MHEA Closes its Doors

A final barge story.

MHEA is closing its doors. Unless something random changes, due to the changes in mining barges coming Wednesday (08/08/2012) they will no longer have the fincial intake to support their various programs, educational classes, and family assistance programs for lost crew members to inspection ships.

But in the final days, as the staff stated to box the computers and the inspection ships were deassembled, a few interesting things happened. The offices rent is winding down and the notices of nonrenewal have gone out. People have inquired about the educational classes and sadly they have been turned away.

This is a story about a bad gank on a mackaw that was done by a group with a bit less professionalsem then the licensed and certified inspectors of the MHEA.

Under the sultry blue sun a small mining fleet was in a belt. It was composed of an Orca and 3 mackinaws. Soon these fleets will change as the mackinaw has a new role that will not be that of the massive ice miner. A retrofit has been ordered down from Ore itself and they will forcibly refit their ships if they are not scheduled and turned in.

The Orca, great cargo whale that it was was firmly planted in the middle of its, fleet. Each mackinaw was locked and shield reinforcement and support moduals where manned. Each mackinaw was a licensed, inspected mining barge. Advanced survival classes had rendered them with this fit.

This fit has proven itself through time but with the new changes it shall vanish into the dust and ash of memory past.

Sadly, unlicensed vigilante environmentalists run rampant through Molden Heath. The mining operation settled in their belt to render ice into the fuel needed to keep advanced construction alive through New Eden. Then, from the dark gates of low sec an attack was composed. The mining fleet was attacked! Each mackinaw was assaulted by a barrage of fire focused in a two sided attach for each ship. Catalysts illuminated the ice field as they spat death and destruction. Guns blazed and hybrid ammunition exploded against the shields of the ships. The barges buckled and writhed under the attack and the crew of the Orca leapt forward, lending their support.

Then Concord, response time as it is in a .06 system, arrived and obliterated the group of unlicensed heretics. Visual fields fractured as ships were locked down. The glare of drives faded as for a moment, each ship was suspended before explosions splattered across the field. For a moment, miniature suns existed and then were extinguished.

The Orca calmly continued to shield rep its fleet while it salvaged the smoking wrecks around it. Concord sat in the belt and started to write their reports. Paperwork will never leave mankind despite advancement.

At the start of the assault, the orca had called for backup. A covort ops ship lurked in the background wary and suspicious. The entire fleet docked and unloaded before they set back out. Due to the attack and the guidelines laid down by the MHEA to change position and not disturb the natural balance of the belt, the fleet set up in a new location. When they arrived, concord was gone. Surprised, the scout checked the system to see where they had gone. He returned, and as he landed signatures flared across the over view and a fleet of cruisers landed in the belt.

Autocannon fire raged, illuminated by the rapid burst of hybrid turrets. The mackinaw's reacted but it was the orca, tanked but targeted that writhed under the onslaught. Concord arrived and began to dispatch the cruisers but under the last moments of fire the Orca's strength faded and it exploded in a brilliant burst reflected off of the hundreds of pieces of ice around it.

A few last cruisers, desperate and enraged at the loss of their comrades earlier threw themselves at the mackinaw. They failed. Again. And they fled. Their salvage ships landed to late. The orcas reinforcements had wiped the belt clean and the entire fleet had retreated to the safety of the station.

Dark lessons were learned. The warning had been there. Subtle and quiet, Concords fast exit without the completion of their paperwork should have been noticed. The death and violence that rages around the area was intense but suspicion should always be high.

A new Orca was fitted and undocked, unencased from its years of stasis. The fleet moved, saddened and warned but undaunted and unstopped.

POSes will be dropped.
Lasers shine in their mining
Freighters cross the stars flying.
And ships are always dying.