G.K.O.D. / GKOD

G.K.O.D was formed when my best friend and I decided to jokingly create a group who’s main priority was minced meat. The name was used simply as a group tag for when we were playing amongst friends. However as we grew older, we took a liking to the name and kept the initials as a sort of inside joke between us. We joined up with a search and rescue squad that operated along the fringes of deep space using Cutlasses. The squad, was famous not only for it’s outstanding reputation in rescue, but also for its anti-piracy policy, targeting pirate vessels with extreme prejudice. We always worked best as a dual team, trying to outdo each other in a mild competition to be the best. It was this drive that helped us quickly advance in rank and get to pilot our own ship in the more dangerous operations.

On one fateful day that we along with our squadron were responding to a mayday sent out by an Origin 890 Yatch. The mayday was far from any known active piracy areas so we weren’t too worried about the outcome. Upon arrival, we hailed the yacht only to receive a few garbled words. Another distress signal came in as we were moving closer for inspection. A boarding attempt was being made on a Starfarer and our squadron was closest to respond. Our squadron leader assigned us to assist the yacht while the rest of the squadron hightailed it to aid the Starfarer. Following the normal rescue procedures, we lined Cutlass along side the yacht and prepared our EVA suits for a short spacewalk across. Just as we got into our suits because moments after, the yacht’s hull opened and revealed a heavily modified interior featuring an EMP cannon. Without a word, I rushed to the controls even as my friend leapt to the gunner turret. Just as we both reached our positions, we froze, unable to move.

The EMP had hit, our EVA suits were too heavy to move without the actuators. The ships was likewise disabled, we were dead in space, completely helpless. Three pirates boarded our ship and deployed a repair drone to bring it back online. Our EVA suits power cores were removed to prevent any possiblity of reactivation and we are forced into a kneeling position, our own suits serving as our prisons. Once the systems were restored, one of the pirates, the one I assumed to be their leader, opened a direct link with our squadron leader. The other two in the meantime took places behind us with knives at our throats. Our leader was visibly shocked by the sight of us at the mercy of pirates. He demanded that we be released at once. The pirate leader spat and recounted the amount of men he had lost to the skirmishes they had endured from the anti-piracy policies that the organization was keen on enforcing. He demanded a multitude of supplies or else he would take our lives as recompense for his losses. We expected our leader to bargain with the pirate or even at least keep him talking to buy time to mount a counter rescue. What we did not expect was the derisive sneer followed by the words, “We do not deal bargain with pirates, launch them into the void of space for all I care!”. The transmission was promplty cut off. The pirate chuckled and said, “You know what to do boys”. Our hearts sank and we prepare for a feeling of cold blade slicing into our necks.

What happened though was far more unexpected. We were freed from our suits and our hands tied behind our back as we were escorted across to the pirate yacht. Once aboard we heard the low hum of the yacht’s engines powering up. We were taken not to a cell but to a luxurious dining hall. Well luxurious as it can be when the yacht-turned-assault ship is run by pirates. There we waited for 10 minutes, closely watched by our escorts. Soon thereafter, the pirate leader joined us. He bode us to speak and ask what was on our mind. Unanimously we asked why we were still alive. He chuckled once more and said,” What use is there in killing you? It would provide some satisfaction granted to spite your commanding officer. However it wouldn’t do anything useful. I see in you two an opportunity. You have been cast away like refuse after all your services. It must be quite the unpleasant feeling and you must be feeling more than just an itch to do something about it. I would provide you that opportunity, a chance at revenge and a life you thought you thought you were going to lose. We take care of our own no matter the cost, it may seem strange coming from a what you would call a pirate, but out here, in the depth of space, your shipmates become your family, the only thing that truly matters, working as one to survive outside of the ruled planets. We always have room for one more, join us and see life as it truly is for a pirate.”

Needless to say we were flabbergasted. He gave us some time to think about his offer and told us to inform our escorts once we were done. My friend and I discussed it at length and decided that although they were pirates, these people were reasonable and were not murderers. They were just trying to eke out a living in the depth of space. We asked our escorts a few questions that they seemed quite eager to respond to. We talked with them at length soon after asked for the captain to make our decision. We joined up with the pirate clan, becoming that which only shortly before we had sought to eradicate. Needless to say our experience with the Search and Rescue Sqaud’s method of operations made piracy attempt much easier for the clan, countering each move with a move of our own. It didn’t take us long to advance in rank, leading our our raids and acquiring our own personal ships. The clan flourished growing to unprecedented numbers.

Then came another fateful day. The clan had gather for a meet to celebrate the recent capture of an Idris corvette, a truly momentous event as it was unprecedented in our clan’s history. Midway through the celebration, most everyone was drunk or passed out, the asteroid base took a staggering hit. The alarm blared throughout the entire base and everyone rushed to man their station as well as they could manage in their state. The entire S&R Squad fleet had arrived and was attacking our base. We were outnumbered and most of use were barely conscious thanks to the celebration. However as was our want, our base and ships were more suited for combat. My friend and I boarded our cutlass, the very one that had brought us into this life. We powered our weapons and headed into battle. It was a spectacular sight, the new Idris and the asteroid base were making short work of the enemy ships. Then it all went wrong, a ship crashed into one of the corvette’s engine, destroying it completely. Unable to compensate for the sudden change in thrust the corvette careened into the asteroid base. A massive explosion ensued, following the destruction of all the ships in the vicinity. Our own cutlass was severely damaged and barely escaped the vicinity. In fact were it not for another larger ship being directly between us and the explosion and taking the brunt of the damage we would have been destroyed.

We donned our EVA suits soon after radiation levels were low enough and performed a few basic repairs on our ships. We serached around the wreckage for any survivors. We only found two, one a pirate comrade, and another a new recruit belonging to the S&R Squad. Our jump engine was too damaged to survive a stable jump so we plotted a course to the nearest known station with any form of communication. The journey took us three whole days and food supplies were dangerously low. However we built a sense of cameraderie within the close confines of the cutlass. Once arrived at the station we found one of the fences for our pirate clan and informed him of our plight. He supplied us with everything we needed on a single condition, that we smuggle him off the station. He had been found out and his ship had been impounded pending and investigation. We found a way to sneak him and his provisions onto our ship, made our repairs and headed off into the depth of space.

We were all that were left of both the pirate clan and the S&R Squad. We resolved to rebuild, not as separate entities but as one, combining the isolationist, aggressive yet comrade oriented pirate clan with the public face of the S&R. We decided to only prey as pirates were want but to also perform tasks such as escorting if such a mission was offered. For our name, we kept the acronym my best friend and I had created long ago but retooled the name to show our past history. We became G.K.O.D. – Gamerz Klan Of Destuction