I lay on my bunk and winced as a stream of under the breathe obscenities hissed their way through my comms system. Somewhere, maybe twenty hyperspace jumps or more away, Korinne was cursing her abilities as she fought a desperate battle between her allies in the Black Rabbit Alliance and whoever they had chosen to pick on this week.

I knew she knew her comms were still on, and knew it was the least of her concerns. She was a girl totally open about her flaws, but incredibly reluctant to show her greatness. If she was in a good mood I was under no illusions that she wouldn't turn the channel off, it was just her way.

Wether or not she could bring herself to admit it, she had grown, in terms of statistics she had absorbed almost as much information as me due to her augments, even with her temporary hiatus planetside. But she had something I did not, and she was already growing, leaving me in her shadow.

It started small, she started to take risks, flying her boats into low security space, actively looking for foolish or naive miners to exploit. It was trouble she was after, much like our mutual mentor Dossie. It seemed to be a trait in capsuleer women, they had all seemed to develop an urge to throw everything on the line for kicks. I knew one pretty extreme woman named Dax 'preemptively salvaged' a third generation experimental caldari strategic cruiser just for the hell of it.

I knew it was only a matter of time before Korinne picked up the urge.

I rolled sideways on my bed and absorbed all the cursing and spitting filling my quarters, I knew even if she didn't that she was always going to be a few steps ahead of me, wether as a gleaming metal weapon or a fallible and precious woman. I was even glad of it.

I reflect on myself and feel the successes of my friends only elevate me more. And then I decide one of these days I would follow her and the others into the dark depths of space. After all, it's where all the best and worst stuff happens...