Don't get me wrong, I actually DID went on a murderous spree and spent a couple of premium ammo loads, fetching about 20 million in bounties. It just felt right for me, killing some time along with a bunch of pirates. Another 3 percent to the rank was negligible, I was just waiting for a special delivery...

Now, THAT's the proper ship for what I actually had in mind. It was my first truly long-range ship, I bought it when I could barely afford it! I've never met Felicia Farseer or Elvira Martuuk yet, so it wasn't as jumpy as today, no more than 34 light years in range. In this very ship I dared to make my first trip beyond the Sagittarius Gap and much farther, including my first visit to Colonia. In this very ship I was nearly killed by pirates on my way back because I was stupid enough to pick up some cargo...

Exploration! Colonia, Sag A, Beagle point? No, nothing like that. I was going to drive around the block, not exceeding 1 KLY (one thousand light years, baby) from Sol, and see what the others might have missed. And it took me about two days to complete and return with enormous results!

Two undiscovered orange giants with HIP names was just the start. Then, not one, not two, but THREE unknown Earth-likes were discovered, all of them within 1 KLY range from Sol!

Not bad for something done in two days! As a bonus, found an undiscovered ammonia world...

Did I mention that trading as in itself was pointless, at least for me? And it's been so for a long time, now the GOAL is what really counts and what makes me leave the docking bay with four pips to the engines. The next GOAL worthy of my time and effort was Trade Elite rank. Sadly, it's not some kind of "reputation over money" nonsense, for in the current ranking system, be that combat, trade or exploration, it's mostly about making money. It's really hard to reach an Elite of anything without making at least half a billion, providing you don't spend every single credit on ships and upgrades, just to make more money more quickly.

It's a bit flattering to be an ally of the Empire when trying to max the cargo load for a single "trade run"... Look what they call me now, a hypocritical Imperial bunch!

Still, it took quite some time and hull maintenance. From Cemiess to Vequess and back again, for a few straignt days, evading pirates, completing missions, selling useless rewards (or dumping them into space), until finally reaching the GOAL. Watch a short video, if you like...

Two of three done, and please don't ask me when I'm gonna buy a proper ship and start fighting!

I've got everything prepped for a murderous spree, including the resources for premium ammunition, but it will have to wait for a while. I'm an explorer, first and foremost. I've got another ship waiting for me...

Personally, I prefer trading without really "trading". It's more like running errands with haulage cargo or doing some data delivery missions. Is it fun? Not nearly as fun as exploring or bounty hunting! Is it dangerous? Not really, so I'm "trading" to the max: no weapons and no shields, all traded up for more cargo racks!

Sure enough, Selene Jean is your friend here, to get your hull tightened up. I won't even mention the old Professor, "Dirty" drives are essential! Also, go and visit the Dweller to get more boost! Pirates, you say? A whole lot of them tried to get my cargo, the most lucky ones managed to rip a few percent of my hull, no more. Well, there was that wing of three, the most dangerous situation so far, but I've managed to shake them off anyway.

The other problem - crap cheap missions in Sol system! Maybe it's just Federation, or rather my low standing with them, so I've decided to move back to the Empire. Really, I'm an Imperial Duke just a bit short of Trade Elite! Still, I hate mentioning my "dukeness" so much that I've painted my Python accordingly, with some extra kit fittings. Sadly, it won't scare off the tax collectors...

THE farthest reachable system? Really? I didn't believe it at first, but here I am, 65647.34 light years from home, at the northern galactic dead-end. They call it Semotus Beacon, but for me, Oevasy SG-Y d0 is far more appropriate. Even worse, this icy ball I'm sitting at is THE farthest body in the entire system. Magnificent AND boring at the same time.

I don't think I'll be coming back here, ever again. Beagle Point maybe, but not this far. This so-called Solitude Void still has plenty of unexplored systems despite multiple past expeditions and quite a few Commanders hanging around this area. Maybe I'll stay here for a few days, but that's it. It's time to start planning my route back...

Black holes aren't pretty, but supernova remnants are! Especially when viewed from the nearby system. You just sit around on some nameless ball of rock, waiting for your FSD to repair. I can't let it go below 90% integrity, otherwise FSD might fail and drop you into some emergency mess. And that would mean even more AFMU time...

"Module repaired"

Sorry, my dear afterbang, I'm outta here.

I like O-class stars, though my liking of them usually comes with distance. It's not the kind of hottie I'd like to hug too tight...

Still, I've found a few undiscovered ones on my way to the far galactic rim! One brief stop for a hot photoshoot, and back into the black...