The Darkblade

        He had heard its name frequently among the whispers of other pilots. He had even seen a few of them on holoreels, especially those from the annual Alliance Tournament. But he had never seen one in person until it was staring at him in his hangar.

        Knee Anderthal gazed in awe at the ship which most pilots considered to be the deadliest frigate in existence: The Dramiel. And now it was his. A pirate ship of Angel persuasion, it bore ill repute among the people he knew in high-sec from working for the Caldari. They associated it with crime and violence. Knee agreed that they got the violence part right.

        Having Minmatar and Gallente training, he had already known he would be capable of flying it, but its austere appearance made him feel intimidated. As he approached the vessel he ran a hand down one of its pointed tusk-like wings. "This thing looks like a giant claw!" Knee remarked to his hangar attendant. "Yep, she's a beaut." he replied. "Care to take her out for a spin?" Knee gave him a look which said it all. "Unload my Reaper. I brought her a gift basket."

        A cargo hold full of modules was quickly unloaded, unpackaged, and mounted on the hull. He brought exactly what he would need. Once it was complete, he climbed into its pod and eagerly awaited its undocking procedure.

        A matter of seconds later, he was in space. They say among capsuleers that the agility of a ship from the inside fits like a glove. The nimble frigates are like surgical gloves, cruisers like winter mittens, while the battleships are more like a gauntlet - strongly armored yet cumbersome. This ship did not fit like a glove. It fit like a third hand. Knee switched on the microwarp drive he installed and screamed away from the station at 5000 meters per second. No other ship he flew before had that much speed packed into it.

        He transmitted his approval to the attendant back at the station.
        The reply came back, "Going to fly her for a fleet operation?"
        "No, not yet at least. This girl's going to be for a special occasion."
        "A keeper, eh? Got a special name in mind?"
        "I'm calling her 'The Darkblade' - after a particular pilot I know."
        "A friend of yours?"
        "Hardly. One of the most dangerous pirates I've heard of. It's perfect for a ship like this."
        "Heh. What would you say to him if you ran into him while flying that thing?"
        "Fifty Million or your pod gets blown to pieces."
        The responding laughter echoed in Knee's mind as he engaged warp and brought his new toy home to his toybox.