Signals in the Void 4

("Signals in the Void" is my attempt at an in character fan fiction revolving around my adventures in exploration.)

The journey through low security space has gone smooth so far.  We didn't run afoul of any pirates as of yet and though the systems have a couple stations here and there it has been fairly low in the number of capsuleers that are about.  Of which I'm grateful, there a several pirate gangs who roam the area, not including the factions that are constantly fighting over these systems without making any real headway.  They may fight and lay claim to a system but it's really the pirate corporations that run the show. 

Stopping off at a station to purchase some needed materials and supplies while also getting a few repairs done on a few failed systems.  This will be our last stop until we come upon that abandoned station I found a few days back.  I'm hoping that this station hasn't been swarmed by others in the few days I've been gone.  It's always frustrating to find a site only to show up and have it picked clean.  It is hard to come by salvage that is worth selling, even harder to find some of the rare bits of information that are highly sought by researchers.

With the quick restock and repairs completed we head out once again in the hopes of coming across a fortune of valuables. 

As I bring my ship into the system I pick up a distress signal but it is too garbled to make anything from it.  Assigning one of our communications people to try and clean it up, I align the ship towards planet three and make the jump. 

Constantly checking my scanners for other ships that may mean me harm, one of the crew members monitoring a different scan calibration that I have set up, alerts me that he is picking up several wrecks on the short range scanners.  This is what I was hoping wouldn't happen, there were no wrecks before so it seems something has gone down.  Raising the combat alarm to prepare the crew I adjust our entrance distance a bit and bring us several hundred kilometers from the actual site.  Looking upon the large station I am able to see the wrecks of several smaller class ships, some are even docked haphazardly with the station.  But it appears the fight happened awhile ago considering the wrecks have mostly been stripped of valuable parts.  Setting a course for the station I keep the crew alert for combat maneuvers should it become necessary. 

Nothing seems to be active and my sensors aren't picking up anything suspicious I decide that we're still going to check the station for anything valuable.  This is going to be a tricky situation when you drop off crew in hostile territory, not to mention the search area we're going to need to cover.  Activating my analyzer module I pinpoint an area that could have been the command section of the station.  Ordering the science and salvage teams to prepare for deployment I bring the Arbitrator within meters of an empty escape pod hatch set in the side of the station.  Opening the cargo bay doors my team of mercs and salvagers cover the distance quickly and begin opening up the escape pod hatch.