COSMOS Missions are no joke…

So yesterday one of the custom channels mentions huge factional standings gains coming from COSMOS missions.  I’m intrigued as I’ve been slowly grinding Caldari State faction by running level one mission out in Gallente space while avoiding the war targets of our current wardec.  Only thing is the site with the COSMOS mission running secrets are in German, but in the same breath, tell this is easily overcome using Yahoo’s babblefish. At the very least ALCATRAZZ99 in English is a challenging in its own right after being translated.  But thankfully one can get the gist of what is being said.  Points to ponder, he makes allot of blessings (fly safe, etc) and suggests bringing a small arsenal of ships from frigate, salvager, hauler, to battlecruiser/battleship.

The hook is set and 23 hops later I’m my way to the solar system “Otitoh” to find an agent named Taru Kubona.  Notice I didn’t mention a station, for the most part COSMOS agents aren’t aboard stations like normal agents, they are in “space”.  It is also important to note that don’t abandon or fail to complete a mission from an agent because you only get one chance. Mission must be completed in 6 days.

So I get my first mission Taru and given the mission “Finders Keepers” and Taru is coveting some gears being held by some pirates in the nearby system of “Sakkikainen” in their headquarters.  Seems simple enough, well I was flying my Caracal (Caldari cruiser) and there was two other mission runners at the accelleration gate cleaning up the rats guarding it.  I pop two rat frigates before the fight is over and  I’m unable to use the gate because its locked out from cruisers and larger ships.  I’m commited at this point so I go and fetch my Kestrel (Caldari Frigate).  So now I’m all set, got the right ship, I’m back at the gate and I warp in…  <WEBBED/SCRAMMED><MULTITUDE OF EXPLOSIONS> <PSSSSHHHTTT>  It’s been awhile since I’ve lost a ship, bummer.  But at least I get away in my pod and head to Jita which is pretty close by to fit out another ship.  One PROTIP^TM I read awhile back was, “Always use the largest ship the accelleration gate will allow.“

I head back to “Sak” in my newly fitted dessy, a Gallente Catalyst, but the rats have respawned at the gate.  I try to peel one of them off by getting its attention with some antimatter S rounds.  Bring it he does and several of  his buddies with him, rinse and repeat my Kestrel snafu and I log for the night as its 01:30 AM to mull over my mistakes.

• There were two other pilots at the gate when I first got there, I breifly chatted with the one in the Drake (Caldari Battlecruiser) and he was clearing the rats for his frigate because, “They almost killed me.”
• When I first entered the room there were allot of wrecks, so in retrospect, the blob of rats near the gate exit was the likely result of a bad “pull” by a previous pilot.
• 6 day clock is ticking and I’m down about 100 million ISK, are COSMOS missions even possible solo?
• Played too long, sometimes enough is enough when the odds are stacked against you and your fatigued and its no longer fun.  Rack time for this capsuleer and perhaps tomorrow will bring a fresh perspective and new ideas.

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