towards our system. Meanwhile, Mick has returned from whatever he was doing elsewhere, and as Fin jumps to the C2 to guide him back in through the high-sec connection she sees scanning probes are now in the C2. I jump my interceptor to the C3 and move to the wormhole connecting to the C2, hoping to catch the scout at some point, but he disappears. Just as it is looking like we are back to shooting Sleepers a Proteus strategic cruiser arrives at the tower in the C3, conveniently out of d-scan range of both our K162 and the static wormhole to the C2, as spotted by Fin in her Pilgrim.
The new pilot holds promise of activity. I get my interceptor back home and swap to my Legion strategic cruiser, getting it ready for an ambush. The Proteus starts scanning the C3, which although not giving quite the same opportunities as interrupting Sleeper combat, at least gives us a good indication of where the ship is likely to visit, and we have mapped all the currently known connecting wormholes. To give us time to spring the trap maybe we can dangle the bait of an easy kill in front on him. Fin volunteers to fit a cheap Heron frigate, made to look like a newbie scanning boat, and lure the Proteus to engage, giving Mick and I a fat target.
Before Fin's got the Heron ready the Proteus has warped from the tower, as monited by Mick in his cloaky Loki strategic cruiser, heading towards the connection to the C2. Fin follows, jumping in behind the Proteus and acting newbish. Sure enough, the Proteus appears, and Fin attacks! Heron versus Proteus, there can only be one winner. The Proteus is scrammed, webbed, and damped, and it jumps home to the C3. Fin follows, Mick gets ready to decloak and engage, and I, already in the C3 and waiting, am called to warp to the wormhole. But the Proteus gets away, if that can be the right description of his action. Fin's session change cloak holds, Mick's cloak refuses to drop, and I get to the wormhole only after the Proteus has left.
Maybe our bait was too obvious, tingling the spider sense of the Proteus pilot, making him suspect that there must be bigger ships on their way. It's certainly possible, even if he never saw Mick's Loki and could only have seen my Legion on d-scan after he had entered warp. Oh well, it was a nice try, and we nearly had him. We can't see what he's doing from the wormhole, being out of range of d-scan, so Mick warps his Loki to the tower, whilst Fin and I return home. It's unlikely the pilot will come out and play if he's suspicious of even a Heron. I think I'll call it a night.
One Response to “Heron versus Proteus”
Been reading your blog for a while now and love it! Mainly because it's nice to see someone using many of the tactics I would use in the same situation without having to be hand-held through it everyday.
I've been looking for a home in eve for the past few weeks, I don't know how you would go about recruiting or if you even do that, I understand the risks for sure as I've lead a C4 WH op myself with limited SP and manpower.
If there was some way of joining you guys in your WH shenanigans I would definitely be interested. Can chat in game sometime or you can email me if you'd like.
Fly dangerous!