An NPC bug, perhaps?

[Kontrazec (Somni)]

Well so there I am flying on my BHG -GUARD ID'D AND IFF'D-, carrying corsair pilots in my hold, when suddenly a wing of Hammerhead NPC's trudges along and yells "drop them or dai". Why is this so? I mean, sure, they really want the pilots, money is money and BHG will be BHG, but the problem comes here: If I shoot them down, my BHG rep goes down. And I don't want that, being BHG. If I don't shoot them down, if I'm in anything smaller than a Cruiser, I'm dead meat. So basically the only way to counter those patrols is to sit by a freeport and dock the moment they ask the loot?

Has anyone else noticed this was a little strange?

EDIT: Also, the Bretonian authorities aren't shy to ask for synth weed or organs if you're carrying them as Cryer, which has permission to carry both commodities legally. :/

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Sucks to be a weight on the wrong side of the brilliance-insanity scale.