From: Kurt Weinbaum Source: HRZ~Terpentin To: Black Hearts' Pirate Council Subject: Ageira Agony
'Sup, Kurt here.
Who's done an entire lap around the Sirius sector looking for prey and not finding shit? That's right, we did.
We set off towards Bretonia, went past Freeport 1 and into Cambridge, then into New London and Leeds, marveling at how dead everything is. It's like the Bretonians have decided to take a day off collectively and all at once.
Going up through the Taus, we entered Kyushu, then some bounty hunters from that Aegis group caught up to us when the Grumbler had a power outage. I don't know how long they've followed us, but then they just decided to... let us go barely saying anything? Okay, then. Maybe something in the Kusari laws says they can't hunt there or something. Good to know.
[03.03.2023 18:59:29] HRZ~Terpentin: Hello, Bounty Hunter.
[03.03.2023 18:59:51] HRZ~Dazzling_Pearl: looks like you've been outnumbered
[03.03.2023 19:00:04] Aegis|Royal: Not a issue for me.
[03.03.2023 19:00:12] HRZ~Dazzling_Pearl: you sure?
[03.03.2023 19:00:22] HRZ~Terpentin: Cocky today, are we?
[03.03.2023 19:00:29] HRZ~Terpentin: The worst type.
[03.03.2023 19:00:35] HRZ~Durandana: You lawful types... always so confident.
[03.03.2023 19:01:13] HRZ~Terpentin: Grumbler, come in.
[03.03.2023 19:01:21] HRZ~Terpentin: Is there a reactor leak?
[03.03.2023 19:02:16] HRZ~Durandana: So, mon ami. Are we doing this~?
[03.03.2023 19:02:23] HRZ~Dazzling_Pearl: not now...
[03.03.2023 19:02:39] HRZ~Grumbler: Power-conduit failiure. Life supports down now to deal with a replacement.
[03.03.2023 19:02:54] HRZ~Dazzling_Pearl: ah dang it!
[03.03.2023 19:03:00] HRZ~Dazzling_Pearl: do it faster then
[03.03.2023 19:03:33] HRZ~Terpentin: Well, nice talking to you.
[03.03.2023 19:03:41] HRZ~Terpentin: Got any more to say?
[03.03.2023 19:04:15] HRZ~Terpentin: Alright, bye.
Then we went towards Sigma-13 and back into Rheinland. It wasn't until New Berlin that Durandana caught sight of an Ageira transport headed for Hamburg and managed to catch it. Good job.
We started discussing the 'shipping fee', but the merchant was clearly stalling until a bounty hunter showed up - one of those Hitmen. We gave the guy plenty of time to consider our offer, but he chose to rely on the protection of a lone hunter against four pirates, which, if my math is correct, makes me question his business sense.
Well, he can think about his entrepreneurial choices from the confines of his escape pod as we made quick work of his tub, scooped up whatever we could, and ran off before the hunter had a chance to do anything. There was also a freelancer transport in the area, but he was empty and we decided not to bother.
[03.03.2023 19:30:09] HRZ~Terpentin: Ah, hello.
[03.03.2023 19:30:09] HRZ~Durandana: I'm afraid theres a touch of a toll at the moment in these parts, travel wise.
[03.03.2023 19:30:32] chaos-=NL=-trade: sorry captain .. a fluctiation in our engine compartments
[03.03.2023 19:30:44] chaos-=NL=-trade: but we have managed to hold
[03.03.2023 19:30:55] HRZ~Durandana: I'm quite sure...
[03.03.2023 19:30:59] HRZ~Terpentin: Attention Ageira vessel, hold your engines.
[03.03.2023 19:31:02] HRZ~Dazzling_Pearl: Evan: aha! There he is!
[03.03.2023 19:31:37] chaos-=NL=-trade: i was getting out of the trade lane
[03.03.2023 19:31:53] chaos-=NL=-trade: so i wouldnt be rammed
[03.03.2023 19:31:59] HRZ~Terpentin: This here is the territory of the Black Hearts. You gotta pay a 'shipping fee' to make sure your ship is safe.
[03.03.2023 19:32:28] chaos-=NL=-trade: okay ... what is this "fee" ?
[03.03.2023 19:32:46] HRZ~Terpentin: We're going to want 1350 units of your cargo.
[03.03.2023 19:33:32] HRZ~Terpentin: I'm sure you'll find it agreeable.
[03.03.2023 19:33:34] HRZ~Durandana: Ah, greetings Freelancer!
[03.03.2023 19:33:44] Magik: hi
[03.03.2023 19:33:49] HRZ~Durandana: if i could ask you to kindly stop for the moent
[03.03.2023 19:33:58] chaos-=NL=-trade: hold on a moment please ..
[03.03.2023 19:34:11] HRZ~Durandana: I'm afraid for the moment this area is under the... Protection... of the Black Hearts.
[03.03.2023 19:34:26] HRZ~Dazzling_Pearl: Evan: *chuckles*
[03.03.2023 19:34:34] HRZ~Terpentin: Alright, last chance, buddy.
[03.03.2023 19:34:35] Hitman-47: Hello there
[03.03.2023 19:34:35] HRZ~Durandana: But since you're empty, i'll ask a mere one million credits for your safe passage.
[03.03.2023 19:34:36] Magik: just doing mining
[03.03.2023 19:34:47] HRZ~Dazzling_Pearl: Evan: guys! We got somebody on our back!
[03.03.2023 19:34:52] HRZ~Durandana: Mon dieu... of course some hound shows up...
[03.03.2023 19:35:09] HRZ~Terpentin: Ageira, transport, you have 10 seconds.
[03.03.2023 19:35:17] HRZ~Durandana: What do you want Bounty Hunter.
[03.03.2023 19:35:28] HRZ~Terpentin: To drop 1350 units of your cargo.
[03.03.2023 19:35:55] HRZ~Terpentin: Final warning...
[03.03.2023 19:36:05] HRZ~Grumbler: Take it already.
[03.03.2023 19:36:27] chaos-=NL=-trade: i just need my clearance ... ive payd hitman 10mil for my safety
[03.03.2023 19:36:39] HRZ~Terpentin: Oh really now.
[03.03.2023 19:36:48] HRZ~Grumbler: Delightful. I guess there's the answer eh?
[03.03.2023 19:36:54] HRZ~Durandana: Very well then. Its a shame that it has to be that way.
[03.03.2023 19:36:56] HRZ~Terpentin: I guess I'll take that as a no. Blast him, boys!
[03.03.2023 19:37:03] HRZ~Grumbler: Time to square up then real tough like, savvy?
[03.03.2023 19:37:04] Hitman-47: if you blast him [03.03.2023 19:37:05] Death: chaos-=NL=-trade was put out of action by HRZ~Dazzling_Pearl (Gun).
[03.03.2023 19:37:06] Hitman-47: then il join
[03.03.2023 19:37:10] Hitman-47: to kill you
[03.03.2023 19:37:28] HRZ~Grumbler: Not much to save.
We headed home after that and got back to Ithaca with no further incident. Now we have some unusual cargo to deal with. Oh well. I'm sure there's a buyer for this stuff somewhere.