We are fighting against the orange dream , by any means necessaries. If that means we have to destroy the traders , so be it , but we always asks the trader to stop , drop his contraband and then we let him go .
However , i think that the patrol done exactly that , am i right ? They asked you to stop , yet you refused ( i think cause i was not there ) , you continued on impulse toward Cali.
And if you saw the forces around you , why didn't you dropped it and in that way you would keep your ship and your crew alive ?
Every smart captain of a smuggler ship would had dropped his cargo and then he would move along.
anyway , is always fun when you come around the Tau 23 *smile*