She woke up in her pod floating at the forward base in 9UY, wanting to go right back to sleep while the comms flared up with the usual activity. Last night had been a nightmare, a slaughter and she was sure that she had seen the vanguard of hell itself.

"I will not hesitate when the test of Faith finds me."

Thousands had followed the warcry... thousands had died. She felt sick at the lives lost and constantly had to remind herself that she was in a war. A siege that would last longer and be harder to fight then the one for Karishal's Folly.

She had no idea how it happened, but they were everywhere. The scanners had counted a total of around 250 vessels in system, and the loyalist armada had been 110 strong at it's peak. When ships started dying and pilots woke up in QR, the fighting had continued with no more then 65 combatready CVA vessels at any given time. The slaughter that followed was understandable.

Ever since the loss of her beloved okami, her first and only Battleship to date. She had sworn not to put another crew's lives at risk until she was ready, skilled and able to keep them alive as best possible on the battlefield. So instead, she flew the "Tsubasa no Tenshi" or "Angel's Wings" on all major operations. She shivered when she thought about the crews she 'ld have lost if they would have been with her. 6 Malediction class vessels were lost that night, all fully prepped to go and still it took longer to reship and arrive back on the field then it took to be taken down.

6.

Extend that to the other pilots flying Battleships with more then 6000 crewmen each... 6... not even thinking of the capitals that were lost... She forced herself to forget.

"I will not hesitate when the test of Faith finds me, for only the strongest conviction will open the gates of paradise. My Faith in you is absolute; my sword is Yours, My God, and Your will guides me now and for all eternity."

Still the war drones on and these tidings should pass on into a brighter tomorrow, where amarrian influence will rule over all providence. It is a beautifull future indeed. She turns her camera drone to the sun and while it's shutters close to dampen the flaring light, she imagines herself in her chambers inside that 'Unity'. Looking up at that same sun in the comfort of the station. Oh, yes. She will remember this day, and everyone that was lost in this freezing dark void. She will remember it.

Activating her maledictions systems to rejoin the dance of war, she sighs "amarr victor".

A new shining hull

She stood before her crew, never had there been so much people serving under her... relying on her to keep them alive as long as possible. Preferably untill they would retire with their families, or got enough from the endless expanses that space offered. She knew the lures of it, it had pulled her away from her family after she graduated from the imperial academy, served the empire and worked her way up to a cruiser-captain. Then she had returned to her duties home.

After 2 years of both bliss and agony, she couldn't resist the stars any longer and had started her career as pilot again. Now... barely after joining CVA she was a Battleship captain. 6534 crewmembers were standing here, in front of the magnificent hull of the "okami"... the "wolf" as her new pride and joy was named. Every single one of them standing at attention, in the immense docking bay listening to her words. Those words spoke of duty, of hardships... but also off power and honour, of victory and death...

"Know that you will serve... hopefully serve to see your goals accomplished. From now on you are a starship crew, you are the pity of many... and the envy of even more. Those who serve me well will be rewarded, with your rank comes prestige, honour, power and wealth. But with it also comes death. We might leave this docking bay and outside there could be an armada of ships waiting for us. Lasers , autocannons, missiles and drones might penetrate our hull and you could die any second out there. Life is harsh, and even worse for you. When you die... i will live and spend every day in my existence remembering you, as i remember other crews that i lost in battle, but the reality is that you will be dead.

Those are the consequences you agreed upon when signing your contract... and those were the burdens you accepted when you gained the honour of fighting for the empire. Now fight honourably and with vigour, so we might return to our stations at the end of our flights and yell once more ... AMARR VICTOR !!!"

She retreated from the docking bay, listening to her crew shouting the battle cry again, and again, and again... she had a last meeting with her agent before the trip to providence would begin. Typing on her datapad, she sends a single word to her Second in command.

"exodus" ... the order had only one meaning ... "Prepare for departure immediately, clear out my suites and bring all my belongings aboard the okami. This is not a drill."

A new ship, a new power to show her enemies ... a new tool to keep order in providence. And a fine tool it was...

And so it begins

*enters the command on her data pad that will change the course of her actions forever*

“There we go, the big changes have been made, and it is time”.

It has been one of those hectic weeks, preparing for the big move out to 0.0 space and out from under the protective wings of the empire that had always nurtured her. It was time she started giving back. The application she sent out to join “IONSTAR” should already have arrived in the mail-system of Ixion, its CEO… her new boss… It has a strange feel to it, giving up her rights to choose the best way to defend the empire herself, while working her way through agents as a freelancer of the Imperial academy. It felt both good and bad; she would surrender safety, personal freedom, and a lot of luxury to start supporting a noble cause in the depths of lawless space, still now belonging by name and tag to a cause she had always supported with so much vigour in her heart… It just felt right.

Scratching her trusted slaver “Kiba” behind its ears, she smiled seeing the similarities between the beast's name and her new life. Now, more than ever would she be “Fangs” for her alliance… for her empire.

Business was almost finished, everyone had their tasks… it hadn’t been hard finding new crewmembers for those that didn’t wish to make the transition outside the empire. Still most wanted to stay with her and their trust made her feel like she could do anything.

*a secure communication started blinking.*

- “Ah, finally. Any updates?”
+ “Yes, I ‘ve got her fresh and new in my hangar. The paint wasn’t even dry yet and the workers were already making the changes to your onboard office and suite, last I heared they will be finished tonight. It’s gonna cost though.”
- “You know I don’t mind the price. And even then, if you compare it with the price she cost me, it’s nothing.”
+ “True. I have got another surprise for you though; i have been able to find a full amarrian crew for you, they are even experienced in the Armageddon class.”
- “Wonderfull”.
+ “Will you be picking up your new pride and joy today?”
- “No. It looks like a very efficient way to practice some patience and restraint”.
+ “ I will never understand you amarrians, well I’m back to what’s really important. Your orders won’t sell or buy themselves, please send Sef my regards, it’s been way too long.”

*her agent logs off just when a new mail arrives*

“Your request to join our corporation has been accepted under the following terms…”

The ball started rolling downhill, and there is no way to stop it, from this day forward she was Zefiris, proud member of IONSTAR and the Curatores Veritatis Alliance…