A Breach of Trust :: Part 2

Hai

For those to whom these transmissions come a-new, I am White Carnation, of the Achura [tasch]; I am engaging in an extended series of missions throughout New Eden (or the civilised and relatively-safe) portions.

I am in Amarr space and on the advice of the lastest in a set of patrons, had flown to a system, to a Theological Council station, to meet with an archaeologist (whom I shall call Doctor Dogge).
He greeted me, and asked me to recover for him an artifact from a local asteroid cluster. He was good enough to warn me that pirates were guarding it, which justified the 200K ISk reward he was offering. I thanked [Fate] that it appeared that no innocents had to die this time, and set off, fitting my ship with a device he lent me, which he said would make obtaining the item more easy once the pirates were gone.

I found myself faced by four pirates, two large, two small. I was forced to execute them, before I could use the analyser to search the "tomb" -- a half-dome with appurtenant additions. I canned it, and was told that the relic had been reocvered, although I saw no sign of it. I returned to Dogge who professed himself satisfied. In return, as well as my fee and a small bonus (the artefact was unscratched), he gave me the co-ordinates of a disused monstery, suggesting that I might there find more clues in my quest.

I thanked him and set off. As I approached the area I thought back to quiet nights long past when I had visited the Achura Sisterhood and begun my learnings of [Fate] and of the [Cosmos]. My reveries were interrupted by the appearcne of a fleetlet of Scavengers, flying a variety of ships, who were gathered round the site. I feared that they had already stolen anything of value, and their taunts over the channel confirmed this. I shot each one, as they bore on me,and from the last recovered a crumpled piece of parchment written in arcane symbols I could not recognise.


Not to my total surprise they proved clear to Doctor Dogge. He declared it written in pseudo-Jovian characters, but to be easily decodable, and to demonstrate treason. I was to return with it to Anselm at once.

Doing so was easy, compared with the news on my return -- I had been challenged to single combat, to the death.

I slept poorly and woke this morning ill at ease.