HRZ~ Die Schwarzen Herzen - Message Dump

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> Incoming transmission <

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Applying decryption algorithm...

...complete.

From: Kurt Weinbaum
Source: Ithaca Base
To: Die Schwarzen Herzen Pirate Council
Subject: Mission Report #2

Well, this has been an eventful day.

First, we were patrolling our territory in Omega-7, when we picked up a Freelancer transport. He seemed empty, so my pilot let him go. But I had a hunch he might be back, so I had my pilot wait near the jump hole to Omega-11. Turns out, I was right. He came back to Omega-7 with a cargo hold full of diamonds. So my guy went up to him with the usual line, and he agreed to pay the tax.

Conversation Log

[17.12.2022 20:47:45] CriminalMeans: Guten tag!
[17.12.2022 20:47:50] HRZ~Terpentin: Guten Tag.

[17.12.2022 20:58:06] HRZ~Terpentin: Hello again.
[17.12.2022 20:58:13] HRZ~Terpentin: Please stop.
[17.12.2022 20:58:22] CriminalMeans: Hello again yes
[17.12.2022 20:58:26] HRZ~Terpentin: Had a hunch you might be coming back this way.
[17.12.2022 20:58:37] CriminalMeans: And whys that?
[17.12.2022 20:58:41] CriminalMeans: how come?
[17.12.2022 20:58:50] HRZ~Terpentin: Intuition.
[17.12.2022 20:58:56] CriminalMeans: had a right eye on me it seems
[17.12.2022 20:59:07] CriminalMeans: yeah, good eyes
[17.12.2022 20:59:09] HRZ~Terpentin: You're carrying cargo through the Black Hearts' territory. Unfortunately, there's a tax.
[17.12.2022 20:59:16] HRZ~Terpentin: For your own protection, of course.
[17.12.2022 20:59:28] CriminalMeans: a tax on Coalition goods is it?
[17.12.2022 20:59:51] CriminalMeans: of course yes yes, my protection.
[17.12.2022 20:59:54] CriminalMeans: very good
[17.12.2022 21:00:12] HRZ~Terpentin: Your choice: 4 million credits or 400 units of your cargo.
[17.12.2022 21:00:30] CriminalMeans: now we're in a dilema
[17.12.2022 21:00:43] CriminalMeans: what to do, tum tum
[17.12.2022 21:01:07] CriminalMeans: im not a bad sport, or a rotting bastard
[17.12.2022 21:01:25] CriminalMeans: and looks like you could do with a meal
[17.12.2022 21:01:39] [2022-12-17] 21:01:37 You have received 4.000.000 credits from CriminalMeans
[17.12.2022 21:01:50] HRZ~Terpentin: Your cooperation is appreciated.
[17.12.2022 21:01:54] CriminalMeans: there you go, that satisfy?
[17.12.2022 21:01:59] CriminalMeans: is it now!
[17.12.2022 21:02:01] HRZ~Terpentin: As is your donation to the Trader Security Foundation.
[17.12.2022 21:02:12] HRZ~Terpentin: You may proceed. Fly safe.
[17.12.2022 21:02:26] CriminalMeans: yeah, back to Iskra for a report.
[17.12.2022 21:02:31] CriminalMeans: Good day cpt.

The guy mentioned working for the Coalition - but there was no way to know if that was true or not. I've never even heard of this Iskra base until today. To be honest, I forgot about this incident as soon as the money reached our accounts. We rallied a few ships together and started organizing a raid into Rheinland when the distress call came.

Distress Call

[17.12.2022 21:21:05] CriminalMeans: you earn some of that protection money and come save my arse here.
[17.12.2022 21:21:14] HRZ~Terpentin: Where?
[17.12.2022 21:21:28] CriminalMeans: Iskra
[17.12.2022 21:22:08] CONSOLE: Base Iskra Outpost is under attack by elFlint!
[17.12.2022 21:22:11] HRZ~Terpentin: I need a grid
[17.12.2022 21:22:21] HRZ~Terpentin: I don't know where it is
[17.12.2022 21:22:43] CriminalMeans: C5
[17.12.2022 21:22:51] HRZ~Terpentin: On the way

Even with the coordinates, the installation was not easy to find. By the time we got there, we were too late to save the transport. Regrettable, but we could still avenge it. To his credit, the Corsair pilot seemed unafraid, despite our numerical advantage. He completely ignored our demands and opened fire. But in the end, he could do nothing.

We spent a few minutes picking through debris to recover the Freelancer pilot - but it seems he was already rescued by the personnel of Iskra - which was shooting at us the whole time. So we called it a day and returned to port.

This incident might have complicated things for our organization. Sure, we destroyed a Corsair raider. But we also taxed a transport that had apparently been supplying a Coalition installation - something we didn't know existed prior to this that could affect the present negotiations with the Red Hessians. But if the Coalition wants their suppliers to be untaxed while going through Omega-7, they can damn well reach out to us with some kind of treaty. We'll see if this can be smoothed over.

Kurt out.

End of transmission.