Ignorance of the law is not bliss

[mazdamack]

It all started about 11 months ago. I realized I wasnt young any more, and pirating is a young mans game. I hung up my Corsair wings and decided to settle down for a while. I went back to my brithplace, New Berlin. If was supposed to be a much nicer place now that the Nomad War was settling down and the innfested had almost entirely been driven off the plantets. I had enought cash left over to start my own business in my hometown. Within 5 months it was turning such a big profit that I didnt have to work anymore. I guess i should have skipped pirating and gone with selling jewlery from the get go. If i only knew then what i know now.

I took the next 6 months off, living the life of luxury. Its nice to be a millionare at 35. I cant tell you how much synthetic marijuana I smoked in those months. Probaly enough to fill up a train or two. It did get booring after a while, as hard as it may to beleive. And the call of space was too much to deny. I cleaned up, and used some of my shops money to buy a Transport in nearby Stuttgart. I have been back to the skies and started charting out the most lucrative trade routes in all the sector. I was so methodical about it. I figured it out the profit per unit per minute, including fules and loabor costs. No one had routes as good as mine. Running the same route gets tiring though, and i like to keep it intersting now.

One day about 2 months ago, I was on vacation in my ship, SpaceCowboy[FL] at where else, Luxury Liner Hawaii. Its really nice. If you have never been you should take some time and a few credits and go enjoy yourself. (Your welcome Orbital Spa and Cruise, I hope my chekc is in the mail.) I decided to take the good looking route back, so i flew to the far side of the system. The contrast between the gas cloulds is best seen from this side, particullary when the sun undergoing minor solar flares. I enjoyed the view, and moved on as the interference from the sun was starting to affect my system. I got out without problem, but discovered a jump hole that i had never heard of or seen in my legal travels as a trader. Being neutral to most factions in sirrus, i decided to see if i could do some research on new profitable routes. That is where i cam upon the most lucrative trade deal i had seen to date, The Orange Dream.

I talked with a sales rep on Ruiz Base, and was told that while the sale is stricly limited for export, arrangements have been made in the past. I contacted the Blue Lotus Syndicate. This was my first encounter with a real Outcast member. B.Orlov is a mighty fine person, even if he is from Malta. That was my opinion then, and still is today. The entire syndicte is a fine organization. We entered trade negotaition and came to a very nice agreement, i could ship their product to the destination of my choice, in return for bringing back free labor from the Texas system.

I made so much money that first month, I closed up the business back on New Berlin and moved to to Malta with one change, we dont sell jewlery anymore. After another 2 months, i had so much money the bank refused to let me put anymore in my account. What ever will i do with all this money? I know, I will buy a really big toy to protect my business routes and associates from harm. 800 Million will buy you a nice Outcast Dreadnought with the proper bribes. 1.25 billion will buy you a really nice one, and that what i got.

It was the envy of almost all who saw it, while the other i think were just jealous they could afford the nicest things in life. No one in their right mind would dare attack my or other Outcast trade ship now. And i had pledges the service to the defence of the Malteese people and goals. There was only one problem. The shipyard had failed to properly process my registration.

2 days earlier the so called supreme government of the Outcast nation, the 101st Outcast Gurard, passed a new doctrine. It simply stated that all Outcast capital ship are to be registered with the guard. Wanting to prove my loyalty, I offered my services and the vast resources of my company to their disposal, and theirs alone. I was even the first to apply. I decided to take it out on a proper shakedown cruise to get the kinks out, make sure the shipyard didnt miss anything, and to test her defensive capabilites. I also hoped the the name of the ship would present itself, but it did not and i decided to sleep on it. I awaited a swift replay and boy did i get one.

The next morning i opened my comm array and found, what else, a swift response to my registration, if you could call it that. Without considereation they announced me Kill on Sight, despite their claim that all denied registrations would be given time to properly dispose of the rouge ships. My business is my family, and they were telling all Outcast soldiers of any affilitation to treat me as an enemy of the state. For an organzation that trains all of their soldiers to act in a professional manner (except when killiing corsairs) their leaders are still true pirates at heart. They would rather fight than negotiate.

I went to the bridge of my yet unnamed ship. I called the crew to their posts, and strted launching procedures. halfway thorugh I get a transmission from a ship in orbit. I bet you can guess who it was.
He declared intention to not negotiate on the matter, and was told that when i left orbit i would be fired on. The military, firing on a loyal, although new, Outcast loyalists. I told the officer that i would launch, but no matter what i would not fire on him or any other outcast or friendly. I told the crew to be rady for anything, and releived my tactical officer for the moment. Given the nature of the situation, he offered no attitude, and wished me well. I powered up shields, and left the weapons powerd totally down. Then we launched.

Before I was even clear of the planets atmosphere, i was under attack. Given the attackes had limited firepower, and not wanting to harm Malta or her economy, I set a slow course away from the docking rings and mooring fixtures. I was to bet shot down today, I did not want the remains to rain donw on my friends and co-workers.

I was constatntly under fire. I withdrew to about 5k from the planet and came to a full stop. My weapons were still powered down, yet the firing did not stop. My shields failed, and hull integrity went down to under 50% before i dispatced repair crews to the affected areas. All this time, I continue to take fire from the Outcast Guard and loyalists, and not once did i fire on a fellow Outcast. I never even released a countermeaser or engaged in hostile or evasive tactics. Then a transmission come over the comm channel. it is from the lead attacker, telling his wingmen to stand down. After several more volleys from the lesser ranked officers, the firing stops. In my haste I tell him that was a wise decision. Now come the negotation part, something that i have found out that i am good at in the past, and still demonstrated in this encounter.

A word to the wise citizen - governments rarely want to make martyrs out of their own citizens, and this is what I would have been have i died that day. Fortunalty that day was not my day.

They now realizsed that i meant no harm to them, and perhaps this was all one big misunderstanding. We continued to talk, and i reffered him to the current debate currently burning out of control in the council chamers about the incident that i hope i am the only one to have to go throught. A temporary cease fire was agreed upon pending mutual aggrement, and i was allowed to return to Malta without further harrasment.

So where do i go from here? I do not know. The 101st is farily firm footed on the issure, despite my generous offer. Part of me hopes that the corsairs invade, but i know that if by far not the best solution.
In the meantime I am forced to take a sizeable financial loss (not just to scrap the ship, but also the lost trade profit that could have come from our business relatoinship). I have learned 2 things from this ordeal, and wish to share them with you now.

First, a corsair is a corsair, and an Outcast is an Outcast, but deep down all of them are pirates at heart and are only looking for a challenging fight.

Second, ignorance of the law is not bliss.

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Jinx (in a sanction report) -
"better remember that talking to them about it should be done before you go off and report them. - a sanction often hurts more than it helps - assistance and understanding can - in a lot of situations be much more beneficial. "

Xoria (about cheaters\modders)
He can run from Tenacity, but he can't hide from Ioncross

(out of context, so not gonna name em'
NY is the portal to the very darkest regions of the netherworld.