This story was shared with full consent from Tommy Yaken, who provided the fundamentals for what is laid out here. A thank you also goes out to De W Javqe, Chris Halsky, and Apollo Alenak for their small part in this tale of daring-do.
Escalation hunting can be profitable business in EVE Online. Although highsec ratting usually doesn’t bring entire bank rolls of ISK, combat anomalies can sometimes escalate into far more lucrative opportunities, spawning new sites a couple of jumps out from wherever you completed the original anomaly…
Neighboring systems such as the infamous Ahbazon, a permanently camped hellscape of many a ship loss.
It was just yesterday that Tommy Yaken, EVE University Junior FC, shared a rather humorous screenshot in the Discord general chat. Reactions from fellow Unistas were swift – prepare to die, Tommy. However, some few including Bombers Bar FC De W Javqe were not so cautious. After all, the survival instinct of a man who yeets bombers and recon ships straight into the firing line of capital ships had died off many aeons ago. “Do it,” he encouraged Tommy in the timeless words of the late and great Emperor Palpatine.
Sensing an opportunity, Tommy spoke his terms and conditions clearly. “If you compensate my Jackdaw [the ship he was escalation farming with], you get the loot if I make it and escape”. More enterprising souls jumped on this opportunity. Chris Halsky, Main Community Lead and staunch betting man, and Apollo Alenak, EVE Uni Roaming FC, heard the clinking of ISK chips. In a fit of telepathic connection, they posed their question at exactly the same moment.
“How much is your Jackdaw?”
Thus, a deal was made. Apollo and Chris would share the reimbursement of Tommy’s Jackdaw if he attempted to run the escalation in Abhazon and didn’t make it out. In return, if Tommy made it, he would pay half of the loot to Apollo, and for Chris he would write an AAR with what he tried to do, what any mistakes where, and how it all happened. An opportunity for learning and revelry, true to the fundamental Uni spirit.
“Deal,” said Tommy, and the pact was written.
When the author of this story awoke the next morning, he found that Tommy had completed his venture with great glee. Right there in the general chat awaited a screenshot of Tommy’s Jackdaw in Ahbazon, with a loot window, as well as a detailed after-action report of his successes. Ingeniously, Tommy had used the most effective type of ship tank in EVE – timezone tank. He took an unusual entry into Ahbazon at a quiet time of day, with only a small crowd in the system’s local. Immediately, he began to bounce around the place, making safe bookmarks to bounce to in case of trouble.
That said and done, his entry into the site saw him realize just how uncomfortably close he was to the Shera and Hykkota gates, both oft-targeted by Ahbazon campers. Nevertheless undaunted, Tommy set his directional scanner to watch closely for combat probes amidst the many Algeese, Arazus and Falcons, and got to work.
Some time later, he arrived at EVE University’s main staging in Stacmon. Heart racing, D-scan finger suffering intense Repetitive Strain Injury, but the spoils of his efforts were safe. A welcome payout of deadspace armour modules. Content, Tommy set to paying out Apollo and writing Chris his vaunted AAR. A few hours passed, and the story was immortalized right here on the EVE Uni Blog.
Well done Tommy!