This evening i find myself wandering again, the search is pretty fruitless until i stumble across a mining barge. It’s happily mining away, I approach and steal the cargo.

The barge lines up and warps out as I’m doing so. I decide to wait seeing as the person is pretty new and i’m in my shield tanked drake. She comes back with an Iteron to collect the rest of the cargo. I start a conversation;

“I have your cargo and my missiles are locked onto it. Pay 200k or I destroy it” I say…. no reply, but she does collect her other cargo and warps out.

I continue and say “Pay now, or I destroy it” and the reply comes “Don’t care, destroy it”. With that , already taking what would fit into my hold I launch a few light missiles. The can pop’s. I send a message back “Ok, it’s done” and close the conversation. I sell the ore for 50k – less than what I was hoping for; either a kill or a decent ransom.

I then notice someone comes online – I’d stolen his cans earlier and decide to see if I can find him. I search the belts for a while… nothing. Then… I happen to stumble upon someone mining in a navitas. I open the chat window to start the demands after launching my can – not flipped his already. He suddenly says in a chirpy manner “Hi, watcha doing?”.

We talk for a little while, and I have a pang of conscience – god only knows why. I warp out and decide to see who else is around. Nothing, nothing and more nothing.

So i’ve spent a bit of money setting up the conversations, bought a skill – so my earnings tonight are now about even. I need a profit for my time i decide. Warping back to the navitas miner, who is now in an Iteron collecting his things, I proceed to steal his cargo and message him;

“I have your cargo. If you want it back it’ll cost you 500k. Move towards it, or warp out and I will destroy it”

His ship approaches me, I lock him. He continues to approach me in his Iteron and I wonder whats going on. He locks me. “Great! Here we go” I thought.

“How did you get my cargo?” he asks. “Doesn’t matter” I reply and continue “Pay up or I destroy it”. He still hasn’t taken it back or fired, so I’m unable to attack.

The next message arrives “I’ll brb” as his Iteron aligns and warps out. I quickly reply “No doubt with reinforcements, I’m a pirate not an idiot!!! I told you to pay and you haven’t”.

I don’t want to wait around considering I’m much newer than him. He’s over a year old but says his account has only just been reactivated – I’m not chancing it. If he comes back in something bigger I’m no match.

My finger hits the F1 key, sliding all the way to the F7 key. A full salvo of missiles launch and destroy the can instantly. “I told you to comply and pay. If you moved I destroy your cargo, I’ve now destroyed it”.

With that I warp out.

A pretty fruitless night all in all. No kills, no ransoms… never mind, there’s always tomorrow. It does make me wonder though why people insist in trying to fight when they have a gun to their heads and a starving, salavating, vicious pitbull on their nuts!!!

For the sake of a few hundred thousand each of the miners could have returned home with a full cargo and tidy profit. Instead, they walk away empty handed.

What did it cost me? A few missiles. What did it cost them? A evenings hard slog over the mining lasers and countless trips back and forth.

Learn a lesson – when a pirate has you bang to rights, pay up and hope she’s in a generous mood and you’ll probably get away with your ship, your life and your cargo – just a few isk lighter for the ransom.

Do I bluff? Never!

Pay and keep your cargo, your ship, your life.

Run and lose your cargo.

Fight, and die at the hands of a furious missile barrage.

 

Your choice. I’ll be visiting you real soon

~hugs~

Alia