Fiction Friday: Old Times 2.0

Previously:
0.1
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.3

1.4
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One does not simply dock at a null sec outpost.

Although the civilians responsible for maintaining and running stations in null sec have managed to keep their autonomy intact over many years despite massive pressure from the empires and thus their docking bays open to any and all regardless of politics, the smaller capsuleer-built outposts have not been as fortunate. Since the capsuleers have ultimate control of the outpost, the operator unions and engineer guilds are forced to give on the subject of docking privileges while still enforcing the cluster-wide rule of "hanger-immunity". Its a delicate balancing act and more than a few capsuleers have discovered that the repercussions of violating that most sacred of rules are far reaching and ever lasting. You don't mess with the people that control access to hangers since they are the same people with access to the medical clone vats.

All that being said, the fact remains that outposts will deny you docking rights if you don't have the proper "standings" with the owning capsuleer overlords. Bribes will not work. Overwhelming force does, but I was lacking a support fleet on this little adventure. 

I could have tried smuggling myself in on a civilian transport but that would only lead to me being as stuck and trapped as Jace was if it worked. And chances are it would not; if the sophisticated ship scanners did not pick me up as illegal cargo or unauthorized crew, I would probably be sold out by the crew itself anyways. And that's assuming the civilian ship made it past the pirates to even get there, risking my immortal existence in the process. I'll fly myself thank you very much.

So I had to get standings. 

Getting into Obsidian Swords was next to impossible. They were a small tight-knit group of capsuleers that operated on an invite-only policy of recruitment and the things I would need to do to come to their attention  would be too depraved even for me. Besides, it would take too long to go that route and I was on something of a tight schedule.

Fortunately, the odious null sec politics benefited me for a change instead of making life harder. In order to exist in null sec as a territorial holding entity, Obsidian Swords had to be friendly with a larger group of alliances. This coalition is made up of many types of alliances, from several small ones like Obsidian Swords and several large ones with thousands of pilots. In order to be part of the coalition they all have what's called positive standings with each other and these standings allow them to dock at each other's outposts.

I hit up some old trusted contacts I had that were part of this coalitions in the larger alliances and explained my goal to see if they could help me out. Luckily enough, there was one.