[EVE Online] Even Explorers need a Holiday

E had meant for it to be a break.

No collapsing wormholes. No constant d-scan rhythm tapping at the back of her skull. No living out of bookmarks and gut feelings. Winter Nexus had nudged her out of j-space by necessity more than desire—no storms out there this year, apparently, which felt deeply unfair to anyone who loved the quiet between the stars.

So here she was in highsec, of all places, drifting through a Winter Nexus ice field in her Endurance. The faded volatile ice glittered softly, fractured starlight catching on its edges as her lasers chewed methodically through it. Calm. Predictable. Almost… domestic.

She should have felt relaxed.

Instead, she felt exposed.

No cloaked safes. No instant log-off comfort. Just CONCORD response times, local chat scrolling by, and the strange vulnerability of being visible. She kept glancing at d-scan out of habit, even though nothing ever seemed to change. Old reflexes died hard.

Still, the Endurance felt solid beneath her. Built for cold. Built for patience. She let the rhythm settle in—harvesters cycling, cargo filling, winter NPCs keeping their polite distance. For once, the universe wasn’t demanding constant vigilance. Just time.

She caught herself smiling.

This was nice. A pause. A chance to let the adrenaline drain out of her bloodstream before diving back into wormholes and lost systems and other people’s emergencies. Highsec might not feel like home anymore, but it made for a decent porch to sit on and watch the snow fall.

Soon enough, she’d go back. Back to scanning, back to the quiet tension of j-space. But for now, E stayed where she was—mining ice, feeling a little naked, a little safe, and oddly grateful for the change of pace.

Even explorers needed winter holidays.