Asheyna sighed as she walked into Mud's office that evening. He looked up from his console with concern.

It had been a few weeks now, each day she looked more drawn, more distant. The energetic, fiery woman he had encountered in Torrinos was almost literally fading away. It showed in her flying too. She'd lost a few ships to the Cartel and Guristas, trying to take on fleets far too big for a single Rifter pilot, but he understood.
 
The missions were too easy, too quick - they failed to supply the rush she needed, the high after a successful combat. Several weeks earlier one of her squad leaders had taken her out to [redacted]. She'd fought Willa's sister successfully and they went out in search of Amarr.
 
Willa's hatred of Amarr ran deep, Asheyna didn't press her too much but she could feel it. Aside from Fear they didn't have much to do with them at all.
 
Asheyna had bounced into the pub that evening pleased beyond imagining that Mud was still there. She cheered, danced, drank and generally celebrated being alive.
 
But that was gone. She ran her missions and almost fell asleep at the controls when she wasn't getting blown up doing something stupid. As she sat down on the couch Mud turned to face her.
 
"I'm going crazy Mud, I already might be. Unless I'm out running missions with you I'm bored, I'm getting lazy. This is not what I imagined."
 
"I know Shey," his voice took on the fatherly tone he often used to address her when she was in moods like this. "I didn't mean to bring you into something like this."
 
"Oh I know, I don't blame you... I just..." she trailed off. "What are you working on?"
 
"Arranging things with Aziza for my new manufacturing plan." He stopped as she made a face and then continued with a chuckle. "Now, now... you're my favorite little pilot you know that. But she's good at what she does. I have to sort out this bottle neck in my system tonight, tomorrow we'll go out alright?"

Asheyna jumped off the couch and ran over to wrap him in a hug before kissing his cheek.
 
"That's a yes?" He asked playfully, giving her a quick squeeze and turned back to his console. She caught a glimpse of Aziza's angry face on one of the screens and kissed his cheek one more time before dancing out the door, anticipating the next days events.
 
As she rounded one of the station corners she stopped when she heard someone calling her name.

"Yo! Ash!" Two pilots, one very young and one taller were looking at her. The taller one was waving his hand.
 
"Jat!! Oh my goodness! What are you doing all the way out here?" He grinned as she recognized him. Jat was an experienced pirate she had flown with when she first arrived in New Eden. She pointed to the insignia on his flight suit. "Still with Orion?"
 
"Going strong," he nodded. "The fun is about to start tomorrow, I'm taking Pyro here up to the office to apply. You should come!"
 
Ash bit her lip, she knew of Orion by reputation. They were a merc corp who honored their ransoms but had no qualms engaging anyone that got in their way. Honorable and elite... exactly what she had wanted. And this... this was a golden opportunity. Before she knew what she was doing she was in her Rifter following Jat out of Rens and up into Amarr space.
 
"Asheyna... you are going to love this!" Jat's voice came over the com. "I think we need to have a Garbage Day?"
 
"S-orry... what's a ga-rbage day?" Pyro's voice was almost totally garbled.
 
"Pyro dude you need a better ship than that flying piece of junk. And a Garbage Day... well that's just full of win. Let's get you two signed up and then take out the trash!"

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Author Guidance for This Story

So some hints to help ya if you're a bit lost about some of the names.

A name in BOLD refers to a system. These systems actually exist in the world of EVE.

Any name in italics is the name of a space ship. Again, the ships all actually exist in EVE.

updated Jan 18 by Asheyna