Charles the pirate...

[Dantrithor]

The sun was up when these events happened. Of course, that is evident, as in space, and inside a solar system, specially New York, it's quite hard to have the sun obscured by something. Charles had not managed to earn anything yet that day. Oddly enough, after three hours of looking at the most frequent trade routes in Liberty, he had been unable to find a single useful target. While playing with the radar screen, with his ship on autopilot towards the Texas Jumpgate, he found something. A nice, huge transport, whose cargo could be salvaged for his own use! On a hurry, he began turning his ship, changing the route towards that transport awaiting it's turn to jump. Just as he was powering up the weapons, a Liberty Navy officer appeared, broadcasting his identification, Mark. With his Pirate Transport, Charles had no possible way of running from such situation, so he decided to stand there, and try to talk out his way out of that situation. With a jumpgate in one side, a trade lane in the other, and a jumphole ready near him, it should be enough... or so he thought. Thoughts that were halted by the scream over comms of that naval officer:

– “Freeze!” - he screamed, almost leaving Charles deaf.
– “Uh.. I'm... frozen.” - was the only answer that now came to his mind. - “Good. Now tell me what are you doing here.”
– “Peacefully flying around here... sir!” - “Peacefully? Are you sure? I detected you were powering up your weapons. That isn't peaceful. Plus, you seem to have a rogue tag on your transport's hull. Now give me one good reason to not to take you to Sugarland.”

As pathetic as it may sound, the only reply that came to Charle's mind, and was unfortunately instantly leaving his lips, was “According to a certain zoner girl, I'm too handsome to go there!”. After the laughs over the radio came to an end, Charles looked at the radar again. Just to notice a Liberty naval gunboat with all it's batteries pointing at his ship. - “Nice try, rogue” were the only words the new captain was able to speak, before the naval pilot Mark decided to do a final threat.
Seeing his situation as desperate, Charles quickly surrendered. After which, with great bravery, he verbally attacked the naval officer, about his dubious method to gather information about who he was. Unfortunately for him, the naval officer decided to leave the responsibility of his case, in-situ, to the LSF forces.

Three LSF fighters appeared, which Charles considered a death sentence. Or worse.“This is not fair!” - Charles, desperate, screamed on the radio. “What do you expect? You are a pirate!” Said one of the LSF officers. “I am no pirate! I want a fair trial! It's my right! You will kidnap me! I know it! They told me!”. Stunned by that comment, the leader, by the callsign Internity, asked him what the hell was he talking about. He confessed those were bar stories, about how people disappeared after LSF came near them. Laughing at Charles, they forced him into texas, heading to Sugarland, at gunpoint.

Charles knew he had to hurry. His only chance was running for it in the trade lane towards houston, and they knew it. One of the LSF pilots scouted ahead, while two waited for him to take the trade lane. As, probably, they expected, he took the chance and ran towards the jumphole to New York system. He expected the clouds there would hide him from them. After receiving heavy fire from the closest fighter, he managed to jump.. to the badlands. That dark place is considered among the most dangerous in all the houses space. Unfortunately for Charles, the LSF pilots are among the most stupid ones, and didn't think twice about following him there. He could not take the risk of leading them to Buffalo, the secret base... so he surrendered. Again. Without supplies, without hope, he was lead back to the jumphole towards Texas. One of the LSF's jumped ahead, to check for bogeys. Then, an idea came to his mind.

With the last of his available neurons, the ones which weren't screaming in fear, he engaged impulse speed. At 250 metres, as if he had engaged the autopilot, he came to a halt, re-aligned his ship towards the jumphole, and flew at impulse speed towards it... flying through it. The two LSF agents chasing him didn't notice until it was too late. Quickly, he engaged cruise engines, and headed to buffalo. When he managed to dock, after six failed runs, he fell to his knees, and laughed maniacly for half an hour.

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